Lin Yu held the brocade bag,within which was a vermilion wooden box secured by a golden lock.As he opened the box,there,nestled within,was a small imperial seal.The seal was square,each side measuring four inches.One of its corners was missing,yet it had been repaired with gold,lending it an air of both antiquity and grandeur.Engraved upon it were eight large characters:"Received the Mandate from Heaven,May Longevity and Prosperity be Everlasting!"

Zhao Yun,standing at his side,could not suppress his astonishment,and his eyes widened as he exclaimed,"Brother,could this be the Imperial Seal?!"

"Yes,this is none other than the Imperial Seal passed down from Emperor Qin Shi Huang himself!"Lin Yu held the small imperial seal delicately in his hand,a tumult of emotions welling up within his heart.

This was a national treasure,a relic that had traversed the ages,the very He Shi Bi symbolizing imperial power.Such a precious heirloom,having endured for thousands of years,had ultimately vanished without a trace during the late Tang Dynasty.Although there were subsequent records of the Imperial Seal during the Song and Yuan Dynasties,their authenticity was suspect.It was truly a pity that future generations would never have the chance to behold its splendor.Little did he expect that he,himself,would be granted this opportunity to glimpse its magnificence.

Yes,today Lin Yu had brought Zhao Yun into the imperial palace with the express purpose of obtaining the Imperial Seal before Sun Jian.

Brother Sun Jian,the matter of the Imperial Seal is far too complex for you to handle.I shall relieve you of this burden in advance.

Lin Yu toyed with the seal for a while,then carefully tucked it into his bosom,cautioning,"Zilong,you must not breathe a word of this to anyone outside."

"Yes,sir!"Zhao Yun nodded with solemnity.

The Imperial Seal held extraordinary significance.If word of its discovery were to spread,it would surely invite unnecessary troubles,just as it had for Sun Jian.Lin Yu had come specifically to retrieve the Imperial Seal this day for another motive as well.

Having achieved his objective,Lin Yu led Zhao Yun and the others out of the imperial palace.

By this time,Dong Zhuo had fled westward,and the conflagration in Luoyang City had been subdued.All the feudal lords had stationed their troops within the city.

As soon as Lin Yu returned to his tent,he found a soldier waiting there.The soldier announced,"Sir,Lord Cao has commanded me to invite you to come over."

Lin Yu gave it little thought and made his way towards the central army camp.

Before he could even enter the tent,he heard Cao Cao's angry reprimand:"They are truly worthless scoundrels,not worth consulting with!"

Lin Yu paused for a moment,then entered.He bowed to Cao Cao,who sat in the seat of authority,and said,"Your subordinate pays respects to Lord Cao!"

Upon seeing Lin Yu,Cao Cao,whose face had been flushed with anger moments before,finally relaxed his expression and sighed with a sense of helplessness."Sure enough,just as you had predicted,sir!"

Just a short while ago,all the feudal lords had been engaged in a discussion within the camp.Cao Cao had exerted every effort to persuade the allied forces to pursue Dong Zhuo jointly.After all,the Xiliang Army had recently suffered a defeat,their morale was in tatters,and they were even encumbered by over a million civilians.If they seized this opportunity to give chase,there was a possibility that they could completely vanquish the Xiliang Army and rescue the emperor.However,Yuan Shao and the others had no intention of pursuit,citing the need for caution.But Cao Cao could see through their motives;they simply wanted to reap the rewards without lifting a finger.Although Dong Zhuo had been repelled this time and forced to retreat to Chang'an,the emperor and the civil and military officials remained under his control.What difference was there between this outcome and failure?

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While fuming with anger,Cao Cao also grew to admire Lin Yu more and more.Clearly,even when he was still in Chenliu and had not yet met all the feudal lords,Lin Yu had already been able to fathom their thoughts.His insight into human nature was truly remarkable!

"Sir,I intend to lead the troops alone in pursuit of Dong Zhuo westward.What are your thoughts?"Cao Cao composed himself and inquired softly.

