I, Zhou Cang, am the number one tank in the Three Kingdoms.

Since Xu Shu had already moved the supplies from places like Bowang and Fangcheng Pass, Cao Cao led his strategists and remnants of his army on a frantic run from the Wancheng front for a day and a night, and fled back to Ye County.

Bowang City was already an empty city, undefended. However, Zhao Yun and Zhou Cang were blocked by Fangcheng Pass when they were chasing Xu Huang. On their way back to Wancheng, they encountered Zhang Fei, who was leading an elite force.

The three men led their troops to attack the pass together, and soon the three passes of Fangcheng Pass, which only had old, weak and disabled soldiers, surrendered without resistance.

Liu Bei's army quickly recaptured Bowang and Fangcheng Pass, returning to the state of the two armies when Cao Cao first arrived in Ye County.

Of Cao Cao's 15,000 elite troops, only a little over 2,000 escaped. When the seriously wounded Xu Huang arrived, Cao Cao learned that Cao Hong had been beheaded by Zhou Cang and wept bitterly. In addition, his headache flared up again after the defeat, and he fainted from the shock and anger, losing consciousness.

Two days later, Cao Ren, Yu Jin, and Li Dian led their defeated soldiers back to Ye County via a side road. Xiahou Yuan and Zhang Liao, one caught in the chaos of battle and the other escaped by water, have not been heard from since.

The only good news was that Cao Chun, who had been sent back to Qiao State to recruit soldiers not long ago, arrived in Ye County with three thousand new recruits, following Xun Yu's orders.

After Zhao Yun recaptured the three passes of Bowang, Fangcheng, and Huangcheng, he led his troops to guard the front line alone, while Zhang Fei and Zhou Cang returned to Wancheng to report back.

Two days later, the reinforcements from Jingzhou finally arrived, just in time for the celebration of the three armies' victory.

Liu Bei's army, including the troops he brought from Runan and the troops originally stationed in Bowang and Wancheng, had a total of 11,000 men participating in the battle. More than 3,000 were killed in action, nearly 4,000 were wounded, and more than 3,000 Cao army soldiers and officers were captured.

Although the Jingzhou troops did not participate extensively, the annihilation of the 500-strong army at Gualijin, coupled with the casualties of Wenpin's troops, resulted in the loss of approximately 1,000 men.

It was another Pyrrhic victory.

At the banquet, Wen Ping, as the highest military commander of Jingzhou, sat in the main seat, while Liu Bei's army and the people of Jingzhou sat opposite him.

"Your Excellency's great victory is truly cause for celebration! Let us all drink to this cup!" Wen Ping toasted Liu Bei.

"This is not my achievement. If it weren't for the strategist's skillful command and the desperate fighting of the generals, how could I be sitting here?" Liu Bei said after drinking the wine in one gulp.

"Now that Cao Cao has suffered a great defeat, Yuanzhi, what do you think Cao Cao will do next?" Kuai Liang put down his wine cup and looked at Xu Shu.

Xu Shu shook his head and said, "I don't know. There's been no news from Yancheng or Chang'an, so we don't know the situation in either place."

"What are your plans next, my lord?" Kuai Liang asked Liu Bei.

"I wonder what troops you have brought this time, sir..." Xu Shu interrupted, asking Kuai Liang.

"When I came here, my lord said that if you, my lord, could reclaim the entire territory of Nanyang for Jingzhou, all the troops I brought with me could be handed over to you for command."

"Now that we have captured Bowang and Fangcheng Pass, I believe we should seize the opportunity to retake Ye County and drive out Cao Cao's traitors. You may use these three thousand soldiers as you see fit!"

Unlike his younger brother Kuai Yue, Kuai Liang was more aggressive and unabashedly prioritized his own interests. Kuai Yue had previously been the one communicating with Liu Bei, and with more frequent interactions, he naturally became more polite.

Liu Bei hesitated for a moment and looked at Xu Shu.

Xu Shu said, "What Mr. Zirou said is not without reason. However, the great battle has just ended. If we want to seize Ye County, we still need to rest and reorganize our troops and proceed slowly."

