Gou writes entries in the Three Kingdoms

"Completely defeat Liu Xuan."

Liu Bei's words made Cao Cao feel excited.

Liu Xuan's rise was so fast that Cao Cao felt a huge threat. This kind of threat had never happened even when he faced Yuan Shao's army.

Cao Cao knew that if he did not join forces with Liu Bei, his family would most likely lose in a fight with Liu Xuan.

Cao Cao's small eyes were slightly narrowed, his energy restrained,
"how do you want to do it?"

Liu Bei leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice and said to Cao Cao:
"Liu Xuan has conquered Runan, and it is obvious that his target is Xuchang."

"His troops are powerful, but after all, they only have an army of [-]. The city of Xuchang is strong. We relied on the dangerous location of the city and used defense as offense to consume Liu Xuan's men."

"At the same time, when Liu Xuan besieges the city, Cao Gong mobilizes troops from Qingzhou and Yanzhou to attack from the rear. I will personally go back to Jingzhou to move troops. It only takes three or four days to reach Xuchang from Nanyang. I will definitely be able to enter the city before Liu Xuan's troops besiege Xuchang."

"You and I rely on the Yuzhou and Jingzhou armies to defend Xuchang. Is it possible that Liu Xuan can still fly in?"

After Liu Bei said this, Cao Cao's thinking gradually became clear.

Let Liu Xuan come to Xuchang, rely on the power of the city to consume him, and then use peripheral reinforcements to counter-surround Liu Xuan.

Yuzhou is Cao Cao's territory, and he has Liu Bei as a strong support. The time, place and people are favorable. If Liu Xuan cannot be defeated in this way, then there is no point in fighting for world hegemony.

"Okay, I have cooperated with Xuande Gong several times, and everything ended well in the end. I hope it will be the same this time. You can quickly go to Jingzhou to mobilize troops and guard Xuchang together."

Liu Bei stood up and said, "Okay, but before I leave, I have to make a trip to the palace for me."

Cao Cao was surprised and asked, "Why are you going to the palace?"

Liu Bei said: "Don't forget, Mr. Cao, Liu Bei is in Jingzhou just to assist Liu Jingsheng in guarding Xinye and Nanyang. The leader of Jingzhou is Liu Jingsheng. If I want to move my troops, I have to have an explanation."

Cao Cao narrowed his little eyes and immediately understood Liu Bei's thoughts: "Haha, it seems that Liu Xuande still knows the magic of the emperor."

"Forget it, I will draft an imperial edict and go to the emperor to get a seal. If you take it, you can order Liu Jingsheng to send troops to King Xuchang Qin."

Liu Bei smiled slightly and said, "The one who knows me is brother Meng De."

Jingzhou, Xiangyang.

In Liu Biao's tent, Liu Bei handed the emperor's secret edict to Liu Biao, "Brother Jing Sheng, Xuchang is in danger. I intend to lead [-] troops from Nanyang to the north to support Xuchang. Please make a decision quickly, brother Jing Sheng."

Liu Biao was a bit old and his eyesight was not very good. He read the emperor's secret edict carefully several times before he said slowly:

"Xuande, this secret edict says that Huaiyang King Liu Xuan led an army to attack Xuchang with the intention of being disobedient. But I don't think Liu Xuan is this kind of person. He conquered the Qiang and Hu in the north and pacified the Japanese islands in the east. They were both unparalleled achievements. It’s enough to go down in history, but to say that he raised troops to rebel at this time has no motive.”

Although Liu Biao is old, he is not stupid. Liu Xuangui is the king of Huaiyang and is of true royal blood.

Moreover, the emperor had done nothing in the hands of Cao Cao, and naturally he would not have any enmity with Liu Xuan. How could he suddenly issue a secret edict asking Liu Biao to send troops to serve the king?
Liu Bei said in a calm tone: "Brother Jing Sheng, although Liu Xuan has great achievements, there is a saying that he is proud of himself. Liu Xuan is disrespectful to the emperor. Everyone in Xuchang knows about this. Brother Jing Sheng is far away in Jingzhou and has not heard of it. .”

