Chapter 134: Everyone Except Ju Shou Can Leave Now

Upon hearing this from him, Yuan Shao immediately felt that it did indeed seem to be the case. Cao Cao had limited resources; if the stalemate dragged on, he would inevitably run out of provisions. As long as they could hold out until Cao Cao’s supplies were exhausted, victory would be certain.

"Hahaha, good! You finally have some wits about you, lad. Let us do as you say and adopt a defensive posture," Yuan Shao said with a laugh.

Seeing Yuan Shao’s attitude toward him shift slightly, Guo Tu could not help but feel delighted. He hurriedly struck while the iron was hot, bowing respectfully. "My Lord is wise. It is the greatest fortune of my three lifetimes to follow you and offer my counsel."

"Haha, alright, enough with the flattery. Once we defeat Cao’s army, you shall all be heavily rewarded!" Though Yuan Shao said not to flatter him, he was, in truth, immensely gratified.

Guo Tu cupped his hands and declared, "I am willing to offer my heart and soul to my Lord, and would not hesitate to die a thousand deaths!"

Watching Guo Tu regain Yuan Shao’s favor so quickly, the others looked on with undisguised contempt. Ju Shou, in particular, furrowed his brows deeply; he had already sensed that something was amiss. He opened his mouth to speak several times but ultimately remained silent. With the example of Tian Feng, who had been cast into prison, fresh in his mind, he dared not pour cold water on Yuan Shao’s spirits. He could only hope that his intuition was wrong.

Alas, a moment later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from outside. A soldier, covered in blood, stumbled into the main tent. Falling to his knees, he gasped, "My Lord, the Cao army has breached our defensive lines and is charging straight toward the central command tent!"

"Clatter!"

Caught off guard, Yuan Shao dropped his cup, which shattered into pieces on the ground.

"This... this is impossible!" Yuan Shao roared, his face flushed with fury.

The civil and military officials were completely stunned. Ju Shou closed his eyes in agony; it was exactly as he had feared. Cao Cao was not the type of man to grant Yuan Shao a moment to breathe; he would surely stop at nothing to break through.

Yuan Shao furiously swung his sword, cleaving the command table before him in two. "What on earth is happening out there? Tell me at once!"

The officer looked at the enraged Yuan Shao and stammered, "My Lord, Cao Peng led the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to strike down many of our generals in succession. Cao Cao followed closely behind with his main force. Before we could even react, our lines had already collapsed..."

These reports grew increasingly dire, and Yuan Shao’s expression darkened with every word.

"Damn it..."

Overwhelmed by a surge of rage and despair, Yuan Shao coughed up a mouthful of blood. Could it be that Heaven truly intended to destroy him? In total despair, he glared viciously at Guo Tu.

Sensing the murderous intent in Yuan Shao’s gaze, Guo Tu trembled like a sieve. His face twitching, he spoke with great difficulty, "My Lord, the best course of action now is to preserve our strength—where there is life, there is hope. Let us retreat first!"

This time, Cao Peng had personally led the army, with Cao Cao following behind; they had committed almost their entire force. Yuan Shao’s camp was not without formidable warriors, but when faced with Cao Peng and Guan Yu, they could barely withstand three strikes before being cut down from their horses. Under such circumstances, the morale of the Yuan army plummeted to freezing point. Some threw down their armor and fled, while others knelt in surrender; capturing Yuan Shao’s camp was effortless. Those who attempted to flee were trampled beneath the hooves of the horses.

The most wretched sight was Yuan Shao himself. He had disguised himself as a common soldier and, under the protection of his personal guards, barely managed to escape. By the time they had fled until daybreak, Yuan Shao looked back to find fewer than a thousand men remaining. He found such a dismal outcome impossible to accept. When he had set out with an army of four hundred thousand to conquer Cao Cao, he had been in such high spirits; now, the end was utterly tragic.

If Yuan Shao’s escape was this pathetic, the others fared no better—they were all captured. Ju Shou, Shen Pei, Feng Ji, and Guo Tu were dragged before Cao Peng. Aside from Ju Shou, the others were frantically begging for mercy. They swore their loyalty to Cao Peng, claimed their service to Yuan Shao had been a grave sin, and promised to serve as beasts of burden for the rest of their lives. These words filled Cao Peng with nothing but disgust.

Cao Peng shouted sharply, "Silence!"

Guo Tu and the others, who had been busy pledging their loyalty, immediately fell quiet. Looking at Cao Peng in terror, they knew the moment of their fate had arrived.

Cao Peng did not hesitate, stating bluntly, "Keep Ju Shou, the rest of you may get lost."

"This..."

Everyone was dumbfounded. They did not understand what Cao Peng meant.

"General, we...?" Guo Tu ventured to ask, emboldened.

Cao Peng barked, "Did you not hear me? I told you to get lost! In my eyes, you are nothing but a pack of useless trash with no value whatsoever."

Cao Peng’s words lacked lethality but were packed with insults. Simply put: you useless freeloaders, get out of my sight; I have no use for you. Ashamed and humiliated, yet fearing Cao Peng’s power, Guo Tu and the others hastily departed as instructed.

Watching their panicked retreat, Cao Peng curled his lips into a faint smile. As for how they would manage to catch up with Yuan Shao, who had already fled with the remnants of his army, that was none of his concern.

Upon learning that Cao Peng had released Guo Tu and the others, Cao Cao came over personally and asked, "Anmin, why did you let those fellows go?" In his view, if they could not be used, they should have been rooted out entirely. He could not understand why they had been spared.

Cao Peng merely smiled. "Uncle, what use would a group of men who only know how to sow discord be in our camp?"

Cao Cao frowned. "Even if they are useless, you should have killed them instead of letting them go."

Cao Peng explained further, "Those fellows are incapable of accomplishing anything but are excellent at ruining things. Releasing them to drag down Yuan Shao’s efforts is far more valuable than killing them."

Upon this explanation, Cao Cao understood immediately. "Anmin, you truly are something; your mind is incredibly meticulous."

Ju Shou, standing nearby, heard this and felt a storm raging in his heart. A bitter smile touched his lips. With a talent like Cao Peng at his side, how could Cao Cao not be victorious?

Cao Cao noticed Ju Shou then and asked, "Anmin, who is this?"

Cao Peng introduced him immediately. "This is Ju Shou. He is one of the few intelligent men under Yuan Shao, and a man of great loyalty."

Cao Cao understood at once that Cao Peng had kept him alive to recruit him. "Yuan Shao is finished. Since you are a man of talent, why not join us? It would be a shame to waste your gifts!"

Ju Shou, however, said with a stern expression, "Do not speak further, sir. I am not one to cling to life out of fear, nor am I a man who would betray his master for glory. Please, just kill me!"

The old man actually made such a request. If it were the usual Cao Cao, he might have shown some tolerance for such scholars. But having just won a massive victory, he was in a state of supreme confidence. He replied in a low, cold voice, "Very well, then I shall grant your wish!"