Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

The night breeze is slightly cool.

Moonlight shone on the tombstone in front of the fake tomb, which was inscribed with "General Huang Zhong of the Han Dynasty," illuminating the two figures locked in combat.

The heavy ring-pommel swords clashed together, producing a series of metallic clangs.

From horseback to unhorseback.

One is old but vigorous, the other is young and brave.

"You old bastard, you should have been lying in your coffin long ago." Cao Zhen panted heavily, threw down the rolled-up ring-pommel sword in his hand, and also took off his armor.

Huang Zhong grinned, tossed aside his rolled-up ring-pommel sword, and cracked his knuckles: "That's more like it! True men fight without armor or weapons. As a junior, you should feel honored to be able to fight me hand-to-hand."

"You sharp-tongued old bastard, I'll kill you today!" Cao Zhen threw his helmet at Huang Zhong and, taking advantage of Huang Zhong's dodge, quickly closed in.

The fist scraped against the ground, the wind whistling sharply.

It's as if it could kill a ferocious beast with a single punch.

Huang Zhong chuckled and, instead of dodging, threw a punch at Cao Zhen.

Cao Zhen's pupils contracted.

The trajectory of the fist was quickly changed.

If that punch had landed, both of their faces would have swelled up.

"Young people don't have any martial ethics."

Ironically.

But then Huang Zhong suddenly delivered a groin kick to Cao Zhen.

If Cao Zhen hadn't reacted quickly, he would have been knocked down in that instant.

A man's genitals are an absolute vital point, but if the force is too strong, they can be kicked to death with a single kick.

Enraged, Cao Zhen cursed, "You're a shameless old scoundrel too!"

The life-and-death struggles on the battlefield are sometimes just that "simple and unadorned," filled with "harmonious" trash talk.

however.

No matter how "harmonious" their verbal trash talk may be, their punches and kicks are always aimed at vital points.

On the high slope.

Guo Youzhi, the Chamberlain, looked at Huang Zhong with concern, then at Liu Bei, who stood silently, and hesitated to speak.

suddenly.

Liu Bei's eyes sharpened, and he commanded, "Bring the drum!"

The drummer carried the war drum closer.

Liu Bei instructed the drummer to lay the war drum flat, then rolled up his sleeves, took drumsticks in each hand, and vigorously beat the drum.

The stirring sound of drums rang out.

This not only boosted the morale of the Han army soldiers, but also inspired Huang Zhong, who was fighting Cao Zhen one-on-one.

Huang Zhong glanced in Liu Bei's direction and saw Liu Bei beating the drum. A surge of pride welled up from the bottom of his heart: "Your Majesty knows my heart! With Your Majesty beating the drum to cheer me on, no one can defeat me!"

Cao Zhen also looked in astonishment toward the direction where Liu Bei was beating the drum. Suddenly an idea came to him, and he said, "Liu Bei is trying to send you to your death, General. Why don't you abandon the darkness and join the light? The Great Wei will surely treat you with the respect due to a high-ranking official."

Just a moment ago he was called an old scoundrel, and now he's called an old general.

It sounds polite, but it's really no different from trash talk; it's all about distracting Huang Zhong.

Huang Zhong lived to be over seventy years old and fought many life-and-death battles on the battlefield. He saw through Cao Zhen's little scheme at a glance.

"It's no use calling me 'Old General' now; I'm vengeful."

"You don't understand His Majesty, and you don't understand me either."

With the encouragement of Liu Bei's drumbeats, Huang Zhong seemed to have divine assistance, and his strength and mental state seemed to have returned to their peak in that instant.

In contrast, consider Cao Zhen.

The continuous days of sleeping during the day and traveling at night were already exhausting, and after fighting for a long time, they were tired and exhausted. Even if they had the will to fight to the death, their spirit was not as strong as Huang Zhong's.

In addition, Cao Zhen's combat experience was inferior to Huang Zhong's, and the longer the time went on, the more obvious the gap became.

A muffled groan followed.

