Chapter 14: The Alliance of the Vassals Begins to Break; Liu Bei's Army Rushes to Rescue Gongsun Zan!

  But since that day, Liu Bei and Yuan Shao became enemies, Yuan Shao ordered Liu Biao to surround Liu Bei, fortunately, Liu Biao secretly let Liu Bei go. Then the two brothers of the Liu family signed an alliance treaty in Jingzhou, after which both sides were at peace with each other. Liu Bei listened to Li Yu, Guo Jia and Chen Gong's suggestions and immediately carried out a thorough reform of his troops in Yizhou! While other warlords did not idle either!

  Yuan Shao, as the commander-in-chief of the alliance army, retreated from Luoyang and stationed his troops in Henan, lacking food and grass. Ji Zhou Mu Han Fu sent someone to send grain to support the military use. Yuan Shao's strategist Gong Ji said to Yuan Shao: "A great man who dominates the world, why wait for people to send grain to eat! Ji Zhou is a place with abundant money and grain, General, why not take it?" Yuan Shao replied: "There is no good strategy." Gong Ji said: "You can secretly send someone to write a letter to Gongsun Zan, ordering him to lead his troops to take Ji Zhou, and make an appointment to attack together. Gongsun Zan will certainly respond with an army; Han Fu is a man without a plan, he will certainly ask the general to take charge of state affairs; The master can take advantage of this opportunity to get things done, and Ji Zhou can be easily obtained." Yuan Shao was overjoyed when he heard this, and immediately sent a letter to Gongsun Zan in Youzhou. When Gongsun Zan received the letter, he saw that it said they would attack Ji Zhou together and divide the land equally, and he was overjoyed. He prepared his troops to attack Ji Zhou on the same day. Look at Han Fu, the governor of Ji Zhou, who sent someone to send grain to Yuan Shao with good intentions, but instead provoked Yuan Shao's sinister plan! It's really true that good people don't get good rewards! However, fortunately, in the end, Yuan Shao didn't get a good reward either. After the Battle of Guandu, his territory was completely handed over to Cao Cao.

  On the other hand, Yuan Shao listened to Feng Ji's plan and secretly informed Han Fu. Han Fu hastily gathered Xun Chen and Xin Ping, two strategists, for consultation. Although these two strategists were not very famous, they were the left and right military advisors of Hebei Province at that time. Look at such people who can be military advisors, how can Han Fu, the governor of Hebei Province, not leave the historical stage? Xun Chen presented a plan, saying: "Gongsun Zan will lead the troops from Yan and Dai to launch a long-distance attack, and his sharpness cannot be resisted. Moreover, there are iron knights in Youzhou who have been fierce since ancient times, and it is difficult to resist them. Now Yuan Shao is wise and brave, with many famous generals under him. The general can invite him to govern the state together, and he will definitely treat the general generously, and there will be no worries about Gongsun Zan." Han Fu immediately sent a special envoy, Guan Chun, to invite Yuan Shao. The long historian, Geng Wu, repeatedly advised against it, saying: "Yuan Shao is a lonely guest with a poor army, relying on us for survival, like an infant in the palm of one's hand, and if we cut off his milk, he will starve to death immediately. Why do you want to entrust him with state affairs? This is like introducing a tiger into a flock of sheep!" Han Fu did not listen to Geng Wu's advice, saying: "I am a former official of the Yuan family, and my ability is not as good as that of Benchu. In ancient times, those who chose the virtuous would yield to them, why are you all jealous?" Geng Wu sighed and said: "Hebei Province is finished!" As a result, more than 30 people abandoned their posts and left. Only Geng Wu and Guan Chun hid outside the city, waiting for Yuan Shao, preparing to launch a surprise attack on him. This is indeed a good saying that it is difficult to advise those who are destined to die, and true loyal ministers have iron bones that ring out for the king!

