"Zhao Zilong, don't run! Kill him!"
"Brothers, pursue him!"
Do the Great Wei Qingzhou soldiers have no shame?
After Zhao Zilong's seven incursions and seven breakouts, he was about to reach Changban Bridge. If they truly let him escape, the Great Wei Qingzhou soldiers would never be able to hold their heads up again.
"Kill..."
The shouts of battle reignited.
Countless Qingzhou soldiers pursued Zhao Yun.
At this moment, Zhao Yun's hair was disheveled, and even his white horse was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely, a terrifying sight.
Mi Zhu was also in disarray. This once wealthy magnate of Xuzhou was now unkempt, his hair messy, his headdress long gone.
He was still recovering from the shock, but having finally carved out a bloody path, Mi Zhu couldn't help but exclaim, "Zilong, you are truly a divine being!"
"Cross the bridge!"
Zhao Yun shouted again, and the two, two horses… no, the three people and two horses, hurried towards Changban Bridge once more.
"Don't let him escape!"
"Where do you think you're going!"
"Stop! Capture him!"
The roars of countless Great Wei cavalrymen shook the heavens.
"Brother Zilong... you fight magnificently!"
Zhang Fei, standing on Changban Bridge and witnessing Zhao Zilong's divine bravery, roared repeatedly. "Zilong, hurry across the bridge! Zilong, you are a true hero!"
"Yide, save me!" Zhao Yun cried out urgently.
Zhang Fei cleared a path on the bridge. "Brother Zilong, quickly cross the bridge! I will hold off the Cao army!"
As he spoke…
Zhao Yun and Mi Zhu galloped across the bridge, while Zhang Fei, alone on his horse, guarded it.
When the Cao army arrived, they stopped upon seeing Zhang Fei. It wasn't because they recognized the guard on the bridge, but because the sight of one person and one horse was too unusual.
"Halt! Is there an ambush?"
Xiahou Dun called out…
Before long, a path was cleared in the Wei army's formation, and Cao Cao, riding his "Zhui Huang Fei Dian," quickly emerged. He placed a hand over his brow, squinting at Changban Bridge, and even beyond it, he could see that the number of common people following Liu Bei was dwindling.
Zhao Yun and Adou also safely crossed the bridge.
Everything proceeded according to plan, and the plan was unfolding quite smoothly.
Cao Cao was about to give an order…
Suddenly, a shout erupted, like a thunderclap.
"I am Zhang Yide of Yan! Who dares to fight me to the death?"
His voice was like thunder, and every Great Wei soldier who heard it stumbled involuntarily and took a step back.
Cao Cao finally saw clearly that the guard on the bridge had his whiskers bristling, his eyes wide open, and he held his Serpent Spear. Besides that… behind the woods east of the bridge, dust billowed, clearly indicating an ambush.
"A mere trick!"
Cao Cao thought to himself.
Xiahou Dun was about to advance. "I've heard Zhang Yide is even more formidable than Guan Yunzhang. Eldest Brother, let me face him!"
With that, Xiahou Dun drew his spear, poised his horse, and prepared to engage.
"Come back..."
Cao Cao immediately called a halt. He was eager to find a suitable excuse to retreat.
Zhao Yun and Adou had already been sent back to Liu Bei, and most of the common people had been escorted away. There was no need to pursue further.
Just then.
"Zhang Yide of Yan is here! Who dares to fight me to the death?"
Zhang Fei roared again. Cao Cao deliberately reined in his warhorse, causing Zhui Huang Fei Dian to take a step back. With his single step back, the entire army formation retreated a step.
"Waa ya ya ya ya..." Zhang Fei raised his Octagonal Serpent Spear. "You neither fight nor retreat, what is the reason!"
As these words left his lips, Cao Cao instinctively glanced at the young general Xiahou Jie beside him.
Cao Cao lowered his voice and instructed in a voice audible only to the two of them:
"Fall from your horse!"
