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

Chapter 329 Purge the Demonic Atmosphere and Cleanse the Evil! [5600]

"Brother Zhang, don't panic, I'm here to help you!"

The great cause of reviving the Han dynasty begins at this very moment!

Zhao Da was no fool. The reason he mentioned the great cause of restoring the Han dynasty and led the black-clad messenger out to fight was because no one knew better than him that Zhang Cheng had been framed.

After discussing the current situation with the black-clad messenger, the messenger, realizing the matter had come to this point, could no longer hide it from him and revealed that the only messengers who had entered the enemy camp were himself and Li Junchu.

The current situation is then quite clear.

Li Jun and his men killed the messenger to prove their loyalty; they were truly loyal and righteous men who risked their lives in battle.

Zhang Cheng and others were loyal soldiers who were framed by the envoy and could not prove their loyalty.

Zhao Da: "."

So you're all incredibly loyal subjects, and I can take on you all by myself?

The only thing to be thankful for is that foolish Li Jun, who stupidly believed the other envoy's dying accusations and stubbornly insisted on fighting Zhang Cheng to the death. He was utterly stupid.

Taking advantage of the current chaos of the two armies, Zhao Da knew that his only chance of survival was to muddy the waters and not let Li Jun and Zhang Cheng clarify their words and prove that they were actually loyal subjects.

The problem facing him then became simple: he had to bring Zhang Cheng under his wing and confirm his identity as a traitor to Yuan Shikai.

That's why he made such a high-profile appearance at this moment.

"Brother Zhang, don't panic, I'm here to help you!"

However, when he tried to cling to Zhang Cheng, Zhang Cheng turned pale with fright. Before he could speak, almost as if he and Zhao Da had a tacit understanding, Li Jun spoke up, pointing at Zhao Da and angrily rebuking Zhang Cheng.

"Alright, alright, you've revealed something fishy, ​​haven't you?"
"Zhang Cheng, your accomplices have arrived. What else do you have to say?"

This blatant traitor who colluded with Yuan Shikai was eager to help him. Zhang Cheng was speechless and unable to defend himself. In desperation, he said...

"General Li, it's a misunderstanding!"
This is truly an accomplice of the traitor Yuan, and has nothing to do with me!

Zhao Da was also anxious, "Brother Zhang, why have you changed your mind?"

We agreed to unite and revive the Han dynasty, and tonight we will launch our grand plan. I have come here specifically to assist you. Why have you changed your mind?

Upon seeing and hearing Zhao Da's words, not only Li Jun, but even his own allies Wang Qian and Wang Kun looked at him with increasing suspicion. Zhang Cheng was almost furious!
"Zhao Da, you're talking nonsense!"
When have I ever allied with you to revive the Han Dynasty? Stop making false accusations!

As he spoke, seemingly eager to prove himself, he pleaded with Li Jun.

"General Li, it's a misunderstanding. It's all part of that traitor Yuan's conspiracy."

I can lead my troops right now and personally kill that scoundrel Zhao Da to prove my loyalty.”

To his surprise, what he thought was a righteous and righteous request was met with a cold sneer from Li Jun.

"What a joke! You collude with the traitor Yuan and confuse yourselves. Do you think you can fool me?"

Perhaps seeing that your situation is hopeless tonight, they sent Zhao Da out to deliberately kill you to prove their loyalty.

This is merely a pretext; killing Zhao Da today is simply a means to better infiltrate and pursue greater interests.

The greatest villain appears loyal, the greatest falsehood appears true—that perfectly describes someone like you, Zhang Cheng!
Otherwise, if one were truly loyal and righteous, with a clear conscience, why would one have acted with such a guilty conscience in the first place, preventing us from searching?

Upon hearing this, everyone suddenly realized that Zhang Cheng had such a plan: to pretend to kill a traitor who was colluding with Yuan Shikai, so that he could save his own life and infiltrate the anti-traitor team to uphold justice.

