North of the Yellow River, Liyang.
At this moment, the area was heavily guarded, with countless Da Ji soldiers surrounding the Yuan army's grand camp, the atmosphere exceptionally stern.
The wind whispered and cranes cried; it could be said that the Liyang camp was in a state of utter panic.
Even Yuan Shao's "loyal diehard," Jiang Yiqu, was struggling to control the situation.
The two defeats at Guandu and Cangting had almost lost the entire northern frontier situation; the Yuan army found it incredibly difficult to muster a counter-attacking force!
In contrast...
The question of when Cao Cao would march north felt like "thorns in one's back, ants on a hot pan, a fishbone in one's throat!"
Above the entire city of Liyang, it was as if countless sharp blades were hanging, suspended and unresolved, chilling the heart and striking terror!
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Unceasing coughing echoed.
"Father, please take care of yourself..."
The youngest son, Yuan Shang, repeatedly advised, "Although the Cao army has won, Cao Cao may not dare to rashly march north. The grain and fodder required for a northern expedition would exceed millions of piculs! The Great Yellow Croaker alone is far from enough. Though our army has been defeated, we still possess the four provinces of Qing, You, Ji, and Bing! In just three years, in three years, your son will surely be able to procure an invincible army for you!"
"The art of victory and defeat is far from being conclusively settled. Father... thirty years in the east of the river, thirty years in the west of the river. Three years from now, we will decide the victor between us and that Cao Cao!"
Clearly, this youngest son of Yuan Shao was an "optimist," completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation, still appearing as if he had never suffered hardship.
However...
This demeanor was incomparably better than that of his two elder brothers, Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi.
At this moment, Yuan Tan and Yuan Xi had been thoroughly frightened; they remained silent, their minds already contemplating where they would flee when the Cao army arrived!
"The Third Young Master's words are not without reason," said Guo Tu, the foremost flatterer. "Currently, with sixty thousand Cao troops, if they were to march north, the daily consumption of grain would be a terrifying number. Even if they can now resolve their immediate grain shortage through the method of pickling salted fish, if they dare to march north, we shall scorched earth our territory and wear down that Cao bandit for a year. When the Cao bandit's grain runs out... that will be the bugle call for our counter-attack!"
"My Lord, by then, you will still be the ruler of this world!"
Guo Tu maintained his habit of injecting flattery into every sentence. He was used to it.
Once upon a time, all he had to do was open his mouth, and Yuan Shao would become as happy as a child. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him Yuan Shao's number one "source of joy."
However...
This time, Yuan Shao was in no mood for happiness. He shot Guo Tu a cold glance but remained silent.
It seemed he was conveying a single word: "Scram!"
As for what Guo Tu and Yuan Shang said!
Heh heh...
Yuan Shao inwardly scoffed!
"Do we still have a chance?"
He first posed this question rhetorically, then raised his voice and asked loudly again, "Do we still have any able-bodied men in our four provinces? Do we still have any grain? As long as that Hidden Dragon is present, as long as the Dragon Soaring Cavalry is present, do we still have a chance for revenge? Will the Hidden Dragon give me this chance?"
At this point, Yuan Shao was close to tears.
Tears streamed down his face!
Just then, a servant brought food. Yuan Shao pushed it away. He hadn't eaten properly in days. Nearly a million troops, just like that... just like that, wiped out in a single night; how could he eat?
Grain? Now, the only thing that could hinder Cao Cao's northern march was grain!
He, Yuan Shao, was unworthy!
Coincidentally...
As Yuan Shao pushed it away, he noticed a piece of paper on the serving tray. It seemed placing the bowls and chopsticks on the paper would make them more stable.
"What is this?"
At this moment, Yuan Shao was extremely sensitive to everything.
Before the servant could answer, Yuan Shao snatched the paper!
This was a "newspaper"...
That's right, newspapers printed by the Zhao Clan's Commercial Bank in Xiapi City, Xuzhou, had already spread to all thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty.
