Chapter 55 Under Huai City

  Qingzhou Shepherd, Left General?

  It seems that Yuan Shao's attitude towards luring Lü Bu was still quite sincere, although the sincerity was somewhat lacking.

  Yuan Shao followed the advice of Feng Ji and Xu You, formed an alliance with Lü Bu through marriage, and indirectly controlled Lü Bu to fight for him. He then offered the governorship of Qing Province as a reward and sent Feng Ji to Hebei to negotiate with Lü Bu.

  "Is Yuan Benchu really so kind?" Hearing Qin Xu's words, Lü Bu hesitated and said: "Jizhou borders Qingzhou, and Yuan Shao has great ambitions. How could he give Qingzhou to me, Lü Bu?"

  "Yuan Shao's kindness is naturally limited, and being the governor of Qingzhou is just a title. Qin Xu understood the situation in Qingzhou at that time and said to Lü Bu: "Yuan Shao's archenemy Gongsun Zan appointed Tian Kai as the governor of Qingzhou, occupying Dongwuyang, while Liu Bei, his old friend, occupied Pingyuan County, and another good friend Kong Rong occupied Beihai County. Xu State's Tao Qian also had a murky relationship with Gongsun Zan, and within the borders, there were Yellow Turbans wreaking havoc. It can be said that internally, there are hidden worries, and externally, they face enemies on all sides. Yuan Shao petitioned the imperial court to make you the governor of Qingzhou, what kindness is there in this?"

  "Is Yuan Shao trying to get Lü Bu to block the enemy for him?" Lü Bu quickly reacted and said with a scowl.

  "If the young lady really marries Yuan Shao, then Master has no room for refusal. However, now...!" Qin Xu sneered: "Master's martial arts are unparalleled in the world, but he is a hero who cannot use his strength, and in Yuan Shao's eyes, Qingzhou is just a small piece of land that can be easily taken. It is exactly what Master desires, a delicious meat delivered to his doorstep. As the saying goes, 'heaven gives and one does not take, instead suffers blame'. Not eating it would not be good."

  "Listening to Gao Shun say that you, young man, showed off your culinary skills on the way to Hanoi, this metaphor is quite apt." Lü Bu pointed at Qin Xu and said: "But we have already offended Yuan Shao severely, I'm afraid he won't acknowledge this imperial edict?"

  Qin Xu heard Lü Bu's question and knew that Boss Lü was thinking of getting benefits without leaving a handle, so he smiled: "The lord can be appointed as the Marquis of Qingzhou, obviously it is the imperial court rewarding the lord for his merit in killing Dong, what does Yuan Shao have to do with it? Is there any other name on this seal besides Yuan Benchu?"

  "It's reasonable!" Lü Bu clapped his hands and made a decision. Since Zhang Nan, the first to ascend to the rank of camp commandant, had gone missing, he considered that Yuan Shao would learn of the news and come to attack in anger, which would unjustly implicate Zhang Yang, so he ordered the entire army to set out and return to Hebei, to take up his post in Qingzhou. As for Yuan Shang, who was trapped on Black Mountain, and Lü Bu's brothers, Lü Bu didn't have any interest in them at all.

  They rushed to arrive, and were busy for a night, even the elite soldiers showed signs of fatigue. On the return journey, they took a whole day and a half, and only arrived outside Huai City around noon on the third day, where they coincidentally ran into Zhang Liao who had come to greet them with his army.

  It was from Zhang Liao's account that it became known that on that day, Zhang Liao Cheng had discovered the "sincerity" given by Yuan Shao to Lü Bu before he knew about the true situation in Yanjin. The loud noise startled Zhang Yang. After learning of the conspiracy between Feng Ji and Xu You, Zhang Yang did not say much, but instead secretly opened the city gate at night and let Zhang Liao and others leave the city. He also sent a trusted aide to deliver a letter to Lü Bu's camp, while secretly sending Lü Bu's family out of the city to his military camp. After doing all this, he ordered Yang Chou and other generals to close the city gate and strictly forbid anyone from leaving, pretending to be determined to defend the city against Lü Bu.

