Chapter 244

"General Li Dian was shot and killed by Huang Zhong!"

"What! Yuanrang actually lost to a villager!"

When Cao Cao heard this news, his vision went black, and his head throbbed with pain!

"Yuanrang has ruined me!"

Cao Cao thought for a moment,

"Quick, immediately assemble the cavalry and follow me to support Xia Hou Dun!"

"Understood!"

Cao Cao learned that the one who shot and killed Li Dian was actually the fifty-three-year-old Huang Zhong, and he was amazed again,

"Such an old general can still fight!"

Liu Bei took Guo Jia ten miles out of the city to welcome Zhuge Zhang Liang, Pang Tong, and the victorious army,

"Kongming, Pang Shiyuan, you are truly great talents!"

Zhuge Zhang Liang and Pang Tong hurriedly dismounted and cupped their hands,

"My lord, it is all thanks to the soldiers doing their duty!"

Liu Bei encouraged the two, then looked at Huang Zhong,

"Brother Hansheng has made a great contribution by shooting and killing the Cao general Li Dian!"

Huang Zhong couldn't help but shed tears. Everyone thought he was old, but the lord firmly believed he could fight for another twenty years. This time, he finally lived up to expectations!

Liu Bei patted Huang Zhong on the shoulder,

"Let's go, we will enter the city to drink and celebrate our victory!"

Zhang Fei laughed,

"Big brother, I also beheaded one!"

Liu Bei nodded,

"Good, Zhang Yide also made a great contribution. Now do you believe Kongming has great talent?"

Zhang Fei scratched his head embarrassedly,

"I believe, I believe!"

Everyone laughed.

Back in the city, Liu Bei held a banquet to celebrate the great victory and rewarded them according to their merits.

Huang Zhong didn't expect Liu Bei to give him two beauties from the Western Regions...

Gan Ning laughed,

"Brother Brother Hansheng doesn't want them? Give them to me, I am young and strong."

Huang Zhong's eyes widened,

"Gan Gan Xingba, who are you looking down on? I am still strong enough!"

Everyone laughed; the old general was still capable!

Everyone drank and discussed matters,

Pang Tong cupped his hands,

"My lord, after this defeat, Cao Cao will inevitably lead a large army to attack. The Nanyang Basin has no defenses."

Liu Bei nodded,

"Pang Shiyuan is absolutely right. Our army will return to Guanzhong tomorrow."

Guo Jia laughed,

"You don't need to worry. The lord has already arranged for the common people to head to Wuguan. In these few days, more than two hundred thousand people have already passed through Wuguan."

Zhuge Zhang Liang frowned,

"There are nearly two million people in Nanyang Commandery, and over eight hundred thousand in the north. If the Cao army arrives, the people will be in danger."

Liu Bei nodded,

"Kongming is right. Our next step is to mobilize the people not to stay here, but to either follow us to Guanzhong or head to the south of Nanyang Commandery or Xiangyang to avoid the ravages of war."

Lu Xun learned something; this was to empty half of Liu Biao's Nanyang Commandery!

Guo Jia snorted,

"Liu Biao deliberately delayed informing us for two days about the news that Zhang Xiu and Cao Cao intended to harm the lord. His heart is punishable!"

Zhang Fei pulled Zhang Zhang Liao,

"Zhang Wenyuan, you snatched Zhang Xiu's head, and then snatched that Hu person's head. You are too fast!"

Zhang Zhang Liao laughed,

"Zhang Yide, didn't you also behead several Cao army captains?"

"Can that compare!"

Zhang Fei was very depressed and drank silently!

Liu Bei also accepted Hu Hu Cheer as a captain.

Starting the next day,

Liu Bei sent people to send a letter to Liu Biao, asking him to send people to take over Wan City, while he would lead his troops back to Guanzhong.

The people in the north of Nanyang Commandery heard that Lord Liu Xuande was returning to Guanzhong and felt uneasy, so many of them followed the army to Guanzhong with their families.

Liu Bei finally discovered that sixty thousand people had followed him to Guanzhong, which was a great harvest!

Xiangyang City,

Liu Biao had long known about Zhang Xiu and Cao Cao's plan to attack Liu Bei, but he deliberately delayed for three days before sending someone to inform him.

Cai Mao had actually secretly sent someone to inform Liu Bei two days earlier than Liu Biao; after all, Liu Bei was his brother-in-law, and their relationship was very close!

"Report~!"

"Urgent report from Nanyang!"

"My lord, Zhang Xiu led troops to attack Liu Bei."

Liu Biao appeared nervous,

"Liu Xuande only has five thousand men, and Zhang Xiu has nearly forty thousand troops. How is he doing?"

Cai Mao was also somewhat worried; his sister was still over there, and the Cai family's investment couldn't go down the drain.

"My lord, Lord Liu Xuande's great general Xu Sheng successfully ambushed Wan City, and Zhang Zhang Liao and Yan Xing ambushed the returning Zhang Xiu halfway. Zhang Zhang Liao beheaded Zhang Xiu in battle!"

"What?!"

Liu Biao stood up abruptly,

"So Liu Xuande had already made arrangements!"

He felt uncomfortable inside. He had spent his own money and grain to arm Zhang Xiu, yet he was useless after one fight. He was truly trash!

The scout continued,

"Lord Liu Xuande appointed Zhuge Kongming as commander and let him lead over thirteen thousand troops to meet Xia Hou Dun's sixty thousand."

Liu Biao sighed,

"Liu Xuande is overconfident. This Kongming is just a farmer who talks on paper; when has he ever been on a battlefield!"

Cai Mao also lamented,

"Lord Liu Xuande is confused. After this defeat, he won't have many men left."

The scout cupped his hands,

"My lord, military advisor, no need to worry. Zhuge Zhang Liang is at Bowang Slope..."

After the scout finished speaking,

Liu Biao was dumbfounded,

"A farmer actually defeated sixty thousand Cao troops with ten thousand?!"

"Luring the enemy deep, making the enemy arrogant, fire attacks and ambushes—wonderful, wonderful! This Kongming actually has such great talent!"

Liu Biao realized instantly that this Kongming had been farming outside Xiangyang City for several years, and he hadn't discovered it at all!

Zhuge Zhang Liang's brilliant performance this time was a slap in Liu Biao's face!

What would the people of the world say about him? That he had talent but didn't know how to use it?

That he lacked the ability to recognize talent! That he was unworthy of being a lord!

The scout continued to rub salt into Liu Biao's wounds,