Chapter 78: Slaying Sun Jian, Dominating the Capital Region; Liu and Cao Tread Jizhou

Jinyang.

The current situation in Bingzhou has been completely settled.

Although Gu Chen failed to capture Lü Bu this time, he did manage to retain Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and others.

What Gu Chen regretted most—Gao Shun refused to surrender, even unto death.

Gu Chen had intended to spare his life.

After all, Gao Shun's Shock Troops were all fearless warriors on the battlefield; it would be a terrible waste if such men died merely for Lü Bu's sake.

But Gao Shun chose to die willingly.

Leading his Shock Troops, they all perished on the battlefield.

Some people steadfastly uphold their principles, even at the cost of their lives.

—And Gao Shun was clearly one of them.

The impact of this battle far exceeded expectations.

When the news spread, Huangfu Song faced no further resistance; wherever his army marched, cities opened their gates and surrendered.

Now, except for Shangdang Commandery, the entire Bingzhou had fallen firmly into Gu Chen's hands.

The name of the "Gu clan."

Once again echoed across the land, and countless commoners in every province wept bitterly.

For Gu Chen, he must seize Shangdang while riding the momentum of this great victory, securing full control over Bingzhou.

Then he could turn his attention to Sizhou or Jizhou.

—But not everything could go as he wished.

Huangfu Song fell ill.

Like all generals of his era, he ultimately could not resist the erosion of time; barely entering Jinyang, he collapsed completely.

In truth, this was inevitable.

After all, his age was no longer young.

Years spent in military service, burdened with worries—how could he possibly endure forever?

Outside the Governor's Mansion.

Gu Chen, Gu Wei, and others immediately blocked the physician as he stepped out, asking with deep concern: "How is the General?"

"Sigh."

The physician said nothing more, only sighed and shook his head—his meaning was clear.

Seeing this, everyone's expressions changed at once.

Without a word, they hurried into the room.

"General."

Among all, Gu Wei had the deepest bond with Huangfu Song.

Seeing Huangfu Song on the bed, stripped of his former vigor, his face was filled with sorrow.

"Young Master, do not grieve."

Huangfu Song smiled faintly, fixing his gaze on those present, speaking with extreme weakness: "I only lament time's cruelty—I cannot fulfill the Grand Tutor's legacy."

Upon hearing Gu Xi's name, Gu Chen and Gu Wei, both Gu clan scions, felt even greater grief.

By now, all those entrusted by Gu Xi in years past had passed away one by one.

The entire Han Dynasty had sunk into a state of mere nominal existence.

The changes in people and things—let alone someone as old as Huangfu Song—even Gu Chen and Gu Wei felt a sense of alienation.

"Young Master."

Huangfu Song spoke again, turning to Gu Chen, then waved his hand.

A servant immediately brought forward the military tally symbolizing his rank as "General Who Pacifies the West."

Seeing this, Gu Chen froze: "General, you—"

"Young Master!" Huangfu Song cut him off before he could finish: "Though I was born into a military family, I failed upward to aid the state in quelling rebellion, and downward to protect borders and secure the people."

"Time is running short—the Grand Tutor's charge must be passed on."

Saying this, Huangfu Song strained to lift his hand and seized Gu Chen's: "You, Young Master, possess both courage and strategy, and you are of the Gu clan."

"Only you can inherit the Grand Tutor's will."

"No matter what—Young Master, you must quell the rebels and pacify the people."

His voice was weak, yet resolute.

His eyes held no fear of death, only boundless regret.

All present stared in silence, their sorrow deepening.

Regarding Huangfu Song's decision,

Everyone accepted it wholeheartedly.

Gu Chen's conduct over this period had proven everything.

Whether in strategy or valor, Gu Chen was unquestionably fit to lead the three armies.

"General—"

Gu Chen's eyes flickered with complex emotion; he did not feign reluctance but took the tally, then gripped Huangfu Song's hand tightly: "General, rest assured."

"Though I am unworthy, I swear to eradicate rebels and restore peace to the realm."

His tone grew increasingly resolute.

