With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 163, Luring Yuan's Soldiers

Xun You said, "Your Excellency is overthinking it. His Majesty is surrounded by many talented individuals. Lü Bu and Zhao Yun are both rare generals in this era. With them around, His Majesty will not be in danger."

"Then let me discuss it with His Majesty first."

Cao Cao rode up to see Liu Xie, who was chatting with Gan Ning. Cao Cao had to admire Liu Xie, as he had only met Gan Ning a few times before, yet they were able to talk and laugh together so enthusiastically in such a short time.

"Your Majesty, another urgent report has arrived from Bai Ma. The city is on the verge of collapse. I intend to..."

Cao Cao told Liu Xie about Xun You's plan, and finally asked in a consultative tone, "Your Majesty, what do you think of this plan to lure the enemy into a trap?"

Gan Ning and Guan Yu both heard this and stared coldly at Cao Cao.

Anyone would think Cao Cao did it on purpose. Who would use the emperor as bait? If something went wrong, who could bear the responsibility?

Liu Xie did not answer immediately; he looked at Cao Cao and pondered for a long time.

After a while, Cao Cao also felt uneasy and said, "Your Majesty, if you feel it is inappropriate, you can send someone else to do this."

Liu Xie smiled and waved his hand. If Cao Cao's tone had been forceful instead of politely discussing, even if Liu Xie had agreed, he would have felt very resentful.

In retrospect, Cao Cao still cared to some extent about his status as emperor.

Liu Xie said, "There's no need to change anyone. This time, I've taken personal charge of the government, and I wanted to do what I could. Cao Cao has personally gone to the front lines many times, leading by example for the Han Dynasty. I can no longer just sit idly by like before. Yuan Shao is powerful, and our current situation is hard-won. Everyone is doing their best, and I can't fall behind. So it's decided, I will personally go and lure Yuan's troops!"

Cao Cao noticed that Liu Xie was not saying he would go on the expedition with the army, but rather that he would be going on the expedition by imperial decree.

The two are completely different. When the emperor goes on a military expedition, he is at most a figurehead, and he is more likely to go out to enjoy the scenery and stroll around. But when he personally leads the expedition, Liu Xie suddenly becomes the protagonist!

Cao Cao didn't think much of it; he figured Liu Xie might have said that to boost morale.

"How many troops does Your Majesty need?"

Liu Xie shook his head, "No need, the five thousand soldiers that Prince Chen brought are enough!"

Cao Cao was stunned again, "This..."

Liu Xie's expression immediately turned serious. "Since the situation at Baima is not good and time is of the essence, I will take my leave first."

Liu Xie found two scouts to guide him, then immediately bid farewell to Cao Cao and led his men away on horseback.

Guo Jia and Xun You arrived shortly after. Guo Jia shook his head and smiled slightly, "My lord, we never expected His Majesty to be so proactive. He has once again surprised us."

Cao Cao sighed, gazing blankly in the direction Liu Xie had left.

Cao Cao exclaimed, "I never expected His Majesty to agree so readily."

Xun You said, "My lord, isn't this a good thing? His Majesty is taking Prince Chen and the others to lure Yuan's troops. Even if there are some losses, it will only weaken His Majesty's strength."

Cao Cao nodded. "That's true, but I still feel like something's not quite right."

Cao Cao had hoped to use Yuan Shao to weaken Liu Xie, but he did not expect Liu Xie to cooperate so readily.

Little did he know that Liu Xie had already discussed it with Jia Xu. This time, Liu Xie was going to do his best to make everyone understand that he, the emperor, was not just a figurehead!
The troops under Prince Chen are essentially Liu Xie's direct subordinates, making them easier and more reliable to use!
Besides, the other soldiers also saw it and would inevitably be infected.

When people like Xu Huang and Zhang Liao saw Liu Xie's decisiveness and willingness to risk his life, their feelings became complicated. They admired him but were also worried about his safety.

Cao Cao quickly cleared his mind of distractions and made a swift decision: "We must hurry to Baima. Once His Majesty's plan to lure the enemy succeeds, we will immediately attack Yan Liang!"

Guo Jia nodded inwardly. Just because Cao Cao was worried about the emperor's safety, the harmony between the emperor and his ministers always had a good foundation.

…………

Outside White Horse City!

Twenty thousand Yuan soldiers were arrayed and launching an attack. The Yuan soldiers surged up the ladders and climbed the city walls like a tidal wave.

The ladder was densely packed with people, like bunches of dark grapes, all scrambling to climb it.

Cao's soldiers on the city wall were putting up a fierce resistance, but the number of defenders was too small, and Liu Yan was under great pressure.

Arrows rained down on the city walls relentlessly. Yuan's troops launched an exceptionally fierce attack, and Yan Liang did not stop even as some were hit by his own arrows.

Liu Yan's side had already run out of arrows to defend the city, and with too few men, they could only passively defend to the death.