  Time passed quickly, and after several days, Yuan Shao led his troops to arrive. Geng Wu and Guan Chun immediately drew their swords and wanted to kill Yuan Shao. Behind Yuan Shao were Yan Liang and Wen Chou, who immediately grabbed Geng Wu and Guan Chun, and Yuan Shao angrily ordered Yan Liang to behead Geng Wu and Wen Chou to kill Guan Chun. Unfortunately, the two loyal ministers were killed in this way. On the other hand, Yuan Shao entered Ji Province and made Han Fu the General of Vigorous Might, which was just a nominal position with no real power. He also appointed Ju Shou, Xu You, and Feng Ji to share the governance of Ji Province, which meant that they had taken away all of Han Fu's power. Han Fu regretted it too late, so he abandoned his family and fled to join Zhang Miao, the governor of Chenliu. This was a case of not listening to loyal ministers' words, and now there is only regret!

  But Gongsun Zan had just raised troops to conquer Ji Province, only to be informed that Yuan Shao had already occupied it. Enraged, Gongsun Zan sent his brother Gongsun Yue to meet with Yuan Shao and negotiate a settlement, with the goal of dividing the territory of Ji Province between them.

  Yuan Shao did not hastily respond to Gongsun Yue, and instead followed the advice of Shen Pei, saying: "Such a major matter, I must ask your brother to come himself. How can we discuss such an important matter with someone else?" Seeing Yuan Shao's words, Gongsun Yue had no choice but to bid farewell and return to see his elder brother Gongsun Zan.

  But Gongsun Yue had not gone fifty miles when a group of soldiers suddenly appeared on the side of the road, shouting: "I am the general of the Han Dynasty's Dong Chengyuan!" Arrows rained down and killed Gongsun Yue. His attendants escaped and returned to see Gongsun Zan, reporting that Gongsun Yue had been killed. Gongsun Zan and Gongsun Yue were two brothers who grew up together from a young age, and in any dangerous situation, Gongsun Zan would not dare let his younger brother Gongsun Yue take the risk, showing how deeply he loved his brother. Gongsun Zan also thought that Yuan Shao might regret it, but as the saying goes, "When two armies clash, do not kill the messenger." So Gongsun Zan put his mind at ease, but did not expect Yuan Shao to be so ruthless. Gongsun Zan was furious and said: "Yuan Shao lured me into rebelling against Han Fu, but he himself took advantage of the situation; now he has tricked Dong Zhuo's soldiers into killing my brother! My brother and I grew up together from a young age, how can this injustice not be avenged? Pass on the order to mobilize all troops to avenge my brother!" As soon as Gongsun Zan gave the order, who dared to disobey? The various generals immediately mobilized their troops and rushed towards Ji Province. But why did Yuan Shao dare to commit such a heinous act of killing the messenger? The reason is simple: Yuan Shao was a man who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals. He saw that Gongsun Zan had clearly taken Liu Bei's side in the matter of the imperial jade seal, so he acted in this way. However, he did not expect Gongsun Zan to see through his plot to kill Gongsun Yue by disguising his soldiers as Dong Zhuo's generals, and to mobilize his troops so quickly to take revenge on him. If this battle is lost, not only will the Ji Province that has been obtained have to be given up, but Yuan Shao's own head will also be handed over to Gongsun Zan! Yuan Shao ordered his troops to prepare for battle and attack Gongsun Zan's army.

  Yuan Shao led three armies out of Ji Province as soon as he knew that Gongsun Zan had started a rebellion, preparing to engage in battle with him at the Pan River. As expected, the two armies met at the Pan River after only a few days: Yuan Shao's army was on the east side of the bridge, while Gongsun Zan's army was on the west side.

  Gongsun Zan stood on the bridge and shouted insults at Yuan Shao, calling him a traitor and accusing him of killing his brother. Yuan Shao rode up to the edge of the bridge and retorted that he had taken over Ji Province because its previous governor, Han Fu, was incompetent, and that Gongsun Zan had no right to interfere.

  Gongsun Zan became enraged and called Yuan Shao a heartless and ruthless person who had no face to show in the world. Yuan Shao also became angry and asked who could capture Gongsun Zan. Before he finished speaking, Wen Chou rode up to the bridge on horseback, spear in hand, and charged straight at Gongsun Zan.

