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

Chapter 346 I am the invincible vanguard general!
"I am Li Jun, the invincible vanguard general!"

"Who among you dares to fight?"

When Li Jundao uttered the word "kill," the entire army marched in response, with the vanguard clearing the way and ten thousand men following in his wake.

To Cao Cao's surprise, the defensive line he had set up was as flimsy as paper in front of the Trapped Camp.

Six hundred men shouted in unison, "We are determined to break through enemy lines, even at the cost of our lives!" and charged towards Cao Cao's army formation without hesitation.

Six hundred men drew their swords and spears at the same time, having practiced diligently for countless days and nights. Their commands were obeyed without question, and they were as one.

Even in the midst of fierce battles, even when surrounded by enemy forces dozens of times larger, the Trapped Camp's formation remained consistent and without the slightest oversight.

One man dies, another takes his place; the army is well-organized and fearless in the face of death.

They were like a sharp sword, cutting through Cao Cao's defenses with unstoppable force. Following the opening created by this breach in the enemy's defensive line, Li Jun led his army to immediately pounce in.

With the elite Trapped Camp as its spearhead and its ten-thousand-strong army as its blade, this unexpected and formidable force quickly charged into Cao Cao's ranks, charging left and right.

"This man is so brave in commanding troops?"

Cao Cao looked at the chaotic scene in his own camp with surprise and doubt; this was all the result of the Trapped Camp's battle.

Any Cao army that stands in front of the Trapped Camp will be utterly crushed.

Cao Cao could not imagine what kind of army could possibly make his army, now united and rewarded with great wealth, so difficult to resist.

Fortunately, this indestructible elite force consisted of only six hundred men.

The large army following behind, led by the vanguard general and wreaking havoc everywhere, was their weakness. Once they were defeated, a mere six hundred men would be no threat.

If all ten thousand or so people who came this time were like these six hundred, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Having considered this, Cao Cao no longer hesitated and issued the order:
Where is Yun Chang?
"Quickly summon him and kill this vanguard general!"

Immediately, someone went to deliver the message, and soon Yun Chang abandoned the battlefield in the camp where he was attacking the fortifications and rode over.

"Prime Minister."

Guan Yu bowed respectfully and said, "I am here."

Cao Cao then pointed to the disorder in the army and said to Guan Yu:

"This man is known as the Invincible Vanguard General, and he should not be underestimated."

He commanded six hundred men as his vanguard, who were invincible and whose divine might was unmatched.

"We have specially invited Guan Yu to come here to kill this man, so as to win over the hearts of the people and disrupt their army's formation."

"Such a person exists?"
"Prime Minister, please allow me to observe."

Guan Yu narrowed his eyes and looked at the army formation Cao Cao pointed to. Sure enough, he saw an army of six hundred men who were unstoppable and almost no one could withstand them.

A general's flag was then erected, inscribed with: "[Invincible Vanguard General]".

One general led an army of thousands with unwavering command. Surrounding him were a group of generals, each wielding a sword, halberd, or spear, skilled in archery and horsemanship, who surrounded him like stars around the moon.

Guan Yu smiled upon seeing this and replied to Cao Cao:
"Guan is aware of these six hundred people."

He must have been a member of Lü Bu's elite troops, and had served as a commander under Gao Shun. For over a decade, he had followed Lü Bu in his campaigns, achieving victory in every battle.

Years ago in Xuzhou, my elder brother, upon seeing him, described him as "loyal and brave."

When Cao Cao heard Guan Yu recount the details, how could he not be terrified?

"It's actually the Trapped Camp?"

This either means that Yuan Shu has already conquered Qi and taken over its army, or that Lü Bu has switched sides again and is now working for Yuan Shu.

Neither of these two scenarios would be good news for Cao Cao.

He couldn't help but curse inwardly, "No, Gao Shun! The Trapped Camp! Aren't you supposed to be loyal and brave? How come you're also colluding with Yuan?"

You dare call yourself loyal and brave if you don't fight Yuan Shu to the death with all your might?

What? The banner with the character "Li" on it means Gao Shun is probably dead?
That's fine.

Cao Cao sighed and hurriedly asked Guan Yu.

"Since Guan Yu knows your ability to break through enemy lines, is it possible for you to defeat him?"

