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

Chapter 449 Cao Zixiu Remains Calm in the Face of Danger

Xin Ping ran northwest, and Guo Tu arranged for a boat to meet him at Pubanjin.

Guo Tu was previously sent by Yuan Shao to Yuan Tan's army, but he was at odds with Feng Ji, and Yuan Tan was at war at the time. Guo Tu was not good at military affairs, so he was sent to Hebei again to contact the gentry of Ji Province.

Yuan Shao's original intention was to seize You and Ji. Although Guo Tu had lived in Yingchuan for a long time, his clan was originally from Wei Commandery. Yuan Tan's arrangement was also in line with Guo Tu's own wishes.

After Cao Cao went to Hebei, Guo Tu met Xin Ping and came up with this second kidnapping plan, one inside and one outside.

Cao Cao led his army in pursuit, chasing them all the way to Pubanjin, but Xin Ping had already boarded a ship with Guo Tu's help.

Pubanjin was a ferry crossing between the western part of Hexi and Linjin County in Zuofengyi, and it was also a strategic military location in the Three Auxiliary Regions.

When Cao Cao was blocked at Fenglingdu, he scouted Puban. Previously, there were also people guarding the opposite side of Puban, and Cao Cao could not contact the people on the other side of the river.

Of course, even if they make contact, there could be another kind of kidnapping... after all, the other party is Guo Tu's people.

Now that they know the other side is Xin Ping's accomplice, they obviously don't have many people, otherwise there would be no need to resort to kidnapping.

This means that the river can be crossed at Puban Ferry. Liu Xie is no longer in the army. If we disregard horses and battle losses, Cao Cao could force his way across using leather rafts.

The Yellow River's greatest advantage lies in this: people have many ways to cross the river, but other things are not so easy.

Without boats, horses, heavy equipment, and logistical supplies would certainly not be able to cross the river.

If only rafts or driftwood can be used, then most armor and equipment cannot be brought across, and many people will be washed away. Without equipment, crossing the river will only result in death.

These days, there are no bridges across major rivers. The best way is to build pontoon bridges, but building pontoon bridges requires many boats and close cooperation between the two banks. This kind of thing only happens when there is no war.

It is not easy to cross the river and attack. A few hundred or a thousand people guarding the riverbank can make tens of thousands of troops sigh in despair.

Guan Yu did not want to retreat to Henan because once the crossing point was lost, it would be very difficult to launch a counterattack across the river.

But now, for Cao Cao, even if it means losing his army, he has to save his son.

Cao Cao immediately ordered the felling of trees to build rafts, preparing to abandon the horses and cross the river to pursue the enemy.

At this moment, Dian Wei stepped forward: "My lord, if we wait until we cut down trees to build rafts, the bandits will have already disappeared. It would be better to find a few brothers who are good at swimming and cross the river with me on floating logs, so that we can at least follow the bandits and find their tracks."

In fact, Dian Wei wasn't a very good swimmer; he could only manage a few splashes. But he possessed a courage that others lacked.

After attaching several inflated water bags to his body, Dian Wei, along with five or six brave warriors who volunteered to cross the river on driftwood, removed all his armor, grabbed a few pieces of wood, and jumped into the river.

……

At this point, Xin Ping's boat had reached the middle of the river.

Having escaped the pursuers, Xin Ping breathed a sigh of relief and ordered his men to separate Liu Xie and Cao Ang, keeping them under their own guard.

The wad of cloth that had been stuffed in Cao Ang's mouth was finally pulled out.

"Sir, I'm sorry."

Xin Ping cupped his hands to Cao Ang and said, "I apologize to you, young master, but for the sake of my Xin family, which numbers in the hundreds, I have no choice but to take you away. Otherwise, Lord Cao would surely slaughter my entire family."

Cao Ang spat: "His Majesty ordered me to kill you back then, I really shouldn't have spared your life... Now what do you plan to do?"

Cao Ang also knew that Xin Ping would not dare to kill him, after all, the entire Xin clan was in Cao Cao's territory.

