My Father in Law is Lu Bu

Chapter 725

“What? Yuan Shao is not dead?” Liu Mang also received this news in Yangzhou.

“Yes. The Grand General is not dead.” Xun Chen, now the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice was the one to give this news Liu Mang. During his time he was in Yuan Shang's hands, he had spent his time accompanying Yuan Shao. Since Xun Chen was too ashamed to return to Yanzhou, he spent his days taking care of Yuan Shao. Their master and servant relationship was not in vain.

“Why did you not tell me this earlier?” Liu Mang laughed bitterly. This was extremely important news. Liu Mang also did not expect Yuan Shang to be so cowardly. If Yuan Shang was so ambitious that he covets his father's territory, he should have just killed his father and then his eldest brother. But this Yuan Shang is vicious yet indecisive. It was probably a result of being spoiled too much by his mother.

After his father fell ill, Yuan Shang could have just framed his eldest brother for crimes and kill him. Yet, he hesitated.

But Yuan Tan noticed Yuan Shang's actions and escaped. They then fought each other until they were both driven out.

Now Liu Mang found out that Yuan Shao is also alive. Yuan Shang is basically planting a timebomb next to his own bed. It was a spectacular way of self destructing.

“Milord. Why are you worried? The current Benchu is no longer the same as before!” Xun Chen came to Yangzhou not just because he was sold by Yuan Shang. It is also because he saw Yuan Shao's dead look.

Yuan Shao was defeated by Cao Cao, got betrayed by his son, and had to watch his foundations squandered by his two prodigal sons. After experiencing all this, he no longer had any ambitions.

Xun Chen who saw this also left hoping to find a different person to serve. But even if Yuan Shao still had ambitions, he could not do much. Yuan Shang had replaced all of Yuan Shao's loyal men with those loyal to himself. This was something Shen Pei and Xin Ping instructed Yuan Shang to do.

“Youruo. The Lord is not worried about Yuan Shao but Cao Cao!” Xu Shu who also heard this news for the first time was also smiling bitterly.

Without doubt, Liu Mang was worried about Cao Cao. Who does Yuan Shang think he is? Even Li Shiming had to kill off all of his brothers to eliminate future troubles. The only reason Li Yuan was spared was because by that point in time, Li Shiming had already controlled the empire. On the other hand, Yuan Shang did not even have the power to defend himself.

Bombs don't explode on their own. They are usually blown up by others. It would be terrible if Yuan Shao fell into Cao Cao's hands.

“I'm afraid Hebei will soon fall.” Liu Mang smiled bitterly. War is coming soon.

Liu Mang was not actually afraid of Cao Cao's army. Cao Cao was still in the era of cold weapons while Liu Mang was already in the era of hot weapons. Liu Mang's cannons were not made for fun.

But Liu Mang really did not want to fight Cao Cao. This is because Cao Cao has a total of six states under his control. If he mobilizes his army, he could mobilize at least five hundred thousand men. Meanwhile, Yangzhou can only gather about two hundred thousand men at most. Unless it was a quick battle, both sides will suffer tremendous amount of casualties regardless of who wins in the end.

The chaos of the land has been going on for many years. The Yellow Turban Rebellion have already made the Han Dynasty unstable. If there is another huge war, many more will die.

Besides that, Liu Mang really did not want to use the cannons on his own men so his feelings were complicated. He always wanted to delay the moment of the decisive battle but it would seem that there is no other way.

***

The Cao Cao Army began to move. Cao Cao had chosen to trust Zhang He and dispatched Zhang He along with five thousand Dajishi as the vanguard to the rest of the army. Cao Cao was ready to risk one hundred thousand men just to find Yuan Shao.

“Rest assured Milord. This Zhang He will not disappoint you!” Zhang He was very moved by Cao Cao's decision. He believed that he would be dismissed from his position as the Commander of the Dajishi even if Cao Cao trusted his words and did not kill him. But Cao Cao even allowed Zhang He to serve as vanguard. If Zhang He could break into the enemy city, the merit would be enough to earn him a title.

“Go, Junyi. I will be waiting for you to bring me Benchu.” Cao Cao smiled at Zhang He. Cao Cao would naturally not allow Yuan Shao to hide. He would use Yuan Shao to destroy the Yuan Brother's alliance.

