The Three Kingdoms: Home Travel

An iron shield—it can be used to smash people. It can also defend against arrows. Truly a piece of equipment that excels in both offense and defense!

But is an iron shield really effective against a giant rock launched by a trebuchet with tremendous power?

You could just ask any Gongsun Zan. He'd tell you clearly: it's useless. It's utterly pointless. When a stone bullet flies towards you at incredible speed, you'd better use those last fractions of a second to think of your loved ones. As for last words, there's no need, because there's no time for that!

If you are hit squarely on the head by a stone, then needless to say, your companions will sigh and carry you away to bury you. Don't even hope that your relatives will recognize you...

If you are hit in the body, the pain will be like being cut in half or torn apart by a cart. I advise you to quickly leave some last words and carve your own wounds. As long as the injured parts are not too serious, you can rest for ten days or so and continue to fight. The only sad thing is that you will eventually have to face this terrible machine again.

As the saying goes, happiness is often built on the suffering of others. This is also true at this moment.

When Cao Cao's soldiers jokingly carried those giant, millstone-like stones onto the platform, how could they possibly understand the fear that Gongsun Zan's soldiers felt towards those stones?

As you were discussing the future with a fellow traveler, a sudden gust of wind blew by, and you abruptly saw that your traveler's body was missing half its length. Covered in blood, it slowly collapsed.

For example, imagine you are in the same patrol camp as several other guards. Suddenly, a scream comes from behind you. You turn around, only to be shocked to see trembling hands and feet still beneath the boulder…

When facing a crisis, Gongsun Zan's soldiers could say, "I am not afraid." But facing these unprepared stone projectiles, how could he possibly say, "I am not afraid"?

Furthermore, these stones either killed or grazed anyone who hit them. No one was spared, and those taxis that were grazed by the stones were all killed by Gongsun Zan's commanding troops…”

Why? Because they deserted!

"My lord!" Tian Kai said anxiously, his brows furrowed, "The soldiers are truly on the verge of collapse! Their morale is at an all-time low! My lord, if there is no other way..."

"Enough!" Gongsun Zan angrily stopped Tian Kai, pacing back and forth in the tent a few times before saying furiously, "A mere two hundred or so deaths have scared you all like this?"

"No!" Tian Kai hesitated before stepping forward and saying, "It's not that our lord is unaware of such tragedies. To be hit by those stones, let alone being completely mangled, it would be a luxury to even have a whole corpse. Our lord probably didn't see that soldier from this morning, who was smashed into a pile of minced meat."

"Shut up!" Gongsun Zan felt a surge of malice rising in his stomach. Over the years, he had guarded Youzhou and killed countless people, but Tian Kai's words made Gongsun Zan's stomach churn.

"How could I not know that Cao Mengde's actions are damaging the morale of my army?"

Tian Tai was slightly taken aback, and asked in surprise, "Does the lord know? How does the princess intend to deal with this?"

"There's nowhere to retreat!" Gongsun Zan sighed. "Now that Cao Mengde has this powerful weapon, our defenses are futile. Our delaying tactics have failed. I don't know what to do. Perhaps we should just let him take my head!"

"My lord!" Tian Heng admonished solemnly, "Why do you so underestimate yourself? How arrogant are the Wuhuan and Xianbei? They tremble at the mere sight of your banner and flee in terror. Where is the spirit you once displayed when you personally slew the Wuhuan warriors?"

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan's face faintly showed a smile, but upon considering the current situation, his expression immediately darkened again. He said sadly, "I regret not heeding your good advice, allowing Jiang Zhe to seize the initiative. Now we are at the mercy of Cao Mengde at every turn. I truly hate it!"

"My lord?" Tian Heng looked at Gongsun Zan's regretful expression. After a moment's hesitation, he said solemnly, "If my lord has this intention, it is not too late for me to speak now!"

"Oh?" Gongsun Zan was both surprised and delighted, and said with a smile, "What brilliant plan do you have? Come on!"

Tian Tai shook his head and said, "While we lack a brilliant strategy now, we do have a good one! Please, my lord, reinstate Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong!"

"Zhao Zilong?" Gongsun Zan looked at Tian Heng with suspicion. "You've mentioned this man to me several times. Why is that?"

"It's not for any other reason than that General Zhao is a military talent that comes along only once in a century. It would be a great pity if our lord didn't use him!"

Gongsun Zan glanced at Tian Kai and said in a deep voice, "However, he previously destroyed three thousand of my White Horse Cavalry."

