binnovel Chapter 1229 Xu Du City Falls, Breakthrough and Escape
Chapter 1229 Xu Du City Falls, Breakthrough and Escape
Within Xuchang, the lights of aristocratic mansions shone from before sunset until late at night. In Wang Yun's residence, servants bustled about carrying heavy satchels filled with gold, silver, valuables, and books. Emperor Liu Xie, protected by several eunuchs, sat in the hall, his face pale, his fingers unconsciously twisting the hem of his robe. Though young, he knew that he was about to leave Xuchang.
"Is everything ready?" Wang Yun stroked his beard and asked the retainer beside him.
"Reporting to Your Excellency, the carriages and horses are ready, and we are just waiting for news from the Vanguard Camp."
On the other side, Ju Yi's vanguard battalion was already lined up on the drill ground. These battle-hardened elite soldiers, clad in armor and spear in hand, scanned their surroundings warily, a tense silence pervading the camp. Their orders were to "escort the Emperor first," and Lü Bu and the others seemed to be outside their consideration. Ju Yi stood under his banner, expressionless. He had always been at odds with Lü Bu, and now, being able to lead the Emperor away from this perilous city was already the best possible outcome.
As the sounds of battle on the city wall gradually subsided, Chen Gong finally whispered in Lü Bu's ear, "My lord, if we don't leave now, we'll truly have no chance!"
Lu Bu gazed at the battlefield below the city gradually falling silent, then looked at the scattered lights in the city, and finally closed his eyes: "Gongtai, inform Xun Kan to have him escort the Emperor and pack his belongings. You go and pack your family's things and meet up with Diao Chan and the others. We'll break out from the north gate before dawn."
Chen Gong responded and left, his steps unsteady yet hurried. Lü Bu turned around and said to the few dozen guards remaining beside him, "You... if you want to leave, then leave. Following me, you'll only find death."
The guards knelt down on one knee in unison: "We are willing to live and die with Marquis Wen!"
A flicker of emotion crossed Lü Bu's eyes, and he waved his hand: "Let's go!"
When Lü Bu returned home, he found Chen Gong arriving with his family, reporting that the Emperor had already departed under the escort of Ju Yi's vanguard, and that Wang Yun and other powerful families had also gone with him. Lü Bu was displeased but didn't bother to argue; after all, the world was in chaos, and they were fleeing. Besides, Yuan Shao's men weren't on his side. Lü Bu composed himself and, with his family, headed towards the north gate.
When Lü Bu arrived at the North Gate with his family and remaining troops, he found the gate wide open and the bodies of the guards lying on the ground. One of the dying soldiers revealed the truth: Ju Yi's men had already escorted the emperor and Wang Yun and other noble families here. Because they did not have Lü Bu's order, the guards refused to open the gate. They killed the guards and fled.
"Well done, well done Ju Yi! Well done Wang Yun!" Lü Bu trembled with rage, slamming his halberd heavily to the ground, sparks flying. He finally understood that his desperate defense of the city had only made him a stepping stone for others.
Diao Chan helped the frightened Lü Lingqi and said softly, "Husband, don't be angry. Let's go quickly, it will be difficult to travel after dawn."
Lu Bu took a deep breath, suppressing the anger and sorrow in his heart. He looked at the remaining soldiers who were still following him; most of them were wounded, their armor tattered, yet they still gripped their weapons.
"Lord Wen, hurry!" Chen Gong urged urgently from his horse, whipping it repeatedly. "The Vanguard has seized the initiative and must have alerted Liu Bei's troops. If we break out later, we will become their target. We can't afford to waste a moment!"
Lu Bu gritted his teeth, staring at the faint cart tracks visible on the desolate plain ahead. Those were the tracks left by Ju Yi, leading the emperor and the noble families. He was filled with hatred, yet ultimately helpless, and shouted, "Move out! Head north!"
The group hurriedly headed north, their wheels churning the dew-covered grass with rapid, hurried sounds. Diao Chan, huddled in the carriage with Lü Lingqi in her arms, peered through the curtain at her husband's tall but tense back, her heart pounding in her chest.
Sure enough, less than ten miles outside the east gate, dust suddenly rose from behind, and a general with several hundred cavalrymen had caught up. It was Wen Ping, one of Liu Bei's subordinates.
