I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 830: Gaoliu City Falls, Dai County Recovers, Seeds of Hope (Combined Chapter 6K6)

Outside Gaoliu City, snowflakes were flying and shouts of killing were deafening.

"Mom!"

"The general is dead, the general is dead!"

Suddenly, bursts of exclamations broke out in the noisy battlefield.

Xian Yuyin's sudden death in battle instantly caused the morale of the Youzhou knights to collapse.

The cavalrymen who had originally tried to break out, seeing their commander killed, suddenly became chaotic and fled in all directions. The Han army led by Zhang Fei pressed forward step by step and surrounded the vanguard troops.

The besieging warriors were wearing armor and holding spears. Their spears advanced like a forest, strangling the knights bit by bit.

It must be admitted that these Youzhou knights were undoubtedly very brave. At this moment, in order to escape and fight to the death, they burst out with full courage and strength.

However, without the organization of their main general, they became scattered soldiers and could only attack blindly everywhere, so this last effort soon turned into a bubble in the tight encirclement of the Han army.

Every attack of Zhang Fei's Zhangba Snake Spear was like the god of death taking their lives, and one shot after another sent these knights into the abyss.

At the same time, the main force led by Xianyu Fu also fell into trouble.

He originally thought that Matthew's defection would open the door to victory for them, but when he led his army in, he found that there were few enemy troops in the camp.

At this time, he had already realized something was wrong and ordered the entire army to be on alert. However, before they could deploy a decent formation, they heard shouts of killing in the front, and teams of Han troops appeared from the shadows, cutting off their connection with the vanguard.

"Steady, don't mess up!"

"Assault, go and rescue my brother!"

Xian Yu Fu waved his sword and shouted in panic.

He didn't know that he was being plotted against in this situation, but he didn't have time to curse Ma Xiu for his shamelessness. He hurriedly ordered the army to counterattack and support the friendly forces.

However, the situation on the battlefield was like a wild horse running out of control. How could he easily control it with just a single order?
The Han army's ambush troops were well-trained and coordinated well. They were like iron gates, dividing Xianyu Fu's army into pieces.

The Han troops who emerged from the shadows roared and brandished their swords, spears, swords and halberds, and violently attacked the two wings of Xianyu Fu's army like surging waves.

The gate of the Han army's camp was not big to begin with, and their army could not enter all at once. The crowded team under the flow restriction became a sitting duck for the Han army's ambushes.

While the melee soldiers were charging, the ranged troops in the dark also took action.

"Shoot the arrow, shoot the arrow!"

At Xu Huang's command, arrows came shooting in from all directions like locusts.

Not only was the camp crowded with people, the Youzhou soldiers who were arranged in an inverted triangle formation were shot and screamed. The Youzhou soldiers who were lined up in a long queue outside the camp gate, preparing to enter, had no way to escape and fell to the ground one after another after being shot by arrows.

For a moment, the snow-white earth was dyed blood red, and screams and wails resounded throughout the world.

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Xian Yu Fu, riding on a tall horse, looked at the tragic scene with red eyes, but he was helpless and could only wave the weapon in his hand desperately.

As a result, in this desperate fight, he was able to show some prowess and shook the formation of the intercepting army.

But that's all.

"Got you."

"Guan Yu is here, the thief will die!"

A low shout suddenly broke out in the chaotic battlefield.

Guan Yu, who had previously disappeared in the Han army, suddenly rushed out on his warhorse and went straight to Xianyu Fu in the crowd.

In the Youzhou army formation, Xianyu Fu was waving his sword and charging left and right, completely unaware that a general was suddenly charging at him from the side and rear.

"Be careful, General, watch out behind you!"

"Stop him, protect the general!"

The soldiers around him shouted loudly, but they were still a step too late.

Guan Yu, wearing a green robe and riding a maroon divine horse, was as fast as lightning in the snowy night.

His Green Dragon Crescent Blade slashed left and right, easily clearing a path through the chaotic crowd. With murderous intent in his heart, he instantly approached Xian Yu Fu.

"The thief shall die!"

I saw a flash of cold light, and the Green Dragon Crescent Blade, with a tremendous force, slashed down from top to bottom in a crescent shape.

Although Xianyu Fu leaned forward and tried to dodge after hearing the shout, Guan Yu's attack had a very large range and was very fast, making it impossible for him to avoid it.

In desperation, Xian Yu Fu could only twist his body and hurriedly raise the big knife in his hand, trying to block or slow down the attack.

In this life-and-death moment, his instinctive reaction saved his life.