He commanded 5,000 elite cavalry, and later developed an ambiguous relationship with many in Cao Cao's camp. How can I trust this man?

"Why has my lord treated General Zhao this way?" Tian Kai asked calmly, unfazed by the anger in Gongsun Zan's eyes. "There are no outsiders here, so I will speak the truth. Last time, all our chariots were destroyed. It was all because Jiang Zhe was a better strategist than my lord!"

"Absurd!" Gongsun Zan cursed angrily, his neck stiff.

"My lord!" Tian Kai's voice was even louder than Gongsun Zan's, and he said with slight anger, "Then my lord said that someone reported General Zhao was safely escorted out by Cao Cao's soldiers. Can't you see the truth of this? It must be that someone in Cao Cao's camp recognized General Zhao's talent and couldn't bear to harm him, so they sent him to us. This is 'espionage'! In my opinion, the one who used this plan is either Jiang Shouyi, Guo Fengxiao, or Xi Zhicai. Even I, a crude person, can see this clearly, so why can't my lord see it? I dare say that my lord harbors resentment towards General Zhao, which is why he treats him poorly and doesn't welcome him!"

Gongsun Zan was rendered speechless by Tian Tai's rebuttal.

The tent remained silent for a long time before a sigh was heard – Gongsun Zan's sigh.

"You are absolutely right!" Gongsun Zan sat down dejectedly. He said sadly, "Zhao Zilong indeed possesses extraordinary qualities and the demeanor of a great general. He is truly rare. It's just that the three thousand White Horse Cavalry were destroyed in an instant, leaving only him. When I see him, it's as if I see those unjustly killed soldiers coming to me, demanding 'My Lord.'"

"Ten years..." I, Gongsun Bogui, have built this army ten years ago! During this time, we've fought countless battles, large and small, and never suffered such a crushing defeat against the Wuhuan and Xianbei. You're right, I underestimated the heroes of the world, I underestimated the strategist; I too am a master strategist, it was I who allowed those soldiers to break up into smaller groups, thus giving Ding the opportunity. The fault lies with me! Now, of the three thousand White Horse Guards, only he remains, how can I face him?"

"My lord..." Tian Tai's face was filled with astonishment and surprise. He never expected that Gongsun Zan had such thoughts in mind, which was why he did not give Zhao Yun an important position.

Gongsun Zan glanced at Tian Kai. He said self-deprecatingly, "If it weren't for that, I would have reported Zhao Zilong's ambiguous relationship with Cao Cao's men long ago and ordered his execution. Why would I have spared him until today? But what I don't understand is why you often mention him to me? Zhao Zilong is merely a minor official." "My lord doesn't know!" Tian Kai now understood Gongsun Zan's inner conflict and no longer concealed his true feelings. He frankly said, "I've met General Zilong several times in private, the most recent time being after my lord ordered his imprisonment." He glanced at Gongsun Zan's indifferent eyes and then relaxed, slowly continuing.

"I see that General Zilong is truly a hero of the North. I also told him about the current situation. He said, 'There is no way to retreat. There is only one option: to fight.' This is very similar to what my lord said."

"Hmph!" Gongsun Zan snorted and said with a sneer, "Easy for you to say, war? How about war?"

Cao Mengde had Jiang Zhe, Guo Jia, and Xi Zhi as his strategists. Jiang Zhe was skilled in strategy, Guo Jia excelled in battle, and Xi Zhi was adept at devising ingenious plans. His subordinates were numerous and valiant generals, including Cao Ren, Cao Chun, Xiahou Shen, and Xiahou Yuan. "My lord, why do you boost the morale of others while diminishing your own?" Tian Tai said with a smile. "Does my lord know that Zi Long once fought four generals single-handedly, his bravery astonishing Cao Cao?" Gongsun Zan's eyes narrowed, and he said in a trembling voice, "Really?"

"really!"

Taking a deep breath, Gongsun Zan said in a deep voice, "Summon the generals of the camp and discuss a plan to defeat Cao Cao. You—go and summon Zhao Zilong as well!"

"Yes!" Tian Kai said with a face full of joy.

"Go!" Gongsun Zan stared intently outside the tent, muttering, "This is our last battle. If we win, our morale will soar and Cao Cao will run out of supplies and flee; if we fail, we will all be reduced to ashes!"

After hearing Gongsun Zan's mournful words, Tian hesitated for a moment, then bowed deeply and left.

