Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3755 Chang Wu
The night was as dark as ink, and the sound of horses' hooves broke the silence.

Turning past the earthen plateau, Du Ji reined in his horse, letting it pant on the rugged mountain path.

He raised his hand to wipe the sweat dripping from his face, his fingertips touching the cold helmet.

Before his departure, Xun You had specially ordered someone to fetch the standard armor, which was now pressing heavily on his shoulders.

The armor of the cavalry.

Du Ji was initially reluctant to wear this armor...

Because he felt he should be a "citizen of the Han Dynasty" rather than a "subordinate of the General of the Cavalry".

Even after becoming the magistrate of Lantian County under the command of the General of the Cavalry, Du Ji still felt that he was merely fulfilling his responsibilities as a subject of the Han Dynasty. He would not resist the orders of Fei Qian's political group, not because of Fei Qian himself, but because Fei Qian had obtained the power of the Imperial Secretariat in the Western Capital of the Han Dynasty.

This is the system of the Han Dynasty.

But now...

The night wind swirled upwards from the bottom of the loess plateau, carrying the dampness of the earth and a faint scent of blood.

Du Ji looked around and asked his guard, who was also a scout from the Flying Cavalry, "How far are we from Yique Pass?"

"About six or seven li," the scout replied.

Du Ji looked into the distance, and the distant mountains were only a blurry outline in the darkness.

Du Ji stroked the warhorse beneath him.

The warhorse was still panting heavily, its pulsating blood mirroring Du Ji's current state of mind. He, too, was a horse driven by the surging tide, and even if his original thought was simply to gallop freely across the grasslands, he was now forced to wear bridles.

Or rather, from the day he accepted the position of magistrate of Lantian County, reaching this point was already unavoidable...

Du Ji couldn't help but turn around and look; that was the direction of Chang'an.

It is the Guanzhong Plain where the Du family has lived for generations.

It is also the land where other Guanzhong surnames reside.

However, one of them was missing a while ago.

When Wei Duan's head was displayed at the gates of Chang'an, Du Ji stood amidst the jubilant crowd and could clearly hear the sound of his own heartbeat.

It wasn't just fear; it was something more complex trembling in my chest.

"Does Commander Wang know where the Emperor is now?" Du Ji suddenly asked.

Scout Wang, the leader of the detachment, paused for a moment, clearly not expecting this renowned scholar from Guanzhong to bring up the matter at this time: "I heard the Emperor has arrived at Sishui Pass? Forced there by the Cao family..."

A spark from the torch illuminated Du Ji's serene profile.

Du Ji nodded, but did not continue speaking.

The Emperor...

king……

What happens if a king leaves the throne?
Du Ji felt a sinking feeling in his heart.

He recalled Xun You's words when he summoned him to his residence that day: "Does the Marquis know why he has ordered you to go to the Heluo region?"

At that time, he was kneeling on the mat and felt that the mat in Xun You's study was particularly prickly.

"Was it the first time that the Du family pledged allegiance to the General of Chariots and Cavalry?" Du Ji replied at the time.

Xun You laughed, "Because you, Lady Du, know when to reach out and when to withdraw. Wei Duan's mistake was that he wanted to take the grain and silk from Guanzhong, yet he couldn't bear to give up the official seal of the Han Dynasty."

The Wei family has fallen...

Some died, some perished, and the remaining few were sent to Longxi.

Perhaps a hundred years from now, there will still be a Longxi Wei clan, but at least for now, there is no Wei clan in Guanzhong.

The night breeze brushed against his face, and Du Ji understood the deeper meaning behind Xun You's smile.

The gentry of Guanzhong never chose a ruler, but rather weighed their own interests...

What about the gentry of the world?

They mocked ordinary people as being like loose sand, a complete mob, but what about themselves?

Isn't it no longer a disorganized mob or a rabble?

Just like the Du family, when the Wei family fell from power, didn't they eagerly swallow up a salt well and two manors that originally belonged to the Wei family?

The clan elders were still crying out, "Poor Wei family..."

How ironic.

"Du Congshi, you've rested enough," said Wang, the scout leader.

"Giddy up!" Du Ji nodded and urged his horse forward.

The armor clanged and clattered in the night.

The rest of the cavalry scouts followed, forming a long line of more than ten riders on the narrow mountain road.

