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

Chapter 248 General Li Dian, you had the ability, why didn't you say so earlier? [5000]

"Biancheng needs help!"
"Your Majesty, please send troops to rescue us immediately!!!"

The urgent report resounded throughout the hall, but everyone inside remained completely silent.

good news!
General Li Dian, the pacification general, has been found!
Bad news: General Li Dian has asked us for help.
No, we're hoping to ask you for help.

The King of Lu stared silently at Chancellor Zhang Hua with a complex expression.

Meeting the gaze of the Prince of Lu, Zhang Hua, who had just suggested seeking help from Li Dian, also looked embarrassed.

"There may be something fishy going on here. I would like to ask Your Majesty to summon the messenger who is seeking help so that I may inquire about the details."

This was the proper course of action, and King Lu followed it.

When the envoy entered the palace, he learned from him that Li Dian's army had been ambushed by Yuan's army, and that Yuan's army had used him several times to trick them into opening the city gates. He also learned that Li Dian had fought desperately to kill his deputy general and was leading his troops in a fierce battle outside Biancheng.

Everyone praised Li Dian's loyalty and righteousness.

"If every man in my Han Dynasty were like Li Pingxi, why would I worry about the chaos of the world and the loss of peace?"

King Lu sighed deeply and then asked his prime minister:

"What does Zhang Xiang think we should do now?"

"We must save Li Dian!"

Almost without hesitation, Chancellor Zhang Hua gave his conclusion.

King Lu was surprised and looked up at him, but Zhang Hua only nodded slightly to him.

"Now that General Pingxi has been ambushed and fallen into Yuan's trap, Yuan's army has won a series of victories and captured three cities in just a few days."

However, the reasoning behind this was something we didn't know the details of before, and we might have been intimidated by the power of Yuan's army. Now that we understand, it's just a minor matter.

Since General Li Dian has already thwarted Yuan's plan, he is still able to defend Biancheng with a small force and block the enemy's advance.

If our main force were to provide support and engage Yuan's army in battle, the outcome would be uncertain.

Upon hearing this, the King of Lu stared wide-eyed at Zhang Hua with a look of disbelief and suspicion.

That look seemed to say, "Prime Minister, you've also become acquainted with Yuan Shikai?"
Prince Lu also heard that with the current state of affairs, Yuan Shikai's power and influence have grown stronger and stronger, and many people in the world have become his allies.

But he never expected that the first person he met who was in cahoots with Yuan Shikai would be his own prime minister.
My city only has 10,000 garrison troops, which is not enough to defend the city. I wish I could ask for reinforcements from all over the place.

And you, you want me to send troops to rescue others?
"Prime Minister Zhang, are you joking?"

Zhang Hua replied with a dignified and righteous air.

"The Han dynasty was in decline, and the people were in chaos. In order to restore the Han dynasty and protect our Lu state, General Pingxi did not hesitate to fight alone under the city walls, risking his life."

As a member of the Han imperial family, does Your Majesty intend to protect your life and watch your family's legacy be taken away by the Yuan clan?
Moreover, the reason why Yuan's army has not attacked us is because Biancheng is blocking our way; this is a matter of mutual dependence.

"If we do not rescue Biancheng now, and it falls tomorrow, with Yuan's army at our gates, who will Your Majesty expect to come to our aid, and how will we resist Yuan's army?"

"This"

The King of Lu frowned more and more deeply. “What Prime Minister Zhang said seems to make a lot of sense.”

However, our forces are currently meager. If we were to divide our troops to rescue them, we fear we would be taken advantage of by Yuan's army, and then it would be too late to regret it.

However, before King Lu could continue speaking, Zhang Hua raised his hand to interrupt him.

"How could I not know Your Majesty's worries? They are nothing more than concerns about the strength of General Li Dian."

The current situation is difficult, and even with our help, he may not be able to defeat Yuan's army.

At that time, losses and setbacks will be incurred, which will only bring trouble.

