Three Kingdoms: Start by marrying Cai Yan, then vie for supremacy.

4

Huang Xu stopped him with a smile.

"How can this be allowed?"

Gan Ning stared anxiously, "The camp needs someone to be stationed there, right? What if something happens if you leave so rashly?"

With so many people already sharing the credit, adding Huang Xu would only make the war achievements even fewer.

"hey-hey!"

Huang Xu had long seen through his thoughts and grinned, saying, "Didn't you say that the enemy ships have been completely destroyed and they can't cross the river in the short term? What's there to worry about?"

"Besides, I've left 10,000 elite troops, plus the Divine Arm Crossbow and Lu's Repeating Crossbow for backup; that's more than enough!"

Seeing that Huang Xu was well-prepared and determined to go, Gan Ning could only sigh, "Fine! Let's hurry up and set off, or we won't even get soup!"

"Walk!"

In less than a quarter of an hour, the two led an army of 15,000 men out of the south gate, billowing dust as they headed straight for Licheng.

More than an hour later, Liu Bei led Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Yan Liang with an army of 50,000 to attack Licheng.

Seeing that the city walls were sparsely defended, everyone thought that victory was assured.

As they approached the city wall, the defending troops suddenly surged out like a tide, setting up Lu's repeating crossbows and unleashing a barrage of fire!

In the blink of an eye, the allied forces suffered heavy casualties once again.

Amidst a hail of arrows, Yan Liang's roar echoed across the battlefield: "Charge! We must take Licheng at all costs! Seize the granary, cut off the vital route to Yanzhou, and starve the northern defenders!"

The dense barrage of arrows failed to shake the general's resolve, and the bugle call for the attack grew ever more urgent.

Liu Bei knew that their situation was perilous and that capturing Licheng was their only way out.

On the city wall, Xu Huang and Chen Dao looked down at the enemy army surging in like a tide.

"Let them send us more heads!" Xu Huang stroked the brand-new repeating crossbow. "We've got a million arrows to spare!"

Chen Dao's lips curled into a cold, stern smile. He had never fought such a satisfying battle; superior weaponry truly could turn the tide of war. At this moment, he finally understood why his lord was so persistent in the research and development of weaponry.

"General Yan!" Liu Bei anxiously stopped the bloodthirsty general, "The enemy's arrows seem inexhaustible, if this continues..."

They were in dire straits—their retreat route along the Yellow River was blocked, and there was bound to be an ambush in the direction of Yanzhou. Their only chance of survival might be to break through into the heart of Qingzhou.

Chinese, Simplified Chinese

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He absolutely did not believe that Lu Feng would be completely unprepared and would not deploy heavy troops to intercept the enemy when they attacked.

At this moment, storming into Donglai County and capturing Huang County might be their only chance of survival. If they could take this place, they would have leverage to negotiate with Lu Feng.

But all of this is contingent on maintaining sufficient troop strength.

"Very well!" Yan Liang realized his previous decision was a mistake and immediately ordered a retreat.

However, the situation suddenly changed! Tens of thousands of Lu Feng soldiers suddenly appeared from the rear, and Xu Chu, Gan Ning, and Huang Xu led tens of thousands of cavalry in three columns, charging straight towards the rear of the allied forces. In the distance, billowing dust indicated that even more reinforcements were approaching.

Liu Bei and Yan Liang's expressions changed drastically.

"Oh no! Enemy reinforcements have arrived!"

"How should we deal with this?" Yan Liang was at a loss. He was surrounded by enemies, and was caught in a dilemma.

"Kill off the pursuers!" Liu Bei decisively gave the order.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei noticed something amiss and quickly retreated to Liu Bei's side. The three of them joined forces to lead the army to resist.

"Guan Yu, Zhang Fei! Prepare to die!" Gan Ning and Xu Chu spotted their target and charged straight at Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. In an instant, their iron cavalry had reached the front lines.

"Boom!" The two armies clashed fiercely. The shield soldiers in the front row were knocked away by the cavalry, and the iron cavalry tore through the enemy formation like sharp blades.

"This is a golden opportunity! Let's go out of the city and join the battle!" Upon seeing this, Xu Huang and Chen Dao, who were inside the city, immediately led their troops out of the east and west city gates and rushed straight to the flanks of the allied forces.

The allied forces, already demoralized by the setbacks suffered with their crossbows, quickly crumbled. Soldiers scattered and fled for their lives, with countless surrendering.

"Big brother! We need to get out of here quickly! It'll be too late if we delay any longer!"

Seeing the unfavorable situation, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei quickly repelled Xu Chu and Gan Ning, grabbed the reins of Liu Bei's horse, and the three galloped southward into the mountains. With the help of the allied soldiers, they disappeared into the depths of the forest in an instant.

