Shouchun was defended! When Liu Mang returned to the thousand-year-old ancient capital, Liu Mang couldn't help but sigh with emotion. He couldn't believe his eyes. He brought Gan Ning's 5000 navy to fight to the death and rescue Xu Shu. If Shouchun was abandoned, then so be it! However, Liu Mang didn't expect that Shouchun would still be intact. Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi, and Liu Mang had given him full authority over half of Yangzhou. Xu Shu had also given Liu Mang a satisfactory answer. While Liu Mang was thinking, a warlord walked towards Liu Mang.
"Milord! Shouchun's defenses have been taken over! "The warlord was Gan Ning. Gan Ning's tone wasn't very good. Originally, they had come to fight a tough battle. Who knew that it would end like this? Without a battle, it would be strange if Gan Ning was happy.
"Xingba! Alright, alright! You don't have to be like this. You just can't participate in the battle! " Liu Mang comforted Gan Ning like a child. Most of the generals were unwilling to go to war. Although war meant merit, it also meant death. If Gan Ning was just a small soldier or a general of a thousand or a hundred men, then he wouldn't be able to count on merit to be promoted. However, Gan Ning was now the commander of the navy under Liu Mang's command. It could be said that he was the commander of the navy. However, Gan Ning was still not satisfied. He wanted to meet the generals on the battlefield.
"Milord, no!" When Gan Ning heard Liu Mang's comforting words, he couldn't help but speak out his thoughts. If Liu Mang only wanted to let Gan Ning have more time to train and maintain the navy's elite, then Gan Ning wouldn't say anything. Gan Ning already knew this. However, he still needed to let the navy go to the battlefield! Soldiers who didn't see blood would never become elites. In the entire Yangzhou campaign, the navy didn't have a sense of existence. Liu Mang wanted him to avoid the battle and Xu Shu wanted him to defend Lujiang County. Now that there was finally a battle, Liu Bei's Army retreated. Wasn't Gan Ning depressed? Naturally, he didn't have a good expression.
"Hehe, Xingba," Liu Mang laughed as he looked at Liu Bei's Army retreating. Although Liu Mang wanted to keep Liu Bei, he knew that he didn't have the strength to do so. The Urban Security and Black Chess Army were already seasick and wouldn't be able to fight! Only the 5,000 Gan Ning's navy was left. Could it be that Liu Mang wanted to use his navy to fight against Liu Bei's elite army? Therefore, Liu Mang could only watch as Liu Bei's Army retreated. In order to not provoke Liu Bei's Army, he even refused Gan Ning's invitation to fight.
"Xingba! Although the Siege of Shouchun has been lifted, Xingba, don't forget that the world is still in chaos! "Liu Mang said to Gan Ning earnestly. Liu Bei's Army retreated and his supply route was blocked. It could be said that Liu Bei no longer had the ability to launch another siege. Liu Mang had already won the battle in Yangzhou.
Gan Ning did not understand what Liu Mang meant when he said that the world was in chaos. Therefore, Liu Mang could only make it clear to him. "The Siege of Shouchun and the Battle of Yangzhou happened in our territory. Even if we won, our strength was greatly damaged. Although we chased away Liu Bei, our losses were not small!" Liu Mang looked at the industrial zone outside Shouchun. It was no longer the neatly planned industrial zone that Liu Mang had left behind. Instead, it had turned into ruins. Liu Mang's efforts had been burned down. If he wanted to rebuild it, it would be difficult to do so without tens of thousands of gold. Gushi, Anfeng, Hefei, and Chengde were all captured by Liu Bei's Army. Four cities were also burned down. It was almost a deserted city. Shouchun now had millions of people, but it was not a long-term solution. They had to migrate to these cities. However, repairing the cities would cost a lot of money.
Therefore, in this battle, Liu Mang did not win and Liu Bei did not lose. There was no winner on either side. Liu Bei did not capture Yangzhou, but he destroyed most of Yangzhou. Liu Mang's several months of hard work was all gone except for the food that was buried in the ground. As for Liu Mang, although he had captured several of Liu Bei's cities in Yuzhou, he could not station his troops there. He could only abandon the cities. Liu Bei's losses in Yangzhou were not small. The Yellow Turban Army in Yuzhou was only left with 5,000 soldiers. However, one should not forget that Liu Bei's main force was the White Eared Heavy Armor. As long as the White Eared Heavy Armor was still there, Liu Bei's main force would not suffer any losses. Therefore, there was no winner on either side.