Cao Zhen, caught off guard, was punched in the temple by Huang Zhong. His head was ringing and his vision blurred. He could only instinctively raise his hand to defend himself.

Huang Zhong, however, continued his offensive relentlessly, unleashing a powerful blow to Cao Zhen's head, striking his vital points.

"So be it. My late father died for the late emperor, and I, Cao Zhen, will die for Your Majesty. I will not disgrace my family."

His remaining consciousness was fading away. Cao Zhen lay on the ground, only exhaling and no longer inhaling.

After unleashing those punches, Huang Zhong staggered and fell, his energy and spirit rapidly dissipating in that instant, like a seriously ill person weakening after a final burst of lucidity.

Huang Zhong glanced sideways at Liu Bei, who was beating the drum, and then slowly closed his eyes.

"It is my great fortune to have met Your Majesty. May Your Majesty live a long and healthy life. This old minister shall depart now."

The drumming stopped suddenly.

Guo Youzhi cried out in alarm, "Your Majesty, the old general..."

Before he could finish speaking, Liu Bei interrupted Guo Youzhi, shushing him, "Quiet, don't disturb the old general."

Liu Bei and Huang Zhong became acquainted when Liu Bei's career was still incomplete and his hair was already gray, so Liu Bei deeply sympathized with Huang Zhong's thoughts.

Just like Cao Cao's saying: "An old steed in its stall may still aspire to gallop a thousand miles; a hero in his twilight years may still cherish lofty ambitions."

Seeing Liu Bei's solemn expression, Guo Youzhi swallowed the rest of his words and silently stepped back.

Liu Bei's gaze then turned to another part of the battlefield.

The Han and Wei banners were interspersed.

The battle between Liu Feng and Cao Pi was also coming to an end.

Liu Bei and Cao Cao were rivals of the same generation.

Liu Feng and Cao Pi were rivals of the same generation.

Although Liu Feng was Liu Bei's adopted son, his adoption followed the proper clan adoption process.

Unlike the father-son relationship between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu, Liu Feng officially changed his surname and was included in the family genealogy.

Having changed their surname and been included in the family genealogy, they became members of the Liu clan.

"Liu Feng, do you know why Han Xin died young?" Looking at the fallen cavalrymen around him, Cao Pi knew he couldn't escape today, and his eyes were filled with hatred as he looked at Liu Feng.

These undisguised divisive remarks made Liu Feng sneer: "You're just saying 'When the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away; when the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked'; you think that if I destroy your pseudo-Wei too early, I will end up like Han Xin."

Although I am inferior to Han Xin in military strategy, I am better than ten Han Xins in handling affairs. My relationship with the Crown Prince is one of brotherly love and respect, unlike yours, where even brothers born of the same mother are suspicious and wary of each other.

Your current predicament is also a result of your suspicion of your brothers in the royal family.

Cao Pi, unwilling to accept defeat, roared in a hoarse voice, "Liu Feng, don't be so smug! So what if you and Liu Shan are brothers? Can you guarantee that your son won't covet the throne? Can you guarantee that Liu Shan's son won't be wary of your lineage? Can you guarantee that there won't be any villains in the court who slander and frame you? You don't understand the taste of power at all, let alone the cruelty of vying to become emperor!"

Liu Feng composed himself and stopped laughing.

True.

What Cao Pi said was actually a microcosm of all the dynasties throughout history.

Li Shimin killed his brother and imprisoned his father; Zhao Kuangyin donned the yellow robe to seize power; Zhu Di ordered the pacification of the country, and so on.

Those less renowned than Li Shimin and others engaged in countless dark acts in their quest to become emperor.

While Liu Feng and Liu Shan were able to be like brothers, it remains to be seen whether their sons will also be like brothers.

Seeing Liu Feng remain silent, Cao Pi laughed again: "Liu Feng, the brotherly love and respect you speak of simply do not exist in the imperial family. Even with Huo Guang's merits, your family still suffered the destruction of its own."

