gnovel Chapter 31 There are still conditions.
Chapter 31 There are still conditions.
It should be noted that although Zhang Liao came with great force and his target was Yuan Yao himself, Yuan Yao was not actually panicked, except for being intimidated by the opponent's momentum.
In fact, before setting off on this trip, Yuan Yao had already considered all sorts of worst-case scenarios, one of which was how to deal with Cao Cao's elite troops' decapitation tactics.
For this purpose, he prepared three major treasures.
Firstly, there were the two thousand imperial guards he led.
Yuan Yao put a lot of effort into reorganizing the Imperial Guards. Although their average training time was only half a year and their combat effectiveness might be average, their loyalty was very well guaranteed. Yuan Yao treated them very well, and they were among the first to participate in the military merit-based land grant program. In critical moments, there would definitely be someone willing to die for him.
Secondly, there was the popular support Liu Bei's army had in Xuzhou.
Everyone knows Cao Cao's reputation in Xuzhou. The people there, if not exactly lavish, were certainly not happy. The local people were overwhelmingly biased towards Liu Bei. Yuan Yao, on his way here, had gathered several hundred civilians with the help of Mi Zhu. They were certainly not good at fighting, but they could be used as cannon fodder in times of crisis.
Of course, the above two points are essentially just buying time for Yuan Yao; his real life-saving trick is yet to come.
Thirdly, there was the fine horse that Yuan Yao had been riding since he went on the expedition.
This horse was entirely crimson, with hooves as large as basins, ten feet long and eight feet tall. Its neighing and roaring sounded like it was about to leap into the sea, and it even had a special nickname in the martial arts world—
Red Hare!
The reason why Yuan Yao ended up owning the Red Hare was quite a coincidence.
In order to get Yang Hong to compromise on the financial budget, Yuan Yao casually gave him 500,000 coins under some pretext, ostensibly to rescue the other members of Lü Bu's family who were imprisoned in Xuchang.
But Yang Hong, though greedy, was indeed quite capable. No one knows whose connections he used or what methods he employed, but in the end, he not only saved the man but also redeemed Lu Bu's Red Hare horse.
As for the cost, Yuan Yao had to spend an additional 300,000 yuan to reimburse Yang Hong, who claimed that the budget had been seriously overrun.
To be honest, though, the 300,000 yuan was well spent.
Red Hare could travel a thousand miles a day, traversing mountains and rivers as if walking on flat ground. With it, Yuan Yao had the confidence to protect himself, which gave him the courage to venture deep into the heart of Xuzhou and arrive at Xiapi.
If a truly dire situation were to arise, he could simply abandon everyone and flee with only a small number of light cavalry and personal followers.
Moreover, the current situation is far from that point; his first magic weapon alone is enough to handle it.
Upon seeing Zhang Liao appear, before the others could react, Cao Xing was the first to fly into a rage and led his former troops from the Lü family army to meet him.
The two sides met on a narrow path and instantly engaged in a fierce battle, like thunderbolts striking the earth, with neither side able to gain the upper hand.
After all, they were taught by the same master, so they couldn't counter any of his moves.
In such head-on clashes, it comes down to who can hold their nerve and overwhelm their opponent with sheer strength; whoever can press their advantage and secure the final victory.
Considering that Cao Xing's forces numbered only 500 while Zhang Liao's numbered 800, and that Zhang Liao's martial prowess far surpassed Cao Xing's, as the saying goes, "the general is the courage of the soldiers," this encounter should have been a foregone conclusion.
However, Cao Xing seemed completely oblivious to this problem. He charged forward relentlessly, like a mad dog, with no intention of retreating, directly plunging into the area with the largest number of enemy soldiers.
Zhang Liao's men naturally tried their best to stop them, but as soon as they got there, they saw Cao Xing, his eyes red, shouting, "Does the Bingzhou army also want to kill me, Cao Xing?"
The crowd paused for a moment, and Cao Xing took the opportunity to speed up, rushing straight to Zhang Liao and slashing with his sword.
Zhang Liao's face was grim. He raised his spear and barely managed to defend himself, engaging in a fierce battle with his opponent.
After a fierce battle, Zhang Liao's skill proved superior, and he struck Cao Xing in the chest with his spear first.
Despite the pain, Cao Xing fought on relentlessly, becoming even more ferocious as he shouted, "Good! Good! Good! Cao Xing will die at Zhang Wenyuan's hands today!"
Zhang Liao's face grew increasingly grim, and not only him, but his other subordinates also looked gloomy, their morale plummeting.
At the same time, seeing that Yuan Yao was also leading the rest of the Imperial Guards to press forward, Zhang Liao's gaze swept over the Red Hare horse under the other's horse, and he ultimately gave up the surprise attack.
"I'll spare your life today!" Zhang Liao gritted his teeth and said, "Cao Xing, I owe you nothing from now on!"