In my humble opinion, we should first send people to the vicinity of Biancheng to gather information, firstly to verify the authenticity of the intelligence, and secondly to find out the fate of General Li Dian.

If General Li Dian is dead, then all will be lost, and Biancheng will not last long either.

We will simply guard our gates and await reinforcements from the imperial court.

If General Li Dian can still hold on, he can still defend a place with his meager forces and fight a bloody battle with Yuan's army.

This shows that Yuan's army is not invincible. As long as we send troops to help them quickly, General Pingxi will surely be able to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop.

What does Your Majesty think?

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Lu became even more suspicious. Biancheng was in grave danger, and Li Dianzhi's survival was hanging by a thread.

If they truly wanted to rescue him, they would have to send troops immediately. How could they possibly delay and gather intelligence?

But if we don't offer help, what's the point of talking about rescue?

The King of Lu had known his prime minister for over a decade and was familiar with his character. Seeing the deep meaning in the prime minister's gaze, he knew there must be more to the story.

He then nodded in agreement.

"Zhang Xiang is a wise and experienced strategist, so I will follow your advice and send someone to investigate further."

The rest of the men remained at their posts, keeping the city gates tightly shut to prevent any attack by the Yuan traitor.

Everyone said "Yes," and then they all took their leave.

After everyone had left, King Lu did not return to his palace, but sat alone on his throne, closing his eyes to rest.

Not long after, the Prime Minister Zhang Hua returned. The King of Lu chuckled and dismissed his attendants, then asked him again.

"What is Prime Minister Zhang plotting? Is he truly going to rescue Li Pingxi? Can you explain this to me now?"

"Save him! Li Dian must be saved."

Zhang Hua bowed with his hands clasped, pointed upwards, lowered his voice, and continued speaking.

"Li Dian was appointed by the court as the General Who Pacifies the West, in charge of the war between Liang and Lu. According to his duties, during the war, all the king's subordinates were at his command."

Now that the commander-in-chief is in grave danger, how can we not come to his aid?

Moreover, Li Dian was a confidant of Prime Minister Cao. It is said that since Generals Xiahou Dun and Yue Jin defected to Yuan Shao, there have been few trustworthy and capable commanders in the Prime Minister's army, and Li Dian was one of them.

He was a prudent and defensive man, gentle and steady, and always kind to others. He was called "Elder" by the generals in Cao Cao's camp and had many friends in the army.

This man, trusted and respected by Cao Cao and on good terms with the generals in Cao's camp, unexpectedly staged such a scene of loyalty and righteousness—reversing the chaos and fighting to the death beneath the city walls—at Biancheng.

Such loyalty and righteousness are exemplified by their unwavering fighting spirit, even to the last soldier.

This would be enough to greatly improve Prime Minister Cao's current predicament, given Xiahou Dun and Yue Jin's surrender to Yuan Shao.

After explaining the inside story, Zhang Hua bowed again, looked up at the Prince of Lu, and asked him a question.

"With such a person as a shining example, and with his connections in Cao Cao's camp as a foundation, this old minister dares to ask Your Majesty a question."

If we are able to save him but do not, what will Prime Minister Cao think of the King? What will Cao Cao's camp think of the King?

Zhang Hua's last words sent chills down the spine of the Prince of Lu.

"Your Majesty, don't forget, we are still waiting for Cao Cao's troops to come to our rescue."

If we act on this today, who knows what General Cao Chun, who is guarding Yanzhou, is thinking?

"This"

King Lu gasped in shock and quickly helped Zhang Hua up.

"The Prime Minister's strategic thinking and foresight are beyond my reach!"
I understand the reasoning behind this. Now I will proceed to General Chen Zhang.

"slow!

"Your Majesty, you're getting anxious again."

You've always been so impatient since you were little, and you haven't matured at all.

Zhang Hua sighed, stopped the Prince of Lu, and said to him:
"How could I not know Your Majesty's previous worries?"

