Chapter 9: Pulling out teeth from a tiger's mouth for Xuhuang!!!!!!

  Liu Bei immediately summoned all the military doctors to treat Li Yu, who had been rescued back with severe injuries. After a thorough examination, the doctors told Liu Bei that Li Yu had three broken ribs, a fractured left ilium, and a dislocated pelvis. They concluded that it was absolutely impossible for him to continue leading the army in battle. Liu Bei was shocked and worried, knowing that the 200,000-strong army couldn't afford to lose its commander. If Li Yu were to return to Yi Province to recover, who could take over as the commander-in-chief?

  Liu Bei asked Li Yu: "Fourth brother, what should we do now? If you return to Yi Province, who can protect you completely? The three armies cannot be without a leader for a day. Who can replace you as the commander-in-chief of the 200,000-strong army? Now that our elder brother is gone, fourth brother, you must make a decision!"

  Li Yu said to Liu Bei, "The commander of the three armies can have two brothers, Yunchang, take charge first! After I leave, Military Advisor Guo Jia can take on important tasks, and Zilong's bravery can fight against Lü Bu! However, the grain and grass of the three armies are the vital points. Xian'er and Mi Fang are stationed in secret in the dense forest 70 miles behind us, so don't worry, big brother! I'm not helping you now, nor do I need anyone to protect me. With a few hundred personal soldiers, I can return to Yi Province!"

  Liu Bei understood that Li Yu was afraid of the prolonged war, fearing that Liu Bei's generals were not enough and the source of soldiers was insufficient. However, Liu Bei valued Li Yu highly! As soon as he heard that only Zhang Fei could fight against Lü Bu, he immediately ordered: "Dispatch 10,000 iron cavalry and 20,000 iron armor troops to follow General-in-Chief Li Yu back to Yizhou to recover from his illness. Order Right State Minister Chen Gong and Eastern General Yan Yan and Lu Zhi to lead 30,000 troops to launch a fierce attack on Yangping Pass, and they must capture Yangping Pass within ten days to open up a shortcut for General-in-Chief Li Yu's return to Yizhou! Although taking the water route through Jingzhou is closer, Liu Bei was afraid that it would be detrimental to Li Yu's illness. Then he ordered Hua Tuo and Zhang Zhongjing to form a medical team dedicated to treating Li Yu's injuries! After Li Yu returned to Yizhou, all matters in Yizhou, big or small, if Chen Gong could not decide, could be decided by General-in-Chief Li Yu! Li Yu was authorized to handle all matters in Yizhou!

  Li Yu was shocked to hear this, he had just returned to Yi Zhou and suddenly transferred 30,000 elite soldiers. This is a critical moment in the war, he understood that Liu Bei was afraid that something unexpected would happen when Li Yu returned to Yi Zhou. But Li Yu was not someone to be trifled with! Now he didn't want to help at this time, but instead caused trouble for Liu Bei. However, he couldn't disobey Liu Bei's orders, so he could only obey and thank him. At present, Li Yu couldn't even turn over his body, he wanted to sit up but couldn't, Lu Bu's one blow had beaten Li Yu into such a state. If Li Yu hadn't retreated in time, this would have been the end of him!

  Various princes came to visit Li Yu, all saying that Li Yu was a hero. However, at this time the hero was no better than a bear lying motionless in bed. Alas! Liu Bei, with his benevolent and righteous nature, sent dozens of people to protect Li Yu's safety, but he didn't trust those princes, fearing someone would assassinate Li Yu! On another front, Liu Bei ordered Zhang Ren to replace Wang Xue, planning to have Wang Xue accompany Li Yu back to Yi Province to recover from his injuries.

  On the second night, Wang Xue only knew that Li Yu was injured because Liu Bei had specially instructed Zhang Ren not to tell Wang Xue about the injury, but only said that the military situation was urgent and asked Wang Xue to return to the main tent immediately! However, Li Yu had told Wang Xue before that if he didn't see his handwritten letter, he shouldn't take any action! In the end, Zhang Ren couldn't help it and had to tell the truth, telling Wang Xue that Li Yu was seriously injured in bed! Wang Xue didn't listen at first, but after hearing this, she immediately set off overnight, not even caring if there were any loyal soldiers following her, rushing back to the main tent under the stars.