After saying this, he led his Bingzhou army away to support Xiahou Dun, who was suffering a crushing defeat on the main battlefield.
Thus, after defeating Zhang Liao, the battle to support Xiapi ended in a great victory for Zhong's army. Cao's army suffered heavy casualties under the pincer attack of the hammer and anvil tactics and had to retreat several miles to regroup.
Mi Zhu wept with joy and hurriedly prepared to enter Xiapi City to meet Guan Yu and the others.
However, Yuan Yao stopped him.
Mi Zhu was greatly surprised: "Young Master Yuan, what do you mean by this?"
Yuan Yao spoke frankly: "Mr. Zizhong, you have seen the situation. Cao Cao's army still has strength, but has only retreated temporarily. Xiapi has few soldiers and generals, and its defenses are broken. If the enemy attacks again, even with our support, it will surely fall."
Mi Zhu: "Then what does Young Master Yuan think we should do?"
Yuan Yao: "Go and persuade General Guan to bring all his troops and family members from the city back to Huainan with me!"
"..." Mi Zhu's expression was complicated. After a long while, he said, "There's no other way now."
After thinking for a moment, Mi Zhu added, "However, the fate of the lord is unknown, and Zhang Yide's whereabouts are also unknown. Guan Yu must be worried about the two of them, and may not listen to him."
"I know," Yuan Yao said quickly. "So just tell him that if he is unwilling to leave Xiapi, he will be guilty of three crimes, and if he agrees to go to Huainan, he will be granted three benefits."
"What are the three crimes, and what are the three excretions?"
"General Guan and Prefect Liu swore brotherhood and vowed to live and die together. If you die in Xuzhou today, Prefect Liu will lose an arm when he returns to power. This is the first crime. Prefect Liu entrusted General Guan's family to you. If you die, your two wives will have no one to rely on. Wouldn't that be a betrayal of your trust? This is the second crime. General Guan is exceptionally skilled in martial arts and well-versed in classics and history. Instead of thinking about the cause of the kingdom, you act rashly with the courage of a common man. How can you be considered righteous? This is the third crime."
Mi Zhu's eyes changed: "Young Master Yuan is quite formidable. With these three crimes, he can surely make Yun Chang change his mind."
"Don't interrupt me, let me finish what I have to say," Yuan Yao continued. "As for the three conveniences, if he is willing to go to Huainan, firstly, it can protect Lord Liu's two wives; secondly, it will not violate the Peach Garden Pact; and thirdly, it can preserve his usefulness."
Mi Zhu sighed, "I have learned a lot. I will go and tell Yun Chang right away."
"It's not over yet." Yuan Yao grabbed Mi Zhu: "I'm sure Yun Chang has three more agreements. I'll tell you first. If there are no objections, we can save time. You should know that Cao Cao's army could return at any time."
Mi Zhu: "Young Master Yuan, please speak."
Yuan Yao: "First, I know that Yun Chang and Lord Liu have sworn an oath to support the Han Dynasty together. This trip to Huainan is for their own safety, not to surrender to Yuan. Second, Lord Liu's two wives are both well-off and will not be disrespectful. Third, once I learn of Lord Liu's whereabouts, I will let you leave without any obstruction."
Mi Zhu: "..."
Given that Yuan Yao had already said all that, Mi Zhu really didn't think there could be any more trouble.
Sure enough, when Mi Zhu returned to Xiapi and told Guan Yu about Yuan Yao's three crimes, three conveniences, and three agreements, Guan Yu was greatly surprised and immediately agreed to the proposal to temporarily stay in Huainan.
That night, Guan Yu left the city overnight, leading the remaining eight hundred soldiers and Liu Bei's family members, and departed Xiapi to join Zhong's army outside the city.
Soon, Yuan Yao met Guan Yu, the Martial Saint who was renowned throughout China and could be executed with a red card, and observed him with great interest.
Guan Yu also noticed Yuan Yao's gaze. He was usually arrogant, but this time Yuan Yao had taken the initiative to provide support, allowed them to stay in Huainan temporarily, and proposed three agreements that were very much to his liking. Therefore, he had to lower his stance both morally and logically.
"I thank Young Master Yuan," Guan Yu said in a deep voice. "Although our paths are different, I will always remember this matter."
Mi Zhu echoed, "I must also thank Young Master Yuan. I hope you will forgive me for any past offenses."
"No need, no need to thank me." Yuan Yao waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, I haven't even mentioned my conditions yet. You can thank me after you've heard them."
Guan Yu was taken aback: "Conditions?"
Mi Zhu was also stunned: "Young Master Yuan... you still have conditions?"
"Of course," Yuan Yao laughed. "If we don't discuss some conditions, making it seem like a fake deal, can you feel at ease?"