Chapter 307

"Clack! Clack! Clack!"

With hooves flying, sixty thousand cavalrymen kicked up mud and spray on the snow-covered road!

Along the way were Hebei laborers fleeing in panic; seeing Liu Bei's massive army, they were filled with extreme terror.

Only this morning did they learn that Ding Yuan Shao and Cao Cao had fled, leaving them behind.

Liu Bei issued an order for Ju Yi and the others following behind to take control of these laborers and keep them from running about.

It took Liu Bei an entire morning to catch up to Ding Yuan Shao's second rearguard detachment!

The Hebei heavy shield and crossbow troops led by Chunyu Qiong!

With the weather freezing, the crossbowmen could hardly play much of a role and were directly routed by Liu Bei's charging army!

Guan Yu, riding the Red Hare, moved with extreme speed, reaching the front of Chunyu Qiong's horse in an instant.

A flash of his blade, and after Chunyu Qiong blocked only one strike, his head flew high into the air—he was killed in seconds by Guan Yu!

The rest of the Ding Yuan army scattered in a panic!

Liu Bei paid no mind to these routed troops, continuing to lead his iron cavalry, charging! Charging! Charging!

Even if he couldn't catch Ding Yuan Shao and Cao Cao this time, he would ensure their elite forces were left behind!

He would deal them a blow in this battle that would leave them severely crippled!

Liu Bei shouted loudly,

"Tell the soldiers, use up all the meat we've raised for these hundred days! Whether you get concubines or cattle and sheep depends on these next few days!"

"Understood!"

On the snowy ground, warhorses neighed and hoofbeats thundered; sixty thousand cavalrymen swept across everything like a rolling torrent!

Liu Bei's army was as imposing as a rainbow! Seeing this golden opportunity to beat a drowning dog and earn military merit, how could anyone let it pass? Everyone was madly whipping their horses to give chase!

The saying that a defeat is like a collapsing mountain was true; with Ding Yuan Shao and Cao Cao running away first, the other soldiers had no heart to resist—they either surrendered or fled!

But the infantry could never outrun Liu Bei's cavalry; they were constantly being caught and constantly being routed!

Upon receiving news of the pursuing army behind them, Ding Yuan Shao and Cao Cao knew that if they didn't run now, they would likely fall into an irredeemable situation.

Ding Yuan Shao immediately took twenty thousand cavalrymen to break away from the main force, madly whipping his horse to flee!

Of Cao Cao's fifty thousand troops, ten thousand cavalry were taken by him, while the other forty thousand were left to Le Jin; they could run as far as they could.

He still had thirty thousand of his most elite soldiers who had long since been taken away by Cao Hong; by now, they had already crossed the Yellow River and even made off with a good deal of Ding Yuan Shao's grain.

Liu Bei pursued all the way, routing the detachments of Le Jin, Wen Chou, and others; the mountains and plains were filled with the routed troops of Ding Yuan and Cao!

The cavalry shouted as they pursued!

"Kneel and you shall not be killed!"

"Lord Liu Xuande has ordered: kneel and you shall not be killed!"

Upon hearing this, the Ding Yuan-Cao allied forces hurriedly threw down their weapons and knelt to beg for their lives!

Liu Bei let his generals continue the pursuit while he stayed behind to begin gathering the surrendered soldiers and laborers.

Seeing Lord Liu Xuande stay behind, the surrendered Ding Yuan-Cao soldiers felt at ease.

"Lord Liu Xuande is benevolent and righteous; he will definitely not kill us!"

Soon,

Ju Yi, Xu Huang, and others arrived with their troops. Liu Bei ordered them to gather the laborers and routed soldiers; these people were the pillars of their families, and now that the outcome was decided, there was no need to create further tragedy.

Guo Jia cupped his hands,

"My lord is benevolent and righteous. In the future, when you enter Hebei and the Central Plains, these people and their relatives will surely line the roads to welcome you!"

Xun You sighed with emotion,

"Only my lord is this benevolent and righteous. Ding Yuan Shao and Cao Cao ignored everyone to save their own lives; they are not fit to be lords!"

