Chapter 159: Campaign Against the Wuhuan

Cao Ren's soldiers, gripping sharp weapons, patrolled the top of the city walls.

Every single one of them wore gleaming, magnificent armor.

The troops under his command were elite and formidable, exuding a natural aura of martial valor and might.

Ever since the news of the Wuhuan cavalry marching south reached them, numerous scouts had rushed directly into the city to present themselves before Cao Ren.

"Reporting to the General, garrisons across the borders of Youzhou have all sent out distress signals."

"What?!"

Cao Ren, usually so steady and composed, was now struck with panic and dismay.

"Sir, please quickly take them to tally up just how many enemy troops are attacking?" Cao Peng said to Xun You.

Xun You was fully capable of making a rough estimate of the attacking enemy numbers based on the distress data provided by these signals.

Cao Ren sat dejectedly by the parapet of the city wall.

What troubled him now was that he simply did not have enough troops at his disposal.

The majority of his twenty thousand grand army was stationed in the rear.

His thoughts drifted far away.

"Look at that dark, overwhelming mass over there! Could those be the advancing Wuhuan cavalry?!"

Cao Ren's train of thought was interrupted by a soldier's urgent shout.

In the distance, the raiding vanguard quickly surrounded the city.

As a man well-versed in the hardships of battle, Cao Ren made a quick estimation and knew at once that there were at least tens of thousands of enemy troops.

Swallowing hard, he steeled his subordinates and steeled himself for a fight to the death.

At this moment, Xun You had someone summon Cao Ren to his side.

"General, do you have any idea how many cavalrymen have arrived this time?"

"How many?"

"My estimated figure is at least twenty thousand!"

Twenty thousand Wuhuan cavalrymen—this was by no means a small number.

Like vicious locusts, they would frantically devour this once-tranquil land.

Cao Ren's face had turned completely pale.

It was already too late to send for reinforcements.

Furthermore, the forces under his command were severely depleted, leaving him utterly incapable of mounting an effective resistance.

There were only three thousand garrison troops within this city, which was far from enough to withstand the impact of such a massive iron cavalry.

What could he do?

What on earth should he do now?

"General, you must not lose your head at a time like this. We have no choice but to retreat," Xun You said.

"Retreat?!"

"No!" Cao Ren flatly and resolutely rejected the suggestion.

The reason Cao Ren was unwilling to retreat was because he knew those foreign tribesmen were ruthless and cruel. Once he withdrew, the innocent common people would inevitably suffer a brutal fate.

He could not bear to witness a desolate landscape where not a single blade of grass would grow.

From this perspective, he was still an exceptionally fine military commander.

"General..."

"Say no more. If we cannot defeat them, it simply means death in battle. Furthermore, as a soldier, I have long been prepared to die," Cao Ren said with a chilling glint in his eyes.

Seeing him like this, Xun You, a scholar, could not possibly comprehend what this so-called martial honor of a general truly was.

...

When the news of the Wuhuan cavalry's southern advance arrived, Cao Cao was shaken, and Cao Peng was deeply shocked.

It was now blatantly obvious that leading a main army to provide reinforcements in time was impossible.

Were they simply going to watch with folded arms as the people of Youzhou were ravaged by foreign invaders?

"How dare those wretches of Wuhuan act with such audacity?!" Cao Cao roared angrily.

Guo Jia stepped forward and said, "It must be because the northern lands are suffering from a grain shortage. Facing such natural disasters, the only path left for them is to take a desperate gamble!"

"With the Great Wall standing as a barrier, even if they mobilized their entire tribe, their advance shouldn't have been this swift!" Xun Yu raised his doubts.

Guo Jia smiled and said, "That question naturally should be put to Liu Bei. He took Yuan Tan to find Gongsun Du, and through Gongsun Du, made contact with the Wuhuan. That must be how it happened."

An uproar broke out among the gathered officials, who instantly held Liu Bei's character in even greater contempt.

Liu Bei truly stopped at nothing, actually leading foreign barbarians inside the passes!

Was he not afraid of bearing the eternal condemnation of history and being loathed by all people?

"My friends, this is no longer the time to discuss such matters. The question is what we ought to do now," Cao Cao said with a troubled expression.

Guo Jia said helplessly, "I fear we can only temporarily abandon the land of Youzhou. With things happening so suddenly, mobilizing the main army requires time."

"Are we just going to watch the people there suffer in the depths of misery and fire?" Xun Yu rebuked.

"Then what do you propose we do, Master Wenru? Can you lead an army to rescue them yourself?" Guo Jia smiled.

The scene instantly fell into silence.

Indeed, under these circumstances, only the mobilization of a massive army could launch a punitive campaign, yet the front-line situation was critically urgent.

At that very moment, Cao Peng stepped forward.

He declared sternly, "I am willing to lead the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry along with five thousand elite horsemen to set out first!"

It was not that Cao Cao could not spare more cavalry.

Rather, a force of five thousand elite horsemen could march swiftly to the rescue without having their speed dragged down.

Xun Yu interjected, "General, you must consider this very carefully. The Wuhuan cavalry numbers a full thirty thousand strong. To charge in with just this handful of men is akin to casting eggs against stones."

Guo Jia also said with a dark expression, "Indeed. It would be far wiser to temporarily abandon Youzhou and wait until the main army can launch a campaign; that is the most prudent strategy."

Cao Peng knew all too well that the people there could simply not afford to wait.

He immediately rejected the advice and spoke sternly, "My lords, there is no need to try and persuade me further. This is something I must do."

After speaking, he looked at Cao Cao's expression.

Without Cao Cao's nod of approval, he would have no authority to mobilize the troops.

"Very well, Anmin, you are truly a hero! I shall wait right here for the good news of your routing the barbarians. Do not let me down!" Cao Cao said.

"Rest assured, Uncle!"

After stepping out of the grand hall, Cao Peng went straight to the military camp.

"Zhang Liao, immediately assemble all troops to accompany me in reinforcing Cao Ren!"

Cao Peng's prompt and decisive action was deeply moving, and no one expected him to let go of past grievances and actively seek cooperation with Cao Ren.

Yet Cao Peng's explanation was simple: he had never truly regarded Cao Ren as his enemy.

Furthermore, his mobilization this time was primarily for the rescue of the common people.

Under Zhang Liao's orders, the elite soldiers under Cao Peng's command quickly gathered together.

Cao Peng stepped before them all and shouted in a resonant voice:

"Brothers, foreign invaders have crossed our borders, and our people there are suffering in agony. You are the elite of our army's elites; follow me to meet the enemy!"

"We are willing to give our lives for the General!"

With the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry as its core, this troop radiated a majestic and spirited vigor.

Thus, five thousand iron cavalrymen set forth in a magnificent and mighty procession, with Youzhou as their destination.

Riding at the forefront was Cao Peng atop his fiery Red Hare steed, flanked closely behind by Guan Yu and Zhao Yun.

Having heard the full sequence of events, Guan Yu held Liu Bei's character in even deeper disdain.

Zhao Yun, on the other hand, held profound admiration for Cao Peng's courage in stepping forward at such a juncture.

It was much like that previous campaign when he marched deep into Jizhou alone.

Back then, he had the support of the Brocade-Clad Guard, whereas this expedition to Youzhou lacked any intelligence network.
Everything would have to rely purely on raw strength.