Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

Page 349

Although Zhang Heng was not involved in politics, he knew a little about this. Being appointed as a military advisor meant he was now on par with figures like Zhuge Liang and Zhang Juzheng, which truly surprised him. Zhang Heng repeatedly said, "No, no, Prime Minister, you greatly overestimate my contributions. I am not a high-ranking strategist, merely a technical expert. How can I be ranked alongside Zhuge Liang and Zhang Juzheng? I dare not." He waved his hands repeatedly, "If the Prime Minister wishes to assign ranks, a mere Grand Councilor would suffice, or at most a Deputy Military Advisor. These positions allow me to exercise authority without attracting attention, perfectly suited to me..."

Luo Chen grasped Zhang Heng's hand and said, "Our country was strong for over a thousand years, but ultimately declined, largely due to our neglect of technological development. I am now declaring to the entire nation that those who research technology are the pillars of the state, the backbone of the nation, so that the whole country will develop an atmosphere of respect for technology. Wouldn't that benefit future generations?" Zhang Heng might not have understood, because Luo Chen was speaking in the context of future historical developments. China fell behind the West after the mid-Ming Dynasty because it neglected technology. Luo Chen hoped that an atmosphere of respect for science and technology would be cultivated in his controlled territory.

"Sun Yuanhua, you are hereby appointed as a councilor," Luo Chen said simply. This Sun Yuanhua appeared out of nowhere; let him serve as a councilor for now. He'll be promoted later once he develops the cannons.

Although a technical supervisor for artillery has been appointed, it's too late to solve the immediate problem. Cao Cao's army is right below the pass, and they're running out of gunpowder. The enemy army will likely have to defend Tong Pass once again.

In the previous Battle of Tongguan, Luo Chen's success in defending Tongguan was largely due to Yuan Shao's westward expedition. In fact, Luo Chen had already mobilized the entire nation's resources at that time. If Luo Chen hadn't used the strategy of forming an alliance with Yuan Shao to launch Yuan Shao's westward expedition, Luo Chen might very well have been defeated by Cao Cao.

Although Luo Chen is no longer what it used to be, and it's unlikely that Cao Cao could wipe it out in one fell swoop, if Cao Cao were to gamble everything, capturing Tong Pass at any cost, attacking Chang'an, and looting Guanzhong, it would clearly inflict a heavy blow on Luo Chen. This is a situation that Luo Chen should obviously try its best to avoid.

Luo Chen summoned several important civil and military officials who were still in the Guanzhong region to discuss the next steps.

This meeting was quite special, as it was held atop the Tongguan city gate. The number of participants was small, but they were all prominent figures. Among them were Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, and Zhang Song (Luo Chen had brought these two back to Chang'an after returning from Yizhou, without assigning them any official positions in Yizhou to prevent them from seizing power); Xu Da, Ma Chao, and Ma Dai, who were still at Tongguan; Xu Shu, who had returned from Shangyong; and Zhang Heng, the newly appointed strategist-level leader in the scientific community; and Sun Yuanhua, also from the scientific community.

Luo Chen explained the situation. General Xu Da's expression was grave. He said, "Since that's the case... I'm not optimistic about our army's future prospects... There are three possibilities for Cao Cao. First, after testing the waters, he might go and attack Hebei. Second, he might fight for half a month or even longer, suffer heavy losses, and then retreat. Third, he might gamble everything, taking Tongguan at any cost, looting extensively in the Guanzhong region, severely damaging our base, and even inflicting a fatal blow on our main force, causing significant damage to our strength."

"In your opinion, General, which step will Cao Cao choose?" Luo Chen asked.

"Prime Minister, you must be very clear about Cao Cao's strategic intentions last time (good news)." Ma Chao, who had been silent, suddenly spoke seriously. "General Lin Chong didn't come, but he should have felt it most deeply." Indeed, back then, Luo Chen's forces were still very weak, and there were few great generals. The gateway to Guanzhong was defended by Lin Chong with tens of thousands of troops. Cao Cao's army numbered over 300,000, and Lin Chong held out for more than a week, with all of his tens of thousands of troops killed in battle. Afterwards, Luo Chen personally led Ma Teng, Ma Chao, and others to defend Tongguan. Through hundreds of battles, and through the integration of Guanzhong troops and Qiang cavalry, they forged the renowned Guanzhong Iron Cavalry.

