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

Chapter 307 Restoring Justice to the World, in This Battle!
That very day, Yuan Shao followed Ju Shou's plan.

On the surface, they continued to feign an attack on the city, with arrows raining down from the earthen walls and tall buildings every day to attract the attention of the Yan army.

He then ordered his soldiers to secretly dig tunnels within the camp, working day and night.

Yan Tong, inside the city, saw that the Wei army's offensive was very urgent, and that from the earthen hill, crossbows were firing in unison, causing countless deaths and injuries to the armored soldiers in the city.

Knowing that the Wei army intended to take advantage of the situation to attack the city, with 300,000 troops rotating day and night, how long could Yijing, no matter how strong, hold out?
Therefore, he was depressed and did not notice anything unusual.

Seeing that the Wei army had been attacking for a long time without retreating, and that his troops were too badly wounded to hold out for long, the generals and officers were greatly encouraged by Yan Tong's previous killing of more than thirty generals.

Morale can be boosted for a time, but not forever. If there is no hope of holding out for a long time, and with deaths and injuries, even the hearts of those who once followed each other through thick and thin will eventually weaken.

On that day, all the generals came together and entered Yan Tong's camp to request orders, saying:
"General, the Wei army has been attacking us for months. When will the Yan King's reinforcements arrive?"

"Reinforcements?"

Yan Tong smiled bitterly to himself upon hearing the request from the generals.

The King of Yan told me that if I could not defend the city, it would be no wonder I surrendered. Now, where are the reinforcements?
Having held out for so long, he must have been able to move the essence of Youzhou to a large ship, and from then on, he could be like a dragon entering the sea.
Seeing that Yan Tong did not answer, the generals noticed something unusual about his expression and were alarmed.

"General, does this mean we have no reinforcements?"

"How can the King of Yan bear to abandon me? It would be tantamount to certain death."

"Without reinforcements, even the strongest city will eventually fall."

Now that the general is so calm and composed, he must have a brilliant plan in mind, just as before. Can he defeat the Wei army?

Looking at the general before them, who led them to hold off more than 300,000 enemies with the defense of a single city, defeated Qu Yi, repelled Yan Liang, and repeatedly beheaded Wen Chou, creating miracles time and time again, hope rose again in the eyes of the officers and soldiers.

Faced with their hopeful and expectant eyes, Yan Tong couldn't bear to deceive them and only said coldly.

"The Wei army has sent 300,000 troops, intending to secure the northern border in one battle. However, they have failed to conquer the northern border despite repeated attacks, and their supplies cannot be sustained for long. They will soon retreat on their own."

You must lead the soldiers and civilians to hold your ground and not allow yourselves to become disorderly.

The generals remained silent, feeling a deep sense of sympathy, and replied, "Yes."

Soon after, the Wei army attacked again. Yan Tong fought bravely on the city wall, leading his generals to defend against the enemy.

Unexpectedly, an urgent report came from the city:
"The Wei army dug tunnels into the city, then suddenly charged out and attacked from above."

We were caught off guard and unable to stop; we beg the general for help.

Yan Tong was shocked to hear that the Wei army had already entered the city and hurriedly led his elite troops to surround and block them.

By the time he arrived, a large number of Wei soldiers had already crawled out of the tunnels in the city and were fighting for the city gate. Seeing that the city gate was about to fall, Yan Tong hurriedly led fresh troops to press forward.

The two armies fought fiercely, and the Wei army seemed to pour in from the tunnels, with no end in sight.

Yan Tong knew that he had to destroy the tunnels first to have any chance of survival, so he mobilized his cavalry and personally charged into the enemy lines on horseback, eventually reaching the entrance of the tunnels.

He then ordered his soldiers to place kerosene and dry firewood on fire and set it ablaze. In an instant, the tunnel entrance was ablaze with flames and billowing smoke.

Countless Wei soldiers were burned or suffocated to death.

So the pit was filled with corpses, and no one came out again.

Yan Tong finally breathed a sigh of relief and wiped out the remaining enemies outside the pit.

Just as this crisis was about to be resolved, another urgent report came from my trusted junior officer!

"The Wei army took advantage of the general's absence from the city walls and intensified their attack."

One hundred men in embroidered robes and golden armor identified themselves as Yan Liang, Wen Chou, Zhang He, Gao Lan, and others; there were many of them.

With a hundred generals attacking simultaneously, the east, west, and south gates have fallen. Yijing can no longer be defended. General, quickly exit through the north gate; you may escape with your life.

"Run for your life?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Tong looked up and laughed, “The Wei army outside the city numbers over 300,000!”

Even if Xiang Yu were to be resurrected, how could he escape death?

He looked at the assembled generals and said:

"Today, Tong conveys the oral decree of the Prince of Yan:"
Those who are no match for the king may surrender. The king said: Pardon!

