My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Chapter 242 The leader of the hidden martial arts masters, Zhao Yun's teacher! I asked you to use provocation, but you sent a letter of divorce, trying to anger Old Cao to death?

The appearance of that white-haired old general, single-handedly, instantly changed the course of the battle.

Guns rang out and fell, guns rang out and fell...

Those skilled swordsmen were as vulnerable as ants, and in the blink of an eye, most of them were killed.

The Chu army's morale was greatly boosted, and they launched a counterattack, slashing at the assassins with their swords and spears without regard for their own lives.

"How could such a skilled old scoundrel suddenly appear?"

Wang Yue was taken aback; his confident expression turned to astonishment.

Seeing that countless of the hundred swordsmen had been killed or wounded, if the fighting continued like this, they would not only fail to kill Bian and her son, but also risk total annihilation.

He himself might also perish here.

"Damn it!"

Wang Yue gritted his teeth, spurred his horse, leaped out of the battle, and shouted:
"Everyone, listen up! Retreat! Retreat immediately!"

Wang Yue turned his horse and fled in disarray. The remaining thirty-odd swordsmen, as if granted a pardon, scattered and fled in all directions.

The battle ended, and peace returned to the main road.

Deng Ai breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that protecting Bian and her son was the priority, so he did not send his troops to pursue them.

"I am Deng Ai, a military general under the Duke of Chu. Thank you for your help, senior. May I ask your honorable name?"

Deng Ai dismounted and stepped forward to bow to the white-haired old general.

The old general sheathed his silver spear and returned the salute with clasped hands.
"So he is a fierce warrior under the command of Lord Chu. He is so young yet possesses such martial arts skills. He is truly a man of extraordinary talent."

"This old man is Tong Yuan. Greetings."

Tong Yuan!

Upon hearing this name, Deng Ai was startled, and his face instantly lit up with surprise.

To cultivate him, Xiao He had him learn spear techniques and cavalry command from Zhao Yun.

Deng Ai vaguely remembered that Zhao Yun once said that he was a disciple of a reclusive master and was his last disciple.

That reclusive master, known as the God of Guns, was none other than Tong Yuan.

No wonder the old general's spear technique was exactly the same as mine; it turns out he was Zhao Yun's mentor.

Deng Aiqiang suppressed his surprise and quickly cupped his hands in greeting:

"I once learned spear techniques from General Zilong and heard him mention the name of Master Tong. I never expected to be able to lend a helping hand to Master Tong today. I am truly honored!"

Tong Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he stroked his beard and smiled:
"No wonder the young general's marksmanship looked familiar just now, I see, I see..."

These words were tantamount to acknowledging Deng Ai's guess.

Deng Ai's face lit up with even greater joy, and just as he was about to speak again, Tong Yuan cupped his hands in greeting:

"I have always admired the benevolence and righteousness of Lord Chu. Today, I was passing by this place and saw that Lord Chu's subordinates were in trouble, so I took the initiative to help them."

"Although those assassins have retreated, they may still have a chance to come back. It is not advisable to stay here for long. General, it would be best to retreat back to Gaomi as soon as possible."

"Let's say goodbye now and meet again if fate allows."

Having said that, Tong Yuan turned his horse around, whipped it, and rode away in a cloud of dust.

When Deng Ai tried to persuade him to stay, Tong Yuan had already ridden away.

"General Deng, my sister has been wounded by a sword!"

Cao Zhi's exclamation rang out from behind.

Deng Ai was suddenly startled. He could no longer hold back Tong Yuan and hurriedly turned around and rushed towards the carriage.

His worst fears came true.

Just now, the swordsman pierced through the carriage with his sword, striking Cao Jie squarely in the back!

At this moment, Cao Jie was covered in blood and lay unconscious in his mother Bian's arms.

"Jie'er, Jie'er, don't scare your mother!"

Bian held Cao Jie tightly, already panicked and with tears in her eyes.

Cao Zhi was also completely flustered and kept asking Deng Ai what to do.

Deng Ai's eyes darted around, and without hesitation, she said:
"We can't go any further south. Let's bandage Miss Cao first. We need to get back to Gaomi as soon as possible."

"Our strategist Xiao's wife is a disciple of the legendary physician Hua Tuo. Miss Cao is so badly injured; perhaps only she can save her!"

Upon hearing this, Lady Bian hurriedly exclaimed:
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry back to Gaomi City, hurry back to Gaomi City!"

