The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

Guo Dian shook his head: "Shoucheng, how could I not know there might be a trap? But look at the brothers on the city wall, look at the people in the city. They can't hold on any longer."

He pointed to the city below, where countless people, young and old, stood on the streets, eagerly awaiting reinforcements.

Many elderly people knelt on the ground and kowtowed towards the east.

Many Qiang people are ready to betray you at any time!

"Now the whole city is pinning its hopes on the reinforcements." Guo Dian began to despair at the sight.

"If I said it was fake, morale would immediately collapse. We wouldn't even need the rebels to attack the city; we'd be in chaos ourselves. I had no choice."

Ma Teng and Pang De fell silent. They knew the governor was telling the truth.

Early the next morning, deafening shouts of battle suddenly erupted outside the city.

Guo Dian, Ma Teng, and Pang De rushed onto the city wall.

On the distant horizon, a huge banner bearing the character "Liu" fluttered in the wind, and thousands of soldiers dressed in Han army uniforms were shouting as they charged toward the rebel camp.

The rebels seemed completely unprepared and were routed, their formation thrown into chaos.

"It's reinforcements! It really is reinforcements!" The defenders on the city wall cheered with joy.

The "reinforcements" fought bravely, killing many rebels and tearing a gap in the rebel ranks.

However, there were too many traitors, and they quickly regrouped and surrounded the "reinforcements"!

The "reinforcements" were outnumbered and gradually could not hold out, and began to retreat step by step!

But this reinforcement was extremely reckless, as if it was just one breath away from turning the tide!

"Oh no! The reinforcements are going to be defeated!" Even Guo Dian, who didn't know much about military affairs, could see it and his expression immediately changed drastically.

"Prefect! We can't wait any longer!" the chief clerk cried out urgently. "If we don't send troops now, all the reinforcements will be wiped out! Then we'll have no hope left!"

"Prefect Guo!" Ma Teng grabbed his arm. "This is a trap! Look at those rebels, they're defeated but not in disarray, retreating but not scattered—it's clearly an act! We absolutely cannot open the city gates!"

"Enough!" Guo Dian abruptly shook off his hand, his eyes filled with determination. "Look, those rebels are really killing people!"

The reinforcements were just a hair's breadth away from rescuing us! Now that they're besieged, how can we not come to their aid?

Even if it's a trap, I have to go! I can't just stand by and watch our reinforcements die trying to save us!

He drew his sword and shouted, "Open the city gates! All troops attack! Rescue the reinforcements!"

"Prefect!" Ma Teng and Pang De shouted at the same time.

"No need for further words!" Guo Dian mounted his horse and glanced back at Ma Teng.

"Shoucheng, if it really is a trap, after I die, I entrust Ji County to you. Lead the brothers to break through the encirclement and find General Liu Bei."

Remember, defend Liangzhou! We cannot allow the Qiang and Hu tribes to trample on the land of the Han!

After saying this, he spurred his horse and led the remaining 10,000 garrison troops out of the city gate. Since the rebellion, all the soldiers in Liangzhou, including the defeated soldiers, had gathered here!

Ma Teng watched Guo Dian's retreating figure, slammed his fist on the city wall, and gritted his teeth.

"Lingming, gather our men and follow the governor to fight the enemy!"

"yes!"

He had no choice but to go! With the prefect gone, Ji County was indefensible! Even if he wanted to break out, now was the perfect opportunity!

The city gates were flung open, and the defending troops surged out like a tide, rushing toward the besieged "reinforcements."

Just then, a mournful bugle call rang out on the battlefield.

The rebels, who had been retreating steadily, suddenly turned around and rushed towards the defending troops.

The "reinforcements" also tore off their disguises, revealing their rebel attire, and turned to attack the defending troops.

"Oh no, we've fallen into a trap!" Guo Dian felt a chill run down his spine, and suddenly everything became clear.

It's too late!

Tens of thousands of rebels surged in from all sides, surrounding the defending troops who had come out of the city.

Shouts of battle, screams of agony, and the clash of weapons echoed throughout the heavens and the earth.

The defending troops were already exhausted, and then they fell into an ambush. In the blink of an eye, they were routed, with dead and wounded everywhere.

Guo Dian was also a typical Confucian scholar. He brandished his sword and charged into battle with all his might. Several people couldn't even get close to him, and his body was covered in blood.

But as he watched his brothers fall one by one, tears streamed down his face.