Once the Wei army had entered the city, the generals went to surrender.

"The king is not guilty, I will not blame him."

Upon hearing this, some of the generals, fearing for their lives, quietly left; others, hesitant and indecisive, wept bitterly; still others, however, remained loyal to the death, refusing to leave.

Yan Tong looked at the two or three thousand people who were unwilling to leave and laughed loudly.

"In the Battle of Jieqiao, my elder brother died on the battlefield, and his reputation as a valiant warrior was shattered in a single battle."

General Gongsun is now obsessed with the throne, focusing solely on weighing the pros and cons, and has completely lost the heroic spirit he once had when he roamed the frontier.

If he won't avenge the loss of the white horse, I will!

"If I do not avenge my elder brother Yan Gang's death, but instead surrender to the enemy, how can I face the people of the world?"

He then rose and mounted his horse, and addressed his generals:

"Those who are willing to sacrifice their lives for righteousness, follow me out of the north gate to fight the enemy and once again spread the name of Baima throughout the world!!!"
Heaven bears witness, and the white horse bears witness!

All the generals shouted:

"Where righteousness leads, I will follow even unto death!"

So they spurred their horses to the enemy, and three thousand white horses emerged from the north gate!
However, as the north gate opened wide, what came forward in formation was three thousand black-armored warriors, their armor gleaming and their expressions as ferocious as scales!
The scholar in white robes stood behind heavy armor, watching this scene with a faint smile.

"A white horse?"
You've fallen into my trap!
"Zhenglin, heed my command! Charge forward!"

Three thousand heavy cavalry charged in from the front, shouting:

"kill!!!"

Yan Tong, who had just led his white horse out of the north gate, was shocked by this scene and his eyes widened in horror!

At this moment, two cavalrymen approached each other from inside and outside the city gate, leaving no way to avoid them and no room for maneuver.

At this moment, withdrawing troops would be tantamount to leaving our backs to the enemy. Therefore, even knowing that it would be like throwing an egg against a rock, we have no choice but to fight to the death in this narrow encounter.

"The day is the day to avenge the loss of Baima!"
"Follow me, my lords, and fight to the death!"

"I am willing to follow the general to the death!!!"

Three thousand fierce-looking dragons came towards us. The leader was dressed in an embroidered robe and golden armor, wearing a silver helmet with a red tassel. When he saw Yan Tong, he looked at him as if he were his mortal enemy, and his eyes were filled with hatred!

He brandished his spear, stepped over the crowd, and charged forward to kill them.

"Hebei Wen Chou is here!"
"A nobody, dare you challenge me?"

With no way to avoid it, Yan Tong had no choice but to risk his life!

Clad in armor and armed with weapons, he shouted a single word: "Kill!"

"Yan Tong on the white horse is here!"
Those who have perished under gunfire, how dare they act arrogantly?

The two horses clashed, the two men crossed paths, and before ten rounds had passed, Yan Tong was lifted up by Wen Chou's spear, and he laughed as he looked up at the sky.

"How dare an unknown person use me to gain fame?"

Today I'll teach you a lesson: the one who killed you is Wen Chou from Hebei!!!

Blood gushed from Yan Tong's chest as the spear pierced his flesh. His eyes, gradually becoming empty, stared at the White Horse Cavalry being slaughtered once again under the charge of the heavy cavalry. His eyes were wide open in anger, and he died with his eyes wide open in anger.

General!
Brother!

Yan Tong is incompetent
Today, the white horse has once again tarnished its reputation.

The grudge against Bai Ma can never be avenged.
Yan Tong died at the front lines, Bai Ma died at the hands of heavy cavalry, and the rest of the city's residents who were afraid of death and wept bitterly all surrendered.

A scholar in white robes, gently waving a feather fan, slowly walked through the city gate strewn with corpses. Upon reaching the city, he met Yuan Shao, who was entering from the south gate. He bowed respectfully and said:
"My lord, You's heavy cavalry has won another great victory."

Today, we slaughtered all the white horses and beheaded countless ones.

With this heavy armor, conquering the world will be a piece of cake!

Seeing Xu You's tangible results this time, Yuan Shao no longer had any doubts. He grasped Xu You's hand tightly and exclaimed, "Excellent!"

After this battle, the King of Wei captured Yijing, gained control of all of Youzhou, and unified the four provinces of Ji, Qing, You, and Bing, becoming the ruler of the north.

Meanwhile, in Peking.

When news arrived from Yijing that Yan Tong had refused to surrender and died on the battlefield, Gongsun Zan remained silent for a long time.

The armor of the White Horse General who once roamed the borderlands is long gone. Dressed in the royal robes of the Prince of Yan, he is noble, supreme, and arrogant.

