Chapter 40

Gongsun Zan has finally made his move.

This time, he did not send one of his subordinates but directly dispatched his son, Gongsun Xu, to lead the army, with Zhao Yun as his advisor.

Upon hearing this news, Yuan Fang remained surprisingly calm, as if Gongsun Zan's military action was something he had anticipated all along.

Gongsun Xu is a mediocre talent and not much to worry about; the only concern for Yuan Fang was Zhao Yun.

Yuan Fang, well-versed in history, knew that Zhao Yun was originally a subordinate of Gongsun Zan. If history had not changed, he would have been ordered to assist Liu Bei in defending Pingyuan and eventually followed Liu Bei.

Now that Yuan Fang had risen to power and driven Liu Bei out of Pingyuan, history had changed, and Zhao Yun could no longer meet with Liu Bei.

"Zhao Zilong, if I could recruit him, it would be for the best..."

Yuan Fang put Zhao Yun's matter aside for the moment and immediately summoned his generals to discuss the situation.

Soon, Yan Liang, Zhu Ling, and Guo Huai gathered in the main tent, and everyone was aware of Gongsun Xu's attack on Pingyuan.

The atmosphere in the tent became heavy.

"Gongsun Xu's arrival is to coordinate with Tian Kai's forces in Qingzhou, forming a pincer attack from the north and south. Our forces are insufficient, and the situation is very unfavorable for us," Guo Huai said worriedly.

At this moment, Zhu Ling bowed and said, "My lord, with the enemy outnumbering us and attacking from both fronts, I believe our only option is to defend the city to the death and wait for the enemy to tire and retreat."

Given the enemy's strength and our weakness, defending the city to the death is in line with military strategy.

However, Yuan Fang did not intend to engage in a prolonged war, as he could not afford to wait.

It was already late autumn, and half of the year had passed. Yuan Fang was still far from achieving his goal of conquering Qingzhou. He could not afford to delay and needed a swift victory.

He needed to have the strength to challenge Yuan Shao by the end of the year.

This was his goal, but the current situation was not optimistic.

Yuan Fang stroked his chin, his brows furrowed, and fell into deep thought.

His gaze moved across the map, and the names of Liu Bei, Tian Kai, Gongsun Xu, and others flashed through his mind as he analyzed their strengths and speculated on their possible actions.

After a long moment of contemplation, a glint of determination flashed in Yuan Fang's eyes.

He had made up his mind.

"Where is Yan Zizheng?" Yuan Fang suddenly raised his head and shouted.

"I am here," Yan Liang stepped forward and bowed.

Yuan Fang threw a command arrow and declared loudly, "Tomorrow, you will follow me with seven thousand troops to cross the Yellow River at night and lift the siege on Pingyuan."

"Understood!" Yan Liang, excited by the prospect of battle, responded enthusiastically.

However, Zhu Ling and Guo Huai, standing on either side, were visibly alarmed.

Zhu Ling hurriedly said, "Gongsun Xu has ten thousand elite infantry and cavalry. My lord, leading only seven thousand troops to Pingyuan, may not be enough to repel the enemy."

Yuan Fang, however, smiled confidently, "Don't worry. I believe Gongsun Xu has the same stubborn and arrogant nature as his father. He will assume that I am constrained by Tian Kai's forces and will not dare to cross the river to save Pingyuan. I will take him by surprise."

Attacking the enemy when they are unprepared and catching them off guard, Yuan Fang's strategy was in line with military principles.

Zhu Ling remained silent, but Guo Huai added, "Even if my lord can take Gongsun Xu by surprise, only two thousand troops will remain in Gaotang. If Tian Kai leads his twenty thousand troops to attack, Gaotang will be in grave danger."

Zhu Ling nodded in agreement with Guo Huai.

The pincer attack from the north and south was designed to prevent Yuan Fang from dividing his forces, making it impossible for him to handle both fronts. This was Gongsun Zan's intention.

However, a cunning smile appeared on Yuan Fang's face, "If Tian Kai does attack, I have a secret plan that will make him retreat without a fight."

A secret plan?

