A travel-worn rider with cracked lips entered, bowed to Cao Cao seated in the place of honor, and saluted. "Greetings, Your Majesty."
"Rise," Cao Cao said indifferently.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The messenger straightened and pulled a bamboo tube from his chest. "An urgent report from Xuzhou. Please take a look, Your Majesty."
Someone nearby took the bamboo tube and delivered it to Cao Cao. Cao Cao did not open it immediately. Instead, he asked the messenger, "What happened?"
Everyone in the hall turned to look at the messenger as well. After all, the matter of Xuzhou losing Huaipu and Huaiyin had already been reported long ago. Since someone had now hurriedly come to deliver another report, it clearly could not be about that.
In everyone's eyes, Gan Ning had taken the army upriver, leaving behind only a small number of troops to guard Huaipu and Huaiyin, with no great generals among them. Since Xuzhou had made its move, capturing two cities without great generals or heavy troops stationed there should have been as easy as turning over one's hand. After all, those two cities had belonged to them in the first place. Having only just been occupied, they had no real popular support. Once the army arrived, not to mention an internal response, at the very least the people would not provide the Han Army with any assistance.
As for the Han Army using force to compel the common people to defend the walls, they truly were not worried. After all, hehe, Liu Bei emphasized "Benevolence and Virtue." How could he allow his subordinates to do something that would damage his reputation? It was simply laughable!
Was that what Benevolence and Virtue meant?
They governed a region and provided protection for the common people. The people paying taxes and