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

Xiao He actually wanted to kill him!
This was something Chen Qun never expected.

He originally thought that because of his relationship with Liu Bei, even if he failed in his rebellion and was captured, he would at most be demoted to a commoner and exiled.

Liu Bei was, after all, a benevolent ruler, and he would still remember past favors to some extent.

Chen Qun had no idea that Xiao He would actually try to kill him!
Their heads were to be displayed under the city gates!

Chen Qun was stunned for a moment.

The Chu soldiers on either side rushed forward, grabbed Chen Qun, and took him away to behead him.

He suddenly awoke with a start, struggled desperately, and shouted:
“I am a subject of the King of Chu. If anyone should be killed, it should be the King of Chu. What right does Xiao He have to execute me?”

"I want to see the King of Chu! Take me to see the King of Chu immediately!"

Chen Qun screamed hysterically.

Liao Hua frowned, stepped forward and kicked Chen Qun to the ground, cursing:

"You fickle and capricious scoundrel, how dare you face our King?"

"Let me tell you clearly, His Majesty has already authorized Grand Commandant Xiao. If you truly break your promise and dare to rebel, Grand Commandant Xiao can deal with you as he sees fit, without needing to consult His Majesty again."

"Our Grand Commandant Xiao is going to kill you bunch of scoundrels, so that those with ulterior motives will think twice before betraying their oath and defecting to the puppet Wei, and what their fate will be!"

After this reprimand, Chen Qun deflated like a punctured balloon, his body instantly going limp.

It turned out that Liu Bei had murderous intentions.

Liu Bei was benevolent and righteous, but he did not abuse his benevolence and righteousness.

You, Chen Qun, abandoned me in Xuzhou back then, so be it. I'm magnanimous and won't hold it against you.

Back when we met in Xiapi, you threatened me, then turned around and presented the Nine-Rank System to Cao Cao, rallying the entire northern gentry to my side. I didn't hold it against you then.

Now I have given you a chance, accepted your surrender, and given you a chance to make amends, but you did not cherish it. Instead, you repaid kindness with enmity and rebelled against me again.

If I, Liu Bei, were to spare you again, what would become of my prestige?

Who in the entire Chu Kingdom will still submit to me?

If you, Chen Qun, dare to rebel, I will kill you!
Liao Hua, too lazy to waste any more words, waved his hand impatiently.

The soldiers on the left and right once again supported Chen Qun.

The remaining captured traitors were all dragged onto the city wall, forced to kneel on the ground, and lined up to be beheaded.

"I want to see Grand Commandant Xiao! I want to see the King of Chu!"

"Please have mercy, Grand Commandant Xiao! I know I'm guilty!"

"I was misled by Chen Qun; I had no choice. I beg Grand Commandant Xiao to see the truth..."

Pleading, weeping, and cursing echoed across the city walls.

The Chu soldiers remained unmoved, continuing to slash with their broadswords.

One by one, the heads of traitorous generals rolled to the ground, and the cries of pleas gradually faded away.

Lastly, it was Chen Qun's turn.

The blood-stained broadsword was slowly raised, and the still-warm blood dripped onto Chen Qun's face, suddenly bringing him to his senses.

In the final moments of life, past experiences flash by like smoke.

The memory is frozen on the time when I was in Yuzhou, the time when I first met Liu Bei.

At that time, Liu Bei was just starting out as the governor of a province, and he was full of vigor and ambition.

Upon their first meeting, Liu Bei treated him with the utmost respect, engaging in a long and intimate conversation to seek his advice on matters of state…

if…

If I hadn't been so opportunistic back then, and hadn't abandoned Liu Bei, what would I be like now?
Even if he didn't reach the status of Xiao He or Zhuge Liang, he would at least have reached the status of Mi Zhu.

"Chen Qun, Chen Qun, you were blind and didn't recognize a wise ruler. You deserve to die and be disgraced!"

Chen Qun felt an overwhelming sense of regret, and tears welled up in his eyes.

The large sword above his head fell fiercely.

The cries of regret abruptly ceased, and a human head rolled to the ground.

Immediately, the heads of Chen Qun and more than a dozen others were hung below the city gate.

Liao Hua met with Zhang Bao and immediately sent someone to the Grand Commandant's office to report the news.

...

The Grand Commandant's residence was now in an uproar.

The deafening sounds of battle erupting from the north gate echoed into the mansion, shattering the joyous and lively atmosphere of the wedding banquet.

Apart from the officers who already knew, the other guests were all talking amongst themselves and looked uneasy.

Xiao He offered no explanation, acting as if nothing had happened, and continued to smile calmly as he toasted with the guests.

No one dared to ask any more questions; they could only feel uneasy and force a smile.

The sounds of battle drums came suddenly, but soon fell silent. The hearts of the people who had been hanging in suspense finally settled down, leaving only confusion.

At this moment, Deng Ai leaned closer and whispered something in Xiao He's ear.

Xiao He nodded in satisfaction, then smiled at the guests:
"Gentlemen, just now, Chen Qun, Du Xi and other surrendered generals of Wei attempted to launch a mutiny to seize our north gate, but they have been suppressed by the troops I had arranged in advance."

"The traitors Chen Qun and others have all been executed, and the rebel army has been wiped out by our army. You all need not worry, just enjoy my wedding feast in peace."

Another round of discussion arose.

This time, however, I felt not apprehensive, but rather delighted.

To everyone's surprise, Chen Qun and other surrendered officials of the pseudo-Wei state chose to launch a mutiny at the critical juncture of Guan Yu leading the main force on the northern expedition and Xiao He's wedding.

At this moment, Xuchang's city defenses were at their weakest, and the timing was perfect.

What was gratifying was that the rebellion of those surrendered officials was easily quelled by their Grand Commandant Xiao with a few words.