There are only 10,000 defenders in Lucheng. If we send troops to rescue them, it will be useless if we send too few, and we may be afraid that Yuan's army will attack if we send too many.

Therefore, we must be extremely careful in handling matters here.

Seeing his composed and confident demeanor, the Prince of Lu immediately understood Zhang Hua's meaning and bowed respectfully.

"Please teach me, Master Zhang."

Zhang Hua nodded and began to explain in detail.

"To be able to save someone but not to save them is a sin."

But if Li Dian is already dead before we can come to his rescue, then there's no need to send troops to help him.

At present, Yuan's army of 20,000 men has come to besiege Biancheng. According to the messenger, Li Dian only has 800 remaining soldiers to defend the city.

Such troops cannot enter the city to defend it, and have no advantage in defending the city. Even if he is a famous general, how many days can a mere eight hundred men hold out outside the city?

Although an envoy has come seeking aid, warfare is based on deception. How can we be sure that this envoy isn't a deliberate ploy by Yuan's army to trick us into opening the gates of Lu City?

Zhang Hua paused, stroked his beard, and smiled.

"Therefore, it is reasonable for us to send people to the vicinity of Biancheng to verify the information. No one can find fault with that."

King Lu suddenly realized!

He slammed his hand on the table, almost getting up.

"By the time he returned after verifying the information, Li Dian had already died at the hands of Yuan Jun."

"It is now clear that Yuan Jun's plan to breach the city the day before was merely a ploy to trick Li Dian into opening the city gates."

Now that we know this, there is nothing to fear. With ten thousand garrison troops and ample provisions in the city, we can hold out against Yuan's twenty thousand troops for at least a month.

Zhang Hua bowed and took his leave. "Your Majesty, simply defend Lu City and await the imperial reinforcements. Remember! Make sure everyone knows your intention to rescue General Pingxi."

"Of course! General Li Dian is loyal and courageous, how could I not come to his aid?"

The worries in King Lu's heart vanished, and he took the initiative to help Zhang Hua up.

"Little Wang will see Lord Zhang off."

"Your Majesty, please wait."

So the two rulers acted according to the plan, and everyone in the city knew that the King of Lu was moved by Li Dian's loyalty and was determined to do everything in his power to save him.

However, just as they thought they had succeeded, a few days later, when the messenger who had been gathering information about Biancheng returned, the smile on King Lu's face immediately froze.

"What? Li Dian hasn't..."
"Yes, General Pingxi is indeed extraordinary."

He almost gritted his teeth as he finished speaking, “He actually managed to hold the city gates for several days with only eight hundred remaining soldiers, facing twenty thousand Yuan troops head-on.”

Even the most famous generals of antiquity were no more outstanding than him.

He said this aloud, but in his heart he was cursing.

Does Yuan Jun eat shit?

Twenty thousand men fought against eight hundred, and Li Dian is still alive and kicking? It's said he even fought you guys to a standstill?

King Lu: "."

He could only look at Zhang Hua again, who gave a wry smile and stepped forward.

He was speechless. General Li Dian, if you had this ability, you should have said so earlier!
If we had known you were so formidable, we would have sent troops to rescue you much sooner.

He cleared his throat and offered his advice:
“My king, this is also a good thing.”

In this light, it seems that the Yuan army's invasion was merely a result of General Pingxi's carelessness in falling into an ambush while he was previously trapped in Liang territory.

Now that General Pingxi is no longer underestimating the enemy and has shown his true strength, we have no need to worry and can simply send troops to his aid.

Think about it, he was able to stand up to Yuan's army of 20,000 with only 800 remaining soldiers. If he had 5,000 armored soldiers, wouldn't he be able to defeat Yuan's army and recover the land of Lu?

As for the matter of dividing the troops, there is no need to worry about it.

