Chapter 114: Yuan Shao's Astonishment

The effectiveness of the three types of seeds Cao Peng brought forward remained to be proven in practice. However, the tool known as the curved-shaft plow was truly remarkable; with such an implement, reclaiming fertile land would no longer be a difficult task. After settling matters in Xuzhou, Cao Peng intended to take Guan Yu and return to Xudu.

...

Just as Cao Peng was preparing to depart, Yuan Shao was in the midst of discussing the campaign against Cao Cao with his generals. Suddenly, the chamber door was pushed open, and a soldier with a look of panic rushed in.

"Disaster, my lord! The subordinates of General Yan Liang have returned..."

Seeing the panting messenger, Yuan Shao was immediately intrigued. He had sent Yan Liang to retrieve the Imperial Seal from Yuan Shu; if he had returned, he must have brought the seal with him.

"Quickly, prepare a banquet! I must celebrate this grand occasion."

With the Imperial Seal in his grasp, he was already imagining how, once he declared himself emperor, he would shatter the strategy Cao Cao used to control the Emperor and command the lords.

"It seems Heaven is aiding you in achieving your great cause, my lord," Xu You said, stepping forward and bowing.

"Hahaha..." After laughing heartily, Yuan Shao looked at his officials, "The acquisition of the Imperial Seal this time is truly a blessing from the heavens."

Hearing his laughter, the courtiers understood his ambition to claim the throne and immediately began to shower him with flattery.

"Once you achieve your great cause, my lord, that Cao Cao will surely be captured without a fight."

"And those in the south, like Liu Biao and Sun Ce, are merely brittle bones; how would they dare to offend your divine majesty?"

Everyone chimed in with praise, save for one man who remained silent. Xu You deliberately remarked, "Advisor Tian, you have always advised the lord against war. Now that you see Heaven itself is lending us a hand, what do you have to say?"

Tian Feng remained silent, ignoring their disdainful mockery. He was used to being ostracized, and he had long since grown accustomed to it. That was the way of Yuan Shao’s camp—there were too many strategists divided into three factions, and their mutual checks and balances often left one unsure of whom to listen to.

However, it was true that Yuan Shao disliked Tian Feng. Not only was he not from Jizhou, but he was always spouting discouraging words, which left Yuan Shao deeply dissatisfied. Ever since he had raised his army, everything had gone smoothly; whatever he wished to accomplish, he had succeeded. As for Cao Cao, he had never truly held him in high regard.

"My... my lord..."

"General Yan Liang has not returned. Instead, his defeated troops have fled back. According to them, they were intercepted by the Cao army at the border, and General Yan Liang was killed on the spot by a commander named Cao Peng."

The silence that followed was as awkward as the previous flattery had been enthusiastic. None of the strategists knew what to say.

Yuan Shao hurriedly asked, "What of my son, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Shang, who was sent to support them?" He had sent his two sons precisely because he had considered the possibility of an enemy ambush.

"Both young masters have been captured by that Cao commander, Cao Peng!"

This news was like a thunderbolt, causing everyone to widen their eyes in shock.

"Impossible! I know Yan Liang’s martial prowess; it is impossible for his strength to be defeated by those people in the Cao army. It must be that those despicable wretches used some underhanded trick." Yuan Shao was still trying to deceive himself.

However, the soldier continued, "When General Yan Liang dueled that Cao Peng, he was killed in a single strike! Afterward, that man named Cao Peng led his heavy cavalry deep into the heart of Qingzhou!"

Hearing this, Yuan Shao lost all remaining hope. Wen Chou, a great general by his side, was furious. He rushed forward, grabbed the soldier, and lifted him up.

"Impossible! My sworn brother is invincible; how could he be killed by an unknown nobody? You must be a spy sent by the Cao army!"

"I will destroy you!"

"Wen Chou, stop!" Yuan Shao intervened immediately. Forced to accept the reality, he kicked his desk over in a fit of rage. "Bring the defeated soldiers here at once; I will question them myself."

The subsequent testimony from the survivors only fueled his anger. Cao Peng’s strength was terrifying, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry he commanded were superior even to his own iron-clad troops. His great general Yan Liang had been slain, and his two sons had been taken prisoner. Each piece of news was more devastating than the last.

Yuan Shao collapsed into his chair, speechless for a moment.

"Who exactly is this Cao Peng? To be so arrogant on my territory—does he take me for a man with no one to defend him?"

Yuan Shao was livid. He had only been interested in Yuan Shu’s Imperial Seal when the man offered to surrender, so he had sent Yan Liang and his son Yuan Xi to the border to receive him. He had never expected to lose both his sons and a top general, with no Imperial Seal to show for it.

"My lord, calm your anger. I have heard the name Cao Peng before; it is said he is the nephew of Cao Cao," said the strategist Xu You, stepping forward.

"Cao Mengde’s own nephew?! I see, he is courting death!"

Yuan Shao now held four provinces and watched the Central Plains like a tiger, intending to eliminate Cao Cao and unify the realm. He had been fretting over the lack of a pretext for war, and this Cao Peng had just handed him the perfect opportunity.

Guo Tu stepped forward, "For that Cao thief to provoke us at such a time is nothing short of folly. In my opinion, we should immediately issue a formal declaration of war, destroy Cao Cao, and seize the Emperor for ourselves!"

Yuan Shao nodded. The entire Yuan Shao faction was already thinking of how to devour Cao Cao, so the call for war was overwhelming.

"Tian Feng, I ordered you to secure provisions. What is the progress?"

Hearing the question, Tian Feng stepped forward with a troubled expression. "My lord, I believe this battle must not be fought. If we proceed, we will surely lose most of the strength we have accumulated."

Yuan Shao’s face darkened instantly; he regretted asking the man. Everyone else advocated for war, yet only Tian Feng was always there to dampen his spirits. Yuan Shao was a man who could listen to advice, but the sheer volume of conflicting opinions left him feeling adrift.

"My lord, that villain Cao Peng killed my brother! I must lead my troops to take revenge!"