Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 186 Gongsun Zan Dies in Battle, Yuan Shen Discriminates Against Liu Bei (Seeking Subscriptions and Monthly Tickets)
Simon.

As Yan Liang directed his men to scale the city walls, he shouted to Wen Chou, "In this battle, the two of us will surely become famous throughout Hebei and live up to our lord's high expectations!"

Wen Chou immediately donned his heavy armor and declared, "I will be the first to ascend Yuyang City!"

East gate.

Qu Yi, contrary to his usual practice, did not attack the city, but instead gave the opportunity to Zhang He and Gao Lan.

Although Han Fu found it strange, he didn't think much of it and ordered Zhang He and Gao Lan to attack the city quickly.

"What's wrong with Qu Yi today? He's been clamoring to attack the city every day, but he actually gave us the opportunity? Could it be that he's trying to steal the credit?" Gao Lan lowered his head and whispered to Zhang He.

Zhang He pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Governor Han has always been dissatisfied with Qu Yi's arrogance and self-importance. Even if Qu Yi tries to steal credit, Governor Han will not favor him. Don't worry, as long as we can break through the city, we will both have achieved great success!"

Gao Lan glanced warily at Qu Yi and nodded, saying, "In that case, we shall take turns attacking the city and not let Qu Yi gain any more credit."

North Gate.

Qiu Liju stared at the walls of Yuyang City and instructed his nephew Tadun: "In this attack, we should only make a show of force, and not send our men to their deaths. We should not contribute too much to the internal strife among the Han people."

Tadun, however, was quite unwilling: "Gongsun Zan has killed too many of my sons. If I cannot eliminate Gongsun Zan, I will not be able to quell the hatred in my heart."

Qiu Liju kicked Tadun and scolded, "Do you still want to be the first to break through the city? If you break through the city, what will Yuan Shao and Han Fu think? Are you qualified to compete with them for credit? Just keep cheering and encouraging them."

"The Han people have a military strategy called 'surrounding three sides and leaving one side open.' If we make a show of force at the north gate, Gongsun Zan will surely try to break out through the north gate. Wouldn't it be easier for you to kill Gongsun Zan then?"

"But you must remember, Gongsun Zan can be killed, but the women who break through the siege cannot be killed. Liu Bei's mother can be killed by Yuan Shao and Han Fu, but she cannot be killed by us."

Tadun was displeased: What is there to fear from Liu Bei, a mere nobody? Your Majesty is truly getting old.

Although he thought this way, Tadun didn't dare say it to Qiuliju's face, and could only suppress his anger in secret.

South Gate.

Xianyu Fu, Qi Zhou, and others also launched a fierce offensive against Yuyang City.

Although Liu Yu disliked using force to subdue enemies, he did have capable and skilled warriors under his command.

Although the troops in Yuyang were mostly remnants of Gongsun Zan's army, Liu Bei's appointment of Gongsun Zan as the governor of Youzhou, just as Xu Shu had predicted, greatly boosted the morale of the remaining troops.

Whether it was Tian Kai from the East Gate, Shan Jing from the West Gate, Zou Dan from the North Gate, or Gongsun Zan from the South Gate, none of them showed any fear or intention to surrender.

there is always a solution to a problem.

On the battlefield, those who fear battle will die first.

"Truly tenacious!"

Wen Chou cursed and swore.

After two hours of continuous attacks, Wen Chou personally donned his armor and went into battle, but still failed to breach the West Gate.

The strategic advantage of the city made it difficult for even a fierce general like Wen Chou to easily seize the credit of being the first to scale the walls.

Yan Liang was also cursing and swearing.

The two boasted to Yuan Shao that they would be the first to break through the city, but after fighting for two hours, they still had no advantage, which made Yan Liang feel ashamed.

In contrast to Yan Liang and Wen Chou's impatience, Yuan Shao remained calm, even sitting on a stool under his banner, quietly watching the two sides' offense and defense.

Yuan Shao was waiting.

Qu Yi killed Han Fu as agreed.

And at the East Gate.

Zhang He and Gao Lan also failed to break through Tian Kai's defense.

Han Fu watched anxiously, pacing back and forth.

Just now.

Qu Yi suddenly suggested, "Lord Han, why don't you let me attack the city?"

Han Fuxin hesitated.