Naturally, north of the Yellow River was no exception. Because it was paper, it was extremely easy to carry and preserve. Coupled with its functions as "toilet paper," "household paper," and for "bandaging medicines and dried food," even if one wanted to stop it, it was simply impossible!
As for the content of these newspapers... it was shocking, utterly shocking!
Jiang Yiqu had explicitly forbidden newspapers from being sent to the military camp, but unexpectedly, one had slipped through... the one on the food tray.
Yuan Shao's eyes narrowed, and he quickly scanned the text on the newspaper.
— "Zhao Clan Commercial Bank in Xiapi City subscribes to national bonds, twenty thousand piculs of grain and cereals, with the grain to be stored in the granaries for five years at an annual interest rate of four percent!"
— "Zhang Clan Commercial Bank in Donghai Commandery subscribes to national bonds, thirty-two thousand piculs of grain and cereals, with the grain to be stored in the granaries for three years at an annual interest rate of three percent!"
— "Li Clan Commercial Bank in Pengcheng subscribes to national bonds, twenty-five thousand piculs of grain and cereals, with the grain to be stored in the granaries for five years at an annual interest rate of four percent!"
This...
This...
With just a cursory glance, Yuan Shao felt a fire begin to churn in his chest...
Grain. It was well known that the Hidden Dragon was gathering grain in Xuzhou!
Then... were these stark red numbers in the newspaper... were they the grain and fodder gathered by the Hidden Dragon for the northern expedition?
One million piculs, two million piculs, three million piculs...
This...
This...
It was his youngest son, Yuan Shang, who had sharp eyes. "Father, don't read this baseless drivel..."
Unexpectedly, with a "bang," Yuan Shao struck the edge of the bed with all his might!
"Summon Jiang Yiqu... summon Jiang Yiqu!"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
A series of coughs followed.
Soon after, Jiang Yiqu arrived at Yuan Shao's bedside. Yuan Shao was now half-reclining, his face weak, but his fists were clenched tightly.
"I want the truth. Is the grain written on that paper... is it true?"
Jiang Yiqu was quite honest. Hearing Yuan Shao's question, he replied truthfully, "It is true. Your subordinate sent scouts to verify... The scouts personally saw that over three million piculs of grain had... departed from Xuzhou in five routes, heading respectively to Guandu, Yanzhou, and Xudu... Every word on this newspaper is... is true!"
Jiang Yiqu's words were like poisoned thorns piercing the depths of Yuan Shao's heart.
At this moment, his breath was faint...
But because his fists were clenched too tightly, his slightly sharp fingernails dug deeply into his palms!
The piercing pain surged, but it could not compare to even a fraction of the pain in Yuan Shao's heart at that moment!
Yuan Shao was on the verge of fainting. His already pale face, as white as paper, now bore an even greater weariness. His entire body seemed to lose control and sway. If Yuan Shang had not caught him, he would have fallen over.
"Father... hearing is false, seeing is believing... seeing is believing," Yuan Shang was still trying to argue. "So much grain and fodder? How could that Hidden Dragon possibly gather it?"
"This must be a scheme by the Hidden Dragon, yes, yes, yes, this must be the Hidden Dragon's psychological warfare, he excels at this!"
Yuan Shang's voice was as loud as possible, attempting to divert Yuan Shao's attention... His father's current physical condition, Yuan Shang knew best, but he could not withstand such a blow!
"Hmph..."
Unexpectedly, Yuan Tan let out a cold snort. "Third Brother, you're still the same as ever, always so naive!"
"At the Battle of Pingqiu, you said 'darkness under the lamp,' and what was the result? Not only was there light under the lamp, but there were also ambushes on ten sides! This led to Father's great defeat! Exhausting all our resources!"
"Today, news of the Hidden Dragon gathering over three million piculs of grain, General Jiang reports it, countless scouts investigate? Can there be any falsehood? How long will you continue to deceive Father?"