Xin Ping kidnapped Cao Ang only to escape. He wanted to take Cao Ang away alive so that Cao Cao would have reservations, and only then could the entire Xin family survive. Therefore, he had to kidnap Cao Ang as well.

"Rest assured, young master, once I see the young master, I will ensure your safe return..."

Xin Ping actually has a very tough personality, but he speaks very politely.

"Young Master? Whom do you work for? Dong Zhuo... Dong Zhuo's son has already passed away..."

Cao Ang asked, "Is that Yuan Shao... or Yuan Tan in Guanzhong?"

Cao Ang reacted quickly.

Since they're talking about a young master, it means Xin Ping's lord is most likely dead. There aren't many who could be Xin Ping's lord; besides Dong Zhuo and Yuan Shao, the others are still alive, so it can only be Yuan Tan.

Xin Ping nodded and said, "Young master is intelligent. My lord should also be considered an old acquaintance of yours, and he would certainly not harm you. Please do not cause yourself any trouble on your journey. Neither you nor Cao Gong wish for anything to happen to you."

Yuan Tan and Cao Ang were indeed old acquaintances. They were about the same age and had met when they were children, probably around the time when Cao Cao and Liu Bei were selling horses together. At that time, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao had a good relationship.

"Yuan Tan is in Guanzhong... I'm afraid he's in the land of the barbarians, isn't he? Do you intend to take His Majesty to the land of the barbarians? His Majesty hates you to the bone now. If you commit such a treasonous act, you will not be able to sleep peacefully no matter where you are, and His Majesty will not listen to your words..."

Cao Ang looked at Xin Ping with a hint of sarcasm: "Who are you risking your life for? You've kidnapped His Majesty twice, and even after reaching Yuan Tan... does Yuan Tan really trust you?"

These words left Xin Ping speechless.

Indeed, he served under Liu Bei and kidnapped Liu Xie.

He served under Cao Cao and then kidnapped Liu Xie and Cao Ang...

Under Yuan Tan's command... did Yuan Tan truly trust Xin Ping?
Moreover, Yuan Tan is currently in what is actually Hu territory—in fact, Han territory, in Long County, where Ma Teng is located.

However, the northern part of Fufeng and the Hu region are not much different, as it is a place where Qiang and Hu people live together.

"Young master, you are quick-witted and eloquent, truly a man of Cao Cao's talent and achievements."

Xin Ping sighed: "My father received a great favor from Lord Yuan. As his son, I should repay the Yuan family on my father's behalf, thus fulfilling both loyalty and filial piety. I have no desire to seek personal gain, so please do not say more, young master..."

"I suppose your younger brother Xinpi shares the same idea? No wonder he refused when my father appointed him as chief clerk..."

Cao Ang looked at Xin Ping with newfound respect: "If that's really the case, I'll respect you a bit more. However, the Yuan family's reputation has declined. By taking His Majesty to see Yuan Tan, you're not helping Yuan Tan, but harming him."

Xin Ping turned his head and frowned: "What do you mean, young master?"

“Liu Xuande is capable of assisting in the government because he has both the late emperor’s edict and strong power… Your Majesty also respects Liu Xuande now. You and I both know that having someone impersonate the emperor was Your Majesty’s own choice, not Liu Xuande’s usurpation.”

Cao Ang said, “My father is capable of assisting in government because he has the support of the gentry and noble families of the land. He is entrusted with the task of restoring order and rectifying the country, and he also has elite troops that are still capable of serving.”

"And Yuan Tan... the Yuan family has lost its prestige and authority over the land. Yuan Tan has fled to the land of the barbarians. To him, Your Majesty is a burden, not an asset. Moreover, you are holding His Majesty hostage... as long as the people of the world know that His Majesty is with Yuan Tan, the whole world will surely unite to attack the Yuan family..."

“Not to mention Yuan Tan, any member of the Yuan family would be executed for this.”

"Xin Zhongzhi, you will kill your young master, and you will kill all the Yuan family members..."