Both generals were surprised and looked at each other, unable to guess what brilliant strategy their lord had in mind to defeat an enemy ten times their size with only two thousand troops.

Yuan Fang then called them closer and, in a low voice, slowly revealed his plan.

The two generals were stunned, their faces showing surprise, as if Yuan Fang's plan was utterly unimaginable.

"My lord, this plan has never been heard of in history. It is too risky," Zhu Ling's face showed a look of shock.

Guo Huai also said solemnly, "My lord, if Tian Kai does not fall for the plan, what then?"

"No 'what then'!"

Yuan Fang interrupted their doubts, his expression calm and confident, and declared resolutely, "One cannot catch a tiger without entering its den. To achieve a swift victory, we must use this bold strategy. My decision is made, and you must follow my orders."

With his strong confidence and the authority of a commander, Yuan Fang suppressed the doubts of the two generals.

Although Zhu Ling and Guo Huai had already witnessed Yuan Fang's wisdom, this plan of his truly made them anxious.

Despite their doubts, with Yuan Fang's orders given, they did not dare to oppose and could only follow them.

The plan was set. The next night, Yuan Fang, accompanied by Yan Liang, led seven thousand troops and left Gaotang under the cover of darkness, heading north.

To avoid the eyes of the Youzhou forces on the north bank, Yuan Fang did not cross the river directly from Gaotang but moved downstream to a small crossing and quietly crossed the Yellow River. They then circled around and rushed towards Pingyuan from the east.

On the north bank, Pingyuan City.

The flags of Youzhou covered the sky, and the continuous camps surrounded the city. Twenty thousand Youzhou infantry and cavalry had the city under a tight siege.

At the eastern gate, the sound of cannons and the cries of battle filled the air.

Five thousand Youzhou troops were launching a fierce assault on Pingyuan City.

Under the banner inscribed with "Gongsun," a young general, clad in fish-scale armor and exuding a noble demeanor, stood with his spear, looking down on the city with a disdainful gaze.

This young general was none other than Gongsun Zan's beloved son, Gongsun Xu.

Seeing the prolonged siege without success, Gongsun Xu's face showed displeasure. He raised his whip and shouted, "Order the troops to bring two thousand more men to the eastern gate. I will not retreat until we capture Pingyuan City today."

"My lord, if we concentrate all our forces on the attack, we will be unable to defend against Yuan Fang's main force from the south. If Yuan Fang crosses the river to save Pingyuan, we will face a disadvantageous situation of being attacked from both inside and outside."

The general who spoke wore silver armor, held a silver spear, and had a heroic appearance.

Gongsun Xu, however, sneered, "Zilong, you overestimate that scoundrel Yuan Fang. With Tian Kai's twenty thousand troops attacking Gaotang, if that scoundrel dares to divide his forces to save Pingyuan, Tian Kai's army will quickly capture Gaotang. Do you think that scoundrel has the courage to do so?"

Zhao Yun remained silent, his eyes still filled with concern, but seeing Gongsun Xu's arrogant confidence, he did not know how to persuade him.

The two thousand troops were quickly brought in and joined the assault.

Along the city walls, the Youzhou troops swarmed like ants, launching wave after wave of attacks.

Pingyuan City seemed to be on the verge of collapse.

Watching his troops' frenzied assault, Gongsun Xu's lips curled into a smug smile, and he sneered, "That scoundrel Yuan Fang defeated Tian Kai and Liu Bei by sheer luck. This time, I will personally eliminate that scoundrel."

Just as he was gloating, a soldier suddenly shouted, "Bad news, a large enemy force is approaching from the rear!"

Gongsun Xu was startled, snapped out of his thoughts, and quickly turned his horse to look back.

He saw a massive cloud of sand and dust sweeping in from the southeast.

In the dust, battle flags fluttered, and countless figures surged forward.

The "Yuan" banner proudly waved, leading the suddenly arriving army straight towards the heart of the Youzhou forces.

The Yuan army has arrived!

Seeing this, Gongsun Xu's expression changed dramatically, and all his smugness vanished in an instant.