Hearing this, Huangfu Song's gaze softened slightly, yet he still did not fully relax, fixing his eyes on Gu Chen and repeating:

"Young Master, remember—we are both ministers of Han."

This was the matter that worried him most.

For the lords of the realm, who could fail to imagine how Empress Dowager He actually died?

When he said this, he was not doubting whether the Gu clan would seek to dominate as king, but wondering whether Gu Chen would support the Han imperial house.

Not everyone could share the thinking of the Gu clan's sons.

Even though they had always stood on the same front.

But on the fundamental issue, there was ultimately still a gap.

What Huangfu Song actually wanted was for Gu Chen to support another son of Liu Hong.

— Liu Xie.

Hearing this, Gu Chen's eyes flickered slightly; he very much wanted to say something directly.

He naturally understood Huangfu Song's meaning.

But what feelings could he possibly have for Liu Hong's line?

For Gu Chen, Liu Hong's line was the chief culprit behind the current state of affairs.

Whether it was Liu Hong's refusal to employ the Gu clan;

Or Empress Dowager He and He Jin letting Dong Zhuo into the pass.

Without all of this, how would the Great Han have come to such a pass today?

But looking at the burning gaze in Huangfu Song's eyes, he ultimately swallowed those words back, nodded seriously and said: "General, set your mind at ease. Chen will keep the General's words firmly in mind."

This time, Huangfu Song finally released Gu Chen's hand.

"If that is so, then I am at ease."

He murmured a line.

Then he strained to turn his head, his gaze complex as it fell upon the wooden canopy above, as if he had already seen through all of this and was looking at the sky.

"Late Emperor… Grand Tutor."

"This general… has done his utmost."

His voice grew fainter and fainter, so much so that even Gu Chen beside him could not make out the exact words.

And the next moment, he slowly closed his eyes.

Hanxing sixth year, jimao month, jiazi day;

— Great Han General Who Pacifies the West, Huangfu Song, passed away at Jinyang.

The man is gone; the living go on.

Gu Chen buried Huangfu Song at Jinyang, then began to muster his troops and feed his horses, intending to attack Shangdang again.

— He absolutely could not stop in his tracks.

The future of the Gu clan would, after all, still need the clan's sons to fight for.

Even though the Gu clan currently faced no peril of extermination, if he wanted the entire clan to continue to flourish, then he had to sweep the realm clean.

But how could those vested interests in the court sit idly by and watch the Gu clan return?

These people already bore a deadly grudge against the Gu clan, and could never tolerate Gu Chen going on like this.

But judging by the present situation.

Where would Yuan Shao find the strength to split his forces and contain Gu Chen?

The alliance between Liu Bei and Cao Cao had already made him smell the crisis of defeat and ruin.

He could only send word to Yuan Shu, urging Yuan Shu to move his troops.

The alliance between these two brothers was, by now, already extremely fragile.

Cao Ren was, after all, still only an obscure minor general.

With Yuan Shao having already drawn out Liu Bei and Cao Cao's elite forces, Sun Jian returning empty-handed would naturally make Yuan Shao suspect that Yuan Shu had not given his all.

How could this not compel Yuan Shu to exert himself?

Not to mention him, Yuan Shu himself actually harbored such suspicions as well.

He suspected Sun Jian had not given his all.

Yuan Shu's character had always been like this.

Once the seed of such suspicion sprouted, it grew ever more uncontrollable.

Under such circumstances.

Yuan Shu transferred Sun Jian out of Yanzhou, ordering him to pass through Yuzhou and the capital region to hurry to Shangdang, to guard against Gu Chen.

As for the fighting in Yanzhou, he dispatched his own great general Ji Ling.

At this point, he too had no choice but to exert himself more.

No matter how much resentment he bore toward Yuan Shao, at such a moment he had to swallow it.

Put plainly, the two brothers were tied together on the same rope.

And after resolving this worry, Yuan Shao began to contest for more men and horses in Ji and You provinces.

Yuan Shao was, when it came down to it, a strange man — the more critical the situation, the clearer his thoughts became.

He overruled all the strategists in his tent and instead chose first to send men to contact Heishan army's Zhang Yan.

