Nowadays, the entire Xiapi City is in turmoil. The fall of Pengcheng has undoubtedly completely reversed the situation in Xiapi City... and even Xuzhou.
It seems...the situation here has been moving in an irreversible direction.
At this moment, Liu Bei stood in the corner of the city tower, looking into the distance...The billowing smoke, flying sand and rocks, coupled with the "rumbling" sound of more than ten thousand horse hooves, signaled that Cao Cao's army was approaching.
"What a fast advance..."
There was no emotion or anger on Liu Bei's cheeks, it was as if nothing had happened, and he had a sense of pride that would not change even in the face of disaster.
He is very good at hiding his thoughts, and it is difficult for anyone to really pry into his inner thoughts.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei both went to train their soldiers... Now, only Zhao Yun stood beside Liu Bei.
"My lord, I have something that has been hidden in my heart for a long time, and I still can't express it to this day." Zhao Yun said...
"Zilong, if you have something to say, you might as well say it directly." Liu Bei turned around and faced Zhao Yun, his tone was quite gentle.
Zhao Yun looked at the flying sand and rocks in the distance, and said: "I still don't understand. Although Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu are in a war situation, they have hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses, and any one of them can be enough to relieve the siege of Xuzhou."
"But they waited and watched each other and refused to send troops to assist Xuzhou. The Lord's army only had two thousand soldiers and his generals could not pass the pass. How could Zhang and Zhao... dare to fight against Cao Cao's 100,000 troops?"
"What's more, now that the war situation is getting worse and worse, Cao Cao's army is suppressing the situation. Everyone can see that Xiapi City will fall into Cao Cao's hands sooner or later. Why does my lord insist on garrisoning? Is the mantis using his arm as a chariot? Why haven't you abandoned it for so long?"
As soon as this question came up, Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, and then his spirits perked up.
"Okay, that's a good question. If Zilong doesn't ask, I will tell you sooner or later."
Liu Bei's expression suddenly became much more serious, and his tone became more meticulous. "In today's world, heroes from all walks of life use their military power and tactics to dominate one side, and I, Liu Bei, am far inferior to them in terms of military strength, but I have
They don't have either."
"First of all, I regard benevolence and righteousness as the foundation of my life and the way I treat others. In my opinion, the first cause of chaos in the world is the chaos of people's hearts. If you want to control the chaos, you must first win over people's hearts. I must fight unkindness with benevolence, and reject unjustness with righteousness."
"Secondly, as a descendant of the Queen of the Han Dynasty, it is my lifelong wish to eliminate thieves and help the Han Dynasty. Tao Qian was appointed by the late emperor and has always governed with benevolence and righteousness. I help him to help the Han Dynasty. And Cao Cao's name is to avenge his father, but in fact
He is thinking about Xuzhou, intends to take over the world, and is very ambitious. It is true that he uses some tricks to win the support of the people and clans, but even if he can deceive everyone and all the people, he cannot deceive me, Liu Bei, and I will raise my troops to fight against Cao Cao.
, that is to fight unkindness with kindness! Use the righteousness of the world to resist the injustice of heroes..."
At this point, Liu Bei raised his voice. "Even if Xia Pi Guards is defeated, I will let the world see it and make them realize one thing..."
"What's the matter?" Zhao Yun asked urgently.
"The light of the righteous path will eventually shine on the earth. The righteous path will never be destroyed, and righteousness will last forever!"
In a word, Liu Bei's eyes became determined, and Liu Bei's posture became upright... Similarly, these words also made Zhao Yun sincerely convinced of him!
"Lord... I understand. I will train my troops and prepare for war right now!" Zhao Yun's tone also became choked and hoarse. It was obvious that his heart was touched.
"Go..." Liu Bei waved, and Zhao Yun ran towards the city with the gentian bright silver gun.
Huh... After he walked away, Liu Bei took a long breath and then closed his eyes.
