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

Chapter 358: Combining the achievements of the three kings and pooling the resources of the nine provinces!

With the King of Wei's proclamation spreading throughout the land, how could the court in Luoyang not be filled with fear?

The King of Han raised an army of 830,000 and marched north, while the King of Wei sent an army of one million south. Nearby, the King of Yan and the King of Qi were also vying for control of Yanzhou.

With these four kings locked in a fierce battle for control of the Central Plains, how could the court not urgently cry out: "The Purple Star is hidden, the Emperor's star is in the north!"

Upon hearing this, another group immediately refuted it, saying, "When the Purple Star goes on a southern hunt, the Emperor's star shines brightly!"

The two sides argued endlessly, each sticking to their own version of events. Even the emperor on the imperial steps lost interest in targeting Cao Cao. It was clear that the people in the court had given up on their act!
With people traveling south and north, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands or even millions, what's the point of putting on a show?

In this situation, anyone who isn't blind or stupid can see that the Han Dynasty, which has ruled for four hundred years, will soon be ruled by the Yuan family. The only difference will be that it will be the Southern Han and the Northern Wei.

The warlords of the Han Dynasty were fighting for supremacy across the nine provinces, and the conflict had almost devolved into a civil war within the Yuan family. In addition, a wave of loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty had been killed by Cao Cao, and the loyalty of the ministers who were still standing in the court was hard to describe.

If they had seen Cao Cao able to hold off Yuan Shu at Huanyuan Pass, they were somewhat intimidated by Cao Cao's power and thus were able to restrain themselves.

However, as Yuan Shao also responded to the imperial edict in Yuan Shu's hand and joined the grand feast of vying for control of the Central Plains.

It is obvious that no matter who wins or loses between the Yuan brothers, Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu, Cao Mengde will undoubtedly be defeated.

At this moment, watching the entire court arguing in front of him, the emperor, whether it was the Northern Star or the Southern Star that should be chosen, Liu Xie was truly in a daze.

The Great Han Dynasty!

How did our ancestral foundation, built over four hundred years, come to this?

Is this empire truly doomed to perish in my hands?

He sighed softly, recalling Cao Cao's words: "If he weren't here, who knows how many would claim to be kings, how many would claim to be emperors?"

Now, Cao Cao, whom he considers his greatest enemy, whose evil deeds are even more notorious than Dong Zhuo's, is about to meet his end.

And what will become of this great Han emperor?

He even regretted that if Grand Tutor Liu Biao, Grand Preceptor Liu Yao, and Liu Xuande were still alive, and he hadn't been so aggressive in fighting Cao Cao, which led to infighting in Luoyang and gave outsiders an opportunity, perhaps things wouldn't have come to this.
But then he thought about why the Grand Tutor and others had been so radical back then.
Because of the imperial edict hidden in the belt!
Damn it! I never wrote any of that imperial edict!
That's fine.

It turns out that the choice was never in my hands. Everything I experienced was just someone else's casual move on the chessboard.

Thinking that the imperial edict was now in Yuan Shu's hands, and that he could use it to command all the kings in the land to rightfully attack Luoyang.

Liu Xie gritted his teeth in hatred. Yuan Gonglu was the most cunning and treacherous man of his time, the one who fooled the world and was the chief culprit in the downfall of the Han Dynasty. His reputation was well-deserved!
In fact, when the court officials were debating the two Yuan brothers and the emperor was heartbroken, there were still loyal and righteous people who proposed a strategy to save the Han dynasty.

However, faced with such a desperate situation, the best plan they could come up with was nothing more than moving the capital to Chang'an to avoid disaster, just like Dong Zhuo did back then.

However, such rumors soon spread to the north that Yuan Shao had divided his forces into two routes, one to take Luoyang and the other to seize Chang'an, and then disappeared from the news.

"Yuan Shao, you are also a Han official, why are you so ruthless in your actions, and do you want to destroy the Han Dynasty?"

