xymnovel Chapter 73 Only You Can Save Him
Chapter 73 Only You Can Save Him
Chapter 73 Only You Can Save Him
North bank of Yanjin.
More than 90,000 of Yuan's troops had already been lying in ambush on the shore, their murderous aura reaching the sky.
Yuan Shao stroked his white beard, his gaze coldly fixed on the opposite bank of the Yellow River, a growing suspicion creeping into his eyes. He had heeded the advice of Xu You and Yuan Tan, personally leading an army of 90,000 to the other side of Yan Jin, intending to deliver a fatal blow to Cao Cao, who was halfway across the river. However, his army had been in disarray for half a day in the wind, while Cao Cao's army on the other side still hadn't crossed. "My lord," Ju Shou couldn't help but warn, "Cao Cao's army has been at Yan Jin for quite some time, yet they haven't crossed the river. I fear Cao Cao is using a trap, and Baima may be lost." Yuan Shao's expression hardened.
Half an hour ago, Yan Liang sent a battle report from Baima, claiming that a force of Cao Cao's army had been discovered west of Baima. This intelligence made Yuan Shao somewhat wary.
However, Yan Liang declared in his letter that the Cao army that had come only numbered around three thousand, and he was confident he could easily defeat them. Yuan Shao was reassured and decided to continue waiting for the main force of Cao's army on the north bank. Ju Shou's reminder, however, made Yuan Shao uneasy again.
"Gongyu, Cao Cao's army at Baima only has a little over three thousand men. What's there to worry about? Let's just wait patiently for Cao Cao to cross the river."
Xu You, however, disagreed and offered his advice.
Ju Shou frowned, but said, "After all, Cao Cao has that extraordinary man Gu Cheng behind him. This man is unparalleled in his cunning schemes. What if he offers Cao Cao some ingenious plan? We must be wary of the lessons learned from the Battle of Hanoi."
Gu Cheng!
Upon hearing this name, Yuan Shao was reminded of the murder of his second son, Yuan Xi, and hatred immediately ignited in his eyes. Xu You sneered, "Yan Liang is the foremost general in Hebei, commanding three thousand iron cavalry. No matter how powerful Gu Cheng is, I don't believe he can make three thousand Cao soldiers defeat Yan Liang!"
Ju Shou was speechless. At this moment.
The messenger came galloping over, dismounted, and knelt before Yuan Shao.
"Reporting to my lord, an urgent report from Baima City: our vanguard has been completely annihilated. General Yan was killed by Cao Cao's general Zhao Yun, and Deputy General Zhang Liao was captured!"
Boom!
A bolt from the blue struck everyone like a bolt of lightning. Yuan Shao's body jerked violently, his face contorted in utter shock. Xu You's cold smile shattered instantly. Even Ju Shou was taken aback.
He was worried about losing Baima, but he didn't expect Yan Liang to be defeated so thoroughly. Not only were ten thousand soldiers wiped out, but Yan Liang himself was also killed.
"Impossible! Yan Liang has 10,000 troops and 3,000 iron cavalry. How could they be defeated by Cao Cao's army?" Xu You shouted excitedly as he came to his senses.
"Reporting back to Attendant Xu, although Cao Cao's army only numbered three thousand, they were equipped with a divine crossbow capable of firing ten arrows simultaneously. General Yan was caught off guard, which is why he was defeated by Cao Cao's army!"
The messenger reported with a mournful face. "A divine crossbow?" "Ten arrows fired at once?" Xu You and Ju Shou exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with astonishment and helplessness.
Yuan Shao, recovering from his shock, exclaimed, "What kind of divine crossbow? How could there be a crossbow in this world that can fire ten arrows at once!" Xu You and the others were all skeptical. "Gu Cheng, could it be that Gu Cheng again!" Ju Shou suddenly shouted.
Yuan Shao was startled and glared at him, saying, "What does this have to do with that brat surnamed Gu?"
"That Gu Cheng is extremely extraordinary. His exceptional intelligence is only one aspect. I've heard that the salt from Xudu back then was also made by him."
