Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1228 Cao Cao and Liu Bei's withdrawal of troops leads to the crisis in Xuchang

In mid-May, the walls of Xuchang were blackened by the smoke of war, and the soldiers on the walls looked weary, their armor rusted and gleaming in the setting sun. Lü Bu, trapped in the isolated city, sat on the steps of the government office, clutching a gourd of wine in his hand, his cloudy eyes gazing at the empty courtyard, a deep sigh escaping his throat.

Outside the city, Cao Cao and Liu Bei's armies, though evenly matched, had not forgotten this isolated city. The daily barrage of arrows never ceased, and a breach had been smashed into the western city wall, only held back by the personal guards with their own flesh and blood.

"Lord Wen, they're challenging us outside the city again," the captain of the personal guards reported in a low voice, his voice trembling.

Lu Bu gulped down a mouthful of wine, the liquid trickling down his chin and soaking his armor. He recalled his former glory at Hulao Pass, how spirited and triumphant he had been then, wielding his halberd to challenge all the heroes of the land. But now…

"Is there still no news from Yuan Shao?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

The guard shook his head: "The men we sent back said that Yan Liang and Wen Chou were blocked by Xu Rong in Hedong and could not move an inch. The Prince of Ji's mind is entirely on Bingzhou, and he is afraid... afraid he can't take care of us."

Lu Bu slammed his wine gourd to the ground, the sound of the clay shattering particularly jarring in the empty courtyard. His alliance with Yuan Shao was merely a temporary measure, but now it was his only hope.

Just as he was getting agitated, Wang Yun led Xun Chen in through the side door. Both of them had an unusual calm on their faces, and upon seeing Lü Bu's appearance, they merely sighed softly.

"Lord Wen, now it's time to make a decision," Wang Yun said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Mr. Xun has already made arrangements with the people of Ye City. If they cannot hold the city, they will escort the Emperor to Ye City. Yuan Shao said that as long as the Emperor arrives in Hebei, he will be treated with courtesy."

Xun Chen nodded in agreement: "What our lord (Yuan Shao) means is that Xuchang is already a dead end. It would be better to preserve the emperor. As long as we have the strength, we can always rebuild."

Lu Bu looked up at them, then suddenly laughed, his laughter full of self-mockery: "Protect the emperor? In the end, you still need me, Lu Bu, to be your scapegoat, to shield you from Cao Cao and Liu Bei, so that you can smoothly send the emperor away, right?"

Wang Yun's expression changed slightly: "Lord Wen, you are mistaken. This is also for..."

“I understand for the sake of your family’s future.” Lu Bu interrupted him, stood up, and dusted himself off. “I, Lu Bu, have fought my whole life, and it’s not like I’ve never been used as a pawn. But now…” He looked towards the city wall, where the sounds of battle could be faintly heard. “Fine, I’ll do as you say. But there’s one condition: if you really can’t hold on any longer, then you can leave.”

Wang Yun and Xun Chen exchanged a glance, neither offering any further advice. They knew Lü Bu's temperament; seemingly reckless, he was actually stubborn, and wouldn't listen to anything they said at this moment.

In the past few days, the morale of the people in Xuchang has been low. More and more soldiers are secretly escaping down the city walls at night, and the people are keeping their doors and windows tightly shut, even their cries are being hushed.

Lu Bu dragged his heavy steps back to the mansion. As soon as he entered the inner courtyard, he heard a clear, crisp laugh. Looking up, he saw Diao Chan sitting on the veranda, holding a cloth doll in her hand, making the little girl beside her giggle. The girl, with her hair in two buns and exquisitely beautiful, was none other than Lu Bu and Diao Chan's daughter, Lu Lingqi, who had just turned five and was at the age of charming innocence.

"Daddy's back!" Lu Lingqi, with her sharp eyes, spotted Lu Bu and immediately broke free from Diao Chan's embrace, rushing over with her short legs.

Lu Bu's pent-up frustration dissipated considerably. He bent down, picked up his daughter, and rubbed his stubble-covered chin against her cheek, causing Lingqi to giggle and dodge. "Have you been good today?" he asked gruffly, his voice as soft as cotton.

“Lingqi is being a good girl, she even helped her mother fold her dolls!” the little girl answered in her childish voice, her little hands tightly wrapped around his neck.