Zhang He and Gao Lan have been fighting for two hours. Wouldn't it be tantamount to Qu Yi stealing credit if he went now?

Qu Yi added, "This battle should be fought with all our might. If Lord Han can personally lead the troops to command, the morale will surely be high!"

Han Fu looked at Qu Yi with some surprise: How come Qu Yi has become so intelligent today?
Although surprised that Qu Yi had suddenly become intelligent, Han Fu agreed with Qu Yi's suggestion. So he personally went to the front line, replaced Zhang He and Gao Lan, and let Qu Yi go first, and then they would take turns attacking.

They also promised that the credit for this battle would be shared equally, which finally put Zhang He and Gao Lan at ease.

If the credit were truly based on who breaks through the city first, then Qu Yi's act of stepping forward at this point would be shameless an attempt to steal the credit.

However, no one noticed that Qu Yi was sneering repeatedly.

As the vanguard began their assault on the city, Tian Kai's pressure increased dramatically, and he unleashed even more arrows and stones.

Han Fu, eager to capture the city as soon as possible, also shouted to boost morale.

The longer the siege lasted, the more worried Han Fu became that Yuan Shao would break through the city first.

If Yuan Shao breaks through the city, then Han Fu's efforts all this time will have been in vain.

"Only I can be the Great General!"

Han Fu glared fiercely at Tian Kai on the city wall, wishing he could shoot Tian Kai dead with an arrow.

Just now.

Suddenly, a voice rang in his ears, "My lord, dodge the arrow!" and then a stray arrow pierced Han Fu's unarmored neck. Han Fu didn't even have time to utter a sound before he fell off his horse.

"Lord Han?!"

Zhang He and Gao Lan were shocked and rushed over to help, only to see Han Fu open her eyes wide in anger, then close her eyes, turn her head, and die.

"Lord Han has been hit by an arrow!" shouted the crowd.

Qu Yi, who was originally attacking the city, hurriedly returned to his position. After confirming that Han Fu was dead, Qu Yi shouted, "Avenge Lord Han!"

Before Qu Yi could even call for everyone to charge, Zhang Jin, standing in the crowd, shouted sternly, "General Zhang, General Gao, the one who shot and killed Han Jizhou was Qu Yi! This wasn't a stray arrow, it was Qu Yi's crossbow bolt!"

Qu Yi's expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Zhang Jin, what nonsense are you spouting!"

Zhang He immediately pulled out the crossbow bolt that had struck Han Fu, and flew into a rage: "You, Qu Yi! No wonder you hesitated to attack the city today. You even deliberately sent Commander Han to the front lines to boost morale. How dare you plot against Commander Han! What is your crime?!"

Zhang Jin also shouted, "General Zhang, General Gao, quickly kill this traitor and avenge Han Jizhou!"

Qu Yi was both shocked and furious. He immediately realized that he had been tricked by Zhang Jin. Enraged, Qu Yi raised his crossbow and aimed it at Zhang Jin: "You traitor, I'll kill you!"

Zhang Jin was terrified and quickly ducked to avoid it.

Seeing that Qu Yi had not only killed Han Fu but also intended to kill Zhang Jin, Zhang He was even more enraged.

Qu Yi, arrogant and self-important due to his high achievements, was unpopular. Now that Zhang Jin had exposed his plot to assassinate Han Fu, Han Fu's confidants glared at Qu Yi with bloodshot eyes. With Han Fu dead, their future prospects were ruined, and they all wished they could tear Qu Yi to pieces.

"Kill Qu Yi!"

"Kill Qu Yi!"

Qu Yi was both angry and anxious, but there was nothing he could do. Faced with Han Fu's confidant rushing towards him in anger, he could only choose to fight back.

The counterattack further confirmed Qu Yi's heinous act of killing Han Fu.

Seeing Han Fu's army suddenly turning on each other, Tian Kai on the city wall was taken aback and hurriedly relayed the news of Qu Yi killing Han Fu to Gongsun Zan at the south gate.

"Qu Yi killed Han Fu? How is that possible?"

Gongsun Zan was startled upon hearing this, but then suddenly realized what was happening.

Although he was primarily skilled in martial arts, Gongsun Zan initially worked as an official before abandoning his literary pursuits for military service; he was not a reckless brute who knew nothing about martial arts.