  "It's really embarrassing for Young Master!" Lü Bu rarely showed a hint of shame, looking at the city wall of Huai City, searching for a familiar figure in vain, and muttered to himself.

  "What's going on, Zhang Taishou? Are you afraid of being implicated by Lord Cao and that's why you've closed the four gates?" Song Xian's face was full of doubt. Ever since he returned to Lü Bu, it seemed like everyone who was unfavorable to Lü Bu had become an object of his resentment.

  "General Song, don't spout nonsense! Governor Zhang is telling us that Yuan Shao has already harbored murderous intentions towards our lord and is likely to send troops to attack." Qin Xu said with a complex expression.

  If it were someone else who dared to say that Song Xian was talking nonsense, he would have been furious long ago. But since it was Qin Xu, Song Xian could only swallow his anger and force a smile on his face after having just accepted a favor from Qin Xu.

  Qin Xu didn't mind Song Xian's actions, and as for Zhang Yang, this old good man who was famous at the end of the Han Dynasty, Qin Xu only sighed at his friendship with Lü Bu, and previously hadn't had any feelings about it. Refuting Song Xian's words was also because he didn't want to make Lü Bu suspicious of this newly returned general.

  "It's terrible!" Song Xian's words suddenly reminded Qin Xu of something, and he was shocked. After struggling in his heart, he didn't know whether to tell Lü Bu or not.

  "Qin Xu, what's with that expression? Spit it out!" Lü Bu hadn't noticed the conversation between Qin Xu and Song Xian, and was about to order Zhang Liao to lead the troops, along with the remaining generals and their families, to leave the military camp outside Huai City and depart from Hebei. Suddenly, he saw Qin Xu staring at the city wall of Huai City, lost in thought, his face twisted in a knot, and couldn't help but ask suspiciously.

  "My lord!" Qin Xu took a deep breath, opened his mouth to speak, but found himself at a loss for words. Just then, the gates of Huai City suddenly swung open and Yang Chou, the leader of the generals inside the city, rode out with a flattering smile on his face and approached Lü Bu.

  "General Lü, my father, the governor, suddenly remembered that there are some things he wants to discuss with you privately. He hopes you can follow me into the city!" Yang Chou was originally quite ugly, but he made a gesture that made Lü Bu feel disgusted in his heart. However, when he heard Zhang Yang say that he had something to talk about with him alone, he didn't think twice and was about to follow him into the city.

  "Wait a minute, Your Excellency!" Qin Xu suddenly said.

  Under Lv Bu's puzzled gaze, Qin Xu coldly stared at Yang Feng for a moment, a hint of a cold smile appearing on the corner of his mouth as he said: "Governor Zhang has sealed off all four gates of Huai City. This move is tantamount to cutting ties with my lord General Lv. What else is there to say?"

  "Qin Xu, you!" Hearing Qin Xu say such a thing, Lü Bu's face darkened and he was about to get angry, but suddenly saw Qin Xu's eyes slightly raised, seemingly with ulterior motives, so he suppressed his anger and didn't continue.

  "Qin Zhubu's words are quite wrong!" Yang Chou had seen Qin Xu in the military tent discussing matters before, and knew that although this young man was not highly ranked, he could influence Lü Bu's actions, so he didn't dare to be negligent. He smiled and said: "Now everyone on the road knows that General Lü is angry with Lord Yuan. I suggested that our lord take refuge under the Yuan family, of course we want to avoid suspicion, so we closed the city gate. However, my lord has a close private relationship with General Lü, when sending General Lü's family out of the city, he forgot to mention an important matter. In order to avoid Lord Yuan's ears and eyes, I invited General Lü to enter the city alone. With General Lü's military power, isn't Qin Zhubu still worried that our lord will harm General Lü?"

  Yang Chou, although a military general, was after all the leader of the generals in Hebei. This speech was clear and logical, without any loopholes. While flattering Lü Bu, he was also secretly plotting against Qin Xu. Lü Bu nodded frequently as he listened, but due to his trust in Qin Xu, despite being somewhat anxious, he did not move.

