Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 317 Cao Mengde, the short-sighted prime minister of the Han Dynasty, also colluded with Yuan!

"The watchman's clapper will sound; let us prepare our spears and shields."

"Tiger warriors don their armor, we are comrades in arms!"

Xiahou Yuan finally resigned himself to his fate after being bombarded with sweet words by Xiahou Ba. He took the bow from his horse and removed the arrows from his back.

He drew his bow and nocked an arrow, aiming it directly at Lü Bu.

If Yuan Rang had endured hardship and Ba'er had tasted the bitterness of defeat, and if Yuan had intervened in Cao Cao's camp, there might have been room for maneuver.

But life is unpredictable. Now, the best of the Xiahou family, spanning two generations, has all fallen into the hands of the Yuan family. In the end, when the Prime Minister says, "Endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens," how can he possibly believe it?

Once he was deeply involved, he realized his elder brother's helplessness. Once he entered Yuan's camp, it was like entering a deep sea; how could he possibly gain his freedom?

Today, war is fierce and dangerous, and what's done is done. Since my son is ambitious, how can I not help him?

The die is cast. Lü Bu? Lü Bu!

"Is it not unreasonable to exchange your head for my son's lifelong wealth?"

With the arrow already on the bowstring, it had to be released. As Xiahou Yuan's eyes sharpened, the arrow in his hand shot like a meteor straight for Lü Bu's brow.

Xiahou Yuan is here!

"Lu Bu, stop your arrogance! Watch me slay you!"

"Xiahou Yuan?"

Lu Bu was shocked. At this moment, he understood that he had been betrayed by Cao Cao.

It turns out that Yuan Shu's northern expedition and the decisive battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu were all fake. It was all Cao Cao's doing to harm him.

He simply couldn't understand why, faced with the threat of Yuan Shu's supposedly massive army of 830,000, Cao Cao didn't think about joining forces with him to resist Yuan, but instead had the mind to fight among himself.

This is utterly wicked and immoral; a despicable and treacherous person!

Yes, right now, Cao Cao, Lü Bu, and Yuan Shu are vying for power. Cao Cao deliberately sent a message to Yuan Shu's army in order to weaken himself and make Yuan Shu shift his target from north to east, thus carrying out the plan of diverting disaster eastward.

If Cao Cao can lure Yuan Shu to attack Xuzhou by doing his own thing, then his current predicament will be resolved without a fight.

How could Lü Bu not curse inwardly, his teeth itching with hatred?

"What a short-sighted Cao Mengde! The Chancellor of the Han Dynasty was also in cahoots with Yuan!"

Fickle, betraying allies, and unfilial.

Today we cede Xuzhou, tomorrow we relinquish Yanzhou, using the abundant resources of the nine provinces to satisfy the insatiable desires of the King of Han, and thus gain a peaceful night's sleep.

They are nothing but withered bones in a tomb, a sure path to death; sooner or later they will be captured by the King of Han!

As for the claim that Cao Cao did not ally with Yuan Shao, how do we explain Xiahou Yuan in this situation?

Judging from the pace and speed of Cao Cao's army, Xiahou Yuan probably only arrived at Huanyuan Pass a few days ago.

If he hadn't been in league with Yuan, why would he have helped the Han army?

They can't just arrive and then immediately surrender, can they? Don't they put up any resistance?
This is the kind of thing where a general is sent to rush to Huanyuan Pass, then directly into Yuan's camp to plot against him.

Who would believe that Cao Cao didn't have an alliance with Yuan Shao?

Unfortunately, in the midst of a great battle, Lü Bu had no time to think about the details. In the blink of an eye, Xiahou Yuan's arrow was already upon him.

Lu Bu finally made his first move. His Red Hare was in perfect harmony with him, and Lu Bu was also exceptionally skilled in martial arts. He managed to fight against Taishi Ci, Chen Dao, Xu Sheng, Ling Cao, and Yue Jin while simultaneously suppressing them. He urged Red Hare forward to dodge the arrows.

The onlookers were truly terrified, as if witnessing a myth.