And he promised Zhang Yan rich rewards, winning the Heishan army's support.

The Heishan army's current strength was by no means weak.

The Great Han's population had already increased compared to the original history; under such circumstances, the number of soldiers under his banner naturally far exceeded that of the original history.

This time Zhang Yan brought along more than a hundred thousand men.

This undoubtedly greatly boosted the confidence of the clans of Ji and You provinces.

Thereafter Yuan Shao further levied more than a hundred thousand men from the two provinces, and together with Zhang Yan mustered nearly three hundred thousand troops, intending to fight again in Yanzhou.

Even Lü Bu, who had just retreated to Jizhou, was kept by him.

He wanted to use Lü Bu to balance the gap between the generals of both sides.

This battle left a deep impression on him regarding the great generals under Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

As for Yuan Shao.

His most urgent task now was to win a great victory and stabilize everyone's hearts.

Lü Bu did not refuse.

He was even somewhat pleased.

Even though he was unwilling to accept it, he could not deny that he had developed a faint fear of Gu Chen.

He did not want to return to Bingzhou and face Gu Chen!

At the same time, Liu Bei and Cao Cao would not abandon their plan to summon all the warlords to jointly attack the two Yuans.

This great victory gave them a good opportunity.

Interests have always moved hearts, no matter who it was.

While marching toward Jizhou, they had already sent envoys to meet Tao Qian, Liu Jingsheng, and others, intending to persuade them to attack Yuan Shu.

But the outcome was no different at all.

Tao Qian was old and had no ambition for dominance; he only wished to hold onto Xu Province.

As for Liu Jingsheng's current situation, it was not much different—he could not overcome the Jingzhou clans.

For the Jingzhou clans, war brought them no benefit whatsoever.

Even if they truly managed to invade Yangzhou, what then?

Even if Yuan Shu died.

The Yangzhou clans would still be the same—who would willingly let others feast on their territory?

Clearly, as he grew older, Liu Jingsheng's control over Jingzhou was steadily weakening.

And Cao Cao seemed to have anticipated this result.

"Xuande, I already told you: the heroes of the world are only you, me, and the Gu family's son—why bother with this extra step?"

He looked at Liu Bei, his face half-smiling, his eyes filled with contempt.

"Liu Jingsheng is also a descendant of the Han imperial family, just like me, a member of the imperial clan."

Liu Bei sighed deeply and said: "He does not even think of eliminating the villains and quelling the chaos, of propping up the crumbling Han court—this is shameful."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao merely sneered and said nothing more.

What good is being a Han imperial clansman?

Forget being a Han imperial clansman—even Emperor Ling, who sat on the throne, what did he matter?

—The affairs of the world lie in men, not in birth!

He was coming to understand this truth more and more clearly.

Shangdang Commandery.

As a commandery linking Bing and Yan provinces and even the imperial capital, its geographical position was extremely critical—a place of strategic necessity.

It was not only Yuan Shu who acted.

The powerful clans who profited from this affair also poured immense resources and manpower into it.

They first issued a proclamation in the Emperor's name, denouncing Gu Chen as a traitor.

Some even secretly spread the cause of Empress Dowager He's death.

They sought to force Gu Chen into submission through pressure.

But since the empire's collapse, who cared about such things?

Forget Empress Dowager He—even Emperor Liu Hong, what did he matter to the common people?

In short, compared to the current Han court, the people trusted the Gu family more.

And most crucially, Gu Chen's reputation was now extremely high.

News of the Liangzhou and Bingzhou campaigns had gradually spread far and wide.

Already, countless commoners had come to regard Gu Chen as the incarnation of Gu Xiao.

They called him the loyal and martial marquis, who, sensing the world's chaos, had descended from heaven to restore order once more.

This title had spread like wildfire across the land.

Omen and superstition were an indelible factor of this age.

Gu Chen's surprise attack on Longyou further lent credibility to this legend.

It spread wildly throughout the land, impossible to suppress.

Gu Chen himself paid no attention to these rumors.

His will was as iron—he would not be shaken by anything.

