I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 446 Stubbornness!

On his way back to the main camp, Yuan Shao could feel the scrutiny of the officers around him.

Those pairs of eyes, hidden under helmets, felt hats, and shields, all stared at Yuan Shao with gazes that were either kind, worried, fearful, or cunning.

suddenly!

Yuan Shao removed his helmet and held it in his arms!
The hair that was exposed was still jet black and glossy! The eyes that were exposed were still bright and piercing!
Whenever Yuan Shao sensed someone looking at him, he would fearlessly meet their gaze, like a mighty army surveying its territory, staring intently at the person he was looking at!
No one could withstand such oppression.

soon.

All the suspicious and worried looks in Yuan Shao's eyes disappeared.

All the soldiers lowered their heads, daring not to do anything more presumptuous.

The emperor's majesty remained undiminished in Yuan Shao!

The icy wind blew against Yuan Shao's forehead, which was not covered at all, making his head ache, but Yuan Shao's expression remained unchanged until he entered the tent.

Inside that enormous imperial tent.

The officials of Northern Zhao had all taken their positions.

Just like the soldiers outside.

At this moment, the eyes of the officials of Northern Zhao were also full of probing and questioning.

This gave Yuan Shao, who had almost given up after entering the tent and finding warmth, a renewed sense of purpose, and he walked step by step to the center.

He put down his helmet, sat on the folding chair, and did it all in one smooth motion!
The movements were nimble, swift, powerful, and decisive!

Yuan Shao placed his hands on his knees, expanding his body as much as possible, which added to his intimidating presence.

"I've heard someone say that I'm about to die?"

The courtiers fell silent, as if trembling with fear.

"I've also heard that someone said the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Shen Pei, leaked secrets?"

The courtiers dared not make the slightest move.

"Hahahahaha!"

Yuan Shao suddenly burst into laughter, his voice full of vigor!
"You know better than I what kind of person Zheng Nan is!"

When Liu Miao spread rumors, didn't he investigate carefully?

As Yuan Shao laughed, the emperor's tent, which had been almost frozen solid, was suddenly thawed by a burst of warmth.

Xu You was the first to nod: "Absolutely! Absolutely! Who is Shen Zhengnan? Others may not know, but how could I not know? Your Majesty, do not listen to Liu Miao's nonsense!"

Xu You and Shen Pei were absolutely evenly matched!
But this also happens to illustrate Shen Pei's character.

Did Shen Pei betray Yuan Shao? Or leak intelligence?

Shit!

The others nodded in agreement!
They were all high-ranking officials in the Northern Zhao court.

These people were either from Hebei and had close ties with Shen Pei, or they were veterans around Yuan Shao who had witnessed Shen Pei rise step by step to become the Grand Chancellor of Zhao.

Perhaps they had some complaints and dissatisfaction with Shen Pei, but they still believed in Shen Pei's character!

If even Shen Pei can betray Yuan Shao, then there's no one in the world you can trust!
Not to mention that the rumors also involve the Empress and Yuan Shang.

These are all Yuan Shao's own people! Liu Miao couldn't even make his rumors believable!
"Exactly! This is clearly nonsense!"

"It must be because our army has been winning one victory after another that Liu Miao resorted to this desperate measure! He wants to sow discord among the troops!"

"That's right! As for that oath... Hmph! Maybe Liu Miao is just a homosexual! After all, he's from the Liu family! It's actually quite normal!"

"..."

The originally serious and tense atmosphere instantly became lively due to the firm belief in Shen Pei's character!
Upon seeing this, Yuan Shao smiled knowingly.

"Liu Miao is only trying to make me eager to attack!"

"Since he wants war, then let's fight!"

Yuan Shao's words spurred everyone present on!

"In half a month, launch an attack on Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci at Mangdang Mountain! Make sure Liu Miao is trapped in that tortoise shell of Pengcheng and waits to die!"

"Here!"

