The night gradually deepened. The bright moon hung high in the sky, incomparably bright. At such a poetic time, it should be the time for the moon to drink, the beauties to liven things up, and the poetry to sober up.
But in Xiapi, the once prosperous city of Xu Province, it was still in the midst of a storm of blood.
Flames were everywhere in the city, and the sounds of killing could be heard everywhere in the city.
Lü Bu was sitting beside Liu Mang. Liu Mang could rest, but he couldn't. The flames, the killings, the screams, and the flames all represented the eternal slumber of his men, Lü Bu's unyielding men.
"What time is it!?" Liu Mang suddenly woke up. He was very tired. He had been busy the whole day, and then came to this world to fight for the whole day. He was so tired that he didn't want to move. But even if he didn't want to move, he still had to move. He didn't want to die! He still wanted his little life.
"It's already Xu Shi!" Lü Bu calmly said.
"Xu Shi?!" In ancient times, time was allocated according to the twelve hours of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Xu Shi was from seven to nine o 'clock in the evening. Liu Mang remembered that when he rested, the sky wasn't dark yet. So at that time, it was around five o' clock. Now it was seven o 'clock.
"It's time for us to move!" The sky had already darkened. Even with the illumination of the flames in Xiapi, it was still difficult to distinguish.
Lü Bu stood up and was about to inform Gao Shun and Zhang Liao when he was stopped by Liu Mang. "Let's break out through the West Gate!"
"We can't go through the West Gate!" Liu Mang said.
"Why?!" Lü Bu didn't understand. The East Gate, which was the White Gate Tower, had already been destroyed. The North Gate was Gao Shun's Formation Breaker. Now that Gao Shun was here, it meant that the North Gate was also lost. The South Gate would soon be destroyed. Only the West Gate, with Chen Gong there, should be able to hold on for a while!
"Taking the West Gate is simply courting death!" Liu Mang didn't understand the art of war, but he understood the psychology of people. Three of the four gates of Xiapi had already been taken down. The fall of Xiapi was inevitable. The last gate was no longer a matter of attacking, it was a matter of merit! The merit of breaking the door.
For this expedition to Xiapi, Cao Cao had brought along Generals Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan, and Xiahou Chun. Below them were Xu Huang, Lu Qian, and Li Dian. And then there were the three Peach Brothers! It could be said that there were many stars in the sky. But this Xiapi only has four gates! It was not easy to divide them, so the last door was definitely the best place to snatch the credit.
"Let's go to the east gate and break out from there!" Liu Mang made up his mind.
"East Gate, are you crazy?!" Lü Bu shouted, "The East Gate is the White Gate Tower, the place we just lost. Because I am here, the East Gate is also the place where Traitor Cao sent the most troops. How can we break out of the East Gate? If not, go to the West Gate! "
In the books, it was said that Lü Bu was headstrong and opinionated. Liu Mang didn't believe it at first, but now he did. He didn't even give Liu Mang a chance to explain. No wonder the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry was defeated so thoroughly even with a first class strategist like Chen Gong, his own super first class martial strength, and the Formation Breaker.
However, Liu Mang did have some methods to deal with people like Lü Bu!
People like Lu Bu, to put it bluntly, are like hedgehogs. If you follow his direction, nothing will happen to you. But if you go against his direction, haha, then you can only wait for your hands to be covered with blood! Haha!
"Boss Lu, do you want to take revenge?!" With this sentence, Lü Bu, who originally didn't agree, relaxed.
"Revenge?!" Lü Bu's eyes flashed. In the darkness, it made people tremble.
"Yes, revenge. You were bullied so miserably by Traitor Cao, and you still have to deal with Wei Xu, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng, those three traitors. Are you going to leave with your tail between your legs? Don't you want to kill those three traitors and then give Traitor Cao a ruthless beating?! "
"What should I do?!" Lü Bu was the most direct. Lü Bu was a hero, but at the same time, he was also a villain. The main characteristic of a villain was that he would seek revenge for the smallest grievance.
Cao Cao brought him so much pain. How could he not repay him? He also had to deal with Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian, those three traitors. Everyone had this characteristic. Their hatred for traitors was always much greater than their enemies. For example, the traitors during the War of Resistance against Japan.
