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Liu Xuande stood before Tao Qian's sickbed, watching as the last glimmer of determination in his eyes gradually faded. Tao Qian extended a trembling finger towards his chest and, in a faint voice, said, "Xuzhou... I entrust it to... Honorable Duke..." Before he could finish, his finger fell limply, his eyes closed, and with a long sigh, he breathed his last.
The room fell silent for a moment, then cries erupted. Mi Zhu and Chen Deng knelt on the ground, wailing, "My lord!" Guan Yu and Zhang Fei remained speechless, their brows furrowed, their faces etched with deep sorrow.
Liu Xuande sighed heavily and closed his eyes in silence, clenching his fists. He once again refused, saying, "Governor Tao treated me as a close friend; how could I covet this city of Xuzhou? This matter cannot be done!"
The next morning, inside and outside Xuzhou City, the people gathered with their families, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, crowding in front of the government office. Many old men wept on the ground while young people shouted hoarsely, "Liu Shijun! If you do not take Xuzhou, we will suffer greatly! If you abandon us, how can you be considered a person of great virtue?"
The cries echoed like thunder, as if the entire Xuzhou City was enveloped in a cloud of sorrow. Liu Xuande stood at the gate of the government office, looking at the tearful faces of the people, his heart aching. He turned to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei; both wore serious expressions and urged him in unison.
"Eldest Brother, the people's intentions are clear. If you refuse again, it would be an act of injustice!" Guan Yu said solemnly, his gaze sharp and resolute.
Zhang Fei could no longer contain himself and spoke gruffly, "Brother, Tao Qian has willingly handed over Xuzhou; now the people are begging you to stay! If you refuse again, do you want them to perish? It is our duty as brothers to protect Xuzhou; that is true righteousness!"
Liu Xuande remained silent for a long time, struggling with his thoughts. He looked up at the heartbroken citizens and finally sighed deeply before declaring loudly, "In that case, Liu Bei will temporarily take charge of Xuzhou's affairs. However, this is merely a temporary entrustment; when peace returns to the world, I shall return power to those worthy!"
As his words fell, the people shouted in unison: "Liu Shijun! Long Live the Emperor!" The cries turned into cheers as emotions ran high; the citizens prostrated themselves on the ground.
Liu Xuande accepted the seal of Xuzhou and promptly appointed Sun Qian and Mi Zhu as aides and Chen Deng as an advisor. He then ordered Xiao Pei's troops to be fully integrated into the city and issued proclamations to stabilize the situation.
Within Xuzhou City, Liu Xuande ordered a grand and solemn funeral for Tao Qian. He and his soldiers donned mourning attire and white silk to personally participate in the memorial ceremony. White banners fluttered in the wind while mournful music played; the entire city was shrouded in a somber atmosphere. Xuan De stood at the center of the memorial hall, burning incense and offering wine while bowing deeply before Tao Qian's tablet with tears in his eyes and a grave expression: "Governor Tao's noble deeds will be remembered; may you rest in peace!"
After the ceremony concluded, Tao Qian's body was carried to the banks of the Yellow River for burial. Liu Xuande personally led soldiers and civilians to escort the coffin all the way to the burial site. The wind howled mournfully as grass and trees by the river drooped low. Xuan De stood before the grave, weeping as he bowed while others joined in mourning.
Once everything was done, Liu Xuande took out Tao Qian's memorial documents and sent someone to quickly present them to the court, reporting all matters regarding Xuzhou and clarifying that this was not sought by him but entrusted by the people.
Thus, Xuzhou came under Liu Bei's governance and gradually stabilized, allowing its citizens to finally breathe easy.
Cao Cao sat in his camp at Jucheng with a furrowed brow, tightly gripping news from Xuzhou. He slammed the letter down on his desk angrily and shouted, "Though Tao Qian is dead, my blood feud remains unavenged! Now Liu Bei has effortlessly taken up the position of Xu Province Governor! How can I swallow this indignation? I swear I will first kill Liu Bei and then dig up Tao Qian's bones to avenge my father’s spirit!"
The generals within the tent exchanged glances but dared not speak. Cao Cao’s gaze was fierce as he surveyed them all before coldly declaring: "Send my orders: within three days prepare troops to march on Xuzhou!"
At that moment, Xun Yu stepped forward slowly, his expression calm. After a deep bow, he urged, "My Lord, please calm your anger. I have something to say, and I hope you will listen."
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, impatience lacing his voice. "Xun Yu, just speak your mind quickly. My anger is hard to contain right now; don't waste time!"
Xun Yu's expression was resolute as he spoke clearly, "My Lord, allow me to explain the pros and cons. In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, held firm in Guanzhong while Emperor Guangwu secured Hanoi. They chose to defend their foundational territories, allowing them to maneuver freely and ultimately achieve great success. Today, Yan Province is to you what Guanzhong was to Liu Bang and what Hanoi was to Guangwu; it is the foundation of your enterprise! The areas around the Yellow River and the Ji River are vital routes of the realm. If you lose Yan Province, you will have no foothold."
Cao Cao raised his eyebrows with a cold smile. "My army sweeps through; Xuzhou will surely fall into my hands easily. Do you think that Liu Bei, a mere commoner, can stop me?"
Xun Yu shook his head firmly. "My Lord, do you not know that the people of Xuzhou have already pledged allegiance to Liu Bei? Tao Qian treated the people well during his lifetime, and now that Liu Bei has taken control of Xuzhou, he has won their hearts. If the people of Xuzhou unite with Liu Bei, should you launch a strong attack, it will lead to a bitter struggle. Meanwhile, Lü Bu is watching closely; if we abandon Yan Province, he will seize the opportunity and take it for himself. Wouldn't that mean handing over our foundation? At that point, we would lose both Xuzhou and Yan Province—where would you retreat?"