"Self-deception, Third Brother, do you know nothing else besides self-deception?"
Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang were in fierce opposition... Even at this point, they were still vying for position! Their father was almost gone, and they had to make their father see clearly who the most suitable heir was, the one who could turn the tide!
"You... Big Brother, Father is like this, you... you..." Yuan Shang's eyes turned cold. He stood up to argue with Yuan Tan, and his hands even went to his sword sheath, ready to draw his blade at any moment!
"Silence... all of you, silence!"
"Cough, cough, cough... Pfft!"
Yuan Shao spat out a mouthful of blood...
At this, "Father, Father..." the three sons crowded around him. *Phew... phew*, after a few rapid breaths, Yuan Shao grasped his youngest son's hand. "Shang'er, your elder brother is right. At such a time, why... why still deceive ourselves?"
Cough, cough...
A series of coughs followed.
Yuan Shang wanted to say more, but Yuan Shao stopped him. Yuan Shao said earnestly, "We lost, we have already lost. I, Yuan Shao, have been triumphant my whole life, yet... yet in the end, I have been defeated three times by grain and fodder!"
"In the Battle of Guandu, Wuchao was raided; in the Battle of Cangting, the raid on grain led into a ten-sided ambush; today... the last hope of the north has also vanished in an instant due to the three million piculs of grain gathered by the Hidden Dragon!"
"Heh heh, all of this... all of this is inextricably linked to that 'damned' Hidden Dragon, heh heh, with it, one can pacify the world, with it, one can pacify the world!"
"I never imagined, never imagined... that this Hidden Dragon could gather so much grain from merchants. In this regard, I, Yuan Shao, am ashamed and inferior, and you are far inferior... heh heh, heh heh, from now on, Cao Aman will have elite troops, abundant grain, and ample provisions, and never again... will anyone be able to stop his northward march!"
"I lost, I... I lost!"
Pfft!
Another mouthful of blood was spewed out.
When he uttered the words "I lost"...
"Father, Father..."
"Father..."
"Your health is important."
The three sons quickly went to support Yuan Shao.
— "Report..."
Just then, a Da Ji soldier rushed into the tent.
His expression was terrified, as if he had suffered countless "critical hits." His entire face looked utterly wretched.
— "Lord Yuan, something is wrong..."
— "All the commanderies and counties of Qing Province, having heard that the Cao army treats surrendered soldiers well and has abundant grain, and is about to march north, under the leadership of the Governor of Qing Province, Wang Xiu, the entire Qing Province has surrendered to Cao Cao!"
Upon hearing this announcement!
Yuan Shao's pupils suddenly widened. "Pfft"... his old illness relapsed, and he vomited several liters of blood, directly collapsing to the ground.
When the three sons managed to rouse Yuan Shao...
At this moment, their father, this former "Executor of Eunuchs," this former "Alliance Leader of the Coalition Against Dong Zhuo," this past "Tiger of Qing, Ji, You, and Bing," this officially appointed "Great General" by the Son of Heaven... Yuan Shao, Yuan Benchu! His breath was faint.
— "Summon, summon... scribes..."
Yuan Shao's voice, as thin as a thread, shouted out!
Was he going to make a will?
A scribe arrived, and Yuan Shao spoke. He left a letter, a letter to Cao Cao!
And then...
He took his youngest son Yuan Shang's hand...
Gradually, his hand became cold, chilling to the bone, and profoundly painful!
On this day, Yuan Shao—perished!
On this day, the news of Yuan Shao's "demise" spread to all thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty!
...
...
— Facing the sea at碣石, to view the vast ocean!
— The water ripples endlessly, the island peaks stand tall.
Cao Cao, stationed at Guandu, was the first to hear the news of Yuan Shao's death. He went alone to the banks of the Yellow River.
