Chapter 159: The Peril of Xuzhou, Lü Lingqi

Xuzhou, Xiapi.

In the back courtyard of the Lü Mansion, beneath a cool pavilion, Diaochan was dancing gracefully. Lü Bu was sipping fine wine while enjoying the melody, savoring life and casting all his worries to the wind.

"Father! Xiahou Yuan is stationed right at Xiaopei with aggressive intent, and the generals of Mount Tai have occupied the northern parts of Xuzhou. How can you still have the heart to drink and make merry?"

At this moment, Lü Lingqi strode into the courtyard.

Her beautiful eyes glared at Diaochan once more. She detested Diaochan immensely, believing it was this woman who caused her father to indulge in drinking day after day, showing no drive to achieve greater things.

If this continued, wouldn't it be a path to self-destruction?

As the saying goes, exceptional beauties are often the source of disaster—how true it was!

Meeting Lü Lingqi’s gaze, Diaochan felt timid and involuntarily lowered her head, retreating respectfully to the side. A trace of panic flickered across her peerless face, which somewhat displeased Lü Bu.

"Lingqi, did I not say that you are not allowed to barge in here without my command?" Lü Bu looked at Lü Lingqi with displeasure and questioned her.

"Father, did you hear what I just said? Xiahou Yuan has already stationed his troops in Xiaopei. Once Cao Cao frees his hands, he will surely attack our Xuzhou. How can we just sit here and wait for death?" Lü Lingqi said, looking at him with a mix of anger and disappointment.

Ever since her father had captured Xuzhou, he had not shown a shred of ambition, only stirring to action when someone directly threatened his interests. Yet now, Xiahou Yuan was already at their doorstep!

"Hmph, Xiahou Yuan can be crushed with a flip of my hand. There is no rush. As for Zang Ba and the others from Mount Tai, they are merely a band of thieves. Once I squash Xiahou Yuan, I will deal with them."

Lü Bu’s gaze was filled with arrogance and disdain.

Besides, striving for dominance over the realm was far too exhausting; how could it compare to the comfort of drinking and making merry?

"Father, if that is the case, why not defeat Xiahou Yuan sooner to prevent Cao Cao from deploying his forces?"

Lü Lingqi finished, then added, "Furthermore, General Gao is loyal and righteous, strict in his military discipline, and respected by the entire army. Why won't you let him command the陷阵营 (Undefeated Camp)? Instead, you let a mediocre fool like Wei Xu lead the troops. Won't this break General Gao's heart?"

Lü Lingqi utterly looked down on this behavior of Lü Bu's. Gao Shun's loyalty was practically carved upon his face; he was taciturn and disliked drinking or flattery. Yet, despite having such a general, Lü Bu chose to distance himself from him.

"Lingqi, do not meddle in this matter. Your father knows what he is doing." Lü Bu frowned and raised a hand to interrupt. Indeed, if even military personnel recognized Gao Shun's worth—even his own daughter recognized it—goodness gracious, he had to suppress such a general.

"Father, how can you fail to distinguish loyalty from treachery? How can Xuzhou protect itself this way?" Lü Lingqi said with heartbreaking grief, rebuking him with a hint of spoiled petulance.

"Alright, I have my own strategy in mind." Lü Bu waved his hand. "If there is nothing else, you may withdraw for now. Remember to practice the halberd techniques I passed on to you."

Seeing that her father remained unfazed, Lü Lingqi resentfully flicked her head and stormed off.

Lü Bu had been grooming her as if she were a son, even imparting his lifelong martial arts to her. However, due to the boundaries between men and women, she could only comprehend a portion of it.

"Master Gongtai!" Lü Lingqi called out just as she stepped out of the back courtyard and saw Chen Gong approaching.

"Is the lord in?" Chen Gong asked anxiously, worry written all over his face.

"Yes!" Lü Lingqi nodded. "Father is drinking and making merry again. I shall lead you to him, sir!"

With that, the two walked one after the other.

Seeing Lü Bu laughing happily beneath the pavilion, Chen Gong trembled with rage. "My lord, my lord! Great disaster is imminent, how can you still indulge in pleasure?"

"Ah, Gongtai is here?" Lü Bu said with a smile.

Taking another sip of wine, he regretfully waved his hand. Diaochan hurriedly bowed and retreated. As she passed by Lü Lingqi, the latter let out a cold snort.

"Gongtai, military affairs are currently calm and I had some leisure time, so I drank a little wine. Rest assured, another day I shall lead an army to attack Xiahou Yuan and take his head!"