There was a clang sound as the two knives collided with each other, making a deafening sound, and Xianyu Fu took the attack.

However, before he could be happy, he found that everything was not over yet.

The strong impact on the tiger's mouth not only did not disappear, but continued to be exerted.

"Oops!"

"Help, come quickly!"

Xian Yu Fu exclaimed, but it was too late.

"Come and die!"

When Guan Yu saw that his sword strike failed to work, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He shouted loudly, and the muscles in his arms bulged instantly, and he pressed down with sudden force.

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade was already heavy, and now with Guan Yu's full strength, the power it contained was even more terrifying.

Xian Yu Fu felt as if he was bearing the weight of a towering mountain. His arms were shaking and the sword in his hand seemed to be gradually bending and deforming.

"No way, no way, no way!"

Xian Yu Fu roared in his heart. He tried to fight back with all his strength. His feet were firmly on the stirrups, but he still couldn't stop his body from sinking little by little.

Finally, after a period of time that seemed like a century, with a crisp sound of "crack", Xian Yu Fu was finally killed by his sword.

"No!"

"how so?!"

Guan Yu's beheading move stunned everyone around him.

They only saw Xianyu Fu's sword unable to bear the weight of Guan Yu's tremendous force and broke into two pieces.

The Green Dragon Crescent Blade swung down and split Xianyu Fu's chest, and endless blood gushed out instantly.

Xian Yu Fu, who suffered such a heavy blow, opened his eyes wide and stared at the wound on his chest in a daze. Then he fell off the horse and fell heavily to the ground, dead.

"The enemy general is already dead, so surrender and you won't be killed!"

"The general is dead, the general is dead!"

When Xianyu Fu's personal soldiers saw their commander killed, they were immediately panicked and started shouting.

The Han army's surprise attack had already thrown the Youzhou army into chaos, and now with the death of their commander, they completely collapsed and could no longer organize any resistance.

In the camp, the soldiers who fell into the trap and were surrounded by the Han army knelt down and surrendered in order to save their lives.

And those soldiers who had not faced the Han army directly but had just followed the crowd in and had not yet joined the battle were all trying to run out of the camp gate.

However, they did not expect that most of the people outside were unaware of the situation and wanted to rush in. As a result, the two groups of people suddenly collided with each other at the narrow camp entrance, trampling on each other and quickly spreading the desperate news.

"Run, run!"

"Our army is defeated! Our army is defeated!"

On a snowy night, the Battle of Gaoliu came to a quick end.

The Youzhou soldiers who launched a surprise attack were ambushed and killed, leaving their weapons and armor behind and fleeing for their lives.

The Han army sent out cavalry from other camp gates, chasing and following all the way, killing crazily and recruiting the surrendered soldiers.

In just one night, the 40,000 troops sent by Liu Yu for support were completely defeated. The Han army beheaded more than 5,000 bandits and captured more than 10,000 people. The rest of the bandits were all scattered.

Such tragic news was delivered to the desk of Liu Hui in Gaoliu City after dawn, shocking the shrewd governor so much that he almost fainted.

"impossible!"

"how so?!"

"You mean 40,000 reinforcements?!"

"Even if there are 40,000 pigs, they can't be killed so quickly!!!"

Liu Hui's angry roar shook the ceiling so hard that dust fluttered off. His face turned pale and he held the letter of surrender on the desk with trembling hands. He stared at the scout who brought the news, unable to believe that this was true.

Indeed, they all heard shouting and killing outside the city last night.

However, there was a strong snowstorm at night, and the vision was limited. Liu Hui was afraid of the Han army's strategy, so he did not move his troops. He sat in the county magistrate's mansion with his eyes wide open, hoping to wait until dawn.

As a result, he didn't expect that as soon as the sky got bright, the Han army outside the city sent a letter of surrender, saying that his reinforcements had been destroyed and advised him not to resist stubbornly but to open the city and surrender quickly.

Suddenly, Liu Hui felt like the sky was falling.

How could such an outrageous thing happen?
Not to mention that he doesn't need any reinforcements at the moment, can you expect your entire army to be wiped out by raiding the enemy camp in the heavy snow?
Is this a joke?

However, unfortunately, this is not a joke but a cruel reality.

The scout knelt on the ground, his voice trembling with fear and said:

"Sir, it's absolutely true."

"I followed the messenger and went to the enemy camp in person."

"There are corpses everywhere around the camp outside the city!"

"Even Generals Xianyu Fu and Xianyu Yin died on the battlefield."