If he truly cared about such things, he would never have chosen to kill Empress Dowager He outright, nor would he have ignored Liu Hong's two children entirely.

For him, the most important thing was to pacify the land and complete what Gu Xi had left undone.

Nothing else could shake him.

—The sixth year of Han Revival, second month.

Gu Chen formally launched his assault on the entire Shangdang Commandery.

Within a month, he had successively captured several cities.

Whether the defending troops of Shangdang or the private armies sent by the great clans—

They could not stand against Gu Chen's elite forces.

Gu Chen's army advanced straight toward Changzi, the key stronghold of Shangdang, threatening Heyang.

For a time, the capital region trembled in shock!

Gu Chen's furious offensive filled everyone with dread.

Especially Emperor Liu Dai.

He could imagine what would become of him, this so-called emperor, should the Gu clan ever return to court.

But what could he do?

—No troops, no power, no authority.

This was his current situation.

Endless regret kept surging over him; under constant fear, his body gradually grew worse.

And as this news continued to spread.

The people of the capital region finally seemed to realize something.

Many who favored the Gu clan began stirring up trouble across the lands, hoping to aid Gu Chen and hasten his advance.

But this was bound to be futile.

Though the great clans appeared powerless against Gu Chen, suppressing rebellious commoners remained well within their strength.

Only when Sun Jian arrived with his army did this wave of panic gradually subside.

The aristocratic families of the capital region gave Sun Jian great support—even Emperor Liu Dai came to meet him in person.

This surprised Sun Jian.

He had previously worried about supplies.

Yuan Shu had clearly grown suspicious of him; his grain deliveries had been dwindling, yet he never expected these clans to offer him such strong backing.

This instantly dispelled all of Sun Jian's grievances.

"Your Majesty, rest assured—I shall block the bandits at Shangdang and not let a single enemy step into the capital region!"

He solemnly made this pledge.

Then he immediately led his troops to Shangdang.

Unlike Lu Bu.

Though Sun Jian, like Lu Bu, was fierce and warlike, he would never grow so arrogant as to leave himself undefended.

Upon arriving at Shangdang.

He immediately deployed heavy forces along the Taiyue Mountains, stationing the clans' private troops and Shangdang's original garrison there.

He sought to use the terrain to narrow the combat gap between these men and Gu Chen's forces.

He himself led his elite troops, taking command at Changzi, and had no intention of confronting Gu Chen head-on.

He knew just how rapidly Gu Chen had advanced.

He understood the current situation perfectly.

As long as he could hold Gu Chen here, once the Yanzhou campaign ended and Yuan Shao freed his hands, Gu Chen would be utterly destroyed.

The winds of heaven stirred; great battles raged without end.

—In the sixth year of Han Xing, fifth month;

Gu Chen's army reached the Taiyue Mountains.

He sent Ma Chao as vanguard, who broke through Sun Jian's several passes in succession.

Sun Jian dispatched Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and other generals to reinforce; only by exploiting the terrain did they barely stabilize the Taiyue Mountains front.

Then Sun Jian sent Han Dang to march via Yudu, aiming to bypass the Taiyue Mountains and cut Gu Chen's supply lines.

Gu Chen saw through it and blocked him.

Both sides engaged in a massive battle across the entire Taiyue Mountains range.

June;

Cao Cao and Liu Bei fought Yuan Shu at Wei Jun's Fanyang.

Lu Bu personally led his troops into battle; Heishan's Zhang Yan also joined the fray.

Yuan Shao utterly crushed Cao Cao and Liu Bei at Fanyang.

He fully stabilized the Jizhou situation, driving Cao Cao and Liu Bei back into Yanzhou.

Both sides faced off at Puyang and Fanyang, locked in stalemate.

July;

Cao Ren feigned defeat and abandoned Chen Liu; Yuan Shu's general Ji Ling fell for the trap and entered the city.

He suffered nearly ten thousand casualties; morale collapsed completely.

Yuan Shu, upon hearing the news, flew into a rage.

He wished to execute Ji Ling, but was dissuaded by Yan Xiang and others; he could only continue mobilizing troops for Yanzhou.