An hour later, Gongsun Zan met with his generals in the main tent of the camp, among whom Tian Kai also led Zhao Yun.

Looking at Zhao Yun, who was bowing to him, Gongsun Zan gave him a complicated look, nodded, and gestured for Zhao Yun to take his seat. Only Chen Huan, one of Gongsun Zan's generals, seemed genuinely interested in observing Zhao Yun, while the others, such as Yan Gang, merely glanced at him indifferently.

"Gentlemen!" Gongsun Zan, seated high above, slowly spoke, "Our original plan was to hold our ground, hoping Cao Cao would run out of supplies and retreat. Therefore, we set up heavy defenses outside our camp. Now, with Jiang Zhe's advice, Cao Cao has created a powerful siege weapon called the 'Thunderbolt Chariot.' I believe you are all aware of it."

"We are aware of this matter!"

Nodding, Gongsun Zan surveyed his generals and slowly said, "The soldiers are all filled with resentment. If this continues, I fear it will lead to disaster. In your opinion, how should we break this siege?"

Tian Kai, the Prefect of Youzhou, stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Jiang Zhe's plan is not aimed at killing the enemy, but at demoralizing our soldiers. Every day, watching those stone projectiles needlessly claim the lives of our soldiers, even I feel sorrow. How can I speak of my own troops? In my opinion, we must destroy those trebuchets."

"Lord Tian speaks so lightly!" Yan Gang, a general under Gongsun Zan, said with a sneer. "Does Lord Tian know how many Cao soldiers guard that high place? Let me tell you, ten thousand! And it is Cao Mengde's most skilled general in defense, Cao Ren, who guards this place! In addition, Cao Chun has five thousand soldiers patrolling nearby. How can we get close? If it were our elite White Horse Cavalry, we might be able to contend with them."

"Enough!" Gongsun Zan said, slightly annoyed. "I summoned you here to discuss a plan to defeat Cao Cao, not to have you fight amongst yourselves!"

Yan Gang and Tian Tai exchanged a glance and said respectfully, "Please forgive us, my lord!"

Gongsun Zan let out a heavy sigh, his gaze involuntarily turning to Zhao Yun. After a moment's hesitation, he said calmly, "Zilong, do you have something to say?"

"Hmm?" Zhao Yun paused, glanced at Gongsun Zan in surprise, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general's opinion is similar to Lord Tian's. If we allow those trebuchets to continue to undermine the morale of our army, we will have no chance of fighting in the future!"

"Absurd!" Yan Gang sneered.

"The general speaks well!" Chen Huan slowly stood up under Yan Gang's astonished gaze, clasped his hands in a fist salute to Gongsun Xiaozan, and said, "In my humble opinion, rather than die a humiliating death under stones, the soldiers would rather die in the midst of swords! Please, my lord, consider this carefully!"

"War?" Gongsun Zan looked around at his generals.

After hearing Chen Huan's words, Yan Gang was also tempted. Although he was at odds with Tian Kai, he would not let personal matters interfere with public duty. The ultimate reason he rejected Tian Kai and Zhao Yun's proposal was that the casualties were too great!

Compared to the daily deaths of several renowned scholars, Yan Gang preferred to hold out until Cao Cao ran out of supplies and retreated. However, after hearing Chen Huan's words, he changed his mind.

Yes. It's better to die a glorious death than to die in humiliation!

Yan Gang's expression changed, and he abruptly stood up. He exchanged a glance with Jiang Huan, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and shouted in unison, "My lord! Please order a battle against Cao Cao's army!"

Zhao Yun also stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and said, "I wish to follow you generals; please grant me your permission, my lord!"

Gongsun Zan looked at his generals in the tent with satisfaction. He rose and shouted loudly, "Good! We will leave the camp and fight Cao Mengde to the death!"

At this moment, Gongsun Zan is the White Horse General in Tian Kai's memory! The White Horse General who terrified countless foreign tribes!

"Wait!" Tian Kai stepped forward with a smile amidst the puzzled gazes of the generals, cupping his hands in greeting to Gongsun Zan. "If my lord wishes to fight Cao Mengde to the death, then I have a plan to present to you. This plan has a slim chance of survival! If it succeeds, Cao Cao will be defeated and forced to retreat. If it fails, all the generals and soldiers sent will perish!"

Gongsun Zan's eyes showed surprise and doubt. He exchanged glances with the generals in the tent, and the tent fell silent.

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