Only his clenched fist on the table revealed his unease.

"A white horse? A white horse! I'll follow you to the death, the white horse is my witness!"
Yan Gang? Yan Tong!
The generals will go ahead. On this journey to Huainan, I will surely avenge the defeat at Baima and restore Baima's name to the world!
Heaven bears witness, and peace is our guide!
In the name of betrayal, I walk a solitary path!

After speaking, Gongsun Zan rose and walked away, his royal robes fluttering in the wind.

Upon reaching the ferry, he saw everyone busily unloading supplies onto the boat. Zan then sought out Guo Jia and asked him:

"Now that Yijing has fallen and Cao Cao has not sent reinforcements, I should hurry to the sea. What do you think?"

Guo Jia replied, "There are a lot of supplies, people, and horses; it will take another five days to move them all."

Gongsun Zan found this unbelievable, "We've been moving for almost two months now, why haven't we finished yet?"

Guo Jia smiled, “I heard Xingba talk about the Lingyan Pavilion and the Hall of Merit, and I realized that after going to Huainan, everything is judged by merit.”

Those who have made contributions will find everything go smoothly, while those who have not will find it difficult to move an inch. Fortunately, General Yan fought desperately to defend the city, delaying the city for a much longer period than expected. We must not let down his kindness and goodwill.

They then seized all the resources of the various prefectures to help them, and by the time the Wei army arrived, half of Youzhou had been emptied of its resources.

Gongsun Zan was puzzled, "With such wealth, how can you afford to cross the river?"

Guo Jia pointed to some objects resembling huge wooden boxes bound together on the deck of the large ship, and was completely convinced.

Xingba said: This is the record of the container in the book "Taiping Kaiwu" written by the King of Han.

This item is made of wood and looks simple, but it actually follows a standardized system with fixed length and width and calibrated load-bearing capacity, making it usable in all ports of the Han Dynasty.

The goods are stored in one compartment, sealed upon arrival, and only discovered upon arrival. During the journey, the boxes are simply moved, saving the labor of unpacking and repacking, and preventing damage and leakage. Thus, even though the journey is long, the result is twice as efficient.

Furthermore, they can be stacked like bricks, saving space for storage. When stacked between the ship's hold, the space is fully utilized, and they can carry everything that a large ship can carry.

Furthermore, the location of each box can be clearly identified by its label, making management very convenient.

From small things, we can see the big picture. A seemingly insignificant matter can reveal a glimpse of Huainan, such as the hundreds of thousands of shipping containers in the Han Dynasty!

If this is true, I fear that in ten years, Huainan will have undergone a century of change, while the Han Dynasty will remain conservative.

A century of change has brought about a complete upheaval, overturning the backward world; this is what is meant by:

Heaven prevails! Earth prevails! Humanity prevails!

The King of Han!
It's all about timing, fate, and destiny!

Even if the feudal lords had a million soldiers, how could they contend with the power of heaven and earth, or fight against the fate of the times?
Who can escape defeat?
"Going to Huainan, I will serve the Han Emperor!"

Gongsun Zan: "???"

To be honest, Gongsun Zan was completely bewildered. Indeed, this "container" thing you're talking about sounds impressive, but so what?

It's just a wooden box that can be stacked on the ship; Zan just hadn't thought of it before.

How did this come about the King of Han being destined by Heaven and having the world as easy as turning his hand?

If it were that simple, Zan could write a book called "White Horse Exploration" tomorrow, with a section on "Horses Packed in Boxes," and wouldn't that make him the Emperor of Yan?
Not understanding what Guo Jia was so excited about, Gongsun Zan changed the subject, watching the crowd carrying his beloved white horse onto the boat, and couldn't help but feel worried.

"The journey to Huainan is a thousand miles away, and the sea is full of storms."

I fear the horses are not familiar with water, and the jolting and bobbing will cause them to fall ill or even die from fright. What should I do?

Guo Jia had anticipated this, and with a light laugh, he pointed to the iron locks that the group had brought and answered.

"How could I not know what the King of Yan is worried about?"

Now we should link the boats together with iron chains and move forward!

Large boats and small boats are lined up horizontally, in rows of three or fifty.

The front and rear are linked by iron rings, and the left and right sides are connected by iron locks. A wide board is laid on top, so that horses can ride on it as if walking on flat ground.

"Riding this path, let the storms and waves rage on; what is there to fear?"

Gongsun Zan was overjoyed upon hearing this and praised it, saying:

"Sir, you are truly a genius!"
"Without this excellent plan, how could Baima have crossed the Huai River to the south?"

Seeing that Gongsun Zan was in a good mood, Guo Jia leaned close to his ear and whispered something to him.

"Now we cross the sea to the south, and it's right before our eyes."

"If we do not know where Cheng Zhongde is, how will the Prince of Yan treat him?"