Cao Cao's troops in the city numbered only a little over two thousand. Faced with Yan Liang's relentless attacks day and night, Cao Cao's troops didn't even have time to eat.

The sounds of clashing swords and spears, shouts of battle, the whistling of arrows, and the resounding thuds of battering rams all blended together, as if the world itself had become chaotic.

Yan Liang sat on his horse, his face stern, his eyes fixed on the fierce battle on the city wall.

Despite Yuan Shao's repeated urging, Yan Liang, though confident in his ability to capture Baima, did not want to delay any longer.

Ideally, we should break through the city now, immediately!
The battle had been going on for several days, and Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong had also come to provide support, which greatly boosted Yan Liang's confidence.

Suddenly, a scout came galloping from afar, his hooves clattering loudly, and he arrived in the blink of an eye.

The scout nimbly jumped to the ground, tapping one leg on the ground, and loudly reported: "General, a group of Cao soldiers has been spotted to the east. They are acting suspiciously and are quietly approaching this way. The person leading the group is extremely distinguished."

Yan Liang asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure it's Cao Cao's troops?"

"Absolutely true, they are indeed using the banner of the Han Dynasty!"

The banner of the Han Dynasty was naturally the banner of Cao Cao's army, a fact universally acknowledged, since Cao Cao was essentially a puppet ruler who controlled the emperor and commanded the world.

Yan Liang immediately summoned Guo Tu and Chunyu Qiong and told them about the matter.

Guo Tu squinted his narrow eyes and thought for a moment, "In my opinion, the leader must be a novice. He seems to be of noble status, but he doesn't know anything about military affairs. He was clearly planning to launch a surprise attack on our army, but he was not discreet and leaked his whereabouts in advance."

Chunyu Qiong laughed loudly and said disdainfully, "Since that's the case, I'll go and meet them. They're only a few thousand people; I'm sure I can kill them all."

Guo Tu said, "Then I will go with you."

The two men led eight thousand men and quickly headed east. Guo Tu, being meticulous, sent people to scout again, and the intelligence turned out to be very accurate.

Guo Tu had a sudden inspiration and wanted to set up an ambush in advance, but Chunyu Qiong shook his head and said, "Gongze, you are being too cautious. The whereabouts of the people coming have already been exposed. They must be incompetent. We can just go and kill them directly. There is no need to set up an ambush." ​​Chunyu Qiong spurred his horse and quickly intercepted the group.

It was Liu Xie who arrived. He deliberately acted like a complete novice, swaggering over as he came. He was quickly spotted by Yuan Bing's scouts.

Before him, men shouted and horses neighed. Thousands of Yuan soldiers suddenly attacked and blocked his path. Liu Xie only had two thousand men with him.

Chunyu Qiong, mounted on his horse, looked at Liu Xie and scrutinized him closely, noting his extraordinary bearing and luxurious attire.

Judging from his appearance, Chunyu Qiong seemed to have seen him somewhere before. He stared at Liu Xie for a moment, frowning and deep in thought.

"May I ask if the person coming from the other side is General Chunyu?" Liu Xie spoke first.

"Huh? Who are you? How do you recognize me?" Chunyu Qiong was taken aback.

"Of course I recognize you. Although I was only nine years old back then, there are some people I still remember. Don't forget, you were the Right Captain, one of the Eight Captains of the Western Garden!"

Although Liu Xie was a time traveler, he still inherited the original memories of this body. Liu Xie was intelligent from a young age and ascended the throne at the age of nine. He still remembers many people and events from that time.

How could he forget such an important event as Dong Zhuo's entry into the capital and the mutiny in Luoyang?

Back in the day, Chunyu Qiong was on par with Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and others, all belonging to the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden!
"What? You're actually His Majesty?"

Guo Tu squinted, momentarily stunned, then was overwhelmed with elation.

What a wonderful piece of news! It's like finding a needle in a haystack, only to have it come to you effortlessly.

Before Cao Cao went to Xuchang to welcome him, Tian Feng and Ju Shou also suggested that the emperor should command the world, but Yuan Shao thought it was troublesome and that the emperor was in the way, so he refused.

But Guo Tu felt that holding the emperor card was still very useful. Unexpectedly, the emperor was not in Xudu, but appeared here instead.

Chunyu Qiong seemed to be reminiscing about the past. Looking at Liu Xie, he was lost in memories of old Luoyang. He hesitated for a moment, then stopped, wanting to dismount and pay his respects.

After all, our positions are different now. If I were to dismount and bow abruptly, what would that look like? Would it mean I were to switch allegiance to the emperor?

Chunyu Qiong looked embarrassed and asked Liu Xie with a puzzled expression, "Your Majesty, what is this?"

Chunyu Qiong's expression brought Liu Xie some comfort; even though he was now following Yuan Shao, at least he still had some sense of loyalty to his ruler.

