Chapter 7: Defeat at Xinye, Liu Bei in Secret!

  As soon as Yuan's head fell, the masters of various aristocratic families who were present at the banquet, including Yuan's own retainers and former officials, were all stunned. Immediately someone reacted, shouting loudly: "It's done! The man has been killed!"

  "Take action!" With a loud order from Man Chong, the main hall of the Taishou Mansion was filled with screams and wails. Soon, hundreds of heads rolled down. Lü Rui swallowed his saliva, panting, hundreds of heads... it really made him feel a bit queasy. If he hadn't followed Old Cao to battlefields everywhere, he would have vomited by now!

  "Well, hang these people in the eastern market of the city, and let the people of Ru Nan see the fate of those who harm the great Han family!"

  "Yes sir, Governor!" The soldier expertly hoisted the corpse onto his back and carried it out.

  "Marquis Hou? Shall we go take a look at the Yuan family's fortress?" Man Chong said calmly.

  "Alright, Brother Benning, let's go take a look!"

  Very open, the two came to the outskirts of Ruzhou City, Yuan Bao's mansion. This manor occupies a vast area, about 10,000 mu, with watchtowers inside and out. Although the materials used for the fort are all wood, they are exceptionally strong. If a strong attack were launched, there would definitely be significant losses, but now it has been easily taken down by Man Chong!

  Lü Rui and Mǎn Chǒng entered the inner hall of the manor, where a bloody smell hit them in the face. Several hundred people had died there, and fresh blood still flowed onto their boots.

  Zhu General, have you encountered any resistance?

  "Reporting back to Governor Taishou, everyone has been drugged and there was hardly any resistance. Only some stubborn elements were killed by the end general!"

  "Good! Are the rest of the strongholds under control?"

  "Your Excellency, the remaining strongholds have been taken by our troops, and none of those who deserved to die were spared. Please be at ease."

  "Hmm, I'll leave this to General Zhu then, I still have other matters to attend to!"

  "Promise!"

  Afterwards, Man Chong left the manor and returned to the Taishou Mansion to deal with the aftermath. Calm, too calm, this is Man Chong's strong point, decisive and bold in killing, calm and collected in handling matters, not rushed or flustered. It seems that apart from Cheng Lao Tou, Man Bo Ning is also a great butcher, this is the historical figure who broke through more than 20 fortresses of Runan with just over 500 men and slaughtered the aristocratic families of Runan!

  "Uncle? Are you telling me to learn from his bold and decisive killings? In a chaotic world, only the butcher's knife is the truth!" Thinking of this, Lü Wei smiled slightly, I knew that long ago!

  "Lyushang Shi, what is the situation with the statistics?" Man Chong sat in the main seat holding a bamboo slip and asked Lyu Rui at a moderate pace.

  "Reporting to the Governor, according to my subordinates' statistics, this time our army released more than 20,000 slaves from the manor, recruited 2,000 soldiers, and the remaining grain, fodder, and money are countless. It is estimated that all the wealth of Yu Province is here!"

  "Yes, General Liu, take out a portion of these grains and money to relieve the disaster victims. At the same time, use this money to rebuild the city of Runan, so that the people can live a peaceful and prosperous life again!"

  "Understood!"

  Ding ding dong! Ding ding dong! Man Chong, with his lightning-fast tactics, has pacified the Yuan family's power in Ru Nan, and basically eliminated the remaining aristocratic families in Yu Province. The people who had fled to all corners of the land returned to Ru Nan upon hearing this news, and under Man Chong's arrangements, rebuilt the city of Ru Nan and restored its former prosperity!

  "Old Hu, bring us wine and dishes! Master Man has arrived!" Liu Ye shouted loudly as soon as he entered the tavern.

  "Mr. Liu? Mr. Man? Mr. Lü? You've all arrived? Quick, quick, please come in! The private room on the second floor has been prepared for you!"

  Man Chong led a group of people to the private room upstairs, and soon all the dishes were served. Old Hu smiled and said: "Master Man, all the dishes are ready, please enjoy them slowly!"

  "Lao Hu, you also sit down and eat together, we're all old friends now, no need to be polite!" Man Chong said with a smile. Lao Hu was indeed Hu Kui, after Man Chong killed Yuan Ba, Lao Hu also retired and opened a wine shop in Runan City, Man Chong gave the original Dongshi's Yuanjia wine shop to Lao Hu, renamed it Hujia wine shop!

  "All right, Master Man, I'll just do my duty as a host and not stand on ceremony. Let's have our meal together." Old Hu had someone add another set of bowls and chopsticks, then sat down.

  "Old Hu? How's business lately? Is everyone at home alright?" Man Chong asked with concern, wiping his mouth.

  "Thank you, Master Man, for your concern. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, my family has been wandering and never had such a comfortable day again. Although now only one son and one grandson are left, I am satisfied. Being able to guard this wine tower for the rest of my life is already heaven's blessing to the old Hu family."

