Chapter 721: Heavy snow covers the bow and sword, Gongsun escapes at night!
revenge!
How many things in this world are more important than a son's revenge for his father?
In today's world, even if a loyal monarch kills his father, the son will stab the monarch for revenge.
This is called filial piety!
When Yuan Shao said in front of everyone that he was willing to seek justice for Liu Shen and take revenge on Gongsun Zan, Liu Shen had no other choice.
He could only agree.
He must agree!
Otherwise, there will be no place for him in this world, and he will be branded as an unfilial person in the history books.
Besides.
Liu Shen looked up at the majestic Yuan Benchu. Why should he refuse?
Yuan Benchu looked at Liu Shen's eyes. He walked down from the top, holding a dagger in his hand, cut the rope that bound Liu Shen, and patted Liu Shen's shoulder hard.
Liu Shen half-knelt on the ground, bowed his head deeply, and said with infinite regret and pain in his tone: "Mr. Yuan is so righteous, I have no way to repay him, no way to repay him.
I also ask Lord Yuan to send troops to avenge my father, and I am willing to offer Youzhou to Lord Yuan."
Yuan Shao placed the dagger in Liu Shen's hand and then wrapped his fingers around the dagger handle one by one.
The cold touch instantly spread from the palm of my hand to my heart.
With a sharp weapon in hand, the desire to kill comes naturally!
Yuan Shao said softly, "I don't know how Lord Bo'an was buried alive for the Han Dynasty, but you, Young Lord, will cut off Gongsun Zan's head with this dagger to commemorate Lord Bo'an's spirit in heaven."
After that, he turned to the people in Hebei and said, "Everyone, why did we come to Youzhou from Yecheng thousands of miles away?
It was because Gongsun Zan attacked Hebei at that time.
Now that Gongsun Zan has attacked and killed Duke Bo'an, the people of the world are outraged. Who can still tolerate such a person living in the world?
I, Yuan Shao, have received your help because of the slight achievements of my ancestors.
For a person like me, what kind of great achievements should I make to justify the disdain of my ancestors?
For decades, I have not been able to find the answer, but at this moment, I only have one idea, and that is to make people like Gongsun Zan pay the price.
I, Yuan Shao, am unwilling to stand under the same blue sky with Gongsun Zan.
He was unwilling to be among the princes together with Gongsun Zan.
People in the world should see that Gongsun Zan, an unkind and unjust person, should have a tragic end. Do you agree with this?"
Everyone in Hebei nodded as if it was natural and said in unison: "Yes!"
As the voices echoed in unison, Yuan Shao said in a loud voice: "Raise the flag, reorganize the army, and then enter Youzhou to kill Gongsun Zan, avenge Lord Bo'an, pacify the people of Youzhou, and make Youzhou peaceful and stable."
“Yes!”
…
Jicheng.
Gongsun Zan rode on a tall horse, looking at this thousand-year-old core of the northern border with a smile in his eyes. After being occupied by Liu Yu for a long time, he finally took over the place again.
He is about to become the undisputed ruler of the entire Youzhou, the highest military and political leader of Youzhou, and the governor of Youzhou.
This is the position he has always been thinking about.
Gongsun Zan, who was full of self-satisfaction, did not notice that almost all the scholars in Youzhou had hidden anger in their eyes. The assassination of Liu Yu almost made Gongsun Zan lose the support of the people in Youzhou.
Gongsun Zan did not understand one thing, that is, the position of Mu of Youzhou was not a monarch position, and could only be chosen from a limited number of heirs.
For example, after Liu Bian died, the only choice was Liu Xie to succeed him.
The governor of Youzhou was an official position that could be held by any prestigious person.
The people of Youzhou did not have to choose between Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan to serve as the governor of Youzhou.
Outside the vast Youzhou, there are countless prestigious people who can serve as the governor of Youzhou.
For example, Yuan Shao, our previous enemy!
The short-sighted Gongsun Zan could not see this at all and was still complacent about his plan to assassinate Liu Yu.
Gongsun Zan was about to head to the city when he saw his lieutenant running towards him, his face filled with panic as he said, "My lord, Yuan Shao is leading the Hebei army back.
Liu Yu's son Liu Shen is in Yuan Shao's army and wants to avenge Liu Shen. What should I do?"