No matter what, Liu Mang was the one being schemed against. With Xu Shu and Liu Bei as his advisors, how could Liu Mang not see that he was tricked? Whether it was Jiangdong's Sun Ce, Wancheng's Zhang Xiu, or Yuzhou's Liu Bei, they were all scheming against Liu Mang. This time, although Liu Mang defended Yangzhou, he was suppressed and did not fight back. This was not Liu Mang's style. Zhang Xiu, Sun Ce, and Liu Bei. Liu Mang would naturally settle accounts with the three of them.
Zhang Xiu was just a watchdog. Liu Mang had already dealt with his Xiliang Cavalry that numbered nearly 8,000. When Liu Mang finished forming the rest of the White Horse Cavalry, together with Lü Bu's Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, the two kings of cavalry that once roamed unhindered in Youzhou and Bingzhou would definitely make Zhang Xiu cry. Moreover, although Zhang Xiu had a lot of troops, he had no foundation. He was just a rootless duckweed and could not be self-sufficient. There were seventeen to eighteen ways to deal with him. Although Liu Mang, Liu Bei, Liu Xuande, and Liu Mang could not open the city to settle accounts with Liu Bei, that was because the two main forces under Liu Mang's command, the City Guard and the Black Flag Army, were still seasick. However, Liu Bei was basically an infantryman. No matter how fast he was, where could he run to? After the two main forces finished resting, they could naturally pursue and intercept Liu Bei. Moreover, Liu Bei's Yuzhou only had Runan left. Liu Mang had planted a soft nail in it. As long as Liu Mang recuperated, they could naturally get rid of Liu Bei.
Finally, there was Sun Ce! Thinking of Sun Ce, Liu Mang's eyes narrowed. He was an old acquaintance. After the battle of Wancheng, Liu Mang left behind 100,000 troops. However, he did not give up and always wanted to take back Lujiang. After Sun Qian was captured, he told Liu Mang that all the plans started from Jiangdong. It was him who instigated the various warlords to use their numbers to overwhelm Liu Mang's Army, dragging Liu Mang's Army into a predicament of lacking provisions. It was obvious that Sun Ce had succeeded. When the three forces besieged Lü Bu, although Sun Ce did not directly send troops, he had pinned down Lü Bu's Army, making it impossible for Lü Bu to rescue Yangzhou. This was the reason why Liu Bei was able to drive straight down to Shouchun.
Zhang Xiu, Liu Bei, and Liu Mang were not worried because they were on land. The Lvbu's Army had the king of the army, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry, the Formation Breaker, and Liu Mang's Urban and Black Chess Armies, as well as the White Horse Army that was about to be incorporated. As long as Liu Mang was free, he would be able to deal with them. However, Liu Mang was different.
His territory was on the opposite side of the Yangtze River. The Yangtze River was a natural barrier and could be considered the best barrier in Jiangdong. If Liu Mang wanted to take revenge on Sun Ce, he could not rely on the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry and the City Guard. After all, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry and the City Guard did not know how to fight against the City Guard. The City Guard was seasick, so he needed a strong navy to ensure the safety of crossing the river. He could even fight against Jiangdong and Sun Ce directly. That was the navy in Gan Ning's hands. Liu Mang worked hard to build this navy and even treated it as a treasure. Even when Shouchun was in trouble, Gan Ning did not use this navy because he wanted to fight against Jiangdong and Kuajiang. In the Central Plains, the navy of Liu Bei and Cao Cao was not so much a navy as it was better to call it a sampan army. It was even worse than the pirates in the Yangtze River.
"Jiangdong's 100,000 navy. Xingba is going to help me take down tens of thousands?" Liu Mang smiled as he looked at Gan Ning and joked.
