Chapter 402: Again a Fierce Tiger Rises East of the River (Part 2)

Perhaps because the battle had already begun, in the sweltering afternoon heat, Yuan Shao actually felt his breathing grow uneven… This unsettled the ever-dignified General of Chariots and Cavalry, even making him begin to doubt his own self-cultivation.

And just at that moment, a Plumed Guard responsible for relaying messages in the army suddenly arrived:

"Reporting to my lord, Captain Wu'an has been beheaded, and his two divisions have scattered. However, General Yu Jin has already led three divisions forward and blocked Guan Yunchang's retreat path…"

Yuan Shao sneered briefly at these words. He looked left and right, wanting to find someone to vent his frustration to, or to lose his temper, only to realize that even Chen Gong had gone to prepare the final encirclement and interception. Where was there anyone he could truly speak with?

Left with no choice, he merely waved his hand slightly, dismissed the guard, and then continued to breathe rapidly amidst the thousands of armored soldiers surrounding him… Of course, at this moment, he absolutely no longer cared whether his breathing was even or not.

But not long after, another Plumed Guard came to report: "Captain Cheng Wu has been defeated in battle, and his two divisions have scattered!"

Yuan Shao blinked, continued to sneer, and still made no indication.

However, after a while, a Plumed Guard came to report for the third time: "My lord, Major Li Zheng under Captain Li's command has been captured alive by Guan Yu. Captain Li, unwilling to risk harming the hostage, dares not act rashly and can only follow behind. Guan Yu's unit has extricated itself with composure, already rounded the city corner, and is heading this way!"

At this, Yuan Benchu finally put away the smirk at the corner of his mouth and sighed deeply.

It must be said, Yuan Shao certainly knew who Li Zheng was. In fact, the Li clan of Jiyin was probably the most capable and accomplished clan of local strongmen under his command, catching Yuan Benchu's eye far more than the Ji clan of Qinghe, the Lu clan of Dongping, or the Xue clan of Dongjun. With the heir of such a powerful clan captured, he could certainly understand Li Jin's helplessness… However, this only made Yuan Shao feel even more frustrated.

To be fair, if Gongsun Xun were not ahead of him, this world would probably just be like this. But precisely because such a benchmark had appeared, because there was someone constantly radiating strange ideas, the former Sun Wentai, the later Gongsun Bogui, and now Yuan Benchu himself could not help but examine themselves.

This self-examination might not touch the soul, nor might it be effective, but conceptually, it was undoubtedly a kind of baptism and progress.

In other words, from the very start of this preemptive attack on Handan, Yuan Benchu had felt a certain dissatisfaction and unease with the inferior organizational form of the army under his command. And this sentiment, from the earlier sight of allied forces watching Tian Yin's unit be annihilated without lifting a finger, to today's events where capturing one man and killing another caused thousands of troops to lose their combat effectiveness, had become increasingly pronounced.

To the point that, at this moment, this General of Chariots and Cavalry faintly felt that in the grand scheme of contending for the realm against someone like Gongsun Xun, compared to gaining a first-mover advantage over a single city like Handan, internal military reorganization seemed to be the true urgent priority.

However, as Guan Yunchang led his troops around the city corner and arrived at the east side of the city, Yuan Shao had no time to think further. Seeing a force flash out from the city corner in the distance, he forced himself to rally his spirits and assumed a solemn expression.

"My lord," another Plumed Rider arrived, this time representing Chen Gong. "Chief Clerk Chen says he plans to let Guan Yunchang advance to the front of the earthen mound, then launch both wings simultaneously to envelop him. He asks my lord to remain calm and patient!"

"Understood!" Yuan Benchu waved his hand slightly, showing a trace of impatience, and paid it no mind at all.

This was only natural. After all, seeing Guan Yu and his troops round the wall corner and appear within view, with Li Jin's three thousand men pressing from behind, Yu Jin's three thousand men blocking the north gate, four thousand armored soldiers in front, and Chen Gong holding ten divisions totaling ten thousand men continuing to arrange the encirclement, there seemed to be no sign of any possible defeat.

