Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 688 Jia Changsheng is here too
"Humph, although Lü Bu is brave, are we, the eighteen princes, still afraid of him?" Yuan Shu said arrogantly with a look of disdain on his face, "Tomorrow, I will personally lead the army to fight and I will definitely kill Lü Bu!"

"Brother Gonglu, don't underestimate the enemy." Cao Cao hurriedly advised, "Lü Bu is extremely brave, and must not be underestimated. I think it is better to take a long-term view."

"Brother Mengde is right." Gongsun Zan nodded in agreement. "Lü Bu's bravery is well-known throughout the world. We need to gather the best troops from all over the world and work together to defeat the enemy."

As everyone was discussing, there was a sudden sound of hurried footsteps outside the tent. A soldier hurried into the tent, knelt on one knee, and reported loudly: "Leader, Lü Bu is here to challenge us!"

"You've come just in time!" Yuan Shao stood up suddenly and said loudly, "Everyone, follow me to fight and meet Lu Bu!"

So, the 18 princes put on their armor and led their armies to Hulao Pass. Lu Bu rode on his red rabbit horse, holding a Fang Tian painted halberd, and stood majestically in front of the battle. When he saw the princes' coalition army, he laughed up to the sky and shouted loudly: "Eighteen princes, today is your death day! Who will die first?"

"I'll meet you!" Yu She, a general under Yuan Shu, stepped forward, rode his horse and brandished his sword, heading straight for Lu Bu. Seeing this, Lu Bu sneered disdainfully, waved his Fang Tian Hua Ji, and rushed forward. The two fought for less than three rounds, and Lu Bu shouted loudly, stabbing Yu She off his horse with his halberd.

"Who else is here to die?" Lu Bu roared, waving his Fang Tian Hua Ji.

"I'll do it!" Pan Feng, a general under Han Fu, the governor of Jizhou, rode out with a big axe in hand. Pan Feng was known as the "unparalleled general" and was so brave that he didn't take Lu Bu seriously. However, after only a few rounds of fighting with Lu Bu, Lu Bu chopped off his arm with a halberd and he fell off his horse.

"Hahahaha, the eighteen princes are no more than this!" Lu Bu looked at the fallen Pan Feng and laughed loudly towards the sky. His laughter was full of sarcasm and arrogance.

The allied forces were shocked when they saw this. They had never expected that Lu Bu would be so brave and kill two generals in succession. For a time, no one dared to fight again.

"Could it be that we, the eighteen princes, are frightened by Lu Bu?" Yuan Shao said angrily with a livid face.

"Don't worry, leader. I have a plan." Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Although Lu Bu is brave, he is brave but not wise. We can adopt a rotation battle, fight in turns, consume his physical strength, and then look for an opportunity to defeat the enemy."

"Brother Mengde, this is a brilliant plan." Yuan Shao nodded in agreement. "Who is willing to go into battle first?"

"I'm coming!" Changsha governor Sun Jian, wearing a red cape and holding an ancient ingot knife, rode out on horseback. Sun Jian was known as the "Jiangdong Tiger", brave and good at fighting, and was a fierce general in the coalition of princes.

When Lü Bu saw Sun Jian going to fight, a glimmer of excitement flashed in his eyes. He brandished his Fang Tian Hua Ji and went straight for Sun Jian. Sun Jian was not afraid at all, and wielded his Gu Ding Dao to start a fierce fight with Lü Bu. The two fought back and forth for dozens of rounds, but it was difficult to determine the winner.

However, as the battle continued, Sun Jian gradually felt exhausted. Seeing this, Lu Bu was secretly delighted and suddenly increased the intensity of his attack. He wielded his Fang Tian Hua Ji and attacked Sun Jian like a violent storm. Sun Jian could not resist and gradually showed signs of defeat.

"General Sun, I'm here to help you!" Just when Sun Jian was in danger, Gongsun Zan, the governor of Beiping, rode up on horseback, holding a spear and stabbed at Lu Bu. Lu Bu quickly turned around and fought Gongsun Zan. After fighting with Lu Bu for several rounds, Gongsun Zan knew he was no match for him, so he turned his horse and ran away.

"Where are you going!" Lü Bu shouted, spurring his horse to chase after him. Gongsun Zan's horse ran slower, and was about to be caught up by Lü Bu. At this critical moment, Zhang Fei suddenly rushed out from the side, holding a Zhangba Snake Spear, and shouted: "Don't be arrogant, you slave of three surnames, I am Zhang Fei from Yan!"

When Lü Bu heard Zhang Fei's shouting and cursing, he was furious. He gave up chasing Gongsun Zan and turned to fight Zhang Fei. Zhang Fei was not afraid at all, and wielded his Zhangba Snake Spear to fight Lü Bu to the death. The two fought back and forth for fifty rounds, but neither could win.

