In Luoyang, Chang'an and other places, many officials and businessmen were assigned by Xu Shu to go to Huainan.

At this time, the city of Xuzhou was becoming more and more intense, and the Cao army was attacking the city every day, and they did not take the Qin army and tiger guards behind them in their eyes at all.

Seeing the Cao army attacking the city, he knew that Liu Wei did not want Lu Bu to fail too early, but Zhao Yun had nothing to do, and the only thing he could do was to be ready to meet Deng Zhan and the others at any time.

Outside the city of Xuzhou, the black-pressed Cao army launched wave after wave of onslaught around the city, and the Xuzhou army on the city kept throwing big stones and pouring boiling oil under the city.

Patches of Cao's army were stoned or poured with oil and fell at the foot of the city wall.

A puff of arrows flew out of the city wall and shot at the Cao army who was rushing towards the city wall.

"Wen Hou, the soldiers are running out of arrows!" was commanding the Xuzhou army to resist the attack of the Cao army, and a general under Lu Bu ran to his side and shouted at him: "If there are no arrows, Xuzhou is afraid that it will not be able to hold it!" ”

"You dare to shake the hearts of the army!" As soon as the general shouted out, Lu Bu grabbed his collar, stared at him with round eyes and shouted: "If you weren't going to use someone at this time, you would be killed!" ”

The general who was grabbed by Lu Bu by the collar was Hou Cheng, a military general under his command.

The soldiers on the head of the city were about to run out of arrows, and Hou Cheng knew that the arrows were used up and the city would not be defended for a long time, so he hurriedly came to report to Lu Bu in a panic, but he didn't expect to be yelled at by Lu Bu by the collar.

Lu Bu's hand was clenched very tightly, and Hou Cheng only felt that his throat seemed to be about to be crushed by him, and he was almost out of breath.

Fortunately, Lu Bu didn't hold on for long, glared at Hou Cheng angrily and yelled, and then pushed him back.

Lu Bu pushed Hou Cheng vigorously and pushed Hou Cheng back several steps.

"Wen Hou, Cao Jun has retreated!" He pushed Hou Cheng back a few steps, and Lu Bu was about to give an order to the soldiers at the head of the city to hurry up and drive down the Cao army who had climbed the city wall, when an officer ran over and reported to him with a fist.

Hearing the officer's report, Lu Bu hurriedly looked down the city, and sure enough, Cao's army, which was still very strong in the attack, had already withdrawn into the distance.

Seeing Cao Jun withdraw, Lu Bu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

For several days in a row, Cao's army's offensive was becoming more and more fierce day by day, and the defenders at the head of the city saw that it was difficult to support.

If Cao's army maintained this momentum and attacked for another three or five consecutive days, even if Xuzhou City was not breached, the defenders in the city would definitely suffer extremely heavy losses.

Just as Lu Bu was looking at the retreating Cao army, a fast horse came over from the Cao army camp in the distance.

The tide-like Cao army retreated towards the main formation, and the fast horse was like a carp going against the torrent, rushing towards Xuzhou City.

"Please speak to Lu Wenhou!" Riding his horse to the city, the knight on horseback pulled the reins and raised his face and shouted loudly to the city.

Hearing the knight's shout, he glanced at the retreating Cao Jun again, and Lu Bu asked the knight, "A certain Lu Bu, what's the matter?" ”

Looking up at Lu Bu at the head of the city, the knight shouted loudly: "Our army has been attacking the city for days, and the defenders of the city are already in distress. Cao Gong thought that God had the virtue of a good life, he couldn't bear too much killing, and he intended to negotiate peace with Lu Wenhou, but I don't know what Wenhou wanted? ”

Cao Jun has completely gained the upper hand, and when he heard that Cao Cao intended to negotiate peace, Lu Bu also had doubts in his heart, and shouted to the knights under the city wall: "Your Excellency can tell Cao Gong that he has no intention of being an enemy of Cao Gong, as long as the besieging army retreats, he will definitely not seek Cao Gong's bad luck in the future!" ”

"Wen Hou thinks it's misinterpreting Cao Gong's intentions!" The knight who delivered the message did not immediately return to the barracks to report to Cao Cao, but looked up at Lu Bu, who was sticking his head out from the battlements, and shouted to him: "If Duke Cao wants peace talks, he wants Wen Hou to agree to a few things......

