Chapter 132: Yuan Shao’s Decision

In Jibei, outside the city of Yijing, the camps of Yuan Shao’s army stretched for dozens of miles. He had been besieging Gongsun Zan for quite some time, but that man had hoarded millions of bushels of grain within the city walls. Furthermore, Yijing was easy to defend and difficult to attack; no matter if Yuan Shao piled up earth mounds to launch volleys of arrows or dug tunnels to undermine the fortifications, nothing proved effective. The two armies were locked in a stalemate. As it was the height of summer, the Yuan forces had largely ceased their offensives.

Inside the commander’s tent, Yuan Shao listened as his subordinates finished their report. He furrowed his brows and looked toward his civil and military officials, asking, "Gentlemen, Sun Ce has allied himself with Cao Cao and is currently attacking Shouchun. What are your suggestions?"

Tian Feng immediately spoke with an air of pride, "My Lord, Gongsun Zan is stubbornly defending Yijing, and we cannot take it in the short term. Meanwhile, Cao Cao sits like a tiger in the Central Plains. I assert that within three years, you and he will inevitably clash. Therefore, I propose that you dispatch a top general to lead troops directly to Xuchang to welcome the Emperor. By taking the Emperor under your protection to command the disloyal, would that not be a magnificent strategy?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao nodded in approval. Seeing Yuan Shao’s reaction, Feng Ji’s eyes narrowed. He immediately stepped forward and said, "My Lord, Cao Cao has maintained friendly relations with you, petitioning for you to be appointed General-in-Chief and Marquis of Ye. He has even placed the four provinces of Qing, You, Bing, and Ji under your name; how could you attack him? Furthermore, how can we pacify the realm if You Province is not settled? Gongsun Zan is now a cornered beast; we should concentrate our forces to surround and eliminate him, eradicating future trouble. Once Gongsun Zan is pacified, even if we must fight Cao Cao, you will possess the four provinces and a million armored men; defeating Cao Cao will be an effortless task!"

Yuan Shao nodded again in agreement. What Feng Ji said held some truth—Gongsun Zan was a fierce tiger, how could he be left unchecked?

"My Lord, such a golden opportunity is right before us! A single elite force could take Xuchang, securing victory without a fight. Do not listen to the words of such mediocre men and miss this opportunity!" Tian Feng shouted, glaring at Feng Ji.

Yuan Shao looked displeased. Tian Feng was truly not giving him any face; these words made it sound as if he were a fool for not following Tian Feng’s advice.

"Heh, if we didn't know better, we might think the Assistant Governor was the master of Ji Province himself!" Feng Ji sneered with biting sarcasm.

This remark struck at the heart of Yuan Shao’s insecurities. Glaring at Tian Feng, he barked, "Enough! Tian Feng, I am not yet senile; I can still distinguish between loyalty and malice. The matter of attacking Xuchang is not urgent!"

"My Lord, this is the counsel of a villain!"

"Enough! Are you the master, or am I?" Yuan Shao, overcome with rage, flicked his sleeves and rebuked him.

"This subordinate dares not!" Tian Feng bowed.

"Cao Cao is cunning and treacherous; the passes are surely guarded. If we send a light force for a surprise attack, not to mention the problems with supply lines, simply taking Xuchang would be a monumental task." Yuan Shao explained, his voice deep. "Let it be. We will focus all our efforts on taking Yijing."

"Alas!" Tian Feng sighed. It was such a great opportunity; Yuan Shao’s name resonated throughout the world—if the Yuan army were to arrive at the gates of Xuchang, how could the city not defect?

Feng Ji looked at Tian Feng and let out a cold laugh. It was a provocation that made Tian Feng snort in disdain, choosing to ignore him. In later history, Tian Feng’s death in prison would be at the hands of Feng Ji, and his taunting of Tian Feng after the defeat at Guandu—though, primarily, it was because Yuan Shao was a fool. Failing to win the battle and then, out of shame, executing the man who had suggested the winning strategy—one word: ridiculous. He was no better than Yuan Shu.

