Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 196 Liu Xuande Arrives

Fortunately, Xu Chu was quick-witted and grabbed the hilt of the sword in an instant. He snatched the sword and picked up the scabbard on the ground, sheathed it, and handed it to the other party solemnly with both hands, saying solemnly: "Please forgive me, Chu, for only knowing Zuo Jun's integrity today. I have been rude in the past, so please don't take it as an offense."

"When the Yellow Turban bandits retreat, Xu Zhongkang will drink with you for three days to make amends."

The thick-bearded knight also hurriedly suppressed his panic, clasped his hands and bowed, saying: "I almost misunderstood the righteous man and almost made a big mistake. If it weren't for Mr. Xu, I would have died of shame. If Mr. Zuo wants to punish me, I will be willing to be killed. Even if I die by the sword immediately, it will be worthy of it."

The sword of the ranger named Zuo was suddenly taken away, which made his idea of ​​suicide fail, and he also reacted.

Seeing the bearded knight bowing and lowering his head, apologizing and willing to be punished, he couldn't help but feel soft-hearted. He had seen this man rush forward to kill the bandits and never turn back. He was a true knight, no worse than him.

If he really drew his sword and killed him at this moment, he was afraid that what the bandits had said in secret would come true. However, he felt indignant if he just let the matter go. After all, this was not only a humiliation to him, but also brought shame to the knights from his hometown who had died in battle.

When they were hesitant and undecided, Xu Chu saw the dilemma of the ranger surnamed Zuo and suggested, "How about you two wait until the Yellow Turbans are defeated and then fight hand-to-hand to avenge your grievances?"

"Okay, I will listen to what Mr. Xu says, and you don't need to hold back. If I die under your sword because I am not as skilled as others, I will have no complaints."

The ranger surnamed Zuo said with a bow.

"That... all right." The bearded knight frowned and had to agree.

Seeing his back walking away, I couldn't help but slap my lips, saying that you are always a chatterbox.

Xu Chu glanced at it and nodded, "If you are good at fighting, you should be beaten more. If it weren't for the sake of the villagers, I would beat you so hard that you wouldn't have the chance to talk back."

"No matter how your fight ends, I want to see this hero still alive. Otherwise... even if you run to Huai, Ru, Chen, or Liang, Chu will kill you with his own hands."

Xu Chu patted him on the shoulder and gave him a "kind" reminder.

"Mr. Xu, I...Ah!"

The burly man wanted to say something but stopped himself. Finally, he stayed where he was, watching others continue to guard the city wall. He squatted down to pick up the scattered dry food, put it into his mouth one by one and chewed it. These half-cooked corns could not be wasted.

The reason why he stood out to ridicule the Black-Faced Ranger was that he guessed that Qiao County might be out of food.

If the city runs out of food, even if the county lieutenant is cut into pieces, no food will be produced, and it will only benefit the Yellow Turban bandits outside the city.

The bearded knight saw the strange looks from others and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

At this moment, the Yellow Turban bandits who were attacking the city suddenly sounded the retreat horn.

The bandits who were still attacking the city wall rushed forward and retreated like a tide. Some soldiers even cursed their leaders in their hearts: "You are really a slave girl!"

The sturdy man on the south city wall ran to the west without saying a word and let them charge. They were almost hammered to death when they rushed forward. The people who walked fast had their heads flying faster. Fortunately, they were slow and stopped when they saw the familiar figure.

No matter how urged by the supervising team behind them, they just kept moving for a long time until the troops were withdrawn.

There is that vicious man on the city wall. He is not in a hurry to make a contribution, but to get on the road. Everyone is fighting for money and not fighting for impatience to live.

The man was as strong as an ox. As soon as he climbed up the ladder and stuck his head out, he was beheaded by a flying knife. The helmet could not protect his fragile neck.

Some Yellow Turban soldiers thought, if you dare to force me to die, I will kill you first. Without our support for He, he can be a crappy leader.

While thinking, he retreated at a fast pace. After all, if he ordered the troops to withdraw before the time was up today, something must have happened.

If reinforcements really come from the opposite side, you will die on the battlefield if you run slowly.

Some veterans in the army could not help but sigh, wishing they had surrendered to Liu Xuande in Qingzhou. They heard that Guan Qushuai had become a majestic military officer in the Han court, and the former surrendered soldiers had become elite Han troops. And they still followed He Shi, eating one meal a day and starving the next, and they didn't know where they would be buried tomorrow.

He surrendered to the Yuan family but was not given an official position. How could both of them, as leaders, have such huge differences in choosing wise leaders?