"This is a secret edict from the emperor. Could it be that as a clan member of the Han Dynasty, Brother Jing Sheng would rather believe Liu Xuan than His Majesty?"

Liu Biao was stunned: "Ah, where do you start talking about this?"

"Since Brother Jing Sheng has no intention of disobeying His Majesty, Liu Bei will make the decision on his own and lead [-] Jingzhou troops north to King Qin."

Liu Bei said with an indifferent expression, "Brother Jing Sheng is already old. Just enjoy your life in Xiangyang. Bei Zi will handle the outside matters for you."

After saying that, Liu Bei did not listen to Liu Biao's opinions anymore. In front of Liu Biao, he assigned all the government affairs in Jingzhou to Kuai Liang and Kuai Yue brothers, and handed over the military affairs in Xiangyang to Liu Feng and others.

Liu Biao sat alone in front of the meeting hall, his mouth opened, and he found that he could no longer interrupt.

Unconsciously, as Cai Mao's faction failed in the battle with Liu Bei's faction, the Cai Group was annexed by the Kuai family and Liu Bei, and almost everyone around Liu Biao became Liu Bei's people.

He, the upright Jingzhou Shepherd, no longer has much real power.

After Liu Bei arranged the military and government affairs in Jingzhou, he prepared to lead the army on the expedition. As he was leaving, he suddenly remembered something and returned to the hall.

"Oh, by the way, Brother Jingsheng, during this expedition, I will take my nephew Liu Cong to Xuchang. My nephew has also reached the age where he should have some experience."

With a strange smile on his face, Liu Bei looked directly at Liu Biao and said, "Brother Jingsheng, Brother Yu is out on an expedition. Brother Jingsheng needs to worry about the peace and stability of Jingzhou."

A trace of anger suddenly flashed across Liu Biao's stunned face.

Liu Bei took his favorite youngest son Liu Cong with him, saying it was for training, but how could Liu Biao not know that he was treating Liu Cong as a hostage.

The reason was naturally to guard against Liu Biao.

Liu Biao looked at the civil and military generals on the left and right, and found that their faces were indifferent and they all pretended not to understand.

Sighing slightly, Liu Biao leaned back on the chair feebly, raised his hand and waved outwards, saying no more words.

West of Runan City.

Liu Xuan's forward army has successfully broken through Runan and headed straight for Xuchang.

Attacking Runan was much easier than expected. Originally, Cao's army in the city wanted to occupy the city and defend it.

Unexpectedly, Liu Xuan had just set up his position to prepare for a large-scale attack. The soldiers in the city suddenly opened the north gate of Runan, and the entire army withdrew from the north gate in an orderly manner.

Liu Xuan's target was Xuchang, and he did not send troops to pursue it. He only left 5000 troops in Runan as a transit point on the grain road connecting Huaiyin.

"Report! Lord, Cao's troops in Xihua County and Ji County ahead have been withdrawn, and supplies in the city are also being transferred."

The scout gave Liu Xuan the military intelligence ahead.

Liu Xuan asked doubtfully: "With the initiative to withdraw, does Cao Cao really not intend to resist?"

Jia Xu shook his head after hearing this: "My lord, Cao Cao has made it clear that he wants to show off with your lord in Xuchang. The reason why he is withdrawing the defenders from these counties now is just to preserve his strength. If they transport all the supplies and food, we will There is no use in taking these cities, after all, this is the hinterland of Yuzhou."

"Can he be so confident that he can stop my [-]-strong army with Xuchang City?"

Jia Xu stroked his beard: "Perhaps Cao Cao really has something to rely on. My lord, it is better to be cautious."

Liu Xuan nodded: "It is right to be cautious, but we have already passed Runan. Two hundred miles ahead is Xuchang. No matter what, I will try my best."

Since Cao Cao had taken the initiative to withdraw the defenders of Xihua and Jixian, Liu Xuan ordered the forward troops to march quickly, occupying the two cities first, and then urged the rear troops to speed up and march to Xuchang together.

Liu Xuan knew that attacking Xuchang would definitely be a tough battle.

[Notepad opens.]