Hearing this, Cao Cao's expression darkened slightly as a hint of doubt flickered in his eyes. Yet he stubbornly replied, "But our supplies are running low! If we stay here idly waiting for death, is that truly the best strategy?"
Xun Yu smiled slightly, his gaze sharp and determined. "My Lord, resolving this urgent crisis is not difficult. In Runan and Yingchuan there are still remnants of the Yellow Turbans—He Yi and Huang Shao among them—these bandits are pillaging everywhere and must have plenty of grain and wealth on hand. We can mobilize troops eastward to attack them, seize their supplies; this will not only sustain our soldiers but also ensure Yan Province remains secure. This course of action aligns with the will of heaven: it brings peace to the realm while earning the people's gratitude—wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
Cao Cao pondered for a moment as his anger gradually subsided. Finally breaking into a smile, he slammed his hand on the table and declared, "Xun Yu's words are reasonable! You truly are my strategist! If we follow your advice to defeat the Yellow Turbans and seize their supplies before planning for Xuzhou later on, it would be a perfect strategy!"
Xun Yu slightly cupped his hands in respect. "My Lord sees clearly; this is what is needed for the greater good. Once our military strength is replenished, we can then plot against Xuzhou and surely avenge our former lord's grievances while shining a light on our great cause."
Cao Cao turned to look at his generals; a renewed sharpness ignited in his gaze as he shouted, "Immediately send orders! The entire army will advance eastward to sweep away the remnants of the Yellow Turbans and seize their supplies before making further plans!"
The generals responded in unison, "As you command!"
Outside the camp, messengers rushed in all directions as drums and horns sounded throughout the army with an overwhelming momentum. Cao Cao stood at the camp entrance gazing into the distance with a slight smile on his lips as he muttered to himself, "Liu Bei, you may hold onto your position as Xu Province Governor for now, but one day we will settle our accounts..."
Determined to mobilize troops, Cao Cao reorganized his forces and ordered Xiahou Dun and Cao Ren to remain stationed around Jucheng while he personally led the main force southward to confront Chen Di along with Runan and Yingchuan's Yellow Turban remnants. This area was plagued by bandits like He Yi and Huang Shao who were causing great suffering among the common people.
News reached the Yellow Turban Army camp where He Yi and Huang Shao gathered their officers for discussion. Huang Shao gritted his teeth and said angrily, "That wolf Cao Cao has finally come! His military prowess has been unstoppable these years; if we do not unite our strength, it will be difficult to resist him!"
He Yi let out a cold laugh as he surveyed everyone present. "What if Cao Cao is strong? Our numbers far exceed his; what do we have to fear? Send word to the army: we will meet him at Yang Mountain; we shall not retreat!"
The Yellow Turban Army quickly gathered an impressive force of one hundred thousand men; weapons clashed chaotically as banners fluttered in disarray. Though they were numerous, they lacked any semblance of order—a true rabble indeed.
Within the ranks of Cao Cao's army, banners stood tall and orderly, and the war drums beat steadily. Cao Cao, clad in armor, stood atop a high vantage point, his gaze sharp as an eagle surveying the enemy's formation. A hint of disdain curled at the corners of his mouth as he spoke to Guo Jia, "This rabble can't even form a proper line; they are hardly worthy of fear."
Guo Jia smiled slightly. "My lord speaks wisely, but remember to strike swiftly and leave no room for future troubles."
Cao Cao waved his hand, issuing orders. "Archers, prepare! Let them taste the edge of our blades first!"
With a single command, the bowstrings twanged, and a rain of arrows descended upon the Yellow Turban Army like a swarm of locusts. The enemy soldiers cried out in panic as chaos erupted, horses reared and men fell.
"Dian Wei!" Cao Cao bellowed.
Dian Wei had long grown impatient. Gripping his Twin Iron Halberds, he urged his warhorse forward and charged out from the formation. His figure loomed like a mountain, the gleaming halberds reflecting cold light as his steed galloped with a thunderous roar, shaking the ground as he barreled toward the enemy.
"Who dares to face me?" Dian Wei's voice boomed like thunder, instilling fear in the hearts of the Yellow Turban soldiers.
Among them, a Deputy Yuan Master hesitantly rode out, unsteadily brandishing his spear, terror evident on his face. As they closed in on each other, Dian Wei shouted fiercely, "Come and take your life!" With a swing of his Twin Iron Halberds, there was a sickening thud as the Deputy Yuan Master was pierced through along with his horse, blood splattering three feet as he tumbled to the ground.
Seeing their deputy fall in an instant, the morale of the Yellow Turban Army shattered, their formation collapsing into disarray. Recognizing the moment was ripe, Cao Cao raised his Pei Jian high and called out with fervor, "All troops advance! Pursue the bandits; leave no one alive!"
The battle cries shook the heavens as Cao Cao's army surged forward like tigers unleashed from their cages. Strong bows and crossbows lined up at the front while swords and halberds danced in unison. The soldiers pressed forward relentlessly, an unstoppable force. Dian Wei led the charge with his iron halberds swinging; wherever he went, none dared to obstruct him. The Yellow Turban Army scattered in retreat as Cao Cao's forces pursued fiercely, driving them back toward Yang Mountain and swiftly seizing control of their encampment below.
Cao Cao climbed higher to survey the battlefield and saw the enemy's collapse like a torrent. He couldn't help but laugh heartily, "A rabble such as this is utterly incapable of standing firm! He Yi and Huang Shao will surely meet their end this time!"
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