Chapter 6, Clash of Morale
Lü Bu glanced at Zhang Guang, who remained silent. Lü Bu nodded, understanding that Zhang Guang's choice in such a life-and-death decision was not unreasonable; it was a common human sentiment. He patted Hao Zhao on the shoulder and said, "Go pick someone. When you return, I will treat you to a drink"
Observing the changing expression on Hao Zhao's face, Cao Cao smiled slightly and said no more: "Go back and thank Fengxian for me. I have accepted his good intentions. When I conquer Xia Pi in the future, I will drink with him again"
At that moment, Hao Zhao and Zhang Guang stood up, their eyes shining with admiration as they looked at Lü Bu.
Cai Yang clenched the large knife in his hand, unwilling to yield, as he followed behind Cao Cao. A group of military generals followed Cao Cao in single file. Liu Bei opened his eyes and looked at Cao Cao's back, accompanied by Generals Guan and Zhang, as they all walked out of the camp together.
Others, change shifts!" Lü Bu looked at the other soldiers, who had already held their ground here for a night. There were still more than 120 star-level warriors who had consumed over 2,400 of his achievement points. Lü Bu did not want to see these individuals suffer losses due to excessive fatigue
Hao Zhao waved his hand, and four soldiers carried out two stretchers. On the stretchers lay the bodies of two military generals. One was naturally Le Jin, who remained intact, but the other had been burned to a charred remains. However, it could be identified from the armor and weapons that this person was Cao Hong
Hao Zhao's gaze narrowed; these days, with all doors tightly shut, how did Cao Cao know that Chen Gong was injured
After a long while, Cao Cao finally stopped laughing, shook his head, and sighed: "It seems that Fengxian has gained quite a bit of insight from this battle and has learned to employ strategies. Very good, very good. Someone, reward this young general with one hundred gold pieces."
Looking at the two corpses, Cao Cao felt a tightness in his chest, followed by a flash of chilling murderous intent in his eyes
Upon hearing these words, the anger in the eyes of the Cao army surrounding them diminished considerably. Indeed, it is quite normal for soldiers to die in battle. This time, the Cao army is besieging Xiapi. If Xiapi falls, Lü Bu will likely face dire consequences. Should they still blame others for not surrendering without a fight?
"My lord, you have also stood guard all night; it is time for you to return and rest," Gao Shun said in a deep voice as he commanded the soldiers to change shifts and approached Lü Bu.
"No need, I still have to wait for one person." Lü Bu shook his head, his gaze directed towards the lower part of the city tower. Gao Shun stood beside Lü Bu, following his line of sight. Below, a young general was commanding soldiers to collect the bodies of Cao Cao's troops. A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes, but he did not inquire further. After bidding farewell, he went to patrol the city. Currently, Cao Cao had surrounded Xiapi from all sides, and it was not just the southern gate that required defense. A young general was commanding soldiers to collect the bodies of Cao Cao's troops. A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes, but he did not inquire further. After bidding farewell, he went to patrol the city. Currently, Cao Cao had surrounded Xiapi from all sides, and it was not just the southern gate that required defense.
General Le Jin?" Many soldiers of the Cao army exclaimed in low voices
Many soldiers of the Cao army looked at the corpses on the carts, their eyes revealing a sense of sorrow
Not afraid! Hao Zhao and Zhang Guang were taken aback, but soon straightened their chests, their eyes shining with a fiery light, almost roaring in response
Hao Zhao seemed unaware of Cao Cao's murderous intent and said loudly: "These two should be your esteemed generals. I fear that their bodies may be damaged, so I have specially brought their corpses over on a stretcher."
In the distance, smoke began to rise from Cao's camp. Lü Bu stood atop the city wall, gazing out for a long time, a glint of coldness flashing in his eyes. Although he currently lacked the strength to shake the colossal figure of Cao Cao, he could not allow them to have it easy either
"Good, hahahaha!" Cao Cao suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter was quite abrupt, startling the surrounding generals of the Cao army, who looked at Cao Cao in confusion
Hao Zhao, however, remained silent, merely gazing at Cao Cao with a calm demeanor. His hand gripping the reins turned pale from the exertion, yet his face still bore an expression of tranquility and composure.
He is a young officer named Hao Zhao, the young captain said in a deep voice
Inside the tent, the atmosphere was exceedingly oppressive, and no one dared to speak at that moment. Liu Bei quietly stood to the left of Cao Cao, observing with a calm demeanor, refraining from expressing any opinions on matters within Cao's camp. The other military generals also wore somber expressions. Although Cao Hong was greedy, he was generous towards friends, and the various generals in Cao's camp had good relationships with him. In everyone's heart, there was a suppressed, unutterable anger.
How is the injury of the public platform?" Cao Cao waved his hand and inquired casually.
Outside the military camp, a large number of Cao army soldiers had gathered, surrounding Hao Zhao and his group of over one hundred people in the center, their gazes unfriendly. Hao Zhao rode at the forefront, his expression solemn, seemingly oblivious to the hostile stares around him.
The humble general is willing to go forth! Hao Zhao stepped forward, a hint of determination on his youthful face
At this time, Gao Shun had already brought the troops to the city to replace Lü Bu. Although Zhang Liao had led his forces to defeat countless enemies last night, the physical and mental exhaustion was considerable. Even if Zhang Liao could endure, the soldiers who had been dispatched could not continue to march. Lü Bu had no choice but to let Gao Shun replace Zhang Liao.
Although the crowd did not understand, they did not dare to ask questions at this moment. Soon, a personal guard approached Cao Cao with a tray. Cao Cao waved his hand, and the guard presented the tray filled with gold to Hao Zhao.
