Mythical Three Kingdoms

"Your head is mine!" Wei Yan roared with laughter.

This was the plan Xu Shu had told Wei Yan. For the young Wei Yan, as long as he could kill Yuan Shao, even lying on the ground and being trampled a few times would be a price he was willing to pay. As Xu Shu had predicted the location, Yuan Shao, riding his war chariot, indeed rushed to where Wei Yan was. Wei Yan leaped up with wild laughter.

"Splat!" Blood immediately sprayed all over Wei Yan's body, and at the same time, Wei Yan let out a pained scream as he staggered backward, while Tian Feng slowly fell to the ground.

The moment Wei Yan leapt out, Tian Feng had noticed him. Since he wasn't skilled at riding horses, Yuan Shao had agreed to have him ride together in the chariot. When Wei Yan's strike aimed for Yuan Shao, Tian Feng instinctively pushed Yuan Shao off the chariot.

To think, if Wei Yan hadn't bellowed those few words of laughter, Tian Feng likely wouldn't have had the chance to push Yuan Shao off the war chariot.

Alas, that's just how reality is sometimes; there's no shortage of people who meet their end due to unnecessary words. Wei Yan should be grateful that Tian Feng chose to push Yuan Shao off the chariot instead. Carved almost in two by Wei Yan's strike, Tian Feng's fading consciousness barely enabled him to launch a spiritual attack at Wei Yan. Otherwise, even as he lay dying, Tian Feng would have absolutely been capable of dragging Wei Yan down with him.

Having failed to land a killing blow and with Tian Feng delivering a retaliatory strike at the cost of his own life, Wei Yan had to retreat immediately under the protection of the city garrison troops. Not far outside, Guan Ping was waiting to provide support, narrowly allowing Wei Yan to escape with his life. Otherwise, death under a vicious onslaught was inevitable!

"Yuanhao!" Yuan Shao cried out, grief-stricken. In just a few short hours, he had lost his cherished generals, Yann Liang and Juo Yi, as well as his top strategists, Tian Feng and Ju Shou!

Though Yuan Shao often found Tian Feng and Ju Shou troublesome to deal with, that didn't diminish their importance. In the eyes of Yuan Shao, who still saw himself as wise and heroic, Tian Feng and Ju Shou had been indispensable figures sustaining his current trajectory of rising power!

Yet now, those two trusted aides whom he had once regarded as his left and right arms now lay dead before him.

"Retreat!" Yuan Shao took a deep breath, suppressing the grief and fiery rage in his heart, and shouted. Though Tian Feng had fallen without uttering a single word, the steadfast expression on his face had made Yuan Shao realize what he must do.

Wen Chou, Jiangh Qi, the Lyu Brothers, and Hann Ju shielded Yuan Shao as they fled north. Meanwhile, Zhang He and Gao Lan, after holding off Liu Bei's reinforcements, retreated directly into the sparsely defended northwest, managing to escape with their lives as a result.

Wen Chou and the others guarded Yuan Shao along the way, but Guan Yu, Hua Xiong, and Zhao Yun relentlessly led their elite cavalry in pursuit. Meanwhile, other generals in Liu Bei's army stayed behind to rally Yuan Shao's scattered routed troops, both to prevent further damage to Yanzhou and Jizhou and to lay the groundwork for ultimately bringing Jizhou into their fold.

After the battle, Liu Bei's army simultaneously ordered their soldiers to treat the wounded on both sides and began selecting places to bury the corpses and dispose of the battlefield remains, to prevent the outbreak of disease.

Amid this scene, Chen Xi and Liu Ye approached Liu Bei, who was overseeing soldiers handling the bodies. Nearby were Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Lub Su.

"Victory is ours!" Liu Bei said to Chen Xi, his voice incomparably calm. "After this battle, even if Yuan Shao manages to escape with his life, it won't change the overall situation. The strategy you set forth all those years ago has taken its greatest step forward. Now the governance of Hebei rests on your shoulders. Only you can quickly transform Hebei into a source of strength for us!"

