The Three Kingdoms: Rise to Power Starting with Intercepting Liu Bei

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After Tao Qian's funeral, everyone knew that Xuzhou had changed hands, but the warlords could do nothing about it, as it was a foregone conclusion.

After learning the details of Xuzhou, the representatives all returned to report, including Lü Bu's subordinates.

As Lü Bu's only strategist, Chen Gong was always attentive to the general situation of the world. Tao Qian's death was nothing short of a golden opportunity bestowed upon him by heaven.

Xuzhou was the next target he planned for Lü Bu; only by controlling Xuzhou could one be qualified to control the world.

Inside Lü Bu's camp outside Puyang, Chen Gong was having a late-night conversation with Lü Bu by candlelight.

"Fengxian, the man I sent to Xuzhou to attend Tao Qian's funeral returned this afternoon with the latest situation in Xuzhou. I'd like to know your thoughts on this."

"With Tao Qian gone, Qin Xuan is now in full control of Xuzhou. He has about 40 to 50,000 troops under his command, making him one of the weakest among the various warlords, except for us."

"Judging from the current stalemate between us and Cao Cao's army, we are afraid we can't hold out for much longer. The pressure on our food supply is immense, and we must make our next move."

Chen Gong directly pointed out the pressures they were currently facing.

Since Lü Bu's army were outsiders and did not have a firmly established territory in Yanzhou, and their logistical supplies depended on those local powerful families, the long-term siege tactics were extremely costly, and they simply could not afford to be taken advantage of.

If Cao Cao were eliminated, everything would be fine. The problem is that he does nothing all day and just sits there doing nothing. Isn't this just blatantly slaughtering a pig?

Therefore, those powerful and wealthy families approached Chen Gong, urging him to launch a final attack on Cao Cao's group, otherwise the supply of provisions would be in trouble.

After listening to Chen Gong's words, Lü Bu fell into deep thought. He knew why the other party would say such a thing, after all, Chen Gong was the representative they had chosen.

"You want me to go and join Qin Xuan?" Although Lü Bu was intelligent, he wasn't very smart. He thought Chen Gong wanted him to join Qin Xuan and rely on his power. Qin Xuan could make Cao Cao retreat, so he must have some skills. As for forcibly taking over, he hadn't thought about it yet.

"No, not surrendering, but cooperating!" Chen Gong shook his head, denying Lü Bu's words, and then stated his own reasons:

"Both sides currently share a common enemy—Cao Cao. Our army currently lacks a stable territory, and Xuzhou is the best place for us."

"The only way to get Qin Xuan to give us territory is through an alliance. General, your strength is unparalleled. If Qin Xuan agrees to give you a piece of land, we can use that opportunity to grow stronger. It wouldn't be impossible for us to even seize Xuzhou!"

Chen Gong's plan was for the two sides to form an alliance under the pretext of jointly resisting Cao Cao, so that Lü Bu could have a formal territory to accumulate strength and grow stronger.

"Alright, I'll leave it to the strategist!" After listening, Lü Bu only hesitated for a few seconds before agreeing to Chen Gong's idea.

The following spring arrived quickly. Due to the immense strain on Lü Bu's army caused by the powerful clans of Yanzhou, Lü Bu immediately announced the cessation of the siege of Puyang and prepared to launch a final attack.

The cunning Cao Cao promptly noticed the anomaly in Lü Bu's army. He fought desperately and encouraged his soldiers to launch a counterattack, which decisively defeated Lü Bu's army. Lü Bu suffered a major defeat and led more than 10,000 men to retreat to Xuzhou.

As a time traveler, Qin Xuan was naturally paying close attention to the great battle between Lü Bu and Cao Cao. As soon as Lü Bu retreated, Qin Xuan quickly learned of this news.

To prevent Lü Bu from entering Xuzhou, he specifically ordered Xue Rengui to lead 5,000 Great Wall Legion soldiers and the most elite Great Snow Dragon Cavalry to garrison Xiaopei, blocking Lü Bu there.

After all, Xuzhou could only belong to him alone, and no one else could have it.