"If Gao Shun were here, personally leading the charge, his will to fight would be unwavering, and all his generals would be willing to sacrifice their lives for him, regarding death as nothing."

If that's truly the case, even Guan himself will have to temporarily avoid confrontation.

Guan Yu's eyes suddenly snapped open as he stared contemptuously at the boastful "Invincible Vanguard General" in the distant army formation.

"This man's surname is Li, and he is capable of leading troops into battle. He must be Li Jun."

"Does Yun Chang know this person?"

“Back in Xuzhou, I sat drinking wine with Zhang Liao and Gao Shun, while the gatekeepers outside the tent were just lowly soldiers!”
Guan viewed it as a target for sale, taking the head from its neck as easily as taking something out of a bag.

Now that they have led their troops into battle, they must have already surrendered to Yuan.

"Though I am unworthy, I am willing to go into the midst of ten thousand troops to take his head and cleanse Gao Shun's household. Please wait a moment, Prime Minister!"

After saying this, Guan Yu accepted the order and went out, carrying his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, mounted his Shadowless Horse, and led more than a thousand of his personal guards to attack Li Jun in the midst of the battle.

Guan Yu, holding his Green Dragon Crescent Blade upside down, ran into the formation, his phoenix eyes wide open and his silkworm eyebrows raised straight up, pointing directly at the great banner of "Vanguard General" above Li Jun's head.

The soldiers surrounding Li Jun were all Cao Cao's troops. When they saw Guan Yu arrive, they were overjoyed and their morale was boosted.

Immediately, as if waves had parted and ripples had split, a path was cleared for Guan Yu, who called out:
"Marquis of Hanshou!"

Guan Yu then rushed to Li Jun, who was standing under his banner when he saw a long-bearded man rushing towards him with a red face. How could he not know that he was Guan Yu?
I was terrified at the time, but fortunately he was no ordinary person.

Li Jun knew that Guan Yu was incredibly brave and could not be defeated by force. If he made a mistake today, his death would be imminent!

He then feigned a tragic expression, hoarsely cried out to the heavens.

"I do not regret dying to repay my king; I only regret that on the day of my death, I will never see the Qi state again!"
Now, before the great cause is accomplished, he has passed away halfway. This is not a fault of the war, but rather the will of Heaven to destroy Qi!
Soldiers!
After I die, do not mourn, do not be confused, and do not stop charging forward!

Follow the military flag closely, grip your spear tightly, and fight to the death!

Never forget the vow to endure hardship and persevere, and always remember the bitterness of bearing humiliation and burden.

With loyalty and righteousness still in our hearts, the day will surely come when Qi is restored!

After shouting, Li Jun drew his sword and charged at Guan Yu. The crowd saw only his ferocious face as he yelled:

"Restore the order!"
Complete it again!
Complete it again!!!

As the soldiers gazed at the figure who shouted "Restore Qi" three times, how could they not be moved by his loyalty and righteousness, and their eyes welled up with tears?
Li Jun, who put righteousness first, thrice called for the restoration of Qi and the restoration of the land!
It should be noted that the troops that Li Jun gathered were selected from the entire Qi Kingdom, and were among the few loyal and righteous men.

Those who were disloyal would have surrendered to the King of Han long ago and gone to enjoy a life of luxury in Xuzhou with the King of Han's adopted son, Zhang Liao.

Loyal and righteous people like them, how could they bear to witness this scene?
Immediately, the generals surrounding Li Jun, who were carrying swords, knives, spears, and halberds, all had tears in their eyes and spurred their horses forward.

Although Li Jun had launched a charge, his horse was not very fast, so he pulled him back and protected him from behind.

"General! How can the great cause of restoring Qi be without you?"

"Today we have recovered 12,621 Qi soldiers. Even if we are all killed, we will protect the general."

"That's right, any of us can die, but the general cannot."

Only if the general lives can there be a glimmer of hope for the restoration of Qi.

Shouting and scrambling, these lieutenants, each fearless of death, led their men in a desperate charge towards Guan Yu.

With tears in their eyes, they only wished to die today.

"Guan Yu, come and fight!!!"

Guan Yu: "???"

