Chapter 58: Hua Xiong Arrived

  That man caught up with Zhang Rui, patted Zhang Rui's shoulder, "Zhi Bo, do you still recognize Xuan De?" It turned out that this person was actually Liu Bei. This Liu Bei is really stubborn, and he must have followed Gongsun Zan to come here.

  Yes, thinking of Gongsun Zan, Zhang Rui thought of one person. Taking advantage of the fact that Liu Bei didn't know about this person yet and hadn't taken action, he had to grasp this person in his own hands. If you ask fans of the Three Kingdoms who their favorite general is, everyone would definitely know who it is.

  Zhang Rui didn't have the heart to chat with Liu Bei anymore, "So it was County Magistrate Liu, I had something important to attend to and won't disturb you." After saying that, Zhang Rui left behind a tearful Liu Bei and entered the large tent.

  Zhang Rui entered the big account and looked at Gongsun Zan, but unfortunately, Gongsun Zan only had a scholar with him, and there was no one else special around. Zhang Rui couldn't help feeling disappointed, could it be that this person hadn't joined Gongsun Zan yet? But according to historical records, he should be in Gongsun Zan's camp at this time. Could it be that due to his own arrival, something had gone wrong, and that would be truly regrettable.

  Perhaps his current identity is not suitable for tonight's occasion. That's right, it must be the reason why this banquet is mostly attended by literati, and Liu Bei didn't bring Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Tomorrow when they set up camp, he will definitely get what he wants. With a clear mind, Zhang Rui walked to the table and started drinking with Xun's uncle and nephew. It just so happened that his three sworn brothers hadn't had a chance to drink together for a long time, so they took advantage of tonight to gather and bond.

  The next day, Yuan Shao ordered the construction of the Seven-Star Altar. As the alliance leader, he had to pay respects to heaven (an ancient superstition). Yuan Shao proclaimed himself as the Grand General, wearing his uniform and sword, then ascended the Seven-Star Altar. He first lit an incense stick, then rambled on about Dong Zhuo's tyranny, encouraging everyone with his words.

  Finally, it was the turn of all the vassals to perform their ritual. They smeared blood on their lips and took an oath, after which Yuan Shao took over the seal and stepped down from the altar. This ceremony marked the end of the ritual. Yuan Shao first appointed Cao Cao as General Who Displays Martial Prowess, then the other vassals each received their rewards. The crowd moved to the alliance leader's large tent.

  Yuan Shao sat down on the throne of the alliance leader, and he couldn't help but feel a little complacent. His legitimate eldest son Yuan Shu would soon have his turn to shine, and cause trouble for him. Yuan Shao took a rough glance at the vassals under his command, and already had a basic idea of how to allocate their tasks.

  "Yuan Shao is not capable, but he has been lifted up by the crowd to such a high position, and you all jointly recommended me as the alliance leader. Now that I have become the alliance leader, there are some things that need to be said first. Our allied army will reward those who have merit and punish those who have committed crimes. I hope you all will follow military discipline and not make it difficult for Shao."

  Yuan Shao's words were truly persuasive, and all the other lords expressed their unwillingness to disobey, willing to listen to the orders of the alliance leader.

  "Alright, since that's the case, let's assign tasks to everyone now. Yuan Shu, I'm appointing you as the supervisor of food and grass, distributing them to various camps. Cao Cao will be the military advisor, responsible for coordinating relationships between camps. The rest of the troops will perform their respective duties and support each other. However, we still lack a vanguard to directly attack Xiangyang Pass, I wonder who among you is willing to go?" Let's see what achievements you can make as the supervisor of food and grass, Highway, you're still too inexperienced to compete with me, Yuan Shao thought to himself.

  Yuan Shu is so angry he's half dead. Damn it, I've never seen anyone as shameless as this. As the governor, what merits have I gained from collecting grain and fodder? Not only have I not gained any merits, but I also have to take out food for all these people to eat. They're treating me like a scapegoat! If I were to serve you properly, I wouldn't be Yuan Shu.

  "I'd rather be the vanguard." Sun Jian was naturally a battle maniac, but he wasn't completely brainless. With the current strength of the eighteen lords, being the vanguard now wasn't much different from taking all the credit for oneself. He had to rush ahead of everyone else.