As soon as the words were spoken…
With a "thud," Xiahou Jie toppled from his horse.
Xiahou Jie, who should have cooperated with the King of Wei's performance, could not pretend not to see!
"Thud... Thud..."
Following the sound of the fall from the horse.
Cao Cao sharply reined in his warhorse.
"There's an ambush! Retreat... Retreat!"
As these words were spoken, the soldiers, believing the enemy's ambush was about to strike, immediately turned their horses and galloped west.
"Hahaha..."
Zhang Fei laughed triumphantly. "You young pup, how can you be scared by the sound of thunder? Hahaha! Someone dismantle this Changban Bridge! Let's go!"
With that said…
Zhang Fei smugly rode his horse and slowly departed.
On Cao Cao's side, Xiahou Dun frowned.
"Eldest Brother? What is the meaning of this? With so many men, can we not capture even one Zhang Fei? Zhao Zilong wasn't allowed to loose arrows, but here with Zhang Fei? We can't loose arrows either."
"Shush..." Cao Cao quickly brought a finger to his lips, signaling Xiahou Dun to be quiet. "Yuanrang, if we capture Zhang Fei? What then?"
"What then?" Xiahou Dun clearly hadn't anticipated Cao Cao's question.
"Afterwards, we would pursue again. What if Zilong were injured? What then?"
Uh…
With Cao Cao's question, Xiahou Dun finally understood.
So that's how it is…
So that's how it is!
"Hahaha..." Cao Cao laughed. "The objective has been achieved. Those who needed to be sent back have been sent back, and the credit that needed to be given has been given. Our priority now is not to pursue Liu Bei, but to solidify our hold on Jingzhou. Let's go."
After saying this…
Xiahou Dun seemed to experience a brief circuitous thought process before he finally grasped the meaning.
"Eldest Brother..." he called out repeatedly. "Where do we go next?"
"Xiangyang City!" Cao Cao replied with a smile. "We've been so focused on pursuing Liu Bei that we haven't had time to take possession of the nine commanderies of Jing and Xiang."
Upon mentioning this…
Cao Cao shouted, "All troops, heed my command! March rapidly to Xiangyang City!"
…
…
On the official road from Xinye to Jiangling.
"My Lord..."
Zhuge Liang rode his horse, gently fanning himself with his feather fan and speaking softly.
"What advice does the strategist have?" Even in his current disheveled state, Liu Bei still showed great respect for Zhuge Liang.
"My Lord," Zhuge Liang's brow furrowed, and his tone was filled with guilt. "This defeat, no matter what, is my dereliction of duty. I request my Lord to punish me."
Zhuge Liang was not a man who shied away from failure.
However… ever since Bowang Slope, nothing had unfolded as he had predicted. It was as if… an unseen hand were guiding the course of events at every turn.
After a long period of contemplation, Zhuge Liang still felt self-reproach.
Moreover…
Not only were the two ladies missing, but the whereabouts of Adou, Zhao Zilong, and Mi Zhu were also unknown, all of which weighed heavily on Zhuge Liang's heart.
"What is the strategist saying?"
"Victory and defeat are common in warfare. I, Liu Bei, have been wandering for half my life. Since I have already appointed the strategist, what does a momentary victory or defeat matter? As for Zilong and Adou, the strategist need not blame himself. They will surely return safely."
Liu Bei quickly comforted Zhuge Liang, and as he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.
"My Lord..."
"This minister will be loyal to my Lord and serve with utmost devotion until death!"
Looking at Liu Bei, who did not blame him, Zhuge Liang's eyes reddened with emotion.
As for Liu Bei…
He added a sentence.
"Kongming, I have always had a doubt."
"My Lord, please speak freely."
"The entire plan for Jingzhou involved the strategist instructing Zilong to contact Lady Cai. Zilong returned from the northern territories. If he…" Liu Bei's willingness to voice this suspicion clearly indicated his doubts about Zhao Yun.
Zhuge Liang's brow tightened.
