Tiger Guards

Chapter 409 Unmoved

Another day dawned, and the officers and soldiers on the front lines spent the night in mutual vigilance.

Start enjoying this hard-won, day-to-day sunshine.

While Zhao Ji's entire army was on high alert against Sun Ce, Sun Ce was also in a similar state, welcoming the rising sun.

In the camp, Sun Ce washed his face with cold water.

Sun He and Zhang Hong arrived one after the other. Sun Ce wiped his face and led the two into the tent, asking, "How is the Grand Marshal's camp?"

"No cooking smoke was seen; the entire army was eating dry rations."

Sun He, who was in charge of military matters, immediately replied: "At dawn, the various armies under the Grand Marshal drove their horses to graze in the rice paddies."

In Chenguo... at least the rice paddies near Chen County suffered only minor flooding, and the damage was not severe.

If the siege of Yuan Shu continues, these rice crops will be harvested soon, replenishing military supplies.

Zhao Ji drove the horses outside the camp to forage, which was an expression of goodwill.

Otherwise, simply driving prisoners to harvest rice would also be enough to feed the army's horses.

As Sun He was speaking, Sun Ce's personal guards brought in a meal. Sun Ce gestured for the two to start eating: "Yuan Shu has invited me to a duel on the battlefield. I want to take the opportunity to capture him, but I'm afraid the Grand Marshal will be displeased. What should I do?"

Sun He was now in a dilemma and turned to look at Zhang Hong.

Zhang Hong had negotiated with Zhao Ji several times and was more familiar with his character than they were.

Zhang Hong hesitated for a moment as he picked up his chopsticks, then looked at Sun Ce: "My lord, does the Grand Marshal intend to execute Yuan Shu, or to let him go?"

"In my opinion, capturing and killing Yuan Shu in a day or two would benefit the General, not the Grand Marshal."

Sun Ce pondered for a moment, realizing this as well, and looked at Zhang Hong: "Sir, do you have a good plan?"

"Your Excellency intends to capture Yuan Shu first... but you are worried that this will displease the Grand Marshal and cause him to break the agreement with Qingzhou?"

Zhang Hong summarized, and Sun Ce did not refute it. He simply picked up his bowl, took a bite of food, and nodded in agreement with Zhang Hong's summary.

Unless he can defeat Zhao Ji and Lü Bu, offending either of them will prevent the court from granting him an important position.

The positions of Governor of Qingzhou, General of the Rear, and the Marquis of Qi, who held great significance for him, were proposed by Zhao Ji and promised to him; as long as Lü Bu did not object, they could be implemented after the war.

If Zhao Ji is angered now, even if Lü Bu makes a similar proposal, if Zhao Ji opposes it, it can be rejected during the council of ministers.

Immediately, Zhang Hong said solemnly, "Your Excellency knows that the Grand Marshal is incredibly brave, and his close attendants are all valiant men. If Your Excellency were to suddenly make a move, I fear that the Grand Marshal and his strong men would retaliate, and Yuan Shu's personal attendants are also not lacking in brave warriors. At that time, Your Excellency would be in grave danger."

There's no room for future considerations; Zhao Ji will kill you on the spot.

Sun He noticed that Sun Ce's expression was somewhat awkward, so he lowered his head and ate his meal.

Sun Ce then smiled and explained, "Yuan Shu is ruthless. I fear that after escaping this time, he will cause another great disaster."

Zhang Hong continued solemnly, "Huainan was originally a fertile land, but it has been suffering from famine for several years. Even if Yuan Shu escapes, how long can he remain arrogant? The Grand Marshal's military tactics have always been ruthless. The generals of the White Wave Army, the rebellious Xiongnu, and the two traitors Li and Guo were all annihilated in one battle. Now, letting Yuan Shu go is because he is certain that Yuan Shu will not last long. As Kong Wenju said, he is nothing but a skeleton in a tomb and is not worth worrying about."

Although Sun Ce and Zhang Hong were unaware of the specific changes on the Xuzhou battlefield, after the heavy rains, Liu Xun and Zhang Xun, who were attempting to attack the city by cutting off the Si River, were certainly not in a good position.

What good would it do for Yuan Shu to return alive?

