Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 173 The Yellow Heaven shall Rise!

"Commander Jiang!"

Upon learning that the general before him was Jiang Qin, who had escorted him and his supplies back to Youzhou, Zhao Yun treated him with utmost respect.

"I am grateful for the commander's protection on this trip."

Although the general in front of him looked like a bandit, Zhao Yun didn't take it seriously.

Yesterday, he led 20,000 Black Mountain bandits to a great victory over Wen Ping. Since this man was appointed as a naval general by his adoptive father, he must have unique skills on the water.

Seeing this, Jiang Qin dared not be impolite and hurriedly returned the greeting to Zhao Yun, saying, "It has been a long time since I heard of Young Master Yun's great reputation for taking the head of a general from among ten thousand troops. If it weren't for Young Master Yun's slaying of Huang Zu the other day, which ended the battle of Lujiang..."

At this moment, Jiang is probably still fighting Cai Mao and Zhang Yun on the Yangtze River, so how could he sit here peacefully?
Furthermore, as a servant of the lord, protecting the young master is my duty. I imagine the journey to Youzhou will be extraordinary and full of excitement, and I must thank the young master for giving me this opportunity.”

Magnificent and wonderful?
Jiang Qin's words were full of hidden meaning, but Zhao Yun didn't understand them at all. We're just transporting supplies, aren't we? I've never heard of a grain transport team being so exciting!

Before the two could talk any further, Yan Xiang gave his instructions.

"Young Master Yun's journey has already been delayed for quite some time, and I imagine General Gongsun has been eagerly anticipating it in Youzhou."

Now that General Jiang has arrived, there's no need for further words. Take my warrant and proceed to the warehouse to move supplies to reinforce Youzhou.

Jiang Qin was eager to go to sea and show his skills, and Zhao Yun was indeed worried about his General Gongsun. Now that the southward journey was about to be a success and they could return to Youzhou, how could he not be overjoyed?

Neither of them objected, so they bowed and took their leave to go to the warehouse to move supplies and take stock of the soldiers.

The first thing to bring, of course, was the 108 sets of heavy armor and cavalry gear that Yuan Gong had agreed to.

These heavy armors were used by Zhao Yun and his eighteen riders a few days ago to charge into battle and kill Huang Zu. They were so powerful that they had personally experienced their strength.

In particular, Lord Yan thoughtfully selected eight hundred men from the guards left by Yuan Shu to protect Shouchun Palace, to serve as Prince Yun's personal guards.

These personal guards, wearing the remaining ninety pieces of heavy armor, will travel north to Youzhou with Zhao Yun to form the core group of support for his adopted son and help him build a cavalry army.

As for horses, there's no need to bring them. As long as these eight hundred men go to Youzhou to provide support, I believe our enthusiastic ally Gongsun Zan has plenty of horses under his command.

In addition to these 800 men and heavy armor, Jiang Qin also disassembled weapons and military equipment such as swords, spears, halberds, bows, crossbows, and arrows, as well as large siege weapons such as ladders, battering rams, and catapults into parts and loaded them onto ships.

However, because so much of the money and grain was loaded with large machinery, there wasn't much room to carry.

Zhao Yun was quite puzzled by this scene and hurriedly asked, "Commander Jiang, why are you installing so many siege weapons?"

Jiang Qin looked completely innocent and smiled as he said:

"What? Does Young Master Yun think that General Gongsun's forces don't need these siege weapons?"

Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao are attacking and seizing cities in Youzhou. If they could obtain this powerful weapon for attacking cities, they would definitely have a great advantage. How could they not need it?

But, just carrying these shouldn't be a problem!

That being said...

After all, he needed someone's help, and since it was something given to him for free, why should he be picky? Zhao Yun was quite embarrassed to speak at this moment.

"Commander Jiang has brought far too much. This money and provisions are probably only enough for the soldiers on the ship to reach Youzhou."

"I see!
"Young Master Yun, there's no need to worry. When we return, General Gongsun will surely not mistreat those who have come from afar to provide support. He should be able to afford some provisions for our return journey."

