Jiangdong was pacified, but the war in the Central Plains continued.

As Cao Cao, who had the most dealings with Lu Bu, naturally knew the power of the crossbow in Guanzhong, and also had a corresponding strategy, but even so, from the beginning of the war in early March to the present, Cao Cao was still defeated and retreated under the joint attack of the two major armies of Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, and the entire line of Yingchuan was lost, so that Cao Cao had to give up Guandu and shrink the defensive line.

Zhang Liao took the opportunity to lead the army to cross the river, and went down from Guandu, and the 50,000 troops of the Jizhou Army approached Xuchang, and Cao Cao fought on two fronts, and the pressure brought by Cao Cao made him feel suffocated.

Gao Shun's army, adhering to the will to trap the camp to conquer everything, the combat effectiveness that broke out was definitely more terrifying than when he was guarding the Tiger Prison Pass, and Zhang Liao was also a handsome talent, Ma Chao's day-by-day camp came and went like the wind, constantly cutting off Cao Cao's grain route, even if Cao Cao had gathered heavy troops, he was still defeated and retreated by Ma Chao's day-by-day camp.

What's worse is that just when Cao Cao went all out and fought with Gao Shun and Zhang Liao, Zhao Yun's white horse iron cavalry suddenly struck Xu Du, if Xun Yu didn't defend the city properly and closed the city gate in time, I'm afraid Xu Chang would not be able to save that day.

But even so, Cao Cao was still scared enough, and Zhao Yun's arrival also gave Cao Cao a headache, the same came and went like the wind, Zhao Yun's White Horse Camp was a little less wild than Ma Chao's Day-Hunting Camp, but a little more wise, if Ma Chao's Day-Hunting Camp had a lion-like arrogance in his bones, then Zhao Yun's White Horse Camp was like a calm and wise cheetah, and even many times, more dangerous than Ma Chao.

After all, Ma Chao's actions are largely predictable, but Zhao Yun can't predict them.

The original front had already collapsed, and many officials saw that Lu Bu was strong, and they defected one after another, almost all of the west of Runan fell into the hands of Lu Bu, and Xiahou Yuan wanted to sneak attack Gao Shun, but he was almost shot into a hedgehog.

The Yanzhou defense line collapsed almost entirely in just two months, and at the same time, Zhang Liao ordered a partial division to start attacking Qingzhou, which seemed to be to completely lock Cao Cao's living space.

But in the face of the strong bows and crossbows in Guanzhong, as well as all kinds of powerful siege equipment, Cao Cao had to shorten the battle line again.

This battle, until May, Gao Shun, Zhang Liao in Xuchang City division, a round of ballistas plus a new type of catapult in Guanzhong, a city wall of Xuchang City was directly knocked down, Zhong Xuanju surrendered, Cao Cao with the little emperor and Xun Yu, Xun Yu and Xiahou brothers, Gao Lan, Cao Ren and other generals, retreated to Xuzhou, the war was only two months, but lost Qingzhou, Yangzhou and most of Yuzhou one after another.

forced Cao Cao to give up Xuchang and retreat to Xiapi.

Cao Cao himself didn't expect that the defeat would be so fast and so miserable, and with the help of Mount Tai and Xiao Guan again in Xuzhou, he finally blocked Zhang Liao and Gao Shun's soldiers and horses, but how long he could block it, Cao Cao himself didn't know the bottom of his heart.

It's just that before he could breathe a sigh of relief, Jiangdong surrendered, and the news of Lu Bu's landing from Guangling came, which made Cao Cao almost faint directly, and as soon as Jiangdong fell, Lu Bu's entire force formed a complete encirclement of Xuzhou, which is now Cao Cao's only left, and at this moment Cao Cao had no way to retreat.

Xiapi, stabbing in the middle of the house.

"Lord, in fact, the defeat of this battle, in addition to the benefits of the soldiers and horses in Guanzhong, but also because the secret agents and dead soldiers under Lu Bu have continued to infiltrate our army over the years, and every time the battle has not started, the Taishou and the main generals of a county or even a county have been assassinated, so that our army has been defeated so quickly!" Xun Yu frowned and analyzed the current situation, just analyzed and analyzed, with the current situation, Cao Cao wanted to turn the tables, it was almost impossible, and in the end, Xun Yu sighed unconsciously.