Gazing at the surging Yellow River;
Gazing at the light yellow waves rippling in the surging Yellow River, Cao Cao slowly closed his eyes, his heart filled with emotion...
Just as Guo Fengxiao had predicted, once Yu'er's gathered grain arrived, Yuan Shao's demise was inevitable.
Indeed, in the past, Cao Cao had countless times imagined the final outcome between himself and Yuan Shao.
During the most difficult period at Guandu, he had even thought that he himself would die, and that Yuan Shao would stand on the banks of the Yellow River to mourn him, his "former old friend," his "enemy of today"!
But fate had willed otherwise; Yuan Shao left first. This inevitably filled Cao Cao with emotion...
His friendship with Yuan Shao was too deep.
This kind of camaraderie was hard to describe in words...
Yuan Shao's death brought Cao Cao no joy, but rather a profound sadness, a unique kind of sorrow.
His acquaintance with Yuan Shao began at a "public school"!
At that time, Yuan Shu, relying on his status as a legitimate son and the son of a princess, always bullied Cao Cao and Yuan Shao...
He called Cao Cao an eunuch's adopted son and, upon their first meeting, wanted to pull down Cao Cao's pants to see the true appearance of an eunuch's adopted son...
Yuan Shao was not much better; Yuan Shu always called him "born of a concubine" in public and in private, and even forbade him from using a carriage!
In ancient times, this was equivalent to a great humiliation.
Because of this, on their way home from school one day, Cao Cao blocked Yuan Shu, and the two began to fight. Yuan Shao not only did not help his "brother" Yuan Shu, but instead took advantage of Yuan Shu's inattention to kick him a few more times!
It was precisely these few kicks that led Cao Cao and Yuan Shao to become friends. Cao Cao treated Yuan Shao like an "older brother."
They skipped classes together, ate free banquets together, and watched Indian jugglers together!
Cao Cao and Yuan Shao even collaborated to expose the Indian jugglers, stealing the fake tongues cut from their mouths... They also stole a bride together!
They even made a pact that if they really managed to steal one!
Yuan Shao took the lead, with Cao Cao closely following...
They were as close as brothers, and this bond forged since childhood was precious in this chaotic world!
Later...
The two were also alumni of the Imperial Academy. Yuan Shao was one year ahead of Cao Cao, but they joined many clubs together, forging a deep friendship...
Yuan Shao's military instructor was "Yang Qiu," skilled in strategy and with far less adaptability on the battlefield than Cao Cao's military instructor in his cohort, "Duan Jiao"!
Speaking of which, in the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao almost perfectly displayed the characteristics of their teachers, "Yang Qiu" and "Duan Jiao"!
"Haha... haha..."
Thinking of this, Cao Cao couldn't help but laugh out loud, but tears streamed from his eyes.
The world knew Cao Cao as a hero, the world knew Cao Cao loved to laugh, but who knew that a hero could also cry? When he lost a dear friend, he too would feel heartbroken.
After graduating from the Imperial Academy, Cao Cao successively served as the Commandant of the Luoyang Imperial Guard, the Magistrate of Dunqiu, and an Advisor...
But Yuan Shao gained fame in Puyang, yet due to his unwillingness to associate with corrupt officials, he returned to his hometown in Runan, observing the changing times!
The Yellow Turban Rebellion...
The frustrated Cao Cao received a recommendation from Yuan Shao and became a Captain of Cavalry, fighting on the battlefield...
Later, under Yuan Shao's arrangement, he became one of the "Eight Colonels of the Western Garden" beside Emperor Ling of Han!
If it weren't for... if it weren't for Yuan Shao's extremely foolish "invitation of Dong Zhuo into the capital," heh heh... at present, they might still be serving the Han Dynasty!
Thinking this way, Yuan Shao seemed to have orchestrated a grand strategy!
"Benchu!" Cao Cao faced the Yellow River and said, "When you invited Dong Zhuo into the capital, I called you foolish and pedantic, but only today do I understand your plan!"