[203 AD, Yuzhou.The coalition forces of Cao Cao and Liu Bei took advantage of you to go to the Japanese island to eliminate the source of radiation, sent troops to attack the Hetao Plain, besieged Beigong Ling in Jincheng, and pinned down the elites led by Zhang Liao in Chilechuan.Zhao Yun desperately sent the news back. You decided to send troops to rescue Beigong Ling and Zhang Liao, and made a plan to encircle Wei and rescue Zhao, attack Xuchang with all your strength, and force Cao Cao and Liu Bei to withdraw their troops from the Hetao Plain to return reinforcements. 】

[Trigger survival mission: Capture Xuchang]

[Mission details: Capture Xuchang, force Cao Cao and Liu Bei's armies to return for reinforcements, and resolve the crisis in Jincheng and Chilechuan. 】【Task reward: Entry*3】

Sure enough, a new mission was triggered, but this mission seemed to be a little higher than his goal.

According to Liu Xuan's plan, he only needed to surround Xuchang and attack the city massively to force Cao Cao to withdraw his troops on the grassland, thereby rescuing Beigong Ling and Zhang Liao.

The goal of this mission is not only to save people, but also to directly capture Xuchang.

This is Cao Cao's base camp, why should he spend his life defending it?

It's an uphill battle.

Liu Xuan couldn't help but realized something and opened the notepad again.

Looking at the Tiangong Kaiwu with the roulette wheel in my mind that has fallen into a cooling state again, I feel a little worried.

"I wonder if Ma Jun can catch up in time this time."

The army marched for three days, and Xuchang City was already in sight.

With the war approaching, the outside of Xuchang City seemed a little deserted, and the people who had originally gathered here fled for refuge.

But the markets, wine shops and other places that can be seen everywhere still make people feel the prosperity of the past.

The emperor's move to Xuchang not only gave Cao Cao the convenience of using the emperor to control the princes, but also brought abundant population resources to Cao Cao's rule.

Liu Xuan finally arrived outside Xuchang City.

I saw that the towering city wall was already densely packed with soldiers. The arrow stamps on the city wall had also been reinforced and modified, and there was not even room for iron cables.

Obviously, Cao Cao put in a lot of effort to deal with Liu Xuan.

Liu Xuan's trapping camp and Tiger Camp's previous tactics of attacking the city through iron ropes had already spread throughout the Central Plains, and Cao Cao had to prepare in advance.

Liu Xuan lowered his gaze and saw that the city gate of Xuchang had just been reinforced and could no longer be opened by the iron fist of Lu Bu's magic mantis shrimp.

On the top of Xuchang City, Cao Cao looked at Liu Xuan's army below the city. A trace of hesitation flashed in his heart, but he immediately shook his head and shouted to Liu Xuan below the city,

"Is the King of Huaiyang okay? Xuchang is the capital of the emperor and the residence of the emperor. Your army is surrounding the city. Could it be that you want to rebel?"

Liu Xuan sneered and said: "Cao Cao, you know very well why my army came. It's just a pity that I, Liu Xuan, have a great destiny and did not die at sea as you wished."

"You and Liu Bei colluded with each other and acted against the will. My hard work in pacifying the Qiang and Hu was destroyed by you. Today, I will attack Xuchang and clear the emperor's side!"

Cao Cao also replied with a cold expression: "What are you talking about? The emperor is doing well in Xudu, but it's you, Liu Xuan, who wants to seek power and usurp the throne. He attacked Xuchang with heavy troops. His ambition is clearly exposed."

After that, Cao Cao took out an imperial edict from his arms and said loudly: "The Emperor has issued an edict. Liu Xuan disrespects the power of Heaven and intends to capture Xudu and seek power and usurp the throne. Liu Xuan is ordered to immediately deprive Liu Xuan of the title of King of Huaiyang and demote him to a commoner." . All loyal ministers in the world can be punished."

Emperor Liu Xie is in the hands of Cao Cao. Whatever imperial edict Cao Cao wants, he only needs to write the order and get it stamped by himself.Therefore, Liu Xuan naturally ignored the content of this imperial edict.

