Chapter 61: Lü Bu and Cao Cao Meet (Part 2)

  Under the gloomy gaze of Tian Kai, Governor of Qingzhou, Lü Bu finally decided to take a detour through Yanzhou to visit Cao Cao's territory "as a guest".

  When Yan Liang and Wen Chou in Huai city received the news that Lü Bu's army had crossed the river, three or four hours had passed. The two men sat quietly for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts. They both knew Yuan Shao's temper, and this time they had used all their might to try to stop Lü Bu, but still failed to hold him back, allowing him to cross the river and head towards Qingzhou. If Yuan Shao found out, he would surely be furious again. But if they tried to intercept Lü Bu by force, they feared that the captured Xu You, Xun Yu, and others might get hurt. Moreover, it was hard to explain the defeat of the vanguard troops. It was really difficult for these two trusted advisors under Yuan Shao's command. For a while, they both felt a sense of sympathy for each other, unable to speak, thinking about how to report this to Yuan Shao.

  After crossing the Yellow River, we arrived at the border of Yanzhou.

  To be honest, Qin Xu initially had the idea of surrendering to Cao Cao, which was indeed the most correct choice at that time. As soon as he entered Yanzhou, he clearly felt a significant difference between this place and Jizhou and Sili.

  Although Yanzhou has been plagued by war since the Yellow Turbans, and the people's lives have been declining, it was after all a rich and populous state in the Central Plains. Although the situation has deteriorated further since Dong Zhuo's rebellion, the accumulated wealth and foundation cannot be easily destroyed by a few wars, and it is far superior to other states and counties of the Eastern Han dynasty.

  "General Lü, twenty miles ahead is the city of Chenliu. My master Cao General is hosting a banquet in the city to welcome and entertain you!" The Cao army officer who called himself Xiahou Guang seemed to be a loyal clansman of Xiahou's family, and his reverence for Cao Cao was evident throughout their journey, making Qin Xu even more curious about the Cao Cao he had admired but never met.

  Chenliu is an ancient city, where Cao Cao first raised his army. Later, Qin Xu once came to visit, but did not expect to return to the old place, already nearly two thousand years have passed.

  "Qin Xu, what are you thinking?" Lü Linggui asked curiously, seeing that Qin Xu was not in high spirits.

  After arriving at the border of Yanzhou, Qin Xu no longer had the privilege of riding in a carriage. Except for Lü Bu's family, Cai's father and daughter, and the unconscious Zhang Yang, even the old fox Jia Xu rode a war horse with everyone else.

  Lü Bu and Jia Xu were not meeting for the first time. Previously, when Jia Xu was serving as Taishi Ci under Dong Zhuo, he had interacted with Lü Bu, who was then still a subordinate of Dong Zhuo. However, Lü Bu did not expect that the quiet and low-key middle-aged scholar from back then would, in just half a year's time, force him to leave Chang'an for Hebei, let alone imagine that they would now be traveling together to Qingzhou as master and subordinate. If Lü Bu were alive two thousand years later, he couldn't help but exclaim: "How unpredictable are the encounters of life!" Fortunately, Jia Xu was broad-minded and did not intend to fight or kill when they met again, although Lü Bu still seemed somewhat unenthusiastic due to having been defeated by Jia Xu in the past. Jia Xu didn't mind this and continued to adhere to his principle of keeping a low profile to protect himself, which didn't draw much attention.

  "Long live elder brother! Why have you come so late?"

  Just as Lü Bu's army had just set up camp outside Chenliu City and was preparing to enter the city later, a large team of horses came rushing in from afar. The leader was slightly fat, with a kind face, and when he saw Lü Bu, he quickly dismounted his horse, almost falling over. Fortunately, Lü Bu reacted quickly and caught the man, preventing him from making a fool of himself in public.

  "Is this really Meng Chao's brother?" Lü Bu asked in surprise after getting a clear look at the person, "I haven't had any news of you since I heard that you and the heroes of the two states formed an alliance to attack Dong Zhuo for the second time. I've been thinking about you all along."