"Jiangdong's 100,000 navy?" Gan Ning's eyes lit up when he heard Liu Mang's words. This was not the first time Gan Ning had fought against the Jiangdong Navy. Ever since Gan Ning was under Liu Biao in Jingzhou, he had fought against the Jiangdong Navy in Jiangxia. It could be said that the person most familiar with the Jiangdong Navy was Gan Ning. During the Battle of Wancheng City, Gan Ning had killed 30,000 soldiers of the Jiangdong Navy and made Gan Ning famous. However, no one would complain about having too many merits. The battle of the navy was Gan Ning's job alone. The navy could fight on land, but he had never seen an army that could fight on water. Therefore, the Jiangdong Navy could only rely on Gan Ning. No one could snatch it from him. Liu Mang's words made Gan Ning feel more comfortable.
"Jiangdong Sun Ce! Haha! " Gan Ning's battle intent was awe-inspiring. Gan Ning not only hated the Jiangdong Army, but he also hated them. His brother Su Fei was killed by the Jiangdong Army in Wancheng City. Although the main culprit, Jiang Qin, was killed by Gan Ning, Gan Ning could not let go of his heart. Naturally, he did not have a good impression of the Jiangdong Army.
"Xingba, don't be too excited. The burden on your shoulders is not light!" Liu Mang looked at Gan Ning. Gan Ning's fighting spirit was strong. This was a good thing for Liu Mang, but at the same time, he could not let Gan Ning's excitement get to his head. This was because not only Jiangdong Sun Ce's 100,000 navy, but there was also Jingzhou Liu Biao's Jingzhou Navy. One tiger entrenched in the Yangtze River could ensure peace. If two tigers fought, one would be injured. If there were three tigers, then either the remaining two tigers would surrender or the remaining two tigers would be killed! It is impossible for Liu Biao of Jingzhou to sit back and watch the show. Liu Mang let Wei Yan take Yiyang to collect interest. Later on, he will need to return the capital.
"Milord, when will the Ningzhi Navy be deployed?" Gan Ning was no longer interested in Liu Bei's Army outside the city. He wanted to have a showdown with Jiangdong's Navy and Jingzhou's Navy. Therefore, he was very impatient.
"Don't worry, don't worry!" Liu Mang said while looking at Gan Ning. Liu Mang had taught Gan Ning the first batch of warships in Lujiang. These warships were smaller than the ships. Therefore, the number of people on each warship was less than 200 people. Gan Ning had 14,000 navy and 3,000 land troops. This meant that he still had 11,000 people. These 11,000 people required 55 warships. Including the warships that needed to be replaced, he needed at least 70 warships to form a fleet. Now, Lujiang had only delivered less than 20 warships. It can be said that most of the navy did not have a warship.
"What's the harm? Milord, our warships can match several of Jiangdong's warships! " Gan Ning said heroically. One warship could match several warships, but that was only in terms of firepower. The Jiangdong Navy was already ten times larger than Gan Ning's Navy. If the warships were not equipped well, then even the most advanced warship technology would be overwhelmed. Once these warships fell into the hands of the Jiangdong Navy, then with Jiangdong's shipbuilding industry, they would be able to produce imitations that might even be better.
"There is still a war to be fought, so there is no need to be anxious!" Liu Mang looked at Gan Ning and said, "Liu Bei's Army has retreated, so the shipyard at Shouchun can be restarted. There are still several warships in Shouchun that have not been loaded with ballistae. If they are fast, they can be delivered to Gan Ning's Navy in a month.
"Reporting, Milord, Military Advisor, Military Advisor has woken up!" Just as Gan Ning wanted to start broadcasting to Lujiang, a soldier came up from the city. He looked like a Shouchun garrison soldier and reported to Liu Mang.
"Yuanzhi has woken up!" Liu Mang's face was full of surprise. How could he not be surprised? Xu Shu, Xu Yuanzhi, was simply muddle-headed. When Shouchun fell, he wanted to live and die with Shouchun. He actually wanted to commit suicide in Shouchun. Fortunately, he was stopped by Zhao Yun, who knocked Xu Shu unconscious. Zhao Yun planned to quietly send Xu Shu out of Shouchun, but halfway there, he encountered Liu Mang and Gan Ning. Xu Shu was sent back to Shouchun to recuperate. While Liu Mang was at the gate tower, Xu Shu slowly woke up.
"Quick! Take me there! "Liu Mang shouted to the soldier.
