I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 479 Crossing the river!

Compared to the Han camp, which unknowingly resolved a potential crisis, the Yuan camp on the opposite side was truly on the verge of collapse.

On the battlefield, Yuan Tan was still unaware of what was happening when he heard shouts from the front: "Defeat! Defeat!"

Then, countless Yuan soldiers fled the battlefield, crying and screaming.

Yuan Tan initially took up his sword and personally went forward to kill two deserters, hoping to reverse the decline.

But human strength is insignificant; how can it compare to the might of Heaven?

A devastating defeat, like the sky collapsing and the mountains crumbling.

Yuan Tan, a scion of a noble family born into a dukedom, was told from a young age not to be shy or timid.

No matter how many people there are, they are still just people.

Over the years, Yuan Tan has seen countless people and witnessed the myriad expressions on their faces, leading him to believe that he had fulfilled his elders' instructions and was not afraid of being intimidated or shy.

But not at this moment!

The army was defeated like a mountain.

Those soldiers were like stones rolling down a mountain.

These stones are not silent; on the contrary, their faces are filled with fear, confusion, pain, and despair...

Seeing these stones with faces and expressions pressing down on him, Yuan Tan felt a surge of inexplicable sadness welling up inside him.

The grief was so overwhelming that Yuan Tan momentarily forgot his fear and his will to flee. Instead, he stood frozen in place, weeping without a trace of emotion...

"Your Highness!"

"Your Highness!"

It was only after his personal guards shook Yuan Tan vigorously that they managed to wake him from his zombie-like state.

"The Han army is catching up quickly! Most of the Han generals recognize Your Highness! Your Highness, escape!"

As the man nearing the end of his life followed the instructions of his personal guards, he mounted his horse, rode back to camp, and then proceeded as usual to remove his armor, clean himself, and even had a moment to look at the documents on his desk...

blah blah blah!

A drop of water fell on the paper, blurring the ink on it and blocking Yuan Tan's view.

Where did the water come from? Perhaps your hair isn't completely dry?

Yuan Tan, puzzled, raised his hand to wipe his forehead.

But when his fingers touched the strands of hair, the dry sensation suddenly exploded, sending countless thoughts rushing into Yuan Tan's mind.

Why is my hair dry?
Where does this water come from?
It wasn't water in my hair, it was me crying...

Why should I cry?
Oh right, it seems like we just lost a battle.

I fought a battle that I absolutely could not afford to lose in my life!

Yuan Tan's dazed eyes instantly brightened!

He looked around in a panic.

The staff and general trembled and remained silent.

The guards, covered in blood, were looking at him with concern.

And the noise outside the tent was completely unlike what a normal military camp should be like...

"I...have I been defeated?"

Yuan Tan asked others in disbelief, but everyone around him remained silent.

Yuan Tan closed his eyes and suddenly felt dizzy.

The dizziness did not sadden Yuan Tan; on the contrary, it excited him!

Just like the feeling before waking up from a dream!
When he opened his eyes again, he was back to before the war with Liu Miao! Back to the time when his army was strong and well-equipped!
But when I opened my eyes again, nothing had changed...

Despair welled up again.

So all of that wasn't a dream?
Since it wasn't a dream, does that mean I really lost, and lost everything?
A surge of emotions overwhelmed Yuan Tan like a raging flood, leaving him teetering on the brink of collapse.

"Your Highness!"

When his staff and deputy generals saw that Yuan Tan had finally come to his senses, they quickly moved closer to him.

Yuan Tan looked at everyone weakly and wearily.

It was only then that he realized that power was not always a good thing.

Everyone else can fall down, can become despondent, but Yuan Tan is the only one who cannot do such a thing.

The remaining army relied entirely on themselves.

Even if it means death, it cannot stop.

It's like holding countless ropes that tether hunting dogs.

Normally, these forces enable Yuan Tan to do many things far beyond his capabilities.

But now, if you're not careful, these hounds will rush up and tear you apart! The ropes used to restrain you will become the death knell around your neck!

"Yes, yes, we can't wait, we can't wait."

Yuan Tan seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps asking someone else.

"What should we do now? What should we do again?"

"Your Highness, the most urgent task is to cross the Jiao River as soon as possible and return to Linzi, and then find a way to cross the main river to reach Hebei!"

Yuan Tan nodded hastily, "Yes! Yes!"

"Cross the river! Cross the river!"

"Give the order: the entire army crosses the river! Let's move now!"

Seeing that Yuan Tan seemed to have lost his mind, those around them felt a deep sorrow.

However, Yuan Tan had at least given the order, and with the Guanzhong infantry who had remained at their main camp and were not yet destroyed, he was able to get the army moving and heading west towards Jiaoshui overnight.

All the belongings—tents, flags, valuables, armor—were abandoned.

Along the way, Yuan's soldiers kept disguising themselves as civilians and secretly leaving, causing Yuan Tan's army to be reduced in number from tens of thousands at the beginning to a mere two or three thousand near Changyi.

However, the soldiers of Yuan's army eventually showed signs of joy!

Because the glue was right in front of them!

