Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1003: Xu Du is watching Cao Ren fall into an ambush

Yuan Yao, seeing Ji Ling captured from afar, knew the situation was hopeless, and like a bolt of lightning, he fled with the remaining troops, abandoning their armor and weapons. Cao Ang, watching Yuan Yao retreat, did not intend to pursue him, as he knew the principle of "don't pursue a desperate enemy" to avoid being ambushed by the enemy.

At this moment, Yan Xiang, who had fled the battlefield with Yuan Yao, saw Ji Ling being captured and couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Such a brave general... what a pity."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao smiled and consoled him, "Mr. Yan, there's no need to sigh so much. Our army had always intended to cede Shouchun and other territories to Liu Biao. In the future, under your uncle's command, you'll have so many brave generals and counselors, so there's no need to worry about failing to accomplish your great cause. Ji Ling, while exceptionally brave, is not to be regretted."

After capturing Ji Ling alive, Cao Ang, looking at the still-valiant enemy general, admired his martial prowess and loyalty, and he began to consider offering him a surrender. He personally stepped forward, untied Ji Ling's ropes, and said gently, "General Ji, I've long heard of your martial prowess and your loyalty, truly a formidable general of our time. Now that Yuan Yao's fate is sealed, why should you continue to serve him? If you surrender, I will inform my father and ensure his fair treatment. With your talent, you will surely achieve great things in our army."

Ji Ling, however, had a determined look on his face, glared at him, and shouted, "Cao Ang, stop talking! I, Ji Ling, have been deeply indebted to Lord Yuan. In this life, I will serve Lord Yuan only and will never surrender! You can kill me or chop me up, it's all at your disposal!"

Cao Ang wasn't angered by Ji Ling's tough stance; instead, he admired his loyalty even more. He smiled and said, "General Ji's loyalty is something I deeply admire. But you should also understand that wise birds choose their own trees, and virtuous ministers choose their own masters. Yuan Yao isn't someone who can accomplish great things, so why risk your life for him?"

Ji Ling turned his head away, ignoring Cao Ang, his expression determined to die rather than surrender. Cao Ang shook his head helplessly, unable to bear the thought of killing a formidable general like Ji Ling. After a moment's thought, he said to his attendants, "Take General Ji away for the time being and keep him under guard. Don't neglect him."

The soldiers took orders and escorted Ji Ling to a makeshift cell behind the camp. Ji Ling held his head high, showing no fear, and continued to curse. Cao Ang watched him from behind, thinking to himself, "This man is so loyal and righteous. If I could use him, he would be a great help. It seems I need to take the long view and slowly persuade him to surrender."

At this time, Yu Jin, Le Jin and others gathered around. Le Jin said, "Sir, Ji Ling is so ungrateful, why should we spare his life? It would be better to kill him as soon as possible to prevent future troubles."

Cao Ang waved his hand and said, "General Le, although Ji Ling is an enemy general, his loyalty and martial prowess are rare. I believe that with time, I will be able to impress him. Besides, killing him is easy, but it is a pity to see such a brave general fall like this."

Yu Jin nodded in agreement and said, "Young Master is a man of great righteousness and a man who values ​​talent. This is truly a blessing for our army. However, Ji Ling has a strong character and may be difficult to persuade to surrender. We must proceed with caution."

Cao Ang said, "General Yu is absolutely right. I will arrange for reliable people to take good care of Ji Ling. I will also find opportunities to communicate with him more, hoping to change his mind."

As Cao Ang and his men were talking, a messenger suddenly rushed over in a panic, knelt on one knee, and loudly reported: "My lord, something terrible has happened! Liu Biao's army, led by Liu Bei and Wen Pin, is advancing like a hot knife through butter. They have completely defeated the forces of General Cao Ren and General Cao Hong. Yingchuan has now been completely lost!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expression changed drastically. Cao Ang's heart tightened. The loss of Yingchuan meant the situation had deteriorated dramatically. He immediately realized that the safety of Xudu was in jeopardy. Although Qiao County had achieved a certain victory, the fall of Yingchuan would likely trigger a chain reaction. As a key stronghold of Cao Cao, Xudu was very likely to become the next target of Liu Bei and his men.

Cao Ang acted decisively, saying, "Now that Yingchuan has been lost, Xudu is in imminent danger. We cannot afford any further delay. We must return to Xudu immediately and strengthen our defenses to prevent the enemy from taking advantage of the situation and launching an attack."

Yu Jin frowned and said solemnly, "Sir, you are absolutely right. However, our army has just fought a great battle, and while morale is high, we have suffered significant losses. If we rashly return to aid Xudu and encounter enemy attacks along the way, we could be in for a disaster."

Le Jin also echoed, "Yes, and the situation in Xudu is unclear right now. If we return rashly and get surrounded by the enemy, it will be dangerous."

Cao Ang pondered for a moment and said, "The two generals' concerns are not without reason. However, Xudu is of paramount importance, and we cannot sit idly by. So, we should send people to Xudu as fast as possible to gather accurate information. At the same time, we should reorganize the army and be ready to march at any time. At the same time, we should send out scouts to closely monitor the movements of the surrounding enemy forces to ensure the safety of the march."

Everyone nodded in agreement and immediately set about following Cao Ang's instructions. For a moment, the atmosphere in the camp was tense and bustling. Soldiers quickly packed their gear, checked their weapons, and prepared for the upcoming march. Scouts galloped off in all directions, searching for any trace of the enemy.

Meanwhile, in Yingchuan, Liu Bei and Wen Pin's army were basking in the joy of victory. Standing atop Yingchuan City Wall, Liu Bei gazed upon the civilians, his heart filled with emotion. Wen Pin spoke from the sidelines, saying, "My lord, now that Yingchuan has been conquered and Cao Ren and Cao Hong have fled, what should we do next?"

