My Three Kingdoms is not right

Sun Shangxiang used all her skills to shoot three arrows in quick succession.

However, Lü Bu wielded his halberd with one hand, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, easily knocking down the incoming arrows as if he were just shooing away flies.

On the other side, Zhao Yun, having regained his senses, had already caught up. The silver spear struck again, this time targeting the opening under Lü Bu's armpit, where the armor was thin. If she could strike, she could cripple the arm wielding the halberd.

Lu Bu merely sneered and used the boy's body in his hand to block him to the left.

Zhao Yun's spear tip abruptly changed direction.

She gritted her teeth, the tip of the spear trembling, yet she dared not advance even an inch further.

Taking advantage of her hesitation, Lü Bu swung his halberd upwards, forcing Zhao Yun back once again.

At the same time, Xu Huang also rode over, his great axe slashing down at Lü Bu with the force of splitting mountains and shattering rocks.

Lu Bu used the same trick again, using Liu Xun's body as a shield to meet the axe blade.

Xu Huang's pupils contracted sharply, and she abruptly stopped her axe thrust. The backlash caused a sharp pain in her chest, and a metallic taste rose in her throat. She had no choice but to rein in her horse and stop abruptly, watching helplessly as Lü Bu galloped past her.

The boy, held in Lu Bu's arms, remained motionless, his black hair falling through the gaps in his armor and being tossed high by the wind.

"Hahaha!"

Lu Bu burst into loud laughter, his laughter arrogant and unrestrained.

She turned her head on horseback, looking at the Imperial Guard generals who were gritting their teeth but dared not pursue her, her face full of smugness: "Come on, chase after them! Why aren't you chasing them anymore?"

As they were speaking, Zhang Liao led his personal guard cavalry to greet her, surrounding her in a protective circle.

Seeing their commander so imposing, the soldiers of Lü Bu's army erupted in a thunderous cheer.

"General, you are mighty! However, we cannot delay any longer," Zhang Liao reminded him in a low voice.

Lu Bu nodded and glanced down at the boy he had taken hostage.

Liu Xun had already fainted, his eyes were closed, and the lines of his profile appeared particularly soft in his sleep. His lips were slightly parted, revealing a bit of his white teeth.

She suddenly felt very proud.

We didn't manage to take Tangshan, but it was still a really exciting battle!

"Go!" Lü Bu raised his chin and shouted to the deathly pale-faced imperial guards on the mountain, "Tell Cao Cao that if he wants the princess back, he'd better kneel down and beg me in Xiapi!"

-----------------

When Cao Cao's main force finally arrived at the foot of Tangshan, the place was eerily quiet.

Amidst the billowing dust, the army continued to arrive, its 15,000-strong force spreading out like a vast ocean to the south of the small Tangshan.

Cao Cao's crimson cloak fluttered in the wind as she looked past her own army and onto the ravaged battlefield ahead.

The Imperial Guard camp was in ruins, with many sections of the walls collapsed, deer antlers scattered all over the ground, and the trenches nearly half-filled with corpses and wounded horses. Bloodstains meandered down the mountain, gleaming a shocking dark red in the sunlight.

Several imperial guards stood in front of the gate, their armor tattered and their bodies covered in blood.

Cao Cao dismounted and strode towards them. His boots crunched on the blood-soaked mud with a sickening sound.

"We are incompetent!"

Xu Huang, at the front, said in a hoarse voice, "General Cao, His Highness has been captured by Lü Bu."

Her shoulders were trembling slightly. Behind her, Zhao Yun, Sun Shangxiang, and Sun Yi all had their heads down and were biting their lips tightly.

"Get up." Cao Cao patted Xu Huang on the shoulder. "Get up and speak."

Xu Huang raised his head, his usually composed face now etched with pain: "General Cao, please lend me a cavalry unit. This humble general requests permission to pursue them..."

