When Ji Han and his men traveled to the Three Kingdoms crew

Chapter 203 Encounter with Cao Cao (4k)

Gusts of cold wind invaded the most prosperous city of the Han Dynasty, and the snow floating in the sky was like white flakes.

The coldest time of the year is about to come. According to common sense, at this time, even the capital of Guizhou, who has no extra money, will reluctantly go out of the house to seek a chance of survival, and the beggars leaning against the city wall will continue to squeeze towards the wall.

However, what is strange is that at this time in Luoyang, there were loud drums and gongs and firecrackers.

There was no chill at all; it was so lively that even the heavens and the earth were amazed.

From the princes and nobles in the city to the peddlers and hawkers outside the city, and even the eunuchs in the palace, everyone celebrated and applauded.

The idle scholars gathered at the largest wine shop outside the city. They were drunk and lost in thought. Yuan Yin, who had previously looked down on Liu Bei, now changed his face completely in front of so many fellow scholars. He drank the warm wine in one gulp, held the posture of a scholar, bowed with a red and hot face, and then waved his sleeves.

"Gentlemen, I was wrong to say that General Liu Xuande was not good enough a few days ago. I will drink first as a token of my apology!"

He drank two more cups of hot wine.

The scholars surrounding Yuan Yin raised their glasses one after another and said:

"It's our fault that we were blind and caused Yuan Jun to misunderstand the hero!"

"That's right, it's all our fault!"

Someone opened his sleepy eyes under the influence of alcohol and asked, "Liu Xuande, who is Liu Xuande?"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an instant uproar, with countless people pointing fingers at that person and laughing like a tide that was about to drown him.

"Where did you come from?"

"How come even General Liu doesn't know?"

"Who is General Liu? General Liu is a disciple of Lu Zhi, the Minister of State! A relative of the Han Dynasty! He is a role model for us!"

Unfortunately, the warmth of the tavern had nothing to do with the common people coming and going. A common person carrying a basket of charcoal on his back braved the wind and snow, and shouted hard despite his dry and hoarse throat.

"I want all your charcoal."

The man in fur coat threw out some money and sold all the charcoal. The common people held the money and looked at the man's receding back. They felt like they were dreaming. It was not so real. In the past, he would have to shout for three or four hours, but today he sold out all the charcoal in one go.

He recalled the words the man had always said, which seemed to be saying that the recent days were good days, and the victorious generals Liu Xuan and Xuan She De had made unprecedented contributions and should be celebrated.

As he thought about it, he clenched the coins tightly. He didn't understand what the extraordinary achievement was. Looking at the snowflakes in the sky, he murmured eagerly, "It would be great if there were more things like this."

In the equally warm court, officials dressed in thick fur coats were all smiling, especially when facing Lu Zhi, the smiles on their faces became even deeper.

Yang Biao, a good friend of Lu Zhi, clasped his fists and waited respectfully: "Brother Zigan, you have taught a good disciple!"

"Thank you very much!" Lu Zhi responded with a fist. His movements were calm, but the upturned corners of his mouth still revealed his joy.

Other officials congratulated him.

"Minister Lu, your disciple's visit is truly a great honor for the Han Dynasty!"

"That's right, that's right, it really killed the eunuch's arrogance!"

Some even boasted, "Your disciple is the real scholar! Scholars of our generation should be like this!"

All kinds of flattering words came one after another, and Lu Zhi was so happy that he couldn't stop smiling.

In the Forbidden City, which was warmer than the streets and the court, groups of eunuchs lowered their heads when they saw Zuo Feng striding towards them, not daring to look directly at the popular eunuch in front of the emperor.

However, Zuo Feng was in a particularly good mood, and he casually threw a few golden beans at the eunuch.

"Reward for you"

Looking at the eunuchs fighting for the goods, Zuo Feng put his hands on his hips and laughed.

"Hey, isn't this Zuo Huangmen? It seems that Liu Xuande is really generous."

A shrill voice came from behind him and Zuo Feng stopped laughing. He did not dare to be negligent and quickly bent down, turned around respectfully, slowly raised his eyes, and the moment he saw the man in front of him clearly, he understood the other person's identity.

Bi Lan, one of the Ten Eunuchs, was originally the Ye Ting Ling, who was in charge of the palace servants' books and accounts and the female workers in sericulture.

Although he is not as favored by His Majesty as Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong and others, this man is not a fool but a capable person. He once overturned a car, which made His Majesty very happy. He was promoted to a marquis and became a regular attendant.

This made Zuo Feng extremely jealous. That was a marquis, a title that even ordinary scholars might not be able to obtain. How could he not be envious?

In the past, even though Zuo Feng was popular in front of the emperor, he was just a bigger ant under the command of the Ten Eunuchs. Today, even if he is still an ant, he is the most eye-catching ant! He knows that it is all thanks to Liu Xuande.