“Indeed,” Luo Chen nodded with deep feeling, gazing at Cao Cao’s dark camp in the distance, “Back then, Cao Cao was willing to pay any price to take my life.”

"Then Cao Cao will very likely choose this path as well..." Xu Da said worriedly, "Frankly, this is the most unfavorable outcome for us."

Chapter Fifty-Three Meeting

"Cao Cao's power is indeed terrifying... but Cao Cao is by no means invincible," Zhuge Liang said, waving his feather fan.

"Oh, what are your thoughts, sir?" Xu Da asked with interest.

"I haven't decided yet," Zhuge Liang said.

Everyone was quite disappointed, and Xu Da even showed a hint of doubt. Of course, Luo Chen understood; Xu Da was a commander-in-chief, and relatively pragmatic. Luo Chen couldn't help but think of Zhuge Liang's battle against the Confucian scholars in history—what a display of courage! At that time, Cao Cao's million-strong army pressed in, and Eastern Wu seemed utterly vulnerable, let alone Liu Bei. Yet Zhuge Liang dared to say, "Sun Quan and Liu Bei will surely win, and Cao Cao will surely lose."

But this was also a political strategy; at the time, Liu Bei's group only had this one option. If Sun Quan had chosen to surrender to Cao Cao, Liu Bei wouldn't have survived. Ultimately, the famous Battle of Red Cliffs was mainly commanded by Zhou Yu.

Thinking of this, Luo Chen suddenly had a flash of inspiration... Instead of fighting Cao Cao to the death now, why not let Cao Cao attack Jiangnan like in history, and have a Battle of Red Cliffs with the Jiangdong forces, and finally be defeated... One of Luo Chen's great advantages is his knowledge of history. If he fights Cao Cao now, the future is uncertain, but if he lets Cao Cao fight Jiangdong, Luo Chen can foresee every step of the development.

680 “I propose that our army prepare for a bloody battle with Cao Cao,” Xu Da said solemnly. “Currently, the Tongguan garrison only has 200,000 troops, half of whom are new recruits, replacing some of the veterans who went on the last expedition. Now is a critical time, and I propose that we immediately recruit another 200,000 troops from the Guanzhong region. I also propose that Yizhou should recruit another 200,000 troops, begin training, and be ready to march north to support Tongguan at any time.”

"You mean Cao Cao will go all in, and we should also go all in to defend Tongguan?" Luo Chen asked.

“Exactly,” Xu Da replied.

"In that case, Tongguan will inevitably be stained with blood, and the entire Central Plains will be plunged into chaos," Xu Shu said worriedly. "The people's livelihood and economy that we have worked so hard to restore will be lost again..."

“But it must be so… otherwise we will perish,” Ma Chao said firmly. “I am ready to lead my army again to fight Cao Cao’s army at Tong Pass at any time.”

"Thank you all." Luo Chen bowed in thanks. "I am relieved that you all have such a strong will." Luo Chen stood up and pointed to the vast farmland of the Guanzhong Plain west of Tongguan. "Everyone, look behind us."

The Guanzhong Plain stretches as far as the eye can see, covered with lush green wheat. Farmers appear to be busy at work.

"As you all know, once the bloody war breaks out, all the farmers will be conscripted, the farmland will be abandoned, and the land tax will be greatly increased to be used for military food... The people will suffer in the war."

Several civil and military officials stood up and gazed at the vibrant scene of the Guanzhong Plain, and everyone remained silent.

"Report!" A messenger climbed the city wall. "The Xiongnu royal court has replied."

"Recite it," Luo Chen said coldly.