"Good Lü Bu, he's really powerful!" Seeing that Zhang Fei was unable to defeat him for a long time, Guan Yu, holding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, rode out and joined the battle. Guan Yu and Zhang Fei joined forces to fight Lü Bu. The three of them fought together, with swords flashing and sabers flying, and it was hard to tell who was better.

Liu Bei watched the battle from the sidelines. Seeing his two brothers fighting fiercely with Lu Bu, he was anxious. He held a double-edged sword and rode his horse to join the battle. Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei joined forces to besiege Lu Bu. Although Lu Bu was brave, he gradually felt exhausted in the face of the siege of Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

"These three are so powerful, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to win today." Lu Bu thought to himself, "It is better to hide from them for now and fight again another day." Thinking of this, Lu Bu made a feint with his halberd and jumped out of the battle circle.

"Lü Bu, where are you going!" Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei saw this and hurriedly spurred their horses to chase after him. Lü Bu rode his red rabbit horse and ran very fast, and in the blink of an eye he disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Hmph, we let Lu Bu escape today!" Zhang Fei was furious, waving his Zhangba Snake Spear and shouting curses.

"Yide, don't be angry." Liu Bei tried to comfort him. "Although we didn't capture Lu Bu today, we have dampened his spirit. Let's go back to the camp and make plans."

So, the 18 princes withdrew their troops and returned to the camp. After this battle, although the princes' coalition did not win, it also allowed Lu Bu to see their strength. The two sides temporarily fell into a stalemate, and the situation in front of Hulao Pass became more tense.

After returning to the camp, Yuan Shao summoned various princes to discuss the next battle plan.

"Although we didn't win today's battle, we have seen Lu Bu's strength clearly." Yuan Shao frowned and said worriedly, "Lu Bu is so brave, how can we defeat him?"

"Don't worry, leader. I have a plan." Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said slowly, "Although Lu Bu is brave, not all of his generals are so powerful. We can send people to attack Lu Bu's camp first to lure him out to fight. Then, we can set up an ambush and capture him in one fell swoop."

"Brother Mengde, this is a brilliant plan." Yuan Shao nodded in agreement, "But who should we send to attack Lu Bu's camp?"

"I'm willing to go!" Xiahou Dun, a general under Cao Cao, stepped forward and said loudly.

"Okay, General Xiahou will go," Yuan Shao said, "but be careful and don't underestimate the enemy."

"Yes, sir!" Xiahou Dun took the order and left.

The next day, Xiahou Dun led his army to Lü Bu's camp and shouted a challenge. Lü Bu was furious when he heard Xiahou Dun's shouting and cursing. He immediately led his army out of the camp to fight.

Xiahou Dun was secretly delighted when he saw Lü Bu going to battle. He deliberately fought with Lü Bu for several rounds, then rode away. Lü Bu thought Xiahou Dun was timid, so he rode after him. Xiahou Dun led Lü Bu to a valley. Suddenly, shouts of killing rang out from both sides of the valley. Cao Cao led his ambushes to attack from both sides and surrounded Lü Bu.

"Lu Bu, today is the day you die!" Cao Cao shouted loudly.

Seeing this, Lü Bu was horrified. He waved his Fang Tian Hua Ji and charged left and right, trying to break out of the encirclement. However, Cao Cao's ambushes were too numerous, and Lü Bu could not escape for a while.

Just when Lü Bu was in trouble, reinforcements sent by Dong Zhuo arrived. The generals of the reinforcements were Li Jue and Guo Si. They led the army into the valley and fought fiercely with Cao Cao's ambush. Lü Bu took the opportunity to break out of the siege and joined Li Jue and Guo Si. "Humph, Cao Cao, I will spare your life today, and I will fight you to the death tomorrow!" Lü Bu stared at Cao Cao and said viciously.

After that, Lü Bu led his army to retreat to Hulao Pass. Cao Cao was upset to see Lü Bu escape. But he knew that Lü Bu was extremely brave and it would be difficult to defeat him easily.

After this battle, the confrontation between the 18 princes and Lu Bu became more intense. Both sides were actively preparing for the next battle. The situation in front of Hulao Pass became increasingly tense, and a more intense battle was about to break out.

In the Imperial Palace of the Sui Dynasty, the Golden Throne Hall was solemn and dignified. Jia Changsheng sat high on the dragon throne, and the secret report in his hand brought exciting news - in the last years of the Han Dynasty, the eighteen princes were raising troops to attack Dong Zhuo, the world was in chaos, and the situation was changing. A trace of imperceptible excitement and curiosity flashed in his eyes, and a bold idea quietly sprouted in his mind.

"My dear ministers, I want to go to the Han Dynasty myself to see what the chaos and strife are like." Jia Changsheng's voice was low but powerful, echoing in the empty hall.

When these words were spoken, all the ministers were shocked and knelt down to dissuade him.

"Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty is now in the midst of war and the situation is unclear. You are the king of a country and your body is worth millions of gold. How can you take the risk and go there?" The prime minister said in panic, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

"Yes, Your Majesty, this move is too dangerous. I hope Your Majesty will think twice." The generals also echoed, their faces full of worry.