Why do you think I usurped the throne? If I didn't, I would only face death!
Liu Xie may have appeared weak, but he was actually a treacherous and heartless villain. Countless loyal ministers and righteous men died for Liu Xie, but he treated them as pawns to be discarded.

Those who can become emperors are all heartless and ungrateful people.

Liu Feng, you've survived until now only because I am still alive. If I were to die, you wouldn't live much longer either. Once the Great Wei is destroyed, Liu Bei will surely kill you!

On the high slope.

Liu Bei frowned.

With almost all of Cao Pi's elite cavalry dead, the battlefield became extremely quiet, and the conversation between Cao Pi and Liu Feng reached Liu Bei's ears on the high slope.

"Your Majesty? This is Cao Pi's scheme to sow discord," Guo Youzhi cautiously advised.

Those who could become Attendants-in-Ordinary were all of high intelligence and emotional intelligence, and Guo Youzhi was well aware of the cruelty of vying to become emperor.

Liu Bei remained silent, simply gazing at the battlefield.

suddenly.

Cao Pi's laughter stopped abruptly as he stared in astonishment at the spear that had pierced his shoulder.

at this time.

Liu Feng's words barely caught my attention: "It doesn't matter whether I live or die, I just want you to die! If you die, Father Emperor's six armies can march straight into Hebei, and Hebei can avoid even greater war."

Don't judge my magnanimity with your narrow-mindedness. Do you know why Huo Qubing is the most respected general? Because Huo Qubing's destiny was to destroy the Xiongnu.

Now, the world is in turmoil, and the people yearn for peace. My destiny is to end this chaotic era.

My pursuit is to be remembered in history and have a lasting legacy, not to become narrow-minded and foolish like you, striving to become emperor.

Forget it, you wouldn't understand anyway.

With a flick of his spear, Liu Feng delivered a follow-up shot.

This time, the bullet struck not the shoulder, but the chest.

"I, the Emperor, am going to die here!"

Cao Pi's breath gradually faded, and he slumped his head helplessly.

Liu Feng drew his spear and shouted to the sky, "The false emperor Cao Pi is dead, the great Han shall rise!"

Until then.

Most of the Han army only then realized that the false emperor Cao Pi was also on the battlefield!
Cheers of victory rose and fell.

The roar of "The Great Han shall rise!" soared straight into the sky.

Liu Feng then cut off Cao Pi's head and rode straight to the mountaintop to present it to Liu Bei: "The false emperor's head is here; please take a look, Father!"

Liu Bei glanced at it and then looked away.

If it were Cao Cao who died today, Liu Bei might have said "a grand funeral" to express his respect for Cao Cao's past achievements.

But today it is Cao Pi who is dying, a traitor who usurped the Han dynasty and made no contribution to it. Liu Bei felt that even looking at him was an eyesore.

"My son is valiant, which greatly pleases me. Today, he has killed the false emperor Cao Pi, and the land of Hebei will be won without a fight." Liu Bei praised him generously.

Seeing that Liu Bei's expression was not very happy, Liu Feng couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Upon seeing this, Guo You stepped forward and whispered, "General Huang has passed away."

Liu Feng was taken aback and quickly looked down at the battlefield. He then spurred his horse straight down the mountain and arrived at the location of Huang Zhong's banner.

The junior officer carrying the flag had a sorrowful look in his eyes.

Huang Zhong lay flat on the ground, his once bright and piercing eyes now closed, with only the trace of a smile on his lips revealing his state of mind before his death.

Looking next to Huang Zhong, a Wei general with a bruised and swollen face also lost his chance to rise.

After careful examination, Liu Feng finally recognized Cao Zhen's identity.

Liu Feng concealed his grief and looked at Huang Zhong's flag bearers and personal guards, saying, "General Ma Yuan once said: 'A man should die on the battlefield, wrapped in horsehide for burial. How can he lie in bed and die at the hands of women and children? Although the old general is nearly eighty years old, his will remains unchanged and his courage undiminished. He even single-handedly killed Cao Zhen, the general of the false Wei. Father and I both deeply respect him!'"