  All the way, the smoke and dust rolled, the 60-70 mile journey, Wang Xue only used one night to rush back. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others received the news and immediately came to welcome Wang Xue from afar, but Wang Xue was anxious, saw Liu Bei and pushed him to the ground, saying: "Liu old big, I tell you, if you can't beat Lü Bu, let my husband go do it. That Lü Bu is the world's number one brave general, you don't know! My husband told you several times, you actually let my husband go send death, my husband didn't have an accident, that's good, if he had an accident, I won't finish with you!" After finishing speaking, she didn't wait for Liu Bei to respond and ran straight to the main tent to see Li Yu.

  Li Yu didn't expect Wang Xue to arrive so quickly, and he was lying on the bed, looking particularly haggard due to lack of sleep for two days. When Wang Xue saw Li Yu's pale face, tears began to flow from her eyes. Li Yu was still trying to endure the pain, saying it was nothing, just like last time, only a bone fracture, and he was already used to it. But Wang Xue was crying uncontrollably, thinking that in modern times, Li Yu had been injured before, at the same location, and this time, his injury was mainly due to the old wound from before. After being hit by Lü Bu's stick, the old wound recurred. In modern times, Li Yu had pushed Wang Xue away during a battle, but now in the Three Kingdoms era, they had the opportunity to share their joys and sorrows together. Li Yu's eyes were filled with tears, but he couldn't say anything. Wang Xue quietly wiped away her tears, then went to get water for Li Yu and helped him clean up. At this time, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others arrived at the main tent, but seeing the scene before them, they didn't want to disturb them, so they retreated. The world at this moment indeed only belonged to the two of them. Li Yu saw that his guards were still standing around, not understanding the situation, and immediately said: "You're all idiots! Can't you see we're having a private moment here? Get out! Get out! All of you, get out of the tent!"

  A dozen or so personal guards, seeing Li Yu scolded clearly, had no choice but to retreat. Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei also burst out laughing. Guo Jia even said: "Indeed, heroes are not afraid of color! The wife is not painful when she comes, yesterday's killing pig sound!"

  Zhang Fei also said: "Last night, I didn't sleep all night!"

  General Guan is also rubbing his red eyes!

  Liu Bei nodded helplessly, indeed Li Yu did not have the ability to scrape Guan Yu's bones and apply poison.

  Wang Xue took good care of Li Yu this time, as Wang Xue was a nurse in modern times. Her care for Li Yu was meticulous and thorough. Although Li Yu was injured, he felt like he was on his honeymoon. Li Yu was in pain, but Wang Xue endured the pain with him.

  Wang Xue knew that Li Yu was not just physically hurt, but also emotionally. Unlike in modern times when she would only know to massage Li Yu's legs after he complained of pain, Wang Xue now took the initiative to massage his legs whenever she had a chance. This was because Li Yu had been bedridden for a long time and his blood circulation was poor.

  Wang Xue's care was so thorough that Li Yu didn't even need to get out of bed to eat or use the bathroom. He was completely dependent on Wang Xue, but he didn't feel dirty or uncomfortable at all. This was all thanks to Wang Xue's efforts. Although Liu Bei sent people to replace Wang Xue and give her a rest several times, Wang Xue refused to leave.

  It wasn't until they were lying in bed together that Li Yu realized what it meant to be husband and wife, and what it meant to be compatible with each other. (As I write this, I really wish that back then, you wouldn't have left me, no matter how much I scolded or yelled at you. I was only hurting because I loved you so much, just like my mom.)

  I don't dare to write more about it, not because I'm unable to, but because the pain is still too great. I've always been used to hiding my true feelings, and in doing so, I lost you. We were together for so long, but you never truly understood me.

  It's okay if you're determined that he is your happiness and have completely abandoned me. I will recite prayers a hundred times a day to wish you happiness and good fortune. This is my love for you, which you always asked about but I never told you. My love is actually very deep, much deeper than yours.