Leaving 5,000 garrison troops to keep the city gates closed might not be able to hold out for long, but it shouldn't be difficult to hold off Yuan's army for several days.

These few days are enough time for General Li Dian to break out of Biancheng and arrive to relieve the siege.

Upon reflection, King Lu realized that it made sense.
It turns out I was overthinking things. With such a legendary general who could defeat 20,000 men with only 800, how could we possibly lose?
All I had to do was rescue him and give him troops.

His gaze, now complex, lingered one last time on the scout who had brought back the message, and he asked:
"Are you sure? Is General Li Dian really alive? Did he single-handedly fight against 20,000 of Yuan's troops without being defeated?"

The scout knelt down and refused to rise, banging his head on the ground.

"Your Majesty, I saw it clearly."

The Yuan army, covering the mountains and plains, numbered far more than 20,000.
They dug trenches and built fortifications there, completely surrounding Biancheng.

Although I did not see General Li Dian in person, think about it: if General Li Dian were dead, and if Yuan's army could easily break through Biancheng, why would they bother to dig trenches and build fortifications?

Therefore, I believe that General Li Dian must still be alive, and that he is leading eight hundred armored soldiers, moving freely and killing Yuan's army until they had no choice but to use the clumsy method of digging trenches and building fortifications to try to trap and kill General Li Dian.

By the way, I've also found out that the real leader of Yuan's army this time isn't General Yue Jin, but a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old named Lu Xun, courtesy name Boyan.

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded. Although the scout hadn't witnessed it himself, they couldn't think of any other reason why Yuan's army would do such a thing.

Moreover, the 20,000 Yuan troops were still slowly digging trenches and building fortifications in Biancheng, which was witnessed by the scouts. Therefore, there was no need to worry that Lucheng would be attacked by Yuan troops when the troops were sent to rescue it.

Zhang Hua frowned and pondered, as if he remembered something. He said to him, "Your Majesty, I have also heard of this Lu Boyan. He is said to be a disciple of Lord Yuan, but he is still young and has never had any achievements in battle."

This was probably his first time leading an army in battle, and he was quite intelligent, devising a plan to deceive the city and capture several of my cities in succession.

However, this plan has now been thwarted by General Li Dian. This young man is still inexperienced and has exhausted all his tricks, so he has no choice but to resort to this method of digging trenches and building fortifications.

"I see!
With Zhang Xiang's explanation, everything here became clear.

"A mere thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, in a sudden flash of brilliance, terrified us all, leaving us in constant fear. He certainly lived up to his reputation as a disciple of Master Yuan."

Upon hearing this reasonable explanation, King Lu's doubts vanished, and he immediately issued an order.

"Chen Zhang, you will lead five thousand elite troops to Biancheng immediately to rescue General Li Dian. Obey his orders."

The rest of you shall guard the city gates and not act rashly.

"only!"

Chen Zhang accepted the order and left.

On the other side, Lu Xun, who had been lying in ambush outside Lu City for several days, finally heard from his scouts that the reinforcements sent by Lu City had come out, and he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Although Yue Jin hadn't said anything these days, the strange look he kept giving him made him feel quite guilty.

He found it strange that the Prince of Lu was such a coward who was willing to bear the blame for not rescuing his allies and watch Li Dian die in Biancheng.

Then don't blame me for making sure that tomorrow your reputation as Prince Lu colluding with Yuan Shikai resounds throughout the court and the country. You deliberately didn't support him and killed Li Dian. This is solid evidence of your collusion with Yuan Shikai.

Therefore, those who can calculate without missing a single plan do not actually calculate without missing a single plan, but rather, no matter what happens, they can always say: "This is my plan."

However, with the return of the scout sent to investigate Biancheng, King Lu was finally able to send reinforcements.

As for the Yuan army that the scouts discovered covering the mountains and plains outside Biancheng, it was just the five thousand Yuan soldiers left there who conscripted some local laborers to dig ditches and build fortifications.