"I don't know what Gong Cao wants to do?" Knowing that if he continued to defend the city and fight with Cao's army, Xuzhou would be broken sooner or later, so Lu Bu hurriedly asked the knight.

"Someone will come to discuss the matter with Wen Hou tomorrow!" The knight who delivered the message did not answer Lu Bu directly, but shouted to him: "If Wen Hou intends to negotiate peace, he will go back and return to Cao Gong!" ”

Although he also had the intention of peace talks, thinking that Cao Cao took the lead in provoking the war in Xuzhou, Lu Bu still had great doubts about Cao Cao's sincerity in peace talks.

He didn't reply to the knight immediately, but whispered to one of the soldiers behind him, "Go and invite Chen Gong!" ”

The soldiers responded and turned back to find Chen Gong.

Seeing that Lu Bu did not give a direct response, the knights under the city shouted loudly again: "Wen Hou is so hesitant, is there no sincerity in peace talks?" ”

"Your Excellency, stay away!" Before Chen Gong arrived at his side, Lu Bu didn't dare to give the knight an answer easily, and stretched out his head to look at the city and shouted, "After a while, I will give you a reply!" ”

Coming on Cao Cao's orders, the knight did not get a definite reply, and did not dare to return to the barracks easily, so he had to stand under the city full of corpses, waiting for Lu Bu to give him an answer.

When Cao's army attacked the city, Chen Gong was not at the head of the city, but he was not very far from the city, and he was summoned by Lu Bu, but he came to the head of the city after a while.

"Wen Hou!" When he arrived behind Lu Bu, Chen Gong clenched his fists and bowed to Lu Bu and asked, "Wen Hou intends to be with Cao Cao Yihe?" ”

"Exactly!" Chen Gong asked him if he wanted to negotiate peace with Cao Cao, Lu Bu did not deny it, and whispered to Chen Gong: "Cao's army is attacking the city day by day, and seeing that Xuzhou is difficult to defend, if he can negotiate peace with Cao Cao, it would be excellent to ask him to withdraw his troops!" ”

"Cao Cao lost his troops under Xuzhou City, and Xiahou lost an eye outside Xuzhou City, Wen Hou thought he would easily retreat?" Chen Gong did not directly suggest to Lu Bu, but asked him a rhetorical question.

Stunned for a moment by Chen Gong's words, Lu Bu took Chen Gong's words and said: "Don't say it on the public platform, I really didn't think of this layer!" ”

"Unless Marquis Wen hands over Xuzhou to Cao Cao, the peace talks will definitely not succeed!" First glanced at the knights of the Cao army who were still waiting under the city, and then Chen Gong said to Lu Bu: "Has Wen Hou ever thought about it, if there is no Xuzhou, where will he settle down in the future?" ”

Being asked by Chen Gong like this, Lu Bu was stunned for a moment, his brows tightened, and he thought for a moment before saying to Chen Gong: "If according to what Gongtai said, it is impossible to negotiate peace with that Cao Cao?" ”

"Hmm!" Chen Gong nodded and said to Lu Bu: "Cao Cao's small characters are like people, and now he proposes peace talks, I don't know what is being deployed in secret. Wen Hou must be cautious! ”

His eyes stared at Chen Gong without blinking, and after a while, Lu Bu said: "The soldiers have no arrows, and the stones and boiling oil are about to run out, if you don't negotiate peace with Cao Cao, the Cao army will attack a few more times, and Xuzhou will be broken!" ”