Previously, under the influence of four generations of high-ranking officials, Yuan Shu was able to narrowly escape death several times; now, with his titles and institutions amounting to treason, who among the Jianghuai people would dare to approach Yuan Shu?
No one dared to gather around Yuan Shu, so Yuan Shu could no longer extort and blackmail people everywhere as he had done before, and gradually erode the surrounding areas.

Seeing Zhang Hong sitting upright and lecturing, Sun Ce put down his chopsticks and solemnly cupped his hands, saying, "If it weren't for your warning, sir, I would have almost made a grave mistake."

He had truly come to his senses. Most people around him were like him; if they could solve a problem directly, they were willing to take risks.

But Zhao Ji is not someone to be trifled with. Looking back now, it's clear that Zhao Ji was deliberately warning and intimidating him regarding the tiger-shooting competition.

All four of Bai Bo's generals were killed by Zhao Ji. If this had sparked a full-blown brawl, Zhao Ji would very likely have dealt with Yuan Shu as well.

Only upright individuals like Zhang Hong and Zhang Zhao dared to advise him to his face; other scholars might not have dared to do so.

Even if you try to persuade him, Sun Ce, in his anger, might not only ignore you but also punish you.

Seeing Sun Ce's seriousness, Zhang Hong nodded slightly and said, "I have negotiated with the Grand Marshal several times and know that he is a man who is tough on the outside but soft on the inside. If you, my lord, can explain to him with reason and emotion, the Grand Marshal will also listen to my advice."

If he suddenly makes a move, Zhao Ji will definitely retaliate.

This is almost a self-defense instinct, and a melee between the two sides is highly likely.

The four tribes of Qingzhou have been transferred to Zhao Ji, and their families and hostages have also been moved to Langya. If a real battle breaks out, Sun Ce will be caught in a pincer movement.

Given Zhao Ji's overwhelming cavalry advantage near Chen County, even if Sun Ce were to break through, he wouldn't be able to take many of his veteran troops with him.

Having lost the vast majority of veterans and key personnel, how can he stand on his own two feet in the future?

Leaving Mount Tai without permission is tantamount to turning against Yuan Shao... Zhao Ji and the Liu clansmen supported by the court will not tolerate him, and he can't very well go and join Gongsun Zan.

Sun Ce could only suppress his impulse. He truly wanted to capture Yuan Shu, make a great contribution to the dynasty, and have his name spread throughout the land.

Even if he offended Zhao Ji and Lü Bu, and they controlled the court and refused to grant him important positions, his reputation was still his own and could continue to bring him benefits.

However, Zhang Hong dealt him a heavy blow, waking him up.

If Sun Ce were to make a move during the meeting, he would most likely be attacked and killed by a combined force of Zhao Ji and Yuan Shu. Moments later, Zhao Ji led more than 500 chariot and cavalry guards out of the camp, along with 3,000 infantry and cavalry, to a point about three miles outside the east gate of Chen County.

Sun Ce had a similar setup, with each side having a guard of three thousand troops and a little over a hundred personal knights.

The east gate of Chen County was opened, and the road outside the east gate ran parallel to the Honggou Main Canal.

Yuan Shu's guards also filed out and formed a battle formation outside the east gate, facing Zhao Ji's guards, while Sun Ce's guards were in the southwest.

Except for the absence of troops on the northeast side of the opposite bank of the ditch, the three sides on the southwest bank of the ditch form a safe equilateral triangle.

Both sides sent their cavalry back and forth, and soon each drove their chariots forward, followed only by foot warriors. Apart from one chariot, there were no other mobile attack forces of this kind.

The foot warriors stood still, about an arrow's length apart, while the three chariots slowly approached, about seven or eight paces apart, and in perfect unison turned around, leaving their rear ends facing each other.

Yuan Shu carefully examined Zhao Ji, then looked at Sun Ce, who was handsome and had a similar bearing, but was nearly two feet shorter than Zhao Ji, and couldn't help but sigh, "How many heroic and valiant men are there in the Western Regions!"

Throughout the entire encounter, Yuan Shu never gave Sun Ce a second glance. Instead, he looked directly at Zhao Ji, raised his chin, and shouted, "Is the newcomer Zhao Yuansi of Langya?"

"it's me."

