Chapter Seven: Breakout

  The night is getting deeper, the bright moon is in the sky, and it's extremely beautiful. This kind of poetic and picturesque time should be for appreciating the moon with wine, accompanied by beautiful women, and reciting poems to express one's feelings.

  But in Xuzhou's former prosperity, it is still in a state of blood and gore.

  Flames everywhere in the city, and the sounds of slaughter are also everywhere in the city.

  Lü Bu sat beside Liu Mang, who could rest but couldn't calm down. The city's great fire, the slaughter, every mournful cry and every flash of flame represented his iron-clad Han warriors, now lying asleep in this ancient city.

  "When will it be?!?" Liu Mang suddenly woke up, he was very tired, busy all day and came to this world to fight for another day, so tired that he didn't want to move, but he had to move, he didn't want to die! He still wanted his life.

  "It's already midnight!" Lü Bu said calmly.

  "What time is it?!" In ancient times, the twelve earthly branches were used to divide the day into periods. This "戌时" refers to 7-9 pm. Liu Mang remembered that when he rested, the sky was still not dark, so it was around 5 o'clock. Now it's past 7 o'clock, and he has been resting for over an hour, almost two hours!

  "It's time for us to act!" The sky had already darkened, and even with the light from the fires in Xia Pi Castle, it was still hard to make out anything.

  "Break through the west gate!" Lü Bu stood up and was about to inform Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, but was stopped by Liu Mang.

  "Don't go out the west gate!" Liu Mang said.

  "Why?!" Lü Bu was puzzled. The East Gate, which was the White Gate Tower, had already been breached. The North Gate was where Gao Shun's ambush troops were stationed, and now that Gao Shun was here, it meant that the North Gate was also lost. The South Gate was immediately breached afterwards, leaving only the West Gate, where Chen Gong was stationed, which should still be able to hold out for a while!

  "Rushing to the west gate is simply seeking death!" Liu Mang didn't understand military tactics, but he knew human psychology. The four main gates of Xiapi had already been breached three times, and it was inevitable that Xiapi would fall. This last remaining gate was no longer a test of strength, but a matter of merit!

  Cao Cao brought many generals on this expedition to Xiaopei, including Cao Ren, Xiahou Yuan, Xiahou Shang, Xu Huang, Lü Qian and Li Dian. And then there were the three brothers of Taishi Ci! It can be said that the stars have gathered. However, Xiaopei only has four gates! It's not easy to divide them up, so this remaining gate is absolutely a good place to seize merit.

  "We'll go out of the East Gate and break through from there!" Liu Mang said with determination.

  "Dongmen, have you gone mad?!" Lü Bu shouted. "This Dongmen is the White Gate Tower, which is exactly where we just lost our way. Because of this, Dongmen is also the place where Cao's troops are stationed in large numbers and with the strongest military strength. How can we break through Dongmen?! No, let's go out through Ximen!"

  The book says that Lü Bu is a self-willed and arrogant person. Liu Mang didn't believe it at first, but now he does. He didn't even give Liu Mang a chance to explain himself before rejecting him. No wonder with Chen Gong, a top-notch strategist, and his own superlative martial arts skills, as well as the Ambush Camp and the Bianzhou Iron Cavalry, they could still lose so thoroughly.

  But Liu Mang actually has some ways to deal with Lü Bu!

  Lü Bu is actually a porcupine, if you stroke him in the direction of his spines, nothing will happen to you, but if you touch him against the grain, haha, then you'll be waiting to get pierced and your hands will be full of blood!

  "Lü Boss, don't you want revenge?!" Just this one sentence made Lü Bu's originally unyielding mouth loosen.

  "Revenge?!" Lü Bu's eyes gleamed with a chilling flash in the darkness.

  "Right, revenge! Being bullied by Cao's villain to such an extent, and you still want to let Wei Xun, Song Xian, and Hou Cheng, those three traitors, go? Don't you want to behead those three traitors and then give Cao a good punishment?"

  "What's going on here!" Lü Bu was the most straightforward, Lü Bu is a hero, but he is also a petty person. The main characteristic of a petty person is to take revenge for personal grievances.

