Yuan Shao, the father of Fanghua in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 645

Cao Cao saw Liu Xie's ugly face and was speechless. He knew that Liu Xie had been completely shocked by him. He couldn't help laughing and said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Lu Bu is just a traitor, so there is no need for the Emperor of Labor to come forward."

"Wait until Cao leads the troops to kill him and present his head before His Majesty!" After saying that, he ignored Liu Xie and strode out of the palace.

Liu Xie looked at Cao Cao's back, his lips trembled a few times, and finally he slowly lowered his head.

Cao Cao mounted his horse and led everyone to the city. He did not want to delay in Huaicheng for too long. Although he, Ma Teng, Han Sui and Yuan Shu had a tacit understanding, in the face of interests, the so-called allies may turn against each other at any time.

The safest way is to quickly deal with Lu Bu outside the city, then bypass Yuan Shu and Ma Han, take the emperor hostage and return to Yingchuan, sit and watch Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang fight, and when they are weak, take the opportunity to capture Jizhou.

Cao Cao had a thorough understanding of the current situation. Although he had temporarily gained the upper hand, he still did not change the situation of being surrounded by enemies on all sides and full of crises.

What he relies on now is the temporary allies of several parties.

Although Ma Teng, Han Sui and Yuan Shu may fall out, if the world situation does not change significantly within a few years, these two parties will still stick together for warmth.

Yuan Tan is asking for help and wants to use himself to obtain Jizhou, but he will not betray himself for the time being.

But everything else is a disadvantage.

Cao Cao now occupies the land of Yanzhou. Although he still occupies part of Yuzhou and Sili, there are many hidden dangers.
Yanzhou's crazy recruitment with the support of the farm system has almost completely exhausted all its potential. Those closest to Yanzhou are Liu Bei in Yuzhou and Yuan Xi in Xuzhou, both of whom are his biggest threats.

Therefore, Cao Cao is bound to win Jizhou. Only by winning Jizhou can he open up the situation in the Central Plains.

But it is not easy. He needs to take advantage of the contradictions between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang to gradually encroach on Jizhou, and finally fall out with Yuan Tan and annex Qingzhou.

Only in this way can one of the biggest threats, the fierce tiger's territory, be completely separated!
Very few people knew that Cao Cao had secretly married Yuan Tan and was preparing for Cao Pi to marry Yuan Tan's daughter!
Cao Cao treated this marriage in the same way as he treated Liu Bei before. He was not prepared to keep Yuan Tan. In his conception, there was no place for Yuan's children.

Thinking of Liu Bei, Cao Cao felt even more heartbroken. Liu Bei was one of the few people who had suffered a big loss. He almost made Yuan Shao fall out with him early!
Why do the people you admire eventually betray you?
Cao Cao took back his thoughts. Now he wanted to eliminate a powerful enemy outside the city.

Lu Bu.

Fortunately, the counselor Lu Bu relied on, another person who had betrayed him and caused great harm to him, even higher than Liu Bei and Zhang Miao, had fallen into his hands.

He jumped off his horse, walked slowly to the top of the city, and saw the man tied to the city gate pillar.

Chen Gong.

The day before yesterday, when Cao Cao entered the city, Chen Gong led troops to resist, and at the same time opened the city gates to allow Liu Xie to escape. However, there were too few troops in the city, and Chen Gong was outnumbered. In the end, under the siege of Cao Rendianwei and Zhang Yan's sneak attack, almost all the troops and horses were destroyed, and Chen Gong Miya himself was also arrested.

Now Chen Gong was tied to the city gate pillar to threaten Lu Bu who was under the city to surrender.

Cao Cao walked forward with a smile and said to Chen Gong: "Gongtai, you are well."

Chen Gong snorted coldly, turned away, and ignored Cao Cao at all.

Upon seeing this, Cao Cao sighed, "I escaped from Luoyang that day and was captured by Dong Zhuo's men. If not for the public rescue, Cao Cao would have died a long time ago."

