Chapter 43: The Great War Begins

  Seeing Wang Xu's suspicion, Zhou Zhi hastily shook his head and explained: "Actually, this horse is an exchange."

  "As soon as you left, I said I wanted to go out with you to make a name for myself and contribute to the suppression of the Yellow Turbans. With my knowledge from later generations, I also have some reputation in the countryside. Everyone agreed, and under the arrangement of the village chief, they sent me a horse on behalf of the village."

  Zhou Zhi said, looking at Wang Xu with some embarrassment: "However, the horse of the Yellow Turban bandits is very unfamiliar and doesn't let me ride it. But Fu Bo's horse is familiar with me, so I changed to this one. I didn't expect it to be so excited, it galloped wildly as soon as we left the village."

  "Haha! The war horse is spirited, knowing it will soon be galloping in a vast world, of course it's excited." With a smile, Wang Xu glanced at Zhou Zhi's war horse, then looked deeply at Zhou Zhi. "Then why did you change your mind?"

  This time, Zhou Zhi replied slowly after a long silence: "All along, I have indeed wanted to make achievements and thought that I was the center. But since you appeared, I realized that I am not the only one, this world is not revolving around me, and maybe I am not the legendary protagonist."

  Here is the translation:

  "So, many things have to be decided according to the actual situation, and I've resigned myself to it, which is why I was waiting for you to come find me. When you asked me, the reason I refused you was that I couldn't be sure if you were a trustworthy person! Based on what you said, either you're genuine or you're viciously cunning! So I chose to refuse, and if you broke your promise, it would be my bad luck. At least I wouldn't do something as foolish as being sold out and then counting the money for someone else. But you ultimately kept your promise, so I've decided to trust you temporarily."

  Although Zhou Zhi's words were very impolite, Wang Xu not only didn't get angry, but instead felt a kind of admiration in his heart. If the other person was really an idiot, then Wang Xu would truly be too lazy to take him along and would let him fend for himself in the chaotic world.

  "Zhou Zhi, I admire your wisdom. But you haven't seen enough; this world doesn't have a protagonist, and rare encounters only give us a slightly higher starting point. Even without me, don't underestimate the heroes of the world, and don't let false illusions corrode your mind. Do what suits yourself best, and don't force it if it's not suitable - there's no difference between now and the past."

  Jian Zhouzhi nodded along with his own words, as if he had gained some insight and fell into deep thought. Wang Xu added meaningfully: "Moreover, people like us are not just the two of us. So, your choice may be correct..."

  Wang Xu's words left Zhou Zhi silent for three whole days. Unless necessary, he was often alone in a daze, and no one knew what he was thinking.

  But Wang Xu didn't go to disturb, just a bit bitter for Wang Fei. Because Zhou Zhi wasn't good at riding horses and couldn't delay the speed of rushing on the road, so he was always led by Wang Fei, and he was even more confused about the conversation between Wang Xu and Zhou Zhi for a long time...

  Just as they were about to arrive at Yingchuan County, Zhou Zhi took the opportunity of Wang Fei and Xu Shu going out to hunt for prey to ask, "Wang Xu, you said that not only are we two people from a later generation, but who else is?"

  He glanced at Zhou Zhi, and Wang Xu narrowed his eyes, lying lazily on the grass and said: "One is my wife, that is Xu Shu. The other should be Zhang Jiao's youngest son!"

  When he heard this, Zhou Zhi's eyes widened in shock, staring at Wang Xu in disbelief. "Xu Shu is a woman? And also from the future?"

  "Damn! Unbelievable, you're also a person from the future, we've been together for three days and you didn't even try to hide it, yet you can't even tell male from female?" Because the other party was using the language of the future, Wang Xu naturally used the language he used before.

  Being scolded by Wang Xu, Zhou Zhi immediately said awkwardly: "Usually you all carry swords with you, how can it be so easy to see? Besides, I've been thinking about what you said these past two days and didn't notice any of this, just thought Xu Shu was a bit of an androgynous man!"

  "Hmm..." Wang Xu was at a loss for words regarding Zhou Zhi...

  However, as the conversation went on, Zhou Zhi slowly regained his composure and began to speak more. But the key issue was that this "more" wasn't just any ordinary increase - as they spent more time together, Zhou Zhi's true nature gradually revealed itself.

