Chapter 35: Rushing to the Aid of Ye City (Part 1)

  One hundred thousand stones of grain and fodder, three thousand war horses. It's not a small amount, the war horses are fine, but this much grain and fodder is almost enough for a year's worth of military use in Hebei Province, enough to recruit another several thousand elite soldiers.

  Even if Yuan Shao's forces were strong, they couldn't be easily taken out. Xu You was forced by Qin Yu to be in a state of great confusion, and in order to get Lv Bu to send troops as soon as possible, he hastily agreed, and even handed them over immediately.

  But where did all these grains and fodder come from?

  This made Xu You's suicidal thoughts resurface.

  At first, in order to win over Lü Bu, the promise of 20,000 stones of military rations and 2,000 war horses was merely a promise, which already made Yuan Shao feel painful. If it weren't for the many strategists under his command analyzing the various benefits that could be obtained from forming an alliance with Lü Bu and his true intentions, Yuan Shao might not have even agreed to this empty promise.

  But now, not only has the amount increased fivefold, but it also has to be paid immediately. This is not saving Yuan Shao's life, but taking his old life.

  Moreover, Lü Bu said that he would send troops only after the handover was completed. It's no wonder that the generals in the military account had extremely strange expressions. Hebei Prefecture has rarely experienced war, and although food and grass are abundant, these many military funds, even if they move out of the entire Hebei Prefecture at this time, it is difficult to gather them together for a while.

  Hei Shan Zei is less than 100 miles away from Henei County, and if he takes a shortcut to the east and attacks Ye City in the north, it will only take four or five days. Even if Yuan Shao abandons his confrontation with Gongsun Zan and rushes back to Ye City, it will still take him half a month. Xu You can't believe that Zhang Yan would slowly lead tens of thousands of troops to Ye City for a picnic, accompanied by friendly exchanges with Yuan Shao.

  Ye City is empty, and the military strength in Hebei is sufficient for self-defense. However, if we launch a rash attack, there are two bandits from Chang'an lurking behind us, and no one can say what unexpected events might occur. This is also why Xu You exaggerated the Black Mountain bandit's goal of attacking Hebei.

  Lü Bu readily agreed, but Xu You was secretly anxious. On the one hand, he hated Qin Xu for ruining his good fortune. On the other hand, he quickly thought of a plan to persuade Lü Bu to send troops as soon as possible.

  "Feng Xian, you see that the Black Mountain bandits' intentions are clear, and the distance between He Nei and Ye Cheng is extremely close. However, the deployment of these many troops cannot be completed in just one or two days. What do you think...?" Zhang Yang was indeed a famous good man of the Three Kingdoms era. Although he was somewhat displeased with Xu You's deception of the He Nei army into provoking the Black Mountain bandits without reason, Xu You's intention was purely to use the lives of the He Nei army to barely drag down Zhang Yan's rear leg. As for defeating them? That was just something these ignorant people dared to think about. Even Yuan Shao had been forced to seek help, and yet they were going to resist an enemy with tens of thousands of men with just a few thousand troops? It was unlikely that Ye Cheng could be saved, and He Nei might also be lost. But Xu You's expression was as if he had given up all hope, and since he was after all Yuan Shao's envoy, Zhang Yang felt some apprehension and could only speak to Lü Bu instead.

  "Huh? What profound words do you have to teach me, brother? Speak freely, we are brothers, what can't be said between us?" Lü Bu asked with a very good mood at the moment, looking at Xu You who was like a bereaved son and the Hebei generals who were slightly suppressed by his side.

  "Let's go! Since we know that Ye city is empty, as fellow subjects of the great Han, how can we just sit and watch the bandits wreak havoc, yet see death and not rescue?" If anyone in the military camp understood Lü Bu's temperament best, it was Zhang Yang. Seeing Lü Bu's appearance, Zhang Yang knew that Lü Bu still had a grudge against Xu You, but now there was hope to rescue Ye city, and apart from Lü Bu, the world's number one fierce general, there was no other choice, so he could only follow along with Lü Bu's words and speak diplomatically.

  "As you, Uncle Zhang, have said so, there is no reason for Bu to disobey. Alright, bother Uncle Zhang to take care of the handover, and Bu will immediately dispatch troops!" Lü Bu said with a very respectful attitude towards Zhang Yang, ignoring Xu You who was standing aside like a deflated ball.

  "Alas... Father! Father!"

  Lü Bu having agreed to send troops immediately, the next military meeting was Lü Bu's show of deploying troops and generals. With Lü Bu's usual style, there was no more room for Yang Chou and others. The complex-minded Hebei generals could only leave the military account one by one.

  "Governor Zhang, Lü Bu this scoundrel indulges a mere child to bully and oppress Governor Yuan's officials in every way. Sooner or later, he will turn against his master. Can Governor Zhang really tolerate this?"

  Zhang Yang sighed and led Xu You out of the military tent with a gloomy face. He had originally wanted to take advantage of his relationship with Lü Bu to negotiate with Xu You on how to lower the price that Xu You had agreed to, in consideration of Yuan Shao's face. But unexpectedly, Xu You said this instead.

  Good old Zhang Yang now also has the urge to strangle this guy Xu You to death.

  First, he ignored the safety of his subordinates and went to serve as a cannon fodder for Yuan Shao; this is tolerable after all, since Zhang Yang and Yuan Shao are now in a situation where "when one's lips are gone, the teeth will be cold". You, Xu You, Xu Ziyuan, couldn't even argue with Lv Bu's small accountant, and you still don't know shame. Instead, you say that Lv Bu is indulgent. Zhang Yang has seen how Lv Bu treated Qin Hu, so is this what you call indulgence?

