Chapter 404: A Just Cause
This was not an opportunity for him to cooperate with the enemy from inside or outside. It was obvious that Cao Cao and Guo Jia, who were present here, had joined forces to lure both him and Zang Hong into this trap.
He couldn't be sure when Zang Hong and Zhang Chao were trapped in the city, and how huge the gap in strength was between the two sides, but he could see the behavior of the defenders in Pingqiu City at this moment. It was definitely not that they found a breakthrough in the stalemate, but that they were desperately grabbing at that life-saving straw in absolute distress.
But when Zang Hong died, this life-saving straw was cut in half.
Following closely behind, Cao Cao's cavalry rushed into the gap in an even more domineering manner. There was no trace of the vulnerable look they had shown before!
Those soldiers who seemed to be in a mess while dodging were actually all elite soldiers selected by Cao Cao while he was waiting for Yuan Shao to fall into his trap. After escaping under the cover of military tents, they had already counterattacked with crossbows for close-range attacks, launching fatal attacks at the identified subordinates of Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao retreated hastily, and under the protection of the private soldiers of the noble families, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He was more grateful than ever that when Xu You suggested that he should not rush to the front, he did not turn a deaf ear to it because of his self-esteem, but stayed under the shelter in accordance with his status.
Otherwise, the one killed by that miraculous arrow would not be Zang Hong, but Yuan Shao!
No, it was useless to think about this brush with death at this moment. If he wanted to escape successfully, he would have to face much more than the arrow he just shot.
He had also heard a familiar voice shouting something, and then, as if afraid that Yuan Shao could not hear it, these soldiers shouted the same sentence in unison, which reached Yuan Shao's ears.
Yuan Shao's face changed.
It would have been fine if they just shouted "attack", but what they shouted was "Welcome General Yuan to Yanzhou"!
He almost lost his breath and fell off his mount.
In the chaotic scene around him, he couldn't be sure where the person who said this was. He only felt that countless gazes that seemed respectful but were actually mocking were falling on his face.
Thinking about how Zhong Yao had escaped before, it was not difficult for Yuan Shao to understand why they would shout such words.
But knowing it is one thing, but being able to face this "honorific title" is another thing!
"Enter the city!" Xu You suddenly spoke, interrupting Yuan Shao's extreme anger at the moment.
In the strange light before his eyes, Yuan Shao even suspected that Xu You was crazy, otherwise why would he propose such a suggestion to enter the city.
Even though there are city walls inside Pingqiu City as a barrier, Zang Hong and Zhang Chao had failed to break out before. With the addition of this team, can they reverse the situation?
"If you withdraw your troops now, can you escape?" Xu You asked hastily, "We are already defeated, but the enemy is well prepared. If you withdraw your troops, order will be disrupted, and there will be disaster. Please immediately escort Zang Ziyuan's body back to Pingqiu City!"
Yuan Shao's eyes never left Xu You's face, so he did not miss it. When he said this, his eyes looked around for a moment, with a bit of disgust in them.
He suddenly realized that Xu You might not have let him enter the city to enter the city, but to replace a group of subordinates who would escort him to escape.
This is the real way to escape!
Yuan Shao no longer hesitated and made a decision immediately.
Around him, there was a group of close bodyguards who had been disguised as business travelers, and at this moment they still looked like elite soldiers. When Yuan Shao gave the order, these guards who were trained as death squads pushed through the crowd and headed towards the direction where Zang Hong fell.
Those children of noble families who had been frightened by the real scene of swords and guns before them were already in a state of panic. When they saw General Yuan Shao making a move, they hurriedly followed him, fearing that they would fall behind by even a step and become victims of this battle.
These actions, one after another, made the counter-current entering the city led by Yuan Shao not seem very conspicuous.
When Yuan Shao approached the city, Zang Hong stood out among the soldiers and provided Yuan Shao, who was carrying his body back to the city, with extremely thoughtful protection.
That was the last respect a soldier showed to a general.