Deng Ai rolled his eyes a few times, and then thought it made sense.

Given the current situation, many of the escorting troops have been killed or wounded, and it is still unknown whether they will be ambushed by Wei troops again on the way. Continuing south is obviously unwise.

Moreover, it would be unreasonable not to treat Miss Cao's injuries promptly.

With this in mind, Deng Ai immediately ordered a change of direction and a return to Gaomi City.

...

Gaomi City.

"Cao Cao led 20,000 pursuing troops and reached Chang'an City to join Cao Zhen's defeated army. The combined Wei army numbered nearly 40,000."

"Although our troops are brave and fierce, they have won against the Wei troops. However, the enemy's numbers are twice that of ours. It will be quite difficult to win in a head-on confrontation."

Liao believed that to defeat the Wei army, they should use strategy instead.

Inside the mansion, Zhang Liao pointed to the map and described the latest enemy intelligence sent by his spies.

Gan Ning pointed westward towards Gaomi and said:

"Although the Wei River is not a major river, it is currently in the dry season, and the water level is at least above shoulder level. If you want to cross the river, you have to rely on boats or rafts."

"Could we lead the Wei army to cross the Wei River by boat and raft, and then attack them when they are halfway across? We will surely win."

Gan Ning's plan made the generals' eyes light up, and they all nodded in approval.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Liao said:

"Xingba's plan can indeed defeat the Wei army, but with Cao Cao's wisdom, how could he not know the principle of attacking halfway across the river?"

"Moreover, Cao Cao now knows that our army is commanded by Military Advisor Xiao, so he will definitely be more vigilant."

Liao believed that unless there was no other choice, it would be difficult to lure Cao Cao across the river.

Gan Ning frowned slightly, stroked his thin beard, and nodded gently.

The generals immediately began to discuss the matter.

Xiao He toyed with the teacup and nodded, saying:

"Xingba's plan is indeed a strategy of winning with fewer troops, but Wenyuan's reminder is not without reason."

"So it seems that the only problem now is how to lure Cao Cao across the Wei River."

Xiao He stared at the map thoughtfully, gradually finding a direction in his mind.

"Reporting to the strategist, General Deng and the others have returned!"

A guard rushed in to report. Xiao He's eyes flickered slightly.

Deng Ai was ordered to escort Bian and her son south to Xiapi, but they had only been gone for less than two days. How did he suddenly return?
Could it be…

Xiao He sensed something was wrong, put down his teacup, and walked out of the hall in a few steps.

No sooner had they left than Deng Ai, Bian Shi, Cao Zhi, and their entourage arrived in a flurry of activity.

Several soldiers were carrying a stretcher on which lay a wounded and unconscious man, who turned out to be Cao Jie.

"Shizai, what is this...?"

"Strategist Xiao, please save Jie'er, please save Jie'er!"

Before Xiao He could speak, Lady Bian knelt down and began to plead tearfully.

Xiao He's expression changed slightly, and he quickly helped Bian Shi up, asking what had happened.

Bian was in tears, overwhelmed with emotion, and unable to speak.

"Strategist Bowen, on our journey south, we were ambushed by Wei assassins... Miss Cao was stabbed..."

Deng Ai quickly recounted the whole story, and then said:
"Ai thought that Madam Bu was a disciple of the divine physician Hua Shen, and might be able to save Miss Cao, so he brought them back to Gao Mi."

Xiao He immediately understood the intricacies of the situation and hurriedly ordered Cao Jie to be carried back to his room, while calling on Bu Lianshi to provide assistance.

Once everything was settled, Bu Lianshi ushered everyone out of the outer hall to await the results of her treatment.

Only then did Xiao He have a chance to ask Deng Ai for details of what had happened.

How Deng Ai fell into the trap, his thousand soldiers were cut in two, how he was suddenly attacked by a hundred swordsmen and caught off guard, and how, at the critical moment, Tong Yuan descended like a god and single-handedly defeated the Wei swordsmen...

The entire detailed process was recounted.

"Tong Yuan, Tong Xiongfu? Zilong's master?"

Xiao He's eyes widened in surprise.

He had naturally heard Zhao Yun mention this person's name before.

Zhao Yun once said that his master was a master of spear fighting, known as the God of Spears.

Back then, Tong Yuan had three disciples: Zhang Xiu from Xiliang, Zhang Ren from Shu, and his last disciple, Zhao Zilong from Changshan.

