Chapter 74: Heroes Emerge

  Both sides were at a stalemate.

  Cao Cao watched the siege war in front of him with a cold eye, without any pity in his eyes, filled with cruelty. He then turned his eyes as if he had thought of something, and suddenly shot out a piercing gaze, staring at Tiger Trap Pass in shock, wondering what he was thinking of, and actually made Cao Cao, who could govern the world in peace and be a hero in troubled times, feel shocked!

  "It's terrible! Something big has gone wrong!" Cao Cao hastily walked up to Yuan Shao and whispered to him.

  "Oh, what's wrong with Meng De?" Yuan Shao turned his head and saw the extremely shocked Cao Cao, and asked in surprise.

  Cao Cao's gloomy face pointed at the Tiger Trap Pass, saying to Yuan Shao: "Ben Chu, you see that today, not only did the defenders of Tiger Trap Pass not see Autumn Water and Lü Bu, but also, in today's attack on the city, the defenders on the pass didn't care about the cost, throwing down logs and stones, and pouring hot oil. Although this can cause heavy casualties to our army for a short time, the defensive materials on the pass are by no means rich after more than a month of our attacks...

  After hearing this, Yuan Shao's face turned iron-green. Yuan Shao wasn't a fool and naturally understood Cao Cao's meaning. The opponent didn't even bother to counterattack, and neither Qiu Shui nor Lü Bu appeared on the city wall. Isn't it obvious that they had already received orders to withdraw their troops?

  At this time, Yuan Shao's iron-green face knew that if he really didn't have any war results and let Dong Zhuo escape to Chang'an, his own face as the leader of the eighteen vassals would be completely lost. He was extremely anxious and solemnly said to the crowd: "Everyone, now it seems that most of the troops on Guandu have escaped. Our top priority is to quickly break through Hu Lao Pass. If we don't, even if it's just a moment later, after Dong Zhuo and others move their capital to Chang'an, it will be too late!"

  "Wait, Alliance Head!" Liu Bei hastily stood up and shouted at Yuan Shao. Liu Bei was well aware of Yuan Shao's intention, which was to have the crowd send out a powerful general disguised as a small soldier to attack the city gate tower, occupy it temporarily, and then have a continuous stream of troops pour in on top.

  Yuan Shao was about to say his next sentence when he was interrupted by Liu Bei, and for a moment, he looked at Liu Bei with a dark face, his eyes filled with anger.

  Liu Bei looked up and saw Yuan Shao's intimidating face, his heart skipped a beat, and he regretted his rashness. He knew that Yuan Shao was a man who valued appearances, yet he had interrupted Yuan Shao in front of everyone. Since the words were already spoken, he could only force himself to bow respectfully to Yuan Shao and say: "Alliance leader, please do not misunderstand me. I merely thought that the Western Liang army is extremely cunning. If today's events are a plot by the Western Liang army, then once our generals under the command of the alliance break through the pass, the enemy will carry out their plans for another day, wouldn't that be perilous?"

  Hiss! After hearing Liu Bei's words, Yuan Shao's face showed some hesitation. After all, he had already lost the brave general Yan Liang under his command, and if it was really the opponent's conspiracy, wouldn't he have to sacrifice Wen Yu, the only one left? He fell into a dilemma for a while, and could only look at Cao Cao with inquiring eyes.

  Cao Cao saw the hesitant look in Yuan Shao's eyes and sneered inwardly, thinking that as a commander of an army, he was indecisive, truly useless, and unworthy of his noble birth. At the same time, he cast a cold sideways glance at Liu Bei, with a hint of disdain on his lips, for Cao Cao knew exactly what Liu Bei was thinking.

  Now Liu Bei has lost Zhang Fei and only has Guan Yu left, although his reputation is already notorious, but such a brave general is also rare in the world. If Liu Bei loses Guan Yu again, it will be equivalent to thoroughly burying Liu Bei's future career. Now Liu Bei would not casually let Guan Yu go.

  However, Liu Bei's words also made sense. After a moment of contemplation, Cao Cao nodded his hands towards Yuan Shao: "Benchu, Xuan De's words are not impossible, but now that the army is precious and swift, if the other side really withdraws, then we will be laughed at by the world if we don't make a decision!"

