Chapter 17 The Imperial Seal is in Hand

Lin Yu took the brocade bag, inside which was a vermilion wooden box locked with a golden lock. After opening the wooden box, he saw a small imperial seal lying inside.

The imperial seal was four inches square, with a corner on one side missing and repaired with gold. On it were engraved eight big characters: "Received the Mandate from Heaven, May Longevity and Prosperity be Everlasting"!

Zhao Yun, who was standing beside, couldn't help showing a surprised look on his face and said, "Brother, could this be the Imperial Seal?!"

"Yes, this is exactly the Imperial Seal passed down from Emperor Qin Shi Huang!" Lin Yu played with the small imperial seal in his hand, feeling a myriad of emotions in his heart.

This was a national treasure handed down through the ages, the He Shi Bi symbolizing imperial power. Such a national treasure, after being passed down for thousands of years, finally disappeared completely during the late Tang Dynasty. Although there were records about the Imperial Seal in the Song and Yuan Dynasties later, their authenticity was open to question. It was really a pity that people in later generations had no chance to see it. Unexpectedly, he himself had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of its elegance.

Yes, today Lin Yu brought Zhao Yun into the imperial palace with the intention of getting the Imperial Seal into his possession before Sun Jian.

Brother Sun Jian, the matter of the Imperial Seal is too complicated for you to handle. I'll take it away for you in advance.

Lin Yu played with it for a while and then stuffed the imperial seal into his bosom, admonishing, "Zilong, you mustn't reveal this matter to anyone outside."

"Yes, sir!" Zhao Yun nodded solemnly.

The Imperial Seal was of extraordinary significance. If it got out, it would surely bring unnecessary troubles just like what happened to Sun Jian. Lin Yu specifically came to take the Imperial Seal today for another purpose.

After achieving his goal, Lin Yu led Zhao Yun and the others to leave the imperial palace.

At this time, Dong Zhuo had fled westward, and the fire in Luoyang City had been brought under control. All the feudal lords had stationed their troops in the city.

As soon as Lin Yu returned to his own tent, he saw a soldier standing there. The soldier said, "Sir, Lord Cao has ordered me to invite you to go over."

Lin Yu didn't think much and walked towards the central army camp.

Before he could even enter the tent, he heard Cao Cao's angry rebuke: "They are really worthless fellows not worth consulting with!"

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment and then walked in. He bowed to Cao Cao, who was seated in the main seat, and said, "Your subordinate pays respects to Lord Cao!"

After seeing Lin Yu, Cao Cao, whose face had been livid before, finally relaxed his expression and sighed helplessly, saying, "Sure enough, it was just as what you said before, sir!"

Just a moment ago, all the feudal lords were discussing matters in the camp. Cao Cao had tried his best to persuade the allied forces to pursue Dong Zhuo together. After all, the Xiliang Army had just been defeated, their morale was low, and they were even dragging over a million civilians. If they took this opportunity to pursue, perhaps they could defeat the Xiliang Army completely and bring the emperor back. However, Yuan Shao and the others had no intention of pursuing, only saying that they should not act rashly. But Cao Cao could see that these people just wanted to reap the benefits without doing anything. Although Dong Zhuo had been repelled this time and forced to retreat to Chang'an, the emperor and the civil and military officials were still under his control. What was the difference between such a result and failure?

While being angry, Cao Cao also admired Lin Yu more and more. Clearly, when he was still in Chenliu and hadn't even met all the feudal lords, he could already perceive their thoughts. His control over people's minds was truly remarkable!

"Sir, I plan to lead the troops alone to pursue Dong Zhuo westward. What do you think?" Cao Cao calmed himself down and asked softly.

"This move is extremely inappropriate! Although the Xiliang Army was defeated, it hasn't collapsed. They still have two hundred thousand troops, as well as fierce generals like Lu Bu, Li Jue, etc." Lin Yu shook his head. "With your current strength, Lord Cao, it's really a bit overreaching to pursue Dong Zhuo."

Hearing this, Cao Cao's expression couldn't help but darken. He naturally knew that with his own strength alone, he was no match for Dong Zhuo. But he was unwilling to just sit back and watch Dong Zhuo leave.

However, at this moment, Lin Yu changed the topic and said, "Although your subordinate doesn't want to see Lord Cao take risks, if Lord Cao is determined to go, you can certainly give it a try."

"What do you mean by this, sir?"

"Some things don't necessarily have results even if you work hard, but if you don't work hard, there will surely be no results."

Cao Cao's eyes lit up, and he silently recited this sentence in his heart.

After a moment, he raised his head and said firmly, "Thank you, sir! Come on, immediately reorganize the troops and pursue the Xiliang Army!"

"Yes, sir!" Xiahou Dun and the others bowed their hands and accepted the order.

...

With Cao Cao's order, the entire Cao Army immediately sprang into action. Except for the necessary rations, all the other supplies and provisions were left in Luoyang City and entrusted to Lin Yu's care. Cao Cao led the troops with light packs, ready to pursue Dong Zhuo.

Before leaving, Lin Yu brought Zhao Yun to see him off. Lin Yu said, "No matter how the battle goes, I hope Lord Cao will take good care of your own safety!"

"Don't worry, sir!" Lord Cao nodded solemnly, yanked the reins, and galloped away into the distance. Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan and other major generals led the troops closely behind him.

Watching their figures disappear into the distance, Zhao Yun couldn't help but say, "Brother, I'm afraid Lord Cao will return without achieving anything this time!"

Lin Yu of course knew the outcome of the upcoming battle. Cao Cao would not only return without achieving anything, but would also be defeated badly and almost lose his life. But the reason why he didn't stop Cao Cao was ultimately because at this moment, Lord Cao was still a passionate young man, wholeheartedly wanting to restore the Han Dynasty. Only when Lord Cao encountered Dong Zhuo's large army and was brutally hit by the harsh reality would he be able to completely wake up. However, in any case, it was necessary to ensure Lord Cao's safety first.

Thinking of this, Lin Yu beckoned to Zhao Yun and whispered a few words in his ear.

...

After traveling day and night, Cao Cao quickly led the troops to the territory of Xingyang. The scouts he sent out also detected that Dong Zhuo's troops were right ahead.

So Cao Cao didn't hesitate at all and immediately ordered to pursue.

However, just as the Cao Army had just bypassed the mountain stronghold outside Xingyang City, they saw a troop of soldiers blocking the road ahead, and the leader was Lu Bu!

"Ha ha, it's really as Wen You said." Lu Bu laughed loudly, raised the Fang Tian Hua Ji in his hand, and shouted harshly, "Cao Aman, why don't you die quickly!"

As soon as the words fell, he clamped his horse's belly and led his troops to charge towards Cao Cao.

Cao Cao didn't dare to be careless and immediately ordered Xiahou Dun to lead the troops to meet the enemy.

Just when Lu Bu and Xiahou Dun's two troops were locked in a fierce battle, a noisy sound came from the left. Cao Cao took a closer look and saw that Li Jue, a major general under Dong Zhuo, was leading another troop of soldiers to charge over.

He was startled and quickly ordered Xiahou Yuan to go and meet the enemy.

But before he could catch his breath, a shouting sound of battle came from the right, and Guo Si, a major general of the Xiliang Army, led his troops to charge over.

Cao Cao's heart sank, and he had to order Cao Ren to lead the troops to hold the line.

The Xiliang Army divided their troops into three routes, making full use of their superiority in numbers. Coupled with the fact that Lu Bu, Li Jue, Guo Si and others were all extremely brave, the Cao Army was beaten back step by step for a while.