Some loyal old ministers, hearing that neither Luoyang nor Chang'an were safe, and that in such a desperate situation there was almost no way out, committed suicide by striking their heads in the palace hall.

This was a desperate situation, blocked from both sides by the Yuan brothers in the north and south, and with the Qi King Lü Bu also lurking nearby in Yanzhou.

Not to mention the others, even Xun Yu, a man of great talent, fell completely silent.

The achievements of the Han, Wei, and Qi dynasties combined those of the three kings.

The provinces of Jing, Yang, Yu, Xu, Yan, Ji, Qing, You, and Bing mobilized all the resources of the nine provinces.

To mobilize a million soldiers and destroy the capital of a nation!

This is the convergence of Heaven, Earth, and Man, a gathering of destiny, fortune, and the five signs of decay in Heaven and Man!
Who can defeat it?

How can we defend against it?

The signs of the impending demise of the Han Dynasty are imminent!
Although Xun Yu was so worried that he couldn't sleep and racked his brains, he still couldn't come up with a good plan. The only thing he could think of was to take the emperor and escape from Luoyang, and then join Cao Cao or Liu Bei.

However, this was merely a temporary measure. With the two Yuan brothers bringing their overwhelming power from south to north, their demise was only a matter of time.

However, all these problems were solved with a belated letter.

[If you wish to cure the diseases of the world, you can continue the Han dynasty's prosperity.]

Sima Yi respectfully bows; this letter is addressed to the Chancellor of Han.

In a time of urgency, Xun Yu had no time to worry about whether the Prime Minister had personally presented the document. If he didn't do it now, the Prime Minister would be defeated, and the Han dynasty would perish.

Xun Yu opened the letter, studied it for a long time, and then hurriedly wrote a letter himself. He ordered someone to send it, along with Sima Yi's letter, to Cao Cao at Huanyuan Pass.

Meanwhile, he diligently managed state affairs in Luoyang, ordering Duan Wei, who was in charge of the northern defense line, to delay Yuan Shao's southward advance.

They then tried to maintain the last vestiges of the Han Dynasty while awaiting Cao Cao's decision.

north.

Yuan Shao personally led an army of 100,000 out of Ji Province because the important town of Liyang was located north of the Yellow River, and the current imperial forces could not possibly defend it.

Therefore, although the strong defenses of Liyang and the garrison commander's refusal to surrender delayed him somewhat, he still managed to capture Liyang quickly by expending some of his troops in a strong attack without reinforcements.

Next, their forces will head straight for Baima Ferry.

This was the crucial battlefield where Duan Wei led his Xiliang army to intercept Yuan Shao.

At that moment, Duan Wei felt like cursing those people in the Luoyang court to death.

He only has 30,000 men here, and just a few days ago he was ordered to send 5,000 men south to support Liu Bei. Now he is being asked to fight Yuan Shao's million-strong army.

Do you understand human affairs?

I've never seen anything so outrageous!

Me, attack Yuan Shao? Seriously?
If Xun Yu hadn't given him orders to merely stall Yuan Shao, he might have surrendered right now.

Fortunately, if it's just a delay, there's no need to fight to the death.

That's why he chose to intercept Yuan Shao at Baima Ferry!
Now, all the ships near Baima Ferry have been requisitioned and destroyed by him. Without ships, even if there are a million Wei soldiers, Duan Wei alone can hold the pass for more than ten days.

We'll decide when to retreat once the Wei army finds ships.

Therefore, when Yuan Shao led his army to Baima Ferry, he saw banners fluttering on the opposite bank, where Duan Wei was leading his troops in full battle formation.

Upon hearing the scout's report that no boats could be found to cross the river, Yuan Shao's face darkened.