Zhao Yun: "."

I'm here to ask you for provisions on behalf of General Gongsun. How come you came without bringing any provisions, and he still has to bring provisions back?

However, since provisions and weapons were all things that Gongsun Zan needed, even though he didn't bring back any provisions, Commander Jiang was indeed a practical person.

He loaded up as many weapons and military equipment as he could carry, and when he saw Jiang Qin ordering his men to dismantle several extremely valuable Lu Gong carts and load them onto the ship, Zhao Yun was completely speechless.

If you were to say that Jiang Qin deliberately withheld supplies, the people in charge of military equipment would take as much expensive and as much as possible, as if they were afraid of not having enough.

However, they didn't bring any money or food. Zhao Yun even suspected that the small amount of food Jiang Qin loaded onto the ship would be enough to keep the 10,000-strong navy from running out of supplies halfway through the voyage.

He didn't bring any money with him to buy grain!
What are they planning to do? Could it be that Jiang Qin's navy is skilled in sea fishing and can resupply themselves on the shore?

Before long, as a large number of weapons and military equipment were loaded onto the ships, Zhao Yun, who was completely bewildered, followed Jiang Qin all the way to Yuan's navy's large ships, and his heart finally died down.

This is no longer the large ship of Yuan's camp!

On these twenty large ships, a high-flying flag fluttered in the wind, bearing the four characters: "The Yellow Heaven shall rise!"
The ten thousand naval soldiers on each ship all had yellow turbans tied around their heads and shouted, "The year is Jiazi, great fortune for the world!" It seemed like they were rehearsing in advance.
This scene left Zhao Yun stunned. He couldn't believe it. Did the Yellow Turban Army have large ships and sophisticated weaponry these days?

What a great pirate ship!
When Jiang Qin handed a yellow turban to Zhao Yun with a smile, Zhao Yun could only manage a wry smile!
The ship has already set sail, can I still disembark?

Seeing Zhao Yun helplessly tie the yellow turban around his head, Jiang Qin laughed loudly and shouted orders.

“Little ones!

Yuan Shao of Ji Province has harmed the common people, causing them to suffer greatly. We should, in the name of the Great Teacher of Virtue, act in accordance with the Way of Heaven and restore peace to the world!

Everyone shouted in unison:

"The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

The year is Jiazi, a time of great fortune for the world!

Zhao Yun: "."

What kind of money, silver, and provisions should Jiang Qin bring?
Ships full of weapons, rampaging along the coast, appearing and disappearing without a trace, the feudal lords are my granaries!

Of course, such banditry and plundering of the feudal lords must never be openly carried out under the banner of Yuan Shao's camp, lest it implicate Yuan Shao himself.

So how can we better share Yuan Gong's burdens?
The Yellow Turban rebels did it!
Regardless of how many years Zhang Jiao has been dead, where did such a strong Yellow Turban rebel force come from, and regardless of where the Yellow Turban rebels got their ships and weapons.

Anyway, they're all using the Yellow Heaven banner and the Yellow Turban slogan, so tell me, aren't they the real Yellow Turbans?

"The heavens are dead, but we will carry out the righteous cause in their stead. Though the great and virtuous teacher has passed away, the people of the nine provinces will follow in his footsteps!"

"The Blue Heaven is dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise!"

The year is Jiazi, a time of great fortune for the world!

With shouts of Yellow Turban slogans echoing as the magnificent ship set sail, and amidst Zhao Yun's increasingly strange expression, this Yellow Turban force, which appeared out of nowhere, came from the south to the north!

The Royal Palace of Liang.

When Yuan Shu received the military intelligence that Liu Biao had sent troops and that Lujiang was in dire straits, he was discussing the matter with his ministers when news of the siege of Lujiang being lifted and Liu Biao's withdrawal arrived.

Yuan Shu: "."

The courtiers were speechless. The emperor and his ministers looked at each other in silence.

Good heavens, Liu Biao was a warlord after all, yet our main force had just received the news and hadn't even had time to arrange support.