That's actually correct.

Apart from Liu Bei and Cao Cao, no one can control the emperor now.

Perhaps Liu Yan has a chance, after all, Liu Yan was once the head of the Imperial Clan Court, and he had the status of an elder to Liu Xie.

Besides, whoever the emperor is with will be condemned by the whole world.

It's not for any other reason than its strength.

Cao Cao possessed considerable power, and currently, he was willing to protect the interests of powerful clans and aristocratic families. Regardless of how the emperor came to power, most of these families were currently willing to acknowledge Cao Cao's role in "assisting" the emperor—at least until Cao Cao infringed upon their interests.

Liu Bei infringed upon their interests, so even though Liu Bei had the most legitimate claim, they were unwilling to acknowledge him.

As for others, without sufficient strength, no one will acknowledge this claim.

Let alone kidnapping, even if Liu Xie actively sought protection, even if Liu Xie personally issued an edict, other forces would not recognize it.

Cao Ang could understand this because he had witnessed many things in Linzi.

Cao Ang's time in Linzi was actually a period of study tour, and he did learn many things that ordinary people could not learn.

Xin Ping remained silent for a long time after hearing this, pondering deeply, and sweat gradually began to bead on his forehead.

Cao Ang said again, "Has Xin Zhongzhi not thought of these things? But things have come to this point, and you have no way out... How about I give you a solution that can save both your life and Yuan Tan's life? Are you willing to try?"

Is there a way to have the best of both worlds?

Xin Ping looked at Cao Ang again, his eyes now showing a hint of seriousness.

He underestimated Cao Ang. Cao Ang possessed all of these qualities: calmness, wit, strategy, and courage.

Even filial piety was not lacking—Cao Ang was indeed very filial, and his guards were Cao Cao's personal guards, who would truly risk their lives in times of danger.

Some time ago, Cao Cao and Lady Ding had a quarrel over the matter of taking a concubine, and Cao Ang ran back and forth between them, comforting and reconciling them.

At that time, Cao Cao had just been appointed General Who Guards the East and took Yin, the daughter-in-law of He Miao, as his wife. This was actually to win over He Miao's old subordinates, and half of the reason was based on political behavior.

The other reason, of course, is based on her lower body; Ms. Yin was very beautiful.

Ding originally disagreed with this arrangement because Yin was too beautiful...

It's understandable that Lady Ding was unhappy that Cao Cao took a concubine without the consent of his wife.

So Cao Ang said to Lady Ding that Cao Cao took a concubine in order to win over the scholars whom He Miao had recruited, and that he showed great favor to Lady Yin in order to reassure those people. This was Cao Cao’s job, just like how an emperor accompanies his concubines; it was all a work requirement.

In front of Cao Cao, Cao Ang, in front of Lady Ding, urged Cao Cao not to be overly engrossed in his work, as family should be his priority...

This made taking a concubine seem like a necessary job responsibility, and Lady Ding's anger subsided, and she and Cao Cao returned to their previous harmonious relationship.

Such a son, who could consider both his parents' needs, was truly filial, and Lady Ding loved Cao Ang dearly.

Xin Ping originally thought that Cao Ang's reputation for filial piety and military talent was just a fabrication.

It seems that Cao Cao was indeed very good at educating his sons.

"Let His Majesty go to Chang'an and marry Lady Meiyang."

Cao Ang looked at Xin Ping, turned to the side, and gestured for Xin Ping to untie the ropes binding him: "I'll write you a letter. Go see Zhong Sili and tell him that I asked you to take His Majesty away so that I could escort the Emperor to Chang'an..."

"You sent Yuan Tan to lead his troops into Chang'an to serve the emperor and help my father fight against Liu Bei. Liu Bei killed his parents and brothers, so Yuan Tan should also fulfill his filial duty and avenge them."

“Yuan Tan should pledge allegiance to the emperor and have his crimes pardoned in the emperor’s name. This is the only way out for the Yuan family and only in this way can the Yuan family be saved.”

