Chapter 17: The Proposal to Withdraw Troops

  The Battle of Wuzhang ended, and the entire Tunliu Great Camp was almost burned to ashes, leaving nothing behind.

  When the news reached Yuan Shao's camp, the entire Wu Chou camp was immediately in a state of panic, with unstable morale and unsteady troops, and even signs of rioting.

  The situation did not ease until the next day at 4 pm.

  A grain-collecting team dispatched by Yuan Shao himself arrived at the main camp with a large quantity of grain and fodder, and after the news spread throughout the entire main camp, the situation finally took a turn for the better, and the morale of Yuan's army was slightly stabilized.

  After the military stabilized, a lingering doubt gradually emerged in the minds of both officers and soldiers: since the Wu Camp had been clearly burned to ashes, where did these emergency rations come from?

  Regarding this riddle, the generals and soldiers of Yuan's army discussed it endlessly every day after training, guessing and speculating until someone with inside information spread the news, instantly causing a huge stir among all the generals and soldiers of Yuan's army.

  "On the night of the Battle of Wuzhang, the three princes set up a clever ambush and delayed the Cao army, preserving part of the grain at Wuzhang, and also shot and wounded the fierce general Xu Chu of the Cao army with one arrow."

  As soon as this message came out, it spread rapidly throughout the entire Yuan army camp, and reached the ears of every Yuan soldier at an alarming speed.

  Whether in ancient or modern times, it seems to have an innate ability to spread gossip quickly, and it can be said that it is extremely fast. Moreover, the process of spreading rumors cannot help but add oil and vinegar.

  Yuan's soldiers were also human beings, and in the transmission process, it was inevitable that there would be no mistakes or omissions.

  The problem is that there are too many versions of Yuan's army. With so many people involved, the transmitted version has become somewhat distorted...

  "Alas! Have you heard? In the Battle of Wuchao, the Third Prince set up a clever ambush, delaying Cao's army and preserving part of the grain at Wuchao. He even shot and wounded General Xu Chu of Cao's army with a single arrow!"

  “..............”

  "Hey, have you heard? In the Battle of Wuchao, the Third Young Master led his troops in a head-on confrontation with Cao's army, desperately stalling for time and preserving most of the grain and fodder at Wuchao. He even managed to wound Cao's fierce general Xu Chu!"

  “...............”

  "Haha, have you heard? The Battle of Wuzhang, the Third Prince led the army to fight fiercely with Cao's army, and the outcome is still undecided. They managed to keep all the grain and fodder in Wuzhang, and even beheaded Xuchu, the fierce general of Cao's army!"

  “...............”

  "Haha, have you heard? In the Battle of Red Cliffs, the Third Young Master led his troops to a great victory over Cao's army, beating them so badly that Cao Cao was crying out for his father and mother. Not only were the grain stores at Red Cliffs unharmed, but they even seized the provisions from Cao's army! Damn it, Xu Chu, Cao's fierce general, came crying and begging to surrender with his troops, and he even wanted to acknowledge the Third Young Master as his adopted father, but was kicked back by the Third Young Master!"

  “..............”

  And so on, the various versions were passed down and became more and more absurd, even showing some initial signs of Ah Q spirit, but ultimately stabilized morale and shocked the scene.

  Relatively, after various rumors were spread, the name and prestige of Yuan Shang, the third son of Yuan, surged in the Yuan army, and apart from Yuan Shao himself, there was hardly anyone else who could be mentioned in the same breath, and his reputation was unparalleled for a time.

  No wonder, even Hu Chi and Xu Chu want him to be their godfather, how can he still pretend to be a fool?

  What a majestic and awe-inspiring figure, with divine power unmatched.

  At this moment, the majestic and invincible Yuan Shang was sitting on a pile of straw in a dilapidated tent, recounting to the prisoner in front of him in a wooden cage the details of the Battle of Wuchao that night.

  The person inside the wooden cart was none other than Zhurong, who had instigated Yuan Shang to send troops to Wuchao and turn the tide of battle.

  When Yuan Shang finished speaking the last word in his mouth, Ju Shou's tightly knitted face finally revealed a faint smile. With his disheveled hair and dirty face, he, who had been listless and spiritless, finally regained a hint of vitality that was almost imperceptible.

  "Good... good..."

  Yu Xu nodded his head in praise, the admiration in his eyes was completely genuine, and he said from the bottom of his heart: "The third young master's ability to respond to emergencies is indeed higher than what I thought! Facing Cao Cao himself and his numerous fierce generals, he can still cope with such ease. Heaven is blessing our Hebei, our lord's great cause. With the third young master as an assistant, it is truly a great fortune for the Yuan family, a great fortune for Jizhou, a great fortune for the people, and a great fortune for the world!"

  This hat is really a bit too big, who says Zhū Shòu can't flatter?

  This is quite cool even if it's not photographed.

  Yuan Shang heard this and felt a bit embarrassed: "Mr. Ju is overpraising me, actually I also have shortcomings..."

  Ju Xun smiled as he gazed at the young master before him, who was as handsome and majestic as their lord, yet humble enough to listen to advice, and quite capable. His heart felt as sweet as if he had eaten honey.

