Free Web NovelChapter 283: Xuzhou, Nothing More Than a Chicken Rib!
Clang—
The wine cup on the table suddenly fell to the ground without any warning.
Cao Cao, dressed in a black and red robe, was stunned, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He immediately stood up, his eyes trembling as he stared at the kneeling rider below and demanded:
"Do you know the consequences of reporting false military information!!?"
Clearly, Cao Cao couldn’t believe the news was true and questioned its authenticity.
The rider, with a sobbing tone, said, "My lord!! I know that falsely reporting military information is punishable by death! But... but every word I speak is true! If I am lying, may I be struck down by lightning."
After saying this, Cao Cao felt as if all the strength had been drained from his body, and he slumped into his seat, his eyes losing focus.
He would rather the rider be lying about the military information, but now it seems...
"Ahhhhh!!! My... my head is splitting!!!"
Cao Cao held his head and screamed in pain.
It was clear that Cao Cao was in great agony.
The civil and military officials familiar with Cao Cao knew that their lord’s migraine had flared up again.
Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Cao Ren, and the other veterans supported his body, preventing Cao Cao from collapsing.
At the same time, they shouted loudly, "Quick, call the doctor, call the doctor!!!"
Several scholars stood frozen, not knowing what to do.
They had just received a shocking piece of news that Yan Province might be lost, and now their leader Cao Cao was suffering from a severe headache—what were they to do?
Although Cao Cao felt his head was about to split open and he might faint at any moment, he knew the situation was critical, and he had to make a decision immediately without hesitation.
He quickly called out to everyone, "Quick... return to Yan Province... do not linger in Xuzhou."
After saying this, Cao Cao fainted.
However, within moments, several doctors hurried in. The lead doctor, an elderly man with a white beard, first checked Cao Cao’s pulse.
Then, frowning, he instructed the other doctors behind him.
The group worked together to perform a miraculous treatment, as several beams of green light floated from their bodies.
The green light seemed to be filled with vibrant life energy, making the surrounding civil and military officials feel refreshed, their previous fatigue and weariness disappearing.
These doctors possessed the power to restore life energy to the human body.
And it was evident that these doctors were of high rank and great skill.
After a long time, the pallor on Cao Cao’s face gradually faded, but he remained unconscious.
The lead doctor cupped his hands in salute to Cao Ren and the others and said:
"Reporting to the generals, the lord’s condition is worsening."
"Previously, we could suppress the evil energy within the lord’s body, but now... alas!!"
"Our abilities are limited; we can only do our best. We hope you can find a truly skilled physician for the lord as soon as possible!"
Hearing this, the civil and military officials all looked worried.
They had all gathered together to pool their wisdom because of the man who had now fainted—their lord, Cao Cao.
If something were to happen to Cao Cao, how would they fulfill their ambitions?
Night fell.
The stars shone brightly.
A group of soldiers was quickly marching through the forest.
Cao Cao gradually woke up from his sleep, feeling parched, as if his throat were on fire.
"Water, water!!! I need water!!!"
"Coming, my lord!!"
Xiahou Dun hurriedly offered a bowl of cold water to Cao Cao.
Gulp gulp—
"Ah!! That was refreshing!! Even better than drinking wine!"
"Yuanrang, where are we now?"
"Reporting to the lord, we have left Xuzhou and entered the Yan Province region."
Xiahou Dun respectfully cupped his fists and said.
Cao Cao squinted his eyes, stroked his beard, and nodded:
"Good, good, we managed to withdraw from Xuzhou safely. Who led the troops?"
"Reporting to the lord, the troops were led by General Cao Ren, with strategists Man Chong and Mao Jie."
"Excellent." Cao Cao nodded with a smile.
When they returned, he would make sure to reward them heavily.
It should be noted that there were several forces in Xuzhou eyeing Cao Cao’s army covetously.
The largest of these forces were Long Chen of Yangzhou and Tao Qian, the Governor of Xuzhou.
But the fact that his army could safely withdraw showed that the commanders and strategists were highly skilled, able to complete the task even without Cao Cao’s direct command.
"It seems my army is filled with talented individuals!"
"Even if you, Long Chen, take Yan Province from me, so what? As long as there are so many capable and righteous people in my army, what is there to fear?"
Thinking of this, Cao Cao, who had an exceptionally high adversity quotient, burst into hearty laughter.
The originally demoralized Qingzhou troops, feeling downcast due to the hasty retreat, were suddenly invigorated upon hearing this familiar laughter.
"My lord, why are you laughing?" Man Chong asked.
He was still lamenting the near-miss with Xuzhou, yet his lord was laughing, leaving him utterly puzzled.
"My lord, the opportunity to seize Xuzhou slipped away, and yet you can still laugh!!"
The other generals also looked at Cao Cao with confusion, each guessing in their own minds.
"Oh no, could it be that the lord’s migraine has fried his brain, turning him into a fool? Otherwise, why laugh in this situation?"
"Oh no, the lord must be under the influence of some malevolent spirit, causing him to laugh foolishly."
...
But then they saw Cao Cao suddenly stand up, pointing to the bright moon and stars in the sky, with his feet firmly on the barren ground.
With overwhelming momentum, he shouted:
"I laugh because even the great general Long Chen can make foolish mistakes."
"Xuzhou is like a chicken rib—tasteless to eat, yet a pity to discard."
"That great general Long Chen went to such great lengths to try to seize Xuzhou—how utterly ridiculous!"
Wait a minute, my lord, you previously mobilized the army to attack Xuzhou, wasn’t it because you wanted to capture it?
Everyone else thought you were avenging your father, but I knew your real goal was Xuzhou!
Now you’re saying something different—are you just making this up as you go along?!
Several scholars and intelligent generals were utterly perplexed.
But then Cao Cao continued, "Though Xuzhou is rich in resources and well-equipped, it has a fatal flaw!!! It lies at the intersection of four provinces: Qingzhou, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Yangzhou, making it the first target in any conflict."
"To take Xuzhou means having to guard against attacks from these other provinces."
"Even if Long Chen really takes Xuzhou, he will then face attacks from Qingzhou, Yanzhou, and Yuzhou at any moment. What will he use to defend the city?!"
"In the end, he will only waste his troops and resources."
"Therefore, I say Long Chen is digging his own grave!"
Upon hearing these words, everyone showed expressions of sudden realization.
It turns out that this retreat of ours has become a model of success.
Heh heh heh~~
Suddenly, the soldiers and generals were filled with joy, their morale soaring.
They became even more convinced of Cao Cao’s words.
However, the few exceptionally intelligent strategists looked at each other, puzzled...
Uh, well... fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
What the lord said isn’t without reason, but it’s obvious that gaining Xuzhou has more benefits than drawbacks!!!
The lord just mentioned the disadvantages of Xuzhou without going into detail about its advantages!!