He cursed and scolded, and wrote about it. If he didn't dig out the three generations of traitors, he wouldn't give up.
"Break out of the East Gate!" Liu Mang said his idea. "Cao Jun indeed has the most troops at the East Gate. He has the strongest combat power. But don't forget, that's just to guard against Lvbu's Army!"
"What do you mean?!" Lü Bu asked.
"Hehe, we are now Cao Jun. He is General Xiahou Yuan's nephew and Xiahou De's subordinate. Do you think Cao Jun will stop us?!"
"Yes!" Lü Bu just remembered that Liu Mang made Zhang Liao's soldiers change into Cao Jun's clothes. Under the dusky sky, it was really hard to distinguish.
"Cao Jun has already breached Xiapi. The whole of Xu Province is within his reach. Then, according to Cao Cao's temperament, how could he not express his pride and enjoy the feeling of victory? Therefore, he will definitely hold a banquet in Xiapi's landmark building to celebrate the conquest of Xu Province. That landmark building is Xiapi's White Gate Tower!" In the novel, Boss Lu was killed on the White Gate Tower.
"When a person is at his proudest, he is also at his most conceited. At this time, how high do you think his defense will be?! I let General Zhang Liao fight at the front and the eight hundred Formation Breaker at the back to see if there is a chance to directly attack Cao Cao's camp. Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian, those three traitors, will definitely be together with Cao Cao. Maybe if we are lucky, we can kill Cao Cao and decide everything in one game. Once Cao Cao dies, the whole of Yan Province and Xu Province will be in chaos. Boss Lu can replace him. Even if we can't kill him, we can still quickly leave the city! We will rise again in the future! "
Listening to Liu Mang's explanation, Lü Bu became more and more excited. One word, fight!
The efficiency of the Lvbu's Army is very fast. The Formation Breaker is the elite of the elite. The other Lvbu's Army that followed them were also soldiers that survived by a hair's breadth. They are all soldiers that have been through hundreds of battles. Their movements cannot be slow.
After a while, a "Cao Jun" carrying Xiahou De's banner swaggered towards the White Gate Tower.
-----
On the White Gate Tower in Xiapi.
Cao Cao is holding a banquet for guests. It can't be said that he is in high spirits ah! Lü Bu, that person that year at Hulao Pass, that person that looked down on the twelve warlords was defeated by Cao Mengde. Not only was he defeated, he also obtained his foundation. Later on, his wife and concubines may also be included. He has been drooling over Diao Chan for a long time.
"Congratulations Prime Minister, congratulations Prime Minister. Xiapi has been broken. Xu Province is within reach. With Xu Province in our hands, we can raise an army of a hundred thousand!" A scholar took the lead to kneel down and congratulate Cao Cao.
"Haha, get up, get up!" Cao Cao is in a very good mood. Who do you think is kneeling on the ground? It is a certain Chen Qun from the Lvbu's Army. This Chen Qun is a very talented person. If Lü Bu doesn't use him, I, Cao Mengde, will use him. Haha.
"Today, we were able to break through Xiapi and defeat Lü Bu because of everyone's contribution. I, Cao Mengde, thank you in advance!" Xiapi, Xu Province, this is a land of fish and rice. Although it is a land of war, it can raise an army of a hundred thousand.
This is not the first time he, Cao Cao, wanted to obtain Xu Province. The first time he attacked Xu Province, it was under the name of his father, Cao Cao. At that time, the master of Xu Province was still Tao Qian. That old thing was not a match for him, Cao Mengde, in terms of military strategy. However, by relying on the wealth of Xu Province, he was able to force Cao Cao to retreat.
The second time he attacked Xu Province is now. Cao Cao had to recuperate for a long time before he was able to attack Xiapi with the help of the Qing Province soldiers. This was also because this Lü Bu dug his own grave and didn't listen to the advice of his strategist.
"We don't dare, we don't dare!" His subordinates lowered their heads and repeatedly said they don't dare.
"Hmph!" A cold snort sounded.