No, even when Gao Shun was in command, you guys weren't this crazy.
Why are you all acting like you're mortal enemies with Guan, all because of a mere gatekeeper from back then?

Guan Yu found it incomprehensible, but he still respected such loyal and righteous men who were willing to die for their country.

Then the Azure Dragon Blade slashed down, its light as clear as moonlight, its cold, sharp edge cutting through the air, and it uttered a sound:
"Come die!"

A fine human head flew off, blood gushing out.

One general died in front, and another followed closely behind, one after another, each leading their men in a desperate battle against Guan Yu. For a time, Cao Cao's army clashed with Li Jun's main force, while Guan Yu led his thousand personal guards in a fierce battle against these generals' guards.

Although Guan Yu was incredibly brave and unstoppable, Li Jun's army was fearless and fought to the death, and for a short time they were evenly matched.

Li Jun, who was being fiercely protected by everyone behind him, was already in tears. He struggled to charge at Guan Yu, but was desperately stopped by his guards.

"General!
For the sake of restoring the great cause, you must cherish your life.

At this juncture, dealing with Cao Cao's army requires the general to take overall command.

Li Jun then "cried bitterly and wept uncontrollably," directing the army, his tears flowing freely.

The soldiers felt the same way, how could they not be filled with sorrow?

Seeing their commander weeping bitterly, and seeing their subordinate generals die one after another in order to stop Guan Yu.

The hatred of a nation's destruction! The vengeance of a fallen general!
How could the entire army not be filled with grief and ready to fight to the death?

If we say that Cao Cao's army was united in purpose for military merit, titles, wealth, and glory...

At this moment, the army under Li Jun's command is for the hope called "righteousness" that Li Jun leads in the darkness when the country is destroyed and the family is destroyed!

For the greater good, General Li was not afraid of death, and his subordinate generals were also willing to die. Why should we, mere soldiers, cherish our lives?
"For the greater good in our hearts!"
For the general's glory!

For the great cause of restoring Qi!

Gentlemen, why not fight to the death?

“Fight to the death!!!”

At this moment, the desperate soldiers face the valiant ones!

Despite being surrounded by Cao Cao's superior numbers, Li Jun's army was instead inspired by Guan Yu's slaughter of his subordinate generals after Guan Yu's arrival. They were now willing to fight to the death and showed signs of repelling Cao Cao's army.

Cao Jun: "."

Who said that! We risk our lives for military merit, for full pay, for wealth and status.

But these people in front of me are really courting death!

For the greater good? What a load of rubbish!
We have wealth and glory right before our eyes, why should we exchange our lives for yours, a bunch of worthless people who claim to be doing this for a greater cause?

Just then, bugle calls rang in everyone's ears.

"The ambition to be trapped in a battle will lead to death but not life!"

It was only after they sensed an impending change in their rear, with their commander Li Jun being ambushed by Guan Yu, that the Trapped Camp rushed to their rescue.

Guan Yu, who had been tricked and misled by Li Jun and sent to lead the vanguard, was now about to kill Li Jun after slaughtering a group of his own men.

He resolutely led his men to meet them, and as he passed Li Jun, he suddenly turned back and said:

"General Li, you taught me this not long ago."

To die is the easiest form of loyalty; to live is the most difficult form of loyalty.

The King of Han's power shook the nine provinces; the restoration of Qi was but a pipe dream.

Today we have chosen the easiest path of loyalty and righteousness to repay our country and fulfill the aspirations in our hearts.

But I urge the general to persevere in this most difficult act of loyalty.

"This humble general departs!"

After speaking, the lieutenant did not turn his head and led six hundred elite troops to charge towards Guan Yu, whose robes were stained with the blood of enemy generals and who looked like a god of death.

"Guan Yu!"

"Come and fight!!!"

"To put up a price tag and sell one's head is tantamount to sending oneself to one's death!"

Guan Yu had promised Cao Cao that taking the heads of the Xiahou brothers would be as easy as taking something out of a bag, but he ended up losing face and failing to succeed.

They thought killing an unknown soldier like Li Jun would be a piece of cake, and it would also give Cao Cao the assurance that taking Li Jun's head from a vast army would be as easy as taking something out of a bag.

After fighting for half a day, he ended up covered in blood but didn't even touch a single piece of Li Jun's clothes.