Gongsun Zan understood his meaning and nodded quietly.

"I have ordered Zilong to accompany Mr. Cheng closely and ensure his safe arrival in Shouchun to meet the Prince of Han. This will be a great achievement, and there will be no mishap."

Zilong's personal bodyguard?

Upon hearing this, Guo Jia thought to himself, "Isn't this the same treatment I received when I first arrived in Youzhou, after being tricked by Cheng Zhongde and captured?"

It's finally your turn.

The two exchanged a glance and smiled at each other, everything understood without a word.

south.

With Yuan Shu declaring himself king, he established the Yuan Han dynasty within the Han kingdom, and his power was unparalleled for a time.

Cao Cao sent Cao Anmin to promote trade and dispatched Fu De to pacify the region. Meanwhile, Lü Bu, under the edict brought by Jiang Gan from the King of Han, declared himself King of Qi and paid tribute to become a vassal.

Clearly, none of them wanted to be the first to face the Han King's army head-on!
However, after the spring planting season, the Han Kingdom was in turmoil, and Yuan Shu was ultimately going north.

This is not a trend that can be stopped by Cao Cao and Lü Bu surrendering, nor can it be stopped by the King of Han.

With the establishment and implementation of the Lingyan Pavilion and the Hall of Merit, everyone in the Han Kingdom yearned for meritorious achievements. From noble families to soldiers and even ordinary people, everyone longed to go north and regarded the feudal lords as walking achievements.

This fire, powerful enough to consume the hearts of the people of the Han Dynasty, could never be extinguished from the moment it was lit, until it burned the entire world, even turning the Han state itself into firewood and reducing it to ashes.

Fortunately, the King of Han bestowed upon him another celestial book, titled "The Geography of Taiping".

Above it are listed the four continents and four great seas: East Victory Divine Continent; South Jambudvipa; North Kuru Continent; West Aparagodaniya Continent, as well as the four seas of the east, west, south, and north.

In reality, he simply reclassified and renamed the seven continents and four oceans from his previous life.

The main point is to name the name in advance. As long as the name is registered, it will be historically verifiable two thousand years later, and all of them will belong to the four continents under the jurisdiction of our Celestial Empire.

Above it are listed countries such as the Kushans, Rome, India, and Egypt.

In any case, once this book, "Taiping Geography", is published, the Lingyan Pavilion merit system can probably continue to operate for hundreds or even thousands of years.

Future generations should strive to do their best!
After issuing the new heavenly decree, and spending time with the pregnant Da Qiao and the ambitious beauties of the harem, the King of Han finally took time out of his busy schedule to summon his wise advisors to the Shouchun Hall, where he asked for their counsel:
"Now, we should devise a plan to go north. You gentlemen are all wise and virtuous men of the world, so please speak freely."

As Yuan Shu lowered his gaze and fixed it on Zhuge Liang, Kongming, without hesitation, offered his advice:

"The Han state is now thriving and its national strength is advancing with the times. We must not give up because of a minor setback, nor should we be greedy for quick results and rush into things."

As the teacher previously said, sending 300,000 troops north is absolutely not feasible!
Liang believed that a delaying tactic was necessary, so he sent tens of thousands of men north to wage war year after year, constantly restraining Cao Cao's army and preventing it from expanding.

Every year, they could also provide relief to the suffering people of the Central Plains who went south, thus achieving a small merit and comforting the masses.

Ten years later, the Han state's national strength increased day by day, while the Han dynasty itself declined day by day; one side rose and the other fell.

The time to unify the world has come!

Yuan Shu: "."

I shouldn't have asked you.

Although this is the safest and most foolproof method.

But Liang, you must know the difficulties I face.

The so-called one blast, then decay, and exhaustion.

The reason why I am able to make decisions independently and command the Han state, and none dare to disobey, is precisely because of the overwhelming power of overwhelming the state, like tilting Mount Tai to crush a pile of eggs, or raising the sun to illuminate a firefly.

At present, the entire Han Kingdom, encompassing the three provinces, rests on my shoulders.

All people live under the same heaven, and all people yearn for peace.

At this moment, how could I not press on and march north to save the Han River, thus disappointing the people and causing the people of the Central Plains to continue living in misery?
He stood high above, amidst the misty clouds, his eyes unfathomable, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

"I can afford to wait ten years for this task, but for the people of the world, time waits for no one."

Moreover, although we are not fully prepared at present, and are not at our peak, Cao Cao and Lü Bu are even less prepared.

Having suffered repeated defeats, they fear me like a tiger; this is precisely when they are weak!

Let's not bring this up again.

"To restore order to the world, this battle will decide everything!"

As he spoke, his gaze was already fixed on Jia Xu, who had retreated to the back of the crowd.

(End of this chapter)