Lord Yan, you effortlessly repelled Liu Biao from the rear?
"A talent worthy of a king's advisor, he has lived up to the lord's high expectations!"

"Zhang Xun was a peerless general, no less than Ji Ling!"

"Young Master Yun charged into battle with unparalleled courage, once again taking the head of a general amidst a vast army. When the enemy faces him in the future, who will not be terrified?"

After a brief silence, the courtiers immediately began to discuss the matter.

Yuan Shu glanced up and saw no one around. He called out softly.

"Where is my son, Bo Fu?"

"The foster father is here!"

Sun Ce immediately stepped forward!

"Ce'er is here, awaiting your command!"

Yuan Shu smiled kindly and said to him:
“My son, don’t be nervous. Come forward and I will give you this as a reward.”

Sun Ce was bewildered. He stepped forward, took the wooden box Yuan Shu pointed to, opened it, and immediately his eyes turned bloodshot and his gaze was about to burst!
"You old scoundrel Huang Zu, you've finally met your match!"

I wish I could kill you with my own hands to avenge my father!

Now all the ministers knew what was inside the wooden box.

Along with the letter came the head of Huang Zu, the garrison commander of Jiangxia in Jingzhou!

Yuan Shu suddenly stood up, ordered someone to bring wine, and lightly poured it on the ground.

"When I heard that my brother Wentai had died at the hands of the bandits, I was heartbroken and wished I could avenge this tragedy with my own blood!"

Now that the traitor Huang has been beheaded, I will give the head to your son. I will take care of your wife and children. If my brother Wentai has a spirit in heaven, he will smile in his grave!

Among the generals, veteran generals of the Sun family such as Cheng Pu, Han Dang, and Huang Gai were all moved to tears.

"Now that Lord Yuan has avenged the old general, he has also taken the young general as his adopted son and is doing his best to raise him."

How could we not repay such kindness and favor with our lives?

Seeing that all the veteran generals around him had expressed such opinions, and Sun Ce, who was staring blankly at the severed head in his hand, suddenly realized that something was wrong!
Although Huang Zu's head was not beheaded by Yuan Shu himself, both Zhao Yun and the Yuan soldiers who fought against Huang Zu that day were under Yuan Shu's command.

What difference is there between this grudge and the one Yuan Shu avenged for him?
Now, Yuan Shu is not only his adoptive father, but he has also avenged his biological father's murder of him.

If Sun Ce, now a son, dares to betray his country again, his reputation will be even more reviled than that of Lü Bu, the traitor who served three masters. How will he then have the face to stand in the world?

But now, all the old generals of Sun's camp were moved to tears and wanted to repay him with their lives. As a son, how could Sun Ce not express his opinion?
He glared at Huang Zu's severed head, lamenting why the old traitor had died so young. If he had lived two more years, he could have avenged Huang Zu himself and completely won over the hearts of the Sun family.

Filled with both the helplessness of being forced by Yuan Shu and the joy of avenging a great enemy, Sun Ce knelt on one knee and loudly swore:

“My adoptive father helped me avenge the great grudge, and I have no way to repay his great kindness.”

From this day forward, I will follow my adoptive father, assist him, and together we will achieve great things!
Wherever my godfather's sword points, I will die a thousand deaths without hesitation!

“My son, there’s no need for such formalities. Brother Wentai in heaven would be pleased to see that you have grown up, settled down and established yourself.”

Yuan Shu personally helped him up and said to his generals:
"Today, I have avenged my brother Wentai's great hatred. The long-standing grudge has been resolved in one day, and I am very gratified."

My mind is made up, and I will call it a day!
All the generals will accompany me back to Shouchun to celebrate our victory. I will personally go to the Sun family to pay homage to Wentai!

what!
Sun Ce was greatly alarmed!
He didn't even dare to imagine what it would be like if Yuan Shu really brought Huang Zu's head into the Sun family and placed it in front of his mother.

Having avenged his long-standing grudge, and knowing his mother and siblings' attitudes toward Yuan Shu, he knew that if he dared to turn against Yuan Shu in the future, they would surely turn against him first.

