Chapter 58: Who is Huang Que (Part 1)

  Lü Bu was fond of fighting, but did not delight in killing.

  Xun Yu's actions had indeed provoked Lü Bu. If not for Lü Bu's good luck, he would have fallen into Xun Yu's hands twice, which was unbearable for him. Moreover, these people not only seriously injured Cheng Lian but also caused the Flying Cavalry to suffer more than 400 casualties, almost annihilating the entire army.

  As soon as Lü Linggui's words fell, she was vetoed by Lü Bu without hesitation. Seeing Qin Xu wanting to speak again, Lü Bu's eyes warned him, staring at Qin Xu for a moment, indicating that Song Xian should hurry up and do it. Even Lü Linggui secretly pulled Qin Xu's sleeve, hinting that he shouldn't confront Lü Bu at this time.

  "My lord, the slaughter of prisoners is not justified, and the brothers of the Flying Cavalry Camp are avenged. These people are not the ringleaders, I hope my lord will temporarily put aside his desire for massacre and first withdraw from Henan as a priority!" As one of the time-travelers, Qin Xu really couldn't bear to see the slaughter of unarmed men, seeing that Lv Bu's intention to kill was firm, Qin Xu had no choice but to speak out.

  "Are these people the ringleaders? Who is the ringleader?" Lü Bu sneered, "Do I need to go and kill Yuan Shao? My mind is made up, no need to repeat!"

  "This..."

  "My lord, the scouts have come to report that Yuan Shao has ordered his great generals Yan Liang and Chunyu Qiong to lead a large army of 30,000 to launch a surprise attack. The vanguard has already entered the territory of Hebei, less than 300 miles from Huai City." Just as Qin Xu was racking his brains to persuade Lü Bu, Zhang Liao received the report from the scouts and said to Lü Bu.

  "Yuan Benchu arrived so quickly!" Lü Bu's expression didn't change, but his eyes were filled with a fierce intent.

  "My lord, our army is exhausted and burdened with heavy loads, it's not convenient to engage in battle. Please temporarily avoid the enemy's sharp edge!" Zhang Liao advised.

  "My lord! Our army's grain and hay are nearly 130,000 stones, we absolutely cannot let Yuan Shao get them cheaply!" Qin Xu suddenly thought of a way that wasn't a method, saying: "Why not order these captured soldiers who first surrendered to each carry one stone of grain and hay, this can save many war horses to be used against the enemy!"

  "You're really determined to get your way, aren't you?!" Lü Bu hesitated for a moment, then said: "In that case, have these prisoners join the miscellaneous troops. You and Ling'er will lead them together with Gao Shun's vanguard to escort our families, while also transporting grain and supplies. Set off first."

  "Father!" Lü Lingqi's small mouth pouted high, it was easy to get a chance to fight back so quickly, but unexpectedly she was held back by Lü Bu again, no wonder this young lady wasn't very happy.

  "Alright!" Qin Xu heard Lü Bu's words and understood that Lü Bu had tacitly agreed to his request. Without further ado, he grabbed Lü Lingji's small hand and ran towards Song Xian.

  From the schedule, it can be inferred that the troops sent by Yuan Shao to Huai City were dispatched after Xun Yu and Mi Fang left Handan. It is likely that Yuan Shao was skeptical about whether Guo Tu and others could successfully assassinate Lü Bu.

  Yuan Shao knew Lü Bu's strength all too well, and if just two strategists and a company of soldiers could defeat him, he would have been killed countless times already.

  A total of 30,000 troops. In the case of no grain in Ye City, it was already the limit of Yuan Shao's ability to dispatch troops, and the previous ones who were defeated by the famous White Horse Righteous Army were the Xian Dang Camp, which shows how much Yuan Shao valued Lü Bu.

  As the number one general of Yuan Shao's army, Yan Liang was extremely disdainful of the rumors that Lü Bu was invincible. In order not to let Yan Baihu monopolize the beauty in front of Yuan Shao, he hurried along the road to Hebei and arrived at the border of Hebei on the second day after Yan Baihu arrived at Huai City, which was beyond everyone's expectations, and also made Yan Baihu feel grateful for Yan Liang.

