Three Kingdoms: Madam, I am a decent person

Chapter 760 The Death of Xu Chu
As Cao Cao grasped Zhong Yao's hand, the generals behind Zhong Yao quickly surrounded him.

No sooner had Cao Cao finished speaking than several generals pounced on Xu Chu and pinned him to the ground.

The sudden change startled Cao Cao and his men.

Cao Cao quickly released Zhong Yao's hand, distanced himself from Zhong Yao, and said sternly, "Yuan Chang, what are you doing?"

Zhong Yao breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Xu Chu being pinned to the ground.

He already knew everything about the people around Cao Cao.

Some of it he learned about personally.

Others were learned through Xun You, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Xun You was his good friend, and the two exchanged many letters.

Every time he wrote to Xun You, he would always include questions about Cao Cao's civil and military officials in his letters.

The most feared person around Cao Cao was Xu Chu, the captain of his personal guards.

This man possesses the courage to defeat ten thousand men.

He even once held off General Zhang Sui's attack near Baima, saving Cao Cao's life.

Fortunately, everything went well.

Xu Chu was captured.

Facing Cao Cao's angry and terrified questioning, Zhong Yao took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "To be honest, Minister of Works, I have always been the General's man."

Zhong Yao's words left Cao Cao completely stunned.

Is it someone from my good son-in-law's family?
How can it be?

impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
Cao Cao asked in a trembling voice, "Are you his man? Then why did you help me take Sili and persuade the warlords of Guanzhong to come to the court to serve as officials?"

Zhong Yao did not reply.

However, Zhang Ji, the chief clerk behind him, stepped forward and said, "If we can't even do this little thing, how can the Minister of Works trust us? How can he feel at ease handing over the Sili region to the Emperor?"

Pointing to his feet, Zhang Ji laughed and said, "How could you possibly be willing to make the decision to launch a sneak attack on Wuchao?"

"The raid on Wuchao failed, and Xingyang was captured. Why would you come here?"

Cao Cao was struck dumb by Zhang Ji's words.

So that’s it!
I can't believe it!

His trusted right-hand man, whom he had always been so proud of, turned out to be that kid's most secret spy planted right next to him.

Cao Cao looked up at the sky and sighed.

How sad!

Sigh!

I had always thought that the kid was young and impetuous.

But he never expected that the man was far more cunning than he was.

Cao Cao lowered his head, suppressing his trembling as he asked, "When did this begin?"

Zhong Yao honestly replied, "When the emperor was in Anyi County of Hedong Commandery and was about to cross the river to return, the general and I became fast friends at first sight."

Cao Cao's body stiffened.

So that means that Zhong Yao was that kid's man before he "joined" him?
At that time, that young man was merely Yuan Shao's son-in-law!

He was just a junior officer!

He was just a general with a thousand cavalry and four thousand Black Mountain soldiers!

Zhong Yao had already taken a liking to him!
At the time, I just thought he was only relying on Yuan Shao's support!

Cao Cao did not look at Zhong Yao again.

He turned around slowly.

The next moment, he suddenly drew his sword and slashed it at his own neck.

In this situation, there is no turning back.

Only death remains!

However, just as Cao Cao's sword was placed against his neck, a general beside him pounced on him and snatched the sword away.

The generals quickly and efficiently bound Cao Cao tightly.

How could we let Cao Cao die here?
It would be more meaningful to bring a living Cao Cao to the Grand General!

Cao Cao struggled and screamed repeatedly.

What a shame!
What a shame!
He had been a powerful and influential figure for over a decade, living a life of arrogance and dominance.

In Xudu, who wouldn't turn pale when they see themselves?

Even the emperor had to be obsequious to them.

Now, he has been captured alive!

Seeing Cao Cao in such a state, Xu Chu struggled to get up.

He was incredibly strong. Several generals couldn't subdue him.

Upon seeing this, the chief clerk Zhang Ji rushed over, snatched the iron hammer from Xu Chu's waist, and smashed it heavily into Xu Chu's face!

Xu Chu let out a shrill scream.

Zhang Ji kicked off Xu Chu's helmet and slammed the iron hammer down again and again.

Xu Chu's face was covered in blood.

His face was contorted in pain.

He struggled even more fiercely.

However, each time he was about to break free, a dozen or so generals would pounce on him and pin him to the ground.

Cao Cao's personal guards behind him were so frightened that they fled in panic.

If they don't escape now, they might be the next ones to die!

Zhong Yao did not pursue them.

He simply watched expressionlessly as the generals suppressed Xu Chu, and as Zhang Ji stepped forward and repeatedly smashed Xu Chu's face and head with an iron hammer.

Xu Chu's screams were heart-wrenching.

Cao Cao's limbs were bound, and he was unable to move.

Seeing Xu Chu being brutally murdered like this, Cao Cao roared repeatedly.

Tears welled up in his eyes.

He kept pleading for Xu Chu.

However, neither Zhong Yao, Zhang Ji, nor any of the generals paid any attention.

They can't take Xu Chu, who is so strong!

Moreover, he was just a captain of a personal guard, which wasn't very significant.

In that case, keeping it would only increase the danger.

Zhang Ji struck Xu Chu dozens of times with Xu Chu's own iron hammer.

He only stopped when Xu Chu's head was smashed into a bloody mess.

The dozen or so generals then released Xu Chu, who was pinning them down.

Seeing Xu Chu lying motionless on the ground, blood spreading from his head and staining the ground red, Zhang Ji and the others breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhong Yao also wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

Fortunately, the surprise attack at Wuchao last night allowed the general's troops to surround Cao Cao's forces, leaving only a few behind.

Otherwise, with more people around, Zhong Yao doubted whether he could defeat Cao Cao and Xu Chu.

Seeing that Xu Chu's body was motionless, Cao Cao knelt down and slammed his head heavily against the ground.

He recalled the scene at Hangu Pass where Zhang Sui cleaved Dian Wei in two with a single stroke.

He cried his heart out.

His two most trusted bodyguard captains, who risked their lives to protect him, died tragically before his very eyes.

But all they could do was watch them die, unable to do anything about it.

I'm such a pathetic official!

Thinking of all the times he had spent with Dian Wei and Xu Chu, Cao Cao cried and cried until his vision went black and he fainted.

Seeing this, Zhong Yao sighed.

He signaled to the two generals to return to the camp, carry out a wooden plank, and place the unconscious Cao Cao inside.

Afterwards, Zhong Yao, along with his chief clerk Zhang Ji and other generals, headed towards Xingyang City.

Cao Cao, this big fish, is now in our hands.

It's time for this nearly decade-long covert mission to come to an end.

With Cao Cao no longer a formidable enemy, the time to truly sweep across the land has come.

Zhang Sui was discussing the continued attack on Changshe with his civil and military officials in the main hall of the Xingyang government office when a soldier rushed in to report: "My lord, there are dozens of people outside the north of the city requesting an audience, one of whom claims to be Zhong Yao, the Commandant of the Capital Region!"

Upon hearing what the soldier said, everyone turned to look at Zhang Sui.

Zhang Sui grinned.

coming?

In other words, Zhong Yao ultimately chose himself!

With Zhong Yao blocking Chang'an, the connection between the Xudu court and Liangzhou and Guanzhong was severed.

The imperial court in Xudu was powerless to reverse the situation!

Even if Cao Cao returned to Xuchang, it wouldn't make much difference.

Zhang Sui waved to the crowd and said, "Come on, let's go see this old minister of ours who has been lurking under Cao Cao's command all along!"

(End of this chapter)