Ju Shou had remained silent from the beginning. In truth, neither plan was flawed; one was cautious, the other was bold. It only showed that Yuan Shao was easily swayed by the thoughts of others. He loved to ask for advice but lacked the resolve to make a clear decision. He only hoped this would not be the case in the future, or it would bode ill.

***

A few days later, below the walls of Shouchun, Sun Ce donned his armor and climbed the ladders himself, a steel blade held between his teeth. Watching the boulders being hurled from the battlements, Sun Ce grabbed the scaling ladder with one hand, narrowly dodging the debris before using his hands and feet to scramble rapidly toward the top.

"Kill!" Sun Ce roared.

Sun’s troops were already fighting fiercely on the ramparts. With Sun Ce personally leading the assault, the morale of his men was bolstered. He swung his blade with great force, cutting down several defenders in the blink of an eye, and in these brief moments, several more of his soldiers managed to scale the walls.

The situation was noticed by the defenders. A centurion immediately led men over to reinforce the position, and a dozen soldiers lunged forward with long spears. The ramparts were narrow and cramped, making it difficult for Sun Ce to maneuver. Even against these dozen spearmen, he was forced to parry repeatedly. Finally, seizing an opportunity, he charged forward and cut down a few of them. However, because he had personally ascended, more and more enemies swarmed toward him. Most of the armored guards beside him had already fallen, and after fighting for a few more moments, Sun Ce had no choice but to retreat from the walls.

Arrows rained down in scattered volleys, but Sun Ce was wearing two layers of thick armor, which the shafts could not penetrate. As Sun Ce retreated, his army flowed back like a receding tide, leaving hundreds of corpses beneath the walls. This was the thirteenth assault in as many days. Every time, Sun Ce and his generals would personally lead the charge; some were surrounded and forced back, others were repelled by suddenly appearing repeating crossbows. In short, they had not won.

Sun Ce himself was frustrated. This city of Shouchun was truly vexing. Why was it so hard to take? He had to capture it before Chu Feng returned so that he could personally execute Chu Feng’s wives and concubines.

"My Lord, let us ease up. The brothers have many complaints," Cheng Pu said, his armor stained with blood. Sun Ce had been too reckless these past few days.

Sun Ce clenched his iron fists, his brows dark and somber. He wished he could slaughter his way inside right now, but the heavy losses suffered by various units over the past few days, combined with unclear news from Wu Commandery, had left many soldiers without the heart to fight.

"My Lord, General Cheng is right. The soldiers are grumbling; if this continues, it may incite a mutiny. Furthermore, the Cao army has been resting for several days—why not let Cao Cao’s men lead the assault for a few days?" Zhou Yu added. He understood Sun Ce’s urgency for revenge, but such things could not be rushed.

"Alas! Very well!" Sun Ce said irritably. "Gongjin, you go and talk to Cao Cao about this!" Having said that, he strode away, intending to find some wine to drown his sorrows. The feeling of being so close yet so far was unbearable.

"Hmm." Zhou Yu looked at Sun Ce’s retreating figure and sighed. Sun Ce had changed a great deal; perhaps the family tragedy had left him unable to cope. The Sun Ce of the past had been high-spirited; now, his heart was filled with nothing but vengeance. Alas, this was not a good sign. He only hoped he would recover soon; otherwise, even if he attained his revenge, he would die in misery.

Moreover, his advice for Sun Ce to join Cao Cao was not intended as a permanent allegiance. He saw that Cao Cao was a man who dared to employ talent, and he knew that a great battle between Yuan Shao of Hebei and Cao Cao was inevitable. If Sun Ce could gain trust and secure a corner of the realm before then, he would still have a chance to stand on his own later. As for the location, he even had a plan: Xuzhou to the east, Yangzhou to the south, or Guanzhong. In short, there were many opportunities. The prerequisite was that Sun Ce must not give up on himself.

Thinking of this, he went straight to the Cao army camp to coordinate the siege and briefly explain the situation.