Yet in reality, Yuan Shao's inner state was not nearly as calm as he appeared on the surface… Although in broad daylight, positioned on high ground and surrounded by thousands of armored soldiers, he was basically safe and secure, and any thought of reenacting that battle with Lu Bu in Henei was just wishful thinking. But for some reason, in the oppressive weather, General of Chariots and Cavalry Yuan could not help but feel palpitations, because he always felt something was off, always felt that Guan Yunchang would not fight this battle relying solely on a surge of blood and courage.

And after thinking for half a day, the only reasonable explanation Yuan Shao could come up with was that Guan Yu planned to stall until dark and then seize the opportunity to slip away… In that case, considering the war costs and casualty figures incurred in this battle, one could indeed say that Guan Yunchang had won!

Yet in the extremely sweltering weather, as Yuan Benchu wiped the sweat from his face once more, he began to doubt this conjecture again… After all, judging by the temperature, it did not seem like it was about to get dark anytime soon, did it?

On the east side of the city, in the shadow beneath the city wall, Guan Yu had long since spotted the dense mass of armored soldiers surrounding Yuan Shao's position. He merely raised his head to glance at the sky again, then continued unhurriedly, trailing Li Jin's three divisions of three thousand men as they advanced toward the earthen mound ahead, where victory seemed utterly impossible.

Yuan Shao caught a distant glimpse, and his heart grew increasingly suspicious and uncertain.

But regardless, as time slowly passed, General of Martial Resolve Guan Yu, ignoring the countless enemy troops surrounding him on three sides, strolled as if through a leisurely courtyard, finally arriving before the earthen mound where a full four thousand armored soldiers were gathered, and there he halted his horse!

For a moment, around the earthen mound, atop the walls and below, the very air seemed to solidify.

"The outcome is decided!" Throughout Yuan's army, seeing that both the north and south gates had been blocked, and that even before the east gate Ju Shou had disregarded all else and sent a particularly elite unit forward with raised shields, countless hearts felt a stone drop, and even their breathing suddenly became smooth.

"What trick is Guan Yunchang playing?" On the city wall, Shen Zhengnan also began to grow suspicious and turned serious.

"General," even Pan Zhang was now somewhat uneasy.

"No matter." Guan Yu gestured slightly, then spurred his horse forward, going straight to the front of Yuan Shao's formation and shouting publicly: "The imperially appointed General of Martial Resolve is here! May I ask you all, is this the place where the traitor Yuan built an earthen mound to attack the city?"

The armored soldiers and officers before the formation looked at each other, speechless.

And the two commanders of the armored soldiers, one Wen Chou, the other Gao Lan, sneered and turned their heads back to look at Yuan Shao, who was seated right behind them.

Yuan Benchu was clearly also taken aback, but quickly realized—the other party was stalling for time and looking for an excuse to withdraw, while his two generals were requesting to fight.

But what could he say?

This obsession with saving face actually suited Yuan Shao's taste quite well. Even for an instant, despite being called "traitor Yuan," Yuan Benchu's impression of Guan Yunchang improved… because a man with obvious flaws was a man who could be controlled. If such a talent could be brought over to his side, then what did the previous Wu Anguo, Tian Yin, the Li clan, the Tian clan matter?

Indeed, for a moment, Yuan Benchu actually wanted to step forward and speak to persuade him to surrender!

Of course, looking at the expressions of the two generals Wen Chou and Gao Lan before him, thinking of those officers who had died, and more importantly, recalling the scene of Hua Xiong being slain by Zhang Yide and Lu Fengxian flying on horseback into the camp, he ultimately suppressed this thought.

"Pass down the order!" With this thought, Yuan Shao instead immediately gave the command. "Tell Generals Wen and Gao to hold back, not to let a few words disrupt their formation, and wait quietly for Chief Clerk Chen to complete the encirclement! However, allow the crossbowmen hidden within the army to advance. Once in position, immediately open fire and shoot this wretch dead!"

"Obsessed with saving face!" On the city wall, Shen Pei had been listening for a long while. Now, looking down from his vantage point and seeing the crossbowmen in Yuan's army secretly moving forward, he was both anxious and furious, cursing inwardly. "He'll never change in his lifetime! If he dies outside the city today, it serves him right!"