Among the reclusive masters of the world, Sima Hui, the teacher of Zhuge Liang, is the foremost in literature, while Tong Yuan, the teacher of Zhao Yun, is the foremost in martial arts. Xiao He has long admired both of them.

Unexpectedly, this elusive marksman, who was rarely seen, happened to pass through Gaomi and rescued Bian and her son, thus protecting the Imperial Seal of the State for Liu.

It's truly a case of coincidences.

"Shizai, since you know the background of this Master Tong, why don't you invite him to come to Gaomi to meet with us?"

Deng Ai looked helpless and sighed:
"Ai naturally wanted to invite Master Tong to Gaomi, but who would have thought that this senior would not give Ai the chance to invite him. After resolving the crisis, he only said a few words and then left without a trace."

Xiao He thought so too.

Both Sima Hui and Tong Yuan were reclusive scholars.

These kinds of people, though they taught powerful figures like Zhuge Liang, Pang Tong, and Zhang Xiu, who assisted various warlords and stirred up the world, never participated in the conflicts themselves.

It's understandable that Tong Yuan didn't want to come to Gaomi to see him.

"What a pity, we can only witness this marksman's prowess again someday..."

Xiao He looked somewhat regretful.

Bian, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but feel a deep hatred rising in her tearful face.

Clearly, that group of assassins was acting on Cao Cao's orders, with the sole purpose of taking the lives of the mother and child.

"Cao Cao, you are truly heartless, determined to exterminate my son and me!"

Lady Bian was so filled with hatred that she gritted her teeth; all that remained in her heart was hatred for Cao Cao.

At this moment, the door opened, and Bu Lianshi walked out looking exhausted.

"Madam Bu, how is Jie'er? Is there any hope of saving her?"

Bian Shi, disregarding her hatred for Cao Cao, rushed forward to ask him the question.

Bu Lianshi smiled and comforted her:
"Don't worry, Madam. Miss Cao is a lucky person. This sword did not hit any vital organs, so her life should be saved. She should be able to recover with careful recuperation."

Bian breathed a sigh of relief, but was so exhausted that she could hardly stand.

Cao Zhi hurriedly stepped forward to support him.

Once Bian recovered from her shock, she naturally burst into tears of joy, her face instantly replaced by gratitude.

"I thank Madam Bu and Military Advisor Xiao for saving my daughter!"

"I have no way to repay your great kindness, please accept my bow!"

As she spoke, Bian bowed deeply to Xiao and his wife.

Upon seeing this, Cao Zhi, filled with gratitude, followed his mother and bowed to Xiao He.

At this moment, the gratitude she and her son expressed was clearly different from their initial thanks; anyone with discerning eyes could see that it came from the bottom of their hearts.

Xiao He quickly helped Bian up and offered a few words of comfort.

"I will never forget your great kindness, Military Advisor Xiao. If you have any instructions, I will do my best to help you!"

Bian said solemnly.

Xiao He's eyes flickered, and a flash of inspiration struck him.

After a moment's thought, Xiao He smiled:
"Speaking of which, there is something I would like to ask for Madam Bian's help with, but I'm afraid it might put you in a difficult position."

Upon hearing that there was an opportunity to serve Xiao He, Lady Bian hurriedly said:

"Military Advisor Xiao, you flatter me. As I have said before, it would be my honor to do anything for you within my power."

Xiao He then stopped beating around the bush and said:

"That's right. Cao Cao is currently leading an army of 40,000 at Chang'an. At present, the situation between the two armies is that Wei is strong and we are weak."

"Therefore, I would like to ask Lady Bian to write a letter to Cao Cao. If we can provoke him and lure him to lead his army across the Wei River to the east, then I can attack him halfway across and defeat him in one fell swoop!"

Although Bian Shi did not understand the art of war, he understood the meaning behind Xiao He's words.

Xiao He was trying to use her identity as Wei Gong's wife to provoke Cao Cao into crossing the river.

This assassination attempt instilled deep hatred in Lady Bian for Cao Cao.

Now that she has the opportunity to help Xiao He defeat Cao Cao and avenge Cao Cao's assassination attempt on Cao Jie, she is naturally eager to do so.

"Military Advisor Xiao, please wait a moment, I will write it now!"

Without hesitation, Bian immediately picked up his pen and began to write.

After a while, the book was finished, and Bian presented it to Xiao He with both hands for him to read.

Xiao He glanced at it and couldn't help but laugh.

This was actually a letter of divorce.

Lady Bian wants to divorce Cao Cao!
(End of this chapter)