The night passed quietly.

Yan Liang and Wen Chou were not disturbed by the news they were worried about all night.

Early the next morning, after the two of them got up, there was still no news about Xu Du from the scouts.

Sitting around a campfire cooking corn, Yan Liang said to Wen Chou: "There has been nothing to do all night, and I haven't seen Xu Du send news until now, I don't think anything will happen." ”

"It seems that it is." Wen Chou replied: "If Lu Bu had made any moves, there should have been news sent a long time ago." I haven't gotten any news yet, so there should be no change. ”

"Maybe it's really the two of us who are too worried." Yan Liang nodded: "Maybe Lu Bu has no other plans at all, it's just that we are worried that he will do something unfavorable to the lord, so we will be wary everywhere." ”

"I think that's what I think." Wen Chou replied: "It seems that he really wants to wait for us to crusade against Cao Cao." So far, there has been no action, it is nothing more than to give us some sincerity. ”

Yan Liang, who had the same cognition, nodded in agreement.

The rice on the bonfire was already cooked, and the smell of rice was rich.

The guards next to him served a meal for Yan Liang and Wen Chou and handed it to the two of them.

Holding the corn, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were about to eat, and rushed into the barracks on fast horses.

"Where's the general?" Rushing into the barracks, the knight on horseback shouted loudly at the top of his voice.

Immediately, someone stepped forward to hold the reins of the war horse under his crotch and told him the location of Yan Liang and Wen Chou.

Getting the direction of Yan Liang and Wen Chou, the knight jumped off his horse and ran over quickly.

"What are you yelling about?" Wen Chou glared at him fiercely.

He lowered his head, and the knight replied tremblingly: "Qi two generals, Lu Bu asked the emperor to escort him out of Xu Capital last night, probably to Pengcheng. ”

Just now I was still speculating that Lu Bu should have done nothing, but he actually got the news that he had come to escort the emperor away, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were taken aback, and the two of them stood up almost at the same time.

Yan Liang grabbed the knight's collar, opened his eyes angrily and asked, "What did you say?" ”

"Lu Bu asked the emperor to escort him out of Xudu, he should have gone to Pengcheng." When he replied, the knight was trembling.

From Yan Liang and Wen Chou's reactions, he could see that the two generals were full of anger at this time.

The knight who reported the news had no doubt that as long as he said half a wrong sentence, he would be immediately torn alive by Yan Liang and Wen Chou.

"When?" Grabbing the knight's neckline, Yan Liang asked.

"Late last night." The knight replied, "It happened very suddenly, and when we found out, Lu Bu's men and horses had already escorted the emperor's Luan out of the city. ”

"Why didn't you report it until now?" Yan Liang sat on the ground for the knight, glared at him angrily and asked.

"When we found that Lu Bu was sending people out of the city, we didn't dare to delay and hurried to deliver the letter." The knight replied: "But Bandao encountered Cao Cao's scouts, and fought with them, and the brothers were all separated. ”

Hearing that they had encountered Cao Cao's scouts halfway, Yan Liang and Wen Chou glanced at each other, and their faces were even more ugly than just now.

"I'll take someone to chase it." Wen Chou said to Yan Liang: "The soldiers rely on you." ”

"Don't worry." Knowing that there must be someone who can calm down to chase after him, so that he can snatch the emperor back, Yan Liang reminded Wen Chou: "Be careful on the road!" ”

Wen Chou arched his hand and said: "Don't worry, I went over this time, I want to see who dares to stop me?" ”

Yan Liang's gaze fell on the face of the knight who reported the news again: "How many men did Lu Bu send to escort the emperor?" ”

The knight replied, "There are three or five thousand men, to say the least. ”

"That's a lot." Yan Liang said to Wen Chou: "Counting the men and horses that Cao Cao may send to stop you, you must bring at least 20,000 soldiers." ”

"No, you don't." Wen Chou said: "With 20,000 horses, I don't know when I will catch up with the team sent out by Lu Bu to the city." ”

"There were so few people that I was worried that I would end up in danger." Yan Liang said: "After all, we don't know how many soldiers and horses Cao Cao will send. ”

"It doesn't matter how many men he brings." Wen Chou said very confidently: "Cao Cao's subordinates, if anyone wants to fight with me, he just wants to come." ”

He then said to Yan Liang: "Let's not talk too much here, if we talk too much, it will delay the trip." ”

Yan Liang and Wen Chou have worked together for many years, and the two are fellow villagers, so of course they know his temper well.

Although he still wanted to persuade him again, he also knew that no matter how he persuaded him, it was impossible for Wen Chou to change his mind, so Yan Liang had to tell him a few words like being extremely careful and sent him on the war horse.