Connecting the events of this period, Gongsun Zan guessed the cause of Han Fu's death: "Liu Yu prides himself on being a gentleman and dislikes intrigue and trickery. The one who plotted to kill Han Fu must have been Yuan Shao."

"Today we've used a borrowed knife to kill Han Fu. If we can then capture Yuyang City, Yuan Shao will be able to control Youji. How could Liu Yu, a mere stubborn fool, possibly be a match for Yuan Shao?"

"I never imagined that I would be outmaneuvered by Yuan Shao's concubine!"

Gongsun Zan was filled with resentment.

This feeling of being schemed against made Gongsun Zan feel humiliated.

In other words, it wasn't that Gongsun Zan was so capable that he was able to defend Yuyang City, but rather that Yuan Shao wanted Han Fu dead, so he temporarily allowed Gongsun Zan to defend Yuyang City.

"How could I possibly let you have your way!"

Gongsun Zan hardened his heart. He ordered Tian Kai from the East Gate and Zou Dan from the North Gate to gather at the West Gate, while Gongsun Fan broke through through the North Gate. Gongsun Zan also led the South Gate guards to the West Gate.

Although they did not know the reason, Tian Kai and Zou Dan did not hesitate and gathered their troops at the West Gate.

As the west gate opened, Gongsun Zan spurred his horse forward, charging straight into the enemy ranks, while Tian Kai, Zou Dan, and Shan Jing followed behind, leading their troops out to fight.

Several thousand soldiers charged directly into Yuan Shao's army formation. Their ferocity startled Yuan Shao, who had just received news of Han Fu's death and hadn't even had time to rejoice.

"Has Gongsun Zan gone mad?"

Yuan Shao could no longer maintain his composure while sitting on the stool, and hurriedly spurred his horse to direct his soldiers to resist Gongsun Zan.

Feng Ji stared coldly at Gongsun Zan's banner and snorted, "My lord, don't panic. Gongsun Zan must have discovered that Han Fu was killed, guessed my lord's intentions, and felt ashamed and angry at being tricked, so he wants to fight my lord to the death."

"A cornered beast's struggle is nothing more than that."

Seeing that Gongsun Zan, though fierce, could not break through the army's formation, Yuan Shao was relieved and regained his composure: "Killing Gongsun Zan would be as easy as turning my hand. If it weren't for taking this opportunity to get rid of Han Fu, would I have allowed Gongsun Zan to show off his abilities? He's just a servant boy from Liaoxi, what ability does he have to contend with me?"

Looking disdainfully at Gongsun Zan, who was charging into battle in anger, Yuan Shao also let out a cold smile.

The two sides fought fiercely.

Gongsun Fan, who was inside Yuyang City, led the remaining several hundred cavalrymen out of the north gate.

Although Lady Wu was very reluctant to leave, she did not want to disappoint Gongsun Zan's kindness, so she had no choice but to ride out of the city with Gongsun Zan's wife and children in the same carriage.

Upon encountering the Wuhuan soldiers outside the city, Gongsun Fan raised the banner he had prepared beforehand, bearing the inscription "Liu Bei, Imperial Uncle of the Han Dynasty," with only one purpose: to intimidate Qiuliju.

Seeing the banner that read "Liu Bei, Imperial Uncle of the Great Han Dynasty," Qiu Liju indeed dared not stop them. Instead, he sent someone to inform Liu Yu, Yuan Shao, and Han Fu that the enemy soldiers were fierce and could not be stopped.

Then he had Tadun chase after him at a leisurely pace, which puzzled Tadun even more: "Why do I both let him go and chase him?"

Qiu Liju looked at Ta Dun, who was completely bewildered, and smiled confidently: "Letting him go was because I didn't want to offend Liu Bei; pursuing him was because I didn't want to offend Liu Yu, Yuan Shao, and Han Fu. When dealing with the Han people, you can't rely solely on brute force; you have to use your brain."

Upon receiving the message, Yuan Shao cursed, "That fool Qiu Liju dares to play tricks on me! No wonder Gongsun Zan is determined to fight me to the death; he's trying to cover Liu Bei's mother's escape."

“Chunyu Qiong, quickly lead a troop to pursue him. If Qiuliju dares not to help, tell Tadun that as long as he kills Qiuliju, I can marry a woman from the Yuan clan to him.”

