Three Kingdoms: The Guan Family's Rebellious Son, Long Blessing Jing Xiang

It was late autumn, in the famous Ziwu Valley between Chang'an and Hanzhong.

At this moment, taking advantage of the chaos in Yangping Pass, Cao Cao, Zhang Wei, Zhang Qiying, Zhang Yulan, Cheng Wu, Cheng Yan, and a small number of personal soldiers, less than a thousand ghost soldiers of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, had secretly evacuated from here.

This place is the closest to Chang'an City, and it is also the road that was specially widened when Cao Cao secretly advanced into Hanzhong in the past. It avoids the 700-mile Qinling Mountains and is undoubtedly... the best escape route.

To this end, Cao Cao deliberately set up confusion and arranged four "fake Cao Caos" to evacuate from four other routes and be discovered on purpose in order to confuse the Shu army and confuse Liu Bei and Fa Zheng.

However, it was autumn now, and a lot of vegetation had grown in the Ziwu Valley, forming dense jungles. The unique humidity in Dongchuan also made it extremely difficult to walk here. Even though many of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect's ghosts originally lived in Sichuan, they could not avoid suffering from skin ulcers and itching due to the humidity.

Compared to this, what is more difficult is walking in the forests and mountain streams.

Although this is the shortest road, the paths in the mountains seem to have no end. Even on the map, the road that is clearly only a dozen miles long actually looks like a series of natural moats.

Even Cao Cao, who passed through the Ziwu Valley again, couldn't help feeling exhausted at this moment. Thinking back to the Ziwu Valley when he first came here... the heroism and unruly spirit when he led the army to the Hanzhong battlefield with high morale, all of it had completely disappeared without a trace at this moment.

The mood inevitably fell into a dark cloud——

"I didn't expect that the lush autumn vegetation would make our evacuation so much more difficult!"

Zhang Wei used his sickle to clear the grass in front of him and couldn't help complaining. "If we march through the grass like this, it will take at least a month to get to Chang'an..."

Behind him, a group of ghosts were panting heavily. The damp and sultry weather made them want to throw their wet and heavy clothes and armor to the ground, but the sudden appearance of snakes and insects in the woods forced them to cover themselves tightly.

And taking this path...

Cao Cao thought it over carefully.

"Report——"

"Your Majesty, Grand Priest Zhang——"

A ghost soldier came in a hurry and reported to Cao Cao and Zhang Wei, "Just as the king expected, the Shu army was tricked into the cave. After discovering the trick, Liu Bei was furious... It was also as the king predicted, because only in Baoxia Road did no one see the king's trace... So Liu Bei was successfully deceived, and all the pursuers he sent out went to Baoxia Road. So far... Everything is normal at the entrance of Ziwu Valley, and no pursuers have been found!"

Finally…

The difficult journey, the bitter escape, the bad mood, under all these unfavorable circumstances, Cao Cao welcomed the first good news in Ziwu Valley.

Zhang Wei quickly bowed to Cao Cao, "Your Majesty is indeed a man of foresight... That big-eared thief was simply fooled by your Majesty!"

Cao Cao's dry face finally showed a little smile. "In terms of attacking the heart and hiding the heart, Liu Bei couldn't outsmart me 20 years ago, and he still can't outsmart me now! And Jia Xu Jia Wenhe, hehe... I have known him for more than 20 years, what kind of person is this old guy? How could I not know? Be prudent and protect yourself, and go with the flow... Well, I will use him to spread false news to Liu Bei, which can be regarded as my last parting gift to Jia Wenhe——"

clever!

Not only did he cover up his own whereabouts, but he also planned to frame Jia Xu...this was really a brilliant move to kill two birds with one stone!
As Cao Cao spoke, everyone was impressed by his brilliant plan.

It is hard to imagine that the King of Wei, who is in such a desperate situation, can still use his own calculations to kill two birds with one stone against his "enemy"!
If we ignore the current situation, this plan is truly worthy of admiration!

Unfortunately... this can only be admiration... regardless of the situation.

The current situation cannot be reversed. After all... such a sophisticated calculation comes too late.

"What a pity..." Cao Cao also sighed, "What a pity that this is all I can do now... Humph, if I switched places with that big-eared thief, he would definitely not be able to escape from my grasp—"

After Cao Cao's final sigh...

The group set out on their journey home again. The road to Ziwu Valley was still difficult and rocky, but at least... there was hope!

Return to Guanzhong, return to Chang'an, regroup, and turn the tide...

Cao Cao had experienced stories like this many times in his life, and it was not the first time that he had nothing. Even at this age, he could still withstand it and stand up again.