August;

Yuan Shao broke the stalemate and led another two hundred thousand troops to attack Puyang.

Cao Cao persuaded Liu Bei to employ the tactic of feinting east while striking west.

Exploiting Yuan Shao's eagerness for quick victory, they pretended to bypass Fanyang and strike directly at Jizhou.

They split their forces and marched separately.

Yuan Shao fell for the ruse, suffered nearly ten thousand losses, and was forced to retreat back to Fanyang.

September;

After months of delay, Gu Chen finally breached the passes Sun Jian had built along the Taiyue Mountains.

He seized Qinxian and Wuxiang cities in quick succession.

He fully locked the battlefield onto open plains, eliminating the greatest obstacle to his cavalry's combat effectiveness, and formally began his offensive-defensive war against Sun Jian.

The global situation changed far beyond anyone's expectations.

Today's Han Dynasty.

Is a chaotic battlefield where one shift pulls in another.

Even Gu Yi had not anticipated that this era of chaos would be so intense.

The four sides are locked in various maneuvers.

Their intensity far exceeds the original history.

Gu Yi does not know how this era of chaos will ultimately end.

Yet judging from the current situation.

He can be certain that the outcome of this chaos will be utterly different from the original history.

Gu Chen will surely be a massive variable!

Even if the Gu clan's moral boundaries are flexible, merely based on what the Sima family did in the original history, they are destined to be incompatible with the Gu clan.

This is bound to cause a great shift in history!

Qin County.

After a brief rest, Ma Chao, a warlike man, immediately proposed an attack.

Everyone else also strongly agreed.

Even Gu Wei felt the same.

For if they fail to take Bingzhou, once the Cao-Liu war in Jizhou ends and the two Yuan clans move, how could they possibly stop them?

But Gu Chen directly suppressed the proposal and had no intention of attacking.

"Gentlemen, no need to rush."

Sitting in the main seat, Gu Chen scanned the room with a serious expression: "In my view, the ones who should be in a hurry now are not us, but Sun Jian."

"Countless people in the realm fear the Gu clan."

"Our army's might has already intimidated the imperial capital."

"The capital's populace is unsettled, longing for the Gu clan's return."

"They may suppress it for a while, but how long can they hold back chaos?"

Saying this, Gu Chen sneered: "Changzi is a key stronghold in Shangdang; Sun Jian has stationed his elite troops there to intimidate the surrounding regions."

"If we launch a direct assault."

"Even if we truly capture Changzi, our casualties will be enormous."

"Gentlemen, do not forget: our elite forces are all cavalry."

Gu Chen's tone was utterly calm.

Hearing this, everyone present fell into deep thought.

Only Jia Xu remained as calm as ever, as if he had already guessed Gu Chen's intentions.

Only after a moment did the others gradually realize it and began to express agreement.

"Brother."

Gu Chen turned to Gu Wei, speaking seriously: "I want you to return to Jinyang and hold it, to prevent any mishaps."

"Agreed."

Gu Wei did not hesitate and immediately nodded.

He still held great respect for his younger brother.

Even with all his pride.

He could not deny that everything Gu Chen had achieved was far beyond his reach.

The army settled in Qin County.

But Gu Chen would not do nothing.

He had mastery over people's hearts; he not only spread rumors that he intended to strike directly at the imperial capital, but also occasionally led troops out to challenge them, constantly tugging at everyone's nerves.

Changzi.

Hearing the scout's report, Sun Jian paid it no mind.

"Is Gu Ziyan taking me, Sun Jian, for some brute like Lü Bu?"

He sneered lightly: "Such a scheme might fool Lü Bu, but how could it fool me?"

The generals all laughed heartily.

But at that moment, Zu Mao stepped forward and bowed to Sun Jian: "My lord, I request permission to fight."

"Zu Mao, don't rush."

Sun Jian waved his hand quickly: "There will be a day for you to fight him."

"For now, we only need to hold Changzi City."

Zu Mao had requested battle more than once.

He had long resented having drawn even with Gu Chen, a mere youth, and always wanted another chance to duel him.