At the same time, Yuan Shao would not allow any potential danger to appear. He did not want to defeat the Yuan brothers only to find Yuan Shao reappearing to cause trouble.

It was safer to have Yuan Shao in his hands. This is why he decided to attack Bohai and capture Yuan Shao.

“Understood!” Zhang He accepted the order and left. “Brothers! Follow me!” The Dajishi were dispatched. In order to move faster, Zhang He also asked Cao Cao for five thousand more horses. Each person would have three horses. Their equipment were placed on one horse, one for riding, and one more to use when the horse became tired. 𝐫А𐌽𝙤₿ЁŠ

It is done to the point where the horses don't actually need to rest much. It would not be a problem to reach Bohai quickly and catch them off guard.

After Zhang He had left, Cheng Yu entered the tent and asked. “Milord. Do you really trust Zhang He that much?” Cheng Yu maintained his suspicious attitude to everyone. This is because of Cheng Yu's job. No one else knew that Cheng Yu was actually in charge of internal intelligence. They were only responsible for internal affairs and would report to Cao Cao for the things that happen inside his army. That was why Cheng Yu was naturally suspicious to Zhang He as Zhang He was a surrendered general. It was possible that Zhang He was looking for his old master. There were too many risks. If Zhang He rebels, the consequences would be disastrous.

“Zhongde. I, Cao Mengde, am someone who only uses the people I trust. I believe in Zhang He!” Cao Cao smiled back at Cheng Yu. He knew that Zhang He was someone who have a clear view of the things. If Zhang He was not such a person, he would not have surrendered to Cao Cao to begin with.

“Haha.” Cheng Yu laughed, feeling more relieved. This is because from Cao Cao's words, he knew that Cao Cao already have countermeasures in place. He would not say such words otherwise.

Cao Cao was the person who has the biggest trust issues in the world. He took the initiative and killed his uncle's entire family because he misheard that they wanted to kill him when they wanted to slaughter pigs.

Would such a person trust a surrendered general like Zhang He? Absolutely not. If Zhang He was attentive, he would have noticed that there were many unfamiliar faces within the Dajishi. These were people planted by Cao Cao to kill Zhang He if he acts suspiciously. Though they would not be able to kill the enemy, it was not a problem for them to assassinate Zhang He.

Soon, Zhang He arrived at Fucheng, the westernmost county of Bohai. This was a peaceful place that had not been affected by the war. As Bohai was Yuan Shao's birthplace, it received better treatment during Yuan Shao's rule such as lower taxes. Because of this, the people of Bohai were all grateful to Yuan Shao.

In their minds, Yuan Shao Yuan Benchu was the same as Boddhisatva.

***

“Gou Wazi. Who do you think will win?” One veteran asked a very young soldier at Fucheng.

“How would I know? But if I had to give an answer, I think the heir of the Yuan Family will win!” Gou Wazi who was holding a spear taller than himself replied.

“Why do you say that?”

“Why? He is the son of the Grand General. The Grand General is like a deity sent from the heavens! How can the son of a deity lose?” Gou Wazi said with full of admiration.

“But the Grand General also lose to the villain Cao.” The old soldier also admired Yuan Shao though he did not have the blind worship that Gou Wazi had. The old soldier respected Yuan Shao as he used to live at the Central Plains where the Yellow Turbans rebelled. The people all over the world were struggling to find food to eat. They did not have such a comfortable life.

“That was because the Grand General was tricked by a villain. Otherwise, he would not lose to someone like Cao Cao!” Gou Wazi replied unhappily.

“Is that so?” The old soldier shook his head. He did not believe this to be true. This old soldier had a secret he could not tell others. He used to be part of the Yellow Turbans. There were so many of them at the time. Even if they were weak, a million ants could still bite an elephant to death.

But in the end, none of the leaders of the Yellow Turbans survived. They were all miserably defeated.

There must be a reason Cao Cao could defeat Yuan Shao. Of course, the old soldier would not say this out loud. Otherwise, the two of them would have a falling out.

The old soldier also wanted the Yuan Brothers to win. If they do, Bohai would remain peaceful.