The traitor Yuan is indeed cunning. If it weren't for General Li stepping forward tonight and clearly distinguishing between loyalty and treachery, none of us would have been able to see through his scheme.

Zhang Cheng was speechless for a moment after Li Jun's words. He raised his hand and pointed at Zhao Da for a while, then at Li Jun, uttering "you, you" a few times. He felt utterly hopeless and didn't know what to say.

Seeing this, Zhao Da thought to himself that Li Jun was utterly foolish and was simply being presumptuous!
Unfortunately, tonight's group of righteous men is led by that idiot Li Jun.

This is Huang Tianyou!

Thinking of this, he pressed his advantage even further and called out to Zhang Cheng.

"Brother Zhang, this is bad! I never expected Li Jun to be so cunning."

Your plan has been seen through by Li Jun. If you don't fight to the death, we will both die without a burial place tonight.

Upon hearing Zhao Da's words, everyone was shocked. His words, which contradicted Li Jun's, one explicit and one implicit, corroborated each other. How could they not believe it without a doubt and completely accept Zhang Chengtong's identity as the traitor Yuan?

In an instant, Wang Qian and Wang Kun were filled with remorse, wishing they could kill Zhang Cheng immediately to prove their loyalty, and shouted:
General Li has misunderstood.

We were momentarily blinded by greed and believed Zhang Cheng's words; we were truly blind.

"We hope General Li will show leniency. We are by no means colluding with Yuan Shikai. We will immediately join you in eliminating the traitor and saving the day."

Having finally seized the opportunity to ambush and kill them, how could Li Jun allow the two of them to switch sides?

He sneered, "Knowing they were doomed, they sacrificed the pawn to save the king!"
If he is truly loyal and righteous, I have already clearly stated Zhang Cheng's collusion with Yuan Shikai.

Why did you two join him in a mutiny and even accuse me of being a traitor to Yuan?

"At this moment, it is crystal clear who is loyal and who is treacherous. I, Li Jun, have long said that I am irreconcilably opposed to those who collude with Yuan Shikai, and tonight I will fight you to the death."

Generals Wang Qian and Wang Kun were both angry and anxious, but they didn't know how to explain themselves to prove their identities. They were secretly annoyed that Li Jun was so stubborn and couldn't see through things. What kind of hatred or grudge did he have against those who were in league with Yuan Shikai that he could be so righteous and noble!

On the other hand, how could Zhao Da allow his two important combat forces to escape? He hurriedly advised him:

"Generals, don't you understand yet?"

Li Jun is deeply entangled in demonic possession; it seems he would rather kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

Now would be better to join forces with my brother Zhang Cheng and remove this life-or-death crisis.

Afterwards, whether you two choose to join the Han camp together, or discuss with Zhang Cheng and me the crime of betraying the Han, we will accept it both ways.

He and Li Jun were truly righteous and awe-inspiring, while one was a traitor to Yuan Shikai. Yet, they managed to coordinate their efforts, subtly driving Zhang Cheng and the others into a deadly situation.

Upon hearing Zhao Da's words, both Qiankun and his companion turned pale and remained silent.

However, his men continued fighting without stopping, silently cooperating, clearly unwilling to collude with these two traitors who had colluded with Yuan.

But having made a mistake and ended up here, it's impossible for them to surrender and be killed by Li Jun as a traitor to Yuan.

On the contrary, Zhang Cheng's voice was filled with sorrow, as if he were weeping and lamenting.

"Zhao Da, what do you mean by including me in this?"

My illustrious reputation has been ruined by you, a petty person, to this extent.

Zhao Da smiled warmly and continued to lead troops to help, saying, "Brother Zhang, when you discuss the great cause of reviving the Han Dynasty with me, call me Brother Zhao."

What, with war raging and the situation so critical, you call me a villain?

You accuse me of slander, but tonight I didn't reveal your name about Yuan.