He is a master of hidden tricks. He almost convinced himself with his many words, but... one thing Zhao Yun said is absolutely right. In troubled times, he, Liu Bei, has only two thousand soldiers and no generals. What can Zhang and Zhao... do? ?
If he doesn't come to Xuzhou and give it a try...will he still have a chance?
at this time…
The two literati quickly climbed up the city ladder and walked quickly towards Liu Bei.
Seeing these two people, Liu Bei raised his brows slightly, cheered up even more, and hurried forward to meet them.
But his voice was deliberately lowered.
"Gongyou, Zizhong, you are finally here. Is everything going smoothly?"
Among these two people, the one Liu Bei called Gongyou was Sun Qian, and the one called Zizhong was Mi Zhu. They were both representatives of the common people faction in Xuzhou, and Liu Bei was the first to come into contact with this common people when he entered Xuzhou. People faction.
Liu Bei had done enough homework. Xuzhou... is said to be a big granary, but it is actually a big dyeing vat. The factions in it are very complicated. And because of the suppression of the Danyang Faction and the Celebrity Faction, the common people's life in Xuzhou is not easy.
It can be said that in the previous secret contacts, Sun Qian and Mi Zhu had been successfully won over by Liu Bei and stood on his side.
"My lord, Tao Xuzhou's illness has not improved, but... something has changed."
Sun Qian said truthfully: "It seems... Chen Si, Chen Deng and his son from the Mingshi sect are more inclined to surrender, while Cao Bao from the Danyang sect insists on resisting... and the most important thing that should not be underestimated is..."
Before Sun Qian could speak, Liu Bei blurted out: "Is it Tao Shang, the eldest son of Tao Xu?"
That's right...the biggest change that Sun Qian wanted to mention was the pottery business.
Liu Bei had been in contact with this eldest son of Xuzhou before. He thought he was just an ordinary young man. Who would have thought of competing with a master? In just a few words, Liu Bei could tell that this pottery merchant was not simple.
Liu Bei was proficient in the art of hiding one's mind. How could he not see the art of hiding one's mind in a potter who was a rank below him?
He and the Danyang faction would not give Xuzhou over so easily, whether it was Cao Cao... or Liu Bei.
"My lord, please come here...I heard..."
Mi Zhu greeted Liu Bei, and Liu Bei hurriedly took a few steps closer. Mi Zhu told Liu Bei the information he had gathered...
And Liu Bei's eyes gradually narrowed, and gradually gained a bit of edge.
Sure enough, the pottery merchant planned to test Liu Bei?
But...in what way will he test it? Liu Bei couldn't help but fell into deep thought...
"My lord..." Sun Qian raised another question that was on his mind. "If we want to implement my lord's plan, the first thing we need to do is to ensure that Xiapi City can be defended. Cao Cao...doesn't he really know how to attack the city?"
As soon as this question came up, Mi Zhu also looked at Liu Bei...
It seems that they pay special attention to this issue.
Speaking of which, Liu Bei's purpose in coming to Xuzhou was always the same as Cao Cao's, except that Cao Cao was openly plotting Xuzhou, while Liu Bei was plotting Xuzhou secretly...
He had his plan, and just like Sun Qian's question, his plan was based on the premise that Xiapi City was not attacked by Cao Cao.
this…
"Gongyou, don't worry, Cao Cao will not capture Pi City." Liu Bei's words were unequivocal...
... Sun Qian was slightly startled and quickly asked: "Why?"
The corners of Liu Bei's mouth raised slightly, and a faint smile quietly emerged.
"Because I know Cao Cao well, and I also know the master beside Cao Cao well enough. It does seem good to capture Xiapi City and plan to capture Xuzhou, but in fact, this will do more harm than good to Cao Cao! In this regard, even if Cao Cao couldn't see it, but the person next to him definitely could."
"Haha...he will stop Cao Cao from attacking the city of Tiapi."
