The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

Chapter 104 Prisoner Meeting

Guan Xing was eager to eat melons, so after entering the city he did not linger and went straight to Zhou Xun and Zhuge Ke's residence.

The two were assigned to the backyard of the county government office, and were free in all aspects except for not being allowed to leave the yard.

Guan Xing pushed open the door and entered the courtyard, where he found the two sitting under the shade of a tree playing chess. There was a teapot and seasonal fruits beside them, and they were living a very carefree life, not depriving themselves in the slightest.

Zhou Xun heard the door open and turned to look. Seeing that it was Guan Xing, he immediately turned back, picked up the chess pieces, and said with a snap, "Checkmate!"

Zhuge Ke also saw Guan Xing, but ignored him and continued playing chess. Neither of them wanted to pay attention to that bastard Guan Xing.

But suddenly, Zhuge Ke realized something, turned around abruptly and exclaimed, "Guan Xing, didn't you go to ambush General Quan Cong? How come you're back so soon? Did you lose?"

Now it was Guan Xing's turn to be surprised. He asked in astonishment, "How did you know I went to ambush Quan Cong?"

He couldn't possibly have reported his battle plans to the two of them, so how did Zhuge Ke know? Could there be a spy in the Han army?

Zhuge Ke sneered, "Guan Anguo, you can look down on my character, but please respect my intelligence. You just finished dealing with the Shanyue and you're already running to Da Mo. What are you doing here? Do you have a lover in Da Mo?"

"That day you led three thousand elite troops away from Wushang, rushing along as if you were in a hurry to be reborn. You wouldn't even let me rest. Why? It's obvious even to a fool that you were after General Quan Cong."

Guan Xing's purpose in rushing to Da Mo was clearer than a louse on a bald man's head; how could Zhuge Ke not see it?

Unfortunately, he was being watched too closely by the Han army and was unable to send messages to remind Quan Cong to be on guard, so he could only stay here and wait.

At the same time, he prayed in his heart that Quan Cong would defeat Guan Xing and reclaim Da Mo, and rescue him as soon as possible. He didn't want to stay in this wretched place for even a moment longer.

Seeing the complex expressions on their faces—eager to know the outcome of the battle yet fearing that it might be the opposite of what they expected—Guan Xing smiled and said, "Compared to playing chess with two people, I think playing Dou Dizhu with three people is more interesting. To make sure you have a good time, I'll introduce you to a new friend. Bring him in."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xun and Zhuge Ke's expressions changed drastically, and they hurriedly looked behind Guan Xing.

Under the horrified gazes of the two men, Quan Cong was brought in, bound hand and foot.

"Who gave you permission to kidnap people? How can you treat General Quan like this? Get out of the way."

While reprimanding the escorting soldiers, Guan Xing helped Quan Cong untie the ropes and remove the gag from his mouth. He patted Quan Cong on the shoulder and laughed, "General Quan, we're home. Your friends are here. I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun."

Quan Cong stared at Zhou Xun and Zhuge Ke in shock, exclaiming incredulously, "Didn't you two go to Shanyue? How come you're in Damo?"

To ensure success in this southern expedition, Wu's army chose to launch a three-pronged attack. However, before the battle even began, the commanders of two of the armies were captured.

What a slap in the face.

Zhou Xun and Zhuge Ke blushed as they were questioned, wishing they could get up and leave. After a moment of staring at each other, Zhuge Ke retorted, "You led a full 20,000 troops, how come you were captured too? Where are the troops?"

Now it was Quan Cong's turn to blush. The three of them were at odds, each guilty of their own fault.

Guan Xing clapped his hands and laughed, "Meeting an old friend in a foreign land is a great joy in life. I guess you must have a lot to talk about, so I won't disturb you any longer. Farewell."

After speaking, he left the backyard under the angry gazes of the three men, thoughtfully closing the gate behind him.

Seeing him leave, Quan Cong rushed to Zhou Xun and Zhuge Ke and asked, "What's going on? How come you two were captured again so quickly?"

Zhou Xun and Zhuge Ke: "..."

Do you even know how to have a conversation?

Zhuge Ke handed him a stool, and after he sat down, he sighed, "It's a long story, that damned Guan Xing..."

After briefly recounting his capture, he eagerly asked, "And what's your situation? Not only were your 20,000 troops routed by Guan Xing's 3,000 men, but even you, the commander, couldn't escape?"

Quan Cong: "..."

I'd love to give you a black eye, you believe me?

