Three Kingdoms: I rely on system loopholes to survive

Since the defeat in Xuzhou, Lu Bu's soldiers had been increasingly depleted, with only a dozen horses left, and the remnants of his army barely totaling a thousand men. Although they had found a place to stay in Xiakou, the situation was now hopeless.

"If I had listened to you earlier, how could I have failed today? It's all because of me who misled you!"

When Lü Bu admitted his mistakes, he was always very sincere. Chen Gong did not blame him for his haggard and repentant appearance. He just comforted him, "My lord, you still have the strength to fight. Now that Liu Jingsheng is dead, Liu Cong is just a young son, and he was raised by a woman. Jingzhou is like a delicacy for my lord. It is a gift from heaven. How can you not accept it?"

When Lu Bu heard this, his eyes lit up. He was so confident in his bravery that he didn't even take Liu Biao seriously, let alone Liu Cong, his young son who had not yet grown up?

This time he had finally learned from his several failed escapes. Although he was still a little addicted to beauty, he really dared not touch alcohol again. He was also seldom forgiving towards the soldiers who had fled with him. In addition, he respected Chen Gong and would consult him before giving any orders. He really showed the bearing of a wise leader.

"Sir, you have a plan in mind. If you have a plan to teach me, I will follow it."

Chen Gong nodded slightly. Although Lu Bu was defeated repeatedly, he still had the ambition to make a comeback, which could be considered an advantage.

"Liu Jingsheng was smart all his life, but he became confused in his old age and took such a fundamentally destabilizing move as deposing the eldest son and enthroning the youngest son. My lord, why don't you make a fuss about Liu Jingsheng's death and say that Liu Qi was murdered by his stepmother, and my lord couldn't bear to see the foundation of Jingzhou replaced by the Cai family, so he sent out volunteers to ask for an explanation for the eldest son?"

Lu Bu tried to think, and after a moment he asked, "I have never been friends with Liu Qi. If I use his name like this, what should I do if he comes out to refute me?"

Chen Gong was very happy to hear Lü Bu ask this question, and patiently explained to Lü Bu: "The Cai family came to power illegitimately, and I'm afraid it's too late for them to kill Liu Qi. I'm afraid the assassins they sent out are already on the way, and my lord has a legitimate reason. Moreover, even if Liu Qi escapes, he is frightened and has no troops, so how can he dare to show his power to others? Finally, my lord, as long as you raise the banner of defending Liu Qi, Liu Qi's life or death will depend on your decision."

Lu Bu nodded repeatedly, with a smile on his face: "Sir, your plan is as brilliant as a god. With you planning for me, why worry about not having a day to rise again? But..."

He sighed, "The descendants of Cao Cao's eunuchs and Yuan Shu's forced marriage to my daughter make me angry every time I think about it. If I can defeat these two and avenge the humiliation I have suffered, I can also relieve the depression in my heart!"

Chen Gong was speechless for a moment. He had always been slow of thought. The plan to seize Jingzhou was something he had thought of when he was fleeing. Now Lu Bu wanted him to come up with a way to deal with Cao Cao and Yuan Shu, which was indeed too much to ask.

"This..." Chen Gong lowered his eyes and thought for a while. "As for Cao Cao, I can still make some articles about his poisoning of a pregnant concubine and disrespecting the emperor. I think there are many people who want to raise an army against Cao Cao. It will be much easier to have such a legitimate banner. As for Yuan Shu... My lord, please be lenient with him for a while. Now it is a great cause to station troops in Jiangxia and plan for Jingzhou."

Lu Bu knew that what Chen Gong said made sense, and he felt a little regretful, but he didn't show it. When he thought of the fat piece of meat in Jingzhou, he couldn't help but feel pleased.

After Lu Bu was defeated by Li Jue and Zhang Ji and fled from Chang'an, he basically never won any major battles. He first fled from Yanzhou to Xuzhou, and then from Xuzhou to Jingzhou, panic-stricken like a dog that has lost its home.

But so what? He was able to escape unscathed from Li, Cao, and Yuan, and even occupied prefectures and counties one after another, and had a place to station troops. Doesn't this prove his ability? Now that he had Jingzhou, a piece of fat meat within his reach, Lu Bu felt that this was the time for his fortune to turn.

This thought lingered in Lu Bu's mind for several days, and then another piece of news that Lu Bu was happy to hear came: Yuan Shu in Yangzhou obtained the imperial seal, claimed that it was the destiny, and wanted to proclaim himself emperor in Huainan!
As soon as the news came out, even Lu Bu suspected that it was a joke made up by Chen Gong to comfort him. Even he himself had become less arrogant after being beaten repeatedly. If he got the jade seal, he would probably just hang it on his body and carry it every day to show off. How could he ever think of becoming emperor?
"I didn't expect Yuan Shu to be so brainless."

Here, Lu Bu secretly thanked his wife for her foresight: "Fortunately, I didn't marry my daughter off that day, otherwise how would my son cope with it today?"