Horse hooves shattered the moonlight, but Du Ji's thoughts drifted even further.

He recalled his uncle's special instructions before his departure: "On your way to Heluo... the Emperor is still at Sishui Pass. Although the General of the Cavalry is strong... be cautious and careful..."

These old guys...

Isn't this exactly what Xun You meant?

But the betting had already begun.

When Du Ji personally delivered the autumn harvest from Lantian to Chang'an, when Du Ji received the standard armor of the Flying Cavalry from Xun You, when he galloped along this mountain road leading to Yique Pass...

Du was already seated at Fei Qian's gambling table.

The warhorse rose and fell, and so did my thoughts.

"Take a temporary halt!" Captain Wang suddenly shouted, and everyone reined in their horses. "Left front! Wang Er, take two men and go check it out!"

One scout, having received the order, led two other scouts up the hill. A moment later, they shouted to Du Ji and Captain Wang, "Safe! They're all dead!"

Du Ji also climbed the earthen plateau.

There were more than a dozen corpses lying haphazardly in front of me.

Judging from their clothing, they were Cao Cao's soldiers, but most of their fatal wounds were in their backs.

Du Ji dismounted to inspect the remains and noticed that the straw sandals on the corpses of these Cao soldiers were worn out, revealing their purplish-black toes.

"Go check the surrounding area again!"

Team Leader Wang issued the order.

The scouts scattered in all directions.

Du Ji stood before the corpses of Cao Cao's soldiers, a slight tremor running through his heart.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered that when he was a boy, he read the Records of the Grand Historian and initially did not understand why Fan Ju advised King Zhaoxiang of Qin.

Then, he thought he understood, but now he realizes that his previous understanding was only superficial...

And even more profoundly...

Just like Cao Cao, who clearly supported the emperor but allowed his soldiers to suffer from hunger and cold; just like Fei Qian, who waved the banner of restoring the Han Dynasty but firmly bound the Guanzhong gentry to his own war chariot.

"Commander Wang," Du Ji suddenly asked, "if the Emperor were to issue an edict right now, ordering the General of the Flying Cavalry to relinquish his military power, do you think the soldiers of Guanzhong would comply?"

Captain Wang was clearly taken aback by this abrupt question, and after a long pause, he said, "I am merely a military man, and I only know that the General of the Cavalry led us to victory and distributed land... As for the Emperor..."

Captain Wang chuckled, revealing a few large teeth. "Well, the emperor... to be honest, if you ask me to hand over military power, I'm afraid the brothers won't agree."

Du Ji nodded, his gaze lingering on the exposed toes of the corpses of Cao Cao's soldiers.

A simple answer, yet it reveals the truth of this era.

The Han dynasty's four-hundred-year-old prestige still remained, but when the emperor could not provide soldiers with military boots or people with food, loyalty and righteousness became castles in the air.

Was the Han Dynasty powerful?
powerful.

Were the Han Dynasty weak?
Weak.

"Safety!"

"It's safe here too!"

No abnormalities found!

The scouts who had been dispatched shouted in unison.

"Fall back!" Commander Wang ordered, then said to Du Ji, "They should be the routed Cao army soldiers from before... They're alright..."

Du Ji mounted his horse.

He recalled the mockery from some upright scholars when he left Xijing, saying that Du had "abandoned the Han dynasty and sought refuge with military men."

But who among those upright officials knows that the people of Guanzhong are now able to eat their fill not because the emperor issued many edicts in Xuchang or Sishui Pass, but because Fei Qian rebuilt the Zheng Guo Canal and the Bai Canal, cultivated the fields in Hedong and Guanzhong, and reduced the taxes and levies that the people had to pay...

Or perhaps those seemingly innocent people actually know, but pretend not to.

It's like pretending that nobody doesn't have 500,000 yuan.
Is that interesting?

"Go!" Du Ji urged his warhorse forward, "Speed ​​up!"

More than ten riders galloped off again, the ground swooping beneath their hooves.

Ahead, the outline of Yique Pass gradually came into view, and the mountain wind blew past my ears, bringing with it a faint smell of blood.

"Hurry! Hurry!"

Du Ji couldn't help but spur his horse forward.