"Damn it! They got away!" Gan Ning and Xu Chu, having reached the foot of the mountain and discovered they had lost track of their pursuers, stamped their feet in fury. Gan Ning immediately ordered: "Dispatch the secret guards and garrison troops from nearby cities immediately to search! Post wanted posters throughout Qingzhou and Yanzhou, offering a hefty reward for any clues. Remember, if you find any trace of them, do not act rashly; you must report it immediately!"

The guard beside him obeyed and left. Xu Chu added, "The most urgent task is to pursue and annihilate the routed soldiers to prevent them from causing chaos in the area." Gan Ning nodded in agreement: "Have Xu Huang and Chen Dao divide their forces and pursue them."

Trapped on the battlefield, Yan Liang was enraged to discover that Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei had escaped alone. Just as he was about to break through, he was relentlessly pursued by Huang Xu and Xu Huang. Seeing Gan Ning and Xu Chu charging towards him again, Huang Xu's eyes changed drastically, and he suddenly unleashed a powerful strike that numbed Yan Liang's arms. "We almost forgot there's a big fish here!" the two who arrived said with a laugh.

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A flash of crimson light, and Yan Liang's vision blurred. A tearing pain shot through his waist as Huang Xu's blade struck him, sending him flying.

The sound of galloping hooves was rapid; Huang Xu spurred his horse and caught up, his cold blade pressed against Yan Liang's throat: "Surrender, or die!"

Yan Liang clenched his teeth, his nails digging deep into the soil. How could he accept defeat? He had been defeated by this mere brat! He had only just begun to taste the riches and glory under Lord Yuan's command...

With a clang, the sword fell to the ground.

"You're smart enough to know what's good for you!" Huang Xu twirled his blade and gestured with his chin towards his guards: "Tie them up!"

Just then, Gan Ning and Xu Chu arrived on horseback. Seeing Yan Liang already a prisoner, Xu Chu's beard bristled with anger: "That cunning little brat! He waited until we arrived to deal with him, deliberately trying to annoy us, wasn't he?"

Gan Ning also beat his chest and stamped his feet: "Where did that honest kid go? We didn't even catch Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, but you, kid, stole the credit!"

Huang Xu grinned, revealing two tiger teeth: "My two uncles are mistaken! I was merely using him as practice. Your eagerness to steal the credit is rather disrespectful!"

"Hey! You're making fun of us now?" Xu Chu raised his whip as if to strike, but the three of them burst into laughter at the same time.

The clear sound of horse bells drifted from afar as Xu Huang and Chen Dao rode in side by side. Chen Dao, his face flushed, spoke in a booming voice: "A great victory! After this battle, the prestige of our Qingzhou army..."

Gan Ning suddenly interrupted, "Stop! Stop! Some people should stop complaining about not having a chance to get ahead!" Taking advantage of Chen Dao's momentary daze, Xu Chu quickly added, "Exactly! They're probably overflowing with requests for commendations!"

Chen Dao's face lit up with joy.

"Enough of the small talk! The remnants of the defeated army must be eliminated. If they are allowed to roam around Jinan, the people will suffer! We must send troops to pursue and annihilate them immediately!" Gan Ning said in a deep voice.

These defeated soldiers are all a menace; they will do anything to survive.

"That's absolutely right!" Huang Xu said solemnly, "Now that we've won the main battle, we need to be even more careful with the cleanup. If we cause casualties among the people due to negligence, how will we, the lord, bear the consequences?" After saying that, he immediately summoned his captains and ordered them to divide their troops to pursue the enemy.

Gan Ning, Xu Huang, and others also mobilized their troops.

Four thousand cavalrymen led the attack, followed by tens of thousands of infantrymen in pursuit. Only ten thousand elite troops remained in Licheng to capture the surrendered prisoners and clear the battlefield.

Before half a day had passed, the good news had already been presented to Lu Feng.

"Excellent!" He clapped his hands and laughed, "This battle annihilated 100,000 enemies, and Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao have truly lost a vital ally. However..." His tone suddenly changed, and he turned to Lu Yi, asking, "Are there still no reports of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei?"

Lu Yi shook his head: "The surrounding counties and villages of Mount Tai have all deployed hidden sentries, and the people have also worked together to search, but we have not found any trace of them. In my opinion, these three people have probably sensed that we are being watched and have fled deep into Mount Tai."

With the Green Dragon Crescent Blade and the Eighteen-Foot Serpent Spear as protection, they could easily fill their stomachs in the deep mountains, and even poisonous insects and fierce beasts could hardly harm them.

"Very well." Lu Feng tapped the table lightly: "Order the secret guards of all counties in Qing and Xu prefectures to thoroughly investigate Taishan, Qiao County and other places, and make sure to find these three fish that have escaped the net."

