Chapter 9

Chapter 643: When the World Changes, the Way Must Also Change (世變道異) (1)

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Yang Xiao was confident.

If Huang Bosong, who was in Zhongtian, were to target Zhongtian, he would not attack Xia Gui first. If he were to attack Xia Gui first, Huang Bosong would take advantage of the gap to ride down the Luo River, cross the Wei River, or prepare for a decisive battle in Zhongtian.

Of course, there was a flaw in Yang Xiao's thinking.

Guo Jia was a strategist who considered all possible scenarios. He would not have failed to calculate this situation in advance.

Guo Jia had already sent a messenger to Xuhuang in Hedong, ordering him to march through Sanjin to Linjin.

Moreover, if the forces of Lü Bu were to attack Xia Gui, it would tie up Huang Bosong in Zhongtian, which would be a good outcome.

However, Yang Qiu, like Yang Xiao, was not well-versed in military strategy. He simply accepted Yang Xiao's words without much thought.

A short while later, Yang Xiao, holding a white flag, emerged from the Yang Qiu army, which was facing off against Lü Bu's forces.

He was extremely anxious that the Lü Bu forces might shoot arrows at him and slowly rode his horse forward.

"General, just speak your words. I will send you to the netherworld with one strike."

Ying Zhao shook his bow, which he had not used for a while due to the rain, showing his confidence. Guo Jia, however, dissuaded him.

"General, we cannot kill someone who comes with a white flag without hearing what they have to say."

"Then, what should we do?"

"I will meet and talk with him. Please step back for a moment, General."

"Guo Xiansheng, you are the only one who would tell a general to step back on the battlefield."

In response to Lü Bu's words, Guo Jia hastily clasped his hands together.

"I inadvertently showed disrespect to my lord while considering a peaceful resolution. Please forgive me."

"Do not take it to heart; I did not mean to scold you."

Though he said this, it was indeed a reprimand. Lü Bu seemed to have learned to handle his subordinates with the eloquence of a scholar rather than a warrior.

Guo Jia did not make a lengthy excuse. He believed that this was a way to prove his sincerity. Lü Bu, in turn, briefly turned his horse to step back, giving Guo Jia some face.

Guo Jia's gaze returned to Yang Xiao.

* * *

"Yang Qiu's chief general, Yang Xiao, has come to meet General Lü Bu!"

Yang Xiao shouted from a few dozen paces away. While requesting to meet Lü Bu, his eyes were constantly assessing the situation of the Lü Bu forces.

'The vanguard troops are disappointing. Is there really a need to fear such men?'

Yang Xiao could not help but feel disappointed when he saw the soldiers in the front ranks of the Lü Bu forces up close.

The soldiers he saw were from Hedong. The Hedong troops were composed of private armies of the Hedong gentry. The elite soldiers of the gentry who had opposed Lü Bu during his conquest of Hedong had been annihilated. Naturally, the current Hedong troops were nothing more than a motley crew.

How could he not sneer at the sight of them?

Soon, the troops parted to make way, and Yang Xiao slowly rode his horse forward. However, behind the front ranks, the fierce Xiahuan troops were stationed.

Yang Xiao, who had risen to the rank of general, was not afraid of the Xiahuan troops, who were little different from bandits. However, the atmosphere they exuded was clearly different from the front ranks, making him feel tense.

Yang Xiao's tension reached its peak when he encountered the Tangyiqi troops.

'This... this is unbelievable...'

Yang Xiao almost burst out in curses.

The aura exuded by the Tangyiqi troops was incomparably more ferocious than that of the Xiahuan troops.

After all, these were the men who had repeatedly risked their lives to break through and secure victory. Their very survival up to this point was proof of their prowess.

Moreover, the leaders of the Tangyiqi troops each possessed the aura of a general.

'What kind of man is Lü Bu to command such men? The rumors about Lü Bu are not just idle talk.'

Yang Xiao's heart nearly burst when he saw two of the Eight Generals. He dared not meet the gaze of Wei Yue and his horse seemed reluctant to move toward Zhang He.

'Is this man Lü Bu?'

Yang Xiao mistook Zhang He, who had two long pheasant feathers in his helmet, for Lü Bu.

"Welcome. I am Guo Jia, Fengxiao, a strategist of General Lü Bu."

Guo Jia clasped his hands together to greet Yang Xiao, who bowed his head. Guo Jia then fanned himself leisurely and said,

"Do I look too young to be a strategist?"

Yang Xiao was startled and quickly clasped his hands together.

"N-no... It's not that..."

He was confident in his eloquence, but in this situation, he could not think of a good excuse.

"Let's move on. Who are you?"

"I apologize. I am Yang Xiao, the chief general of Yang Qiu. I have come to meet General Lü Bu and deliver a message from General Yang Qiu..."

Yang Xiao, determined not to make a mistake this time, turned his gaze to Zhang He and clasped his hands together.

But he had another moment of doubt.

Clearly, Zhang He's horse was not a red horse. It was large but not red. Yang Xiao turned his gaze back to Guo Jia and asked,

"Where is General Lü Bu...?"

"He is currently resting in his tent."

Guo Jia's words made Yang Xiao lose his composure.

His teeth bared, his eyes trembled. To leisurely take a nap while facing the enemy was a clear sign of underestimating the opponent.

However, he had no other way to express his emotions. Drawing his sword in anger would be a foolish act, and he had a mission to fulfill.

"I am worried that you are underestimating us too much."