"Lu Bu, you scoundrel, don't run!" Wen Ping shouted, sword drawn, his voice booming, "By order of our lord, we are here to capture this traitor!"
Lu Bu roared and charged forward on horseback, brandishing his halberd. The halberd in his hand was not the Fangtian Huaji he was used to—that divine weapon that had accompanied him in battle for many years had been lost when he was defeated at Hulao Pass. Although this one was also forged from fine iron, it was still somewhat less comfortable to use.
Even so, Lü Bu's bravery was still no match for Wen Ping's. The two horses clashed for no more than ten rounds before Lü Bu deflected Wen Ping's broadsword with a single halberd strike, then swept it horizontally, the tip of the halberd grazing Wen Ping's armor and sending sparks flying.
Wen Ping was so frightened that he dared not continue the fight. He turned his horse and fled, and the cavalry behind him also collapsed.
"Stop chasing, let's go!" Chen Gong shouted hurriedly.
"I'll spare your life today!" Lü Bu reined in his horse, glancing at the hastily retreating Wen Ping, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes. "If my weapon hadn't been so unsatisfactory, you would already be a ghost beneath my halberd!"
After defeating Wen Ping, Lü Bu and his men dared not delay and spurred their horses onward northward. Morning dew dampened their robes, and the horses' hooves left trails of wet grass. After traveling for about half an hour, several carriages suddenly appeared on the official road ahead, moving slowly, and their direction was also northwest.
"Halt!" Lu Bu reined in his horse and shouted, and his personal guards stepped forward to block the carriage.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and Yang Biao and Zhong Yao stepped out. Both were startled to see Lü Bu, then bowed respectfully with complicated expressions.
Lu Bu's lips curled into a contemptuous smile: "Lord Yang, Lord Zhong, what a coincidence. Shouldn't you have followed Wang Yun to join Yuan Shao in Hebei? How come you've fallen behind? Could it be that Ju Yi's vanguard didn't give you noble families any face?"
Yang Biao sighed and said with a wry smile, "Lord Wen, you don't know. The Vanguard Camp has always been indifferent to us. The noble families, seeking protection, have secretly slipped us gold and silver. Yuan Chang (Zhong Yao's courtesy name) and I already had other plans, so naturally we wouldn't join in. They were happy to abandon us, and we fell behind."
Zhong Yao added, "My son Zhong Hui is currently in Xiliang; my nephew Yang Xiu is also under Ma Chao's command. We two have long decided to head west. We originally intended to follow the Vanguard Camp out of Xuchang's territory, but we changed our route to Luoyang and Hulao Pass to join the King of Liang (Ma Chao)." The two had some reservations while serving under Lü Bu, but now that Lü Bu had fled, they no longer had such reservations and spoke the truth.
Lu Bu was somewhat surprised to hear this. Although he had a past grudge against Ma Chao, he admired his courage and strategy, and knew that Xiliang was now a strong and well-equipped military force, making it a safe haven in the chaotic world.
"Oh? You guys have good taste." Lu Bu put away his contempt and softened his tone. "That kid Ma Chao is doing very well in Chang'an now. He's more reliable than that old fox Yuan Shao."
Yang Biao cupped his hands and said, "Lord Wen, you jest. However, we have a long-standing relationship with Xiliang, and going there is better than living under someone else's roof. But Lord Wen, where do you plan to go now?"
Lu Bu's gaze darkened. "Yuan Shao won't tolerate me, and Cao Cao and Liu Bei are chasing me from behind. The world is so vast, I don't know where to go." He looked into the distance, his tone filled with a sense of bewilderment.
Zhong Yao hesitated and said, "If Marquis Wen doesn't mind... Western Liang is a vast and sparsely populated region, and the King of Liang has always valued talent, perhaps..."
"How could I, Lü Bu, possibly surrender to someone else?" Lü Bu interrupted decisively, a hint of arrogance flashing in his eyes. "Even if I die, I will die a glorious death!"
Yang Biao and Zhong Yao exchanged a glance and decided not to offer any further advice. They knew Lü Bu's temperament; further words would be pointless.
"In that case, we shall take our leave." Yang Biao cupped his hands in farewell. "Take care, Lord Wen, until we meet again."
