With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 179, The Death of Wen Chou

In Wen Chou's mind, a white-robed general suddenly flashed into his mind. Back then, just as Gongsun Zan was about to be killed by him, a person suddenly appeared out of thin air.

One man, one horse, and one silver spear. Wen Chou didn't even know the man's name, but he still couldn't forget that battle!
Because in the whole world, there are very few people who can fight him to a standstill!

Wen Chou opened his mouth, staring at Zhao Yun with some surprise, "You... are the one who fought me that time?"

Many years later, Wen Chou still vaguely felt that Zhao Yun looked somewhat familiar.

Wen Chou thought to himself: No wonder I felt like I'd seen him somewhere before when I first met him.

Zhao Yun nodded. "Indeed, I am Zhao Yun of Changshan!"

"Zhao Yun?" Wen Chou muttered to himself.

Zhao Yun is not very famous yet; in terms of fame, he is not as famous as Lü Bu, nor as famous as Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei.

Hulao Pass was the best stage. If Liu Bei and his two brothers had not been fortunate enough to participate in the coalition against Dong Zhuo, they would not have become famous throughout the land.

Wen Chou gripped his spear tightly. Zhao Yun's strength must have improved a lot over the years. Wen Chou was secretly anxious. He didn't expect that at the critical moment of his escape, the person he least wanted to meet would appear.

Because Wen Chou did not gain any advantage in that battle back then.

Without saying much, Zhao Yun turned to Wen Chou and said, "If you don't mind, you can dismount and fight me fairly."

Wen Chou stared at him coldly, without saying a word. How could he possibly give up his mount?

Although it is easy to get stuck in the shallows of the Yellow River, as long as you don't stay in one place for too long, it's not a big problem.

"Since you're unwilling to dismount, then so be it."

Seeing that Wen Chou did not react, Zhao Yun suddenly shouted towards the distance.

With a neighing sound, the Jade Lion heard its master's call and galloped swiftly towards them.

In the chaotic battlefield, the two sides were fighting fiercely, and arrows flew through the air from time to time, but the jade lion was very intelligent and always managed to nimbly dodge the danger.

Before long, they arrived in front of Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun leaped into the air, his body soaring high into the sky, and then landed steadily on the horse's back.

With man and horse as one, Zhao Yun shook his head, and his warhorse suddenly charged towards Wen Chou, as fast as a gust of wind.

No sooner said than done, Zhao Yun suddenly lunged forward, a flash of cold light, and his silver spear pierced straight into Wen Chou's chest.

Whether in speed or strength, Zhao Yun has made significant progress compared to a few years ago.

Wen Chou suppressed his arrogance and disdain. Facing Zhao Yun, he dared not underestimate him in the slightest and hurriedly blocked with his spear.

Clang!
The two men's spears clashed without any fancy moves. Zhao Yun quickly changed his tactics, sweeping and countering, while Wen Chou responded decisively to each move.

Both of them were incredibly fast and were masters of marksmanship.

The two fought back and forth, faster and faster, until streaks of light and shadow flickered in the air, dazzling the eye and making it difficult to distinguish between reality and illusion.

Zhao Yun and Wen Chou fought on horseback, spears clashing, their weapons flashing, their horses neighing. The two fought with increasing ferocity, neither giving an inch, their battle intense and fierce.

The men were fighting fiercely, and even their warhorses were locked in a fierce battle, neither giving an inch.

The weapons clashed incessantly, sparks flying from the gun barrels.

Suddenly, Wen Chou thrust his spear at Zhao Yun. Zhao Yun did not flinch, and with a soft shout, he thrust his silver spear straight at Wen Chou's throat. Wen Chou hurriedly dodged to the side, and the silver spear almost grazed his shoulder.

Wen Chou's spear skills were remarkable, and Zhao Yun was no ordinary man either.

Wen Chou grew increasingly anxious as the fight progressed; all he wanted was to quickly defeat Zhao Yun and escape the area.

With a furious roar and gritted teeth, Wen Chou spun his spear, the tip of which suddenly changed direction, aiming for Zhao Yun's lower back. Zhao Yun remained calm and quickly shifted his body to the side, dodging Wen Chou's fatal spear.

Zhao Yun remained calm and composed, his spear wielding with the force of a storm. After twenty rounds, he had already gained the upper hand.

Zhao Yun seized the opportunity and thrust his spear straight into Wen Chou's chest and abdomen. Wen Chou hurriedly dodged, but was still a beat too slow and was stabbed by the spear. Wen Chou's face immediately contorted in pain, and the muscles on his face were almost twisted together.

Zhao Yun sighed softly, "I've been practicing my spear skills diligently all these years, never daring to slack off. But you, it seems, haven't changed much since last time. You're only thinking about leaving here, unable to give it your all, which has weakened the power of your spear skills considerably."

Zhao Yun swiftly drew his silver spear, and Wen Chou roared, thrusting his spear at Zhao Yun with all his might. Zhao Yun's body suddenly slid down and disappeared from the horse's back.

Wen Chou was stunned, his eyes widening.

