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

Chapter 164, The Emperor Takes to the Battlefield
Puff puff!
The crossbow bolts fired quickly intertwined into a merciless rain of arrows, wave after wave, a sight to behold. Yuan's soldiers screamed in terror, and amidst a shower of blood, one after another fell to the ground.

Crossbow bolts were more powerful than ordinary bows and arrows, making them a heavy weapon in the era of cold weapons.

The ambushed troops were in the middle of Yuan's army. Chunyu Qiong was at the front. He looked back hurriedly, his mind went blank, his eyes widened, and he showed an expression of disbelief.

"How could this be? There were ambushes here?"

The middle column was ambushed. Those in front ran forward while those behind retreated, and soon Yuan Bing's column was cut off.

The ground was littered with corpses, lying haphazardly, and in just a short while, the ground was stained red with blood.

Liu Xie, who had run quite far, turned back.

After approaching Chunyu Qiong, Liu Xie said to Gan Ning beside him, "Xingba, this time, I will not interfere with you. You can kill to your heart's content."

"Alright! Your Majesty, just you wait and see!"

Gan Ning fiercely raised his broadsword, his eyes fixed on Chunyu Qiong, his gaze suddenly brightening.

Chunyu Qiong looked at Liu Xie again and asked unwillingly, "Your Majesty, I didn't expect you to have been prepared all along. Was this your strategy or Cao Cao's idea?"

Liu Xie smiled and said, "Think what you want. Now it's your turn to run for your lives."

Guo Tu's face turned pale with fright. When there was no danger, he could talk fluently, but when danger struck, he completely lost his composure and wished he could find a place to hide as soon as possible.

Chunyu Qiong quickly surveyed his surroundings. Although there were ambushes, his forces still held an advantage. Therefore, Chunyu Qiong did not immediately choose to retreat, but instead led his men straight up. As he charged, Chunyu Qiong shouted, "Capture this man alive! Capture the emperor alive!"

Behind Chunyu Qiong, people responded intermittently. Many Yuan soldiers rushed forward with him, but dared not shout.

The mere mention of the slogan "Capture the emperor alive" sent shivers down the spines of these low-ranking soldiers.

Like a tiger unleashed from its cage, Gan Ning roared and charged forward on horseback, accompanied by his most loyal subordinates. Although their numbers were small, their fighting strength was absolutely formidable.

Because they once had a very terrifying title—the Brocade Sail Bandits!

When Gan Ning came to join Prince Chen, he brought all these people with him. There were only a few hundred of them, but they were all brothers who had shared life and death with Gan Ning.

They were strong and courageous, and many of them had already killed people before following Gan Ning.

Liu Xie did not need their protection, because he had Zhao Yun by his side.

Gan Ning charged forward, wielding his broadsword wildly. His monstrous strength was unmatched, and he swiftly blocked the enemy's attacks with swords and spears. His broadsword slashed fiercely across the enemy's body, one strike after another. In the blink of an eye, Gan Ning had already cut down more than a dozen enemies.

Gan Ning laughed loudly, "That's great!"

The others were equally ferocious, their fighting prowess exceptional. Facing the charging Yuan soldiers, they showed no fear. The sounds of clashing swords and spears rang out continuously. Despite having the numerical advantage, the Yuan soldiers were forced to retreat by Gan Ning and his men, and the corpses on the ground rapidly piled up.

Meanwhile, Guan Yu and Lü Bu led their troops to attack from behind Chunyu Qiong's ranks.

Lu Bu and Guan Yu seemed to be competing against each other, killing enemies while glancing at each other from time to time, neither willing to concede to the other.

Lu Bu was arrogant and looked down on everyone, and Guan Yu's arrogance was no less than Lu Bu's.

Chunyu Qiong did have the advantage in troop strength, but he did not expect that the people around Liu Xie were all as strong as monsters. There were just too many people who could fight!

Several Yuan soldiers rushed towards Liu Xie's side. As soon as they got close, Zhao Yun rushed over. The Jade Lion's four hooves flew, and in the blink of an eye, it was right in front of him.

Immediately following, Zhao Yun's silver spear danced, his movements swift and steady, the spear whistling through the air as it thrust straight for vital points.

Dealing with these low-ranking Yuan soldiers was no challenge for Zhao Yun at all.

Zhao Yun's eyes were firm, and his actions were decisive. He did not pursue the number of enemies he killed. Zhao Yun kept his eyes on his surroundings, calmly and vigilantly watching for any approaching enemies.

Wu Anguo licked his lips, somewhat excited. He subconsciously looked at Liu Xie, hesitating slightly.

Liu Xie smiled and gave him an encouraging look, "Go on, don't forget, you are also a fierce general."

Wu Anguo nodded gratefully, roared, and charged forward with his sword in one hand.

As soon as one of Yuan soldiers approached, Wu Anguo leaped up and slashed out with his blade, the blade whistling and carrying astonishing force.

The soldier was about to raise his gun to defend himself, but he was too slow and before he could respond, Wu Anguo's knife fell on him.