This is a vicious psychological tactic designed to make Sun Ce dare to turn against him, leaving him isolated and alone, betrayed by all his allies!

Even if Yuan Shu were to withdraw his troops, he would use Huang Zu's head to win back the hearts and minds of the Sun family and completely seize Sun Jian's legacy for his own use, making no distinction between them.

At this moment, Sun Ce was unable to utter a single word.

As a son, he has now avenged his great enemy. His adoptive father said he would take him back to pay respects to his deceased father. If he were to utter even a single word of dissent, the banner of filial piety would be enough to crush him.

Fortunately, there was Zhou Yu!
If Sun Ce could think of it, how could Zhou Yu not have noticed it?
He hurriedly stepped forward and offered his advice:
"Lord Yuan, now that the crisis in Lujiang has been resolved and there are no more worries, why not lead your troops to advance bravely and vigorously, take Pei and Lu, annihilate Yuzhou, destroy Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and achieve great things?"
As for the matter of paying respects to General Sun, I will send Young Master Bofu on your behalf. With the greater cause at hand, why should we abandon it lightly for this?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu laughed.

Paying homage to Sun Jian is no small matter.

After Sun Jian's death, everyone in Sun's camp pledged allegiance to him, greatly increasing his power. However, this also lurked a crisis.

The Yuan and Sun camps had different interests and even more different hearts. The original owner forcibly drove them, which could be used but not won their hearts. Thus, the seed of Sun Ce's independence had already been sown.

Only after he replaced Sun Ce and adopted him as his son, thus binding the interests of Yuan Shao's camp and Sun Ce's camp together, did he forcefully suppress Sun Ce's ambition to establish his own independent regime.

However, the generals of Sun Jian's camp were all grateful for Sun Jian's kindness. If they did not take this opportunity to hold a grand sacrificial ceremony with Huang Zu's head and summon the generals and soldiers of Sun Jian's camp from the past to watch the ceremony, they would completely win over their hearts. When else would they wait?

As for the northern battlefield, isn't there the newly arrived General Yue, who is more than capable of guarding it?
In fact, Yuan Shu had planned to withdraw his troops when Lujiang was in dire straits. Although the crisis in Lujiang has been resolved, his resolve to withdraw his troops remains unwavering.

There's no other reason than that the Cao and Liu families were being suffocated by him and needed a respite. Did Yuan Shu, who fought from Cao Cao to Liu Bei, the Xiongnu, the Black Mountain bandits, and even Liu Biao, not need a respite either?
This battle began in early spring and has now reached the end of the year. We have captured Yingchuan, Chen, and Liang, but our soldiers have suffered heavy losses. It is time to return to Shouchun, hold a grand banquet for our officials, and reward our merits.

All we need to do is wait for him to return to Shouchun to rest and regroup, replenish his troops, and rebuild his strength. Then, next year, another 100,000-strong army will march north.

At that time, will Liu Bei still be able to muster 50,000 troops to contend with him?

Could Cao Cao at that time have assembled a coalition of tens of thousands of troops to stop him?
The war potential of the two sides was unequal. The biggest difference between him, who controlled the Jianghuai region, and other warlords was that he had a stable rear.

While the territories of the northern warlords were plagued by years of war and widespread suffering, the stability and prosperity of the south far surpassed that of the heartland of the Central Plains.

For Yuan Shu, wasn't Cao Cao forcing Liu Biao to attack just to give him a chance to catch his breath?

Let's all catch our breath. Next year, you'll have only recovered half your health, while I'll already be at full health.

Therefore, returning to Shouchun at this time and implementing a sustainable northward expansion plan is the best long-term strategy.

If we were to fight Cao Cao and Liu Bei to the death, even if we won, we would be severely injured. What would we then have to contend with our half-brother?
He sat high on his throne, his cold gaze sweeping over Zhou Yu before he spoke indifferently.

“I have been close friends with Wentai, and our friendship is deep and profound. Today, I will avenge him, even at the cost of abandoning an entire country to pay tribute to him.”

"I have my own plans regarding the matter of Pei State. My mind is made up to return to the capital!"

(End of this chapter)