Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 448 Kidnapping Escalates
Chen now has a nickname – May 1st Captain.

He was certainly not a captain; he was only seventeen years old and a private in the Imperial Guard, though his rank was squad leader.

Chen Dao was an intern at the Great Han Military Academy. Military academies are designed to train officers, and graduates are given the rank of squad leader or above.

However, Chen Dao has not yet officially graduated and is in the internship stage. He cannot actually lead troops until he has accumulated enough merits. He needs to accumulate practical experience, so his actual position is a soldier in the Imperial Guard.

His military academy number was Five Ones, and almost all the officers knew him. He was also the first soldier, always standing with the generals and captains in the ranks. So everyone called him Captain Five One.

Zhao Yun handed Zhu Hao over to Chen Dao to guard, and had Chen Dao lead the defeated army to Hulao Pass, where Zhu Jun's remaining troops inside the pass were to open the gates and surrender.

If Zhu Jun hadn't died of anger, Liu Bei might have been blocked at Hulao Pass for a long time. But after capturing Zhu Hao alive, Hulao Pass was opened that very afternoon.

After Liu Bei entered Guanzhong, he confiscated Zhu Jun's seals of office and ceremonial regalia, and no longer recognized Zhu Jun's title of Right General of Chariots and Cavalry and his title of County Marquis, referring to him only as a traitor.

This act of treason was not committed by Zhu Jun, but by Zhu Hao—attacking the emperor's temporary residence is, in any case, a crime punishable by the extermination of the entire clan.

Zhu Jun's remaining troops could escape death by opening the gate and surrendering, but Zhu Hao was beheaded on the spot.

After a brief stop, Liu Bei left Sun Qian to handle the remaining situation at Hulao Pass, while he himself led Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang to continue westward.

In total, Liu Bei was blocked outside Hulao Pass for seven days.

In terms of opening up roads in Henan, this period of time is not long.

However, if we consider the time spent escorting the emperor back to the west, it was not short either.

……

On the other side, Cao Cao was unable to cross the river at Fenglingdu and discovered that "Li Jue's troops" were on the other side. Moreover, Yang Biao did not come to meet him, so he decided to turn back east and take another route.

Although both sides were racing to enter Chang'an, Cao Cao and Liu Bei were different.

Liu Bei needed to open up the passage between Yanzhou and Henan, connecting Guanzhong to Qingxu, and at least occupy various strategic passes to ensure smooth communication.

Currently, Zhang Fei is confronting Xiahou Yuan, Guan Yu is attacking Jiyin from behind, and although Liu Bei has not stopped along the way, his brothers behind him will occupy the passes along the way.

Therefore, Liu Bei's western expedition was originally planned as a campaign to conquer the entire region.

But Cao Cao didn't need to ensure communication; he just needed to quickly lead Liu Xie into Chang'an to incorporate Dong Zhuo's remaining forces.

Only with the help of Dong Zhuo's remaining forces was he able to confront Liu Bei head-on.

Therefore, when faced with obstacles or deviations from his plans, Cao Cao would immediately change course—he could not afford to antagonize Li Jue and others.

In Cao Cao's view, Li Jue and his troops should have already controlled the Three Auxiliary Regions. Since they couldn't cross Fenglingdu, they shouldn't be able to cross Pubanjin either.

Cao Cao then turned back to Xijin in Hedong, intending to cross the river at Hongnong.

This aligns with Jia Xu's assessment.

As a result, Cao Cao was unable to cross the river when he arrived at Xijin. There was nothing on the riverbank, and the other side of the river was also waiting in full force.

Zhang Ji has arrived in Hongnong County.

After staying in Xijin for two days, Cao Cao began to regret his decision...

In fact, the decision to move to Hebei was controversial within Cao Cao's army.

Indeed, many members of the Yingchuan gentry were willing to leave their hometown for Hebei, mainly because Yingchuan had recently been ravaged by the remnants of the Bai Bo army.