With a soft thud, half of his shoulder was severed, followed by his head flying off.

Wu Anguo was exceptionally strong. Even though his weapon had changed from an iron hammer to a steel knife, his sheer strength was more than enough to deal with these small fry.

Liu Xie hoped that he could gradually regain his confidence, and even if he wasn't as good as he used to be, he would still be much better than the average person.

As Liu Xie watched them bravely fight the enemy, he also became excited. Several times, Liu Xie couldn't help but touch the Qinggang sword at his waist, as if a mysterious power was calling to him.

I couldn't help but ask myself, what's wrong with the emperor? Can't the emperor go to the front lines and fight the enemy?

"Your Majesty, you have never experienced the life-and-death struggle of the battlefield!" Cao Cao's words at the Xutian hunting grounds resurfaced in Liu Xie's mind.

Everyone was fighting the enemy, and Liu Xie's side had gained the upper hand. After observing the situation calmly for a while, Liu Xie made a decision: he would first pick a few soldiers to practice on.

Practicing swordplay and killing on the battlefield are two completely different things. To this day, Liu Xie has not killed a single person.

Liu Xie, itching to get his hands on the horse, saw that Wu Anguo was being besieged by several Yuan soldiers and immediately spurred his horse to charge over.

A Yuan soldier, with his back to Liu Xie, raised his sword to slash at Wu Anguo. Liu Xie drew his Qinggang sword, hesitated for a moment, and then, silently, leaned forward on his horse and thrust the sword into the man's back.

Liu Xie was an expert in medicine and knew the vital points of the human body like the back of his hand. He knew exactly where to stab someone to kill them quickly.

"what!"

With a scream, the Yuan soldier who had been stabbed fell to the ground with a thud.

Seeing that Liu Xie had made a move, Wu Anguo hurriedly shouted, "Your Majesty, hand these people over to us."

Liu Xie smiled and said, "It's alright, I will fight alongside you!"

The Qinggang Sword could cut through iron like mud. When Liu Xie killed someone for the first time, he didn't feel anything strong. The sword was just too sharp. When it pierced a person's body, it was like sticking into a piece of tofu.

Unable to dissuade him, Wu Anguo was sweating profusely with anxiety and could only lean closer to Liu Xie, trying his best to protect him.

Zhao Yun also moved closer; they all wanted to protect Liu Xie.

Liu Xie didn't waste any more words and continued to charge at the next Yuan soldier with his sword.

A soldier from Yuan raised his spear and thrust it forward. Liu Xie swiftly swung his sword, and with a crack, the spear in the soldier's hand broke in two. The soldier was stunned, staring wide-eyed at the broken spear.

Liu Xie spurred his horse forward, and the Qinggang sword followed, piercing through his heart in an instant.

Having taken down several Yuan soldiers in succession, Liu Xie grew increasingly excited, his movements becoming more fluid and fluid, unleashing the techniques he had practiced daily. However, he remained calm and would never recklessly charge forward.

Zhao Yun, Wu Anguo, and others protected them closely, so there was no danger.

Meanwhile, Chunyu Qiong was relentlessly attacked by Gan Ning. In less than twenty rounds, he was exhausted and drenched in sweat, facing imminent danger. He also had a cut on his chest. If he hadn't dodged quickly, Gan Ning would have disemboweled him.

As for Guo Tu, he had already been so frightened that he hid in the crowd. Seeing that things were not going well, Guo Tu quickly fled.

Chunyu Qiong gritted his teeth and resisted for a few more rounds, but he couldn't hold on any longer. "Retreat!"

The commander led the retreat, and the remaining Yuan soldiers collapsed at the first touch, running away as fast as they could.

Liu Xie led his men in hot pursuit, while Lü Bu, Guan Yu, and Gan Ning launched a swift and decisive attack.

Those cowardly or slow-moving Yuan soldiers wisely discarded their weapons, knelt down and begged for surrender, completely giving up resistance.

"Issue my order: those who surrender must not be killed indiscriminately!"

Liu Xie chased for a while, then slowed down. He couldn't run as fast as Lü Bu and his men, so he ordered Tian Kai and Mi Zhu to recruit surrendered soldiers.

Tian Kai was a former subordinate of Gongsun Zan, who had once appointed him as the governor of Qingzhou. He was quite capable.

Tian Yu is his nephew!
Liu Xie ordered the two of them to help gather the surrendered soldiers and clean up the battlefield. As for Lu Bu and the others, Liu Xie could only sigh and say that it was better to be a military general, especially a first-rate one. Going into battle to kill the enemy was so satisfying and exhilarating.

Tian Kai led a group of surrendered soldiers over and said as he approached, "Your Majesty, I know the strategist who was next to Chunyu Qiong just now."

"You know him? Who is he?"

Tian Kai said, "He is Guo Tu. He was captured alive by General Gongsun before. It was he who suggested the treacherous plan to assassinate Yuan Shao."