Kuai Liang nodded and said, "Of course. I've heard that we captured over three thousand Cao soldiers this time. What does Yuanzhi intend to do with them?"

Xu Shu said loudly, "My lord raised an army for the greater good of the world. Our army suffered more than half its casualties in this battle, which is why we have achieved such a result. These three thousand men should naturally be educated and reformed so that they can be used by our army."

Seeing that Xu Shu was not polite at all, Kuai Liang gave up on taking the prisoners and quickly raised his cup to toast them.

Hearing this from the side, Liu Yan suggested, "Strategist, since we intend to use these prisoners for our purposes, why not reward them with some wine and water in this cold winter?"

Xu Shu said, "Wei Shuo's words make sense. Where is Yuan Fu?"

Zhou Cang stood up and asked, "What are your instructions, strategist?"

"I would like to trouble Yuanfu to make a trip and give half of the wine in my army to the Cao army prisoners outside the city so that they can keep warm."

"Yes, sir!"

Zhou Cang hurriedly went outside the mansion and called on the soldiers to carry the wine.

The cart delivered jars of wine to the prisoner-of-war camp, and Cao's soldiers kowtowed in gratitude. Other soldiers in the camp also took turns to collect wine to keep warm.

When the stableman in the camp heard that good wine had arrived, he rushed off to collect it, forgetting to check the stable door bolt.

A warhorse trotted out and soon wandered into the neighboring prisoner-of-war camp.

Zhou Cang caught a glimpse of the warhorse running out of the corner of his eye. Just as he was about to call the groom to lead the horse, a burly man fifty paces away in the prisoner-of-war camp suddenly stood up and rushed toward the warhorse.

"Seize this man!" Zhou Cang shouted, but by the time the soldiers rushed over, it was too late!

The big man grabbed the horse's neck and, with a running start, hung onto the horse.

Although the warhorse was unsaddled, the man was clearly skilled in horsemanship, and he subdued the horse in an instant, galloping towards the camp gate.

Zhou Cang didn't have time to find another horse; he absolutely couldn't let him escape from the camp.

"Clatter clatter clatter!" Zhou Cang, wearing leather shoes, charged straight at the rider.

At this moment, the camp gates were wide open, and the soldiers were still transporting wine, caught off guard by the sudden turn of events!

Only the guards on the arrow tower reacted the fastest, quickly firing arrows at the Han man!

The burly man rode his warhorse straight past the wine carts, raised his robe to shield himself from arrows, and quickly rushed out of the camp gate, heading north.

"Keep an eye on the prisoners!" Zhou Cang shouted as he ran.

The slow-witted guards quickly raised their spears and halberds to threaten the crowd, and the commotion gradually subsided.

Zhou Cang followed the big man out of the camp and soon followed the sound of horses' hooves.

Zhou Cang, the lightning-fast runner!

It's not a title given lightly!

The burly man, who thought he had escaped, soon discovered that someone was chasing him!

"Giddy up! Giddy up!" The big man slapped the horse's rump hard, and the warhorse instantly accelerated.

Zhou Cang's battle had just ended, and he had drunk two cups of wine that night, so he felt a little sluggish.

A gust of cold wind blew, instantly waking me up and making my steps lighter!

The ground beneath his feet was frozen solid, which actually made it easier for Zhou Cang to exert his strength!

Under the moonlight, on the tranquil Wanluo Road, Zhou Cang's speed was comparable to that of the knight!

As Zhou Cang ran, he grew hotter and hotter, and with the alcohol taking effect, he simply ripped open his shirt and chased after the big man, shirtless and braving the cold wind.

Liu Bei's army had already sent someone into the city to report, and Zhang Fei also led a hundred men to arrest them.

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Cang had chased the big man for five miles, and the big man ahead became increasingly panicked—

What on earth is chasing me?!

The further they ran, the denser the bushes became, and the moonlight became sparse. When the big man looked back, he could no longer see Zhou Cang's figure; only the "clattering" sound of his running could be heard.

After being blown by the cold wind all the way, the big man thought he was hallucinating and pulled on the reins to turn around and check.

Before the horse even stopped, the burly man realized something was wrong!