However, Guan Yu, standing alone on horseback before the formation, saw the four thousand armored soldiers before him still motionless, while there was some slight movement behind their ranks. Still unhurried, he simply continued to raise his voice: "If that is the case, then you have all truly toiled hard. Four thousand civilian laborers, pressed into service by the traitor Yuan to this point, forced to don armor, carry earth, bear shields, and exert your strength… Of course, one cannot blame you. I observe that the overseer sitting upright in the center of the worksite platform has a form long above and short below, a large head and a small body, bearing the innate look of a harsh and ungenerous man. One would expect such a person to do such things. However, with this man now sitting behind his desk as if putting his head up for sale, if you suffer under him, why not turn around, take his head, and then follow me back? Our General of the Guard loves the people as his own children. Under his command, you would never be subjected to such absurdity!"

A stir ran through the formation. Yuan Shao was so furious he laughed… To think that he, Yuan Benchu, had been renowned since childhood for his outstanding appearance—where did this "long above and short below, large head and small body" come from? And what was this about "putting his head up for sale"?

Four thousand armored soldiers are right here—if you have the guts, come up and take my head?!

On the other side, having gained this verbal advantage, Guan Yu remained unhurried. He merely cupped his hands slightly in salute: "This journey was originally for the earthen mound. I had no wish to harm the innocent. Now that you have all ceased work, and out of concern for your families back home are unwilling to leave with me, I shall trouble you no further. I take my leave first. May we meet again if fate allows!"

With these words, amidst a cool breeze, he turned his horse and returned to his own formation.

It must be understood that these four thousand armored soldiers of Yuan's army had been prepared only as a contingency, primarily to prevent the enemy from breaking through and seizing Yuan Shao. Crossbowmen were not fully deployed from the start. Even for the other units, because the city walls offered a higher vantage point and longer striking range, crossbowmen were not standard equipment; shield-bearing infantry were the main force.

Therefore, when the enemy suddenly withdrew, the plan of Yuan's army commanders to send crossbowmen to surround and shoot them instantly fell through, leaving everyone bewildered and at a loss.

"Encircle them!" While the area around the earthen mound fell into a dilemma, Chen Gong, amidst the cool breeze, had finally completed his final arrangements. Without further hesitation, he immediately signaled with flags, ordering the entire army to close the encirclement.

"Kill the captives! The entire army, turn around!" Guan Yu returned to his formation and immediately ordered a retreat, seemingly preparing for a desperate struggle. "Cavalry and infantry alike, discard your long spears! All troops, take up short weapons!"

The order was somewhat strange, but Pan Zhang and those below him were all loyal troops who had long followed Guan Yu. How would they dare delay? As they threw down their long spears, Pan Wenqui personally stepped forward and with one stroke of his blade severed the head of the captured Li Zheng—the head of one of the future leaders of the Jiyin Li clan, cousin of Li Dian, a man who would once rise to Inspector of Qingzhou, the master of the foremost powerful clan in Yanzhou, thus met his end, cleanly and swiftly, on the very first day of battle at the age of twenty.

Yet, just as Guan Yu suddenly issued this strange command and led his troops to turn around, and just as Yuan's army suddenly erupted with banners and drums, the entire force stirring, with many places already beginning to resist the encirclement below despite the large-scale crossbow fire from the city walls, several riders suddenly galloped out from Ju Shou's unit blocking the east gate, heading separately toward Yuan Shao and Chen Gong.

"Pay attention to the weather?!" Yuan Shao was momentarily baffled upon hearing this.

Chen Gong, however, turned deathly pale.

And Yuan Benchu, after being stunned for a moment, felt a cool breeze blow past the back of his head and suddenly understood. He hurriedly looked behind him—it turned out that, unbeknownst to him since when, a bank of cumulonimbus clouds had appeared at the edge of his vision, growing thicker and heavier, rolling rapidly forward! Recalling the earlier abnormally sweltering heat, how could Yuan Shao not understand? This weather pattern, theoretically early autumn but in reality a classic summer thunderstorm, was probably the very reason and reliance for Guan Yunchang's sortie this time!

No wonder the enemy had immediately come out to fight on the very first day the earthen mound was raised!

No wonder the enemy had been so composed and unhurried the entire way!

No wonder the enemy had only brought a thousand troops!

What Guan Yunchang had been waiting for was not nightfall at all; what he had been waiting for was this torrential rainstorm at the cusp of summer and autumn!