At this moment, how could he not know the extent of this scheme? He hurriedly sought advice from the wise men in the group, who said:

"Now, Cao Cao's army has destroyed ships and is waiting in full battle array on the opposite bank, clearly having prepared for a long time. At present, not to mention the difficulty of searching for ships, even if ships are found, crossing the river while withstanding Cao Cao's offensive on the other side will likely result in heavy losses, and will be by no means an easy task."

"What are your plans, gentlemen? How can you advise me?"

Without Ju Shou and Guo Tu stealing the spotlight, Xu You became increasingly arrogant, stepping forward before anyone could speak.

"With my excellent plan, why should we worry about Cao Cao's schemes?"

Hearing Xu You constantly refer to himself as Benchu, Yuan Shao frowned slightly.

It's true that we've been playing together since we were little, but now that I'm a king, can't you show me a little more respect?

Although he was displeased, he knew it was Xu You's personality, and that he had been calling him that for a long time.

Besides, the greater cause is of utmost importance right now, so he could tolerate it to some extent and hurriedly asked for advice:

"Since Ziyuan has a plan, I have no worries."

Why not tell me?

Xu You was very satisfied with Yuan Shao's performance and, with a light laugh, began to explain it to him.

"Currently, Cao Cao's army is depleted and already stretched thin. Duan Wei can only defend Baima Ferry. How can he possibly block all the crossings on both sides of the Yellow River?"
Dozens of miles from here, there is a ferry crossing called Yanjin!
My lord, you may send General You and General Yan Liang to lead cavalry to cross the river at Yanjin. They can make a round trip in one day and one night.

At that time, the lord will lead the main force here to confuse Cao's army. When Youzhi's cavalry descends from the sky, defeating Cao's army will be as easy as turning one's hand.

"Once Cao's army is defeated, what difficulty will there be in crossing the river?"

Yuan Shao thought about it briefly and also felt it made sense.

If I lead a large army to change the crossing point, Cao Cao's army will definitely notice, and then wherever I go, Cao Cao's army will block me.

Sending only cavalry to cross the river by stealth would be a different story. Firstly, cavalry can move quickly and return to Baima Ferry before Cao Cao's army has time to react.

Secondly, the cavalry was small in number, and if they left under the cover of night to sneak across to another location, the Cao army on the other side would have little chance of detecting them.

As for whether the cavalry that sneaked across would be no match for Cao Cao's army?

Impossible! Those are Xu Ziyuan's meticulously trained heavy cavalry, who have never been defeated since their debut. How could a mere small force of Cao Cao's troops be a match for them?
But what if Cao Cao's army, with their uncanny foresight, destroyed the Yanjin Ferry?
Then we can just get another one!

In any case, with their own army positioned here, not only are they defending against Cao Cao's army, but they are also holding back Cao Cao's army.

If Baima doesn't work, then Yanjin. If Yanjin is also destroyed, then find other crossing points to launch a surprise attack. The Yellow River is so vast, with so many crossing points. There are only 25,000 Cao troops on the other side. How could they all be destroyed?

After some thought, Yuan Shao felt that Xu You's plan was not wrong, and Guo Tu, who liked to criticize and quarrel, was not present.

Fortunately, among the troops, Tian Feng, who accompanied them, was upright and honest. If Xu You's plan was flawed, he would risk his life to persuade him to the end. However, if Xu You's plan was feasible, he would not go against his conscience to argue for the sake of arguing.

Therefore, Xu You's advice was not rejected, and Yuan Shao was easy to persuade. After thinking it over, he decided that it was feasible and made a decision immediately!
"What you say is very true. In that case, I will order Yan Liang to accompany you tonight."

Yan Liang stepped forward to receive the order, and Xu You also took his leave to make arrangements.

Before long, Duan Wei saw that the Wei army on the opposite bank numbered about 100,000 and had settled down. They seemed to be sending people to search for boats everywhere and were having a headache over crossing the river.

He then thought he had succeeded in his plan and simply observed the movements of Wei's camp from the shore, ready to retreat at any moment if there were any unusual movements.