Yuan Shao is finally going to launch a preemptive attack on the Han army!
Although the attack was only against Zhou Yu and Taishi Ci's troops at Mangdang Mountain, rather than the main Han army in the direction of Pengcheng, it was already exciting enough!
With things having come to this point, Yuan's army no longer considered those rumors and instead focused all their efforts on preparing for battle!

In the eyes of Yuan Jun's soldiers, Liu Miao on the other side was simply too evil!

They actually spread rumors that the newly appointed Emperor Zhao is doomed!

They actually spread rumors that even the Empress and the princes betrayed the country!

If all of this is true, doesn't that mean Yuan Shao was unworthy of the Mandate of Heaven? Or that the Mandate of Heaven doesn't even exist? Doesn't that mean Yuan Shao's failure as emperor led to his marriage and his father's discord?
absurd!

In response to the rumors, Yuan Shao frequently appeared at the front lines and openly displayed his imperial banner so that Han scouts could see it at any time.

Liu Miao even went to the front lines to see for himself.

When Liu Miao actually saw Yuan Shao appear on the battlefield in the freezing cold, he was quite impressed.

"It seems Yuan Shao is going to gamble with me."

Which would collapse first: the Han army, with its inferior forces, or Yuan Shao, whose life was nearing its end?
"Go back to Mangdang Mountain!"

"Then... Wen Yuan must lead the cavalry to Xiang County!"

When Zhou Yu, who had accompanied Liu Miao to the front lines, heard that Liu Miao wanted to mobilize Zhang Liao's cavalry, he was taken aback.

"Your Majesty, are we to deploy the cavalry now?"

Shouldn't Zhang Liao's cavalry be left to make the final decision?

"Gongjin, both sides are already open about their positions! Why are we still hiding anything?"

Liu Miao stared at the bright yellow dragon banner not far away.

“Unlike Yuan Shao, we’ve always played our cards openly.”

“Yuan Shao must know that I have concentrated all my elite troops in Pengcheng.”

“If the cavalry doesn’t go into battle, Yuan Shao will definitely become suspicious. And once he becomes suspicious, the subsequent battles will be much more difficult.”

Zhou Yu took a deep breath: "Yes!"

------

Yuan Shao withdrew from the front lines again and returned to his camp.

"Cough cough cough cough!"

The sound of coughing echoed incessantly.

The attendant hurriedly stepped forward to help Yuan Shao remove his armor. When his fingers accidentally touched Yuan Shao's body, he was startled, but dared not show it on his face.

Yuan Shao seemed devoid of any warmth, chillingly cold. The already-simmered medicinal soup sat on the table, next to several salted fish used to mask the smell. Their fishy stench almost completely suppressed the herbal aroma of the soup, making it unlikely that anyone would notice.

Yuan Shao trembled as he brought the medicine to his lips, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, until only a few dregs and crumbs remained at the bottom of the bowl before he put the empty bowl down.

Two more maids came forward, quickly stripped naked, and then leaned against Yuan Shao, covering him with a huge tiger-skin blanket to keep him warm with their own body heat.

"Hu~~"

Yuan Shao, who had finally recovered, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Liu Miao, is he trying to wear me down to death on the battlefield?"

To prove that it was just a rumor spread by Liu Miao, Yuan Shao risked his own life to refute it!

By constantly appearing at the front lines and issuing orders to launch offensives, Yuan Shao had essentially suppressed the wavering morale of his troops.

The price was that Yuan Shao himself felt like a candle flame, constantly swaying in the wind and rain.

"But there's one more thing..."

The Empress, Yuan Shang, and even Shen Pei.

Yuan Shao had basically come to believe this whole story.

But this matter must absolutely not be publicized.

If this gets out, the morale of the entire front line will be destroyed!
"Liu Miao is truly insidious and ruthless!"

If spreading rumors that Yuan Shao was about to die was depleting his physical health, then spreading rumors that his backyard was on fire was depleting his spirit!

Even though Yuan Shao tried his best not to think about it, every night, it felt like a pair of giant hands gripping his neck, making it hard for him to breathe.

"Go and invite Tian Feng here secretly, without letting anyone know about this!"