Zuo Feng had a good impression of Liu Xuande. He thought he was much stronger than those scholars who wanted to kill them, and he was also generous enough in his actions.

In his opinion, Liu Xuande, who came from a humble background, was an ambitious person just like himself.

As for why Liu Xuande became famous outside, but he was submissive in the palace and could only bully scholars and officials under the pretext of official duties?

Liu Xuande's luck might be better than mine, and perhaps his ability might also be better than mine.

Anyway, it's pretty much the same.

He knew his own level clearly. He was not as good as Zhang Rang, Zhao Zhong, or even Bi Lan.

Want to be a marquis
We must avoid weaknesses and develop strengths.

These days, Zuo Feng has also figured out that their power all comes from the Majesty behind them. They are like a fox pulling at a tiger's skin. Once they lose the Majesty's favor, the decline of their power will be unimaginable.

If you want to be granted a title of nobility, you need the favor of His Majesty.

Zuo Feng, who was thinking hard, set his sights on Liu Bei. Since he wanted favor, why not rely on the favor of others, such as Liu Xuande, who could make money continuously?

Firstly, he and Liu Xuande were both ambitious people, so he did not exclude Liu Xuande.

Secondly, Liu Xuande would not stay in the palace, which meant he would not compete with him.

Why not do it?
Therefore, Zuo Feng often spoke well of Liu Bei in front of the emperor.

All kinds of thoughts often come to mind in an instant. Zuo Feng bowed to Bi Lan and said, "Greetings, Mr. Bi."

Bi Lan squinted his eyes, as if he saw something, but he didn't care. He reached out and patted Zuo Feng on the shoulder, smiling and said, "Zuo Huangmen, you have been the one who has been relying on me these days. Your Majesty hasn't been this happy for a long time."

"This is all thanks to Lord Bi and the other eunuchs. I just played a very insignificant role." Zuo Feng kept a very humble attitude.

Not sure if it was true or just a bluff, Bi Lan helped Zuo Feng up, "Of course I understand Zuo Huangmen's sincerity. Liu Xuande's deeds even shocked me. When your majesty heard the news about the heavenly horse, his appetite increased greatly. He kept telling us that 'relatives are more reliable'. To be honest, Liu Xuande is not smart. He can make paper and chairs, so why didn't he make them just for your majesty? Why did he let those people get the advantage!"

"That's what Mr. Bi taught me."

Zuo Feng then remembered that Bi Lan made the tipping cart because the wheels of the car would easily raise dust when rolling on the road. Therefore, he made the tipping cart and brought water from the lake to sprinkle on the road.

"Big Brother"

Zhang Fei's rough and heroic voice drowned out the howling wind and snow.

"We are almost there, just a few dozen miles away."

"Wait, what is that?"

Zhang Fei, who was riding a galloping horse, suddenly reined in his horse and stopped. Liu Bei and Guan Yu waved flags one after another, and the knights following them immediately understood and drove their sheep and mules to stop.

"Third brother, what's going on? Why did you suddenly stop and rein in your horse?"

Liu Bei, driving Dilu, came to Zhang Fei's side.

"Brother, look." Zhang Fei handed the binoculars to Liu Bei.

Take a look through the telescope.

"Those are bandits? Bandits harassing the carriages of officials from the imperial court?"

Liu Bei took a deep breath. They were now in the heartland of the Han Dynasty. Where did these villains come from? Why were they so rampant?
"Second brother, third brother, if you see injustice, draw your sword and help. Let us lead the troops to help them!"

"Brother, I have had this idea for a long time."

"Brother, yes!"

"Ming Fu, during this trip to Jinan, you suppressed obscene worship, rectified the root of the problem, and restored peace and tranquility to the people. Your achievements will surely impress the ministers, and His Majesty will surely reward you generously."

"You are so flattering. You are so talented. I just did what I should do. It is nothing. You should know that praise will only lead people astray. Only by pointing out the inappropriateness can people improve themselves."

"Been taught a lesson."

On the snow-covered official road, a puzzling scene appeared: the eight-foot-tall, strong and powerful general was riding a horse with a short official.

What was even more astonishing was that the general's tone was particularly humble, as if he was following the official's lead. The official was not frightened at all, but instead raised his lips, and it was obvious that he was very pleased with what the general had just said.

The general's surname was Xiahou, his given name was Yuan, and his courtesy name was Miaocai.

He was from Qiao County of Pei State and was a descendant of Grand Coachman Xiahou Ying.

As for the short officials around him.

Xiahou Yuan looked at the official with respect. The man's surname was Cao, his given name was Cao, and his courtesy name was Mengde. The Cao and Xiahou families had been related by marriage for generations. The two had known each other since childhood and had a sincere relationship.

Although Cao Cao was short in stature, Xiahou Yuan did not look down on him. On the contrary, he felt that Cao Cao was extraordinary. His talent and wisdom were admirable. His ambitions made him feel ashamed of himself. He believed that Cao Cao would achieve great success in the future.