“Gou Wazi. I am going to pee. Watch the city gate!” The old soldier said and walked towards an embankment in the distance.

“I'll go with you.” Either way, there were more soldiers at the city gate. There haven't been anything important going on so they could leave their posts as they please. If it was not because Wen Chou was made Governor, they would only have two people guarding the city gates. Bohai had been peaceful for too long.

They went to the side and took off their pants. The old man hummed while peeing.

“Haha.” Gou Wazi suddenly laughed.

“What is it?” The old soldier did not know why the boy just laughed.

“Haha, Old Li. You are peeing everywhere. Can you still do it?” The boy laughed. He may be young but he had already been to brothels before.

“Peeing everywhere?” The old man was confused and looked down. This wasn't him shaking but a vibration. That was why his urine was going all over the place.

“Not good! Gou Wazi! Run quickly!” The old man did not care if his dick was still outside. He immediately grabbed Gou Wazi and started to run.

“Old Li! What are you doing? You made me wet my pants!” Gou Wazi complained angrily. He wasn't done when the old soldier pulled him away. This caused him to wet his pants.

“You still care about your wetting your pants? If you don't have a reason to thank me later, I am willing to become your son! Run!” The old soldier replied in a foul mood.

“Fine! I will wait for you to become my son! I will see what kind of excuse you will give me once we reach the city!”

“Close the city gates! Quickly!” The old soldier shouted as he rushed into the city with Gou Wazi. Although the others were surprised, they listened to the Old Li's words. This is because Old Li had the highest rank amongst them.

The gates of Fucheng slowly closed.

“Old Li. From today onwards, you will become my son. Everyone here will bear witness!” Gou Wazi complained to Old Li after gasping for breath.

“You stupid bastard! Look over there first!” Old Li said as he climbed up the walls and pointed towards the horizon.

“So what if I look over…” Gou Wazi turned without any concern whatsoever. At that moment, his eyes grew wide. “Enemies! They are all enemies!”

“Enemy attack!” The entire town was panicking.

“Old Li. There is no need to say anything else. From today onwards, you are my father!” Gou Wazi bowed. If Old Li did not forcefully drag him here and closed the gates, he would be dead.

“Get lost! I don't have a bastard son like you!” The old man kicked the boy away and looked towards the approaching enemy. He needed to see who it is.

“Zhang?” The old soldier was shocked to see the banners. When he saw the appearance of the enemy, he knew where they came from.

Each person had three horses. They carried small halberds on their backs and spears in their hands. “Aren't these the elites serving under the former general Yuan Shao?”

“Are these the soldiers of the Young Master? Which Young Master do they serve?” Er Gouzi asked.

“Old Li. I just thanked you earlier but now it seems like this is false alarm. These are the Young Master's soldiers!” Er Gouzi said nonchalently. The Dajishi was like a dream to these soldiers. Only elites could become one of them.

“You idiot! How can this be the Young Master's men. They are clearly part of Cao Cao's army!” Old Li said unhappily. The Dajishi's banners were blue. These were the color of the Cao Cao Army. Old Li did not know who this Zhang was but he remembered that there was a Zhang He who served Yuan Shao.

“Quickly send the signals and dispatch people to inform the Governor to request for reinforcements!” Old Li said to the others.

The troops outside the city was indeed Zhang He and the Dajishi. They had arrived after travelling for one day and one night.

“General. Fucheng is right in front.” One soldier said to Zhang He.

“Yes.” Zhang He nodded. He was stationed in Fucheng when they fought against Gongsun Zan in the past. Because of this, he was also familiar with Fucheng. He felt that it was ironic to now visit Fucheng as an enemy.

“General. Should we attack Fucheng?” The deputy general asked. Fucheng was just a small county town but if it is captured, it can be used as a base for the army to replenish their supplies and rest.

“No need. It is just a city and without any infantries, it would be a hassle to capture it. It is better for us to hurry to Nanpi.” Zhang He replied. Nanpi was the most prosperous place in Bohai. If Yuan Shao was hiding in Bohai, that is where he would be.

“General. I can capture a small town like this if you give me two hours and one thousand men!” A 1000-men officer declared.