Once they cross the glue-water barrier and head to Beihai or Linzi, they can at least hold off Liu Miao for a while with the help of the fortified city!
But just as these Yuan soldiers were searching for boats, a burst of mocking laughter from the opposite bank chilled them to the bone.

Winter weather, though cold, is always refreshing.

Without any river mist obscuring their view, Yuan's soldiers easily spotted a Han army camp rising from the ground opposite them.

【Zang】

Zang Ba!

Clearly, Zang Ba was one step ahead, like a nail driven into the other side of the glue, and like a large sword, cutting off the last hope of Yuan's army.

Yuan Tan was helped forward by the crowd and looked at Zang Ba's camp from afar...

As Yuan Tan was being helped up, he suddenly realized something.

Now, it's probably not just a matter of defeat, but also a matter of his indefinite wait to become the heir apparent of Northern Zhao.

The problem now is that he might never be able to return to Hebei! He might fall into the hands of the Han army again!
Will Liu Miao spare his life this time?
As Yuan Tan pondered these thoughts, he finally lost even the last bit of strength to stand.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

Just as Yuan Tan was feeling disheartened, he saw what appeared to be a person dressed in plain clothes calling to him from near the riverbank.

The man drew closer, and Yuan Tan's personal guards stepped forward to stop him, but the man hurriedly pulled out a letter with a bright yellow feather attached to it from his robes—

"Your Highness! I am His Majesty's messenger! I have come to deliver a message!"

This man was the scout whom Yuan Shao had sent to deliver intelligence to Yuan Tan that day.

He rushed to Yuan Tan in three strides and immediately bowed down.

"Your Highness! His Majesty has instructed me to tell you that you absolutely must not engage Liu Miao in a decisive battle with heavy cavalry..."

The other person gradually fell silent halfway through their sentence.

Meeting Yuan Tan in this place at this time, isn't the outcome obvious?

He was immediately somewhat embarrassed, but quickly tried to dissuade Yuan Tan: "Your Highness should withdraw to Hebei immediately?"

withdraw?
How to withdraw?
Can't you see that huge Han army camp on the other side of the river?
Sensing something was amiss, the Yuan scout quickly pointed towards the Han army camp opposite—

"Your Highness! Gentlemen! Do not be deceived by that thing!"

A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in Yuan Tan's eyes: "What do you mean?"

"I happened to run into a small group of Han soldiers yesterday, which is why I changed into the clothes of a commoner!"

The other person spoke very quickly: "That Han army wasn't large, only about a hundred men! After they arrived, they suddenly started hastily building a camp, which is how they were able to set up this camp!"

Only a hundred people?

Yuan Tan stared blankly at the Han army camp on the opposite bank.

Then, she smiled gently.

"Zang Ba, Zang Ba, you actually set up a fake camp to fool me? Are all the Han soldiers these despicable villains?!"

Yuan Tan seemed to have grasped at the last straw.

"That's right! Liu Miao didn't bring many infantrymen with him on this trip, so how could Zang Ba have led a large army here!"

"He built a false camp to intimidate me and then wait for Liu Miao to catch up from behind!"

Despite cursing him for being despicable, Yuan Tan couldn't help but feel a lingering fear.

If it weren't for this Yuan army scout who stumbled upon the scene by chance, he might have actually been fooled by Zang Ba's trick and ended up on the east bank, waiting to die.

"Pooh!"

Yuan Tan has regained his spirits!

"Build boats nearby and prepare to forcibly cross the river!"

Glue is ultimately not like a great river or the Yangtze River.

As long as there is something floating, you can cross the river and return to a safe place!
Rekindled with hope, Yuan Jun immediately began constructing ships at a rapid pace.

At this moment, someone suddenly suggested to Yuan Tan—

"Your Highness, I've heard that Zang Ba is extremely greedy. He once turned against both Lü Bu and Your Highness for a mere amount of grain. In that case, why not send an envoy to persuade him to spare our lives?"

"Even if it doesn't work, it can still make them complacent and create a good opportunity for our army to break through and cross the river!"

Where did Leng Tou Qing come from?
Yuan Tan was somewhat speechless.

What did Zang Ba's affair have to do with his greed for money?
Moreover, since Zang Ba joined Liu Miao, Liu Miao has treated him well. Why would Zang Ba betray Liu Miao and join him?
However, the last sentence does make sense.

Even if we can't persuade Zang Ba, just making him complacent will increase our chances of winning!
Yuan Tan went to see who had made the suggestion, but suddenly felt that the person looked somewhat familiar.

"You are……"

"Your Highness sent me to Liu Miao's place, and I was the one who was humiliated by Liu Miao with thirty eggs!"

Yuan Tan then realized, "So it was you!"

"Since that's the case, I'll leave this matter to you... When you meet Zang Ba, your tone and expression should be more anxious, making it seem like our army is completely desperate, so that he will lower his guard."

"Here!"

The messenger lowered his head, not daring to let Yuan Tan see his eyes.

The reason is that what flickers within is not unwavering loyalty, but rather a cold and ruthless killing intent.

Yuan Tan, don't even think about leaving Jiaodong alive!

　One more chapter tonight! I'm going to redeem my reputation for writing three chapters a day!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)