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

"Clang~~~~!"

Xue Rengui fought his way out of Lü Bu's attack and, taking advantage of the moment when the opponent was catching his breath, turned his horse around and decisively retreated.

He shouted as he returned to the city:

"General Lü, if you want to enter the city, you must retreat ten miles. I will inform the lord and ask him to come and talk with you as soon as possible."

"If you persist in your folly and dare to attack the city, I will fight you to the bitter end, and in the end, you will be the only one who suffers!"

Hearing Xue Rengui's words, Lü Bu was furious. He had lost so many men and still couldn't defeat the enemy. It was a great humiliation. But he couldn't kill the enemy, so he could only stand there in a helpless rage, venting his anger.

"withdraw!"

In the end, they could only order their men to collect the corpses on the battlefield and retreat ten miles.

Upon returning to the city, Xue Rengui observed the movements of Lü Bu's army outside. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and he then instructed the soldiers beside him:

"Immediately send someone to inform the lord that I have fought against Lü Bu and our army has won. He is now encamped ten miles outside Xiaopei City. Please send him here quickly to take control of the situation!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will send someone on horseback to report immediately!" the soldier hurriedly replied.

The situation is now beyond Xue Rengui's control. If Lü Bu had simply withdrawn his troops, there would have been nothing to say. The key point is that the other side listened to the advice and actually retreated ten miles.

The only way to deal with this is for Qin Xuan to come in person.

Because the matter was extremely urgent, Xue Rengui sent out men who traveled at breakneck speed, arriving in Tancheng by evening on the third day.

Upon learning the reason for the incident, Qin Xuan led 5,000 troops to Xiaopei early the next morning.

In the event that the two sides fail to reach an agreement and a larger conflict breaks out, they can still maintain a balance in terms of troop numbers with Lü Bu, so as not to be at a disadvantage when the battle begins.

After a five- or six-day march, Qin Xuan finally arrived at Xiaopei.

"My lord, look, Lü Bu's army has really set up camp there. What should we do? Judging from their posture, they seem to be trying to cling to us!"

On the city tower of Xiaopei, Xue Rengui pointed to the endless military tents in the distance and expressed his concerns to Qin Xuan with deep worry.

For the past few days, Lü Bu has been sending people every day to inquire whether Qin Xuan has arrived in Xiaopei. If it weren't for the deep impression left on them by the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, they probably would have launched a full-scale attack on the city long ago.

There's no need to be so polite!

"Heh!" Qin Xuan looked at Lu Bu's camp in the distance, a disdainful smile appearing on his lips.

"He's dreaming if he thinks he can cling to us. His reputation as a traitor is terrible. Letting him into Xuzhou would be like inviting a wolf into the house!"

"Let's leave the city and meet this renowned Marquis Wen, to see what he's really up to!"

As he spoke, Qin Xuan led five hundred Snow Dragon Riders and Xue Rengui out of the city. At the same time, Xiaopei also went on high alert, with ten thousand soldiers nocking arrows and holding swords and spears, ready to deal with any emergencies.

Inside Lü Bu's military tent, the candlelight flickered, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

A large table was laden with fine wines and delicacies. Lu Bu, dressed in casual robes, leaned back on a soft couch, toying with a wine cup in his hand. The amber liquid in the cup shimmered under the lamplight.

Diao Chan wore a light green dress, the sheer fabric flowing gracefully, like a dream.

Diao Chan lowered her eyes and smiled gently, softly singing a beautiful little tune. Her voice was as melodious as a nightingale singing in a valley, immersing the entire tent in a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere.

"Cicada, your singing today is exceptionally moving." Lu Bu smiled slightly, downed the wine in his cup in one gulp, his eyes filled with affection for Diao Chan.

After killing Dong Zhuo, Lü Bu's affection for Diao Chan grew even stronger. Whenever he had free time, he would drag her along to drink and make merry, indulging in wine and women.

Upon hearing this, Diao Chan raised her eyes slightly and smiled gently: "I'm glad the general likes it. I, Chan'er, am willing to sing all the best songs in the world for the general."

Seeing this, Lü Bu laughed heartily, put down his wine cup, and gently took Diao Chan's soft hand in his, his eyes filled with tenderness: "With you by my side, life is truly pleasant."

Diao Chan then lowered her head gently, a blush rising on her face.

Good books and good stories accompany you every day.

