"This father in-law of mine really has no filter. Looks like life in Chang'an made him way too comfortable."
Back at Tong Pass, Zhang Fei picked his ear with his pinky, looking completely done with it.
To be fair, he had actually thought about Xiahou Yuan's suggestion for a long time.
And honestly, it was not totally wrong. Yue Jin was famous for charging first and being fearless, and didn't he still get taken out by the old general at Xiangyang?
On top of that, anyone with eyes could tell the Cao army was spinning up another big push.
Scouts reported that west of Tong Pass, Huxian, Hongnong, Caoyang, and nearby counties were basically ghost towns. Civilians and rich families had all been force-moved.
The old garrisons had pulled back to Dayang in Shan County, hiding behind the Yellow River like it was a giant natural shield. As for where the rest of the troops went, yeah, everyone already knew.
If Xiahou Yuan went back, tried to farm merit points to clear his name, and then led troops into Jingbei straight into the old general's defense, Zhang Fei did not even want to picture it.
"How am I supposed to explain that to my wife?"
"Who come, give your name."
"Xiahou Yuan of Qiao Commandery!"
"No fate to fight in Hanzhong. Cutting you down in Jingbei works too. Come die!"
Zhang Fei could already see that future domestic argument in his head.
Huo Jun, guarding the pass, tilted his head, listening to Xiahou Yuan outside still going full keyboard warrior with nonstop shouting. He shook his head and laughed.
"General Xiahou is no joke either. General Yide, your trash talk is kind of savage."
Zhang Fei thought for a second, then nodded seriously.
"Yeah, yeah. I forgot he's got that speedrun title. Five hundred li in three days, a thousand li in six."
"But if he runs into General Huang, won't that just be a thousand li… express delivery for his own head?"
Huo Jun was very glad Xiahou Yuan did not hear that. Otherwise, this would not be verbal abuse anymore. It would be instant rage siege.
Thinking about how awkward Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Fei's relationship already was, Huo Jun figured worrying was pointless and switched topics.
"These thousand Yizhou boys going straight home?"
The Yizhou troops, who had just been crying about wanting to go home, suddenly got stiff. After entering the pass and seeing real elite troops, they looked low-key intimidated.
These guys were no longer just decent soldiers.
In Huo Jun's eyes, they had officially leveled up.
Seeing the two generals talking about their fate, whether out of sucking up or genuine gratitude, a few soldiers locked eyes and stepped forward.
"General, let us stay and fight Cao troops with you."
They had marched all the way from Jia County and personally watched Cao army movements.
Even if they were not top-tier, their war instincts were still online. Everyone knew a big fight was coming.
That was exactly why they were nervous.
Big battle coming. Are we really going home?
Zhang Fei waved his hand like he was shooing flies.
"Get out, get out. If you stay here and die, how am I supposed to face your parents and wives?"
"And look at you. You think it's that easy to join my unit? You are not even close."
Behind Zhang Fei, Fan Jiang and Zhang Da puffed out their chests.
So we are elite now.
Their faces were practically glowing.
Zhang Fei's open dislike somehow made the Yizhou soldiers even more grateful.
Outside Tong Pass, Xiahou Yuan's rage shouting made Cao soldiers exchange awkward looks.
Only after fully venting his frustration from getting captured and losing did Xiahou Yuan finally feel refreshed and hit the road again.
Because of scorched earth in Hongnong and nearby counties, he could not even get proper rest until Shan County.
He skipped the welcome banquet, grabbed a squad of elite cavalry, and went full night grind mode. By the time the moon was high, he finally reached Jia County.
So Cao Cao, who had barely thrown on his clothes and did not even have his shoes on properly, saw Xiahou Yuan rush in and drop to his knees with a loud thud.
One guy crying and spamming kowtows. One guy doing gentle boss-mode comfort.
After a few rounds of that emotional loop, Xiahou Yuan finally sat and gave the full report.
"Why didn't Junyi and Miaocai come back with you?" Cao Cao asked.
Xiahou Yuan sighed.
