The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 140 Liu Bei enters Ye City, shocked to hear that Cao Cao massacred the surrendered soldiers of Guandu (5th update)
Subsequently.

Liu Bei first ordered Guan Yu to lead 300 light cavalry to wait at the south gate, and then summoned Xu Shu, Chen Zhen and others to give them instructions one by one.

Once everything was arranged, he and Zhuge Liang rode off to meet Guan Yu.
At this time, Yuan Xi also led five hundred cavalrymen to the south gate, with his generals Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan accompanying him.

When Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan saw Liu Bei riding up, they hurriedly stepped forward to pay their respects, their words filled with reverence: "This humble general greets General Zuo."

Since following Liu Bei in his campaigns across six commanderies, the two have repeatedly distinguished themselves in battle and received substantial rewards.

Although staying under Yuan Xi's command is acceptable, serving under the Left General feels like having a wider world to explore.

If Liu Bei achieves great success in the future, the two of them can also be proud that they once wore armor alongside Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, and Huang Zhong, and made military contributions together.

With such qualifications, others can only envy them.

Compared to scholars who pursued diverse goals such as fame, profit, ideals, and family, warriors' desires were often purer: nothing more than fame, fortune, and the pleasure of revenge.

As long as the path to promotion through military merit is open and the military is given due respect, military men are easily assimilated by the atmosphere.

For Jiao Chu and Zhang Nan, being able to follow Liu Bei south again today is another rare opportunity for promotion.

The two sides joined forces and marched straight towards Ye City.

a few days later.

When Liu Bei and his 800 iron cavalry arrived outside the gates of Ye City, the scene before them was eerie:

The city gates were poorly guarded, and the soldiers were all listless, with no one stepping forward to question or stop them.

If the attackers were Cao Cao's cavalry, Ye City would fall to the enemy today.

"General Zuo, something seems amiss in Ye City," Yuan Xi said, his brow furrowed with worry.

Liu Bei glanced at the listless guards at the city gate and gave Jiao Chu a meaningful look.

Jiao Chu understood and spurred his horse forward, shouting, "Governor Yuan of Youzhou and General Liu Zuo have personally led the elite cavalry of Youzhou to assist us. How dare you neglect your duties?"

The guard merely raised his eyelids slightly to glance at Jiao Chu, a cold smile playing on his lips, before turning his face away.

Enraged, Jiao pointed his spear at the guard and shouted, "How dare you be so disrespectful?"

The guard, however, regarded the spearhead as nothing and closed his eyes to ignore it.

Looking around, the other guards were like walking corpses, lifeless.

Jiao Chu was filled with surprise and doubt, and had no choice but to turn back and report to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei turned his gaze to Zhuge Liang, as if to ask a question.

Normally, after Yuan Shao's defeat and return, Ye City should have been heavily guarded, and there would be no reason for it to be so lifeless as it is today.

"It can't be."

Suddenly, Zhuge Liang thought of a possibility.

He immediately suppressed his suspicions and changed his words, saying, "Let's leave this matter for now. Let's go into the city and see the General first, and perhaps we can find out the truth."

The group urged their horses into the city.

However, the scene inside the city was even more horrifying: every household hung white banners, and cries of mourning rose and fell.

Doubts filled the minds of everyone.

Jiao Chu dismounted to inquire and received a shocking message: "Reporting to Governor Yuan and General Zuo! Cao Cao... has buried alive tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers at Guandu!"

"Is this true? To bury them all alive? How dare Cao Mengde commit such an atrocity!" Liu Bei exclaimed in shock.

Jiao Chu remained silent, his face showing shock.

Yuan Xi's face turned ashen: "Is Cao Cao trying to cut himself off from the people of Hebei with this move?!"

Guan Yu gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, his phoenix eyes wide open like torches.

On the battlefield, life and death are determined by fate. To massacre surrendered soldiers is a violation of the natural order!
Zhuge Liang sighed deeply, revealing the crux of the matter: "The families of the surrendered soldiers at Guandu are all in Hebei. Their surrender was out of necessity, not out of genuine loyalty. Cao Cao's army was small and few, numbering only about ten thousand men, utterly incapable of guarding tens of thousands of surrendered soldiers. Unable to take them in, yet unwilling to let them return, and with their supplies cut off, he resorted to this policy of killing surrendered soldiers." Liu Bei's eyes blazed with anger, mixed with deep remorse: "Strategist, I..."