"After arriving in Yanzhou, Cao Cao did not treat Gongtai poorly, but Gongtai took refuge in Lu Bu, a disloyal and unjust man. Cao Cao really can't understand."

Chen Gong snorted coldly, "You know what you did."

Cao Cao knew that Chen Gong was talking about Lu Boxhe's family, and sighed: "Gongtai, in that kind of precarious situation, what else can I do besides protecting myself?"

"Who can guarantee that Lu Boshe's family really has no evil intentions?"

"Lu Boshe went out to buy wine. How could he know that he didn't know in advance that someone in his family was going to commit murder, so he avoided it first?"

Chen Gong said coldly: "You don't need to say any more. With your clever words and charming words, I think I've misjudged the person."

"It's just a matter of death today. If you use me to blackmail Marquis Wen, I'm afraid you've made the wrong calculation."

After hearing this, Cao Cao smiled and said: "Gongtai, you have underestimated your position in Lu Bu's heart. The fact that he hasn't attacked the city yet is proof of this."

Chen Gong remained silent. It was indeed already three o'clock in the morning. Ever since he was tied to the city gate tower, Lu Bu's army below had stopped moving.

But it's also possible that part of the reason is the person tied to another pillar.

Chen Gong took a quick look and saw Lu Bu's first wife, Yan, being tied to another pillar. Her hair was unkempt, her clothes were disheveled, and her face was covered with bruises and bloodstains. She had obviously been tortured a lot.

Cao Cao looked at Chen Gongyan, and then at Lu Bu who was sitting on his horse at the foot of the city, gnashing his teeth. He felt a little proud. Lu Bu was just a warrior. At this time, he had no backbone and his family members were captured. What kind of trouble could he cause?
Before the battle at the city gate, Lu Bu bit his tongue and looked at the triumphant Cao Cao on the city gate tower, and his mouth was filled with the taste of blood.

Zhang Liao came over on horseback and said anxiously: "Marquis Wen, things are not in harmony. Our troops cannot conquer the city at all!"

"Ma Teng, Han Sui and Yuan Shu will be here at any time. Mr. and Mrs. Gongtai, there is nothing we can do, so we should leave quickly!"

"As long as Marquis Wen remains useful, there will definitely be an opportunity to avenge Mr. and Madam in the future!"

Lu Bu remained silent. When Cao Cao saw him on the top of the city, he said, "Lü Bu, I respect you as a hero. Now I won't embarrass you. As long as you surrender and surrender to me, I will treat you well."

"Otherwise, Marquis Wen would be the sinner who killed Gongtai and his wife."

"Bah!" Chen Gong couldn't help but said angrily: "Who is the sinner?"

"Although Marquis Wen has done something wrong, he is still much better than you!"

Cao Cao wiped the spit that splashed on his face, his face darkened, and he suddenly pulled out the sword from his waist.

When Chen Gong saw this, his expression was as usual, but he didn't expect that Cao Cao walked over, put the tip of his sword on Yan's neck, and said to the people in the city: "Don't Marquis Wen cherish his wife?"

Lu Bu's face changed drastically when he saw him in the city, and he clenched his hand on Fang Tian's painted halberd.

At this time, Chen Gong spoke up and said: "I heard that those who rule the world with filial piety will not harm others' relatives, and those who rule the world with benevolence will never stop people's sacrifices. If Cao Gong kills Wen Hou's family, what will the people of the world think?" Cao Cao? After hearing this, his face turned cold, and Chen Gong even used words to flatter himself!

He snorted coldly, "Gongtai, for the sake of our friendship, I can spare you, but Lu Bu is a traitor and a traitor, and his family members are also guilty. How can I get around him?"

Chen Gong Lingran said: "I am General Wenhou, no different!"

"If Mr. Cao wants to kill me, do it quickly!"

Cao Cao had a look of regret on his face, "Gongtai, you and I have the deepest friendship. Is it possible that after reaching this point, you are still unwilling to look back?"

Chen Gong twisted his neck and remained silent.

Cao Cao had no choice but to shout to Lu Bu below the city: "Lu Bu!"

"I'll give you one last chance!"

