Three Kingdoms Mythology World.

Chapter 2522 Prioritizing Interests

Taking Dong Zhuo's main camp without bloodshed would be ideal, of course. But since the enemy is putting up a stubborn resistance, a direct assault is the only option!

"Crack crack crack!!!!" After the drumbeats, the first few rows of soldiers immediately dispersed, revealing strange and ferocious crossbow carts hidden in the army formation.

Seeing this scene from the city wall, Zhang Ji, having regained his composure, remained calm.

He waved his flag, and the next moment, a series of clanging sounds echoed on the city wall. One by one, thick, giant shields, each as tall as a person, were taken out and placed against the city wall.

Although the strategist had already made arrangements, he still cautiously built up a defensive line.

"First, siege equipment, then the divine realm... then the power of reading... finally, a brute force attack." Jia Xu's voice rang in Zhang Ji's ears.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ji was startled. This assessment was exactly the same as what the strategist had previously instructed him to make!

"Lu Zhi's divine realm is renowned throughout the world. Does it have any defensive measures?" Jia Xu asked calmly.

“A large array has been set up around Xianyang Garden,” Zhang Ji replied briefly.

"Another grand formation? Although Wen You's abilities are outstanding, he simply doesn't have the energy to set up such profound divine-level formations, and not just one." Jia Xu exclaimed in surprise.

He wasn't part of Dong Zhuo's inner circle, so he was unaware of many things. He also didn't want to get involved in the dragon-slaying incident, because such matters could easily lead to complete defeat, karmic retribution, and even death.

"According to the information that the strategist revealed, it seems that during the last Investiture of the Gods battle, the strategist waited outside and had a 'friendly' exchange with the returning formation master, after which he obtained a promise to set up the formation," Zhang Ji confessed.

"Hiss! ~~ He didn't even participate in the Investiture of the Gods for this scheme, just dug a pit outside and waited for those divine masters to fall in?" Jia Xu gasped upon hearing this.

Li Ru, as a strategist under his command, is truly beyond reproach...

Zhang Ji was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Master Jia Xu had, with just a few words, completely guessed what Li Ru had been doing; he was truly remarkable.

As the two were talking, the prepared ballistae began their fierce attack as a signal flag was lowered.

A hundred massive crossbow carts, each three zhang long and one zhang wide, were lined up in a row. At a command, the hundred carts simultaneously unleashed bolts, creating a soaring aura that hurtled straight towards the city wall.

Seeing the massive shields erected by the guards on the city wall, many Han soldiers sneered. These crossbow bolts were capable of piercing through enemy defenses; even a low-ranking general couldn't withstand them.

"Boom!!!!!!!!!~~~~" A huge tremor echoed through the sky.

In an instant, that terrifying aura reached the city wall and struck the giant shield soldiers directly.

Terrifying crossbow bolts, like cannonballs, exploded directly on the city wall, shattering giant shields, sending soldiers flying, and even blasting huge craters into the wall.

The Han army was overjoyed at their victory.

"Keep firing! Charge after two rounds!!!" Lu Zhi did not charge immediately, but continued to fire crossbow bolts, completely destroying the defenses on the city wall.

"Whoosh!!!!!" The second volley of crossbow bolts shot into the air, sweeping away like a giant black dragon.

"Boom!!!" Just then, a tremor shook the earth, and huge white pillars of light suddenly appeared beneath the city walls, shooting straight into the sky. Behind them, black pillars of light also rose into the air.

After the beam of light shot into the sky, it quickly dispersed, forming a semi-circular energy shield that directly covered the vast Xianyang Garden.

From a distance, you'll see that the shield is half white and half black, resembling the image of yin and yang.

"The Hun Tian Liang Yi Formation!!!" an informed official exclaimed.

"Hmph! This is a fake. Strictly speaking, it's at most a minor Hun Tian Liang Yi Formation." Lu Zhi, being knowledgeable, recognized the formation.

"Are those guys going to interfere in the struggle for the imperial court? Aren't they supposed to be reclusive people who don't get involved in the affairs of the court?" Lu Zhi's face was very ugly, and he sneered inwardly.

Upon seeing this formation, he seemed to immediately recognize its origin. Outside the imperial court, there were many reclusive masters and hermit families. Although their resources couldn't compare to those of the great clans, they still possessed many valuable things, such as unparalleled lineages!

