Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 214 Their momentum was unstoppable, Liu Bei personally went to Puyang (Seeking subscriptions and monthly votes)
If someone else steals the kill, Lu Bu will go berserk.

Huang Zhong was the one who stole the kill, and Lü Bu just smiled and said humbly, "Colonel Huang is a master archer, I am no match for him."

With Wen Chou dead, the soldiers who were scrambling to get on the ship were no longer hindered, and they all fled after boarding.

Although surrendering could save their lives, the panicked bandits still preferred to escape by boat.

Lu Bu did not continue the pursuit, but instead turned around and wiped out the remaining bandits who were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

After capturing Yanjin, Lü Bu sent men to Baimajin to investigate the battle situation.

While attacking Yanjin, Lü Bu discovered that Cao Cao was attacking Baimajin.

Since they had both chosen to launch a strong attack, this suited Lu Bu's intentions perfectly.

After capturing Baimajin, Cao Cao also sent people to Yanjin to investigate the battle situation.

When the two sides met, Cao Cao learned from the surrendered soldiers that Liyang City had been burned. He was both surprised and impressed by Liu Bei's feint attack strategy.

"No wonder there are no reinforcements on the other side. Yuan Shao is now powerless to march south." Cao Cao's tone became more excited: "Colonel Lü, can you join me in taking Puyang?"

Lü Bu had the same idea, saying, "Now that Yan Jin and Bai Ma Jin have been captured, it is the time to take advantage of the victory and seize Puyang."

The two sides then joined forces and marched in a grand procession towards Puyang.

Inside Puyang City.

Chen Gong wrapped his head in white cloth.

In the battle with Gao Shun, Chen Gong not only failed to gain any advantage, but was also grazed on the scalp by an arrow from Gao Shun.

If Chen Gong hadn't reacted quickly, that arrow could have killed him instantly.

"It was my inadequate rescue efforts; please punish me, Your Majesty." Chen Gong pleaded guilty, having left full of confidence but returning dejected and defeated.

Shen Pei did not blame Chen Gong.

With Gao Shun's elite troops blocking their way, even if Shen Pei personally led the charge, he would only be able to return empty-handed.

What worries Shen Pei even more now is that the defeated soldiers from Baimajin and Yanjin have already sent back news that Yan Liang and Wen Chou have been killed.

Within days, Baimajin and Yanjin fell, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were beheaded, and Shen Pei truly felt Liu Bei's power.

Just then, a guard came to report: "My lord, the cavalry captain has arrived."

The cavalry captain mentioned by the guards was none other than Qiao Mao.

After being removed from his post as governor of Dongjun, Qiao Mao took command of a thousand troops in Puyang as a cavalry commandant.

These thousand troops were Qiao Mao's private army, and even though Shen Pei was the governor of Dongjun, he could not forcibly deprive them of their power.

"Prefect Shen, I have heard that the General is campaigning against the Yellow Turbans in Hebei. I intend to return to Hebei and have come to request a travel document to leave the city." Qiao Mao did not mince words with Shen Pei and stated his purpose directly.

Shen Pei frowned: "Cavalry Commandant, with a formidable enemy at hand and our forces stretched thin, how can you so easily lead your troops away?"

Qiao Mao sneered: "Prefect Shen, don't worry unnecessarily. With you in charge of the defense of Dongjun, who would dare to attack Dongjun? Dongjun has 20,000 troops, why bother with my 1,000 private soldiers?"

Qiao Mao emphasized the words "private soldiers".

The implication is: These are my soldiers. I'm not the governor of Dongjun. You expect me to defend the city for you?

Shen Pei frowned even more, guessing that Qiao Mao's trip to Hebei was just a made-up excuse. In reality, he wanted to escape after hearing that Yan Liang and Wen Chou had been defeated and killed.

Ignoring Qiao Mao's sarcasm, Shen Pei said firmly, "Regardless of whether they are the Cavalry Commandant's private soldiers or not, I have already issued a military order that no one is allowed to leave the city. I ask the Cavalry Commandant not to disobey my order. I am the Prefect of Dongjun and General Who Pacifies the West. In times of war, all orders are made by me alone!"

