Chapter 216: Finally Meeting Xun Yu

After the four-party alliance was formed, Yuan Shu, in the name of the alliance leader, ordered people to draft a manifesto to attack Jin Mao, the governor of Yangzhou.

The two northern counties of Jingzhou and the eight counties of Yizhou responded in unison.

Upon hearing the news, Zhou Yu led his troops to station outside Yicheng, not far south of Xiangyang, and did not dare to continue marching north.

Upon hearing the news, Sun Ce wanted to escape immediately, but was discovered and stopped by Zhou Yu who had been prepared.

No matter how slow Zhou Yu was, he should have thought of what Xun You could think of.

"Bofu, if you just leave, you will put Sun Yuzhou in an unjust position."

It was late at night, Dong Xi was blocking the way in front, Zhou Yu was hanging behind, and Sun Ce was riding in the middle.

Zhou Yu continued to persuade, "It is better to stay and leave room for our lord and Sun Yuzhou."

Sun Ce turned his horse around, looked at Zhou Yu with complicated eyes and said, "Gongjin, I thought we were like-minded friends."

In the darkness, Zhou Yu's face was unclear, and he could only hear a faint laugh: "It is still the same now."

Sun Ce shook his head and did not argue. He just asked, "Can you tell me why?"

Zhou Yu then explained the meaning of the hostage and said, "You are deeply loved by the lord and will not be killed. If Sun Quan comes here, it will be hard to say."

Sun Ce hid his entire face in the darkness, and asked as if he had made up his mind: "What if I insist on leaving?"

Zhou Yu made way and ordered Dong Xi and others to move aside as well, "Go ahead!"

"But, as a friend, I advise you not to do anything stupid."

"Otherwise, we can only be enemies from now on, and we can't even be friends anymore."

Sun Ce insisted on leaving, Zhang Fei and Dong Xi came over and looked at Zhou Yu, who raised his hand.

"Squeak!"

The piercing sound of bows and crossbows being drawn was heard, and the scene instantly became solemn and murderous.

Obviously, Zhou Yu was not as sincere as he seemed. As long as Sun Ce dared to leave, Zhou Yu would dare to kill people.

This is also the reason why Zhang Fei and Dong Xi did not dare to act rashly.

This kid Zhou Yu has no martial ethics and always uses some shady tricks. No one knows how he died.

It’s just like when Sun Ce killed Cao Yin, after Zhang Fei and Dong Xi knew the inside story, their expressions were so dumbfounded that it couldn’t be described.

These people who play with their brains have dirty hearts.

Sun Ce didn't really want to leave, but to verify one thing, "Gongjin, you have changed."

Zhou Yu said without surprise: "Everyone will change, for better or for worse."

Sun Ce asked, "Do you think you have become better or worse?"

"Good or bad is just a matter of thought." Zhou Yu did not give a direct answer.

Sun Ce did not ask any further questions, because they both already had the answer in their hearts and the two could never go back to the way they were before.

Faced with the four-party alliance, Zhou Yu was unusually calm and stabilized the situation.

On the one hand, Zhou Yu sent someone to convey a message to Jin Mao, asking about the next progress. On the other hand, Zhou Yu established a forward base in Yicheng.

With the protection of Zhang Fei's five hundred cavalrymen, Zhou Yu was confident that he could defeat an army of ten thousand men and could also leave calmly with an army of twenty thousand men.

This is not only the sense of security for top generals, but also the confidence of five hundred elite knights and two thousand fully-strength elite infantry.

...

Jiangling County.

It was already the second day of February, and Jin Mao had already issued orders to the troops in various counties to quell the riots and eliminate the bandits.

In other words, those who were causing chaos, whether they were nobles or common people, would be killed upon encounter, without taking any prisoners.

However, the results were minimal, and the resistance seemed to be getting more intense, as if it would not stop until everyone was killed.

Jin Mao also received Zhou Yu's letter.

It can only be said that there are internal and external troubles.

If Sun Jian really goes along with these people, Jin Mao can only think of one solution: increase the number of troops!

But this was a mutually destructive strategy that completely overdrawn the future of Yangzhou and Jingzhou.

Jinmao doesn't want to do this unless it is absolutely necessary.

Now Jinmao is at most at a disadvantage, and everyone still has choices among each other. Once the rapid military action mode is activated, it will be a fight to the death.

The third day of February.

An unexpected news came.

"Cao Cao brought a lot of gifts to Jianye, hoping to exchange for his four brothers?"

Jin Mao confirmed again and again that Cao Cao did not lead a large army to capture Jianye, but only stationed 200 cavalry outside the city.

"How brave you are."

Jin Mao couldn't help but think: "If we take this opportunity to completely eliminate Cao Cao..."

Now that the strongest figure of the Three Kingdoms is gone, what will happen in the future?
Xi Zhicai seemed to see Jin Mao's thoughts and advised: "My lord, excessive killing will not solve all problems, but will bring disaster."

Xun You immediately agreed: "My lord, Cao Cao is very suspicious and I'm afraid it will be difficult to kill him."

Jin Mao laughed and said, "What are you talking about? I am not a bloodthirsty person."