The sound of running is getting closer!

The person behind is still chasing!

"Giddy up—" The big man was about to spur his horse to continue running when he heard footsteps behind him!

Zhou Cang lunged forward and grabbed the horse's tail!

Still trying to run away?!

The warhorse, startled and in pain, neighed and reared up, throwing the burly man to the ground!

The big man rolled twice and hurriedly got up, trying to keep running, but Zhou Cang tackled him to the ground again!

"Ugh!" The big man roared and struggled violently with both hands, trying to break free from Zhou Cang. His hands grabbed wildly at Zhou Cang's bare arms, which were covered in sweat!

Slippery!

Zhou Cang pressed the big man's head firmly to the ground with one hand, and struck the back of the big man's head hard with the other hand!

The burly man instantly lost consciousness and ceased all struggle.

Zhou Cang simply sat on the big man's lap and quietly waited for reinforcements to arrive.

"Zhou Cang is here!" Zhou Cang shouted as he saw the firelight approaching in the distance.

After Zhang Fei's men had bound the big man hand and foot, Zhou Cang came over with a torch to take a look.

"Xiahou Yuan?!" Zhou Cang was stunned. No wonder this man risked his life to steal a horse and escape.

It turned out to be Xiahou Yuan, a relative of Cao Cao, who had fought against him on the battlefield a few days ago!

When the group returned to Wancheng, Xu Shu, having heard the commotion, was already waiting at the city gate.

"I never imagined that Xiahou Yuan, a great general under Cao Cao, was hiding among the prisoners of war. It was my oversight," Xu Shu said with a sneer.

Xiahou Yuan felt dizzy and remained silent as the soldiers escorted him directly into prison.

"Strategist, what should we do with this man?" Zhou Cang asked Xu Shu, haphazardly throwing on a cloth robe.

Xu Shu didn't answer. Instead, he looked down at Zhou Cang's feet and laughed, "Yuanfu's feet are so nimble! Even Xiahou Yuan couldn't escape on horseback!"

Zhou Cang rolled his eyes and continued, "This man is a relative of Cao Cao. If he doesn't surrender, does the strategist intend to kill him?"

"Wouldn't it be a waste to kill him like this?" Xu Shu shook his head.

"So you're just going to keep them locked up like that?"

"Wasting food."

"Then... what if the strategist fights to the bitter end?" Zhou Cang was speechless, having been thoroughly exasperated by Xu Shu.

"I don't know... I don't know! Hahahaha!" Xu Shu laughed and returned to the banquet.

"What? They captured Xiahou Yuan?" Although Liu Bei was surprised, he still suppressed his excitement and asked Xu Shu in a low voice.

"Indeed, Yuanfu has excellent stamina; his feet outran the warhorse and captured this man!" Xu Shu whispered.

Liu Bei nodded and said, "We'll discuss how to deal with this person tomorrow."

The next day, when Wenping, Kuailiang, and the others learned that such a big thing had happened at the banquet the previous night, they were all shocked.

Xiahou Yuan! A relative of Cao Cao!

Kuai Liang immediately suggested, "My lord, since Cao Cao's relatives are here, why not use them to exchange for Ye County? We'll lose a defeated general, but recover the entire territory of Nanyang, and avoid the calamity of war. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Liu Bei was unsure and looked at Xu Shu, who in turn looked at Zhou Cang, who had run nearly ten miles shirtless the night before to capture Xiahou Yuan.

When Zhou Cang heard Kuai Liang say that he would take Xiahou Yuan, whom he had finally managed to capture, to exchange for Ye County to give to Liu Biao, he was actually a little unhappy.

However, considering that the lord doesn't have many cards left to play after the big battle, this might indeed be the best way to maximize benefits...

Zhou Cang said in a low voice, "Please let my lord and the strategist decide. I have no objections."

Liu Bei looked at Xu Shu expressionlessly and asked, "What does Yuanzhi think?"

Xu Shu frowned slightly and said, "This time, Cao Cao has already lost Cao Hong. If we exchange him for Xiahou Yuan, he might agree. We might as well give it a try."