Wen Chou led 10,000 Hebei troops to chase the Xuzhou army that escorted the emperor to Xudu.

At the same time, Cao Cao, who had abandoned Xu Capital earlier, was stationed only fifty or sixty miles away from the city.

The scouts deployed near Xudu found that Lu Bu had asked people to escort the emperor's Luan to leave, but they did not dare to delay for a moment, and hurriedly went to report to Cao Cao.

After getting the news and knowing that the scouts had a fight with the scouts of the Hebei army, Cao Cao knew very well that the current situation seemed to have become complicated.

Signaling the scout to step back, Cao Cao asked Guo Jia and the others on the side, "What do you think?" ”

"Yan Liang and Wen Chou led the troops to Xudu, and earlier they planned to enter the city, but they were rejected by Lu Bu." Guo Jia said: "Yuan Shao ordered them to come, it should be for the emperor. With such an obvious intention, how could Lu Bu not be able to see it? I think that Lu Bu did have the reason to send someone to escort the emperor out of Xudu. ”

His gaze swept over the faces of the others, and Cao Cao asked, "You think so too?" ”

Everyone looked at each other, and after a while, Xun You stood up and said to Cao Cao: "I have the same opinion as Feng Xiao, Yan Liang and Wen Chou led the army to our army, and their intention was obvious, it was nothing more than to break our army, and then return to Xudu. ”

"With their little men, they also want to break our army." Cao Cao snorted coldly, and said with a blue face: "As long as they dare to come, I want them to look good!" ”

"Of course, Yan Liang and Wen Chou's troops can't do anything to the lord." Xun You replied: "But they are a threat to Lu Bu. Once they start a war with our army, regardless of success or failure, they will have an excuse to return to Xudu and ask Lü Bu to open the city gates. If Lu Bu refused to open it, he would inevitably offend them, and the alliance with Yuan Shao would probably last for a short time. If Lü Bu agreed, they would definitely ask to see the emperor after they entered the city. Once you see the emperor, it is inevitable that you will open your mouth and ask to take it away. Lu Bu agreed, and everything was fine. If Lu Bu doesn't agree, a fight between the two sides is imperative! ”

"In other words, you all think that it is true that Lu Bu sent someone to escort the emperor out of Xu Capital?" Cao Cao asked again.

"It must be true." Guo Jia said: "Leaving the emperor in the city of Xu will be a trouble for him sooner or later. Instead of waiting for Yan Liang and Wen Chou to enter the city to ask for it, it is better to get the emperor out of Xudu now. If Yan Liang and Wen Chou really fought with our army, it would not be too difficult for the emperor to return to Pengcheng. Once the emperor entered Pengcheng, not to mention the lord, even Yuan Shao had no way. ”

Cao Cao frowned and nodded.

Guo Jia continued: "If Lu Bu doesn't send the emperor out of the city, it will not be easy for the lord to take him back. Now that the emperor has left the city, is it possible that the lord still wants to sit back and watch the opportunity slip away? ”

"Of course you can't sit idly by." Cao Cao shouted to the side: "Xiahou Xuan, Xiahou Yuan obey the order!" ”

Waiting on the side, Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan, who saw that there should be military affairs, heard the greeting and stepped forward.

The two of them bowed down and saluted Cao Cao: "Please command, lord!" ”

"You two lead 5,000 troops to intercept the men and horses sent by Lu Bu." Cao Cao instructed: "No matter what, you must snatch the emperor back for me!" ”

"Don't worry, my lord, we will live up to our mission!" Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan responded in unison.

The brothers received the military order, ordered 5,000 soldiers and horses to leave, and rushed to the direction where Emperor Luan had left.

Not to mention that Zhao Yun and Tai Shici galloped all the way after escorting Liu Xie out of the city, and they had long since disappeared, only that Cheng Pu and Han Dang, with less than 5,000 Xuzhou troops, after leaving Xuchang, marched towards Pengcheng at a speed that was not very fast.

Wen Chou led 10,000 Hebei soldiers to come quickly.

They were much closer to Pengcheng than Cao Cao's army, and of course they had to catch up with Cheng Pu and Han Dang earlier than the men and horses sent by Cao Cao.

Escorting Luan, Chen Pu and Han Dang's march speed will not be too fast.

Seeing a team of men and horses coming from behind, they couldn't leave as soon as possible.

Catching up, Wen Chou's weapon waved, and the officers and men of the Hebei Army bypassed the Xuzhou Army escorting Luan from both sides and surrounded them.

The Xuzhou army hugged Luanjia and stopped, and the soldiers held their weapons and looked nervously at the Hebei army surrounding them.

