Chapter 101: Dispatching Troops to Xuchang

That’s right; he prepared the army precisely for this purpose.

“Go, inform Lü Bu: the army must be ready to march on Xuchang at any moment!”

At Liu Xie’s command, the entire city of Wan suddenly sprang into motion.

Lü Bu, Huang Zhong, Wei Yan, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun.

Seven great generals in all, with two hundred thousand troops.

Together, they departed from Wan City, heading toward Xuchang.

Among them, fifty thousand cavalry were led by Lü Bu.

The rest of the troops were under the command of the others.

Moreover, this time even Liu Xie himself accompanied them.

In truth, his presence was unnecessary.

There were plenty of capable leaders present without him.

Yet Liu Xie insisted on going to the front—not to fight,

but to receive someone he was expecting.

It was important to remember that his elite Wolf Shadow Guard was still inside Xuchang at this moment.

As the two hundred thousand strong army set out,

Liu Bei and the others felt an unexplainable sense of awe.

They understood full well the mindset behind Liu Xie’s deployment.

To put it bluntly,

Liu Xie’s readiness to mobilize two hundred thousand troops was remarkably casual.

Having spent some time in Jing Province already,

Liu Bei and his companions were fully aware of the strength Liu Xie commanded—

an army numbering close to a million.

This was no small force.

If those two hundred thousand men had been deployed elsewhere, under another lord,

it would have been considered a massive force.

After all, among the contemporary warlords,

only a few could easily muster twenty thousand soldiers.

Even for those who could, it was no trivial matter.

Thus, they all marveled.

Liu Xie’s power was immense.

He could summon two hundred thousand troops as effortlessly as one might call upon a small retinue.

They mused over the extraordinary strength Liu Xie now wielded.

Meanwhile, in Xuchang, news of Liu Xie’s troop movement quickly reached Cao Cao’s ears.

“That brat Liu Xie is truly overstepping his bounds!”

“How dare he march troops against Xuchang!”

As expected, Cao Cao’s fury flared upon hearing the news.

He recalled two years prior,

when Liu Xie first arrived in Xuchang,

back when all decisions were his to command.

Holding the emperor as a puppet to command the lords was such a carefree privilege.

But now...

Since Liu Xie fled Xuchang less than two years ago,

his forces had grown to nearly a million,

and had already begun to pose a significant threat to him.

“Lord, scouts report!”

“The army is led by Lü Bu,”

“and Liu Bei along with his sworn brothers are among them.”

“Lord, we must respond swiftly!”

General Cao Ren stepped forward solemnly.

Cao Cao gradually regained his composure.

Though anger still simmered beneath the surface,

facing the reality of the situation, he calmed considerably.

No matter the past,

the fact remained that Liu Xie was now a threat to him.

It was imperative to resolve this quickly.

Standing nearby were Xun Yu and Guo Jia.

They exchanged a meaningful glance, saying nothing,

but both harbored complex thoughts.

“Wenruo, Fengxiao, what are your thoughts?”

Cao Cao turned to them, seeking counsel.

After a brief hesitation, they replied,

“Your Majesty, we should mobilize our troops immediately.”

“However, we must not engage them outside the city walls.

We should hold our defenses firmly.”

“I know, my lord, you dislike such a passive stance.”

“But the truth is, Liu Xie’s power is considerable now.”

“We cannot afford a head-on clash.”

“It would not benefit us.”

This was Xun Yu’s suggestion.

Listening to him, Cao Cao’s displeasure deepened.

Indeed, he did not want to simply defend the city.

Yet, as Xun Yu said,

fortifying the city was their most suitable strategy for now.

Still, Cao Cao refused to remain too passive.

“No, I must confront him.”

“I want to see what this young emperor is truly capable of.”

He was deeply unwilling to concede.

From his perspective,

Liu Xie lacked any real ability.

When Cao Cao once held him hostage in the palace,

Liu Xie had been meek and spineless.

He refused to believe Liu Xie had changed much.

Though secretly he knew Liu Xie had indeed transformed,

he stubbornly refused to admit it.

Despite Liu Xie’s strength,

Cao Cao remained defiant.

To him, Liu Xie’s achievements were owed solely to his imperial title.

As for genuine talent or capability—

he simply did not believe Liu Xie possessed any.

In truth, all these thoughts were self-deceptions.

He merely wished to see what Liu Xie could really do.

“Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Dun!”

“I order you to gather one hundred thousand troops to defend the city walls!”

“Be prepared at all times to face Liu Xie’s forces.”

“Also, summon all our generals here.”

“Lü Bu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun—all are formidable warriors.”

Though Cao Cao was reluctant,

he chose to handle matters with utmost seriousness.

After all, he knew well the generals Liu Xie had brought.

He had witnessed Zhao Yun’s prowess during the campaign in Xuzhou.

He recalled Guan Yu’s legendary deed of slaying Hua Xiong with a single cup of wine,

and the epic triple duel against Lü Bu.

And as for Lü Bu himself—

the peerless warrior among men, mounted on the famous Red Hare—

that was no idle boast.

Thus, facing Liu Xie’s formidable army,

Cao Cao adopted a grave and determined stance.

One might say he mobilized every soldier and general he could command.

Meanwhile, under Liu Xie’s leadership,

the two hundred thousand strong army halted less than fifty miles from Xuchang.

“Your Majesty, the enemy has begun strengthening their city defenses.”

“When shall we attack the city?”

At this moment, Wei Yan galloped up with a report.

Liu Xie took a deep breath and gazed into the distance.

“It is only natural Cao Cao would be prepared.”

“No need to rush; let him get ready.”

“Let us rest for now.”

“As for the assault on the city,”

“that will be tomorrow’s matter.”

The city would inevitably be taken.

But Liu Xie would not confront Cao Cao as recklessly as he once had with Liu Biao or Liu Zhang.

This time,

not only had Cao Cao become serious,

but Liu Xie himself was equally resolute.

He did not attack impulsively.

More importantly,

their true purpose was not to wage war against Cao Cao.

They were here to coordinate the extraction of the palace maids trapped inside the city.

Thus, Liu Xie led his two hundred thousand troops to encamp once again,

locking into a tense and stalemated confrontation with Cao Cao’s forces within the walls.