It turned out that Lu Bu and his Red Hare were not standing still because they were restrained by the five men, but because even the five men working together could not force him to move.

With Xiahou Yuan's help, Lü Bu was forced to spur his Red Hare and begin fighting on the battlefield.

Xiahou Yuan shot several arrows, but failed to achieve his goal because he had to avoid accidentally injuring anyone.

If the generals were ordered to fire arrows, the generals in the field would be engaged in fierce fighting with Lü Bu, while Lü Bu's army and the Han army around them would be locked in a fierce battle from the very beginning. Given the strict discipline of the Han army, they would not do something like shooting down both Lü Bu's army and the Han army indiscriminately, thus losing popular support.

Seeing that the arrows were ineffective, Xiahou Yuan had no choice but to take up his sword and join the fray to fight Lü Bu.

Not wanting to see Xiahou Yuan, that treacherous villain who helped Cao Cao secretly collude with Yuan Shu, dare to come and fight him, Lü Bu felt both old and new grudges!

Lu Bu, who had spent half his life on the battlefield and roamed the world, was the only one who had ever betrayed his country and turned against it. This was the first time he had done so. He had come to help Cao Cao with a heart full of passion and good intentions, but he was betrayed by Cao Cao.

And so, the halberd was wielded with the force of a thousand pounds, each move aimed at taking Xiahou Yuan's life.

Xiahou Yuan drew his sword to block, only to realize how formidable Lü Bu was. He managed to hold out for a short while before feeling his tiger's mouth split open, as if his internal organs were damaged.

Fortunately, there were many Han generals around who helped each other and relied on their numerical advantage to prevent anyone from being killed by Lü Bu.

Seeing Lü Bu's unparalleled prowess, Xiahou Ba, who was observing the battle from afar, was also horrified, secretly thinking that he was glad he hadn't been reckless and gone to fight.

With his father's decades of martial arts training, he had narrowly escaped death. If he, with his small arms and legs, went up there, wouldn't he be chopped down by Lu Bu's halberd?
But as a filial son, how could he just stand by and watch his father charge into battle and fight the enemy general to the death?
He immediately set his sights on Xiahou Dun, who was standing nearby, and said to him:
"Uncle, please save Father!"

"I didn't expect Lü Bu to be so powerful. If you don't come to my aid soon, Father won't be able to hold out."

Xiahou Dun: "."

You poor thing, your father must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to have given birth to you.

If you say he's unfilial, he immediately tried to get help when he saw his father in trouble.

But why did your father get into trouble? You haven't said a word about it.

Although he was reluctant to work for Yuan's camp, the entire Xiahou family had now been dragged into this mess. After so many years of brotherhood, Xiahou Dun couldn't just stand by and watch Xiahou Yuan barely survive under Lü Bu's halberd.

He let out a long sigh, then picked up his spear and rode off to fight.

Despite his unwavering loyalty and bravery, he served in Yuan Shikai's camp for several years.

I was appointed General Who Guards the North, and bestowed the title of Heavenly Star Lord. Who would have thought I'd one day fight for the traitor Yuan Shao?

Overwhelmed with mixed feelings and a jumble of thoughts, he finally uttered a single word: "Kill!"

"Miao Cai, don't panic, your brother is coming!"

"You traitorous slave, Xiahou Dun of Peiqiao is here! Dare to fight me?!"

Seeing Xiahou Dun charging into the battle with such ferocity, Lü Bu couldn't help but feel a hint of annoyance.

[Dare to fight?]
You dare tell everyone else to stay quiet! See how I kill you!

Don't talk like you're here to challenge me to a one-on-one fight!

At that time, Taishi Ci, Chen Dao, Xu Sheng, Ling Cao, Yue Jin, Xiahou Yuan, and Xiahou Dun fought together. Even someone as strong as Lü Bu felt that he couldn't fight against so many opponents. Fortunately, sometimes having more people doesn't necessarily mean you're stronger. Although there were many enemy generals, the space around Lü Bu was limited. Although the seven enemy generals were fighting together, they couldn't actually attack him at the same time.

Even the fact that their companions' bodies could shield them from harm meant they had to be more restrained.

