Chapter 48 Liu Bei: I don’t eat beef!

"Ji thief, I cannot stand with you!"

Liu Bei was completely terrified by the murderous act. He angrily said, "Sooner or later, I will tear you into pieces. How could he really build such a high wall in such a short time?"

He had no other recourse but to go into a rage of impotence.

He had only 50,000 soldiers and horses, plus Tao Qian's Xuzhou troops, there were only 70,000 or 80,000 soldiers.

If you want to attack a city, it is not realistic to attack an ordinary city.

Unless we get ladders, it's impossible to take down that 50-meter-high wall. Even if we have ladders and catapults, it will take ten times the number of troops to take it down.

He doesn't have 300,000 soldiers!

"How could this happen? How is it possible to build a solid wall on flat ground?"

Jia Xu also began to doubt his life.

In terms of strategy, he boasted that he was not inferior to anyone and was not afraid of competing with anyone in wits and courage. In fact, in the original novel, during those years in Cao Ying, he only slacked off, and never made mistakes.

But how could he have expected something that clearly went against common sense?
Not to mention it's impossible.

Even if Ji Hao could really do it, he would have to mobilize the entire Qingzhou's labor force, right?
It cost so much to build it, won’t we be able to live well in the future?

But he didn't know that Ji Hao only built a "Qin track" and a quick-built "cement road" to completely connect it with Qingzhou, and steel bars and cement were transported there continuously.

The city wall is not a house, so there is no need to consider the structure, just pour it directly.

It didn’t take much effort!

"Then what should we do next? Should we call on Yuan Shu to attack the city, or continue to hold on?" Zhang Fei asked.

Hearing this, Jia Xu wanted to speak, but was glared at by Zhang Fei.

In the end nothing was said.

Obviously, the series of miscalculations had made Zhang Fei disgusted with him as his "military advisor".

Liu Bei noticed this detail but said nothing.

He no longer trusted Jia Xu.

"It's not easy. Once we attack the city, there will be heavy casualties. Yuan Shu and Lu Bu will not agree." Liu Bei shook his head and said, "The best way now is to continue to hold on - we own the 800-li plain of Xuzhou, which is almost the largest granary in the north. Ji Hao only has Qingzhou, which produces salt, so he will definitely not be able to outlast us!"

Hearing this, Jia Xu wanted to speak, but after looking at the three brothers Liu, Guan and Zhang, he finally chose to say nothing.

He also felt that Liu Bei's idea was correct.

But considering Ji Hao's abnormal behavior time and time again, he felt that it couldn't be that simple.

Can Qingzhou, which has been developed by Ji Hao for several years, really not be able to outlast Xuzhou?

Besides, would Ji Hao really waste time with him?
The two cities continued to confront each other.

However, what Liu Bei did not know was that on the morning of the second day after the failure of the "Fire Bull Formation", Cao Cao disappeared with the two Xiahou and 10,000 Chengtian troops.

Where did he go?
He returned to Qingzhou, picked up Gao Shun and others who were undergoing labor reform, tied them up and escorted them to Lü Bu who was guarding Dongguan, and asked, "Lü Fengxian, do you know these people?"

Seeing this, Lu Bu's eyes immediately turned red.

He roared: "How dare you, you thief, bully me?"

He thought that Cao Cao wanted to use the lives of 800 veterans of the Xianzhen Camp and Gao Shun to humiliate him, and he was furious.

The order to attack must be given immediately.

But at this moment, Cao Cao said, "How about we make a deal?"

This surprised Lu Bu.

"What deal?"

"I will release your old brothers and give you 10,000 shi of grain and grass. Let them take them back. How about you retreat to Yanzhou?" Cao Cao said, "It's someone else's territory anyway. Do you need to risk your life to defend it?"

After hearing this, Lu Bu was stunned again.

But there was also some doubt. "You're so nice?"

"I'm not that good either!" Cao Cao said, "I'll trade a bunch of captives who won't surrender, plus 10,000 shi of grain, for Dongguan, one of the six counties in Xuzhou. It's a sure win!"