  Even now, I'm still waiting for you to turn back. This is me, if you're reading this book too, then I hope you'll finish it and see the story unfold. There will be some of our stories in here, but not all of them. The next book, "How Much Love? More Than Yours" will be the main one. I'm the male lead, but I've lost you, the female lead. This is a TV series that I've written for you, without any resentment or hatred.

  (Note: The text appears to be a mix of narrative and personal reflection, with the author addressing an ex-partner and expressing their love and longing. The translation tries to preserve the original tone and emotions.)

  The next day, Liu Bei ordered Zhao Yun to select 30,000 elite soldiers and immediately send Li Yu back to Yizhou to recover from his injuries. Meanwhile, a reply came that a medical team had already been prepared for Li Yu, and General Yan Yan personally led the troops to attack Yangping Pass! It won't take long to break through! To open up a passage for Commander-in-Chief Li Yu's return to Yizhou! Liu Bei also notified all the lords in various places that if anyone dared to obstruct Li Yu, he would mobilize the entire country's forces to destroy them! Most of the lords chose to avoid Liu Bei's wrath.

  Liu Bei's consideration was very thorough, as Li Yu could not turn over, nor sit up, Liu Bei ordered the continuous creation of a full Han white jade cooling mat for Li Yu! And selected ten of the best military doctors to take care of Li Yu along with the army! The return of the 30,000-strong army did not fire cannons, fearing that Dong Zhuo's army would block their way, so they quietly left. All the other eighteen vassals came out of their camps to see off Li Yu far away! It can be said that this battle was truly Li Yu's coming-of-age battle, and it was precisely because of this battle that later on, whenever people talked about Li Yu, they would say that only Lü Bu could fight against Li Yu! When Li Yu left, he specially left a brocade bag for Liu Bei, but this brocade bag was not a clever plan. Li Yu told Liu Bei to open it only when entering Luoyang!

  Zhaoyun was the general who escorted Li Yu's army, and they had marched for dozens of miles. However, Li Yu suddenly gave an order to change direction and head straight for Dongjun. From Dongjun, they would take a water route and then turn back to Yizhou from Xiakou. Although this route seemed to be advancing, it was actually quite dangerous as they would be passing through areas under the jurisdiction of Dong Zhuo's army. Li Yu insisted on taking this route, leaving Zhaoyun perplexed. However, Zhaoyun trusted that Li Yu must have had his own reasons for doing so. Through their interactions over the years, Zhaoyun knew that Li Yu always had unique reasons for his actions.

  Thirty thousand troops had no choice but to charge into Dong Zhuo's army. In fact, Li Yu also knew the danger of taking this route, but Li Yu really didn't choose this route because he wanted to take a shortcut. He did it for one person, who was it? That person was Xu Huang, the one who defeated our Wu Sheng people!

  Xu Huang (died 227), courtesy name Gongming, was a military general of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period. He originally served under Yang Feng as a cavalry commander before defecting to Cao Cao after Yang's defeat. Xu Huang rendered meritorious service in several major battles including the Battle of Guandu, the Battle of Red Cliffs, and the campaigns against Hanzhong. In the Battle of Fancheng, he led reinforcements for Cao Ren and defeated Guan Yu, earning praise from Cao Cao for his strict discipline, likening him to Zhou Yafu. After Cao Pi ascended to the throne, Xu Huang was promoted to Right General and died in 227, posthumously honored as Marquis Zhuang.

  Such a hero, how could Li Yu possibly leave Cao * behind? This is the reason why Li Yu changed his military route. Besides, Li Yu also believed that Dong Zhuo would not expect him to take this road!

  Li Yu entered Hedong County and sent people to search for Xu Huan's news everywhere. Since the army couldn't fall on its face, Li Yu ordered them to camp in a dense forest. Finally, they found Xu Huan's residence in Hedong Alley. Li Yu had someone drive him to see Xu Huan, but he didn't want Wang Xue to follow him. However, Wang Xue insisted, and Li Yu nodded.

  Zhao Yun secretly ordered his troops to prepare for battle. If they wouldn't attack immediately, he would select 30 elite soldiers to follow him. He took his spear and followed Li Yu's carriage.

