"No, there are few heroes in the world, and none are more outstanding than my lord. Moreover, Yuan Shao is a traitor, and it is only right for my lord to distance himself from him!" Zhang Liao said, then lowered his voice and added, "Brother Yunchang, do you know that Liu Bei also intends to follow my lord?"
"If Yuan Tan could truly put righteousness before family, he would be quite a character."
Guan Yu narrowed his eyes. "Brother, are you going to follow Yuan Tan?"
How is that possible!
As Liu Bei's sworn brother, how could Guan Yu not know Liu Bei's ambitions?
Currently, their strength is weak, and relying on various forces is a helpless move, but sooner or later they will have to become independent.
"As for my lord, we'll find out after this battle. Yun Chang will come back to Qingzhou with me and we'll see for ourselves. Liu Bei is also in Qingzhou, so you won't leave him, will you?" Zhang Liao said with a smile.
"Of course, I will never serve another in my life." Guan Yu could see that Zhang Liao intended to recruit Yuan Tan, but even if he agreed now, he would definitely leave with Liu Bei if Liu Bei left Yuan Tan in the future.
It would be better to make things clear now, since he and Zhang Liao have a good relationship and he can't bear to lie to him.
At this moment, a soldier reported that the army should immediately set off.
To relieve the siege of Baima, Cao Cao adopted the strategy of his advisor Xun You. He first marched into Yanjin, making it appear as if he was about to cross the river and attack Yuan's army, thus drawing Yuan's army to divide its forces and head west. Then, he suddenly turned and rushed to Baima.
When Guan Yu and Zhang Liao's vanguard appeared before Yan Liang, the general entrusted with important responsibilities by Yuan Shao was caught off guard and panicked.
Guan Yu spotted Yan Liang's banner from afar, then spurred his horse and charged forward. Amidst the vast army, he cleaved Yan Liang in two with a single stroke, cutting off his head. No one in Yuan's army could stop him; it was as easy as taking candy from a baby.
Overjoyed, Cao Cao became even more eager to keep Xiang Yu, but now was not the time.
Even if Cao Cao won the Battle of Baima, he would still be at a clear disadvantage. Leaving the Guandu defense line would be very dangerous for Cao Cao.
The siege of Baima was lifted, and Cao Cao rescued the soldiers and civilians of Baima, then retreated westward along the Yellow River.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao immediately ordered his general Wen Chou to pursue, but Wen Chou was killed by Zhang Liao.
Cao Cao's army successfully withdrew to Guandu and continued to confront Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao's main camp, central command tent.
"Why is this happening!" Yuan Shao was heartbroken, having lost two great generals, Yan Liang and Wen Chou.
The key point is that it was Guan Yu and Zhang Liao who killed them. Guan Yu was Liu Bei's man, and Liu Bei was now Yuan Tan's man, as was Zhang Liao.
"What an unfilial son!" Yuan Shao couldn't understand it. Yuan Tan was his son, after all. How could a son beat his father?
The generals looked at each other, unsure how to comfort Yuan Shao, as it was, after all, his family matter.
The reason Yuan Tan helped outsiders fight Yuan Shao was because Yuan Shao had treated Yuan Tan badly first.
Why is a capable son like Yuan Tan not well-regarded?
In short, some things are a matter of reaping what you sow.
Just as Yuan Shao was in distress, a wounded young general suddenly rushed in from outside.
"Report! My lord, something terrible has happened! Lü Bu has led his army to cut off our rear, and many of our troops have surrendered!"
"Lü Bu?" Yuan Shao spat out a mouthful of blood. Lü Bu was also one of Yuan Tan's men!
Chapter 594 Against Yu
Tap tap tap...
A lone rider galloped towards Baima, arriving wearily from Jiangdong.
After the magic ban, everything became inconvenient, and even the Black Steed, traveling at full speed, could only be described as lightning fast.
Hmm, it should be called "a journey of 108,000 miles in an instant".
"It seems we're too late." Xiang Yu frowned as he looked at the scattered remnants of the defeated army.
"There's nothing we can do; we can't know what's going on here. But it's alright. The Battle of Guandu wasn't just about the Siege of Baima. Not seeing Yan Liang and Wen Chou being killed isn't a big deal; it was just a simple case of bullying weaklings. Why doesn't Xiang Yu just challenge Guan Yu to a fight?" Hao Jiu said helplessly.