With no point in arguing now, Quan Cong had no choice but to recount his capture, finally sighing, "I thought we would only be attacked after we crossed the Zhe River, but I never expected Guan Xing to rush to Yuqian to launch a sneak attack. That damned Guan Xing is so unruly; he does exactly what military strategy forbids. He's a complete bastard."

Zhou Xun lay on the chessboard, looking weak and listless. "Two of our three armies have been lost. I'm afraid General Zhang Cheng alone won't be able to defeat the cunning Guan Xing. Just wait and see. I estimate that General Zhang Cheng will come and join us soon."

Quan Cong was startled, and his lips trembled as he scolded, "How could that be? General Zhang Cheng has 30,000 troops. Stop trying to demoralize the army."

Zhou Xun retorted, "Come on, what morale do the three of us have? We're all prisoners, so let's stop acting and accept reality."

Quan Cong wanted to refute, but his lips moved for a long time without him being able to say a word. He could only pray that General Zhang Cheng could do something to help them get out of there. He didn't want to become Guan Xing's 200,000.

Zhuge Ke slammed the chess set onto the table and said resignedly, "Play chess, play chess, enjoy life while you can, don't think about useless things."

With heavy hearts, the three began their game on the chessboard, smashing the pieces as if they were Guan Xing.

At the same time, Guan Xing returned to the county government hall and convened a meeting with generals such as Meng Jun, Deng Hong, and Shen Yi.

Guan Xing looked at the group and said, "Now that both Wu armies have been dealt with, only Zhang Cheng's army remains. Moreover, Zhang Cheng came from the Yuhang-Qiantang line, and his first targets will definitely be Zhuji and Shan County. In other words, the battlefield has shifted to the east."

Shen Yi said reluctantly, "General, are you preparing to leave again?"

Guan Xing nodded and said, "We have no choice but to leave. Zhang Cheng is the most powerful and the most difficult to deal with among the three Wu armies. We have to fight to the death."

"After I leave, Da Mo will be in your care. Da Mo is our last line of defense now, so you must take good care of him for me. We might have to come back in a few days."

"Keep an eye on those other three prisoners so they don't escape; they're our military rations."

He brought Zhou Xun and Zhuge Ke to Damu because he was afraid that Zhang Cheng would arrive in Damu and kidnap them before his battle with Quan Cong was over.

But now that Damo has become the rear area, there is naturally no need to take prisoners to the front line.

Shen Yi nodded emphatically and said, "General, rest assured, this humble general will definitely guard Da Mo and keep a close watch on the prisoners."

Guan Xing patted his shoulder and laughed, "I believe in you. Let the brothers hold on a little longer. After we deal with Zhang Cheng, we should be able to get some rest."

After the meeting ended and everyone dispersed, Guan Xing took Deng Hong to visit the wounded.

First, we extend our condolences to Zhu Chao, the greatest contributor to this battle. If Zhu Chao had not withstood the desperate counterattack of Quan Cong's personal guards and created an opportunity for Deng Hong to annihilate the enemy, the battle might have dragged on for who knows how long.

Although Zhu Chao withstood Wu Jun's counterattack, he also paid a considerable price, suffering internal injuries. Guan Xing had to carry him back on a stretcher on the way.

Guan Xing carried the medicinal herbs into the room and asked Zhu Chao, who was lying on the bed, "Old Zhu, how are you? Are you adjusting well?"

Zhu Chao struggled to get up and bow, but Guan Xing pressed him down first, grinning foolishly and saying, "It's nothing serious. Speaking of which, this battle was really damn satisfying. It vented all the pent-up frustration from all these years. It's a pity I can't participate in the next big battle."

The grievances of working people are heavier than ghosts. Zhu Chao took advantage of this battle to vent all the resentment he had accumulated in the workplace for many years. It felt like his constipation of many years had finally been cured, and he felt completely refreshed.

Guan Xing laughed and said, "Why do you need to take action against a mere Zhang Cheng? Your most important task now is to recover your health and then come with me to deal with Lü Meng and the Wei army. As long as you have the ability, you'll never be afraid of not having a battle to fight."

Zhu Chao nodded emphatically and said, "General, rest assured, I will recover as soon as possible and then go north with you to deal with Lü Meng."

Guan Xing chatted with him for half an hour before getting up and leaving to continue visiting other wounded soldiers in other wards.

Two days later, Guan Xing led his army back to Wushang to fight Zhang Cheng in a decisive battle.