Gongsun Zan's face changed several times. The dealings between him and Yuan Shao were tacit, and no one would believe it if he told others about it.
Everyone around him looked at him with different expressions in their eyes. Gongsun Zan's heart sank, and then he said proudly: "Yuan Shao is just a mere general. I have the Youzhou cavalry, so what do I have to fear?
Follow me to meet the enemy!"
The people in Youzhou thought that Gongsun Zan would say something, but they never expected that Gongsun Zan would talk nonsense.
Don’t you have any idea whether the Youzhou Iron Cavalry can defeat Yuan Shao?
…
When the two armies met, flags covered the sky, soldiers were lined up in a row, soldiers and horses were neighing, and a fierce wind and a biting cold came from the front of the soldiers.
Gongsun Zan immediately rode forward, his cloak fluttering in the fierce wind over Youzhou. He looked tall and majestic, and shouted angrily to Yuan Shao: "Yuan Benchu, I ceded the three counties of Youzhou to you, and you withdrew your troops and left Youzhou. Why are you betraying me and returning now?"
Yuan Shao also rode forward and heard what Gongsun Zan said. He immediately shouted, "Gongsun Bogui, your words are really ridiculous.
Can the mere land of the three counties of Youzhou be compared with benevolence, righteousness and morality?
I, Yuan Shao, was born between heaven and earth. I am a man of integrity. Could I abandon my principles for power and wealth?
You attacked and killed Lord Bo'an innocently, which was simply appalling. If I were to make an appointment with someone like you, wouldn't it be a disgrace to me, Yuan Shao?
I, Yuan Shao, would rather not have Youzhou, but today I will seek justice for Lord Bo'an and ask on behalf of the people of the world what wrong did Lord Bo'an do that made you kill him so brazenly.
Do you understand what I said? "
Gongsun Zan was so angry that he laughed and said, "Yuan Benchu, how can there be such a hypocritical person like you in this world?
Aren't you, Yuan Benchu, the one who led the army to attack Youzhou?
Weren't you, Yuan Benchu, the one who led the army to cripple Liu Yu's army?
Weren't you, Yuan Benchu, the one who suggested that I attack and kill Liu Yu?
How can you stand in front of me and talk about revenge for Liu Yu?
How could Liu Shen regard the thief as his benefactor and even bring the enemy to me?
Isn’t this the most ridiculous thing in the world?”
Liu Shen's face changed when he heard this, but Yuan Shao said calmly: "Gongsun Bogui, is this all you can do to cover it up now?
I attacked Youzhou because of you, Gongsun Zan. What does it have to do with Lord Bo'an?
Lord Bo'an had some misunderstandings about me, Yuan Shao, but I did not blame him.
On the contrary, I, Yuan Shao, have always wanted to support Lord Bo'an as emperor. Doesn't this prove my sincerity?
When two armies engage, both suffer losses. The stronger side suffers less, while the weaker side suffers more. Isn't this the law of nature?
How could he deliberately attack Lord Bo'an's army?
As for how I, Yuan Shao, hinted at you, how did I hint at you? I am now hinting at you to commit suicide. Are you going to commit suicide?
Every word and every sentence is so unbearable.
A person like you can actually be one of the most powerful princes in the world and be ranked alongside me, Yuan Shao. This is simply the greatest shame of my life.
Lord of the Nine Heavens, I, Yuan Shao, solemnly pray to you today. Please grant me divine power so that I can defeat Gongsun Zan and revive the benevolence and righteousness of the world. "
After hearing Yuan Shao's words, Liu Shen calmed down a little and turned to Gongsun Zan and shouted, "Gongsun Zan, you thief!
I will definitely kill you today, I will definitely cut off your head and offer it as a sacrifice at my father's grave, Gongsun Zan, you must die!"
As he was about to charge forward, he was stopped by Yan Liang and Wen Chou. No matter how incompetent Gongsun Zan was, his ability in fighting was impeccable and he was one of the best cavalry commanders in the world. He was only defeated repeatedly because of the psychological trauma he suffered from Yuan Shao.
If a small fry like Liu Shen faced Gongsun Zan, he would just be asking for death.
Of course, Yuan Shao could not let Liu Shen, a man with such great political significance, die at the hands of Gongsun Zan.
