Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 200 I have roamed the world without encountering an opponent, so why should I fear you?

The candlelight flickered dimly, making the long night difficult to brighten.

Silently I face the letters fluttering before my desk, each page filled with absurdities.

Kuai Yue was a highly talented scholar who was confident in his abilities and wisdom in Jingzhou and believed he could strategize to stabilize the country.

For the first time in his life, he actually felt that he was inferior to others in terms of wisdom and strategy, but he really couldn't understand what Yuan Gong's intentions were in these letters.

On the surface, he could only maintain a calm and composed demeanor, as if he had everything under control, and said:

"General Huang, do not panic. The matter of the letter is nothing more than a scheme by Yuan's camp. We must not let it disturb our minds and give the enemy an opportunity to take advantage of us."

Huang Zhong: "???"

I didn't panic!

On the contrary, Mr. Kuai, you seem to be in a panic.
Huang Zhong glanced at Kuai Yue and tentatively tried to comfort him.

"Mr. Kuai, there is no need to worry. In my opinion, these letters are actually quite simple."

If Yuan does nothing, Huang will surely remain the general in this city.

If he had no fear of Huang, why would he need to do these things? The fact that he did them clearly shows that he was afraid of Huang!
Unexpectedly, Huang, a mere military man, lacked the ability to uphold the state or pacify the surrounding regions, yet he was so feared by General Yuan, who fought against the feudal lords alone.

This battle will be a fight to the death with him; victory or defeat, it will be a great satisfaction in my life.

Kuai Yue's brow remained furrowed, showing no sign of letting up. He sighed and patiently explained to Huang Zhong.

"General Huang, you are not a strategist, you wouldn't understand."

That's where the problem lies!
Just as you said, Lord Yuan does nothing; you are the commander-in-chief.

All that he did can only lead to the conclusion you just mentioned: he is wary of you, and you are becoming increasingly the leader!

Why would he do that? Because he fears you and wants us to be even more determined to support you as our leader and oppose him?

Is he crazy?

What puzzled Yue was this point.

What truly terrifies me is that, throughout this process, I cannot discern Yuan Gong's true purpose.

He must have something in mind for doing this, and his motive couldn't possibly be to tell us that he's afraid of you and wants us to make you our leader, could it?
He would only resort to this tactic if he wasn't afraid of you, and if he did, it would prove that he was afraid of you!

That's the root of the problem.

Kuai Yue lowered his eyes, his pupils bloodshot, and sighed deeply:

"In this city, I am the chief strategist, but if even the chief strategist cannot see through the enemy's schemes, we are afraid we will fall into their trap."

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong was startled and could only speculate about it to himself.

"Perhaps he wanted to use this opportunity to keep Huang in the city and prevent him from making any rash moves, while he could take the opportunity to send troops to seize other counties?"

“The enemy forces are strong, while our forces are weak. If we go out of the city to rescue other counties, they will surely take advantage of us.”

This is exactly what he hoped for, so why would he resort to such a tactic, forcing us to defend the city even more fiercely?

Upon hearing Kuai Yue's words, even Huang Zhong, who was not originally troubled by this matter, became extremely flustered.

Just as an arrow is most intimidating before it is shot.

The most frightening and unsettling situation is when you know the enemy has used a tactic, but you don't understand what that tactic is.

What's more, their opponent at this moment is none other than Yuan Shu of Huainan, who is invincible in the north and whose schemes are as unpredictable as ghosts and gods.

"Use your mind as a spear, and the enemy will collapse without a fight. No one in history has been better at warfare than this."

Huang Zhong sighed and looked at Kuai Yue with expectant eyes, "Mr. Kuai, what should we do now? What plan do you have? How can you teach me?"

Kuai Yue set the letters ablaze, and amidst the raging flames, a bright yellow halo illuminated a worried face.

We must not lose our composure!
General Huang should just focus on holding the line. We'll observe the situation and deal with whatever comes our way.

"That's all we can do for now."