From the bottom of his heart, he wanted to believe Zhao Yun. Moreover… Lu Yu had killed Tong Yuan. The enmity of killing one's master was no less than that of killing one's father; it was an irreconcilable feud!
But…
If one followed Liu Bei's line of thought and truly suspected Zhao Yun, then the matter concerning Lady Cai did indeed have clues.
There was too much room for manipulation…
"My Lord..."
Zhuge Liang was about to open his mouth to thoroughly review the situation with Liu Bei.
Just then.
"My Lord, Strategist..."
A hoarse voice, barely a whisper.
Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang looked up, and in the distance, a "red-robed" general, covered in blood and bearing countless wounds, tumbled from his horse.
He quickly pushed himself up from the ground... With a "puff," he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Zilong..."
Liu Bei rushed to help Zhao Yun up.
Who else could it be but Zhao Yun appearing before him?
"My Lord..."
"Zilong, Zilong, you've returned."
All suspicion was swept away by the bloodstains covering Zhao Yun's body.
Liu Bei looked at Zhao Yun with heartache, even regretting his suspicion of him.
Zhao Yun, using the last of his strength, unfastened his armor. Within the swaddling clothes… the clean face of an infant emerged.
"Young Lord, we... we are home."
Zhao Yun's voice was faint.
"Wah wah... wah wah..." Perhaps startled by the sudden light, Liu Chan began to cry. Zhao Yun smiled, knelt down, and handed the infant in the swaddling clothes to Liu Bei.
"The Young Lord is back, the Young Lord is back... My Lord... the Young Lord is back!"
Zhao Yun seemed to be weeping with joy…
It was unclear whether his eyes were filled with blood or tears.
"Wah... wah..."
Liu Bei, however, snatched Adou and hurled him aside. Zhuge Liang, with quick reflexes, caught Liu Chan before he hit the ground.
Zhao Yun exclaimed in surprise,
"My Lord? What are you doing? He is Adou..."
For a moment, Zhao Yun suspected that he had been discovered.
Was it because of his "clumsy" acting?
Or was it for some other reason?
But Liu Bei's subsequent actions made him heave a sigh of relief.
"Zilong, Zilong..." Liu Bei embraced him tightly. "To risk the near loss of a beloved general for the sake of a mere infant!"
"My Lord!"
Zhao Yun knelt with a "thud." Liu Bei also knelt, and the two wept tears of remorse, unable to contain themselves.
"My Lord, Zhao Yun would give his life a thousand times over and still not be able to repay your kindness."
"Zilong, look... how many battle wounds and sword marks are on your body!" Liu Bei cried... The more he had doubted Zhao Yun moments ago, the more guilty he felt now.
This wave of guilt transformed into endless trust for Zhao Zilong.
Hoo…
Zhuge Liang, standing to the side, watched this scene unfold. He handed Liu Chan over to a soldier and wiped his eyes.
He could doubt everyone in the world, but he should never doubt Zhao Zilong!
Just then, Mi Zhu also hurried over. He had been by the lake to wash the blood off his body.
Upon…
Seeing Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, Mi Zhu immediately said, "My Lord, Strategist, do you know how valiant Zilong was just now? He charged seven times into the Cao camp and seized a Cao general's sword! A million Cao soldiers could not do anything to Zilong!"
Hearing his "brother-in-law's" words, Liu Bei patted Zhao Yun on the shoulder again.
He exclaimed, "Zilong is truly full of valor!"
…
…
Under the walls of Xiangyang City, Jingzhou.
Having concluded the first battle of their southward campaign, Cao Cao's army arrived at Xiangyang.
At the city gate, Lady Cai, accompanied by all the civil and military officials of Jingzhou, greeted them with music and formed ranks. The common people gathered in dense crowds.
Stomp!
Stomp!
Cao Cao strode to the city gate. Lady Cai presented the seal and the census register of Jingzhou. "The Prime Minister has arrived with the might of heaven. How dare we not surrender? We offer the nine commanderies of Jing and Xiang for eternal peace."
