If Xiong Chun's words had almost dispelled Jin Huan's doubts, then Lü Bu's words made Jin Huan burst into laughter.
"Haha, I see!"
"Xiong Qian's martial arts skills are quite remarkable, and he is no ordinary fighter. I never expected that he would be no match for General Lü. It seems that Zhao Zheng's statement that you are invincible was not an exaggeration!"
"To have such a fine general is truly a great blessing for the imperial court!"
"Speaking of which, your relationship with Xiong Qian started with a fight! Hahaha!"
Lu Bu's expression remained unchanged; he simply cupped his hands in greeting.
Xiong Chun, who was standing to the side, saw this and his expression was extremely complicated.
Lu Bu was not lying. He had captured Xiong Qian earlier, and with that halberd strike, he had swept Xiong Qian off his horse and onto the ground.
If Xiong Qian hadn't reacted quickly enough to parry with his spear, he probably would have died on the spot after that halberd strike.
Even so, it still caused him considerable injury.
If Xiong Qian hadn't pleaded for mercy in time, saying he could lend a hand and lead them straight into Zhongnan Pass and storm the capital, everyone would probably have died at Bailiyuan.
The price, of course, was to detain Xiong Qian, and then send a small detachment of soldiers to Zhongnan Pass to gain Jin Huan's trust...
Thinking of this, Xiong Chun sighed inwardly.
Even though they had the will to kill the enemy, the tide had turned and the rebels were now far stronger than they had imagined, both in terms of troop strength and individual combat ability.
This is an army that absolutely cannot be defeated.
Rather than die at their hands, it's better to go with the flow and join them; at least, it's the only way to survive right now.
Zhao Zheng, on the other hand, can be described as a master of opportunism.
As Jin Huan's deputy, the original plan was to take them to Bailiyuan and leave them there. Since Zhongnanguan's troops were insufficient, they could directly attack and break through.
Unexpectedly, before the battle even began, Zhao Zheng immediately jumped off his horse and said he had brought his army to surrender.
This left Xiong Chun completely dumbfounded.
Zhao Zheng had never mentioned surrendering to him before, but upon seeing the troops stationed on Baili Plain, he surrendered immediately. Xiong Chun was ashamed of his own ability to change his mind so quickly.
But this also made Xiong Chun realize that the "rebels" he had surrendered to might truly be unstoppable.
No, they're not called "rebels" anymore!
It is our mighty army!
Xiong Chunrun cleared his throat and shouted, "General, open the gates!"
"General Xiong will then arrive with the remaining troops!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Zheng gripped the severed head tightly, a fierce glint in his eyes.
These "remaining troops" are not the remnants of the original army.
Instead, they were a group of brave and spirited elite soldiers and generals!
Once they entered Zhongnanguan, they were bound to sweep towards the capital!
With the fall of Zhongnan Pass, the imperial court is in grave danger!
At that moment, with Xiong Chun's words, Zhao Zheng made a decision in his heart.
At this moment, the troops had arrived at the city gate, but the gate was still not opened.
Jin Huan rested her chin on her hand, glanced at the deep night, and then looked at the group of people waiting outside the city gates to open.
His gaze swept over the group of leaders one by one. Xiong Chun's face was full of passion, Zhao Zheng's head was slightly lowered, while Lu Bu's expression was indifferent.
Admittedly, what they said was convincing enough.
But Zhongnan Pass was far too important. Opening the city gates wide at night to let them in, for some reason, gave Jin Huan a feeling of unease.
This feeling was truly inexplicable. His good brother had killed a traitor and brought back the traitor's head, which was a great achievement.
To obtain the head oneself, preserve it with lime, and then personally lead a group to deliver it to the capital, preferably without passing through the hands of the General of the State, and present it directly to His Majesty, would be an immense achievement.
But when the moment actually arrived, Jin Huan felt uneasy, as if something was not quite real.
However, he couldn't find a reason to confirm it. After much deliberation, Jin Huan looked at Zhao Zheng and said in a deep voice:
"You all step back!"
"Zhao Zheng, place the head at the city gate. I will have someone take it. After I verify your identity, you may come in!"
Upon hearing this, Xiong Chun's heart skipped a beat, and he knew he was probably in trouble.
Even after all that had been said, Jin Huan was still on high alert!
This head was simply cut off from a corpse; the face was so badly mutilated that it was unrecognizable, all to deceive the eye.
If Jin Huan doesn't believe it after checking, then we'll be in trouble.
If he were to turn hostile, then the only option would be a direct confrontation. At this distance, the crossbow bolts from the city wall were all aimed at our side. If a battle were to break out, the casualties would certainly be heavy.
Thinking of this, Xiong Chun broke out in a cold sweat.
Lu Bu, however, remained calm and composed. He chuckled and said, "General Jin is indeed a great general guarding the pass. His caution is not excessive, haha."
Jin Huan cupped his hands in greeting and said with a smile, "I have no choice but to do this because I bear a heavy responsibility."
"It doesn't matter. We can go in after verifying your identity. It will only take a short while."
At this point, he shouted, "Zhao Zheng, come on!"
Zhao Zheng glanced at Lü Bu slightly, then turned away as soon as their eyes met, before carrying Lü Bu's head forward.
At the same time, the rest of the people began to retreat a hundred meters.
This distance was still within the range of the ballistae fired from the city wall.
Zhao Zheng carried the head to the foot of the city wall, and the gate opened. Several soldiers came forward to hand over the head to him.
Zhao Zheng dismounted and whispered a few words as he handed over the severed head.
At this distance, no one could hear anything except the soldiers who came to take over.
A hundred meters behind him, Xiong Chunxin was already in his throat. He knew that if he was exposed, a fight would break out immediately, so he quickly gave Lü Bu a wink.
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