Under the starry night, in Tan County, Xuzhou, the soldiers and horses in the city were strong and the food and grass were sufficient.
However, it was difficult to continue now. They could only hide like turtles and defend the city. The cultivated land outside the city had already been abandoned. If they did not take care of it, it would be difficult to harvest if they missed the season.
Spring was about to pass and summer was about to arrive. If he planted it then, the seeds and new sprouts would not survive at all.
Tao Qian was panicking. He was really panicking.
It was to the point where he wanted to give up Xu Prefecture.
"Why don't we surrender and give Xuzhou to Cao Cao? We can still let the people live and work in peace.”
"Absolutely not!"
Liu Bei refused on the spot.
Surrender?
How could I surrender? What would I do if you surrender?!
I'm going…When I first came here, I was fighting Cao Cao to the death, putting him on the cruel side and cursing him repeatedly. In the end, you told me that you wanted to surrender. Wouldn't that make me the villain?
Liu Bei's heart was filled with complicated emotions.
"You can't, Lord Tao. If we surrender, Cao Cao will definitely target you in order to consolidate his authority. The taxes of the people will also increase.”
Liu Bei could only use these negative emotions to influence Tao Qian. Perhaps it could help him stabilize his mind.
However, what Liu Bei did not know was that Tao Qian's condition had actually worsened a lot during this period of time. If he continued to endure the sleepless nights brought about by this war and deal with complicated military affairs, he might die in a few days.
" I'm not going to fight anymore. Duke Xuande, you've dealt with Cao Cao for many years. His cavalry is at its peak now. We can't defeat them…"
Tao Qian shook his head with a bitter smile. There were some things that he wanted to say, but he felt that it was too embarrassing to say.
His descendants did not go out to be officials, and he did not have any elite soldiers under him. How could he compete with Cao Cao?
At this moment, Liu Bei said," No, no, no. Lord Tao, you can't do this. We just need to hold on. Cao Cao will retreat sooner or later!" Think about it, he had a quick battle after late autumn last year, and this year, it was a quick battle again! Such a hurry meant that the territory was not peaceful.”
"Lu Bu is currently looking for territory, and he has already begun to attack Yanzhou. We can wait a little longer!”
This time, Liu Bei was extremely insistent. He did not agree with Tao Qian's surrender, but he understood that Tao Qian could still make the final decision in the remaining territories of Xu Prefecture. He could only persuade him with good words and not show any anger or anxiety.
Otherwise, they would be suspected.
"Duke Xuande, is what you said true?”
"It's absolutely true. Master Tao must not surrender at will!”
Liu Bei bowed to the end. Now that he was at the brink of death, he could not back down. After all…
If he could make great contributions in the war in Xuzhou, he would be able to entrust Xuzhou to Liu Bei after Tao Qian passed away. Then, he would have a place to stay.
This was the beginning of hegemony.
"Alright, alright…I'll trust Xuande this time and stay with him for a while.”
……
At this time, the aristocrats and gentry in the other prefectures and counties of Xu Prefecture had already begun to waver.
Many large families were not fools. What they wanted was to seek peace in the chaotic world, seek development, and support the right people. When the war subsided and peace returned, they could have a share of the pie.
But after a few days, Cao Cao retreated.
Many large families who knew about this news were dumbfounded.
What the f * ck?
Retreat? Why?
Why did they retreat again and torture us?!
These clans had originally planned to surrender and wait for Cao Cao's last attack. After a little bit of suffering, they would go to Tao Qian and have a showdown. However, at this critical moment, Cao Cao withdrew his troops.
This was like marrying a certain girl. Originally, the girl's heart had already fallen in love after being flirted with several times. She was prepared to agree to marry him again.
You're telling me now that you're not getting married!？
Then I…I feel terrible!
Who should I give the 10,000 taels of gold and silver in my hands to?! My jade, scrolls, silk, and treasures are like sitting on pins and needles in my hands!
Moreover, they felt that if they lost this opportunity, they might not be able to contribute so much.
Therefore, the few clans hit it off and began to secretly contact General Cao Ren...
At least he had to catch one of them, lest the fatigue of spring ploughing affect autumn and winter. Whether they would eat meat or grass in autumn and winter next year would depend on this time.
……
When the undercurrent in Xu Prefecture was surging, Xu Zhen was ambushed for the second time on the grain route.
But this time, it was very unexpected.
Similarly, only 1,000 people came.
Zhao Zilong had already taken over Chenliu. Together with Xiahou Dun and Xun Yu, he had directly taken over Zhang Miao's position. Ignoring Zhang Miao's curses, he had taken over the position of general and prefect.
They began to divide their forces to help.
According to the previous agreement, Zhao Yun had already returned to Xu Zhen's side and injured two people.
Due to their fast speed, good sneak attacks, and high riding speed, the Bing Province soldiers had no time to react. Their rations were gone, and the Bing Province tigers and wolves were left with only rations.
Along the way, they had robbed some provisions, and were immediately scolded by the people until their ancestral graves were smoking. It was impossible for them to take over Yanzhou. Any city or county would regard Lu Bu as a tiger or a wolf and fight to the death.
Thus, Xu Zhen, who had brought 500 men, met Zhang Liao, who had brought 1,000 men, and Chen Gong, who was accompanying him.
It was said that Chen Gong wanted to recruit Xu Zhen for Lu Bu one last time. If he could get this person to follow him, his future development would be even better.
" Lord Xu, you and I are both scholars. When two armies are fighting, we don't kill envoys. Now I'm here to give you a piece of advice. If you..."
"Scholars! Dian Wei, Zi Long! Charge into the formation and capture Chen Gong!!”Xu Zhen interrupted him. Who would talk about rules with you on the battlefield? Besides, what kind of rules are you talking about? Why shouldn't I arrest you when you've delivered yourself to my doorstep?
"Here!"
The cavalry on both sides began to charge at the formation, and Chen Gong's expression changed.
"Xu Zhen! You don't care about martial arts!"
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