Qiao Mao's sarcasm intensified: "I know you are the Prefect of Dongjun, but in just a few days, you have caused the General to lose Yan Liang, Wen Chou, and 10,000 soldiers. I now seriously suspect that you have an affair with Liu Bei. Otherwise, how could you have allowed the General's two most beloved generals to die such a tragic death?"

Upon being accused by Qiao Mao of having an affair with Liu Bei, Shen Pei flew into a rage: "Qiao Mao, I know you resent me for taking your position as the Prefect of Dongjun, but now is the time for us to work together. What are your intentions in slandering me like this?"

"I just want to live." Qiao Mao was not afraid of Shen Pei at all. He said, "If you deliberately harm me while defending the city and kill me on the grounds of laziness, I will die unjustly. If you give me a leave permit, no one will know that I abandoned the city and fled; if you don't give me a leave permit, then I will have to leave the city by force."

"You dare!" Shen Pei gripped the hilt of his sword and roared, "Do you think I can't kill you right now?"

Qiao Mao scoffed, took a step closer, pointed to his neck, and said, "Come on, my neck is right here. You can cut me off now! But if I die, do you think my thousand private soldiers will wait for you to kill them?"

Shen Pei was both angry and furious.

They wanted to kill Qiao Mao, but they were afraid that Qiao Mao's thousand private soldiers would rebel and cause an internal and external attack, and Puyang would not be able to be defended!

Chen Gong hurriedly advised, "Lord Shen, please don't be angry. It would be better to send the Cavalry Commandant to divide the troops and guard Juancheng."

Qiao Mao clasped his hands in a fist salute to Chen Gong and said with a smile, "Gongtai is indeed a wise man. As long as I leave Puyang City, I am willing to guard Juancheng for you. After all, Hebei is a long way, and it is autumn and winter. I don't want my soldiers to suffer from the wind and frost."

Seeing the fearless Qiao Mao, Shen Pei gritted his teeth and gave Qiao Mao the document to leave the city, saying, "Cavalry Commandant, here is the document. You can leave the city, but you must not damage the morale of my army."

Qiao Mao, having received the official document, did not linger. He bid farewell with a smile, saying, "Prefect Shen, rest assured, if you cannot defend Puyang, I will truly have no choice but to return to Hebei. I wish you a great victory!"

Watching Qiao Mao leave, Shen Pei could no longer contain his anger. He cleaved the table in half with his sword and said bitterly, "Qiao Mao, you scoundrel, you have insulted me too much!"

The defeat and death of Yan Liang and Wen Chou had already angered and frustrated Shen Pei, and Qiao Mao deliberately chose this moment to rub salt into the wound. If it weren't for the private soldiers causing trouble and Chen Gong mediating, Shen Pei would have really wanted to kill Qiao Mao with a sword.

Chen Gong sighed and cupped his hands, saying, "My lord, many soldiers and civilians in the city are currently filled with anxiety. We must find a way to stabilize morale and public sentiment, and carefully defend the city while waiting for Prefect Ju and Prefect Tian to lead troops to our aid."

Shen Pei tried to calm his inner turmoil and said, "Gongtai has a lot of prestige in Puyang, so this matter will be left to Gongtai. But anyone who incites trouble will be executed without mercy."

the other side.

After receiving the document, Qiao Mao hurriedly left the city, fearing that Shen Pei might change his mind.

Although Qiao Mao resented Shen Pei, he did not deliberately undermine the morale of the army. Qiao Mao also needed Shen Pei to defend Puyang so that he could stay in Juancheng for a longer period of time.

After Liu Bei's troops retreat, Qiao Mao will send someone to find Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao, who has lost Yan Liang and Wen Chou, will surely be angry with Shen Pei and will make Qiao Mao the governor of Dongjun again.

Qiao Mao knew how to seek advantage and avoid harm, and he also knew how to be patient.

The prefect of Dongjun should be taken back from Shen Pei in the same way that he was deprived of his position.

On the way, Qiao Mao encountered Ju Shou and Tian Feng, and simply relayed the news of Yan Liang and Wen Chou's deaths and the division of troops in Juancheng.

Within days, they lost Yanjin and Baimajin, and Yan Liang and Wen Chou also died. Ju Shou and Tian Feng were also greatly alarmed.

Yan Liang and Wen Chou were Yuan Shao's trusted generals, and now they have died at Yan Jin and Bai Ma Jin. If Puyang cannot be defended, they will surely be punished.