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao immediately took the presented seal and census register and handed them to Xiahou Dun beside him.
He then gently helped Lady Cai up, not forgetting to grasp her slender hand. The feeling of holding Liu Biao's wife's hand sent a surge of excitement through Cao Cao.
Of course, Lady Cai was pregnant, so Cao Cao would not bear to let her kneel for long.
"Madam, please rise. I have already petitioned the Emperor, and this governorship of Jingzhou will remain with Madam and young Master Liu Cong!"
As soon as these words were uttered, Lady Cai cast a bewitching glance at Cao Cao, muttering in her heart, *You scoundrel, who wants to be the Governor of Jingzhou? I want to be the consort of the King of Wei!*
Even though her heart was already filled with smugness, Lady Cai said verbally.
"The Liu clan has lost virtue. From now on, we shall look to the King of Wei for support!"
"That is natural. I shall support Madam for life."
As they spoke, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Cao Cao, holding Lady Cai's hand, boarded the royal carriage. On the carriage, a canopy shielded them from the scorching sun, revealing Lady Cai's stunning, enchanting beauty.
Cao Cao had been acquainted with countless women throughout his life, but none were as bewitching and alluring as this Lady Cai.
Cao Cao stole a glance at her. For a fleeting moment, Cao Cao had a feeling.
*This woman, won't she eat me alive?*
…
…
In Xinye City, within the medical hall, in the silkworm room.
"Divine Doctor Hua, Senior Brother, you should go and rest. I can tend to him alone. He should wake up tomorrow."
Zhang Zhongjing suggested.
Hua Tuo shook his head. "Until I see him fully recovered, I will not be at ease. I will stay here."
Lu Yu nodded. "Pang Shiyuan is a prominent figure among the younger generation of the prestigious Pang family of Jingzhou. In Xiangyang, it is said, 'When one obtains the Crouching Dragon or the Phoenix Young, one can obtain the realm.' With such a Phoenix Young here, I believe his rebirth will be quite a sight."
As he spoke, Lu Yu adjusted the bedding beside him.
"Divine Doctor Hua, Junior Brother, I have brought all the bedding. Let's make do and rest in the adjacent side room. Coincidentally, I also have some questions I wish to ask Divine Doctor Hua."
Hua Tuo smiled and said, "To be asked for advice is too much. When I say we are exchanging knowledge, Divine Doctor Lu, it is I who am the one seeking to learn."
"Divine Doctor Hua, please do not say that. Have you forgotten, I am ill!" Lu Yu said with a smile.
A few words were enough to warm the formerly chilling atmosphere of the silkworm room.
Before long, Hua Tuo and Lu Yu arrived at the side room adjacent to the silkworm room.
From here, every movement within the silkworm room could be heard clearly.
"Lu, Divine Doctor, what do you wish to ask me?" Hua Tuo inquired with great interest.
"Ax craniotomy!" Lu Yu retorted. "I heard Divine Doctor Hua performed Caesarean sections and even abdominal surgery to remove the appendix with me. So… ax craniotomy? Has Divine Doctor Hua tried it? What is the success rate?"
This…
Upon hearing about ax craniotomy, Hua Tuo's eyes narrowed.
He did not answer immediately but sighed, "The last time I mentioned ax craniotomy, I was imprisoned by the King of Wei. If not for Divine Doctor Lu saving me, Hua Tuo would likely be a pile of bones by now."
Meanwhile… While Lu Yu and Hua Tuo were engaged in in-depth medical discussions.
On the other side…
It seemed that the effect of the anesthetic powder had worn off. Pang Tong's eyes opened. He was somewhat dazed, followed by a wave of intense pain.
"I... it hurts, it hurts... my arm hurts!"
He first uttered these few words.
But then, Pang Tong noticed that his arm had been reattached, connected under thick bandages. The pain in his forearm was incredibly real!
This…
This…
For the first time, despite the pain, Pang Tong found himself joyful.
…
…