"Prime Minister Luo Chen of the Han Dynasty, the Xiongnu King cannot agree to your request. Furthermore, border trade cannot be stopped. This year, the Xiongnu royal court borrowed 300,000 taels of tribute from you, which must be paid in full by the end of this month, otherwise your border will face disaster."

The staff behind Luo Chen were all shocked.

"Report!" Another messenger ran over, "Border report: Shangjun was attacked by Xiongnu cavalry yesterday. Cao Cao's border areas of Jiuyuan and Yunzhong were also attacked by the Xiongnu."

"Did the Prime Minister write a letter to the Xiongnu?" Xu Da asked. "That Xiongnu are truly arrogant and utterly despicable!"

"Gentlemen," Luo Chen said calmly, "I have a teacher, do you know him? Cai Yong. He is my teacher." The assembled officials were quite surprised; Luo Chen had never mentioned a teacher to them before, and the fact that he actually had one…

“Cai Yong?” Xu Shu knew him somewhat. “A great scholar of the Eastern Han Dynasty, I heard he suddenly went into seclusion during the Dong Zhuo rebellion, and I don’t know where he lives now or if he’s still alive. He had a daughter named Cai Wenji, a talented woman, who was said to have been captured by the Xiongnu, could it be…”

“Yes, finding Cai Wenji is one of our goals,” Luo Chen said. “Another goal is to establish a strong cavalry base. I’ve heard that the Xiongnu have fine horses and a powerful cavalry legion.”

"But Prime Minister, with Cao Cao's army pressing in, how can we possibly have the mind to worry about the Xiongnu?" Xu Da was even more worried. "Although the Xiongnu are despicable, we have no choice but to compromise for now. Once the war in the Central Plains is over, I am willing to personally lead a large army to sweep across the north, reclaim the Hexi Corridor, and restore our rule in the Western Regions."

“General, you may not know this… my teacher may not live much longer, and he may never see his daughter again.” Luo Chen sighed. “Besides, what if I could get Cao Cao to withdraw his troops?”

"Could we make Cao Cao retreat?" The ministers were astonished. "I mean, could we try negotiating with Cao Cao?" Luo Chen said thoughtfully. "To make Cao Cao understand that a bloody battle is futile and retreat to attack Hebei."

The courtiers fell silent again. After a long while, Zhuge Liang said, "It's not impossible... but negotiation is extremely difficult..." He then looked at Xu Da. Xu Da nodded as well: "This idea is indeed feasible, but very difficult..."

Now, let's turn our attention back to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao was feeling troubled in his central command tent. He summoned his advisors and generals. Guo Jia, Xun Yu, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Mao Jie, Xu You, and others were present. Generals such as Xiahou Dun, Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, Yue Jin, Cao Hong, Dian Wei, and Xu Chu were also there. "I didn't expect the enemy's weapons to be so powerful," Cao Cao said, somewhat dejected. "Gentlemen, what's the next step? Should we retreat? By the way, Mao Jie, I asked you to investigate the enemy's new weapons; have you found anything?"

"There are results." Mao Jie sat at the end of the table, his face grim. He usually played a minor role in the team of strategists, and his main job included some espionage and intelligence activities. "The enemy's new weapon is called gunpowder. It is highly flammable and can sometimes explode. It is very powerful."

Cao Cao had seen it in Hongnong, and he buried his head in thought: "This thing is truly unheard of. I wonder how Luochen came up with it."

"Doesn't my lord know?" Xu You interjected, "There's a famous scholar in Guanzhong named Zhang Heng. He was recently appointed by Luo Chen as a military advisor-level civil official, one of Luo Chen's three most important ministers. This man, along with a group of people, has created such a remarkable thing." Clearly, Xu You was someone who paid close attention to the dynamics of the civil officials and strategists world…

"Such a prodigy?" Cao Cao murmured. "As you all have witnessed, the enemy's weapons are truly formidable; if we continue fighting, our losses will undoubtedly be heavy. However, Luo Chen is a major threat to our rear, and in principle, we must defeat them."

