Chapter 58 Falling into the Trap Again

Another maple leaf trembled and drifted down from the branch, dancing lightly in the wind like a butterfly, before falling silently into the earth.

Fallen petals are not heartless things; they turn into spring mud to nourish the flowers.

"Cao Cao, you've arrived very quickly," Liu Bei said softly, putting down his chess piece.

“The lord killed his trusted confidant Che Zhou, so naturally he was furious,” I said with a laugh, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.

“You’re not surprised.” He turned his head and finally looked at me, his gentle eyes still calm, like a stagnant pool.

Since it wasn't a question, I didn't answer.

“This is really tricky.” He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and turned away from me.

I stood behind him, pondering how to say goodbye in a way that would prevent the fire at the city gate from burning me, this innocent little fish (Illiterate: That's called "when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer!"; Pseudo-literary youth: I like to speak indirectly, I'm happy to!).

"Tell me, what would Cao Cao do if I tied you up to the city wall?"

"Huh?" I opened my mouth blankly, then subconsciously took a step back.

The dog beside him clenched its fists and stared at Liu Bei warily.

Turning around, Liu Bei looked at me and smiled faintly, "He really is willing to go to any lengths. Even though Yuan Shao is watching us from the rear, he still dares to send out all his elite troops to attack Xuzhou."

At all costs?

I chuckled. Who was Cao Cao? He would rather betray the whole world than let a single person betray him. Would such a man lose his composure over a woman? It was utterly ridiculous.

"Your Excellency is a dragon among men, no ordinary person. Now that you have gained Xuzhou, your power is growing stronger every day. If I were Cao Cao, I would also take advantage of Your Excellency's unstable foothold to quell the rebellion. Otherwise, you will surely become a major threat in the future. As for Yuan Shao, although he has many soldiers and generals and has great ambitions, he is suspicious and indecisive. He will not act rashly. Speed ​​is of the essence in war. If he hesitates even slightly, he will have already lost the initiative and will not be of any help in this battle."

The Records of the Three Kingdoms records Cao Cao saying: "Liu Bei is a man of outstanding talent. If we do not attack him now, he will surely become a future threat. Although Yuan Shao has great ambitions, he is slow to act and will not make a move."

I was simply telling Liu Bei that Cao Cao's attack on Xuzhou had nothing to do with me.

Liu Bei raised his eyebrows and looked at me in surprise.

“This little snail is quite something, it has a lot of knowledge,” he said after looking at me with a half-smile for a while. “I’m afraid I’ll be severely injured in this battle.”

Those intrigued eyes made me uneasy. After careful consideration, I spoke, "Sir, you are no ordinary person. Your comeback is just around the corner."

"Thank you for your kind words," he smiled, "Is Miss Pei here to say goodbye?"

"Yes." I nodded, pondering how to persuade him to let me leave.

"Take care on your journey," he said casually, then turned and left, leaving me standing there dumbfounded.

Is it really that simple?

"However, first of all, it seems that Miss Pei must escape from Cao Cao's clutches," Liu Bei said from afar.

I was dumbfounded again.

Not to mention Cao Cao's army besieging the city, even if I successfully escaped Xuzhou, my portrait would already be all over the provinces. How easy would it be to live a carefree life?

"Sister, let's go to Xiangyang," Gou'er said, walking up to me.

"Xiangyang?" I asked in surprise.

“Yes, it’s my father’s hometown. He often said it was a wonderful place.” A glimmer of hope appeared in Gou’er’s clear black and white eyes as he looked at me. “Sister, let’s go to Xiangyang.”

"Okay, let's go to Xiangyang." I nodded and smiled.

We went back to our room, picked up our bags and luggage, and left the mansion without saying goodbye to Liu Bei. Cao Cao was already giving him enough trouble, and he probably didn't have time to make things difficult for us.

They hired a horse-drawn carriage and hurriedly prepared to leave the city.

As dusk fell, I dozed off against the dog for a while.

"Who's in the carriage?" The carriage suddenly stopped, and someone shouted from outside.

I lifted the carriage curtain and found that we had arrived at the city gate. I quickly took out some coins and stuffed them into the hand of the guard guarding the city, and said with a smile, "Please do me a favor, sir. My elderly father at home is unwell, and I am in a hurry to return to my hometown."

The guard weighed the coins in his hand, grinned, and waved his hand, "Let him through!"

I cursed inwardly, and the axle started rolling forward again with a "glug-glug" sound.

After traveling only two or three miles, the carriage stopped again.

"Brother driver, what's wrong now?" I frowned and called out.

All around was quiet, without a sound.

"Brother coachman?" I stood up, bending over, and reached out to lift the carriage curtain. "Brother coachman?"

Suddenly, it became bright outside, as if torches were illuminating the way, and then a tall shadow slowly approached the carriage.

The shadow cast on the carriage curtain was slightly distorted.

I instinctively sat back down, staring at the figure, a sense of unease beginning to creep into my heart.

The figure stopped in front of the car door but did not rush to lift the curtain.

Who is it? Who could it be?

Robber? Bandit? Robbery and sexual assault?

I utterly despise such despicable people… (The young man glances sideways: You seem to belong to this category too. The man replies with a forced smile and angrily: Don't slander me! I'm a thief! A petty thief! The young man asks curiously: What's the difference? The man replies with a righteous expression: That requires skill! It's not comparable to brute force! The young man is utterly speechless.)

The dog could no longer contain itself and got up to lift the car curtain.

In the flickering firelight, the bright purple robe tinged with red, exuding an eerie quality.

"Aman?" Gou'er asked in surprise.

Those long, narrow eyes stared at me intently, revealing no emotion.

How did he get here? How did he know I was here?

I suddenly stood up, rushed out of the carriage, and saw that the man dressed as the coachman was already standing to the side, bowing and waiting for orders.

Is he one of Cao Cao's men? Ever since Xuzhou, I've been under his control?

I turned to look at Cao Cao in disbelief, a chill running through my body.

The dog rushed to my side. "Sister, what's wrong?"

Cao Cao walked straight to my side, and then, without warning, picked me up and leaped onto his horse.

"Sister?!" Gou'er exclaimed in surprise, and hurriedly chased after her. "Where are you taking my sister?!"

"If you want to find your sister, go to Changpo, three miles away." He parted his thin lips slightly, gripped the reins, and held me tightly in his arms. He then spurred the horse, "Giddy up!"

The horses galloped like arrows released from a bow.

"Sister! Sister! How awful!" The dog took off chasing after her, yelling.