On the city wall, Shen Pei, without anyone reminding him, had also suddenly realized the truth even before the cumulonimbus clouds appeared. Because when he had abruptly raised his head earlier, a cool breeze had blown into his face. When he lowered his head again, Guan Yunchang had already ordered his men to abandon their horses and discard their spears… Come to think of it, although Guan Yunchang had long been stationed at Zhaoge, northern Henei, Wei Commandery, and the Zhao Kingdom were naturally identical in terms of hydrology and geography—all adjacent to the Taihang Mountains, all within the Zhang River watershed, all part of the southernmost plain region of central Hebei. It was no wonder Guan Yunchang had some understanding of the local weather.

By the same logic, it was no wonder that Ju Shou and Shen Pei were the first two to realize this… However, even as they realized it, both felt deeply ashamed. After all, they were natives born and raised here, while Guan Yunchang was a murderer from Hedong. Even counting the year or so he had spent working as a laborer in Handan before being recruited by Gongsun Xun, he had only been in this region for a mere seven years!

Yet the difference in their understanding of the local weather was vast, even qualitative in nature.

Returning to the matter at hand, Chen Gong, having come to his senses, was ashen-faced. Without a moment's delay, he immediately issued the order for a general assault, determined to surround and capture Guan Yunchang.

But celestial phenomena are absolutely not something human strength can oppose or forcibly overcome — at the very least, it cannot be done in this era! No sooner had the order been passed down than Yuan's soldiers underwent a transformation, from the stifling heat of the entire previous day to cool breezes, and then to a sudden bone-chilling cold.

And before the various units' officers could receive orders to charge straight at Guan Yu's position, raindrops the size of beans began to fall, followed immediately by a sudden downpour and fierce wind, mingling with the arrows from the city wall, making it hard to lift one's head and causing chaos. Even more terrifying, the sky darkened almost instantly — within five paces, one could barely make out a figure!

Amid the immense chaos, the blades that friendly troops had already drawn became their own side's greatest enemy; trampling and friendly fire became the largest source of casualties. And the armored soldiers around the Tushan worksite encountered their own particular enemy — mud and slipperiness, combined with their armor, became the greatest hindrance to movement.

At the same time, Guan Yunchang and his troops moved tightly against the city wall, naturally maintaining perfect order — not to mention that just before the sky changed, Guan Yunchang had directly ordered the entire army to drop their long spears. All one thousand men, whether mounted or on foot, were to take only ring-pommel dao and engage in close combat in the rain!

Leather armor and short weapons may not be the optimal equipment for rain combat, but they were the most suitable equipment on this battlefield. Yuan's army, once they realized this, might also immediately take the same action — but the process of realizing it would have to be paid for with lives!

In the dim light, the three units led by Li Jin, who still did not know their young master had already lost his head, suffered the most direct and brutal strike! Guan Yunchang came galloping, and before the rain had soaked through the road surface, he personally charged at the front. Two hundred cavalry trampled through the chaos, and then eight hundred infantry surged forward, all hacking with ring-pommel dao. Severed limbs and broken bodies rolled to the ground in waves; blood and rainwater merged into one.

The sounds of thunder, drums, and rain could not mask the sounds of slaughter and screaming — let alone when a sudden flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the battlefield for an instant, then vanishing just as quickly... Li Jin knew full well that his soldiers who had advanced to the base of the wall were being slaughtered, yet he was powerless to do anything. After all, in such a situation, even an immortal would struggle to command effectively.

In all matters, one must consider retreat.

Amid the pouring rain and battlefield chaos, having just glimpsed the carnage below the wall by lightning, Li Tuizhi, slumping dejectedly on the battlefield, suddenly had a strange and inexplicable thought surface in his mind.

As it happened, when the lightning had illuminated the entire field moments before, Guan Yunchang had also caught another glimpse of this old friend he had not seen for many years, and then he simply gripped his dao, reined in his horse, and advanced!

However, as that initial burst of torrential rain passed, the condition where one could barely see a figure within five paces came quickly and went just as fast. Not long after that lightning strike, although it was still dim, visibility hazily returned. Moreover, with Guan Yunchang being tall and his horse large, Li Jin likewise spotted him from afar — yet he simply turned and left! Amid the thunder, retreating with him were over two thousand of the Li family's own troops, still maintaining their formation and fighting strength.