Chapter Fifty-Four: Debate

Cao Cao summoned his civil and military officials to his central camp to discuss whether to retreat or continue fighting. Cao Cao said, "If we continue fighting, our army will suffer heavy casualties. However, Luo Chen is a major threat to the north, and in principle, we must fight him."

Xun You said, "Judging from the last battle, our army was panicked when it first encountered gunpowder, and we withdrew from the battlefield early and suffered heavy losses. Back when we attacked Tongguan, our army fought more than a hundred battles, large and small, against the Luo army. Now that the Luo army has been equipped with gunpowder, I'm afraid our army can't handle it..." Although the generals of Cao's army were all warlike, they had all suffered great losses in battles against the Luo army and had a deep understanding of the situation. They all nodded in agreement.

"I suggest we withdraw our troops immediately, gather up the remnants of Yuan Shao's forces in Hebei, and conserve our strength," Xun You concluded.

"What if our army attacks Hebei and Luo Chen launches a surprise attack from behind?" Cao Cao asked.

The courtiers fell silent. At that time, Cao Cao was on the front lines in Hebei when he heard that Luo Chen was personally leading a large army to attack Luoyang, and he jumped in fright. The courtiers all remembered this vividly. "Luo Chen is attacking with 20 troops, equipped with gunpowder. How long can your Luoyang defenses hold out?" Cao Cao asked Cao Hong.

“Uh…” Cao Hong was a little flustered, but after thinking for a while, he thought, “We can still hold out for a month or even longer. The Luoyang defense line is strong. Last time, the Luo army launched a fierce attack on Luoyang, but it had no effect at all.”

"Can Hebei be destroyed in a month?" Cao Cao seemed to be talking to himself, but it also seemed to be asking his ministers.

Xu You quickly stepped forward: "If Lord Cao follows my plan, we can take over the entire territory of the three provinces of Hebei in at most two months."

"Two months? That's too long... and it doesn't include Liaodong." Cao Cao was clearly dissatisfied: "So, Luo Chen is my biggest threat, and I must deliver a fatal blow before conquering Hebei?"

“Not necessarily,” Guo Jia said. “Increasing the garrison in Luoyang can help us hold out longer. In addition, even if Luoyang falls, there are still passes such as Hulao Pass and Songshan Mountain, which can hold off Luo Chen for another one to two months. In that case, we have plenty of time to take over the three prefectures in Hebei before Luo Chen advances into our core area, and we may even be able to advance eastward to pacify Liaodong.”

Cao Cao fell into deep thought and said, "Luo Chen is truly a major threat. It will take a great deal of manpower to defeat him, and to destroy Luo Chen's forces will be even more difficult! It's a tough situation!" He sighed, hesitant and unable to make a decision. Cao Cao was usually decisive and good at weighing the pros and cons; this was the first time his ministers had seen him so hesitant.

"Guo Jia, what do you think?" Cao Cao asked.

Guo Jia hesitated for a moment before saying, "I am merely a strategist. Such a momentous decision cannot be made by anyone but a wise and powerful ruler... However, I dare to offer my opinion: I suggest that we take Tongguan at all costs, occupy Guanzhong, and force Luo Chen to the south of the Qinling Mountains and Hanzhong. I also suggest that we recruit another 400,000 soldiers, prepare provisions, and prepare for this great battle."

Guo Jia spoke slowly and deliberately, causing the officials and soldiers below to tremble with fear. This frail scholar had uttered such murderous words. Moreover, this murderous suggestion was not merely personal; if implemented, it would lead to a bloody battle involving millions, leaving the entire Central Plains in a state of agonizing despair and rivers of blood…

"I object!" Xun You exclaimed. "This is going to wipe out the country's wealth and the people's manpower!"

"Such a plan would indeed pose a huge challenge to our country..." Xun Yu, who had long been in charge of logistics in the rear, said with deep concern. Most of the civil and military officials were also clearly worried about the enormous damage the decision would cause, and they all expressed their disapproval.

