Super Cultivation System of the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1090: The Death of the Traitor
After six days and six nights of frantic running, and with Cao Hong's voluntary sacrifice, the Han army was lured away. Now Cao Cao finally set foot in the territory of Runan County.

Since Yingchuan and Chenliu were both under the threat of Liu He's remaining power, Cao Cao did not dare to stay in these two places even after arriving in these two places. Instead, he went all the way to Runan, where he stopped and rested for a while.

"My lord, have a drink of water."

Cao Ren took a water bag and handed it to Cao Cao.

Cao Cao was now covered in dust and looked in a miserable state, but he did not care about anything else. He took the water bag and drank it all in one breath.

"Where are we now?" Cao Cao let out a long breath and looked around for a while.

Cheng Yu replied: "My lord, sixty miles ahead is Yang'an County."

"Yang'an?" Cao Cao's eyes brightened up. "Okay, after passing Yang'an, we can reach Jingzhou after traveling a hundred miles. After crossing the Yangtze River, Liu He won't be able to do anything to me."

"That's right. Liu He has never fought a naval battle in all the years since he started his army. Not to mention that his soldiers are all landlubbers, I'm afraid he hasn't even prepared a fleet. By then, our army will recuperate for a few years and may be able to make a comeback."

Cheng Yu's words rekindled the morale of everyone present.

Cao Ren said, "We still have 100,000 dan of grain in Yang'an. The soldiers are hungry now. We ran out of food yesterday. It would be better for us to go to the city to rest and eat and drink our fill before we set off again."

Cao Cao nodded when he heard this. "Yes. Pass the order down to gather the scattered soldiers defending the cities in various parts of Yuzhou, abandon the entire territory of Yuzhou, and retreat to Jingzhou."

Everyone felt a little heavy-hearted about this decision. After all, most of the soldiers and counselors present were from Yuzhou. For example, Cheng Yu was from the Chen family of Yingchuan, and the Xiahou and Cao families were from Qiao County of Yuzhou. They had finally taken back their family seat from Liu He, but now they had to give it up voluntarily. They really couldn't bear it.

But no matter how unbearable it was, everyone understood that this was a last resort. Liu He's army would catch up sooner or later, and Yuzhou could not be defended. The only way to avoid this catastrophe was to retreat to Jingzhou, rely on the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, and seek refuge with Sun Ce in Jiangdong.

"I wonder where Sun Ce's army is now?" someone suddenly asked.

Cheng Yu thought for a moment and said, "Sun Ce withdrew his troops before our army, but he started from Hangu Pass and had a longer journey back, so I think he should be not far from our army now."

Cao Cao sighed, his expression gloomy: "I never thought that after half a lifetime of success, I would be so destitute that I have to rely on a child to save my life."

"My lord, you don't have to do this. It's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge. My lord, you are young and strong. You can regain your strength after lying dormant for ten years. You must not be so decadent."

Cao Ren's persuasion eased Cao Cao's mood a little. He rubbed his face and forced a smile.

"Zixiao is right. Our lives were saved by Zilian at the cost of his own life, so we should work hard to become stronger."

At this time, Jia Xu, who had not spoken all the way, suddenly spoke.

"When we return to Jingzhou this time, I'm afraid that the nobles and wealthy families in Jingzhou will want to put us to death. We must prepare for the countermeasures in advance. Otherwise, let alone exchanging Jingzhou for Sun Ce's protection, I'm afraid that once we enter Jingzhou, we will die."

Everyone's faces darkened again.

"Yes, I'm afraid that the major families in Jingzhou have already known the result of the battle at Hulao Pass. They must hate us to the core. Our army is now in ruins and our morale is low. If they gather their troops and block the river to attack, our army will have no way to escape and will be pursued from behind. It is a sure death."

When everyone was in a state of panic, Cao Cao said in a deep voice: "There is only one way to resolve this crisis."

Cheng Yuxi said happily: "My lord, you are a divine fortune teller. I wonder what wonderful plan you have?"

Cao Cao gripped the hilt of his sword and said, "He who strikes first is stronger, and he who strikes last will suffer."

Everyone was stunned, and Cao Cao immediately continued, "After arriving in Nanyang County, we will first go to Wancheng to station. The commander of Wancheng is a trusted person, and there are still 20,000 soldiers and horses in the city, and the food and grass should be enough for half a year. When the time comes, we will take the initiative to send official letters to the Cai, Zhang, Huang and other tribes, inviting them to cross the river for a talk, and then tell them that we will return the bodies of Cai Mao and others to them."

Cao Ren frowned, "Cai Mao and the others are the heads of their respective families. Now that they have died in battle, their clansmen will surely come to retrieve their bodies and bury them properly. This is true. However, they are wary of us and I am afraid they will bring a lot of troops with them. There is even a possibility of starting a war when the bodies are handed over. Even if our army can win, we will become the target of public criticism and it will be difficult for us to cross the Yangtze River, let alone control Jingzhou. Wouldn't that mean we will lose the opportunity to negotiate with Sun Ce?"