"Liu Bei said all Yizhou troops must return and Ma Teng's clan must be confirmed safe before we can fully leave."
"Junyi stepped up and stayed behind as collateral."
Cao Cao wrapped in his robe just gave a neutral grunt.
"What about Zixu?"
Xiahou Yuan hesitated.
"Du Xi got diagnosed by Liu Bei's miracle doctor. He's staying in Chang'an for treatment."
Cao Cao acknowledged with a quiet sound.
Then Xiahou Yuan started dumping everything he saw in Chang'an. Halfway through, Xun You quietly slid into the hall and sat down.
This version was totally different from Xiahou Ba's.
Advanced weapons that felt like cheating. Medical skills that felt like hacks. Farming methods fully optimized. The Imperial Academy rebooted. And just from a thin piece of paper, you could see how stacked Liu Bei's resources were.
In Cao Cao's mind, all of that boiled down to one thing.
Public support.
But what really hit his nerves was something else.
"Zhong Yuanchang really went to Liu Bei?"
Without the Emperor returning east, Cao Cao would not have built momentum this fast against Yuan Shao.
Zhong Yao had hard carried a lot of that. Holding the tally, serving as Inspector of Sili, stabilizing Guanzhong. Yong and Liang not collapsing was basically him holding the line.
But thinking about Zhong Yao's principles, and thinking about Xun Yu being sent to Shouchun before the war, it suddenly made sense.
Same values, same road. Different values, different exits. People who stick to their core do not bend easily.
That was probably what Cao Cao had admired about them from day one.
So Cao Cao sighed.
"Why couldn't Zhong Yuanchang also come to me?"
After that emotional damage, Cao Cao noticed Xiahou Yuan's comment about Lu Su and laughed coldly.
"Lu Su didn't defect to Liu Bei. This is Sun Quan being dumb, pushing Gan Ning into doing something extreme."
Xun Yu, even while in Shouchun, had a crazy good read on Jiangdong. Just from rumors and small signs, he basically reconstructed the internal drama.
That was why Jiangdong now gave Cao Cao a headache.
Xun Yu believed that if they did not help Jiangdong, Sun Quan would eventually crawl back to Liu Bei. Too slippery, too unreliable.
Cao Cao and Xun You both agreed.
And that agreement came with nonstop frustration.
Last time when attacking Jingbei, they had asked Lü Meng to push north from Jiangxia.
He refused. Flat out.
Result?
They camped at Jiangling forever and then their army collapsed like a bad stock market day.
Even Xun You could not wrap his head around it.
If they had moved in the second month, formed a pincer with Runan and Yingchuan, worst case they still force Guan Yu to fall back and defend Xiangyang, Xinye, and Wancheng.
Sun and Cao could link up along Jiangxia, Suixian, and Huyang and slowly grind down Jingzhou.
Anything was better than now, where they had to swallow pride and go save Jiangdong.
Worst case scenario, if Liu Bei wiped out Sun Quan, territory from the Western Regions to Yangzhou would connect into one giant block.
Two-way split of the realm.
Huge problem.
So Jiangdong messing up and rushing into Jingzhou to cut that connection had ironically become the best current counterplay to Liu Bei.
Xun You still remembered Cao Cao privately raging.
Short-sighted like a rat. Ruined my whole plan.
Cao Cao pushed all that aside and focused on the near future.
"Miaocai lost. He must be punished."
"Strip his general's title for now. Send him as supervising commander to the Duyang front to break the enemy."
Xiahou Yuan accepted immediately.
After Cao Cao went to rest, Xiahou Yuan quickly asked Xun You.
"Advisor Xun, who's holding Duyang?"
Xun You answered calmly.
"Two generals. One young, one old. Guan Yu's son, Guan Ping. And a sixty-year-old veteran from Nanyang, Huang Zhong."
"This Huang Zhong tricked and killed General Yue Jin before. Miaocai, don't underestimate him."
Xiahou Yuan instantly remembered Zhang Fei's trash talk.
For no clear reason, his heart skipped.
Sixty years old.
And still this scary?