"I, Guo Dian, have failed the Han Dynasty and the people of Ji County!"

He roared to the sky, turned his horse around, and charged toward the densest part of the rebel army.

"General!"

His guards cried and tried to pull him back.

Guo Dian did not turn around.

He charged forward, killing more than ten rebel soldiers, but eventually, exhausted, he was hacked down by a hail of blades.

Before he died, he used his last strength to plunge his sword into his chest.

The prefect died for his country!

Behind him.

Ma Teng and Pang De witnessed Guo Dian's death in battle; the man who had fought against the rebels for months had finally fallen.

"kill!"

Pang De roared and was about to lead his troops to rush over and snatch the governor's body back.

"Lingming! Come back!"

Ma Teng grabbed him, "It's no use! Going down now is just throwing our lives away! The prefect risked his life for our chance to break through; we can't let him down!"

He gritted his teeth and ordered, "Break through from the east! Go find General Liu Bei!"

"yes!"

At this moment, Bei Gong Boyu was already looking towards the city gate of Ji County.

The city gates of Ji County were breached.

Bei Gong Boyu rode a tall horse and led the rebel army into the city in a show of force.

He stood on the steps of the prefect's mansion, gazing at the city ablaze with fire, and laughed heartily to the heavens:

"Hahaha! Ji County is in my hands! The entire Liangzhou is mine, Beigong Boyu's! Liu Bei, you little brat, I'll be waiting for you here, let's see how you fight me!"

Han Sui stood behind him, a respectful smile plastered on his face.

Bian Zhang stood to the side, expressionless, gave Han Sui a cold glance, and then turned and left.

……

Outside the city, the shouts of battle still echoed across the wilderness.

Ma Teng, wielding a long spear, fought and retreated with Pang De.

His armor was already soaked in blood, and he had a deep cut in his shoulder that exposed the bone. Every time he swung his spear, the wound ached terribly.

They led their remaining thousand soldiers through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and were on the verge of breaking out of the rebels' encirclement.

But thousands of Qiang cavalrymen caught up from behind.

"Ma Teng! Where are you running to!"

The rebel general brandished his scimitar and roared as he pursued them, arrows flying at them.

Hundreds more county soldiers fell with screams, and the original force of over a thousand men was now reduced to less than eight hundred.

Covered in blood, Pang De cleaved the leading rebel soldier in two with a single stroke, panting heavily as he shouted, "Lieutenant Ma! You go first! I'll cover the rear!"

"Nonsense!" Ma Teng slew a cavalryman with his spear and shouted angrily, "We'll all go together! How could I, Ma Teng, abandon my brothers and escape alone!"

But no sooner had they finished speaking than another rebel force swooped in from the side, completely blocking their retreat.

Rebel flags were everywhere, and the shouts of battle grew ever closer.

Ma Teng looked at his guards falling one by one, a hint of despair flashing in his eyes.

He spent half his life on the battlefield, never expecting that he would perish here today!

"General Fubo's illustrious name must not be ruined in my hands!"

He gripped his spear tightly, ready to fight to the death.

Just then, a white light suddenly appeared in the distance!

A white figure broke through the rebel army's formation like lightning.

White robes and silver spears, a white horse as swift as a dragon.

"Zhao Zilong of Changshan is here!"

A single shout startled many of the Qiang people away.

Zhao Yun wielded his gleaming silver spear, unleashing a burst of cold light. Wherever he passed, rebel soldiers fell from their horses, none able to withstand a single blow.

The thousands of cavalrymen behind him followed closely, tearing through the rebel encirclement like sharp knives.

"It's reinforcements!"

"The reinforcements have really arrived!"

"The Great Han has not forgotten us!"

The surviving Han army guards cheered, their morale soaring.

He mustered a lot of strength from his bones and turned the tables on the rebels.

Ma Teng and Pang De were both stunned, staring in awe at the young white-robed general who seemed to move freely among the thousands of soldiers.

Whose subordinate is this, that he is so brave?

"General! Come with me quickly!"

Zhao Yun killed a rebel general with a single spear thrust, then reined in his horse and approached Ma Teng, speaking in a deep voice.

"Thank you so much, General, for saving my life!" Ma Teng bowed and expressed his gratitude.

"No need for further words, let's retreat!"

Zhao Yun turned his horse around and led the way. Ma Teng and Pang De followed closely behind with their remaining troops. Two thousand cavalrymen protected them as they fought their way out of the rebel army's encirclement.