Chapter 113: The Great Battle Concludes

After reuniting with Gao Shun and the others, Zhao Yun wasted no time and headed into the distance.

"General Gao, follow me quickly; His Majesty is waiting for you," Zhao Yun said, leaving no room for idle chatter. He then led Gao Shun and his men in a rapid withdrawal.

Meanwhile, inside Xuchang, a massive number of Cao Cao’s soldiers surged out. However, it mattered little; Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei combined their forces and immediately formed a defensive line to block them. Their combined force of 150,000 men stood firmly at the gates of Xuchang. The siege had ended, and now, a fierce skirmish broke out at the city entrance.

"Charge! Kill Liu Xie! Everyone, charge!"

"Archers, fire!"

Cao Cao had lost his composure; he no longer cared about anything else. Since the number of troops inside the city was no less than those under Liu Xie, he decided to commit everyone to an all-out, face-to-face battle.

"Imperial Uncle Liu, General Guan, General Zhang, retreat at once!" Liu Xie shouted to the three men after Zhao Yun had successfully led Gao Shun’s contingent away.

"Soldiers, retreat!" This time, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei dared not act on their own and obediently followed the order. They retreated in a grand procession with their 150,000 troops, while Liu Xie, Zhuge Liang, and the others withdrew alongside them.

"Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, the rest depends on you. You must execute this perfectly—do not get bogged down in the fighting, and withdraw to Wancheng as quickly as possible," Liu Xie instructed them before retreating.

"Rest assured, Your Majesty. We are already prepared; we guarantee there will be no mishaps," the two replied firmly.

Soon, the Cao army and the forces of Wen Chou, totaling over 300,000 men, engaged in a running battle across the vast landscape. Liu Xie’s main force retreated rapidly with the Cao army in pursuit. With over 600,000 soldiers involved, the sounds of battle echoed across the heavens. As they chased and fled, time passed, and Liu Xie soon reached the territory of Wancheng in Jingzhou, with less than fifty miles remaining.

Just as the Cao army’s pursuit reached its peak, thunderous shouts erupted from both their left and right flanks. Suddenly, over 100,000 troops emerged from the sides, led by none other than Huang Zhong and Wei Yan. Within moments, the flanks of the Cao army were locked in combat with Liu Xie’s forces.

"Soldiers, turn around! Charge back!" Liu Xie, who had been retreating, immediately ordered his entire army to pivot and counterattack. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei took the lead, weapons in hand, and charged into the fray.

A scout on horseback galloped up from the rear. "Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Yuan Shu has arrived with 100,000 troops to assist, with his son, Yuan Yao, leading the vanguard. General Zhao Yun, General Gao Shun, and the palace maids have been met by Lord Zhang and are returning to Wancheng."

"Excellent. Since they are safe, it is our turn now," Liu Xie declared. "Tell Yuan Shu and his son that there is no need for formalities upon arrival; they are to join the battle immediately!"

Liu Xie commanded his forces to slam back into the pursuing Cao army. Shortly after, Yuan Shu and Yuan Yao arrived with their 100,000 troops and threw themselves into the fight. The situation for the Cao army turned dire.

"My Lord, it is bad! Our flanks are being surrounded, and Liu Xie has turned back to attack! Furthermore, Yuan Shu has arrived from Wancheng with 100,000 men and joined forces with Liu Xie. They now have over 300,000 troops and have us surrounded on three sides. We can no longer hold them off!"

Cao Cao’s expression darkened. "Damn that Liu Xie, he infuriates me!"

"Kill! Kill them all!" Rage had blinded Cao Cao; he was fixated only on killing Liu Xie.

"Prime Minister Cao, I believe it would be best to stop. Continuing this battle will yield us no benefits," said Wen Chou, who had accompanied him. Seeing the situation deteriorating, he began to consider withdrawing. "Their numbers now rival ours, and their morale is superior. We have no hope left."

"Wen Chou, what do you mean? Do you intend to retreat?" Cao Cao asked, his face stern.

"Prime Minister Cao, please be rational. I have just received news that our campaign in Yizhou has also failed," Wen Chou replied coldly.

"What? Yan Liang was stationed there—how could he have failed?" Cao Cao was shocked.

"Humph, Minister Cao, your intelligence is far from accurate. In all the time we have been fighting, have you seen Lu Bu? He took advantage of our lack of preparation and left, heading secretly to Yizhou. Yan Liang was caught off guard and suffered heavy losses against Lu Bu’s 50,000 cavalry. Our losses are already significant; if we continue, they will only mount, and I will have no way to answer to my lord upon my return."

"My apologies, but I am withdrawing my forces."

Cao Cao was stunned. He had not expected Wen Chou to actually retreat. Without Wen Chou's forces, there was no way he could hold his ground.

"Everyone listen! Jizhou soldiers, retreat with me!" Wen Chou shouted, leading his men away immediately. With their departure, the Cao army’s 300,000-strong force was suddenly reduced to just over 200,000. Facing the assault of Liu Xie’s 300,000 troops from three directions, Cao Cao’s side collapsed into chaos.

"Cao Ren, Cao Hong, quickly! Organize the troops—we are retreating!" The battle was lost; retreat was his only remaining option. Under Cao Cao’s command, the Cao army began a rapid withdrawal.

"Soldiers, pursue them!" Liu Xie seized the opportunity and roared the command. Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan led their troops in a relentless pursuit, stopping only when Cao Cao and his shattered forces had retreated back into Xuchang.

"That is enough, return. Do not pursue a desperate foe; if we push Cao Cao too far, he may grow reckless, and we will gain nothing," Liu Xie said, deciding to quit while ahead. Cao Cao was already in a sorry state, and Xuchang was his home turf; further fighting would be disadvantageous.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were obedient this time, leading their troops back to Wancheng. As both sides retreated to their respective territories, the conflict for now had come to an end. No one had expected the battle to conclude in such a fashion. Yet, to many, it had been a stirring affair—a massive clash of over 600,000 men. Ultimately, the victory belonged to Liu Xie.

A few days later, in the courtyard of the prefectural office in Xiangyang, all six hundred palace maids had been safely delivered.

"Long live His Majesty! Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand times ten thousand years!" They knelt in reverence, their faces filled with profound emotion.