  The more I look at it, the more I appreciate it, the more I like it.

  It's no wonder that at a young age he had such ability, and among the heroes of the time, Cao Cao was not at a disadvantage in a head-on confrontation. There are indeed only a few people like this in the world.

  It's probably impossible even for the master himself.

  Facing the scorching gaze, Yuan Shang twisted his body and felt a kind of inexplicable discomfort in his heart. This old guy's eyes were like those of a big grey wolf seeing a small white rabbit waiting to be slaughtered... it was not very friendly at all.

  "...Well, sir, I've already told you everything I wanted to say. I reckon my father will be retiring soon, so please bear with it for a while. Once we return to Hebei, I'll find a way to persuade my father to release you and reappoint you."

  Yuan Shang finished speaking, stood up and bowed his hands to Zhu Huan, bid farewell, and was about to turn around and walk out of the tent.

  "Wait, young master."

  Yuan Shang had not gone far when Ju Shou called out to stop him, as if he had suddenly thought of something urgent.

  "Is there anything else you'd like to entrust me with, sir?"

  Yuan Shang slowly turned his head, looking at Zhu Huan with a curious expression, but saw that the old man had slightly furrowed his brow for some reason.

  Only to see that Zhū Shòu's gaze, which had been warm and gentle towards Yuán Shàng, was gone, replaced by his usual wise, straightforward, calm, and solemn expression.

  "Did the young master just say that our lord wants to retreat?" asked Ju Shou, frowning as he looked at Yuan Shang.

  Yuan Shang nodded and said, "That's right. Although I've managed to save some grain and fodder, it's only enough to temporarily stabilize the morale of the troops. It's really not enough to advance the army. Moreover, after the incident at Wu Chao, my father's health has been poor and he can't handle affairs yet. If we don't withdraw our troops quickly, we'll be finished sooner or later."

  Ju Xun nodded upon hearing the words: "Withdrawing troops is a matter of utmost urgency, and this Ju naturally understands. However, I don't know how our lord plans to withdraw the troops; can the third young master enlighten me on this?"

  Yuan Shang shrugged: "Nothing special, just changed the rear army to the front army, and the front army became the rear army. Zhang Jiao led the troops to cut off the pursuit, and the three armies retreated slowly, passing through Baima Dukou to the north bank of the Yellow River, and then regrouped at Linyang. Finally, they returned to Ye City steadily, withdrawing their troops was that simple."

  "Alas——" Ju Song let out a long sigh and shook his head, saying: "If we really retreat like this, the losses will be huge."

  Yuan Shang was taken aback: "Losses? What does this mean, sir?"

  "Third Master, what kind of person is Cao Cao? After seizing Wuchao this time, he will surely gather his elite troops and prepare for a major attack, aiming to defeat our army in one fell swoop. Although the grain and grass at Wuchao have not been completely destroyed, there is only enough left for a retreat, which is almost as good as being completely annihilated. Our army's morale is low, and our lord's body is unwell, making it difficult for him to command effectively. If we withdraw our troops to the Yellow River, I fear that Zhang Liao and Xu Shu will not be able to withstand Cao Cao's fierce attack... Half of our troops are crossing the river while being attacked, and our army is already at a disadvantage when retreating across the river. Furthermore, Cao Cao's lightning carts are quite powerful, and I fear that by then... Alas..."

  Yuan Shang heard this and thought for a moment, secretly thinking that Zhuge Liang was indeed worthy of his reputation, his words were sharp and to the point, and truly made a lot of sense!

  Yuan Shang also became worried: "What the gentleman said is very reasonable, but... whether our army withdraws or not is up to us, and whether Cao's army pursues or not is also up to them. Although the gentleman has seen through the weakness, it's probably impossible to stop Cao Cao's attack. Can't tell Cao Cao not to send troops to pursue? Hehe, why should he listen to us? This move is quite difficult to resolve, time is pressing, and we seem to have no choice but to admit defeat."

  Ji Xuan heard the words and remained silent for a long time, then raised an eyebrow, lifted his head and said seriously: "Wanting Cao Cao not to send troops to pursue is not necessarily impossible... unless..."

  "What if?" Yuan Shang hastily asked.

  "Unless there is something equally important that can make Cao Cao hesitant, cherish and treasure to the point of giving up his plan to pursue our army."

  Yuan Shang was taken aback by the words: "cherish, love, treasure... what kind of thing could make Cao Cao give up the opportunity to beat a drowning dog? Does such a thing exist?"

  Zhuo Shou smiled and nodded, saying: "In life, everyone has weaknesses and scars. There must be something that can make Cao Cao helpless. Third Master, you might as well guess what it is."

  Yuan Shang rubbed his chin, thought for a long time, and then said uncertainly: "Is it his wife?"

  The two of them fell silent for a long time.

  "It's not... Please guess again, young master..."

  "Concubine?"

  “............”

  "Really?"

  “............”

  "What is that?"

  "It's Xuchang! Xuchang! Cao Cao's old lair Xuchang! Young Master!"

  Overwhelmed with grief and wanting to cry but having no tears.