Cao Cao shifted his attention and looked at a tied up middle-aged scholar. He was so happy that he actually forgot about him. Cao Cao looked at the scholar proudly and said, "I wonder what advice Gongtai has for me?"
That's right, the tied up middle-aged scholar was the number one strategist of the Lvbu's Army, Chen Gong, Chen Gongtai.
"Despicable villain, if it wasn't for Fengxian not listening to my advice, how could you be in Xiapi? Hmph!" Chen Gong's prejudice against Cao Cao had never stopped. Instead, it had become deeper and deeper over the years.
"Oh Gongtai, Gongtai, why do you have to do this? At that time, you wanted to follow me. Now, there will definitely be a place for you at this celebration banquet. You can even show off your ambitions and grand plans. You didn't choose me, Cao Mengde. I thought it was because Gongtai had great foresight and was able to see through people. But now, it seems like it's only so-so!" Cao Cao's meaning was that you, Chen Gongtai, had a vision as small as a mouse. You didn't want a good future and insisted on relying on Lü Bu.
"Haha, follow you? Follow you and indiscriminately slaughter the innocent? What did Lü Boshe do wrong? It's fine if you killed his family, but you want to kill him as well? Cao Mengde, you really are a cruel and unscrupulous person! "Chen Gong's tone became more and more agitated as he spoke.
All the strategists and generals below were silent. This was the first time they heard about Cao Cao's matter. Although Cao Cao was unethical, he was still their lord.
"Shut up!" Cao Cao's expression changed.
"What, even Cao Mengde is afraid? Even Cao Mengde wants reputation?! You told me to shut up, but I insisted on speaking. If you have the ability, then Cao Mengde can kill me with one sword! " Chen Gong sneered.
"You really think that I don't dare to kill you?!" Cao Cao pulled out the sharp sword in his hand. This sword was called Heavenly Sword. It was made of fine iron and could be called a divine weapon.
"Kill! As long as Cao Mengde doesn't kill me, I will continue to speak! "
The atmosphere suddenly froze.
Cao Cao looked at Chen Gong for a long time. Suddenly, a smile appeared on his face. "Speak, continue to speak, continue to curse!" He waved the sword and cut the ropes on Chen Gong's body.
"Gongtai, are you thirsty?!" Cao Cao ordered people to bring wine cups and fill them with wine. He meant that Chen Gongtai could continue to curse. When he was thirsty, he could drink to quench his thirst before cursing again!
Chen Gong picked up the wine cup on the table and drank it in one gulp. He shook his head and said, "Cao Mengde, oh Cao Mengde, I really didn't expect your skin to be this thick!"
"Haha!" Cao Cao stood up with a heroic smile. "Gongtai, it's not that I, Cao Cao, am thick-skinned. It's not that I, Cao Cao, am thick-skinned.
It's just that I don't care about those vulgar moral principles in this world. Everyone says that I'm a traitor, but they can't do anything to me. You people who claim to be gentlemen have also been defeated by me. If the price of being a gentleman is to be humiliated, trampled, destroyed, or even killed, then I'd rather be a traitor who can realize my ambitions. Since ancient times, great traitors seem to be loyal, and great falsehoods seem to be true. Loyalty and treachery can't be seen from the surface. Maybe you people misjudged me, Cao Cao, in the past, and now you've misjudged me again. But I'm still me. I've never been afraid of others misjudging me … Brother Gongtai, honestly speaking, do you think I'm right? "
Chen Gong was speechless. People who walk different paths can't make plans together. Maybe Cao Cao was right, or maybe he was right. Who knows! Anyway, now that Xiapi has fallen, he, Chen Gongtai, is prepared to die.
Seeing that Chen Gong was speechless, Cao Cao smiled. If he really wanted to count, this Chen Gong was his first strategist! That year, Cao Cao was really touched when he gave up his position for him.
Just as Cao Cao was thinking about something, a messenger ran in. "Reporting to the Prime Minister, General Hou Cheng requests an audience!"
"Oh?!" Cao Cao said. Hou Cheng had already surrendered to him. This time, he went out to look for Wei Xu and Song Xian. Wei Xu and Song Xian had the kidnapped Lü Bu in their hands. Since Hou Cheng had returned, then that meant that Lü Bu was also kidnapped.