"Now, the bandits are showing off their power and recruiting surrendered soldiers one by one."

After saying that, the scout handed over two bloody packages. When Liu Hui's personal soldiers opened them, they saw that they were the two Xianyu brothers.
hiss--

In an instant, Liu Hui took a breath of cold air and his face turned pale.

The situation has deteriorated beyond imagination.

The destruction of the reinforcements dealt a heavy blow to the military and civilians of Gaoliu City.

Originally, they were defending themselves behind closed doors and had sufficient food supplies. Knowing that there was strong support from outside, they could easily hold out for a year or two by living their own lives behind closed doors.

Now, the destruction of the reinforcements made Gaoliu's soldiers and civilians feel like they were falling into an ice cellar, and fear spread like a tide.

While the Han troops outside the city were laughing, singing and dancing to celebrate their victory, the people in Gaoliu City were in panic. The soldiers were pale and the people were talking about it.

Although Liu Hui verbally rejected Guan Yu's attempt to surrender, it was obvious that Gao Liu's defense was no longer as solid as before.

The next day, at the Zhao family mansion in Gaoliu City.

More than a dozen men in fancy clothes sat in the dim candlelight, looking solemn.

The wind and snow were howling outside the house, but there was deathly silence inside, with only the occasional whispered conversation breaking the silence.

"No, we have to think of a way!"

"Liu Taishou is determined to die with the city. Do we have to die with him?"

The person who spoke was Li Cheng. Although he was not from a wealthy family, his family had been doing business and farming in Gaoliu for generations, so he had some influence. He and Liu Hui had a harmonious relationship on weekdays, but the situation was critical now, and he had to consider the safety of himself and his family.

"Brother Li is right."

Zhao Ming, the head of the Zhao family, pondered and said, "It is often said that an isolated city cannot be defended. Now that the reinforcements have been destroyed, we must make plans early."

After the head of the Zhao family spoke, the scene suddenly became lively and the people sitting below began to discuss.

This is the influence of the Zhao family.

Besides, Dai County is located in a border county with frequent wars, and is not as populated by aristocratic families as the Central Plains.

The Zhao family of Dai County is the largest and most powerful family here, and has always been very supportive of Liu Hui.

Now that he has spoken, the discussions of others have become more bold.

Some even asked bluntly:
"Master Zhao, from what you said, do you want to surrender the city?"

"No, absolutely no!"

After hearing this, a local rich man with a chubby belly immediately shook his hands and shouted in panic:
"Hasn't any of you heard about the new policy of the traitor Su Yao?"

"He is engaged in equal distribution of land, equal distribution of land!"

As soon as the words "equal distribution of land" were uttered, the room fell silent again.

Now, it is the end of the Kaiyuan year. Even if the information dissemination is inefficient, Su Yao’s new policies have already spread across the country.

The noble families, powerful people and wealthy businessmen from Youzhou present here had naturally heard all the rumors coming from the Central Plains.

Naturally, one had also heard about General Su Yao's determination to carry out reforms, abolishing the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, and promoting equal distribution of land, performance appraisals, and the imperial examinations.

This equal distribution of land is probably what scares them the most.

After all, in today's era, land is the best asset. Even for businessmen, the first thing they do after making money is to buy land.

"I heard that the noble families in Hedong were slaughtered by him because they refused to obey him, and blood flowed like a river."

"All the good paddy fields in the Central Plains were distributed to the peasants for free."

"We who are dressed in fine clothes are dying in the wild, while those despicable people are just monkeys in clothes."

"If we surrender, wouldn't that be courting death?!"

The pointed-faced wealthy businessman shouted indignantly, and everyone in the room looked even uglier when they heard what he said.

Who doesn’t know this?

They urged Liu Hui to defend the city, wasn't that just to guard against this kind of thing?

"But now the enemy army is approaching. If we don't surrender, when the city is captured, our property will be in danger, and even our lives will be in danger." Someone retorted in a low voice.

"Hmph, surrender? If we really surrender, Su Yao will implement the equal-field system, and our land will still be taken away. Rather than being left with nothing, we might as well fight to the death and defend Gaoliu City. Maybe there will be a chance of recovery." The local tycoon slammed the table.

In this way, everyone talked one after another, the argument became more and more intense, but they still could not make up their minds.

Seeing that the discussion has reached a deadlock, it is difficult to reach any consensus after such a dispute.

It is said that people die for money and birds die for food. Driven by common interests, even if some individuals can remain rational, it is difficult to convince others to do things that betray their own ass and class.