  Zhang Yang suddenly felt a bit of agreement with Qin Xu's words, letting Xun Yu go home and read more books. I, old Zhang, had to swallow my pride and finally got the promise from Lü Bu to send troops as soon as possible for your sake, old Yuan's family. You didn't even say thank you, but instead came at me with a lecturing tone, trying to stir up trouble between me and Lü Bu. The entire army of Lü Bu is stationed outside the city, their families are in Zhang Yang's mansion, including the personal guards, all arranged by Zhang Yang. Normally, he doesn't even ask about the military affairs of Hebei, his relationship with the other generals of Hebei is distant, and he doesn't even need Zhang Yang's help with supplies or equipment. Is this how you repay kindness?

  "Zi Yuan, think about how to fulfill your promise to Feng Xian. As for Feng Xian's character... cough, cough..." Zhang Yang reminded Xu You with good intentions.

  What was left unsaid, Xu You could also understand that Lü Bu was a tiger-like man. If he knew that the previous promise of grain and horse for the army was just an empty promise, Xu You's hundred or so kilograms would probably be settled in the river.

  "Considering your face, Brother Yuan, I must help my younger brother once!" A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Xu You's eyes, but his face was a picture of pleading, with an air of humility and compromise that was completely at odds with the proud and aloof scholar who had arrived at Hebei earlier. Zhang Yang furrowed his brow at the sight.

  Zhang Yang and Xu You discussed how to see the first batch of grain between Lv Bu's troops, but for now, in the military account, only Lv Bu's army was left. After a strange and oppressive silence, a burst of laughter suddenly erupted, and Gao Shun's face, who had always been silent and taciturn, also showed a smile.

  "Qin Xu, you little scamp!" Lü Bu laughed loudly, pointing at Qin Xu and saying repeatedly. The other generals also looked at Qin Xu with kindness, it had been a long time since they saw Lü Bu laugh so heartily after leaving Chang'an, or rather, after defecting to Dong Zhuo.

  "Didn't the lord send someone to take over from Xu You?" Qin Xu rubbed his nose, now that he had also shown his face in Lü Bu's army, although he had greatly offended Xu You and Yuan Shao. But as long as Lü Bu's military power did not weaken, with Yuan Shao's outer generosity and inner narrow-mindedness, even Cao Cao, who was on good terms with him, said that Yuan Shao "does great things but is stingy with his own life, sees small gains and forgets righteousness". Would he dare to use 20,000 troops to resist Yuan Shao's army of 100,000?

  "Hand over? The price you're asking for is almost half of Jizhou's assets!" Lü Bu said with a smile: "Even if he sells out Xu You, Yuan Benchu won't agree to it."

  "Didn't the lord just agree to send troops to help Yuan Shao with Zhang Taigong...?" Qin Xu was lost in thought and didn't speak, but instead it was the young general who had been called "Ximing" by Lü Bu when he asked for advice earlier, who asked doubtfully.

  "If Ye City falls, the Black Mountain bandits will surely become even more powerful. Pingzhou is already in a state of decline. If Ji Province falls into chaos, Hebei Commandery will be the next Ye City." Lü Bu took a deep breath and said: "Zi'zi treated me kindly, how can I just sit back and watch him lose his foundation? Besides, my actions in Hebei are well-known throughout the world. The Black Mountain bandits dare to be so arrogant and borrow their way through Hebei, do they think I, Lü Bu, am made of paper?"

  "It turns out that the lord had long intended to send troops, I think that Xu You recklessly promised these military supplies is really unjust. Afraid now still headache how to make excuses in front of Yuan Shao." Qin Xu's side big man laughed and said, it was Lv Bu's general Cheng Lian.

  Because Qin Xu had previously made a "heroic" move that had earned enough face for Lü Bu's army, Cheng Lian had a good impression of him and said: "It's just a pity that Qin Zhongbo's efforts were in vain, but he couldn't get the merit of defeating Yuan Shao's army."

  "Unlikely!" Qin Xu's mouth curled up in a smile: "Yuan Shao, the hero of Hebei, from a family with three generations of high officials, known throughout the land. Since he sent Xu You to negotiate with us in front of so many people and agreed to things through friendly talks, how could he go back on his word?"

  "But... " Cheng Lian's brain was a bit overwhelmed.

  Lü Bu had just said that Yuan Shao would not bring out food, but how did Qin Xu say that he must bring it out. Not to mention the generals in the account who didn't understand why Qin Xu was singing a different tune with Lü Bu, even Lü Bu himself was piqued by Qin Xu's words and laughed: "Where does this kid get such confidence? Yuan Benchu is currently fighting Gongsun Zan, how can he spare so much military resources for our army? Even if he wants to, with the Black Mountain bandits in front, it can't be transported over."

  "Really? If Qin Zhongbo can really get that many, no, even half of the military supplies, I'll be your groom for a month!" Cheng Lian said with an incredulous expression.

  "How can that be?" Qin Xue said humbly, but his face didn't show any humility at all, instead, he looked very expectant and sized up Cheng Lian.

  Lü Bu looked at Qin Xu's confident appearance, and his heart moved as if he had thought of something. He pressed down on the hands of the other generals who were discussing in a low voice, and said to Qin Xu: "Qin Xu, if you can get all the grain and fodder, war horses, this battle will be credited to your first achievement!"

  "Is what you said true, My Lord?" Qin Xu hastily asked, his eyes lighting up at the words of Lord Lv Bu's military prestige.

  "Lord, what you said is exactly what Xu You agreed to! All of it!" Cheng Lian was made somewhat nervous by Qin Xu's inexplicable confidence, and seeing that his colleagues were all watching with interest, not one of them objecting to Lü Bu's words, he hastily added.

  "No problem, I think if we hurry up, there will be more fodder for our war horses!" Qin Xu said with a smile.