After Cao Cao defeated the White Wave Army, most of the remaining White Wave Army soldiers scattered into the mountains to become bandits. It was impossible to wipe them all out in a short period of time. The gentry of Yingchuan felt that their hometown was not safe, and many of them went to Hanoi to avoid disaster.

Just then, Xin Ping brought Liu Xie with him. After holding a funeral for Empress Dowager Dong, Sima Fang and others suggested that Cao Cao take the emperor to Hanoi, first take Bingzhou, and then take Hebei when the opportunity arose.

Meanwhile, Zhong Yao went to Chang'an to colluded with Dong Zhuo's remaining forces.

As long as Cao Cao raises the imperial banner, it means he will confront Liu Bei head-on. Yan and Yu provinces are indefensible and it is indeed difficult to stop Liu Bei, but in Hanoi, he can get the help of the Bingzhou gentry and make better use of the Black Mountain and the remnants of the Southern Xiongnu.

At that time, Xun Yu and others were providing financial assistance to Zhang Yan, and Cao Cao agreed with Sima Fang's suggestion.

However, after arriving in Hanoi, Xun Yu and Sima Fang had completely different opinions.

Xun Yu was willing to leave Yingchuan, but he hoped Cao Cao would take Henan.

Luoyang was indeed dilapidated and deserted, and it would be difficult to rebuild it in a short time, but in Xun Yu’s opinion, even going to Nanyang would be much better than going to Hanoi.

Nanyang is at least the hometown of the emperor, what is Hanoi compared to that?
Even if they could seize Ji Province while Liu Bei's main force was away, Ji Province was in dire need of reconstruction and could not be of any help. Could they really stop Liu Bei's counterattack?

Moreover, Xun Yu believed that a conflict with Liu Bei was inevitable, and going to Hebei was not an option.

Unless Cao Cao can defeat Liu Bei head-on, it doesn't matter whether there is danger or not. Guarding the natural barrier of the Yellow River and the Taihang Mountain pass in Hanoi only benefits the Sima family in Hanoi.

Xun Yu then said to Cao Cao, "If you, my lord, are afraid of Liu Bei, you should send the emperor back to court and not use the emperor as a tool. If you are not afraid of the world, then you should conquer all directions from the center of the world. If you are afraid of power and avoid difficulties, how can you take over the world?"

If you want to establish an emperor, you can't have a tortoise mentality.

Cao Cao also agreed with Xun Yu.

Cao Cao knew that Sima Fang advised him to take Hebei for the benefit of the Sima family.

This is understandable; it's natural for people to plan for their own benefit.

Sima Fang was quite kind to Cao Cao, and he truly spared no effort in providing support. Since he had made such a contribution, he naturally deserved some return.

Moreover, after holding a funeral for Empress Dowager Dong, gentry from all over the country flocked to him, so Cao Cao certainly couldn't send the emperor back to court.

The result is what we have now – both fearing Liu Bei's military might and unwilling to give up the benefits of holding the emperor hostage.

They wanted to conquer all sides in a righteous and honorable way, but they dared not confront Liu Bei head-on.

Sima Fang and Zhao Zi are currently contacting the gentry of Taiyuan to take over Hedong and Bingzhou.

Xun Yu was still trying to persuade Zhang Yan and Shen Pei to take over Wei Commandery—Xun Yu complained, but he was still working on it; he just didn't want Cao Cao to be a coward.

Xun Yu's words were also an important reason why Cao Cao and Liu Bei held this race in Chang'an.

Cao Cao's troops did not go to Qingzhou or Ganling Plain in Jizhou.

This was actually Cao Cao's first direct confrontation with Liu Bei. Although there was no direct battle, it was a fair and square struggle for the title of emperor, without resorting to underhanded tactics.

One of them kidnapped the emperor, and the other had his apprentice impersonate the emperor; neither of them were good people.

Now, Cao Cao felt even more that Xun Yu was right... He really shouldn't have come to Hebei.

Cao Cao should not have been afraid of Liu Bei in the first place. He opened up Yan and Yu provinces to Hebei, but the natural barrier of the Yellow River blocked his own path.

And now...

Not only could they not cross the river, but the emperor was also kidnapped!

