Chapter 150: Troops at the Gates of Jizhou

Cao Peng stated that the war was about to begin immediately.

All the strategists and generals concurred with this assessment.

Cao Cao asked with keen interest, "Do you mean that we should dispatch troops to subjugate Yuan Shao's two sons?"

Cao Peng shook his head and replied, "Not exactly. The time is not right yet. Our best course of action at present is to wait a little longer."

Xun Yu, Guo Jia, and Ju Shou all advised that they should continue to wait.

Therefore, Cao Cao curbed his impatience, devoted himself peacefully to drilling his soldiers, advanced steadily and securely, and pushed forward starting from Qingzhou.

On the other hand, Cao Peng arranged for the Brocade-Clad Guard to leak intelligence to Yuan Shang, providing him with extra strength to contend with Yuan Tan.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, more than a month had passed.

The Brocade-Clad Guard at the frontlines had already transmitted the latest intelligence from within Ji Province City.

In the struggle between Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan, Yuan Tan had ultimately emerged victorious.

Although Yuan Shang had received intelligence assistance from the Brocade-Clad Guard, he was nonetheless beaten to a pulp by Yuan Tan, fleeing in disarray.

Acting on Guo Tu's advice, Yuan Shang had repeatedly sent out distress signals to Cao's camp, but Cao Cao ignored him.

This was because whenever Cao Cao consulted his major chief strategists simultaneously, they all agreed that they should continue waiting.

Cao Cao was not an impulsive man, so he heeded the counsel of the assembly and began waiting for the right opportunity.

It was not until everyone felt that the time was ripe.

That Cao Cao appointed Cao Peng as the Great General of the Northern Expedition, mustering a force of one hundred thousand to join forces with Yuan Shang in subjugating Yuan Tan.

Before the troops were mobilized, the territory of Qingzhou had already been swept clean once by the army led by Cao Peng.

Not only were Yuan Shao's remaining forces purged, but the Yellow Turban bandits lurking there were also cleared out in passing.

Several days after the grand army broke camp, it finally rendezvoused with Yuan Shang's remnants.

Cao Peng's very first action was to summon Zhao Yun and Guan Yu to accompany him to meet Yuan Shang.

At this moment, Yuan Shang had been yearning for the arrival of Cao's army as if looking forward to stars and the moon.

Hearing that Cao Peng had actually come to visit him in person,

Although he had no idea what medicine Cao Peng was selling in his gourd, he still invited him into the main tent.

Yuan Shang said with displeasure, "We had a fine agreement that you would join forces with me to subjugate Yuan Tan, yet you sat on the mountain to watch the tigers fight. Is this not a breach of faith and trust?"

Upon hearing this, Cao Peng smiled and said, "What the General says is true. However, I believe that from today onward, you will no longer need to worry about this issue."

Yuan Shang asked in confusion, "Why is that?"

A genial smile surfaced on Cao Peng's face, but a sudden sense of crisis welled up in Yuan Shang's heart.

Just as Yuan Shang wanted to open his mouth to call for help, he saw the sword in Cao Peng's hand already drawn from its scabbard.

The Qinggang Sword! It cut through iron like mud!

Like a streak of light, it swept across his neck.

A spurt of fresh blood splashed onto the tent.

Yuan Shang was slain. His personal guards cried out in alarm, drawing their sabers and rushing forward to attack Cao Peng and the others.

However, Guan Yu and Zhao Yun had been on guard for a long time.

The two of them took charge of one direction each, wielding heavy swords and long sabers in their hands, continuously cutting down those who rushed forward.

Until the slaughter left no one daring to charge any further.

Cao Peng shouted, "Yuan Shang is now dead! Anyone who surrenders will be spared their lives!"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding soldiers cast down the swords and sabers in their hands one after another.

They had caught wind of Cao's army's policies beforehand.

Cao's army was not in the habit of wantonly slaughtering captives, and furthermore, they offered preferential treatment.

Those unwilling to serve as soldiers were even provided with traveling expenses to return home.

If they failed to surrender upon encountering such an army of benevolence and righteousness, they would truly be out of their minds.

"We are willing to submit..." shouted the soldiers.

Having absorbed Yuan Shang's remnant forces, Cao Peng led his army in a mighty charge toward Ji Province.

Several days later, Cao Peng led one hundred thousand Cao soldiers to tightly encircle Ji Province City.

Another siege battle was about to erupt.

Black clouds pressing down on the city threatened to crush it!

Under such a complete encirclement by Cao's army, Yuan Tan inside the city felt immense pressure.

Due to the preceding struggle with Yuan Shang, there were now only fifty thousand troops left inside Ji Province City.

Even so, one side was attacking while the other was defending.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, to capture Ji Province City, Cao's army would inevitably have to pay a heavy price.

Knowing that he could not act rashly.

Cao Peng took Zhao Yun with him to scout the situation first.

Following closely by Cao Peng's side and gazing at the towering city walls, Zhao Yun sighed, "Ji Province City is easy to defend and difficult to attack. Capturing it will probably be no easy feat, and it is hard to say how long it will hold out."

Hearing this, Cao Peng smiled and said, "Why should Zilong worry? I have a premonition in my heart that at most in ten days, Ji Province City will be captured."

"Oh?!"

Zhao Yun did not believe it in the slightest. He was also a veteran commander of troops; even if he were to lead the troops personally, wanting to take this Ji Province City would probably take over a month.

"Since you do not believe it, why don't we make a wager?" said Cao Peng.

"Since the General is so inclined, Zhao Yun will accompany the General in this game!" Zhao Yun smiled.

Cao Peng said, "If it turns out just as I said and Ji Province City is captured in ten days at most, then you will have lost. You must pass down the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear technique to me."

Zhao Yun frowned. The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix Spear was, after all, his master's ultimate martial art.

Even though Cao Peng was the person he respected most, he was still reluctant to impart it lightly.

However...

Zhao Yun asked with a frown, "Could it be that the General has already devised a strategy for besieging the city in your heart, which is why you are so certain?"

Cao Peng shook his head and smiled, "I told you, what I am wagering with you is my premonition."

Seeing that Zhao Yun still did not believe him, Cao Peng pushed him further with a provocation.

"How about this? I guarantee you that in this battle, I will command from the central army and will not offer a single strategy, simply letting all the strategists and generals give full play to their own abilities."

Hearing that Cao Peng had pushed his words to this extent, Zhao Yun gritted his teeth and agreed to the wager.

Afterward, Cao Peng convened the first military council for this siege.

After everyone arrived quite eagerly, Cao Peng stated,

"In this siege of Ji Province City, I want to give everyone an opportunity to prove yourselves."

The crowd was somewhat bewildered.

What did Cao Peng mean by these words?

But next, he explained: "If you have any good ideas for attacking the city, voice them all. As long as they are good, we will adopt them. Once the mission is accomplished, I will certainly memorialize the Prime Minister to bestow great merit upon the person who proposed the strategy!"

Upon hearing this, both the strategists and the generals felt a stirring of eagerness and began to express their individual views.

Regrettably, as Cao Peng listened to these opinions, black lines kept popping up in his mind.

The more they spoke, the more unreliable their ideas became.

Zhao Yun felt that Cao Peng was bound to lose, and cast a half-smiling glance at Cao Peng.

Cao Peng returned his look with a gaze that seemed to say, "Don't be in such a hurry."

"Xu You, Xu Ziyuan, no one is more familiar with Ji Province than you. Why haven't you uttered a single word?"

Upon hearing this, Xu You frowned.

Having been repeatedly neglected previously, he had already become somewhat self-abandoned, yet he never expected Cao Peng to bring him up at this juncture.