Although Cao Cao returned to Xuchang in light cavalry and did not lead a large army in triumph, he was still warmly welcomed by the officials of the imperial court.
Officials headed by Shangshu Ling Xun Yu traveled ten miles out of the city and waited for an hour in advance to show their respect for Cao Cao.
When Cao Cao led his army to see such a battle, he was naturally very happy.
Especially when he saw the frightened expressions of those officials who usually looked towards Yuan Shao, Cao Cao felt even more happy.
This victory at Cangting almost confirmed Cao Cao's status as the overlord of Hebei in the Central Plains.
It also indicates that the court will be firmly controlled by Cao Cao.
Cao Cao did not stay too long and immediately ordered them to return to Xuchang together.
He himself also abandoned his horse and took a carriage, and together with Guo Jia, boarded Xun Yu's carriage.
"Wen Ruo, I've worked hard on you these days!"
Cao Cao, as usual, first praised Xun Yu.
Except for Xun Yu, really no one can do this.
No matter how tight the treasury was, Xun Yu could always give Cao Cao a bite to eat while he was on an expedition.
It was like this in the last battle of Guandu, and it is still the same in this battle of Cangting.
"My lord, you deserve the reward. This is what I should do!"
Seeing that the monarch and his ministers had finished being polite, Guo Jia quickly asked.
"Wen Ruo, how's the situation in Liangzhou?"
"Why!"
Xun Yu sighed heavily, then shook his head helplessly.
"All our clever plans have become the moon in the water and the flowers in the mirror..."
"The 150,000 Xianbei army was completely destroyed. Liu Zhang buried 100,000 Xianbei people alive outside Xiaoguan, and sent the heads of Fu Luohan and Ke Bineng to Xuchang!"
Cao Cao and Guo Jia's eyes widened at the same time, showing signs of horror.
The two discussed the outcome of the Battle of Guanzhong for a long time on their way back. They thought Liu Zhang would win, but they didn't expect it to be so soon!
I never expected that I could bury one hundred thousand aliens alive!
"Wen Ruo, how much did Liu Zhang suffer?"
Guo Jia quickly continued to ask. To achieve such a victory, the losses must be considerable.
Moreover, Guo Jia specially arranged for a wise man to help Fu Luohan and Ke Bineng!
Xun Yu suddenly felt short of breath, and after a long time, he reluctantly told the casualties.
"The Yizhou Army injured...more than a thousand people..."
"impossible!"
"Absolutely impossible!"
Cao Cao's eyes widened and he immediately rejected Xun Yu's remarks.
"Even if the Xianbei people are pigs, those 150,000 war horses can trample Liu Zhang's Yizhou army to pieces!"
"Even if Liu Zhang defends Qixian and 150,000 people attack the city, it is impossible to lose only a thousand people!"
"This must be false. Liu Zhang is so shameless and falsely reported his achievements!"
"Based on my opinion, burying 100,000 Xianbei people alive is a lie!"
"It's all fake!"
Cao Cao kept roaring angrily, venting the doubts in his heart.
Four hundred thousand Qiang people were in internal strife between Ma Chao and Han Sui, and Liu Zhang also killed and wounded tens of thousands of people.
Now facing the Xianbei people with the help of Cao Jun's wise men, how could it be possible that only a thousand people were killed or injured?
Even 150,000 pigs can kill thousands of Yizhou troops!
"Lord, calm down for now!"
No matter how Xun Yu wants to believe this result, it is the fact, and it cannot be confused if he does not want to admit it.
"How can I calm down my anger! Do you know how many people we lost or injured in this battle at Cangting?"
Xun Yu shook his head. He only knew that Cangting had a great victory. As for how many casualties Cao's army suffered, he was not very clear.
Cao Cao's chest kept rising and falling, and then he spat out a number from between his teeth.
"Wen Ruo, everything in this battle is within Fengxian's plan."
"From the reinforcements risking their lives in pursuit to the overwhelming force of the entire army to Yuan Shao abandoning his army and fleeing, it can be said that every step Yuan Shao takes is as expected by Fengxian!"
"In this way, our army lost nearly 30,000 people!"
"Tell me, how did Liu Zhang wipe out the Xianbei army of 150,000 men at the cost of a thousand men!"
Xun Yu's eyes were full of disbelief, and he quickly turned to Guo Jia for confirmation.
He already knew the process of the Battle of Cangting, but he didn't expect that Cao's army would pay such heavy casualties.
The 50,000 soldiers and horses brought by Cao Cao are the most elite force in the entire Central Plains!
Guo Jia sighed and nodded slightly.
"Wen Ruo, what my lord said is true..."
Xun Yu frowned and looked at Guo Jia with doubts in his eyes.
"No, how did you fight this battle? Is this what you said about Yuan Shao being plotted to death?"
Now the person who cannot accept the facts before him has changed from Cao Cao to Xun Yu.
When he received the news about Cangting's victory, the battle report was so hyped that Xun Yu thought it was such a brilliant victory.
It turns out that more than half of our losses were lost!
"Wen Ruo, Yuan Shao has 100,000 elite border troops. They often fight against the Xianbei people and are very powerful!"
"Fake defeat, lure, ambush, encircle! Every step is based on the position that is best for us!"
"But the fighting power of these 100,000 people is completely different from the fighting power of the 100,000 people in Guandu."
"Even though they were in dire straits, they were still resisting desperately. We could only drive them to the edge of the Yellow River and drown them all."
Guo Jia did not shirk responsibility, but reluctantly told the story and facts.
In fact, Guo Jia never expected this result, but the fact slapped him in the face.
"No wonder my lord travels so lightly. It turns out the losses were too great..."
Just now he saw that Cao Cao had returned with only a few hundred soldiers. Xun Yu was still a little puzzled, but now he understood everything.
Cao Cao did not quibble and admitted it generously.
"Yes, several counties in Hebei Province still prefer the Yuan family, so they can only leave heavy troops to guard them."
"Fortunately, by taking Wei County this time, we can still gain a foothold in Hebei."
Cao Cao suddenly thought of something and asked Xun Yu again doubtfully.
"Wen Ruo, Yuan Shao's 100,000 men are so powerful because they faced off against Ke Bineng's Xianbei cavalry."
"We paid more than 20,000 men for the lives of 150,000 Yuan troops, and Liu Zhang paid a thousand men for the lives of 150,000 Xianbei cavalry!"
"Looking at it this way, doesn't it mean that one of Liu Zhang's Yizhou troops is worth twenty of our elite soldiers?"
"If this is the case, then there is no need to fight this battle, we can just surrender!"
This is what Cao Cao cannot accept the most!
As far as Cao Cao knew, Yuan Shao's 100,000-strong army could barely withstand the Xianbei attacks, and were even frequently defeated by the Xianbei cavalry.
This huge gap in military strength really made Cao Cao feel desperate.
They are all human beings, so is it possible that the Yizhou Army is made of steel and iron?
If Xun Yu hadn't known that the news was accurate, he would have been convinced by Cao Cao.
Cao Cao thought so, and Guo Jia thought so too. They couldn't figure out what the problem was.
Even if Fu Luohan and Bu Dugen used their troops recklessly, commanded randomly and were ambushed by the Yizhou Army one after another, they would not have suffered such an astonishing battle loss ratio.
No matter how unlucky the Xianbei cavalry is, will Yuan Shaojun of Cangting be unlucky as well?
Xun Yu sighed repeatedly, but he didn't know the specific situation.
"Lord, for the specific situation, I have to ask the military advisor you are looking for for the Xianbei people..."