roccoschili Chapter 56 Who exactly is manipulating me?
Chapter 56 Who exactly is manipulating me?
Lu Lingqi struggled to her feet and raised her hand to strike Gu Cheng. Halfway there, her hand was easily caught by Gu Cheng. She grew increasingly ashamed and angry, struggling desperately, but unable to break free.
"Brother, you're a grown man, yet you accuse me of being disrespectful. I'm not into that sort of thing." Gu Cheng mocked her for dressing as a man, then sneered and flicked his hand.
Lu Lingqi suddenly remembered that she was dressed as a man, but she had forgotten in her haste. Gu Cheng ignored her and got up to dust his hands.
Gao Shun was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward, saying, "Miss, you've misunderstood. It was Young Master Gu who saved you!" "Young Master Gu?" Lü Lingqi's body trembled, her emotions calming slightly before she carefully examined Gu Cheng. That handsome face was clearly reflected in her eyes. Who else could it be but Gu Cheng?
"How did I end up on his ship? What did he do to me?" Lu Lingqi asked, her eyes wide with astonishment and her voice trembling slightly.
Gao then recounted in detail how she had been drowned in the flood, lost consciousness, and was rescued by Gu Cheng. "I was dead, how could he bring me back to life?"
Lu Lingqi gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief. "Indeed," Gao Shun nodded emphatically, "Young Master Gu's methods of saving lives, though somewhat strange, such as CPR and artificial respiration, did indeed bring Miss back to life."
That's all.
Gao Shun bowed to Gu Cheng, and said with shame, "I am Gao Shun. I misunderstood you just now. Please forgive me!"
So that's his real name.
Loyal men were few under Lü Bu's command, and this man was one of them. "So it's General Gao." Gu Cheng nodded slightly, glancing at Lü Lingqi: "You call her 'Miss' and protected her so desperately. If I'm not mistaken, she must be Lü Bu's daughter."
"That's right, her name is Lingqi, and she is the only daughter of my Marquis Wen!" Now that things had come to this, Gao Shun had no choice but to tell the truth. Everyone around was greatly surprised. Mi Huan asked in surprise, "I've heard that Lu Bu has a daughter who is quite remarkable, but I never expected it to be you?" All eyes turned to Lu Lingqi.
Lu Lingqi's gaze never left Gu Cheng for even a moment.
"I never imagined that he not only possessed extraordinary wisdom but also such miraculous medical skills, truly unfathomable..."
Her mind was racing, and her eyes held not only shock but also utter confusion. "Miss!" Gao Shun quickly reminded her when he saw her lost in thought.
Lu Lingqi snapped out of her daze, her face flushing red with shame and embarrassment. "Thank you... thank you so much for saving me, Young Master Gu. I misunderstood you just now, please forgive me." She lowered her head, biting her lip, and apologized to Gu Cheng somewhat awkwardly. This was the first time in her life she had apologized to someone, and she felt quite uncomfortable. "Never mind." Gu Cheng waved his hand. "You're just lucky that I found you in this vast flood. You're very fortunate!" The word "flood" brought Lu Lingqi back to her senses. She stood up unsteadily and looked out of the boat.
Besides Gao Shun, all the Lü family soldiers who tried to break through also perished in the flood. "Young Master Gu!" she suddenly turned around, asking each word carefully, "This flood is enough to rival a million-strong army. Such a domineering strategy—could it be that you taught Cao Cao this time?"
Gu Cheng turned and gazed at the vast floodwaters, refusing to answer her.
"Miss Lü, if this riverbank is breached, countless people will be drowned. My young master would never stoop to such a vicious scheme that indiscriminately kills innocent people."
Mi Huan, however, couldn't stand it and retorted to Lü Lingqi's guess.
Hearing this answer, Lü Lingqi seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, and the worry in her heart quietly dissipated. "Drag Song Xian over here and let her ask herself." Gu Cheng didn't turn around, but waved his hand slightly.
A short while later, Zhou Tai dragged Song Xian out of the inner cabin and threw her in front of Lü Lingqi. "Young...Young Miss!"
Upon seeing Lü Lingqi, Song Xian immediately felt guilty and his jaw clenched in panic.
Lu Lingqi frowned and said in a deep voice, "Song Xian, tell me the truth, what exactly happened?" "Thump!" Song Xian knelt down in front of Lu Lingqi and said with shame, "Please calm down, Miss. This was all Chen Gong's poisonous scheme. I was also bewitched by him."
"Chen Gong's treacherous scheme?" Lu Lingqi sensed something and grabbed him, demanding, "What treacherous scheme does Chen Gong have? Tell me quickly!" Song Xian dared not hide anything and had no choice but to truthfully recount Chen Gong's plan to use Lu Bu as bait to dig the Si River and drown Lu Bu and Cao Cao's army together.
Lu Lingqi suddenly woke up, stumbled back three steps, her eyes filled with shock and astonishment.
