Lord in the Mythical Three Kingdoms

Chapter 250: Lobbyist

On the flat land, the roaring wind swept through, causing the trees to emit eerie sounds like wailing.

Two armies with different flags confronted each other, while Wen Renbian led his troops in a charge.

Ten thousand shield soldiers stood in front, their thick shields stacked like fish scales.

Silver light reflected from the shields, glaringly bright.

The shield soldiers’ defense was formidable, ideal for serving as the vanguard, protecting and absorbing damage for the high-damage infantry behind them.

However, facing this situation,

Xiahou Dun only grinned wickedly.

He slowly lifted his radiant Pofeng Blade, "Brothers! The fearless have come, let’s send them off!!"

"Kill!!"

"Kill!!"

"Kill!!"

Behind Xiahou Dun, soldiers clad in blue armor wielded spears and bows and arrows.

They were the elite troops under Cao Cao—Qingzhou soldiers!

"Archers, ready!"

Xiahou Dun raised his Pofeng Blade, the ash-yellow blade light seemed to tear the sky apart, full of sharpness.

Shhh!

Shhh!

The sound of bowstrings being drawn suddenly echoed through the sky, the sound of archers pulling their bows taut.

As the enemy’s charge gradually approached, Xiahou Dun calmly shouted,

"Fire!"

Shoo!

Shoo!

Shoo!!!

Arrows were instantly shot into the air, turning into faint green glimmers, with terrifying penetrating power that could pierce through shields.

Suddenly,

The ordinary infantry behind the shield soldiers were killed by these nearly thousand arrows.

After a few rounds of arrow rain, Wen Ren’s army had already lost nearly a thousand men.

This made Wen Ren furious. He waved his sleeves and released hundreds of large fireballs, shooting them out from behind him.

After using this spell skill, Wen Ren immediately felt considerably weakened.

But a smug smile appeared at the corner of his mouth; this move was his specialty.

An area-of-effect killing skill capable of breaking through enemy ranks. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

However, Xiahou Dun merely sneered, then leaped into the air from his warhorse, his feet stepping onto nothingness.

As he swung his Pofeng Blade, the violent wind in the air intensified, and a gray-yellow tornado gathered.

His eyes, originally as black as ink, turned into yellow whirlpools.

"Break!"

With a fierce swing of his blade, the terrifying tornado roared forward.

The fireballs previously cast by Wen Ren were shattered by the tornado, turning into clumps of earth, falling weakly from the sky...

The momentum of the tornado did not diminish, continuing to rush forward, crashing into the midst of the enemy troops, stirring their bodies into remnants.

Screams rang out continuously; Xiahou Dun’s eyes grew colder.

After landing steadily from mid-air onto his warhorse, he led the remaining Qingzhou cavalry in a final charge.

In this battle, Xiahou Dun defeated several of Wen Ren’s generals, eventually even beheading Wen Ren himself.

The rest of the soldiers were terrified, abandoning their helmets and armor, fleeing hundreds of miles.

For a while, other literati and generals who had good relations with Tao Qian dared not act rashly.

The reason was simple: Cao Cao’s power was too overwhelming, with a large number of high-quality civil and military officials under his command.

No one dared to provoke Cao Cao...

However,

There was still one of Cao Cao’s old friends who dared to risk his life, personally going to Cao Cao’s camp to persuade him not to commit such atrocities.

This man was named Chen Gong, courtesy name Gongtai.

At that time, Chen Gong was serving in Dong Commandery of Yan Province.

He also had a close relationship with Tao Qian.

Upon hearing that Cao Cao was planning to raise troops for revenge and kill all the people of Xu Province, Chen Gong hurriedly came to meet Cao Cao, risking his life.

Cao Cao knew that Chen Gong had come here as an intermediary for Tao Qian.

Originally, he had no intention of meeting Chen Gong, but due to their old friendship, he reluctantly invited him into his tent.

Once, after Cao Cao’s failed assassination of Dong Zhuo, a nationwide warrant was issued for his arrest, and it was Chen Gong who saved his life.

Impressed by Cao Cao’s charisma, Chen Gong followed him, though their paths diverged when Cao Cao mistakenly killed Lu Boshe and his family.

Perhaps Chen Gong would have continued following Cao Cao until now...

Inside the tent,

Cao Cao gestured for Chen Gong to take a seat, raised his cup towards the white-robed Chen Gong, and laughed heartily, saying:

"Gongtai, it’s been a long time since we last met. Tonight, let’s talk about the past and the present, and leave politics and military affairs aside, what do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Gong’s delicate eyebrows couldn’t help but furrow slightly. He lifted his cup as if to drink, but then hesitated.

In the end, he put down the cup and solemnly bowed to Cao Cao, saying:

"It’s been a long time. Your Excellency now rules over Yan Province and commands three hundred thousand Qingzhou soldiers, renowned throughout the land!"

"As for me, Chen Gong, I’m just an official in Dong Commandery. Remembering the past inevitably brings a sigh..."

Cao Cao waved his hand repeatedly, his eyes sparkling with insight, and said seriously:

"I am well aware of Gongtai’s talent! If Gongtai is willing to join me, I will promote you three ranks in one go, what do you think?"

Cao Cao had always been willing to invest in talent, especially during the early days of his career.

After listening to Cao Cao’s words, Chen Gong could only smile bitterly and shake his head.

If he had wanted to join Cao Cao, he would have done so during Cao Cao’s early struggles, not now.

In essence, their ambitions and values were different.

Cao Cao preferred to be the one who conquers the world rather than be conquered by it, while Chen Gong, at the very least, could not condone senseless killings.

Shaking his head, Chen Gong bowed again with a sigh:

"To be honest, today I come only for Tao Qian of Xu Province."

"Not long ago, I heard that Your Excellency intends to lead a large army to threaten Xu Province, seeking revenge for your late father."

"Wherever you go, you intend to slaughter innocent civilians. That’s why I’ve come here to advise against it."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao fell silent, drinking his wine silently. His eyes grew dark, and his face gradually darkened.

Chen Gong paused, then spoke seriously again:

"Your Excellency! Tao Qian is a man of virtue, not someone who forgets kindness for profit."

"The murder of your father was the deed of Zhang Kai, a remnant of the Yellow Turbans, not Tao Qian’s wrongdoing!"

"Even setting that aside,

what grievances do the ordinary people of Xu Province have against Your Excellency? Why commit such atrocities as massacring the city!? This indiscriminate killing of innocent civilians is not beneficial to Your Excellency in any way!"

"In doing so, the people will only remember Your Excellency’s cruelty and lack of benevolence, which will not bode well for Your Excellency’s future ambitions."

"I hope Your Excellency will reconsider."

With that, Chen Gong bowed deeply to Cao Cao once more.

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, and the sound of their breathing was clearly audible in the tent.

In the next moment,

Cao Cao suddenly stood up abruptly, pointing at Chen Gong angrily:

"Gong, you abandoned me in the past, and now you dare to come back to see me like this?!"