Chapter 1089: The Civil and Military Officers of Cao’s Army

When Zhang Xiu arrived at the main camp tent, only Cao Ren was seated at the head, with Cao Hong and Cao Xiu sitting beside him, while Xun You and others were resting with their eyes closed. Zhang Xiu took his seat on the left, where the external generals were, and followed suit, closing his eyes to rest.

Before long, Le Jin, Li Dian, and Xu Huang arrived one after the other, taking their seats after glancing at Zhang Xiu. Finally, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan entered the tent.

The seating arrangement was very clear: the Cao family sat in one row, while the external generals sat in another. This was unlike Liu Bei’s forces, where everyone sat together without distinction. Of course, that was partly because Liu Bei didn’t have much support from the Liu clan among his generals.

"As you all know, the current situation is clear. I’ve summoned everyone to ask a question: Should we pursue the Xianbei beyond the Great Wall and engage them, or should we remain here to ensure the security of the border?" Cao Ren presented the main issue at hand.

"Is there really a question? How can we sit here and watch the Xianbei retreat? Everything we’ve done so far would be for nothing, just wasting our resources!" Cao Hong straightened up and replied immediately.

"If we pursue them now, with our limited forces, and the Xianbei split into two groups, Bingzhou will surely fall," Li Dian, still young, spoke bluntly, showing no regard for Cao Hong’s authority.

"Are you suggesting we just watch them leave? They’ve already looted part of the land! While they may not have enough to survive the winter, they’ve secured enough to protect some of their able-bodied men!" Cao Hong, whose temper was quick to flare, retorted angrily. After all, Lü Bu had already achieved great victories—how could they just stand by and watch?

"Our forces are insufficient, and that’s the key issue affecting our strategy. It was strategic errors during the Battle of Xuzhou that left us in this weakened state," Li Dian, still young and headstrong, continued, not realizing how his words were reopening old wounds.

In an instant, the faces of everyone from Xiahou Dun down darkened, and even Cao Ren at the head of the table wasn’t looking too pleased. But Cao Ren, with a broader view, quickly intervened. "Enough! Let’s not dwell on past events. I didn’t call you here to argue."

After Cao Ren silenced the group, Li Dian realized his misstep for the first time. He opened his mouth but decided to remain silent.

"It’s better to fight. Things have reached this point, and if we don’t take a gamble, it’ll be hard to turn the situation around," Cheng Yu stood up, his voice commanding respect.

"Master Cheng, our forces are too few, and the enemy’s numbers are too great. We might not win if we engage in battle," Du Xi shook his head. "Although what Mancheng said was extreme, we can’t ignore the possibility."

"No battle is guaranteed to be won," Cheng Yu responded coldly. "The Xianbei may be numerous, but their morale is severely diminished. The slightest disturbance could throw them into panic."

"Kebineng knows this as well, which is why he’s likely rewarding his soldiers and trying to stabilize their morale. I’ve heard that there’s discord between him and Helian," Du Xi said, shaking his head. "We aren’t yet at the point where we need to take that kind of risk."

It was clear that Cheng Yu and Du Xi couldn’t convince each other. Both attacking and watching the Xianbei retreat had their merits, but both also carried risks, just of different magnitudes.

"Xun Shizhong..." Cao Ren glanced at Xun You, who was quietly frowning in thought.

"I’ve been thinking... what is the true purpose of this battle against the Xianbei?" Xun You said, still frowning.

"Obviously, it’s to protect the border, solidify our reputation among the people, and prepare for taking control of Bingzhou," Xiahou Dun answered bluntly, while Cheng Yu and Du Xi both paused in thought.

"It’s to strengthen ourselves, to prepare for dealing with Liu Bei," Du Xi murmured.

"We need to strengthen our troops and our resources—in short, our overall strength. As Mancheng mentioned, we lost our most important forces in a previous battle," Xun You said, smiling bitterly. Had it not been for that, would Cao Cao have fallen into this situation?

"We need to train our soldiers," Xun You sighed. "Defeating the Xianbei is not our main goal—building up our strength is. That’s why we must fight this battle."

Du Xi had no more to say. "If we’re going to fight, I suggest launching a full assault and leaking the information to the Xianbei, forcing them to attack us."

"It’s the only option," Cheng Yu nodded in agreement. "It’s just a shame we don’t have enough forces, and the Xianbei haven’t entered our ambush zone."

"Let the Qiang and Hu coordinate with us. We can’t rely on our strength alone," Xun You suggested, turning to Cao Ren. "Our primary goal is training our soldiers, not pressing too hard. Kebineng will sense our wariness and won’t provoke us with his main army."

"Alright," Cao Ren agreed. Xun You and Cheng Yu’s plan was simple, but as they say, strategy is decided with words, but the success depends on how well it is executed by those on the ground.

"General Zhang, if the Xianbei army attacks, how many of them can you defeat with your forces?" Xun You turned to Zhang Xiu and asked.

"Fifteen thousand for sure. With some sacrifice, I could take down twenty-five thousand," Zhang Xiu replied after a moment of thought.

"Very well. We’ll count on you, General," Xun You nodded, saying no more.

If Xun You’s calculations were correct, once Kebineng learned that Bingzhou was left defenseless, he likely wouldn’t lead his main forces to attack. Instead, the leaders who opposed Kebineng would push for action, and Kebineng would be forced to compromise to avoid dissent.

However, Xun You couldn’t guarantee how many forces would come. Cao Cao’s intelligence on the northern nomads was limited, and Xun You could only estimate Kebineng’s level of control based on the stability of the Xianbei army.

After exchanging a nod with Cao Ren, the latter quickly began assigning military tasks. This battle was inevitable—the new recruits of the Cao army had to face bloodshed, or they’d become a burden.

Once all the assignments were made, Cao Ren looked at Zhang Xiu. "General Zhang, we’ll need you to guard the camp and prevent any Xianbei raids."

Zhang Xiu opened his eyes slightly, showing no dissatisfaction with being assigned to guard duty rather than leading the vanguard. He was no longer just Zhang Xiu—he was now Zhang Boyuan, the protector of the Zhang family.

"Rest assured, as long as I’m here, the Xianbei won’t breach Bingzhou," Zhang Xiu said calmly, earning a nod of approval from Cao Ren.

That night, the bulk of Cao’s forces withdrew from the camp in Bingzhou, heading beyond the Great Wall. Meanwhile, Ma Chao, advancing from the west, swept through the unprepared Xianbei tribes, making his way toward their royal court.

However, when Ma Chao arrived at the Xianbei royal court, all he found was a wasteland. If not for the golden eagle ornament from the Xianbei king’s tent, cut in half and buried under snow, Ma Chao would not have believed this frozen wasteland was once the royal court of the Xianbei.

"What happened here?" Ma Chao murmured as he unearthed corpses from the snow. No one within ten steps of the royal court had survived. It was as if they had all been slain in an instant.

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