Yes, Cao Cao regretted coming to Hebei not for any other reason than that he lost Liu Xie...

Moreover, it wasn't just Liu Xie who was missing; Cao Ang, who had been watching over Liu Xie, was also gone!
……

On the second night Cao Cao stayed at Xijin, an unexpected incident occurred. (Yang Feng)

Yang Feng was actually Cao Cao's enemy... or rather, he was now the enemy of all forces.

After all, for others, Empress Dowager Dong was considered to have died at the hands of Yang Feng.

Although Yang Feng did not intend to kill Empress Dowager Dong, she committed suicide in Yang Feng's army camp.

After fleeing Luoyang, Yang Feng defeated Niu Fu's troops in Chenggao, seized Niu Fu's military supplies, and defeated Zhu Jun's "righteous army," attempting to control Henan.

But soon Cao Cao entered Henan, incorporated Yufuluo into his army, and took the opportunity to beat up Yang Feng—mainly because Yufuluo wanted to kill Yang Feng to settle the score for the previous sneak attack...

Yang Feng was defeated by Cao Cao and Yufuluo's army, but his troops did not collapse, which can be considered as good leadership.

So Yang Feng went on a long and arduous journey back to his hometown in Hedong. He had realized that no force in the world could tolerate him anymore, and if he stayed in Henan, he would definitely be killed by Cao Cao.

Yang Feng's hometown is, of course, Baibo Valley. Now that the main force of the Baibo Army is gone, Baibo Valley still has more than 100,000 elderly and weak people. Yang Feng is preparing to rebuild the Baibo Army - in fact, he plans to become a mountain king.

To become a bandit king, one must naturally place spies in key locations to avoid being unaware when the imperial court comes to suppress bandits.

The ferry crossings on the east bank of the river are the most crucial locations.

Cao Cao, with the imperial entourage, crossed two ferry crossings in succession, and Yang Feng's men naturally kept an eye on this entourage.

When Yang Feng learned that the emperor's entourage had arrived in Hedong, he felt that his chance to turn things around had come...

In particular, they discovered that Cao Cao's forces were small, numbering only two or three thousand, and were all cavalry.

Yang Feng decided to pull off another heist, seize the emperor, and take revenge on Cao Cao for beating him in Henan.

This could be considered a cycle of revenge.

Thus, Cao Cao encountered a band of fierce bandits who launched a night raid on his camp at Xijin.

Yang Feng's troops were no match for Cao Cao's three thousand elite cavalry, and Yang Feng's attempt to seize the emperor failed.

Although Yang Feng launched a surprise attack at night, just like Liu Bei, Cao Cao's camp was not so easy to raid.

Cao Cao had experienced a mutiny in his camp, and from then on, he was very strict in his defenses. Even his personal guards were not allowed to enter Cao Cao's tent—anyone who entered without reporting would be executed.

Cao Cao also killed members of the Ding family. Ding Yi's distant cousin had served as Cao Cao's bodyguard, and they were relatives of Cao Cao's wife.

At that time, Cao Cao was sleeping. His bedding slipped to the ground, and the guard kindly covered him up, but this woke Cao Cao up. Cao Cao then drew his sword and stabbed him to death on the spot.

Cao Cao then discovered that the person he had killed was Ding Yi's cousin, so he continued to sleep until the other guards changed shifts in the morning. Only then did Cao Cao get up and feign surprise: "I am prone to killing in my dreams, so you must not come near me!"

The claim of killing someone in their sleep is just one version of events. Ding Yi knew that this was because his cousin had violated Cao Cao's order—regardless of the reason, entering Cao Cao's bedchamber without reporting meant having ulterior motives. Cao Cao was simply using this method to give the Ding family a way out.

After that, Cao Cao's camp was strictly disciplined, and military discipline remained very strict.

After Yang Feng led his troops to attack the camp, they were repelled in just one hour. Fortunately, Yang Feng was familiar with the terrain and ran fast, and was almost caught by Dian Wei.

