Chapter 240: Chapter 239
In the nearby woods,
Several soldiers watched in shock as Zhang Fei was captured.
"Oh my god! Who is that general? He just took down General Zhang in an instant!"
"General Zhang's strength is at least B-rank. How could he be defeated so easily?"
"Damn it! That person must be Shura!"
"We need to get back and report this to Tom so he can prepare in advance!"
"You're right, let's move!"
...
As Chen Ye carried Zhang Fei back to the camp, the forest behind him fell silent.
*Thud!*
Chen Ye casually tossed the unconscious Zhang Fei in front of Cao Cao.
"Master, mission accomplished!"
"Hahaha!"
Cao Cao laughed heartily, dismounting his horse and walking over to Chen Ye. He patted Chen Ye on the shoulder and said, "Zhongye, you've done a great deed once again!"
Cao Cao was beyond satisfied with Chen Ye.
Zhang Fei, a renowned warrior who had once held his own against Lü Bu for dozens of rounds, was defeated in just a few moves by Chen Ye...
How could Cao Cao not be pleased with such an extraordinary general?
"Zhongye, with your help, it is my great fortune!" Cao Cao couldn't help but exclaim.
Chen Ye, not lacking in social awareness, immediately cupped his hands and responded, "Master, you flatter me! It is my honor to assist you in quelling the traitors!"
"Good, good, Zhongye, your contributions will not go unrecognized!"
"Yes, Master!"
Chen Ye rode back to his position in the formation.
The other generals looked at Chen Ye with envy, though none harbored any resentment towards his abilities.
After all, Zhang Fei was a top-tier general, and even Xiahou Yuan admitted that he wouldn't have had much confidence facing him.
Yet Chen Ye had dispatched Zhang Fei in just two moves—what was there to question?
...
The army continued its march.
Along the way, Chen Ye couldn't help but smile.
The system's notification chimes hadn't stopped since the battle.
Zhang Fei's fame far surpassed that of Zhao Yun, so capturing Zhang Fei earned Chen Ye the admiration of countless Cao soldiers.
All of which translated into reputation points!
Chen Ye's reputation points had now exceeded 70,000!!
And they were still climbing...
"Judging by Shura's smile, he must've gained a ton of reputation points from this."
"Sigh! That's what it means to have true power; nothing to be envious of!"
"Shura's stats are insanely high. If only I had stats like that!"
The Reincarnators whispered among themselves.
At that moment, Cao Cao's army had arrived at the Han River.
However, Liu Bei's forces were nowhere to be found.
"That scoundrel, he's good at running!"
Cao Cao cursed under his breath, worried that Liu Bei might seize Jiangling by water.
Jiangling was a strategic city in Jingzhou, rich in resources. It could not be allowed to fall into Liu Bei's hands.
Cao Cao immediately ordered his army to march through the night, racing against Liu Bei to occupy Jiangling first!
The officials in Jiangling, intimidated by Cao Cao's reputation, surrendered the city without a fight upon hearing of his approach.
Cao Cao took Jiangling without breaking a sweat.
Two days passed.
One day, Cao Cao summoned his strategists and generals to the military camp to discuss how to deal with Liu Bei.
Although Chen Ye was still a captain, his recent achievements hinted at an impending promotion. Therefore, he too was invited by Cao Cao to join the council.
"According to the scouts, Liu Bei has taken refuge in Jiangxia. He will likely ally with Eastern Wu. What strategy should we employ to counter this?" Cao Cao inquired.
The room fell silent as everyone pondered the question.
Xun You then spoke, "Master, our army is currently at the height of its power. We should send emissaries to Eastern Wu, inviting Sun Quan to join us in hunting down Liu Bei in Jiangxia. We could propose dividing Jingzhou, solidifying our alliance. This would likely confuse Sun Quan, who may hesitate to join forces with Liu Bei. If Liu Bei is left isolated, he won't pose much of a threat."
Hearing this, Chen Ye couldn't help but admire the cunning of the strategists. Their minds were sharp, and when they plotted, it was ruthlessly effective.
However, Xun You underestimated Sun Quan.
According to the original story, not only did Sun Quan ignore Cao Cao's proposal, but he also allied with Liu Bei, leading to a massive defeat for Cao Cao.
Cao Cao found Xun You's suggestion agreeable and nodded, "Gongda's plan aligns with my thoughts!"
Cao Cao then prepared to send emissaries to Eastern Wu to recruit Sun Quan.
Simultaneously, he gathered an army of 830,000, falsely claiming a million, advancing by both land and water. The ships and cavalry moved along the river, connecting the regions of Jing, Xia, and extending to Qi and Huang, creating a formidable military presence over 300 miles long.
Cao Cao believed that such overwhelming power would intimidate Sun Quan into submission.
However, Cao Cao was unaware that his grand plans would soon be disrupted by Zhuge Liang's persuasive arguments...
Another two days passed!
During this time, Chen Ye had been contemplating a plan.
According to the original storyline, Zhuge Liang would soon travel to Eastern Wu to debate with the scholars, persuading Sun Quan.
If Sun Quan was convinced, the Sun-Liu alliance would form as it did in history.
