Xuchang, Great Han Dynasty.
At the Prince of Wei's Residence, Cao Cao paced back and forth in the courtyard, his face heavy with worry. From time to time, he turned toward Xun Yu and the others waiting nearby and asked, "Well? Any news?"
They exchanged glances, all feeling somewhat helpless.
We've been standing right here the whole time. Don't you know whether there's any news?
But with their lord asking, they could hardly refuse to answer. They could only bow and reply, "My lord, not yet."
Cao Cao's brows knitted tightly. Before long, he began pacing again.
Everyone: "..."
Tap, tap, tap-
Suddenly, hurried footsteps rang out.
Everyone perked up and hurriedly turned to look. A scout strode in, his face filled with anxiety.
"My lord!"
"My lord, disaster! The Ming Western Expeditionary Army has broken through the border. Our troops couldn't hold them and have abandoned the frontier passes, retreating inside to await orders. Please send reinforcements as soon as possible, my lord, or our Great Han will be in peril!"
Everyone's expression changed abruptly.
"Damn it! How could they be so fast?!"
Cao Cao flew into a rage. "The Ming Army was still outside the passes yesterday, yet today they've already broken through? Did the frontier troops not resist at all?!"
The scout said mournfully, "My lord, only a hundred thousand troops were stationed along the eastern frontier, while the Ming Western Expeditionary Army came surging in with what must be over five hundred thousand men!"
Cao Cao's expression darkened, but he said nothing more in reproach.
Naturally, he understood what it meant for a hundred thousand frontier troops to face five hundred thousand soldiers of the Ming Western Expeditionary Army.
Moreover, the Ming Army included several hundred thousand members of the Jianghu Coalition Army, bringing their combined