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

Chapter 211 Feint to the East and Attack in the West: Liu Bei Defeates Yuan Shao (Seeking updates and monthly votes)
"Liu Bei ordered the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans to raid grain? Has Liu Bei gone mad?!"

Upon learning the details from the Yellow Turban leader who had surrendered to Yuan Shao, Feng Ji was even more astonished.

No matter how much they planned, they never expected Liu Bei to venture deep into enemy territory alone and take such a dangerous risk, for such an absurd reason!

"Someone, immediately send word to the General!"

Feng Ji suppressed his shock and hurriedly sent a letter to Yuan Shao.

If the grain of Zhongshan, Changshan, Zhao, and Weijun is looted by hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans, how will they be able to solicit grain from powerful families in the future?
We support you, and this is how you protect us?

The powerful and wealthy families were willing to provide money, provisions, and troops to support the Ye City court in the hope that the Ye City court would protect their vested interests.

Now that these vested interests have been severely infringed upon and the Ye City court is doing nothing, this will seriously affect the prestige of the Ye City court, and also seriously affect Yuan Shao's personal prestige.

Although Liu Bei was at odds with powerful clans and noble families across the land, these clans and noble families were not necessarily obligated to support the court in Ye City.

Yuan Shu in the south could also be supported, or it would be feasible to kick Yuan Shao aside and install a new group of people to control the court in Ye City.

A swift horse gallops into Chaoge.

Yuan Shao was also quite shocked by the contents of Feng Ji's letter.

After the initial shock came a deep anger: "That Liu Bei, that scoundrel, would risk his life for a bunch of Yellow Turban bastards? Does he really think he's the senior disciple of the Great Teacher of Virtue?"

Having dealt with Liu Bei for several years, Yuan Shao believed that although Liu Bei was always bold, he only thought that Liu Bei would risk everything for power and status.

When Liu Bei used forceful means to seize the money, grain, land, and houses of powerful and wealthy families, Yuan Shao only thought that Liu Bei was too greedy.

In Yuan Shao's eyes, Liu Bei's actions were like those of a tyrant who recklessly amassed wealth and consolidated power without regard for the consequences.

It's hard for Yuan Shao to understand why a man who hoards wealth and power would risk his life for a group of Yellow Turban rebels.

Taking a deep breath, Yuan Shao issued the order to withdraw his troops.

Yuan Shao couldn't understand Liu Bei's thinking, nor did he want to. He had to return to Ye City to annihilate the hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans in order to salvage his waning prestige.

However, Yuan Shao wanted to go back, but Liu Bei did not want Yuan Shao to leave.

Observing that Yuan Shao was showing signs of withdrawing his troops, Liu Bei directly sent Zhang Fei out of the city to challenge him to battle.

Previously, Yuan Shao sought war while Liu Bei avoided it; now, Liu Bei seeks war while Yuan Shao avoids it.

Faced with Liu Bei's request for battle, Yuan Shao, though filled with resentment, dared not entangle himself with Liu Bei.

Liu Bei's intention was clearly to delay, and the longer the delay lasted, the more rampant the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans would become, and the greater the losses for the powerful clans.

Among Yuan Shao's 30,000 troops, many generals and officers came from powerful families in Zhongshan, Changshan, Zhao, and Wei. Their rear was attacked by the Yellow Turban rebels, and they were all eager to return.

"Zhang He and Gao Lan, you two are responsible for covering the rear!"

Yuan Shao gave the two men a death order, simply because their clans were not in Zhongshan, Changshan, Zhao, or Wei, so they didn't need to rush back to protect their families' property.

"Are their soldiers soldiers, but our soldiers aren't?" Gao Lan said indignantly, clearly dissatisfied with Yuan Shao's arrangement.

Zhang He also clenched his fists. Everyone knew that Liu Bei's troops were brave and strong. If he asked the two of them to cover the rear, wouldn't that be a way to weaken their forces?

Then their families were all in Ye City, and if they did not obey the order, their families would also perish.

a long time.

Zhang He comforted Gao Lan, saying, "Don't worry. Sima Fang and his son from Hanoi should be raising an army soon. If we hold out for a few days, Liu Bei will surely retreat."

