Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1305 Qiao County Unable to Be Defended, Retreat to Runan

Liu Bei's Jingzhou army at this time consisted mostly of siege infantry, whose formation was already dispersed due to the siege. When they were suddenly attacked by such elite cavalry, they were thrown into disarray. Cao Ang's spear danced like a pear blossom in full bloom. Wherever the spear tip passed, the infantry's shields were knocked away and their armor was pierced, carving a bloody path through them.

"Young Master!" Xiahou Dun watched as that familiar figure broke through the encirclement, his eyes suddenly burning with heat. The pent-up bloodlust and excitement surged to his head. He suddenly raised his arm and shouted, sweeping his broadsword horizontally, actually cutting through the encirclement in front of him, and charged towards Cao Ang.

The two generals met in the chaos. Cao Ang deflected the spear aimed at Xiahou Dun with a backhand thrust and said in a deep voice, "Uncle Yuanrang, let's fight off the enemy first, then we can talk about our friendship!"

Xiahou Dun nodded emphatically. With the two of them on the left and right, they were like a tiger with wings, and the encirclement of the Jingzhou army was stretched wider and wider.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei, who was below the city, felt a pang of anxiety and immediately ordered, "Zilong! Quickly go and stop that cavalry!"

Zhao Yun obeyed the order, brandishing his silver spear and leading his troops to turn and meet the attack. At this moment, Cao Ang's main force had arrived in full force. Zang Ba and Sun Li each led a contingent, clamping down on the flanks of the Jingzhou army like iron pincers, cutting off their retreat and reinforcements. The Jingzhou army's offensive, which was on the verge of breaching the city gate, suddenly halted. Facing a counterattack from the defenders on the city walls and an assault from Cao Ang's reinforcements from behind, they were attacked from both sides and gradually began to falter.

Standing on the high slope, Liu Bei gazed at the Xuzhou cavalry that had suddenly appeared, then at the Cao army that had rallied on the city walls, his brow furrowed. They were only one step away from breaching the city, but this unexpected reinforcement had blocked their advance. Though he felt resentment, he knew the situation was hopeless.

"Sound the retreat," he ordered in a deep voice, his tone tinged with weariness.

As the sound of metal rang out, the Jingzhou army retreated like a receding tide, leaving behind a field of corpses and weapons. Cao Ang reined in his horse, looked in the direction the enemy had retreated, and said to Xiahou Dun, "Uncle Yuanrang, how are your injuries? Let's go back to the city to rest first."

Xiahou Dun gazed at his blood-stained white robe, then at the "Cao" banner that had been re-erected on the city wall, patted him heavily on the shoulder, and all his unspoken words were finally condensed into a single sentence: "Good lad."

The fighting in Qiao County temporarily subsided, and the city gates slowly opened, welcoming in the blood-soaked soldiers. Cao Ang led the way, the sunlight filtering through the smoke and shining on him, seemingly injecting a sense of calm into the crumbling city.

On the city wall, Cao Ang and Xiahou Dun stood side by side, the Xuzhou cavalry and the Qiao County garrison behind them shouting in unison, "Young Master! Young Master!" The sound was like rolling thunder, making the city bricks tremble slightly. Cao Ang raised his hand to signal, his gaze sweeping over the wounded but passionate faces, nodding to each of them, his brows revealing a steady sharpness.

In the streets and alleys beneath the city walls, the people peeked out from behind their tightly closed doors and windows, secretly observing the young general who had suddenly arrived. The fear of the impending fall of the city had not yet dissipated, but now, hearing the deafening cheers and seeing the figure in silver armor and white robes, it was as if they had seen light in the darkness. Their trembling bodies gradually calmed down. Was this the legendary eldest son who guarded Xuzhou? Indeed, he was like a god.

Inside the secret passage, Cao Pi was being escorted by his personal guards as he retreated out of the city when he suddenly heard hurried footsteps behind him. Man Chong caught up, panting, his face filled with barely concealed excitement: "My lord! No need to retreat! The city has been defended! It's the eldest prince! The eldest prince has arrived with reinforcements!"

Cao Pi paused, a look of embarrassment instantly crossing his face. He glanced down at his blood-stained armor, the marks of the battle on the city walls still visible, yet his retreat had been witnessed by his elder brother. He took a deep breath and said to his personal guards, "Go back!"

