Chapter 21: Sun Ce's Decision

At first, Sun Ce didn’t take Liu Xie’s admonitions in his letter seriously. It was only when he reached the end that he was startled—Liu Xie somehow knew about the two daughters of the Qiao family and, with righteous conviction, challenged Sun Ce to a wager. This piqued Sun Ce’s competitive spirit. How could an emperor, who had been virtually imprisoned by Cao Cao in the deep palace for years, know about events a thousand miles away? Sun Ce could not fathom it.

Was Liu Xie about to come to Jiangdong, fearful that Sun Ce might treat him as Cao Cao had, and so offered a favor in advance? Or had Liu Xie, all these years in Xuchang, merely feigned weakness, pretending to be muddled while secretly waiting for this very day? Or perhaps he’d simply heard rumors of the Qiao sisters’ beauty and now sought to exchange that secret for the two women?

In any case, Liu Xie’s actions left Sun Ce unable to determine whether he was truly shrewd and hidden, or merely a foolish man blinded by desire.

Sun Ce was a man who honored his wagers, and he understood well that once Liu Xie arrived in his territory and announced the relocation of the capital, it would profoundly affect the current balance of the Han dynasty. He remembered Zhang Hong’s words before departing: “He who possesses the emperor, possesses the realm.”

Years of campaigning had now granted Sun Ce the qualifications to vie for the empire; his own father had died for this cause, and Sun Ce himself was eager to try his hand. The Han dynasty had belonged to the Liu family for quite some time—if there were a chance for the Sun family, even entertaining the thought filled Sun Ce with excitement.

With such ambitions, Liu Xie became a figure of great importance to Sun Ce.

As he neared his return to Wu County, Sun Ce shook his head, trying to cast away those strange thoughts. He thought of Cao Cao—if Cao Cao could keep Liu Xie firmly in his grasp for so many years and wield enough power in the Central Plains to rival Yuan Shao, why couldn’t he do the same?

Confident by nature, Sun Ce reaffirmed his resolve in that instant.

Once Liu Xie arrived, the first matter Sun Ce wanted to clarify was the identity of the three assassins. He had pondered several possibilities, but none were certain.

If Liu Xie could foresee the event, he surely knew the identity of the culprit—there was no doubt about this.

As for the Qiao sisters, Sun Ce knew he’d need to delay his plans a bit, but if, upon Liu Xie’s arrival in Wu County, he discovered Liu Xie was nothing but a muddled fool whose actions stemmed only from lust, he might not hand over the two women after all.

Wu County was, after all, the domain of the Sun family, not Liu Xie’s; Liu Xie bore only the title of emperor, with neither troops nor generals, and wherever he went, he was subject to others’ whims. Sun Ce understood this well.

Sun Ce told none of his confidants, not even Zhang Zhao, about the events surrounding Wu County. Upon his return, he quietly ordered his attendants to dispose of the bodies as if nothing had ever happened.

This cold handling of the matter seemed, for now, to have no impact on Wu County or any greater affairs, but it was clearly a butterfly flapping its wings—sooner or later, it would have a profound and far-reaching effect on the era.

And the one who truly set the butterfly’s wings in motion was Liu Xie.

The air in Xuchang was particularly heavy these days. Outside the city, the camps were drilling day and night. Everyone knew a great battle was inevitable; for the common soldiers, the only uncertainties were when and where it would happen, and whether they would survive to be counted among the Han army afterward. As for who would win, it was beyond their imagining.

In the Office of the Minister of Works, both Cao Cao and his strategists and generals had their minds set not on Xuchang, but already on Guandu, where they were soon to march.

Over these months, even though Cao Cao remained in Xuchang, whether before or after Liu Bei’s rebellion and suppression, he was preparing for the coming clash with Yuan Shao.

Though Yuan Shao had begun marshaling his troops to march south months earlier, Cao Cao’s strategists all agreed that Yuan Shao was indecisive, often hesitating when making decisions. Thus, Guo Jia, Xun You, Cheng Yu, and others advised Cao Cao to make thorough preparations before advancing.

So in these few months, Cao Cao had not only slain Lü Bu and defeated Liu Bei.

From the latter half of Jian’an Year Four, Cao Cao had already sent Zang Ba with elite troops from Langya into Qing Province, seizing Qi, Beihai, and Dong’an to contain Yuan Shao, secure the right flank, and prevent Yuan Shao from attacking Xuchang from the east.

Meanwhile, he ordered Yu Jin to lead two thousand infantry and cavalry to guard the crucial crossing at Yanjin on the southern bank of the Yellow River, supporting the prefect of Dong Commandery, Liu Yan, who was holding Baima Town, to prevent Yuan Shao from crossing the river or making a swift southern advance.

Finally, and most importantly, he stationed his main force at Guandu, constructing fortifications to defend against Yuan Shao’s frontal assault.

After these arrangements, Cao Cao also sent men to pacify Guanzhong and court Liang Province, stabilizing his flanks.

It could be said that Cao Cao had positioned troops wherever he might be attacked by Yuan Shao or his allies—some cities and passes held only a few thousand, but both Cao Cao and his strategists knew that for Yuan Shao, two thousand or ten thousand made little difference.

In truth, over these months, the Cao army had already seized Yuan Shao’s throat, though Yuan Shao remained unaware.

Thus, the scales of victory had already begun to tip toward Cao Cao, though neither side yet realized it.

When Cao Cao fought Liu Bei in Xuzhou, Yuan Shao’s adviser Tian Feng had urged him to strike Xuchang by surprise, but Yuan Shao declined, citing his youngest son’s frail health—nearly driving Tian Feng to cough blood in frustration.

While Cao Cao and his strategists were enjoying themselves, Yuan Shao behaved in such a manner that even many outside observers could discern the likely outcome.

Barely a month into Jian’an Year Five, Yuan Shao sent Chen Lin to draft a manifesto, denouncing Cao Cao in the harshest terms.

Then, in the second month, Yuan Shao marched to Liyang, hoping to use his numerical advantage—over a hundred thousand strong—to deliver a decisive blow and finally eliminate Cao Cao.

Yuan Shao’s first move was to send his general Yan Liang to attack Liu Yan, the prefect of Dong Commandery stationed at Baima, aiming to seize the strategic points on the southern bank of the Yellow River and secure passage for his main army. Yet such intentions were all too obvious to Cao Cao and his strategists.