Less than an hour after the Yellow Turbans retreated, thunder rumbled in the distance on the west bank of the river in Qiao County, and the deafening sound of thousands of horses’ hooves roared like a violent storm.

The sun was setting in the west, and the slanting sunlight illuminated a large red flag fluttering in the wind. On the flag was clearly engraved with the words "Hanqingyan Xuzhou Mu Zuo Jiangjun Liu" in large letters.

The county magistrate, county assistant, county lieutenant, as well as the patriarchs of the Cao, Xu, Ding, Zhu, and Xiahou families, the county and township elders, county soldiers, and rangers on the city wall of Qiao County all stared with wide eyes at the majestic armored cavalry outside the city that was raising dust, advancing in full battle formation, and holding their heads high.

Everyone opened their mouths in confusion without realizing it.

Being in the heart of the Central Plains, we have never seen a scene of heavy armored cavalry charging on this scale. It is like thousands of powerful crossbows being fired at the same time, moving forward unstoppable.

I don't know how many lives I need to resist the enemy.

With the sound of gongs and drums, more than a thousand cavalrymen gradually dispersed on the desolate fields of the west bank. Dozens of them went out and stopped a hundred steps forward.

Liu Bei ordered his assistants to prepare to set up camp on high ground along the river. Guan Hai led the elite battalion to form a battle array three miles away to attack the pontoon bridge left by the Yellow Turban bandits when they crossed the river earlier.

After easily dispersing the enemy's remaining soldiers, they came into sight of the Yellow Turban camp of 20,000 people on the opposite bank.

Liu Bei took Dian Wei, Lu Su and the knights and rode to a high place to look at the top of Qiao County and the Yellow Turban camp.

A breeze blew by, blowing up the flags.

At this moment, the battlefield quietly became silent, as if a ferocious beast had broken into the forest where eagles and rabbits were hunting, suppressing everyone so much that no one dared to breathe loudly.

Liu Bei looked into the distance, smiled and raised his whip, saying to Lu Su: "The storm is coming. Knowing that there will be a life-and-death battle tomorrow, both sides have become quiet."

Lu Su bowed respectfully and said, "This is the power of the envoy that controls the whole world. It makes people feel terrified and frightened. No one dares to stop him."

Liu Bei smiled and did not respond. Instead, he asked about another matter and said, "I really didn't expect that Zi Jing is more courageous and wise than Zhou Gongjin and Chen Changwen. He can ride with me on a horse and march for several days without getting off the saddle. As a scholar, he is really impressive."

Thinking that Zhou Yu and Chen Qun were still leading more than a thousand auxiliary soldiers to transport supplies and chase after them, Liu Bei felt like laughing now.

The legs of the two men who rode horses were almost swollen but they kept silent. If he hadn't discovered it early and carefully, it might have taken more than a month for their legs to heal.

There were no carriages during the march, so Liu Bei specifically ordered the soldiers to empty two baggage carts, and then forced Zhou Yu and Chen Qun to lie on the carts using straw mats as cushions, while the food, fodder and military equipment were slowly transported in.

The roads in Peidi were bumpy, and Xu Yan also promised that they could walk slower, so that even if they missed the deadline, it would not be against military law.

I originally wanted to arrange the two of them in one car so that they would not be bored on the way here and could chat to relieve their boredom. But later I thought about it and gave up. Although food, fodder and military equipment take up a lot of space, there is still room for more cars.

If there are fewer people, more straw can be laid. All the vehicles in the Han Dynasty did not have any shock-absorbing measures. If they were slightly pressed by small stones on the rammed earth, they would shake violently, making people dizzy before they had sat for long.

This is also the reason why Liu Bei, as a governor, would rather ride a horse than a carriage. Once the horse runs fast and shakes, it would be a real torture.

When Lu Su heard Lord Xuande's question, he also thought of the two people lying in the rear of the convoy. He couldn't help but curl his lips and said, "Sir, I saw clearly that the world was about to be in chaos several years ago, so I learned fencing and horseback archery from the master. I often went to the Nanshan Mountains to hunt, so I am proficient in horseback archery. Although I am not as brave as the General, I can easily kill five or six people with my own hands. I can shoot arrows through ordinary shields."

Comparing him with Zhou Yu and Chen Qun, they are naturally not as good as the Chen family of Yingchuan and the Zhou family of Lujiang in terms of family background. If we talk about fighting, he is not bragging, but even if the two of them were tied together, they would not be a match for him, Lu Zijing.

Whether fighting on horseback or on foot, capturing and killing two people is just a matter of a few moves and a few strikes with the sword.

(End of this chapter)