Lu Yi was slightly taken aback and asked, "Does Young Master think they would cross Mount Tai to get to these places?"

"Isn't that only natural?" Lu Feng replied with a smile. "Since neither Qingzhou nor Taishan County can accommodate them, smart people will naturally flee to Xuzhou or Qiao County in Yuzhou. They were only temporarily under Gongsun Zan's command, not true subordinates, so no one stipulated that they had to return to Jizhou."

After such a crushing defeat, Lu Feng guessed that Liu Bei was too ashamed to go back to see Gongsun Zan.

"That makes sense." Lu nodded. "Huang Xu captured Yan Liang alive, and Gongsun Xu was seriously wounded by a crossbow bolt during the defense of the city. Later, when Liu Bei moved to Licheng, he abandoned Gongsun Xu, who was eventually captured by our army. General Gan Ning, please advise on how to deal with these two men?"

Lu Feng pondered for a moment: "Persuading them to surrender will likely be difficult, and executing them outright would be too wasteful. Besides, this would create a blood feud with Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao, and if it leads to them joining forces against us, it would be even worse."

"Alright then," he instructed Lu Yi, "have Gan Ning send men to the north bank of the Yellow River to find Gongsun Zan and Wen Chou, and have them pay ransom. Demand 100,000 gold coins or 1 million shi of grain for each person. Release them upon receiving payment, otherwise send them back. Remember to have Gongsun Yue's injuries treated; don't let him die on the way."

Since execution is inconvenient, let's make the most of it. Exchange it for money and grain, making Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao feel the pinch.

"Yes, sir!" Lu Yi smiled and cupped his hands in greeting. "Young master's move is brilliant! Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan will likely feel the pinch, but they will have no choice but to ransom the prisoners, otherwise their army's morale will surely collapse."

Putting ourselves in their shoes, no one can guarantee they won't end up in the same predicament as Yan Liang and Gongsun Yue. At that point, we would naturally hope our lord would be willing to spend money to ransom them.

"That's right." Lu Feng nodded in agreement.

Lu Feng nodded slightly and continued, "To prevent Gongsun Zan and Yuan Shao from colluding to cover up this matter, send someone ahead to inform the secret guards in Ye City of Ji Province, as well as Pingyuan and the surrounding Bohai region, to spread the news of the ransom. Make sure it causes a huge uproar throughout the city! Only in this way can we force them to reluctantly cede money and grain!"

"Yuan Shao's situation especially requires close attention!"

In comparison, Gongsun Zan is not a threat.

Although 100,000 gold coins or a million shi of grain is no small sum, Gongsun Yue is Gongsun Zan's cousin after all, so he has no choice but to help.

"Understood!"

Lu Yi smiled knowingly and immediately withdrew to relay the order.

Lu Feng stood before his desk, tapping his knuckles lightly on the table as he pondered, "After this battle, both Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan have suffered heavy losses, and with the ransom payments, their strength will be severely depleted. They should be unable to launch another attack in the short term."

Ultimately, neither of these companies has a decent online army.

No, to be precise, it no longer has any naval combat capability.

The remaining ships had already been annihilated by Gan Ning.

From then on, the Yellow River waterway was completely under Lu Feng's control.

If Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan want to cross the river in the future, they will have to secretly rebuild their navy.

"But how can we let them have their way so easily?"

"Next, we should focus on promoting reforms in Yan and Qing provinces to solidify our foundations. We also need to begin managing the Henan prefecture and the Hongnong prefecture in the Sili region. As for Luoyang? Now is not the time to rebuild it."

The pace of expansion will naturally not stop there.

To incite Gongsun Zan to fight Yuan Shao, we must keep them preoccupied with other matters.

Therefore, it will soon be necessary to send troops elsewhere to create an opportunity for the two to clash.

Of course, all of this was based on a pre-arranged plan. Things often don't go as planned, just as Yuan Shao unexpectedly set aside his old grudges and joined forces with Gongsun Zan to attack—according to Lu Feng's calculations, the two should have been fighting fiercely over the lands of Ji and You at this moment.

Ye City, Jizhou.

"Is this true? The allied forces suffered a crushing defeat? Gan Ning led a naval surprise attack, resulting in the loss of over 20,000 men and all of Gongsun Zan's warships?"

With war raging and battle reports arriving like snowflakes—

"General Yan Liang is trapped in Qingzhou, his supply lines cut off?"

Yuan Shao slammed his hand on the table and stood up, the bamboo slips rattling loudly on the table.

"Nonsense! How could the banners of Gan Ning's navy be flying at the mouth of the Yellow River? They should be resting in Dongjun right now!" He ripped off the tassel of the jade pendant at his waist, and the agate beads rolled all over the ground with a crackling sound.