Zhuge Liang shook his head slightly, his tone turning solemn: "The massacre of surrendered soldiers is Cao Cao's cruelty! After you meet with the General-in-Chief, you should strongly advise him to treat the families of the fallen soldiers well!"

Liu Bei gritted his teeth, finally letting out a heavy sigh.

Upon hearing of such atrocities, everyone felt heavy-hearted.

Jiao Chu finally understood why the city gate guards were not only neglecting their duties, but also ignoring the spears pointed at their throats.

th.

Yuan Shao abandoned his army at Guandu and fled, resulting in the massacre of tens of thousands of soldiers, which completely shattered the prestige he had built up over the years.

With the soldiers lamenting and complaining, who would still be willing to serve Yuan Shao wholeheartedly?
Upon arriving at the General's Mansion, Liu Bei and the others learned that Yuan Shao had been living in seclusion since returning to Ye City, and had not shown his face or received any visitors.

"I am the son of the Great General. If a son wishes to see his father, who dares to stop me?" Yuan Xi shouted angrily when his men tried to stop him.

However, even as the disciples knelt and kowtowed, they only repeated: "The General has strictly ordered that no one is allowed to enter without permission!"

Liu Bei stopped the enraged Yuan Xi and gently advised him, "Governor Yuan, please calm down. Now that you are in Ye City, you will eventually have the opportunity to see the General."

He then bent down to help the gatekeeper up and gently comforted him, saying, "It is only natural for Governor Yuan to be worried about his father. If the General asks, you can say that General Liu Bei has come to pay his respects."

The disciple thanked him repeatedly and whispered, "If General Zuo wishes to see the General, he might as well go and find Mr. Guo first. Since the General returned, only Mr. Guo has been summoned to the palace."

Liu Bei was moved: "Is it Guo Tu?"

The disciple nodded: "Exactly."

Liu Bei thanked him again and first sent Yuan Xi to the city wall to find a place for his troops to set up camp.

He then took Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, and several personal guards and rode to Guo Tu's residence.

Seeing that the gates of the mansion were tightly closed, Liu Bei ordered his men to knock on the door.

The gatekeeper came out in response, and Liu Bei asked gently, "Is Mr. Guo at home?"

The gatekeeper sized up the visitors for a moment before replying, "Mr. Guo's arrow wound is still healing, and he is currently recuperating. May I ask who you gentlemen are...?"

Liu Bei remained calm: "Please inform them that General Liu Bei has come to pay a visit."

The gatekeeper dared not delay and hurried inside to report.

Not long after.

Guo Tu, wearing a blue outer robe, strode out to greet them, his shoulders vaguely covered with white cloth, his face pale.

Upon seeing Liu Bei, he bowed deeply again: "I was unaware of General Zuo's personal arrival. I apologize for failing to greet you properly!"

Liu Bei asked with concern, "Mr. Guo, what's going on...?"

Guo Tu sighed, "These are just minor injuries, nothing to worry about. General Zuo and everyone else, please come inside with me for a chat."

Move to the inner hall.

When Liu Bei inquired about the details of the Battle of Guandu, Guo Tu concealed the fact that he had framed Zhang He and Gao Lan, and then recounted the course of the battle in detail.

Upon hearing of Chunyu Qiong's death, Liu Bei sighed, "I never imagined that our parting at Yan Jin would end without seeing General Chunyu again."

On that day in Yanjin, Liu Bei befriended Chunyu Qiong and even joined forces with him to defeat Cao Cao. Before parting, Liu Bei also expressed goodwill towards Chunyu Qiong. Little did he expect that Chunyu Qiong would die in the Battle of Guandu.

I sigh.

Liu Bei then asked, "The people of Ye City are in a state of panic, and the General is staying at home. If Cao Cao hears the news and comes, Ye City will be in danger."

Guo Tu looked embarrassed: "The General has always been concerned about his reputation. Now, the defeat at Guandu has resulted in the massacre of tens of thousands of soldiers by Cao Cao, with only one in ten surviving. Even Shen Pei's two sons are now nowhere to be found, and their fate is likely grim."

　Fifth update. Requesting monthly votes. Early to bed and early to rise, more tomorrow.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)