The Battle of Wen County.

Five thousand elite cavalrymen, including Cao Pi and Cao Zhen, were completely annihilated.

Sima Yi's surprise attack plan has completely failed!

The news is out.

Hebei is shaken!

Those who knew about it, including Sima Yi and Chen Qun, were all struck dumb.

"His Majesty is dead?"

"Wen County is a trap?"

"Liu Bei actually used himself as bait?"

Already demoralized due to the retreat to Hebei, Cao Pi was now ambushed and killed. Anyone with a brain could see that Cao Wei was now in its twilight years.

If Cao Rui had been a crown prince who oversaw the country for many years, like Liu Shan, perhaps he could have stabilized the situation.

However, Cao Pi was extremely wary of Cao Rui, fearing that Cao Rui would take away his power, so Cao Rui was always a "prospective crown prince".

Even if Chen Qun and Sima Yi wanted to install Cao Rui as the new emperor, Cao Rui's prestige was insufficient to stabilize the situation. "The tide has turned!"

"How should we conduct ourselves?"

"Who advised His Majesty to launch a surprise attack on Hanoi? He should be executed!"

"I have heard that General Cao Ren intends to establish the Prince of Chen as emperor."

"Why bother establishing an emperor? Shouldn't we be thinking about how to surrender so we can continue to enjoy wealth and status?"

"I have heard that Prince Liu Feng of Yan deeply hates Sima Yi. Why not capture Sima Yi and present him to Liu Feng?"

"Is this not a good idea?"

"What's wrong with that? Either Sima Yi dies, or we die. Two paths, which do you want to choose?"

"."

People in Hebei are filled with anxiety.

Liu Bei's six armies also began a fierce attack to advance through the map.

What's the easiest way to push a crystal?

The answer is: eliminate the enemy's damage dealers and tanks first; the remaining support won't be able to defend the crystal.

And now.

Cao Wei's generals died one after another, five thousand elite cavalry were wiped out, and even Cao Pi was killed by Liu Feng.

The remaining civil and military officials, whether it was Cao Ren at Cangting Ferry, or Sima Yi and Cao Xiu at Liyang, had negligible combat power.

Without the morale of the army and the hearts of the people, it is impossible to hold out.

July.

Guan Yu crossed the river by boat and once again defeated Cao Ren at Cangting Ferry.

With nowhere else to turn, Cao Ren committed suicide.

Same month.

Liu Shan of Yanjin ordered Kou Anguo of Baimajin to help cross the river and defeat Sima Yi and Cao Xiu at Liyang. Cao Xiu and Sima Yi fled back to Yecheng.

The three armies that fought against Ji all entered the territory of Ji Province.

The three armies advanced with unstoppable momentum and joined forces in Ye City.

Lu Xun of Pengcheng went north from Langya to Qingzhou. At first, he encountered some obstacles, but after the news of Cao Pi's execution reached Qingzhou, all the counties in Qingzhou surrendered without resistance.

The situation in Bingzhou was similar.

Liang Xi, the governor of Bingzhou, initially led his troops in resistance, but after news of Cao Pi's execution arrived, he chose to surrender in the face of threats from Ma Chao, Zhuge Liang, and the Xianbei.

The army was defeated like a mountain.

Liu Feng never intended to give Cao Wei a chance to breathe.

The risky and unconventional tactics were intended to ensure that Cao Wei would never have a chance to rise again.

Just like when Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu, he wanted to pursue Xiang Yu to the death!

Villains die from talking too much.

The same applies to warfare.

When one's power is strong enough, one cannot follow the example of King Fuchai of Wu and release King Goujian of Yue to satisfy a mere whim.

Just kill them and that's it.

August.

Liu Bei ruled over Hebei.