It turns out that Zhao Yun was not only skilled with a spear, but also had superb horsemanship. In just a moment, Zhao Yun's body was pressed against the side of the horse, and he held on to the horse's back with only his left hand, as if he were hanging on the horse.

With a single-handed effort, Zhao Yun remounted his horse. Wen Chou's spear missed its mark, and before he could retract it, Zhao Yun's spear arrived with a soft thud, this time striking precisely the vital point!

A cold wind howled, and the silver spear moved as fast as lightning. The two were so close that Wen Chou had no way to dodge and was stabbed solidly.

Zhao Yun's spear strike had already wounded Wen Chou's internal organs; this next strike would be fatal.

Wen Chou stared wide-eyed in horror, his expression becoming extremely complex, a mixture of shock, disbelief, longing, and reluctance.

But no matter what, the outcome cannot be changed.

Zhao Yun has become stronger, while Wen Chou remains the same as before, only concerned with escaping, unable to fully utilize his original strength.

With a lurch, Wen Chou fell heavily off his horse. Zhao Yun didn't give him another glance, quickly turned his horse around, and went straight back to Liu Xie's side.

It was Liu Xie's idea to send Zhao Yun to intercept Wen Chou.

Some things need to be explained. Zhao Yun's first appearance after leaving the mountain to learn martial arts was when he fought Wen Chou. Therefore, no one is more suitable to be Wen Chou's opponent than him.

Furthermore, by gaining fame by stepping on Wen Chou, the world will soon know how powerful Zhao Yun is, which is more effective than killing any number of Yuan soldiers.

If you want to become famous, you have to find a famous person and trample them under your feet!
Returning to Liu Xie's side, Zhao Yun showed no joy, simply saying, "Your Majesty, Wen Chou has been killed by me!"

It was as if I had done something completely ordinary, nothing to brag about.

"What? Wen Chou is dead?"

Although it was an ambush and Cao Cao had a clear advantage, the death of Wen Chou still made him somewhat agitated.

Zhao Yun glanced at Cao Cao and simply nodded slightly.

Seeing that Zhao Yun showed no greed for the spoils, leaving quickly and returning just as quickly as he had completed a task.

Killing Wen Chou was such a prestigious event, yet Zhao Yun remained so calm, which made Cao Cao's heart itch.

Cao Cao sighed inwardly, "Such a fine general, what a pity that he is not used by me." Although Cao Cao was unconventional in his use of people, and surrounded himself with people of all backgrounds and appearances, he genuinely liked Guan Yu and Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun was handsome, virtuous, and even more skilled. He was humble, low-key, and always did whatever he was asked to do, remaining calm and composed.

Guan Yu was a man of unparalleled loyalty and righteousness, of noble character, magnanimous, affectionate, and righteous. He was unmoved by fame or fortune, and always kept the Han Dynasty and the bond of the Peach Garden in his heart.

Cao Cao stared at Zhao Yun for a long time. Although Zhao Yun was helping him by killing Wen Chou, he was still Liu Xie's man. The thought of this made Cao Cao feel a little uncomfortable.

Zhao Yun had saved him, and Cao Cao was not an ungrateful person. However, he felt that it was best to keep the good things in the world, whether people or other things, in his own hands.
"Wen Chou is dead!" Xiahou Yuan shouted as he ordered Wen Chou's head to be chopped off, further demoralizing the already demoralized Yuan soldiers.

Seeing that the situation was dire, many of Yuan's soldiers cried out and threw down their weapons, shouting, "I surrender, spare my life!"

Xiahou Yuan charged forward with a grim face, showing no mercy whatsoever, and coldly said, "The lord has ordered that no one be left alive; kill them all!"

This order completely extinguished Yuan's soldiers' hope of survival. Cao's soldiers wielded their swords and spears fiercely, mercilessly killing all the Yuan soldiers who knelt on the ground attempting to surrender.

The battle did not last long, lasting about an hour and a half, roughly two hours in total.

When the fighting stopped, a glance revealed that the shallows were littered with corpses, and the heavy stench of blood wafted on the wind, making it hard to breathe.

The yellowish-brown shallows were stained red in large swaths. Yuan's soldiers had captured quite a few warhorses, and many of Cao's soldiers were grinning excitedly as they led their horses.

War is inherently cruel, and Liu Xie remained calm about it because there was no need to sympathize with the enemy.

In chaotic times, it's either you die or I live. Luckily, it was Yuan's soldiers who died. But what if it had been our own people? Would we still feel any grief?

In chaotic times, the struggle for power must follow the cruelest law of survival: the survival of the fittest!
Once war breaks out, do not talk about benevolence or righteousness, do not talk about reason, and do not sympathize with the enemy.

The news of Wen Chou's death in battle was not reported to Liu Bei by a scout until the next day.

Liu Bei didn't care; whether Wen Chou lived or died had no impact on him. However, Liu Bei still immediately sent someone to deliver a message to Yuan Shao about this matter.

Yuan Shao immediately led his army across the Yellow River. This time, Yuan Shao brought a total of 220,000 men, which, together with the previous troops, amounted to exactly 300,000.

