My brothers are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men; I'll roam freely in the Thr

"What kind of bullshit rules are these? If you ask me, the position of leader should belong to my elder brother!" Zhang Fei's roar was like a thunderclap, instantly freezing the atmosphere in the tent.

All eyes turned to Yuan Shao, who was in the main seat.

Yuan Shao's face stiffened. He suppressed his anger and forced a smile: "This must be General Zhang Yide? Indeed... generous and forthright."

"Generous my foot!"

Zhang Fei's eyes widened as he pointed at Yuan Shao: "I heard you led 5,000 troops to chase after my eldest brother in Luoyang, only to be routed by my second brother and 28 of my ninth brothers! With your abilities, you dare to sit in the main seat? Get out of the way!"

These words were like a public slap in the face to Yuan Shao.

Many of the feudal lords in the tent had strange expressions, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

Yuan Shu slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Zhang Fei! You!"

"Fifth brother, do not be rude." Ji Xuanyuan spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.

Zhang Fei snorted and retreated behind Ji Xuanyuan, but his round eyes were still fixed on Yuan Shao.

Ji Xuanyuan looked at Yuan Shao, his expression calm: "Brother Benchu, Yide is straightforward and has no ill intentions. However, since there is a discussion about the position of alliance leader, perhaps..."

He paused, then looked around at everyone: "Let the gentlemen present decide by vote."

These words, though spoken gently, left everyone with a difficult problem.

vote?

Yuan Shao sneered inwardly.

He was confident that with his reputation, family background, and military strength, he was a shoo-in for the position of leader.

"Alright."

Yuan Shao regained his composure and said with a smile, "Let's do as Brother Wenlie says. There are nineteen warlords present. Apart from you and me to avoid suspicion, the remaining seventeen warlords will each cast one vote. The one with the most votes will become the leader of the alliance."

"Alright." Ji Xuanyuan nodded.

Voting begins.

Kong Rong was the first to speak: "In my opinion, the leader of the alliance should be someone with great righteousness and strength. Marquis Ji has the late emperor's secret edict, so he is rightfully in charge. His Jingnan Army is renowned throughout the northern frontier and has unparalleled combat power. I will cast my vote for Marquis Ji."

Tao Qian stroked his beard: "I second that opinion."

Scholars and feudal lords such as Liu Dai, Kong Zhou, Zhang Miao, and Qiao Mao all expressed their support for Ji Xuanyuan.

The reasons were largely the same: they had a secret edict in hand and were bound by a sense of righteousness.

In the blink of an eye, they had already received seven votes.

Yuan Shao's expression gradually darkened.

"I think," Sun Jian suddenly spoke, his tiger-like eyes sweeping over Ji Xuanyuan.

"The war against Dong Zhuo is no child's play. The leader of the alliance must have the ability to unite all the armies and coordinate all parties. Although Ji Hou has a great sense of righteousness, he is still young and may not be able to win the support of the masses. This vote is for Lord Benchu."

"That's exactly right!" Yuan Shu immediately replied.

Han Fu, Wang Kuang, Bao Xin, Zhang Chao, and other warlords who had old ties with the Yuan family also successively submitted to Yuan Shao.

The vote count quickly caught up.

Seven to seven.

There are three votes left: Cao Cao, Gongsun Zan, and Zhang Yang.

All eyes were focused on these three people.

Cao Cao toyed with his wine cup, seemingly deep in thought.

Zhang Yang hesitated, looking at Yuan Shao and then at Ji Xuanyuan.

Gongsun Zan remained expressionless, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.

"Brother Mengde," Yuan Shao said, looking at Cao Cao with anticipation in his eyes.

Cao Cao put down his wine cup and slowly stood up.

He first bowed to Ji Xuanyuan, saying, "Brother Wenlie has a secret edict, a matter of great righteousness..."

He paused, then smiled slightly: "Therefore, I believe this vote should be cast for Brother Wenlie."

Upon hearing this, a commotion arose within the tent.

Anger flashed in Yuan Shao's eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

There are two votes left: Zhang Yang and Gongsun Zan.

Zhang Yang stood up, his face contorted with struggle for a long time, before finally whispering, "I... pledge allegiance to Lord Benchu."

The score is tied at 8 to 8!

