Setting prices sky-high in business

That rain seemed to weep for Yang Xiu. Before long, the heavy clouds dispersed, the warm sun reappeared, and Cao Cao shed his former lethargy to inspect the camp and prepare for battle.

In the afternoon, Cao Cao mobilized tens of thousands of troops, braving the cold wind to head south toward Rang County in search of battle, while Guan Yu had long been standing in strict formation.

Due to his strategic vision, Lan Tian possessed a tremendous advantage in grand strategy, yet he remained raw when it came to actual battlefield command. Every battle he had participated in was directed by Gao Shun, so after Xu Shu replaced him, the coordination with Guan Yu became seamless.

Because of the intermittent rain, Cao Cao and Guan Yu essentially fought for one day and rested for the next. Although the Cao Army held a numerical advantage, they were suppressed by Guan Yu's side in terms of individual soldier quality, tactics, and formation maneuvers.

After several bitter struggles, the losses on both sides were significant, but the scales of victory gradually tilted toward Guan Yu. Capturing Lan Tian to inquire about the prophecy was slowly becoming a pipe dream.

At this time, Cao Cao recalled the words Yang Xiu spoke before his death. He realized the current situation was like a chicken rib: there was no meat to eat, yet it felt a pity to discard. Thus, he secretly dispatched Cao Xiu to relocate the commoners of the large counties south of Wan City and north of Rang County—such as Chaoyang, Xinye, and Rang County—to the north, using this to fill the void left by Cao Ren's massacre in Wan City. He also ordered Sima Yi to be responsible for coordinating the supply of the relocated people.

Cao Cao adopted the same