Chapter 33: Victory and Defeat

When Wen Chou realized that many of his soldiers were busy picking up supplies and provisions strewn about the ground, the situation was already slipping beyond his control.

Hot-tempered as he was, Wen Chou immediately drew his blade and executed two men who disobeyed orders, but the chaos had already taken hold, and such actions were of little effect.

“So be it! The enemy is already in shambles. I’ll give you half an hour—gather what you can, then resume the pursuit of Cao’s forces!”

Seeing that control had slipped from his grasp, Wen Chou could only issue this command.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei, upon hearing of this, quietly summoned Zhang Fei and Mi Zhu, instructing them in hushed tones, “You two take our trusted men and focus on gathering as many weapons and suits of armor as you can. Do not stray too far from each other, do not advance to the front, and never become separated from your horses. If things go awry, flee at once! And if you encounter Yun Chang, avoid him.”

Both Zhang Fei and Mi Zhu were quick-witted, instantly understanding Liu Bei’s intent and swiftly relaying his instructions to their confidants.

For the next half hour, it was as if the cavalry of Yuan Shao were celebrating a festival. They forgot they were still on the battlefield, and the Cao army, whom they had just been chasing in utter disorder, no longer seemed the slightest threat.

If, halfway through this brief respite, any of Yuan Shao’s men had thought to press their ear to the ground, they would have heard the thunder of hooves growing ever nearer. But no one spared a thought for such things.

Indeed, the Cao army had returned.

On Cao Cao’s orders, only six or seven hundred of his finest cavalry rode forth, lightly equipped. Clutching their weapons tightly and urging their steeds on with all their strength, they kept their jaws clenched to suppress any unnecessary sound.

Cao Cao was a master at rousing morale. As he ordered his men to turn back, he spoke only a single sentence before the ranks: “Kill Wen Chou, and the battle is half won. Defeat Yuan Shao here, and half the empire will be in our grasp.”

No soldier wished to spend his life at constant war. If half the empire could be won, perhaps they might finally rest. This was the dream of every man in Cao Cao’s ranks.

“What’s that? Could it be reinforcements?”

A Yuan soldier, hands full with a suit of armor he struggled to hoist onto his horse—armor he could not wear but could sell for a good price in camp—looked up and saw a distant troop swiftly approaching. He murmured to himself in confusion.

“No! Not reinforcements—they’re cavalry! And the direction’s wrong—it’s the Cao army! Quickly! The Cao army is back—mount up and prepare to meet them!”

Hearing his words, a nearby veteran glanced over and broke into a cold sweat. Dropping everything, he began shouting as he frantically searched for his horse.

In cavalry warfare, proper formation is crucial—not only for the riders who can heed commands, but for their mounts as well.

Now, however, many of Yuan’s soldiers had wandered far from their horses in search of spoils. When the Cao cavalry returned, chaos erupted among the thousands, each man scrambling to find his steed.

“General, I fear we have fallen for Cao Cao’s ruse—the enemy cavalry is upon us!”

The warning reached Wen Chou as he was resting beside his horse. Mounting to survey the field, he saw the enemy nearly at hand.

“Quickly! Mount up, form ranks, and cut down the enemy!”

But amidst such confusion, Wen Chou’s orders sounded hollow.

In the art of war, momentum is everything. In the short span of half an hour, Yuan’s army had squandered all the spirit they had amassed. In a panic, only a handful managed to find their horses and prepare to resist.

The Cao army, by contrast, was united in resolve: to break or to die. Seeing the enemy had fallen into their trap and were unprepared, they fell upon them like wolves among sheep, swiftly cutting down foes from the flanks.

Even as they wheeled about, the Cao cavalry had divided their six or seven hundred into several companies of about a hundred men each—Zhang Liao, Guan Yu, Cao Hong, Li Dian, and others each led a squadron into the fray.

After cutting down several foes, Guan Yu’s great blade was already stained crimson. Peering into the distance, he spotted Liu Bei’s banner, but kept silent, continuing his search until he finally espied Wen Chou’s command standard.

“Wen Chou is there! Follow me—all of you! We must slay the wretch!”

This was not Guan Yu’s usual way. Normally, at the sight of Wen Chou, he would have charged alone, unbidden. But to buy Liu Bei more time to escape, he now spread the chance of slaying Wen Chou among his companions.

Sure enough, Zhang Liao and the others, roused by Guan Yu’s call, pressed forward with all their might toward Wen Chou’s position.

Wen Chou, for his part, had not considered retreat. With nearly ten times the enemy’s strength, he believed defeat impossible.

He forgot, however, that while Cao Cao lacked men, he had no shortage of generals—and his partner, Liu Bei, had already withdrawn two or three miles.

Some opportunities are never given to the unprepared.

As Wen Chou tried to rally his forces, Guan Yu and Cao Hong, each leading some eighty or a hundred riders, were already upon him.

Though the Cao forces bore no identifying banners, Wen Chou was easily distinguished by his standard and his armor.

Cao Hong was first to reach Wen Chou. Bloodied from battle, he wasted no words—he simply thrust his spear at the general.

Wen Chou was by no means a weakling. Against Cao Hong alone, he was untroubled. Though his close guards were falling fast under the focused assault, he managed to hold back Cao Hong, pressing him hard with his broadsword.

But before half the time of a single incense stick had passed, Guan Yu, Zhang Liao, and the others arrived.

When Wen Chou saw, among the soldiers reporting from Yan Liang’s old command, a man with a face like a ripe date, phoenix eyes, and a long beard, he realized too late—he was surrounded, with all avenues of escape closed.

On the true field of battle, all fight for victory—no one draws back to duel in empty formality. In the chaos, it is unclear whose blade struck Wen Chou’s horse across the hindquarters, but the beast, stung by pain, reared and flung its rider. In that instant, the outcome of the battle was decided.