But it often only takes a moment for hope to be shattered or for faith to collapse...

"Report..."

A ghost soldier came running over, his expression was somewhat horrified and terrified, and his tone was even more stumbling, "Long...long...long...long..."

He opened his mouth, but stammered for a long time and only uttered the word "long".

Cao Cao threw his water bag to the ghost and said, "Drink some water first. I'm still alive. The sky won't fall."

How dare this ghost drink water...

Zhang Wei saw this and shouted, "Drink when the king tells you to! How can you handle this job? You can't even speak a single word properly, and you're making a fuss out of nothing. What's wrong with you?"

With a "gulp", the ghost could only open his mouth and swallow a small sip of water.

As the saliva passed through his throat, the shock and tension subsided a little, but his tone was still stumbling. He said: "Chang...Chang...Chang'an City has been lost. A carrier pigeon brought a message that Guan...Guan Yu has captured Chang'an City, and General Xiahou...General Xiahou has been forced to retreat to Tongguan!"

That was the voice that came out.

Including Cao Cao, Zhang Wei, Zhang Qiying, Zhang Yulan, Cheng Wu, Cheng Yan...all of them had their eyes widened at this moment.

And then... strangely, after hearing this sad news, there was no sound from any of them, as if time had stood still.

In fact...

Everyone's emotions were already throbbing and turbulent...but their expressions seemed to be stunned, dumbfounded...or perhaps, at a loss!
This... is the true meaning of despair!

Finally, twenty breaths of time passed...

It was Zhang Wei's exclamation that broke the silence.

"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."

As the sound came, Cao Cao covered his forehead with his hands and fainted.

"Chang'an? Chang'an... is lost? Lost?"

Even before he fainted, he was still mumbling these subtle words... This ruler of the Great Wei, the founder of Wei Wu's hegemony, at this moment he wished... to faint forever and never wake up again -

...

...

Yangping Pass, although it is close to Hanzhong, Liu Bei has no plans to leave for Hanzhong.

In other words, in his opinion, there were more important things than leaving for Hanzhong.

For example...now...

Jia Xu was sitting on a stool with his hands tied behind his back. Soldiers were standing all around him. Liu Bei was sitting in the main seat, interrogating Jia Xu together with Fa Zheng and others.

"Let Cao Cao mobilize a large army and sneak into Hanzhong to fight me. Is this a strategy that Mr. Jia planned for Cao Cao?"

Facing Liu Bei's questioning.

Jia Xu was very calm and answered truthfully: "Yes!"

But he immediately added, "If it weren't for this old man's plan, how could Emperor Liu have 300,000 surrendered soldiers? How could he have the current unification? I am saving time for Emperor Liu!"

Following Jia Xu's answer.

Liu Bei then asked, "Then, sending Cheng Yu to the barbarians to unite with the barbarians to invade Chengdu, this strategy must also be Mr. Jia's masterpiece?"

"Yes!" Jia Xu replied calmly, but he also added confidently: "But Uncle Liu only knows one side of the story. It was me who came to Chengdu to investigate the situation and suggested sending the Five Pecks of Rice Sect to assassinate her. Without this plan, how could the barbarians work together with Uncle Liu to fight the enemy? I'm afraid there wouldn't be today's grand occasion!"

Not to mention... Jia Xu responded to Liu Bei's two questions with perfect answers.

This made Liu Bei feel like he was punching cotton, and also eased his anger at falling into Cao Cao's trap.

"So? What about this time? The escape route on the map you handed over was a dead end, and I didn't see Cao Cao on this road. How do you explain this?"

Following Liu Bei's question...

Jia Xu, who was originally sitting, stood up slowly. He signaled his son Jia Mu to support him, and then he walked forward slowly, saying softly, "I had good intentions to help the emperor's uncle capture Cao Cao, and it was also a token of my loyalty. But I never thought that it was Cao Cao after all. He was much more treacherous than I imagined. This time... I was tricked by him! But think about it, if it was so easy to capture Cao Cao, why would the emperor's uncle Liu have to wander for half his life? Cao Cao is ultimately a respectable and terrifying opponent..."

Speaking of this, Jia Xu shook his head and smiled bitterly.

It was these words that made Liu Bei feel relieved...

Jia Xu is right!

How many times had Liu Bei been defeated by Cao Cao in his life? Jia Xu was not a god... It was understandable that he was too clever for his own good in the game with Cao Cao.

Judging from Jia Xu's current expression, manners, behavior, and even his response just now, Liu Bei still trusts Jia Xu's intention to return to Han.

Immediately, Liu Bei stopped blaming Jia Xu and gave orders directly.