Of course, knowing the story, Chen Ye would not allow Zhuge Liang's "Borrowing Arrows with Straw Boats" and Zhou Yu's "Burning of Red Cliffs" to succeed easily.
However, this would introduce other variables!
With the brilliant minds of Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu, if one plan failed, they would surely devise another!
Zhuge Liang, in particular, was a top-tier strategist!
Although Cao Cao had many strategists, none had matched Zhuge Liang's caliber since Guo Jia's death.
"I'm overthinking this. Why not cut the problem at its root and disrupt the alliance directly?"
With this thought, a bold plan began to form in Chen Ye's mind...
That afternoon!
Cao Cao was reading a military text when a guard came to report that Captain Luo requested an audience.
Cao Cao was momentarily surprised but immediately put down his book and invited Chen Ye inside.
"Zhongye, what brings you here?"
"Master, I have an unconventional request. I hope you will grant it!"
"Oh?"
Cao Cao's interest was piqued, and he smiled, "Zhongye, feel free to speak."
He was curious to hear what kind of request Chen Ye would make.
Chen Ye said, "Master, I wish to relieve some of your burdens. I request to join the delegation to Eastern Wu, to ensure that Liu Bei and Sun Quan do not form an alliance."
Upon hearing this, Cao Cao laughed.
"If Sun Quan is determined to ally with Liu Bei, how do you plan to stop him?"
"Master, your grand ambitions cannot be jeopardized! If Sun Quan refuses to see reason, I will bring you his head!" Chen Ye replied calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter.
Cao Cao was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter!
At that moment, Cao Cao was exceedingly pleased.
Chen Ye was willing to risk his life for Cao Cao's grand plans, displaying such loyalty that Cao Cao couldn't help but feel deeply gratified.
However, such an action was incredibly risky!
It was easy to raise an army, but difficult to find a capable general.
A peerless warrior like Chen Ye was a once-in-a-lifetime talent.
Cao Cao was reluctant to let Chen Ye take such a risk. If anything were to happen, the loss would be immeasurable.
"Zhongye, there's no need for that!" Cao Cao said with a smile. "Sun Quan is a mere child. I doubt he dares to oppose me."
Doesn't dare?
If only it were that simple!
Knowing the story, Chen Ye was well aware that Sun Quan was an ambitious man.
If Sun Quan truly lacked the courage, not even Zhuge Liang's eloquence would sway him.
It seemed that Cao Cao's recent string of victories had made him overconfident.
Indeed, in the original story, Cao Cao's arrogance led him to underestimate the Sun-Liu alliance, resulting in a major defeat...
"Master, as I understand it, Eastern Wu is protected by the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, surrounded by mountains, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack. If we attempt a direct assault, our soldiers could suffer heavy casualties. If Eastern Wu's forces use fire against our ships, the consequences would be catastrophic!"
Chen Ye first analyzed the situation and then said, "Master, for the sake of your grand vision, it would be wise to let me accompany the delegation to Eastern Wu!"
Upon hearing the mention of a fire attack, Cao Cao's expression grew serious.
All the ships he was gathering were made of wood. If they were to face a fire attack, it would indeed be a disaster.
Even with precautions in place, the losses would be significant.
Moreover, he had been considering linking all the ships together to prevent seasickness among his soldiers...
The thought of a fire attack now filled him with cold sweat.
"I nearly caused a great disaster, thanks to Zhongye's timely warning!"
Cao Cao muttered as he stood up and began pacing the tent.
He weighed the risks of Chen Ye's plan.
If Chen Ye were captured, he could lose an invaluable general!!
Truthfully, that was a loss Cao Cao did not want to endure
.
But!
His grand ambitions were even more important!!
"Zhongye, this mission is fraught with danger. You must be extremely cautious. If the situation becomes untenable, do not act rashly. I doubt Sun Quan would dare harm you!"
Cao Cao had agreed to Chen Ye's plan to travel to Eastern Wu.
"Your orders, Master!"
...
After leaving Cao Cao, Chen Ye returned to his tent.
After some thought, he gathered the Reincarnators.
Once everyone had assembled, Chen Ye addressed them, "Comrades, I've requested permission from our Master to travel to Eastern Wu. On the surface, it's to negotiate with Sun Quan, but in reality, I intend to assassinate the leader of Eastern Wu and completely disrupt the Sun-Liu alliance, leaving them no chance to recover... If the plan succeeds, we're guaranteed to win this battle!"
"This is also a great opportunity to earn reputation points. Of course, the risk is equally high. I'm curious to know if any of you are interested in joining me on this mission?"
The Reincarnators were shocked by Shura's bold plan.
Over the past few days, they had become vaguely aware that the Sun and Liu factions were negotiating an alliance.
But they hadn't expected Shura to be so audacious as to plan an assassination of the leader!
The plan was incredibly daring...
And extremely dangerous!
Even if the assassination succeeded, it was uncertain how many of them would survive to return.
Moreover, the Reincarnators from the other two factions weren't to be underestimated. They certainly wouldn't sit idly by and watch Shura succeed in his assassination.
A fierce battle was inevitable!!
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