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

"Let's proceed as planned. Also, let's bring out all the wine and meat in the city and let them have a good meal."

"This can be considered the last bit of good deed we can do for them."

Jia Xu coldly gave the order.

The reason for having those refugees impersonate Zhang Xiu's main force was to dispel Cao Cao's concerns. If he saw that the main force was gone, wouldn't it be obvious that there was a problem?

To defeat Cao Cao, one only needs to strike him when he is most relaxed; the main force would only be a burden.

Moreover, in order to prevent Guo Jia's spies from noticing anything amiss, everything was done in secret, since even with a large number of spies, it was impossible to cover a wide area of ​​reconnaissance.

"Here you go!"

Zhang Xiu ultimately agreed with Jia Xu's suggestion.

That evening, the refugee soldiers in the city camp had their first full meal of meat and wine in their lives. They ate with gusto, their mouths greasy. Anyone who didn't know better would think that soldiers' meals were so good these days.

They lay sprawled out on the ground, dreaming of a life where they could eat and drink to their hearts' content every day.

Soon the day arrived for Cao Cao's arrival in Nanyang Commandery. In order to dispel the other party's concerns, Zhang Xiu, on Jia Xu's advice, set up camp outside Xinxian City with only two hundred elite infantrymen to welcome him.

That morning, Zhang Xiu, accompanied by Guo Jia, personally waited at the gate of the military camp for Cao Cao's arrival.

After an unknown amount of time, dust billowed in the distance as a troop of cavalry slowly approached, their Cao-branded banners fluttering in the wind.

"General Zhang, my lord has arrived!"

Guo Jia, standing to the side, squinted and pointed at the approaching iron cavalry in the distance, speaking slowly.

"Alright, play the music!"

Seeing the rapidly approaching troops, Zhang Xiu decisively gave the order, and the band that had been preparing for a long time behind him quickly sprang into action.

As the chime bells rang out, soldiers wielding heavy mallets began to rhythmically strike the bronze bells, producing clear and resonant sounds that seemed to echo for a long time above the camp.

At the same time, several shirtless drummers swung their drumsticks and struck the standing drums heavily.

The drumbeats, like rolling thunder, made the ground beneath our feet tremble.

Before long, to the sound of stirring music, the iron cavalry had arrived before them.

Upon seeing the man in the center, clad in a crimson robe and armor, Zhang Xiu quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said with a hint of respect:

"My name is Zhang Xiu. Welcome, Lord Cao!"

Seeing Zhang Xiu's humility, Cao Cao's face beamed with satisfaction. He then dismounted, walked up to Zhang Xiu, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed:

"General Zhang, we can be considered old acquaintances. I've come here today with sincere intentions!"

Faced with Cao Cao's overly familiar manner, Zhang Xiu was somewhat taken aback and didn't know what to say for a moment. He could only smile slightly and then invite everyone into the military camp.

After both sides entered the military camp, Cao Cao introduced his eldest son and others to Zhang Xiu before getting straight to the point:

"General Zhang Xiu, I want to know how many troops you have now, and what your conditions are for surrendering. I will agree to anything I can do. Please speak quickly!"

"Lord Cao, I now command tens of thousands of soldiers, all of whom are former troops of my uncle Zhang Ji's Liang army. As for our conditions, they are very simple: we hope that you will treat us equally and not bring up past grievances."

"After all~~~"

"Hahaha, I agree to this condition. General Zhang, rest assured, I, Cao Cao, am not the kind of person who likes to bring up old grievances. Now that Dong Zhuo and others from the Xiliang Army are dead, all past grudges are wiped clean."

"Furthermore, I will petition the court to appoint you as a General of Chariots and Cavalry!"

Before Zhang Xiu could finish speaking, Cao Cao couldn't wait to speak. In order to make the other party surrender to him without any scruples, Cao Cao wiped away all the old grievances and even promised him an important position.

After all, he had suffered a great loss at the hands of the Xiliang army, so it was normal for the other side to have some reservations.

In the early years of the war against Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao was ambushed by the Xiliang army in the Battle of Bian River and almost lost his life. If his cousin Cao Hong had not given his warhorse to Cao Cao, Cao Cao would have died long ago. From then on, Cao Cao had an irreconcilable hatred for the Xiliang army.