However, just as the two were deeply in love and immersed in this luxurious atmosphere, the curtain of the military tent was suddenly lifted, and Chen Gong strode in. He saw that the other man had a furrowed brow and a look of anxiety on his face.

When Diao Chan saw Chen Gong arrive, she immediately broke free from Lü Bu's side, stood up, lowered her head, and shyly left the military tent.

She knew the other party must have something important to say, and she, a woman, dared not get involved in such matters.

Seeing this, Chen Gong didn't say much. The matter was urgent, and he didn't have time to concern himself with Lü Bu's private life. He simply spoke urgently:

"Fengxian, a soldier just reported that Xue Rengui has led the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry out of the city. I think it must be Qin Xuan. Let's go check it out!"

Upon hearing that Qin Xuan might have arrived, Lü Bu instantly sobered up considerably. He abruptly sat up from the couch, his gaze sweeping across Chen Gong like lightning: "What did you say?"

"It might be Qin Xuan. You should go and see him quickly!" Chen Gong repeated anxiously.

Lu Bu's face instantly turned ashen. He slammed the wine cup in his hand down, and it shattered on the ground with a loud crash.

"Qin Xuan has finally arrived. I'm eager to see just who this guy is, and how he can be so capable!"

After speaking, he quickly put on his armor, picked up his halberd, and left the tent.

We have lost more than half of our Bingzhou wolf cavalry for nothing. We must settle this score properly and not just let it go.

Seeing Lü Bu's impulsiveness, Chen Gong worried that things might go wrong, so he immediately chased after him.

···············

Qin Xuan led his men to a point 500 meters from Lü Bu's camp, waiting for Lü Bu to appear. He knew that with such a large commotion, the other side would definitely notice.

Looking at the defensive measures of Lü Bu's camp and the morale of the soldiers, Qin Xuan couldn't help but sigh:

"Lu Bu has some talented men under his command; the soldiers he's trained are truly excellent!"

Upon hearing Qin Xuan's words, Xue Rengui immediately understood their meaning and added:

"My lord, I've inquired. These soldiers were trained by a general under Lü Bu named Gao Shun. There are about eight hundred of them in total, and they are quite strong!"

In the few days that Qin Xuan was away, Xue Rengui had already thoroughly investigated the situation of Lü Bu's army. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.

"Oh, I see!"

Upon hearing that these soldiers were trained by Gao Shun, Qin Xuan suddenly realized that although Gao Shun's combat strength might not be very strong, his ability to command and train troops was unmatched by anyone in the entire Eastern Han and Three Kingdoms period.

In modern times, he would be the training director of a million-strong army!

Just as Qin Xuan was feeling sentimental, Lü Bu emerged with his generals and Chen Gong.

"You are Qin Xuan, and I am Lü Bu, the Marquis of Wen of the Han Dynasty!"

Upon seeing Xue Rengui's respectful attitude towards the handsome young man beside him, Lü Bu guessed the man's identity and introduced himself loudly with a contemptuous attitude.

Since killing Dong Zhuo and becoming a meritorious official of the Han Dynasty, the title of Marquis Wen has become Lü Bu's most boastful title, and he would say it to everyone he met.

"Heh, so it's General Lü Wenhou! What brings you to my Xuzhou instead of dealing with Cao Cao in Yanzhou?"

After offering a compliment, Qin Xuan got straight to the point; he didn't have time for small talk.

This...?

Faced with Qin Xuan's direct question, Lü Bu was caught off guard. He was a top-notch general, but his mind wasn't that quick, and he didn't know how to organize his thoughts for a moment.

Fortunately, Chen Gong was there and quickly took over the conversation, easing Lü Bu's embarrassment.

"General Qin, our army suffered a defeat because of insufficient food supplies, which allowed Cao Cao to exploit our weaknesses. Moreover, Xuzhou and Cao Cao have a grudge; Cao Song was killed by Zhang Kai, and the two sides are now irreconcilably at odds!"

"Therefore, we came to Xuzhou seeking a safe haven so that we can join forces to fight Cao Cao!"

Chen Gong's words can be said to have occupied the moral high ground.

We were defeated by Cao Cao because of a lack of supplies, not for any other reason. As for why we came to Xuzhou, it was of course to join forces with Cao Cao.

It seems that Qin Xuan could not refuse this at all. After all, Lu Bu's strength was unmatched in the world. Who could easily let go of such a powerful ally?