But Yuan Shao obviously did not have any special thoughts about this. When the sounds of arrows piercing the bodies of soldiers and swords clashing causing deaths and injuries were finally stopped around him, he breathed a long sigh of relief.
Then he heard Xu You's second suggestion to him.
Yuan Shao did not dare to hesitate at all in the face of life-threatening situations. He immediately found Zhang Chao, who had also retreated back to the city, under the guidance of his soldiers, and said sternly, "Open the four city gates, and we will rush out one by one. Now everyone outside the city thinks we are trying to defend the city, so Cao A Man's elite troops have gathered there. On the contrary, the defenses in other places are the most lax, which is our chance."
"But..." Zhang Chao felt that this plan was not right.
Such a scattered escape might be their way to send some people away, but it would inevitably involve the sacrifice of most of them.
But he had just started when Yuan Shao interrupted him: "Zhang Menggao, do you have any other options? The team I brought with me is the last one in Yanzhou that can come to support us, and Zang Ziyuan has died in the attempt to break out. It is better to have a way to survive than for all of us to die here!"
Zhang Chao's prestige was not as high as his brother's, nor was his intelligence as good as Zang Hong's. After both of them died, although he did not dare to expose his panic in front of his soldiers, he still couldn't help feeling a little anxious in his heart.
So much so that in the face of Yuan Shao's harsh words, he only hesitated for a moment and Yuan Shao snatched the initiative away from him.
Who can question Yuan Shao's decision at this moment?
The sentence "Just because he is the general of the dynasty" was enough to make these devastated troops obey his orders.
The mobilization of the army did not take long, and Yuan Shao did not want to ensure that all of them could be safe while fleeing in all directions. So when Cao Cao rode his horse to the breakthrough point chosen by Yuan Shao, the gates of Pingqiu City suddenly opened, and the defenders in the city and the soldiers brought by Yuan Shao all rushed out of the city at this moment.
At this moment, the light has turned from the dim light of the early morning to the rising red sun, but when these soldiers are running around, trying to fight their way out, the light cannot make it possible to tell where Yuan Shao is and where Zhang Chao is.
Perhaps because they could see the surrounding situation more clearly in the daytime and knew that this was their last chance, these soldiers displayed an astonishing momentum, and even made people feel for a moment that the capabilities they displayed were by no means at the level of the Chenliu garrison or the private soldiers of the aristocratic families.
Facing such a situation, Cao Cao couldn't help but frown and sighed, "I still underestimated Yuan Benchu's ability to respond."
"No, you should say that there are still capable people around him." Guo Jia continued.
Yuan Shao might lose his sense of proportion, but the people under his command would not do so in order to save their own lives.
The more dangerous the situation, the greater the effect that such quick-witted strategists can have.
While the two were talking, the encircling troops had already shot a volley of arrows at the soldiers who were trying to break out. The group charging first simply could not stand their ground in the face of such an unabated obstruction.
Guo Jia noticed with his sharp eyes that one of the fallen men looked familiar, as if he was a member of the Qiao family from Yanzhou who had once been to Chang'an.
Whether it was because of the arrow piercing his body or the inevitable trampling after falling on the battlefield, he had no chance of survival.
But Guo Jia could be sure that that was the result that would appear if the children of aristocratic families followed Yuan Shao, not Yuan Shao!
Considering how much Yuan Shao valued his life, and with Xu You by his side giving him advice, there was no way he would appear in this group of people.
These soldiers who were running in all directions to identify where the defense was the weakest were the pathfinders Yuan Shao used as sacrifices to allow himself to escape.
Sure enough, they later heard their subordinates report that several teams of cavalry had broken through the camp defenses to the east and fled.
Because they appeared too suddenly, and at the same time a group of cavalry was fleeing northward, the group heading east could not be successfully intercepted.
When the northern group was captured by Cao Hong and escorted to Cao Cao, he and Guo Jia looked at each other and saw each other's guess -
Yuan Shao was probably among the cavalry fleeing eastward.