On the contrary, Li Jun's men, for some unknown reason, from officers to soldiers, all came to fight desperately, which annoyed Guan Yu to no end.

"Since you have chosen your own death, don't blame me for being merciless with my blade."

With a slight opening of his cold eyes, Guan Yu brandished his Green Dragon Crescent Blade and engaged the lieutenant in battle, easily taking his head.

However, those who were moved by Li Jun were determined to follow the military flag closely and charge forward until their deaths, even if their lieutenant general was killed.

Surrounded and fought by six hundred elite soldiers, each of them was determined to die rather than live, and even someone as strong as Guan Yu was trapped in the mire.

Even so, he had no choice but to exert himself to mobilize the surrounding Cao army and fight his way through Li Jun's army so that he could kill generals and raise the flag.

Surrounded by everyone and with tears streaming down his face, Li Jun looked at everything with unusual calm.

He calmly watched as his lieutenants faced their deaths, and as countless soldiers fought to the death to protect his hope of restoring Qi.

Is this the last hope for the restoration of Qi?

me?

If they pin their hopes on me, the State of Qi is doomed.

He now seems to understand why so many loyal ministers and generals throughout history perished at the hands of villains.

These loyal and righteous people are truly adorably foolish.

What loyalty or righteousness do I, a petty person, possess? How could I possibly speak of restoring Qi?
The greatest villains appear loyal, and the greatest falsehoods appear true. Sometimes, if you pretend for too long, you can even start to believe it yourself.

It really is just a knife in my hand, a sword in my palm, a tool I use to achieve fame and success.
Very well, if I survive today, I will take your glory with me and share in your riches and honor.

If he dies, it will be considered that he has lived up to the name of "Li Jun" in terms of righteousness.

Li Jun sneered, drew his long sword from his waist, and gave the order:

"The great banner presses forward!"
"Guan Yu, come and fight!"

The soldiers were greatly alarmed and hurriedly tried to stop him.

Li Jun coldly surveyed the crowd and arrogantly declared:

"I am the invincible vanguard general!"

How could we possibly fear the enemy and be afraid to fight?

If we flee this battle, how can we face our fallen comrades?
If we lose this battle, our great cause of restoring Qi will be destroyed in an instant. What good will it do to endure humiliation and live in shame?

As he spoke, he pointed his long sword at Guan Yu and laughed loudly.

"The great banner presses forward!"
All generals, follow the banner closely and charge! Charge! Charge! Charge!!!

To restore the Qi dynasty, we swear to defeat Guan Yu here today, and we will not rest until we die!

The ten thousand troops shouted in unison:
"A will to charge into battle, with no possibility of survival!!!"

As Li Jun's banner pressed forward, the entire army disregarded everything and charged towards Guan Yu!
With six hundred soldiers charging into battle, the sword's edge was opened; with the loyalty of ten thousand men, the sword's body was tempered; and with the great righteousness of life and death, the sword's soul was gathered.

Li Jun, wielding a great banner and sword, beheaded Yun Chang!
"Guan Yu, didn't you want to kill me?"

"The great banner is here, come and fight!!!"

His divine might is invincible, and his righteousness paves the way!
Cao's army was greatly alarmed. How could those who fought to the death for wealth and power possibly defeat this army that was willing to die for their country? They fell into chaos without even fighting.

Li Jun, wielding the great banner, led his ten thousand troops forward, launching a fierce attack. Countless soldiers of Cao Cao's army retreated in disarray.

After all, they were all Cao Cao's troops, while Guan Yu was the commander of Liu Bei's army. In a critical moment of life and death, how could they be relied upon?
At this moment, Guan Yu could only rely on the thousand men he brought with him and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in his hand!
Now, seeing Li Jun leading the way with his great banner, waving his orders to the three armies, Guan Yu stood on his horse with his sword, looking at him with pride.

"In the past, he was a lowly gatekeeper under Gao Shun, a man who would sell his head for a living. I never thought that after so many years, he would have such a day."

If you want war, then come and fight!
Even with everyone united, how could we possibly defeat an enemy?
It's just sending them to their deaths, so what's there to fear?

"Behold, I, Guan, will take your head from among ten thousand soldiers!"

(End of this chapter)