Zhong Yao also said, "The road ahead is fraught with peril; please take good care of yourself, Marquis Wen."
The two turned and boarded the carriage. The driver turned the carriage around and headed towards the fork in the road to the west. The wheels rolled through the dust and soon disappeared at the end of the main road.
Lu Bu gazed in the direction they had departed, remaining silent for a moment. Chen Gong, standing beside him, said, "My lord, what Yang Biao and Zhong Yao said may not be entirely unrelated. Although Ma Chao and you have had a falling out, he is broad-minded, perhaps..."
"No need for further discussion." Lü Bu waved his hand and turned his horse around. "Let's go! The Emperor is in the north; let's head north and avoid the pursuers first!"
His guards followed closely behind, the sound of hooves echoing once more, sounding especially desolate on the vast wilderness. Unbeknownst to Lü Bu, the westward journey of Yang Biao and Zhong Yao was like an invisible thorn piercing his heart—in this chaotic world, even the most principled aristocratic families could assess the situation; was he, this "fierce tiger," truly destined only to fight to the bitter end in dire straits?
After traveling for about half an hour, the sky was beginning to lighten. The wind swept across the wasteland, carrying the faint sounds of distant battle. The pursuers were getting closer, but the road ahead remained shrouded in mist. Suddenly, the sound of thunderous hooves echoed behind them, accompanied by a deafening shout: "Lu Bu, don't run! I, Old Zhang, am coming!"
Looking back, they saw Zhang Fei, spear in hand, leading Zhao Yun and several other generals charging towards them, his cavalry surging like a tidal wave, dust billowing into the sky. It turned out that Wen Ping had not gone far when he encountered Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, who had rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. Upon hearing that Lü Bu was ahead, Zhang Fei could not contain himself and spurred his horse to charge.
"It's that brute Zhang Fei!" Chen Gong's face turned ashen. "Lord Wen, they outnumber us. We can't fight them head-on. Quickly head towards the northwest mountains. The terrain there is complicated; we might be able to escape!"
Lu Bu watched the approaching pursuers, then glanced at his few remaining guards and family carriages, a resolute glint in his eyes. He reined in his horse and said to Chen Gong, "Gongtai, you protect Diaochan and Lingqi and go first. I'll cover the rear!"
"Lord Wen!" Chen Gong exclaimed urgently, "No! If anything happens to you, we..."
"Enough nonsense!" Lü Bu interrupted sharply, his halberd pointing directly at Zhang Fei. "Even if I, Lü Bu, die in battle, I will not let them harm my family! Let's go!"
Diao Chan heard it clearly from inside the carriage, lifted the curtain and cried, "My husband..."
"Go!" Lu Bu glanced back at his daughter's bewildered face, then suddenly waved his hand, his halberd flashing a cold light as he charged towards Zhang Fei, who was closing in.
"Lu Bu! Prepare to die!" Zhang Fei thrust his spear straight at Lu Bu's face with tremendous force.
The two fierce generals instantly clashed, the metallic clang of their halberds colliding with their spears deafening.
Chen Gong, watching the two locked in combat, gritted his teeth and shouted to the coachman, "Go! Head northwest quickly!" Chen Gong knew that Liu Bei's army's target was definitely not Lü Bu's family, but rather the emperor's entourage heading to Hebei. Therefore, Chen Gong made a decision in a flash and headed northwest.
The carriage wheels turned, carrying Lü Bu's family as they fled deep into the northwest. Diao Chan looked back and saw her husband's figure like an iron tower amidst the chaos of the army. With his halberd flashing, he had forced Zhang Fei to keep his distance for a moment. She covered her mouth, tears silently streaming down her face, her mind filled with only one thought: My husband, you must live.
The battle raged fiercely. Though his halberd was out of practice, Lü Bu wielded it with impenetrable skill. Zhang Fei's spear rained down like a storm, each strike aimed straight for vital points, but Lü Bu effortlessly deflected each attack. After seventy or eighty rounds, Zhang Fei could barely parry, occasionally managing a couple of counterattacks, but he couldn't gain the upper hand. Frustrated, he roared, "Lü Bu, you scoundrel! Don't hide! Fight me three hundred rounds!"