A young officer rushed in, dragging out his long tone, and knelt on one knee before Cao Cao, saying: "Prime Minister, outside the camp, a general from Lü Bu's army has come with the bodies of our soldiers, claiming that he wishes to return them to our forces"
A feeling of exhaustion surged up, yet Lü Bu still held his back straight. In this city, anyone could show signs of despair, but he alone could not. At this moment, he was the soul of the three armies; even a hint of fatigue would cause a psychological wavering among the troops.
Stop! Cao Cao stood up and snorted coldly
"Why did the Prime Minister kill me?" Hao Zhao said with a puzzled expression, "My lord often says that the general is a hero of our time. If he is indeed a hero, how could he be unable to distinguish right from wrong? I returned the bodies of your soldiers; even if there is no reward, the Prime Minister should not have killed me in that case"
What a spirit! Even though Cao Cao is currently feeling frustrated, upon seeing Hao Zhao, his eyes couldn't help but light up. He came out with a group of military generals and strategists, and calmly looked at Hao Zhao, saying: "You are Hao Zhao."
Turning his head, he looked at Zhang Guang, who had a face full of shame. Lü Bu smiled and patted him on the shoulder, signaling him not to take it to heart. As Lü Bu's personal guard, Zhang Guang was at least not lacking in loyalty. However, personal choices differed. Hao Zhao was young, energetic, and ambitious, while Zhang Guang was different. He had started following Lü Bu from Bingzhou and was now over forty years old, with little ambition left. In terms of mindset, Zhang Guang at this moment was quite similar to his predecessor.
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"Who is coming?" A glint of chilling cold flashed in Cao Cao's pair of sharp eyes as he spoke in a cold voice
I went to kill him! Cai Yang let out a muffled grunt, grabbed the knife, and ran out of the military camp
Farewell! Hao Zhao nodded, clasped his fists towards Cao Cao, then mounted his horse and gradually departed with a hundred soldiers.
"Are you afraid of death?" Lu Bu suddenly asked the two.
In Cao Cao's military camp, Cao Cao's expression was extremely grim at this moment. Last night, Cao Hong launched another surprise attack, and out of the five thousand soldiers, less than one thousand ultimately returned. Most importantly, Cao Hong himself had yet to return. Although he tried hard not to think in that direction, everyone knew that the probability of Cao Hong surviving was low
Thank you for the reward, Chancellor! Hao Zhao waved his hand, and a soldier stepped forward to take the tray.
Cao Cao's stern gaze fell upon Hao Zhao, and the atmosphere suddenly became exceedingly oppressive. Hao Zhao felt a tightening in his heart, yet he still forced himself to look at Cao Cao
Nodding slightly, Lü Bu pointed to the mass of corpses beneath the city gate: "In battle, soldiers from both sides fight for their lords, and dying on the battlefield is the fate of a soldier. However, now that they have fallen, I cannot bear to let these warriors lie exposed in the wilderness. You two, please gather the bodies of these soldiers and send them to Cao's camp"
In the event of a battle between two armies, the unwritten rule of not executing envoys is typically based on a situation where both sides possess comparable strength. However, given the clear disparity in power between the two sides today, with Cao Cao holding a significant advantage, it is uncertain whether he will adhere to this unwritten rule
In the event of a battle between two armies, it is against the rules to execute envoys. The opposing side has returned the bodies of our soldiers; how can we disregard the established protocols?" Cao Cao stepped down from his command position and said calmly, "Let us go and receive the bodies of our soldiers.
Prime Minister!" Cai Yang turned around, looking at Cao Cao with a puzzled expression
As you command! Hao Zhao cupped his hands in salute and turned to leave
"Indeed," Hao Zhao dismounted and said in a loud voice, "My lord has stated that in the event of battle between two armies, dying on the battlefield is the fate of a soldier. However, now that they have perished, he does not wish for these soldiers to be left exposed in the wilderness. He has specifically ordered me to return their remains."
Cao Cao glanced at the restless Cao army around him, let out a cold snort, and looked sternly at Hao Zhao: "Young man, are you not afraid that I will kill you?"
This era still needs young people
Hao Zhao and Zhang Guang exchanged a stern glance, and Lü Bu turned to the two of them and said: "Although it is customary not to harm envoys during a military engagement, among them are Cao Cao's relative Cao Hong and the corpse of the general Le Jin. I cannot guarantee that Cao Cao will not vent his anger on you because of this. The outcome of this journey is uncertain; I do not wish to impose upon you, and you may choose to refuse."
The morning sun once again shines upon the earth, and Lü Bu, standing atop the city wall, finally lets out a slight sigh of relief. Although Cao Cao did not launch another attack, Lü Bu's spirit had remained tense throughout the night. The current situation in Xiapi City is precarious, and even the slightest mistake could lead to the city's fall and the annihilation of its people.
Soon, Hao Zhao had placed the bodies of the Cao army onto the cart and was slowly heading towards the Cao camp. A cold glint flashed in Lü Bu's eyes; Hao Zhao was a general he had discovered, and more importantly, he was young, with vast potential for future development. If possible, Lü Bu would never want him to take risks. However, Lü Bu had very few capable individuals at his disposal at this moment. He could not send out Zhang Liao or Gao Shun. Even if Cao Cao did not kill them, it was very likely that he would detain them. Old Cao was ruthless when it came to talent; he would rather keep them unused than allow these talents to flow out and oppose him.
Hao Zhao, Zhang Guang. "Lü Bu took a deep breath, his voice carrying a hint of silence
However, he cannot afford not to send troops. Nowadays, he must compete with Cao Cao for time and morale. He cannot miss any opportunity that could shake the morale of Cao's army. If Cao Cao really kills Hao Zhao, although it would be a pity, if he misses the chance to fight because of it, there will be no tomorrow. No matter how much potential Hao Zhao has, what does it have to do with him?