  "Is it really Lord Zhang's invitation to our master?" Qin Xu smiled slightly. Yang Chou's words were too perfect, almost without any flaws, as if he had practiced them thousands of times in advance, targeting Lü Bu's personality and temperament, every sentence hitting the mark in Lü Bu's heart.

  "Qin Zhubu has something he doesn't know." Yang Chou's face remained calm, but his eyes revealed a hint of anxiety as he said: "My lord received news that General Lü is attacking Ye City. Governor Yuan knows about it and has already dispatched a large army to hurry here to Hebei day and night. I'm afraid they will arrive soon. My lord invites General Lü into the city for discussion, specifically on how to explain things to Governor Yuan. Time is pressing, so please don't cause any more trouble, Qin Zhubu."

  Yang Ugly's words finally reached the end, and he had already become somewhat impatient. Lü Bu was also getting more anxious, but seeing Qin Xu's smile at the corner of his mouth growing bigger, he barely held back from speaking up.

  "My lord is in mourning!" Qin Xu smiled and shook his head, pulling the reins to walk a few steps behind Lü Bu, suddenly saying something that shocked both Lü Bu and Yang Chou.

  "Qin Xu, what do you mean by this?" Lü Bu's eagle eyes blazed with anger as he turned his head to look at Qin Xu.

  "My lord, quickly capture Yang Chou! If you delay, it will be too late!" Qin Xu shouted, ignoring Lü Bu's angry gaze and pointing at Yang Chou, whose face had changed color as he whipped his horse to flee.

  "Kill!!"

  Lü Bu had not yet regained his composure when suddenly a burst of cannon fire rang out, and row upon row of soldiers clad in Yuan Shao's armor stood up on the walls of Huai City, which were previously filled with "Zhang" flags. In their hands were the very same powerful crossbows that had nearly gotten Lü Bu into trouble earlier. On top of the city gate, a large yellow banner was erected, bearing a single large character: "Shen".

  "Ah!" Lü Bu suddenly understood the meaning behind Qin Xu's words, and was shocked. Unfortunately, he was a step too late. Yang Chou, seeing that he had been discovered by Qin Xu, whipped his horse and fled, already nearing the moat surrounding the city. The main gate of Huai City was also slowly rising, waiting for Yang Chou to ride in before closing.

  "My lord, you mustn't!"

  "You dare to deceive me!" Lü Bu suddenly flew into a rage, ignoring Qin Xu's cries, and charged at Yang Chou on horseback.

  "Lü Bu has finally taken the bait!" Xun Yu sneered, seeing Lü Bu relying on Red Hare's speed, and in just one breath, he had already arrived behind Yang Feng. He coldly ordered: "Release the arrow!"

  "Be careful, my lord!" Seeing that Qin Xu did not stop Lü Bu's figure, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, the two generals, rode out on horseback to go and support Lü Bu. Just then, Qin Xu suddenly saw someone under the large flag on the city wall wave their hand lightly, and his heart skipped a beat as he loudly warned.

  "Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

  Nearly a hundred soldiers holding the first登劲弩 on the city wall of Huai City, how can they be compared to Wei Xun's more than 20 personal followers? As soon as Qin Xu's voice fell, under the light of day, a silver screen suddenly appeared, shining with dazzling seven-color light, shooting towards Lü Bu, who had already rushed to the edge of the moat and captured Yang Chou.

  "Your Excellency!?" Qin Xu angrily shouted, his heart as cold as ice. The giant crossbows in the hands of those people on the city wall, Qin Xu had seen them before at Lü Bu's camp at the top of Taihang Mountain. According to Lü Bu, this kind of giant crossbow could shoot five crossbow arrows at once, with unmatched power. He almost got hurt by such a crossbow arrow back then, and there were only twenty of them. But now, on the city wall of Huai City, there were over a hundred of them.

  More than 500 crossbow arrows, aimed at Lü Bu, even if Lü Bu were to be reborn as the Overlord, he would still find it difficult to escape being pierced through the chest by these divine and sharp weapons.

  Qin Xu subconsciously turned around, not daring to look back, his back was instantly drenched in cold sweat. Could it be that because of his arrival, although he changed the course of history after Lü Bu abandoned Chang'an, he didn't have to wander around like before, but instead would die under Huai City?

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