Three Kingdoms: Mistakenly Becoming Liu Bei's Adoptive Father at the Start

Chapter 40 Lu Bu Slays Zu Mao at Hulao Pass

Cao Cao said, "Wenruo, what harm would it do to me if Liu Bei died at Hulao Pass?"

Xun Yu said, "Everyone in the world knows that Liu Bei died on the orders of the court to punish the traitor. The more unjustly he dies, the greater his reputation will be. Today, Cao Cao sits idly by; in the future, which loyal and righteous man in the world will dare to believe the words 'punish Dong Zhuo'? The Han Dynasty is in decline, and the traitor has seized power. The Emperor in Chang'an looks eastward every day, hoping for the westward advance of the warlords, not for infighting among them. Can Yuan Shao disregard the Emperor, and can Cao Cao disregard him as well?"

Cao Cao did not answer.

Xun Yu said, "If Liu Bei dies at Hulao Pass, it will be either Yuan Shao or Dong Zhuo who kills him. But the people of the world will not only hate Yuan Shao or Dong Zhuo. They will see that none of the eighteen warlords have offered a helping hand. That is not Liu Bei's death knell, but the death knell of the righteous cause of overthrowing Dong Zhuo."

Cao Cao was still looking at him.

Xun Yu continued, "Once the great cause is lost, the warlords will return to their own territories, each seeking to protect themselves and plotting to annex other territories. From then on, Hebei, Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and the Jianghuai region will be engulfed in war. Who will remember that there is an emperor in Luoyang? Cao Cao, that was not a battle of heroes, but the execution of the Han dynasty by a thousand cuts."

The tent was silent.

Cao Cao slowly spoke, "Wenruo, what do you want from me?"

Xun Yu said, "What I want is the same thing that Cao Cao wants."

Cao Cao said, "Speak."

Xun Yu said, "To eliminate the traitors, restore the Han dynasty, allow the emperor to return to the capital, and restore peace to the land—this is something Yuan Shao could not accomplish, nor could Han Fu, Kong Zhou, or Liu Dai. I have observed all the lords, and only Cao Cao has this ambition, and only Cao Cao has this ability."

Cao Cao remained silent for a long time before saying, "If I were to aid Liu Bei, what benefit would it bring to your wishes?"

Xun Yu said, "If Hulao Pass falls, Dong Zhuo will surely move the capital westward, and the emperor will remain in Chang'an, still mired in trouble. However, the banner of punishing Dong Zhuo has not fallen, the name of righteousness has not been tarnished, and the people of the world still know that there is a Han dynasty. In the future, we will be able to serve the emperor and command the disobedient, and we need to accumulate small achievements today."

Cao Cao said, "To serve the emperor and command the disobedient..."

Xun Yu said, "Yes. This is my lifelong wish."

Cao Cao did not ask any further questions.

He got up, walked to the tent, and lifted the curtain.

The night breeze blew in, and the candlelight flickered.

"Wenruo".

"exist."

"Before you came, there was something I couldn't understand. What did Liu Bei's death have to do with me? Why should I lend a hand? After you came, I understood. What I want is not for the lords to fear me, nor for heroes to submit to me. What I want is for one day in the future, when I welcome the emperor back to the capital, for the people of the world to feel that this is something that should have been done by me. So you came tonight not to persuade me to do good deeds, but to persuade me to walk the right path."

Xun Yu lowered his head: "Lord Cao is wise."

Cao Cao walked back to the table, took off the sword from his waist, and placed it next to Xun Yu.

"This sword is named Yitian. I present it to Wenruo today not to ask him to wield it and kill enemies, but to ask him to stop this sword when Cao Cao takes the wrong path."

Xun Yu gazed at the sword, then rose and bowed deeply to Cao Cao: "I dare not fail to exert myself."

Cao Cao helped him up, his eyes flashing: "With Zhang Liang, the Han Dynasty can be restored."

......

At Hulao Pass.

The Xiliang army's camps stretched for thirty li, their banners obscuring the sun.

Dong Zhuo was stationed at the pass, while Lü Bu led his iron cavalry to a large camp below the pass, challenging him to battle every day as if he were toying with rats.

That afternoon, dust finally rose from the direction of the Kwantung Allied Forces.

It wasn't a large army pressing in; there were only about five thousand men. Although their armor was complete, their strength was so meager as to be almost pitiful.

The scouts closed their gates and sent a report into the camp. Lü Bu was drinking in his tent when he heard the news. He slammed his wine cup down on the table and chuckled, "Five thousand men? Are the warlords of Guandong out of men, or did they send some specifically to offer sacrifices?"