"Since he can produce salt, this repeating crossbow might very well be his creation!" Ju Shou guessed.
Yuan Shao's body trembled, and a chill ran down his spine.
"If Ju Shou's guess is true, then Gu Cheng is truly terrifying. How could such a person exist in this world..." Yuan Shao felt a deep sense of dread creeping into his heart. Xu You, however, snapped out of his reverie and waved his hand, saying, "This is merely your own presumptuous speculation. If what you say is true, then Gu Cheng would be omnipotent, practically a god!"
Yuan Shao suddenly realized his mistake, and the fear on his face vanished. He then said in a deep voice, "Ziyuan is right. I don't believe that a mere member of a small clan could be so powerful!" Ju Shou was speechless. At this moment...
Liu Bei, who had been silent all along, coughed a few times before finally speaking.
"Lord Yuan, no matter what, the defeat at Baima is a foregone conclusion, and Gu Cheng's cunning is also a fact." "I believe that Lord Yuan should no longer try to outwit Cao Cao, but should instead advance with a large army, proceeding step by step, and approach Xuchang."
"Only in this way can Cao Cao, no matter how cunning, and Gu Cheng, no matter how intelligent, be unable to cause any trouble in the face of Yuan Gong's overwhelming military strength."
Liu Bei's eloquent words seemed to awaken Yuan Shao's true intentions. "Xuande is right!" Yuan Shao's face regained its arrogance, and he waved his hand, shouting, "Order the army to return to Baima! Raze Baima to the ground! From Baima, march straight towards Xuchang! I want to see what kind of divine schemes that Gu Cheng has that can stop my 100,000-strong army!"
then.
Yuan Shao abandoned his plan to block Cao Cao at Yan Jin, leaving only a few thousand men to guard the ferry crossing, and led his main army back to Baima City. When his army crossed the river and arrived at Baima City, the city was already deserted. After relieving the siege, Cao Ang, on Cao Cao's orders, evacuated all the soldiers and civilians of Baima City southwards, retreating towards Guandu. Yuan Shao, having missed his target, was enraged and led an army of 100,000 men southwards from Baima, heading straight for Guandu.
Guandu City.
Cao Cao had already led his army back ahead of Cao Ang to welcome the triumphant return of his troops.
When Cao Ang held Yan Liang's head high and stepped into the gates of Guandu, the entire Cao camp was in an uproar, and the morale of the three armies was greatly boosted. "Zixiu, you have made a great contribution. You are worthy of being my son, Cao Cao!" Cao Cao patted his son's shoulder, his face full of satisfaction.
Cao Ang, however, did not boast of his achievements and humbly said, "The killing of Yan Liang was Zilong's doing, and the defeat of Yuan's army was entirely thanks to my brother-in-law's repeating crossbow. If we are to say who deserves the most credit, it should be my brother-in-law."
"Yes, you're right." Cao Cao nodded emphatically and said with emotion, "You have such a brother-in-law, and I have such a son-in-law. This is our father and son's good fortune, and the destiny of our Cao family."
The father and son were overjoyed.
Cao Ang then said, "Father, we also captured Zhang Liao alive in this battle. Please tell us how to deal with him!" "Zhang Liao, is that Lu Bu's former general?" Cao Cao's eyes showed disgust when he mentioned Lu Bu.
Cao Ang nodded and said, "It is indeed this man. After Lü Bu was defeated in Xiapi, Zhang Liao escaped by chance and went north to Ji Province to join Yuan Shao. In this battle, he followed Yan Liang to attack Baima, but was captured by you."
"After Lü Bu's defeat, he refused to surrender to my Cao family, but instead traveled thousands of miles to join Yuan Shao. He is truly hateful!" Cao Cao's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he coldly waved his hand: "Betray his head and display it to the public to intimidate Yuan's army."
Cao Cao gave the order, and Cao Ang had no choice but to obey. Cao Cao then pulled his son up, laughing heartily as they returned to their tent to drink celebratory wine. The entire Cao camp was filled with jubilation. Inside that tent...
