novelAbuy Chapter 13 On the battlefield, four men did this in public...
Chapter 13 On the battlefield, four men did this in public...
The two sides, consisting of four people, two on horseback against two on horseback, slowly walked towards the open space in front of the formation.
When they were only a few feet apart, Liu Bei and Cao Cao reined in their horses at the same time.
Lu Yong followed half a horse's length behind Liu Bei.
Taking advantage of this distance,
Finally, I saw clearly the "treacherous hero of a chaotic era" opposite me, who has been praised and criticized in later generations: Cao Cao!
Cao Cao was short and stocky, and his appearance was only average.
But his eyes were exceptionally bright and sharp, as if they could see right through people's hearts.
Beside him was a scholar in blue robes, pale-faced, with high cheekbones and sunken eyes, clearly suffering from a long illness.
Lu Yong had already guessed the man's identity; he was Xi Zhicai, Cao Cao's earliest strategist.
Liu Bei was the first to bow, his tone gentle yet sharp.
"Mengde, it's been several years since we last met. How have you been?"
Cao Cao reined in his horse and sat upright.
His gaze swept between Liu Bei and Lu Yong, and he replied with a smile:
"Xuande, there's no need for formalities. Let's speak frankly."
Liu Bei smiled slightly and said calmly, "Mengde, I already know what happened in your rear. You may leave; I will not pursue you."
Cao Cao's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal. "What do you mean by that? I don't quite understand."
Liu Bei bluntly stated, "You dare say you didn't know about such a major event as Lü Bu's sneak attack on your Yan Province?"
Cao Cao and Xi Zhicai's pupils contracted slightly, both thinking in surprise, "How did Liu Bei know?"
Lu Yong, who was standing next to Liu Bei, added: "Of the eight counties in Yanzhou, Chen Gong and Zhang Miao have probably already taken four or five of them."
There's someone else in the south who also wants to take advantage of the situation.
General Cao, if you lose your foothold in Yanzhou, how long can you hold out in Xuzhou?
Cao Cao remained unmoved, seemingly unaffected.
However, his grip on the reins betrayed him, and he asked sharply, "And where did you get that information?"
Lu Yong naturally couldn't claim that he knew the course of history.
He simply smiled and said, "If you return now, you can still retain the remaining territory. If you delay for a few more days, Yanzhou will probably fall entirely to the Lü family."
Xi Zhicai suddenly laughed at this moment.
"You have quite the silver tongue."
Your exaggeration is nothing more than an attempt to demoralize our troops.
Lu Bu was nothing but a brave man; even if he occupied a few counties, what could he do?
Once our lord returns with his troops, we can drive them out within ten days.
"But you, the people of Xuzhou are restless, and internal strife is rampant. Even if you rescue Tao Qian, how long can you stay?"
Lu Yong looked at Xi Zhicai and deliberately asked, "My name is Lu Yong, courtesy name Huai'an. May I ask your esteemed name, sir?"
Xi Zhicai cupped his hands and said, "I am Xi Zhong, courtesy name Zhicai."
"It really was him!" Lu Yong realized, and then silently activated the ability attached to [Strongest King (Gold)]...
[King of Verbal Mastery (Gold): After activation, the success rate of the next verbal battle increases by 80%. Cooldown: 10 days.]
With the boost to his verbal skills it provided, Lu Yong felt much more at ease.
Liu Bei sensed the subtle change in Lu Yong's body and asked softly, "What about Xi Zhicai's abilities?"
"It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the most outstanding strategist of the Han Dynasty," Lu Yong replied in a low voice.
"That still can't compare to you, Huai'an," Liu Bei said confidently.
"..." Lu Yong felt a burning sensation on his face.
Cao Cao stared at Lu Yong for a long time, then suddenly laughed: "Xuande, where did you find such a capable young man?"
Liu Bei cupped his hands and said, "I would also like to ask Mengde, where did you find your strategist?"
Cao Cao did not answer. Instead, he turned to Lu Yong and said, "Lu Huai'an, would you like to come and serve under me? What Xuande can give you, I will give you twice... no, five times!!"
Liu Bei's expression changed slightly. This Cao Cao was too unethical, actually poaching people right in front of him.
Unfortunately, the opponent's strength was far greater than their own.
Lu Yong smiled and said, "General Cao's kindness is too much for me to bear. Besides, I am all alone and have no elderly mother."
"?" Cao Cao, Xi Zhicai, and Liu Bei didn't quite understand what Lu Yong was saying next.
