Chapter 23: The Joke Has Gone Too Far

  After resting at night, the whole land felt the tremors as troops arrived one after another. Liu Mao knew that these were Cao's soldiers arriving in succession.

  Early in the morning, Liu Mang climbed up to the city wall and was stunned by the scene before his eyes.

  Scales overlap, one square formation follows another, long spears are like rain, bows and arrows are like clouds.

  "How many people are here!" Liu Mang swallowed a mouthful of saliva, the entire city below was packed with crowds.

  "A hundred thousand strong army!" Lü Bu didn't know when he had walked to Liu Mang's side.

  "100,000?!" Liu Mang was stunned. Although there were many people in his previous life, soldiers like this who were so numerous and densely packed were rare. Even during military parades, it was only a few tens of thousands of people at most. How could there be an entire army of 100,000?!

  "Cao Cao really thinks highly of me, Lü Bu!" Lü Bu's eyes gleamed with sharp light, he replied correctly. Cao Cao was indeed unable to sleep or stand still after Lü Bu escaped from Xiapi. You see, Lü Bu is not some kind and gentle kitty, he is a tiger, an old tiger! A man-eating tiger, you have to be careful of his sharp claws even if you don't provoke him, let alone Cao who has snatched away Lü's foundation.

  "Can we win this fight?!" The city only has 10,000 people, and we're going to fight against 100,000! Even if I use my butt to think, it's not a match. Liu Mang's question had no effect other than making him look like an idiot.

  "Can't win, can't fight anymore?!" If it were said in the past, Lü Bu might not have had any thoughts of resisting like Liu Mang, but now it's different. After experiencing the scenes at Xiapi, Lü Bu can be said to have completely eliminated the idea of surrendering to Cao Cao, almost taking his life and severely injuring Xiahou Yuan.

  The Xiahou family is the foundation of Old Cao's power, and he cannot abandon the entire Xiahou family for a single Lü Bu.

  "Ah!" Liu Mang wanted to sigh, but was stopped by Lü Bu's gesture.

  Lü Bu said in a low voice, "You can be afraid, you can panic, but these cannot be shown on the face of the great army! Once the commander is uneasy and panicked, what can the subordinates do to sacrifice their lives?"

  Lü's eyes had a severe and loving look, which made Liu Mang feel very strange! He had only seen this kind of gaze in his father's eyes, but his father did not have the same appreciation for Liu Mang as Lü did, instead he was disdainful of Liu Mang's lack of learning and waste of education.

  "Boom! Boom! Boom!" The Cao army at the foot of the city began to beat the drums. Is this a sign that they are going to launch an attack?!

  "This is the drumbeat of a truce!" Lü Bu explained, Lü Bu has only one daughter, and whoever marries his daughter will be no different from his own son.

  "Truce?!" Haven't even started fighting yet and you want a truce?! What kind of logic is this, are you afraid of Lü Boss? Cao indeed fears Lü Boss, so he wants Lü Boss's life even more.

  In the midst of Cao Jun's army, a group of people suddenly parted ways. Among them was a short and ugly fat man wearing an official robe, which gave off a sense of authority despite his unimpressive appearance.

  "Isn't he just Cao Mengde?!" Liu Mang didn't dare to underestimate Cao Mengde, who looked unimpressive but was actually an outstanding figure. From his early days as an official in Luoyang, where he set up the Five-Color Rods to punish corrupt officials, to his later rebellion against Dong Zhuo in Chenliu, and then on to his path of conquest, it could all be said to have been orchestrated by this dark and chubby man.

  Cao Pi, he was not called emperor when he was alive, but after his death, he was granted the title of Emperor. This is solely due to his talent in the overall situation and military affairs. He was also an outstanding politician, military strategist, literary figure, and calligrapher of the late Eastern Han dynasty.

  Liu Meng has read his poems from primary school to junior high school, high school and university, such as "Turtle's Longevity"! Such as "Watching the Cang Hai"! Jian'an style he is a representative figure!

  If it weren't for the current state of war, Liu Mang would definitely have Cao Daoge sign his name on a piece of paper.

  "Respectfully, farewell! Take care!" Cao Cao stopped his steps only a few hundred meters away from the city. Here, arrows couldn't reach and voices could be heard clearly. Beside him stood an eight-foot-tall giant with a waist as thick as ten wraps of cloth, with a majestic appearance and extraordinary bravery, keeping watchful eyes on the surroundings to ensure Old Cao's safety.

  "Meng De, everything is fine!" Lü Bu lost the man but not the formation. Even if he was surrounded by Cao's forces, Lü Bu could still smile.