All eyes turned to Gongsun Zan.

The final, crucial vote is in his hands!

Gongsun Zan slowly stood up.

He first looked at Yuan Shao.

A descendant of a prestigious family with four generations of high-ranking officials, leading an army of 50,000.

Then he looked at Ji Xuanyuan.

General of the Flying Cavalry, by secret edict of the late emperor, commanding 10,000 troops to quell the rebellion.

But more importantly, Ji Xuanyuan had saved his life in Guanzi City.

Ji Xuanyuan and he shared the same policy of appeasement against Liu Yu and their attitude towards the Hu people.

Ji Xuanyuan was the actual controller of Youzhou, and he and Gongsun Zan belonged to the Northern Frontier faction.

and......

Although Gongsun Zan had not witnessed firsthand the scene of Yuan Shao's five thousand elite troops in Luoyang being routed by Xiang Yu's twenty-eight cavalry, he had heard of it long ago.

Fifty thousand troops?

In the face of a truly formidable army, numbers do not necessarily represent combat strength.

The pros and cons are clearly evident.

Gongsun Zan clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice clear: "Zan's vote..."

"To Marquis Ji."

Nine to eight!

Ji Xuanyuan received nine votes, and Yuan Shao received eight votes.

Ji Xuanyuan wins!

An uproar erupted inside the tent.

The smile on Yuan Shao's face froze completely.

He stared intently at Gongsun Zan, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes, but Gongsun Zan met his gaze calmly, showing no fear.

"Congratulations, Brother Wenlie!" Cao Cao was the first to stand up, raising his cup and laughing.

"The position of leader is truly deserved!"

"With Marquis Ji in command, how can we fear that Dong Zhuo will not be defeated!"

Kong Rong, Tao Qian, and others echoed his sentiments.

Yuan Shao suppressed his anger, forced a smile, and stood up to offer the main seat: "Brother Wenlie, please."

Ji Xuanyuan did not refuse and calmly walked to the main seat and sat down.

"Since you have all recommended me, I, Xuanyuan, will assume this position. To accomplish the great cause of defeating Dong Zhuo, I still need your strong support."

He paused, then solemnly said, "Today, we will be here."

"Let's swear a blood oath!"

Outside the tent, on a high platform, an incense table has been set up.

The nineteen warlords stood solemnly, their banners fluttering behind them.

Ji Xuanyuan held a knife, cut his palm, and dripped blood into the wine jar.

The gentlemen took turns swearing an oath of blood.

The blood wine was divided into nineteen bowls.

Ji Xuanyuan raised his bowl to the sky and loudly recited the oath: "The Han Dynasty is unfortunate, the imperial authority has been lost! The treacherous minister Dong Zhuo, taking advantage of the chaos, has brought calamity upon the emperor and oppressed the people!"

His voice was clear and melodious, and it resonated throughout the entire army.

"Fearing the fall of our nation, we have gathered our righteous troops to face this national crisis together!"

The nineteen feudal lords declared in unison: "All of us in this alliance will unite as one, uphold our loyalty, and never waver in our resolve!"

Ji Xuanyuan continued reciting: "May anyone who breaks this alliance be condemned by Heaven and Earth! Heaven and Earth, our ancestors, all bear witness!"

"Dry!"

Nineteen men looked up and drank the blood wine to the last drop.

He threw the bowl to the ground.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The sound of shattering was like the beating of war drums.

Return to the main tent.

With the oaths sworn, the next step was to assign tasks and appoint vanguards.

Ji Xuanyuan sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

Historically, Yuan Shao appointed Sun Jian as the vanguard, but Sun Jian was defeated by Hua Xiong because Yuan Shu withheld supplies.

But now, he is not Yuan Shao.

Sun Jian had no personal relationship with him, and this man was resolute and brave, so he might not be able to completely obey orders.

More importantly, he needed a major victory to establish his prestige and intimidate the other feudal lords.

It is also necessary to make Xiang Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others famous throughout the world.

"Gentlemen," Ji Xuanyuan began.

"Dong Zhuo dispatched generals such as Hua Xiong and Li Su with 50,000 troops to guard Sishui Pass. This pass is the eastern gateway to Luoyang. If we want to advance into Luoyang, we must first break through this pass."