The sun is shining in the sky and the light is warm.
Gongsun Zan just felt cold all over. He looked at the Hebei army from afar, which was as quiet as a mountain.
Under the banner of the central army, Yuan Shao stood with his head held high. The Youzhou cavalry could not charge forward and could not defeat the Hebei army.
The illusion that made Gongsun Zan feel terrified appeared again.
Yuan Shao was the threshold that he could never cross. He even began to believe that there was such a thing as restraint in this world.
Perhaps Gongsun Zan was really no match for Yuan Shao. He was defeated in every battle and had no hope of victory.
At this moment, a rider suddenly came to Gongsun Zan from the side army. The man was wearing armor, but his cheeks were slightly pale, and he was obviously a scholar.
When he saw Gongsun Zan, he said loudly: "General Gongsun, I have something to say. Are you willing to listen?"
Gongsun Zan's eyes narrowed, and he said in a deep voice, "Mr. Murong, please continue speaking."
The scholar said directly: "The general has a large number of cavalrymen, but they cannot break through the Hebei army's formation, because they are using their own weaknesses to attack the Hebei army's strengths.
The biggest advantage of cavalry is its flexibility. Although the white horse is gone, has the general forgotten how to use cavalry?
With the number of cavalry under the general's command, he could have avoided a head-on confrontation with Yuan Shao, but instead continued to cut off Yuan Shao's food supply.
He came all the way to Youzhou, and the battle line is so long.
General, lead 10,000 cavalry to cut off the food supply. No matter how strong Yuan Shao's army is, what good will it be if it has no food?"
Upon hearing this, Gongsun Zan felt as if he had been put under a spell. As a top cavalry commander, he had never thought of this.
There was no need for him to fight Yuan Shao here. How could there be an example of cavalry being able to break through an infantry phalanx?
We should continue to harass him with cavalry and cut off his food supply. This is what we should do.
How could Yuan Shao not know about Gongsun Zan's sudden change of formation?
But he just frowned slightly. They were already prepared for Gongsun Zan's style of fighting.
After Gongsun Zan led the cavalry past, dispersed back to their positions, and then slowly retreated to prepare to redistribute combat tasks, Yuan Shao was also calculating where Luo Yan and Qu Yi were. It was time to tie down most of Gongsun Zan's forces.
Seeing that Gongsun Zan listened to his advice, the scholar named Murong breathed a sigh of relief. He was naturally from the State of Yan, but now the ruler of Yan had just assembled the troops from various counties and families in the country and was just preparing to march south.
If Gongsun Zan could not hold on, Yan State might lose the opportunity to enter Youzhou.
Murong was almost despairing of Gongsun Zan. Gongsun Zan could not do anything except fighting.
If it weren't for the fact that the King of Yan liked Gongsun Zan's majesty when he was the White Horse General, Murong would have been ready to let Gongsun Zan die in Youzhou.
…
Gongsun Zan chose to harass Yuan Shao's food supply route, while Yuan Shao defended against Gongsun Zan's harassment on the one hand, and began to contact the people of Youzhou on the other.
Yuan Shao had been in contact with the people of Youzhou for several years, but Youzhou was special. Liu Bei came from Youzhou, and there were quite a lot of Liu clan relatives here.
Because of Liu Yu's existence, even Yuan Shao's reputation as a three-generation official was of no use in Youzhou.
But Gongsun Zan killed Liu Yu.
This completely cleared away the obstacles for Yuan Shao to contact the people of Youzhou, except for Gongsun Zan and the diehard followers of the Gongsun family.
Whether it was the aristocratic families who had inherited the classics, the powerful people who needed military achievements to maintain their wealth, or the ordinary people, they were all extremely dissatisfied with Gongsun Zan, and in response to Yuan Shao's recruitment, they defected to Yuan Shao.
These talents are the real foundation of Youzhou and the cornerstone of Gongsun Zan's rule over Youzhou. But now the cornerstone has been cut off by Yuan Shao.
"I am facing Yuan Shao in Youzhou. Yuan Shao came from afar and I robbed him of his food and fodder. How is it possible that my army is out of food while Yuan Shao is not?"
In the military camp.