In response, Lu Bu frowned.

After a while, he said, "Fifty thousand stones!"

"Absolutely not!" Cao Cao shook his head and said, "At most 15,000 dan, plus 1,000 cattle! If you agree, we will start the deal. If not, I will report to the lord immediately and ask him to lead his troops to attack Dongguan."

This is a blatant threat.

If it were someone else, Lu Bu would not even bother.

But unfortunately, Cao Cao used the name of Ji Hao, and Lu Bu was really afraid of him now.

Hearing this, he did not ask for more and said, "Let Gao Shun and his men bring a thousand oxen and carts with food and fodder. Once we see the enemy, I will withdraw my troops!"

In response, Cao Cao shook his head.

"No, we can only release Gao Shun first, and then you retreat first, and we will release the others! In addition, there are no live cows, only dead cows!"

After some haggling, Lu Bu finally agreed.

After meeting Gao Shun, he decisively led his troops to withdraw to Yanzhou. Cao Cao also kept his promise and sent 15,000 stones of grain and 1,000 cattle to him, and all 800 veterans of the Xianzhen Camp were released.

As a result, Lu Bu's hostility towards Qingzhou dissipated a lot for a while.

He held a banquet and said to his subordinates: "You know what, Ji Hao and Cao Cao are pretty nice people!"

But Gao Shun just lowered his head and ate without saying a word.

After seeing the scene in Qingzhou, to be honest, he felt that his lord Lu Bu might not be able to defeat Ji Hao. But he knew Lu Bu's character very well, so he couldn't say such discouraging words.

So I can only drink alone.

"If Ji Hao didn't want to surrender Fengxian and didn't want to lose his troops, I'm afraid he would have used this transaction to cause Fengxian serious damage!"

Thinking of this, Gao Shun took another sip of the liquor.

Seeing this, Lu Bu thought that he was like this because of the defeat, so he comforted him: "Don't worry, Bo Ping. Victory and defeat are common in the military. You charged into the battle alone with the Xianzhen Camp. It is not your fault if you were defeated and captured. It is good that you can come back!"

In response, Gao Shun sighed.

"You can exchange the city for me. How will you deal with Liu Bei, lord?"

Hearing this, Lu Bu also had a headache.

He lowered his head and thought for a moment, and finally said, "How about I give him some beef?"

So three days later, five hundred pickled cattle were delivered to Liu Bei. When Liu Bei first received Lu Bu's beef, he was very surprised and did not understand what the other party meant.

However, Tao Qian, who had already learned the intelligence, knew.

He came up to me angrily and said, "That damn Lu Bu, he negotiated with Cao Cao to exchange surrendered soldiers, but he didn't use his own territory in Yanzhou, but used Dongguan in Xuzhou. This is simply unreasonable!"

These words made Liu Bei stunned, and Guan and Zhang beside him were also confused.

At this time, Mi Fang had already ordered people to stew a cow.

He personally brought a pot and placed it in front of the three brothers Liu, Guan and Zhang, trying to please Liu Bei.

However, Liu Bei's reaction was a bit strange: when Mi Fang put the broth in front of him, he turned his head away, as if he was thinking of something sad, and didn't even look at it.

Mi Fang filled a bowl of soup and handed it to Liu Bei, but the latter refused to take it.

Thinking that Liu Bei wanted to eat meat, he smiled and said, "My lord, this soup is delicious. The big chunks of beef soaking in the bottom of the bowl are even more delicious. Please try it!"

After hearing this, Liu Bei could no longer bear it.

He grabbed the bowl and threw it away, then kicked over the pot and slammed the table, angrily saying, "I don't eat beef!"

They confiscated my cattle and gave them to Lu Bu, and then sent them back through Lu Bu. Was this a deliberate humiliation? Even if I, Liu Bei, starved to death or jumped off the top of Langya City, I would never eat it!

(End of this chapter)