Li Ru, standing to the side, narrowed his eyes, gazing at the flag slowly approaching in the distance:

"Liu, Magistrate of Anxi County, Han Dynasty".

There was also a smaller red flag, embroidered with the words: "Jiangdong Tiger - Sun".

Li Ru stroked his beard and said, "Lord Wen, I'm afraid half of those five thousand men are soldiers of Sun Jian from Jiangdong."

Lu Bu remained expressionless, cursing, "Sun Jian? A defeated general at Sishui Pass, does he even deserve to be called the 'Tiger of Jiangdong'?"

Lu Bu put down his wine cup, stood up, and donned his armor.

"Order: Gather three thousand iron cavalry and come with me to confront this sick tiger."

......

Liu Bei's army set up camp five miles in front of the pass. Before the camp was even fully established, a scout arrived on horseback with news.

"The Xiliang army has marched out of their camp! Lü Bu is personally leading approximately three thousand cavalry, who are closing in on our forces!"

Zhang Fei wiped his mouth, smashed his wine bowl, grabbed his eighteen-foot spear, and charged out, shouting, "Perfect timing! I want to see if that traitor has three heads and six arms!"

Liu Bei pressed down on Zhang Fei's shoulder and said in a deep voice, "Yide, do not act rashly. Follow your adoptive father's plan!"

Just then, a report came from outside the tent.

"General Sun Jian, also known as Sun Wentai, is leading his troops towards Lü Bu's camp!"

Liu Liang was secretly surprised, not expecting Sun Jian to suddenly appear out of nowhere. He immediately followed Liu Bei and the others to rush out to meet him.

From afar, one could see Sun Jian already clad in armor and wielding a sword, followed by four generals: Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao. Their armor clanged, and their horses' hooves flew.

On the other side, Lü Bu reined in his horse at the front of the battle.

Red Hare snorted and its hooves lightly pawed at the ground.

The halberd lay horizontally across the saddle bridge, its blade reflecting the setting sun, as if still dripping with blood.

Lu Bu looked at the hastily erected camp opposite him, his eyes filled with three parts mockery and seven parts impatience.

"Liu Xuande?" Lü Bu shouted, his voice echoing across the battlefield. "A mere weaver of mats and sandal seller dares to come to Hulao Pass to die?"

Just as Lü Bu was about to lead his troops into the camp, he suddenly saw dust rising from the road in the distance.

A large group of men surged out.

Look at that battle flag, it's Sun Jian!

Lü Bu laughed heartily: "A defeated general from Jiangdong, yet you dare to step forward?"

Sun Jian did not answer, his ancient sword pointing diagonally at the ground, and he slowly rode out of the formation.

Behind him, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, Han Dang, and Zu Mao rode in a line.

Lu Bu glanced at the four generals, then his gaze fell on Zu Mao.

"Oh. You're Zu Mao? The one who escaped Hua Xiong's blade."

Zu Mao's face suddenly turned red.

That day at Sishui Pass, if Zhao Yun hadn't blocked him with his spear, he would have been a ghost under Hua Xiong's blade.

He harbored resentment towards this matter day and night, hating Hua Xiong and even more so his own inferior skills.

At this moment, Lu Bu's casual remark exposed his flaws, as if an old wound had been reopened in public.

If I don't prove myself worthy of being called a human being, how can I face the elders of Jiangdong?

"You scoundrel!" Zu Mao roared, and without waiting for Sun Jian's command, he spurred his horse's belly with both legs and swung his sword straight at Lü Bu!

"Zumao, come back!" Sun Jian shouted.

It's too late.

Zu Mao's horse was fast, and in the blink of an eye he had rushed to the front of the formation, his broadsword slashing down with the wind!

Lu Bu didn't move at all, he just flicked his halberd diagonally.

"clang!"

As the blades clashed, Zu Mao felt an overwhelming force surge from the blade, causing his hand to tremble violently and almost causing him to drop the sword.

Zu Mao gritted his teeth, held on, and twisted his waist to strike again.

Second knife.

Lu Bu held his horse with his halberd, without even getting up.

When Zu Mao swung his third sword, his eyes were already bloodshot.

He didn't use this strike to kill the enemy.

All for the sake of avenging our humiliation.

This was the first time Lü Bu had taken the initiative to attack.

The halberd is like a dragon, striking first even when it strikes last.

It wasn't a block, it was a counterattack.

The halberd blade cut through the wind so fast that its trajectory was almost invisible.

Zu Mao's broadsword was still in mid-air.

The halberd tip had already pierced his throat.