Du Ji suddenly understood that sometimes you can't just leave or stop whenever you want; more often than not, you have no choice but to leave, and even stopping is impossible... "Who goes there?!"

A shout came from the wall, and a chilling crossbow bolt was revealed behind the arrow stalks.

The scout leader raised his token: "Du Ji, Military Advisor of the General of the Cavalry of Lantian, has come on the orders of Magistrate Xun!"

After verifying the token and issuing the military order, the gate slowly opened a crack, and Du Ji rode in. The first thing he saw was the wounded soldier lying in the thatched hut inside the gate.

A strong stench of blood mixed with the smell of wound medicine filled the air as several medical officers were removing arrowheads from wounded soldiers under torchlight.

"Lord Du?" A general covered in blood strode over; it was Zhang Lie, the garrison commander of Yique Pass.

His armor was covered in knife wounds, and his left arm, simply bandaged, was still bleeding. "How did you get here?"

Du Ji handed over the order signed by Xun You: "Lord Xun has ordered that the General and General Huang Lao immediately abandon Yique and retreat to Luoyang City."

Zhang Lie took the document and quickly scanned it by the firelight. His expression grew increasingly grim. "Withdraw the troops? Withdraw the troops immediately? But..."

He hesitated for a moment, then said, "General Huang has already led his troops out of the pass for a night raid."

Du Ji felt a chill run down his spine. "A night attack? Didn't our lord repeatedly warn against reckless fighting?"

Zhang Lie frowned. "But as the art of war says, 'The essence of warfare is speed; take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness.' That's it..."

Du Ji frowned, suddenly recalling that he had read the same thing in the *Records of the Grand Historian*. He gave a wry smile and said, "Captain Zhang, there's another half to the sentence: 'Attack where they are unprepared by unforeseen means.' Do you think that this is 'unprepared by unforeseen means,' and that Cao Cao's army is 'unprepared'?"

Zhang Lie paused for a moment, then suddenly slapped himself. "The old general was unwilling to go… but I insisted… I believed that Cao Cao's army, with its fierce daytime attack and superior weaponry, would be unable to defend the fortified walls if they were allowed to assemble their forces…"

Before he could finish speaking, a loud drumbeat suddenly sounded from outside the pass.

The shouts of battle were deafening!
"broken!"

Zhang Lie didn't have time to say anything more to Du Ji and hurriedly ran towards the pass.

Du Ji followed closely behind, and when the two of them climbed onto the ramparts of the fortress and looked out, their faces turned pale.

Cao Cao's army surged out from the riverbank like a tide, surrounding a cavalry unit.

Although they were far apart, it was still clear that the troops were trying to break out in formation, but were held back by Cao Cao's army.

"I'll go meet the old general!" Zhang Lie turned to leave.

Du Ji grabbed him, saying, "Captain, wait! Cao Cao's army has already laid an ambush; this journey is likely to end in disaster!"

"But General Huang is still down there!" Zhang Lie's eyes were bloodshot. "And there are still three hundred of our elite soldiers! How can we stand by and watch them die! If the old general dies here, how can I, Zhang Lie, face the world! You guard the city, my personal guards, come with me to rescue them!"

A dazzling blade of light suddenly appeared outside the pass, and even from this distance, one could feel its sharp and imposing aura.

A veteran general charged left and right through the enemy ranks, and Cao Cao's soldiers fell to the ground wherever he went.

"It's General Huang..." Zhang Lie's voice trembled, "He's still fighting..."

Zhang Lie bowed to Du Ji, saying, "I'm temporarily entrusting Guanzhong to Military Advisor Du! I will escort the old general back to Guanzhong!"

Before Du Ji could finish speaking, Zhang Lie had already turned and hurried away.

Du Ji gripped the cold battlements tightly, his fingernails digging into the cracks in the stone. He saw the old general try to rush towards a tall warship, but was stopped by a giant, and the two fought fiercely.

Even in the darkness, the sparks from clashing swords and spears were clearly visible.

At that moment, Du Ji suddenly realized with absolute clarity...

This is the choice made in chaotic times.

It's not about waiting until you're fully prepared and have thought things through before leisurely choosing this or that. Instead, it's like right now, with all the situations rushing at you and all the choices jumping around in front of you. In the blink of an eye, one option might disappear, and then another option might be on the verge of collapse!