Faced with the fortified city of Ye, Liu Feng offered a plan: "In the past, Cao Cao flooded Ye City. Now, in August, the season of high water, it is also a good opportunity to attack with water. Father, you can send someone to issue a proclamation: In three days, the city will be flooded!"

Although he was reluctant, Liu Bei still agreed to Liu Feng's proposal.

The war has lasted too long.

Things will inevitably change over time!

What if, like Cao Cao at the Battle of Red Cliffs, his army initially had the advantage, but then suffered from illness due to unfamiliar climate and water, leading to a collapse in morale and ultimately being defeated by Zhou Yu who set the city ablaze?

Now that the battle has reached its final stage, Liu Bei cannot allow his soldiers to suffer because of a little reluctance in his heart.

"Is Liu Bei going to flood the city?"

"Back then, the late emperor breached the Zhang River to flood the Yuan family. If Liu Bei were to breach the Zhang River as well, how could Ye City be defended?"

"Doesn't Liu Bei pride himself on benevolence and righteousness? How could he resort to such a treacherous scheme?"

"Liu Bei is benevolent, not foolish. This is a psychological tactic. If no one in the city becomes an inside agent after three days, they will all be Liu Bei's enemies. Since they are enemies, why bother with mercy?"

"I heard that the garrison commander of the South Gate fled to the North Gate with his family last night. Should we run too?"

"We can't wait any longer! Capture Sima Yi alive and surrender the city!"

"."

South gate of Yecheng.

Sima Yi looked solemnly at the massive army outside the city.

Anyone can surrender to Ye City, but Sima Yi cannot.

Surrender means death!

When Liu Feng slaughtered the Sima family of Wen County, Sima Yi understood: Liu Feng would not be at peace as long as Sima Yi lived!

Although it is unclear why Liu Feng harbored such hatred for the Sima clan, Sima Yi could not abandon Ye City if he wanted to survive.

"If the rains continue until the day comes, Liu Bei's soldiers will fall ill, and supplies will be difficult to transport, so he will inevitably have to retreat."

Sima Yi silently calculated the opportune moment.

It rains a lot in summer.

Liu Bei's army also consisted mostly of southern troops.

Sima Yi was betting that Liu Bei's troops would not adapt to the local conditions.

While they were making their calculations.

A junior officer rushed over: "General, something terrible has happened! Rebels are besieging your residence, claiming they want to capture your family and hand them over to Liu Feng."

Sima Yi's expression changed drastically, and he dared not stay at the South Gate any longer.

Before leaving.

Sima Yi then carefully instructed Sima Shi: "Once I leave, some scoundrels will surely try to sneak open the city gates. You guard this place; anyone who dares to rebel, kill them without mercy!"

Sima Shi, bow in hand, said, "Father, rest assured, I will guard this gate!"

As Sima Yi had predicted.

No sooner had Sima Yi left than a rebellion broke out among Wei soldiers who were eager for advancement.

"A bunch of good-for-nothings, how dare they act so arrogantly in front of me."

Sima Shi raised his hand and shot the leader dead with an arrow. He then ordered his personal guards to shoot and kill all the other rebels, thus intimidating the Wei soldiers at the South Gate.

Such forceful measures can only suppress a portion of the population, not everyone.

A young general brandished his sword and shouted, "Defending the city means death, not defending it also means death. Since we're going to die anyway, why not fight to the death for wealth and glory? Kill Sima Shi, and we'll all share the riches!"

Sima Shi was furious and shot an arrow at the young general, but the young general dodged it.

The young general seized the opportunity to shoot back, hitting Sima Shi squarely in the left eye.

"Heaven is on my side! Kill!"

Seeing that Sima Shi had actually been hit by an arrow, the young general felt as if he had been divinely aided and immediately shouted excitedly.

The surrounding Wei soldiers were immediately excited when they saw this.

If it weren't for Sima Yi and his son stopping them, everyone would have surrendered long ago.

The resentment in my heart had been accumulating for a long time and had long since reached a critical point.

When Sima Yi was alive, they dared not rebel.

