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

Chapter 277, Lu Su Arrives

Cao Cao deliberately avoided mentioning the poisoning, first publicly revealing and amplifying what Liu Bei had done, and then letting everyone fill in the blanks and deduce the truth from the opposite perspective.

As long as Liu Bei's selfish motives are closely linked to Liu Qi's death, then Liu Bei will not be able to escape punishment.

Liu Bei couldn't escape the blame for Liu Biao's death either!

Cao Cao continued, "Liu Bei has always been very ambitious. He secretly went to Runan and subdued tens of thousands of Yellow Turban soldiers. At that time, His Majesty wanted Liu Bei to stay in Xuchang and serve as the Minister of the Imperial Clan, but Liu Bei refused. The successive deaths of Liu Biao and Liu Qi are such bizarre and coincidental events, all of which are related to Liu Bei. Gentlemen, do I need to say more? Liu Bei not only deceived you, but also His Majesty and the people of the world."

With so many things connected, people have gradually come to believe it.

However, many people still felt that the matter was too shocking. Had Liu Bei gone mad by murdering two members of his clan in succession?

"Report!"

Cao Ren strode in from outside and said to Cao Cao, "Prime Minister, Liu Bei has fled to Jiangling. However, on his escape, he defended himself, saying that it was not him who poisoned him, but Lady Cai. He also said that Lady Cai had admitted to poisoning him to his face."

To everyone's surprise, things took a turn for the better so quickly.

Suddenly, everyone's eyes turned to Madam Cai.

Madam Cai remained calm and composed; she had clearly anticipated this situation.

Lady Cai parted her red lips slightly to defend herself, “Yes, I did admit it to Liu Bei, but that was because Liu Bei threatened me. He killed Liu Qi and my husband. He is also the governor of Jingzhou and holds military power. As a weak woman, I could only obey his threats. If I didn’t agree, Liu Bei would kill me, and he wouldn’t let the Cai family and Liu Cong go either.”

As Lady Cai spoke, she burst into tears in front of everyone, saying, "I am a widow and an orphan. Faced with Liu Bei, this devil, I have no choice but to bow down to him in order to protect myself. I hope the Prime Minister will do justice for me and give me justice."

Cao Cao was very satisfied with Lady Cai's performance. People will always sympathize with the weak, especially when it involves women, their sympathy will be even more overwhelming.

On one side is Liu Bei, who holds real power, and on the other side is Lady Cai, whose family has declined and who has lost her support. The scales in everyone's hearts will easily tip in Lady Cai's favor.

Cao Cao suddenly stood up and said, “I never imagined that Liu Bei would be so despicable, poisoning his relatives, abusing women, and deceiving the world. Rest assured, everyone, no matter where Liu Bei runs, I will capture him and hand him over to His Majesty for personal punishment.”

Once Liu Bei's crimes were proven, Cao Cao believed that even the emperor would find it difficult to turn Liu Bei's situation around.

"Cao Ren!"

"exist!"

"Advance at full speed! We must capture Jiangling as soon as possible and take Liu Bei prisoner!" Cao Cao decisively ordered.

"Yes!" Cao Ren replied and strode away.

Guo Jia walked over and said, "My lord, I have heard that Liu Bei has a strategist named Xu Shu. He is quite capable, but he is also a famous filial son. When Liu Bei fled, he did not have time to take Xu Shu's mother with him. Now I have sent someone to find Xu Shu's mother."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "Fengxiao, you've thought things through. In that case, I'll write a letter right away, and I guarantee Xu Shu will surrender immediately."

Liu Bei fled to Jiangling, but before he could even catch his breath, Cao Ren led his troops to attack.

Cao Ren devised a very malicious plan: he had his soldiers surround Jiangling and repeatedly shout about how Liu Bei had poisoned Liu Biao and his son.

Just imagine, tens of thousands of people shouting at the top of their lungs, the sheer scale of that scene is terrifying.

At the same time, Xu Shu also received a letter from Cao Cao.

Upon learning that his elderly mother had fallen into Cao Cao's hands, Xu Shu was so anxious that he lost his composure and insisted on leaving.

Liu Bei was also extremely worried. Trapped in Jiangling, he had gone from being the famous Liu Huangshu to suddenly bearing the most vicious infamy in the world, and his situation had become extremely bad.

Liu Bei held Xu Shu's hand, reluctant to part with him. "Yuanzhi, I can't live without you now. Cao Cao is going to ruin me. If you leave, I won't even have anyone to give me advice."

Liu Bei was unlucky, but Zhang Song was even more unlucky. He glanced at Liu Bei from the side and secretly lamented his misfortune.

Zhang Song had already met Liu Bei and planned to go to Xuchang, but Liu Bei was very hospitable. Since Zhang Song had come to Jingzhou for a rare trip, he stayed for a few more days. Then, something strange happened.