  It turns out that this guy is a total treasure! He's always laughing and talking nonsense, saying things that are hardly nutritious, making Wang Xu's head ache to no end!

  The only benefit is that there are more laughs during the trip...

  As they approached the main battlefield of Weishui River, Wang Xu and others also slowed down their pace.

  Along the way, he also saw more and more refugees. From their mouths, Wang Xu only knew that Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun's two armies had entered Yingchuan Prefecture with irresistible force, successively pacifying all along the way.

  Bo Cai, the Yellow Turban leader of Yingchuan Commandery, faced with the mighty imperial army, quickly gathered the surrounding Yellow Turbans and is now assembling near Yingyin, seemingly intent on taking Yingyin city as a base.

  But some people also said that they had seen the Yellow Turbans in the vicinity just these two days, and they were heading towards Changsha. Upon learning this news, Wang Xu immediately decided to take a detour and go to Changsha to investigate first.

  Wang Xu was already suspicious, why Zhang Jiao's youngest son didn't make a sound, if the other party really came from later generations, he would not let history repeat itself and wait for destruction. Although these rumors are unreliable, they also reminded Wang Xu that the opponent is relatively young, no matter how powerful he is, it is impossible to change the deployment that Zhang Jiao has been doing for so many years, so he can only grasp the key points.

  The fire that burned Changsha was just the turning point of the Yellow Turban Rebellion. If he could destroy Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and even Cao Cao who later sent reinforcements, everything would have gone in an unknown direction!

  And things turned out to be just as Wang Xu had expected. Through searching and inquiring everywhere, they successfully tracked down a small group of Yellow Turbans and discovered a large Yellow Turban camp stretching for miles in a mountain valley dozens of miles away from Changsha.

  Wang Xu stopped Wang Fei from immediately reporting the intelligence to the imperial court, instead spending a considerable amount of time carefully scouting around Changsha, making a rough map of the terrain before quickly leaving with Xu Shu and others, heading straight for Yingying.

  "Who goes there! Halt at once."

  In a pitch-black night, a loud shout suddenly came from the small woods north of the Han army camp forty miles northeast of Yingying City!

  Suddenly, nearly fifty people emerged from various corners of the woods, with at least twenty bows and arrows gleaming in the cold light, surrounding four figures of varying heights.

  These four people were Wang Xu and his party who had come from Changsha, originally Wang Xu was going to go straight to the military camp gate and hand over the letter of recommendation.

  Seeing that they had already been discovered by the hidden sentry, Wang Xu was first startled, but then he pulled back Wang Fei who wanted to rush out and slowly shook his head.

  After a quick calculation in his mind, he smiled slightly and walked out first. Under the pressure of bows and arrows around him, he threw away the long gun in his hand with relish, and consciously took off the long sword from his waist and threw it to the ground!

  Seeing Wang Xu's actions, Xu Shu was puzzled but didn't hesitate and immediately followed suit.

  Only Wang Fei couldn't help but become a captive of the atmosphere, "Ptooey" spat out a mouthful of saliva, and then followed out in a huff.

  Zhou Zhi didn't even need to be said, seeing that the situation was not in his favor, Wang Xu had already "surrendered". He immediately raised his hands high and shouted loudly: "I surrender! I surrender! Those who surrender will not be killed! You must treat prisoners of war with kindness!"

  But judging from the contempt in the eyes of those soldiers, it was clear that no one would pay attention to what he said.

  The man who seemed to be in charge looked at Wang Xu and the others for a while, made sure they were unarmed, and then waved his hand at the soldiers behind him.

  Several people rushed over immediately, quickly picked up the weapons of Wang Xu and others and threw them to their companions, and immediately took out ropes to tie the four people tightly.

  At this moment, the team leader slowly put down the longbow in his hand. After hanging it on his back, he looked at Wang Xu and the others, but was quite annoyed. "This Yellow Turban bandit really doesn't take us seriously, actually sending such a young whippersnapper to spy on our military situation."

  After finishing, he looked at Wang Xu's armor with regret and said: "However, the three of you have a pretty good suit of armor, unfortunately, it's either too big or too small, otherwise I could apply to make it my own spoils of war."

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