Chapter 305

Everywhere beneath the city walls, there were sounds of battle cries, wailing, and screams!

Tao Qian stood on the city wall, dumbfounded.

"To think Cao Mengde could be this treacherous!"

His body swayed.

"Xuande, I regret not heeding your words!"

Tao Qian collapsed forward and fainted once more.

Liu Bei hurriedly caught him.

Everyone...

After routing Cao Bao's forces, the Cao Army beneath the city did not pursue; instead, they vanished into the night.

Liu Bei said in a deep voice,

"Yunchang, Yide, do not pursue in the dead of night, for fear the Cao Army has a trap. At first light tomorrow, you shall lead the troops in pursuit."

"Understood!"

The group helped Tao Qian back once again.

More than ten miles outside the city, the Cao Army hid in the darkness.

Cao Cao sighed.

"It seems Liu Bei will not pursue tonight. Let the main army continue to advance."

"Cao Hong, the task of guarding the rear is entrusted to you."

"Understood!"

At noon the next day,

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei caught up with Cao Hong's rearguard, inflicting a crushing defeat on the eight thousand troops, and Cao Hong fled.

Upon hearing the report, Liu Bei looked toward the north.

"Fengxian, this is all I can do to help you. Thank me next time."

Tao Qian woke up again. Hearing that Cao Cao's rearguard had been wiped out by Liu Bei, he sighed in his heart.

"Could it be that I must still cede Xuzhou?"

Liu Bei walked in.

"Lord Tao, your physical condition is quite poor. I have prescribed a few doses of medicine for you; take them on time, and your health will recover as before."

Tao Qian was instantly moved to tears, feeling that the gap in moral character between himself and Liu Bei was far too great.

"I was guarding against Xuande, yet I never expected him to save my life by tending to my illness..."

However, he was no longer enthusiastic about ceding Xuzhou.

Liu Bei did not mind; he simply wanted Tao Qian to live a few more years, otherwise, Xuzhou would be difficult to manage if given to anyone else.

"Tao Qian is going to kick the bucket? That won't do!"

Zhang Fei muttered,

"Yesterday he said he wanted to cede Xuzhou twelve times, today he has only persuaded him once..."

Tao Qian pretended not to hear, claiming he felt dizzy and needed to sleep a while longer.