This truly was not Li Jin being cowardly. In fact, if it were only himself, it would be one thing, but in such a situation, one misstep would mean needlessly burying many of his own family's sons... One must understand, by now the situation was very clear. The earlier Wu Anguo was merely a chance encounter; Guan Yunchang's true killing move in this battle was this great rain. Yuan's army, caught completely off guard, was virtually defenseless in this initial stage of the downpour... To let his own family's sons bear the brunt of Guan Yu's most violent and effective wave of slaughter alone — Li Tuizhi could never accept that.

And once Li Jin ordered his entire force to withdraw, the passage below the wall became clear for a time. Guan Yunchang, halting his horse in the rain, neither pursued nor seized the moment to retreat himself. Objectively speaking, if he had taken the opportunity to withdraw at this point, and if he could break through the three units led by Yu Jin guarding the rear and return to camp intact, this battle would have been an enormous victory.

But Guan Yunchang seemed unsatisfied.

He made an immediate decision and ordered his entire force to turn once more, sweeping northward along the eastern city wall!

On the city wall, Shen Pei, soaked through, also saw Guan Yu's movements by the faint light and sighed repeatedly... In truth, this tactical maneuver, which appeared arrogant, was actually a cautious move.

Why is that?

One must understand, Guan Yu's main camp was west of the city, while Tushan and the current primary battlefield were southeast of the city. And because Guan Yunchang had earlier slain Wu Anguo and repelled Cheng Wu, it seemed that the route he had come by — that is, the road south of the city — had fewer obstacles and was a shorter distance. But do not forget, Yuan Shao's eighty-thousand-strong army was here. Although they employed the tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one open, they had actually come from the south, and therefore the encampment south of the city was exceptionally large and exceptionally dense!

In other words, if Guan Yunchang took the southern route, and if, just as he reached Yu Jin's position, the rain lessened and he was blocked, it would still be very dangerous, because his mere one thousand men could not break through Yuan Shao's main camp and had no other road to take, ultimately still facing encirclement. And if that happened, even he, Shen Zhengnan, could not truly risk breaching the city to open the gates and rescue him. But if he took the northern route, although the blocking forces might be even more numerous, with the rain pouring like this, the ground muddy, and visibility incomplete, even if Guan Yunchang could not break through, he could completely rely on the advantage of his troops' flexibility to slip out through gaps between camps and circle back to his own camp from the outer perimeter.

Not to mention, this sudden turn would inevitably catch Ju Shou's unit guarding the east gate off guard, and if the victory was swift, perhaps Shen Pei could even proactively open the east gate to let Guan Yu inside.

"Make preparations!" Shen Zhengnan, after a moment's thought, immediately turned and gave the order. "Send a thousand men to conceal themselves behind the east gate, ready to open it and provide support. Also, have the men on the city wall exert themselves further and concentrate their firepower toward the east as much as possible!"

The officers on the city wall dared not delay and naturally acted according to the order.

And a moment later, Ju Shou's unit, which had just barely managed to recover amid the heavy rain, was suddenly attacked and indeed fell into chaos and panic once more.

In truth, Ju Shou was an exceptionally outstanding figure. Appointing him to lead troops could never be considered a mistake. But just like Cao Cao's wretched state the first time he independently led troops, no matter how intelligent and methodical a person like him was, he still could not compare to men like Qu Yi, Zhang He, Yu Jin, or even Li Jin — men with supremely rich battlefield experience. Moreover, he could not, like some valiant generals, lead by example and charge at the forefront.

Or rather, his reliance had always been precisely on clear order and well-disciplined troops.

But a single downpour, a single surprise attack like a backward thrust of the spear, caused what Ju Gongyu relied on most to slip and fall to the ground, plunging him into the most awkward — even dangerous — predicament. Amid the chaos, Guan Yunchang, already skilled at decapitation strikes, likewise noticed Ju Shou's position and simply abandoned the fight before the city gate, personally charging to kill Ju Shou.

Soldiers to the left and right rushed to his aid, but were desperately blocked by Pan Zhang and others following behind Guan Yu.

Seeing the imminent danger, Ju Shou's son, Ju Hao, who was serving in the army for the first time, could not help but kneel beneath the command flag and plead, his tears mingling with the rain: "Father, why must you contest a moment's pride?"