"Wen Ruo." Cao Cao ignored these, looked at the Thorn History Mansion, which was now a little dilapidated after several wars, and suddenly smiled: "Back then, our soldiers surrounded Pi, Lu Bu was almost at the end of the road, I didn't expect that now the world has changed, we will meet here again, the world is really wonderful, do you think we can fight a way out like Lu Bu did at the beginning?" ”

When Xun Yu heard this, he couldn't help but be silent, time has changed, when Lu Bu broke through to Xiapi, although there were enemies on all sides, but it was a division of princes, and Guanzhong was even more people's livelihood withering, although it was difficult, but at least there was a chance, and now, except for Xuzhou, the world has been completely returned to Lu Bu, even if they are lucky to escape, where will they go to gain a foothold?

"I didn't expect ......it" Cao Cao didn't wait for Xun Yu to reply, maybe he didn't need an answer at all, looked out of the door, and said abruptly: "At the beginning, Lu Bu, who was brave and unscrupulous, after experiencing the defeat of Xuzhou, seemed to be reborn, no matter strategy, political affairs, and military affairs, there have been great progress, over the years, I have fought with Lu Bu more than once, every time, I can clearly feel that Lu Bu is getting stronger, when Lu Bu was struggling in Guanzhong, he almost turned his hands over, but he didn't expect that he finally became the climate. ”

Xun Yu, Xun You, Gao Ran and others couldn't help but be silent when they heard this, thinking about it, over the years, Lu Bu's development has been too fast.

"Newspaper~"

At this moment, a partial general came in, looked at Cao Cao and said: "Lord, Lu Bu's army has arrived ten miles outside the city, and Lu Bu rode alone and invited the lord to talk outside the city." ”

"Oh?" When Cao Cao heard this, he couldn't help but smile slightly, and looked at everyone: "Everyone, wait a while, I will go out of the city and talk to the evil tiger." ”

"My lord!" Xun Yu and the others couldn't help but be shocked when they heard this, and hurriedly dissuaded.

"No need to persuade again, I have made up my mind!" Cao Cao shook his head.

"Lord, the last general will escort the lord forward!" Gao Lan, Xiahou Yuan, and Xiahou Yuan hurriedly stepped forward.

"No need, then Lu Bu came on a single horse, if I bring someone there, wouldn't it be for him to underestimate?" Cao Cao smiled and shook his head.

Can that be the same?

Everyone was speechless, Lu Bu only needs one person, and the generals here are not necessarily opponents, everyone can clearly remember the scene when Lu Bu was on the bank of Zhangshui, defeating thousands of troops.

It's just that Cao Cao has made up his mind, no one can stop him, in fact, everyone also knows that no matter whether Cao Cao goes to the appointment or not, they can't win this battle, and with those terrifying siege equipment that Guanzhong took out before, defeat is only a matter of time.

Outside Xiapi City, Lu Bu looked at this familiar and unfamiliar city, and inevitably had some emotions in his heart, but he didn't expect to play a circle, and in the end, it still came to an end here, is it fate?

The city gate of Xiapi City was opened, and Cao Cao came to Lu Bu alone.

"Meng De is very bold!" Looking at Cao Cao's back, he didn't bring anyone, Lu Bu couldn't help but be surprised.

"Is there a difference between with and without it?" Cao Cao looked at Lu Bu and exclaimed with some exclamation: "It's just that I didn't expect that Feng Xian was not only not old at all these years, but also seemed to be much younger. ”

"It's your noble business that's busy." Lu Bu smiled slightly, looked at Cao Cao's much older look than back then, shook his head and said: "Meng De, the gossip will end here, you and I have been friends for twenty years, but if you want to say what kind of friendship there is, it is a joke, what is the matter with me asking you to come today, you should be clear, now the world is in my hands, this battle, I want to end him quickly, surrender, I will make you prime minister." ”

"Seal me?" Cao Cao looked at Lu Bu, shook his head and said, "Feng Xian's ambition has been revealed. ”

"It's come this far, there's no choice." Lu Bu looked at Cao Cao: "Liu Bei is dead, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Yuan Shao, Sun Jian, Liu Biao and Yuan Shu, counting, among the contemporaries, now there are only you and me left, there is not only this in the world, why bother to be obsessed with the Central Plains, this world, there is a wider land, waiting for us to conquer, to expand the territory, and lay down a big world!" ”

After Cao Cao was silent for a moment when he heard this, he looked at Lu Bu and did not answer his question, but asked rhetorically: "Fengxian, back then, if you failed to escape from Xuzhou and were captured by me, would you surrender to me?" ”

When Lu Bu heard this, he glanced at Cao Cao deeply, but he already knew his answer, and after a moment of silence, he shook his head and said, "Maybe it really will?" I'm afraid you won't dare to accept it. ”

If not for their own arrival! I silently added a sentence in my heart.

