Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 125 Han You's Choice
Han You placed his right hand behind his back, made a hand gesture, and said calmly, "You and I are both leaders of the army, and we rarely talk about money. Just give it to me, Mr. Zhu."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhi felt a surge of anger in his heart. He took a deep breath and suppressed his boiling emotions. Suddenly, his expression became stern. He saw that the soldiers on the official road ahead had begun to line up, and their malicious glances were cast at him, making the hairs on his body stand up.

At the same time, Xu Sheng's troops, who were watching him closely from a distance, also began to slowly approach him.

Zhu Zhi would be a fool if he couldn't see Han You's sinister intentions at this point. Amidst his shock, a huge question loomed in his mind: When had Yan Yi and Han You, the two thieves, become colluders? Hadn't they always considered each other their mortal enemy? How could they have put aside their past grudges and become such a traitor in such a short time?
"Mr. Han, may I have a moment to talk?"

Zhu Zhi's face suddenly turned pale, and a huge sense of crisis rose in his heart. At this time, face and humiliation were no longer important. The most important thing was to return to Qiantang safely.

Han You's eyes were already filled with murderous intent. "There's nothing to hide, Mr. Zhu, just speak freely."

Seeing that the enemy's formation was already about 70% complete, Zhu Zhi knew that a disaster was imminent. He didn't bother to bargain any further and said solemnly, "If you, Lord Han, would be so kind as to grant me this favor, I swear to heaven that within one year, neither my army nor Wu Jing's army will set foot in Yong'an! In addition, I am willing to offer an additional 50,000 dan of rice to support the border crossing. What do you think, Lord Han?"

Han You was slightly stunned. He never expected that Zhu Zhi would offer such generous conditions. His heart was beating fast. He immediately looked hesitant and began to think secretly.

For him, the biggest crisis came from the Zhu-Wu coalition, followed by the Yan family. Choosing to stop fighting and make peace with Zhu and Wu would naturally be more beneficial to him. Moreover, he could earn 50,000 shi of rice, and he would not have to give most of the porcelain production in the next year to Yan Yi.

Han You was torn between his conscience and his desires, and the scene became quiet for a moment.

Xu Sheng had already sensed something was wrong and shouted from a distance, "Mr. Han, defeating the thieves is as easy as flipping your hand. Why don't you act quickly?"

Zhu Zhi glared at Xu Sheng, wishing he could skin him alive and pull out his tendons.

At this time, everyone from the three parties had understood the current situation, and they all looked at Han You nervously, waiting for him to make a decision.

Han You sighed slightly in his heart. If Sheng Xian's brother Sheng Shen had not stepped forward, he would have agreed to Zhu Zhi. However, Sheng Shen's thin figure was like a towering mountain, standing in his heart, making it difficult for him to overcome it.

Sheng Xian was his sponsor, and the two had a deep relationship of gratitude. He was not only grateful to Sheng Xian and obeyed his orders, but also regarded him as his king and father. Driven by social trends, this loyalty had surpassed most interest relationships.

What's more, Sheng Xian is not only his benefactor, but also his teacher. The saying "Once a teacher, always a father" is not just an empty saying, but the foundation for a person to make a living.

He was well aware of Sheng Xian's respect for Sheng Shen, who was half his teacher. If he developed a rift with Sheng Shen over this matter, his reputation would plummet in this society that values ​​morality, righteousness, grace and trust, and he would never have a place to stand again.

Han You had a plan in mind when he thought of this. With a clang, he drew his sword and pointed it at Zhu Zhi, saying in a cold voice: "Mr. Zhu, I cannot disobey the master's orders. I'm sorry!" The determined smile on Zhu Zhi's lips suddenly froze, as if a bucket of cold water was poured over his head, and the chill penetrated into his bones.

He couldn't understand why Han You, having promised him such a huge profit, would still want him dead? What benefits had Yan Yi promised Han You to make him so devoted to him?
The deafening sound of drums and shouts suddenly rang out, interrupting his thoughts and bringing him back to this cruel reality.

On the official road ahead, flags were fluttering and swords and spears were everywhere. Dozens of columns were connected to each other, forming a goose-shaped formation, pressing towards their own army with murderous intent.

The Goose Flying Formation is a classic offensive formation, named after its shape, which resembles the V-shape of geese flying. This formation is known for its flexibility and powerful flanking attack capabilities, and is often used in tactics such as outflanking and pincer attacks.
During the Battle of Guandu, Cao Cao used a goose formation to outflank Yuan Shao's army and defeated it.

Faced with the overwhelming enemy forces, all the soldiers under Zhu Zhi showed expressions of horror and despair. At this moment, they were exhausted both physically and mentally, and there were many wounded in the army. How could they resist the enemy forces that were well-rested?

Zhu Zhi's face turned pale. Han You's use of the goose-shaped formation was not just about defeating him, but about completely encircling and annihilating him and killing him!
He gnashed his teeth and pointed at Han You, cursing loudly: "Han You, you bastard, you've made things worse. You deserve a bad death. If I don't die today, I'll tear you into pieces tomorrow!"

Han You's eyes flashed with murderous intent, and he said in a cold voice, "Pass the order down. Whoever captures and kills Zhu Zhi will be rewarded with 100 gold coins, 1,000 acres of land, and a third-class rank!"

When the military order was passed down, the morale of his troops was greatly boosted, and their morale was as high as a rainbow. From the captain to the soldiers, everyone wanted to take Zhu Zhi's head as soon as possible!
Zhu Hai's heart ached. He could not believe that his mighty army would end up in such a state. However, the most important thing at this moment was to save Zhu Zhi's life. As long as Zhu Zhi lived, his army would have a chance to regroup and avenge their grievances. He immediately shouted, "Father, we are desperate here. Before the enemy can close in, please evacuate immediately. I will cover your retreat!"

Zhu Zhi took two deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. His face was more serious than ever before, and he said in a deep voice, "Don't lose your composure! Maintain your formation and retreat westward. The Han bandits are weak, and it won't be easy for them to defeat us. As long as we retreat to Mogan Mountain, there will be a glimmer of hope. When Wu Jing hears the news, he will lead his troops to rescue us!"

He saw clearly that his army must not panic and scatter at this moment, otherwise they would be killed without a burial place. The only way was to gather together and defend, slowly retreat to Mogan Mountain, or hold on until night, to have a glimmer of hope of escaping.

There was almost no need to consider the direction of retreat. There was Han You in the south, Yan Yi in the north, and the east was a dead end. The only option was to go west.

Zhu Zhi's calmness inspired the generals around him. Under the command of these generals who had experienced life and death, the chaos in the army gradually subsided. The soldiers, with the desire to survive, gathered into a group and slowly retreated westward.

Just as Zhu Zhi expected, Han Youjun's combat effectiveness was mediocre. Although they successfully surrounded Zhu Zhi's army, they did not have the ability to destroy it. Instead, they found an opportunity to break out of the encirclement.

Because Zhu Zhi's army had not yet dispersed, Xu Sheng did not dare to lead a reckless charge. Although a forced charge might break through Zhu Zhi's formation, it would also undoubtedly result in heavy casualties for his own army, making it unnecessary at this moment. So, he adopted a cannibalization tactic, using his mounted archers to continuously kill the enemy soldiers.

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(End of this chapter)