This is also the reason why the intelligence agency that Zhen Jiang, Wang Ling and others are in charge of has not been able to take action yet.

However, now, under the influence of external forces and the great victory of Guan Yu and others, a crack appeared in the strong wall in the hearts of the gentry of Gaoliu City.

Li Cheng said immediately: "Su Yao's equal distribution of land is indeed daunting, but as for the imperial examination, it is a real good policy."

When everyone heard this, they were all stunned. The originally tense atmosphere instantly eased a little, and they all turned their eyes to Li Cheng, their eyes full of confusion.

"Brother Li, where do you get this from? What does this imperial examination have to do with our current predicament?"

The local rich man couldn't help but curl his lips.

He knew about the imperial examination, which was held in the capital and many students participated. He didn't know much about the details, but he only heard that in the end the head of the Hongnong Yang family was beheaded. He guessed that it was just a way for the villain Su Yao to eliminate dissidents.

Seeing someone cooperating, Li Cheng immediately stood up, cleared his throat, stroked his beard and said:

"To be honest, my eldest son is studying at the Imperial College, and I have told him the truth about the situation in the capital. This imperial examination system is a great thing for the people of Youzhou like me!"

As soon as Li Cheng finished speaking, everyone in the room was in an uproar.

Some people frowned in thought, some looked puzzled, and some directly questioned:
"Brother Li, are you trying to be a lobbyist for the bandits?"

"Isn't this imperial examination system a means for Su Yao to suppress families like mine? How come it has become a good thing?"

Li Cheng smiled slightly, looked around at everyone, and said slowly: "You all don't know that although the imperial examination system was promoted by Su Yao, its essence is to open up a path for scholars all over the world to rise."

"Under the previous system of recommendation, aristocratic families, especially those in Guandong, monopolized official careers. Even if ordinary students were talented, it was difficult for them to succeed."

"Even if we, the children of border counties, have accumulated wealth for several generations, we are still trapped in a small corner of the country, serving as county officials for generations, and it is difficult for us to achieve anything."

"Now that Su Yao has introduced the imperial examination system, regardless of one's family background, only the talented will be selected. Isn't this a great opportunity for the people of Border County like me?"

"Opportunity?" Someone sneered, "Brother Li, have you been bewitched by Su Yao? Although the imperial examination system is based on merit, the examination questions and examiners are still controlled by the aristocratic families. How can we, the people of the border counties, compete with the aristocratic families of the Central Plains?"

"That's wrong!"

Li Cheng shook his head and said seriously:

"As you all know, two of the top three candidates in this imperial examination are from humble backgrounds, and one of them is an unknown person from the border county of Fufeng."

"What does this prove? It proves that Su Yao's imperial examination system is not a mere formality, but it truly provides a fair opportunity for scholars all over the world to compete."

"Besides," Li Cheng continued, "Su Yao specially set aside quotas for scholars from border counties in the imperial examination system to ensure that scholars and people from border counties like us can also take a place in the imperial examination. Isn't this a preferential treatment for scholars and people from border counties like us?"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room fell into deep thought.

Li Cheng's words really touched their hearts.

In the past, as scholars and common people in border counties, they were always suppressed by the aristocratic families in the Central Plains in their official careers and found it difficult to make a breakthrough.

Now that the imperial examination system has been introduced, it seems to have really opened a new door for them.

"But..." The local rich man was still unwilling to accept it, frowning and saying, "Even so, how do we explain Su Yao's equal distribution of land? If he really cares about the people of the border counties like us, why would he implement such a decree that harms our interests?"

Li Cheng sighed and said slowly: "The Equal Field Order does affect our interests, but you might as well think about it from another perspective. Su Yao implemented the Equal Field Order in order to curb land annexation and alleviate the hardships of the people."

"The world is in chaos now, with refugees and rebels everywhere. How many wealthy families have been destroyed by war, and their generations of wealth have been burned to ashes?"

"If the general's policies can really bring order to the country, allow the people to live and work in peace, and make society stable, then why can't we benefit from it?"

"Furthermore," Li Cheng paused and continued, "Although Su Yao implemented the Equal Land Distribution Order, he did not simply suppress us. He still allowed a certain amount of land to be retained. He mostly restricted the wealthy families."

"According to his standards, the impact on you all here is actually very limited."

"As long as we abide by the law and stop making acquisitions recklessly, we won't be affected too much."

"Besides, Su Yao has also introduced a franchise system, allowing us to participate in emerging industries such as papermaking and printing. This is an unprecedented business opportunity!"