  Gongsun Zan fought back with his steel spear, but was no match for Yuan Shao's army. After less than a dozen exchanges, Gongsun Zan retreated in disarray, pursued by Wen Chou. Gongsun Zan fled into the mountains, with Wen Chou hot on his heels.

  Just as Wen Chou was about to catch up to Gongsun Zan, a young general appeared out of nowhere and charged at Wen Chou, saving Gongsun Zan's life. The young general fought valiantly against Wen Chou for dozens of rounds, but neither side could gain the upper hand.

  Meanwhile, reinforcements arrived from Gongsun Zan's camp, and Wen Chou retreated back to Yuan Shao's main army. The young general did not pursue him.

  Gongsun Zan thanked the young general and asked his name. The young general replied that he was Zhao Yun, a native of Changshan in Zhending, and that he had been sent by Liu Bei to assist Gongsun Zan in battle. He explained that he had arrived late because he had encountered many obstacles on the way.

  Gongsun Zan was overjoyed and invited Zhao Yun to join him in his camp, where they would prepare for another battle against Yuan Shao.

  The next day at dawn, before the sun had fully risen, Gongsun Zan divided his cavalry into two wings, like a pair of wings. There were over 5,000 horses, mostly white horses. Because Gongsun Zan had fought against the Qiang people before and had chosen only white horses as vanguards, he was known as the White Horse General; whenever the Qiang people saw the white horses, they would run away, so there were many white horses. The 30,000 iron cavalry of the Yizhou army led by Zhao Yun were stationed in the center of the formation, ready to fight against Yuan Shao!

  Yuan Shao, still a hero at this time, immediately prepared to welcome the battle. He ordered Yan Liang and Wen Chou to be the vanguard, each leading 1,000 archers and crossbowmen, divided into two teams on the left and right; ordering those on the left to shoot Gongsun Zan's right army, and those on the right to shoot Gongsun Zan's left army. Again, he ordered Mai Yi to lead 800 archers, 15,000 infantrymen, arrayed in the middle of the formation waiting for Zhao Yun's central army. Yuan Shao himself led tens of thousands of cavalry and infantry, supporting from behind. When Yuan Shao learned that Zhao Yun was leading the Yizhou army to assist Gongsun Zan, he became enraged and said: "One day I will capture Liu Bei alive!" But this was just a dream, one that would never come true! Gongsun Zan sent his general Yan Liang as the vanguard. Zan himself led the central army, standing on the bridge, with a large red flag with golden threads and the character for "commander" in front of him. From the time of the fifth watch until noon, Yuan Shao's army did not advance hastily. The infantry was facing off against the cavalry; if they were to rush forward, they would become live targets for the cavalry. This simple logic Yuan Shao still understood, and so his army did not move forward.

  Here is the translation:

  "This man, Miu Yi, is not simple. He can be considered one of the top generals of the Three Kingdoms period. According to the 'Records of Heroes', it was written: '...The two armies clashed at Jieqiao Bridge, twenty miles south. Miu Yi's infantry numbered over 30,000, forming a square formation, with cavalry on both wings, each numbering over 5,000. White Horse General Yi followed as the central pillar, also dividing into two teams. ... Cao Shao ordered Miu Yi to lead the vanguard with 800 soldiers, supported by strong crossbows on both sides. Shao himself led tens of thousands of infantry in a formation behind. ... When Cao saw that his troops were outnumbered, he released his cavalry to trample them. But Miu Yi's troops all hid under their shields and didn't move. Before they got within several dozen feet, they suddenly rose up together, raised dust, shouted loudly, and charged forward, with strong crossbows firing in a downpour, hitting everyone they aimed at. They beheaded Cao's appointed General of Ji Province, Yan Nian, and over 1,000 others. Cao's army was defeated, and his infantry and cavalry fled without stopping. Miu Yi pursued them to Jieqiao, where Cao's rear guard fought back on the bridge. Miu Yi broke through again, reaching Cao's camp, pulling out its gate, and the remaining troops in the camp all scattered and ran away. ... (Shao's original camp had few soldiers) Cao's cavalry of over 2,000 horses arrived, surrounding Shao multiple times, with arrows raining down... Just as Miu Yi arrived to welcome them, they dispersed." This is the record of Miu Yi in 'Records of Heroes'!"