"I never expected that even with Shen Zhengnan's abilities, he would lose Yanjin and Baimajin. We cannot be careless in this battle; we must focus on defense!" Ju Shou's tone was full of apprehension.

The series of defeats also shattered Ju Shou's initial confidence.

Tian Feng was in the same situation. They were both outstanding figures from Hebei, yet they were powerless to retaliate against Liu Bei's offensive, a result that was truly difficult for them to accept.

Now, the two gradually understand why Liu Bei was able to defeat hundreds of thousands of troops from three provinces with only 20,000 soldiers in Xiaopei.

Aside from the fact that Yuan Xu, Tao Qian, and others had their own ulterior motives, the most important factor was Liu Bei's bravery and skill in battle.

Ju Shou finally understood why Qiao Mao had insisted on defending Puyang.

As long as Puyang is held, even if Yanjin and Baimajin are occupied, it will not affect control over Dongjun.

Now, they divided their forces to defend Yanjin and Baimajin, but Liu Bei defeated them one by one, resulting in heavy losses and a significant blow to morale.

When the two arrived near Puyang City, Cao Cao and Lü Bu had already set up camp outside the city.

Tian Feng cautiously said, "Puyang City is easy to defend but difficult to attack. The bandits must intend to attack the reinforcements. The two of us can join forces and not cross the river for the time being. We can wait until the bandits run out of food before we attack."

Ju Shou also agreed with Tian Feng's proposal.

East of Puyang is the Hu River, a branch of the Yellow River, and Tian Feng and Ju Shou chose to set up camp on the east bank of the Hu River.

This location would both inform the defenders of Puyang that reinforcements had arrived and prevent them from setting up a fortified camp under the city walls of Puyang, which would then be attacked.

Upon learning that Ju Shou and Tian Feng had arrived with their troops, Shen Pei, who was in Puyang City, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

There were 10,000 soldiers in the city, and Ju Shou and Tian Feng led 20,000 soldiers, bringing the total to 30,000. Shen Pei was confident that he could hold Puyang City. As long as he could hold out for two or three months until Cao Cao and Lü Bu's troops were exhausted, he could launch a counterattack and achieve twice the result with half the effort.

outside the city.

Cao Cao and Lü Bu did not immediately attack the city, but waited for reinforcements, supplies and provisions.

Puyang City is different from Yanjin Baimajin. It has high walls and a moat. If we attack it directly, the losses will be too great. We need to besiege the city first and then look for an opportunity.

at the same time.

News then arrived that Liu Bei was leading his troops into Dongjun.

"Even the Imperial Uncle has come!" Cao Cao was slightly surprised.

Thinking of Lü Bu's surprise attack on Baima Ford, Cao Cao suddenly realized something.

This time, Liu Bei's feints and deceptions in Hebei have caused Yuan Shao to misjudge the situation repeatedly. Now, Liu Bei has won several battles against Yuan Shao in Hebei. While Yuan Shao is away in Ye City driving out the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans, Liu Bei intends to completely drive Yuan Shao's forces out of Hebei!

Only after completely driving Yuan Shao's forces to Hebei could Liu Bei's next plan be successfully implemented.

Ten days later.

Liu Bei led his troops here.

During this period, Liu Bei also returned to Hanoi and punished the rebellious powerful families there.

The policy remained the same: only the ringleaders were executed, their money, grain, land, and houses were confiscated, and the rest were sent to labor reform.

Liu Bei left Zhang Fei in Hanoi to distribute money, grain, land, and houses to the common people and newly freed slaves, and to attract refugees from the Black Mountain region. This was also the time when Zhang Fei, as the governor of Hanoi, won the hearts of the people.

After all, Zhang Fei currently holds the title of "the reincarnation of the Great Teacher of Virtue," which makes him even more likely to gain the trust of the Black Mountain refugees.

After making arrangements for the affairs in Hanoi, Liu Bei left Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and Zhuge Liang in Hanoi to assist Zhang Fei, and then led Zhao Yun and Chen Dao into Dongjun.

That's why it was delayed for more than ten days.

For more than ten days, Cao Cao and Lü Bu only dug deep trenches and built high walls outside Puyang City, felling trees to make siege weapons. They neither challenged Puyang City to battle nor paid any attention to Ju Shou and Tian Feng on the other side of the river.