"That treacherous Chen Gong! Disloyal and unjust! My father trusted him so much, yet he's as venomous as a snake, plotting to kill him!" "Traitor! Chen Gong, you traitor!"
Enraged, Lü Lingqi gritted her teeth and cursed Chen Gong.
Gu Cheng, however, disagreed, saying, "Back then, Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo trusted you more, but your father still killed them. Chen Gong and Lü Bu were two of a kind, birds of a feather."
He knew she was a woman, yet showed no mercy, revealing Lü Bu's dark past right in front of her. "You—" Lü Lingqi glared at Gu Cheng, wanting to retort, but found herself speechless. Gu Cheng met her gaze with indifferent eyes. The atmosphere became tense for a moment. Then…
Zhou Tai suddenly shouted, "Turn around quickly! We've reached the west gate of Xiapi!" Everyone turned their gaze to the outside of the ship and realized that the merchant ship had been sailing downstream all the way to the outskirts of Xiapi. The merchant ship immediately turned around.
Gao Shun suddenly shouted, "It's Marquis Wen! Marquis Wen is still alive!" Lü Lingqi was overjoyed and rushed to the bow of the boat, eagerly looking into the distance. Sure enough.
Lü Bu, alone on horseback, stood before the city gate, shouting at the city walls, seemingly wanting to enter. "Oh no! Father doesn't know of Chen Gong's betrayal; his life is in danger!" Lü Lingqi's face changed drastically, and she tried to warn Lü Bu loudly.
It was too late. On the city wall, Chen Gong's order to kill had already been given. Countless arrows whistled down, felling Lü Bu from his horse. Immediately afterwards, a raging torrent swept in, mercilessly engulfing the heavily wounded Lü Bu.
"Father One"
Lu Lingqi was filled with grief and indignation, and let out a choked, hoarse cry.
Overwhelmed by the emotional blow, she felt a rush of blood to her head, and suddenly her vision went black. She collapsed towards Gu Cheng. Without thinking, Gu Cheng instinctively reached out and caught her, and Lü Lingqi fell into his arms.
"Young Miss!" Gao Shun exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward to check on her.
Gu Cheng checked her pulse and said, "She just fainted from anger, there's nothing serious about it." Gao Shun breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu Cheng then instructed Mi Huan and Da Qiao to help her back to the cabin to rest. "Lord Wen was a hero of his time, but who would have thought he would die at the hands of that treacherous villain Chen Gong. Alas," Gao Shun clenched his fists, gazing at the city walls of Xiapi with a sorrowful sigh.
"General Gao, there's no need to plead for your lord. When he killed Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo, he should have known that no one would be truly loyal to him. Even if he hadn't died from Chen Gong's betrayal, he would have died from someone else's betrayal."
Gu Cheng spoke his mind, not caring about Gao Shun's feelings at that moment. Gao Shun was suddenly startled, as if deep in thought.
After a long silence, he sighed, "Young Master Gu is right. Marquis Wen killed two of his adoptive fathers. What right does such a lord have to win the loyalty of his subordinates?"
As he sighed, the merchant ship turned and sailed back towards the Si River. "It's good that Lü Bu is dead; he's rid the Minister of Works of a great enemy!"
"Chen Gong probably doesn't have many troops. After the flood, Cao Cao will be able to launch a major attack on the city, capture Xiapi, and bring Chen Gong to justice!"
Cao Ang glanced back at Xiapi, his eyes burning with excitement. "General Wei is overthinking it. Chen Gong won't give you the chance to capture him alive," Gu Cheng said casually, sipping his tea as he sat back in his rocking chair. Cao Ang's eyes widened in suspicion, and he quickly asked, "What do you mean by that, Young Master Gu?"
"Chen Gong once betrayed your lord in Yanzhou, almost driving him to his death. He naturally knows that Cao Cao will definitely kill him after the city falls." "Now he has less than a thousand soldiers under his command. With his insight, how could he not see that Xiapi City absolutely cannot be defended?"
"So I guess he will definitely try to escape through the west gate before the flood recedes and before you besiege the city again!" Gu Cheng casually revealed Chen Gong's thoughts.
Cao Ang suddenly realized and exclaimed, "Young Master Gu is right. It seems I must hurry and inform Minister Cao to prevent Chen Gong from escaping."
"It's probably too late to warn him now," Gu Cheng said, pouring cold water on his hopes. Cao Ang stiffened and quickly asked, "Why?"
"It's almost dark. If I were Chen Gong, I'd flee immediately tonight!" Gu Cheng said, pointing to the setting sun. Cao Ang looked doubtful but said, "The waters outside the city are still very high. It will be even more dangerous to travel by boat after dark. Is Chen Gong really going to flee tonight?"
"It is precisely because of the danger that you, Cao Sikong, are not on guard, which is why Chen Gong was able to take us by surprise," Gu Cheng said dismissively.
Cao Ang suddenly realized what was happening, looked back towards Xiapi, clenched his fists, and frowned.
