Your Majesty, please spare Diao Chan; your yang energy is too strong.

What if the other party is afraid of being exposed and therefore chooses not to take the initiative?

Didn't he miss this opportunity?

He didn't have time to waste here with the other party.

The world situation is changing every minute and every second.

Xuzhou is about to change hands.

Yuan Shu has reached a critical juncture in declaring himself emperor, and it seems he won't be able to hold back for long.

The decisive battle between Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao is about to begin.

Cao Cao's son has just died...

He must expand his strength as much as possible in the shortest amount of time.

Only then will it be possible to secure a place in the great changes of the future.

There's absolutely no need to waste so much time in one place.

The key issue is that they are two people who are not very capable.

Moreover, he didn't have many soldiers under his command; most of them were old, weak, sick, or disabled.

If it weren't for Zhou Cang's sake, he would have ordered the stronghold to be completely wiped out earlier.

"Chief Zhou, you've come all this way, let's raise a toast to you."

Just now.

Pei Yuanshao and Guo Chang, the hosts, walked over with wine glasses in their hands.

His face was all smiles.

There was no trace of the anger he had shown before.

"Please, both leaders."

Zhou Heng also raised his glass slightly.

"Chief Zhou, my brother and I just discussed it and have made a decision."

"We'll work with Chief Zhou."

"A true man should wield a three-foot sword and achieve unparalleled feats; what difference is there between a mediocre man and a withered tree?"

"Please forgive our past grievances and accept us brothers as your servants."

Guo Chang drank a cup of wine in one gulp, then knelt on one knee and said.

"Brothers, what are you saying? Please rise. It is truly my great fortune to have your help."

Zhou Heng was surprised.

In his opinion, if they were going to surrender, the two of them should have surrendered earlier.

Since they didn't surrender under those circumstances, despite threats and inducements.

As a result, the two of you went to discuss it and ended up surrendering.

How could this not surprise him?

There must be a demon in the abnormal situation.

A sense of vigilance welled up in Zhou Heng's heart.

However, although Zhou Heng had some doubts in his heart, he did not show them on the surface.

Regardless of the other party's plans.

At least for now, he appears to be siding with me.

We still need to have the right attitude.

"Thank you, my lord."

The two were overjoyed, but a fleeting, barely perceptible hatred flashed in their eyes as they exchanged a glance.

They thought they had covered it up very well.

But Zhou Heng saw all of this.

After three rounds of drinking.

The guests and hosts enjoy themselves.

Almost all of Zhou Heng's soldiers were drunk.

Only Liao Hua was not drunk.

After all, he had to protect Zhou Heng's safety closely, so he couldn't just get drunk like the others.

"My lord, something is wrong."

Just as Liao Hua helped Zhou Heng into the room, he whispered something.

"Oh."

Zhou Heng's expression remained unchanged.

"The soldiers we brought are all pretty much drunk, but Pei Yuanshao's confidants are full of energy and show no signs of drunkenness at all."

"Moreover, I feel that there are many more people secretly watching us around us."

Liao Hua said.

"I see."

Zhou Heng nodded, instantly understanding what the other party wanted to do.

However, compared to that, he now appreciates his personal bodyguard Liao Hua even more.

Remain calm and composed, and always prioritize your own safety in any situation.

They are very wary of unfamiliar environments.

They are always the first to notice that something is wrong.

Perhaps his martial arts skills are not top-notch.

But this insight and vigilance are enough to surpass most bodyguards in the Three Kingdoms period.

If Dian Wei had been so vigilant, Cao Cao wouldn't have been able to kill three wise men with a single cannon shot.

It is estimated that among all the bodyguards in the Three Kingdoms period, only Zhao Yun was capable of surpassing Liao Hua.

"Could it be that our lord had anticipated this all along?"

Liao Hua quickly realized what was happening.

"Indeed, if you don't even have this much ability, how dare I promise you a lifetime of wealth and glory?"

Zhou Heng smiled faintly.

"But our soldiers are all drunk. If the enemy makes a move, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to lead you out of the encirclement on my own."

Liao Hua still had some concerns.

Zhou Heng laughed loudly: "Who said it was just you? Since I had already anticipated this, how could I sit idly by and wait to die?"

Liao Hua was pleasantly surprised: "My lord has another ambush?"

Zhou Heng shook his head: "If they don't make a move, I have no way to deal with them. But once they do, it actually saves me a lot of trouble."

Liao Hua Bu Ming: "This humble general does not understand."

Zhou Heng waved his hand, no longer explaining further: "Alright, go to sleep. Tomorrow we still need to accept other Yellow Turban rebels and try to gather all the Yellow Turban rebels in Xuzhou within a month. There's no need to stay here any longer. If I'm not mistaken, the world will definitely change drastically in a month, and that will be our opportunity."

Liao Hua hesitated: "But what about those people outside..."

Zhou Heng: "Don't worry, they can't get in. Some things are better left to the parties involved to do. After all, we are just outsiders to this mountain stronghold."

...........

Zhou Heng is right.

the other side.

Just as Liao Hua was helping Zhou Heng back to his room.

Pei Yuanshao and Guo Chang immediately summoned their trusted confidants and headed towards Zhou Heng's room.

They were determined to kill Zhou Heng in the room.

However, before they could make a move, someone blocked their way.

"Brothers, where are you headed so late?"

Who else could it be but Zhou Cang?

"Zhou Cang?"

Pei Yuanshao and his companion frowned, never expecting that their secretive operation would be discovered by Zhou Cang.

"My two elder brothers are carrying sharp weapons in the dead of night. Are they plotting to assassinate my lord?"

Zhou Cang's face was grim.

"Hmph, since you've already exposed Zhou Cang, I won't waste any more words with you. If you join us, we'll still be brothers, and you'll remain the third leader of our stronghold. If you insist on going down this dark path, then don't blame us."

Pei Yuanshao said with a cold snort.

“That’s right, Zhou Cang. I advise you not to be so stubborn, or don’t blame us for not showing brotherly affection.”

Guo Chang, who was standing next to him, also added fuel to the fire.

"You scoundrels, you have already pledged allegiance to your master, how dare you commit such a treacherous act?"

Zhou Cang was furious.

Zhou Heng had made a bet with him tonight that his two older brothers would definitely cause trouble, but he didn't believe it.

They solemnly pledged to protect them in front of Zhou Heng.

They were even willing to gamble with their own lives.

Unexpectedly... we lost miserably.

"Hmph, what do you mean by recognizing a master? That's just a trick to lower his guard."

"What qualifications does he have to be our lord?"

"Enough with the nonsense, Zhou Cang. I'm asking you one last time, are you going to move aside or not?"