Chunyu Qiong also knew the importance of capturing Liu Bei's mother, so he did not hesitate and led more than a thousand cavalrymen to pursue her to the north.

Seeing Gongsun Zan still fighting like a cornered beast, Yuan Shao's tone became even more ruthless: "Han Fu is dead, who in Hebei can stop me now? Feng Ji, send all the troops forward, don't let Gongsun Zan escape!"

Feng Ji coldly accepted the order: "Rest assured, my lord, Gongsun Zan will not escape!"

Because Gongsun Zan withdrew his troops from the south and east gates, Liu Yu at the south gate was the first to enter Yuyang City, while Qu Yi at the east gate was unable to withstand the encirclement and killing by Zhang He, Gao Lan and others, and could only watch helplessly as Zhang Jin died under a hail of blades.

Zhang Jin sneered, then shouted to Zhang He, Gao Lan, and the others, "Han Jizhou has been killed, and Qu Yi is dead. Why don't you generals quickly break through the city and offer the credit for the victory to Yuan Cheqi?"

The generals were taken aback at first, but quickly realized that the troops on the city wall had withdrawn at some point. They shouted and climbed the city wall, and soon the city gates were opened to let the army in.

"Go to the West Gate immediately!"

After discovering that the garrison at the East Gate had withdrawn, Zhang Jin quickly guessed Gongsun Zan's whereabouts.

As the troops from all three gates converged on the west gate, Gongsun Zan was attacked from both sides, and his remaining soldiers on both sides dwindled in number.

"Gongsun Zan, why don't you surrender quickly?"

Looking at Gongsun Zan, who had only a few hundred soldiers left and the corpses scattered all over the ground, Liu Yu couldn't bear it and ordered his soldiers to stop the attack.

Gongsun Zan tapped his long spear on the ground, glanced around, and saw that Zou Dan and Tian Kai had both died in battle, leaving only Shan Jing alive. He couldn't help but feel sorrow.

Upon hearing Liu Yu's attempt to persuade him to surrender, Gongsun Zan burst into laughter: "Liu Yu, you are nothing but a fool, daring to believe even Yuan Shao's words. Now that Han Fu has been killed by Yuan Shao's scheme, you will be nothing but a puppet from now on."

Yuan Shao's expression changed drastically, and he shouted, "Gongsun Zan, even on the verge of death, you still dare to sow discord between me and the Grand Marshal. This traitor is arrogant; kill him at once!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Liang and Wen Chou led their troops to charge again, and Zhang He and Gao Lan also charged forward at Zhang Jin's urging.

Liu Yu was enraged and rebuked, "Yuan Shao, who gave you permission to give such an order? Gongsun Zan only has a few hundred men. Even if Gongsun Zan doesn't surrender, we can make those few hundred men surrender."

Yuan Shao, now brimming with self-satisfaction, exuded even greater arrogance. He cupped his hands and said, "Grand Marshal, many of my valiant warriors have died. If those few hundred surrender, how can I face the fallen? Even if they surrender temporarily, who knows if they won't rebel again?"

Seeing that the situation was beyond control, Liu Yu hesitated to speak, then sighed inwardly and ordered Xianyu Fu and Qi Zhou to lead their troops forward as well.

Faced with the relentless encirclement and attack of Liu Yu and Yuan Shao, the number of soldiers following Gongsun Zan dwindled until Gongsun Zan was the last one left.

"Xuande, the reason I left back then wasn't to pursue my studies, but because you were just too ambitious, and I couldn't keep up with you." As death approached, Gongsun Zan recalled his past acquaintance with Liu Bei and how Liu Bei had dragged him into studying literature and martial arts. A smile involuntarily crept onto his lips: "You're right. If one can't put in ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times the effort, how can one compare to the centuries of accumulation by powerful families?"

"I'm sorry."

Evening sunset.

The sounds of battle gradually subsided.

Seeing Gongsun Zan pierced by several spears, Yuan Shao coldly approached, his face full of disdain:

How dare a lowly servant girl like you contend with me?

How dare they help Liu Bei? They deserved this fate!
Liu Bei was just a villager who had seized a high position by chance. How dare he presume to discuss important matters of the world?
Hmph! I will capture him alive sooner or later!

(End of this chapter)