Chapter 57 Inner Saint and Outer King

  Tai Shi Zi slowed down his horse slightly, coordinating with the cavalry behind him and having no worries about his back, fully cutting down the enemy army in front of him.

  A snow-bright steel knife flashed by, bringing up a burst of bloody rain.

  Liao Hua and Jiang Qin shot arrows at the enemy's flank, then charged into the enemy formation with a loud shout, cutting off the enemy's waist.

  When Wang Yan died, the enemy army was leaderless and in disarray. Then, Taishi Ci and others took advantage of the situation to launch a surprise attack, causing great chaos, with cries and wails everywhere.

  They also wanted to resist, but the war horses sitting down on the ice could not move quickly and it was difficult to maintain balance, just like a living target.

  Gan Hai surrounded the enemy army from behind and started attacking them from both sides, killing them until the ice was covered in blood.

  Now Wang Dang's army was almost surrounded on three sides, and the three troops were led by fierce generals to charge forward. In less than a minute, the ice surface was filled with corpses, and the bright red blood seeped into the ice layer, dyeing the white ice surface into clusters of blood-red roses.

  Hot blood and icy snow mixed together, gradually becoming a paste. The horse hooves trampling on it finally stopped slipping, Wang Dang's defeated army contracted into a ball under the command of the deputy general.

  At this time, Wang Dang's 500 elite cavalry had also been reduced to less than 200 men. These horsemen gathered together, their spears pointing in all directions like a porcupine.

  Tai Shi Zi and others formed their troops into a circle, surrounding Wang Dun's cavalry in the middle.

  Li Chong saw that the overall situation had been decided and rode his horse to the front of the formation.

  The soldiers under Li Chong's command, under the command of Taishi Ci, took out their bows and arrows one after another. The cold light of the arrowheads pierced through the gaps in the crowd, pointing directly at the enemy army. Seeing the bows and crossbows in the hands of the enemy, a look of despair appeared on the faces of Wang's cavalrymen.

  Li Chong sighed and shouted loudly: "Surrender! I can spare your lives."

  "How despicable!" Hearing Li Zhong's words to surrender, Liao Hua, Guan Yu and Taishi Ci all thought in their hearts. They had experienced Li Zhong extorting money from Mi Fang, and they knew that Li Zhong was notorious for being a man of his word!

  After a long wait, the deputy general of the enemy army asked loudly: "Can you guarantee that you won't kill us?"

  Li Chong looked at the deputy general and nodded silently.

  The deputy general let out a long sigh and said with a woeful expression: "Surrender!"

  Wang Dang's cavalry slowly put down their weapons, dismounted from their war horses, and hung their heads one by one.

  Tai Shi Zi waved his hand, and his subordinates immediately rushed up, using ropes to bind the surrendered enemy soldiers. Seeing that the situation was already settled, Li Chong walked in front of these captives, asking in a deep voice: "I now give you two choices, first, cut off your right thumb, I'll let you go back, second, do hard labor for me, you have the time it takes to burn an incense stick to consider, choose for yourselves."

  After finishing speaking, Li Zhong dismounted his war horse and sat on a sled, staring blankly at the sky.

  Tai Shi Zi and Guan Hai took over the battlefield, saw Li Chong's expression seemed somewhat sorrowful, walked quickly over, asked: "Master, why are you so downhearted? We have won a great victory in this battle."

  Li Chong smiled and pointed at the corpses on the ground, saying: "Zi Yi, look at these people. They are all good citizens of the Han Dynasty. Perhaps they lost their lives just for a mouthful of food. I really can't bear it."

  "Your Excellency, in war there are always casualties. If you can't bring yourself to kill the enemy, it will be our own people who die."

  "I knew it!" Li Chong looked at Taishi Ci and said in a low tone, "Zi Yi, do you know? I've never considered Zhang Yan and the others as enemies. The enemies in my heart are the Xiongnu, Qiang Hu, and Xianbei. Killing them makes me feel relieved, makes me feel like I've won a battle."