Liu Bei pondered for a moment and said, "Cao Cao's main force is facing Yuan Shao in Dongjun. Now that Yingchuan has fallen into our hands, Xudu must be vulnerable. We can seize this opportunity to march north and attack Xudu, thus depriving Cao Cao of his support."

Wen Pin nodded and said, "My lord, this is a brilliant plan. However, the walls of Xudu are strong, and Cao Cao will surely have troops stationed there to defend it. We must not underestimate the enemy."

Liu Bei said, "Yes, you are right. Send the order to let the soldiers rest for a while, and send people to investigate the troop deployment and defense situation of Xudu. We must make every preparation and take Xudu in one fell swoop."

The eyes of several armies all turned to Xu Du, but at this time Xu Du had already laid a tight net.

Cao Ren and Cao Hong, brothers, led the remaining troops and rode non-stop towards Xudu. Filled with anxiety, they were completely unaware that Xudu had been encircled by Lü Bu and that a huge crisis was waiting for them.

After days of traveling and fighting, the remaining troops were already exhausted, but at the urging of Cao Ren and Cao Hong, they still forced themselves to move forward. Along the way, the dust flew, and the sound of horses' hooves and footsteps intertwined, like a melody full of fatigue and anxiety.

When they reached a valley not far from Xudu, everything suddenly fell silent. This unusual stillness gave Cao Ren a sense of foreboding. He looked around warily and said to Cao Hong, "Zi Lian, something's amiss. It's too quiet here. I'm afraid there's an ambush. Keep your guard up, brothers."

Cao Hong also noticed something was wrong. He gripped his weapon tightly and shouted an order: "All soldiers, listen up, stay alert, and beware of enemy raids!" However, it was too late.

With a deafening roar of killing, Lü Bu's ambush troops surged out from both sides of the valley. Lü Bu led the charge, his Fang Tian painted halberd in hand, standing majestically at the front and shouting, "Cao Ren, Cao Hong, you won't be able to escape today even if you have wings!"

Cao Ren and Cao Hong were horrified, but they quickly regained their composure and marched their remaining troops into battle array to meet the enemy. Cao Ren shouted, "Brothers, we have no way to retreat. Only a desperate fight can carve out a bloody path!" Though exhausted, Cao's soldiers, inspired by their leader, summoned their courage and prepared for a desperate battle with Lü Bu's army.

Battle erupted instantly, with Lü Bu's army charging at Cao Cao's army like hungry wolves. Already outnumbered and having fought for days, Cao Cao's army was now overwhelmed by Lü Bu's ambush. Wielding his Fang Tian Hua Ji (a type of halberd), Lü Bu charged left and right through Cao Cao's ranks, crushing his men wherever he went.

Brothers Cao Ren and Cao Hong personally took to the battlefield to try to stabilize the situation. Cao Ren, wielding a long sword, engaged in a fierce battle with Lü Bu's generals, while Cao Hong, wielding a large axe, fought back fiercely against the enemy's attacks. However, Lü Bu's army was outnumbered and their morale was high, and Cao's army gradually began to struggle.

Cao Ren saw the situation becoming increasingly critical, knowing that if this continued, the entire army would be annihilated. He gritted his teeth and shouted to Cao Hong, "Zi Lian, we can't wait here to die. We must break out! You lead some of the soldiers to break out from the left, and I'll divert the enemy's attention from the right!"

Cao Hong nodded and said, "Brother, be careful!" He then led a group of elite soldiers and made a desperate breakout to the left. Cao Ren, brandishing his long sword, charged towards the densest area of ​​the enemy, shouting loudly, trying to attract the attention of Lü Bu's army.

Under Cao Ren's desperate cover, Cao Hong finally led some of his men to fight their way out. Seeing Cao Hong's successful breakout, Cao Ren lost interest in the battle and retreated, heading towards Cao Hong. Seeing Cao Ren and Cao Hong's escape, Lü Bu had no intention of letting them go and commanded his troops to pursue them relentlessly.

Cao Ren and Cao Hong led the remnants of their army in a desperate and desperate escape, pursued by Lü Bu. They ran furiously, not pausing for a moment, until they were certain Lü Bu's army hadn't caught up. Looking at the few remaining soldiers around them, Cao Ren and Cao Hong felt a wave of bitterness and helplessness.

At this time, they not only suffered the blow of defeat, but were also ambushed by Lu Bu, which was adding insult to injury.

Cao Ren and Cao Hong pulled the reins, gazing at the exhausted, dwindling remnants of their army behind them, their hearts filled with worry and bitterness. Cao Ren's face was grave. He turned to Cao Hong and said in a deep voice, "Zi Lian, we've been ambushed by Lü Bu, and judging by his ferocious attack, I'm afraid Xudu has already fallen. If we continue north now, we'll have nowhere to go and will most likely be pursued by the enemy again."

Cao Hong gritted his teeth, a fierce look flashing in his eyes. He cursed, "How treacherous that little Lü Bu is! He's set an ambush while we're defeated!" Then, as if a thought occurred to him, he looked at Cao Ren and said, "Brother, to the southeast of Qiao County, the eldest son Cao Ang may not yet know about the events in Xudu or our predicament here. If Lü Bu sends another force to Qiao County, the eldest son and his men will be in danger. We must lead the remaining troops to intercept Cao Ang halfway and inform him of the situation so he can make plans."

Cao Ren nodded gravely, his expression stern. "You are right. We must set out without delay. The eldest son may be accompanied by the Western Liang cavalry, but Lü Bu is cunning and treacherous. If they are ambushed, the consequences will be disastrous."