He paused, then continued, "Who is willing to lead the vanguard and break through the initial barrier?"

Before he could finish speaking...

"Brother! I am willing to be the vanguard!" Xiang Yu clasped his hands and stepped forward, his double pupils blazing with fighting spirit.

Almost simultaneously.

"Alliance Leader!" Sun Jian stepped forward, his tiger-like eyes blazing.

"With ten thousand troops, we will surely capture Sishui Pass within three days and present Hua Xiong's head to you!"

He glanced at Xiang Yu, his eyes filled with a competitive glint.

Xiang Yu sneered: "Sun Wentai wants ten thousand soldiers? I only need five thousand! We'll break through the pass and slay the generals within a single day!"

Sun Jian frowned: "General Xiang, what do you mean by this? Do you perhaps think I am incompetent?"

"No." Xiang Yu looked directly at him.

"But I'm determined to take this vanguard position."

"You!" Sun Jian's anger was rising.

"Alliance Leader, I will lead three thousand troops, and we will surely break through their pass and kill their general within a day!" Sun Jian said through gritted teeth to Ji Xuanyuan.

"Eight hundred men! I'll lead eight hundred men. Within half a day, we'll surely break through their pass and slay their general!"

The feudal lords in the tent were dumbfounded.

Is this... a form of comparison?

Or has he gone mad?

Hua Xiong and Li Su led 50,000 troops to guard the pass. How dare you, with only a few hundred or a few thousand men, claim that you can break through the pass?

Sun Jian's face turned ashen.

He felt that Xiang Yu was deliberately targeting him and humiliating him!

"General Xiang!" Sun Jian gritted his teeth.

"I have no grudge against you, why are you forcing me like this?"

Xiang Yu shook his head: "It's not that I'm targeting anyone. It's just that I'm determined to get this vanguard."

He turned to Ji Xuanyuan and knelt on one knee: "Brother! I am willing to sign a military pledge!"

"With eight hundred Yinglong Winged Cavalry, we will surely break through Sishui Pass within half a day and behead Hua Xiong and Li Su!"

"If you cannot... bring me your head!"

boom!

The tent exploded!

"Eight hundred breaking fifty thousand?!"

"General Xiang, this is no child's play!"

"Hua Xiong is a fierce general of Xiliang; he is not someone to be trifled with."

Even Cao Cao frowned: "Brother Wenlie, Sishui Pass is a strategically important location, and the garrison is only 50,000 men with only 800 men... Isn't that a bit too overconfident?"

Ji Xuanyuan laughed.

He looked at Xiang Yu, and then at the five equally eager generals behind him.

Xiang Yu, Li Cunxiao, Yang Zaixing, Lü Bu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei.

With these six people working together, let alone 50,000, even 100,000, they could still fight their way in and out seven times!

What's more, they led the eight hundred most elite riders among the three thousand Yinglong Winged Riders!

"Prefect Sun." Ji Xuanyuan looked at Sun Jian.

"Wen Tai's bravery is known throughout the land, but the vanguard's first battle is crucial to the morale of the allied forces. Since Xiang Yu has already made a pledge, let him give it a try."

He paused, then continued, "If we lose, we will be punished according to military law; if we succeed, it will greatly boost our army's prestige and intimidate Dong Zhuo!"

Sun Jian gritted his teeth and finally clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Since the leader of the alliance has given the order, Jian... obeys."

"good!"

Ji Xuanyuan slammed his fist on the table: "Then I hereby appoint Xiang Yu as the vanguard, leading eight hundred Yinglong Winged Cavalry, to advance on Sishui Pass immediately!"

"Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Lü Bu, Li Cunxiao, and Yang Zaixing will serve as deputies and accompany us on the expedition!"

Ji Xuanyuan then looked at Xun Yu: "Wenruo, you will accompany the vanguard and advise them on military matters."

"I accept the order."

Finally, Ji Xuanyuan surveyed the eighteen warlords and said, enunciating each word clearly, "The army will set off immediately and march on Luoyang!"

He surveyed the shocked assembled lords, and declared, word by word, "In this battle, I will let Dong Zhuo know!"

"Let the whole world know!"

"What is a righteous army that punishes traitors? What is the wrath of thunder?"