"Two generals, where are you escorting Your Majesty?" Blocking the way of the Xuzhou army, Wen Chou asked Cheng Pu and Han Dang.

"The King of Chu has an order for us to escort His Majesty to Pengcheng." Cheng Pu first responded, and then asked him rhetorically: "What is the reason why General Wen led his troops to stop us?" ”

"Why should I stop you, don't the two generals understand?" Wen Chou said: "The king of Chu broke through Xudu, and now the city of Xudu is his, and my lord does not plan to rob him, let alone think about getting any benefits from Xudu." It's just that the King of Chu quietly sent His Majesty away, isn't it too unkind? Anyway, he and my lord also have a covenant first. Since His Majesty is in Xudu, my lord plans to invite him to Yecheng as a guest. The king of Chu made branches from it, which made my father-in-law's face look so ugly. ”

"If Duke Yuan wants to meet His Majesty, just go to Pengcheng." Cheng Pu replied: "Your Majesty is the Ninth Five-Year Honor, how can you be a guest in the realm of the courtiers? When the general said this, could it be that he wanted to trap Yuan Gong for disloyalty? ”

Cheng Pu asked rhetorically, and Wen Chou was stunned.

With a gloomy face, he stared at Cheng Pu for a long time, and Wen Chou asked, "Is it possible that the two old generals plan to stop me?" ”

"Although the two of us are old, we dare not slack off in the slightest in the things that the King of Chu has instructed." Cheng Pu replied: "The general suddenly changed his face, is he planning to rob it openly?" ”

"What if you rob it openly?" Already tearing his face, Wen Chou snorted coldly and asked Cheng Pu and Han Dang.

"If the general has such a plan, just come up and try!" Although Cheng Pu and Han Dang were old, they refused to back down half a step, and both took two steps up with their weapons.

Wen Chou confronted Cheng Pu and Han Dang, and the soldiers on both sides also put on a fighting posture.

Just when the two sides were tense, I don't know who shouted: "Cao Cao's people are here!" ”

The soldiers on both sides turned their heads one after another, and sure enough, they saw a group of men and horses running in the distance.

The group was getting closer and closer, and Wen Chou, Cheng Pu, and Han Dang recognized that it was the two brothers Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan who led the soldiers and horses to kill.

"If the general wants to get Luan, just take it!" Seeing Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan leading troops to kill, Cheng Pu shouted to Wen Chou, and then beckoned Han Dang and the soldiers: "Let's go!" ”

Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan led the Cao army to kill, but the Xuzhou army not only did not resist, but suddenly withdrew, taking Wen Chou by surprise.

Seeing the Xuzhou army withdrawing, Wen Chou only felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't say it.

"Escort Luan, let's go!" The Cao army was getting closer and closer, and the Xuzhou army had already withdrawn, and it was too late to check what was going on in Luanjiali, so Wen Chou immediately gave an order.

The Hebei soldiers who came here with Wen Chou escorted Luan and followed him to retreat away from Cao's army.

Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan were ordered to come and snatch Luanjia, how could they let them leave?

Although the number of people was not as large as that of the Hebei army, Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan still led the soldiers to chase all the way.

The Hebei army walked in front, the Cao army chased behind, and the Xuzhou army, which left first, was getting farther and farther away from them.

Evacuating the battlefield with the soldiers, Cheng Pu and Han Dang glanced back after they were far away.

Seeing Cao Jun chasing the Hebei Army away, Han Dang asked Cheng Pu: "Do you think Wen Chou can protect Luanjia?" ”

"Wen Chou has twice as many soldiers and horses as Cao Jun." Cheng Pu replied: "Although he is only one person, and Cao Jun has come to Xiahou Xuan and Xiahou Yuan, I feel that with the advantage of numbers, Wen Chou should be able to protect Luanjia." ”

"When he drives Cao Jun away, what should we do if he finds that the inside of Luan Jia is empty?" Han Dang said: "He will definitely lead the soldiers and horses to chase after him." ”

"It's not far from Xuchang anymore." Cheng Pu replied: "By the time their fight is over, we will already enter the city." ”

Han Dang didn't say anything more, and together with Cheng Pu, he led the soldiers of the Xuzhou Army to speed up and rush towards Xuchang.

When Wen Chou was chased by Xiahoudun and Xiahouyuan, Lu Bu stood on the city wall of Xuchang and looked into the distance.

From the city wall of Xuchang, it was impossible to see the place where the battle was taking place, but Lu Bu knew very well that in the direction he was looking, a battle for Emperor Luan's drive was going on.

"King Chu, a scout is back." Sun Ce, who was standing behind Lu Bu, pointed out of the city.

Following the direction pointed by Sun Ce, Lu Bu saw that there was indeed a fast horse rushing towards Xuchang.