The imperial court's authority still held sway over the people.
Upon hearing Guan Yu's words, Yan Gang dared not reply and looked to Gongsun Zan for help.
"Why waste words with them? Let's let strength speak for itself."
"So what if he's a prince? I've heard that many people in the court want him dead!"
Gongsun Zan sneered, "They're just using the imperial court's name to scare us!"
"If they really had the strength, they would have sent elite troops from Luoyang to fight long ago upon learning of the large-scale invasion by the alien races."
Gongsun Zan always felt that Liu Wei was most likely trying to win him over.
Gongsun Zan also received news that Liu Yu had only 5,000 troops left in Zhuojun, and only 5,000 were trapped in Jixian City.
Liu Wei came from Jizhou. Besides the two thousand cavalry, he also had less than ten thousand Black Mountain soldiers whom he had reportedly recruited in Changshan Kingdom.
All of these together amount to no more than 20,000 soldiers.
Keep in mind that they were facing a nomadic people skilled in mounted warfare.
Moreover, both Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju had served as officials in the Han Dynasty and were not to be underestimated.
After all, there were 200,000 rebel and foreign troops under the walls of Jixian.
Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry was the nemesis of the Wuhuan people.
Liu Wei came to Yi County in person to speak kindly and humbly to him.
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's loud shouting was nothing but bluffing and self-deception; only Liu Wei's own words were reliable.
"My lord, what should we do now?"
Yan Gang, Shan Jing, and Zou Dan asked in unison.
"Let's go up and talk to that prince directly!" A cold smile appeared on Gongsun Zan's handsome face.
The four men, surrounded by dozens of White Horse Cavalry, took a dozen more steps forward and stopped. Gongsun Zan then announced loudly:
"I am Gongsun Zan. May I ask which prince has graced us with his presence?"
Heh, you know the answer already. So these local powerful families are starting to disregard the Liu family now?
Liu Wei snorted coldly in his heart, but his face remained expressionless.
"Gongsun Zan, which prince? Of course, it's the Prince of Yunzhong, the General Who Guards the North!"
"You are nothing but a lowly surrendered captain, what right do you have to speak to His Highness the Prince like this?"
Zhang Liao, who was standing next to Liu Wei, immediately shouted.
"You say I'm just a junior officer? Who are you, and what is your rank?" Gongsun Zan looked down on Zhang Liao because of his youth.
Although Zhang Liao and his two thousand cavalry had confronted him early on, they were only stationed at a distance, and small groups of soldiers negotiated. Gongsun Zan was unaware that the commander of these two thousand cavalry outside the city was such a young man.
"I am Zhang Liao, the General of the Vanguard under the command of General Zhenbei of the King of Yunzhong!"
Zhang Liao said with an arrogant expression.
There are probably only a dozen or so registered generals of the Han Dynasty right now, and Zhang Liao is the only one as young as him!
"What! How is that possible? You're so young and you're already a Lieutenant General? You must have gotten it through connections!"
Gongsun Zan was greatly surprised.
"Hmph, would an imperial decree be false?"
"Gongsun Zan, you're so narrow-minded in Yi County, you naturally couldn't have imagined this!"
Zhang Liao shouted, "My lord is giving you one last chance. If you dismount now, surrender, and obey the command of the General of the North, and expel the barbarians, your merits will outweigh your faults!"
"If you continue to go your own way, then we will have no choice but to arrest and prosecute you."
Hahaha!
Gongsun Zan laughed loudly, "Don't give me that, King of the Clouds, why don't you come out yourself? Why are you still having your subordinates speak for you?"
"Is it because you've been living a life of luxury and are afraid of catching a cold from the cold winds of Yan?"
Liu Wei raised the corners of his mouth slightly, but did not answer.
With a mere wave of his hand, Yan Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen rode out on horseback, each carrying a package.
When Gongsun Zan saw the three riders suddenly appear, he immediately became alert. His White Horse Cavalry reacted quickly and surrounded Gongsun Zan's group.
Unexpectedly, when Yan Shiyi and his two companions were about ten paces away from Gongsun Zan and his group, they threw the package they were carrying at them and shouted loudly:
"then!"
Three packages took off and flew to the front of Gongsun Zan and the others.
But they dared not accept it, and cried out in surprise as they stepped back, making room for each other.
The three packages then fell in front of Gongsun Zan and his group, and three pale-faced, unseeing heads rolled out of the packages.
This startled Yan Gang, Shan Jing, Zou Dan, and the others.
Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be the heads of Wei You, Cheng Xu, and Gongsun Ji, preserved in lime.
"ah!"
Gongsun Zan already knew that Liu Wei had killed Wei You and the other two, and he was prepared for it.
However, Liu Wei actually threw the heads of these three men at him during the battle between the two armies, both to disgust him and to intimidate him!
As the three heads rolled out, Gongsun Zan's fantasy that Liu Wei would still humbly beg him to send troops and promise to give him the position of Governor of Youbeiping was shattered.
"If I respect you, you are a prince; if I don't respect you, you are nothing!"
Enraged, Gongsun Zan pointed his spear at Liu Wei and demanded, "What do you want?"
"Gongsun Zan held military power and refused to obey orders. He conspired with Wei You and two others to kill the governor and seize Youzhou."
"We have come here today with our troops to punish you!"
“If anyone else colludes with Gongsun Zan, these three will suffer the same fate.”
At this moment, Liu Wei slowly rode out and said loudly, "I will only punish the ringleaders; the rest will not be held accountable as long as they accept orders."
Liu Wei's words caused a stir among those around Gongsun Zan, their eyes darting around.
Yan Gang, Shan Jing, Zou Dan, and others harbored rebellious intentions and had long been plotting to incite Gongsun Zan to establish a separatist regime and become a king.
But the other ordinary soldiers didn't think that way.
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