  After hearing Cao Cao's words, Yuan Shao still hesitated and looked at the other lords. The other lords also hesitated when they saw Yuan Shao's gaze, after all, the ones going out were their own rare brave generals. What if they suffered losses here? How would they be able to conquer in all directions afterwards? Especially after witnessing the role of the peerless brave general on the battlefield, these lords did not dare to easily let their own brave generals go to their deaths.

  At the moment when the princes were deep in thought, the battle at the front of Tiger Pass was not so calm. The pass was filled with the sounds of slaughter everywhere, and countless lives that were still alive yesterday fell to the cold ground today, never to see what was in front of them again.

  One moment, two moments..., time is constantly flowing away, but in the camp of the eighteen vassals, it is eerily quiet.

  Kong Rong saw that the various lords were still hesitating and unwilling to send out their own generals, so he furiously shouted at everyone: "You all, we have come to save the great Han dynasty, but now because of this easily breakable Tiger Trap Pass, you are hesitant and indecisive. If this gets out, won't it be laughed at by people all over the world? The soldiers in the front lines are fighting for the Han with their lives, are your generals just a bunch of cowards who fear death? I, Kong Rong, may be old, but I still have a heart that is willing to bleed for the Han. I am willing to send my general Taishi Ci into battle!"

  Looking at Kong Rong who was scolding the crowd in front of him with a face full of anger and completely red, although the crowd felt some shame in their hearts, they still hesitated.

  "Hmph! I've seen how you all repay the Han dynasty's kindness today. I'm ashamed to be in your company." Kong Rong let out a cold snort, his anger bursting forth as he flung his sleeve and stormed out of the camp tent.

  At this time, outside the camp, Kong Rong's loud voice came, "Taishi Ci listen to orders, today all the lords are afraid of death and dare not send out a general to attack Tiger Trap Pass. Today I am willing to go with the general to climb up this Tiger Trap Pass, I want to see if you, the Western Liang thief, have three heads and six arms, can actually block our army of over 600,000 for several months without being able to move forward!"

  No! Outside, the majestic and stern voice of Taishi Ci was heard, and for a moment, the hearts of the lords in the camp were greatly alarmed. This old man Kong Rong is doing things so absolutely, isn't he letting all the people in the world know that we are afraid to attack Tiger Trap, fearing death? By then, they would have become the laughing stock of the world!

  "Hold on and slow down! Are we going to be cowards, Wen Chou, Zhang He, Gao Lan listen to the order, disguise yourselves as small soldiers and attack Hu Lao with everyone!" At this time, Yuan Shao hurriedly rushed out to hold back Kong Rong and exhorted him, while commanding several fierce generals under his account.

  Yuan Shao saw that all the generals under his command were being sent out one after another, and he knew that they couldn't be fooled anymore. If not, then after Kong Rong, this sage, spread today's events throughout the world, they would be thoroughly discredited.

  "Xu Chu, Xiahou Dun and Xiahou Yuan led the army to capture Hu Lao!"

  "Zhoa Yun obeys orders and follows the main army to capture Hu Lao Gate!"

  "Ji Ling obeys orders, take down Tiger Trap Pass for me!"

  At that time, all the vassals turned to the general under the account and said in unison, with a cold voice, with an atmosphere like a rainbow, and they had to attack Hu Lao Guan.

  At this time, the eighteen vassals were also unable to do anything. After the death of Kong Rong, a sage, and Yuan Shao, who had been enfeoffed as a marquis for four generations and held the position of San Gong (one of the three highest officials in the imperial court), these two men had given up all hope. If other vassals were hiding or dodging, regardless of whether they won or lost, Yuan Shao and Kong Rong would gain a good reputation, while others would be discredited. From then on, no literary or military talents would come to join them, and even their current power would face the danger of division and collapse. Therefore, other vassals had no choice but to follow suit.

  P.S.: Please click, recommend, and collect! There will be another update tomorrow afternoon. Another explosive two updates in one week!