125 Return to Yecheng

The news of Wuchao being burned reached Yuan Shao’s ears only after the routed troops from Wuchao fled to Guandu and were discovered by scouts. Upon learning that Wuchao had been set ablaze, Yuan Shao flew into a rage, cursing with several vulgarities. Aside from berating Chunyu Qiong, there was little Yuan Shao could do but vent his impotent fury.

Soon, the sound of drums echoed throughout the Yuan camp. This was Yuan Shao summoning his generals to discuss a countermeasure. Before long, his civil and military officials gathered, many having already caught wind of the disaster. As every camp had seen the fleeing soldiers from Wuchao, the mood was grim. No one had expected the first major engagement of the Guandu campaign to take place at Wuchao, with the rear collapsing before the frontline had even seen a rout.

Yuan Shao sat at the head of the central command tent. After scanning the room, he realized someone was missing. Who could it be? Xu You, also known as Xu Ziyuan.

"Xu You?" Yuan Shao asked the attendants. "Where is Xu You?"

Feng Ji stepped forward and said, "My Lord, was Xu You not confined to his quarters by your order? Without your command, he surely would not dare to leave his tent."

At this, Yuan Shao ordered his guards to fetch Xu You. Not long after, the guards returned to report that Xu You was nowhere to be found. Upon hearing this, Tian Feng gritted his teeth and stepped forward, saying, "My Lord, I fear Xu You has defected to Cao Cao!"

Yuan Shao’s complexion turned even more ghastly. However, now was not the time for recriminations. Xu You’s defection was a settled matter; the priority was to handle the aftermath properly.

"Wuchao has been burned!" Yuan Shao said, his face dark enough to drip water. "I assume you have all heard the news. Speak your minds—do you have any ideas?"

The expressions of his civil and military officials were as grim as his own, their faces turning a sickly shade of green. Who among them could offer a foolproof plan? With Wuchao destroyed, winning the war was now an impossibility. At this point, even mitigating the defeat would be a success.

"Bah!" Ju Yi gnashed his teeth. "It’s all that Chunyu Qiong’s fault! I should have run him through with my sword back at Wuchao!" But such complaints were useless now.

"And that Xu You," added Gao Lan. "Master Tian Feng should never have pleaded for him in the first place."

The central tent descended into chaos, filled with bickering. Yet, amidst the shouting, no one could propose a solution.

"Enough!" Yuan Shao slammed his hand against the table, bellowing, "Bickering? Does your shouting drive Cao Cao away? A plan! I demand a plan to retreat from the enemy!"

A plan to retreat? They had none. Since the fire at Wuchao, the grain was gone, and the morale of the army had shattered. To win the war was a pipe dream. Yuan Shao’s side had fallen into a position of total disadvantage. Seeing Yuan Shao’s fury, the strategists played the ostrich, burying their heads in silence, while the generals were even less reliable, capable of nothing but empty noise.

At this critical juncture, they had to rely on Tian Feng. He stepped forward and bowed to Yuan Shao. "My Lord, the army has less than seven days of grain remaining. Victory is no longer possible; our only goal now is to avoid total collapse. Your top priority must be to retreat to Ye City as quickly as possible. Once there, you can coordinate with your eldest son, Yuan Tan, in Qingzhou, and your second son, Yuan Xi, in Youzhou. The three of you can form a defensive triangle, which will surely withstand Cao Cao's offensive."

Tian Feng was known for his blunt advice, speaking his mind regardless of whether Yuan Shao liked it. Consequently, he was not favored in Yuan Shao’s camp. However, today his words struck a chord. After the disaster at Wuchao, Yuan Shao had no desire to continue fighting. He longed to return to Ye City, and Tian Feng’s suggestion aligned perfectly with his own secret desires. Even with Wuchao lost, Yuan Shao remained the most powerful warlord in the world. As long as he could retreat to Ye City and use Qingzhou and Youzhou as his wings, it would not be easy for Cao Cao to defeat him completely.

In fact, historically, even after the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao did not completely defeat Yuan Shao. It was only after Yuan Shao died of illness and his three sons fought for power that Cao Cao was able to seize the opportunity and unify the north. Thus, Tian Feng’s plan was indeed the most rational.

"While there is life, there is hope," Yuan Shao declared, making his decision. "Master Tian is right. Prepare immediately; we are pulling back to Ye City."

Seeing Yuan Shao’s haste, Ju Shou stepped forward to warn him: "My Lord, we must return to Ye City, it is true. But we must also prevent Cao Cao from taking advantage of our movement to strike. Otherwise, a retreat will turn into a rout!"

Retreating and fleeing were two different things. A proper retreat required bringing the army back intact. As Ju Shou finished, Yuan Shao’s gaze shifted to Tian Feng. After this defeat, Yuan Shao seemed to realize who was actually capable. Feng Ji, Shen Pei, and Guo Tu were only skilled at flattery. When it came to real strategy, it had to be Tian Feng and Ju Shou. Tian Feng, in particular, despite his unpleasant manner, provided truly useful counsel. It was only in times of adversity that one could see who was truly loyal.

"Yuan Hao," Yuan Shao asked, "do you have a plan for how we should withdraw to Ye City?"

Tian Feng stroked his short beard and said slowly, "My Lord, I suggest General Zhang He lead the troops to escort you to Ye City. General Ju Yi shall serve as the main commander to hold the front against the Cao army, with General Gao Lan as his deputy, defending the left flank. Furthermore, allocate fifty thousand elite troops to Liu Bei, and let him defend the right flank. We have seven days of grain remaining; the troops assigned to block Cao Cao only need to hold Guandu for five days, after which they may withdraw in an orderly fashion. If you depart five days ahead, even if the Cao army wants to pursue, they will never catch you."

As Tian Feng finished, Ju Yi stepped forward and bowed. "My Lord, go in peace. Within these five days, even if I, Ju Yi, die at Guandu, I will never let the Cao army cross a single step!"