On one side was Cao Cao, who held the emperor hostage and commanded the feudal lords on the warship; on the other side was the old general who fought valiantly for Fei Qian at the pass!

On one side is the legitimate Han dynasty with four hundred years of history, and on the other side is the actual ruler who can provide food and clothing for the people!
Du Ji recalled Xun You's last words when he left Chang'an...

"When you, Lord Bo, depart, you will know that the true power of the world lies not in empty fame, but in the hearts of the people."

Suddenly, a deafening sound of war drums erupted from below the pass. Du Ji saw Cao Cao appear on a high point of the warship, his black cloak fluttering in the firelight.

Huang Zhong seemed to be forced to retreat step by step by the giant, his warhorse staggered, and the light of his long sword was not as sharp as before.

"Send the order! Let the wounded soldiers get out of the pass first! Quickly! Everyone move!"

Du Ji stopped looking at the battle situation outside the pass; he had to prepare for the worst.

……

……

"puff!"

In the chaotic light and darkness, a large amount of blood suddenly spurted out.

The blood, illuminated by the torchlight, took on an eerie red hue, like a blooming poppy, its vibrant color dazzling and unsettling in the night. The blood rain first gushed into the air, then traced a graceful arc before falling onto the soil, where it was quickly absorbed by the parched earth, leaving only a dark brown stain.

"We succeeded!"

As Dian Wei's iron halberd struck down, he immediately felt a different sensation in his hand.

It wasn't a hard, jarring vibration, but rather a pleasant sensation as if some flesh had been broken open.

The feeling was like a hot knife slicing through butter, so smooth it was almost unsettling.

The feedback from the halberd filled Dian Wei with a sense of satisfaction, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. He could feel the halberd blade tearing through objects, and could even imagine the gruesome sight of his opponent's internal organs being shredded.

But the next moment, Dian Wei sensed that something was wrong!

Because the feel is different!

It did tear through flesh, but this feeling...

It's like comparing silicone to the real thing; although advertisers claim it's absolutely realistic, there's still a difference when you actually touch it...

As a seasoned general, Dian Wei was all too familiar with the feeling of weapons entering his body.

The halberd felt too soft to the touch, not at all like the resistance one would expect when penetrating armor and bone.

Dian Wei stared intently, and cold sweat instantly spread across his back!

What he struck was not Huang Zhong's body, but the belly of the warhorse beneath Huang Zhong!
The warhorse's intestines had been ripped open, and its internal organs and blood were gushing out!
The loyal warhorse let out a mournful neigh, reared up on its front hooves, and then collapsed to the ground with a thud.

And what about Huang Zhong, who was originally on horseback?

"not good!"

Dian Wei felt a chill run down his spine and instinctively backed away. His combat instincts were screaming for help, every pore of his skin was screaming for danger.

Huang Zhong nimbly rolled off the other side of his fallen warhorse. Before he could even stand up completely, his long sword flashed upwards like lightning, aiming straight for Dian Wei's throat!
Huang Zhong's foot combat skills are also quite strong!
Both he and Dian Wei came from hunter backgrounds, but Dian Wei relied solely on his physical strength and power, while Huang Zhong's skills were clearly superior to Dian Wei's!
Amidst the flames and blood, the longsword in Huang Zhong's hand seemed to come alive, its tip trembling slightly, sealing off all possible escape routes for Dian Wei!
Just now, Huang Zhong knew that if he continued to fight Dian Wei head-on, he would definitely suffer a loss.

Dian Wei was incredibly strong, and his double halberds were exceptionally heavy, so he could not be defeated by brute force. Therefore, Huang Zhong deliberately created an opening, using his warhorse as bait to lure Dian Wei into the trap.

This move was extremely risky, but it also greatly surprised Dian Wei.

As expected, Dian Wei's iron halberd fell, but the force and killing intent were absorbed by the warhorse. Huang Zhong seized this moment, turned around and slashed back, killing Dian Wei!
The blade flashed like a bolt of lightning, tearing through the night sky with a sharp whistling sound. Dian Wei quickly dodged to the side, avoiding a fatal blow, but the longsword slashed open the armor on his left shoulder, and blood gushed out, staining his battle robe red.