"Having received another's favor and salary, I accomplish another's affairs. If I retreat today, with what face shall I meet the world?" Ju Shou, momentarily enraged, actually kicked his own son away. "Besides, our army's forces are so vast, and the battle so chaotic. His mere thousand men, though seeming mighty for a moment, are merely using attack as defense, seeking a retreat path amid the chaos. How could he possibly truly succeed in beheading me?!"

Ju Shou's words were correct. Just as Guan Yunchang was attempting to push toward Ju Shou's side, he suddenly heard a burst of cheers behind him. Turning back, he understood — seeing that Guan Yu's troops below the wall held the advantage in the fight, Shen Pei, disregarding the danger, had proactively opened the east gate and led troops to attack Ju Shou's remnant forces before the gate from both front and rear, conveniently providing an opening for Guan Yu's troops to enter!

Seeing this, Guan Yu did not linger in battle. Instead, he immediately reined in his horse and turned, preparing to enter the city. Ultimately, Guan Yu was never a reckless, brute general, but a very practical commander, extremely adept at using terrain and fortifications. Those displays that seemed outrageously arrogant were merely a facade — the result of thorough preparation, exchanging the smallest cost for the greatest gain.

Just as one thousand men challenging eighty thousand seemed absurd... but in reality? Engaging below the city wall was precisely most suitable for one thousand men. If three thousand had been sent out together, they would have been cumbersome instead.

By the same logic, forcing a sortie on the very first day of building the earthen mound seemed like gambling on a moment's anger, but in truth, he had read the weather, preparing to borrow heaven's might to trigger chaos and then withdraw at his leisure.

Even now, the reason he disregarded the enemy's dense forces and the muddy, slippery ground around the city — already unsuitable for cavalry combat — and still chose to risk a surprise attack on Ju Shou, was precisely to cause chaos in Ju Shou's unit and then seize the chance to clear the east gate for his withdrawal. Now that there was an opportunity to withdraw intact, he naturally did not linger in battle at all.

But just as Ju Shou's unit, specifically tasked with blocking the enemy and guarding the city gate before the east gate, instantly collapsed under the pincer attack, and the east gate swung open, with Guan Yunchang personally covering the retreat... however, not long after, just as Pan Zhang had received orders to lead troops into the city and Guan Yu was still outside covering the rear, a great general of Yuan's army, disregarding everything, sought out Guan Yu on the battlefield — it was none other than Gao Lan of Bohai, Gao Mingqing!

It must be said, Gao Lan had no connection to the Chenliu Gao clan, which was linked by marriage to the Yuan family. He was a son of the Gao clan, a powerful local family of Bohai. In his youth, he was fond of bravery and brawling, dissolute and unruly, but he had always admired one of his elder clansmen, called Gao Heng, styled Xuanqing. However, this elder clansman of his had one day suddenly abandoned that youxia lifestyle, taken some companions, and gone off to join the army. And very quickly, he had followed Gongsun Xun — then merely a Major of a Separate Regiment under the General of the Guards — out beyond the frontier, and had simply never returned.

At first, Gao Lan did not know what had happened. Later, when some of his clansman's companions returned home, he learned that his elder clansman had not died in battle, but had offended Gongsun Zan, which in turn implicated him in the personal feud between Gongsun Xun and Xia Yu, the Colonel Protector of the Wuhuan at the time. Caught between both sides in the army, he was ultimately driven to suicide by Gongsun Xun and that Xia Yu together!

After this incident, Gao Lan, who regarded the Gongsun clan — so powerful in Hebei — as his mortal enemy, no longer idled away his days, but simply joined the army.

And after the Yellow Turban rebellion, although this man was promoted for his garrison merits, upon hearing that Gongsun Zan would be coming to Bohai to take up a post, he chose to leave his hometown and serve in the provincial administration. Through a series of coincidences over the years, he finally, openly and righteously, met the Gongsun clan on the battlefield.

In short, precisely because of both public and private enmity, when fighting in Hebei, he had always been utterly fearless, as he was before at Jiudu, and as he was today. One can imagine — seeing Guan Yu toy with tens of thousands of troops with just a thousand men, inflicting countless casualties and then about to withdraw with perfect composure, how could Gao Mingqing endure it?

Amid the gradually drizzling rain, rage surged from his heart. He stripped off his iron armor, now covered in mud and become a burden, took up only a single long spear, and led several dozen personal guards straight toward the city gate, clearly intent on stopping Guan Yu!