When Zhang Song heard the rumors that were detrimental to Liu Bei, he didn't take them seriously at first, believing that the truth would soon come out.

However, things developed far beyond Zhang Song's imagination. When he realized something was wrong and tried to leave, it was too late. Cao Ren suddenly broke through Xiangyang City.

Liu Bei did not forget to send someone to protect Zhang Song. Zhang Song, confused, followed Liu Bei's group to Jiangling.

At this point, Liu Bei could no longer care about Zhang Song; he was in dire straits himself.

Xu Shu frowned and shook his head repeatedly. "Uncle, I am also unwilling to leave you, but I am really worried about my elderly mother. I am already in a state of panic and can no longer offer advice to you. I hope you can grant my filial wish and let me return to my mother's side."

Liu Bei had finally found such a good strategist, and now that the situation was so bad, Liu Bei really couldn't bear to part with Xu Shu.

But he knew he couldn't force him to stay, so he grabbed Xu Shu's hand tightly and said, "Yuanzhi, before you leave, could you help me think of another plan? What should I do now?"

Xu Shu managed to calm himself down. "My lord, if you have a clear conscience and have truly done nothing wrong, I suggest you surrender the city directly. Cao Cao would never dare to kill you. As long as you can see His Majesty, even if you have a great injustice, His Majesty will surely seek justice for you!"

This was the best solution Xu Shu could think of; he couldn't win by fighting, and fleeing was the worst possible option.

The more he fled, the more people would think Liu Bei was guilty!
Guan Yu nodded, "Brother, I think Yuanzhi makes sense. We don't want to surrender to Cao Cao, but we hope to see His Majesty as soon as possible. Once we see His Majesty, the innocent will be proven innocent, and His Majesty will never allow anyone to slander you."

But Liu Bei had a difficult situation to explain. If it really had nothing to do with him, that would be better, as he wouldn't be afraid to meet the emperor.

The problem is, it's true that they're preventing Liu Qi from going to Xudu.

It's true that he killed Liu Qi!

"Can I explain this clearly to His Majesty?" Liu Bei had no idea.

Besides, would Cao Cao let him see His Majesty so easily?
Liu Bei felt he had been forced to the edge of a cliff, with no way out.

Public opinion is now overwhelming, and the criticism against Liu Bei is like a tidal wave, almost drowning him. Liu Bei is really worried that the emperor will believe those rumors and completely abandon him.

Liu Bei was uneasy, and those who followed him were also anxious. Liu Bei was burdened with infamy, and everyone else suffered as a result. Mi Zhu and Mi Fang, in particular, had gambled their entire family fortune on Liu Bei, never expecting that he, the governor of Jingzhou, would end up like this after only a few months in office.

Xu Shu had said everything he needed to say; whether or not to adopt his advice was up to Liu Bei to decide.

Xu Shu bid farewell to Liu Bei, ordered the city gates to be opened, and left Jiangling.

Cao Ren quickly launched a fierce attack, with siege ladders advancing rapidly and crashing powerfully against the city walls. Cao Ren, wielding a large sword, personally supervised the battle.

The offensive was in full swing, and although Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, Chen Dao and others were also very upset, they had no choice but to participate in the defense of the city.

Although Jiangling was a fortified city, Liu Bei arrived there hastily, completely unprepared.

On the other hand, Cao Cao had given Cao Ren a death order: to break through the city as soon as possible and capture Liu Bei alive. So Cao Ren dared not be careless at all and launched a fierce attack day and night. Countless Cao soldiers climbed the city walls again and again and fought with Liu Bei's army.

After only three days of fierce fighting, Liu Bei could no longer hold out.

Jian Yong advised Liu Bei, "My lord, let's go to Changsha. Gan Ning is stationed there. Would Cao Cao dare to attack Changsha?"

Liu Bei was extremely worried. "There is nothing Cao Cao would not dare to do in this world. Gan Ning has only been managing Changsha for a few months and has only one or two thousand soldiers. If a battle really breaks out, how can he withstand Cao Cao's tens of thousands of troops?"

Liu Bei was completely disoriented, but Cao Ren's offensive showed no signs of abating. Outside the city, boulders roared as hundreds of catapults launched their projectiles simultaneously. Countless stones whistled as they flew towards the high city walls, some crashing directly into the city with thunderous roars. If they hit a person, blood and flesh would splatter everywhere, and screams of agony would rip through the air.

The dark mass of Cao Cao's army carried siege ladders and launched a frenzied attack, relentlessly scaling the city walls.

Zhang Fei brandished his spear, roaring repeatedly as he knocked down Cao Cao's soldiers who approached. Guan Yu's Green Dragon Crescent Blade was equally formidable, its blade whistling as blood spurted out.

However, the fierce offensive of Cao Cao's army still had a fatal impact on the morale of Liu Bei's army. Even Guan Yu's mind was completely in turmoil. He mechanically swung his broadsword and held his ground on the city wall.