  "Lao Hu, why so melancholy? Now that the politics in Ru Nan are stable and harmonious, Lao Hu's family will surely become better and better." Liu Ye looked at Lao Hu and took a sip of wine.

  "Liu Guan's words are right, under the governance of several people in Ru Nan, the common people live and work in peace and contentment. My old Hu family's child will definitely exceed the agreed expectations!" After finishing speaking, everyone present burst out laughing.

  "Right, why don't we see Zhu's guards? I'm still thinking of him drinking wine, getting drunk and then resting!"

  "Hu Laodie, it seems your old wish has fallen through. Zhu Xide led the troops out of the city to quell the Yellow Turbans and won't be back in Runan for some time." Lü Rui said with a chicken leg stuffed in his mouth.

  "So that's how it is. If Zhu Wei returns, I'll definitely have a good drink with him. Zhu Wei's capacity for wine is among the best in Junan City!"

  "Boss, there's a distinguished guest downstairs, but the store is already full. What do you think? Should we go down and handle it?" asked one of the staff members who came up to ask.

  "Old Master Man...?"

  "Old Hu has something to attend to, so let him go and deal with it. We'll finish up here and leave, there are still things waiting for us to take care of."

  "Thank you, Master Man. Today's food and wine will be half price for you!" Old Hu bowed his hands and retreated.

  Soon, Man Chong finished his lunch and rubbed his belly, saying: "Everyone, we should take a look around too. Old Hu's business is not bad here, I don't know about other places. Let's go to the market and take a look!"

  "Yes, sir!" Then Man Chong and his entourage strolled around the streets of Ru Nan for a while. They were still quite satisfied with the recovery of Ru Nan. The fact that Old Hu's hotel was fully booked showed how prosperous Ru Nan was. If the common people weren't living in peace and contentment, where would they get the spare money to spend at hotels?

  "Master Hou, Master Man has summoned you to the front hall for a discussion!" Diao Chan bowed beside Lü Rui's bed and called out to wake him up.

  "What? Man Chong is holding a meeting by himself? Isn't today an official's rest day? Still having a meeting?" Lü Rui rubbed his eyes dazedly and muttered to himself.

  "Master Hou, something big has happened! General Zhu seems to be injured. Master Man is asking you to hurry over!"

  Something's happened? "Yes, Diao Chan, help me change!" Lü Rui simply changed and washed up, then arrived at the front hall of the Taishou's mansion. Before entering, he caught a whiff of a faint burning smell.

  "Having seen Governor Taishou!" Lü Rui entered the main hall and paid his respects to Man Chong.

  "Rise, Minister Lü!"

  "Thank you, sir!"

  "General Zhu......? You're back, how did you end up like this?" Lü Rui had just stood up when he saw Zhu Ling with a face covered in soot.

  "General Zhu was ambushed by the Yellow Turbans near Runan and suffered significant losses, but was surrounded by fire once!"

  "What? There is such a talented general in the Yellow Turban Army?" Lü Rui looked at Liu Ye with doubt, you know, the one who gathers intelligence!

  "Sir, I am incompetent and have not found out who ambushed General Zhu Ling. Please forgive me!" Liu Ye bowed his hands to apologize to Man Chong.

  "Zi Yang, don't blame yourself. Our army has just entered Ru Nan and our intelligence system is not yet perfect. This matter cannot be blamed on Zi Yang!"

  "Thank you, sir!"

  "Ladies and gentlemen, I invited you all here today because there's something I'd like to show everyone!" After finishing speaking, Man Chong took out a pile of long swords.

  "Adult? What's this...?" Lü Rui looked at Man Chong in confusion, what was he doing with a long sword?

  "This is what was left behind by the Yellow Turbans who raided our army."

  "Lü Changshi, take a look at the material and craftsmanship of this sword. Doesn't it resemble something from Xu Du's arsenal?"

  "What...?" Lü Rui picked up the long sword, looked it over left and right, then concentrated his energy and flicked his finger, producing a clear and crisp sound. The tone was gentle, indicating that this was an exceptional sword.

  "This sword is a fine weapon in terms of material and feel, very much like the ones manufactured by Kusanagi."

  Zhu Ling also took out the long sword, drew his own sword, and compared them, saying: "Thanks to Mr. Jing's reminder, Zhu Ling also thinks that this sword is from Xu Du's arsenal, but why would our army's fine weapons fall into the hands of the Yellow Turbans?"

  "General Zhu, are you certain that all of those you fought were Yellow Turbans?"

  "What...?"

  "The governor said that, I suddenly remembered that among this group of Yellow Turbans, there seems to be a team like a regular army unit, but it's definitely not the elite troops of the Yellow Turbans. Moreover, their leader is very mysterious, and I have fought with them several times without seeing him once!"

  "Mysterious troops...?" Man Chong stroked his beard and fell into deep thought.