Therefore, Xiahou Yuan and his cousin Xiahou Dun were willing to follow Cao Cao and realize Cao Cao's ambitions.

"Report, report to the government! Enemy attack!"

The scout's hasty report completely shattered Cao Cao's mood. The smile on his face turned as cold as the wind and snow. He gritted his teeth and said, "They are almost entering Luoyang. Where are these bandits from?"

Just as Cao Cao was speaking, the masked bandits who were ambushing in the woods attacked like a tsunami.

"whoosh"

The sound of breaking air rang in his ears, and Cao Cao's pupils shrank instantly. He touched his earlobe in a daze, and when he looked at it, it was blood, red blood.

"Mingfu be careful!"

A loud shout was heard, and in a flash, Xiahou Yuan drew his weapon, protected Cao Cao in front of him, and shot down the continuous arrows.

However, they were caught off guard. An arrow hit the horse's belly. The horse let out a cry, staggered, and was about to fall to the ground.

At the critical moment, Cao Cao acted decisively. He abandoned his horse, hid behind the shield soldiers, and drew his sword. He angrily said, "Miaocai, don't worry about me. Go and kill the bandit leader!"

Xiahou Yuan glanced at Cao Cao and without hesitation, he shouted, "Come and kill him!"

Cao Cao thought to himself: They are just a bunch of rebels without armor.

Cao Cao, who had won the Yellow Turban War, was full of confidence. He decisively recruited several shield soldiers and hid behind their shields.

He thought to himself: As long as Miaocai led the knights to charge and continue to reap the lives of the rebels, the danger would naturally be resolved.

Cao Cao did not overestimate the level of the rebels. Under the iron hoof of Xiahou Yuan, they were almost defeated at the first touch.

However, the facts are often unexpected.

Even though Xiahou Yuan came and went like the wind and was unstoppable, the knights who followed Xiahou Yuan in the charge were also warriors. They kept reaping the lives of the rebels. However, the rebels responded by throwing caltrops from their bags and pulling up lassoes.

These moves were nothing to Xiahou Yuan, but they were not so effective for the knights who were so excited that several knights were hit and fell off their horses.

Seeing this, Cao Cao's face froze, his eyelids twitched wildly, and he thought to himself that something was wrong.

as predicted.

The rebel, whose face could not be seen, came galloping on horseback. His speed was as fast as thunder and the soldiers standing in front of him were no match for him. The spear in his hand was shining with a cold light, which made people tremble with fear!
Xiahou Yuan couldn't arrive yet, and the soldiers' shields were useless!

The fear of death continued to grow in Cao Cao's heart, his breathing became extremely rapid, he wanted to escape but there were no horses around!
Is it God who wants to kill me?
Cao Cao couldn't help but feel sad.

Perhaps it was the presence of God and Earth, as a majestic voice sounded, as if all the ghosts and gods had to take shelter temporarily, and even the rebels on horseback who were as powerful as tigers were terrified.

"Guan Yu is here!"

Cao Cao looked back and was in a trance. Under the dull sunlight, a general wearing bright armor, holding a dragon-patterned sword in his hand and riding a scarlet horse, was galloping towards him, as heroic as a god!

Looking at the rebel on horseback again, it was as if a sheep saw a wolf or a rabbit encountered an eagle. He just shot an arrow at Cao Cao and turned around and ran away.

The inexplicable ambush was thus averted.

"General, you are truly a god. Where does your general live? Is there a good match for you?"

The warm greetings made Guan Yu feel distracted. He had walked all the way from Jincheng County without encountering any bandits on the way. If it were not for the villages along the way and the difficult official roads, he would have thought he had returned to the fairyland of the afterlife.

He finally got the chance to take action, but the other party turned around and ran away as if he knew his face.

After rescuing the court official, this man kept thanking him and asking him all kinds of questions.

Even though Guan Yu's arrogant character had been restrained, he still disliked scholars.

Therefore, he looked for help at Liu Bei who was standing aside and laughing.

Liu Bei restrained his smile, walked up to the man, clasped his fists and asked
"I am the commander of the Qiang Guard, Liu Bei Liu Xuande. What is your name?"

"Liu Xuande? You are Liu Xuande!"

When he heard the name Liu Bei, his eyes seemed to light up and he was overjoyed.

The next ones to be surprised were Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

"I am the Prime Minister of Jinan, Cao Cao, Cao Mengde. I greet General Liu!"

"what?!"

"Damn it! Damn it! We were so close to getting rid of Cao Cao!" the sturdy man was indignant.

The scholar wearing the crown shook his head and said, "It's a failure at the last minute, so let it be. It's the Lord's fault. It's fate and time."

　My head hurts. Two chapters merged into one. Sorry to all the benefactors.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)