At this point, Liu Bei turned around and stood with his hands behind his back. "Let's proceed according to the plan first. Let's wait and see who will own Pic City now."
Just as Liu Bei said, at this moment...Xiapi City is in turmoil overtly and covertly!
…
…
Xuzhou, Xiapi City.
The long-lost flying sand is stirring in this prosperous city and county.
Black smoke billows out from the pavement, like a clarion call for war, drifting in with a murderous intent!
It only takes a moment...
Smoke and dust billowed, and countless banners with the word Cao reflected in the eyes of countless defenders on the tower.
An army of 100,000 people, led by Cao Cao, appeared at the foot of Xiapi City... It seemed that a war was ready to begin.
Cao Jun, this army with overwhelming momentum and continuous victory...
Every soldier's armor looked a bit broken, but... on the contrary, the military formation was exceptionally neat. Their robes were stained with the enemy's blood, and their strong horse hooves kept neighing.
This made all the guards in Xiapi City couldn't help but feel inspired...
Cao Cao could see the rows of timid Xuzhou soldiers on the city tower, and he could naturally see a man in Confucian robes standing among them. He looked to be thirty years old.
Of course...if the previous information that Tao Qian was seriously ill and dying was true, then this man in Confucian robes was probably his son Tao Shang.
In addition to him, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei stood on the tower, which was particularly eye-catching and conspicuous.
But... the only special thing is that all the defenders in Xiapi City are wearing white robes...
Cao Cao was a little confused. What medicine was this pottery merchant selling in his gourd?
Immediately…
Cao Cao winked at Cao Ren beside him, and Cao Ren rode forward. He shouted, and the messengers followed suit.
"The matter has come to this, Tao Qian, why don't you leave the city and surrender quickly..."
"If you don't surrender, when the city is destroyed, your Tao family will be full and no one will be left alive."
This is a routine operation. When fighting, you always have to follow the rules. The so-called courtesy first, then attack. First ask whether you surrender or not...
Of course, this is just a routine matter. You can tell with your toes that Tao Qian will not surrender, and Cao Cao does not intend to let him surrender.
But at this moment...
"Dong...dong..." The gate of Xiapi City opened. At some point, the pottery merchant walked down from the city tower and walked out of the city gate alone...
This...Cao Cao was slightly surprised, what is this for? He is not really surrendering, is he?
At this time, the pottery merchant was dressed in filial piety and bowed respectfully to Cao Jun on the city protection bridge with a very low posture...
Immediately, he shouted at the top of his lungs: "Mr. Cao came to beg for it in person. My father and I knew we were outmatched, so we had to go out of the city to beg for sin. Mr. Cao...can you come out and talk to me?"
Hearing this…
Cao Cao rode forward slowly, escorted by a group of personal guards, and stopped twenty steps away from the moat. Cao Cao waved his whip. "You wait? What's your crime?"
The pottery merchant shook his head and sighed, and said, "Mr. Cao set out from Langya County, Xuzhou. My father wanted to take the opportunity to make friends with Mr. Cao, so our whole family, young and old, acted like we were serving the prince... No... we served Mr. Cao like we were our own fathers."
, before leaving, my father also presented gifts worth 100,000 yuan and sent general Zhang Kai to escort him..."
"I never expected that this thief, motivated by wealth, actually murdered Mr. Cao, causing my father to make a big mistake and fall into a desperate situation without justice."
At this point, the pottery merchant burst into tears, and his whole face was full of guilt and remorse.
"The big mistake has been made. My father is now lying on the hospital bed, suffering from a terminal illness. He is afraid that he will not have much time left, but he can't stop crying. He feels sorry for Mr. Cao. He asked us all to wear mourning clothes, so that
The people in Xiapi City also wear filial piety clothes, which is regarded as filial piety for Mr. Cao!"