There were also scouts patrolling around Yuan Jun's camp, but the Lu scouts could only spy on the camp from afar, so how could they know the details?
Fifteen thousand elite Yuan troops had been waiting here for a long time for this Lu army.

As the scouts discovered the route of the Lu army's reinforcements, Lu Xun glanced at the map and immediately placed his piece.

"General Yue, please."

The time has come.

On a mountain road leading from Lucheng to Biancheng, Chen Zhang led his men, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

As the only capable general in the State of Lu, he was virtually invincible and possessed extensive experience in leading troops.

The army maintained a disciplined formation throughout the journey, always on guard against enemy ambushes.

Unfortunately, he encountered Yue Jin and Lu Xun, as well as a full 15,000 Yuan troops.

When 15,000 men were lying in ambush with 5,000 others, Chen Zhang's so-called precautions and vigilance were completely meaningless.

Faced with the combined military strategies and formations of Yue Jin and Lu Xun, his so-called military formations appeared utterly ridiculous, like those of a child.

A thousand "slaying Cao soldiers" charged forward, and that opening slash that cut in two killed or maimed at least seven or eight hundred Lu soldiers.

The white blade, like the moon, swept across the sky, cleaving through metal and stone, splitting countless corpses in two, blood flowing everywhere, and also severing the spine of the Lu army.

Upon meeting them, they suffered nearly 20% casualties. How could the Lu army dare to match such overwhelming ferocity?
With a few simple thrusts by "Kill Cao's Army", 14,000 Yuan army infantrymen pressed forward, and the familiar scene was repeated once again.

Lu Xun, dressed in white and with his hand on his sword, rode behind, urging the Lu army on like a shepherd tending a flock of sheep.

Not long after, in the main hall of the Lu King's palace, the Lu King stared in disbelief at the soldier who had come to deliver the message.

"What!!!
You're saying General Chen returned shortly after leaving the city? And he was followed by over ten thousand Yuan soldiers, who were desperately trying to open the city gates?

This is impossible! "

Even so, no matter how much he didn't believe it, he knew it was the truth.

Suddenly, the situation in Lucheng became extremely critical.

King Lu's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly summoned the scout who had returned to deliver the news from Biancheng and glared at him coldly.

"How dare you collude with the traitor Yuan!!"

After saying this, he personally drew his sword and killed him, his tiger-like eyes sweeping over the crowd as he coldly gave the order.

"Those who open the city gates shall die!"

Everyone knows how Xue County and Fan County were lost. Yuan's army is using the same old trick. We must not open the city now, otherwise they will surely be overrun and Lu will perish.

Seeing that his ministers were temporarily suppressed by his power, King Lu looked around and found that Chen Zhang, the most capable general among them, was still trapped outside the city.

The remaining generals of Lu.
Choosing the best among the short, King Lu carefully selected for a long time and finally looked to the prime minister, Zhang Hua.

"The capable are often given more work. The situation is critical now. I entrust Zhang Xiang with the defense of the city. Do not fail my expectations."

Zhang Hua: "."

He knew that the State of Lu was short of talented people and had very few capable individuals, so he could only sigh.

"This old minister will do his best."

The city gate of the State of Lu.

"Your Majesty, open the door!"

“Your Majesty, I have rendered service to the State of Lu, I have shed blood for the State of Lu, you cannot abandon me.”

"Your Majesty, the city needs me to defend it. Without me, who will defend the city?"

"Your Majesty, trust me!"

Even if the gates are opened temporarily, as long as Chen enters the city, he is absolutely confident that he can drive back Yuan's army and prevent the fall of Lu.

As Yuan's army drew ever closer, Chen Zhang and his soldiers shouted with increasing urgency.

However, given the precedent of Yuan Jun using Li Dian to deceive the city, and the bloody scene of Prince Lu personally killing people with his sword still fresh in everyone's mind.

At this moment, who would dare to open the door for him?
(End of this chapter)