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

Chapter 246 Li Dian: Who exactly is messing with me? [5000]

Yuzhou, Liang State.

Previously, Li Dian was ordered to lead an army to feign an attack on Liang Kingdom and was responsible for defending Liang Kingdom. Although the Yue Jin army, under the guidance of Lu Xun, was willing to rush to the aid of other places.

However, due to the vastness of the Liang Kingdom, each place needed to be guarded, and Li Dian adopted a harassment tactic similar to that of a bandit, avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, and wandering around.

As a result, Li Dian's army was too small to truly conquer Liang, and Yue Jin's army was also tied down by him, so the two sides were deadlocked in Liang.

Until Cao Cao sent an urgent letter ordering him to withdraw his troops and return to Luoyang.

At this time, Li Dian was already overwhelmed with problems because he had been using a small number of troops to hold back the main force of the Liang Kingdom for a long time.

With Lu Xun's troop deployment and Le Jin's encirclement and suppression, his band of outlaws had less and less room to maneuver, making it increasingly difficult for them to survive.

Having just received Cao Cao's letter, how could Li Dian refuse?
He immediately slammed his fist on the table and led his troops to withdraw from one of the few gaps in the current encirclement of Yuan's army.

However, Lu Xun and Le Jin had been plotting and playing games with him for so many days, so naturally they were already waiting.

The saying goes, "Surrounded on three sides, leaving one open," meaning that when you realize you are being surrounded little by little, there is a gap left for escape. Without a doubt, that is a trap set by the enemy.

Although Li Dian's sudden and hasty withdrawal of troops due to a letter from Cao Cao caught Lu Xun and his men off guard, their preparations were not yet complete.

But since things have come to this point, we should leave as much as we can.

Without hesitation, Lu Xun ordered the previously set up ambush to be ready to act at any time, and also urgently ordered Yue Jin to lead a large army to pursue them.

"General, please take this path. Once you cross this woodland ahead, you will be able to return to the State of Lu."

Looking at the path in front of him, Li Dian was filled with doubts. How could he not know the principle of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open?
But when you are truly in a situation where you are surrounded by three sides but have one side left, what other choice do you have?
At this point, all that was left for him was to fight his way through the layers of ambushes and carve out a path to survival.

After a moment's thought, Li Dian instructed his soldiers on how to deal with an ambush. He then steadied himself and led his men into the side path.

The forest was deep and the trees were lush. Crows cried out three times. The soldiers' footsteps made a faint sound as they stepped on the branches and decaying leaves. Li Dian remained vigilant and alert to the movements around him.

His troops, having received his warning, were naturally cautious and vigilant, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Surprisingly, despite being on high alert the whole way, they found themselves safely at the exit of the path.

When Li Dian, who was at the forefront, led the first troops out of the path, he was still somewhat incredulous.

Was I overthinking it? Had Yuan Jun not laid an ambush on me? Or was their ambush location not here?

However, just as Cao Cao's army was slowly emerging from the side path and their guard was relaxed...

A shout of "Release the arrows!" rang out, and a rain of arrows immediately descended from the sky.

Li Dian urgently shouted the order!

"Raise your shields! Quickly! Raise your shields immediately!"

Despite his timely warning, many people were too slow to react and were hit by arrows and fell to the ground.

In other words, many of Cao Cao's soldiers were still in the dense forest and had not yet come out, which is why they escaped the calamity.

However, this is both their strength and their weakness!

After several rounds of arrows, the Yuan army that had been lying in ambush suddenly charged out, while a large number of Cao troops were still crowding into the dense forest behind them.

Li Dian had no choice but to lead a small force to meet the Yuan army that was lying in ambush there, and fight them to the death to hold the road and buy time for the Cao army behind him to come out.

"Fight to the death, my lords!"
Dian has received a letter from the Prime Minister, summoning us back to Luoyang.

On the entire southern battlefield, we were among the few forces that gained the upper hand and did not suffer a major defeat.

The Prime Minister praised our merits in his letter!

Since everyone has received a reward, how can we cut off their way home?
Now we shall fight to the death! Follow me back to Luoyang to claim your reward!

As long as we escape back to the State of Lu, this war will be over. In this final battle, I, Li Dian, am willing to lead the vanguard!
"You're home! My sons, your families are waiting for you to come home!!!"

Li Dian shouted loudly, then drew his sword, spurred his horse, and charged alone towards Yuan's army.

Cao Jun was moved by his bravery and knew that only by fighting his way out could he survive. This time, he was not fighting for a nobleman, but only to return home.

Suddenly, they were filled with courage and fought fiercely against the Yuan army that was lying in ambush there.

