Chapter 425: Don’t Hurt My Mistress

Luo Jiu and his men were like sheep in a fold, running around with a group of surrendered soldiers. While other princes were concentrating on fighting, they were focusing on recruiting soldiers and seizing food and grass as their main goal.

The surrendered soldiers who had just joined reported the location of the food and fodder, and a group of people hurried over to transport the food.

Feng Qi was very happy when he saw so many loads of food and fodder. He said excitedly, "That's great. No one is trying to snatch it from us."

Liu Bei followed by him, watching speechlessly, silently complaining in his heart: Are you sick? Who is going around arresting people on the battlefield to ask where the food is?

Luo Jiu looked at Liu Bei's expression and said with a smile: "Xuan De, don't think that we are not doing our job. First, our commander has already defeated Lu Bu and made him flee, which is a great achievement. Second, we are just a few people, and joining the battlefield will not be very useful. Why not get some food and grass? After all, Yuan Shu won't give it to us, so we have to find a way on our own."

Liu Bei smiled and nodded, "Then you guys go ahead and do your work. I'll go hunt down the remaining enemies."

Chen Gong was blocked outside the main army and didn't see Luo Jiu and the others for a long time. He saw that the battle was almost over, so he came in with a knife in his hand to look for people.

From a distance, he saw Luo Jiu surrounded by a group of people wearing Dong Zhuo's military uniforms. He was so frightened that he raised his knife and shouted, "Don't hurt my mistress! Where is General Feng? Come and protect my mistress!"

The soldier with his back to him turned around and pulled out the flag with the word "Chang'an" written on it to show him, "Brother, we are in the same group."

Feng Qi poked his head out from behind the grain cart and asked, "Why are you calling me?"

Chen Gong was stunned on the spot. Luo Jiu said, "Gongtai, you and Yaoyao will register these new soldiers. They are all ours. By the way, see if there is anything useful on the battlefield and take them away."

Although this battle was a great victory, all the princes suffered different degrees of casualties, which was normal battlefield losses. But Luo Jiu's army was different. They increased from six people to more than 3,000 people. Not only did they not suffer any casualties, but they also increased 500 times. This time they really had an army.

In this battle, Lü Bu was driven back to the interior of the country. Luo Jiu knew that Dong Zhuo would not send any troops out.

If they return to Chenliu, the small courtyard assigned by the Yuan brothers to the Chang'an army cannot accommodate so many people, so they might as well occupy the camp that Lu Bu had set up last night, which would be more familiar and intimate for these soldiers to live in.

After a while, Fu Bao came back proudly riding Lu Bu's Red Hare. Luo Jiu said, "It's just right that you're back. Come with me to Chenliu City."

They brought a team of ten people back to the city and handed the camp over to Feng Qi, Cheng Yaoyao, Zhong Jialing and Chen Gong, who were to guard it with these new recruits.

On the way, Fubao asked Luo Jiu, "Second Mother, what are we going to do when we go back?"

Luo Jiu smiled and said, "You defeated Lu Bu, so we naturally have to go to Alliance Leader Yuan to claim the credit. We also have some things in the base, and we need people to move them here. Besides, there are a lot of interesting things going on in the Alliance Leader's camp today, wouldn't it be a pity if we don't join in the fun?"

Sure enough, just as the two were about to enter the hall, the sound of quarreling was heard.

Upon hearing about the great victory at Hulao Pass, Yuan Shao ordered Sun Jian to lead his men to attack Sishui Pass.

Sun Jian had been holding back his anger for a long time, and at this moment he finally couldn't help but burst out: "Dong Zhuo and I have no grudges. Now I am risking my life to fight for the country and for your Yuan family's personal revenge. Yuan Shu, as the commander-in-chief, did not send me food and grass, causing my defeat. What is his intention?"

Yuan Shu was sitting on the side. He felt guilty and frightened when Sun Jian asked him this question in person, so he just nodded and said nothing.

Luo Jiu took the opportunity to go in and shouted, "May I ask, Master Yuan, did you instruct General Yuan to withhold food and grass? It's not just General Sun, but who among you sitting here has received enough food and grass from Yuan Shu?"