Liu Xie said, “General Chunyu, everyone knows that I am with Cao Cao. Cao Cao has done a good job in welcoming me and wants to help me restore the Han Dynasty. This time, I am personally leading the expedition to deal with Yuan Shao with Cao Cao. I heard that you are besieging Baima, so I came here.”

Liu Xie, like an innocent lab rat, recounted the whole story in detail.

Guo Tu almost burst out laughing. "Your Majesty, are you going to lead the army in person?"

This is hardly a royal expedition; it's practically a mission delivered to their doorstep!
As for Liu Xie's claim that Cao Cao was a loyal minister who wanted to restore the Han Dynasty, Guo Tu clearly did not believe it. He shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, you have been deceived by Cao Cao. Cao Cao is a treacherous and cunning man. How could he possibly sincerely help you restore the Han Dynasty?"

Guo Tu snorted coldly, thinking: This is not surprising. The emperor was imprisoned at a young age and passed through the hands of several people. How much insight could he have? He must believe whatever Cao Cao says. He was clearly being used, yet he still insisted that Cao Cao was a loyal minister.

However, regardless of Cao Cao's intentions, since they had encountered him here, they couldn't let him go.

Guo Tu leaned closer to Chunyu Qiong and whispered, "General Chunyu, this is a golden opportunity. If we hand His Majesty over to our lord, it will surely be a great achievement. One emperor alone is worth ten or a hundred White Horse Cities."

Chunyu Qiong was overjoyed and burst into laughter. "Your Majesty, the Grand General is the true loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. Why don't you come with me to see the Grand General? What do you think, Your Majesty?"

Liu Xie shook his head. "No need to say more. I only trust Cao Cao. Yuan Shao is treacherous and is no different from Yuan Shu."

Chunyu Qiong sneered, "Since Your Majesty is unwilling to go to Hebei, then please forgive our rudeness."

As he spoke, Chunyu Qiong waved his hand, and the Yuan soldiers behind him rushed forward in a flurry.

Although some of Yuan's soldiers had doubts and didn't know why the emperor needed to be taken down, they had no choice but to obey orders.

Liu Xie waved his hand, and Gan Ning led his men to meet them. Liu Xie had instructed them beforehand to pretend to be outmatched and not to actually fight.

Gan Ning rushed forward and fought his way through the enemy lines. Then Chunyu Qiong personally charged over. Gan Ning managed to exchange a few blows with him before shouting, "This fellow is incredibly powerful. I am no match for him!"

Liu Xie was even more decisive than Gan Ning; seeing that the situation was not good, he turned around and fled in advance.

Gan Ning feinted a few times with his sword, then turned and fled, shouting as he retreated, "Protect His Majesty! Retreat immediately!"

Seeing this, Chunyu Qiong became even more smug. "Your Majesty, wouldn't it be better to stay in Xuchang? How could you possibly lead troops into battle? Cao Cao must have lost his mind to send you here with your troops."

"General Chunyu, don't just stand there, hurry and chase after them!" Guo Tu urged anxiously.

Chunyu Qiong led his men to quickly catch up, he never dreamed that the emperor would lead troops into battle.

In addition, the emperor's status is incredibly tempting. Capturing one emperor is worth ten or a hundred White Horse Cities. Only a fool wouldn't pursue it.

Liu Xie suffered a crushing defeat and fled frantically. As Gan Ning ran, he also managed to get his soldiers to drop some of their armor and weapons.

Gan Ning acted decisively in this matter, though he felt quite aggrieved.

It was simply because it was Liu Xie's order, and he had no choice but to obey unconditionally. The frustration stemmed from the fact that Gan Ning didn't want things to be this way at all; he really wanted to rush up and kill to his heart's content, and ideally, cut off Chunyu Qiong's head.

Ahead, along the banks of the Yellow River, a grove of trees appeared. With the Yellow River on one side and dense forest on the other, Liu Xie led his men past the grove and continued their escape.

Chunyu Qiong pursued relentlessly. Just as the team ahead was about to pass through the woods, suddenly, many ambushers emerged from the woods. Rows of soldiers holding crossbows and arrows in the water were all aimed at the pursuing Yuan soldiers.

King Chen decisively gave the order, roaring, "Fire the arrows!"

"Shoot them to death! Shoot them hard!"

Sunlight streamed down from overhead, illuminating the vast banks of the Yellow River, where the rolling waters reflected beams of light.

The sound of arrows whistling through the air rose from the woods as they mercilessly shot towards Yuan's soldiers.

Then came a series of agonizing screams. Caught completely off guard, Yuan's soldiers were struck by arrows one after another. The crossbow bolts were incredibly powerful; some were shot through the neck, while others were riddled with arrows, a truly gruesome sight.

In an instant, the plains were filled with cries of despair, a horrific scene that chilled the heart. These Yuan soldiers, no matter how valiant they had been in the past, were like blades of grass in the face of the relentless rain of arrows; their bodies were pierced by the merciless arrows, and their lives were ruthlessly reaped!

(End of this chapter)