Could it be that General Li, the one opposite us, known for his unparalleled loyalty and sense of righteousness, is also making baseless accusations and is the slanderous villain you speak of?

Zhang Cheng was once again rendered speechless by the rebuttal!

Li Jun initially came with a sense of righteousness, claiming that he was colluding with Yuan Shikai, but he said that people were framing him.

Now the real traitor Zhao Da has stepped forward, accusing him of colluding with Yuan Shikai, while also claiming that others are framing him.

Tonight there are only two forces, two camps, and now both sides are speaking in unison, accusing him of colluding with Yuan. Can he still say that he is framing him?

Is he some kind of third party who is being framed by both sides?

Or is it that someone as righteous as Li Jun and as accommodating as Zhao Da could join forces to frame him, given that these two irreconcilable parties are like oil and water?

In that instant, Zhang Cheng looked up at the sky, wanting to cry but having no tears, opening his mouth to speak but having no words, feeling only that the world was vast and there was no place for him to find refuge.

Qi or Han? He has lost his place to live.

"The evidence is irrefutable and irrefutable; Zhang Cheng's collusion with Yuan Shikai is an outrage against justice!"

This is Li Jun's sharp words, a scathing attack!
"Things have come to this point, and there's no going back. Why bother pretending, Brother Zhang?"
Join me in achieving great feats and reviving the Han dynasty; the time is now!

This is Zhao Da's skillful persuasion and manipulation of people's hearts.

Zhang Cheng suddenly laughed loudly, "The name of my collusion with Yuan is hard to erase. I have no place to hide my shame. I have failed General Gao's high expectations. Even if I live on, how can I face him again?"

He held the sword to his neck, stared at Li Jun, and roared through gritted teeth.

"Li Jun, you just watch carefully."

Their resolve to charge into battle is one of certain death!
I am not in league with Yuan Shikai, and I will prove it with my life!

Having said that, he drew his sword horizontally, and blood gushed out like a spring. Zhang Cheng fell to the ground, dying with his eyes wide open.

This move silenced the entire room. Amidst the uproar, Li Jun was the first to react, pounding his chest and stamping his feet in frustration.

"I was misled by treacherous people; it was all part of Yuan Shikai's scheme!"
"I will never forget the regret of causing the death of such a loyal and righteous man as Brother Zhang!"

As he spoke, tears welled in his eyes, and he angrily pointed at Zhao Da, Wang Qian, and Wang Kun.

"You traitor who colluded with Yuan!"

How dare you collude with me to slander Brother Zhang! I will never forgive you!

Having said that, he hurriedly ordered his generals:
"General Zhang was so loyal and righteous, yet he was framed and forced to his death by these treacherous villains."

How can we not avenge such a deep-seated blood feud?

"With the will to charge into battle, even unto death, all soldiers, follow me to avenge Brother Zhang!!!"

The generals immediately displayed the desperation of a desperate army, their offensive becoming increasingly urgent and vigorous, and they all shouted in unison.

"The ambition to be trapped in a battle will lead to death but not life!"

Especially those who were originally under Zhang Cheng's command, after seizing Zhang Cheng's body, were filled with grief and despair, all crying out "General Zhang!" in mourning.

Upon hearing Li Jun's words about revenge, they seemed to have regained their purpose and immediately joined forces with Li Jun, charging desperately towards Zhao Da's location.

Although Li Jun was one of the main sources of conflict that led to Zhang Cheng's death, Zhang Cheng was proving his loyalty to the enemy even on his deathbed. How could they possibly rebel after the general's death and continue to fight against Li Jun, who was upholding the great cause of the enemy?

On the contrary, Zhao Da, a ready-made traitor who colluded with Yuan Shikai, was right beside him.

If he hadn't conspired with the deceased envoy to frame Zhang Cheng, how could General Li Jun have misunderstood him and forced him to die to prove his innocence?
"Zhao Da, you treacherous villain, we will surely kill you to prove your loyalty, General!"