  Tai Shi Zi hesitated for a moment before asking: "Is what you're thinking of the 'Inner Sage and Outer King' that Zhuangzi spoke of?"

  "Inner sage and outer king...... Inner sage and outer king......" Li Chong murmured a few lines, then smiled and said: "I hope I can achieve it!"

  Tai Shi Zi smiled and said: "Master will definitely be able to do it."

  Li Zhongcai nodded and suddenly said in a stern voice: "Zi Yi, even if I may not be able to achieve inner sagehood, but I must be able to achieve outer kingliness."

  Tai Shi Zi looked up at the sky and laughed: "Your Excellency has now become an outer king."

  Li Chong stood up suddenly and walked in front of the deputy general, asking in a low voice: "Have you made your choice?"

  The deputy general looked at Li Chong, his face bitter and said: "We choose to do hard labor." In fact, these people had no other choice. If they really cut off their thumbs, they would be disabled and unable to hold weapons to fight. Even if they returned to Changshan, Zhang Yan would not reuse them, it was still a fate of doing hard labor.

  It is more likely that Zhang Yan will use her as cannon fodder and get rid of her.

  Li Chong stared at the deputy general, suddenly smiled and said: "Your choice is correct, hard labor is not for a lifetime, five years... no... three years, in three years you will be free."

  The deputy general did not expect to have a chance to turn things around and hastily thanked him: "Thank you, sir."

  "Bo Wen, these people are handed over to you. Next year when spring begins, have them open up the wasteland for cultivation." Li Zhong instructed.

  "I will obey your orders!" Guan Hai hastily replied.

  Inspect the spoils of war, bury the enemy's corpses, and then load the bodies of the fallen soldiers onto sleds to be transported back to Guangwu for burial. Li Chong finally had some free time, so he handed over to Taishi Ci and others, and took Liao Hua to rush to Dong'a, Yanzhou.

  Just as they were sweeping the battlefield, Li Chong suddenly remembered someone - Dong A Cheng Yu and Cheng Zhong De! The most notorious cruel officials in the Three Kingdoms.

  Cheng Yu has not yet followed Cao Cao, Li Zhong plans to go to Dong'a to try his luck. Cheng Yu is one of the top strategists of the Three Kingdoms period and is also skilled in governance, making him a rare top talent.

  With more than a dozen soldiers, Li Chong and others rushed along the way, arriving in Dong'a County in less than ten days. They rested outside the city for one night, and then Li Chong and others disguised themselves as merchants and entered the county.

  Cheng Yu was very famous in Dong'a County, and Yan State Governor Liu Dai had once recruited Cheng Yu, but Cheng Yu looked down on Liu Dai, so he claimed to be ill and declined Liu Dai.

  Liao Hua heard about Cheng Yu's experience, and was so frightened that he stuck out his tongue and said: "Cheng Yu won't look down on our lord, will he? He's just like Gan Ning, who says that unless our lord occupies the Great River (Yellow River), there's no use for him. He really looks down on people."

  "Haha……" Li Chong smiled and said, as for failing to recruit Gan Ning, he had already mentally prepared himself. After all, it was still due to a lack of strength. It wasn't Gan Ning's fault for not coming, Guangwu County didn't even have a big river, and Gan Ning's water bandits would be useless here. They might as well develop in the south instead.

  Compared to Guangwu County, Dong'a is much more prosperous, with people coming and going on the streets, without any signs of being disturbed by war. Li Chong and others found a wine shop, ordered some wine and dishes, and casually asked the store's staff about Cheng Yu's residence.

  After having breakfast, Li Chong and others bought some gifts and went to visit Cheng Yu.

  Following the hotel porter's directions, Li Chong easily found Cheng Yu's residence. He called out and a young man in his twenties came out of the door.

  Li Zhong cupped his fists and said: "I am Li Zihui, the magistrate of Guangwu, and I have come to request an audience with Master Cheng."

  The young man glanced back at Li Chong and saw that he was emitting a murderous aura, not like a good person. So he didn't let Li Chong enter the house either, and replied: "Please wait for a moment, I'll report to my father."