“Did you not hear me or do you simply not understand?” Zhang He replied coldly.

“But…!” The 1000-men officer wanted to say something else before the deputy general kicked him aside.

“Why are you still here?” The deputy general said. Zhang He already looked like he was about to kill someone. Talking nonsense here was just courting death.

“Understood.” The 1000-men officer left unwillingly.

Zhang He smiled bitterly as he looked at Fucheng. The entire Bohai was already made a battlefield by Cao Cao. This peaceful paradise would finally be dragged into war. Fucheng is the only small town that Zhang He can protect.

“Let's go!” After looking at Fucheng for a while, Zhang He left with the troops. Their next destination is Nanpi.

“Old Li. Where are they going?” Gou Wazi asked.

“That direction… Nanpi City!”

“Nanpi? Ah! We must quickly go to Nanpi and provide help!” Gou Wazi shouted in a panic.

“Help them? How are we supposed to do that? Can you outrun horses?” Old Li asked back.

“Then what should we do?”

“Send smoke signals and inform the Young Lord. That is all we can do.” Old Li shook his head. He then went back down the city walls and entered his house. He picked up a cup of wine and took a sip. “General Zhang. Is that you?”

***

“Second Brother. How long do you think that villain Cao Cao can hold out?” The three brothers in Fanyang were very happy as they managed to block Cao Cao's progress. They even won a major victory two days ago. If it weren't for the arrival of Zhang He's forces, they may have even managed to obtain another ten thousand men.

“Cao Cao is powerful. Do not underestimate him.” Yuan Xi was much more cautious compared to Yuan Shang.

“Haha. Second Brother, you are too cautious. If you ask me, this villain can only hold out for another half a month. After that, he would have no choice but to withdraw!” Yuan Tan laughed. “Look at this weather. Even the Heavens is helping us. Once Cao Cao withdraws, we would be able to recuperate. We can dispatch out troops to Jizhou, Qingzhou and Bingzhou. I will take Qingzhou, Second Brother can take Bingzhou and Third Brother can have Jizhou!”

Yuan Tan was already thinking about how to divide the territory.

“Brother. What about Yanzhou and Zhili?” Yuan Tan was bold and wanted to counterattack. However, Yuan Shang was even bolder. He not only wanted to drive Cao Cao out of Hebei. He even wanted to fight for the Central Plains.

“Yanzhou and Zhili are also for you.” Yuan Tan said indifferently.

“Oh. Elder brother. You are so generous?” Yuan Shang was a bit confused.

“Of course. That is why I am the eldest brother. I only need Yangzhou!” Yuan Tan laughed.

“Brother. You are so good at scheming.” Yuan Shang added coldly. Yangzhou was Liu Mang's territory. They can only fight back against Cao Cao because of Yangzhou's equipment. Without these equipment, the Yuan Brothers can only defend and not even dare to attack.

If Yangzhou is taken by Yuan Tan, none of them would be able to compete against him.

“Enough. Stop talking.” Yuan Xi was helpless. These two started to argue again as they talked. Yuan Xi sometimes wondered if these two were really brothers. Even enemies don't turn on each other so quickly. They have not even defeated Cao Cao yet and they were already arguing about profits. Repelling Cao Cao and defeating him were two very different things.

Yuan Xi was not like them. He only thought of protecting Youzhou. At most, reclaiming Qingzhou. He would then rely on these two states and attack Cao Cao together with Yangzhou to have a chance of winning.

On the other hand, these two brothers wanted to attack Liu Mang as well. If Yangzhou can sell these weapons to them, don't you think that they would also use these weapons themselves? Did the two of them really think that Yangzhou would have less equipment than them?

Yuan Xi also knew that Yangzhou has the Xiliang Cavalry, Bingzhou Cavalry and Baima Cavalry. What are the Yuan Brothers going to use to fight them?

“Report! General! There is a letter from Bohai!” At that moment, a report came from Bohai.

“A letter from Bohai?” This was Yuan Shang's territory so Yuan Shang took the letter.

After reading the letter, Yuan Shang's eyes grew wide.

“What's wrong Third Brother?” Yuan Xi who was next to Yuan Shang quickly saw that something went wrong.

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