"This move is highly ill-advised!Although the Xiliang Army has been defeated,it has not yet disintegrated.They still possess two hundred thousand troops,along with fierce generals such as Lu Bu and Li Jue,"Lin Yu replied,shaking his head."With your current strength,Lord Cao,attempting to pursue Dong Zhuo would be rather foolhardy."

Hearing this,Cao Cao's expression darkened.He was well aware that with his own forces alone,he was no match for Dong Zhuo.But he was loath to simply stand by and watch Dong Zhuo escape.

However,at this juncture,Lin Yu changed the subject and said,"Although I do not wish to see Lord Cao risk himself,if you are resolute in your decision,you may certainly give it a try."

"What do you mean by this,sir?"

"Some endeavors may not yield results despite our best efforts,but if we do not make an attempt,there will surely be no outcome at all."

Cao Cao's eyes brightened,and he repeated this sentence silently in his heart.

After a moment,he raised his head and declared with firm determination,"Thank you,sir!Come,immediately reorganize the troops and pursue the Xiliang Army!"

"Yes,sir!"Xiahou Dun and the others saluted and accepted the order.

...

With Cao Cao's command,the entire Cao Army sprang into action.Except for the essential rations,all other supplies and provisions were left in Luoyang City under Lin Yu's care.Cao Cao led the troops,traveling light,prepared to pursue Dong Zhuo.

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

"Do not worry,sir!"Lord Cao nodded gravely,yanked the reins,and galloped off into the distance.Xiahou Dun,Xiahou Yuan,and other prominent generals led the troops closely behind him.

Watching their figures disappear into the horizon,Zhao Yun couldn't help but remark,"Brother,I fear Lord Cao will return empty-handed this time!"

Lin Yu was well aware of the outcome of the impending battle.Cao Cao would not only return empty-handed but would also face a crushing defeat and be in mortal peril.However,the reason he did not dissuade Cao Cao was that,at this moment,Lord Cao was still a passionate young man,wholeheartedly dedicated to restoring the Han Dynasty.Only when Lord Cao encountered Dong Zhuo's massive army and was brutally confronted by the harsh reality would he fully awaken.In any case,ensuring Lord Cao's safety was of utmost priority.

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

...

After days and nights of arduous travel,Cao Cao swiftly led his troops into the territory of Xingyang.The scouts he had dispatched had also detected that Dong Zhuo's troops were just ahead.

Without hesitation,Cao Cao immediately ordered the pursuit.

However,just as the Cao Army had skirted the mountain stronghold outside Xingyang City,they beheld a troop of soldiers blocking the road ahead,and at their helm was Lu Bu!

"Ha ha,just as Wen You predicted,"Lu Bu bellowed with laughter,brandishing the Fang Tian Hua Ji in his hand and shouting menacingly,"Cao Aman,prepare to meet your doom!"

With that,he dug his heels into his horse's flanks and led his troops in a furious charge towards Cao Cao.

Cao Cao dared not be lax and promptly ordered Xiahou Dun to lead the troops to engage the enemy.

Just as Lu Bu and Xiahou Dun's forces were locked in a fierce and chaotic battle,a cacophony of noise erupted from the left.Cao Cao squinted and saw that Li Jue,a prominent general under Dong Zhuo,was leading another troop of soldiers in a charge.

Alarmed,he quickly ordered Xiahou Yuan to intercept them.

But before he could catch his breath,the sound of battle cries rang out from the right,and Guo Si,a major general of the Xiliang Army,led his troops in a fierce onslaught.

Cao Cao's heart sank.He had no choice but to order Cao Ren to hold the line.

The Xiliang Army,by dividing their forces into three prongs,exploited their numerical superiority to the fullest.Coupled with the fact that Lu Bu,Li Jue,and Guo Si were all of extraordinary valor,the Cao Army was gradually driven back,step by arduous step.