"Bang!~~~~" This time, when the crossbow bolt reached the city wall, it collided directly with the white protective shield.

The crossbow bolts, carrying terrifying power, shattered as if they had struck an invincible iron plate, sending up a surge of energy that only caused ripples on the protective shield.

Two more volleys of crossbow bolts then took to the air, but they all exploded on the protective shield, achieving nothing and not returning.

"Gentlemen, today's events may have been caused by the instigation and framing of treacherous officials, leading to the battle between the two armies. Our lord has rendered meritorious service in saving His Majesty, so how could he possibly commit treason?"

“In this battle, we have always been on the defensive, and we dare not harm the lives of our comrades. If it were truly a battle, we would have used stray arrows to attack, which would have certainly caused damage. We are merciful, but we will not allow ourselves to be slaughtered. I hope you gentlemen will think carefully before acting!” Zhang Jiwen’s refined voice rang out again.

Among the crowd, some soldiers who heard these words did indeed cause a stir. After all, this was a hastily assembled army, and some of them were actually servants and soldiers of certain aristocratic families.

In a secluded corner outside the battlefield, Ding Yuan, along with his adopted son Lü Bu and others, were watching the spectacle.

Seeing this, Ding Yuan smiled faintly: "A rabble!"

"Father, these are all hastily put together and are hardly of any use," Lü Bu said with a contemptuous laugh.

"While ordinary soldiers are hardly of any use, those guys are not to be underestimated..."

"Now that the battle has begun, may we begin our next move?" Lu Bu asked meaningfully.

“Wait a little longer…” Ding Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"Let them stall for time... then we'll launch our attack when they're almost done..." Ding Yuan said quietly.

"My lord, in my humble opinion, we should attack Dong Zhuo's army first. As long as we cut off his foundation, even if that black dragon ascends to the throne and is recognized by the ministers and the royal family, Dong Zhuo will only be a powerful figure, not a warlord with overwhelming military power. The levels are different!" Zhang Liao pondered for a long time before finally speaking out his thoughts.

"In my humble opinion, we should not first plan to eliminate Gongsun Zan, but instead focus all our efforts on dealing with Dong Zhuo," Zhang Liao added.

Good heavens, it turns out Ding Yuan has set his sights on Gongsun Zan!

It seems that neither side went all out against Dong Zhuo's army in order to guard against the other side's schemes...

The chaos in Luoyang, the capital of China, continues...

Dong Zhuo, Ding Yuan, and Gongsun Zan all had their own schemes.

Actually, the most formidable one was Dong Zhuo. He could even persuade Ding Yuan, with whom he had a deep-seated grudge, and when he was dealing with the Red Dragon, he even encouraged Ding Yuan to deal with Gongsun Zan. He was truly amazing!
"Hmph! Although now is the best time to deal with Dong Zhuo, it is also the best time to deal with Gongsun Zan. As long as we deal with Gongsun Zan and gather his troops, our troops will be able to crush Dong Zhuo. At that time, with our troops and top generals, what is there to fear?"

"Moreover, the cost of Dong Zhuo going to deal with the Red Dragon is considerable, and the impact will be far-reaching. Let him take this risk..." Ding Yuan explained.

Ding Yuan's scheming was undeniably profound!

Generally speaking, this kind of scheming is normal. But Dong Zhuo is abnormal... and so is Ding Yuan's adopted son, Lü Bu...

Upon hearing Ding Yuan's explanation, Zhang Liao wanted to continue arguing his case, but instead sighed and fell silent.

“Wen Yuan, your idea is actually not bad, but it lacks experience. I know you cherish those soldiers very much, their deaths have been a great blow to you, and you also hate Dong Zhuo's army, but the interests of the country are the most important. Personal grudges can be put aside for the time being!”

"I promise that once everything is settled, I will slaughter the Flying Bear Army and sweep them into the dust of history!" Ding Yuan said firmly.

"We swear to follow you to the death!!!" Upon hearing this, the others all bowed respectfully in excitement. Ding Yuan's words of winning people's hearts were indeed effective.

……

(I haven't been feeling well these past couple of days and haven't been able to update, please forgive me. I'm feeling better today, so I'm writing as soon as possible.)
(End of this chapter)