Chapter 57: The Cost of Victory (Part 2)

  For Gao Shun, Cao Xing knew that he was a talented but underutilized person in history. Although he repeatedly offered loyal advice to Lü Bu, Lü Bu knew his loyalty but couldn't use him, and instead trusted people like Hou Cheng and Wei Xu more. In the end, after Cao Cao defeated Lü Bu, Gao Shun was killed by Cao Cao, and a famous general died prematurely.

  As for Gao Shun's current situation, Cao Xin was not unaware of it. His own situation was quite similar to that of Gao Shun, but this did not mean that Cao Xin would sympathize with him. On the contrary, Cao Xin now truly hated Gao Shun and wished he could kill him.

  "Take it away......" Cao Xin said faintly, his face expressionless as he stared at Gao Shun, his face silent.

  It's clear that Cao Xin didn't want to say anything to Gao Shun, he just wanted the other party to indirectly understand that you are in Lü Bu's position, and as for what comes next, it's up to him to think about it himself.

  Walking in the ruined camp, Cao Xin's eyes were filled with corpses everywhere, including the soldiers of Pingzhou, and even his brothers who had followed him for many days.

  "How many brothers have been lost..." Walking at the forefront of the crowd, Cao Xin's face was gloomy as he looked around and sighed softly.

  "General Hua... is gone... lost..." Xu Chu stuttered somewhat.

  "It doesn't matter what you say."

  After glancing at Dianwei and He Qi, Xu Chu's face flashed with a hint of difficulty, then he said: "We lost over a thousand brothers... Now there are only over three hundred people left..."

  Suddenly his body shook violently. Cao Xin had expected this outcome, but when he actually heard it, he still felt as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt on a clear day.

  "Over a thousand brothers..." Found a huge stone soaked in blood, Cao Xin sat down silently, but with a face full of loneliness, "Zi Xiang... I'm really regretful..."

  "What's there to regret?" Liu Yue's face didn't have much color, it was clear that at this moment, everyone, although they had won against Gao Shun, not a single person looked very happy.

  "I regret attacking Gaoshun, losing these brothers... It would have been better to return to Puyang and die defending it... I, Cao Xin, apologize to everyone..."

  "Big brother, what are you talking about? It's strange that the bunch of rascals from Yan State haven't even sent a single reinforcement after all these days! And I've never seen them fight against Lü Bu!"

  At this moment, Cao Xin lazily lay on the giant stone and couldn't help but say: "The military strength of Yanzhou is empty, and the local governors see that the lord is not in Yanzhou. They must be inclined towards Lü Bu's side. If I'm not wrong, General Xiahou has been leading the army to pacify internal rebels during this period. As for the remaining loyalist governors who are loyal to the lord, aren't they all desperately defending? Like Cao Hong in Puyang, he has the most troops, but only 5,000 people. Some places have fewer than 2,000 garrison troops, and even the least have only 300 garrison troops. Can these places still be used as my supporting army?"

  Liu Yue then replied with a serious expression: "That's right, rather than saying that these people are attacking Lü Bu, it would be better to say that they are waiting for the lord to lead the main army back to Yanzhou and then occupy the city to gain an advantageous position. It's better than recklessly attacking Lü Bu and risking losing the city. Moreover... sir, you have been leading us in frequent activities in Chenliu County and Dongjun County these days, and Xun Yu and others are suspicious of us..."

  "Dare to suspect us!? We've been through thick and thin, fighting for our lives... what's the point of it all?! What right does Xun Yu have to doubt us?!" Zhou Yu bellowed in anger.

  "Enough!" A cold shout, Cao Xin suddenly stood up from the giant stone at this moment, interrupting Zhou Dan's words, but looked at the miserable corpses around him and couldn't help but smile bitterly.

  "Being ambushed is really terrible... I didn't expect the surprise attack to succeed, our army has almost been wiped out, Gao Shun is truly famous for a reason..."

  Liu Yue stood silently behind Cao Xin, looking at the other's bewildered expression for the first time, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

  Since Chen Liu surrendered to Cao Xin, Liu Yue has been playing the role of Xiao He in Cao Xin's army for these days, taking charge of the daily trivial military affairs such as logistics and supplies, while Cao Xin also respected Liu Yue like Xiao He on ordinary days. Although Liu Yue himself had limited talent, he felt a sense of belonging for the first time in his life under Cao Xin's command.

  In these days, Liu Bei has seen what war is like, attacking Rencheng, fighting Yangyi, breaking Zhang Liao, and destroying Gao Shun...

  Only two thousand cavalry, cut down and killed ten times their own enemies, such a shocking battle, Liu Bei himself did not believe it, but the reality really happened... He was also a witness to these battles, two thousand people, Lü Bu's twenty-thousand-strong army, were killed one after another in just over a dozen days, all of this, who would have known, came from an eighteen-year-old young man, Cao Xing.

  "Liu Yue... Pays his respects to your lordship!"

  Pu Tong knelt on the ground, Liu Xuan looked at Cao Xin with a serious expression, no longer calling out "Your Excellency", but unexpectedly called out his master.

  At this moment, Cao Xin was taken aback by a sudden scene, "Zi Xiang, what's going on..."

  "Boom." "Boom." "Boom." "Boom."...

  "Zhou Yu requests an audience with Your Excellency!"

  "He Qi pays his respects to Your Excellency!!"

  "Xu Zhu pays his respects to the lord!!!"

  "Di Wei pays his respects to Your Excellency!!!!!"

  At the same time as Cao Xin was grieving for his deceased brother, the generals behind him knelt down one after another. For a moment, it made Cao Xin's face serious and puzzled.

  At this time, Liu Yue was the first to speak: "My lord, don't you understand? In these days of following you, we have repeatedly defeated our enemies and won victories. I am deeply convinced of your wisdom and bravery, and all of us are sincere in our desire to serve you..."

  "That's right." Zhou Yu nodded in agreement, then loudly declared: "My lord, from now on, starting with me, Zhou Yu, I will address you as my lord. In this life, I am willing to die for my lord and work tirelessly like a horse!"

  "Master..." As for the two words "master", Cao Xin heard someone call him that for the first time, but his mind was a complete blank. In his heart, there seemed to be a strange power slowly rising, extremely unusual and warm, but he didn't know what this feeling was.

  At this time, Dian Wei said: "My lord, I, Dian Wei, initially did not obey you, but these days, watching you behead Zhang Mai, destroy Hou Cheng, kill Song Xian, and defeat Zhang Liao, how delightful! In these days, I have long since surrendered to you in my heart. Although we lost over a thousand brothers this time, we also defeated Gao Shun's five thousand cavalry and killed more than four thousand people. This is a great victory, why should the lord worry? ... Dian Wei will certainly swear to die for the lord."

  "Yes, we also swear to die for our lord." He Qi and Xu Zhu simultaneously cupped their hands and loudly echoed in agreement.

  "We swear to die in loyalty to our lord!!!"

  Behind them, three hundred brothers knelt down and shouted in unison, each with a firm gaze at Cao Xin, all showing admiration.

  Cao Xin gazed at this moment, his hands slowly making a bow.

  "Thanks, everyone..."