The group returned to the city and headed straight for the government office. Upon entering the main hall, they saw Cao Ang discussing defense matters with Xiahou Dun, and all the civil and military officials in the hall wore relaxed expressions. Cao Pi stepped forward, bowed deeply to Cao Ang, and said with a somewhat strained voice, "Elder brother."

Cao Ang turned around, his gaze falling on him. Seeing the lingering panic on his second brother's face and the bloodstains on his armor, clearly indicating he had also fought on the city walls, he knew he hadn't deserted, but had simply panicked. He stepped forward, patted Cao Pi's shoulder, and said calmly, "You've worked hard."

These three simple words, without blame or questioning, only deepened Cao Pi's shame, leaving him speechless.

Cao Ang said no more and turned to Xiahou Dun: "Uncle Yuanrang, how is the city's defense now? Have the provisions and wounded soldiers been accounted for?"

Xiahou Dun cupped his hands and replied, "Your Highness, although the city's defenses have been damaged, the main force is still intact. The food supplies can last for more than a month, and the wounded soldiers have been treated by medical officers. However, in the fierce battle just now, many archers were lost, and most of the defensive equipment was also used up."

“It’s alright,” Cao Ang said in a deep voice. “I brought five thousand cavalry and twenty thousand Xuzhou infantry with me, which is enough to hold out until Father’s army arrives and ensure the safety of Qiao County.”

Upon hearing this, the civil and military officials in the hall breathed a sigh of relief, and smiles appeared on their faces. Man Chong clapped his hands and said, "With the eldest young master's words, we are at ease!" Jiang Ji also nodded and said, "The Xuzhou troops are elite, and with the eldest young master in charge, if Liu Bei attacks again, he will surely not return alive!"

Cao Ang nodded slightly, his gaze turning to the map: "The most urgent task is to repair the city's defenses and reinforce the four gates. Uncle Yuanrang, I would like to ask you to deploy the garrison. I will have Xiahou Shang lead the Xuzhou troops to assist us. We must repair the breach today."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Xiahou Dun replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Cao Pi stood to the side, watching his elder brother methodically arrange the defenses and listening to the people's words of confidence in him, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He knew that his elder brother's victory not only defended Qiao County but also re-established the banner of "Eldest Prince" in everyone's hearts. As for himself, he was still lacking in skill.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on Cao Ang's silver armor and reflecting a dazzling light. The crisis in Qiao County had been temporarily averted, but the power struggle between these brothers seemed to have only just begun to reveal its clearer outline amidst the smoke of battle.

Inside the Jingzhou army camp, the atmosphere was heavy and tense. Liu Bei stared at the map on the table, his brow furrowed, the disarray of the retreat still lingering. The wind outside whipped up dust that rattled the tent flaps, echoing in his mind like the hoofbeats of Cao Cao's reinforcements arriving.

"Brother!" Zhang Fei suddenly took off his helmet and hugged it to his chest, his big, round eyes wide open. "The city wall of Qiao County was about to be breached when that cavalry suddenly appeared! If it weren't for that, we would have already stormed the city wall by now!"

Liu Bei sighed and turned his gaze toward Qiao County: "The young general who charged into the enemy lines just now had fierce spear skills and a calm demeanor, unlike the old generals under Cao Cao."

"My lord," Zhuge Liang said, his feather fan waving lightly, his tone grave, "I saw it clearly from the battlefield. The man leading the troops is Cao Cao's eldest son, Cao Ang. He brought reinforcements from Xuzhou. He has guarded Xuzhou for many years, and his troops are elite. In today's battle, his fighting strength should not be underestimated."

“Cao Ang has also arrived…” Liu Bei tapped the map lightly with his fingertip. “In that case, Cao Cao’s main reinforcements are probably not far away.”

Pang Tong stroked his beard, a sharp glint in his eyes: "My lord, let's go all in! Before Cao Cao arrives, let's launch a full-scale attack on the city! The garrison of Qiao Commandery has just suffered a defeat, and although Cao Ang has sent reinforcements, they are ultimately a weary army. Once we break through the city, we can meet Cao Cao with our troops at ease. If we wait for him to return, our army will be attacked from both sides, and the situation will be even more difficult to manage!"

Zhuge Liang shook his head: "Shiyuan's words are reasonable, but if we launch a strong attack, our army will suffer heavy casualties. The most urgent task is to send out scouts to the surrounding areas to closely monitor the movements of Cao Cao's army. If he returns to reinforce, we must first set up a defensive line and never let the reinforcements disrupt our formation again as we have today—this is the prudent strategy of warfare."