Everyone was resentful, and Luo Jiu fanned the flames. Someone immediately slammed the table and said, "Yuan Shu, what are you thinking? Who told you to do this?" "Yuan Shu, when will you pay us the food and grass you owe us?"

When Yuan Shao saw the public outrage, he quickly passed the buck, "I don't know about this matter."

Yuan Shu rolled his eyes at his brother and immediately shifted the blame, "This... this can't be blamed on me, it's all this guy's fault!"

He pointed at the counselor beside him and said, "It's all his fault that he gave me slanderous advice and made me withhold your food and fodder. Come on, drag him out and chop him off!"

The strategist cried out that he was innocent, and was then dragged out of the door by the soldiers and his head was chopped off.

Yuan Shao guaranteed on the spot that the missing food and grass would be replenished immediately, and only then did Sun Jian agree to lead his troops to Sishui Pass.

When Sun Jian left, Cao Cao hurried in and said anxiously, "I got the latest news that Dong Zhuo is going to move the capital west. Why don't we hurry up and pursue him?"

Yuan Shao hesitated and said, "We just fought a big battle and our troops are exhausted. How can we pursue them?"

Cao Cao couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Alliance Leader Yuan, this is a golden opportunity. Dong Zhuo is burning Luoyang City. He has kidnapped the emperor, and the people are shocked. If God wants him to die, we only need to fight and we can stabilize the world. What are you waiting for?"

The princes were a little hesitant, and Yuan Shu even said, "How could Dong Zhuo move the capital so easily? Maybe the move is fake, and he deliberately lured us into the city and set an ambush."

"You're talking nonsense!" Cao Cao was so angry that he yelled, "Can't you see that this is a fleeting opportunity?"

He looked around, but no one answered.

He suddenly looked at Luo Jiu behind him, "Can't you see it either?"

Luo Jiu sighed softly. She suddenly felt some sympathy for Cao Cao. Although he was treacherous, he was not a fool. He was a capable military strategist, but here, no one supported him.

Luo Jiu said meaningfully: "Meng De, I have already seen many things, but you just don't believe it."

Cao Cao suddenly realized that Luo Jiu had predicted what would happen today at Lü Bushe's house, and now it had come true.

Cao Cao sneered and nodded helplessly, "You are right."

He turned to leave, but suddenly kicked over a small table in dissatisfaction, threw the wine glass to the ground, and cursed at Yuan Shao and others: "You bastards, you are not worthy of being my advisor!"

This sentence comes from the "Records of the Grand Historian", the Biography of Xiang Yu, which talks about the Hongmen Banquet. At that time, Xiang Yu's uncle Fan Zeng advised Xiang Yu to kill Liu Bang, but Xiang Yu was arrogant and believed Liu Bang's lies that he would not compete with him, so he lost the opportunity to kill Liu Bang. Fan Zeng was so angry that he cursed: "You boy, you are not worthy of being my advisor!"

In fact, if this sentence is translated into modern Chinese, it roughly means: "You guys are a bunch of idiots, I can't accomplish anything with you!"

Cao Cao left after cursing. Luo Jiu knew he was going to chase Dong Zhuo, so he hurriedly followed him. Fu Bao was about to follow him when Yuan Shao suddenly said, "General Fu, please stay."

Luo Jiu caught up with Cao Cao and said, "Meng De, wait a minute and listen to me."

Cao Cao hurriedly said: "You don't have to persuade me, I must go no matter what."

Luo Jiu said: "I am not advising you not to go, I am just advising you to be careful. Although Dong Zhuo was defeated, he still has fierce generals like Lu Bu by his side. Even if you pursue him, you must be extremely cautious. If you can't catch up with him after reaching Xingyang, don't pursue him anymore. Be careful of ambushes."

Cao Cao thought about it, nodded and said, "I'll remember that."

Luo Jiu watched Cao Cao lead his troops out of the city gate, and Fubao came over with a few large boxes.