"Men, prepare the horses!" Gan Ning also shouted to the navy below. Several horses were sent to Liu Mang. Gan Ning wanted to stay in Shouchun as a precaution, while Liu Mang went directly to the governor's office.
…
"Lost, I lost!" Zhang Xiu stared blankly at the steel spear in his hand that had been broken into two pieces, as he muttered to himself in a daze. The Phoenix Spear was taught to him by his master. It could be regarded as Zhang Xiu's strongest move, but now he lost. The weapon was the soul of a general. Without one's weapon, it could be said that the general's overall strength would decrease. "Am I still not your opponent?" The corner of Zhang Xiu's mouth was very bitter. He looked at the Golden Armored General on the horse and asked. This was a question to the Golden Armored General and to himself! Since the beginning in Luoyang, Zhang Xiu had always been unconvinced by Lü Bu. This was because Lü Bu had been in the limelight at that time. First, under Ding Jianyang's command, he had frightened the civil and military officials behind Dong Zhuo. Under the command of Lü Bu, the Bingzhou Wolf Cavalry had made Dong Zhuo's Xiliang Cavalry, who had tens of thousands of Xiliang Cavalry, not dare to move an inch. Later, in order to obtain Lü Bu's loyalty, Dong Zhuo had even given the Red Hare to Lü Bu!
The Red Hare! That was the king of horses. Other than martial arts, a general also loved a batch of good warhorses. A good horse was hard to find even with thousands of gold. As the king of horses, the Red Hare had made all the generals envious. However, Dong Zhuo had given it to Lü Bu. Later, Lü Bu had defeated 18 warlords at Hulao Pass, causing Lü Bu's limelight to reach its peak. The title of the world's number one general had also been given to Lü Bu.
At that time, Zhang Xiu was just a young man who had just left his sect. How could he submit to Lü Bu? Because of this, Zhang Xiu shamelessly challenged Lü Bu to a duel. Naturally, he was defeated by Lü Bu. In the end, Zhang Ji shamelessly went to Dong Zhuo to plead for Zhang Xiu's life. Because of this, Zhang Xiu didn't want to deal with Lü Bu. Over the years, Zhang Xiu had been practicing martial arts day and night. Although he hadn't reached the peak of Spirit Refinement, he was very close to it. With his Phoenix Spear, even Zhang Fei and Chen Dao had to avoid him. Among the world's top generals, Zhang Xiu could still be ranked in the top ten.
But today, he was defeated again. Once again, he was defeated by Lü Bu. Was Lü Bu really a god of war? Was he really that undefeatable?
"Phoenix Spear!" That's right. The Golden Armored General in front of him was Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian. He was also chewing on the name of this martial art because he had seen this move before. "Your master is Li Yan of Bing Province?" Lü Bu pointed at Zhang Xiu with his Poseidon Halberd. After Zhang Xiu's defeat, the Xiliang Cavalry could no longer be a threat. Lü Bu wasn't in a hurry to kill Zhang Xiu.
"Li Yan of Bing Province? Hehe, that's my martial uncle! " Zhang Xiu held his spear in his hand. He also knew that he had been defeated. This also caused Zhang Xiu's competitive spirit to gradually calm down.
"No wonder!" Lü Bu said to himself. It wasn't that Lü Bu hadn't seen this move before. It could even be said that he had seen it more than once. Lü Bu had a good friend who could be considered one of the fierce generals of the current era. That person was Li Su of Bing Province. This person was the descendant of Flying General Li Guang. Among the generals under Dong Zhuo, he was equally famous as Lü Bu. In the era when Dong Zhuo wielded power, the description of Dong Zhuo in Luoyang was: The Grand Preceptor led more than 500,000 soldiers and 1,000 generals. On the left was Yi 'er Lü Bu. He rode a Red Hare and wore golden armor. On his head was a Xiezhi crown. He wielded a halberd with a yellow banner and a leopard tail. He was the General of the Left. On the right was Li Su, the descendant of Li Guang. He wore a silver helmet and a white robe with silver chain armor. He wielded a hooked spear and a crossbow with arrows. The scholar was Doctor Li Ru. The warrior was Lü Bu and Li Su. The three assisted Dong Zhuo.