Yuan's army had the advantage of being in ambush and was equipped with bows and crossbows, inflicting heavy casualties on Cao's army.

However, Cao's army consisted of Li Dian's entire force, numbering nearly ten thousand. No matter how many were killed, more soldiers kept emerging from the dense forest behind them.

Because Li Dian's withdrawal was sudden, Yuan's ambush was not yet complete, and they did not know which gap Li Dian would escape through. Therefore, they had to divide their troops to block several points.

Therefore, the person present at this time was just an ordinary junior officer, leading two thousand men to ambush and intercept Cao Cao's army on their way back.

In particular, Cao Cao's army, under the command of Li Dian, far surpassed Yuan Shao's army in both troop deployment and manpower.

With Li Dian personally braving arrows and stones to charge ahead, and Cao Cao's troops following in an endless stream, Yuan's army was ultimately unable to withstand the onslaught.

After suffering heavy casualties, Li Dian actually found an opportunity, charged into the enemy ranks, and killed the young general who commanded Yuan's army.

With the young general dead, Cao Cao's army was numerous, and the remaining Yuan army immediately scattered like birds and beasts, fleeing in all directions.

Although he had broken through the encirclement and finally escaped, Li Dian felt no joy at all looking at his soldiers, who were nearly half dead or wounded.

After a pause, he gritted his teeth and forced a smile at everyone, saying, "Let's go back to Luoyang to collect our reward."

However, their good fortune was short-lived. They had only run a short distance when a soldier came anxiously with a report.

"General, something terrible has happened!"
"They're coming! Yuan's army is coming!!!"

Yes, because Li Dian left in a hurry and suddenly, Yuan Jun did not have time to block the encirclement. But if they could not block the front, they could chase the rear!
General Yue Jin, who had been preparing his troops and harboring deep hatred for Cao Cao's camp, led 20,000 soldiers to pursue and kill them in Lu.

It can be said that apart from the troops still lying in ambush at the other gaps and a small number of county soldiers left to guard Liang, General Yue has brought out all the things he could, determined to wipe out the Cao traitors!
Upon hearing that Yue Jin had caught up with them, Li Dian looked around at the remaining five thousand or so soldiers after the wounded had been cleared, and his face turned bitter.

With a path to survival clearly in sight, having already retreated into the State of Lu, they were about to escape.

If he were to order someone to cover the rear at this point, they would likely scatter and go their separate ways before Yuan's army even caught up.

Now that things had come to this, he could only sigh inwardly, while continuing to encourage everyone with unwavering confidence.

"Gentlemen, do not panic. Xue County of Lu State is just ahead. As long as we escape into Xue County and defend the city, we will surely be able to force Yuan's army to retreat."

Upon hearing this, everyone mustered their spirits and fled for their lives towards Xue County.

Not far behind, Yuan's army, carrying two large banners bearing the characters "Le" and "Lu," had already caught up.

However, the marching speed was not as urgent as Li Dian had expected; instead, it was unhurried and leisurely.

Even so, Li Dianjun had just been ambushed and had just gone through a bloody battle. Now, with each of them wounded and fleeing, how could they possibly escape?
Chasing after Li Dianjun, Le Jin frowned and asked the boy beside him.

"What do you mean, Boyan? A small number of Cao Cao's troops can be easily defeated with a single large army. Why bother with this cat-and-mouse game?"

Lu Xun, dressed in white, chuckled and replied.

"What's a few mice?"
Le Pingdong, today I bestow upon you a tremendous achievement.

Listen to me. We need to control the speed and distance of our pursuit and give them a sense of urgency that we are getting closer and closer.

His eastward escape will surely lead him to Xue County, and we must seize the opportune moment to ambush them outside the county seat.

Le Jin was also well-versed in military strategy, and after a moment's thought, he understood the brilliance of this plan.

"Boyan wants to use Li Dian to trick us into opening the gates of Xue County?"

Indeed, with only 20,000 troops, it would take us a long time to forcibly take Xuecheng.

If we can seize a county with the help of Li Dian, we can finally explain away our lack of achievements since Yuan Gong entered Jing.

However, upon hearing this, the young man suddenly burst into laughter. He spurred his horse forward, his long white sleeves fluttering in the wind.

"What is there in a county to me?"
"General, behold, my plan will surely plunge the entire State of Lu into chaos and turmoil."

Le Jin was puzzled. Over this period of time, he had also noticed that it seemed that every single person in Yuan Ying's camp was quite crazy.

I heard that Chen State, with only 30,000 men, is fighting against the combined forces of Liu and Lü, which number 80,000, and they even dare to divide their forces for battle.

As for myself? I only brought 20,000 troops with me. Attacking the State of Lu is an attack on the city, not a defense.

