Chapter 132: Subduing Zhang He and Gao Lan

This was a forced march under the cover of night, standing out starkly in the darkness. Cao Peng led the vanguard and unexpectedly encountered Yuan Shao’s troops. These soldiers were stationed in large camps on both sides of the road, evidently tasked with guarding the grain supplies at Wuchao.

A commanding officer called out, "Which army do you belong to?"

Cao Peng laughed and replied, "We are acting under the orders of General-in-Chief Yuan to reinforce the grain stores at Wuchao."

Before setting out, he had already replaced their banners with those of the Yuan army, so no one harbored any suspicion. They passed through the massive defensive camps established by Yuan’s forces without a single person stepping forward to intercept them.

Guan Yu bowed in admiration, saying, "General, your foresight is truly divine!"

Cao Peng smiled and replied, "Once we reach Wuchao, just focus on wielding your blade to slay the enemy commander. I will see to it that my men set the fires."

"Understood!"

The defender of Wuchao was named Chunyu Qiong, a man known for his love of drink. At that moment, he had just finished wine with other officers and had passed out, drunk, inside his main tent. The sudden clamor outside startled him into wakefulness.

"Who is making such a ruckus out there?" Chunyu Qiong bellowed.

Before he could finish his sentence, a soldier flew into his tent. An enemy attack? The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately grabbed his sword to meet them. Once outside, he saw fire everywhere. A burly man riding a red horse, wielding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, charged toward him.

"Die, you fool!"

Chunyu Qiong was struck with terror. He tried to flee, only to realize there was no way out. His subordinates rushed over to rescue him, but they were a step too late. Guan Yu’s blade descended, severing Chunyu Qiong’s head, which sent it flying into the air.

After landing his strike, Guan Yu looked at Cao Peng, as if to say, "Not bad for a day's work, eh?" Cao Peng smiled and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Burn it all! Leave nothing behind!" Cao Peng ordered. His soldiers tossed torches into the grain piles. To be honest, he felt some reluctance to do this, but there was no other choice.

"General, the enemy reinforcements are closing in from behind."

Upon hearing this, Cao Peng immediately issued a command: "The enemy has reached our rear; we can only defeat them by striking with full force now!"

In the smoke-filled surroundings, Cao Peng personally led his troops to charge at the rear guard. The reinforcements arriving at Wuchao attempted to extinguish the flames, but the fire was already too fierce; it was far beyond their power to control. Cao Peng led his soldiers in a relentless charge, and no one could stop them. Having breached the stronghold where Yuan Shao stored his grain, they made their escape with surprising ease.

News of the event reached Yuan Shao’s main camp. Yuan Shao hurriedly summoned his civil and military officials to deliberate.

"I never imagined Cao Peng would be so treacherous, and that scoundrel Xu You—he actually dared to betray our military secrets!"

The officials argued incessantly. Wuchao was the vital hub for grain storage; everyone knew what this disaster signified.

"My Lord, I am willing to lead troops to the rescue," said a man named Zhang He.

Another general stepped forward, bowing as well, "I am willing to accompany General Zhang."

This man was Gao Lan, also a formidable warrior under Yuan Shao. Just as Yuan Shao was about to agree, Guo Tu stepped forward to stop him. "Absolutely not! Now that the Cao army has gone to seize our grain, their own camp must be empty. We should strike directly at Cao’s camp instead."

"Our own grain has been burned, and you still think of launching a surprise attack on Cao’s camp? Are you trying to lead us to total ruin?" Zhang He shouted.

Guo Tu was displeased by this. "Do you mean to say my vision is inferior to yours, a brute who only knows how to kill on the battlefield?"

"If you dare not attack Cao’s camp, then go rescue Wuchao yourself!"

Yuan Shao put an end to their dispute, feeling that Guo Tu’s words held merit. "Attacking Cao’s camp will surely force Cao Cao to retreat; this is the strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao!"

Since Yuan Shao had made his decision, the others had nothing more to say. Yuan Shao dispatched Zhang He and Gao Lan with five thousand armored cavalry to rescue Wuchao, and sent other generals with twenty thousand men to launch a surprise attack on Cao’s camp.

Zhang He and Gao Lan headed toward Wuchao, only to find themselves on a collision course with Cao Peng.

At first, Cao Peng’s soldiers were not wearing the armor of the Cao army. Zhang He shouted, "Who are you?"

Cao Peng did not speak; instead, he charged forward wielding his Dragon Scale Halberd. Zhang He raised his sword to meet him, but upon clashing, he found that the halberd in Cao Peng’s hands was incredibly heavy, nearly knocking his weapon from his grasp.

Seeing Cao Peng’s prowess, Gao Lan also brandished his spear and charged, but before he could reach Cao Peng, he was pinned down by Guan Yu’s gaze; the killing intent left him unable to move.

After a few more exchanges, Cao Peng defeated Zhang He. Looking at the blade in Cao Peng’s hand, Zhang He believed his end had come, but to his surprise, Cao Peng suddenly withdrew.

"If you are going to kill me, do it. Why stop?" Zhang He asked.

Cao Peng laughed. "The grain at Wuchao has been burned to the ground by my hand; there is no point in your going there now. Yuan Shao’s defeat is a foregone conclusion. Why not surrender to me?"

Hearing this, Zhang He hesitated. Gao Lan sneered, "Do you take us for turncoats who grovel for honor? Do not look down on us."

"Even if you two wanted to go back now, it would likely be difficult," Cao Peng said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Zhang He asked.

Cao Peng replied, "Do you have no idea what kind of man that fellow Guo Tu is? When you two set out to rescue Wuchao, he must have proposed the strategy of attacking my army’s camp. Now that you return after failing, how could he possibly tolerate you!"

Zhang He and Gao Lan pondered this. As Cao Peng said, that Guo Tu was truly a petty man. He would likely stab them in the back!

"How do you know this?" Zhang He asked.

"That is not for you to worry about. Make your decision quickly—do you really want to throw your lives away at the hands of a shameless villain?" Cao Peng asked with a smile.

Cao Peng continued, "How about this: you two temporarily surrender your troops and make a wager with me. If Guo Tu truly leaves you with no way out, then stay. If not, you may leave freely, and I shall not stop you."

Zhang He and Gao Lan looked at each other. They had seen Cao Peng’s sincerity; to continue to resist now would be unmanly.

"I never expected the General to be a man of such integrity. We are willing to submit to you!"

Cao Peng laughed. "You are not submitting to me, but to the Imperial Court. To abandon darkness for the light is a joyous occasion."

With Cao Peng raising the banner of the Imperial Court, Zhang He and Gao Lan truly felt no shame, believing their actions were not a betrayal.