"What are you chasing?" Cao Cao interrupted her. "By the time you catch up, Lü Bu will be near the walls of Xiapi. The city is high and the moat is deep. What good will it do you if you chase after him?"

Xu Huang opened his mouth, but had nothing to say.

Cao Cao's gaze swept over the dilapidated camp, over the imperial guards who were still treating the wounded, and over the corpses and broken weapons scattered all over the ground.

Her voice softened: "With 1,500 infantry and cavalry, we held off Lü Bu's 4,000 elite troops for half a day until our main force arrived."

"You fought very well. Lu Bu's bravery is known throughout the land. You have given your all. The fault does not lie with you."

Xu Huang's eyes reddened.

She doesn't care about merits or demerits.

She only cared about the boy who had been kidnapped.

Zhao Yun cupped his hands and said, "General Cao, Lü Bu said something before he left..."

"I know," Cao Cao raised his hand to stop her, "'If you want the princess back, you'll have to kneel down and beg me in Xiapi.' Right?"

Zhao Yun pursed his lips and nodded.

Cao Cao suddenly laughed.

The laughter wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present very clearly.

"Lu Bu was originally a man of some stature," she shook her head, her tone laced with undisguised sarcasm, "yet he has stooped to the point of resorting to kidnapping men for blackmail."

She turned to the generals and advisors beside her:

"Tell me, why has the peerless Flying General become so despicable?"

Cao Ren grinned and said, "Lu Bu has been so terrified of our lord that he doesn't even have the courage to fight head-on anymore. He can only rely on taking hostages to save his life."

"Exactly!" Xu Chu grumbled, "What 'number one in the world'? He's nothing but a petty thief!"

Cao Cao listened to these words, but his smile remained unchanged:

"Pass down the order," her voice was firm, "surround Xiapi! Attack the city tomorrow according to the original plan!"

"Yes, sir!" the generals roared in response.

Cao Cao walked up to the watchtower, waved his hand to signal his generals not to approach, and looked towards Xiapi, the smile on his face gradually disappearing.

She stood there alone for a long time, motionless.

"Fengxiao!"

"My lord." Guo Jia took a few steps closer and stood behind her.

Cao Cao slowly spoke: "Fengxiao, Lü Bu is just bluffing; he wouldn't dare do anything to... Liu Xun, right?"

Guo Jia looked up at her retreating figure: "My lord, you are wise. Lü Bu would not dare to harm His Highness."

"If Lü Bu wanted to kill His Highness, he could have done so on the battlefield. The fact that she kidnapped him means she intends to use him to blackmail our lord."

Guo Jia paused for a moment, then said, "Moreover, His Highness is the Emperor's younger brother, one of the Nine Ministers of the Court, and his status is extremely noble. To kill His Highness would be to completely break with the court, leaving no room for maneuver."

"Even if Lü Bulu is reckless, Chen Gong will understand this principle."

Cao Cao nodded, then after a moment, suddenly asked, "I absolutely cannot compromise with Lü Bu, right?"

Guo Jia was slightly taken aback, then shook his head: "Absolutely not!"

"If you compromise with Lü Bu, all the lords in the world will think you are weak and easy to bully, and Xuchang will never have a peaceful day again."

"Inside, our lord forcibly stopped the massacre of Pengcheng because of His Highness. If we were to withdraw our troops from Xuzhou because of him, our lord's prestige and authority in the army would be severely damaged."

"Besides, my lord, don't forget Yuan Shao," Guo Jia emphasized. "Yuan Shao is in Hebei and won't give us time."

"If we fail to resolve the situation in Xuzhou soon, and Yuan Shao pacifies Gongsun Zan and consolidates the power of the four provinces before marching south, our lord will be attacked from both sides."

When Cao Cao turned around, the hesitation in his eyes had disappeared, replaced by a cold clarity.

"Yes," her voice calmed, "I cannot compromise."

"Liu Xun is no ordinary man; he will certainly not blame me."

Guo Jia pursed his lips and lowered his eyes.