With Zhang Cheng's suicide, his troops suddenly turned against him, and the balance of power, which had been tilted due to Zhao Da's army's assistance, was reversed once again.

Even the heroic act of Zhang Cheng sacrificing himself to prove his loyalty made it clear who was loyal and who was treacherous between the two sides.

This caused many of the soldiers under Zhao Da, Wang Qian, and Wang Kun, who were originally loyal to fighting, to hesitate, and some even defected on the eve of battle.

With shouts of "We are determined to fight to the death!" echoing through the battlefield, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse, and a one-sided defection and rout began.

Zhao Da angrily cursed, "Zhang Cheng is a strategist, causing the deaths of the entire army!"

My great cause of restoring the Han dynasty has been ruined by this blindly loyal man!

Shortly after, Li Jun led his army to attack and beheaded him with a single sword stroke. Wang Qian and Wang Kun begged for mercy, saying:

"Brother Li, please spare us! It's a misunderstanding. We only wanted to live, not to collude with Yuan."

"Brother Li, you are wise. My heart is with Lord Gao, and I am determined to fight on the front lines. I am by no means a treacherous villain."

All my previous actions were merely for self-preservation.

Li Jun sneered, "You collude with the traitor Yuan, framed and killed Brother Zhang, and you still dare to argue?"

If you are truly loyal and willing to emulate Brother Zhang's righteous deeds, then I will believe you!

"Brother Li, why are you going too far?"

"To force a loyal and virtuous man to his death because of a misunderstanding only makes Yuan's camp laugh!"

"Enough talk! To avenge Brother Zhang, I will fight you to the death! I will make you all pay with your lives!"

The two generals, Qian and Kun, were not about to die. They put up a stubborn resistance and fought for a while longer before being killed by Li Jun.

Thus, tonight's bloody battle of the Vanguard Camp came to an end, with only five hundred of the original eight hundred remaining, including the three generals Li Jun, Huang Long, and Huang Hu.

Wait, eight hundred soldiers are in the enemy lines!
Li Jun frowned slightly. Wasn't one person still missing?
Sure enough, just as the battle on one side ended, a general arrived with a hundred elite soldiers.

"Zhao Ming greets General Li."

Zhao Ming had actually been there for a while, but seeing the sounds of battle raging in front of him, one moment Li Jun was saying that Zhang Cheng was a traitor colluding with Yuan Shikai, and the next moment Zhang Cheng was saying that Li Jun was a traitor colluding with Yuan Shikai.

A little while later, Zhao Da, the real traitor to Yuan Shikai, reappeared, confirming that Zhang Cheng was indeed a traitor to Yuan Shikai. Just when everyone thought the matter was settled, Zhang Cheng committed suicide, proving that he was not a traitor to Yuan Shikai and had been framed.

The situation here is so complicated, with so much truth and falsehood, that Zhao Ming really feels he can't tell the difference. He just can't!
To be honest, it's not impossible that if the fighting between these people suddenly reverses and it turns out that Li Jun was actually colluding with Yuan Shikai.

He felt like he was about to grow a brain; he couldn't control himself, so how could he dare to rush forward?
Who knows whether going up to fight will actually help the vanguard eliminate traitors or help the traitor Yuan?
He couldn't figure it out, so he simply gave up and decided to wait for them to fight. He would join whoever won.

He believed that since he had already pledged allegiance, whether they were truly loyal or colluding with Yuan Shikai, they would all have to accept him, which would be enough to ensure his invincibility.

But then he ran into Li Jun!
He never expected that after greeting him with a smile, Li Jun's first words to him would be:

"Zhao Ming, when you saw me, you dared to step forward with your left foot first. You must be a traitor to Yuan Shikai!"

Zhao Ming: "???"

You're being unreasonable!
Unfortunately, the situation was beyond his control, so he had no choice but to suppress his anger and force a smile.