Gu Cheng lay on the rocking chair, basking in the sunlight streaming in from outside the tent, sipping his wine with utter leisure. After finishing his drink, Gu Cheng raised his glass to Lü Lingqi. Lü Lingqi smiled knowingly and personally refilled his glass.
"Gu Lang, aren't you worried at all that Young Master Cao is personally going to relieve the siege of Baima?" Lü Lingqi asked as she poured wine. It was unclear when, but her address to Gu Cheng had subtly changed to "Gu Lang."
"Worry? Why should I worry?" Gu Cheng looked at her blankly.
Lu Lingqi frowned and said, "What if your repeating crossbows fail to break through Yuan's army, and that young master Cao is defeated by Yan Liang and something happens to him? What if Cao Mengde blames you? After all, he is his eldest son."
"You underestimate Cao Mengde. With his magnanimity, how could he blame me for this?" Gu Cheng disagreed, but instead asked with a smile, "What, Lingqi, are you so worried about me? Are you afraid something will happen to me?"........ This question made Lü Lingqi blush and a hint of shyness appear in her eyes.
She bit her lip, hesitated several times, and then said with a blush, "You are the only man I can rely on in this world. If I don't worry about you, who else can I worry about?"
These words were tantamount to revealing his true feelings. Gu Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and he was at a loss for words. The atmosphere in the tent became somewhat ambiguous. Just then...
Gao Shun rushed in, cupped his hands, and said, "Young Master Liheng, Miss, the eldest young master has returned in triumph! He decisively defeated Yuan's army at Baima and even killed Yan Liang, the number one general in Hebei!"
The shyness on Lü Lingqi's face instantly turned into surprise. Her worries vanished, and she looked at Gu Cheng with delight: "Gu Lang, that Young Master Cao really won! Your repeating crossbow really worked! It seems I was worrying for nothing."
"Even Yan Liang has been slain, so Young Master Cao is going to be all the rage now—" Gu Cheng smiled faintly, seemingly having anticipated this outcome. Gao Shun, however, sighed.
Lu Lingqi noticed that something was wrong with him and asked curiously, "Boping, Young Master Cao won, why do you seem unhappy?"
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I am naturally happy that our army has won.
"However, in this battle, the eldest son also captured Zhang Wenyuan, and Cao Cao has ordered him to be beheaded." "Wenyuan is my brother of many years, and he can also be considered your old subordinate. Now that he is to be beheaded, how can I be happy?" Gao Shun sighed and explained the reason.
Lu Lingqi's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but frown and say, "Wen Yuan is really something. When my father was killed by Chen Gong, it was fine that he didn't surrender to Cao Cao, but why did he travel thousands of miles to join Yuan Shao?"
"Wen Yuan wasn't as lucky as Miss and me. He was saved by Young Master Li Heng, which gave him the opportunity to surrender to Lord Cao," Gao Shun said regretfully.
Lü Lingqi was slightly startled, seemingly lost in thought. A moment later.
Her eyes lit up, and she pleaded with Gu Cheng, "Gu Lang, please, for my sake, could you plead for Zhang Wenyuan and save his life?"
Gao Shun suddenly realized what was happening and quickly followed suit, bowing and saying, "Young Master Liheng, only your intervention can save Wen Yuan's life!"
"You two are quite sentimental," Gu Cheng nodded slightly, but then asked, "Tell me, what other qualities does this Zhang Wenyuan possess besides his exceptional martial arts skills?"
Gao Shun was taken aback, not understanding Gu Cheng's implied meaning. Lü Lingqi, however, brightened up: "Besides my late father, only Zhang Liao knows the training methods for the Bingzhou cavalry of my Lü family. Wouldn't you call that a skill?"
"The Bingzhou cavalry..." Gu Cheng understood, and said, "I understand. You all wait here." He then got up and went to Cao Ang's tent. Upon entering the tent...
Gu Cheng chuckled and said, "Congratulations, Young Master Cao, on your great reputation for defeating Yuan's army and beheading Yan Liang!" Cao Ang had just returned from the victory celebration banquet and had just sat down.
Upon seeing Gu Cheng, he jumped up and bowed with a smile: "Thanks to Brother Gu's repeating crossbow, I was able to accomplish this feat by sheer luck. I should thank Brother Gu for his help."