"If the world were not in chaos, under that corrupt court, how could you and I achieve merit and build our careers? How could we dominate a region? Benchu, I wronged you back then! You saw far ahead, and perhaps you saw more clearly!"
At this point.
Cao Cao thought again of the stories from when he and Yuan Shao jointly organized the eighteen lords to crusade against Dong Zhuo.
At that time, Yuan Shao asked Cao Cao—"If our crusade against Dong fails? From where will you start anew?"
Cao Cao did not answer directly, but instead asked, "And you?"
Then came Yuan Shao's passionate words—"I shall occupy the south of the river, block the north with Yan and Dai, and annex the strength of the Rong and Di peoples. Facing south, I shall contend for the empire, perhaps then I can succeed!"
Meaning, he would occupy Hebei, block Yan and Dai, and then annex the ethnic minorities, contending for the empire from the south, and that should lead to success!
And Cao Cao's reply was, "I shall employ the wisdom and ability of the world and govern them with righteousness, and there will be nothing that is impossible!"
Meaning, he would select the wise and capable, contend for the empire with righteousness, and thus be invincible!
Thus...
Yuan Shao began his deployment during the crusade against Dong, weakening the strength of the lords of the northern provinces of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing, and then replacing them, achieving his grand vision of "occupying the south of the river, blocking the north with Yan and Dai, annexing the strength of the Rong and Di peoples, and contending for the empire from the south."
And Cao Cao entered Yan Province from the Eastern Commandery, seemingly insignificant, but in reality, he gained "Hidden Dragon" under his command!
He realized his aspiration of "employing the wisdom and ability of the world and governing them with righteousness, and there will be nothing that is impossible."
Perhaps, from that moment on, the two were destined for this battle...
Perhaps, from that moment on, it was destined that only one would ultimately dominate the world!
"Haha..."
With a refreshing laugh, Cao Cao raised his hand. Facing the Yellow River, he sighed again, "Benchu, your strategy allowed you to command a million troops and made you the most arrogant and powerful lord in the world. It's just a pity that my strategy allowed me to find one person. With the help of this one person, the wise and talented of the world flock to me, far surpassing a million soldiers!"
In the final analysis, Yuan Shao believed that pacifying the chaotic world depended on military strength and bravery!
And Cao Cao believed it depended on talent. The struggle among the lords, in the end, was a contest of talent!
As the saying goes, a thousand soldiers are easily obtained, but a general is hard to find!
With this thought in mind...
Cao Cao looked up at the sky and recited: "—The moon is bright and the stars are sparse, orioles fly south. Circling the trees three times, what branch can they rely on? Mountains are not tired of being high, seas are not tired of being deep. The Duke of Zhou spat forth food, and the world submitted to his heart."
— "The Duke of Zhou spat forth food, and the world submitted to his heart!"
— "The Duke of Zhou spat forth food, and the world submitted to his heart!"
Reciting these words, "The Duke of Zhou spat forth food, and the world submitted to his heart," three times in a row...
Cao Cao's mind was filled with myriad thoughts...
The existence of the Hidden Dragon elevated him, Cao Cao, but even if the Hidden Dragon were not his eldest son, Cao Cao would still use the Hidden Dragon and still dominate the world!
Because—the Duke of Zhou spat forth food, and the world submitted to his heart!
With this thought...
Xu Chu hurried to Cao Cao's side.
— "Lord Cao, just now, a letter was sent to you from the north!"
— "Whose letter?"
— "Yuan Benchu!"
As Xu Chu spoke, he handed Yuan Shao's letter to Cao Cao.
This...
Cao Cao's eyes narrowed. He took the letter and slowly unfolded it...
It contained only two sentences. The first sentence was—Nine Heavens Dragon's Roar Shakes the Sky, One Encounter with Hidden Dragon Turns Him Into A Dragon!
The following two sentences were—
...
...