Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

Chen Shao was extremely surprised.

How could this talisman made of yellow paper have such miraculous effects?

He looked at the broken bowl in his hand, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer.

I picked it up and took a sip.

puff!

A strange, fishy, ​​and pungent smell hit him right in the head, and he almost vomited on the spot.

Fake...

Chen Shao was dumbfounded, wondering why they had such a strong reaction.

Chen Jiao had already put down his peach wood sword, removed his Taoist robe, and revealed his general's armor.

He wasn't very strong, but standing there gave people a sense of towering strength.

"Brothers, King Zhao Chen Du has occupied Weibo for many years, seizing farmland, withholding grain and pay, and abducting women—he has committed all sorts of atrocities."

"The people of Weibo lived a miserable existence under his tyranny, unable to seek redress for their grievances or express their suffering."

"We have come here today to act on behalf of Heaven, to punish the guilty and to mourn the people."

The soldiers around him, though called soldiers, were mostly civilians who had taken up arms.

They all brandished their knives and shouted:

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

Chen Jiao waved his hand, and they immediately fell silent again.

The fact that orders are strictly enforced is evident.

He coldly surveyed the entire room, "But let me make this clear from the start."

"After the city falls, anyone who dares to burn, kill, loot, or rape women will be executed without mercy!"

"Anyone who conceals the spoils of war or enriches themselves will be executed without mercy!"

"Seventy percent of the money and grain obtained shall be given to the people in the city, and thirty percent shall be retained for military pay."

"We raised an army not to become the new King of Zhao, but to let the world know that justice still exists!"

The stadium erupted in thunderous shouts once again:

"justice!"

"justice!"

"justice!"

Chen Shao and Wu Song mingled in the crowd and also raised their arms.

Although he didn't shout loudly, his heart was already churning with emotions.

This army can no longer be called bandits or rebels; they have become a righteous army.

Like General Yue Fei back then, he would rather freeze to death than dismantle a house, and starve to death than plunder.

With such a general who truly cares about the people, even a ragtag army can become: it is easier to shake a mountain than to shake Yue Fei's army!

Chen Shao suddenly felt a pang of regret. Such a talent, if born in a peaceful and prosperous era, would surely have been a great general.

In this chaotic world, they were forced to become outlaws and even resort to magic.

Chen Jiao drew his sword from his waist, the blade pointing directly at the top of Weibo city wall.

"All soldiers, listen to my command: Attack the city!"

The voice was as loud as a bell, and morale soared once again.

More than 20,000 people shouted in unison, smashing their rough pottery bowls on the ground.

He smashed the bowl to show his resolve, and vowed never to return.

If I go and never return, then I will never return!

This Yellow Turban army seems to have been formed not long ago; at least in terms of military equipment, it is still very rudimentary.

If it weren't for their strict discipline and menacing aura, they would look more like they just came out of the fields.

The siege ladders were very rudimentary; their most valuable possessions were a few decent catapults.

Chen Shao and Wu Song were caught up in the crowd.

Wu Song stood tightly beside him, lowering his voice to say:

"Your Majesty, why don't we take advantage of the chaos and head back through the secret passage to return to the city?"

Chen Shao shook his head and sighed deeply.

"I'm saying I really hope they can take over Weibo, I don't know if you believe me."

Wu Song almost thought he was hallucinating.

He was silent at first, then nodded:

I believe you.

Now it was Chen Shao's turn to be surprised; this statement was utter nonsense, both logically and emotionally.

"You actually believe that?"

"You are a conscientious emperor, at least I, Wu Song, submit to you."

"This is the kind of team that represents the people. I can't bear to confront them head-on. Let's observe first."

Chen Shao was conflicted.

On the one hand, they hope that they can take down Wei Bo and make a major overhaul of the team.

On the other hand, he knew that this was inappropriate.

The Yellow Turban Army's capture of Weibo was tantamount to directly strangling the throat of the capital.

If they concentrate their forces here and attack from both the north and south with the Northern Barbarians, only if Chen Shao's Six Ding and Six Jia are genuine can they turn the tide.

...

On the walls of Weibo, Ma Yaozu was pacing anxiously.

Following Chen Shao's instructions, he sent men early in the morning to lift Prince Zhao, Chen Du, out of bed and carry him, stretcher and all, onto the city wall.

This is to boost morale.

"Uncle, please don't blame me. This is all His Majesty's decree."

"After we defeat the Yellow Turban rebels, Xiao Wang will kowtow to his uncle and apologize."

King Zhao rolled his eyes, but there was nothing he could do.

Now, any movement aggravates the injury, causing excruciating pain.

Ma Yaozu waited on the city wall for a long time, but did not see Chen Shao's whereabouts.

This made his heart sink.

Where is His Majesty?

The Yellow Turban rebels are already preparing their attack, where is His Majesty?

But then he suddenly realized a truth.

"I see!"

"Is Your Majesty testing me?"

"Otherwise, why would he have prepared everything, only to disappear at this crucial moment? It doesn't make sense."

Being a prince is not an easy job.

As the saying goes, "Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are first tested in their will."

His Majesty wants to see if he has the ability to be a prince and the determination to defend Weibo.

In this battle, His Majesty will surely be secretly assessing his own capabilities.

Upon realizing this, Ma Yaozu immediately became incredibly energetic.

Any initial hesitation or fear vanished instantly.

He turned his head and looked in the direction of the Prince Zhao's residence.

It was as if he could see Chen Shao's tall figure gazing at him from afar.

Ma Yaozu slowly raised his right fist.

Your Majesty, please take a good look.

Next, the speed at which I, Ma Yaozu, strike, the angle at which I cut, and the strength with which I defend the city are all expressions of my highest respect for you!

When he turned around again, the fat general seemed like a completely different person.

His back was straight, and he looked majestic.

"You all better pull yourselves together!"

"Catapults ready! Archers, breach the ramparts! Roll logs and stones, smash them down with all your might!"

"Anyone who dares to retreat even half a step, I'll kill their entire family!"

A great reward will surely bring forth brave men, and the same is true of severe punishment.

This group consisted mostly of unruly relatives and servants of landlords and gentry, originally a motley crew, but they became serious after Ma Yaozu killed two of them.

Soon, the Yellow Turban Army launched its first offensive.

The catapults were the first to attack, sending stones the size of washbasins hurtling towards the city walls.

This is the most practical method for besieging cities in this era.

Indiscriminate attack, hitting as many as possible.

This is a cover strategy.

As for the idea of ​​raining arrows to suppress the enemy, that didn't exist; the Yellow Turban Army wasn't wealthy enough for that.

After the catapults, ladders were used to climb the walls.

The Yellow Turban Army lacked battering rams, siege engines, and siege hammers, making it virtually impossible for them to breach the gate head-on.

"Fire arrows! Fire arrows!"

Ma Yaozu drew his sword and shouted the order.

Wei Bo is so rich.

Arrows rained down like a torrential downpour, as if they were free.

The Yellow Turban soldiers at the forefront fell in large numbers in an instant.

The remaining people, however, showed no fear and continued climbing, stepping over the corpses of their companions.

Ma Yaozu personally picked up a log and smashed it down hard.

It struck the head of a Yellow Turban soldier who was about to climb up first.

Boom!

The man screamed in agony, his yellow turban stained red, and he crashed heavily downwards.

"See that? Keep hitting him like that, give him a good beating!"

"These Yellow Turban rebels are all peasants, they're completely inept at siege warfare, so don't be afraid of anything!"

Ma Yaozu was quite capable and noticed the Yellow Turban Army's weaknesses.

He achieved several more successes and excitedly roared, his forehead veins bulging.