"O Duke Cao, I'm going down to Pi City to connect the Yangtze River and Huaihe River to the south, and border Yuzhou... All the northern territories have surrendered to Duke Cao, and they have absolutely no intention of resisting. I hope Duke Cao will open his net and at least let me lead my army southward... to capture the traitor.
Kai snatched Yuan Shu from his army camp, scraped his heart and removed his liver, and when the time comes, he will present the heart and liver together with Xiapi City!"
The potter was bursting into tears, but Cao Cao was observing. He was observing the entire tower...
No, it's too quiet.
If the pottery merchant truly surrendered, how could the defenders on the tower be so quiet? Their hearts should be a little frightened, right?
So…
Is there an ambush on the tower?
Phew...Cao Cao breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Cao Cao was not careless. If he had taken one step closer, he would have entered the shooting range of the archers on the tower, right?
etc…
Not just archers!
Cao Cao keenly noticed a few seemingly unintentional words mentioned in the pottery merchant's words.
“Xiapi City connects Huainan to the south and borders Yuzhou”…
Also, the sentence "Draw out the thief Zhang Kai from Yuan Shu's army camp." Both sentences are meaningful!
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes and thought for a moment.
In a few short breaths, Cao Cao suddenly understood.
Huo, that’s it…
Cao Cao suddenly realized that the pottery merchant was reminding him... reminding him of the special location of Xiapi City. The south of Xiapi City bordered Yuan Shu, who was known as the Destroyer King of Huainan...
Indeed, with Cao Cao's current strength, it is not a good thing to be close to Yuan Shu!
It turns out... the pottery merchant's name was begging. In fact, the drunkard's intention was not to drink, but to remind Cao Cao of the location of Pi City...
At this time, Cao Cao hesitated.
Capturing Xiapi City is very simple, but in fact...there will be more troubles after capturing Xiapi City. Yuan Shu and Cao Cao have old grudges, and he is not a fuel-efficient lamp after all!
No wonder the pottery merchant dared to go to the city to beg for his sins. It turned out that... he had something to rely on.
Cao Cao thought so, but Tao Shang gradually increased his tone. "Cao Gong clearly knows that although my father is guilty, he did it out of intentional favor and unintentional punishment. Please forgive me for this, Duke Cao."
I have committed a serious crime with my father. Let’s retreat for the time being and allow my father and I to redeem ourselves by killing the thief!”
In a nutshell...the potter knelt on his knees, lowered his head, and assumed the posture of a subordinate facing a superior.
As for Cao Cao...
Silence, a long silence...
Ten breaths, twenty breaths, thirty breaths!
There was silence around the entire city bridge.
Until, after fifty breaths, Cao Cao finally spoke.
"Tao Shang, your father has always been obscene, hypocritical, and sinister! He even let his subordinates kill my father, but he alone caused this tragedy. Now you are so eloquent? How can I believe you?"
"Humph, let me tell you clearly. For the sake of your filial piety, I will not embarrass you and go back quickly to prepare for war. I will take Xiapi City in ten days."
"When the time comes, I will take off your father's head and warn my father about the 'spirit in heaven'... If you are interested, you can go back and cut off your father's head and open the city gate to welcome our army into the city."
"In addition, please tell the people in the city that I, Cao Cao, will only kill Tao Qian in this expedition to Xuzhou. I will not care about the rest of the party. I will not violate anything I do for the sake of the people. Langya County, Donghai County, and Pengcheng are proof. Let them rest assured. I, Cao Cao
Not one more person will be killed."
Speaking of this, Cao Cao waved his hand, rode away, and the army was stationed on the spot...
As for Tao Shang, watching Cao Cao gradually walk away, a different kind of light shone in his eyes.
He muttered in his heart, Cao Cao...you should be able to understand what I mean, right? If you do, then it will be you, Cao Mengde, who retreats in ten days, right?
Leaving Xiapi City behind and using it as a buffer zone between you and Yuan Shu's territory will be of great benefit to you without any harm!