That night, Xu You and Yan Liang led all of Yuan Shao's cavalry, a total of ten thousand riders, out of the Wei camp, fully armored and gagged.

They bypassed the Wei camp from the opposite bank, leading their horses around Cao Cao's observation range, before galloping towards Yanjin Ferry under the cover of night.

The following day at noon, Duan Wei was shocked to hear the devastating news that more than 10,000 Wei troops had launched a fierce attack on the Yanjin Ferry, which had already fallen.

He knew perfectly well that the Wei army was planning to sneak across the Yanjin River and then attack Baimadu to drive him away.

He then looked across the river to observe the Wei army on the opposite bank and noticed that the number of Wei troops did not seem to have changed much, which meant that the Wei army attacking from Yanjin Ferry was not too large.

The news that only ten thousand Wei troops were attacking Yanjin Ferry must be true, and for a moment he was conflicted about it.

If only 10,000 Wei troops crossed the river and he set up camp here to defend, but then ran away without fighting a single battle, letting in nearly 100,000 Wei troops from the other side, it really doesn't make sense.

At this moment, he had no idea when the Wei army on the other side had sent troops to sneak across. Perhaps they had already sent out a detachment before he even arrived at Baima Ferry.

Therefore, it is impossible to estimate the speed of this 10,000-strong Wei army.

Secondly, although Yuan Shao sent cavalry to Yanjin Ferry, when crossing the river to fight and seize the ferry, the horses would definitely be left behind, and the men would cross by boat first. After capturing the ferry, the horses would be transported later.

Therefore, the intelligence Duan Wei received only showed that the attacking force consisted of 10,000 Wei soldiers, but he did not know that this Wei army was all cavalry.

But he soon found out!

Not long after he received news of the fall of Yanjin Ferry, he was still hesitating whether to hold out for a while longer before retreating or to retreat immediately.

Xu You and his men, who had rested and reorganized near Baima Ferry with their heavy cavalry, had already approached him.

At that moment, Duan Wei, who was still hesitating, suddenly heard a mountain shaking and then saw billowing dust and thunderous hooves coming from the direction of Yanjin Ferry.

As they approached, Duan Wei witnessed a scene he would never forget: a full ten thousand heavily armored cavalry!
Although this heavy cavalry unit had a rather strange design, looking like it was pieced together from two iron plates, it was still heavy cavalry!
Before him, it was as if a torrent of steel was sweeping in, threatening to crush him into dust.

A heavy cavalry force of less than ten thousand is invincible, but a force of ten thousand is unstoppable!
"Damn it! Has Yuan Benchu ​​gone mad?"

Ten thousand heavy cavalry? That's impossible!

How was it created?

The only possibility is that the State of Wei has mastered some kind of technology for mass-producing heavy armored cavalry!
But how is this possible?

Duan Wei felt that his entire worldview was about to be overturned. The absurdity of these 10,000 heavy cavalry was no less than the absurdity of the Yuan army's attack on Huanyuan Pass in the south, where he had heard a few days ago about the city being attacked by Yuan's army with several steel fortresses.

He even suspected that Prime Minister Cao might not be able to stop the King of Han and had already suffered a defeat, so he was deliberately spreading false information to demonize the King of Han.

Now things are really messed up. When the brothers in the south receive the news that they have run into 10,000 Wei heavy cavalry, they will probably find it unbelievable and think that they have sent out false information.

When did this great Han dynasty become so unfamiliar? Are the Wei and Han kingdoms and us still in the same world?

However, no matter how unbelievable it was, the facts were right in front of him. In this cold reality, the ten thousand heavily armored cavalry had already swept through the enemy and launched a charge towards his camp!

Among the ten thousand cavalry, the one in the embroidered robe and golden armor was Yan Liang!

"I am Yan Liang of Hebei, who dares to fight me!"

(End of this chapter)