It was because the person being escorted here at this moment was Zhang Chao.
Then the one who successfully escaped was Yuan Shao.
Yuan Shao, who once served as the General of the Tiger Guards in Luoyang City, no matter how many mistakes he made in decision-making, it would not change the fact that he was not weak in riding and shooting. The years of luxury did not affect his ability to use all his strength in this situation. Moreover, when Xu You's judgment really helped him a lot, he followed the other party's command and rushed out from the gap in the military camp.
Fleeing directly north back to Jizhou is definitely not their first choice at the moment.
On the contrary, there may still be a glimmer of hope in the east!
But they were not safe yet.
Guo Jia and other cavalrymen entered Yanzhou from the direction of Hulao Pass. Most of the horses they used were descendants of Ferghana horses and famous horses from Bingzhou. When Yuan Shao and others fought their way out, they followed closely behind.
Yuan Shao didn't dare to look back at all. He could only rely on the fact that he, Xu You and his personal attendants had better horses and left the rest of the people who were traveling with them behind. With the help of these people, he was able to slowly shake off the pursuers from behind.
Under the pressure of escaping death, his heart almost jumped out of his chest, and even his breathing became rapid, but he knew clearly that now was not the time for him to stop.
When the outline of the city vaguely appeared in front of him, Yuan Shao even had an urge to cry for joy.
But he suddenly realized that this was not Changyi and Juye that had expressed their welcome to him on the way, but Dingtao with its gates locked.
But Dingtao also has its advantages.
If they could turn a blind eye to his march into Chenliu, would they also be able to ignore his escape at this moment?
What's more, when he broke out of the siege trap set by Cao Cao and others, his face looked much dirtier than when he came in, and his helmet was lost at some point, so he didn't look like he did before. Perhaps they would not regard him as an important figure, but just a fleeing cavalryman.
Maybe I can get through this place safely.
But before Yuan Shao could pass the city of Dingtao, a rain of arrows suddenly shot out from the top of the city and covered the direction where he was.
He hurriedly pulled the reins and made the horse gallop away from the city wall, but he still couldn't prevent his mount from being hit by an arrow and falling off the horse.
The impact of the sand and gravel when he landed almost made Yuan Shao faint from the severe pain, but at this moment another voice was transmitted to his ears in a clearer way.
The Dingtao garrison commander on the city wall rushed out from the north gate, shouting "Yuan Shao, don't run away!"
This split second of glance was enough for Yuan Shao to recognize the other person's identity.
He had seen that man beside Cao Cao during the battle against Dong Zhuo.
Who else could it be if not Cao Cao’s cousin Cao Ren.
Perhaps he had already appeared here a long time ago and had misled him by closing the city gates. Or perhaps he was sent here after Zhong Yao reported to Cao Cao as another obstacle to prevent Yuan Shao from escaping. In short, when Yuan Shao was already in a desperate situation, the appearance of Cao Ren made his heart sink even more.
Yuan Shao clenched his teeth tightly.
The cavalry rushed out of the city and it wouldn't take long for them to appear in front of him!
Perhaps it would take less than a few breaths to capture him.
But he had finally escaped from Pingqiu City, so how could he be willing to fail here again?
Faced with the choice between life and death, Yuan Shao pulled Xu You, who was trying to help him up and ride away, off the horse, turned over and jumped onto the horse's back, and taking advantage of the gap when Cao Ren's arrows stopped shooting when he left the city, he whipped his horse and headed north without any hesitation.
Dingtao is close to the Ji River. It was where Qiao Yan beheaded the enemy twelve years ago. This is a warning to the souls of the Qiao couple.
Because the drought this year is not as severe as in previous years, the water flow in the Jishui River even seems a little turbulent due to the spring showers.
Yuan Shao knew clearly that if he tried to continue fleeing, with his cavalry's exhaustion from galloping, he would never be able to compete with Cao Ren's team that was waiting for an opportunity.