  "What? Are the lord and Governor Zhang familiar with each other?" Qin Xu was perplexed, but soon thought about it and felt relieved. Historically, when Chen Gong betrayed Cao and welcomed Lü Bu, he sent Zhang Chao, the younger brother of Zhang Miao, to collude with Chen Liu's governor Zhang Miao to betray together. Zhang Miao quickly agreed. Zhang Miao was an iron rod in Cao Cao's eyes, even saying that if there were any changes in the conquest of Xuzhou, he could entrust his family to Zhang Miao; if it weren't for Zhang Miao's relationship with Lü Bu far surpassing his relationship with Cao Cao, Zhang Miao would not have almost abandoned all his followers to follow Lü Bu and wander, eventually being killed by his subordinates on the way to seek help from Yuan Shu. Seeing the situation between the two at this time made Qin Xu even more convinced.

  "Brother Yuan, I've already heard from Meng De about your trip to Yan Province this time. Although Meng De is currently allied with Yuan Shao, you don't need to worry about it! Yuan Shao is too unscrupulous, if it were me, I would also take advantage of him. You, brother, have avenged a grievance for me!

  The grudge between Zhang Miao and Yuan Shao dates back to the first campaign against Dong Zhuo. Several times, Yuan Shao hinted to Cao Cao to get rid of Zhang Miao over some trivial matters, but was rebuffed by Cao Cao each time. Therefore, in Zhang Miao's view, Lü Bu's raid on Ye City was a delightful thing."

  Zhang Miao had just joined forces with Qiao Mao and others to promote Cao Cao as the governor of Yan Province, and was on the best terms with him at this time, so he spoke without any reserve.

  "Meng Zhuo, did General Cao send you to receive us?" Lü Bu asked after exchanging pleasantries with Zhang Miao for a while, seeing that Zhang Miao didn't reveal any intention of Cao Cao's invitation.

  "Zhang Liao wanted to meet with Meng De, and naturally someone would come to invite him. It's actually because he had something to ask for, so he came ahead of time." From this, it can be seen that Zhang Liao and Lü Bu's relationship is not inferior to Lü Bu's private friendship with Zhang Yang. Speaking straightforwardly, Lü Bu burst out laughing and responded: "Meng Zhuo's words are too serious, between you and me, what need is there for the word 'ask'? Just speak directly!"

  "Thanks for the advice, brother. I'm deeply grateful, but...". Zhang Liao waved off his guards and looked at the generals behind Lü Bu.

  "My lord, I'll go and inspect the camp!" Zhang Liao and others didn't wait for Lü Bu to turn around, they one by one cupped their hands and excused themselves to leave. Qin Xu also wanted to leave, but unexpectedly was stopped by Lü Bu's gaze, so he could only awkwardly stay behind with Lü Lingqi.

  "This is little Ling'er, Ling'er, haven't you seen her before, Uncle Zhang!" Lü Bu saw Zhang Miao's puzzled expression as he looked at Qin Xu and the others behind him, and smiled: "Meng Zhuo, this uncle of yours, probably hasn't met my precious daughter yet!"

  "It turned out to be a talented young lady, indeed a tiger father has no ordinary daughter. With this armor on her body, I thought she was a great general, but unexpectedly, it's a heroic woman. Not bad, not bad... " Zhang Mai only noticed that the helmeted and armored Lü Linggui was a little girl at this time. As for Lü Bu letting his daughter be so free, Zhang Mai didn't say much, but instead kept praising her, making Lü Linggui blush and give Zhang Mai a courtesy after hiding behind Lü Bu. However, because of this, Zhang Mai's gaze towards Qin Xu standing beside Lü Bu became increasingly curious, but he didn't dare to confirm Qin Xu's identity.

  "This is my chief clerk, Qin Xu! Meng Zhuo doesn't need to bother!" Lü Bu said with a hint of annoyance, seemingly still bothered by the fact that Qin Xu had secretly brought Lü Lingqi onto the battlefield.

  "Little brother wants to recommend someone to General Fengxian! I don't know if General Fengxian dares to use him?" Zhang Mao saw that Lü Bu was unwilling to introduce Qin Xu further, so he didn't continue to ask and instead leaned in close to Lü Bu's ear, asking in a mysterious low voice.