"I do not know if you are strong or weak, and I do not care to know. Our army is so powerful that there is no need to consider such things. Therefore, do not throw away your lives needlessly and retreat."

Guo Jia's words were outrageous, but Yang Xiao could not refute them.

Lü Bu's forces, though not a large army, had won consecutive battles and their morale was sky-high.

On the other hand, Yang Qiu's forces, from Yang Qiu himself, harbored a vague fear of the Lü Bu forces.

* * *

"Hmph! It is not wise to be arrogant just because you have defeated a few weaklings."

Yang Xiao put on a show of confidence.

Of course, his words were not entirely wrong, considering the strength of Yang Qiu's forces and the remnants of Yang Xing's forces in Yangzhou.

By common sense, Lü Bu's forces, which numbered less than 20,000, would find it difficult to defeat the Guanxi forces, which were several times larger.

Moreover, a large Guanxi army was stationed in Zhongtian, not far from here.

"No matter how many sheep there are, they cannot stand up to a single wolf. My lord, General Lü Bu, is so valiant that he can break through an army of 100,000 with a small force."

Guo Jia's words sounded like a child boasting about his older brother who is good at fighting. Of course, he proudly mentioned Wei Yue and Zhang He.

"Moreover, two of the Eight Generals are here. Have you heard of General Zhao Zilong, who defeated the Mengzhang of Guandong, An Liang? Here, we have Wei Yue and Zhang He, who rank higher than Zhao Zilong."

The Guanxi warriors tended to look down on the Guandong warriors. Of course, the opposite was also true.

Initially, there were voices in the Guanxi army that dismissed Lü Bu, but after suffering consecutive defeats, they had to change their minds.

Not only Lü Bu but also the Eight Generals were re-evaluated. Guo Jia reminded them of this again. Moreover, the threat did not end there.

"Our strongest unit, the Tangyiqi, is here. Can you withstand the Tangyiqi, who defeated an army of 10,000 with just 2,000 men?"

"Do you think we do not know that you are exhausted from repeated battles? If we fight to the death, you will not escape unscathed."

The talk of who was better at fighting might seem pointless, but Guo Jia and Yang Xiao were each trying to gauge the situation in their own way. They had already sensed each other's intentions.

Guo Jia pointed at Yang Xiao with his fan and said,

"You have gathered enough information. Let's get to the main point."

"I cannot be deceived. I have come to sound out General Lü Bu on behalf of my lord. Please let me meet General Lü Bu. I can only speak frankly in person."

* * *

Yang Xiao finally had the opportunity to face Lü Bu inside the Lü Bu camp, which was like a mountain of swords and a forest of spears.

The moment he saw Lü Bu, Yang Xiao felt an overwhelming presence. His first impression was that Lü Bu was large. There were many in the Guanxi army who were larger than Lü Bu.

However, standing before Lü Bu, Yang Xiao felt as if he were standing before a giant. Lü Bu's eyes seemed to be suppressing anger.

"Yang Qiu's chief general, Yang Xiao, pays respects to General Lü Bu."

Yang Xiao bowed to gauge Lü Bu's reaction.

"Yang Qiu... the name of a stray dog who has been rolling around somewhere?"

"General Lü Bu, he has been a prominent figure in Guanxi even before you gained fame. Have you not heard of the 'Ten Generals of Guanzhong'?"

The debate over reputation began. Lü Bu seemed to be at a slight disadvantage, but his eloquence was no longer easily swayed.

"Do not boast about dividing the glory among ten. Moreover, you are not a hero of the region, but merely dogs guarding homes, tied by Huang Bosong's leash."

Suddenly, Yang Qiu, his lord, was reduced to a guard dog, and Yang Xiao's eyes changed. Lü Bu let out a low laugh.

"Good! Very good! Show me your sword now. This way, if I am criticized for beheading a messenger, I will have a reason to defend myself."

Only then did Yang Xiao understand why Lü Bu's soldiers had not disarmed him before bringing him to Lü Bu.

Yang Xiao mustered his last strength and put on another show of confidence.

"Even a small measure of grain can be found in Bingzhou, but the people of Bingzhou are truly ungrateful. To treat a messenger who has come to sound out an alliance like this!"

"Hmph! An alliance...? Who makes the alliance is important. I have fought several of the so-called 'Ten Generals of Guanzhong,' and none of them were worth much. In my army, there is no place for the weak."

"Sometimes, numbers are necessary on the battlefield. This is one of those times."

"You are quite an interesting man. I will listen to what you have to say."

Yang Xiao instinctively knew that if he could not get a positive response from Lü Bu, he would not achieve his goal.

"There are still nearly 70,000 troops in Zhongtian. Moreover, the fortifications and wooden palisades are layered, making it difficult for your renowned siege weapons to be effective."

"So, if I accept your lord's alliance, the unscalable palisades will be crossed, and the fortifications will fall on their own?"

"If you accept my lord's alliance, such things could happen."

"Excessive confidence can be a flaw."

Yang Xiao felt as if Lü Bu's voice was piercing his heart. However, having brought the conversation this far, he continued without hesitation.

"Do you think I would joke about a matter of life and death?"

"Do not ask me to accept your alliance first."

Lü Bu drew a clear line, preemptively preventing Yang Xiao from playing games. Yang Xiao, though disappointed, revealed his final strategy.

Yang Xiao spoke passionately for a while.

After listening to him, Lü Bu's first words were:

"Cut off this man's head!"