Kuai Liang nodded and said, "Yuanzhi's words demonstrate a keen understanding of the big picture, which I truly admire!"

Seeing that Kuai Liang still maintained a haughty attitude, Wen Ping interjected, "Uh, Mr. Zirou, if we're going to negotiate terms for exchange, the envoy..."

Kuai Liang was taken aback, then understood Wen Ping's meaning and replied, "I am unworthy, but I am willing to make a trip to Cao Cao's camp!"

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Zirou," Xu Shu quickly agreed on behalf of Liu Bei.

After Kuai Liang left to prepare, Xu Shu and Liu Bei arrived at the battered watchtower of Gualijin.

"Does our lord not wish to negotiate with that traitor Cao?"

"I am unwilling, very unwilling." Liu Bei made no attempt to hide his dissatisfaction from Xu Shu.

"From the moment I saw the imperial edict in the emperor's belt, I vowed to rid the Han dynasty of this traitor and never compromise."

"I know my lord's intentions. If we can truly exchange Ye County for our own, it's not too late to start another war. Besides, Yancheng and Chang'an..." Xu Shu explained helplessly.

After Zhang Xiu from Yancheng was transferred here, Xu Shu was always worried. After the victory in the Battle of Wancheng, he sent envoys twice to inquire about the situation, but they did not return for a long time.

According to the distance, Sun Qian and Zhang Quan should have returned from Chang'an long ago, but there has been no response.

There are still many places where we need to use our troops. If we can really exchange Xiahou Yuan for Ye County, we can not only get Liu Biao's three thousand soldiers without losing a single soldier.

This is also why Xu Shu agreed so quickly.

As for the outcome of the negotiations, that depends on the abilities of Kuai Liang, this big shot from Jingzhou.

"I naturally understood the strategist's meaning, so I did not stop them," Liu Bei muttered to himself as he watched Kuai Liang and his entourage disappear into the distance on the Wanluo Road.

A sudden gust of cold wind blew by. Xu Shu rubbed his eyes and noticed that his lord Liu Bei seemed to have even more white hair on his head.

The next day, Kuai Liang returned to Wancheng.

"Cao Cao agreed?" Wen Ping asked in surprise.

"Indeed, Cao Cao was completely drained of energy and had to be helped to see me by his servants," Kuai Liang said with a smile.

"I told Cao Cao that Xiahou Yuan was in Wancheng, and Cao Cao immediately agreed, despite the earnest advice of Guo Jia, Xun You and others.

Xu Shu and Liu Bei exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

Unexpectedly, Cao Cao readily agreed to exchange the strategically important Ye County for Xiahou Yuan.

You should know that after passing Ye County, although there are still a few cities, Xuchang is almost indefensible.

"Could it be a trap?" Xu Shu asked.

Kuai Liang shook his head and said, "Do you all know the current situation of Cao Cao's camp?"

Before anyone could answer, Kuai Liang replied, "Wearing mourning clothes."

"Huh?" Everyone was surprised.

"To wear mourning clothes for Cao Hong?" Zhou Cang asked.

Kuai Liang looked at Zhou Cang, who had beheaded Cao Hong, and nodded.

After his initial surprise, Zhou Cang quickly regained his composure and let out a cold snort.

Your life is Cao Hong's life, but what about the lives of tens of thousands of people in the ancient city, and the people in Bowang whose homes were burned down?

"Cao Cao has always been treacherous and cunning. Have you arranged a time to exchange places, sir?" Wen Ping asked.

"Three days later at noon, Cao Cao's entire army will withdraw from Ye County. At that time, our army will enter the city and release Xiahou Yuan at the north gate," Kuai Liang replied.

"Oh, that's perfect. I was overthinking it." Wenping nodded.

"I have already written to Zilong, instructing him to be constantly vigilant about the movements of Cao Cao's camp. If they resort to trickery, our army can march straight to Ye County," Xu Shu added.

Wen Ping had no further objections and then looked at Liu Bei.

"Alright, now that Mr. Zirou and the strategist have made the arrangements, I will go to Ye County to meet Cao Cao again in three days."

Liu Bei spoke calmly, but his hand gripped the sword at his waist tightly.