  One is willing to fight and the other is willing to be beaten, so this vanguard was decided with great pleasure. Zhang Rui's gaze kept glancing at Gong Sunzhan, and soon he locked in his target for this time. Behind Gong Sunzhan was his chief strategist Tian Kai, followed by his general Yan Guang, and behind Yan Guang stood several small school captains, one of whom caught Zhang Rui's attention.

  He was eight feet tall, with a strong and handsome appearance. Although young, his face was full of military determination, but it's still unclear whether he is the person Zhang Rui thought of, looks like I need to find an opportunity to ask this Gongsun Zan, if so, must think of ways to poach him over.

  After the meeting, Zhang Rui followed Cao Cao and others to the camp. Zhang Rui pulled Cao Cao and said, "My lord, are you familiar with Gongsun Zan, the governor of Pingbei?"

  "How could Zibo be interested in Gongsun Bao?" Cao Cao asked in puzzlement.

  "It's not that I'm interested in Gong Sun Bao, but rather because according to my understanding, under his command is a small school, and this person is an ultra-first-rate martial general, with martial arts skills no lower than those of Dian Da Ge."

  "Oh? Is the intelligence reliable?" Cao Cao wouldn't ask where Zhang Rui got his information from. He knew that Zhang Rui was a descendant of the Mohist school, one of the few schools of thought that had persisted since the Hundred Schools of Thought era. Naturally, they would have their own methods. What Cao Cao wanted was results, just like how it was enough for Dian Wei to surrender to him in the end.

  "It should be no problem, but I'm still not sure, let me observe for a few more days."

  "Alright, let's put this matter aside for now. You all quickly go and rest your troops, so we can coordinate with General Sun from afar." Cao Cao instructed his subordinates.

  "My lord, Sun Jian will surely be defeated this time. We'd better train our troops and prepare for the great war to come!"

  "How did Zhibo come up with this?" Zhang Rui's every move and speech surprised Cao Cao, and the other four of the Five Sons of Yingchuan were also shocked. They had just set out, how did Zhang Rui already see that he would lose?

  "Gentlemen, today in the main tent of the alliance, the leader ordered Yuan Shu to supervise the grain and grass. Would Yuan Shu honestly supervise the grain and grass? On the other hand, Sun Wentai, Yuan Benchu only needed a vanguard to test the strength of the Western Liang army. This guy didn't understand the situation and became Yuan Shao's stepping stone for the sake of military merit. Moreover, how could Yuan Shu not lose? After all, Dong Zhuo was able to reach today's position, so the Western Liang army must have capable people."

  Everyone was in a state of despair, this alliance army had just been formed and the first battle was lost due to internal conflicts, how could they be happy? "Everyone, don't lose heart, if Dong Zhuo's army comes to attack, it will be the perfect opportunity for us to show our strength, are you still feeling down?"

  The crowd dispersed immediately. Everyone thought that when they returned, they would train those little ones well. If Dong Zhuo came to attack, they must fight so hard that his father wouldn't recognize him.

  Cao Cao smiled and said: "With Zhi Bo around, nothing needs to be worried about."

  In Luoyang City, Dong Zhuo received the news and a cold smile appeared on his gloomy face: "These bastards, they actually dare to come and punish me."

  Behind Dong Zhuo stood a tall and handsome man, with an impressive build, his height was probably close to the terrifying two meters. When he heard Dong Zhuo's words, he stepped forward and said: "Father, don't worry, the lords outside Guandong are nothing but weeds to me, let me help you share your worries!"

  Dong Zhuo was about to respond when a loud voice rang out from below the hall: "Why use an ox knife to kill a chicken? A few broken tiles and dogs wouldn't be worth the effort for Lord Wen. I, Hua Xiong, will take care of it."

  Lü Bu gripped his treasured sword tightly, these people from Xiliang may call themselves Wenhou, but they have always treated him as an outsider, Dong Zhuo also acknowledged him as a sworn son, but clearly did not trust him either, otherwise he would not have given the elite Flying Bear Army to Li Jue. Alas... he still has a long way to go!

  "Alright, General Hua will have to trouble you this time." A low voice came from Dong Zhuo's mouth. Li Ru couldn't help but shiver for no reason, feeling that Dong Zhuo had changed into a different person since he returned from suppressing the Yellow Turbans, seeming even colder than before, yes, just like cold-blooded...