When Liu Bei arrived, it was already the seventh day of the tenth month of the second year of Chuping.

"Our ability to slay Yan Liang and Wen Chou and bring our troops to Fancheng is all thanks to your efforts." Liu Bei praised Cao Cao and Lü Bu's achievements without reservation.

Liu Bei's early plan was merely to launch a strong attack on Yan Jin and Bai Ma Jin; he did not expect to kill Yan Liang and Wen Chou.

The better-than-expected results have given Liu Bei even more confidence in pacifying Yuan Shao's remaining forces in Yan Province before the end of the year.

After praising everyone, Liu Bei gestured to them and said, "You have all been here for many days. If you have any ideas about taking down Puyang, please feel free to speak your minds."

After being stationed there for more than ten days, Cao Cao also discussed with Lü Bu and others, and said: "I have discussed with everyone that Puyang is a high city with deep water, and it is difficult to attack it by force. It would be better to cross the river first and defeat Ju Shou and Tian Feng on the other side."

"After defeating the two, we should first take Dongping Kingdom and Jibei Kingdom. Once all the counties are pacified, how can the isolated city of Puyang hold out for long?"

Liu Bei nodded: "To besiege a city, one must first strike at its reinforcements; this is a fundamental principle of military strategy. This plan is feasible. Do you have detailed tactics for crossing the river?"

Cao Cao then said, "Ju Shou and Tian Feng are stationed outside, but their supplies are transported from Juancheng. I think we can set up a feint, pretending to cross the river, while secretly sending another force to bypass the Hu River and cross at Yangliting, fifty li downstream, to attack Juancheng. The enemy's supply route will be attacked, and they will inevitably have to send troops to rescue them. At that time, we can cross the river again and attack, and we will surely achieve a great victory!"

"The art of war says: 'Attack where the enemy is not expecting you, and strike where they are unprepared.' This is exactly the principle." Liu Bei agreed with Cao Cao's tactics and then asked, "Who is willing to march from Yangli Pavilion to attack Juancheng?"

Cao Cao then requested, "I am willing to select 5,000 elite infantry and cavalry from my own troops to cross the river at Yangliting. I request that you, my Imperial Uncle, command the troops in Puyang and the feint troops on the riverbank."

Cao Cao originally intended to conquer the remaining counties of Yan Province independently, but Liu Bei acted too quickly. Cao Cao had just gone to attack Baima Ford when Lü Bu went to attack Yan Ford.

Cao Cao also wanted military achievements and to become famous in Yanzhou, so he personally led troops to launch a surprise attack on Juancheng to cut off Ju Shou and Shen Pei's supply lines.

Liu Bei glanced at Lü Bu and the others, and seeing that none of them seemed interested in competing, he replied, "Since Cao Yanzhou has this intention, then Cao Yanzhou shall lead the raid on Juancheng."

Cao Cao was overjoyed and left.

Liu Bei then ordered Guo Jia, Cao Xiu, and others who remained behind to lead the Qingzhou troops to prepare more boats and rafts on the west bank of the Hu River for crossing the river.

After everything is in place.

Liu Bei then brought Lü Bu, Huang Zhong, Zhao Yun, and Dian Wei to the city of Puyang.

The banner proclaiming "Liu, the Imperial Uncle of the Han Dynasty" fluttered in the fierce wind.

Upon seeing Liu Bei's banner, Shen Pei and Chen Gong were both greatly alarmed.

"Liu Bei has also come here. Puyang is in grave danger." Chen Gong said with worry and a bitter tone.

If it were just Cao Cao and Lü Bu, Chen Gong would still have confidence. But now that Liu Bei has arrived, Chen Gong feels as if a mountain is pressing down on him, making it hard to breathe.

Shen Pei had lost his initial arrogance and looked at the "Great Han Imperial Uncle Liu" banner below the city with great apprehension.

First they lost Hanoi, then Baekmajin and Yeonjin. You could blame your teammates for the first loss, but for the second, it was simply a matter of skill.

Although Shen Pei was very dissatisfied, he had to admit the reality.

The soldiers on the city wall also followed the banner that read "Liu Bei, the Imperial Uncle of the Han Dynasty," and their eyes fell on Liu Bei and his men below the banner.

(End of this chapter)