  "Alas, Fengxian, after the battle of Xiapi, I thought you and I would have a chance to drink and sing together. Who knew heaven would play tricks on us? You and I have parted ways!" Cao Cao said with a smile, appearing harmonious on the surface but actually reopening old wounds.

  Old Cao means that you have already lost the battle of Xiapi, and almost became my prisoner. Now I am facing you with a victorious attitude.

  "Meng De, we still have a long time to meet, why worry about this moment? It's just that Meng De almost met the former emperor at Baimenlou. Hmm, where is Xiahou Mao, the fierce general under Meng De?" Lü Boss wasn't one to spare oil either, not only did he mention how Cao was almost killed by himself, but also brought up Xiahou Yuan and asked after him.

  "Hmph!" Cao Cao's face turned cold, wanting to flare up in anger, but he closed his eyes for a moment, took a deep breath and swallowed his temper. He continued with a smile, "Zhen Ji, this time we must meet at Kaiyang!"

  "Yes, Meng De, I'm always ready to welcome your esteemed presence!" Lü Bu also forced a smile.

  "Cao Mengde, you didn't come just to say these empty words, did you?!" If there was one person in Lü Bu's army who was most dissatisfied with Cao Cao, it would be Chen Gong.

  "Oh, so it's the public platform!" Cao Cao said, as if chatting with friends at home. "That day at Baimen Tower, I couldn't find you anywhere, and thought you had also fallen off the city wall! Who knew that you were here on the public platform? Now my heart is at ease!" Cao Cao really admired Chen Gong, and if their views hadn't been completely opposite, it's possible that the position of first strategist under Cao Cao wouldn't have been Xun Yu or Guo Jia, but Chen Gong himself.

  "Don't you worry about it!"

  "This time I came, besides wanting to catch up with you, Emperor Xian, I also want to meet the little master who almost took my life in Xiaopei City! Liu Mang!" Cao Cao said with a smile.

  "What?!" Liu Mang, who was standing aside watching the commotion, suddenly realized something was off. Why were all the people on the city wall looking at him? He took another look and found that Old Cao had called out his name.

  "Is the master Liu Mang?!" Cao Cao is indeed a hero of his generation, he can humble himself to respect others, he can sweep the floor to welcome guests, as long as you have talent, Old Cao will even lower his face to serve you, picking up your clothes and shoes for you. Old Cao said with a bow towards Liu Mang.

  "Yes, yes!" Liu Mang's words were a bit stuttered now. This was Cao Da, Cao Cao, Emperor Wu of Wei, the man who could be said to have unified the Central Plains! Now he was actually bowing his head and showing humility towards himself.

  "Han Yang!" Luckily Lü Bu pulled Liu Mang back or he would have lost face on the spot.

  Liu Mang composed himself and returned the courtesy, saying "I am Liu Mang, Liu Hanyang. I have seen Minister Cao!"

  "What's with Han Yang?!" Old Cao's eyes deepened as he muttered these two words "I heard that Han Yang is a descendant of the imperial family of the Han Dynasty!"

  Alright, Old Cao also doesn't know how he found out that his ancestor was a big scammer in the Han Dynasty, and now he's brought it up.

  "What a Han dynasty descendant?! In Cao's army, a middle-aged man with long hair and big ears was also staring at Liu Mang on the city wall with shining eyes."

  Liu Mao was pointed out by Old Cao and could only force himself to return to the path, saying "Mao is indeed a relative of the Han imperial family, Your Majesty is my brother!"

  "Oh?!" Old Cao just asked casually, he had checked the Han family tree and indeed there was a Liu Mang, but he was just a child who had gone missing before the great chaos, who would have thought he would appear now.

  "So it seems that Han Yang is actually a member of our great Han imperial family!" Old Cao's demeanor became even more humble.

  Liu Mao is no match for this old fox Cao Cao, and can only nod in agreement.

  Chen Gong furrowed his brow. Cao Cao was definitely up to no good. He knew Cao Cao even better than he knew himself.

  As expected, Cao Cao's next words made Liu Xie feel a sharp pain: "As the closest relative of the Han imperial family and as Your Majesty's brother, you should follow me back to Xuchang and assist Your Majesty in quickly pacifying the universe and restoring the Han dynasty!"

  Old Cao spoke with great righteousness, if Liu Mang wasn't someone who knew history, he would have been really moved by Old Cao. However, Liu Mang knows what kind of person Old Cao is - using the emperor to control the vassals. If it were a peaceful and prosperous era, Old Cao would definitely be a capable minister, but now it's a chaotic world, and the Han dynasty's prestige has fallen to an all-time low.

