With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 118, Can a bond that is too tight be loosened?

Lu Bu was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, and became even more worried, drinking even more heavily.

He drank himself into a stupor all day, his body grew haggard day and night, and the once handsome and dashing Lü Bu became like an old man.

In contrast, Cao Cao was riding high, sitting comfortably in his central command tent, only needing to wait patiently. After all, with the city surrounded by floodwaters, he figured Lü Bu wouldn't be able to hold out for long.

During these few days of leisure, Cao Cao often met and chatted with Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. He especially liked Guan Yu more and more, and they would hold hands and chat for a long time each time. Even Liu Bei noticed something unusual about it.

That afternoon, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were about to leave Cao Cao's command tent when Guan Yu hesitated for a moment and then stopped.

This was unprecedented. In the past, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei ate and slept together, came together, and left together. This time, however, Guan Yu took the initiative to stay.

Cao Cao was overjoyed and quickly asked, "Yun Chang, is there something else?"

Guan Yu looked somewhat embarrassed. Not far away, Liu Bei and Zhang Fei stopped and looked at each other questioningly. Guan Yu waved to them, and Liu Bei, without thinking much of it, left with Zhang Fei.

Guan Yu's face flushed slightly. "Lord Cao, it's like this, there's a small matter."

"Come, come, Yunchang, come into the tent for a chat." Cao Cao warmly pulled Guan Yu back into the main tent.

Cao Cao was afraid that Guan Yu would be alright; the more trouble Guan Yu was in, the closer he would get to Guan Yu.

Guan Yu's face was already ruddy, and with a little nervousness, it turned even redder. "It's like this," he said, "there's a man named Qin Yilu under Lü Bu's command. I met him once before, and he begged me that if Lü Bu were to be defeated in the future, he would offer up his beautiful concubine in exchange for his life."

Cao Cao immediately burst into laughter, "I wondered what could be so important that Yun Chang would plead for him. Since Yun Chang has spoken, how could I refuse?"

Cao Cao readily agreed, then said with a look of disdain, "Qin Yilu is willing to offer up his beautiful concubine just to save his life. This shows he is a cowardly and sycophantic villain. Yun Chang, you should not associate with such a person, lest you tarnish your reputation. However, I have seen many women in this world. Could it be that Qin Yilu's concubine is truly a beauty of unparalleled grace, that he is so confident in exchanging his concubine for his own life?"

Cao Cao's eye for beauty was unparalleled; he would never have agreed to this if it weren't for Guan Yu's sake.

Guan Yu nodded awkwardly, his voice growing softer and softer, "Although I've only met her once, that Lady Du is indeed a beauty, quite attractive."

As soon as the topic turned to women, Guan Yu's face turned even redder.

Cao Cao immediately became interested, "If she is a beauty, why did Qin Yilu make her his concubine?"

Guan Yu replied, "Lord Cao is unaware of the true story. Qin Yilu was once sent by Lü Bu to Shouchun to meet Yuan Shu. He was clever and eloquent, which won Yuan Shu's favor. Yuan Shu then arranged for a member of the imperial clan to be given to him as his principal wife."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and nodded. "I see. The more this is the case, the more I hate such cunning and treacherous people. They are born afraid of death, greedy for power and wealth, yet they have betrayed the women around them."

Cao Cao, always known for his wisdom, thought for a moment, his eyes darting around a few times, before looking up at Guan Yu again.

He thought to himself: Guan Yu is upright and magnanimous, and his judgment is always discerning. How could Guan Yu befriend a treacherous and ungrateful villain like Qin Yilu? And why would he plead for him?

Seeing Guan Yu's face flush red and his gaze somewhat evasive, Cao Cao immediately understood.

He immediately laughed and said, "Could it be that Yun Chang has fallen for this woman?"

Guan Yu waved his hands repeatedly, "Lord Cao is joking, there's no such thing."

However, Cao Cao saw Guan Yu's expression clearly and laughed. Cao Cao said, "Anyway, you just said that Qin Yilu voluntarily offered up his beautiful concubine to beg for his life. I will make the decision today. After we break through the city, that woman, yes, Lady Du, will be given to Yun Chang!"

Cao Cao was worried about not having a chance to get closer to Guan Yu, and Guan Yu immediately blushed and kept shaking his head in denial. Cao Cao did not point it out, saying, "It's settled then."

Guan Yu blushed and hurriedly took his leave.

Cao Cao laughed heartily, watching Guan Yu's departing figure. He thought to himself: Guan Yu is a rare tiger general in this world, with outstanding skills and unparalleled loyalty. If I give Du Shi to him, he might assist me in the future. Wouldn't I gain a great general?

At this point, Cao Cao had not yet met Lady Du.

"My lord, His Majesty has arrived!"

Before long, Cao Ren rushed over and pointed into the distance. Sure enough, a group of people was approaching.

Cao Cao hurriedly went out to greet him, after all, Liu Xie had made great contributions this time. After meeting, Cao Cao asked with a smile, "Your Majesty, Xiapi has not yet been captured, why have you come here?"

