After killing Liu Biao, Wang Han spent a day rallying the people and selecting temporary representatives to take control of the situation in Jingzhou. He then instructed them to await the arrival of officials from Bingzhou before leaving Jingzhou. After leaving Jingzhou, Wang Han no longer concealed his whereabouts and openly headed towards Yangzhou, which was controlled by Liu Yan. However, this time Wang Han did not rush, but rather seemed to be sightseeing. His presence became widely known, and wherever he went, the people lined the streets to welcome him.
Meanwhile, news of Wang Han's departure, his killing of Yuan Shu and Liu Biao, and his seizure of their territories spread rapidly. Various warlords and powerful clans knew that the Marquis of Dingshan was serious this time, and everyone was gripped by fear, worried that they would be his next target. They were also anxious, fearing that the Marquis of Dingshan would successfully abolish the imperial system. Liu Yan, upon learning that the Marquis of Dingshan was heading towards Yangzhou, was even more frantic, like an ant on a hot pan. Wang Han had already killed Yuan Shu and Liu Biao, and now he was on his way to Yangzhou; it seemed that Liu Yan would be next.
As for the reason why Liu Biao rebelled first and wanted to kill the Marquis of Dingshan, and was then killed by the Marquis of Dingshan, in the eyes of these warlords, killing is killing. The reason is just an excuse to tell the public and is not important. What matters is the result and the impact of the event.
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Yizhou, Chengdu. (This was the name during the Three Kingdoms period, and it was also an important city during that time.)
"My lord, this is a secret letter from Yuan Shao, delivered by his spies in Chengdu." In Liu Yan's residence, a guard handed him a letter.
Liu Yan took the letter and took out several thin slips of paper. Although the handwriting was small, it was indeed Yuan Shao's own handwriting, and the letter had been sent by carrier pigeon.
"Lord Liu Yan, although Marquis Dingshan is now powerful and has a strong army, and his prestige is high, he has already gained control of most of the world. Marquis Dingshan's actions today are bound to be aimed at controlling the world and forcibly abolishing the imperial system. However, his attempt to abolish the imperial system left by our ancestors is ultimately unacceptable and will inevitably cause endless trouble in the future. His actions are even worse than those of the traitor Dong Zhuo back then."
"If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason. There was Qiao Mao before, and now there are Liu Biao and Yuan Shu. These three are examples of what has happened before. Now that Marquis Dingshan is coming to you, he will surely kill you."
"Now, we, the various lords, have only one path left: to join forces and kill Marquis Dingshan. Otherwise, we will surely die at his hands in the future. Marquis Dingshan is currently alone and his whereabouts are clear, presenting an excellent opportunity to kill him. With Marquis Dingshan dead, his regime will inevitably fall into chaos. Cao Cao is also leading riflemen outside and cannot return to provide reinforcements in time. With Gongsun Zan as an inside agent, taking his territory will be as easy as turning one's hand. This is a golden opportunity, and our last chance. I currently have more than 3,500 trusted confidants, clan soldiers, and elite warriors. I have already secretly taken all the muskets to Yizhou. If Lord Liu Yan is willing to join forces to kill Marquis Dingshan, they can be placed under your command."
"After killing Marquis Dingshan, we, the other lords, can share Marquis Dingshan's territory: Bingzhou, Yizhou, Yuzhou, Qingzhou, ?zhou, Sili, Jingzhou, the grasslands, the desert, and the former territory of Yuan Shu. We will also sign a non-aggression pact."
"My lord, a spy from Sun Ce in Yangzhou has sent an urgent message." Liu Yan had just finished reading Yuan Shao's letter when his personal guard delivered another urgent message. The same few small slips of paper, the same handwriting, and largely the same words, all conveyed the same message: to join forces to kill the Marquis of Dingshan, to annex the Marquis of Dingshan's territory, and to develop together.
"My lord, an urgent message has arrived from Ma Teng in Liangzhou."
"My lord, Gongsun Zan from Youzhou has sent a message by carrier pigeon."
"My lord, Zhang Xiu has sent an urgent message."
In the following days, Liu Yan received letters from other feudal lords and many powerful clans, all of whom expressed that this was an excellent opportunity to kill the Marquis of Dingshan, and also their last chance. They were all willing to send their trusted men and assassins to join them in killing the Marquis of Dingshan.
Many people from other ethnic groups expressed their willingness to participate. After all, Marquis Dingshan was also a formidable obstacle for them, a sharp and dangerous one. Given his attitude towards the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuan, he could turn his sword against them at any moment, annihilating them. Moreover, they did not want to see a Central Plains region grow strong under Marquis Dingshan's leadership. Even if they failed in the future, the Central Plains was already quite powerful. They knew very well the consequences of having a tiger lying beside them. Two tigers cannot share one mountain. Unless it was a sick tiger, it would never allow them to grow strong and could devour them whole at any time. The Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuhuan were good examples; they were either scattered or had no place to live. Even if they were not wiped out, they were on the verge of extinction.
The constant stream of secret letters strengthened Liu Yan's resolve, and the arrival of feudal lords and powerful clansmen further boosted his confidence. Meanwhile, a grand plan was slowly taking shape.
This event was recorded in history and later generations called it the final act of resistance, also known as the "mantis trying to stop a chariot" incident. Of course, these are all hindsight, and even Wang Han could not have foreseen it.
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A month later, a general came to report: "My lord, the scouts we sent out have reported that Marquis Dingshan has now entered Yizhou. At his current pace, he is expected to reach Sanzu Cliff in two to ten days."
"Two to ten days, could you be more specific about the timeframe?" Liu Yan asked, dissatisfied. The timeframe was too long. If they wouldn't arrive for another ten days, they couldn't just wait eight. A large army gathering and lying in ambush would not only be a problem with supplies, but more importantly, it would easily expose them prematurely, leading to failure.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yan's general quickly explained, "My lord, it's not that we don't want to, but Marquis Dingshan is too strong. After killing Yuan Shu, he arrived in Jinling City, Jingzhou, within a day, faster than a flying pigeon. So even if someone interferes with his journey, the fastest time he is expected to reach Sanzu Cliff is only two days, or even less. If he continues to travel like this, it may take more than ten days. That's why we reported it this way."
"..." Upon hearing this, Liu Yan fell silent. The Marquis of Dingshan was powerful, which meant that even if the Marquis of Dingshan was alone, there were many uncertain factors in killing him.
"Zhang Lu, with 23,000 muskets and 180,000 men, do you really think we can be absolutely certain of victory?" Liu Yan asked his subordinate Zhang Lu. Even when it came to actually taking action against the Marquis of Dingshan, Liu Yan wasn't entirely confident. After all, the Marquis of Dingshan's record was simply too formidable. While others might exaggerate their feats to some extent, the Marquis of Dingshan truly and genuinely defeated tens of thousands, even killing tens of thousands single-handedly. Moreover, Liu Biao had previously attempted to use muskets against the Marquis of Dingshan, but with little success.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Lu confidently said, "My lord, we have already made a plan and laid a trap. The terrain of the Three-Legged Cliff is special. With 180,000 people joining forces to besiege Marquis Dingshan, Marquis Dingshan is doomed. Moreover, we are now ready to act. Marquis Dingshan will not let us go. Various lords, foreign tribes, and powerful clans have all placed their bets on us."
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