Liu Xie said, "So it was him. I really didn't pay much attention. It seems he has returned to Yuan Shao's side. This man is cunning by nature and knows how to change his stance depending on the wind."

People like Guo Tu don't have a fixed stance; they always seek to maximize their own benefits and minimize their own risks, looking for the most advantageous course of action.

Liu Xie was also very concerned about the battle at Baima and sent people there to gather information.

Soon, the scouts brought back news: "Your Majesty, Yan Liang is extremely formidable. Minister Cao led his army to fight against him, and several brave generals he sent were no match for Yan Liang."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie was both amused and exasperated, thinking to himself: "Does this mean that Cao Cao couldn't have dealt with Yan Liang without Guan Yu?"
To be honest, Yan Liang is indeed very powerful. He is the head of the Four Pillars of Hebei. This title alone is enough to prove his strength.

Taking Zhang He as a reference, Zhang He was also one of the Four Pillars, but Yan Liang's strength far surpassed his.

Compare this to Xu Huang. Xu Huang fought Yan Liang, but was defeated after only twenty or thirty rounds.

Cao Cao underestimated Yan Liang. He thought he had many fierce generals by his side and wanted to use the easiest way to eliminate or defeat Yan Liang and completely suppress Yuan's army in terms of morale.

Unexpectedly, the result was the opposite of what was expected. Several generals were sent out in succession, but all of them were defeated or killed by Yan Liang.

The more they fought, the angrier Cao Cao became; the more they fought, the more the Yuan army's morale soared.

Cao Cao, mounted on his horse, frowned anxiously. Guo Jia, seeing Yan Liang's troops' well-organized formation and formidable momentum, was at a loss for what to do.

A direct, large-scale attack would be unwise, as Cao Cao's total forces amounted to only tens of thousands.

"My lord, this humble general wishes to meet Yan Liang."

Someone rode out into battle, demanding orders to fight. Cao Cao turned his head and saw that it was Wei Xu.

Cao Cao nodded. "Be extra careful!"

Ignorance is bliss, and this saying applies perfectly to Wei Xu.

Summoning his courage from who-knows-where, Wei Xu shouted, "It doesn't matter!" and spurred his horse forward.

As the war drums sounded, Cao Cao did not think Wei Xu could defeat Yan Liang. He thought Wei Xu could last a few more rounds, but to his surprise, the battle between the two started quickly and ended even faster!
Wei Xu came up to Yan Liang's horse, roared, and put on what he thought was a very imposing expression. Yan Liang just glanced at him coldly and didn't even have the interest to ask his name.

Suddenly, urging his horse forward, Yan Liang's eyes flashed with a cold light as he raised his broadsword high above his head.

At this moment, Yan Liang's eyes were cold and ruthless, as sharp and merciless as the broadsword in his hand.

With a flash of light, the blade struck down fiercely towards Wei Xu's head. It was so fast that it was silent, and Wei Xu didn't even have time to react. With a soft thud, the blade flashed past, and his head rolled away.

Yan Liang looked at Cao's army formation with disdain and sneered.

Looking across the world, there are very few who can surpass Yan Liang, and Yan Liang greatly disdains the generals around Cao Cao.

Wei Xu was useless, and Song Xian, lacking self-awareness, fought for two rounds before dying under Yan Liang's blade.

Xu Huang was not convinced and went up to fight as well. Although his courage was commendable, he was ultimately slightly inferior and struggled to the point of being on the defensive after twenty rounds.

Seeing that Xu Huang was outnumbered in attack and outgunned in defense, Cao Cao was extremely anxious, his brows furrowed tightly.

The warhorse beneath him sensed its master's anxious mood and kept raising its hooves and snorting.

"Brilliant talent!"

After a while, seeing Xu Huang dragging his giant axe and being defeated, Cao Cao looked at Xiahou Yuan and called out.

"My lord! What are your orders?"

Cao Cao reached out and stroked the scabbard at his waist, his eyes suddenly turning sharp from anxious. "Pass on my order: prepare for a full-scale attack!"

Having lost several battles in a row, Cao Cao had lost patience to continue the contest.

Guo Jia wanted to persuade him, but after opening his mouth, he ultimately let out a soft sigh.

The emperor's plan to lure the troops has succeeded. It would be unreasonable if Cao Cao's side made no progress at all.

Although Cao Cao had the advantage in troop strength, Yan Liang was merely Yuan Shao's vanguard, while Yuan Shao's 200,000-strong army was still on the north bank of the Yellow River.

Guo Jia disapproved of a direct confrontation with Yan Liang, but he had no other choice.

Dian Wei and Xu Chu were both eager to try, but Cao Cao had already given up; he had run out of patience to waste any more time.

Yan Liang defeated Xu Huang with great ease, without breaking a sweat.

Cao Cao was so shocked by Yan Liang's martial prowess that he was beyond words.

Xiahou Yuan immediately made preparations, and the three armies quickly assembled. Xu Huang, Zhang Liao, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, and others all gripped their weapons tightly, waiting for Cao Cao's order.

(End of this chapter)