To be honest, what Guo Jia said was exactly what Cao Cao was thinking! However, as the leader of a group, Cao Cao had to consider things carefully, understand the advantages and disadvantages, and not act impulsively. Therefore, Cao Cao had to consider the various concerns raised by his ministers, and these concerns were all reasonable, which made Cao Cao somewhat hesitant.

"You all fear bloodshed now, and the future may see the country split apart!" Guo Jia said solemnly. "It's clear that Luo Chen's strength is growing stronger and stronger. He will definitely try to seize Jingzhou, expand his territory, and recruit powerful generals and strategists. Our Central Plains' overall strength is still significantly greater than Luo Chen's group, so we still have a chance to defeat him now. But once Luo Chen's power expands, we will no longer be able to control him! At that point, neither side can control the other, and wouldn't that lead to the country's split?"

The courtiers were shocked and fell silent. Clearly, this vision was far too far ahead, and most of them had not considered it.

"Fengxiao is right..." Cao Cao murmured.

· 0 flowers requested ··· ······

"Attacking Luochen now will inevitably result in mutual destruction and incalculable losses!" Xun You insisted. "How do you know there won't be another chance? After taking Hebei, pacifying Jingzhou and Jiangdong, and recognizing the barren west, our army can still sweep through and crush the Luochen group!" The ministers whispered amongst themselves, clearly finding some merit in Xun You's words. No one here was a god, unable to predict history; Xun You's proposed plan seemed feasible…

"Report! Major battle report!" a soldier suddenly shouted from outside the door.

"Come in!" Cao Cao said hurriedly.

"Yesterday, the Xiongnu cavalry launched a large-scale southward invasion, harassing our Yunzhong, Shanggu, and Daijun areas, burning, killing, looting, and even abducting many border residents," the soldier reported.

......... ..... ...

"Damn it!" Cao Cao roared in fury. He couldn't help but grab the sword at his waist. "This is the first time I, Cao Cao, have been so humble, trading and negotiating with the Xiongnu, paying them money every year, all so I could focus on dealing with the conflicts in the Central Plains. I never expected these Xiongnu to be so barbaric, utterly ungrateful and ungrateful!"

"Lord Cao, send me 100,000 cavalry! I'll storm the Xiongnu's lair and sweep across the north!" Xiahou Dun immediately volunteered. The military generals gritted their teeth, extremely annoyed. The civil officials, however, were calmer, mostly frowning and shaking their heads.

“General Xiahou, please don’t be impulsive. Our army is already fighting against the powerful Luochen Group, and we also have to sweep through Hebei and pacify Liaodong. We are already facing enemies on multiple fronts... I’m afraid we really have no strength left to fight the Xiongnu.” Xu You sighed and shook his head.

"So the Xiongnu can just burn and kill whenever they want? Treat the people of the Central Plains like pigs and dogs? We just swallow our anger and don't fight back when we're attacked? We just sit idly by?" Xiahou Dun asked repeatedly, extremely indignant.

"That's not right... What angered the Xiongnu? Have we sent border troops to fight and clash with the Xiongnu?" Guo Jia asked the soldiers.

"No..." the soldier scratched his head. "Our army strictly adheres to orders, avoids friction, and has never fought with the Xiongnu. It seems that places like Shangjun in Luochen have also been attacked by the Xiongnu..."

"That's strange..." Guo Jia paced back and forth. Could it be that Luo Chen had angered the Xiongnu, causing them to launch a large-scale southward invasion without any explanation? Or perhaps something unexpected happened to the Xiongnu?

Chapter Fifty-Five: A Treacherous Scheme

When news of the Xiongnu's attack on Yunzhong and other places reached Cao Cao, he was furious. His ministers discussed what had provoked the Xiongnu, and most were puzzled.

Just then, Zhang He, who was on patrol outside, suddenly entered the main tent, strode up to Cao Cao, and whispered something in his ear. "Oh," Cao Cao said, his eyes gleaming with interest. "Tell everyone what's going on."

"Yes, sir." Zhang He said, "My patrolling soldiers discovered a group of Luo Jun soldiers escorting boxes of things, seemingly heading to Hangu Pass on the side. If I'm not mistaken, those things are the gunpowder from the Tongguan city wall the other day."