He was happy and felt relieved, so he went to his wife's room to talk intimately without mentioning it. The news of Yuan Shu's enthronement had the greatest impact on Cao Cao and Yuan Shao in the north.

Cao Cao had just conquered Xuzhou and was confronting Yuan Shu across the river when Yuan Shu suddenly claimed that he was appointed by heaven and was the orthodox one. This statement attacked the foundation of Cao Cao's character. If heaven's will called Yuan Shu to be emperor, then wouldn't the emperor in Cao Cao's hands become a joke?

Therefore, Cao Cao was the first to write a poem to attack Yuan Shu's act of proclaiming himself emperor, labeling Yuan Shu as a false emperor who was usurping the throne and plotting treason, and asked the emperor to issue an imperial edict to warn him, and then he launched an expedition.

Yuan Shao of Jizhou was furious at Yuan Shu's move. Although he was unwilling to admit it, they were of the same blood after all. If Yuan Shu declared himself emperor without authorization, where would he stand? Yuan Shao secretly sent a letter to Yuan Shu to ask for the imperial seal, but at the same time he kept his troops in place, waiting for the outcome of the battle between Cao Cao and Yuan Shu.

If Cao Cao was defeated, he would occupy Hebei and would be the best candidate to protect the emperor. If Yuan Shu was defeated, he would definitely make Yuan Shu hand over the jade seal to him. After all, that was the imperial seal. Who wouldn't be tempted and covet it?
On the other hand, when the news reached Jiaozhou, Cao Cao and Yuan Shu were already fighting fiercely. When Liu Bei heard that Yuan Shu had proclaimed himself emperor, he was furious. He was lamenting the shaky throne with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who had just returned from the expedition, when he heard someone report that his nephew Liu Qi wanted to see him. Liu Bei also knew the situation in Jingzhou and was not surprised that Liu Qi would leave. He was just puzzled as he had never met Liu Qi before, so why did Liu Qi come to Jiaozhou, a remote place, to seek refuge.

Liu Bei straightened his face and went out to greet them. He saw that Liu Qi and his group were only four or five people, all of whom were covered in dirt and looked miserable. He could not help but be surprised: "Why are you so thin, young master? Come in quickly, I will ask someone to prepare some food and water."

Liu Qi had been on the road for a long time, and had been assassinated along the way. He was frightened and hungry. After sitting down, he took a big sip of the hot soup prepared by Liu Bei. It was just the right temperature for him to drink. After wandering for many days, Liu Qi suddenly felt tears in his eyes when he received such caring care: "Uncle is kind and virtuous. I have nowhere to go. I only have you as my relative to rely on!"

Beside Liu Qi, the retainer was of burly build. He stood silently, guarding Liu Qi silently.

Seeing Liu Qi so sad, Liu Bei thought of his life experience and couldn't help but feel pity for him. He comforted him kindly: "Young Master, take it slowly, don't hurt your stomach."

After Liu Qi drank a bowl of hot soup, Liu Bei asked someone to slowly serve him the meal, which was all nourishing food that warmed the stomach and was easy to digest.

Liu Qi immediately knew that coming to Jiaozhou to surrender to Liu Bei was the right choice. He did not want to use the method of enticing him with benefits as suggested by his retainers. Instead, he showed sincerity and moved him with emotion: "Uncle Rong Bing, after my father passed away, my stepmother treated me like an enemy and tried to kill me several times. Jingzhou is so big that there is no place for me to stay! If the people of Jingzhou were not grateful for my father's policies and had not benefited me in some way, there would have been people who spread rumors and covered up for me. I would have died in the hands of my stepmother!"

"It is said that maternal uncles are the most important. Qi has no relatives on her mother's side. Qi is all alone in the world. I am afraid that no one will miss her even if she dies immediately. But Qi has a puzzle in her heart. If she doesn't solve this puzzle, she will not be willing to die!"

As Liu Qi spoke, tears streamed down his face. He no longer looked like a nobleman. Instead, he looked like an orphan who had lost his family and was helpless, wailing from the bottom of his heart.

Zhang Fei couldn't help being moved by the look, and asked hurriedly: "Since you are my brother's nephew, I will treat you as my family. If you have suffered any injustice or any doubts, just tell me. Everyone in this room is your uncle, so why shouldn't I seek justice for you?"

Liu Qi had never expected that the people around Liu Bei would be so straightforward. He was even more moved and told the truth about how he was treated harshly by his stepmother, how Cai seized power when Liu Biao was seriously ill and cut off contact with the inside and outside, how suddenly Liu Biao's death was, how the request to bury Liu Biao's coffin and make Liu Cong the crown prince had already been sent to Yanzhou, and how he was sent to garrison Xiakou and arrange the assassination.

"It's not a pity that Qi died, but my father was a wise man and his death cannot be ruined by a woman! I only ask for your help, uncle, so that Qi can fulfill his filial duty and ask Cai for an explanation for my father's death!"

After Liu Qi finished speaking, he knelt down for a long time and could not get up.

(End of this chapter)