Gao Lan came with murderous momentum — how could Guan Yu not see? But seeing the other man wore no armor, he did not realize he was anyone important. Still, since he had come, Guan Yunchang had no reason not to fight. Calmly and unhurriedly, he first dismounted and handed his horse to a retreating soldier to lead into the city, then took a spear from one of the soldiers providing support from within the city, and led his own personal guards forward to intercept.

The two groups clashed before the city, a true head-on engagement. Only then did Guan Yu realize this newcomer was no ordinary man. He asked his name and learned it was Gao Lan of Bohai. Moreover, a head-on clash was different from a surprise assault, and each had several dozen personal guards in tow, so although there was a clear disparity in strength, how could a victor be decided in a moment? Especially when one side fought with reckless abandon, attacking as if throwing away their lives, while the other had to worry about the slippery ground and heavy rain, merely seeking to delay for a time.

Furthermore, even if the Handan defenders on the city wall wished to shoot arrows, with the melee so entangled, they could hardly intervene.

By this point in the battle, the entire Yuan army had long been sunk in extreme dejection. But as the clouds gradually dispersed and the sky slowly brightened, the moment this scene was glimpsed, it almost became the hope for a reversal for every man in Yuan's army!

As long as they took down Guan Yu, all losses would be worth it! And if Guan Yu entered the city with perfect composure, then today's battle would be a solid, undeniable defeat!

Yuan Shao personally gave the order for Wen Chou to lead his own unit in a surprise attack, straight for Guan Yu! Ju Shou also personally drew his dao to oversee the battle, ordering his personal guards to execute over ten fleeing soldiers in succession, reorganizing his unit to press forward. Even Zhao Chong, Qu Yi, and other units further north of Ju Shou that had not yet engaged, upon hearing the news, also led their troops over one after another... Especially Zhao Chong of Chenliu, who had distinguished himself among Zhang Miao's surrendered troops — this man had backing. Not only was his position second only to Ju Shou's own unit, but the key was that Dian Wei, famed as the fiercest warrior in the Central Plains, was his fellow villager and commanded a company of the sharpest soldiers, currently under his command.

To the limits of Zhao Chong's knowledge, he truly could not imagine there was anyone under heaven who could best this old hometown fellow of his in close foot combat.

But there was no need to know who Dian Wei was. On the city wall, Shen Pei, receiving reports from all sides of so many troops converging, had already glimpsed the danger and urgently sounded the gongs to signal Guan Yu's retreat.

Guan Yunchang was meticulous in thought and clearer than anyone in his heart that this battle had relied entirely on that burst of torrential rain to achieve some surprise assaults, and then to withdraw amid the chaos. Dragging it out further would inevitably bring danger. But this Gao Lan before him fought with the ferocity of a mad tiger — how could he easily disengage?

But just at that moment, a general suddenly burst forth from the city on horseback, charging straight at Gao Lan. By now, the ground was completely saturated, and even the ground before the city gate was treacherously slippery. That warhorse, after charging at full speed, turned at the city gate toward the point of combat, stumbled, and actually flipped over entirely, sliding almost like a battering ram toward the two men locked in battle.

At the same time, the discarded blades on the ground instantly slashed open the horse's body, blood gushing everywhere.

Amid pitiful, agonized neighing, this horse was destined for an exceedingly cruel death.

However, with such a large horse crashing directly toward them, no matter how entangled Guan Yu and Gao Lan were, they were forced to dodge awkwardly together and thus separated. Even the other combatants, because of this incident, ceased fighting one after another. After separating, Guan Yu then saw that the newcomer was none other than Pan Zhang, who had earlier been ordered to lead troops into the city first. Pan Wenjue had clearly sensed the potential danger to his general from the urgent sound of the gongs and, disregarding everything, had turned back and charged out of the city to rescue him. But now his horse was out of control, and he himself had been thrown aside, struggling to rise. Alarmed, Guan Yu hurried forward to support him and called for the troops to retreat immediately.

On the other side, Gao Lan, recovering his senses and seeing Guan Yunchang already rapidly retreating into the city gate tunnel, how could he be reconciled? What was more, although Guan Yunchang was of enormous build and immense strength, now that he was carrying a man, it finally gave Gao Lan a glimpse of an opportunity.

Thus, steeling his heart, Gao Mingqing picked up another spear from the ground, let out a great roar, and continued his reckless charge, leading his personal guards in an attempt to pursue them into the city gate.

