Chapter 36: Rushing to the Aid of Ye City (Part 2)

  Lü Bu was very down-to-earth, at least in Zhang Yang's eyes.

  On the second morning of the military meeting, it seemed that Lü Bu's elite troops had forgotten to hand over the grain and fodder, and they rushed straight to Ye City. When Zhang Yang received the news of Lü Bu's deployment, he could only sigh when he went out of the city to see him off. The speed of the march made Xu You feel both surprised and fortunate.

  It wasn't until he saw Zhang Yang's emotional expression beside him and recalled the humiliation he had suffered yesterday that Xu You felt extremely stifled in his heart.

  If it weren't for dragging down the Black Mountain Army's rear, slowing down the march to attack Ye City, and creating time for Yuan Shao's reinforcements, Xu You wouldn't have hurriedly come to Hebei, seeing this Zhang Yang who he thought was destined to be Han Fu's second, deceiving the Hebei army into sending troops.

  If he didn't come to Hebei, he wouldn't have been humiliated in front of the many Hebei generals who respected Xu You very much by a young whippersnapper.

  Recalling the self-proclaimed unparalleled eloquence of yesterday, being ridiculed and having nothing to say, Zhang Yang advised Lü Bu to send troops, and that appearance of wanting to help Xu You think of a way to reduce some of Yuan Shao's "aid", Xu You hated not hitting him on the spot.

  How did things become like this?

  It's all because of that little clerk, and I don't know who leaked the message, but it just so happened that this kid found out, which is why we ended up losing face.

  There's also Lü Bu, who fled to Chang'an and defected to Hebei. As a guest army, you should have the appearance of a guest army. You can just stay in Hebei honestly, and it's not bad to marry your daughter to Yuan Gong's youngest son. Others don't even have this opportunity.

  Lü Bu! Zhang Yang! And that what's-his-name chief clerk! Xu You gritted his teeth and bore these few people in mind with great malice, hoping that Yuan Shao would soon stabilize the war situation in the north and return to Ye City. As for the grain and horses promised to Lü Bu, at this time they didn't make Xu You too worried.

  As soon as Yuan Gong returns to Ye City, Zhang Yang and Lü Bu will be able to keep He Nei safe or not depends on Yuan Gong's mood. I suppose Lü Bu also understands this principle, that's why he didn't press for the grain and fodder like yesterday.

  The most hateful is Zhang Yang, isn't he devoted to supporting Yuan Gong? Every year, Yuan Gong's funding hasn't seen you take less, so why do you always help "outsiders" deal with Yuan Gong's close ministers?

  Good old Zhang Yang would never have thought that Xu You would also come to hate him.

  Lü Bu was called the Flying General, firstly because he rode the Red Hare across gorges and chasms as if on flat ground, describing Lü Bu's bravery, and secondly also referring to the speed of Lü Bu's army.

  Lü Bu's army was mainly composed of cavalry, with extraordinary mobility. The Black Mountain bandits' base was less than 100 miles away from Linhe County, and in less than two hours, the continuous camps of the Black Mountain bandits could be seen far away on the mountain slope.

  Although Xu You's character is not good and has ulterior motives, he does have a good understanding of strategy. Because Yuan Shao was at war with Gongsun Zan, after several victories, he became careless and was ambushed by Gongsun Zan in the Ping River camp, suffering heavy losses. He had no choice but to withdraw troops from Ye City, adding to the defense against the Black Mountain army's attack on several key strongholds in Ji Province. At this time, there were less than a thousand soldiers defending Ye City, and launching a surprise attack on the Black Mountain army from behind would indeed delay their siege of Ye City, which was the best choice at that time.

  "Ah! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

  When the shadow of Lü Bu's army appeared on the mountain slope, the piercing sound of copper gongs echoed throughout the camp. The unprepared Hei Shan bandits were in a state of panic, rushing around wildly, and the dense crowd of black heads made one's eyes dizzy.

  Tens of thousands of people, endless and boundless. Moreover, the leader of Heishan, Zhang Yan, brought an army of 100,000 to attack Ye City this time, with a real force of at least 50,000.

  Lü Bu this time, however, brought only Zhang Liao's Xí Jì Yíng and Cheng Lian's Fēi Jì Yíng, plus his personal guards, totaling just over 3,000 men. The ratio of forces had reached a terrifying 1:16.

  "Lord! Do you think Qin's steward and the others can really succeed?" Cheng Lian rode on horseback beside Lü Bu, glanced down at the mountain slope with a look of boredom, and asked Lü Bu.

  "What? Afraid of being a groom for that little brat for a month?" Lü Bu's disdainful gaze returned from the chaotic figures of the Black Mountain bandits, and he asked Cheng Lian with a smile.

  "Cough, cough! How is that possible?" Cheng Lian looked like he had been seen through by Lü Bu, and stuttered, "That's 100,000 dan of military rations plus 3,000 war horses. Just for General Gao's vanguard camp with a few hundred brothers, just moving them would take at least half a month, what am I worried about?"

  Lü Bu heard this and smiled, shaking his head, without continuing Gongsun Zan's words.

  Last night, after the military meeting, Qin Xu temporarily gained some fame in Lü Bu's army. In less than a meal's time, the entire camp knew that there was a former young clerk from the General's Mansion who had scolded Xun Yu, one of the four great strategists under Yuan Shao, to the point of vomiting blood. Finally, he even sarcastically told Mr. Xu, who was known for his extensive knowledge, to go back and read books for two more years before coming out again.

  People's mouths are many, and it is inevitable that they will show off their knowledge in various versions of the story of Qin Zhongbo vs. Xu Mingyi, which become more and more exaggerated and absurd as they are passed down.

