Chapter 516

Ju Shou spared no expense to help Yuan Shao plan this campaign.

……

Ju Shou's waiting was not in vain.

A few days later.

Gongsun Zan led an army of thirty thousand, less than thirty miles from Longcou.

In fact.

There was another very important factor that allowed Gongsun Zan to make up his mind to send troops.

As everyone knows, Gongsun Zan's White Horse Volunteers were excellent in battle.

Until they met Qu Yi and the Vanguard Death Soldiers, and the White Horse Volunteers all died in the Battle of Jieqiao.

And now.

Qu Yi had surrendered to Gu Yi, and the Vanguard Death Soldiers who originally served Yuan Shao had also been wiped out.

In other words.

The greatest psychological shadow faced by Gongsun Zan and the Youzhou Legion no longer existed.

Under such circumstances, Gongsun Zan naturally wanted to get back at them and avenge the fallen Youzhou soldiers.

Looking at the thirty thousand elites following behind him.

Gongsun Zan was full of anticipation for the upcoming battle.

The individual combat capability of the fierce Youzhou soldiers was quite formidable.

Under Gongsun Zan's leadership, their marching speed was also very fast.

Soon.

Gongsun Zan had already seen the city of Longcou standing not far ahead.

Looking at this city that once belonged to him.

Gongsun Zan felt a surge of indignation.

Suddenly.

An army appeared from the due north.

The person in the lead was none other than Yan Liang.

Seeing this, Gongsun Zan took a careful look at Yan Liang.

He discovered that there were fewer than ten thousand soldiers following behind Yan Liang.

Gongsun Zan naturally would not take such a small number of people seriously.

Therefore.

He immediately issued the order to engage Yan Liang in battle.

On the wilderness, war was imminent.

Facing Gongsun Zan's fierce attack.

Yan Liang's forces did not have the advantage and were beaten back step by step.

However.

Just when Gongsun Zan thought he was about to defeat Yan Liang.

Four armies suddenly charged out from the rear!

The leaders were Lu Xiang, Lu Kuang, Jiao Chu, and Zhang Nan!

Although Yuan Shao had lost countless soldiers and generals in the war with Gu Yi.

Beloved generals like Wen Chou, his nephew Gao Gan, trusted veterans Chunyu Qiong, Ma Yan, Zhang Kai, Jiang Yiqu, and Lu Weiheng had died one after another.

Gao Lan, Qu Yi, Han Meng, Jiang Qi, Tian Feng, and others had even defected to Gu Yi.

But Yuan Shao, who had the full support of the Hebei aristocrats, still had a foundation that Gongsun Zan could not compare with!

The four armies that suddenly appeared from the rear threw Gongsun Zan's Youzhou army into chaos.

In an instant.

The situation on the battlefield turned sharply.

The Yuan army, under the fierce fighting of the five generals Yan Liang, Lu Xiang, Lu Kuang, Jiao Chu, and Zhang Nan, gradually gained the upper hand.

However.

Because Gongsun Zan's command ability was quite good, and the combat power of the Youzhou soldiers was fierce.

For a time, the Yuan army could not quickly defeat Gongsun Zan.

However.

Just when Gongsun Zan intended to regroup.

A massive crowd of figures appeared, reflected from the mountain range not far away!

The flags were inscribed with the two characters "Heishan."

This was the unique mark of the Heishan bandits.

And Gongsun Zan, having cooperated with the Heishan bandit leader Zhang Yan countless times, naturally recognized this flag instantly.

"Zhang... Zhang Yan?"

"How could he appear here?"

"In the letter, didn't he promise me that he intended to send troops to raid Yuan Shao's base, Yecheng?"

Gongsun Zan's eyes were filled with confusion.

And the strategist Guan Jing, standing beside him, had an increasingly ugly expression.

Yes, Guan Jing thought of an extremely terrifying, yet most factual possibility!

That was... Zhang Yan had already defected and reached a cooperation with Yuan Shao!

Otherwise.

If they had followed the agreement between Gongsun Zan and Zhang Yan.

Zhang Yan could not have brought the Heishan bandits to this place!

Thinking of this, Guan Jing hurriedly informed Gongsun Zan of his conjecture.

"What!!!"

"Zhang Yan, that scoundrel, would actually join forces with Yuan Shao?"

Gongsun Zan's eyes were filled with disbelief.

But seeing the Heishan bandits getting closer and closer to the battlefield, Gongsun Zan had to accept the fact that Zhang Yan had defected.

Although Gongsun Zan could not understand how Yuan Shao had managed to turn Zhang Yan.

But what was certain was.

Fifty thousand Yuan troops plus the Heishan bandits.

Gongsun Zan absolutely had no possibility of victory today!

"The whole army, retreat! Follow me to kill our way back to Youzhou!"

Be decisive when necessary.

Gongsun Zan was not an indecisive person.

Seeing that he couldn't win but still fighting, swearing not to retreat, that was the behavior of a fool.

Gongsun Zan was fierce, but he was not a mindless brute.

Otherwise, he would not have become the iron-blooded fierce general who guarded the border for more than ten years and killed tens of thousands of Wuhuan cavalry!

The military discipline and regulations of the Youzhou army were quite good.

After Gongsun Zan issued the order to retreat, most of the soldiers quickly followed in his footsteps.

But... since Ju Shou had set this inescapable net today, how could he let Gongsun Zan escape easily?

"Puchi!"

"Puchi!"

The whistling sound of heavy crossbows suddenly resounded across the battlefield!

At this moment, Gongsun Zan and the soldiers of the Youzhou army, like birds startled by the mere twang of a bowstring, could not help but recall certain images in their minds.

Jieqiao...

Vanguard Death Soldiers...

The eternal nightmare of the Youzhou Legion!

The sound fell.