Liu Xie laughed and said, "Lord Cao, the floodwaters have overflowed, and Xiapi is under heavy siege. The day of its fall is not far off. Lord Cao is about to make a great contribution, and I will naturally come to congratulate you as soon as possible."

Cao Cao couldn't help but feel a little smug. Anyway, Lü Bu was trapped and couldn't escape. With Liu Xie here, there was no need to worry about any danger.

Cao Cao immediately settled Liu Xie in, and continued to wait patiently.

After several days of heavy drinking, Lü Bu was shocked to find himself looking in the mirror one day, looking haggard like a dying man, with a disheveled beard and a sallow complexion.

Lu Bu angrily swore, "I have been ruined by wine and women, and have become so haggard. From this day forward, I will abstain from alcohol!"

And the soldiers were strictly forbidden from drinking alcohol.

Unexpectedly, no sooner had the ban been issued than Hou Cheng brought some freshly brewed wine with his men, which just happened to be the target of Lü Bu's attack, and Hou Cheng was severely beaten by Lü Bu.

Hou Cheng was beaten until his skin was torn and he cried out in pain. He couldn't help but feel resentful, so he secretly contacted Song Xian and Wei Xu. The three of them took advantage of Lü Bu's sleep and tied him up with ropes.

"Report! My lord, someone on the city wall is shouting that Lü Bu has been captured."

When Cao Cao heard the report, he was half-believing and half-doubting. After leaving his tent, he saw from afar that there were indeed many of Lü Bu's armored soldiers standing on the city wall, and some of them were shouting.

Cao Cao rode over there, and soon Liu Xie arrived, along with Cao Ren, Guo Jia, and others.

"Lord Cao, we have captured Lü Bu and are willing to surrender the city!" Hou Cheng shouted again.

Cao Cao was naturally suspicious and kept his eyes fixed on the city wall, worried that there might be a trap. Hou Cheng then had someone throw Lü Bu's halberd down from the city wall.

Bang!

With a loud bang, and upon closer inspection, it was indeed Lu Bu's ever-present halberd, and Cao Cao's face revealed a smug expression.

Cao Cao glanced at Hou Cheng and ordered, "Open the city gates immediately!"

Before long, with a loud creak, the heavy gates of Xiapi slowly opened. Cao Cao glanced at Cao Ren, who understood immediately and rushed into Xiapi first.

The city was immediately filled with shouts of battle. Many of Lü Bu's soldiers were still putting up a stubborn resistance, but the sporadic fighting was no match for the Cao army's momentum.

After the battle, Cao Cao invited Liu Xie to ascend the White Gate Tower together, but Liu Xie waved his hand and said, "Lord Cao, the battle is over, and I would like to go into the city to take a look."

"Very well, Your Majesty, please take good care of yourself."

To be honest, Cao Cao was only being polite; he didn't actually want Liu Xie to go to the White Gate Tower.

Because next, he wanted to meet Lü Bu and his men in person, and if Liu Xie came along, Cao Cao probably wouldn't be able to be the main character.

In front of the emperor, how should prisoners be dealt with? Whose opinion should be followed? If the emperor were to interject with a random suggestion, should Cao Cao listen or not?

Therefore, Liu Xie's refusal to go was exactly what Cao Cao wanted.

Upon entering the city, Zhao Yun was somewhat puzzled, but knowing that Liu Xie always had his own ideas, and besides, he was surrounded by Cao Cao's soldiers, so he didn't ask too many questions. After encountering Xu Huang in the city, Liu Xie gave him a brief greeting and then shook hands with him.

After Liu Xie had walked quite a distance, Xu Huang turned his back and, taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, opened his hand, revealing a slip of paper in his palm.

Xu Huang quickly opened it and glanced at it before rushing to the White Gate Tower.

Liu Xie went directly to Lü Bu's general's mansion in Xiapi, which was now completely surrounded.

"Your Majesty." Upon seeing Liu Xie approach, the Cao soldiers at the gate hurriedly bowed.

Liu Xie nodded and strode straight in. Just as a Cao soldier was about to stop him, Liu Xie's face darkened, and the soldier was so frightened that he jumped and stepped aside.

The lower-ranking soldiers had no courage to obstruct the emperor's procession unless they received orders.

Liu Xie didn't even look at the others before stepping inside, where it was in complete chaos.

Many of Cao Cao's soldiers were capturing Lü Bu's family members, including the maids and servants in the mansion. They were arresting them one by one, causing chaos and a cacophony of cries and shouts.

Soon, the two women were brought over by a group of soldiers.

Cao Bing treated the women relatively politely, and they did not resist. However, they all seemed resigned, with tears in their eyes, filled with confusion and despair.

Liu Xie remained expressionless and said nothing; he wouldn't plead for an ordinary woman.

Liu Xie had to hurry. Suddenly, a fighting sound came from the backyard, accompanied by the clanging of weapons. Liu Xie glanced at Zhao Yun and quickly went over.

A dozen Cao soldiers were besieging a woman in red. Although the woman was young, her face was as cold as frost. She wielded her long sword and attacked without mercy, already killing several of them.

