The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 263 Zhao Yun calls out to strategist Zhuge Liang, and the civil and military officials of Zhending are in an uproar (5th update)
"Fine!" Zhao Chen slammed his hand on the table and roared, "I'll help you with this! I've long disliked that Han Fan. He became the Chancellor of Changshan and started acting all high and mighty, even demanding 5,000 shi of grain from Zhao Family Village. Our village only gets 20,000 shi of grain a year! What a scoundrel!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun was startled: "Han Fan asked Zhao Family Village to raise 5,000 shi of grain? When did this happen? Has any of the grain been transported into the city?"

Zhao Chen shook his head: "The requisition order was issued just a few days ago and hasn't been transported into the city yet. We can take advantage of the grain transport opportunity to help Zilong enter the city."

Zhao Yun secretly felt lucky and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking. Clan chief, you can rest assured that all five thousand shi of grain can be transported back after the matter is accomplished. Not only that, I will also ask strategist Zhuge Liang to record the merits of the clan chief and others."

"No need to record my merits." Zhao Chen suddenly sighed and said, "You know my son Zhao Hu, Zilong. Besides riding horses, shooting arrows, and wielding spears, he doesn't know anything else. He can even use an ox as a warhorse when farming. After hearing about Zilong's deeds, he keeps clamoring to go to the battlefield to fight. I shouldn't have named him Hu (Tiger); I should have called him Zhao Donkey. Alas, I only have one son, and I really don't want him to join the army, but I can't control him. If Zilong doesn't mind, could Zhao Hu be your personal guard?"

Zhao Yun did not answer immediately, but said frankly, "Clan leader, forgive my bluntness, but my personal guards are different from others. They are the ones who follow me into the front lines. If they do not have extraordinary courage, it is difficult for them to survive."

Zhao Chen patted his chest and said, "Zilong, don't worry, Zhao Hu definitely has the courage! It's just that his riding and archery skills might be a bit lacking."

"It's alright." Zhao Yun promised, "You can train my horsemanship and archery skills rigorously. As long as you have enough courage, I will make Zhao Hu my personal guard."

After agreeing on the terms, Zhao Yun and Zhao Chen began to plan the specifics of entering the city and selecting villagers to enter.

Two days later.

Zhao Chen led four hundred villagers, whom he had personally selected, to transport five thousand shi of grain to Zhengding City, using a combination of human and animal power, such as pushing carts, carrying loads, or riding horses.

Zhao Yun then smeared mud and grass ash on the warhorses' coats and lightly wrapped strips of cloth around their mouths, so that the warhorses carried sacks of grain and fodder on their backs, disguising them as ordinary pack horses mixed with donkeys and mules. Their weapons, bows, arrows, and armor were hidden under the carts and under the grain and fodder, and fifty White Horse Cavalry and their warhorses were mixed in with them.

however.

Zhao Yun seems to have overestimated the defenses of Zhen Ding City.

Han Fan, the Chancellor of Changshan, had placed his elite troops at the place where Gao Rou and other officials and officers were imprisoned, so he was not very vigilant about the city gate. In addition, a large amount of grain and fodder had recently been forcibly requisitioned into Zhen Ding City, so the inspection at the city gate was even more sparse.

Inspecting so much grain would be too much work; delaying the grain's arrival in the city would be an even bigger crime.

I don't know whether to say that Korean style is overconfident or just plain stupid.

After entering the city, Xiahou Lan, who had gone in advance to gather information, also found Zhao Yun and told him the location where Gao Rou and the others were being held.

How many men are on guard?

"About five hundred people. Han Fan seems to be very afraid that Gao Rou and the others will run away."

Hearing Zhao Yun and Xiahou Lan's conversation, Zhao Chen was alarmed: "Zilong, you only have fifty riders, while the enemy has five hundred men. How are you going to fight?"