  Under Qin Xu's advice, the lives of the remaining 300 people in the camp were preserved. However, they were disarmed and became porters. These men were Mo Yi's soldiers and were very loyal to him. Since Mo Yi was still around, Qin Xu didn't have a good way to subdue them for the time being. Fortunately, these men mostly came from the Qiang people of Yongliang, who worshipped the strong, although Lü Bu had now dispatched most of his troops to deal with Yuan's invading army, and there were troops stationed nearby, they did not cause any major trouble.

  130,000 stones of grain and fodder, plus the gold, silver, and coins moved out from Mei Yu, filled nearly 70 large carts. No wonder Yuan Shao initially offered such a high price, but was changed by Qin Hu's words, it turned out that Lü Bu didn't care about Yuan Shao's offer at all.

  "Qin Xu, this time Feng Xian was able to escape again, I heard it was all thanks to your contributions? You were able to persuade Feng Xian not to kill the captives, well done!" Qin Xu didn't have much combat power, and tasks like rearguarding weren't suited for him. Outside, there were soldiers from the trapped array camp like Gao Shun guarding, so Qin Xu was "captured" by Yan Shi onto the carriage, without saying anything, he was lavished with praise by Yan Shi.

  "This is just a bit tight, that's all!" Qin Xu replied awkwardly. Being in the same carriage with Yan Shi and Diao Chan made Qin Xu very uncomfortable.

  Lü Linggui was like a mouse seeing a cat when she saw Yan Shi, and after being caught, she listened tightly. At this time, she was sitting in the car with Yan Shi, and heard Yan Shi praising Qin Xu again, Lü Linggui said repeatedly: "He has made great contributions, but I missed another chance to fight side by side with my father, let him pay for it!"

  "Yes, yes, Miss is right!" A good man doesn't fight with a woman, let alone a little girl. Qin Xu made a show of courtesy, bowing and scraping, which made the three women laugh non-stop.

  "Ling'er, you should be nicer to Qin Zhushi in the future, don't always bully her, or else..." Meiniang said with a smile, unable to continue.

  "Sister, you'd better teach Ling'er well..." Yan Shi also chimed in.

  Lü Linggui may not have understood the meaning of Diao Chan's words because of her young age, but Qin Zhongbo was a man who had lived for two lifetimes and was being lectured and ridiculed by two women who were actually younger than him, relying on their seniority. For a moment, Qin Xiang found it difficult to adapt.

  "Let the two ladies and young lady rest for a while, and go down to see if General Gao needs any help." Qin Xu had no choice but to use Gao Shun's name as an excuse, and without waiting for Yan Shi and Diao Chan to speak, he hastily jumped off the carriage.

  Seventy large vehicles lined up two miles away, and Gao Shun's camp had only over 700 people left. They still needed to send out scouts and patrols, so they really didn't have time to bother with Qin Xu, who was getting anxious from idleness.

  "Qin Zhubu! Come here for a moment!" Cai Yan's clear voice came from the carriage, and Qin Xu suddenly became spirited.

  After having a close contact with Cai Yan due to a misunderstanding, except for that night when he had a midnight conversation with Jia Xu in the secret room, Qin Xu hadn't seen Cai Yan's figure again. Fortunately, this time Cai Yan and others also left Hebei with Lü Bu's army, giving Qin Xu another chance to see Cai Yan.

  "Yan jie! Are you looking for me?" Qin Xu lifted the car curtain, and his first glance fell on Cai Yan, who looked a bit pale. The surprise in his voice brought a faint blush to Cai Yan's delicate face.

  "Hmmph!" An aged voice tinged with faint displeasure announced his presence.