From this, one could see how powerful Li Su was. Li Su happened to be the descendant of Bing Province's Li Yan. His spear technique was at the peak of perfection. Even Lü Bu could only be on par with him. Lü Bu had seen the Hundred Birds Worshiping the Phoenix Spear from Li Su.
Unfortunately, Li Su died young. The world knew that Li Su had died at the hands of Lü Bu. In the fourth month of the third year of Eternal Han, Situ Wang Yun, Shang Shu's Archer Sun Rui, and Zhuo General Lü Bu conspired to kill Zhuo. At that time, the Son of Heaven had a new recovery and gathered at Weiyang Hall. The messenger was accompanied by Duwei Su and the others, about a dozen of his personal guards, disguised as guards, to guard the door. He sent out a decree. Zhuo Zhi and Su were waiting for Gezhuo. Zhuo Zhi cried out in alarm. He sent out a decree to kill the Zhuo and Yi tribes. Later, Zhuo's son-in-law Zhonglang General Niu Fudian sent troops to Shan. He sent out officers Li Jue, Guo Si, Zhang Jilue, Chen Liu, Yingchuan, and other counties. Zhuo died. Lü Bu sent Li Su to Shan. He wanted to kill Fu with an imperial decree. He sent out rebels and Su Zhan. Su defeated Hongnong. He sent out orders to kill Su.
This was the rumored ending of Li Su. But who knew? If Lü Bu really wanted to kill Li Su, it was impossible for him to do it alone. Even if he killed Li Su, Lü Bu himself would suffer losses. Because at that time, Li Su was on the same level as Lü Bu! Lü Bu was at the peak of Spirit Refinement. Similarly, Li Su was at the same level. Li Su died of illness and not at the hands of Lü Bu.
However, there were many people who died of illness in the world. They were all drowned in the long river of history. If one died at the hands of the number one general, even if one's martial arts were trash, they would still be remembered. At Hulao Pass, Lü Bu killed Fang Yue, a general under Wang Kuang, and broke the arm of Wu Anguo, a general under Kong Rong. Before Lü Bu made his move, no one in the world knew of their names. Although one was killed by Lü Bu and the other was crippled by Lü Bu, their names were passed down through the ages! Therefore, Li Su was not willing to die of illness. He chose to die at the hands of the number one general in the world.
"Even the Phoenix Spear was not your opponent. Could it be that you, Lü Bu, are really the God of War?!" Zhang Xiu seemed to be questioning Lü Bu but also comforting himself. If Lü Bu was really the God of War, Zhang Xiu's heart might feel better. After all, Zhang Xiu was a human. It was difficult for a human to defeat a god.
"I, Lü Bu, am not the God of War! It is not like what you think. The Phoenix Spear is not my opponent. It is just that you are too weak! " Lu Bu shook his head and gave Zhang Xiu an answer that made Zhang Xiu feel extremely humiliated. The Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix was very strong, but you, Zhang Xiu, are very weak.
"Lü Bu, you!" Zhang Xiu gritted his teeth. "Lü Bu can be killed but not humiliated. Right now, I, Zhang Xiu, have lost. I have nothing to say about dying at the hands of you, Lü Bu, but you, Lü Bu, must not humiliate me! Otherwise, even if I become a ghost, I will haunt you, Lü Bu! " What was Zhang Xiu's greatest asset? Naturally, it was his face. Since ancient times, the ancient people cared about integrity. A loss was a loss, a win was a win. Losing was not scary. It was just a scar the size of a bowl. However, they were most afraid of losing face and being humiliated by others. Zhang Xiu would rather believe that Lü Bu was too strong than believe that he was too weak.
"Become a ghost? Haha! "Lü Bu was very disdainful. If there were ghosts in this world, why didn't they come looking for him, Lü Bu? He, Lü Bu, had killed at least eight thousand people. If there were ghosts, they would have jumped out to find Lü Bu already! Even if there were ghosts, Lü Bu had the Neptune's Halberd. What was there to fear? "Zhang Xiu, Phoenix Spear, I, Lü Bu, have met you before! Before you, there was someone who fought with me, Lü Bu! Although I, Lü Bu, am arrogant, I have the right to be arrogant. However, I, Lü Bu, admit that I, Lü Bu, did not have the confidence to win that battle! "
"What?!" Zhang Xiu was stunned. There was someone in this world that Lü Bu did not have confidence in? Who was this person? What martial arts did he have?
