Three Kingdoms, Myth

By the time Liu Bei received the battle report, Cao Bao had already been killed, and over ninety percent of the thirty thousand elite Danyang soldiers had been captured by Cao Cao, thanks to the advantageous terrain.

Reading the situation detailed in the report, Liu Bei felt that calling Cao Bao incompetent would be an insult to incompetence itself. Thirty thousand elite Danyang soldiers, Tao Qian's prized assets, had been utterly wasted, along with Cao Bao's own life.

On that fateful day, Cao Bao led his entire force of thirty thousand elite soldiers out of their stronghold, completely confident after a string of victories. In his arrogance, he had no idea who he was anymore, holding nothing but disdain for Cao Cao. He left Pengcheng completely undefended, and even when Cao Cao sent five hundred men to occupy it, Cao Bao remained oblivious.

When he arrived at the confluence of the Yishui and Yellow Rivers, he found no sign of Cao Cao's main army. Instead of being cautious, he was overjoyed, thinking that Cao Cao was too afraid to face him. He sent messengers urging Cao Cao to come to battle.

As expected, Cao Cao sent a reply that only made Cao Bao laugh even harder. He assumed Cao Cao feared his military prowess and, feeling emboldened, sent another taunting letter. However, Cao Cao, who had been severely mocked by Mi Heng recently, found Cao Bao's insults laughable. Cao Cao decided to continue stalling.

Under the long and increasingly hot sunshine of the second lunar month, even the elite Danyang soldiers began to feel restless. The prolonged wait caused a creeping sense of unease, a rare feeling for such seasoned veterans.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Cao Cao, Xun You, Cheng Yu, Cao Hong, and Cao Xiu were leisurely roasting buns over a fire, occasionally glancing at the sun to check the time.

Cheng Yu couldn't help but smile wryly at Cao Cao and Xun You. He lacked their patience; Cao Cao was intentionally stalling, knowing that every incense stick's worth of time they delayed would grant them a greater advantage. Xun You, on the other hand, was waiting for the sun to sink lower, making the sunlight more blinding and giving them another edge.

For Cao Cao and Xun You, the exact time of battle didn't matter. What did matter was ensuring victory over Cao Bao. If they succeeded, this strategy would be hailed as brilliant. If they failed, it wouldn't have mattered when they arrived on the battlefield.

"Lord, isn't this a bit improper?" Cheng Yu asked, his nerves fraying. "The time has long passed, and if others think we're afraid to fight, it won't look good. We should march out immediately."

Cao Cao casually plucked a roasted bun from a spear and handed it to Cheng Yu. "Try this. It's one of Chen Zichuan's inventions—long-lasting and with a decent taste."

Cheng Yu, caught between amusement and exasperation, took the bun and quickly ate it. As he was about to argue further, Xun You intervened. "The lord didn't specify a time for the battle. If anyone asks, we'll simply say we never agreed on a specific hour. Let them wait until the timing is perfect for us."

"Come on, let's finish eating and then stretch a bit. Have the vanguard drink three bowls of wine each. Record their names, and whether they live or die, pay them five times their due," Cao Cao declared with a generous air.

"Understood," a subordinate noted down Cao Cao's orders.

So, the Cao army not only had breakfast but also lunch. After eating and digesting, each soldier was given a bowl of wine, while the death squads received three bowls. Only after all this was done did Cao Cao order the army to march.

Cao Bao, who had been driven to madness by the long wait, finally saw Cao Cao's forces approaching. He rode out in his chariot and shouted at Cao Cao, "Cao Mengde, how dare you be so rude, arriving so late!"

"I never specified a battle time. Why did you arrive so early?" Cao Cao sneered in response.

"Fine, fine, well played, Cao Mengde! No wonder your father was killed by Zhang Kai and thrown into a dung pit—you deserved it!" Cao Bao spat, pulling out the challenge letter and confirming that indeed, no time was mentioned. Enraged, he cursed, oblivious to the consequences.

Cao Cao froze, then his hair and beard bristled with fury. "Cao Bao, how dare you mock my father's death! Cao Xiu, Cao Hong, Lü Qian—seize Cao Bao! I will use his blood to honor my father!"

Cao Cao wasn't foolish. Though he initially reacted in anger, he quickly realized why he had never found his father's body. In an instant, he connected the dots, realizing Cao Bao had been involved.

Cao Bao was also momentarily stunned. He had blurted out the insult in a fit of rage, never expecting Cao Cao to piece things together so quickly. His face darkened, and he stopped responding, vowing to kill Cao Cao here and now; otherwise, his dream of becoming the Governor of Xuzhou would be forever shattered.

"Charge!" Cao Bao pulled back his forces and immediately ordered a full assault, driving his half-starved Danyang veterans into battle.

"Kill them!" Cao Xiu roared, leading three thousand infantry in a direct assault on Cao Bao's left flank. The red clouds of battle qi from his troops clashed violently with the crimson aura of the Danyang veterans, while arrows rained down mercilessly on both sides.

"Zilian, lead the death squads and capture Cao Bao alive!" Cao Cao ordered, his eyes bloodshot. At this point, he no longer cared about saving the death squads for a final blow—he wanted Cao Bao alive.

Cao Hong ripped off his helmet and let out a deafening roar, leading a thousand death squads straight towards the center of the Danyang soldiers where Cao Bao was positioned. He decapitated a centurion in one strike, and his death squad, undeterred, charged into the enemy's spear formation, breaking through with suicidal determination and advancing toward Cao Bao.

"Hurry! Crush their left flank! Han Qi, stop Cao Xiu!" Cao Bao panicked as he saw his left flank collapsing under Cao Xiu's assault. His frantic and misguided commands only further disorganized his troops. When he noticed several bolts from a ballista pierce the ground just ahead of him, killing several soldiers, his fear escalated, and he ordered a retreat.

"Destroy those ballistae!" Cao Bao yelled, retreating with his command banner while still trying to direct his forces. The once tightly coordinated Danyang soldiers began to lose their cohesion, but their battle-hardened instincts allowed them to hold their formation against the Cao army's onslaught.

"Retreat! Can't you see the enemy is almost upon us?" Cao Bao screamed at the military officer driving his chariot. "Retreat! Have the left and right flanks close in on the center and eliminate the Cao forces that have broken through!"

The officer, Xu Sheng, looked at Cao Bao with disdain but didn't retreat. Bowing slightly, he said, "General, I advise against retreating. The enemy likely allowed us to push in, planning to divide and conquer. If we continue retreating, it will destabilize our forces."

"Shut up! Who's the commander here, you or me?" Cao Bao, seeing that Cao Hong was now less than 150 paces away, could no longer hold back his fear. That was close enough for Cao Hong to shoot him with a bow, even if his internal energy was suppressed.

As Cao Hong drew his bow, Cao Bao could no longer stand it. He kicked Xu Sheng off the chariot and took the reins himself, driving the chariot away from Cao Hong to increase the distance.

Thud! A soft sound echoed as one of Cao Bao's personal guards was shot down beside him. Cao Bao's screams grew louder as he frantically whipped the horses, fleeing toward the rear in a panic.