"Where is Guan Yu?" Xiang Yu pointed his halberd at the Yuan army's lieutenant general in front of him.
Seeing Xiang Yu's valor, Yuan Jun's lieutenant dared not underestimate him in the slightest. With only a few dozen remaining soldiers gathered around him, he felt somewhat confident and boldly asked, "Who are you? What do you want with Guan Yu?"
"Attack him!" Xiang Yu said bluntly.
Yuan Jun's lieutenant swallowed hard without realizing it. Attack him?
"Well, it seems they're heading towards Guandu. But Guan Yu is incredibly powerful; he cleaved General Yan Liang in two in a single exchange. You'd better be careful, and it would be best to bring tens of thousands of troops with you for safety."
"It's alright." Xiang Yu spurred his horse forward and disappeared from the spot in the blink of an eye.
Yuan Jun's lieutenant rubbed his eyes and was shocked to find that his back was completely soaked. This must be a hallucination...
Guandu, Cao Cao's army camp, central command tent.
Cao Cao was holding an important meeting with several trusted advisors, and even refused Guan Yu's audience because of it.
Of course, this was just an excuse for Cao Cao. He had already guessed that Guan Yu was coming to see him, most likely to say goodbye and leave to find Liu Bei.
Therefore, Cao Cao could only find various excuses to avoid meeting the person, in order to buy time to solve this problem.
"Guan Yu is so powerful, I can't rest easy if I can't keep him for my own use. What good ideas do you all have?" Cao Cao paced back and forth, his brows furrowed into a deep frown. If he had known this would happen, he would have preferred to have killed Guan Yu back then.
Xu You stepped forward and said, "My lord, in my opinion, we should try our best to win over Guan Yu by offering him great rewards and wealth. I'm sure he won't be unmoved."
Cao Cao rubbed his forehead. "Guan Yu is a man of great righteousness, how could he be the kind of person to bow down for money? Besides, I have already given him the Red Hare horse and made him the Marquis of Hanshou. He didn't even want the beautiful women I offered him. What else can I give him?"
“Uh, this…” Xu You was speechless.
The old minister Cheng Yu cupped his hands and said, "My lord, Guan Yu is exceptionally skilled in martial arts and is wholeheartedly devoted to Liu Bei. He surrendered to you beforehand to protect Liu Bei's family, and he had already promised to leave after repaying your favor."
Now that the siege of Baima has been lifted, Guan Yu has made a great contribution by beheading Yan Liang, and he has also escorted his lord back to Guandu. He has repaid most of the favors he owed, and he will soon be going to Qingzhou to find Liu Bei.
Although Yuan Tan of Qingzhou stood on our side in this battle and sent troops to support our army, my lord, don't forget that Yuan Tan is, after all, Yuan Shao's eldest son.
What if Yuan Shao one day admits his mistake to Yuan Tan and makes Yuan Tan his successor? Would Yuan Tan still be hostile to Yuan Shao? Sooner or later, he would turn his attention to us.
Liu Bei's siding with Yuan Tan means Guan Yu will inevitably become our enemy sooner or later. Wouldn't it be unwise to let a tiger return to the mountains? Therefore, I believe that Your Majesty should immediately order Guan Yu's execution to prevent future troubles!
hiss……
Cao Cao gasped, "Zhongde wants me to kill Guan Yu?"
Cheng Yu nodded, "Indeed! It would be best to deal with Zhang Liao as well, not just Guan Yu."
“My lord, you must not do this,” Xun You said, bowing. “If we kill Guan Yu and Zhang Liao now, Liu Bei will surely order our army to fight to the death, Yuan Tan will immediately turn his attention to them, and all the kindness you have shown to Guan Yu will be for naught.”
"It would be better to preserve this bond. If Liu Bei falls out with Yuan Tan again in the future, or if something unexpected happens to Liu Bei, and Guan Yu is left with nowhere to go, he will surely remember his lord's kindness and return to his side."
Cheng Yu snorted coldly, "Absurd! If we don't kill these two, does that mean Yuan Tan won't become our enemy? It's just a matter of time."
When Yuan Tan subdued Lü Bu, he already showed the qualities of a powerful ruler, making him even more troublesome than Yuan Shao. It would be better to take advantage of the enmity between Yuan Tan and Yuan Shao and decisively cut off his support.