Diao Chan stepped forward, took the cloak from Lü Bu's shoulders, and said softly, "My husband has worked hard. I'll go and have someone prepare some hot soup." Her gaze swept over the scratches on Lü Bu's armor, her brows furrowing slightly, but she didn't ask any further questions.

After Lü Bu removed his armor and changed into ordinary clothes, Diao Chan had already brought him a bowl of hot soup. He took it and drank it all in one gulp, the warmth flowing down his throat into his heart, but it couldn't dispel the worry between his brows. Diao Chan sat beside him, gently massaging his shoulders, and finally asked, "Husband, was today's battle... not going well?"

Lu Bu remained silent for a moment, then raised his bloodshot eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "Diao Chan, Xu Du... I'm afraid we can't hold it anymore."

Diao Chan paused, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "Then... what did my father-in-law (Wang Yun) and Yuan Shao's men say today?"

“Xun Chen is here,” Lü Bu said with a wry smile. “He’s giving me the same old lines, telling me to protect the emperor and surrender to Hebei, and then go and join Yuan Shao.”

Diao Chan looked at his tired face, her heart aching: "Husband, if we can't hold on, then let's surrender. Wouldn't it be better if we were just good generals? Over the years, you have been called a lord, but the people around you have either left or died. Last year, you came back from the battlefield covered in wounds, and I stayed by your bedside, my heart almost jumping out of my chest..." As she spoke, her voice trembled slightly.

Lu Bu grasped her hand, the rough calluses on his palm caressing her delicate skin, and said silently, "I'm not afraid of surrendering to Hebei. But that old man Yuan Shao might not tolerate me. My death doesn't matter, but Lingqi is still so young, and what about you and your daughter..."

"Then let's go somewhere else!" Diao Chan hurriedly said, "The world is so big, there's always a place for us."

Lü Bu laughed sadly, his laughter full of self-mockery: "Go elsewhere? Diao Chan, you are too naive. Everyone says that I, Lü Bu, am fickle, but in the end, they are just afraid of me. They are afraid that I am brave and unruly, afraid that I will not submit."

He looked down at his sleeping daughter in his arms, a hint of tenderness flashing in his eyes, which was then replaced by resoluteness: "Everyone likes to keep dogs, wagging their tails and begging for mercy, obedient and docile. But who would truly like to keep a tiger? I, Lü Bu, am a fierce tiger, I cannot be a lowly dog. They want to use my bravery, but they also fear that keeping a tiger will become a threat, and the slightest mistake could lead to their death."

Diao Chan was speechless and could only hold his hand tightly. She knew Lü Bu's nature; he seemed reckless, but was actually proud to the core. He could die in battle, he could perish in defeat, but he would never bend his spine and become a pawn to be manipulated.

As night deepened, Lü Lingqi slept soundly in Lü Bu's arms, her little face flushed. Lü Bu held his daughter, gazing at the dark night sky outside the window. The city defenses of Xuchang were faintly visible in the darkness, like the outline of a trapped beast.

"That's enough," he said in a low voice, as if speaking to Diao Chan, but also as if speaking to himself, "I will stay as long as I can. If it really comes to that, I will risk my life to protect you and your daughter and get out of here."

Diao Chan leaned on his shoulder, tears silently streaming down her face. She knew this was perhaps the heaviest promise he could give. In the darkness of night, the couple, living through turbulent times, sat embracing, listening to the faint sound of distant bugles. They both knew that dawn in Xuchang was drawing ever closer.

As May drew to a close, the wind outside Xuchang carried a sweltering heat, but the battle situation was quietly changing. Inside Cao Cao's tent, candlelight flickered as he sat discussing matters with Liu Bei's envoy.

"I understand what you mean, Lord Xuande." Cao Cao tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his eyes sharp. "The stalemate in the battle for Xuchang will not benefit anyone. Although Lü Bu is trapped in an isolated city, he is like a fishbone stuck in his throat. If this drags on, he may find a way to catch his breath, which will become a future problem."

The envoy bowed and said, "What Lord Cao said is absolutely right. My lord also believes that we should temporarily cease hostilities and first eliminate Lü Bu, this major threat. The fate of Xuchang can be discussed later."