  "What does the adult think...? Is this the team of the empty sky? Lurking among the Yellow Turbans?" Lv Rui asked, People's wife Cao has a assassin army, especially likes to play lurking!

  "No, if it were Lord Sikuang's people, wouldn't we know? Why the need for a surprise attack on General Zhu Ling? Are you putting on an act? It was too realistic, General Zhu almost lost his life!" Man Chong shook his head.

  Lü Rui nodded, even if Cao didn't tell him himself, Man Chong should know that this group of people was definitely not sent by Cao. However, the fact that they had weapons from the Imperial Armory meant that there must be someone in the imperial capital who supported them, and this person's official position was not low!

  "Sir? I just followed Sir Sīkōng, and don't know the circumstances. Since General Mǎn is an old subordinate of Sir Sīkōng's, can you tell me if this seal was given to someone it shouldn't have been?" Liu Yè asked tentatively.

  "This...? Ben Taishou can't remember clearly either, alright, let's leave it for now and discuss again another day. Oh right, Lyu Zhangshi, you stay behind, Sir Sima has a letter for you!"

  "Yes, sir!" Then Zhu Ling and Liu Ye went out.

  "Is it Bao Ning? Does Zhong Fu have a letter for me?" What is Cao's wife doing? Writing letters to herself?

  "Marquis Hou, has Sir Siku written such a letter to you?" Man Chong smiled.

  "Right, wouldn't Madam Cao usually have someone else deliver letters to herself? Why not just send someone directly? 'Is it that the master wants me to stay here and not let General Zhu or Colonel Liu know about this matter?'"

  "Marquis is indeed clever. Liu Ziyang is a relative of the imperial family, this matter must involve someone who has differing opinions with Prime Minister Si Kong, Marquis thinks it's who?"

  Lü Rui listened and was stunned for a moment, could it be that he doubted Liu Ye's loyalty? Lü Rui shook his head helplessly, it seemed that Old Cao still didn't trust Liu Ye. This wasn't a good thing, Liu Ye's talent was very high, if Cao didn't use him to the fullest, Cao Wei would suffer a loss, and he must try to change this situation!

  "Lord Hou?"

  "Is it true that you are saying that the people who support Your Majesty are in the wrong?"

  "Not bad, but with so many troops, Man Chong is the only one who has doubts!" Man Chong's gaze was fixed firmly on the willow tree outside the window.

  "Who does Governor Man suspect?"

  "Liu Bei, Liu Xuande! Director Saigong rewarded many weapons to Liu Xuande as compensation for the three people's armaments and equipped his subordinates!"

  It's Big Ear Liu! It must be him!

  "But it's strange, how did Liu Bei transport the weapons to the Yellow Turbans?" Man Chong rolled his eyes and couldn't figure it out.

  Lü Rui thought for a moment, and suddenly a scene flashed into his mind. He said: "Bo Ning, do you still remember when our army was attacking Yuan Shu, didn't Liu Bei go missing for a period of time?"

  Man Chong thought for a moment and said: "At that time? Liu Xuande sent troops to pursue Yuan Pu, the whole army was defeated, and only one person escaped?"

  "It's bad! Liu Bei didn't retreat alone, but left a troop in Yuzhou!" Man Chong slapped his thigh, suddenly enlightened!

  Lü Rui listened and nodded, it seems that's indeed the case. In history, Liu Bei took back Runan twice, but was defeated by Cao Cao himself in the end. However, where did Liu Bei's troops come from? Could the Yellow Turbans alone have made a name for themselves? The root of the problem lies here!

  Lü Rui nodded and said: "Bo Ning, this matter must be quickly reported to the Duke of Si Kong. Please ask the Duke of Si Kong to send troops to Ru Nan and eliminate this army!"

  "Lord Hou is absolutely right!"

  In a mountain stronghold not far from the city of Runan, the Yellow Turbans were having a celebratory feast. Liu Bei approached a young general in white robes with a wine cup and said: "Come on, General Bai, let me toast you! You're really something, Zhu Ling's little kid got his butt burned by you! Why don't we take advantage of this to capture Runan? Let our brothers enjoy it too?"

  "General Liu, military affairs are of great importance, let's wait for Master's instructions!"

  "Hmm, okay, anyway Master Liu is a great talent, we're not afraid!" Liu stumbled away drunkenly.

  The young general in white walked out of the hall and came to the mountain edge, taking a look at the night scene.

  "General? Liu Bei...?" The bodyguard asked the young general in white armor.

  "Hmph, ignorant Yellow Turbans, thinking they've accomplished something with a small victory and are now complacent. Not to mention the elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, even the ordinary Qingzhou Army or Cao's army could annihilate this bunch of trash!"

  "What does 'General' mean?"

  "Tighten up their training, and hopefully they can be of use to Master within a year or two!"

  "Long live the General!"