With that, Cao Ang bowed deeply to Gu Cheng.
"Young Master, you're too kind. I can't accept such a grand gesture from you." Gu Cheng quickly helped him up.
Cao Ang laughed heartily, then invited Gu Cheng to sit down, personally poured him wine, and expressed his gratitude again. "Young Master, I heard that Lord Cao intends to execute Zhang Liao?" Gu Cheng asked casually, sipping his wine.
Cao Ang looked regretful and sighed, "This Zhang Liao is a talented general, but unfortunately my father is angry that he went all the way to Yuan Shao after Lü Bu's defeat, so he doesn't intend to recruit him and wants to kill him to intimidate Yuan's army."
"Zhang Liao is more than just a military talent. Killing him might relieve our anger for a moment, but it would be a losing proposition," Gu Cheng said with a meaningful tone.
Cao Ang understood the implication and quickly asked, "Brother Gu, do you mean to ask Father to spare Zhang Liao's life?" Gu Cheng didn't answer but instead asked, "Young Master, do you know the strength of the Bingzhou Cavalry?" "Bingzhou Cavalry?" Cao Ang paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "The Bingzhou Cavalry are the elite of Lü Bu's elite troops. Although they are countered by the White Horse Cavalry, their strength is undeniable. I naturally experienced this firsthand when I was in Xuzhou."
"Does the young master know that Lü Bu is dead, and apart from Zhang Liao, there is no one else in the world who is proficient in the training methods of Bingzhou cavalry?"
Gu Cheng took a sip of wine and revealed Zhang Liao's value.
Cao Ang's eyes flashed with excitement, "That Zhang Liao is actually proficient in Bingzhou's elite cavalry?" "His value is not just that." Gu Cheng's gaze deepened, and he pointed north. "When Cao Cao defeats Yuan Shao, he will sooner or later bring all the northern warlords, including You and Bing, into his territory." "The border region of You and Bing is inhabited by countless nomadic tribes such as the Southern Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei, all of whom are horse-riding peoples skilled in cavalry warfare."
"If Cao Cao wants to deal with these Hu people, he will definitely need a general who has experience fighting against the Hu people and is good at commanding cavalry." "Zhang Liao is not only proficient in the tactics of the Bingzhou cavalry, but he also once guarded Bingzhou with Lü Bu. He has fought against the Hu people for many years and his experience is not to be underestimated."
"If Cao Cao has the ambition to unify the six kingdoms and conquer China, then a rare talent like Zhang Liao should not be killed!" Gu Cheng's words not only offered Cao Cao a long-term plan but also emphasized Zhang Liao's value. Cao Ang suddenly realized this as if struck by a thunderbolt.
"With Yuan Shao's army pressing in, the outcome is still uncertain, yet he has already devised a plan for his father to conquer four provinces in Hebei and engage the Hu people so far in the future!"
"My brother-in-law's foresight and vision are truly unmatched among all of Father's advisors," Cao Ang thought to himself, his eyes filled with even greater admiration.
He immediately stood up, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Gu. Otherwise, Father would have almost missed out on a great general. I will go see Father now."
With Zhang Liao's execution imminent, Cao Ang dared not delay and immediately went to Cao Cao's main tent. (Central Army Tent)
Cao Cao was leisurely sipping fragrant tea, clearing his head of drunkenness. "Minister of Works, Zhang Liao has been taken to the execution ground. Please give your instructions!" Yu Jin entered the tent to ask for instructions.
Cao Cao waved his hand: "Issue my order: execute him immediately, behead him and display his head to the public." "Yes, sir!" Yu Jin accepted the order and turned to leave. "Father, spare his life!"
Just then, Cao Ang shouted and rushed into the tent, stopping Yu Jin. Yu Jin was taken aback and turned to look at Cao Cao.
Cao Cao frowned and asked, "Zixiu, didn't you go back to your tent to rest? Why are you back?" "Father!" Cao Ang stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said solemnly, "That Zhang Liao, he can't be killed!" "Why?"