"To prevent the enemy from using treacherous schemes." Before Zhang Song could finish listening, he immediately understood Cao Cao's meaning: they simply wanted to seize the gunpowder for research. Luo Chen wasn't that foolish. Zhang Song didn't hesitate to remind Cao Cao that this might be a treacherous "320" plan.

“I ordered the soldiers to search repeatedly, but they did not find any stragglers around. However, this group of people obviously wanted to transport gunpowder to Hangu Pass quickly. If we don’t seize the opportunity, we may miss it…” Zhang He said, “I am willing to personally lead the troops to take a look.”

Clearly, everyone knew the enemy might be plotting something, that it was intentional. But the allure of gunpowder was too great for them. Both strategists and generals wanted to know what this thing that had routed Cao Cao's army looked like, what it was made of, and they wanted to come and study it for themselves.

"Zhang He, you'd better not go in person... Just send a colonel, and you can oversee the overall situation from afar," Cao Cao said.

"No need, thank you for your concern, my lord. This matter is of great importance, and I will be there in person to ensure stability should any risks arise." Zhang He said, clasping his hands in a fist salute as he left.

"Shall we all go out and take a look?" Cao Cao tentatively suggested, eager to see the legendary gunpowder. The courtiers were about to speak when no one objected. They all rode out of the camp through a side gate, escorted by guards, and observed Zhang He's movements from afar.

Sure enough, a cavalry unit from Luojun, laden with boxes, was rapidly approaching Hangu Pass, skimming along the foot of Mount Hua. Hangu Pass was the first line of defense for entering Guanzhong, but it had been burned down by Cao Cao years before. It was never rebuilt, remaining only a small outpost. When Cao Cao's main army arrived, they only deployed troops to the flank for minor defenses, paying little attention because there were hardly any soldiers inside. Was Luojun's move of gunpowder intended to launch a surprise attack on Cao Cao's army from the side?

The fallen infantry followed the cavalry at breakneck speed, and soon Zhang Liao's several thousand cavalry spread out on both flanks, encircling them in a fan shape. The fallen soldiers initially paid no attention, but suddenly, some soldiers seemed to have climbed onto their horses and looked in their direction, then hurriedly tumbled off. Clearly, the fallen soldiers had noticed Zhang Liao approaching. The fallen soldiers seemed to contemplate for a moment, then spurred their horses and charged towards Hangu Pass. But Zhang He was no pushover. While galloping, he drew his bow and arrow, and in the blink of an eye, an arrow struck a fallen soldier in the lead, who instantly fell dead. Cao Cao's cavalry shouted and tightened the encirclement, seemingly determined to trap the fallen soldiers inside.

As if they had planned it together, the soldiers of Luojun suddenly threw down the boxes on their horses, mounted their horses, and rode off in the opposite direction toward Tongguan.

"Hehehe..." Zhang Song, standing beside Cao Cao, laughed loudly, "These few stragglers are quite clever and well-trained... We have two more plans..."

The fallen soldiers mounted their horses, but they were already surrounded by Cao Cao's cavalry in three layers, and it seemed they couldn't escape. Seeing that the situation was settled and there were no further developments, Zhang He ordered a portion of his troops to join the encirclement and capture the fallen soldiers alive. He then led a group of men to inspect the spoils of war at the gunpowder depot.

The Luo soldiers gathered together, seemingly preparing for something. In the blink of an eye, the Luo soldiers outside parted, and a soldier in blue robes rushed out from the Luo camp. He held a short bow, his sword drawn, and, more dangerously, the arrowheads were studded with fireballs!

"Damn it!" Cao Cao shouted. Unfortunately, it was too late, and Zhang He couldn't hear him. The short arrow flew in an arc and landed steadily on the box. Fortunately, Zhang He was quick-witted and agile, and luckily, he didn't dismount, but instead directed the soldiers to move it from horseback. Seeing the arrow arc, Zhang He seemed to understand something, and frantically whipped his horse, causing it to gallop forward. But the short arrow had already struck the gunpowder box. With a deafening roar, the soldiers carrying the gunpowder were instantly killed, and Zhang He was thrown from his horse by the blast, crashing to the ground, motionless.