Though he knew Gu Chen had defeated Lü Bu,

for generals like him, reputation was merely reputation.

Lü Bu lost—so what? He might not lose!

But seeing Sun Jian refuse, Zu Mao could only nod reluctantly and step back.

Time passed swiftly.

Sun Jian remained calm and unruffled, ignoring all rumors.

His men were all veterans who had followed him for years.

How could he be affected by such rumors?

But things did not fall outside Gu Chen's expectations.

Sun Jian could hold steady.

Yet among those people in the capital region, there would inevitably be some who could not hold steady.

It had only been just over half a month.

The court's envoys arrived one after another at Changzi City, conveying the "Emperor's" decree.

Demanding to know why Sun Jian had not attacked.

Why he had not yet repelled the enemy.

In response, Sun Jian could only patiently and earnestly explain the current situation, and managed to send the envoy back.

But as the disturbances in the capital region grew more and more frequent.

Just half a month later, the court's envoys arrived once again.

This time their attitude was far more stern.

That was to order him into battle!

Even if he could not move troops on a large scale, he must defeat Gu Chen at least once.

If not, they would cut off his grain supply.

This move could truly be said to have driven Sun Jian straight into a desperate corner.

Compared to Lü Bu, Sun Jian was indeed somewhat more adept at commanding troops, but when it came to dealing with these scheming people in court, that was where he was out of his depth.

Left with no choice, Sun Jian finally did make his move!

Just as Gu Chen sent men to challenge them, he ordered Zu Mao and Huang Gai to lead their troops out to fight.

Hoping to catch Gu Chen off guard.

Even if they only killed a few dozen men, it would still count as a gain.

The great battle resumed.

On the battlefield, Zu Mao almost immediately charged straight at Gu Chen.

"Brat, do you still remember me?"

He roared like thunder, the long blade in his hand slashing straight at Gu Chen's face.

But Gu Chen was not at all flustered.

The silver spear in his hands flew up and directly blocked the strike.

He looked calmly at Zu Mao, recognized who the man was, then smiled faintly: "Do you still remember what I once said in years past, that the day I cut you down—"

"'I would carve eight characters upon your tomb: A Withered Skeleton in a Tomb, Daring to Shake Mount Taishan'?"

"It seems today, I shall fulfill that oath."

These calm words instantly sent Zu Mao into a violent rage.

How could he not remember?

He had never forgotten Gu Chen's words over all these years.

Otherwise, he would never have kept wanting to cross blades with Gu Chen again.

"Brat, you're asking for death!"

He bellowed and charged once more, his bladework still as fierce as in years past.

Back then, this had indeed nearly cost Gu Chen his life.

But now, how could Gu Chen possibly fear it?

Zu Mao's bladework was bold, but compared to Lü Bu's Fang Tian Halberd, what was it?

He did not hesitate in the slightest and charged straight in.

The cavalry on both sides clashed again and again.

Across the entire battlefield, beacon smoke rose on all sides.

—Before even thirty exchanges.

With a sweep of Gu Chen's silver spear, Zu Mao had no time to block and was sent flying off his warhorse with a single thrust.

Zu Mao struggled to rise, but the next moment Gu Chen's spear tip was already pressed against his neck.

This scene took everyone by surprise.

"Da Rong!"

Huang Gai, who was in the midst of fighting Ma Chao, instantly changed expression and nearly had his chest pierced through by Ma Chao.

The situation suddenly shifted!

When cavalry clash, what matters is their fighting spirit.

Seeing their own great general struck down from his horse, how could their formation not fall into disarray?

In such circumstances, once the formation broke, trying to reorganize would be the talk of fools!

Gu Chen did not kill Zu Mao outright.

Instead, he drove his spear twice straight into both of Zu Mao's legs.

He wanted to force Sun Jian into battle!

To turn this battle from an assault-and-defense engagement into a full-on frontal clash.

His elite cavalry had a natural advantage in this kind of fighting.

He had long heard of Sun Jian's character.

Gu Chen had long determined that upon hearing the news, Sun Jian would absolutely not abandon Zu Mao, Huang Gai, and these troops.