"Should I accept Cao Cao's invitation?"

Xi Zhicai felt that it should be so. Now was the time when Jinmao was in urgent need of help. Since Cao Cao dared to threaten to exchange brothers, he must have prepared a gift more valuable than two thousand war horses!

That’s right! Earlier, Jin Mao threatened Cao Cao that each person would receive 500 horses, a friendly price, and no bargaining allowed!
Cao Hong is worth 1,500 horses alone, and now four of them are worth 2,000 horses, which is absolutely a fair price.

"Okay! Let's go and see what tricks Cao Cao is playing."

Before that, arrangements must be made for Zhou Yu.

"Give me the order!"

"While I am away from Jiangling County, order Zhou Yu to return to Jiangling County to take charge. Military Advisor Xun You will be in charge of all matters in Jingzhou, and Zhou Yu will assist him."

Jin Mao patted Xun You on the shoulder and said, "Gongda, don't let me down."

Xun You had a blank expression on his face, but he felt helpless in his heart.

Jin Mao’s meaning was very clear. If you still don’t agree with him this time, then do something less important.

Among the three counselors, only Xun You has not expressed his stance yet. Xi Zhicai and Zhou Yu have already completely sided with Jin Mao.

At least that's the case on the surface.

As if he had made up his mind, Xun You said solemnly: "My lord, rest assured, I won't let you down this time!"

"Haha, that's good."

The fourth day of February.

Jin Mao took three thousand personal guards and sailed downstream from Jiangling County. It was expected that they would reach Jianye County in two days.

This is the benefit of occupying Jingzhou!

Since defeating the Jingzhou navy, Jin Mao's navy has been greatly strengthened. There is no need to worry about military preparations for the time being, only to increase troops.

The sixth day of February.

Cao’s camp is stationed five miles north of Jianye County, only three hundred meters away from the pier, so it can get hold of the ferry at the first opportunity.

During this period, Cao Cao kept chasing Xun Yu to talk and chat.

The more Cao Cao understood, the more he regretted.

If we make a comparison, the current Jinmao is an advanced version of Cao Cao. He has outstanding military strength, but lacks top-level internal affairs talent.

However, Cao Cao is much stronger than Jin Mao, and his political and military talents are higher than Jin Mao. If Cao Cao had occupied Jingzhou, there would definitely not be so many things happening now, and if something went wrong, Cao Cao would be much more ruthless than Jin Mao.

Let’s find out who holds the record for the highest number of massacres in history.

Riverside.

Cao Cao once again invited Xun Yu to a discussion.

"Wen Ruo, why are you so optimistic about Yangzhou Mu?"

Cao Cao was very confused and said, "Jingzhou is in turmoil. I really don't understand why the governor of Yangzhou is so smart."

After spending some time together, Xun Yu developed a favorable impression of Cao Cao and only regretted that they had not met earlier.

"Meng De, the most brilliant thing about Yangzhou Mu is that he can always accomplish things beyond people's expectations even though people can't understand him."

Since he was determined to join Jinmao, Xun Yu began to throw smoke bombs at his competitors.

"As I said before, Yangzhou Mu has won battle after battle since he became famous, and he has never lost. There must be some unique skill of his."

Cao Cao agreed and said, "Wen Ruo is right. At first, I also couldn't understand how Yangzhou Mu deployed his troops, but in the end, I was the one who fled in panic."

"To be honest, I knew that battle was a losing one, but I didn't expect to lose so quickly!"

Xun Yu narrowed his eyes and tightened his fur coat. It was still chilly in early spring. Cao Cao was probably the only one who liked to come to the riverside to be tortured.

"Maybe it's God's will."

Cao Cao disagreed with Xun Yu's statement: "I never believe in God's will!"

"If there really is a will of heaven, Dong Zhuo should have died a thousand times already!"

Xun Yu smiled and did not refute, but in fact he refuted with silent silence.

Seeing that Xun Yu didn't believe it, Cao Cao raised his eyes and saw rows of black shadows appearing on the surface of the river.

Having commanded the navy of Jingzhou, Cao Cao understood that a large fleet was approaching and the distance would not exceed thirty miles.

And who else can now run rampant on the Yangtze River except Jinmao?

With little time left, Cao Cao asked Xun Yu, "If it is God's will, do you think I can get my four brothers back and get out of this unscathed?"

This was Cao Cao's test, trying to show that he was the symbol of God's will.

Xun Yu had no doubt that Jin Mao would agree to the exchange, but whether Cao Cao could escape from Jin Mao was another matter.

"If this is really God's will," Xun Yu said with a smile, "Aren't you afraid that the governor of Yangzhou will do everything he can to kill you, Meng De?"

"Hahaha!"

Cao Cao laughed loudly and said, "If it is really God's will, why would I be afraid of a mere governor of Yangzhou?"

At this moment, Cao Cao's dominance was undoubtedly revealed.

Xun Yu looked a little dazed. This was the demeanor a ruler should have.

Half an hour later.

Cao Cao rode on a warhorse with shiny fur, equipped with a saddle and a single-sided stirrup, and waited fully armed until he landed at Jinmao.