However, by now, excluding the wounded, Yuan Shao has lost nearly 30,000 men.

Wen Chou lost 10,000 men in the siege, and the 6,000 men he led in the pursuit were also wiped out. Yan Liang had also suffered many casualties earlier.

When Yuan Shao met Liu Bei, he praised Liu Bei highly. He also greatly admired Guan Yu and spoke highly of him.

As for Wen Chou, Guo Tu, Feng Ji, and others naturally did not let this opportunity pass, and stood up to criticize Wen Chou for acting rashly and disregarding the overall situation, thus falling into Cao Cao's treacherous trap.

Since Wen Chouren was already dead, Guo Tufengji was happy to throw mud at him.

Even Liu Bei was somewhat jealous of Guo Tu, jealous that he was valued by Yuan Shao.

Liu Bei remained calm and composed, seemingly unconcerned about how others viewed him or how they targeted him.

Liu Bei was good at being patient; as long as his bottom line wasn't crossed, he was too lazy to argue with others.

Lu Bu killed Yan Liang at Baima, and Zhao Yun killed Wen Chou with his spear near Yanjin. Wen Chou's six thousand men were also wiped out in one fell swoop. This was a great humiliation for Yuan Shao. Yuan Shao immediately mobilized his army and led his men straight to Yanjin.

When Yuan Shao arrived at Yanjin, Cao Cao's army banners flew high on the city walls. The banners were very eye-catching, with a huge character "Yu" written on them!

It was General Yu Jin who led only three thousand men to defend the city, giving Cao Cao time to set up camp at Guandu.

Yu Jin, with a calm expression and short stature, held a long spear and coldly gazed at the seemingly endless Yuan army.

When there are more than 10,000 people, there is no bounds; when there are more than 100,000 people, there is an endless expanse of earth and sky!

Yuan Shao's army of over 200,000 men was vast and seemingly endless. Those with weak hearts would be scared half to death, let alone resist them.

However, Yu Jin showed no fear. Yuan Shao mistakenly believed that Cao Cao was at Yanjin. Before setting up camp, he took advantage of his superior troop strength and ordered Zhang He and Gao Lan to lead troops to attack the city.

Yuan Jun surged towards the Yanjin city wall like a tidal wave.

Yu Jin showed no fear, leading three thousand soldiers in a bloody battle, holding firm and refusing to retreat.

Because the defending forces were too few in number, the battle turned into fierce hand-to-hand combat from the very first day.

After Cao Cao arrived at Guandu, Cao Ren's side had already made almost all the preparations. Cao Cao immediately ordered his troops to set up camp and further check for any omissions or deficiencies to ensure that everything was fully prepared.

Liu Xie was not idle either. He led Liu Ye and others to manufacture trebuchets. Because such large machines were too troublesome to transport, Liu Xie only had important components transported from Xudu. For example, the trebuchet's frame was made from local materials and was completed on the spot.

The messenger rode back to Xuchang and met Xun Yu. Xun Yu was still a little puzzled when the messenger told him that Lu Jun had made all the preparations.

Xun Yu immediately summoned Lu Jun, who told him, "Lord Xun, His Majesty had already given instructions on the most crucial components of the trebuchet, namely the loom and the spring mechanism, before the journey began. We have been working on them to the utmost and they are ready to be transported to the front lines at any time."

Xun Yu asked curiously, "Approximately how many sets have been made?"

Lu Jun excitedly held up one finger, "A whole thousand sets. As long as the frame is set up, we can assemble them on the spot immediately."

"Excellent, that's wonderful. I never expected Your Majesty to be so thoughtful."

Xun Yu was overjoyed and immediately ordered people to load the carts with the grain supplies to be transported this time, and send them to the front line.

At the same time, Liu Biao came to Jia Xu and said, "While the supplies are being moved to the front lines, why don't you also write a letter about the situation here and send it to His Majesty?"

Jia Xu nodded. "That's exactly what I was thinking."

Jia Xu picked up his pen and sat down to write a letter. After finishing the letter and sealing it, Jia Xu handed it to Liu Biao, saying, "Give this letter to the Empress."

"Give the letter to the Empress? Why is that?" Liu Biao was very puzzled.

Jia Xu did not explain, but said, "You only need to give it to the Empress, and she will naturally know."

The secret passage was connected to the palace, but Liu Biao rarely came to the palace.

Deep down, the palace was a sacred place to Liu Biao, and he would never dare to approach it casually.

The secret passage led directly to Liu Xie's palace. Liu Biao thought it would take some effort to see the Empress, but to his surprise, the Empress came here every day to check on things and help tidy up.

After Liu Biao emerged from the secret passage, he coughed softly to avoid frightening the Empress.

Liu Xie only told Fu Shou about the secret passage.

After receiving the letter, Fu Shou quickly understood its meaning. After Liu Biao left, Fu Shou went to the desk, picked up the brush on the table, and bent down to write on the envelope in her delicate handwriting: "Your Majesty, please open this letter. Your humble servant respectfully presents it!"

Those who have votes, please cast them. I, Xiaoyao, thank you all.



(End of this chapter)