Seeing the smile on Zhao Yun's lips, Zhao Chen gritted his teeth and said, "I will organize the villagers. Although there will be some casualties, as long as it works..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Yun interrupted Zhao Chen, saying, "A mere five hundred men are nothing to worry about. The villagers have never experienced battle; going there would only be a pointless death. I will leave twenty riders behind to protect the villagers in case of any unforeseen circumstances. Thirty riders will be enough to defeat those five hundred men."

Zhao Chen stared at Zhao Yun in astonishment, his eyes wide. He had intended to be ruthless and have the villagers come to his aid, but Zhao Yun instead left twenty riders to protect them.

"Zilong, you only have thirty riders? Isn't that too much?" Zhao Chen stared at Zhao Yun in disbelief. Beside Zhao Chen, Zhao Hu, who had been unable to contain himself any longer, interrupted him: "Father, don't compare it to farming. Thirty men certainly can't farm the land of five hundred. It's my turn to go to the battlefield!"

"Shut up!" Zhao Chen slapped Zhao Hu. "What are you showing off for? You're untrained. If you go into battle, Zilong will have to protect you. If you die, Zilong will worry about me and blame him. Stay here and don't go anywhere!"

Zhao Yun also said, "Zhao Hu, listen to the clan leader. The fifty riders I brought this time are all the most valiant warriors in the land. You must be at least as skilled as a centurion to be comparable to them."

Zhao Yun wasn't lying. None of the White Horse Cavalry who are still alive today are bad; the bad ones are basically all dead.

Given Zhao Yun's cautious nature, he wouldn't have dared to lead only thirty riders to fight five hundred men unless he had enough confidence in his cavalry.

Since they were going to fight, they clearly didn't take Han Fan's five hundred men seriously at all.

Although a hundred-man general cannot fight against a hundred, thirty hundred-man generals together, with Zhao Yun as their leader, can easily defeat a mere five hundred men. In the Battle of Hanshui, Zhao Yun was even able to lead less than fifty elite cavalrymen to break through the enemy lines and escape from five thousand Cao soldiers.

"Put on your armor and mount your horses, prepare for battle!"

To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, Zhao Yun did not hesitate and immediately ordered the White Horse Cavalry to put on armor and helmets, carry bows and spears, and unload the fodder from their warhorses. In a short while, the thirty White Horse Cavalry were ready to go.

"set off!"

The thirty riders galloped through the streets of Zhen Ding City without attracting much attention. After all, no one expected Zhao Yun to suddenly appear in Zhen Ding City with thirty riders. Zhen Ding was not like Ye City, where the front line still had to be wary of Cao Cao's troops.

Guided by Xiahou Lan, Zhao Yun quickly arrived at the location where Gao Rou and the others were being held.

"Whose subordinates are you? How dare you come to this important place?" A junior officer shouted at Zhao Yun.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than the cheeky junior officer was pierced through by Zhao Yun's arrow.

"Raise the flags and break through the enemy lines immediately!"

Without even glancing at the dead junior officer, Zhao Yun immediately raised his banner and shouted loudly, "Zhao Yun, a subordinate general under the Left General, is here by order of Military Advisor Zhuge to see Chancellor Gao Rou of Changshan!"

The thirty White Horse Cavalry behind him also shouted, "By order of Military Advisor Zhuge, we request an audience with Chancellor Gao Rou of Changshan!"

The booming sound startled Han Fan's troops stationed there, as well as Gao Rou and the officials and officers in the mansion.

"Has Strategist Zhuge sent someone?"

The officials and officers under house arrest in the mansion were all shocked and their hearts were filled with excitement.

Gao Rou spent less time with Zhuge Liang, but the officials and officers spent more time with him, especially since they all followed Zhuge Liang in the battle to annihilate the Black Mountain bandits and the allied forces of the Wuhuan and Tu Ge.

That young man, who effortlessly routed the Black Mountain bandits and the combined forces of the Wuhuan and Tu Ge, numbering 100,000 with a mere wave of his feather fan, shone like the bright moon in everyone's hearts.

After being placed under house arrest by Han Fan, the name "Zhuge Junshi" shone even brighter than the sun!
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(End of this chapter)