The incident happened so suddenly that Guan Yu wanted Liu Bei to give him an explanation. However, Liu Bei was even more confused and had not yet properly explained to Guan Yu what had happened.

Everyone was on tenterhooks; under such circumstances, how could the city possibly be defended?
Jiangling is backed by the Yangtze River. Although it was under Cao Ren's fierce attack, it was only on the south side. On the north side, the Yangtze River was flowing.

On the third day after Liu Bei was caught in a fierce attack, a small boat suddenly appeared on the riverbank and slowly approached the shore.

"Who goes there?" The soldiers on the shore rushed over and shouted loudly at the small boat.

A scholar, around thirty years old, stepped off the boat. He had a square face, a calm demeanor, and appeared very elegant and composed. He also had a short beard.

After landing, the scholar politely bowed to the soldier who had asked him the question, saying, "Please inform him that Lu Su from Jiangdong requests an audience with Liu Bei!"

"Wait here, I'll go and pass on your message right away."

Liu Bei quickly received the news and muttered to himself, "Why is Lu Su here? Could he have been sent by Sun Quan?"

Jian Yong, Sun Qian, Ma Liang, and the others all shook their heads, puzzled by Lu Su's sudden arrival.

"My lord, now that he has arrived, why not meet him and see what his purpose is in coming here?" Ma Liang said after a moment's thought.

Since Liu Bei was at a loss, and as the saying goes, a desperate person will try anything, he waved his hand and said, "Please come in!"

Before long, Lu Su was brought before Liu Bei. Along the way, the sounds of battle outside the city could be clearly heard. Lu Su remained calm and respectfully bowed to Liu Bei, saying, "Lu Su, Lu Zijing of Jiangdong, greets Imperial Uncle Liu."

Liu Bei forced a smile. "No need for formalities. May I ask what brings you here, Zijing?"

Although this was the first time the two had met, Liu Bei still made good use of his outgoing personality, addressing Lu Su by his courtesy name as soon as they met, which immediately shortened the distance between them.

Lu Su said, "I have come on the orders of Lord Wu. My uncle has been wronged by a villain and suffered an injustice. Cao Cao's army is pressing in and is coming on strong. Lord Wu is very concerned about my uncle. If my uncle does not mind, he can go to Jiangdong to take refuge for a while."

After Lu Su finished speaking, Ma Liang sneered inwardly. What a Sun Quan! He's even setting his sights on Liu Bei.

At first glance, it seems that Sun Quan was willing to provide protection for Liu Bei, but in reality, Jiangdong was taking advantage of Liu Bei's predicament and wanted to bring him to their side.

Because of Jiangdong's stance, it's impossible for them to side with the imperial court; this is something everyone knows perfectly well.

Cao Cao could represent the imperial court, Liu Xie could represent the imperial court, while Jiangdong was a region ruled by warlords who held military power and controlled their own territories.

Liu Bei's experience in Jingzhou naturally did not escape the notice of Jiangdong, and Sun Quan received the news early on. Sun Quan believed that this was an opportunity.

Liu Bei was no match for Cao Cao, so they took the opportunity to bring Liu Bei over to fight against Cao Cao together.

In Sun Quan's eyes, Cao Cao and the imperial court were the same.

Under Zhou Yu's persuasion, Sun Quan acted with great courage, even though many people in Jiangdong did not support his actions, believing that they should remain on the sidelines and not intervene rashly, lest they bring trouble upon themselves.

But Sun Quan had a longer-term vision. Although Jiangdong had the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, it was too isolated. He needed to find an ally to add another layer of protection to Jiangdong.

Liu Bei was worried about having nowhere to go, and after Lu Su explained his purpose, it was clear that this provided Liu Bei with an option.

Ma Liang shook his head at Liu Bei, signaling him to refuse, as this involved a matter of stance.

Liu Bei waved his hand at Lu Su, "Zijing, you must be tired from your journey. Please rest for a while. I need to think about it."

Lu Su understood and withdrew.

No sooner had Lu Su left than Ma Liang hurriedly advised, "My lord, you must not go to Jiangdong."

"Why?"

“My lord, Sun Quan relies on the natural defenses to establish a separatist regime in Jiangdong, and is regarded by the court as a major threat. If you, my uncle, were to side with Sun Quan, you would be ridiculed by the world. As the current imperial uncle, your stance should naturally be consistent with His Majesty's. The court will send troops to conquer Jiangdong sooner or later. If you, my lord, were to join forces with Sun Quan, it would be tantamount to digging your own grave.”

Yi Ji also disagreed, saying, "If the court were under Cao Cao's control, then it wouldn't be a problem for the Imperial Uncle and Sun Quan to join forces. They could use external forces if necessary. But now, His Majesty holds the reins of power. Cao Cao can't control everything. My lord, please think it over."

(End of this chapter)