  At this time, Mai Yi ordered the archers to hide behind the arrow shields, only listening to the sound of cannons and shooting arrows at Gongsun Zan's and Zhao Yun's cavalry. Yan Liang shouted loudly, rushing straight towards Mai Yi. The soldiers saw Yan Liang's army approaching, all hiding motionless; until they got close, a cannon sounded, and 800 archers shot together. Yan Liang hastily retreated, but was struck by Mai Yi's horse whip and sword, beheaded on the spot, and Gongsun Zan's army suffered a great defeat.

  The two armies on both sides wanted to come and rescue, but were blocked by Yan Liang and Wen Ping's archers. Yuan Shao in the rear saw this and ordered the whole army to advance together, taking advantage of the opportunity at hand, killing all the way to the edge of the bridge. Mai Yi arrived, first beheading the flag-bearing general, cutting down the embroidered flag.

  Gongsun Zan saw the embroidered flag fall, turned his horse around and fled under the bridge. Mai Yi led the army straight into the rear, colliding with Zhao Yun, who held a spear and rode a horse, rushing towards Mai Yi. Zhao Yun faced Mai Yi's horse, holding a spear and stabbing forward, three spears in a row, each one faster than the last, each one more ruthless than the last, like shooting stars chasing the moon, this was Zhao Yun's spear technique.

  Mai Yi fought with Zhao Yun for less than a few rounds, when Zhao Yun stabbed Mai Yi under his horse. This was because Li You had strict orders not to let Zhao Yun take Mai Yi's life, so Zhao Yun ordered someone to bind Mai Yi. Zhao Yun rode his horse into Yuan Shao's army, and the Yizhou cavalry behind him were already in sync with Zhao Yun, closely following.

  Zhao Yun led the Yizhou iron cavalry, charging left and right, like entering a deserted land, Zhao Yun's steel spear was even more deadly, touching meant death, rubbing meant extinction. Only then did they turn the tide of Gongsun Zan's defeat, if not for Zhao Yun leading the Yizhou army to reinforce, it could be said that Gongsun Zan's defeat was already settled.

  Gongsun Zan saw Zhao Yun's bravery, blocking Yuan Shao's army from advancing, and immediately led his troops to counterattack. Yuan Shao's army suffered a great defeat and retreated.

  But then Yuan Shao first sent a scout to observe, and the report came back that Kou Feng had beheaded the general and seized the flag, so Yuan Shao was overjoyed; therefore he did not make any preparations, and together with Xun You led several hundred halberd-wielding soldiers and dozens of archers on horseback, riding out to observe, laughing loudly and saying: "Gongsun Zan is a useless general! Although he has the brave general Zhao Yun assisting him, I have Kou Feng so this battle is already won!" Xun You also said: "General Kou Feng is truly valiant, very knowledgeable about military tactics, and skilled at using troops, really an exceptional general!" Just as Yuan Shao was speaking with Xun You, suddenly he saw Zhao Yun charging to the front. The archers were about to shoot when Zhao Yun flew in on horseback, stabbing several people in a row, and the soldiers all fled. From behind, Gongsun Zan's army surrounded them layer by layer. Xun You hastily said to Yuan Shao: "My lord, please hide in the empty wall!" Yuan Shao used his shield to cover himself, shouting loudly: "A great man would rather die on the battlefield, how can he enter a wall and hope to survive?" The soldiers all fought with one heart, but Zhao Yun charged forward, encountering Wen Chou and Yan Liang who were unable to get in. In the end Yuan Shao's army was numerous and powerful, and Li Jue had said to Zhao Yun before that this battle did not need to be fought to the death, it was just for Gongsun Zan to live a few more days, to restrict the development of the north. At this time Yuan Shao's large army arrived, and Xun You also led his troops to arrive, killing in two directions at once. Zhao Yun could only lead the Yizhou iron cavalry to protect Gongsun Zan, breaking through the heavy encirclement and returning to Jieting Bridge. Yuan Shao personally led his soldiers in a big advance, again chasing them across the bridge, and those who fell into the water were countless.