Therefore, his only chance to escape was to immediately cross the floating bridge over the Jishui River, and then cut the bridge with a knife, using the cover of the water flow to intercept Cao Ren on the other side!
This chance of survival had already appeared in his mind without Xu You telling him, so he didn't need the other party's existence to continue to slow him down!
He did not look back to see how Cao Ren's men pinned Xu You to the ground and captured him. He just ran onto the pontoon bridge without stopping and headed towards the other side at the fastest speed the horse could run.
But Cao Ren, who was chasing after them, was no match for them!
The shaking of the floating bridge, the influence of the wind, and Yuan Shao's swaying left and right as he fled in a panic made it extremely difficult for the arrows to hit him.
However, Cao Ren, who was riding on his horse, had no time to care about so many things.
He drew the bow and arrow at hand, and while his horse continued to run faster, he shot three arrows at Yuan Shao in succession.
Two of them, one missed, one pierced the back of Yuan Shao's entourage, and the last one pierced the leg of the horse Yuan Shao was riding.
The change of rider had already put the horse in an extremely anxious state. Running all the way from Pingqiu to Dingtao without stopping had made it even more exhausted. When the arrow hit it, although the injury was not fatal, the horse still fell over due to a momentary convulsion, and threw Yuan Shao directly into the Jishui River.
The consequence of wearing armor was that General Yuan sank immediately.
Cao Ren: “…”
This seemed to be different from what he expected.
But it doesn't matter if there is a little difference, since Yuan Shao is already in such a desperate situation anyway.
He immediately grabbed the reins and pointed in the direction where Yuan Shao fell into the water, "Someone, quickly fish this thief out for me."
If we don't take this opportunity to strike hard at the fallen dog, when will we wait?
But when Cao Cao, Guo Jia and others arrived here, they saw Cao Ren appearing in front of them with a look of asking for forgiveness.
There were two objects in front of him.
Xu You was tied up, and the armor on Yuan Shao.
Cao Cao asked in amusement and anger: "What are you doing?"
Cao Ren, who asked for apology by carrying a bundle of thorns on his back, actually had to bear a lot of thorns on his back, and there was no discount at all.
Cao Ren lowered his head and replied, "I didn't expect Yuan Shao to be able to escape under such circumstances, and I was unable to stop him."
The Yuan family of Runan lives in an area with extensive waterways, so it is not surprising that Yuan Shao would go swimming.
Yuan Shao's heroic qualities finally broke out at this moment. The moment he fell into the water, he decisively discarded his armor, and while Cao Ren and others had not noticed his actions, he swam directly upstream of the Jishui River instead of downstream.
The upper reaches of the Jishui River is exactly the direction of Pingqiu where he was previously. From an ordinary person's perspective, how could he fall into the trap at this time?
But Yuan Shao didn't really want to return to Cao Cao. He just wanted to avoid Cao Ren's search in the river and find a place to land.
When Cao Ren thought of going in the opposite direction, Yuan Shao had already landed on one side of the river.
Then he completely disappeared from the sight of those who were trying to capture him.
Yuan Shao was the only one left, and he didn't even have a mount. If he could find a place to change into civilian clothes, he would appear even more inconspicuous in Yanzhou.
Cao Ren was regretting his decision to death.
He shouldn't have thought about capturing Yuan Shao alive and taking his life directly, but now he has given him the opportunity to escape.
If Yuan Shao caused them any trouble after returning to Yecheng, the blame would be entirely on him.
"No..." Guo Jia suddenly interrupted Cao Ren's apology, "Yuan Benchu is more useful alive than dead."
This civil strife among the Yanzhou family must be led by a person of higher status.
No one is more suitable for this position than Yuan Shao.
The world has suffered from famine for two years, and the situation is slightly better this year. Those who caused the civil strife in Yanzhou should be condemned even more!
Isn't this the same thing as when the Yong Dynasty attacked the Yecheng court?
Another unfounded accusation?
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