This was the first time Yuan Shao had given such elaborate instructions to his orders.

The attendants dared not delay and only led Tian Feng into the tent when the night was deep.

"His Majesty?"

Tian Feng looked at Yuan Shao, who had summoned him, with a bewildered expression.

His confusion wasn't due to Yuan Shao's secret summons.

This Yuan Shao was different from any Yuan Shao he had ever known.

His hair was disheveled, and his limbs were withered and emaciated.

His eyes were dim, and his back was hunched over like a bow.

The Yuan Shao he knew was the Yuan Shao who raised an army in Bohai, issued a proclamation, and was full of vigor! He was the Yuan Shao who stood tall and fearless during the Battle of Jieqiao!
Instead of Yuan Shao, who was like a candle flame that would be extinguished with a gentle breath.

"Yuan Hao".

Yuan Shao gently addressed Tian Feng by his courtesy name, just as he had when the two first met.

"You haven't uttered a single word since the start of this battle. I suppose you're still blaming me for what happened last time?"

Tian Feng did not answer.

At this moment, he had not yet recovered from Yuan Shao's current state.

Yuan Shao clearly saw the shock on Tian Feng's face.

This caused an unusual blush to appear on Yuan Shao's face.

Yuan Shao had never let anyone see him in such an undignified state.

The Liu family didn't have it, Yuan Tan didn't have it, Yuan Shu didn't have it, and neither did Cao Cao.

If he hadn't been forced to, Yuan Shao wouldn't want anyone to see him in this state.

But at this moment... there was no other way.

Tian Feng seemed to understand something, and his cloudy eyes instantly became clear, with a hint of tears glistening within them.

"Your Majesty, could it be..."

"Yes, what Liu Miao said is not a rumor."

Although he had already made a guess, Tian Feng was still shaken when Yuan Shao actually said it!

"Back then, you advised me to attack the Central Plains sooner rather than later. It wasn't that I didn't want to fight, but that I really couldn't."

A look of relief appeared in Yuan Shao's eyes.

“I understand that Yuan Hao is acting for the country, for the people, and for me.”

"It's just that all along, I thought I could hold on, so I could only deliberately do so many things. Please don't take offense, Yuan Hao."

moment!

Tian Feng's tears flowed like a spring!

He dropped his cane, knelt down, and wept uncontrollably!

"Your Majesty, I was foolish! I am guilty!"

All the suspicions and disappointments of the past years vanished after seeing Yuan Shao's current state with my own eyes!
"Don't cry."

Yuan Shao was panting heavily.

"I am truly at my wit's end, so I can only ask Yuan Hao to do one thing."

Tian Feng raised his eyes, blurred by tears: "Your Majesty is referring to... Ye City?"

"Exactly."

Yuan Shao nodded, and this single gesture seemed to have exhausted all his strength, leaving him pale.

"Zheng Nan ultimately failed to control the overall situation."

"I order Yuan Hao to return to Ye City immediately! To take charge of military affairs in Ye City!"

Tian Feng was struck as if by a heavy blow!

Was everything Liu Miao said actually true?
Upon seeing Tian Feng's expression, Yuan Shao instead comforted him.

"It's alright. I know Zheng Nan's character. He must have been coerced by the Empress and Xian Fu, so he had no choice but to do it."

"Yuan Hao's mission is simply to prevent Hebei from descending into chaos."

Tian Feng had completely forgotten all the unpleasantness he had previously experienced with Yuan Shao! At this moment, he prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed to Yuan Shao: "Your Majesty! This battle is over! Let's go back! Great Zhao and the people of the world cannot be without Your Majesty!"

Yuan Shao closed his eyes.

"How can I return home when the traitors to the country have not been eliminated?"

"If the country cannot be unified, I will die with my eyes wide open in disbelief!"

　Updates have been a bit lax lately... but things are different now! The author has recovered and is incredibly strong! Starting today, three chapters a day will resume! And looking at the previous chapters, I only owe about 15 chapters, which I'll slowly make up for over time! Let's go!!!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)