"Someone, untie Mr. Jia!"

As the ropes loosened, Liu Bei stepped forward and took Jia Xu's hand, explaining: "Mr. Jia, I have to explain something to the soldiers after letting Cao Cao go. Mr. Jia, please don't be offended..."

"It's okay, it's okay..." Jia Xu behaved magnanimously and freely.

At this time, Fa Zheng beside Liu Bei asked: "Soldiers have spied on the Qishan Road, Chencang Road, Tangxia Road, and Ziwu Valley respectively. My lord thinks this is also the plan of Cao thief, so he specially sent troops to chase through Baoxia Road where no soldiers have spied? What do you think, Mr. Jia?" This...

Jia Xu's eyes rolled slightly, then he shook his head, "I can't say for sure!"

"Mr. Jia, please feel free to speak..." Liu Bei asked seriously, "Mr. Jia has been with Cao Cao for a long time. Even though he has been tricked by him once, it is worthwhile to continue to speculate which route he will choose to escape?"

"I still say the same thing... I can't say for sure!" Jia Xu's answer was the same as always, but he added, "However, I do think that Cao Cao would not have escaped to the Baoxia Road..."

This…

After hearing what Jia Xu said, Liu Bei's pupils suddenly condensed... He subconsciously chanted: "False, real..."

"That's right!" Jia Xu tried to analyze, "How treacherous is Cao Cao? Since he doesn't even trust me, he will naturally... create a bigger fog and mystery. So... the escape route must not be the one that the uncle is sure of, but one of the Qishan Road, Chencang Road, Tangxie Road, Ziwu Valley..."

Hearing this...

Liu Bei understood immediately. He immediately showed his swift and decisive side and ordered directly, "Xiaozhi, send a pigeon to Yunchang immediately... tell him to keep an eye on these exits in Chang'an City! Don't let Cao Cao get away!"

"Chang'an?" Jia Xu didn't know who Chang'an City belonged to now...

Zhao Yun explained to him directly: "Mr. Jia may not know this yet, but Chang'an City has been captured by General Yunchang at the same time as Hanzhong. Now... the entire Guanzhong has been completely returned to Han!"

oh…

Jia Xu sighed lightly. He seemed to have experienced a brief surprise and then was completely relieved. He remembered the emptiness of Chang'an and the emptiness of Guanzhong. If he combined the fact that it was Guan Yu who conquered Chang'an, it seemed that he understood the entire battlefield... all the schemes, the overall layout at once. He even saw it more deeply and thoroughly... He saw the invisible hand behind all the schemes, the young man who manipulated the entire chessboard.

That's what I thought of.

"Haha..." Jia Xu laughed, and continued to say to Liu Bei, "Chang'an... General Guan Yu, I see, I see... It seems that the fourth son of the Guan family has been scheming until now... If so, what is the emperor's uncle worried about?"

"What do you mean?" Liu Bei was confused by what Jia Xu said... What does it mean?

Jia Xu smiled faintly, "Uncle Liu, just sit tight in Hanzhong City and wait for good news from Chang'an City. That young master of Guan Yunqi has already calculated this step, how could he let Cao Cao go so easily? What Uncle Liu should think about now is how to prepare the best green plum wine! Waiting for another green plum wine with Cao Cao and continue the conversation, ah...hahaha..."

As he spoke, Jia Xu smiled...

After hearing these words, Liu Bei and Fa Zheng looked at each other, as if they understood and realized something in an instant.

It might sound a bit harsh, but Yunqi has planned so much, Liu Bei and Fa Zheng are a bit worried about nothing... Cao Cao escaped? Why are they so worried?

Even if we take a step back, Yunqi, it has come to this point, how could he let Cao Cao go?
When they thought of this, "Haha..." Liu Bei and Fa Zheng laughed knowingly.

All of a sudden, the gloom of letting Cao Cao go disappeared, replaced by a feeling of confidence.

Because of Guan Lin!

Because he is the fourth son of the Guan family! This kid can always make people feel at ease and at ease!
...

...

In Ziwu Valley, beside a lake.

"Your Majesty, have some water..." When the unconscious Cao Cao finally woke up, Cheng Wu immediately handed him a water bag.

Cao Cao had no time to drink. His life was hanging by a thread, and he had no mood to drink at all.

He pushed aside the water bag, and asked despite the pain on his forehead, "Is there any way to contact Xiahou Yuanrang now?"

This…is very important!

Although Chang'an might be lost, Xiahou Dun would never abandon Cao Cao. The person Cao Cao trusted most in his life was Xiahou Dun, and this trust even surpassed that of his good brother and brother-in-law Xiahou Yuan.

