The night was deep, and as far as the eye could see, the four fields were dark and vast.

Lu Bu rode a red rabbit and walked towards the city gate with Fang Tian's halberd.

He was followed by 20,000 Qingzhou Army soldiers.

Zhao Yun and Zhang Liao had been ordered to leave, but before they arrived at the reserved ambush location, Lu Bu ordered the two of them to return.

Although they didn't understand why he changed his order, the two generals returned to Zhongli with their headquarters and horses.

The army gathered, and Lü Bu ordered to enter the city.

20,000 soldiers, each armed with torches.

The flames continued to shine in the sky, illuminating the vicinity of Zhongli Castle Gate as if it were daytime.

At the top of the city, a torch was lit every few steps.

If it weren't for the fire outside the city, the torches on the top of the city would have illuminated a place.

But against the backdrop of the torches in the hands of the Qingzhou army, the light at the head of the city looked so dim, and it didn't look much different from the dark vastness in the distance.

The army stopped outside the city gate, and Lu Bu looked up at the city wall.

An officer stepped out from behind him.

"The defenders haven't opened the door yet, so could it be that we crash in?" The officer yelled at the city.

"Wait a minute, and I'll open it right away." A panicked response came from the city.

A moment later, the gates of Zhongli slowly opened.

Lu Bu beckoned and took the lead towards the open city gate.

Passing through the city gate hole, he saw a group of local officials waiting on the bluestone road ahead.

Seeing Lu Bu coming, the officials knelt on the ground one after another.

The defenders lined up on both sides also knelt down.

Walking past the kneeling official, Lu Bu asked, "Why don't you see General Lu?" ”

One by one, the officials knelt down, daring to look up at him.

"Wen Hou asked, why didn't you answer?" Zhang Liao frowned and asked.

Only then did someone reply tremblingly: "General Lu returned to the official mansion, but I didn't see him come out." ”

"Surrender the weapons of the defenders." Lu Bu instructed: "Come and let some people go to the government with me to have a look." ”

The army entered the city, and Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun and Xu Huang each led a group of men and horses to disarm the defenders and occupy every street.

Xun You accompanied Lu Bu to the official mansion.

The people in the government went to the city gate to meet them, and when Lu Bu passed by, no one dared to get up and follow the officials who were kneeling on the side of the road.

There was no figure inside and outside, and the huge government was silent.

Lu Bu and Xun You stopped, and the soldiers behind them ran to the backyard.

After a while, an officer ran back to them: "Qi Qi Wen, there is a person in the backyard who hangs himself by hanging a beam." ”

Since they entered the city, they hadn't seen Lu Mian, and Lu Bu and Xun You immediately thought of him.

The two men hurried to the backyard, and the officer led them to the door of a side room.

The open door was filled with firelight, and several soldiers waited in the room with torches.

The firelight illuminated every corner of the room.

Lu Bu and Xun You entered the house and saw a person hanging from the beam.

By the light of the torches, they recognized that the person was Lu Mian.

"Why don't you put people down?" Lu Bu asked.

Several soldiers hurriedly stepped forward and put the person down.

The corpse was put down, and Lu Bu squatted aside and gently pressed his neck with his fingers.

"His face was already bruised, and his body had already turned cold, and he had been dead for a while." Lu Bu turned his head to look at Xun You.

"He had thought of dying." Xun You sighed: "Lu Mian's ability is ordinary, but his temperament is not weak. Yuan Shu was entrenched in Huainan back then, and there were several characters under him. It's a pity that he doesn't know how to make good use of people, and he is also blind and arrogant, and he actually thinks that he can replace the Han family with his virtue, so he ended up where he is now, which is really sad and lamentable. ”

"Yuan Shu has long been dead, what did Duke Xun mention him do." Lu Bu asked, "What should Lu Mian do?" ”

"What does Wen Hou think should be done?" Xun You asked.

"Lu Mian is the general of Huainan, and he was originally hostile to us, so it stands to reason that he should not be treated favorably." Lu Bu said: "But when he knew that he was going to die, he asked the defenders of Zhongli to open the city gate and dedicate the city to our army. First, it saved the people of Zhongli, and secondly, it also avoided the casualties of the soldiers in the battle. Although there is no need for a thick burial, no matter what, a thin coffin must be prepared for him. ”

"That's what Wen Hou said." Xun You nodded.

He then instructed the guards: "Order, find a coffin for General Lu, no need to consider the material, as long as it can hold the corpse." ”

A guard was commanded to depart.

Lu Bu stood up and instructed the others: "Find a piece of linen cloth and wrap the body first." ”

Several soldiers in the room found sackcloth and wrapped Lu Mian in all hands.

Xun You accompanied Lu Bu to the door: "Wen Hou just arrived at Zhongli and took this city bloodlessly." The Huainan general Lu Mian was afraid of Wen Hou's might. ordered the defenders to surrender, but he committed suicide in the official palace. When I came to Huainan this time, I could be regarded as seeing the prestige of Wenhou. ”

"Xun Gong, don't look at me honestly and blindly bully." Lu Bu smiled at him.

Lu Bu was ashamed to say that he was honest, and Xun You suddenly felt that his entire concept of right and wrong had been subverted.

At that time, Lu Bu was greedy for small profits, and he could give up righteousness for a little benefit.

Although some of his actions are almost stupid, he cannot be said to be honest.

The person standing beside him not only looked similar to a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, but also had a very different mind from Lu Bu in the past.

Although he didn't have much contact with him, Xun You felt that the person in front of him was not as easy to deal with as rumored.

Whoever treats him as a fool is truly a fool!

"Wen Hou is very thoughtful, and his martial arts are unparalleled in the world." Xun You replied: "How many people in the world dare to bully Wen Hou? ”

"Didn't Xun Gong just do it just now." Lu Bu laughed.

He then asked Xun You: "Zhongli has been taken, and the next thing our army will face is the Huainan army." The weapons and armor promised by Xun Gong, I don't know when it will arrive? ”

"I had people ask me before, saying that I had left Xudu a long time ago." Xun You said: "Counting the days, at most three or two days should come to Zhongli. ”

"The soldiers are in tattered armor and lack of weapons, and they can't cope with the big war." Lu Bu said: "If it can't be delivered in time and the big thing is delayed, Xun Gong can't blame me." ”

Xun You smiled, but there was helplessness in his smile: "I understand what Wen Hou said, and I will send someone to urge." Before the weapons and armor were delivered, the army was stationed in Zhongli, okay? ”

After being in contact with Lu Bu for a few days, Xun You can be regarded as having figured out his temper.

If he doesn't meet his requirements, even if he stares behind him every day and urges the troops, he will find all kinds of reasons to shirk it.

Rather than that, it is better to simply satisfy him, so that he can not find a reason and excuse to shirk.

Xun You agreed simply, Lu Bu really didn't want to say much.

He squeezed out a smile at Xun You: "Thank you Duke Xun for mediating this, if this crusade against Huainan can be successful, Duke Xun should be the first to take the lead." ”