  Cao Cao brought him so much pain, how could he not repay it? He also wants to wait for Hou Cheng and Wei Xu, Song Xian, those three traitors. It's a characteristic of human beings that the hatred towards traitors is always much greater than that towards enemies, just like the Han traitors during the War of Resistance against Japan.

  Severely condemn and thoroughly investigate, we will absolutely not rest until the traitors' descendants are dug out for three generations.

  "Break through the east gate!" Liu Mang said, "The Cao army is indeed strongest at the White Gate Tower of the East Gate, but don't forget, that's just for defending against Lü Bu's army!"

  "What does it mean?!" Lü Bu asked.

  "Haha, we are now Cao Jun, the nephew of General Xiahou Yuan, and a subordinate of Xiahou De. Do you think Cao's army will stop us?!"

  "Ah!" Lü Bu suddenly remembered that Liu Mao had ordered Zhang Liao's soldiers to change into Cao army uniforms, and in the dim light, it was indeed difficult to tell them apart.

  "Cao Jun has broken through Xuzhou, the whole of Xu Province is within his grasp. According to Cao Cao's temperament, how could he not express his heroic spirit and savor the feeling of victory? So he must have set up a banquet in the iconic building of Xuzhou to celebrate the capture of Xu Province. This iconic building is none other than the White Gate Tower of Xuzhou! In the novel, Lü Bu was killed on top of the White Gate Tower."

  "When a person is at their most triumphant, they are also the most unguarded. How high can their defenses be at this time?! I'll have General Zhang Liao lead the charge, with the 800 elite troops in reserve, just to see if there's an opportunity to directly attack Cao Cao's command tent. Those three traitors, Hou Cheng, Wei Xu, and Song Xian, will definitely be with Cao Cao. If we're lucky, we might be able to take out Cao Cao and win a decisive victory! With Cao Cao dead, the entire Yan Province and Xu Province would fall into chaos, and Lord Lv can take advantage of the situation. Even if we fail, we can still make a swift retreat and regroup for another day!"

  Listening to Liu Mang's explanation, Lü Bu became more and more moved, with a single word: "Fight!"

  Lü Bu's army is efficient and swift, the vanguard is the elite of the elites, and the other Lü Bu troops following behind are also survivors of numerous battles, they are all seasoned veterans whose movements cannot be slow.

  Soon a group of Cao's army bearing Xia Hou De's flag number marched towards the direction of Baimen Building with a swagger.

  －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－

  The White Gate Tower of Xia Pian

  Cao Cao is having a grand feast for his guests, and it's indeed a magnificent sight! Lü Bu, that man who once looked down on the twelve vassals at Tiger Trap Pass as if they were nothing, was defeated by him, Cao Mengde. Not only did he defeat him, but he also took over his territory, and soon perhaps even his wives and concubines - after all, he has been coveting Diao Chan for a long time.

  "Congratulations, Chancellor! Congratulations, Chancellor! Xiaopei has been defeated, and Xuzhou is now within our grasp. With Xuzhou in hand, we can support an army of 100,000!" A scholar was the first to kneel down and offer his congratulations to Cao Cao.

  "Haha, get up! Get up!" Cao Cao was in a very good mood. The person kneeling on the ground was Chen Gong, who used to be under Lü Bu's command. This Chen Gong was indeed a talented man. Lü Bu didn't know how to use him, but I, Cao Mengde, will make good use of him haha!

  "Today's victory over Lü Bu is all thanks to your efforts, I, Cao Mengde, thank you in advance! Xiaopei, Xuzhou, this is a land of abundance, although it has been a battleground for four wars, but it can still support an army of 100,000."

  Cao Cao had wanted to take Xuzhou several times, and he attacked it in the name of his father Cao Song. At that time, the lord of Xuzhou was still Tao Qian, who was no match for Cao Mengde in terms of military strategy or tactics. However, relying solely on the wealth and resources of Xuzhou, he managed to repel Cao Cao's attacks and drive him back.

  These two battles in Xuzhou are now over, Cao Cao cultivated for a long time and relied on the Qingzhou army to capture Xiapi, which was also because Lü Bu dug his own grave and did not listen to the words of his advisors.

  "We dare not! We dare not!" The crowd under his command all lowered their heads and repeatedly said they dared not.