Gongsun Zan angrily vented his anger on his quartermaster, who could only hand the food and fodder list to Gongsun Zan tremblingly.
When Gongsun Zan took it and looked at it, he immediately discovered that the famous nobles in Youzhou had reduced the amount of food and fodder they donated and handed over to him by a lot.
Especially compared with the period of Liu Yu, it is simply incomparable. He was immediately angry and said, "Do these tyrants think that my sword is not sharp?
With the enemy at our doorstep, how dare you withhold our army's food and fodder? How dare you have second thoughts?"
He took out a pen and drew a few circles on the list, then threw the list back to the quartermaster and said sternly: "Lead the army to exterminate the families circled and confiscate all their assets.
They are just some businessmen, yet they dare to go against me at this time. Do they want to surrender to Yuan Shao and seek wealth and honor?
It’s just a dream!”
The quartermaster was ordered to leave the camp, and then a large group of soldiers followed him. These soldiers were all Youzhou cavalry. They trampled into the homes of Youzhou's wealthy families, and then killing and looting followed.
Exploded!
The conflicts in the entire Youzhou were almost reaching their peak.
The dissatisfaction of the powerful and prominent families with Gongsun Zan reached its peak. They never expected that Gongsun Zan could actually play such a trick.
Almost all the nobles and powerful families in Youzhou were in danger.
If there is no means of resistance under normal circumstances, then there is nothing we can do but endure, but what is the situation now?
Yuan Shao and Yuan Benchu are in Youzhou!
The Hebei Army is in Youzhou!
Gongsun Zan killed Liu Yu, and the powerful people in Youzhou were dissatisfied.
Liu Shen returned with the Hebei Army, and those who had originally stood on Liu Yu's side turned to Yuan Shao.
Now Gongsun Zan has done this again.
The savior is right before our eyes, who would still be willing to tolerate Gongsun Zan?
After months of confrontation, in the gradually cold winter, the northwest wind blew from the distant grassland, bringing with it a fierce chill.
The powerful and aristocratic families in Youzhou rebelled as expected and reasonable.
What is it like for aristocratic families to rebel?
That is, Gongsun Zan was suddenly cut off from 90% of his food and grass, and even lost control of more than half of his troops.
As for the orders he issued, they became completely empty words.
In this era when the aristocratic and powerful families almost monopolized everything, this was the result of being completely abandoned by them. Almost all scholars came from aristocratic and powerful families, and even if they were from humble backgrounds, they had to follow that set of rules.
Gongsun Zan was on the battlefield, watching helplessly as even many of the Youzhou cavalry turned to attack him. He felt as if he was in an ice cellar, mumbling, "What on earth happened? Why did everyone become rebellious?"
He couldn't figure it out.
Yuan Shao saw it clearly and said to everyone with a smile: "This is what the saints said: those who are in the right path will have many supporters, while those who are in the wrong path will have few supporters.
The people of Youzhou welcomed our army from Hebei with food and drink, and welcomed our army into Youzhou.
And what about Gongsun Zan?
He could only flee in panic, like a mouse that could not see the light of day.
I must learn from Gongsun Zan's current fate and must never end up like him.
Everyone.
Gongsun Zan is doomed to fail. Quickly mobilize the army and follow me into Youzhou!"
Just as Yuan Shao said, the only thing Gongsun Zan could do was to escape. Under attack from both inside and outside, he could only lead the last army loyal to him to escape.
But Gongsun Zan never expected that while he was fleeing all the way to the northeast, he would encounter the Hebei army that suddenly attacked him halfway.
It was the vanguard of death squads led by Luo Yan and Qu Yi and one thousand Hebei cavalry!
Qu Yi felt like he was going to molder after staying in the mountains. He waited and waited, but the orders he received were always "wait".
In particular, Luo Yan kept saying, "Don't worry, General Qu. I believe that the lord can lead the Hebei army to defeat Gongsun Zan. As long as we intercept Gongsun Zan, this will be the greatest achievement.
This is the only way for Gongsun Zan to escape north. If we wait patiently here, there will be a chance for us to show our abilities."
Now Gongsun Zan had finally arrived. Qu Yi could no longer bear it and rushed out from the flank with his vanguard soldiers, while Luo Yan led a thousand Hebei cavalrymen to support them from the side, waiting for an opportunity to defeat Gongsun Zan's line.