During the standoff with Liu Bei, Yuan Shao sent someone to contact Sima Fang and his son to raise an army and cut off Liu Bei's return route.

Zhang He bets that chaos is about to break out in Liu Bei's rear!
It is certain that chaos will break out in Liu Bei's rear.

Deliberately creating openings to provoke powerful bandits into rebellion was a tactic that Liu Bei repeatedly used successfully.

However, Liu Bei never worried about trouble in his rear when he went out to war.

On the very day that Sima Fang and his son raised their army, Ma Chao crossed the river at Mengjin.

Sima Fang and his son went to fight Shequan, while Ma Chao and Sun Ce went directly to attack Wen County.

Zhang Wang of Wen County had originally responded to Sima Fang and his son, but upon seeing Ma Chao arrive with his troops, he immediately surrendered the city, claiming that he had been threatened by Sima Fang and his son.

Zhang Wang was appointed as the county magistrate by Ma Teng, the former governor of Hanoi. Ma Chao was Ma Teng's son. With this connection, even if Zhang Wang participated in the rebellion, he could be exempted from punishment as long as he was willing to repent.

As the saying goes, "the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind," Sima Fang and his son led tens of thousands of powerful families from Hanoi to attack Shequan, but Ma Chao suddenly attacked from behind the rebel army.

Facing two thousand Lingyan soldiers, whose armor coverage was also over half, and the three fierce tigers Ma Chao, Sun Ce, and Pang De, they had no power to fight back at all.

Sima Fang was stabbed to death by Ma Chao on the spot.

Sima Lang was also killed by Sun Ce with a single spear thrust.

The private armies of powerful clans were no different from chickens and dogs when facing the well-armored Lingyan Army.

In just one battle, the rebel leaders in Hanoi who participated in the rebellion were either killed or fled, and their army was completely routed.

Zhang He was unaware that Sima Fang and his son had already been defeated, and was still praying that Sima Fang and his son would allow Liu Bei to return to his camp, so that they would not have to fight Liu Bei.

"Report! General, a man claiming to be Xing Shan from General's hometown is requesting an audience outside the camp."

Upon hearing that it was Xing Shan again, Zhang He instinctively gripped the hilt of his knife.

If Xing Shan hadn't revealed that Liu Bei had sent out recruitment documents, he wouldn't have been targeted by Meng Dai, nor would he have aroused Yuan Shao's suspicion.

Gao Lan hurriedly advised, "Don't get angry. We will cover the rear, but we may not all fight to the death. We can use this opportunity to delay the enemy."

Upon hearing this, Zhang He relaxed his murderous intent and allowed Xing Shan to enter.

"Xing Shan, I didn't kill you last time, why do you dare to come again today?" Zhang He said coldly, clearly intending to kill Xing Shan as a sacrifice at the slightest provocation.

Xing Shan, however, said proudly, "My royal uncle has promised me that no matter whether my persuasion is successful or not, as long as I return alive, I will be appointed as a captain."

Zhang He snorted coldly and gripped the hilt of his sword: "Then I'm even less likely to let you go back alive."

Xing Shan was not afraid: "If I cannot return alive, I, Xing Shan, will be ennobled. Not only will I be ennobled, but my portrait, seal, and biography will also be hung in a high pavilion for future generations to admire."

"You? Conferring titles, portraits, and biographies? You actually believe such nonsense?" Zhang He scoffed. "Do you think you're some meritorious official of the Yuntai Pavilion?"
Xing Shan laughed and said, "I believe it, and the soldiers of the Lingyan Army believe it too. General Zhang, you don't understand the Imperial Uncle, and you don't understand the Lingyan Army either. But if you join the Lingyan Army in the future, you will understand."

Zhang He fell silent.

Despite being just a minor military officer, Zhang He couldn't see any fear in Xing Shan. Moreover, Xing Shan's words and actions showed admiration for Liu Bei and pride in being a member of the Lingyan Army.

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Gao Lan demanded, "What brings you here? If you want us to surrender, forget it. We will not surrender."