Huang Zhong nodded slightly. "Can you guard this place with peace of mind?" Knowing the details, and worried about when and where Yuan Gong's arrow would be shot, their minds were in turmoil. How could the two of them be at ease?

The next day, although Huang Zhong had ordered his men to collect the letters during the night, it was too dark and Yuan's camp had fired many shots, so how could they possibly collect them all?

"Have you heard? The person that Lord Yuan fears most in Jingzhou is Huang Zhong!"

"That's right! As long as General Huang is guarding this place, we can rest easy!"

"It is said that General Huang's martial prowess is far superior to that of Lü Bu, and only Ji Ling can fight against him."

Unfortunately, Ji Ling is not by Yuan Shao's side at the moment. The vast Yuan camp, though numbering a million, is now utterly incapable of defeating General Huang!

Soon, rumors of Yuan Jun's fear of Huang Zhong spread like wildfire. The people and soldiers looked up to Huang Zhong just as the people of Zhao looked up to Zhao Kuo more than four hundred years ago!

Those expectant and ardent gazes were something Huang Zhong, though he was fifty years old, had never seen before.
He simply lowered his head in silence, gripping the long sword in his hand even tighter!

He stood high on the city wall, vigilant against the Yuan army's attack at all times. His busy figure never slackened for a moment, like a war god admired by the world, standing in front of the enemy!

Shortly after, Yuan Jun arrived.

It was the same familiar shout, the soldier yelling loudly from below the city walls.

"General Huang? Have you thought it through? You are the only person my lord considers an opponent in Jingzhou. If you are willing to surrender, my lord is willing to treat you as a national hero!"

If you do not surrender, no matter how strong you are, we will have no choice but to fight to the death!

This time, Huang Zhong did not answer, but instead drew his bow on his back like a full moon, and shot arrows like shooting stars, piercing through solid stone!

With a single arrow, he pierced the soldier who was shouting, causing him to fall to the ground, demonstrating his determination in this battle.

In Yuan's camp, everyone was in an uproar.

Upon witnessing this scene atop the six-horse carriage, Yuan Shu clutched his heart in shock and grief.

"The generals here are my people!"
Huang Zhong, you old bastard, how dare you kill my son!

Quickly, bring me my white mourning garment!
Even if Huang Zhong were to defend this city today, I would spare no effort to break through its defenses and avenge this humiliation!

After saying this, Yuan Shu took off the hairpin from his head and angrily threw it to the ground!

With a sharp clang, the jade hairpin shattered into pieces.

"Better to die a glorious death than live a shameful life! Soldiers of the army, heed my command! Today I will personally beat the drum for you. Fight bravely and be the first to breach the city walls!"
I swear to avenge this blood feud for my son, Wang Hu!
Those who dare to defy their lives will receive this hairpin!

kill! "

With a shout of "Kill!", Yuan Shu once again donned that familiar white mourning robe. His hair was disheveled, and he beat the drum, appearing as if he had gone mad, like a father grieving the loss of his beloved son.

Upon seeing this, all the soldiers wept!
"Lord Yuan loves us as he loves his own children!"

"Lord Yuan actually knows his name? Wang Hu? If Lord Yuan can remember my name, what does it matter if I die?"

"Yes! I only hope that on the day we die, Lord Yuan will mourn us in white and beat the drums!"

If I have truly received such a generous treatment, even if my soul returns to the netherworld, what regret would I have?

"Avenge Wang Hu!"

kill! ! ! "

"Better to be a broken piece of jade than a whole piece of tile!"

kill! ! ! "

"You treated me like a son, and I will repay you with my life!"

kill! ! ! "

More than 60,000 people shouted in unison, and the battle cries shook the heavens and did not stop!

In this scene, more than 60,000 people, their eyes bloodshot, charged forward in a terrifying attack.

On the city wall, Huang Zhong was completely stunned!