Gu Cheng smiled faintly: "Chen Gong has handed over such a great achievement to General Wei. General Wei should be happy, so why does he have such an expression?"
great merit?
Cao Ang looked back at Gu Cheng, his eyes filled with confusion.
"Chen Gong would not dare to make a big commotion, so he would surely only lead a small group of men to escape by raft under cover of night."
"General Wei only needs to lead his men and moor the boats outside the West Gate to wait for Chen Gong to come to him. Why would he be afraid that Chen Gong wouldn't come to him on his own?" Gu Cheng said calmly, revealing the secret.
Cao Ang suddenly realized what was happening, and his eyes lit up with wild joy. He thought to himself, "Chen Gong is my father's mortal enemy. If I can capture him alive, I will have done a great service for my father!"
present.
Cao Ang was overjoyed and bowed to Gu Cheng, saying, "Thank you so much, Sister... Young Master Gu has done me a great service!" "General Wei is too kind." Gu Cheng chuckled, "Then I'll wait for General Wei to be promoted and invite me for drinks." "Definitely, definitely!" Cao Ang laughed heartily.
And so the two parted ways. Gu Cheng led his men north along the Si River to find a place to stay. Cao Ang, on the other hand, with two merchant ships and more than fifty men, lay in ambush outside Xiapi, waiting for Chen Gong to come to their door.
The sun was setting in the west, and before we knew it, night had fallen.
On the west gate tower, a newly assembled wooden raft is being lowered down from the tower.
The thousand guards inside the city were all asleep, leaving only a dozen or so trusted men on the city wall.
"Chen Jiajia, the flood is still raging, and it's getting dark. Is it really wise for us to rush out like this?" Hou Cheng asked anxiously.
"That traitor Cao Cao would never have imagined that I would flee tonight. He will be completely unprepared. You think you can wait until the floodwaters recede before escaping? Do you think Cao Cao will give you that chance?"
Chen Gong glared at him with a sarcastic look.
Hou Cheng suddenly realized and praised, "Prefect Chen is brilliant! I admire you." So, the group was lowered from the city walls and onto the raft. By the dim moonlight, the raft slowly moved forward in the flood, heading towards the Si River. "Prefect Chen, after we escape Xiapi, where should we go?" Hou Cheng asked anxiously.
Chen Gong, however, raised an arrogant expression and sneered, "Once we enter the Si River region, we can go south to seek refuge with Sun Ce in Jiangdong, or go north to join Yuan Shao. I, Chen Gong, am a renowned scholar; why should I fear not having a place to stay!"
Hou Cheng breathed a sigh of relief, finally feeling at ease.
The city of Xiapi was receding into the distance behind us, and everything seemed to be going smoothly.
"Cao Cao, I, Chen Gong, have not yet lost! Sooner or later, I will rise again and fight you once more!" Chen Gong stroked his short beard, gazing at the lights of Cao Cao's camp on the distant high ground, a cold smile playing on his lips. Suddenly.
Suddenly, more than ten torches were erected ahead, illuminating an area of several dozen paces in all directions. Two large ships appeared out of nowhere, blocking their path.
Hou Cheng's face changed color in shock, and he exclaimed, "Prefect Chen, didn't you say that Cao Cao was completely unprepared? What's going on here?"
Chen Gong's arrogant expression crumbled, and he gritted his teeth in shock, exclaiming, "How is this possible? How could Cao Cao have predicted that I would escape tonight!"
Panic gripped everyone on the raft. (On the merchant ship.)
"My brother-in-law is truly a prophet! That traitor Chen Gong is indeed in a hurry to escape tonight!" Cao Ang, at the bow of the boat, sighed with admiration and deep respect.
His eagle eyes narrowed, and he pointed his spear, shouting, "Charge! Capture that traitor Chen Gong alive!" The order was given, and two merchant ships hurtled towards the raft. Hou Cheng was terrified and cried out in a trembling voice, "Turn around! Avoid them!" But it was too late. With a deafening crash, the raft was capsized.
Everyone on the raft fell into the water, their cries for help echoing in the night.
Chen Gong had once been Cao Cao's advisor, so Cao Ang naturally recognized him. He ordered a grappling hook to be thrown, and Chen Gong was pulled from the water onto the boat. "Chen Gong, long time no see, how have you been?" Cao Ang looked down at the disheveled body and laughed. Chen Gong coughed up water, struggled to look up, and blurted out, "Cao—Cao Ang?" "Your memory is not bad, you still recognize this young master." Cao Ang's eyes were sarcastic, and he coldly laughed, "Back then in Yanzhou, you colluded with Lü Bu to cause trouble, and I almost died at your hands. Did you ever imagine that this would be your end!"
Chen Gong blushed crimson, his eyes filled with shame and anger, unsure how to respond. Suddenly...
He forced himself to his feet, gritting his teeth as he said, "Cao Ang, humiliate me all you want, just tell me, who saw through my plan to breach the river, and who guessed that I would escape tonight? Who was it?"