Xing Shan shook his head: "Generals, you have misunderstood. Your Imperial Uncle suspects that your families and relatives are all in Hebei. If you surrender, your families and relatives will suffer in the future. Therefore, I sent you here to tell you that you can set up camp here for three days. Your Imperial Uncle will not attack. After three days, you can withdraw to Ye City."

Gao Lan looked doubtful: "Would Liu Bei give up the opportunity to pursue? As long as we defeat the two of us, and then attack the exhausted and panicked troops who have retreated to Ye City, we will surely win a great victory."

"Of course not," Xing Shan laughed. "If General Gao understands this, how could the Imperial Uncle not understand? That's why the Imperial Uncle has already sent Lieutenant Zhao to take a detour and pursue them."

Zhang He and Gao Lan's expressions changed drastically.

Before the two could speak, Xing Shan added, "Don't rush. Although Commandant Zhao went after him, Commandant Zhang is still here, as is the Imperial Uncle, and his three hundred White Feather Soldiers are also here."

"I must give you a piece of advice: the Imperial Uncle's three hundred White Feather Soldiers are all cavalrymen wearing horse armor. Back then, at Jiuli Mountain in Pengcheng, three hundred White Feather Soldiers defeated Tao Qian's tens of thousands of troops."

"If you don't believe me, you can try." A threat, an absolute threat!

Three hundred White Feather Soldiers were about to leave Zhang He and Gao Lan's four thousand men here!
However, Zhang He and Gao Lan dared not act rashly in the face of such a threat.

All of them were skilled northern generals who excelled in riding and archery. Zhang He's warhorse was also equipped with horse armor, so he clearly understood how terrifying three hundred cavalrymen in horse armor were.

And in the back.

Jiang Qi, Wang Men, and Zhao Weisun, who were escorting the grain and supplies, were immediately taken aback when they saw the Lingyan Army attacking.

"What's going on? Why didn't Zhang He and Gao Lan stop the bandits?"

"Could it be that Zhang He and Gao Lan have surrendered?"

"Stop guessing, prepare for battle immediately!"

Already traveling in haste and carrying mostly baggage, Jiang Qi and his two companions were powerless to resist Zhao Yun's surprise attack by two thousand Lingyan soldiers.

Upon seeing Zhao Yun, Zhao Weisun spurred his horse forward, spear in hand, intending to capture the leader of the bandits.

The next moment, Zhao Weisun was knocked down.

Jiang Qi and Wang Men were terrified and dared not organize their troops to fight back. They fled in panic.

What Zhang He and Gao Lan didn't know was that Chaoge City was already empty at this moment.

Not only was Zhao Yun leading the Lingyan Army in pursuit, but Liu Bei was also leading Zhang Fei, Chen Dao, and three hundred White Feather Soldiers in pursuit.

Why was Liu Bei able to promise Xing Shan a title of nobility if he did not return alive?

Because outside Chaoge City, only Xing Shan remained.

Xing Shan alone is going to hold off Zhang He and Gao Lan's four thousand men!
"Brother, we've been chasing them all the way, but we haven't seen Yuan Shao's vanguard. All my training in anti-crossbow tactics has been for nothing." Zhang Fei said with regret as he stopped to rest.

Liu Bei took a sip from his water bag and said, "Perhaps I'm wrong. After Qu Yi's death, I estimate that the Vanguard Camp has also disbanded."

Liu Bei's guess was correct.

In the past, after Feng Ji plotted to have Qu Yi kill Han Fu, Qu Yi was eventually killed by Zhang He and others. Qu Yi's vanguard battalion suffered heavy losses, and although the remaining troops surrendered, they were distributed among various battalions.

In order to enable the White Feather Army to counter the Vanguard Camp, Liu Bei specially trained anti-crossbow tactics, but the Vanguard Camp he had envisioned was long gone.

After calculating the time and distance, Liu Bei decided not to continue the pursuit.

Liu Bei originally intended to take advantage of Yuan Shao's withdrawal to damage Yuan Shao's morale and make it difficult for Yuan Shao to exert his full fighting strength when facing the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans.

Compared to pursuing Yuan Shao, Liu Bei had more important things to do.

With the return of the Lingyan Army and the White Feather Army, Zhang He and Gao Lan realized they had fallen into a trap.