Turning his head to look at Cao Cao: "It seems that you have made up your mind." ”

"In this world, you are enough, to be honest, my ambition in life, you have achieved it on my behalf, I have no regrets in this life, I don't want to die with the reputation of being a minister." Cao Cao is a little heroic at the moment.

"That's fine." Lu Bu nodded and looked at Cao Cao: "This last battle will be personally commanded by me and send you on your way!" Tomorrow I will start the siege, but when the time comes, there will be no more chance, if you die in battle, don't worry about your wife and children, I will raise them for you. ”

"Thank you!" Cao Cao nodded solemnly, turned around and rode away, which also relieved Xiahou Yuan and the others, who were anxiously waiting.

"Everyone!" Cao Cao, who returned to the city, gathered everyone again: "Lu Bu just now, he surrendered to me, saying that he wants to make me prime minister. ”

In the house, many people were overjoyed when they heard this, but Cao Cao's next words were like a basin of cold water pouring down on them, extinguishing their joy.

"Unfortunately, I didn't say yes." Cao Cao looked at everyone's expressions, and sighed secretly in his heart, the style of the scholars has been completely discounted by Lu Bu so far.

He said slowly: "My Cao Cao has won all his life, he has failed, he has been brilliant, he has also been down, and he has gone through the road that should be taken, but only this descending word, I don't want to touch it, so even if the overall situation is decided now, I will never make a living secretly, wouldn't that show that he Lu Bu is broad-minded?" ”

Cao Cao was laughing, but everyone couldn't laugh, Cao Cao looked at everyone: "I have made up my mind, tomorrow and Lu Bu will fight to the death, but this is my business after all, it has nothing to do with you, from now on, the city gate will not be closed, if you are willing to surrender, you can go out of the city directly, the soldiers in the city will never stop you, but the ugly words have to be said in front, those who stay tomorrow, if you still dare me to fight twice, then don't blame Cao for not being emotional!" ”

Hearing this, Cao Ren strode forward, looked at everyone with a calm gaze, and said sharply: "The lord is as kind to me as a mountain, I think who dares to go!?" ”

"Zixiao, don't be rude!" Cao Cao frowned, looked at Cao Ren and said, "You are not allowed to stop anyone from leaving." ”

"Whoa!" Cao Ren gritted his teeth unwillingly and glared at everyone fiercely, but at this moment, everyone in the hall had already had a different mind and didn't pay attention to it.

Cao Cao didn't say anything more, went straight back to the mansion, said goodbye to his wife and children, and the city gate was not closed all night as Cao Cao said.

In the early morning of the next day, when Cao Cao beat the drum and raised the tent, the city was full of civil and military, except for Cao Ren, Xiahou brothers and other cronies and Xun Yu, they walked a fine light, and the original 50,000 soldiers in the city, there were less than 2,000 left, all of whom were cronies of the Cao family.

"Wen Ruo, I didn't expect that in the end, it was you who came to accompany me on this last journey." Looking at Xun Yu, Cao Cao smiled happily: "It seems that Cao Mou is not a failure to be a man." ”

"The minister is also old, he can't walk, the Xun family has a public master, and the king of Jin will not be embarrassed, so the minister will be loyal to the lord on his behalf." Xun Yu smiled.

The rumbling drums of war had already sounded, and the two looked at each other and went up to the city hand in hand to meet this final battle.

Although there were not many 2,000 soldiers, and they could not support it for too long, but this battle was particularly tragic, and it took an hour for the shooting battalion to break through the city gate, and Lu Bu led the army into the city, and on the city tower, he saw the bodies of Cao Cao and Xun Yu, both of whom committed suicide.

In mid-June of the fifteenth year of Jian'an, Lü Bu broke through Xiapi, Cao Cao was killed, Lü Bu personally buried Cao Cao, and welcomed the Son of Heaven back to Luoyang.

In the following three years, the world became more and more stable under the governance of Lu Bu, and in the same year, under the persecution of Fa Zheng and other ministers, the emperor gave up the throne to Lu Bu, and in September, Lu Bu ascended the throne on the day of Chongyang and called the emperor, and established the country. (To be continued.) )