At that time, Lü Bu often used his superb halberd skills to borrow force from others, causing Taishi Ci's spear to collide with Xiahou Yuan's sword, and using Xu Sheng's sword to block Chen Dao's spear.

Although at this moment, taking advantage of the fact that the seven opponents were not cooperating, he was still able to hold on with his unparalleled martial arts skills.

However, facing such a large number of people, it was extremely difficult for Lü Bu to inflict casualties.

For example, if he wanted to kill Xiahou Yuan, he first had to make sure that Xiahou Yuan couldn't stop himself, and then he also had to make sure that the other six people couldn't free up their hands to block and save him.

But how is this possible?
Seven naked weapons were right in front of him, and each one was no ordinary weapon. How could a god have prevented all seven of them from reacting in time to come to their rescue?
This is Lu Bu's current predicament. No matter who he attacks, no matter how good the opportunity is, one of the seven men will always be able to react and block. Even if there is no time, they can use offense as defense, forcing him to withdraw his halberd and return to reinforce.

Even if Lü Bu wanted to use his halberd to strike with immense force, exhausting one person's strength, the seven men could take turns blocking and recovering from each other, thus depleting Lü Bu's stamina first.

On the contrary, Lü Bu focused on defense. Because the seven men were hastily deployed and their coordination was unfamiliar, and there was not enough space for them to maneuver, Lü Bu was able to fight them on foot with Red Hare and had not yet shown any signs of defeat.

Even so, Lü Bu knew this wouldn't last long, as the teamwork among the seven had clearly improved over the course of hundreds of rounds.

Moreover, he was fighting seven people with his own strength. Even if he could hold out for a short time, he would inevitably lose if the fight dragged on.

Lu Bu gritted his teeth, thinking to himself that Yuan Ying was indeed shameless, capable of taking on him one-on-one with seven men. At the same time, he was also thinking of a way to escape.

Meanwhile, at Huanyuan Pass.

Hou Cheng did not have time to enter the camp with Lü Bu, so although he was also surrounded by Yuan's army, the cavalry outside the camp could charge and escape much more easily than Lü Bu, who was trapped inside the camp.

Upon receiving Lü Bu's order to seek reinforcements at Huanyuan Pass, he did not hesitate and immediately led his two thousand men to break through the encirclement.

After fighting their way out, when they arrived at Huanyuan Pass, they had only five hundred cavalrymen left under their command.

Although he was heartbroken over the loss of his men, rescuing Lü Bu was the priority.

Upon reaching Huanyuan Pass, he immediately knocked on the door and shouted:

"I am Hou Cheng, a general under the command of the King of Qi!"
Is the garrison commander of Huanyuan Pass still alive?
King Qi defected to the Han army to join the Cao-Lü alliance, but he was tricked by treacherous people and is now ambushed and fighting a bloody battle in the Han camp.

Urgent distress call! Help my king!!!

However, to Hou Cheng's utter surprise, the response he received was a chilling voice from the city wall: "Release the arrows!"

Hou Cheng: "???"

Seeing the rain of arrows raining down on him without a word, Hou Cheng dodged the arrows while shouting:
"Friendly troops, do not harm them!"
My king and Cao Cao have a Cao-Lü alliance, and have agreed to jointly resist the Han army. Why are you shooting arrows now?
If you doubt my identity, I can come to the city and speak with you to prove my innocence!

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Fire arrows!!!"

Seeing the arrows raining down, becoming more and more frequent, Hou Cheng was both angry and anxious, and said resentfully.

"King Qi has been ambushed and is in dire straits. Are you all going to stand by and watch him die?"

No matter what he said, the city's defenders seemed to be heartless, not only refusing to open the gates to send reinforcements, but even shooting him with arrows!

Hou Cheng was filled with despair, cursed Cao Cao as a traitor, and hurriedly led his army back to rescue Lü Bu.

Watching his departing figure from the city wall, the garrison commander hurriedly returned to the city to report to Guan Yu:
"General, another Hou Cheng has arrived. This is the third Hou Cheng this month. I have already shot him away."

