“Intention”: War for the Han Frontier sample (Act I) -- T. P. M. Thorne

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“It’s… fine,” Cao Cao said. “It’s fine, Ziyuan. And in a way, you have a point; a point that you share with Wenruo. We must ‘smash’ Yuan at Cangting, and quickly, so that our strength is proven and Yuan’s weakness is laid bare. I will not lie, I wanted to wait until Guo Fengxiao had recovered, but that is not an option.”
Chen Qun harrumphed audibly.
“…We now have new minds like Liu Yè and Jia Xu to draw upon,” Cao Cao said as he turned to look at the men in question; both officials bowed humbly. “Fengxiao wanted it so because… because he is ‘fragile’, and could ‘break’ at any time.”
A short silence was broken by Xiahou Dun, who said, “Who’s going to Cangting?”
“I will go personally, since that will show great strength that will impress the tribes that observe us,” Cao Cao replied. “Cheng Yu and Jia Xu will be my main counsel, since Xun Yu and Xun Yòu are best placed here in Xuchang; Yuan Huan will advise Cao Ren on Runan; you, Yuanrang, will join me, of course, as an officer; Cao Hong, Cao Xiu, Zhang Liao, Zhang Hè, Xu Huang and Yue Jin will be my other generals.”
The named officials and officers bowed and expressed their gratitude for the trust that Cao Cao was placing in them.
“We are not concerned about the Suns…?” Liu Yè asked suddenly.
“Our new marriage alliances make them unlikely to attack us,” Cao Cao replied; the embattled chieftain of the Jiangdong Sun clan, Sun Quan, had agreed to go through with plans to marry Cao’s second son, Cao Zhang, to the daughter of Quan’s paternal cousin, Sun Ben, and also to marry one of Quan’s younger brothers to one of Cao Cao’s nieces.
“The Suns are ambitious,” Liu Yè suggested. “Xu Gong was not incorrect when he said that.”

“But the Suns are also suffering from a lot of internal strife,” Cao Cao retorted. “I know that you’re monitoring the situation in Lujiang because of ‘personal interest’, and so I need not tell you that Sun Quan faces a serious rebellion there… half of his standing army has turned on him… Sun Quan’s appointment has divided his clan’s loyalists, and my son’s new father-in-law is, I believe, a future ally that can use his past as acting Sun clan chieftain after Sun Jian’s death to help me restore order in the south when I have the resources to deal with it.”
“…You have pondered it well,” Liu Yè said. “I’ll say no more.”
“…No more dallying, then,” Cao Cao decided. “Benchu’s had time enough to lick his wounds and procrastinate; now he will see what fangs this tiger has! We leave in a week or less!”

Yuan Shao was perplexed by the news that Cao Cao had sent a medium-sized force to station and gather supplies around the relatively weak defensive position of Anmin.
“Anmin…?” Yuan Shao prompted. “Not Guandu, or…? …Anmin???”
“Anmin,” Guo Tu reiterated.
“…He taunts me, the knave,” Yuan Shao muttered. “He is trying to lure me out.”
“So do not rise to it,” Cui Yan suggested.

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