  Li Chong responded with a sound, standing at the door secretly thinking that this should be Cheng Yu's son, seemingly called Cheng Wu. This person was also very outstanding in the late Three Kingdoms period, serving as Xiahou Xuan's military advisor and having defeated Zhao Yun before.

  Before long, Cheng Wu hastily opened the door and said with a smile: "I'm afraid I've kept you waiting for a long time, Mr. Li. My name is Cheng Wu. My father has invited you."

  As soon as he entered the hall, Li Chong saw a middle-aged man with a long beard standing in front of the door, his eyes gleaming brightly as he looked at him.

  "Mr. Li, this is my father," Cheng Wu hastily introduced, standing beside him.

  Li Chong hastily paid his respects, saying: "Li Zihui of Pingzhou pays his respects to Master Cheng." Cheng You looked youthful, but was actually well-preserved; he was already fifty years old this year. Li Chong addressing Cheng You as an elderly gentleman was not excessive.

  Cheng Yu's cold and stern face slightly revealed a hint of a smile as he replied: "Lord Li is indeed a young hero, please come in."

  Li Chong and Cheng Yu sat opposite each other in the living room, with Liao Hua and Cheng Wu accompanying them on either side.

  Cheng Yu asked first: "As far as I know, General Li should be fighting with Zhang Yan in Guangwu, how can he spare time to come to Dong'a?"

  Li's eyebrows rose, and he said solemnly: "To be frank with you, Mr. Cheng, I have already defeated Zhang Yan. This time, I have come specifically to invite your assistance."

  Cheng Yu nodded and said: "I didn't expect Lord Li to defeat Zhang Yan so quickly, I am deeply impressed."

  "It's just luck!" Li said humbly.

  Cheng Yu's tone suddenly changed, and he asked: "I don't know what is Mr. Li's idea of governing a place?"

  The meat has arrived, Li Chong knew that this was Cheng Yu testing himself, and whether he could get Cheng Yu's help depended on how he answered. However, Li Chong had long been prepared, he knew that Cheng Yu was a standard Confucian scholar, otherwise he wouldn't be called a cruel official.

  Li Zhong said, "This official governs a place relying on the law, not on people. For example, Cao Mengde, although he was heroic and fearless of power, executed his uncle Cao Teng, which can be called a great comfort to the people. However, this is still rule by man, not rule by law, relying solely on Cao Mengde's character, rather than the country's laws."

  Li Chong's words obviously had a great impact on Cheng Yu, and for a while, he was silent, carefully savoring Li Chong's words.

  Cheng Yu was unwilling to serve under Liu Dai, he wanted to rely on Cao Cao. In history, after Cao Cao became the governor of Yan Province, Cheng Yu immediately followed him.

  But today Li Chong's words made Cheng Yu somewhat moved, according to strength, Li Chong now occupies two counties and can quickly defeat Zhang Yan, definitely not weak in strength, maybe there will be a chance to show off his skills, contending for the world is also possible.

  Cheng Yu is not a loyal minister of the Han dynasty, he has long been disappointed with the Han court. In the later period, Cao Pi usurped the Han throne, and Cheng Yu was a staunch anti-Han faction. With his wisdom, it's not hard to see that the Han dynasty is now in decline, precarious, and on the verge of collapse. What comes next is an era of heroes rising together, it just depends on which lord he will follow.

  It is better to be a head of a chicken than a tail of a phoenix.

  Li Chong is now at the prime of his life, and having joined Li Chong, he can almost secure the position of a high-ranking civil official. Who knows... being enfeoffed as a marquis or appointed as a chancellor is not impossible.

  Cheng Yu had already set his heart on surrendering to Li Chong, of course, the main reason being that Cao Cao did not have as much sincerity as Li Chong, personally coming to invite him, and voluntarily going to surrender was completely different from being invited, this was not only a matter of face but also related to status.

  To put it bluntly, Cao Cao didn't come and Li Zhong did. Cheng Yu was uncertain whether Cao Cao would invite him or not, and he didn't want to die hanging on one tree.