Three Kingdoms: Prince of the Great Wei, Prime Minister Cao

Chapter 28: The Southern March of the Great Army, Meeting the Hunt in Jiangdong, Capturing and Killing Sun Quan!

As Cao Ju stood between Cao Zhang and Yang Xiu, settling into his position, Cao Cao, seated at the main seat, spoke with a relaxed and resonant tone, “Gentlemen! The frontline has sent back news…”

Pointing towards the direction of Jiangdong, Cao Cao spoke with a disdainful tone, “That Sun Quan, upon hearing that I am leading two hundred thousand troops southward, has already gathered a force of one hundred thousand to march north and face us in battle.”

“Now, as it stands… His sizeable army from Jiangdong has already completely crossed the Yangtze River and is advancing northward along the northern bank of the river.”

“I believe that… They will reach Ruxu Pass south of Chao Lake in a short while.”

“Hehe! With the enemy already approaching, how can Cao’s southern expeditionary force possibly stay put and not advance? If I were to not make some response.. Once this news spreads, people worldwide might think that I fear Sun Quan. They might believe that after the defeat at the Battle of Chibi, I, Cao Cao, have been frightened by the soldiers of Jiangdong!” Cao Cao made a somewhat playful remark about himself.

However, nearly everyone in the hall had experienced the defeat at the Battle of Chibi four years ago, and no matter what, they couldn’t find it in themselves to laugh. That grand battle. They were utterly frustrated by their defeat. Who could have imagined that they, who could have easily swept across the lands of Jiangnan, would suffer a humiliating loss due to a fire attack aided by an unexpected east wind?

And so… Eager to cleanse the disgrace of their defeat at the Battle of Chibi years ago, as soon as Cao Cao’s words fell, one after another, they all stood up and requested assignments from Cao Cao.

“Lord, this subordinate offers to fight! Lord, Li Dian is willing to go!”

“Lord! Lord…”

Voices rose, and a genuine fighting spirit emerged from many of the high-ranking generals. Just then… A clear and resonant voice, requesting to join the battle, overshadowed the others.

“Lord!” Cao Hong stepped forward, standing before the generals who had volunteered. “This subordinate, Cao Hong, offers to lead a vanguard of twenty thousand naval troops and rush to Ruxu Pass immediately.”

“Taking advantage of the unstable footing of Sun Quan and his Jiangdong army, we will arrange our battle formation on the waters of Chao Lake and break Sun Quan’s momentum.”

As he spoke, the other generals immediately lowered their voices. A general must excel in battle and understand the intricacies of human relations and the world’s ways. As a prominent general under their Lord Cao Cao, second only to the likes of the Xiahou brothers and Cao Ren, Cao Hong, and others still had to consider his reputation. It wouldn’t be reasonable to sour their relationship with Cao Hong over a vanguard position, which might cause him to hold a grudge.

Cao Ju looked at his uncle Cao Hong, who was currently boasting, with a slightly puzzled expression and gave an imperceptible shake of his head. After the Battle of Chibi, it was true that Zhou Yu, the extraordinary and influential Grand Commander of Jiangdong who had once controlled the fate of the great river, had passed away. But Zhou Yu’s death didn’t mean that the elite naval forces he had painstakingly trained in Jiangdong had become ineffectual.

In Cao Ju’s view, even with his uncle Cao Hong leading a vanguard formation of twenty thousand naval troops on the waters of Chao Lake, the entire thirty thousand naval forces from this southern expedition might not necessarily fare well in naval combat against the Jiangdong naval forces. An even greater possibility was that they might engage in a standoff with the Jiangdong naval forces, perhaps separated by the entrance between Chao Lake and Ruxu River.

Moreover, Cao Ju couldn’t help but glance at Cao Hong. His uncle himself didn’t seem to be a renowned naval warfare expert. In terms of naval warfare prowess, not to mention comparing them with experts from Jiangdong like Gan Ning, Jiang Qin, Zhou Tai, and others, even when compared to the generals within the hall like Yu Jin and Li Dian, Cao Hong fell short. Though Cao Ju was well aware of this, he had no intention of standing up to advise against it. It wasn’t worth the potential negative consequences.

Seated at the main position, Cao Cao looked at his clan brother Cao Hong, who volunteered for the mission, with great satisfaction. “Hahaha, Zilian, since you have such a heart… How could I bear to reject it? You shall lead twenty thousand naval troops southward along the Fei River into Chao Lake, giving Sun Quan a display of our strength!”

Cao Cao directly decided, appointing Cao Hong as the vanguard commander. However, being cautious by nature and knowing Cao Hong’s impulsive character, he again turned his gaze to Li Dian. “Mancheng, as the deputy general, you shall accompany Zilian!”

Upon hearing his name mentioned by Cao Cao, Li Dian, who had joined in volunteering earlier, didn’t hesitate and immediately stepped forward. “Understood!” Seeing Li Dian’s response, Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction.

However, in warfare, it was not just about offense. There was also defense. When a conflict erupted, while some led the vanguard, there also needed to be someone guarding the rear. And so, after a brief moment of contemplation, Cao Cao looked down at Xiahou Dun standing below. “Yuanrang, you shall lead thirty thousand troops to remain stationed in Hefei. You will hold the defense here. I trust in you.”

Faced with his elder brother Cao Cao’s orders, Xiahou Dun, who had long been accustomed to being responsible for guarding the rear for Cao Cao, immediately agreed. “Understood! Please rest assured, Lord. This subordinate shall certainly guard Hefei city well, ensuring the army faces no concerns from the rear.” Seeing Xiahou Dun’s solemn assurance, Cao Cao instantly felt relieved.

“Hahaha, Yuanrang, there’s no need to be so tense. I don’t believe Sun Quan can reach the rear of my two hundred thousand-strong army.” Amid hearty laughter, Cao Cao suddenly stopped. His voice resounded with determination. “Spread the orders. The army shall depart precisely at noon. Our target… Is to hunt in Jiangdong and capture and kill Sun Quan!”