The Rebellious Officials and Traitors of the Late Han Dynasty

Chapter 481 Killing and Punishing the Heart

In Wu County, Qin Shou looked at the report in his hand with a smile on his face.

"Moling has been taken, Cao Ang has been killed, Lu Xun has been captured, Gan Ning has made great contributions." Qin Shou said with a smile: "Well, I have to tell Meng De, hey! I once promised him that I would preserve his bloodline, and now Gan Ning killed his eldest son, I really have a hard time explaining it."

Dian Wei and other generals didn't know what to say after hearing this. The man in front of them was really too hateful. If Cao Cao heard about it, who knows what he would think!

"Congratulations, lord, congratulations, lord."

When the generals heard this, they all showed joy on their faces, and there was no need to worry about anything else.

"Let's go and meet Meng De. Hey! I have to apologize to him!" Qin Shou stood up, a look of regret appeared on his face, and he sighed: "Actually, I didn't think of killing them."

Dian Wei and the others twitched their lips and lowered their heads, saying nothing. Even a fool might not believe these words. Cao Cao was defeated, so would he leave his offspring behind?
On the city wall of Wu County, Cao Cao looked a little old, with more fatigue in his eyes. He rushed over only after he learned that Qin Shou appeared under the city wall.

"Meng De, I'm here to apologize to you. I didn't keep my promise. Zhang Liao captured Moling, and my nephew Cao Ang led his guards to escape. Unfortunately, we were ambushed by Gan Ning, and we resisted and were killed by Gan Ning. This is my fault."

Qin Shou's voice instantly spread throughout the walls of Wu County. Cao Cao was stunned for a moment. He had even forgotten the impact of Qin Shou's words.

Cao Ang is dead!

Cao Ang, whom he relied on, died, and his most promising successor Cao Ang actually died in battle.

"My lord, my lord."

Cao Cao was suddenly awakened by Yu Fan's nervous urging voice.

He looked around and found that the situation was urgent. It would be fine if Cao Ang died, as it would not change the facts. The key now was the situation in Wu County. Although it had not yet been surrounded, the situation was not much better. The enemy was at the gates, and the morale of the soldiers on the city walls was low, making it difficult to resist.

"Qin Shou, even if you conquer Moling, what can you do? Liu Bei has joined forces with Jiaozhou troops to conquer Kuaiji and is about to harass your rear. Our Wujun troops are well-trained and well-fed, and the city is strong. You can't conquer it."

Cao Cao said in a deep voice.

Qin Shou was stunned at first, but finally burst into laughter. This Cao Cao not only liked to deceive his enemies, but he even dared to deceive his own people.

As soon as Cao Cao finished speaking, Qin Shou's laughter echoed over the Wu County wall, sounding particularly harsh. Cao Cao frowned slightly, feeling vaguely uneasy. Qin Shou's laughter was somewhat sarcastic, as if he had already seen through his bluff.

"Meng De, Meng De, you are still the same as always, liking to bluff and intimidate others." Qin Shou laughed and shook his head, with a hint of joking in his tone, "Liu Bei captured Kuaiji? Jiaozhou troops harassed my retreat? Hahaha, Meng De, do you think that I, Qin Shou, am such an ignorant child that I will be scared off by your few words?"

Cao Cao's heart sank, but his face remained calm. He knew that since Qin Shou dared to laugh so loudly, he must have already grasped the situation. Sure enough, Qin Shou's next words completely shattered his fantasy.

"Liu Bei did join forces with the Jiaozhou troops, but..." Qin Shou deliberately dragged out his tone, with a hint of pride in his eyes, "Liu Bei's troops were defeated by our army a long time ago, and the Jiaozhou troops were even repelled by our Huang Zhong and Sima Yi. Now, Kuaiji is under my control, and you have no allies anymore. Soon, you will be able to see Liu Bei's head."

It was all deception. Cao Cao was deceiving himself, and he was also deceiving Cao Cao. Anyway, the other party was trapped in the city and had no idea about the current situation in Jiaozhou. Cao Cao's face finally changed. He didn't expect that his plan had already been seen through and collapsed by Qin Shou. He didn't even know if Qin Shou's words were true.

On the city wall, the morale of Cao's soldiers dropped even lower when they heard Qin Shou's words. Many of them began to whisper, with looks of panic on their faces.

Cao Cao took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew that he must not show any panic at this moment, otherwise the morale of the army would completely collapse.

"Qin Shou, don't be too proud!" Cao Cao snorted coldly, with a bit of anger in his voice, and said loudly: "Even if you break through Moling and take Kuaiji, my Wu County is still as solid as a rock. If you have the guts, just come and attack! Zhuge Liang has already sent people to contact Gongsun Du and the various tribes on the grassland and the barbarian kings in the southwest. They will all launch an attack on the Central Plains."

When Qin Shou heard this, the corners of his mouth slightly raised and a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

He knew that Cao Cao's words did not deceive him, but this did not affect the overall situation.

"Meng De, you don't have to quibble. You and I are both smart people. As long as the Central Plains is stable, Liaodong, the grasslands, the barbarian kings of the southwest, and even the Qiang people, can't shake the foundation of the Central Plains. You! It's powerless to save the situation."

Qin Shou shook his head and said loudly: "You have Han people and Shanyue people in your city. If you lose Kuaiji, how long can your food and grass last?"

Cao Cao clenched his fists and stared at Qin Shou with an unwilling look on his face.

He knew that what Qin Shou said made sense. The situation was hopeless for him now. After today, people in the city would be in a state of panic. If it weren't for the people from the Cao and Xiahou families controlling the army, Wu County would have probably been captured from within long ago.

Qin Shou looked at Cao Cao, who was exhausted, on the city wall and shouted, "Meng De, now that things have come to this, why bother to resist in vain? As long as you open the city and surrender, I can spare your life!"

Cao Cao was furious when he heard this. He pointed at Qin Shou and shouted, "Qin Shou, come and attack if you have the guts. You have killed innocent people indiscriminately. You have killed all the wealthy and powerful families in Jiangdong. Do you think the people in the city welcome your arrival?"

"Meng De, you and I are both smart people. Time will make us forget everything."

Qin Shou said quietly, "Decades later, will the people of Xuzhou still remember the crimes you, Cao Mengde, committed back then?"

Cao Cao's pupils shrank when he heard this. He didn't know how many people he had killed in Xuzhou back then, but he believed that after decades, the people of Xuzhou would have forgotten about it.

The current situation is the same. If Qin Shou forcibly attacks Wu County, all those who resist will be killed, which is very similar to his attack on Xuzhou back then.

Similarly, decades later, the people of Jiangdong will forget Qin Shou’s crimes in Jiangdong, and they will become Qin Shou’s obedient subjects.

Qin Shou turned and left. Cao Cao looked at Qin Shou's departing back and felt aggrieved.

He knew that when Qin Shou appeared in front of him next time, the enemy would launch a general attack on him, and the fall of Wu County would only be a matter of time, and this time would come soon.

(End of this chapter)