But it was too late; Zhang He and Gao Lan could only form a defensive formation to protect themselves.

"Zhang He, the three-day deadline has passed. My elder brother said that if you remove your armor and weapons, you can all leave alive; if you resist stubbornly, you will be killed without mercy." Zhang Fei shouted as he spurred his horse, his heavy fish-scale armor creaking.

Zhang He gritted his teeth.

If we remove our armor and weapons, what's the difference between that and surrendering?
"If you want war, then let's fight! What's the point of talking?" Zhang He roared, and then commanded his troops to engage in battle.

Seeing the troops charging towards him, Liu Bei held back and ordered the White Feather Soldiers and Lingyan Army to fight.

Although Zhang He and Gao Lan had four thousand soldiers, this numerical difference was simply no match for the White Feather Army and the Lingyan Army.

Without any suspense, Zhang He and Gao Lan's four thousand soldiers were forcibly routed.

However, Liu Bei did not capture or kill Zhang He and Gao Lan, or perhaps he intentionally let them go.

After all, he was one of the heroes Liu Bei initially wanted to recruit. Although he was now on the opposing side, Liu Bei still intended to recruit him.

The two of them can now return to Ye City with their remaining troops and save their lives.

If we capture them again in the future, it will be easier to persuade them to surrender.

When facing Yuan Shao, it is also easier to sow discord among them.

"Change the banner, first take Liyang."

Now that Yuan Shao has returned to Ye City, it would be pointless for Liu Bei to pursue him there and he would also be vulnerable to an ambush.

The way to prevent Yuan Shao from launching a too-aggressive attack on the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans was the tried-and-true strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," which involved attacking the very place Yuan Shao was bound to defend.

Beneath the walls of Liyang City.

A group of panicked, surviving soldiers rushed in, shouting towards the city walls, "General Chunyu, open the gates at once!"

Chunyu Qiong carefully examined the remaining soldiers and shouted, "Whose subordinates are you?"

A soldier, panting heavily and looking terrified, said, "We are General Zhang He's men. General Zhang He was ordered to cover the rear, but he was defeated by the enemy. We panicked and lost our way."

Behind them, banners fluttered, the very banners of Liu Bei's Lingyan Army.

Chunyu Qiong was greatly alarmed, guessing that Liu Bei wanted to take the opportunity to seize Liyang City.

"Open the gates! Let them into the city. Prepare to defend the city," Chunyu Qiong ordered hastily.

The lieutenant advised, "General, be careful, it might be a thief in disguise."

Chunyu Qiong rebuked, "I only have two thousand soldiers in the city, and I need these remnants to defend it. If they are not allowed to enter the city because of suspicion, and they surrender in battle later, wouldn't that destroy my morale?"

The lieutenant was speechless.

Chunyu Qiong's reasons are not without merit.

Morale within the city was already low; if the remaining troops were to surrender in the face of battle, the city would be beyond saving.

Just as the city gates opened, the remaining soldiers revealed fierce smiles.

"Oh no, they're bandits!"

"Stop them! Close the city gates immediately!"

Instantly embarrassed, Chunyu Qiong's face turned pale and then red, and he hurriedly organized his troops to seize the city gate.

But then a man from among the remnants roared like a tiger or leopard: "Zhang Fei of Yan is here! Chunyu Qiong, do you dare to fight!"

Upon seeing that it was Zhang Fei, Chunyu Qiong was terrified. Seeing that the city gate could not be defended, Chunyu Qiong turned and ran without hesitation.

A city can be taken back if it's lost, but a life is irreplaceable.

After Chunyu Qiong fled, the soldiers in Liyang City lost all morale. Some surrendered, some fled, and no one dared to put up a stubborn resistance.

"Pass on my order: burn Liyang City!"

As one of Yuan Shao's strongholds for crossing the river to the south, Liyang City contained a large amount of grain and fodder that Yuan Shao had stored before the end of the war in the first half of the year. Burning Liyang City would have made it much slower for Yuan Shao to cross the river to provide support.

Although it was a pity that the grain and fodder in Liyang City were burned, it was not a big deal compared to Liu Bei's next plan.

(End of this chapter)