  From the Yellow Turban Rebellion to Dong Zhuo's overthrow of Emperor Shao, and then Yuan Shu's claim to the throne! How many members of the imperial family with the surname Liu are left? Is Cao Cao loyal? Even if he is, his trusted subordinates would not allow him to be loyal. Does anyone really think that Cao Cao will return power to Emperor Xian of Han?

  Stop dreaming! Once the power is returned to Emperor Xian of Han, it will be a matter of one emperor and one subject. Emperor Xian of Han will definitely eliminate a batch of Cao's original trusted followers and support his own trusted followers.

  But who exactly was being eliminated, no one could be sure, and no one wanted to risk their own life to find out!

  Even if Old Cao wants to be loyal, sooner or later he will wear the yellow robe.

  Zhao Kuangyin is this ending!

  "Pull me up?!" Liu Meng knew what Old Cao was thinking, this was an invitation, Old Cao was indeed a hero, he himself had almost taken his life just now, but now it seemed like he was inviting him.

  "My lord, you will never be able to recruit Liu Mang!" said a sickly-looking scholar in Cao's army camp.

  Old Cao's eyes shone brightly as he looked at himself, "Han Yang, now the Emperor is in urgent need of young talents like you by his side. I, Cao, also have boundless admiration for Han Yang. My family has a daughter who has just come of age and is looking for a virtuous husband. Why not Han Yang?"

  "What the...!" Cao Lao Da has become as shameless as Lü Lao Ban, not only recruiting himself but also planning to use his daughter as a bargaining chip. Their family's daughter is ugly and can't get married, so why are they all in such a hurry?

  But you can't say that following Cao is more promising than following Lü, after another year, the Battle of Guandu, after destroying Yuan, Cao will basically divide the world into three, even if something happens, it won't be as life and death as Lü.

  What's more, there is also a daughter-in-law. Should I agree or not! Liu Mang's mood was unpredictable. Before Liu Mang made a decision, Chen Gong had already blocked the way.

  "Zao Ah Dan, don't waste your heart anymore! Han Yang has already become my master's son-in-law, and they will get married soon. Your daughter should marry someone else!"

  "Is Han Yang really like this?!" Cao Cao said, looking at Liu Mang.

  Liu Mang could only nod his head. If he said anything that wasn't true, Liu Mang believed Lü Boss would definitely kill him on the spot.

  "It's a pity that it can only end like this!" Cao Cao's face was filled with regret, he indeed had plans to recruit Liu Mao, even if it meant marrying off one of his daughters, as long as it could prevent a great talent from becoming a threat to him, that was what Cao Cao needed.

  Cao Cao mounted his horse and was about to leave.

  Liu Mang suddenly shouted "Wait a minute!"

  "Hmm?!" Cao Cao stopped his hand on the reins. "Has Han Yang finally understood?!". The joy on his face was beyond words.

  "Do you really want to go to Xudu and marry Cao Ang's daughter?!" Chen Gong had already lost his composure, and as for his arch-nemesis Cao Cao, he had long forgotten about being calm.

  "No, no!" Liu Mao shook his head and asked Cao Cao a sentence "Cao, how's your mother?"

  "Huh?!" Cao was puzzled. "Why did Han Yang mention my mother?! Mother has long since passed away!"

  "Oh!" Liu Mang asked again "Cao, you and your wife are doing well?"

  What's wrong with Liu Han? Cao Cao furrowed his brow: "My family is all in Xuchang!"

  "Haha!" Liu Mang hadn't even finished speaking, and the city wall was already filled with laughter. Liu Mang had been staying in Lü Bu's army for so many days, and since he didn't understand military affairs at all, he could only rely on some off-color jokes to get along with the soldiers. Even Chen Gong and Lü Bu knew a thing or two about this, and now they were all laughing out loud at Liu Mang's question.

  Cao Cao is not a fool, seeing the city wall laughing together immediately knew he was being fooled, whip in hand face iron blue "Liu Mang, Liu Hanyang, has Cao Mengde ever been unjust to you?!"

  "No!" Liu Mang shook his head.

  "What fault have I, Cao Mengde, committed?!"

  "No!" Liu Mang still shook his head.

  "Since neither of us has anything to gain, why do you want to play tricks on me, Cao? Do you really think my sword is dull?" Old Cao was also a ruthless killer, with an aura of murder that didn't lose out to Lü Bu.

  "Whoa! That's going too far!" Seeing Old Cao's expression, Liu Mang knew things were bad.

  "Liu Mang you dare to insult me! All officers and soldiers listen to orders, give me your full strength to attack the city!"