Cao Cao smiled in his heart and said to Chen Gong who was drinking alone, "Gongtai, oh Gongtai, your old master is coming!"
"Let him in!"
"Yes!" The messenger left.
"Sigh!" Chen Gong sighed. His face was full of loneliness.
Hou Cheng quickly walked in and knelt down in front of Cao Cao, "Surrendered General Hou Cheng greets the Prime Minister!"
"General Hou Cheng, no need to be so courteous. Please get up. Today, after breaking Lü Bu, the Lvbu's Army will no longer exist in this world. Therefore, there is no need for general to call yourself a surrendered general. It should be this general!" Cao Cao stroked his beard and looked as if he was thinking for Hou Cheng.
"Yes, this general obeys!" Hou Cheng, this traitor, really fell for this trick and was extremely moved.
"Why didn't General Wei Xu and General Song Xian come with you? You contributed Lü Bu and opened the city gate. This Prime Minister will remember this!" Cao Cao was never stingy with rewards. Therefore, Cao Jun's soldiers were also very loyal to Cao Cao.
"Eh!" Cao Cao didn't ask. Hou Cheng's face was covered in sweat, "This general, this general!" He stuttered and couldn't say anything.
"What's wrong?" Cao Cao frowned and asked.
"This general knows his mistake. Please forgive me, Prime Minister Cao. Lü Bu, Lü Bu broke free from the ropes and ran away!" Song Xian and Wei Xu didn't tell Hou Cheng about Liu Mang's existence. Because if they did, wouldn't it mean that they were idiots? They trusted someone for no reason and were betrayed in the end. If this wasn't idiocy, then what was?
"Ran away?" Cao Cao didn't say anything. A dark-skinned general on the side opened his mouth, "Didn't you say that Wei Xu and Song Xian had tied up the Slave of Three Surnames? They even left his Sky Piercer behind. How could you let him run away? You are really useless! " His voice was extremely loud. His spittle almost reached Hou Cheng's face. Hou Cheng had to pretend to be a grandson in front of Cao Cao, but he didn't need to in front of this general. His face was already sullen.
"Third Brother, don't be rude!" A big-eared Confucian came out and pulled back the dark-skinned general. That's right, these were the three Peach Brothers. Liu Bei's image was really good. He had a kind face and his arms were above his knees. If he cried, he really had an imposing manner of worrying about the world.
"Hahahaha, you ran away well, you ran away well!" The happiest person here was Chen Gong. If the wine just now was as boring as drinking water, then now it was bejeweled nectar.
"The flood dragon returns to the sea, the tiger returns to the mountain! Mengde, don't think that your Xu Province will be stable! "
"Huh?" Cao Cao's face was gloomy, but he didn't say anything. How could he not know that this Lü Bu was a fierce tiger? Once he escaped, Xu Province and even Yan Province would not be peaceful. Lü Bu originally did business without capital. Now, the worst that could happen was that he would return to his old position.
However, Cao Cao couldn't afford to play like this. Every two or three days, Lü Bu would mess with him. He couldn't be stable anymore. When the time came, he wouldn't be able to dominate the world. It would be good if he could defend his own territory.
Cao Cao took a deep breath. He didn't have an angry expression. Instead, he said with a smile, "General Hou Cheng, this Lü Bu and Lü Fengxian are fierce tigers. Opening the city gate and offering the Red Hare Sky Piercer is already a great merit. There is no need to blame yourself!"
"Prime Minister!" Hou Cheng was even more moved. "Rest assured, Prime Minister. Lü Bu is most concerned about his wife. Wei Xu and Song Xian have already gone to the governor's mansion in the city to bring Lü Bu's family. As long as they are in our hands, Lü Bu will obediently surrender!"
"Oh?" Cao Cao had forgotten that this Lü Bu was a man who cared about his family. Hou Cheng's plan was really useful. If Lü Bu was like someone who treated his wife like clothes and changed clothes more diligently than eating, then Cao Mengde wouldn't be able to do anything!
After saying that, Cao Cao looked at Liu Bei.
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