While everyone felt relieved, they couldn't help but admire him in secret.

The rebellion in the city had been quelled, the guests had been appeased, and Xiao He had drunk his fill of wine. He then took his leave of the guests and returned to his bridal chamber.

With a creak, the tightly closed door opened.

Slightly intoxicated, Xiao He strolled in.

Cao Jie, sitting upright on the wedding bed, felt his heart skip a beat and couldn't help but feel nervous.

Next came the various ceremonies performed in the bedroom. Xiao He was quite familiar with them, going through each step with ease, and finally gently lifted the bridal veil with a bamboo stick.

A beautiful, smiling face, radiant with allure, came into view in the glow of the red candlelight.

It must be said that Cao Jie inherited her mother-in-law Bian's genes in terms of appearance, and could definitely be called a rare beauty in the world.

Cao Jie's beauty was comparable to that of Bu Lianshi.

Xiao He then lifted her face with his fingertips, examining it closely and admiring it, his heart filled with sighs and emotions.

"Grand Commandant~~"

Cao Jie blushed under the gaze and murmured softly.

Xiao He came to his senses and laughed:

"We're already in the bridal chamber, why are you still calling me Grand Commandant?"

Cao Jie trembled, and her brows furrowed with even more shame.

She gently bit her red lips with her pearly teeth, hesitated for a moment, and then softly called out again:
"Husband~~"

Xiao He laughed and then wrapped his arm around her slender waist and gently pulled her.

Cao Jie coughed lightly and obediently nestled into Xiao He's arms.

"My lord, I just heard faint shouts of battle outside. Has something happened?"

Cao Jie rested his face on Xiao He's chest and asked softly.

"It's nothing serious. It was just a rebellion by a few surrendered officials like Chen Qun. I've already quelled it, and Chen Qun's head is hanging under the gates of Xuchang."

Xiao replied casually.

Cao Jie's body trembled, his bright eyes darted around, and countless guesses flashed through his mind in an instant.

Looking up at Xiao He again, his handsome and composed face was faintly filled with a kind of cold and icy power.

It was a kind of aura that made her feel involuntarily awe.

"A few clowns jumping around are nothing to worry about; let's not spoil our mood for this romantic night."

Xiao's smile held a hidden meaning.

Cao Jie instantly understood Xiao He's implied meaning in his eyes and words, and his face flushed red.

"My lord, you must be tired after a long day. It's getting late, let me help you undress and go to bed."

Cao Jie gently pushed Xiao He's chest away with her delicate hands, then lowered her head shyly and bent down to take off his boots and socks, serving him as he undressed.

Looking at the considerate and sensible woman in front of him, Xiao He immediately guessed that she must be his mother-in-law, Bian Shi, who had carefully taught him before the marriage.

Cao Jie was clearly not like Guan Yinping, who was completely inexperienced and clueless, not knowing what to do.

As Cao Cao's daughter, she was of noble birth. It was truly remarkable that she could set aside her pride and serve her husband so diligently.

Xiao He was filled with emotion.

Looking at the gentle, considerate, and beautiful bride in front of him, Xiao He's heart fluttered.

He suddenly stood up, flicked his sleeve, and extinguished the red candle in the room.

"Husband~~"

...

Thirty li north of Xudu, on the south bank of the Wei River.

Nearly 30,000 Wei soldiers have landed on the south bank and begun to reorganize their formation.

Cao Cao stopped his horse on the shore and looked back towards the north bank.

On the other side of Yanling Ferry, there were still more than 20,000 troops queuing up to cross the river.

On the Wei River, bamboo rafts came and went in an endless stream, continuously transporting his men across the river.

"By my order, speed up the crossing. Everyone must cross the river before sunset, and I will reach Xuchang before midnight!"

Cao Cao was quite dissatisfied with the speed of crossing the river and shouted while brandishing his whip.

Dong Zhao, standing beside him, smiled and comforted him:
"At the current speed of crossing the river, the entire army should be able to cross before dark without any problem."

"Xudu is less than thirty li away. Our army will march at night and will surely arrive in Xudu before midnight."

"I estimate that after crossing the river, we can allow the soldiers to rest for an hour to recover their strength and prepare for the attack on Xuchang."

Cao Cao's displeasure faded slightly, and he turned to look in the direction of Xuchang, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Back then, it was through Dong Zhao's plan that we managed to bring the destitute Emperor Liu Xie to Xuchang before Yuan Shao could.

From that time on, Xuchang became his base of operations, the capital of the Han Dynasty, and the center of the world.

He led his army from Xuchang, destroyed Yuan Shu, killed Lü Bu, pacified Hebei, and finally achieved the hegemony of unifying the north.

Xudu was the beginning of his empire and the starting point of his dream.

Who could have imagined that such a significant city would one day fall into the hands of Liu Bei!

Thinking of this, Cao Cao's anger flared up.

"Xiao He, just you wait, I will soon take Xudu back from you, you fiend..."

Cao Cao gripped his whip tightly, a hint of arrogance gradually rising between his brows.

After making a silent vow, Cao Cao pointed his whip south, about to speak.

"Woooooo~~"

A chilling bugle call suddenly rang out.

From the reeds on both sides of the ferry, countless soldiers suddenly surged out as if divine soldiers had descended from the sky.

Outside the ferry, groups of people, kicking up clouds of dust, swept in.

ambush!

Tens of thousands of Chu soldiers suddenly appeared and attacked his 30,000 Wei soldiers from all directions, heading towards the south bank ferry.

Amidst the dust and fog, a large banner with the character "关" (Guan) stood out prominently.

"Guan...Guan Yu?"

Cao Cao's arrogant expression instantly crumbled, and he let out a horrified cry. (End of Chapter)