Knowing that Lu Bu had already conceived the idea of peace talks, Chen Gong wanted to persuade him, but looking at Lu Bu's entangled face, he knew that even if he persuaded him, it might not be useful, so he had to sigh and say to Lu Bu: "Wen Hou talked about it, but after Cao Cao's envoys entered the city, they should be strictly monitored, and they must not be allowed to contact the generals under Wen Hou!" ”

"Don't worry!" As soon as Chen Gong's attitude loosened a little, Lu Bu hurriedly said to him: "A certain self will let people spy on Cao Cao's envoy. ”

Although he was not optimistic about the outcome of the peace talks, Lu Bu already had the idea of negotiating peace with Cao Cao, and Chen Gong was not good at forcibly blocking it, so he had to remind again: "If Cao Cao's envoy and the generals under the command of Wen Hou are in collusion, Wen Hou and a certain will be prisoners of Cao Cao's subordinates in the near future!" ”

"I know!" Chen Gong's worries, Lu Bu did not take it to heart, but judging from the current situation, it is almost impossible to hold Xuzhou.

At present, Lu Bu is also holding the mentality of a dead horse as a live horse doctor, since he can't beat it, surrendering to Cao Cao for the time being is also the only way out in his opinion.

After discussing with Chen Gong, Lu Bu pressed the battlements with both hands and shouted to the knights waiting outside the city: "Your Excellency Fu Lao will tell Cao Gong on your behalf that you are willing to negotiate peace!" ”

After getting Lu Bu's words, the knight hurriedly responded and said, "So-and-so will convey it to Cao Gong on behalf of Wen Hou!" ”

After answering, the knight shook the reins, turned around the war horse and turned his head towards the Cao army camp.

Looking at the back of the knight gradually moving away, Chen Gong, who was standing beside Lu Bu, faintly felt a wave of uneasiness in his heart.

This uneasiness was very strong, and he couldn't help but regret a little, regretting that he didn't forcibly block Lu Bu from making peace with Cao Cao.

The knight returned to the barracks and immediately reported Lu Bu's willingness to negotiate peace to Cao Cao.

Ordered the army to attack the city for several days, and Cao Cao put pressure on Lü Bu to enter Xuzhou in the name of peace talks for Cheng Yu and Jiang Gan.

After receiving Lü Bu's promise to negotiate peace, Cao Cao immediately summoned Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, and Jiang Gan to the tent.

"As Feng Xiao expected, then Lu Bu promised peace talks!" As soon as Guo Jia and the others entered the tent, Cao Cao, who was already waiting in the tent, said to them: "Early tomorrow morning, Zhongde and Ziyi can enter Xuzhou in the name of peace talks, and after entering the city, Zhongde will stabilize Lu Bu and Chen Gong, and Ziyi will take the opportunity to contact the generals under Lu Bu!" ”

"No!" Knowing that they were about to enter Xuzhou, Cheng Yu and Jiang Gan both hugged their fists and bowed in response.

Guo Jia was not as excited as Cao Cao showed, he frowned slightly, and said to Cao Cao after a while: "Lu Bu is in a hurry to be beaten now, and he intends to negotiate peace with the Ming Gong, but Chen Gong is afraid that it is not easy to be deceived!" ”

Speaking of Chen Gong, the joy on Cao Cao's face gradually increased.

If the opponent was only Lu Bu, the battle of Xuzhou would probably be close to the end.

The reason why the two sides have been stalemate, and the Cao army has the upper hand but has never been able to break through Xuzhou, is that Lu Bu has Chen Palace by his side.

"If you can capture Chen Gong first......" his brows were tightly twisted, Cao Cao was silent for a long time before he said to Guo Jia: "Without Chen Gong, Lu Bu will be like a turtle in an urn, and we can break him at any time!" ”

Hearing Cao Cao's words, the corners of Guo Jia's mouth tugged slightly, and he said to Jiang Gan: "After Ziyi entered the city, he hurried to meet Wei Xu and instigated Wei Xu to capture Chen Gong. Wei Xu is a general under Lu Bu, if he wants to betray Lu Bu, it is not impossible, but it will take a lot of energy, and it will be much easier for him to capture Chen Gong! ”