"Yes..." Zhang Wei's answer was like a ray of light in Cao Cao's dark world...

He quickly unfolded the map and pointed in the direction of Tongguan. "Our carrier pigeons can reach Tongguan. General Xiahou is there!"

"Okay..." Cao Cao groaned deeply, and then ordered: "Send a pigeon to Yuan Rang and tell him to find a way to pick us up..."

Speaking of this... Zhang Wei subconsciously went to get a pen and paper.

"Wait..." Cao Cao seemed to have thought of something, or rather, due to the situation, he became more cautious and suspicious. "In order to prevent this message from being intercepted, do not mention in the letter that I am in the Ziwu Road. Just say that I have asked Yuan Rang to arrange the location and I will find a way to find him..."

This…

Zhang Wei pondered for a moment, then repeated Cao Cao's words in his mind, and then he quickly took out a pen and paper.

In order to ensure the authenticity of the letter, Zhang Wei took the initiative to approach Cao Cao.

"I dare to borrow your seal..."

"No need for the seal!" Cao Cao still had the seal of the King of Wei on him. He said calmly and meticulously, "You can use the title of 'General Hostage', and Yuan Rang will know that this is a letter I wrote to him——"

The reason why he was called a hostage general was because when Lu Bu attacked Puyang, Xiahou Dun, who was the top general in Cao's camp at the time, was kidnapped by assassins arranged by Lu Bu and became a hostage.

Of course, not many people knew about this incident, and even if they did, no one dared to use it to tease Xiahou Dun.

Except Cao Cao, because they had such a good relationship with each other, so... only when the two of them were drinking, Cao Cao would joke with Xiahou Dun by calling him "General Hostage".

This is the tacit understanding between brothers...

You can recognize it at a glance——

Of course, this is just a small episode.

As Zhang Wei responded and left... there was no doubt that at this moment, Xiahou Dun had become Cao Cao and the Wei army's... only weight and hope to escape!

Ziwu Valley, this is another Huarong Road——

...

...

"Leaving Tongguan?"

"how is this possible?"

"Given the current situation, if we leave Tongguan, who will support my elder brother? How can my elder brother escape from the encirclement of Guan Yu and these rebels?"

On the top of Tongguan City, Xiahou Dun's roaring tone could be heard from a long distance away.

The sound startled a flock of birds in the woods.

Standing in front of Xiahou Dun was Li Miao. Just now, he mentioned that Tongguan could not be defended under the current situation. Once Guan Yu confiscates the Yongliang troops and turns his spearhead towards Tongguan, then... both Xiahou Dun and the Wei army stationed here will suffer a devastating blow!

But Xiahou Dun was unwilling to leave...

He knows the crisis here!
But he knew better that his elder brother Cao Cao... was now in even greater danger, especially when he heard the news that Yangping Pass had been breached and his elder brother Cao Cao had escaped for his life or death. Xiahou Dun was already filled with uncontrollable worry and fear.

"Godfather..."

Li Miao shouted in his thickest voice, full of vicissitudes, "Your Majesty wants to save me, but my foster father cannot die in vain in Tongguan!"

Hearing Li Miao's words, Xiahou Dun straightened his chest, looking fearless, "If I can't see my elder brother again, what's the point of a blind man like me living? It's not a pity for me to die, but my elder brother... Great Wei needs him! The world cannot do without him——"

This…

Li Miao seemed to be in deep thought, but he was actually secretly delighted in his heart.

He muttered to himself: "Sure enough, the friendship between Cao Cao and Xiahou Dun...will not let them give up each other, haha, this will make it easy!"

With this in mind, Li Miao's eyes suddenly widened. He pretended to have suddenly come up with an idea, and then continued to persuade: "Foster father, I have a plan that can not only save the lives of you and these Wei army guards, but also help the king escape from danger--"

"What's the plan?" Xiahou Dun asked impatiently.

Li Miao blinked. He did not answer immediately. Instead, he clapped his hands and then chanted.

"come on…"

At this time, a burly, resolute-looking young lieutenant stepped out from the soldiers behind him. It was Guan Xing...

And at this moment, the purpose of Li Miao's saying so much was to introduce him to Xiahou Dun.

"Godfather, let me introduce this captain to you!"

"He is the last surviving member of the Great Wei flying ball soldiers. His name is Li Qiu, and he also keeps... the last of the flying balls that were originally manufactured in Beimang Mountain."

At this point, Li Miao's voice became even more meticulous. "Send him to pick up the king, and then take the flying ball to leave here quietly, to save the king's safety and the country of Wei from danger to safety—"

...

…(End of chapter)