But just as Cao Cao had defeated Yang Feng, he heard that Liu Xie had been kidnapped!
……

Liu Xie has been kidnapped once again.

The same person kidnapped him.

Xin's comment.

Xin Ping, a renowned scholar, has now strayed further and further down the path of kidnapping—this time, he kidnapped not only Liu Xie, but also Cao Ang during the chaos of the night.

This time, Xin Ping was no longer acting alone; it had escalated to a gang operation, with Guo Tu acting as his accomplice.

What started as a crime of passion has now escalated into a premeditated act...

Xin Ping had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.

Xin Ping's purpose was certainly not to join Liu Bei, but rather because he met Guo Tu in Hebei.

Upon learning that Yuan Tan was still alive, Xin Ping decided to return to the young master's side.

At least this can be considered a form of loyalty.

In fact, Xin Ping had very few people at his disposal; the only men he could truly command were the Xin family soldiers, numbering only thirty or so.

The Xin family's clan soldiers certainly numbered more than this, but Xin Ping could only trust this many retainers.

Moreover, Cao Cao had always been somewhat wary of him—Cao Cao originally didn't want to bring Xin Ping along, but Xin Ping was worried that he would be killed if he left Cao Cao's side, so he took the initiative to come along.

This is actually the right approach. It's safest to stay by Cao Cao's side. If Xin Ping dies, everyone will assume that Cao Cao killed him.

The Xin family was a prominent clan in Yingchuan with extensive connections, and Xin Ping was considered a "meritorious official who rescued the emperor from a dangerous and treacherous place." Even if Cao Cao distrusted Xin Ping, he could not act rashly.

On the contrary, if they were far away from Cao Cao, they would likely drown or die suddenly from an illness.

However, with Yang Feng launching a night attack, most of Cao Cao's troops were engaged in battle and no one paid attention to Xin Ping.

Xin Ping had been in Cao Cao's army for so long, and he always felt uneasy, worried that Cao Cao or Cao Ang would kill him. During this time, he recruited a few people from Cao Cao's personal guards.

These guards didn't actually dare to do something as serious as kidnapping the emperor; they just passed on messages to Xin Ping, much like eunuchs would pass on messages to officials outside the palace.

However, Xin Ping didn't ask them to do anything important; he only asked them to deliver a letter to Liu Xie.

It was the letter that Liu Xie himself wrote.

To the guards, the letter seemed like a simple letter to their teacher's wife, nothing special. It was signed Jiang Ye, and apart from Cao Ang, no one could understand it.

At the end of the letter, Xin Ping added the words 'people's dwelling'.

When Liu Xie saw his letter appear here, he naturally assumed that the attackers were Liu Bei's men. He then claimed that he was worried that the bandits would break into the camp and asked Cao Ang to take him to a civilian house in the rear camp for refuge.

Yang Feng was attacking Cao Cao's camp at night, and arrows were flying everywhere. Some tents in Cao Cao's camp were set on fire by fire arrows.

Liu Xie was staying in the most conspicuous imperial tent, with banners and flags outside the tent—this was too conspicuous, and he should indeed avoid it.

Cao Cao's camp was built in an abandoned residential area next to the ferry crossing. There were a few houses in the rear camp, but they were all small and unclean, and not suitable for living.

When Cao Cao's troops first arrived, the houses were full of skeletons, which must have been done during the rebellion of the Southern Xiongnu.

But now that someone is attacking the camp, the stone house is indeed safer, at least it can protect against stray arrows.

Cao Ang then personally escorted Liu Xie to the rear camp. As soon as they entered the house, someone held a knife to their neck. The house was small, and Cao Ang only brought two people in, but there were six or seven strong men inside.

All the houses were occupied, so it didn't matter which house you went into. Xin Ping himself wasn't actually in the house that Cao Ang had chosen.

Subsequently, Xin Ping took Liu Xie and Cao Ang hostage, forced the other guards to retreat, and quickly left from the rear of the camp.

Although Cao Ang had three hundred guards, he dared not make a move. He could only follow Xin Ping while sending messages to Cao Cao.

(End of this chapter)