—This was also, in effect, a siege to strike at reinforcements!

The outcome was no surprise to Gu Chen.

Sun Jian's personality had already doomed him to march out and lend aid.

What had begun as a minor skirmish suddenly turned into a full-scale, bloody clash without warning.

In truth, Sun Jian's forces still held the advantage.

Besides his own elite troops, numerous private armies from powerful clans had come to reinforce Shangdang.

But these men were ultimately mere cannon fodder on such a battlefield.

They were utterly incapable of changing the tide!

Gu Chen showed no mercy, leading his troops in a furious charge straight toward Sun Jian.

Zhang Liao, Ma Chao, and others each engaged Sun Jian's top generals in combat.

This direct, head-on clash was bound to be horrifically bloody—it came down to the courage and will of both sides' soldiers.

It was not just Gu Chen.

The soldiers under Gu Chen's command were also iron-willed.

These were the men who had followed Gu Chen through countless battles and still stood here today—how could they be ordinary?

The moment Gu Chen shattered Sun Jian's battle formation and charged straight to Sun Jian's side.

The great battle was already over.

"The rebels have been slain! Those who surrender shall be spared!"

Gu Chen, drenched in blood, raised Sun Jian's severed head and roared.

The next instant, his soldiers all shouted in unison.

"The rebels have been slain! Those who surrender shall be spared!!!"

"The rebels have been slain! Those who surrender shall be spared!!!"

"The rebels have been slain! Those who surrender shall be spared!!!"

"."

Roars like thunder echoed across the entire battlefield.

Beyond Sun Jian's loyalists, countless soldiers immediately dropped their weapons.

"Father!!!"

On one side of the battlefield, Sun Ce heard the roar.

He screamed in fury and lunged forward to avenge Sun Jian.

But the surrounding generals held him back.

"Young Master, you must not!"

"Young Master, do not act rashly!"

Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and others wore faces heavy with grief; yet despite their burning resentment, their loyalty to Sun Jian forced them to stay calm.

They forcibly dragged Sun Ce and the remnants of the army away.

Gu Chen did not pursue.

Once the battle was fully over, he led his troops straight into Changzi City.

One battle decided Shangdang!

News from Bingzhou swept across the land like a storm, shattering the balance of the Yanzhou battlefield.

—Jizhou is in chaos!

No matter how much effort Yuan Shao had poured into Jizhou.

How could it compare to the Gu clan?

Why did the people of Jizhou support Yuan Shao so strongly?

Because the moment Yuan Shao arrived in Jizhou, he went straight to pay homage to the Gu clan.

The people of the realm all assumed the Gu clan supported Yuan Shao!

But now, things were different!

Even Zhang Yan's Heishan Army had been affected.

Of course, this was not merely due to the Gu clan's prestige.

It was also due to Gu Chen's display of invincibility.

Surprise attack on Longyou

Defeated Lü Bu, whose name was known across the land; beheaded Sun Jian, whose fame spread far and wide.

Each of these deeds firmly established Gu Chen's invincible reputation.

He shone like a rising star, piercing the dark sky of this chaotic age!

The imperial capital region was thrown into utter chaos.

To prevent Gu Chen from attacking Jizhou, Yuan Shao, while calming the populace, could only send troops to defend and dispatch messengers to order Yuan Shu to mobilize.

But how could Liu Bei and Cao Cao fail to seize this opportunity?

—Han Xing Year 7, second month.

Rebel forces appeared in Qinghe Commandery.

Fearing the rebels would join forces with Qingzhou troops, Yuan Shao had no choice but to send troops to suppress them.

Liu Bei and Cao Cao seized the moment and re-entered Jizhou.

Gu Tao openly raised the banner of the Gu clan.

Yuan's army fell into panic; Zhang Yan even chose to withdraw mid-battle.

Yuan Shao suffered a crushing defeat at Fanyang.

The allied forces of Cao and Liu officially marched into Wei Jun of Jizhou.

The situation across the realm has changed dramatically!

PS: On my knees begging for monthly tickets!

(End of this chapter)