I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 262 The Name of Gongsun
Yi County.

There is a children's rhyme here—

"Yan is located to the south, Zhao is located to the north, and the central region is as unbalanced as a whetstone. Only here can one find refuge from the world."

After being repeatedly defeated by Yuan Shao, the former overlord Gongsun Zan dug ten layers of moats in this area, then built a capital city within the moats, each five or six zhang high, and then built tall buildings on top of it, making him virtually invincible!
Gongsun Zan built a ten-zhang-high palace in the very center of the trench for his own residence and stored three million bushels of grain inside.

Gongsun Zan's subordinates also built tall buildings in their homes, numbering over a thousand! Gongsun Zan resided in one of these tall buildings, using iron doors to shut out his attendants and forbidding any men over the age of seven from entering. He allowed only his wives and concubines to live inside. Gongsun Zan also trained the women to speak loudly, so that their voices could carry hundreds of paces, in order to convey his commands.

No one knew why Gongsun Zan, the once-powerful overlord who dared to challenge hundreds or thousands of Xianbei cavalry with only a few riders, had become like this.

Chief Clerk Guan Jing was probably the only one who understood Gongsun Zan's actions.

Holding a scroll of official documents, Guan Jing walked through a dimly lit corridor, narrow stairs, and past dozens of checkpoints before finally meeting Gongsun Zan's maid.

The maidservant shook out the official document, and seeing that there was nothing sharp inside, she took it to Gongsun Zan to report. However, she still wouldn't let Guan Jing enter.

"come in."

Only after receiving Gongsun Zan's order was Guan Jing able to enter the building and meet Gongsun Zan.

Broad shoulders and a muscular build—a common attire for people from the Yan and Zhao regions. A dashing and heroic air, yet retaining the etiquette of an ancient gentleman.

However, Gongsun Zan's hand often rested on the hilt of his sword, and his eyes darted around, as if he was worried that an assassin might rush up and stab him at any moment.

Upon seeing this, Guan Jing let out a long sigh.

"My lord, there is only me in this Hundred-Foot Tower. The rest are your wives and concubines. There is no need to worry about Yuan Shao's men."

"No!"

Gongsun Zan placed his finger next to his thick beard and made a shushing gesture towards Guan Jing.

"Former officials of the Yuan family are everywhere!"

"..."

Guan Jing was speechless.

The transformation of the once brave and fearless Gongsun Zan into his current state is clearly not something that can be achieved through force alone.

Yuan Shao's prestige, the pervasive influence of the Yuan clan of Runan, and the strong loyalty of the aristocratic families to Yuan Shao were the consequences of all this.

Guan Jing handed the official document in his hand to Gongsun Zan.

"Yuan Shao was defeated by Liu Miao at Langya."

"The Yuan family is not invincible. I hope my lord will rally and continue the fight against Yuan Shao!"

Gongsun Zan, with a wary look in his eyes, instructed Guan Jing to put down and unfold the official document, as if afraid that something might be hidden inside.

Only after confirming that there was nothing else available did Gongsun Zan cautiously reach out and take the official document in front of him.

The Alliance of Langya

Gongsun Zan first skimmed through it, then looked at it again as if he couldn't believe it: "This Liu Miao actually forced Yuan Shao to bow down?"

"Of course!"

Guan Jing advised again, "Yuan Shao is not invincible."

"His decision to seek peace with Liu Miao this time was out of fear of his lord, which is why he signed such a shameful treaty."

"As long as we find the right method, my lord, we will surely be able to defeat Yuan Shao and bring peace to the world!"

Gongsun Zan placed his hand on the handwriting of the official document, stroking it over and over again, his eyes beginning to clear.

"Could we really defeat Yuan Shao?"

"Hasn't Liu Miao already accomplished that?"

Guan Jing said, "I heard from some merchants in Hebei that Liu Miao in the south, Lü Bu in Xuzhou, and Cao Cao in the Central Plains have all agreed to join forces against Yuan Shao."

“Each of these warlords individually may not be able to resist Yuan Shao, but if they unite, they are enough to make Yuan Shao back down!”

Guan Jing pointed to the book "The Alliance of Langya" on the table—

"This is irrefutable evidence!"

The signing of the Langya Alliance shattered the warlords' consistent perception of Yuan Shao.

So, it turns out Yuan Shao can back down! And he can be defeated!
If Yuan Shao can be defeated, then why can't I be the one to defeat him in the end?

Guan Jing is now using Liu Miao to encourage Gongsun Zan.

"Now that we can contact Liu Miao and agree to advance and retreat together, Yuan Shao has nothing to fear!"

If a god bleeds, then he is naturally not a god!
Since Yuan Shao was defeated, he was naturally not the one who inspired no thought of resistance!
Liu Miao's actions in Langya undoubtedly inspired everyone who was at odds with Yuan Shao!

Guan Jing pressed his advantage: "A few days ago, Zhang Yan, the bandit leader of Black Mountain, also sent an envoy to inquire about matters related to our lord's attack on Yuan Shao."

"My lord! When you retreated to Yijing, you often told me: we should rely on these thousands of tall buildings and store up three million bushels of grain to wait for the world to change... Now, I'm afraid this great change is just beginning!"

Gongsun Zan looked down, then at the "Langya Alliance," and finally placed his finger on the name "Liu Miao."

"What kind of person is Liu Miao?"

"She is a descendant of the Prince Xiao of Langya."