  Yuan Shao rushed to the front, but before he could get within five miles, a loud shout erupted from behind the mountain. A group of soldiers emerged, led by three generals: Wu Ban, Wu Yi, and Leng Bao. These three had recently stolen away from Liu Bei's camp without achieving any military merit. Liu Bei knew that Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao were at odds with each other, so he sent the three to assist Zhao Yun in battle. However, Zhao Yun was worried about a possible change in the situation, so he ordered the three to lead 5,000 soldiers every day to guard the rear. The three of them rode their horses and wielded their weapons as they rushed forward, heading straight for Yuan Shao.

  Yuan Shao had no idea that Zhao Yun had set up an ambush here or how many soldiers were involved. He was so startled that his soul flew out of his body, and he dropped his precious sword on the ground. In a panic, he turned his horse around and fled, with his men rushing to rescue him across the bridge.

  Gongsun Zan also retreated back to his camp. Wu Ban, Wu Yi, and Leng Bao returned to Zhao Yun's command, and Gongsun Zan sincerely said, "If not for Liu Bei sending General Zilong to come and save me, I would have been in a desperate situation." At this time, Gongsun Zan still intended to compete with Yuan Shao in Ji Province to see who was superior. However, Li Yu's order from Yi Province had arrived, and Zhao Yun quickly withdrew his troops to return to Yi Province.

  Gongsun Zan could only send more grain and military supplies as a gesture of gratitude! However, Gongsun Zan did not listen to Zhao Yun's suggestion to withdraw his troops and continued to confront Yuan Shao's army at the Pan River in Ji Province. The war situation remained deadlocked!

  However, Yuan Shao hesitated and lost for a while, seeing Zhao Yun's bravery, his heart was chilled, listening to Shen Pei's suggestion, facing off against Gongsun Zan, but firmly defending without going out, waiting for Gongsun Zan's food to run out, before engaging in battle with him.

  Yuan Shao's army and Gongsun Zan's army, the two armies confronted each other at Ping River in Ji Province for over a month. Someone came to Chang'an to report this to Dong Zhuo. Li Ru advised Dong Zhuo: "Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan are also heroes of today. Now they are killing each other at Ping River, it's suitable to issue an imperial edict to send someone to mediate between them. The two will be grateful and must obey the Grand Tutor." Dong Zhuo was overjoyed and said: "My son-in-law's words are very good!" The next day, he sent Taifu Ma Rong and Taipu Zhao Qi to deliver the edict. When they arrived at Hebei, Yuan Shao came out to welcome them from a hundred miles away and bowed to receive the edict. This was just a pretentious act. The next day, the two of them went to Gongsun Zan's camp to announce the imperial edict, and Gongsun Zan sent an envoy to deliver a letter to Yuan Shao, and they negotiated with each other. The two returned to the capital to report back. Gongsun Zan immediately withdrew his troops and also sent someone to send 50,000 bundles of grain to Liu Bei in Yi Province, which was already a gesture of gratitude. Now, as Zhao Yun was about to leave, he told Gongsun Zan: "If there is any change in your situation in You Province, you can come to rely on our king, and our king will definitely go out of the pass to welcome you!" However, at this time, Gongsun Zan still had the dream of competing for the whole country and did not take Liu Bei's words seriously.

  Yuan Shu was in Nanyang when he heard that Yuan Shao had newly acquired Ji Province, and sent an envoy to ask for a thousand horses. Yuan Shao refused, and Yuan Shu became angry. From then on, the brothers were not on good terms.

  He again sent an envoy to Jingzhou, asking Liu Biao for 200,000 dan of grain, but Biao also refused. Yuan Shu resented this and secretly ordered people in Jiangdong to spread rumors. What does Yuan Shu want to do after all? Please see the next episode! All kinds of requests, come one by one! New authors should not write books, please encourage more!

  WL Tomorrow is No. 7, I'm still holding on, hoping for a return!