"Phoenix Spear, Phoenix Spear! The meaning lies in the word 'Chao'. Hundreds of bird heads are ever-changing, but in the end, the origin remains the same. Hundreds of birds become the Luan and the Phoenix, shocking the world! "Lu Bu spoke the words one by one. He did not care about Zhang Xiu's feelings as he spoke the Spear of Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix.
"How did you know?!" Zhang Xiu was really stunned. The Phoenix Spear was taught by Zhang Xiu's master, Tong Yuan. This could be considered as his master's secret technique. However, how did an outsider like Lü Bu know about it?
"The Luan and Phoenix's Shocking the World, I can't take it! But you really used it!! " Lü Bu sneered at Zhang Xiu. "What you used is not called a Luan and Phoenix, nor is it Shocking the World. At most, it can be considered as hundreds of birds nodding their heads!"
"To truly use the Phoenix Spear, not only does it require your martial arts, but it also requires a martial heart. The reason why the Phoenix is the Emperor of the birds is not because it is beautiful, but because it has a heart that embraces hundreds of birds. Although your spear technique shows hundreds of birds, it does not have the Luan and Phoenix's intent! You do not have a heart of tolerance! Therefore, you will lose! Zhang Xiu, you disappoint me. Back then, your uncle Zhang Ji begged Dong Zhuo and asked Dong Zhuo to beg me to save your life. Do you think that Dong Zhuo's face is enough? " Lü Bu looked at Zhang Xiu coldly. When Zhang Xiu provoked Lü Bu, Dong Zhuo was already disgusted with him. Later on, he even killed Dong Zhuo. Therefore, Dong Zhuo's face was nothing to Lü Bu! "I spared your life because I wanted to see how far you, the Spear King of the North and Li Su's Junior Brother, can go! But now, it seems that you can't even withstand a single blow! "
"You!"
Zhang Xiu couldn't refute Lü Bu's words. This was because Zhang Xiu hadn't learned all of the Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix. He only knew half of it. When he was learning the other half, Tong Yuan once said that the Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix was not suitable for Zhang Xiu. This was because Zhang Xiu didn't have a heart of tolerance. It was impossible for him to integrate a hundred spear techniques into one. At that time, Zhang Xiu thought that Tong Yuan was just keeping it to himself. But now, it seemed that this wasn't the case.
"Your spear technique is about strength and coldness, not tolerance. If you, Zhang Xiu, were to test your own spear technique, even if I were to win today, at least it wouldn't be so easy!" The true realm of a martial artist was to first lay the foundation, then refine the body to the extreme, then refine the spirit, then refine the martial arts to the peak, and finally refine the self. The world's martial arts were ever-changing, but they were all left behind by thousands of people. They were all created by thousands of people according to their own adaptability. A true expert could transform the martial arts of his predecessors into his own martial arts and evolve an inheritance that was suitable for him.
The Hundred Birds Worshipping the Phoenix was very strong, but it was also left behind by the predecessors. If Lü Bu hadn't seen this kind of spear technique before, he would naturally be surprised. Unfortunately, Liu Mang had seen more powerful spear techniques, and Zhang Xiu couldn't do anything to Lü Bu at all. Even Lü Bu could find flaws in Zhang Xiu's technique!
"Me!" Zhang Xiu stared blankly at the broken spear in his hand. He didn't know what to say. His own spear technique? Zhang Xiu was able to reach the refine spirit realm, so how could he not have his own martial arts? However, he only treated it as a joke because he had the Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix. But now, it was degraded by Lu Bu to be worthless. Zhang Xiu was able to reach such a realm and reach the refined spirit realm. It also showed that his perception was very good. With Lu Bu's pointers, Zhang Xiu really understood a lot of things. If Zhang Xiu was given a chance, he could even reach a higher level. But there was still a chance! He was now in Lü Bu's hands. Zhang Xiu could only close his eyes helplessly and wait for death to come.
"Kill! Save General Yang Wu!" A soldier carrying Liu Zi's banner rushed out and joined the battlefield.
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