The two hundred riders behind him were waiting anxiously. The horses under their crotches seemed to sense their master's mood and pawed the ground restlessly with their hooves.

These people are all survivors who escaped death at the hands of Jinmao, and they have a natural psychological fear of Jinmao.

Xun Yu was "invited" back to the carriage by Cao Cao. He was the most important bargaining chip in Cao Cao's hand.

Even if Cao Cao didn't know how close the relationship between Xun Yu and Jin Mao was, he knew that if Jin Mao didn't want such a talented person, there would be plenty of people who would!
Another quarter of an hour passed.

The one thousand cavalrymen and two thousand strong crossbowmen under Jin Mao's command have already formed their battle formations. The military appearance is neat and the three thousand men are united. Against the backdrop of black armor, they are like a thick dark cloud that will turn into a rainstorm and hit the earth in an instant.

This was the first time Cao Cao saw the full picture of his personal guards, and also the first time he saw such an elite force. He took a deep breath.

At the same time, Cao Cao was excited: "In the future, I must form an elite force like this!"

"No! I want to form a more elite force than this!"

the other side.

Jin Mao waited until his personal guards had finished forming their battle array before he calmly stepped off the warship.

This was the first time he saw Cao Cao, and he felt that he was 70% similar to the Cao Cao played by Bao Guoan.

But the Cao Cao in front of him had sharper eyes and a more noble temperament, like a sharp and luxurious sword.

His skin was darker, his beard thicker, and his clothes less flashy.

At the same time, Cao Cao was also observing Jin Mao, but was greatly disappointed.

She didn't have the tall and straight figure as imagined. Instead, she was about the same height as him. She wasn't as good-looking as him, but her skin color was like a man's, not to mention her temperament.

When the two met for the first time, Jin Mao was very satisfied but Cao Cao was very dissatisfied.

"Meet the governor of Yangzhou."

Cao Cao was the first to salute, and Jin Mao clasped his fists and said, "Cao Mengde, I have long heard of your great name."

"Where is the precious gift you mentioned?"

Jin Mao's rudeness actually made Cao Cao look at him with a higher regard.

Cao Cao did not dismount, but clasped his fists and said, "That depends on whether the governor of Yangzhou will let my brother live."

"Oh?" Jin Mao raised his hand and the crossbow began to load arrows.

Seeing that the 200 riders behind Cao Cao were panicking, but Cao Cao remained calm, Jin Mao exclaimed: "As expected of Cao Mengde, he does not change color even when a blade is thrown on him."

Since he couldn't scare him, Jin Mao raised his hand again and removed the arrows from the crossbow.

"Someone, go to Jianye City and bring four people up!"

Seeing that it would take quite some time, Jin Mao ordered his men to set up the stove, light a fire and cook, and invited, "I haven't had lunch yet, Meng De, would you like to join us?"

"I respectfully refuse to obey your command!" Cao Cao dismounted from his horse without hesitation and sat down casually beside the stove.

Jin Mao ordered someone to bring him bowls and chopsticks, then he started eating.

Seeing that the other party was eating with relish, Cao Cao also tasted the food. It tasted surprisingly good. He couldn't help but put down his chopsticks and sighed, "Having good food but no wine would make it less fun."

"Someone! Bring some wine!"

Jin Mao put down his bowl and chopsticks and said, "If you want to drink, drink it yourself. I don't drink."

Cao Cao was stunned: "I heard that the governor of Yangzhou ruled his people very strictly, but I didn't expect that his subordinates would follow suit. I admire you!"

Cao Cao would never believe that Jin Mao couldn't drink. The high-proof liquor that Jin Mao had brewed specially for Xi Zhicai had already been circulated on the market, and Cao Cao was fortunate enough to taste it.

It is unreasonable that people who make wine do not drink alcohol!
Instead of being happy about receiving Cao Cao's praise, Jin Mao felt upset.

In the future, the two will definitely become rivals. The stronger Cao Cao becomes, the more uncomfortable Jin Mao will feel.

"Why not take the opportunity to kill her?"

Feeling the murderous intent from Jin Mao, Cao Cao's expression tightened and he asked jokingly, "I heard that the governor of Yangzhou is as good as a promise. Is that true?"

Jin Mao was interrupted by this and stopped worrying about the future. He said, "I've always been like this to my friends, but not necessarily to my enemies."

Hearing this, Cao Cao clasped his fists and said, "Then I will ask for your mercy."

"Oh?" Jin Mao asked curiously, "What grace?"

Cao Cao said, "If the Yangzhou governor likes the gift I give you, please show some mercy and let the five of us go back."

The meaning of this is very simple: Cao Cao wants to make friends, and if Jin Mao agrees, he will let them go. If he disagrees, he will definitely break his promise, and then Cao Cao may destroy the valuable gift and perish together.

"Don't answer so quickly." Cao Cao said with a smile, "It won't be too late to answer after you meet Xun Yu."

Xun Yu?
Xun Yu!!

Jin Mao finally reacted, his voice breaking with excitement: "The precious gift you are talking about is Xun Yu?!!!"

(End of this chapter)