“With me here, my father will surely forgive you and make an alliance with Yuan Tan. After defeating Liu Bei, my father will no longer pursue your crimes, and you will be given an important position. The Xin family will not be buried in obscurity.”

After Cao Ang finished speaking, he stared into Xin Ping's eyes: "Otherwise, you'll only have to send Yuan Tan to his doom... How about that?"

Xin Ping did not answer, but he did untie the ropes binding Cao Ang.

Afterwards, Xin Ping closed the cabin door and thought for a long time.

He didn't wake up until the ship docked and Guo Tu came looking for him.

"Gongze, if we send the Emperor to Long County, will we be helping the young master or harming him?"

Xin Ping asked Guo Tu with some hesitation, "Would it be a better option to send the Emperor to Chang'an and have him pardon the Yuan family?"

……

……

At this point, it wouldn't be easy for Xin Ping and Guo Tu to go to either Chang'an or Long County.

The Three Auxiliary Regions are currently in a state of chaos and turmoil.

Guo Si, Fan Chou, Li Meng, Wang Fang and others' troops are searching for food in various places... To be precise, they are robbing everywhere in the counties of Sanfu, and the army is committing crimes everywhere.

Xin Ping and Guo Tu only have a little over three hundred men combined, so they'd be in big trouble no matter who they encountered.

So they first went to Niyang, north of Chang'an.

Unexpectedly, Li Jue's troops were fighting Duan Wei in the Niyang area.

In fact, Duan Wei's original intention was simply to pursue the criminals who robbed the emperor's ceremonial regalia. If Li Jue had been able to "hand over the stolen goods," the matter wouldn't have escalated to the point of violence.

But Li Jue really couldn't produce it...

The stolen ceremonial regalia had long been hidden by Zhang Baiqi and Jia Xu.

Li Jue felt wronged by Duan Wei and, pushed to his limit, berated Duan Wei for being a lackey of others, falsely accusing innocent people, and disgracing the Duan family's reputation.

When these words reached Duan Wei's ears, Duan Wei, who had a fiery temper, felt that Li Jue had insulted the Duan family and insisted on killing Li Jue.

So what was originally a normal matter of pursuing the robber has now truly become a personal feud between Duan Wei and Li Jue.

They were originally facing off in Xinfeng, east of Chang'an, but in the past few days, Li Jue has been fighting and retreating all the way to his hometown of Niyang in the north.

Duan Wei then pursued Li Jue all the way to his hometown, Niyang.

Duan Wei's combat skills were actually not much worse than Duan Jiong's, but he was too irritable, had a bad temper and no patience, and was not good at interpersonal relationships. He couldn't get along with most people—even Duan Jiong couldn't stand his temper, so he hadn't had a chance to show his abilities before.

Of course, this kind of personality makes it difficult for soldiers to like him. His combat skills are indeed not bad, but his ability to manage troops is completely lacking, making him prone to mutiny...

However, since Duan Wei is now leading the Yang family's private army, he doesn't need to worry too much about internal issues or losses, allowing him to fully utilize his strengths in commanding operations.

When you're a boss, you have to consider costs and interpersonal relationships, but it's different for a professional manager.

Although the Yang family's private army suffered far greater losses than Li Jue's troops, Li Jue was still repeatedly defeated by Duan Wei and had no choice but to retreat to Niyang.

After retreating to the vicinity of his hometown, Li Jue stabilized his position and engaged in a back-and-forth battle with Duan Wei, with each side gaining the upper hand. The area around Niyang was devastated, and all roads were blocked.

So, when Xin Ping and Guo Tu led Liu Xie and Cao Ang to Niyang, they unfortunately plunged into the battlefield.

At that time, Duan Wei was leading his army to launch a surprise attack on Niyang, and Li Jue was busy resisting. The two sides were evenly matched.

During the battle, another strange force suddenly entered the battlefield. When it was discovered by scouts, both Li Jue and Duan Wei panicked, thinking it was reinforcements sent by the other side...

(End of this chapter)