But he was really worrying too much.
The sudden appearance of the vanguard death squad scared Gongsun Zan half to death. He never expected to encounter a large-scale Hebei army here, especially the vanguard death squad, which was the elite among the elite.
Or just attack from the flank!
The Youzhou infantry and cavalry were directly cut off in the middle, leaving them unable to take care of each other. Especially when they were fleeing, even the armored soldiers did not wear armor, and the heavy cavalry among the Youzhou Iron Cavalry did not wear armor either.
When they encountered the heavy crossbowmen, it was like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. It was a one-sided massacre and they had no chance of fighting back at all.
When Gongsun Zan saw that the army was in chaos almost instantly, he knew that it was impossible for him to command anymore. If he didn't act decisively, he might die here, so he ordered his soldiers to beat drums immediately.
The sound of the drums is not a sign of attack, but of escape.
The infantry certainly couldn't escape, but the Youzhou cavalry still had a chance to escape. They were not wearing armor and were more than one point faster than the Hebei Army.
But Luo Yan and Qu Yi's target was Gongsun Zan, so it was impossible for them to let him get away like that.
When he saw Gongsun Zan trying to escape, he immediately shouted, "Those who surrender will not be killed! Only the main culprit Gongsun Zan will be executed! Anyone who surrenders Gongsun Zan will be rewarded with ten thousand gold coins!"
All the soldiers shouted at the same time, and the battlefield was filled with echoes.
Gongsun Zan did not expect that Luo Yan and Qu Yi's methods were so insidious. He cursed them angrily and then rode away on his horse.
But Luo Yan and Qu Yi felt relieved because many Youzhou soldiers surrendered and knelt on the ground.
"Gongsun Zan, you can't escape even if you have wings!"
Luo Yan reached out and took out a whistle from her arms. Qu Yi's eyes lit up, and he heard Luo Yan blowing the whistle loudly.
Gongsun Zan only heard an extremely sharp voice ringing in his ears, waves of numbing chills enveloped his vest, and an extremely bad feeling rose in his heart.
"Bah!"
No one was disappointed. There was a sound of birds singing that resounded through the sky. The sound was so shrill that it made people's ears tremble, but it also shocked people's hearts. They could feel a sense of being high above and looking down on all living beings.
Because it looks down on all living things!
The most handsome person in Liaodong is the Saker Falcon!
When the wings are spread, the feathers are like a forest of spears and swords, as if they are about to cut through the sky.
Another voice came out from Luo Yan's whistle, and the Saker Falcon slowly descended, but still hovering in the sky, but it had already set its sights on Gongsun Zan!
Now Gongsun Zan understood what it meant to be unable to escape even if he had wings!
Apart from the legendary divine bird Phoenix, in real life, what other birds can escape the pursuit of the Saker Falcon?
No!
Even birds that can soar into the sky cannot escape from the Saker Falcon, let alone people living on the earth?
If Gongsun Zan did not have many soldiers and sharpshooters around him, Haidongqing would have rushed down and knocked Gongsun Zan off his horse to the ground.
Gongsun Zan led the Youzhou cavalry in a desperate escape, but it was not so easy to escape. He could not go back the same way because Yuan Shao's army was right behind him, so he could only rush forward.
But the vanguard of death was waiting for him there.
Only by paying the price of blood can he break through the blockade of the first-line death soldiers. What he is most grateful for now is that although Youzhou has mountains, it is not too narrow, otherwise he would really have no way to go up to the sky and no door to enter the earth.
Qu Yi came to Luo Yan covered in blood. The blood on his body was naturally from the Youzhou Army. Just as he was about to compliment Luo Yan, he saw Luo Yan's face was very ugly and said: "General Qu, something bad is happening!"
Qu Yi had never seen Luo Yan look so ugly before.
Just as he was about to ask what happened, he felt a slight tremor under his feet. His face changed drastically and he immediately leaned over with his ear to the ground. How could Qu Yi, who was born in Liangzhou, not know what that sound was?
That's the sound of horseshoes hitting the ground!
A large number of cavalry are rushing here, and from the sound, they are no more than two miles away. To the cavalry, a mere two miles is just a blink of an eye.