No, I just shot down one of your lowly soldiers who was shouting announcements. Is it really that big of a deal?
Why are you making it sound like I shot and killed your most favored adopted son, Sun Ce?
Looking at the fearless soldiers of Yuan's army charging forward, even Huang Zhong felt a lingering fear at that moment.

People say that a desperate army is bound to win, but Yuan's army is more than just a desperate army. You treat me like a national hero, and I will repay you with the same. You regard 60,000 men as your own children, and I will serve you as my own father!

This was not merely due to Yuan Shu's words, but rather something that had been brewing in every aspect of life for some time.

Yuan Gongfa never delayed paying their rations and salaries. He promised them land and titles for killing enemies, and that they would be buried in the Martyrs' Cemetery after their deaths. From then on, their entire families were descendants of heroes and received national memorial ceremonies every year.

Such favor is unprecedented among rulers and generals throughout history. What more could they ask for?
The will to fight to the death was already deep in the hearts of the soldiers, and at this moment, it was completely ignited by Lord Yuan's white mourning clothes and the sounding of drums!
With father, son, ruler, and minister working together with one heart, what can Huang Zhong possibly use to stop these 60,000 soldiers from the Jianghuai region?
Lu Gongche, catapults, siege towers, crossbows, and three hundred heavily armored infantrymen, built at great expense, led the charge into battle!

Over the past two years, Jianghuai has been reforming its administration and governing the country. With the accumulated materials and military equipment of Shouchun Heavy Industry, how could the small city of Linxiang not be defeated?
The battle cries shook the heavens and the earth, the catapults roared like thunder, as if the heavens were punishing the world; anyone who bumped into them would die, and anyone who touched them would be maimed!

The crossbow bolts struck like lightning, piercing through the city walls and leaving a trail of blood and gore in their wake!
From the top of the well, a barrage of arrows rained down, leaving behind a pool of blood.
Three hundred heavily armored infantrymen stepped down from the three Lu Gong chariots. Their armor was impeccable, impervious to swords and blades. Each soldier carried a shield and a sword, and they marched in unison on the city wall. Their swords moved as if they were one person. How could the Jingzhou soldiers, who had not fought in a long time, possibly resist them?

Dozens of battering rams charged forward one after another in a desperate attack. Even if only one ram reached the city gate, it made a loud bang, and the city gate almost burst open!

Ladders were used to scale the walls, and the 60,000 soldiers, who were willing to die for their cause, swarmed over the city like ants, sweeping across like locusts, one after another, and the killing was endless!
Shouts of battle, the sound of boulders crashing, the thunderous crack of crossbow bolts breaking, the rain of arrows falling, the crashing of doors—countless sounds mingled on the battlefield as life and death unfolded one after another. Accompanying all this was the sound of Yuan Gong's drums!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The drums thundered like lightning, startling the flock of geese. He, with disheveled hair, raised the drum and sang.

"I was born into a noble family, and I came to quell the chaos of the world with a heart full of courage!"
I think back to that day when I personally led the Northern Expedition, and to that day when the frost-covered gate stood guard.

I think back to that day when I wielded my sword and startled the wind, and that day when I held my spear and soared into the clouds.

Flags in front of the tent, seals at the waist.

The emperor's horse, the white dragon robe.

Looking upon our land, our nation is suffering; what have the common people done to deserve this?
They wish to kill my subjects across the land, they wish to kill my people so that the world may be at peace.

They long to kill me, a loyal minister from Huainan; they long to kill me, who was ordered to punish the traitors!
Stones thunder, arrows rain, and the bow is drawn as full as the moon!
Being there in person, I recall those days when Luoyang was warm with flowers and the seas were calm and the rivers were clear!
Six hundred million people cried out in unison, "Where in this world is our homeland?"

After singing, Lord Yuan placed the drumsticks on the ground, donned heavy armor and white mourning clothes, and personally drew his long sword to cut off the red tassel!

With disheveled hair, he brandished his longsword and shouted, protected by Xu Chu, Zhou Tai, and a group of guards:
"Kill the traitors!"
Kill the traitors!
Kill the traitors!!!
"Today I am ordered to punish the traitors and suppress the rebellion; those who obstruct me shall die!"