"Then thank you very much, Lord Cao. I am willing to submit to you and go through fire and water for you from now on!"

Seeing that Cao Cao had shown the utmost sincerity, Zhang Xiu immediately stood up, clasped his hands in greeting, and agreed to surrender.

"Great! Great! With Youwei around, what great things can't we accomplish!"

Cao Cao was overjoyed to see that Zhang Xiu had agreed to his conditions. He then inspected the Xiliang soldiers in Xin County under Zhang Xiu's guidance.

After learning that Zhang Xiu's main force was all in Li State and the Nanxiang area, his last worries disappeared, fearing that the other side had set a trap for him.

After staying in Xin County for several days, Zhang Xiu set up a Hongmen Banquet at the county government office to invite Cao Cao, while Zhao Yun led the remaining iron cavalry to ambush and annihilate Cao Cao's three thousand guards outside the city.

Unaware of the situation, Cao Cao, accompanied by Guo Jia, Dian Wei, and his eldest son Cao Ang, happily attended the banquet under the protection of two hundred imperial guards.

At midnight, the county government office was brightly lit with candles and filled with the aroma of wine. Cao Cao and others gathered in the hall, and the atmosphere was lively and extraordinary.

"My lord, thank you for gracing us with your presence. This cup is a toast to you!"

Zhang Xiu raised his cup and shouted, "My lord!" This gesture brought him and Cao Cao closer together.

"Okay, let's do it!"

The two raised their glasses to each other across the distance.

As time passed, everyone at the banquet was already completely drunk. Jia Xu, who was observing from the shadows, saw this and immediately ordered his men to quietly take Zhang Xiu out of the house. Then, the Snow Dragon Cavalry and other soldiers who were lying in ambush in the surrounding houses all moved into the house.

The loud commotion immediately brought the still-drunk Dian Wei back to some clarity, and he shouted:

"Oh no, we've fallen for their trap!"

Dian Wei's shout snapped Cao Cao and the others out of their drunken stupor. They stared at Dian Wei, bewildered and unsure of what to do.

Without a second thought, Dian Wei quickly got up, grabbed his twin halberds, and rushed to the doorway to fight the soldiers who had charged in.

Upon hearing the commotion, the two hundred guards stationed inside the mansion rushed towards the backyard, only to be blocked halfway by Hu Che'er, a fierce general under Zhang Xiu, and his men. In an instant, the sounds of battle echoed through the sky.

At the same time, Cao Cao and his men had regained their senses. Seeing this sudden change, Cao Cao immediately burst into curses:

"Damn it, Zhang Xiu dared to play me for a fool."

"Where is he? Where did he go?"

Looking around but not seeing Zhang Xiu, he was instantly enraged and kicked over the wine table in front of him.

"Father, retreat quickly! This is not the time to discuss this. General Dian Wei is about to collapse!"

Cao Ang drew his long sword, grabbed Cao Cao, and pulled him out of the encirclement, while Guo Jia followed closely behind under the cover of Cao Anmin.

When the group arrived outside, Dian Wei, wielding twin halberds, fought his way through the encirclement. Blood flowed like a river in the courtyard, and limbs were scattered everywhere. Dian Wei, his eyes bloodshot, endured the excruciating pain and, like a demon from hell, relentlessly reaped the lives of his soldiers.

Facing the invincible Dian Wei on foot, the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry gained no advantage whatsoever. Furthermore, the confined space prevented them from fully utilizing their martial arts skills, resulting in the loss of several brothers in a short time, all without managing to defeat their opponent.

"Kill! Father, run! We'll cover your retreat!"

Seeing that Dian Wei was about to be overwhelmed by the onslaught of so many soldiers, Cao Ang charged forward without hesitation, wielding his longsword. As one of Cao Cao's key protégés, Cao Ang was also skilled in martial arts.

"My lord, don't just stand there, let's go!"

Seeing Cao Cao standing there in a daze, Guo Jia grabbed his arm, took his long sword, and escorted Cao Cao out.