  "Hmm!" A cold hum came over.

  Cao Cao shifted his attention to a middle-aged scholar who was bound up, and in his excitement, he had forgotten about him. Cao Cao looked at the scholar with a pleased expression and said, "I wonder what wisdom you have to impart, sir!"

  This middle-aged scholar who was tied up was none other than Chen Gong, the first strategist of Lü Bu's army.

  "You despicable little man, if the late Emperor had not ignored my advice, how could you have gotten to where you are today?" Chen Gong's prejudice against Cao Cao had never dissipated and over the years had only deepened.

  "Chen Gongtai, Chen Gongtai, what's the point of this? You were supposed to follow me together. At the celebration banquet today, you must have a seat, and you can even show off your ambitions and grand plans. I didn't choose Cao Mengde, but I thought you had far-sightedness and could recognize people. Now it seems that you are not so great after all!"

  "Haha, you want to follow him? Follow him to slaughter more innocent people?! What did Lü Bu's family do wrong? You killed his whole family and now you want to kill him too?! Cao Mengde, you are truly a heartless and ruthless person!" Chen Gong's tone became increasingly agitated as he spoke.

  Below, all the strategists and generals did not say a word. Lv Bo's affair was the first time they heard of it. Although Cao Cao had damaged the moral integrity, he was their master.

  "Shut up!" Cao Cao's face changed color.

  "What's wrong, are you afraid, Cao Mengde? Do you also want fame?! You want me to shut up, but I'd rather say it out loud - if you have the guts, Cao Mengde, just kill me with one sword!" Chen Gong sneered.

  "Do you really think I dare not kill you?!" Cao Cao drew out the sharp sword in his hand, this sword was called Yitian, forged from refined iron, and could be considered a divine weapon.

  "Kill me! As long as you, Cao Mengde, don't kill me for one more day, I'll speak out for one more day!"

  The atmosphere suddenly froze.

  Cao Cao gazed at Chen Gong for a long time before suddenly breaking into a smile. "Speak, continue speaking, curse on!" With one swing of his sword, he cut off the ropes binding Chen Gong's body.

  "Keep cursing, General!" Cao Cao ordered someone to bring a cup of fine wine and fill it to the brim, implying that Chen Gong should continue scolding, and when he got thirsty from scolding, he could drink the wine to quench his thirst and then continue scolding!

  Chen Gong picked up the wine cup in front of him, drained it in one gulp, shook his head and said, "Cao Mengde, Cao Mengde, I really didn't think your face could be so thick!"

  "Haha!" Cao Cao laughed loudly and stood up. "Gongtai, it's not that I, Cao Cao, have a thick skin, it's not that I, Cao Cao, have a thick skin,"

  But I have long since ceased to care about the mundane and hypocritical moral standards of this world. Everyone says that I am a villain, but they are all unable to do anything about this villain; you self-proclaimed gentlemen have also been defeated by this villain. If being a gentleman means being humiliated, trampled, eliminated, or even killed, then I would rather be a villain who can achieve his ambitions. Since ancient times, great villains have resembled loyal subjects, and great deceivers have resembled truthful people - loyalty and treachery are not things that can be discerned from the surface. Perhaps you all misjudged me, Cao Cao, in the past, and perhaps you are misjudging me again now, but I remain myself, and I have never been afraid of being misjudged by others... Brother Gong Tai, speaking impartially, do you think what I am saying is right?

  Chen Gong had nothing to say, and since their views were different, they couldn't work together. Perhaps Cao Cao was right, or perhaps he himself was right - who knows? Anyway, now that the city of Xu has fallen, Chen Gong is also prepared to die.

  Watching Chen Gong being speechless by his own words, Cao Cao smiled. If he really had to count, this Chen Gong was actually his first strategist! In those years, he abandoned his official position and left, which really moved Cao Cao.

  Just as Cao Cao was thinking about something, a messenger rushed in: "Report to the Prime Minister, General Hou Cheng requests an audience!"

  "Ah?" Cao Cao said, Hou Cheng had already surrendered himself. This time he went out to find Wei Xu and Song Xian, and on their hands were the bound Lü Bu. Hou Cheng came back, so it can be said that Lü Bu was also brought back in bonds.