Guan Yu stroked his beard with one hand and held the Spring and Autumn Annals in the other. He didn't even lift his eyelids, but simply nodded slightly, signaling him to step back.

"This humble general takes his leave."

On the other side, in the Han army camp, the fierce battle had been raging for some time. Although Lu Bu's cavalry in the camp could not charge forward due to the chaos of the battle, they were killed one after another by the swarm of infantrymen with spears.

However, after several charges, the cavalry outside the camp finally broke through the Han army's defensive gate and created an opening.

Cheng Lian cried out urgently, "General! Come quickly!"

We will protect you and fight our way out of their encirclement!

Lu Bu smiled bitterly upon seeing this. He also wanted to break through the encirclement, but with seven generals surrounding him, how could he possibly escape?

Just as he was at his wit's end, thinking that he had been truly tricked by Cao Cao, his Red Hare horse seemed to understand human nature and actually rescued Lü Bu from the brink of death.

Just as everyone was surrounding and attacking, Red Hare unexpectedly kicked out with its hind leg, striking Ling Cao's horse.

Caught off guard, Ling Cao immediately fell off his horse. Seeing this opportunity, Lü Bu seized it and brandished his halberd, bursting through the gap in the encirclement, killing anyone who stood in his way!
"Anyone who stands in my way will die!!!"

His halberd swept across, blocking everything in its path, like a demon god, and he actually managed to break free from the encirclement of the seven generals and quickly rejoin Cheng Lian.

With Lü Bu as the spearhead, the cavalry roared once more and charged toward the gate of the camp.

During this time, Han soldiers, armed with armor, surrounded them from all over the mountains and plains. Spears and arrows rained down, leaving countless dead along the way.

Ling Cao, who had fallen to the ground, cursed, found another horse, and joined his generals in chasing Lü Bu for ten miles before stopping when they heard the gong sounding from behind.

They fled in panic, their cavalry battered and their armor torn, until they finally broke free from the encirclement of the vast Han army. Only then did Lü Bu count his men and realize with a start that they had been utterly terrified.

Of the ten thousand cavalrymen he brought, less than three thousand remained.

He roamed the world, accompanied him in killing Ding Yuan, eliminating Dong Zhuo, fleeing Luoyang, conquering Yanzhou, and seizing the wealth and resources of Xuzhou, all of which were lost in a single day!
Lü Bu looked up at the sky and said angrily, "Cao Mengde! You are a treacherous and treacherous villain! I swear to kill you!"
I will make sure all the lords of the world know of you, you treacherous traitor who betrayed your allies!!!

Soon after, Hou Cheng gathered his defeated troops and led five hundred remaining soldiers to the scene. Upon seeing Lü Bu alive, he wept bitterly.

Hou Cheng immediately knelt on the ground and cried out:

"Your Majesty, Cao Cao's army is untrustworthy and refuses to come to our aid."

To Hou Cheng's surprise, Lü Bu seemed to have anticipated this news, simply raising his hand to let him up while coldly gazing towards Luoyang.

"No need for further words, I already know everything."

This was Cao Cao's plan to shift the blame eastward, a deliberate attempt to harm them. Why would he be willing to help?
Since he is unrighteous, don't blame me for being unjust!

After speaking, Lü Bu immediately commanded the remaining troops, "All generals, listen to my order! Follow me back to Langya to rendezvous with the strategist!"

"At that time, we will lead our troops north and make that traitor Cao Cao pay!"

Meanwhile, in the Han army camp, only a few soldiers managed to escape because Lü Bu had led his troops in a breakout.

Nearly three thousand men escaped, mainly because his troops were all cavalry, while the Han army consisted entirely of infantry. Once they broke through, they couldn't be caught up.

Otherwise, if the infantry broke through, it would be difficult for Lü Bu to leave behind five hundred men.

Nevertheless, at this moment, a large number of Lü Bu's cavalry and horses that had lost their masters had also fallen into the Han army camp.

Seeing that this haul, once consolidated, could produce at least three thousand elite cavalry, both Lu Xun and Yang Hong smiled.

Thanks to the bounty of nature, and thanks to King Qi for the great service he brought from afar!
(End of this chapter)