"Brother Li, are you joking?"

"Who would play games with you, you traitor Yuan?"

Li Jun merely stared at him coldly, his eyes bloodshot and filled with murderous intent.

"Just now we were fighting a bloody battle with the traitor Tong Yuan, and you arrived early with your troops, but you stood by and watched us like a mantis stalking a cicada. What are your intentions?"

"Brother Li, you've misunderstood!"
I truly cannot discern which side you belong to as loyalists and which side is in league with Yuan Shikai, which is why I hesitated to remain by your side.

It was by no means an act of malicious intent, nor did it involve any attempt to exploit the situation.

"Ah!

Just now, we were clearly distinguished from those traitors who colluded with Yuan Shikai. It was obvious who was loyal and who was treacherous. How could you say that it was hard to tell?
What, are you implying that I, Li Juncai, am in league with the traitor Yuan?

As Li Jun spoke, he called out loudly.

"My soldiers, you have just fought alongside me in bloody battles to avenge Brother Zhang Cheng and to uphold justice and eliminate traitors for the sake of the warriors."

Now General Zhao says that it is hard to tell who is loyal and who is treacherous. He hesitates and feels that we are like the traitor Yuan, and that you are following me, the leader of the traitor Yuan!

I ask you this: do you agree to such slander?

"No!"

The crowd roared in unison. Although there were only five hundred men, they were elite troops ready to charge into battle and fierce warriors. Their momentum was resolute and overwhelming, causing Zhao Ming to turn pale with fright.

Seeing this, Zhao Ming quickly offered an explanation.

"General Li's righteousness is known to all."
Unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, I wholeheartedly admire him.

I have absolutely no intention of accusing General Li or your men of being colluding with the traitor Yuan. I simply…

"Just what?"

Li Jun, once he found himself in the right, pressed on relentlessly.

"Knowing our loyalty and righteousness, why do you remain hidden by our side instead of coming to our aid? What are your true intentions?"

"only."

Zhao Ming was stumped by Li Jun's words and was speechless for a moment, unable to answer.

Seeing his hesitation, Li Jun followed closely, pressing his advantage.

Why can't you say it?

Let me speak for you!

You, Yuan, conspired with Zhao Da and originally intended to help him, but General Zhang Cheng sacrificed his life to clear up the misunderstanding with me, completely disrupting your plans.

Seeing the situation suddenly deteriorate, even if you join the battle to help, not to mention how many of your soldiers are willing to follow you, even if they come with all their might, it will be a drop in the ocean. Not only will you not be able to save Zhao Da and the others, but you will also get burned and almost die.

Therefore, he hesitated, unsure whether he should step forward to help.

Without hesitation, I was about to kill Zhao Da and destroy the world. You know the situation is hopeless, and it's too late for regrets.

That's why they're putting on airs here, pretending to be loyal and virtuous, trying to deceive me and wait for Yuan's army to arrive before turning against me.

It's a pity you just happened to meet me. No one understands you, the traitors who collude with Yuan Shikai, better than me—you are treacherous yet loyal, and hypocritical yet genuine!
During the great battle, you were acting suspiciously and hesitantly on the sidelines. How dare you say that you are not a traitor to Yuan Shikai?
"All soldiers, heed my command! Follow me to quell the rebellion and slaughter the traitor Yuan!"

Seeing Li Jun suddenly lead a large group of men to attack without a word, Zhao Ming was truly terrified.

That doesn't make sense. How did I become a traitor to Yuan Shikai?

If someone couldn't answer even the slightest question, they would be immediately branded a traitor to Yuan Shikai, and the fight would never end.

General Li's actions were indeed righteous, but they were a bit extreme.

At this moment, Zhao Ming still thought that Li Jun's extreme temperament was caused by the real and fake collusion with Yuan Shikai tonight, and thus he misunderstood him.