  "Recommend? Meng Zhuo is under General Cao's command, how can he recommend to you?" Lü Bu's eyebrows slightly jumped as he asked.

  "This guy... hey!" Zhang Yan seemed to have difficulty saying the person's name, looked around again, sighed and said in a low voice: "Brother Feng Xian, just say whether you want it or not!"

  Qin Xu listened with great curiosity, could it be that the job market at the end of the Han Dynasty was also very severe? Was it also popular to rely on connections and recommendations for job hunting?

  It shouldn't be, Cao Cao's seeking talents is renowned throughout the world, and soon the edict of seeking talents will open the door for commoners to enter officialdom in this Han Dynasty dominated by aristocratic families. If it's really about talent, why does Zhang Miao seem to have an unspoken secret when answering Lv Bu's question?

  "Oh? Who is it after all? Actually made Meng Zhuo so embarrassed?" Zhang Mao's attitude actually sparked Lü Bu's interest, and he asked "Since it was recommended by Meng Zhuo, how could I not accept? Where is this person now? Can you bring him to see me?"

  "Cough, thank you, Brother Fengxian. This person is currently at my younger brother Zhang Chao's place. Cough, Brother Fengxian doesn't need to worry, this talent is quite high and will definitely not disappoint you." Zhang Mao didn't expect Lü Bu to agree so readily and was momentarily embarrassed, nervously explaining.

  "That's good, I'll just wait and see what's so special about the person Meng Zhuo brother recommended!" Lü Bu said with a careless smile.

  "Could it be him?" Qin Xu had been recalling the events related to Zhang Mao, and when he heard that Zhang Mao was going to recommend a talent to Lü Bu, one name appeared in his mind. If it really was him, then Lü Bu would have made a huge gain. This person's talent may not be well-known in the world, but he is absolutely a top-notch figure. Moreover, this person has a deep connection with Lü Bu in history, and even his son is highly valued under Lü Bu's command. If they could get this person, then Lü Bu's foothold in Qingzhou would be secure.

  Zhang Liao saw that Lü Bu had agreed, and a relaxed smile also appeared on his face. He chatted with Lü Bu for a long time, and finally waited for the arrival of Cao Cao's officials to welcome Lü Bu. The official was also a member of the Cao clan, but when Qin Xu heard the name of the newcomer, his expression suddenly became somewhat strange.

  Cao Ren!

  Cao Cao's powerful general, Cao Hong, who was killed by Qin Xu, was actually Cao Ren's uncle. Seeing the young and calm Cao Ren trying to put on a "passionate" welcoming face, Qin Xu wondered what expression he would have if he knew that Cao Hong had died at his hands.

  Lü Linggui also seemed to have noticed Qin Xu's unnatural behavior, and pulled on his sleeve, barely preventing him from making a complete fool of himself.

  Lü Lingqi, Gao Shun, Song Xian and Cheng Lian were left to guard the camp, while Lü Bu brought only a dozen or so of his elite soldiers, including Zhang Liao and Qin Xu, under the command of Zhang Miao and Cao Ren, into Chenliu City.

  Cao Cao is now the governor of Yan Province, and the provincial capital was originally in Changyi, but Chenliu was Cao Cao's main base, where he first raised his army, and it was also closer to the battlefield where the Yellow Turbans were rampaging, so for most of the time, Cao Cao stayed in Chenliu.

  This is Qin Xu's first time being so close to his former idol, although this idol's dignity seems somewhat incongruous.

  "Long life! Long life! Cao has longed to see your face for a long time. Today I get to see you, it's really Cao's great fortune!"

  Cao Cao's face was somewhat haggard, but the deep eyes in his narrow and long eyes made people feel a faint sense of majesty.

  Although Cao Cao had almost died at the hands of Lü Bu several times, when the two met for the first time, he did not show any signs of dissatisfaction. On the contrary, his enthusiasm and warmth made Lü Bu almost unable to parry.

  Those who don't know their past would probably think that these two people who are chatting and laughing together, are the best of friends in the world!

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