  Cao Cao smiled to himself and said to Chen Gong who was drinking: "Gongtai, ah Gongtai, your old master is coming!"

  "Let him come in!"

  "Yes!" The orderly went down.

  "Alas!" Chen Gong sighed, his face full of despondent expression.

  Hou Cheng strode in quickly and knelt down before Cao Cao: "Surrendered general Hou Cheng pays his respects to the Prime Minister!"

  "General Hou Cheng, no need to be so polite, please get up quickly. Today, we defeated Lü Bu, and from now on, Lü Bu's army will be eliminated from this world. So, General, you don't have to call yourself a surrendered general anymore, but rather the last general!" Cao Cao stroked his beard with an expression of concern for Hou Cheng.

  "Yes, I will obey!" Hou Cheng this rascal really fell for it, and was deeply moved.

  "Where are General Wei Xu and Song Xian? They should be rewarded for their contributions, including the capture of Lü Bu and the opening of the city gate. I will make sure to give them a good reward!" Cao Cao was never stingy with rewards, which is why his soldiers were willing to die for him!

  "Ah!" Cao Cao didn't ask, but as soon as he did, sweat broke out on Hou Cheng's face. "Your subordinate, your subordinate..." he stuttered and couldn't get the words out.

  "What's wrong?!" Cao Cao asked with a frown.

  "The end will know the mistake, please forgive Cao Zhenxiang's crime. Lü Bu, Lü Bu broke free from the rope and ran away!" Song Xian and Wei Xu did not tell Hou Cheng about Liu Mao's existence, because if they had said it, wouldn't that have meant that the two of them were idiots? Blindly believing in someone for no reason, only to be betrayed by him in the end, what kind of nonsense is this!

  "Escaped?!" Cao Cao didn't say a word, but a dark-skinned general next to him spoke up "You said that Wei Xu and Song Xian had already tied up the three surnamed family slaves, and even left behind his Fang Tian painting halberd. How could you let him escape?! You're truly useless!" His voice was extremely loud, with spittle almost reaching Hou Cheng's face. Hou Cheng needed to put on a humble face in front of Cao Cao, but not in front of this general, and his face had already turned red with anger.

  "Third brother, you mustn't be rude!" A big-eared Confucian scholar came out and pulled back the black-faced general. No mistake, this was indeed one of the Peach Garden's three brothers. And Liu Bei's appearance wasn't bad either - benevolent eyebrows and eyes, arms that reached past his knees; if he were to cry, he would truly have an air of worrying about the fate of the world.

  "Haha, great run, great run!" Chen Gong was the happiest here. If the wine earlier tasted as dull as water, now it had turned into a delicious and refreshing drink.

  "The dragon enters the sea, and the tiger returns to the mountain! Meng De, you can't stay in Xuzhou peacefully!"

  "Hmm?!" Cao Cao's face turned gloomy, but he didn't say a word. He knew that Lü Bu was like a fierce tiger, and if he let him escape, not only Xu Zhou but also Yan Zhou would be thrown into chaos. Lü Bu had originally been engaging in a risk-free business, and now the worst-case scenario was that Cao Cao would resume his old post.

  But he can't even get started, every other day Lü Bu would cause trouble for him, and he wouldn't be able to rest easy, let alone conquer the world, just defending his own territory would be a feat.

  Cao Cao took a deep breath and instead of showing anger, he smiled and said: "What crime does General Hou Cheng have? This Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian is just a fierce tiger, being able to open the city gate and present the Red Hare and the Heaven Painting Halberd is already a great achievement, no need to blame yourself!"

  "Chancellor!" Hou Cheng was even more moved. "Don't worry, Chancellor, Lü Bu is most concerned about his wives and concubines. Wei Xu and Song Xian, the two generals, have already gone to the provincial governor's mansion in the city to bring back Lü Bu's family members. As long as they are in our hands, Lü Bu will definitely surrender!"

  "Oh?!" Cao Cao had really forgotten that Lü Bu was a man of the Guo family, and it's not like Hou Cheng's plan wasn't useful. If Lü Bu were like some people who view their wives as clothes, changing them more often than eating meals, then Cao Mengde would have been in trouble!

  So saying, Cao Cao turned his gaze towards Liu Bei.