Cao Cao nodded: "Very well. We will follow your suggestion, Lord Xuande. We will divide our forces and surround Xuchang. We will surely capture Xuchang within three days. At that time, the Emperor will be escorted by you and me for the time being, and we will discuss his resettlement later."

With the agreement finalized, news of the truce between the two armies quickly spread throughout their respective camps. Cao Cao and Liu Bei's troops occupied the east and west sides respectively, and the tense standoff between them turned into a shared tension aimed at Xuchang.

Inside Xuchang, Lü Bu stood atop the city wall, his expression grave as he gazed at the shifting battle formations outside. Beside him, Chen Gong said in a low voice, "My lord, Cao Cao and Liu Bei have joined forces. This is likely..."

Lu Bu gripped his halberd tightly, his knuckles turning white: "What's there to be afraid of! Even if they join forces, I, Lu Fengxian, will not be afraid!" Despite his words, a hint of unease flashed in his eyes. His soldiers were already exhausted, and their provisions were running low. Now, attacked from both sides, the situation was becoming increasingly critical.

As night fell, the tranquility of Xuchang was shattered by the flames and shouts of battle.

The catapults in front of Cao Cao's army roared, sending boulders hurtling against the city wall with a whooshing sound. The rammed earth crenellations shattered, and amidst the flying bricks and stones, the screams of the defenders rose and fell. Below the west city wall, Liu Bei's army's siege ladders, like dense, long snakes, climbed up the wall. Armored soldiers, shields raised and short knives clenched in their teeth, struggled to ascend through a hail of arrows and rolling stones.

"Push them down! Push them down now!" On the city wall, Lü Bu's personal guards roared, using long poles to pry open the ladders, overturning the enemy soldiers and ladders along with them. But as soon as one ladder was overturned, two more were immediately placed on the city wall, the enemy soldiers' iron claws gripping the brick seams tightly, no matter how they were struck, they did not budge.

Lu Bu, wielding his long halberd, stood like an iron tower at the most perilous point on the city wall. His eyes were bloodshot, and with each swing of his halberd, a storm of blood and gore ensued—Cao Cao's soldiers charging towards him were cut in half at the waist, and Liu Bei's soldiers who climbed onto the crenellations were sent flying, their corpses crashing heavily to the ground below, kicking up clouds of dust. At his feet lay a mountain of corpses, the bloodstains on his armor mingling with sweat, glistening black in the firelight.

"Lord Wen! The southeast corner is about to fall!" A wounded guard staggered in to report.

With a furious roar, Lü Bu swept his halberd horizontally, forcing back several men in front of him, then strode towards the southeast corner. There, a breach had been torn in the defending forces, and several Cao soldiers were wielding longswords, attempting to expand their gains. He leaped into the air, his halberd flashing like lightning, instantly pinning the leading Cao general to the city wall. The remaining men, terrified, turned to flee, but Lü Bu countered with a backhand halberd strike, felling them all to the ground.

"Who dares to step forward!" Lü Bu's voice was like thunder, startling the surrounding enemy soldiers into not daring to move for a moment.

But this brief respite was fleeting. The catapults roared again below the city walls, a huge boulder flew past him, smashing through half of the parapet. In the dust, more of Liu's troops surged through the breach. The defenders gradually weakened; some began to retreat, some even throwing down their weapons and cowering in corners, trembling.

"Hold on! Hold on, all of you!" Lü Bu roared, using his halberd to lift a retreating soldier and throw him into the enemy ranks. "My soldiers, Lü Fengxian's men, have no cowards!"

The soldier, his fighting spirit roused, roared and drew his dagger, charging at the enemy. Seeing this, the surrounding defenders rallied their troops and followed him into battle.

The fighting continued into the latter half of the night. Lü Bu's arms were already numb and sore, and the base of his thumb was cracked from the impact, with blood dripping from the shaft of his halberd. He leaned against the crenellations, panting, and looked at the still densely packed enemy troops below the city. For the first time, a chill of exhaustion rose in his heart.

"Lord Wen, let's retreat! If we continue to defend, we'll all die here!" Chen Gong leaned on his sword and limped over. His left arm was pierced by an arrow, and blood soaked through his robes.