"He's actually a member of the Han imperial family?"

Gongsun Zan suddenly laughed: "When I was a classmate, there was also a member of the Han imperial family. If he were by my side, I probably wouldn't have built this hundred-foot-tall tower to guard against someone close to me, would I?"

But in any case, Gongsun Zan had regained some strength.

"Shiqi, you just said you wanted to contact Liu Miao? But we are separated from Liu Miao by Yuan Shao, so how can we contact him?"

"Gongsun Du, the governor of Liaodong, once seized several counties in Donglai from the sea and established Yingzhou as his governor!"

Guan Jing had long ago devised a way to contact Liu Miao.

"As long as we go to Liaodong, we can naturally go to Qingzhou and contact Liu Miao!"

After a moment of contemplation, a glimmer of light finally appeared in Gongsun Zan's eyes.

"Is Liu Miao's appearance truly our chance?"

"That must be it!"

Seeing that Gongsun Zan had finally cheered up, Guan Jing volunteered even more.

"I hope my lord will grant me permission to travel to Liaodong!"

Establishing connections with the lords to the south was practically Gongsun Zan's only chance at this time!

If you don't seize this opportunity, you will regret it for the rest of your life!
After a moment's consideration, Gongsun Zan finally nodded emphatically!

"Bang the drum!"

"Yuan Shao! Summon all the generals!"

"It's time for Gongsun's name to once again resound throughout the world!"

------

There are three main roads connecting Youzhou and Liaodong.

The Lulong Road starts at Xifengkou, runs north along the north bank of the Luan River, passes through the Daling River Valley, and enters Liaodong.

One route runs along the coast near the sea, passing through the right side of Youbeiping and Liaoxi County.

The Lulong Road had gradually fallen into disrepair since the reign of Emperor Guangwu, and merchants and travelers no longer used it. Instead, most chose to travel by sea to Liaodong.

However, the coastal road also has its drawbacks.

During summer rainfall, the low-lying areas along the coast become muddy and impassable, and the vast marshes can even trap vehicles and horses, so the roads are not open year-round.

Guan Jing naturally chose the coastal road, but unfortunately, because there had been a torrential downpour a few days ago, no one was willing to take Guan Jing into the coastal road.

Guan Jing insisted on going, which puzzled the locals: "Going there now could very well cost you your life in the great marshes to the north! You are of such high status, why would you take such a risk to go to Liaodong?"

Guan Jing replied, "Now my lord, Marquis Gongsun Zan of Ji, is trapped in Yijing by Yuan Shao. Isn't he just like being trapped in a vast swamp from which he cannot extricate himself?"

"If I cannot go to Liaodong now, I will not be able to rescue my lord from the muddy swamp. There should never be any logic in this world to watch my lord trapped and not dare to go forward to rescue him."

Guan Jing's words drew praise from the surrounding righteous men!

After hearing Guan Jing's words, some boatmen even came specifically to find him.

"The roads are now blocked, but we can reach Liaodong by sea. If you trust me, I am willing to take you to Liaodong!"

Upon hearing this, Guan Jing immediately grasped the other's hand tightly: "Truly generous men from the land of Yan and Zhao!"

The boatman, carrying Guan Jing, decided to slowly make his way to Liaodong by sea.

The boatman's boat was still a traditional flat-bottomed boat, not the pointed-bottomed boats that are common in Jiangdong today. And because the storm had just passed, the sea was still not calm, and large waves often came in, causing the boat to tilt.

Guan Jing and his envoy had never experienced such a turbulent journey before, and they immediately became uneasy on the ship.

The boatman could only reassure them, "Don't worry! We're very close to Liaodong! As long as we don't encounter any storms, we'll arrive in Liaodong soon!"

What you fear most is what happens!
The very next day, a dark cloud over the sea pressed down on Guan Jing and his companions like a fortified city.

But when the dark clouds actually pressed down on him, Guan Jing realized what the might of the heavens truly meant!
The strong winds and torrential rain made it impossible for Guan Jing to open his eyes. The ground under his feet was sometimes soft and sometimes hard, sometimes flat and sometimes curved, making Guan Jing wonder if he was still on the boat!

The boatman's voice faded into the distance, and any attempt to shout something was swallowed up by the wind.

Finally, after a huge wave crashed in, the poor flat-bottomed boat was completely capsized. Salty and heavy seawater kept pouring into Guan Jing's mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, quickly numbing and weakening him.

"Cough cough!!"

After an unknown amount of time, Guan Jing suddenly realized that he had regained consciousness!
He tried to take a few breaths, but couldn't breathe at all. Instead, he vomited two mouthfuls of seawater, making Guan Jing turn his head to the side in discomfort.

It was only when he shifted his position that Guan Jing realized he was actually on a large ship!

In the same wind and waves, my boat would easily capsize, but this boat remained steady and stable, with almost no turbulence!
With his eyelids slightly lifted, Guan Jing finally saw the flag on the ship—

[Liu].

On the dark cloud pattern background, the fiery red character "Liu" seemed to rise like crimson flames, becoming the only bright color in this world!
"Liu?"

Guan Jing, still groggy, looked around again. At that moment, a tall, handsome young man approached Guan Jing and gave him a slight bow.

"Zhuge Jin, an envoy under General Liu Miao, greets Chief Clerk Guan."

Guan Jing breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw the official document in Zhuge Jin's hand.

"It seems that my lord and I are truly destined to survive!"

(End of this chapter)