The armor was neatly cut open, revealing the flesh beneath, which was rolled up to the bone!
Dian Wei grunted, and in the face of life and death, he swung his iron halberd out with a whoosh, assuming a fighting stance against Huang Zhong.

This strike, though seemingly fierce, like a wounded beast unleashing a violent attack, actually left room for maneuver.

Although Dian Wei was brave, he was not reckless. He knew that with one arm injured, continuing to fight a master like Huang Zhong would be extremely disadvantageous.

Huang Zhong parried Dian Wei's sweeping iron halberd with his sword.

As the two weapons clashed, Huang Zhong immediately realized that the force was not right. He wanted to counterattack, but he saw that Dian Wei had already retreated into the cover of Cao Cao's soldiers.

Cao's soldiers immediately formed a human wall, their spears forming a forest, blocking Huang Zhong's path of pursuit.

Huang Zhong lost his warhorse, and more importantly, his bow and arrows were pinned to the ground by the horse, rendering them unusable for the time being. His famous iron-rimmed bow was trapped under the dying horse, and his quiver was scattered all over the ground.

Left with no other option, the old general could only watch helplessly as Dian Wei disengaged from the battle, and angrily issued the order: "Retreat! We retreat too!"

Cao Cao, atop the high platform of the warship, frowned upon seeing Dian Wei wounded, his smile instantly freezing. Seeing Huang Zhong and the others seemingly preparing to retreat, he immediately ordered: "Men! Pass on the order! Do not let the tiger return to the mountain! Use powerful crossbows and bows to shoot him dead!"

Cao Cao did indeed value talent, but it depends on the context...

At this moment, Cao Cao's voice was as cold and firm as iron, without the slightest hesitation or any "love for talent".

In the darkness, firelight flickered and shadows swayed.

It was difficult for Cao Cao's archers to aim, but dodging the barrage of arrows was even more challenging!
Arrows rained down like locusts, their whistling sounds echoing through the air, forming a deadly curtain of arrows.

Huang Zhong attempted to break through with the remaining troops, but when he heard the sharp whistling sound in his ears, he tried to deflect the arrows, but it was too late...

At this moment, Huang Zhong deeply felt the pain that Guan Yu had experienced in history.

While the longsword was indeed sharp, it was far less effective at deflecting a dense barrage of arrows than a spear or lance. He swung his sword with all his might to parry, the flash of the blade creating a silver screen, but there were still areas he couldn't reach.

With a "thud!", a stray arrow struck Huang Zhong's calf.

The arrow struck with extreme precision, piercing right through a seam in his armor. Although the arrow wasn't particularly powerful, Huang Zhong's calves lacked sufficient armor protection, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. The arrowhead embedded itself deep in his muscle, lodging between his legs.

A sharp pain shot through him, and blood gushed out, flowing down his calf.

Blood quickly soaked through his boots, leaving a bloody footprint on the ground.

Protect the general!

Huang Zhong's guards shouted urgently, and immediately several shields appeared in front of him. The soldiers formed a human wall, risking their lives to protect their commander. Soldiers fell from time to time, struck by arrows, but they pressed on one after another, using their flesh and blood to build a barrier for their general.

Huang Zhong gritted his teeth, gripped the arrow shaft with his left hand, and twisted it sharply, breaking off the exposed part of the shaft. Then, with a swift slap, he knocked the arrowhead-bearing half of the arrow out from the other side of his calf!
"puff!"

Blood splattered! The wound was enlarged, but the removal of the foreign object relieved the stiffness in the calf muscles.

Huang Zhong knew that doing so would enlarge the wound, but if he didn't remove the foreign object, the muscles around the wound would spasm so much that he would have difficulty moving!
In such circumstances, it is even more important not to stop, or you will surely die!
Fine beads of sweat glistened on Huang Zhong's forehead, but his eyes remained resolute. As he received hastily applied battlefield bandages from his guards, he roared, "Retreat! Retreat to Yique Pass!"

Despite the excruciating pain, Huang Zhong uttered each word as if squeezed out from between his teeth, his voice trembling slightly, yet still brimming with strength. His face was pale, but his gaze remained sharp.

Protected by his personal guards, Huang Zhong led his remaining troops in a desperate retreat. Every step was incredibly difficult, and blood kept seeping from his wounds, but he always stood tall and showed no sign of weakness.

(End of this chapter)