Given the twists and turns of the battle just now, even General Li, who was involved, couldn't tell who was colluding with Yuan Shikai and who wasn't.

Thinking of this, Zhao Ming was still trying to explain to Li Jun, "Brother Li, it's really a misunderstanding."

My previous hesitation was not due to any ulterior motive, nor was it because I suspected you of colluding with Yuan.

They were simply afraid of death and wanted to protect themselves, so they dared not go forward.

I really didn't associate with Yuan!

However, Li Jun paid no heed to his explanation. The five hundred men, having gone through many battles, were of one mind and attacked Zhao Ming's one hundred men who had hesitated because of Li Jun's words. In an instant, they struck straight at Zhao Ming's heart.

Li Jun beheaded Zhao Ming with a single stroke of his sword, then pointed his sword to the sky and said:

"All the traitors are dead, but Qingzheng has remained steadfast in his integrity!"

Sweep away the evil influences, and serve the country with utmost loyalty!

As soon as the words were spoken, the soldiers felt that tonight they had finally swept away the wicked and returned to the bright and clear sky.

The remaining nearly six hundred soldiers charged into battle and shouted in unison.

"Lord Li is truly righteous!"

However, at that very moment, two squad leaders exchanged a glance and saw that Li Jun was pointing his sword to the sky, with the words "Loyalty" hidden in it. They knew that the time had come.

Firstly, the two of them were Li Jun's confidants, and secondly, Li Jun's prestige and righteousness were unparalleled at this moment, so how could they dare to disobey?

So, while everyone was cheering for the righteous cause, the two of them suddenly led their men in an attack, sneaking up and assassinating the two generals, Long and Hu.

As the enemies were all dead and cheers were being celebrated, Huang Long and Huang Hu were caught off guard and were unexpectedly ambushed and killed.

Upon seeing this, the generals were filled with shock and anger, and they were eager to avenge the two generals, Dragon and Tiger.

While the two squad leaders resisted, they hurriedly explained the situation.

"Gentlemen, you have misunderstood. We are acting on orders from General Li!"

"General Li suspected that these two generals were also colluding with Yuan, so he ordered us to kill them."

As they spoke, they also urgently asked Li Jun for help to testify.

Li Jun's expression changed drastically, and he angrily rebuked him.

"You scoundrel, how dare you harm my dear friend!"

"By order of me? When have any of you ever seen me give such an order?"

These two men must have been in league with Yuan Shikai, and seeing that the situation was hopeless, they fought a desperate battle.

They not only killed the Dragon and Tiger Generals, but also framed me, causing me to be trapped in battle, leaving the dragons leaderless!

The two squad leaders were stunned, staring at Li Jun in disbelief. Before they could explain, Li Jun had already led his troops up the rampage, shouting that he was avenging his two close friends.

At this moment, in such a large battle, with only Li Jun as the commander, everyone naturally followed.

Before the two squad leaders could even utter another word, their mere twenty men had perished.

From then on, the entire enemy force was finally under Li Jun's control.

Looking at Xiapi, which was now engulfed in flames and filled with the smoke of war, he addressed his generals:
"Tonight, the traitors who colluded with Yuan will launch a major plan."

Chaos doesn't just occur in battle.

You should all follow me to aid the loyal and righteous men, eliminate the traitors who collude with Yuan Shikai, rescue the armies from danger, and save Lord Gao from fire and water.

Purge the evil influences and cleanse the wicked!
"To uphold justice, this is the moment!"

The generals replied:

"Purge away the evil influences and cleanse the wicked!"

"With the will to charge into battle, there is no chance of survival!"

Meanwhile, as other black-clad messengers visited Zhang Liao's former subordinates one by one, scenes similar to those in the Trapped Camp were playing out throughout the city.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Chen Deng secretly ordered his men to open the west gate of the city. The Han army, which was prepared, rushed in, and chaos broke out in Xiapi. Gao Shun was in a state of utter panic.

(End of this chapter)