Chapter 1045: "Western Xianbei's Southern Invasion"

Zhang He eventually dragged Gao Lan away. Zhang He understood Gao Lan’s pain, but no matter how terrified Zhang He himself was, he was driven by a burning desire for revenge. This was the foundation that sustained him in battle!

Not long after, Zhang He and Gao Gan completed their transfer of command. This time, Gao Gan seemed to have given up completely. Not only did he show no complaints, but he even took the time to offer Zhang He some advice on how to defend Bingzhou. Furthermore, he left behind a true force of Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry. There weren’t many—just 3,000—but with Zhang He’s abilities, this was more than enough for self-defense.

"Wenhui, why did you leave my elite Bingzhou cavalry behind? You know that these are some of the few elite cavalry troops we have left," Gao Gan asked his cousin, Gao Rou, as they left Bingzhou.

"Because General Zhang and General Gao are the best commanders Hebei has right now. Whether it’s Jiang Yiqu or Chunyu Qiong, though their reputations are grand, when it comes to actual ability, the Four Pillars of Hebei—Yan and Wen for their bravery, Zhang and Gao for their command—stand tall. And above all of them, Ju Yi is known for his battlefield strategies," Gao Rou explained simply.

"What does that have to do with us giving them the elite cavalry?" Gao Gan still didn’t understand. He had some accomplishments in loyalty and governance, but when it came to strategy and politics, he was far behind.

"Cousin, do you think you can defend Youzhou with those 3,000 elite cavalry?" Gao Rou shifted the conversation to another question.

"I doubt it. If the situation is as you suspect, with Gongsun Du openly attacking but Liu Bei secretly behind the scenes, then it’s impossible to defend," Gao Gan replied after thinking it over. Gao Rou had already explained the situation to him earlier.

"Exactly. Since taking them wouldn’t help you hold the territory, why send these limited troops to their deaths? By leaving them with General Zhang, you can strengthen your relationship with him while also reassuring the people of Bingzhou. The Xianbei invasion is already inevitable, and if you withdraw the northern defense troops at this time..." Gao Rou trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

At that moment, Gao Gan’s face darkened. He had considered Yuan Tan a brother, and even when he transferred part of Bingzhou’s territory in the past, though he left a way out, he hadn’t done anything too outrageous. He hadn’t even hesitated much. Yet, here was Yuan Tan, stabbing him in the back.

"Cousin..." Gao Rou slowly began, seeing the black expression on Gao Gan’s face.

Gao Rou deliberately brought everything to light at this moment, hoping to push Gao Gan to disobey orders and return to Bingzhou. He had already made all the necessary arrangements. As soon as Gao Gan returned to Bingzhou, the Xianbei would invade. It was the perfect justification.

Not long ago, Gao Rou had made contact with Cao Cao’s camp. Though he hadn’t met Cao Cao in person, he found himself admiring him. Cao Cao’s ruthlessness in pursuing his goals was similar to his own. This shared mindset gave Gao Rou a sense of kindred spirit, stirring unusual thoughts within him.

Of course, Yuan Tan’s blatant actions were another factor. Unlike Yuan Shao’s upright demeanor, Yuan Tan’s crude approach made Gao Rou lose confidence in him. Furthermore, Gao Rou had never truly pledged allegiance to the Yuan family, so switching sides didn’t feel like a betrayal to him. There was no pressure.

"No, we’re going to Youzhou. Yuan Tan may have betrayed me, but my uncle did not. He wronged me, but I still have a duty to protect my uncle’s legacy," Gao Gan said after a long pause, delivering an answer that shocked Gao Rou. His seemingly ordinary cousin had made an extraordinary choice.

"You might die in Youzhou," Gao Rou said after a long silence.

"Isn’t that what I have a cousin like you for?" Gao Gan replied, his eyes filled with hope as he looked at Gao Rou.

Gao Rou remained silent. Then he spread his hands and smiled. "With a cousin like you, I have no choice. But you’re right, Yuan Tan is Yuan Tan, and Lord Yuan is Lord Yuan. We owe a debt to Lord Yuan."

[The human heart is truly unpredictable, but so be it,] Gao Rou thought with a helpless expression as he followed Gao Gan to Youzhou. As for why Gao Gan had left the elite cavalry with Zhang He, Gao Gan forgot to ask, and Gao Rou forgot to explain.

Not long after Gao Gan left Bingzhou, the Western Xianbei launched an invasion, perfectly timed. Aside from Lu Bu, who decisively repelled the Xianbei in Jiuyuan with his recent victory, most other areas suffered devastating losses. Thus, in the winter of that year, the largest Xianbei invasion since Tan Shihuai’s death began.

"The Xianbei acted even earlier than we anticipated. Fortunately, only the Western Xianbei made a move. The Eastern Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu have not yet responded," Chen Xi said, frowning as he reviewed the intelligence reports.

"There’s something strange about this. In theory, this shouldn’t be happening. Did Cao Cao instigate the Xianbei invasion?" Jia Xu offered his analysis. Although there wasn’t concrete information, Jia Xu had already inferred a great deal from the clues.

"Most likely. Cao Cao is currently short on troops. While he has many capable generals, when it comes to sheer numbers, he’s no match. If the Xianbei have time to gather, their half-soldier, half-civilian forces can form a massive army. Though their combat power is weak, if they disperse for raids, Cao Cao would be forced to divide his forces to respond, which would spell disaster. If he doesn’t divide his forces..." Liu Ye nodded, agreeing with Jia Xu. His conclusion was essentially the same.

"If he doesn’t divide his forces, even if Cao Cao wipes out part of them, the remaining Xianbei would have plundered too many resources. Though their fighting strength isn’t great, their destructive power is massive, especially with their bandit-like raiding tactics," Lu Su chimed in, continuing Liu Ye’s point while wrapping himself in a blanket.

Lu Su now had a comprehensive view of internal affairs and governance, and he also had a deep understanding of destruction. The looting and pillaging of bandit groups were extremely destructive methods of warfare.

Back when they were drafting laws, Lu Su had insisted on harsh penalties for banditry, even suggesting a 20-year labor sentence for offenders. His hatred for those who disrupted social order was evident.

"Cao Cao really does lack a moral bottom line in his actions," Li You said, his expression slightly dark.

While Li You sometimes acted without scruples, he would never do something like this. Cao Cao likely revealed the withdrawal of Yuan Shao’s troops to the Xianbei to deliberately lure them south. Worse yet, he hadn’t even informed Bingzhou to prepare for defense.

"Haven’t we discussed Cao Cao’s character many times before? But based on the information from Master Jia, it seems that Cao Cao is planning to absorb a large portion of the Western Xianbei to bolster his agricultural workforce," Fa Zheng suddenly jumped up, noting that the discussion of the Western Xianbei inevitably involved their collaboration with the Qiang and Hu.

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