Cao Cao glanced at him and suddenly sneered: "Who said we would return the body to them?"

"My lord, didn't you just say...ah...I understand."

Cao Ren patted his forehead and said, "When they cross the river, we will launch a surprise attack and attack them halfway across the river. We will annihilate all the leaders of the major families, then take advantage of the victory to cross the river, recapture Xiangyang, and sweep across Jingzhou."

"Hehe, that's not all. I want to take this opportunity to completely wipe out these local tyrants and completely control the people's power in Jingzhou in my own hands. From now on, I don't need to look at their faces anymore."

There was murderous intent in Cao Cao's tone.

"Excellent, excellent! This plan, lord, can kill two birds with one stone. It can not only resolve the immediate danger of our army, but also bring the foundations of the major families under our control. The number of their followers and retainers alone is no less than tens of thousands. With a little training, they can make up for most of our losses in this battle. As for financial resources and food, they are countless. With this, we can recruit soldiers and horses, and recover within three years."

Cheng Yu was extremely delighted and kept clapping his hands and laughing.

At this moment, the sound of horse hooves was heard from the road on the other side, causing Cao Cao and others to turn their heads to look.

"That is……"

When everyone saw the flag of the person coming, their faces changed slightly.

"Is that Sun Ce's army? I didn't expect to meet them here."

Cao Cao quickly regained his composure, stood up, and adjusted his armor.

"Since we have met, it is a good opportunity to meet this little tyrant of Jiangdong. Sooner or later I will have to go and pay a visit to him anyway. Instead of taking the initiative to meet him then, it is better to have a conversation here. If things don't work out, we can make up for it."

After saying that, he took Cao Ren, Cheng Yu and Jia Xu, and under the escort of several thousand personal guards, he took the initiative to go towards Sun Ce.

Sun Ce also saw him from a distance, and when he was several dozen steps away, he shouted, "Cao Gong, I haven't seen you for a long time. You are here as expected."

Cao Cao, who was about to greet him, suddenly changed his expression when he heard this: "My dear nephew Bofu, what do you mean by this? Did you know that I would appear here?"

Sun Ce shrugged and said nothing.

"I heard that Cao Gong was defeated at Hulao Pass, with many casualties, and only escaped with his life. I think of your efforts for the country over the past few decades, and that you are now nearly fifty years old and have to endure such a long journey back to Xiangyang. It is really too much hardship, and I really can't bear it."

Upon hearing these words, which clearly had a bad tone, Cao Ren immediately ordered his personal guards to be on alert throughout the army.

Cao Cao looked gloomy: "Bofu wants to kill me?" Sun Ce grinned: "I dare not, I just want Cao Gong to have a good rest and avoid this hardship."

"Hmph, arrogant." Cao Cao was very angry. "Although you have retained most of the troops, you still suffered heavy losses. And after traveling all the way here, our army is exhausted. Do you think you are full of energy? If we really fight, both sides will suffer losses. When Liu He's army arrives, you and I will be his prisoners. Think carefully."

Hearing this, Sun Ce laughed up to the sky: "Hahahaha... Cao Mengde, ah Cao Mengde, you are known as a great hero, but I didn't expect you to be so stupid. I am Sun Ce, a man with a bright future and a beautiful country waiting for me to collect. How can I bear to die with you?"

After saying that, he stretched his neck and looked towards the rear of Cao's army, smiling contemptuously: "Judging from the faces of you soldiers, I'm afraid the army has run out of food, right? Hmm... let me think about it, Lord Cao must be preparing to go to Anyang County ahead to replenish supplies and recuperate, right?"

Cao Cao was shocked, but then he began to question: "Humph, so what? Although you withdrew your troops a day earlier than me, you came from Hangu Pass. I don't believe that you can get to Yang'an City in advance and seize my food and fodder camp."

At this moment, Jia Xu behind him seemed to have thought of something, his face suddenly changed, but he quickly forced himself to remain calm.

He looked around, then at Cao Cao in front of him, opened his mouth, but stopped himself from speaking. He seemed to want to ride forward, but in the end he did not take any action and just shook his head dejectedly.

Then, while everyone's attention was drawn to Sun Ce, he told his personal guards that he would take over, then he quickly disappeared into the woods and disappeared.

Sun Ce said confidently, "What Cao Gong said is right. I have very few cavalry soldiers in Jiangdong, only tens of thousands of infantry. We have traveled day and night to get here from Hangu Pass in the past few days. It will take another day to get to Yang'an City, so I can't get there in advance. But... if I can't get there, there will be people who can."

Cao Cao's pupils instantly dilated: "You... who are you talking about?"

Before Sun Ce could answer, he suddenly heard someone galloping towards him from behind.

"My lord...My lord..."

Cao Cao and others hurriedly looked back, and after seeing the face of the person who came, they were all shocked.

"Zitong, shouldn't you be guarding Yang'an City? Why did you flee here in such a desperate situation?"