"It only requires step-by-step execution," Chen Xi replied with a shake of his head. "Zijing has already finished drafting the plan. As for Yuan Shao, escaping with his life is impossible. Even ignoring the pursuit led by General Guan and the others, my arrangements alone ensure they won't make it out."

"Good." Liu Bei nodded. "Once the battlefield has been cleared, we'll march directly and swiftly complete our strategic objectives."

"I believe our strategy is nearly complete," Guo Jia remarked slowly. "If my judgment is correct, Hebei's transformation has already begun. Yuan Shao no longer has any chance to turn the tide."

"Indeed," Jia Xu calmly opened his folding fan. "Now all that's left is for the Emperor to issue his mediation order. If my calculations are correct, by the time Xun Shen arrives, the Emperor's order will have reached Yanzhou."

"That's true." Liu Ye nodded. "I doubt Yuan Shao ever imagined that losing this campaign would leave him with no second chances. After all, we're not the kind of people who enjoy dragging things out."

"Lord Xuande, make a choice—shall we proceed directly to Ye City, or travel to Puyang to greet the Angel?" Chen Xi asked, tilting his head inquisitively.

"What's the difference?" Liu Bei responded, turning his head with curiosity.

"If we head to Ye City, it will be to seize the Xuanyuan Cauldron; if we go to greet the Angel, it will be to receive it," Chen Xi said indifferently.

"Anything worth having is best won by our own hand. Once the battlefield is cleared, we'll head for Ye City," Liu Bei replied slowly. The steadiness in his tone spoke volumes.

After Liu Bei finished clearing the battlefield, he left a portion of his soldiers behind to guard the captives and tend to the injured. Despite the prisoners outnumbering his own forces, Liu Bei wasn't worried about rebellion. Though Zhang Yan's Black Mountain Army had been disbanded, their expertise in guarding prisoners remained unmatched.

As for Zhang Yan, Liu Bei still administered some punishment, stripping him of his rank as lieutenant general and assigning him to serve as a personal escort. It was evident that Liu Bei had no intention of pursuing Zhang Yan's indiscretions too harshly. This gentle reprimand left Zhang Yan deeply moved, swearing an unbreakable loyalty to Liu Bei.

Following this, Liu Bei ordered Gan Ning to redeploy the navy, sending ships downstream along the Yellow River in preparation for the swift siege of Ye City. Naval forces were essential for transporting supplies, though cavalry would also play an indispensable role.

Regarding the horses needed for cavalry, Liu Bei's forces had acquired many during the battle. While some were too injured for further use, Yuan Shao's army had employed an overwhelming number of horses in this campaign. As for the Wuhuan cavalry who had come to aid Yuan Shao, they had been annihilated before they could showcase their prowess.

As for the issue of the infantry lacking equestrian skills, with saddles and stirrups available, a little training would suffice to turn them into mounted infantry. Transforming them into true cavalry, which once required three years of training, could now be accomplished in roughly a year!

More importantly, horses would serve to preserve the endurance of infantry during long-distance attacks. Mounted infantry could conserve energy, march faster, and suffer fewer losses in combat strength.

As Liu Bei was finishing the battlefield cleanup, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Hua Xiong were bringing the pursuit of Yuan Shao's routed forces to an end. The three had relentlessly chased Yuan Shao's scattered troops, harrying them all the way to a valley at the border of Jizhou and Yanzhou, where they finally caught up with them!

"Protect the Lord and get him out of here! Leave the rear guard to me!" Wen Chou roared as he prepared to charge toward Guan Yu, who was leading his forces in pursuit.

As Wen Chou turned, a chaotic noise of footsteps echoed from beyond the valley. A towering general rushed in, and Yuan Shao, whose heart had been in his throat, finally relaxed. Tears of relief streamed down his face. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com for reading.)