  Lü Bu didn't stop these absurd remarks, such as Qin Xu's glare that made Xu You spit blood. Instead, he had a secret conversation with Gao Shun and Zhang Liao in Qin Xu's room for half an hour, after which they all left with tears of laughter and strange expressions on their faces.

  "General, it's not good! There are cavalry on the mountain slope!" Before Lü Bu's army had even launched an attack, the news of the enemy's raid had spread like wildfire among the Black Mountain Army, throwing them into chaos. The various leaders tried to quell the panic, but to little effect. A small officer rushed into Commander Zhang Yan's tent, rolling and crawling, and reported in a fluster.

  It's no wonder that the Hei Shan Jun is like this, although they have gathered in large numbers in the mountains, spanning multiple provinces and counties, and are famous in northern China, but ultimately they are just a group of mountain bandits and displaced refugees who have lost their land.

  Zhang Yan, though touted as the leader of the million-strong Hei Shan army, was in reality more like the Green Wood Alliance's overall commander-in-chief. Whenever the imperial court sent troops to quell them, they would retreat into the depths of the distant Taihang Mountains, rendering the government forces' efforts futile, no matter how many men were sent. The government forces, fighting on foreign soil, stood little chance against the Hei Shan bandits who had long inhabited these mountains. Despite several defeats, the Hei Shan bandits' reputation grew with each passing day, but in reality, their true elite forces numbered only a few thousand at most.

  The name got bigger, and the mountain bandits and refugees who came to join in the name also increased. Although they claimed to have a million people, it was inevitable that there were good and bad people under their command. These people can only be used to boost their own morale, at most they can only set up obstacles for the government army in the mountains, which is barely enough for self-protection. If they really want to use them to fight, I'm afraid they won't even be worth a bullet.

  Zhang Yan was bold enough to bring over a thousand elite soldiers and fifty thousand bandits from Heishan to attack Ye City, which had only a little over a thousand defenders.

  "Whose troops are these? How many men? Is it Zhang Yang or Yuan Shao?" Zhang Yan had previously been aware of Zhang Yang's character, and when Zhang Yang was ordered to conquer Pingzhou, Zhang Yan had also clashed with him on the battlefield several times. He knew that Zhang Yang was cautious and careful by nature. Moreover, this side has an army of 50,000! Even if nothing else, just the number of troops is enough to deter Zhang Yang, isn't it? How many soldiers does Hebei have in total, anyway?

  Yuan Shao is even more impossible, he's currently engaged in a fierce battle with Gongsun Zan at the border of Ji Province, how can he possibly extricate himself for the time being?

  "Report to the general, those troops don't seem to be from Hebei or Jizhou." The small school officer had a discerning eye and replied with a bow: "Looking at the flag of the leader of that army, there is a big character 'Lv' written on it. I don't know what kind of troops they are, but they seem to have been watching us all along and haven't launched a direct attack on our army!"

  "What? Is it him!" Zhang Yan listened to Xiao Xiao's report and suddenly became furious: "The enemy army has not yet launched an attack, and the outside is already in such a mess? A bunch of trash!"

  "My lord! The Black Mountain bandits have been intimidated by your reputation and are in disarray. Shall we attack?" Cheng Lian rubbed his fists together, looking at Lü Bu with anticipation, expecting him to give the order to advance.

  This year's battle is getting better and better, how come? This has just raised the flag, and it's already chaotic. The notorious Black Mountain bandits who have been causing trouble in Hebei Province and making the government officials headache, are they really like this? That Yuan Shao's army is also too... such an army can make them anxious like that?

  "No rush!" Lü Bu slowly and logically stroked the Flat Heaven Halberd, soothing the continuously snorting Red Hare horse, saying lightly. As if facing not 50,000 Black Mountain bandits, but 50,000 ants, he was completely indifferent.

  When Zhang Yan, wearing a helmet and armor, appeared at the foot of the mountain with over a thousand Black Mountain elite troops and his generals, Cheng Lian was already yawning.

  "May I ask if it's Lord Lü Bu himself?" Zhang Yan's voice was very rough, but facing the army of Lü Bu on the high slope, his tone was slightly insufficient.

  "Flat and difficult in the middle, General Zhang?" Lü Bu's tone was as if he were greeting an old friend, saying: "General Zhang, where are you going?"

  Is it difficult for Mr. Lang to be fair?

  Zhang Yan didn't know how long it had been since he last heard this title, and the one who said it was the world-renowned Lü Bu. In those years when Dong Zhuo was in power, Zhang Yan had also formed an alliance with the other lords to jointly attack Dong Zhuo. Who would have thought that in just over a year's time, the object of their attack had become the Grand General of Martial Valour of the Great Han, Duke of Wen, and Instrument of the Three Excellencies, while he was still considered a bandit by the world?

  "No need to ask each other!" Zhang Yan's face showed a hint of bitter smile, and then he straightened up, cupped his hands on horseback and said: "Is Lord Wen here to rescue Yuan Shao in Ye City?"

  "Lü Bu and Yuan Shao had no previous dealings, they only had one matter to discuss." Lü Bu, who rarely showed annoyance, held the reins of his Red Hare horse, took a few steps on the spot, and said calmly.

  Lü Bu moved, Zhang Yan was still okay, but the white-wrapped, Yang Feng, Zuo Ci and other Hei Shan generals behind him seemed to be intimidated by Lü Bu's reputation and retreated in a panic.

  Seeing this, Zhang Yan's face flashed with anger, but he could do nothing. Lü Bu's reputation was too great, and it had come to this. All Zhang Yan could say was: "I don't know what General Lü wants, but we will comply."

  A young figure flashed before Lü Bu's eyes, making a hundred bows and begging, with a smile at the corner of his mouth: "Nothing else, just ask General Zhang to stay here for three more days. After three days, let General Zhang come and go as he pleases, Bu will not interfere!"