The person who came was Jiang Ji, an old minister who had followed Cao Cao for many years and was trustworthy. When everyone saw him appear, their hearts fell to the bottom.

"My Lord...Jingzhou...The major families in Jingzhou suddenly came to the city yesterday, saying that they wanted to welcome the return of the Lord's army. They specially prepared cattle, horses and fine wine to welcome the Lord and the soldiers of the three armies in Yang'an City. I had no doubts, but who would have thought that they...they..."

Jiang Ji's face turned red, full of shame and regret, and he could no longer speak.

Sun Ce took the initiative to take over the conversation: "Haha, who would have thought that as soon as they entered the city, they would immediately turn hostile, seize the city, and act as if they were going to rebel. It was only with the desperate protection of hundreds of your personal guards that you were able to break through the siege and come here."

"You...you...you...how do you know?" Jiang Ji was shocked.

Sun Ce smiled slightly: "Do I even need to ask? Everything was in my plan. Even letting you break out was intentional. Otherwise, who would have come to report this news to Cao Gong?"

"Sun Ce, you..." Cao Cao felt as if he had fallen into an icy cave, and tens of thousands of soldiers were all pale as dust.

Sun Ce was extremely proud and waved his hand behind him: "Surround them. Those who are willing to surrender can be spared. The rest will be killed on the spot."

On the city wall of Yang'an City, an old man in plain clothes and a young man in his twenties were gazing into the distance. They were not others but Sima Fang and his son Sima Yi.

Sima Fang looked at his second son with eyes full of relief.

"Zhongda has made a great contribution this time. You were able to use your eloquence to persuade the major wealthy families in Xiangyang to rebel against Cao Cao and welcome Sun Ce to take over. You also calculated that Cao Cao would come to Yang'an City for supplies and recuperation, so you contacted Sun Ce and the major families in advance, took the lead in the attack, seized the city, and cut off Cao Cao's retreat. In this way, after Sun Ce takes control of Jingzhou, my Sima family will be the first meritorious official."

Sima Yi said modestly, "After the battle of Hulao Pass, Cao Cao and the nobles of Jingzhou were alienated. I was just following the trend. Moreover, if my father had not agreed to the nobles of Jingzhou, the fiefdoms that Sima family would have received after making meritorious deeds in the future would not have been within the boundaries of Jingzhou. I don't think they would have agreed so easily."

Sima Fang stroked his beard with satisfaction: "Good, not arrogant or impatient, my son really has the demeanor of a patriot. If my Sima family has a son like this, it will surely prosper."

As he laughed heartily, a trace of great pride and cunning suddenly flashed across Sima Yi's seemingly humble face.

"System prompt: Sima Yi relied on his strategy to assist Sun Ce, killed Cao Cao, and seized Jingzhou. His basic intelligence is permanently increased by 1 point, and his new skill 'Eagle Vision' is activated - as a commander, his intelligence is increased by 3 points, and his command is increased by 2 points. As a counselor, his command is increased by 2 points and his intelligence is increased by 3 points. When he is considering power struggles, his intelligence is increased by 6 points."

"Sima Yi's historical peak attributes: Command 93, Military Strength 81, Intelligence 99, Politics 96."

"Current attributes: Command 72, Force 71, Intelligence 96, Politics 83, Special attributes: None. Special skill: Eagle Vision."

When Liu He heard the news, his eyes flashed briefly, and then he had no other reaction.

The bodies of Cheng Liang and the Black King, which Guan Yu and others had taken back from Cao Hong, were now lying in front of him. Liu He sat alone in a palace, holding a wine jar in his hand, looking sad.

Outside the palace, Xun Yu, Xun You, Cui Jun, Guan Yu and others were all extremely anxious.

"Brother has locked himself in there for two days. He neither attends court nor sees us. What should we do?"

Zhang Yong frowned, his face full of worry.

Guan Yu sighed softly, "My third brother died in battle, and the Black King who had accompanied me for twenty years also died with me. Zheng'er is also missing, and his life or death is uncertain. I have always valued friendship and loyalty, and Zheng'er is the eldest son. This is really a big blow to me..."

Thinking of Cheng Liang's death, Guan Yu, the world-famous general, felt a pain in his heart and his eyes couldn't help but turn red. At the same time, he gritted his teeth at Cao Cao's escape.

Zhu Ye was the most muscular among the crowd, but now, he was like a child, sobbing non-stop. Everyone knew his temper and didn't say anything.

"The Queen has arrived..."

When the eunuch Jin Yue's voice was heard, everyone hurried forward to greet him.

"No need to be so polite. Is Your Majesty still inside?" Zhang Yu was in a hurry.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty is still in the palace and has ordered that no one is allowed to enter and disturb us."

Xun Yu's words obviously couldn't stop Zhang Yu. She simply reached out to push them away and walked straight over.

"Your Majesty, His Majesty..." Cui Jun was about to dissuade him but was stopped by Zhang Yong.

"Hey, now the only one who can persuade Big Brother is probably my sister, so let her go."

(End of this chapter)