Having the opportunity to capture one or two counties is already a stroke of luck; how can we talk about easily taking over a whole country?
Le Jin shook his head, no longer thinking about it, and just stared with red eyes in the direction where Cao's army was fleeing.

He doesn't care about schemes or anything like that; just don't let it interfere with his killing of the traitor Cao.

On the other side, the Cao army, fleeing in panic, could hardly believe their eyes when they finally saw the walls of Xue County. They had actually escaped!

The city walls, the roads, the food and drink, and the beautiful women are all within the city.

Suddenly, they seemed to have found the strength again and ran towards the Xuexian city gate that they could see in the distance.

At this time!
A shout of battle erupted, and the Yuan army, which had been chasing them all the way, caught up with them.

"No! I still want to go back to Luoyang to claim my reward!"

"I have rendered meritorious service to the court, and the Prime Minister is still waiting in Luoyang to bestow honors upon me."

"Damn it, I've already arranged the marriage, we'll get married as soon as I get home, how can I die here?"

At that moment, no one turned back to fight Yuan's army.

Each of them was wounded and had been fleeing all the way, so who had the strength to go back and fight the enemy to the death?

With your own city in front of you, whoever runs the fastest will survive; those who fall behind are simply unlucky.

The joy of surviving the bloody battle, the luck of escaping death several times, the anxiety and fear of being chased by Yuan's army, and the will to survive as they fled here for their lives.

At this moment, under the pressure of Yuan Jun and tempted by the nearby city of Xue, they all erupted together.

At this moment, even Li Dian could no longer control this army that was fighting for its life!
Whoever blocks their path to survival is taking their lives; whoever takes their lives should die first.

Thus, while Yuan's army was clearly crushing the enemy from behind, Cao's army in front paid no heed and charged headlong towards their own city in a desperate attack.

Upon reaching the city walls, Cao Cao's army shouted, "Open the city gates!"

"General Li Dian, who is in charge of the war between Liang and Lu, is here. Why doesn't the county magistrate open the city gates?"

"We are all Cao Cao's soldiers, quickly open the city gates to rescue us!"

"You stood by and watched General Li Dian die, causing his death. Are you plotting a rebellion?"

County Commandant: "."

I'm just a lowly county constable!

There was no other way; Li Dian was personally appointed by the imperial court to oversee the war between Liang and Lu, and was even specially appointed as the General Who Pacifies the West to be on par with Yue Jin.

Having suffered defeat and fled here, how could a mere county constable like him possibly stand by and watch someone die?

"While we were fighting to the death on the front lines, where were you county soldiers? Why are you now trying to sabotage us outside the city?"

"That's right, we fought and bled for the protection of Lu, while you sit here and reap the benefits."

Seeing that the Cao army below the city was becoming increasingly agitated, it seemed that if the city was not opened to rescue them, the Cao army would attack the city first, even before Yuan's army could come to attack.

As for Li Dian, he dared not become the target of public criticism at this time. Moreover, he had 20,000 Yuan troops behind him, who would surely die unless he surrendered outside the city.

But having learned from Le Jin's example, he would rather die than surrender.

Therefore, it would be better to let the matter go. If they do manage to escape into the city, as long as they can hold off the pursuing Yuan army outside the city and close the city gates in time, there might be a glimmer of hope.

Shortly after, as the city gates slowly opened, the county magistrate inside the city organized the county troops, hoping to resist the Yuan army when they rushed in. However, they were overwhelmed by the Cao army that crowded into the city gates.

Li Dian stepped forward at this moment, because as long as they entered the city, they could only survive by blocking Yuan's army, and everyone's interests would be aligned again.

He immediately gave a loud order to organize the defense of the city.

However, the Yuan army outside the city had been ravaging them all the way, waiting for this moment. How could they let such a good opportunity slip by?

Leading the charge was a thousand-strong cavalry force, their banners fluttering with the two large characters: "Kill Cao Cao!"
It was precisely this [Slaying Cao Cao's Army] technique that Yue Jin had painstakingly practiced over the past few days after much reflection and hard work!
Led by Yue Jin, all carrying long-handled broadswords, a thousand men dragged their swords behind them, raising clouds of dust.

With Yue Jin shouting, "Kill Cao!" the crowd rushed into the city gate and slashed with their swords.

Unrivaled, unstoppable!
Spears could be blocked and broken, shields could be parried and shattered. How could an ordinary soldier withstand such a powerful, dragging slash?
In an instant, countless Cao soldiers at the city gate were torn in two, their blood flowing like a river. Anyone who saw it would be terrified.

The previously congested city gates were cleared, and Yuan's army took the opportunity to storm into the city.