  Qin Xu only then noticed that, apart from Cai Yan who had not been seen for several days, his nominal "household minister" Jia Yu was also there. The car was lined with thick quilts, and Zhang Yang, who was unconscious, was also in the lineup. It is unknown whether it was due to the relationship of that name book, but Jia Yu and Cai Yong, two people with vastly different personalities, were surprisingly getting along quite well. The one who had just spoken the words that made Qin Xu slightly embarrassed was none other than Cai Yong, an old man with a displeased expression.

  "Qin Zhubu, I don't know where General Lü is headed this time after leaving the river," Although Qin Xu had won Jia Yu's favor, according to their wager, as long as he met the few requirements set by Jia Yu for him, Jia Yu would become his vassal. However, in terms of address, Jia Yu remained very cold.

  "Mr. Wen and others!" Seeing so many old men, Qin Xu also put away his playful face with Cai Yan and said: "Yuan Shao had submitted a memorial to the imperial court to win over our lord, appointing our lord as the General of the Left and the Shepherd of Qingzhou. Our army is on this trip precisely to escort our lord to take office in Qingzhou."

  "Qingzhou?" Jia Xu furrowed his brow and pondered for a long time, slowly saying: "Qingzhou is not a paradise, there are already five vassal forces mixed in, Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan, Tao Qian, and Huangjin! Each force has its own sphere of influence in Qingzhou, General Lü's trip to Qingzhou this time may not be peaceful."

  No wonder he's an old fox! He hit the nail on the head! Qin Xu thought to himself, but on the surface, he maintained a calm demeanor and said, "The lord has the imperial edict of appointment and the seal, what are they afraid of?"

  Jia Xun heard Qin Xu's words, looked at Qin Xu deeply and smiled without speaking. But the stubborn old man Cai Yong said coldly: "General Lv is unmatched in martial arts, it's not a problem, but some people have no ability to tie up a chicken, no way to protect themselves, yet they deliberately make enemies everywhere and interfere with everything, be careful or your life won't last long!"

  "What did I do to offend you? Did I kill your whole family or sleep with your daughter? I'm the one who saved your life! From Chang'an onwards, you've always looked at me with disdain. Qin Xuan secretly cursed in his heart, if it weren't for Cai Yan's apologetic gaze, Qin Xuan really didn't know whether he would still be able to maintain the beautiful virtue of respecting elders in Chinese culture."

  "Ahem!" Jia Xu saw Cai Yong and Qin Xiang, one old and one young, arguing like fighting cocks, their topic getting further and further away. He couldn't help but clear his throat and say: "This trip has General Lü as our rear guard, I reckon the enemy army won't be able to harm him. We're headed to Qingzhou, and apart from passing through Ye City, there's only one road we can take, which is this one. After crossing the river, we'll pass through Yanzhou and enter Qingzhou. However, Yanzhou is currently in a state of chaos, Cao Cao's influence is spreading rapidly, almost covering the entire province, and he's also allied with Yuan Shao, so we need to be extremely cautious."

  Cao Cao!

  It's been a long time since I thought of this name! Qin Xu suddenly remembered that when he first came to Han, he tried every means to join Cao Cao, and his mouth couldn't help but curve into a smile.

  "You, this little bookkeeper, can still smile at a time like this. I don't know whether to praise your calmness in the face of danger or say you're heartless." Cai Yong said indifferently.

  Considering Cai Yan's face, I'll endure it. Qin Xu took a deep breath and said, "How I react is none of your business, Mr. Cai. As for borrowing the road to Tan Prefecture, I'm young and don't have any clever plans. However, isn't there still Mr. Wenhe here?

  "After all, one still has to ask for advice from others! Tsk, tsk, the young master is indeed wise, General Lü's prestige shakes the world... but is this really a matter of discerning people?" Cai Yong said with a scornful smile, stroking his beard. Jia Xian, on the other hand, maintained a calm and composed demeanor, waiting for Qin Xu's next words.

  "Let's just tell these words to our master, General Lü. " Qin Xu's eyes rolled around and he took out an object from his bosom, smiling as he said: "As for how to borrow the road, with Mr. Wen present, Qin Xu has no worries!"

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