Jia Xu looked at the laborers and routed soldiers filling the mountains and plains,

"After this battle, the three heroes of Guandong will no longer have the strength to campaign against Guanzhong!"

He felt at ease; following his lord was good—one could preserve their health and build merit at the same time.

Liu Bei laughed,

"This great victory is the result of our army's arduous defense over the past few months. Send word down: the spoils of this victory have already reached Taiyuan and will arrive in Hedong in a few days. Have everyone bring the surrendered soldiers and laborers back to the camp."

"Understood!"

"Guo Fengxiao, with your constitution, you had better not pursue further. Take the captives and head back."

Guo Jia cupped his hands,

"Many thanks for my lord's concern."

Liu Bei handed these tasks to Xu Huang, Guo Jia, Jia Xu, and the others, while he himself took his personal guard cavalry and continued to advance toward Henei.

With the thunder of hooves, Liu Bei wiped the snowflakes from his face,

"Pang Shiyuan, where have we reached?"

"My lord, we are currently in Wen County, Henei Commandery."

"Wen County?"

Liu Bei was stunned. Wasn't this the hometown of Military Sima Yi, that man with the eagle-gaze and wolf-glance, the famous health-preservation expert who outlived three generations of Cao Wei?

Liu Bei couldn't bring himself to like Military Sima Yi; this guy was a devious old schemer, an opportunist, and an expert at faking illness!

His abilities were certainly superb, but Liu Bei didn't want to use him. The Eight Princes Rebellion of Western Jin and the Five Hu Uprising that brought disaster to the people of the Central Plains were all thanks to this Military Sima family!

He felt too disgusted to use him.

Liu Bei was still lost in thought when Chen Dao rode over,

"My lord, there are thousands of rogue soldiers ahead plundering the people of Wen County."

Routed soldiers after a great battle were extremely dangerous to the common folk.

These people had gone blood-crazy; they didn't even know if they would survive themselves, so how could they refrain from burning, killing, and looting?

Liu Bei shouted,

"Generals, hear my order: protect the people, and show no mercy to the rogue soldiers!"

"Understood!"

With the sound of hooves,

The cavalry charged into the rogue soldiers like tigers into a flock of sheep.

The rogue soldiers who had just been plundering the people were instantly cut down by the cavalry like slicing melons and vegetables!

Liu Bei noticed a carriage in the distance being surrounded by rogue soldiers.

A young and beautiful woman was wielding a sword, fending off the rogue soldiers trying to rush the carriage.

Many servants around her were already dead, leaving only this woman and her maid.

Three rogue soldiers knocked the long sword from the woman's hand and grinned hideously as they reached for her!

"Catching a beauty is no loss!"

"Hurry up and grab her, take her and run—Liu Bei's army is coming!"

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Three iron arrows flew in, striking the three men square in the face, and they collapsed with a thud.

The woman looked back and saw Liu Bei putting away his bow; she couldn't help but have her eyes light up, secretly praising him,

"Sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, a sharp gaze—what a handsome general!"

Liu Bei rode over,

"Miss, are you alright?"

The woman bowed gracefully,

"I am of the Zhang clan of Pinggao, Henei. Many thanks to my benefactor for saving my life."

Although she looked a bit flustered, she was still quite composed.

Liu Bei secretly praised her; for a woman to be so calm in such a situation, her courage was not bad.

He observed the woman before him—she was beautiful, and while there was naturally a gap compared to Zhen Mi or the Two Qiaos, she was about the same as Lady Gan.

Young and beautiful, her clothing could not hide her hot figure; one look and it was clear she was the daughter of a scholar-official family—for no other reason than that she was well-nourished.

The woman was also secretly sizing up her benefactor,

"Tall and straight, sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, carrying an air of authority yet giving one a sense of closeness. Which general of Liu Bei's army is this benefactor? So handsome..."

The livestream chat exploded,

"I say, Brother Bei, aren't you supposed to be pursuing the routed Cao and Ding Yuan troops? How did this turn into a hero saving a beauty?"