"General Zhang!" the soldiers cried out in panic. Their formation crumbled. The soldier in blue robes unleashed a flurry of arrows, and Cao Cao's army fell in droves, thrown into chaos. Taking advantage of the confusion, the fallen soldiers broke through the encirclement and fled towards Tong Pass.

The Cao army soldiers were thrown into chaos. Only a small number of them saw the fleeing enemy and frantically fired arrows from behind, killing several soldiers. Another group rushed towards Zhang He, while the majority frantically surrounded him, unaware of what was happening.

"Giddy up!" Cao Cao shouted, personally galloping over. His ministers and guards quickly followed. "General Zhang He!" Cao Cao dismounted and ran to Zhang He's side. "Medic! How is he? Is he still alive?"

The strategists and generals, upon seeing Zhang He, a mangled mess of flesh and covered in blood, gasped in shock. This thing was too powerful! A mighty general, invincible against ten thousand men, was utterly useless before gunpowder!

"General Zhang is still breathing! He's alive!" a group of military doctors shouted after examining him. "Quick! Take him back! He has severe burns!"

Even so, the military doctors were still somewhat helpless, because traditional Chinese medicine has always focused on internal matters, while Zhang He suffered severe external burns and considerable damage to his skin, which traditional Chinese medicine was indeed powerless to treat... The legendary physician Hua Tuo did understand surgery, but he was said to be in Jiangdong at the moment.

"3.6 Bastard!" Cao Cao cursed, then added, "It's my fault, my fault! I regret not listening to Mr. Zhang Song's frank advice. I was too eager to see the gunpowder..." All the strategists lowered their heads in silence. Everyone wanted to see the gunpowder, and seeing no ambush, they all wanted to go and see. Unexpectedly, gunpowder could be ignited and exploded from a distance; what need was there for an ambush? A single spark was enough. Everyone lowered their heads and followed Cao Cao back to his tent.

Cao Cao paced back and forth in his tent, extremely anxious. All the ministers hung their heads and remained silent.

Gao Lan rushed in from outside, shouting, "Something's up!" Normally, reports of enemy activity are handled by messengers, so why did Gao Lan, the patrol general, come in person?

"What's wrong? Why are you in such a panic?" Cao Cao asked hastily.

Chapter Fifty-Six: The Xiongnu

The Xiongnu were descendants of the Xia dynasty, whose ancestor was Chunwei. Before the Tang and Yu dynasties, there were the Shanrong, Xianyun, and Hunzhou, who lived in the northern barbarians and moved with their livestock. Their livestock consisted mainly of horses, cattle, and sheep. They migrated according to water and pasture, without city walls or permanent farming, yet each had their own designated land. They had no written language, relying on spoken language for communication.

—From the Records of the Grand Historian, Biography of the Xiongnu

"Luo...Luo Chen is outside in person!" Gao Lan gasped for breath.

"What?" Cao Cao thought he had misheard. What was going on? Had Luo Chen come here to die? He didn't ask any further questions and strode out of the tent to see what was happening. All the strategists and generals followed him out.

Zhang He and Gao Lan were in charge of the daily defense of the main camp, along with the strategist Cheng Yu, and Mao Jie was responsible for reconnaissance. Cheng Yu had already arranged for the camp gates to be opened, and the main camp was filled with archers and crossbowmen. Hundreds of thousands of cavalrymen had emerged from different gates in front of the camp, forming orderly ranks. Cao Cao's army was heavily guarded, fully armed, and ready to attack at any moment. Cao Cao was quite satisfied with what he saw.

The vanquished army was once again the iron cavalry of Guanzhong! They numbered probably in the hundreds of thousands, their swords drawn in a symbolic gesture, ready for battle. Dust billowed all around, the only sound the neighing of horses, creating a desolate and chilling atmosphere.