If we don't kill Guan Yu and Zhang Liao now, we might not have the chance to do so later. Besides, is it really necessary to make a big fuss about killing Guan Yu and Zhang Liao? Do you really think anyone here would inform Yuan Tan?
The crowd discussed the matter animatedly, finding merit in both arguments, and Cao Cao found himself unable to make a decision.
"What good ideas does Fengxiao have?" Cao Cao thought it over and decided to ask Guo Jia.
Guo Jia pondered for a moment, "I think we can place them under house arrest for now, neither killing nor releasing them. Whether they are taken hostages or sent to serve as allies, we can deal with them after we defeat Yuan Shao."
"Fengxiao, this plan is brilliant! What do you think, Wenruo?" Cao Cao looked at Xun Yu, the legendary strategist who was comparable to Zhang Liang.
"My lord, I think we can use Xu You's strategy as well. We can give Guan Yu more money and beautiful women, but we shouldn't talk about recruiting him. We should just say that the war here is still unsettled and our army is short of talent. We hope that Guan Yu can wait until we have completely defeated Yuan Shao before leaving."
As long as the lord's words are sincere, Guan Yu, a man of great loyalty and righteousness, will surely find it difficult to refuse. He can stay as long as possible, and when Guan Yu wants to leave again in the future, it will not be too late to discuss whether to kill him, release him, or put him under house arrest.
As for Zhang Liao, I think our lord still has a chance to recruit him. The only question is whether he is sincere and trustworthy. If he is feigning surrender to our army, that would be undesirable.” Xun Yu said, cupping his hands in greeting.
"Hahaha... Excellent! We shall follow Wenruo's plan!" Cao Cao was overjoyed upon hearing this. With such strategists assisting him, how could he not succeed in his great undertaking?
Just then, a soldier came to report.
"Reporting to Lord Sikong! Guan Yu requested an audience but was refused. He left a letter and rode out of the camp alone!"
"What!" Cao Cao was shocked. He had just devised a plan to deal with Guan Yu, but Guan Yu had already escaped. What should he do now?
In this case, Xun Yu's strategy would probably not work. Sending troops to capture Guan Yu would be pointless to talk about feelings afterward.
But if we don't send troops and use strong measures, it's no wonder Guan Yu won't be able to come back!
"My lord, time is of the essence. Please make a swift decision: capture them alive or execute them outright!" Guo Jia reminded him.
Cao Cao was in a dilemma again. He really couldn't bear to kill him. Where could he find such a person who was loyal, righteous, and highly skilled in martial arts?
"What good plan do you have, Wenruo?" Cao Cao turned his gaze to Xun Yu.
"My lord, do not be anxious. Without the pass token, Guan Yu cannot travel on the main road. You can send a fast horse to inform him that if you see Guan Yu, you must stop him and not let him leave. At the same time, you should personally lead the generals with generous gifts to chase after him. It would be best if you could persuade Guan Yu to stay. If you cannot persuade him, you must capture him. Of course, it would be best not to kill him if possible."
"Good! Pass on the order!" Cao Cao waved his hand.
Not long after, Guan Yu rode Red Hare at breakneck speed and arrived at the first pass, where he and Kong Xiu started fighting without saying a word.
In a single exchange, with a swift movement of the steel blade, Kong Xiu lay dead beneath his horse.
Then, he successively killed four gatekeepers: Han Fu, Meng Tan, Bian Xi, Wang Zhi, and Qin Qi, all with a single move.
Just as Guan Yu was about to leave, a rider galloped up from the front.
"Having slain Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and passed five passes and defeated six generals, what a hero Guan Yu! Do you dare to fight me?"
Chapter 595 War!
"Having slain Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and passed five passes and defeated six generals, what a hero Guan Yu! Do you dare to fight me?"
That sound, that voice, that speed, that imposing presence!
Guan Yu narrowed his eyes and said:
"I didn't kill Wen Chou."
"It doesn't matter!" Xiang Yu didn't care about anything else and swung his Overlord Divine Halberd to thrust forward.
"Who are you?" Guan Yu dodged the attack by turning his horse around, but the next attack followed immediately.
Guan Yu reacted quickly, instantly lying down on the horse's back to dodge the second attack, and then the two horses passed each other.
Xiang Yu and his horse, Wuzhui, seemed to understand each other perfectly. They immediately stopped, turned around, and chased after Guan Yu.