Zhao Ji observed that Yuan Shu had a finely groomed beard and a carefree demeanor, exuding a youthful air of confidence and arrogance, unlike a middle-aged man about to be crushed by life and career.

As long as the eyebrows, nose, face shape, skin, and body shape are not too unkempt, a person with a beard will generally be quite attractive.

For men, a beard is the best accessory, capable of concealing many physical imperfections.

A truly handsome man looks the same whether he has a beard or not.

For example, Lü Bu only started growing a beard after becoming a general; otherwise, he would have preferred to keep his chin bald.

Some people with notoriously rough appearances can only salvage their looks and image by having a full beard.

Sun Ce, who was young and commanded troops, grew a beard at a young age to increase his prestige and gain the respect of his men.

For someone his age, beards don't grow easily, so Sun Ce didn't groom them much, making them appear somewhat rough.

Even the roughest beard couldn't diminish Sun Ce's good looks; his natural features were simply too good.

Upon seeing Zhao Ji in person, Yuan Shu's mood inexplicably improved, and he asked with a smile, "Ji Ling was loyal and brave, how did he lose?"

"The floodwaters caused me to launch a strong attack on the eastern camp and capture it in one battle; the western camp was in a low-lying area and was flooded, with human and animal excrement mixed with well water, and the grain stored in the camp was also soaked and rotted. Ji Ling was not defeated by me, but by lack of food and disease."

Zhao Ji answered frankly, saying, "Your two armies in Xuzhou are finished. Liu Bei has recruited and gathered the various armies in Xuzhou and is heading straight for Shouchun via the Huai River."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce glanced at Zhao Ji, while Yuan Shu squinted and said, "How could Liu Bei, this boy who weaves mats and sells shoes, possess such strategic acumen?"

Yuan Shu was very confident; he concluded that this was something Zhao Ji had planned, or something else had planned.

Liu Bei was too poor. What could Liu Xun and others give him if they followed him?
They couldn't offer money, grain, or official positions.

Because he was so poor, Liu Bei didn't even dare to make empty promises.

Yuan Shu had known Liu Bei for a long time, but unlike Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, who were on good terms with Liu Bei, Yuan Shu looked down on Liu Bei.

Since everyone has to die eventually, he just couldn't stand Liu Bei's rigidity and adherence to rules.

It's not that Liu Bei didn't have a temper; he was just as hot-tempered as he was. But in order to gain recognition from the outside world, Liu Bei always suppressed his temper.

This sense of self-sacrifice and conformity to mainstream values ​​made Yuan Shu very dislike him.

After making a sarcastic remark about Liu Bei, Yuan Shu continued to look at Zhao Ji: "Anything else?"

"Cao Cao gathered troops in Chenliu, numbering over 30,000, who could come down the Honggou Canal at any time to join the battle."

Zhao Ji smiled and said, "I now want to conquer Chen County to avenge King Chen, and I also want to attack Cao Cao. I wonder if you have any good strategies?"

Yuan Shu replied without hesitation: "If you want to fight, then fight. Why ask me? Do you hate me, or do you hate the treacherous subjects of Chen?"

At this moment, Yuan Shu deliberately glanced at Sun Ce, but Sun Ce remained calm and indifferent.

Zhao Ji turned to look at Sun Ce and said loudly, "We have come to persuade Yuan Gonglu to surrender, but he refuses to give up."

Sun Ce cupped his hands in greeting, then instructed his charioteer to whip the chariot and drive away first.

"Hey~!"

Yuan Shu looked up to the sky and sighed, "Can you give me a way out? I will not let Liu Bei have an easy time. If the Liu clan becomes too powerful, it will be detrimental to you and Lü Bu."

Zhao Ji slowly reached out and took out his bow, drew an arrow, and pulled the bowstring taut in one smooth motion.

Yuan Shu remained unmoved, and Zhao Ji fired an arrow.

At a distance of less than ten paces, the arrow pierced through and severed the curved umbrella canopy behind Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu's head was pressed down by the hanging umbrella, and his charioteer immediately whipped the chariot and drove back at breakneck speed.

Zhao Ji gripped his bow, and his chariot drove towards the main camp.

Sun Ce had walked less than fifty paces when he saw the umbrella that had been shot down, and for the first time, he began to question his double-layered armor.

(End of this chapter)