Liu Bei nodded: "What the two strategists say makes sense. Send out orders to send scouts to investigate Cao Cao's army's movements, and at the same time, prepare the troops to continue the siege!"

Over the next two days, the Jingzhou army launched an even fiercer offensive. Zhang Fei personally supervised the battle at the east gate, his eighteen-foot spear whirling through the air as battering rams relentlessly assaulted the city gate day and night; Zhao Yun led his troops to set up siege ladders at the west gate, his spear flashing like pear blossoms, clashing several times with Cao Ang on the city wall; Huang Zhong built an arrow tower outside the south gate, archers taking turns suppressing the enemy, their arrows almost blocking out the sunlight.

On the walls of Qiao Commandery, Cao Ang and Xiahou Dun had already laid a trap. The Xuzhou soldiers' archery skills were precise, and combined with the Qiao Commandery defenders' rolling stones and logs, they forcefully repelled every attack. Cao Ang himself led from the front, charging wherever danger lurked, his silver spear stained with blood, his white robe dusty, yet he always stood firm at the forefront. Seeing their commander so courageous, his soldiers fought bravely, repeatedly thwarting the Jingzhou army's offensive.

On the third night, the scout finally brought back an urgent report: "My lord! Cao Cao's army has passed Chenliu and is rushing towards Qiao County day and night. The vanguard is less than a hundred li away from here!"

Silence fell over the tent. Liu Bei gazed at the ever-burning lamp atop the city walls of Qiao County, knowing that further attack was pointless. With Cao Cao's main force arriving, the Jingzhou army would be surrounded if they did not retreat.

"So be it." He finally waved his hand, his voice tinged with reluctance. "Order the entire army to withdraw immediately! Withdraw from Qiao County and hold Runan!"

With the order given, the Jingzhou army retreated like a receding tide. In the darkness, Zhang Fei gazed at the walls of Qiao County, spat fiercely, but ultimately reined in his horse and turned it around.

On the city wall of Qiao Commandery, Cao Ang gazed in the direction the enemy army had retreated and breathed a long sigh of relief. Xiahou Dun stepped forward and handed him a pot of water: "Young Master, you held the line."

Cao Ang took the water pouch, looked at the dust cloud trailing behind Liu Bei's retreating army in the distance, nodded, and said in a tired but firm voice, "We held on."

The first light of dawn illuminated the city walls of Qiao County, and Cao Cao's army finally arrived at the city gates, their bodies glistening with the morning dew. The city gates slowly opened, and Xiahou Dun, Cao Ang, Cao Pi, and others came out to greet them, the frost on their armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Cao Cao dismounted, his gaze immediately falling on Xiahou Dun. Seeing the blood-soaked bandage on his left arm and the scorch marks on his armor, he said in a deep voice, "Yuanrang, are you injured?"

Xiahou Dun clasped his hands and smiled, "It's just a flesh wound, nothing serious. It was my lord who marched through the night, that's truly arduous. Fortunately, my lord arrived in time, and Qiao County was saved."

"Don't talk nonsense." Cao Cao patted his arm, his tone still tinged with fear. "If you hadn't fought so hard to defend the city, even if I had arrived, I would have only found an empty city. You deserve great credit for this."

"My lord, you are mistaken." Xiahou Dun quickly waved his hand and stepped aside to let Cao Ang behind him pass. "If it weren't for the eldest son leading the Xuzhou troops to attack three days ago, Qiao County would have been on the verge of collapse. The breach in the west gate was blocked by the eldest son's cavalry, and he managed to drive back Liu Bei's army. If we're talking about merit, the eldest son deserves the most credit."

Cao Cao's gaze turned to Cao Ang. Several years had passed since they last met, and his eldest son had grown even more imposing. Though his silver armor was stained with blood, his brows exuded a composed and heroic air; he was no longer the boy who had followed him around. Cao Cao's throat bobbed, and after a long pause, he stepped forward, raised his hand, and patted Cao Ang's shoulder, his voice slightly hoarse: "You've worked hard."

“Father is the one who has truly suffered.” Cao Ang bowed deeply, his tone respectful. “I have been stationed in Xuzhou for several years, with almost no fighting. I have only done my duty and have nothing to do with suffering. It is Father who has been fighting in Yanzhou day and night and should take better care of himself.”