As Lü Bu spoke, his arrogance was on full display.

"Attack Xiahou Yuan? Heh, I'm afraid you won't have that chance anymore!" Chen Gong gave a cold chuckle, a deep sense of lament washing over him.

"Gongtai, what do you mean by that?" Lü Bu frowned, failing to understand the situation.

"My lord, Cao Cao has come!"

"What? Cao Cao? Didn't he just withdraw his troops from Shouchun? How could he possibly appear in Xuzhou?" Lü Bu cried out in panic, springing to his feet.

"The rebel Cao is cunning and has always waged war thus, though I did not expect his offensive to be so swift this time. In just a few days, his forces will be right outside our city walls."

"Furthermore, Marquis Xie, the Administrator of Pengcheng, has been lured out and killed by Xiahou Yuan; Chen Deng, the Administrator of Guangling, has responded to Cao Cao and is marching here with tens of thousands of men; and the generals of Mount Tai have already captured Donghai."

"Right now, Xiapi is surrounded on all sides and completely blockaded by Cao Cao." Chen Gong frowned, feeling a mix of emotional stirring and a heavy sense of defeat.

For even he had not expected Cao Cao to launch such a sudden surprise attack with an offensive so ferocious, striking from all directions at once. Xuzhou had instantly become an isolated city, reduced to the single commandery of Xiapi!

"Chen Deng has defected too?" Lü Bu was shocked. Though he had harbored suspicions, the Chen family was, after all, a powerful clan in Xuzhou, and he had not dared to excessively doubt or suppress them. Yet, in the end, his trust had been misplaced.

Come to think of it, with his humble origins, it was impossible for the Chen family to truly align with him. It was simply laughable that he had been naive enough to think the Chen family was working for him. This single stab in the back was enough to terrify the entire Lü army.

"Gongtai, what—what should we do now? Your wisdom approaches that of a deity; surely you have a brilliant strategy to help me." Lü Bu suddenly snapped to his senses, looking at Chen Gong and shouting anxiously.

"My lord, Cao Cao is utterly determined to seize Xuzhou this time. With various regions of Xuzhou falling one after another, even I am powerless!" Chen Gong waved his hand and sighed.

"Gongtai, you must have a way!" Lü Bu clutched at this last straw like a drowning man.

"Alas! At present, there is only one person who can save my lord!"

"Who?" Lü Bu asked.

"Chu Feng of Shouchun. Chu Feng clearly understands the principle that when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold. Moreover, this time Cao Cao attacked Shouchun, burning, killing, and plundering with utter depravity—Chu Feng will undoubtedly hate him."

"My lord should dispatch swift horse messengers to seek reinforcement. In this battle, only if Chu Feng dispatches reinforcements can Xuzhou remain safe and sound. Otherwise, even with heaven-defying abilities, it will be to no avail." Chen Gong narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice.

Lü Bu nodded immediately and hurriedly said, "Yes! Chu Feng, Chu Feng can save me. Someone, immediately take my letter to Shouchun and arrange for Lingqi to be betrothed to him!"

Hearing this, Lü Lingqi frowned slightly.

Chu Feng enjoyed a formidable reputation; not only had he pacified the Sun clan and defeated Cao Cao, but he was also young, famously handsome, and possessed a majestic appearance. If she could marry Chu Feng, it would indeed be a good choice.

"My lord, upon coming here, I already sent someone to Shouchun to ask for reinforcements. However, Shouchun has suffered through several military calamities; I only worry whether Chu Feng will come." Chen Gong worried aloud.

"This!" Lü Bu grew anxious.

"My lord, the walls of Xiapi are high and thick, but being a solitary isolated city, I fear the morale of the army will scatter. My lord might as well take advantage of the time before the Cao army arrives to establish a fortified camp outside the city."

"In this way, we can form a pincer formation with Xiapi. When Cao Cao attacks Xiapi, my lord can strike his rear; when Cao Cao attacks your camp, my generals can lead troops to strike his rear." Chen Gong said resolutely.

Though this tactic was ancient, its merit lay in its effectiveness.

Establishing a camp outside the city would increase the difficulty for the besieging force, and Lü Bu possessed courage rivaling the three armies, allowing him to seize the initiative through momentum.

"Good! I shall make preparations right away and lead men out of the city to build a camp!" Lü Bu nodded. At this moment, Chen Gong was his only reliance.