"General, go quickly! Do not mind me!" Pan Zhang, aching all over and barely able to endure, heard the shouting behind him and grew even more frantic.

"Do not thrash about!" Guan Yu supported Pan Zhang with one hand, continuing forward, while gripping his long spear tightly in the other, secretly giving instructions. "You need only turn your head and watch. When that man reaches ten paces behind me, call out immediately, and I will release my grip!"

Pan Zhang understood in his heart and dared not speak further, merely straining to twist his head and stare fixedly at the pursuer.

It all happened in an instant. After only a brief moment of shock, how much distance could there be between the two sides? Pan Zhang, having received his instructions and turned his head, saw that the enemy was only twenty paces away. Some of Guan Yu's personal guards had even turned to fight and try to block them, but were held off by Gao Lan's own guards.

An instant later, at the edge of the gate tunnel, just as he was about to round the corner and seeing the opponent still seven or eight paces away, he raised his spear with all his might and charged. Pan Wengui dared not be careless and immediately shouted a warning, but Guan Yunchang planted his stance, released Pan Zhang with one hand, and turned to hurl his spear with the other… The spear flew, piercing straight through the chest and pinning the man to the open ground before the city gate.

Gao Lan’s subordinates panicked and rushed to save their general, but Guan Yu, shielded by the surviving guards, calmly helped Pan Zhang up and strode directly into the city. By the time the various Yuan Army units arrived, the city gate had long since closed, and before it only a dozen or so personal guards remained, weeping inconsolably around a corpse pinned to the ground, while not far away a warhorse, its belly ripped open, still lay on the ground neighing piteously.

Of course, the surrounding chaos was unavoidable, but nothing was more conspicuous than these two — especially the one on the ground, Gao Mingqing of Bohai… Pitiful that he could neither avenge his brother nor slay a foe in battle, but instead met such an end because of a moment’s rash advance.

Yet in these troubled times, this is probably just a common occurrence, is it not?

Just as the many officers and soldiers of the Yuan clan stood grieving in the rain, suddenly several arrows shot from the city wall, putting an end to the wailing warhorse.

A moment later, a loud voice rang out again from atop the wall: “All you men of the Yuan rebels below the wall, hear this! My State Chancellor and General Zhenwu have just said that today’s battle ends here. Out of regard for this man’s valor, you may calmly retrieve the corpses below the wall without fear of our bows and crossbows. But there is one matter you must be sure to relay to the Yuan rebel: the talk of selling heads with a price tag was originally just a taunt to provoke battle, but who would have thought the Yuan rebel would be so laughable — the heads of so many loyal and brave subordinates, all sold off so cheaply one after another. Who, I wonder, will still be willing to serve this Lord Yuan in the future?”

The rain pattered on; the officers were silent.

—————I am the silently dividing line—————

“In the late Han, there was Li Jin of Jiyin, courtesy name Tuizhi, who was always called a famous general. When those around him did not understand and asked the Grand Ancestor, the Grand Ancestor replied: ‘In war there is victory and defeat; in an army there is the difficulty of advancing and retreating. Li Tuizhi, when advancing, could take a city; when retreating, could preserve his army. Thus he is worthy of being called a famous general.’” — Zibo’s Art of War, Chapter on Famous Generals

“After Yu defeated the Yuan army and returned to camp, Guo Jia braved the rain to greet him and exclaimed with great emotion: ‘With my meager talents, to presume to gauge the divine martial prowess of the General was truly unwise. General, this battle of yours can only be called divinely martial.’ Yu glanced sideways and replied: ‘Once in Zhongshan, General Wei once said: How can one who is a general not know the patterns of heaven or the lay of the land? Since then, nine years have passed! Today I return these words to Fengxiao — let them be an encouragement.’ Jia bowed in admiration.” — Old Book of Yan, Volume 69, Biography 19

PS: Thanks to the 105th patron, Mirror Picks Three, and the 106th patron, Your Wealthy Lord… Gratitude mixed with shame.

As for the forty-eight hours lost, I wanted to say something, but there’s nothing much to say… From when I got up for work Friday morning until now, I’ve only slept yesterday afternoon through evening. A year’s worth of credibility stands there — I hope everyone can regain confidence in me.

(End of Chapter)