Once they were in close combat, the broadsword became inconvenient to wield, so Yue Jin immediately ordered, "Change to another sword!"

He then killed Cao Cao's soldiers, twisted the middle of his long-handled broadsword, and it immediately split into a long sword and a short spear.

The men, some wielding knives and others spears, joined forces with the Yuan army infantry that surged forward from behind, and once again engaged in fierce combat.

Following the earlier heart-wrenching and bloody scene of a thousand men dragging their swords, Yuan's army continued to surge in.

These Cao soldiers, who had fled all the way and were terrified by the fighting, felt that Yuan's army was terrifying and invincible, and soon they fled again.

"Follow me to the death, my lords!"
Only by driving back these small numbers of Yuan troops who have entered the city and then closing the city gates will we have a chance to survive.

Li Dian was still shouting loudly, trying to reorganize his troops to block the enemy outside the city, but he was quickly snatched out by a group of Cao soldiers and escorted to another city gate to escape.

Then the familiar scene unfolded: everyone fought desperately to escape, barely managing to flee Xuecheng. Li Dian led his men to escape ahead, while Yuan's army sent men to pursue them.

The only difference is that Li Dian was surrounded by only three thousand people this time, and even those were only the survivors that a certain army division had managed to keep alive from Le Jin's blade.

However, the Yuan army chasing after them this time only numbered five or six thousand. After all, having just captured Xuecheng, the main force of the Yuan army naturally needed to rest and recuperate in the city.

As for those under Li Dian's command?

Just send someone to keep an eye on them. These Cao soldiers have been fleeing for their lives without having time to rest. Exhausted, how fast can they run?
They didn't even know if they had any food or water left; they were afraid they might die on the road.

In Xuecheng, Lu Xun, lying on the large bed in the county government office, enjoying fine wine and delicacies, suddenly wondered if his poor Cao army brothers were living too hard a life.
He immediately ordered someone to send them some food.

So, when Li Dianjun, who was fleeing to Fan County, could no longer hold on, he found a place to set up camp and carefully slept for one night.

Upon discovering that the terrifying Yuan army had not pursued them, and that it was Christmas Eve, they cheered and rejoiced, relieved to have survived another day.

Only Li Dian watched this scene with a livid face, as if he understood something.

They fled to Xuecheng earlier, probably because they were far away at the beginning, and Yuan's army couldn't catch up with them.

They fled to the foreign city and even rested for a night. Yuan's army did not pursue them, and their intentions were self-evident.

Especially when everyone was starving and thirsty and looking for water, they happened to find a lot of rotten food that had been abandoned by people near the riverbank.

The number was small, just enough to keep them from starving.

"General, please eat something. You haven't eaten or drunk anything for two days. Everyone is counting on you to take us back to Luoyang."

When he watched helplessly as his deputy handed him a rotten, worm-infested cake, Li Dian slapped it away and angrily drew his sword.

"How dare you insult me, you little brat!"

He wasn't cursing the deputy general, but the scheming villain behind the scenes.

After saying this, he was about to commit suicide on the spot, but fortunately, his deputy was quick-witted and stepped forward to stop him while shouting to the crowd.

After everyone managed to rescue Li Dian, they were still shaken. Without General Li, they might not be able to open the city gates of Fancheng. If they couldn't enter the city, they wouldn't survive. Who would take them back to Luoyang then?
It wasn't that there weren't any clever people among them who had guessed their current predicament.

But for smart people, going with the flow and accepting their fate might allow them to survive. But if they lose their usefulness, and Yuan's army charges at them, wouldn't they be doomed?

When Li Dian was disarmed by his own soldiers, who even had people watching him to prevent him from committing suicide, Li Dian was filled with hatred!
Who is messing with me?
Not long after, the group fled to Fancheng, where a scene unfolded that was not exactly the same as Xuecheng.

Cao Jun used Li Dian to open the city gates, and Yuan Jun's army then attacked. Fan City fell, and Li Dian once again escaped death.

Li Dian: "#@&*!"

This time, Li Dian had even fewer people around him, only a little over a thousand.

On their way to Zou County, the combined physical and mental exhaustion gradually weakened their resolve.

Those soldiers who had once controlled Li Dian like madmen and regarded him as their lifeline once again placed their hopes on him.

They looked up at him with their pale, emaciated faces.

"General, do we have any chance of surviving?"

Yes, they were just trying to survive; I promised to bring them back to Luoyang alive to receive a reward.

Li Dian sighed softly, "Yes, you can! If you want to live, you have to listen to me!"

Finally, after many days, he regained control of his own army.

Li Dian: QAQ
(End of this chapter)