The Yuan army below the city was shocked by the disheveled Yuan Gong charging into battle. They felt tears streaming down their faces. The noble man was willing to risk arrows and stones for the sake of peace in the world. Why should they, the common people and the sons of Huainan, hesitate to fight?
"Kill! We, the sons of Huainan, are ready for a battle!"

"Come, come, please watch me take the enemy's head!"

"Kill! How can we let Lord Yuan's blood be stained? Our battle lines must not fall behind Lord Yuan's!"

"Kill, kill, kill!"

The relentless offensive and the endless enemy forces were a sight to behold. Throughout his life on the battlefield, Huang Zhong had never witnessed such a display of military morale and strength.

For the sake of those pairs of eyes that looked up at him with expectation, he ran and killed bandits on the city wall without daring to slacken for a moment.

However, enemy troops broke into the eastern city and he rushed to fight them. Then, enemy troops stormed the western city and he ordered his reserve forces to stop them. But soon, enemy troops came from the northern city and he had no choice but to order his personal guards to hold them off.
Before long, enemy troops also attacked from the south city. Huang Zhong ran east and west, like a flood rushing down, leading his men to risk their lives to fill the dam, completely helpless.

The enemy's momentum was like the might of heaven and earth, like a flood pouring down on a city. How could ordinary people with flesh and blood possibly withstand it?
Logically speaking, he had nearly 20,000 men to defend the city, which was more than enough to fight against the enemy's 60,000 troops!

However, during a normal enemy siege, when stones fall from above, the soldiers are either crushed to death or scatter and flee, thus resolving the attack.

But what about these Yuan troops?

You throw stones down, and the people below push aside the two or three who have been crushed to death above, and continue climbing up.

You pour the golden liquid down, and the people below, covered in it, endure the scalding heat that tears their skin, climbing up the city wall like demons from hell.

You throw logs down, and a row of people are crushed to death by the logs, but the people behind you continue to climb the city walls, stepping on the logs and the corpses of those in front.

Not to mention the enemy's catapults, arrows, and crossbows, which terrified the defenders on the city walls.

Their offensive was relentless, like cutting water with a knife; how could one possibly withstand it?
Huang Zhong had never heard of such a powerful and overwhelming offensive, nor had he ever seen such a fearless and murderous enemy.

At that moment, he really wanted to laugh out loud!
Is Lord Yuan afraid of me?
The troops from Huainan are so formidable that no one in Yuan Gonglu can rival them. Why should he fear me?
Soon, Huang Zhong was busy running around the four city walls, but he didn't even have the chance to help put out the fire.

All because of a man in embroidered robes and golden armor who stormed the city walls!
Holding the Overlord's Golden Spear, he glared coldly at Huang Zhong, the calmness in his eyes seemingly suppressing the resentment, bitterness, and overwhelming hatred of injustice he had endured along the way.

"Huang Zhong? You're the one who captured my brother, forced him to surrender, and nearly caused the annihilation of my entire Sun family?"

The man suddenly laughed, "I'll take your head and offer it to my father, so I can atone for my sins!"

Having said that, without waiting for Huang Zhong's reply, the spear swept down domineeringly, and Huang Zhong had no choice but to raise his sword to meet it.

Before long, Huang Gai climbed to the top of the city wall and was shocked to see Sun Ce fighting him. He was furious!
"You old thief, you must be Huang Zhong. It was you who captured Young Master Quan, and the Sun family almost lost its bloodline because of it."

"If I don't kill you today, how can I face General Sun in the afterlife!"

With that, he drew his sword and charged!
Then Cheng Pu and Han Dang also climbed up the city wall. Enemies meeting each other were extremely hostile and immediately attacked together.

At that time, Sun Ce, now Yuan Ce, and the three generals of the Sun family worked together to fight Huang Zhong!
(End of this chapter)