Li Cheng's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart.

They were originally hostile to Su Yao's new policy, but after Li Cheng's analysis, they seemed to see opportunities in it.

"What Brother Li said is absolutely true."

Zhao Ming finally spoke, and said slowly:

"Although Su Yao's new policy is somewhat radical, it is not without its benefits. If we cling to our prejudices, we may miss a good opportunity, but it would be a loss if we lose our lives."

"What Mr. Zhao means is..." someone asked tentatively.

Zhao Ming looked around at everyone and said in a deep voice:

"Gao Liu City is in imminent danger. If we continue to resist, I'm afraid that the day the city falls, my family will be destroyed. Rather than waiting to die, it is better to take the initiative to open the city and surrender. Perhaps there will be a glimmer of hope for the family."

"But..." The local rich man was still hesitant, "If we surrender, will Su Yao settle accounts with us later?"

Li Cheng immediately shook his head and said:

"Although Su Yao is tough, he is not a person who kills indiscriminately. He treats those who voluntarily surrender with great favor."

"As long as we sincerely submit and follow his new policies, I think he will not make things difficult for us."

"Besides, if we offer the city voluntarily, we may be able to get a position in the court, which is better than being left with nothing after the city is captured."

Hearing this, everyone in the room nodded in agreement.

So, after some intense discussions, they finally reached a consensus and decided to open the city and surrender.

That night, Zhao Ming and others asked Li Cheng to secretly contact the Han army outside the city and expressed their willingness to surrender the city.

When Guan Yu heard the news, he was overjoyed. He had finally waited for this moment, so he immediately promised that as long as Gaoliu City opened the city gates and surrendered, he would guarantee the safety of the people and gentry in the city. He also said that the imperial army was a righteous army and would not harm a single person.

Just like that, while Liu Hui was still looking miserable and worrying about how to defend the city, the wealthy and powerful families in the city had secretly reached a consensus.

The next morning, Liu Hui had just got up when he heard a noise coming from outside the city.

He hurriedly climbed up the city wall and saw that the Han army outside the city was already lined up in an orderly manner with clear flags, while the people and soldiers inside the city were rushing towards the city gate, making it as chaotic as a vegetable market.

"What's going on? This is an important place at the city gate, who would do this here?!"

Liu Hui was horrified and quickly ordered his personal soldiers to go and check and disperse the crowd.

However, before his personal soldiers arrived at the city gate, they saw Zhao Ming, Li Cheng and others, with a group of servants and soldiers, had already taken control of the place and were slowly opening the city gate.

The Han knights outside the city suddenly rushed forward as fast as the wind and headed straight for the city gate.

Liu Hui was stunned by this scene and shouted, "Asshole!"

"Zhao Ming! Li Cheng! How dare you betray us and surrender to the enemy?!"

At the city gate, Zhao Ming looked at Liu Hui, whose face turned red, with a calm expression, and he clasped his hands and shouted:

"He who knows the current affairs is a hero!"

"The great general sweeps across the four directions, the imperial army is mighty and powerful, those who obey him prosper, those who disobey him perish."

"Everything we do is for the safety of the people in the city. I hope the governor will understand and not resist stubbornly."

"Asshole, bastard!"

Liu Hui was so angry that he was shaking all over and roared:
"Come here, quickly capture the rebels and guard the city gate!"

Liu Hui gave the order in a hurry, but he was already alone, and no one obeyed his orders except the dozens of personal soldiers around him.

Soon, the Han knights swarmed into the city, controlled all the important roads, tied up Liu Hui and took him away.

In this way, Gaoliu City was broken, and Youzhou Dai County returned to the hands of the imperial court.

Almost at the same time, in the morning light in Luoyang Palace, Su Yao, who was still lying on the bed, suddenly raised his eyes:

"Oh? Yun Chang did a good job."

"Gongsun Zan's progress is also faster than expected."

"It seems that Liu Yu really doesn't need me to take action personally."

"Hmm? What are you mumbling about, General?"

At this moment, behind the screen, Wannian, who was bathing and changing clothes with the help of a palace maid, turned around and asked curiously.

Su Yao just smiled and changed the subject:

"fine."

"I was just thinking about what to name the kids when I get back."

As soon as Su Yao finished speaking, not only did Wannian blush with shame, but Hong'er, Xiaochun and other girls beside him also lowered their heads and touched their bellies quietly.

There, in this war-torn and chaotic world, little lives are being nurtured and growing.
(End of this chapter)