When Sima Shi was healthy, he dared not rebel.

Now that Sima Shi is blind, if he dares not resist, then he truly has no desire to live.

Sima Shi never expected that he would be shot in the left eye by an unknown person!

While enduring the pain.

Sima Shi brandished his spear, attempting to fend off the Wei soldiers' attack.

Unfortunately, his left eye was in pain, and the Wei soldier was also very angry.

For a moment.

Sima Shi was hacked to death by the enraged Wei soldiers.

No matter if you come from a noble family or have exceptional talent, when morale is low, even a fierce general like Zhang Fei can be killed, let alone Sima Shi.

With the death of Sima Shi.

The south gate of Ye City was opened, and the Han army, which had been waiting outside the city, poured in.

At this moment, Sima Yi was unaware of the upheaval at the South Gate and hurriedly returned to his residence to quell the rebel army.

Upon seeing that the leader was Wen Qin, Sima Yi's pupils contracted instantly, and he shouted, "Wen Qin, His Majesty has treated you well, why do you rebel?"

Wen Qin laughed loudly: "You have treated me well? Hehe, my father Wen Ji has repeatedly made military achievements, but Cao Pi suspected me of participating in Wei Feng's rebellion and almost tortured me to death."

Cao Rui even dared to try and win me over with petty favors. Since he has treated me so cruelly, how could I possibly be righteous towards him? Today I will take your head and exchange it for my future wealth and honor.”

Sima Yi was both angry and furious, and commanded his soldiers to fight Wen Qin.

however.

Wen Qin was already known for his bravery, and if it weren't for the Wei Feng case, he would certainly be in a high position now.

Although Sima Yi had some fierce generals under his command, none of them could compare to Wen Qin.

The fact that Wen Qin was able to produce a fierce general like Wen Yang, who was known as "Little Zhao Yun," was closely related to Wen Qin's own bravery.

Not long after.

Sima Yi's troops were defeated by Wen Qin, who even charged straight at Sima Yi on horseback, pulling Sima Yi off his horse.

"Be honest with me!"

Looking at the spearhead hanging over his neck, Sima Yi closed his eyes in despair.

My plan has been ruined by this brute!
Wen Qin didn't care what Sima Yi thought, and directly sent troops into the house to kill Sima Yi's entire family.

In Wenqin's words: "His Majesty the Han Emperor is benevolent and will not be able to bear to kill the Sima family, young and old, because he sees them as pitiful. But I cannot let the Sima family's brats grow up, otherwise, when I get old, won't I be retaliated against?"

Upon learning that Wen Qin had slaughtered everyone in the mansion, Sima Yi felt a wave of dizziness wash over him, and his gaze toward Wen Qin seemed to want to devour him.

"Forget it, let's just kill him now to avoid any unforeseen complications."

Wen Qin felt uneasy under Sima Yi's watchful eye and killed Sima Yi with a single spear thrust, wiping out Sima Yi's entire family.

With rebellions breaking out in the city and the Han army entering the city one after another, Cao Xiu, who was stationed at the east gate, no longer dared to defend it.

Cao Xiu immediately summoned over a hundred cavalrymen, not even daring to bring his family, and abandoned the city to flee.

Cao Rui and others fled through the north gate with some of their families and officials.

Less than half an hour.

The Han army then completely controlled Ye City.

All Cao Wei officials who surrendered or who were unable to escape, along with their families, were captured, including Chen Qun, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

It was dusk.

Liu Bei, along with Liu Feng, Liu Shan, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and others, entered Ye City from outside the city.

This wasn't Liu Bei's first time visiting Ye City.

On the eve of the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao even traveled two hundred li outside Ye City to welcome Liu Bei.

See things and miss people.

Thinking back to those days, it feels as if they were just yesterday.

The world is impermanent.

Yuan Shao died, Cao Cao died, and Liu Bei, who had once survived between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, entered Ye City again as the victor.

Liu Bei, as the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, reigns supreme over Hebei! (End of Chapter)