Qu Yi and Luo Yan looked at each other, with the same expression in their eyes. Qu Yi and Luo Yan shouted at the same time: "Assemble!
Assemble!
Luo Yan said with an unpleasant expression: "It's the army of Yan State!
Gongsun Zan must have already contacted the Yan people. How abominable! When did he get in touch with them? With Gongsun Zan's ability, how could he get in touch with the Yan people?"
Not only Luo Yan, but all the counselors in Hebei would not think of Gongsun Zan contacting Yan State.
Because with Gongsun Zan's wisdom and character, how could he possibly bow down to the State of Yan?
But this is a typical case of being blinded by one's own mistakes. Gongsun Zan did not contact the State of Yan, but the State of Yan would contact Gongsun Zan. With Gongsun Zan's intelligence, the people of Yan could easily fool him and leave him with nothing.
The State of Yan was not a group of brainless warriors, but a state with all kinds of schools. Even the schools of diplomacy and strategists that played with "techniques" were more popular, and they did not attach much importance to things like benevolence, righteousness, and morality.
Boom boom boom!
Not long after Luo Yan and Qu Yi had arranged their troops in a tight battle array, the Yan army appeared.
Countless cavalry!
The elite soldiers in the front were all wearing black armor. Each of these Yan soldiers was very strong. Many of them had some characteristics of the Hu people, but not many.
The most obvious difference is in their faces. The cheeks of these soldiers are extremely rough, which is a characteristic caused by living in ice and snow for many years.
Liaodong!
The conditions there are really too harsh, but those who can survive in difficult areas have terrifyingly strong combat effectiveness.
In today's Central Plains, the strongest troops come from Liangzhou, Bingzhou, Youzhou, and the people living in the mountains in the south.
Gongsun Zan never expected that the turning point would come so quickly. The moment before, he felt that he was doomed, but he didn't expect that the Yan army would descend from the sky the next moment.
He was almost about to cry. I wish God would not let Gongsun Zan die!
The general of Yan State who led the vanguard of Yan State looked at Gongsun Zan who was running for his life, and could not realize that the man in front of him was the White Horse General who fought against their Yan State in the past.
Among the famous generals of Yan State back then, there were not many who could defeat Gongsun Zan. How could he have ended up like this?
"Gongsun Bogui!"
The armored general shouted, "I am the Yanmu of Yan State and your Majesty's brother. Let me ask you, are you willing to submit to the Emperor of Great Yan?"
Emperor of Dayan?
Gongsun Zan was stunned. How could he become the emperor of Dayan?
When did the King of Yan become emperor?
That's what he thought and he asked it.
The general said in a deep voice: "The Han Dynasty has lost the Mandate of Heaven, and our Great Yan will follow the will of Heaven. One day, Your Majesty will announce it to the world.
Now let you know what a great existence you will be serving in the future!"
After a moment of stunned silence, Gongsun Zan changed his mind and realized that whether the King of Yan proclaimed himself emperor or not was none of his business. The most important thing now was to save his life.
Now Yuan Shao is bound to kill him, and the only way to survive is to surrender to the State of Yan.
Moreover, he had tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, all of whom were the elite of Youzhou, and he had the Gongsun clan behind him. Now that Yan State could enter Youzhou smoothly, naturally the assistance of the Gongsun clan was indispensable.
Given the national conditions of Yan State, as long as the Gongsun family is there, it may not be impossible for me to become prominent in Yan State!
Thinking of this, Gongsun Zan dismounted and knelt on one knee, saying in a deep voice: "Gongsun Zan, I am willing to submit to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be safe and happy."
————
Zan relied on his talents and strength to sit in the north, thinking that he was able to wait for changes in the world, but he did not care about the people, remembered the mistakes and forgot the good deeds. His mistakes were similar to those of Yuan Shu. When he attacked Liu Yu, he lost all his popularity and thought that he was defeated by Yuan Shao. He turned his back on Han and went to Yan to live a miserable life. He was unethical and untrustworthy, even more disloyal and unrighteous than Yuan Shu. He is listed at the end of this biography. What happened after he went to Yan is not recorded in this book. ——"Book of the Later Han Dynasty: Biographies of Liu Yan, Liu Biao, Liu Yu, Yuan Shu, and Gongsun Zan"
(End of this chapter)
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