My Three Kingdoms is not right

The cell was only about ten feet square, with half a foot of sewage accumulating in the corners and moss growing on the walls.

Gao Shun's cell was at the very back. Liu Xun looked through the wooden bars and for a moment failed to recognize the figure huddled in the corner.

She wore a filthy undergarment, her hair was mostly disheveled, and a few strands clung to her cheeks. The skin exposed at her ankles was red, swollen, and ulcerated, clearly from being soaked in sewage.

"Your Highness?" Hearing the noise, she looked up and was stunned when she saw Liu Xun. She then struggled to get up and bow.

"Your Highness shouldn't have come to a place like this."

Liu Xun then saw clearly that her arms were tied behind her back, the ropes were very tight, and deep red marks were left on the skin of her wrists. In some places, the skin was chafed and the pink flesh underneath was exposed.

"No need for formalities. I've brought you some food." Liu Xun took the food box from Yao Tian, ​​squatted down, took out the bowl of noodles, and placed it in front of Gao Shun: "Try it while it's hot."

Gao Shun looked at the bowl of sour soup noodles. Steam was rising from the bowl, and the aroma of sour soup was irresistible. The noodles were swaying slightly in the amber soup, with a few scallions floating on top.

Behind the steam was the dignified princess, who was personally holding a bowl of noodles and bringing it to her lips.

This usually aloof young woman couldn't help but shed tears.

"I have no way to repay the princess's kindness!"

Seeing her disheveled appearance, Liu Xun felt a pang of sympathy. He gently wiped her eyes with the back of his hand and said softly, "Eat quickly and warm yourself up."

Gao Shun didn't refuse anymore. With her hands tied, she couldn't hold the bowl, so she could only lower her head, take Liu Xun's hand, and slowly sip some noodle soup from the bowl.

The sour soup entered her throat, carrying the sharpness of vinegar and the richness of soy sauce, the heat flowing from her throat all the way to her stomach. Her eyelashes trembled, and she lowered her head to take another bite of noodles.

Liu Xun squatted outside, holding the bowl in one hand and protecting the rim of the bowl with the other, watching Gao Shun eat bite by bite.

"If General had known this would happen, he shouldn't have contradicted Lü Bu," Liu Xun said, shaking his head as he saw that she had almost finished eating.

Gao Shun swallowed the last bite of his biscuit, remained silent for a long time, and then spoke in a hoarse voice: "If military law is unjust, the morale of the army will be unstable. I only did what I was supposed to do."

"But Lü Bu might not appreciate it."

"I know." Gao Shun lowered his head, looking at his feet soaking in the sewage. "But there are some things we can't refrain from doing just because our lord doesn't appreciate it."

Liu Xun put the empty bowl back into the food box, somewhat helplessly.

He was extremely envious of Gao Shun and her elite troops.

Although they numbered less than a thousand, Liu Xun dared to say that even the most elite troops in Cao Cao's army would not be a match for them.

But Gao Shun is a really hard target; I wonder what kind of spell Lü Bu cast on her...

"Father, don't you resent Lü Bu?"

Gao Shun did not answer the question, but slowly said, "When I met my lord, I was just a border soldier squad leader in Bingzhou."

"During a pursuit of the remnants of the Xiongnu, my squad was ambushed and almost completely wiped out."

"I was seriously wounded and lay in the snow, thinking I was going to die. It was my lord who rode back alone, single-handedly breaking through the Xiongnu cavalry with his halberd, and carried me out of the pile of dead bodies."

"At that time, our lord was just a cavalry captain."

Gao Shun raised his head, his gaze piercing through the prison bars and looking into the distance: "My life was given to me by my lord. No matter how she treats me, I will remain loyal to the end."

"I understand." Liu Xun stood up and instructed the jailer, "Please find General Gao a dry cell and bring him a dry mattress."

The jailer looked at Yao Tian, ​​and seeing that she held up a number, his face immediately broke into a smile: "Your Highness, rest assured, it will be done right away."

Gao Shun looked at Liu Xun with eyes full of gratitude: "Thank you, Your Highness."

"Take care, General." Liu Xun turned and left. "I will come to see you again."

When I walked out of the county prison, it was almost dusk.

On the distant city walls, the banners of Lü Bu's army hung limply in the twilight. Sparse smoke rose from the city's chimneys, a far cry from the bustling scene of the past.

When Liu Xun left, he saw that Gao Shun's skin was beginning to fester.

Such a person, whether or not he could be recruited, should not die here.

……

The inner hall of the Wenhou Mansion was dimly lit.

Before Liu Xun even got close, he could hear the sounds of arguing coming from inside.

"What are you talking about, Yuan Shu and Zhang Yang? If they were truly reliable, why haven't the number of Cao Cao's troops outside the city decreased?!" Lu Bu's voice was filled with impatience.

"General, don't give up. As long as we wait, there will always be a turning point..." This was Chen Gong's voice.

"How long will we have to wait? Gongtai, tell us, how much longer can Xiapi hold out?"

Liu Xun stopped at the door and waited for the servant to announce his arrival before the arguing inside finally ceased.

"Your Highness, please come in."

When Liu Xun stepped into the inner hall, Lü Bu was standing barefoot in the center of the hall, his brocade robe half-open, his long hair disheveled, and his beautiful face flushed red.

Chen Gong's blue robe was still neat, but the worry on his brow was so deep that it could not be dispelled.

Upon seeing Liu Xun enter, Lü Bu snorted heavily, turned around, sat back on the couch, picked up his wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp. Chen Gong stood up, forcing a smile: "Your Highness, what brings you here so late at night?"

Liu Xun bowed respectfully and said, "I have come on behalf of General Gao Shun."

Lü Bu slammed his wine cup on the table: "Gao Shun? What happened to her this time?"

Liu Xun said, "General Gao Shun's prison was flooded, and her skin has begun to ulcerate. If she doesn't receive timely treatment, her life may be in danger. I would like to ask the general to have mercy and allow her to be released from prison for treatment."

"Ignore her." Lü Bu waved his hand dismissively. "She harbored ill intentions and deliberately undermined my authority. She deserved to die."

"General, you are mistaken." Liu Xun shook his head. "General Gao Shun is extremely loyal. Although what she said that day displeased you, it was for the sake of maintaining morale in the army."

"Exactly." Chen Gong also took the opportunity to advise, "General, Gao Shun is upright and honest. He did not mean to disobey, but he was worried that indiscriminate killing would shake the morale of the army. Now the people in the city are in a state of panic. We must not let the soldiers' hearts be chilled."

"Enough!" Lü Bu slammed his hand on the table, making the wine cups jump. "You're all lecturing me! Tell me, what should I do?"

Chen Gong remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "Show compassion to the soldiers, provide relief to the disaster victims, and weather this crisis together with the entire city's military and civilians. As long as we can get through this period..."

"Endure?" Lu Bu sneered. "Outside the city is water, inside the city is water, food is dwindling day by day, and more and more soldiers are falling ill. What do you expect me to endure with?"

Chen Gong lowered his head and remained silent.

"Chen Gongtai, even you're helpless now!" Lü Bu sneered. "I think it would be better to surrender to Cao Cao directly, but are you willing?"

Chen Gong remained silent.

Of course she didn't want to.

If she was willing to submit to Cao Cao, why would she have left him back then?

Lu Bu shook his head wearily: "This won't work, that won't work, what's the point of saying anything more?"

"You all go, let's just live one day at a time!"

Chen Gong sighed, turned around and took his leave, but Liu Xun stood still.