Although Lü Bu was the fiercest general during the Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms period, Xue Rengui and the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry were not to be underestimated. In addition, there was the mobile support force led by Li Jing. Once Xue Rengui sent out a distress signal, the mobile support force would arrive quickly. Let's see what Lü Bu can do then.

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On the muddy official road leading from Yanzhou to Xiaopei in Xuzhou, an army of ten thousand men was slowly advancing. Lu Bu, riding Red Hare and wielding a halberd, was still daydreaming about taking control of Xuzhou.

In his view, Qin Xuan's rise to the position of ruler of Xuzhou was entirely accidental, and his army was nothing more than a bluff, not as extraordinary as the legends suggested.

"Gongtai, do you think I should give them a warning first? I don't think Qin Xuan's army is as intimidating as they seem. They were able to repel Cao Cao only because we put in a lot of effort behind the scenes. Otherwise, would they have been able to overcome this crisis?"

Lu Bu spoke his mind with great enthusiasm, filled with jealousy towards Qin Xuan, whom he had not yet met. He said that he had been busy and had nothing to show for it, while Qin Xuan had received such a huge windfall. Who could resist that?

"Heh, Fengxian, you are the commander of this army. I am merely a strategist. You have the final say on military operations!"

Chen Gong simply smiled and did not express any opinion, leaving everything to Lü Bu to decide.

"General, this is probably inappropriate. We are guests who have come from afar. How can you do this?" Just then, a general with a resolute face and an aura of righteousness spoke up behind Lü Bu, rejecting Lü Bu's idea.

"Hmph, Gao Shun, you're meddling too much. I am the commander of this army. Just carry out my orders; no further explanation is needed!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu immediately turned pale and reprimanded Gao Shun, showing him no mercy whatsoever.

"General!" Faced with Lü Bu's reprimand, Gao Shun wanted to offer some advice, but he felt someone tugging at his sleeve. Turning around, he saw Zhang Liao, who shook his head slightly, indicating that he should not say anything more.

"Sigh~~~!" Gao Shun sighed softly upon hearing this and said nothing more.

It was afternoon when Lü Bu's army finally arrived at Xiaopei in Xuzhou.

Xiaopei is located at the junction of Yuzhou, Xuzhou and Yanzhou, making it a strategically important location fought over by military strategists.

It is only about 100 kilometers away from Pengcheng and Xiapi in Xuzhou.

Previously, Liu Bei had stationed here to defend against Cao Cao. Later, Qin Xuan ordered Liu Bei to station in Xiapi, and Xiaopei was taken over by Qin Xuan's Great Wall Army. After learning that Lü Bu had retreated, Qin Xuan sent General Xue Rengui to lead a large force to garrison the area to prevent Lü Bu from entering Xuzhou.

"Close the city gates! Enemy is attacking! Notify General Xue!" The guards on the city wall of Xiaopei shouted as soon as they saw an army with the character "Lü" on its banners approaching from afar. Soon after, the city gates of Xiaopei were tightly closed, and all the guards became alert, watching the army in the distance.

"Who goes there? I am Xue Rengui from Xuzhou. State your name immediately!" Xue Rengui shouted at the approaching army of Lü Bu.

"Whoosh~~whoosh~~whoosh~~"

Xue Rengui's loud voice startled Lu Bu's Red Hare, causing it to neigh loudly, which made Lu Bu curious about Xue Rengui's strength.

Having roamed the world for so many years, I've encountered few generals who could make my Red Hare behave like that, except for the three brothers Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei at Hulao Pass, especially Zhang Fei with his booming voice, which is truly unique in the world.

Xue Rengui's voice wasn't loud, but it was imposing and resonant, its intimidating power no less than Zhang Fei's.

"I am Lü Bu, the Marquis of Wen of the Han Dynasty—Lü Fengxian! Open the city gates immediately! We are on our way to Xuzhou to see Qin Xuan!"

Faced with Xue Rengui's questioning, Lü Bu arrogantly announced his name, showing no regard for Qin Xuan.