"Your Majesty, don't come any closer, it's dangerous here!" Someone recognized Liu Xie and hurriedly shouted a warning.

The woman being besieged was Lü Lingqi. Her gaze involuntarily turned this way, and in a flash, she lunged towards Liu Xie.

Before Lü Lingqi could get close, a white shadow flashed by, and Zhao Yun had already gone to meet her.

While Zhao Yun was in mid-air, his longsword was already drawn. With a series of swift, sharp thrusts, he quickly enveloped Lü Lingqi.

Lu Lingqi managed to parry a few blows, but her weapon was knocked away. Zhao Yun quickly closed in, and with a flash of sword light, he pressed it against her snow-white neck.

Having frequently sparred with Wang Yue, Zhao Yun's swordsmanship was far beyond what Lü Lingqi could withstand.

Lu Lingqi had originally intended to capture Liu Xie and coerce him into releasing her father, but upon seeing this, she burst into tears and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I only beg that Your Majesty spare my father's life. Even if Your Majesty executes me, I will have no complaints."

Lu Lingqi had just learned from the Cao soldiers who were besieging her that her father had been captured by Hou Cheng and his men, and she was now completely flustered.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" The Cao soldiers who had been besieging her rushed over in a panic.

Liu Xie waved his hand, "It's alright, you may all leave."

"But this woman is Lü Bu's daughter."

"I know, didn't you see that Zhao Yun has already subdued her?"

Liu Xie deliberately darkened his face, and the Cao soldiers were so frightened that they broke out in a sweat and dared not ask any more questions. One of the more clever ones secretly ran off to report the news.

Liu Xie did not stop her, but looked at Lü Lingqi again and snorted coldly, "How dare you! You dared to assassinate me just now. Let's see how I deal with you."

Not far away was an embroidery room. Liu Xie went over first, and as he walked, he instructed Zhao Yun, "Bring her here. I want to interrogate her myself!"

Zhao Yun immediately complied, escorting Lü Lingqi and following them. After Liu Xie entered the house, Wang Yue, Wu Anguo, and Lu Xun stood guard outside.

Cao Bing, who was in the courtyard, could only stand there helplessly in a daze.

After entering the room, Lü Lingqi knelt on the ground again, pleading, "Your Majesty, please spare my father's life."

"Do you really want to save your father?"

Lu Lingqi nodded vigorously, "Yes, Your Majesty, if you can spare my father's life, I will do anything you ask!"

…………

For Lü Bu, who was escorted to the White Gate Tower, this was the most humiliating and desperate moment of his life!
Upon seeing Cao Cao, Lü Bu hurriedly stepped forward and said, "My lord."

Cao Cao deliberately left him aside, first rewarding and appeasing the generals and soldiers. Even Hou Cheng and Wei Xu were praised by Cao Cao in public.

Lu Bu, disheveled and filled with shame, was surrounded by onlookers who were talking about him. Dozens of unfriendly eyes were focused on him.

A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs. Now Lü Bu is a prisoner, and he knows that everyone is watching him make a fool of himself.

The deep sense of shame, like a thousand swords piercing his heart, made Lü Bu wish he could find a crack in the ground to hide in.

But he could neither hide nor evade!

In order to survive, they had no choice but to wait patiently, enduring the ridicule and mockery of the crowd.

Lu Bu also spotted Liu Bei and his two companions in the crowd.

Liu Bei remained expressionless, displaying an indifferent attitude as if the sky were falling and it wouldn't concern him. Zhang Fei, on the other hand, grinned broadly, almost clapping his hands in celebration. Guan Yu remained as aloof as ever, while Guan Yu held Lü Bu's cowardly behavior in utter contempt.

After waiting for a while, Cao Cao finally turned his gaze back to Lü Bu.

Lu Bu quickly stepped forward and said ingratiatingly, "My lord, you've become thinner lately."

Cao Cao glanced at him, and someone brought over a table and a small stool. Cao Cao sat down comfortably, squinting his eyes as he looked down at Lü Bu.

At this moment, Cao Cao felt extremely pleased. In the past, Lü Bu was high and mighty, which made him both surprised and afraid, but now, Lü Bu was at his mercy.

"Lu Bu, I have been worried day and night about conquering you, and I have been unable to eat or sleep properly. How could I not lose weight?" Cao Cao said expressionlessly, his voice unusually cold.

Lü Bu knew that Cao Cao was mocking him, but he dared not refute him. He smiled and said, "What you are worried about is Lü Bu. Now that I have been captured, I am willing to surrender. In the future, when you, Cao Cao, are stationed in Xuchang, I will lead the troops to conquer the world. If we join forces, what do you think, Cao Cao?"

At this moment, Lü Bu had put aside all thoughts of face and vanity.

Cao Cao sneered and ignored him, but he was also quite tempted.

Lu Bu struggled for a moment and begged for mercy, "My lord, the bonds are too tight, can you loosen them?"

The expressions on everyone's faces as they looked at Lü Bu were even more contemptuous. Those present were all seasoned warriors who had fought on the battlefield, and they despised those who begged for mercy.

(End of this chapter)