I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 524 When Heroes Are Destined to Die

Ye City was first built during the Spring and Autumn Period, and it is said to have been built by Duke Huan of Qi, the first of the Five Hegemons of the Spring and Autumn Period. Unfortunately, this city built by the State of Qi was eventually captured by the State of Jin and eventually became the territory of Wei and Zhao.

Today, this important town in Hebei, which straddles the Hebei Plain to the east and reaches the foothills of the Taihang Mountains to the west, has once again welcomed a new conqueror.

On the south bank of the Zhang River, the Han army's formation stretched out across the boundless plain. The red feathers on their heads and the red flags in their hands forcefully awakened this land that had just begun to show signs of spring, causing it to burn fiercely.

"Liu, Liu Miao has really come?"

The officials of Dongzhao climbed the city wall.

Shen Pei, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, had already donned armor and was holding the long sword at his waist, exuding a solemn aura.

Liu Miao has actually led a large army here!

It was only at this point that someone finally realized—

After losing 200,000 of its main force, the entire southern Hebei region was utterly unable to hold back even a single force capable of resisting Liu Miao!

Not to mention resisting, there wasn't even an army that could stop Liu Miao for even a single encounter!
What surprised the officials of Eastern Zhao even more was that Liu Miao arrived so quickly.
Just a few days ago, we received news that Liu Miao had crossed the river to Hanoi, and today he has already arrived at the gates of Ye City with overwhelming force!

Now, standing before the walls of the capital and witnessing the seemingly endless Han army, these high-ranking officials and nobles from Hebei felt their limbs go weak and even their tongues trembled.

The Great Zhao Kingdom may perish today!
Just as the courtiers of the Great Zhao were trembling with fear, three muffled thuds drew everyone's attention.

It was Tian Feng.

Compared to Shen Pei, who was now dressed in armor and looked like a military general, Tian Feng was still only wearing that simple, light-colored robe, and in his hand was that extremely plain sandalwood cane.

"What's the panic! We're separated from Liu Miao by city walls and the Zhang River! Do you think Liu Miao can fly over and take your heads?"

Tian Feng stomped his cane heavily again and looked up at the crimson dragon banner fluttering in the distance.

"Back then, when the late emperor fought Gongsun Zan at Jieqiao, he only had a few dozen men by his side, yet he was able to talk and laugh in the face of Gongsun Zan's thousands of cavalry! Now we have the fortifications of mountains and rivers! And the strength of our city walls! What are you all afraid of?"

With Arita Toyoshi standing at the forefront with righteous indignation, the Zhao officials finally regained some fighting spirit.

But regaining fighting spirit does not mean being unafraid of death.

"Master Tian, ​​Liu Miao is coming on strong now, what should we do?"

"..."

This is hardly a question.

This is clearly writing the answer on their face, making Tian Feng read it aloud!

Make peace!

Now, all the Eastern Zhao court can do is negotiate peace!
Tian Feng opened his mouth slightly, but he had no strength to speak; only a bitter taste came from the back of his tongue.

These people are like him and Shen Pei.

They would never do something that would ruin their reputation.

Betraying Hebei and groveling before Liu Miao... whoever brings it up, their career is basically over.

Even though these people know that negotiating, seeking, or even begging for peace is the only answer, they still dare not speak up or do such a thing.

They need a "hero" to do this.

Then, after the deed is done, they will despise this "hero," stand in a clean place to condemn his actions, and then sit happily together to divide his flesh and blood and his inheritance, thus achieving their own future wealth and status.

Obviously.

Very few are qualified to be this hero...

Tian Feng's hand holding the cane began to tremble slightly.

Even when facing Liu Miao's million-strong army, Tian Feng remained unmoved... but when facing his colleagues, he felt a chill that penetrated to the bone.

"That's fine..."

"The only solution now is to negotiate peace!"

Just as Tian Feng was about to make up his mind, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

Everyone looked at each other in surprise.

Gao Lan rushed over and grabbed Zhang He's arm, his expression panicked as he asked, "Junyi! What are you doing?"

Peace talks are a damn thing!

The fact that the commander-in-chief negotiated peace is a crime deserving of death!
Seeing Zhang He step forward, Gao Lan was almost in tears!

Even disregarding their personal relationship.

In terms of military strength alone, only Zhang He had the ability and prestige to gather soldiers and continue resisting Liu Miao!
Hebei Four Pillars.

Even without Yan Liang and Wen Chou, Zhang He and Gao Lan are barely able to keep Hebei afloat!
If Zhang He is gone, who can Hebei and the Eastern Zhao court rely on in the future? Can they rely on Shen Pei, who is only now putting on armor and putting on airs?

"Shen Gong! Tian Gong!"

Gao Lan roared at Shen Pei and Tian Feng, hoping they would take the initiative to take over the peace negotiations!

Hebei can do without Shen Pei! It can do without Tian Feng! But it absolutely cannot do without the great general Zhang He!
But neither Shen Pei nor Tian Feng reacted at all; in fact, they seemed relieved.

Their careers, the power they had spent their entire lives attaining, were preserved!

Zhang He seemed to have anticipated this, and patted Gao Lan on the shoulder with a smile: "Take care!"

--------

"I didn't expect it would be you who came."

Inside the Han emperor's tent, Liu Miao rested his face in his hand, scrutinizing Zhang He, who had endured the ravages of the entire Han-Zhao war. "I thought it would be either Shen Pei or Tian Feng who would come, or at the very least, Pang Ji to speak with me. But instead, it's you who has arrived?"