Jia Changsheng smiled slightly, his eyes firm: "I have made up my mind. I will change my name to Jia Shisan, travel light and keep my identity secret. I am just going there to see and learn more, you don't have to worry. As for the state affairs of the Great Sui Dynasty, I have already made arrangements."

After that, Jia Changsheng looked at the prime minister whom he trusted the most and said solemnly: "Prime Minister, during my absence, the affairs of state will be handed over to you. You must put the welfare of the people first and maintain the stability of the government. If there are major decisions to be made, you can call all the ministers to discuss them."

The Prime Minister knelt on the ground, clasped his hands together, and said solemnly: "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best to live up to your trust."

Jia Changsheng then gave instructions to other ministers in turn and explained the key points of each matter before he began to prepare for the trip with peace of mind.

A few days later, Jia Changsheng, wearing an ordinary black robe, a bamboo hat, and carrying a simple bag, quietly left the Sui Dynasty and set off for the Han Dynasty. Along the way, he slept in the open air, walked in the morning and slept at night. Seeing the people along the way displaced, he couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion in his heart. This was completely different from the prosperity and stability of the Sui Dynasty under his rule. The cruelty of the troubled times made him look forward to this trip more deeply.

Finally, Jia Changsheng arrived near the camp of the eighteen princes. He found a simple inn to stay in and began to ask around for information to understand the situation of all parties.

In the inn, Jia Changsheng met a young soldier named Zhang Hu. Zhang Hu was generous and enthusiastic towards the stranger who called himself Jia Shisan, and often shared interesting stories in the camp and the progress of the war with him.

"Brother Jia, you don't know how powerful Lu Bu is. He fought against many generals of our army alone, and no one can defeat him so far." Zhang Hu said excitedly while drinking.

Jia Changsheng smiled slightly, with a hint of curiosity in his eyes: "Oh? Is this Lu Bu really so brave?"

"Of course!" Zhang Hu patted his chest and assured, "However, our eighteen princes will not give up easily. Everyone is trying to find a way to defeat the enemy."

Jia Changsheng listened to Zhang Hu's story and had a clearer understanding of the situation of the war. He thought to himself that if he could participate in it, he might be able to bring some different changes to this chaotic situation.

At the same time, in the Sui Dynasty palace, the prime minister handled state affairs in an orderly manner according to Jia Changsheng's instructions. Every day, he came to the court early to discuss various matters such as people's livelihood, military affairs, and economy with the ministers.

"Everyone, although His Majesty is away, we must be more diligent in our work and not slack off in the slightest." The Prime Minister said solemnly, "Now is the spring ploughing season, we must ensure that the people have enough seeds and farming tools, without any mistakes."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" the ministers responded in unison and took the order to carry it out.

When encountering some difficult problems in the process of handling government affairs, the prime minister would summon all the ministers to discuss them together.

"Recently, there have been small groups of bandits harassing the people on the border. What good solutions do you have?" The prime minister asked worriedly, frowning.

A general stood up and said loudly: "Prime Minister, I am willing to lead a team of troops to eliminate the bandits and ensure the peace of the people."

The Prime Minister thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, but don't act rashly. You must put the safety of the people first and try to reduce casualties."

"Yes, sir!" The general took the order and left.

In this way, under the prime minister's careful governance, everything in the Sui Dynasty operated normally, and the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and were not affected at all by Jia Changsheng's departure.

In the Han camp, Jia Changsheng gradually became friends with the soldiers of various princes. With his wisdom and insight, he often gave advice to the soldiers and won their trust and respect.

One day, Cao Cao was inspecting the camp and heard that there was a foreigner named Jia Shisan who was very insightful, so he sent someone to invite him over.

"Are you Jia Shisan? I heard that you have quite a lot of insights into military affairs. Do you have any plan to defeat Lu Bu?" Cao Cao asked Jia Changsheng with a sharp gaze.

Jia Changsheng's heart tightened, but he quickly calmed down and said, "General Cao, Lu Bu is brave, and a head-on fight is not a good idea. You can start with his weaknesses. Although he is powerful, he is stubborn and self-willed. You can design a plan to provoke him and lure him into a trap."

After hearing this, Cao Cao nodded slightly, with a hint of appreciation in his eyes: "What you said makes sense, can you explain it in detail?"

Jia Changsheng was secretly delighted, knowing that his words had aroused Cao Cao's interest. He calmly described his strategy, and Cao Cao listened with great interest, asking questions from time to time, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.

The prime minister, who was far away in the Sui Dynasty, was still diligently handling government affairs every day. He kept an eye on the situation in various places and adjusted policies in a timely manner to ensure the stability and development of the country. He knew that he had a great responsibility and must protect the Sui Dynasty and wait for Jia Changsheng to return.

(End of this chapter)