Wei Xiaobao's Three Kingdoms Adventure

Chapter 109: A New Era and a Clever Way to Keep Da Qiao

Although Guan Yu's ability to command cavalry was not as good as Zhang Liao's, it was easy for him to defeat Yuan Shu's grain transport troops.

The grain transport troops led by Qiao Rui had just crossed the river and arrived at the north bank when they were ambushed by Guan Yu's cavalry. The grain transport soldiers were surrounded before they could escape, and Qiao Rui was captured.

Shortly after Wei Xiaobao and Guan Yu returned to Xiaopei, they received news from Chen Deng.

After Zhang Liao's defeat and return to Xiapi, he was unexpectedly imprisoned by Lü Bu. Chen Gong pleaded for Zhang Liao, but was instead berated by Lü Bu. Chen Deng seized the opportunity to sow discord between them, and Lü Bu fell for the ruse and sent Chen Gong to Xiaoguan.

Without Chen Gong by his side to provide advice, Lu Bu imprisoned Zhang Liao and cut off one of his own arms, which gave Liu Bei the opportunity to attack Xuzhou.

Liu Bei decided to attack Pengcheng first, cut off the connection between Xiaoguan and Xiapi, then turn to attack Xiaoguan, and finally trap Lu Bu in Xiapi.

Not long after Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led their troops out of the city, Liu Bei sent someone to summon Wei Xiaobao.

Wei Xiaobao was worried, thinking that something had gone wrong in the attack on Pengcheng, and hurried to Liu Bei's military camp.

As soon as I entered the military tent, I saw a woman standing in the middle.

Wei Xiaobao saw that the woman had a graceful back, and he could smell a faint fragrance when he walked past her.

Liu Bei said, "Bo Zhi, this is General Qiao's daughter."

When Wei Xiaobao heard that it was Qiao Rui's daughter, he quickly turned around to look. Sure enough, he saw that the girl had a face as rosy as a peach and a mouth as if containing a pearl. Although her brows were furrowed, her beauty could not be concealed.

The woman was annoyed by Wei Xiaobao's stare and said, "General Liu is also a member of the royal family. Even if he doesn't want to release my father, he doesn't need to send this scoundrel to humiliate me."

Liu Bei blushed with embarrassment and said, "Excuse me, Miss Da Qiao. I am a free and easy-going person by nature and had no intention of offending you."

Wei Xiaobao's thoughts at this moment were even more extreme than an offense. He had already called Da Qiao his wife over and over again in his heart.

Seeing Wei Xiaobao's reluctance, Liu Bei coughed and continued, "Bozhi, General Qiao was captured by you and your second brother. Now Miss Da Qiao has come to our army alone to plead for her father, and your second brother is not with us, so I have no choice but to discuss this with you."

Da Qiao snorted and said, "General Liu, as the commander of the army, does he really have to listen to others' orders?"

When Wei Xiaobao heard Da Qiao's soft moan, most of his bones felt soft. If he hadn't known that Liu Bei didn't want to let him go, he would have knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Da Qiao to apologize, and then carried Qiao Rui out of the prison and gave him to Da Qiao.

Wei Xiaobao said, "I, Wei Xiaobao, take personal responsibility for my actions. I was the one who captured your father. If you want him, come to me. Lü Bu stole my eldest brother's Xuzhou, and it was Yuan Shu who was behind it. Now your father is helping Yuan Shu deliver food to Lü Bu. Isn't it right to capture him?"

Da Qiao rolled her eyes and said to Liu Bei, "My father is only here to escort the grain. Now that you have obtained the grain, why are you still detaining my father?"

When two armies were facing each other, it was common for a general to be captured and then send an envoy to redeem him, but this was the first time Wei Xiaobao heard of a daughter coming to save her father.

Wei Xiaobao said, "It's easy to get my elder brother to release your father. Go back and tell Yuan Shu to give him military rations in exchange."

Liu Bei nodded slightly. Wei Xiaobao's idea coincided with his, but if he, Liu Bei, said this, it would inevitably be suspected of bullying a woman.

Da Qiao said, "If Yuan Shu was willing to save my father, would I have to beg you for help?" Wei Xiaobao cursed in his heart, "Damn it! Is this the attitude of begging? Someone who didn't know would think you had captured my father."

Liu Bei said, "Miss Da Qiao, your father is a powerful general under Yuan Shu. If we let him go, I'm afraid he will lead his troops to attack Xiaopei. Once we recapture Xuzhou, we will naturally send your father back."

Da Qiao said, "Isn't it just a hostage? If you release my father, I will stay as your hostage. If my father leads his troops to attack Xiaopei, I am willing to die with the soldiers in the city."

When Da Qiao said this, Liu Bei and Wei Xiaobao were stunned.

Liu Bei admired Da Qiao's courage, while Wei Xiaobao wished that Da Qiao would stay.

Wei Xiaobao leaned close to Liu Bei's ear and whispered, "Since Yuan Shu is unwilling to send anyone to rescue Qiao Rui, there's no point in keeping him. It would be better to keep Da Qiao. If Qiao Rui leads his troops to attack Xiaopei in the future, we'll still have a bargaining chip in our hands."

Liu Bei whispered back, "This is truly not a benevolent or righteous act."

Wei Xiaobao continued, "If we send Fang Qiao back now, and she tells Yuan Shu that my second and third brothers are not in the army, and begs him to come and rescue her father, what should we do then?"

Liu Bei said, "But how should we place her?"

Wei Xiaobao was delighted and said, "Oh, my two wives are very skilled in martial arts, can't they keep an eye on a little girl? After we defeat Lu Bu, you can send her back personally. Qiao Rui will be grateful to us and may even secretly send us some food."

Liu Bei said, "How can we make such a frivolous request for military supplies? However, Da Qiao is far more important to her father than Qiao Rui is to his father. Since we have a place to put her, let's do as you say and release Qiao Rui but keep Da Qiao."

Wei Xiaobao was overjoyed and walked over to Da Qiao and said, "This young lady is a little sister. Please come this way!"

Da Qiao angrily swung her sleeve to knock Wei Xiaobao's hand away and walked out of the military tent first.

Wei Xiaobao took Da Qiao to the prison to meet Qiao Rui. When the father and daughter met, they couldn't help but hug each other and cry bitterly.

Wei Xiaobao waited until the two of them had finished crying, then ordered the prison door to be opened. As he supported Qiao Rui as they walked out, he said, "I asked you about this last time in Shouchun, but Sun Ce interfered then. Now I've seen it with my own eyes, and it turns out the rumors were true. Your daughter is indeed beautiful."

Qiao Rui was ambushed and captured, and he was already very angry. When he heard Wei Xiaobao talking cheaply, he wanted to strangle him to death.

Wei Xiaobao noticed the veins bulging on Qiao Rui's arms and quickly said, "But don't worry. When you go back, I promise to take good care of Da Qiao and not let her suffer any injustice."

Qiao Rui understood that Wei Xiaobao was using Da Qiao to threaten him, and he could only suppress his anger.

Wei Xiaobao continued, "If my elder brother can successfully recapture Xuzhou, we will send Da Qiao back to Shouchun. If we are secretly attacked again, there will be no one to protect your daughter."

Qiao Rui nodded helplessly and said, "Don't worry, General Yuan would love for you to compete with Lü Bu for food. But if you break your promise and hurt my daughter in the slightest, I, Qiao Rui, will make you pay with my life even if it costs me my old bones."

Wei Xiaobao quickly nodded in agreement, but in his heart he was cursing, "These two, father and daughter, have the same temper. They've already bowed their heads and asked for help, but they still refuse to give in!"

(End of this chapter)