NOVPUB"The enemy commander has been defeated, and all soldiers join me in striking down the foe!" Cao Cao roared as he, wielding the Yitian Sword, led the reserve troops and charged out at the forefront.
At these words, the spirit of the Elite Troops of Danyang plummeted. Although they could fight without a commanding officer, the sight of their commander fleeing from battle left them questioning for whom they were fighting. The Danyang Troops, despite embodying the qualities of elite soldiers, were essentially mercenaries. Even though Tao Qian had employed the majority of them for many years, even decades, their relationship was purely transactional. The flight of Cao Bao, combined with his skimping on supplies, instantly drained the Danyang Troops of any desire to fight.
The next moment, the lower-level commanders of the Danyang Troops made the same decision. Almost simultaneously, they summoned their Cloud Qi and launched a ferocious attack on the Cao Army. While breaking away from the Cao Army, they quickly tightened their formation, creating a distance. They swiftly formed a Round Formation, with Shield Soldiers on the outside, Long Spear wielders on the inside with their spears resting on the Great Shields, and archers in the middle — assuming a defensive, hedgehog-like posture, coldly facing off against the Cao Army.
"My Lord, do not concern yourself with the Elite of Danyang. Quickly pursue Cao Bao, capture him, and then we can discuss persuading these elite troops to surrender," Cheng Yu advised as he caught up to Cao Cao, who was hesitating about whether to attack.
"Miaocai, capture Cao Bao alive for me; everyone else, fall back ten paces," Cao Cao commanded Xiahou Yuan.
The retreat of the Cao Army eased the previously tense spirits of the Danyang Army somewhat, but their years of combat experience kept them alert against the Cao Army, silently holding their spears in the standoff.
Xiahou Yuan rode off in pursuit of Cao Bao, who for some reason, along with his Cao Family trusted aides, was racing across the icy surface of the Yi River toward the confluence with the Yellow River.
"Where do you think you’re going!" From a distance, Xiahou Yuan spotted Cao Bao’s group and bellowed. His Long Spear’s radiance flowed as he fiercely launched an attack towards the direction of Cao Bao’s group on the icy surface. In an instant, the ice of the Yi River shattered under the strike, and Cao Bao’s group, due to the breaking ice, fell into the river amidst screams.
"Get up!" With several leaps, Xiahou Yuan promptly arrived at the spot on the River Surface where Cao Bao had fallen in, thrust his spear down, and plucked Cao Bao right out of the icy waters. "Hahaha, caught a big fish."
"So cold..." Trembling with cold, Cao Bao pleaded, held in Xiahou Yuan’s grasp, "Esteemed general, spare me, I am the head of the Xuzhou Cao Family. If you let me go, my Xuzhou Cao Family will be endlessly grateful."
Having been captured by Xiahou Yuan, Cao Bao immediately claimed his identity, hoping Xiahou Yuan would spare him. To which, Xiahou Yuan laughed heartily, "Cao Bao, you’re truly a fool not to recognize who I am. Enough talk, my elder brother is waiting for me to bring you back." Xiahou Yuan’s expression turned cold as he tucked Cao Bao under his arm, leaped onto the horse, and then rode back around.
"Elder brother, I have captured Cao Bao." Xiahou Yuan dropped Cao Bao, who was either shivering from the cold or from fear, in front of Cao Cao, proudly announcing his success.
"Cao Bao, tell me, what exactly happened with my father," Cao Cao demanded coldly, the Yitian Sword pressed against Cao Bao’s neck.
"Lord Cao, please spare me! I was only following Tao Qian’s orders to have Zhang Kai escort Elder Master Cao. Everything was commanded by Tao Qian; it has nothing to do with me. Lord Cao, see through this, Lord Cao, see through this," Cao Bao said in terror, abasing himself without any regard for the dignity of a noted scholar.
"Cao Bao, tell me the truth, and your Xuzhou Cao Family can be spared. Otherwise, not even a chicken or dog in your family will survive!" Cao Cao, suppressing his anger, kicked Cao Bao into the air, then roared at him, "This is your last chance. If you don’t tell the truth, not a chicken or dog in your Xuzhou Cao Family will be left!"
Cao Bao kowtowed repeatedly to Cao Cao, daring not to reveal the truth.
"You refuse to speak, so let me do it. It was you who ordered Zhang Kai to assassinate my father, you who slaughtered the citizens of Xuzhou in my name, all to undermine Tao Gongzu’s prestige, and then to sideline him," Cao Cao bellowed with bloodshot eyes, "I don’t care if you want to undermine Tao Qian’s prestige, I don’t care if you want to sideline him, but you should never have involved my father! You deserve to die!"
"Lord Cao, I was wrong, please spare me, spare me. I can help you take Xuzhou. My Xuzhou Cao Family can help you conquer Xuzhou, please spare me!" Cao Bao cried out in panic, loudly begging Cao Cao. In the face of death, the previously deliberately maintained demeanor of a noted scholar was completely gone!
"Go to hell!" Cao Cao, as if he had gone mad, slashed at Cao Bao with his sword. The sharp Yitian Sword cut Cao Bao in two. Then, as if to vent the rage and guilt in his heart, Cao Cao wildly swung the Yitian Sword, chopping Cao Bao to pieces in front of tens of thousands of people.
After a long time, Cao Cao stopped, looked up to the sky, and howled in tears. His father had been killed over such a trivial matter, and he had slaughtered so many innocent people because of his father’s death. Now that he had killed the real culprit in front of him, there was no sense of relief from avenging his grievance. That the dead in Xuzhou couldn’t point their deaths at his hands didn’t mean he could be at peace, as if nothing had happened.
Suddenly, Cao Cao felt disillusioned. He aspired to conquer the world, from his defeat at Hulao Pass to returning to Chenliu, then taking over Yanzhou, seizing Yingchuan, and capturing Nanyang. He had always been working for the people, organizing agriculture, suppressing bandits, and recruiting talents. He had been striving to make his domain better, and yet, the result had come to this.
"Hahaha, if the heavens are blind, then let me be those eyes. Even if I err, it’s better than a heaven that does nothing. I, Cao Mengde, do not seek forgiveness from anyone. Let them blame or praise me. I, Cao Mengde, am resolute!" Cao Cao seemed to have had a moment of clarity, his mind suddenly clear of irritability, loss, and disillusionment.
In an instant, Cao Cao seemed transcended, free from any trace of confusion. All those following closely beside Cao Cao felt a similar clarity of mind. Cheng Yu, Xun You, and the others, whose principles had been firm, now felt as if they had been cleansed and were more defined than before.
Cao Cao stepped forward, looking at the Danyang Troops, and said, "Lay down your weapons and surrender, and I guarantee you will not be harmed."
The Danyang Troops whispered among themselves. They were extremely disappointed with Cao Bao’s behavior before, and now, the interrogation by Cao Cao and Cao Bao’s responses had made one thing clear—Cao Bao was the true culprit. This realization bred resentment in the already discontent hearts of the Danyang Troops.
The Danyang Troops were a mercenary force recruited from Danyang and had little allegiance to Cao Bao. Coupled with Cao Bao’s behavior and the implications of those words, the Danyang Troops could not help but feel they were actually complicit in tyranny. After all, wasn’t the current situation in Xuzhou largely due to Cao Bao’s lust for power? 𝖓𝖔𝖛𝔭𝖚𝖇.𝔠𝖔𝔪
"I am willing to surrender." Not knowing who was the first to comprehend and drop their weapon, the Danyang Troops began to surrender one by one. Thus, the life under Tao Qian’s command of the Elite of Danyang, once dominating the world, came to an end. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
