Meanwhile, Cao Zheng had led his thirty thousand men lightly and swiftly more than fifty li away. Only when dusk fell did they make camp where they stood.
Upon a hill, Cao Zheng had brought several trusted followers to gaze into the distance, looking toward the battlefield at Heaven's End Pass, lost in solemn thought.
"My lord, we are just about to take Heaven's End Pass and receive rewards according to our merits. Why withdraw at the height of the torrent now?!"
"If we leave now, we may still retain some merit—but only a little."
Behind Cao Zheng, a strategist who had spent half the day unable to make sense of it finally stepped forward to ask.
"Yuanwang, you finally couldn't hold it in any longer. I thought you would last, at most, until noon before asking me. I never expected you to endure until now."
Cao Zheng laughed at his words.
"I will not hide it from you. My aged father was never ill. His grave illness was something I fabricated, so that my departure at this time would not make others think too much."
"What?!"
The moment those words fell, everyone around him was shocked, unable to understand why Cao Zheng had done this.
"There are three reasons for this retreat."
"First, my reputation is already not lacking. Even if I receive rewards from the imperial court, they would merely add flowers to brocade. I now command Qing Province; no matter how generous the reward, the court cannot possibly grant me another province. On the contrary, receiving the court's reward would bring little benefit while making Yuan Chu and Huo Zicheng even more wary of me. Better to withdraw at the height of the torrent and give people the impression that my fortunes are poor, thereby wearing down