"Quickly dismount and surrender without losing your title!"

After hearing this, Lu Bu immediately became interested, and his hand holding Fang Tian's painted halberd involuntarily relaxed. Seeing this, Chen Gong shouted: "Marquis Wen has already done something wrong twice, is he going to do it a third time?"

"Besides surrendering to Cao Cao, Marquis Wen has no other way out?"

Lu Bu was stunned. He looked at the impassioned Chen Gong on the top of the city and the pale-faced Yan family, and slowly drew out the long bow on his back.

The next moment, Lu Bu suddenly drew his big bow into the full moon shape and aimed at it!

Cao Cao was shocked and hurriedly knelt down. Dian Wei and other guards behind him also looked for obstacles to avoid.

Lu Bu's skill in cavalry and shooting was well-known throughout the world. Who wouldn't be afraid when everyone saw him setting an arrow?
There was just a sound of a string, and the arrow flew out like lightning. With a crash, the arrow nailed into the pillar next to Yan.

The rope that tied Yan was broken by the shot. Yan lost his restraints and fell forward suddenly, holding on to the city wall in front of him.

She was a little confused at first, but when she saw Lu Bu's expression under the city, she suddenly understood and her face turned pale. She climbed up to the top of the city tremblingly using her hands and feet. When Cao Cao saw this, he shouted: "Hold her!"

But it was too late. Yan just hesitated for a moment and rolled down the city.

There was a dull sound of a human body falling to the ground, and everyone knew the result without even looking at it. There was no way to survive the fall from the top of the city that was several feet high.

Lu Bu looked at Yan's corpse under the city wall with cold eyes. He slowly raised Fang Tian's painted halberd and shouted towards the city: "Cao Cao, you and I are irreconcilable!"

Cao Cao's face was extremely ugly. Originally, he wanted to recruit Lu Bu to surrender for his own use, but when Chen Gongyan tried to push him away, Lu Bu was at war with him!

Moreover, Lu Bu had other options. Not only could he seek refuge with himself, he could also seek refuge with Yuan Xi!

Yuan Xi is already difficult to deal with. If he gets Lu Bu, he will be even more powerful and he will be in trouble!

Thinking of this, Cao Cao glared at Chen Gong bitterly, saying that he shouldn't have taken him to the top of the city. In the end, he gave Lu Bu his last idea!
He made a decisive decision and said to Cao Ren Dianwei: "Lead the troops out of the city to intercept and kill Lu Bu. No matter how much you pay, you must not let him escape!"

Cao Rendianwei knew how powerful it was, so he immediately took the order and hurriedly mobilized troops and horses.

Seeing this, Zhang Liao quickly came up and said to Lu Bu: "Marquis Wen, Cao's army is about to leave the city, why don't you go there to avoid the enemy?"

Lu Bu shook his head, "No, I want to fight to the death with Cao Cao!"

Zhang Liao was stunned and asked in confusion: "Why?"

"Mr. Gongtai has just pointed out the way to Marquis Wen. We can also go and join Mr. Xian Yi!"

"When the time comes, wouldn't it be good for the two sides to unite and take revenge on Cao Cao?"

Lu Bu said slowly: "No, I can defect to anyone, but I can't defect to him."

"He will achieve great things in the future, and I... don't want to drag down his reputation or involve my daughter."

Zhang Liao was stunned.

Lu Bu said in a deep voice: "Wenyuan, I have been running away."

"When Li Jue and Guo Si attacked Chang'an, I escaped."

"Yuan Shao chased me when I was in Jizhou, but I escaped."

"I couldn't defeat Cao Cao in Yanzhou, so I ran away."

"Now that Huaicheng is lost, should I run away again?"

"Will you grovel and run away to join my son-in-law?"

"I'm tired."

"I don't want to escape."

Zhang Liao was in a state of excitement and said, "Liao is willing to accompany Marquis Wen!"

The generals nearby all responded.

Lu Bu shook his head and said, "No, if nothing happens, you all can escape separately!"

"Today is my battle, Lu Bu!"

(End of this chapter)