Liu Miao's attitude towards Zhang He was relatively friendly.

"A military general who begs for peace, you are clearly cutting yourself off from the world!"

Zhang He ignored Liu Miao's sarcasm.

"Your Majesty has traveled thousands of miles from Jiangdong to Hebei, is it merely to meet with the judges?"

"of course not."

Liu Miao shook his head.

"I have come to destroy Yuan Shao's dynasty. To be honest, if it weren't for the sake of the General of the Rear, I would have dug up Yuan Shao's ancestral graves in Runan long ago! Now that I've come to Ye City, of course I'm here to destroy the ancestral temple that Yuan Shao established."

"Your Majesty~"

There seemed to be a hint of amusement in Zhang He's words.

"His Majesty's arrival at the gates of Ye City with a large army certainly looks impressive, but this can only intimidate those civil officials who have never fought a war."

"This humble general has some reputation in Hebei. Your Majesty should have heard of my name and should know that I am a military general. There are many things that cannot be hidden from me."

Zhang He recounted everything he had observed—

"Judging from Your Majesty's observation, the rear army's camp is not very large, and the number of grain carts inside is estimated to be only around a thousand. How many days can such a small amount of grain sustain the army?"

"Ye City is the capital of the Great Zhao Kingdom, with high walls and thick fortifications, and the natural barrier of the Zhang River. If Your Majesty launches a strong attack, it will probably take several months to breach the city... And right now, Your Majesty has just finished the war in the Central Plains and is busy gathering provisions to feed the captured Hebei soldiers. Do you really have the strength to breach Ye City?"

After listening quietly, Liu Miao actually nodded seriously!
"Junyi truly deserves to be called a famous general of Hebei! Compared to you, Yan Liang and Wen Chou are simply brainless brutes! Tell me, how could you willingly be ranked alongside them? There's no one else here, so tell me the truth: when you saw their chubby, timid appearances back then, didn't you feel a bit disgusted?"

"..."

Zhang He was clearly taken aback by Liu Miao's reaction, and the fact that Liu Miao had managed to steer the conversation so far. As a military general who was not good with words, Zhang He was stunned and stood there, not knowing how to respond to Liu Miao.

Liu Miao didn't give Zhang He time to react, and laughed, "I admit everything Junyi said just now! But so what?"

"Now that Yuan Shao has just died, and Yuan Tan, in alliance with Cao Cao and Gao Gan, has directly taken away half of the northern territory, can you really expect your large city of Ye to be peaceful and secure?"

Liu Miao chuckled a few times.

"Don't forget how Xuchang was captured when Yuan Shao attacked it."

"It's a pity Xu You isn't in Ye City right now, otherwise I might have been able to take over Ye City today!"

Liu Miao knew, of course, that Zhang He was telling the truth.

The Han soldiers were exhausted and their supplies were running low. Even the composed Zhang Zhao and Gu Yong personally wrote to Liu Miao, asking why he was still wandering around outside and not coming home...

But Zhang He also knew that Liu Miao was telling the truth!

Can Yecheng now achieve unity of purpose and concerted efforts?

fart!

If these things could really be accomplished, then the one standing in front of Liu Miao right now would definitely not be Zhang He!

and also.

"I am indeed out of supplies right now, but there must be a large amount of supplies stockpiled in Guanzhong and Bingzhou."

Liu Miao lay leisurely on a folding chair covered with a tiger skin: "Guess whether Yuan Tan will leave these grains to rot in the granary, or provide them to the Han army, asking me to help him capture Ye City, kill Yuan Shang, and make him the only legitimate emperor of Zhao?"

"..."

Zhang He's face gradually darkened.

“Yuan Tan must understand the principle of ‘if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold’.”

Liu Miao, however, asked with a half-smile, "Want to gamble?"

"..."

Zhang He fell completely silent.

Although this was his first meeting with Liu Miao, Liu Miao had gambled with him countless times before.

From the standoff at Langya in the past, to the Battle of Kunyang, to the Battle of Pengcheng, and most recently, betting that Liu Miao would only cross the river and not attack...

But in all those instances, Liu Miao won.

Especially now that Liu Miao's army is at the city gates, it would be a complete joke to gamble on whether Liu Miao dares to fight!
Zhang He finally compromised.

Even Mount Buzhou, which supports the sky, will one day collapse, let alone Zhang He, who is merely a pillar of the Hebei court.
Zhang He asked somewhat helplessly, "What does Your Majesty desire?"

"What you're saying... You're the ones begging me to let you live, but your tone makes it sound like I'm begging you to do something?"

Liu Miao had clearly shattered the backbone of the entire Zhao court with a single punch, yet the other party remained oblivious to his fate, arrogant and aloof. Liu Miao truly couldn't understand this.

"Alright! Junyi! I'll introduce you to someone!"

While Zhang He was still wondering what was going on, a smiling scholar was led in.

"Let me introduce you. Standing before you is Liu Ye, Liu Ziyang, a descendant of Liu Yan, the Prince of Fuling, who was praised by Xu Shao as a man of great talent for assisting the world and who invented the trebuchet!"

Liu Miao asked Liu Ye, "Ziyang, are you ready?"

"Of course everything is prepared. Please take a look, Your Majesty!"

Upon hearing their conversation, Zhang He immediately sensed something was amiss!
What exactly is Liu Miao preparing?
(End of this chapter)