Cao Cao was recruiting people, why are you mentioning your own elderly mother?
Lu Yong didn't explain, but simply cupped his hands and said, "If General Cao wants to continue attacking the city, we will do our best to accompany him," and then fell silent.
Cao Cao turned to look at Xi Zhicai.
Xi Zhicai shook his head slightly, indicating that things were already beyond saving.
Seeing that Liu Bei had indeed figured out his true nature, Cao Cao finally gave up his insistence.
He turned to Liu Bei and said, "Xuande, I'll give you face today and withdraw my troops."
Liu Bei showed no joy on his face, but calmly cupped his hands and said, "Brother Mengde, until we meet again."
[System Log: The host successfully persuaded Cao Cao to withdraw his troops. Today's achievement +1.]
[Current Achievements Pending Settlement: 2 item.]
Cao Cao turned his horse around and left.
Xi Zhicai followed behind him, but after only a few steps, he suddenly started coughing violently.
This time, he didn't even have time to cover his mouth with a handkerchief.
Fresh blood gushed directly from its mouth, splattering onto the horse's mane in a horrifying display.
"Zhicai!" Cao Cao quickly reined in his horse and turned back to help Xi Zhicai up.
Xi Zhicai waved his hand to indicate that he was alright, but his body swayed weakly on the horse.
He glanced back at Lu Yong, his eyes filled with a mixture of resentment and complex emotions. "Liu Bei actually has a capable person to help him... What a pity, what a lament!"
……
Instead of ordering an attack on the city, Cao Cao summoned his generals for a meeting.
The safety of Yanzhou is naturally more important than that of Xuzhou.
After weighing the pros and cons, Cao Cao decided to withdraw his troops that very night.
Cao Cao bluntly said to his generals:
"Yanzhou is the foundation of our army, and we cannot afford to lose it."
Now that Liu Bei has learned of this intelligence, he will surely strengthen his defenses.
If our army insists on launching a strong attack on Tancheng, it will inevitably fall into a predicament of being attacked from two sides.
Therefore, I intend to withdraw my troops immediately and rush back to reinforce Yanzhou!
"We really should go back and provide support!" Xiahou Dun had never supported continuing the siege.
After all, their base was in Yanzhou, and the families of their generals and soldiers were also in Yanzhou.
What's the point of taking over a war-torn Xuzhou if Yanzhou is lost?
"Pass on my military order: evacuate tonight."
"Yuan Rang and Zi Xiao, you two lead the main force ahead; Wen Ze and I will stay behind to cover the rear."
"Here you go!"
……
Cao Cao met with Liu Bei.
Then Cao Cao's attacking forces slowly retreated.
On the city wall of Tancheng, Tao Qian, Cao Bao, Chen Deng, Mi Zhu and others witnessed this scene and couldn't help but look at each other in bewilderment.
Some even maliciously speculated that Liu Bei and Cao Cao had reached some shady agreement.
After Liu Bei and Lu Yong returned to the city, Tao Qian couldn't wait to invite them to the governor's mansion for a meeting.
At Lu Yong's behest, Liu Bei,
Following Lu Yong's instructions, Liu Bei recounted the events in Yanzhou in detail.
The people of Xuzhou then suddenly realized what was going on.
After listening, Tao Qian breathed a long sigh of relief and looked at Liu Bei with more appreciation: "So Xuande had planned this all along. I was too narrow-minded before."
Liu Bei bowed and said, "This is all thanks to the abilities of my strategist Lu Huai'an. I dare not take credit for it."
All eyes turned to Lu Yong.
During this time, they had already thoroughly investigated Lu Yong's background.
Tao Qian had wondered why Lu Yong, a man of such wisdom and strategy, lived in Langya Kaiyang, which was not far from Tancheng, and why he was not well-known before.
Liu Bei got a free ride for nothing.
Liu Bei's acting skills were naturally superb.
In history,
Whether seeking temporary refuge with Yuan Shao after a defeat, or living under the roof of Cao Cao,
He can make the other person think he's harmless.
Thus, they could find an opportunity to slip away.
If Liu Bei had been any less virtuous or skilled in acting, he would never have lived to see the day he met Zhuge Liang.
They chatted for a long time with Tao Qian and the others.
Liu Bei once again declined Tao Qian's "kind offer" of Xuzhou.
They only said they would discuss it again after Cao Cao had completely retreated and the siege of Xuzhou was lifted.
As night fell, scouts from Liu Bei's army suddenly sped out of the camp.
This move,
This immediately alerted the spies Cao Bao had assigned to keep watch...