  When they entered the city, someone asked them questions. Zhao Yun said that his brother was injured and had come to see a doctor. He gave some silver coins to the gatekeepers, who didn't stop them from entering.

  After a while, Li Yu's group arrived at Xu Huan's residence. Since Li Yu couldn't get up, he ordered someone to open the carriage curtain so he could see Xu Huan. Li Yu saw a man with a tiger-like back and waist, holding a large axe in the courtyard. The man was practicing his skills, and Li Yu applauded.

  Xu Huan heard the applause and shouted, "Who is watching me?" Li Yu quickly replied from inside the carriage, "I've long heard of your reputation as a hero. I'm Li Yu, and I came specifically to visit you, Xu Huan!"

  Xu Huan was startled and looked carefully at the young man in front of him. He saw that Li Yu had an air of dignity and authority, despite being bedridden.

  Li Yu asked Xu Huan about his analysis of the current situation. Xu Huan replied that he didn't know. Li Yu continued, "The imperial court is weak, and Dong Zhuo will soon abolish the emperor. The world will be in chaos, and the people will suffer. I came to ask for your help, General Xu. Let's work together to defeat the warlords, stabilize the country, and restore the Han dynasty!"

  Xu Huan was moved by Li Yu's words and agreed to follow him. He knelt down and said, "I'm willing to go with you, Lord Li."

  As they were about to leave, someone shouted that Dong Zhuo had given an order to let the spies escape. A group of cavalrymen appeared, and Xu Huan drew his axe. He charged forward and killed the leader of the enemy troops.

  Li Yu ordered Xu Huan to return to their own army, and Zhao Yun led a group of soldiers to attack the enemy. The enemy was quickly defeated, and Li Yu's army emerged victorious.

  Xu Huan suggested that they should leave quickly, as more enemy troops would arrive soon. Li Yu replied, "We'll live or die together today!" Xu Huan was moved by Li Yu's words and said, "Let's ride our horses and head towards the water route, then return to Yizhou!"

  Li Yu agreed and ordered his soldiers to prepare the ships. The people of Dongguan voluntarily offered their boats to help Li Yu's army cross the river. Many civilians also followed them to Yizhou.

  The 30,000-strong army and several thousand civilians set off immediately, traveling through the water route to Yizhou.

  At this time, Dong Zhuo, who was far away in Hu Lao Guan, was furious when he received the news. His strategist Li Ru did not expect Li Yu to take this route either. Dong Zhuo ordered his men to intercept them everywhere, but it was too late. Just then, another report came that Yangping Pass had been lost. Li Ru could only advise Dong Zhuo to send troops to attack Yangping Pass fiercely and try to retake the pass! A bloody battle broke out between Dong Zhuo's army and Liu Bei's army at Yangping Pass! But what about Li Yu? Li Yu, however, turned his ship around and took a water route from Jingzhou to Jiangzhou and back to Yizhou. It can be said that Li Yu once again boldly changed his itinerary! In his heart, Li Yu knew that Dong Zhuo would definitely send people to block the road to Yangping Pass, so he changed his itinerary. Although Li Yu believed that Zhao Yun and Xu Huan would protect him safely back to Yizhou, he did not want to have a bloody battle with Dong Zhuo too early, and it was all because of himself! When Dong Zhuo received the news that Li Yu had changed his route from Jingzhou by water, he was furious. Yangping Pass was easy to defend but hard to attack, and General Yan Yan was exceptionally powerful, guarding Yangping Pass like a stubborn stone! Now Dong Zhuo's army suffered heavy losses at Yangping Pass! Dong Zhuo hated Li Yu so much that he gritted his teeth! Meanwhile, Liu Biao's Jingzhou army deliberately sent Cai Mao and others to welcome Li Yu from afar and sent people to send grain and grass to Li Yu's troops and civilians.

  But what about the situation on the other side of the Tiger Trap Pass?

  As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. I've sacrificed too much for you. If you're satisfied with the current outcome, then turn back. If you think he is your ultimate happiness, then I wish you well!