However, not everyone knew what Cao Cao did, especially the soldiers under Cao Cao. When they saw Cao Cao presenting the imperial edict, they all thought it was the emperor's intention.

Liu Xuan, who was preparing to attack the city, was even more angry in his eyes. He wanted to kill Liu Xuan immediately so that he could claim credit from the emperor.

Liu Xuan couldn't help but sneer at Cao Cao's manipulation of the imperial power and holding the emperor's power in his hands like child's play.
"Cao Cao, you keep saying that this is the emperor's decree. Since the emperor is in Xuchang City, do you dare to ask the emperor to come to the tower to meet me? If the emperor really thinks that I, Liu Xuan, am rebelling, then I will lead my troops back immediately."

Liu Xuan's words immediately caused Cao Cao to fall into a brief silence.

How dare he let the emperor come out to see Liu Xuan?
Although the emperor in the palace was indeed at his mercy, if these things were brought to the table, Cao Cao's image in the eyes of the people, and even in the eyes of his own subordinates, would suddenly collapse.

After a moment of silence, Cao Cao flicked his sleeves and said,

"You have offended the power of Heaven and undermined the royal dignity. The Emperor does not want to see you."

Having said that, he did not dare to argue with Liu Xuan any more, and waved his hands to the soldiers on the left and right,

"Fire arrows!"

Arrows rained down, officially kicking off the city's offensive and defensive battle.

Liu Xuan didn't say much, and pointed his dragon spear at Xuchang, "Attack!"

The army slowly advanced with siege equipment such as well rails, carts, ladders, etc., while tens of thousands of fully armed infantrymen in front also picked up sacks of sand and gravel on the ground and rushed toward the moat.

The first step in siege is to fill in the moat, otherwise neither siege equipment nor soldiers can reach the city wall.

The moat is naturally within the shooting range of the bow and arrow on the city wall.

Fortunately, Liu Xuan's soldiers were hidden from head to toe in alloy steel armor. As long as they protected their facial vitals, they were basically not afraid of bows and arrows.

The wide moat was slowly filled in,

Liu Xuan kept his keen eagle eyes open and had a panoramic view of every move on the entire Xuchang city wall.

Suddenly, Liu Xuan's eyes moved, and there seemed to be something strange on the city wall.

I saw groups of soldiers wearing different military uniforms carrying racks of unknown objects onto the city wall.

The soldiers quickly carried the items to the top of the city and quickly installed them.

Only then did Liu Xuan see clearly, they were huge crossbows.

On the crossbow seat that was more than two meters high, rows of sharp crossbow arrows braved the cold light, facing Liu Xuan's soldiers filling the moat below the city.

"Retreat quickly! Shield in hand, cover the retreat."

With such a huge crossbow base, the crossbow arm is three meters long, and its power can be imagined. Although the alloy steel armor is hard, it is compared to ordinary bows, arrows, swords and guns.

If a heavy hammer hits a soldier who has penetrated alloy steel armor, even if the armor is not shattered, the soldiers inside will not be able to withstand it.

In the same way, if shot by such a crossbow arrow, even if it is not penetrated by luck, the soldiers in the steel armor will be shocked.

As soon as Liu Xuan spoke, the order soldiers around him shouted gold desperately, and the shield bearers in the formation immediately jumped out with their shields in hand.

However, when the crossbowmen on the city wall saw that the soldiers below were retreating, they did not care to wait for all the crossbow seats to be installed. The giant crossbows that had been installed in advance immediately fired, and rows of thick crossbow arrows flew towards the city.

This kind of giant crossbow can fire a row of crossbow arrows in one shot. Hundreds of giant crossbows can be fired at the same time. The crossbow arrows are enough to cover the entire moat.

"Shhhhhh!"

The crossbow arrows were shot from the rear of Liu Xuan's soldiers, and the huge impact knocked the running soldiers to the ground. Many of them had their alloy steel armor pierced by the crossbow arrows due to the force, and fell to the ground wailing in pain, bright red. Blood overflowed from the alloy steel armor.

On the city wall, next to the giant crossbow, the man with a stern face who was directing the soldiers to load the crossbows was none other than Liu Bei. (End of chapter)