Chapter 47

Unlike in history, the Youzhou of today, under Liu Yao's strong suppression, has not seen the emergence of a Yellow Turban bandit. And precisely because of this, Liu Yao naturally does not need to issue any edict to recruit righteous soldiers. Therefore, Liu Bei, who should have risen in Zhuo Commandery with the support of Su Shuang and Zhang Shiping, does not appear in Youzhou. This makes Liu Yao very curious about his whereabouts.

Liu Yao quickly gathered his troops, and a large force of over ten thousand marched grandly towards Yingchuan.

Yingchuan has always been a major commandery in history. Since its establishment, it has been the most populous and prosperous place outside of Luoyang. Yingchuan is known for its talented people, and throughout history, it has produced countless notable figures. It was also the capital of the Xia Dynasty, the first dynasty in Chinese history.

Yingchuan is located in the heart of Central China, serving as a transportation hub with a large population and abundant resources, making its geographical location extremely important. During the Warring States period, many major battles took place in the Yingchuan region when Qin troops advanced eastward. When the Eastern Han Dynasty established its capital in Luoyang, it further highlighted the importance of Yingchuan's location.

Actually, Liu Yao is not particularly concerned about these aspects. What truly matters is that Yingchuan has a Yingchuan Academy, which can be considered the largest academy of the late Eastern Han Dynasty. The academy has produced many talented individuals, such as Xun Yu, Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, and Chen Qun.

Liu Yao chose Yingchuan as his first destination, not only because it is where the Yellow Turbans are the strongest, but also to find Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai. The name of the genius Guo Jia, also known as Guo Fengxiao, needs no introduction. As for Xi Zhong, also known as Xi Zhicai, he is no less talented than Guo Jia. He was one of Cao Cao's earliest strategists in history, but unfortunately died young and did not leave a significant legacy. It is truly a pity.

Liu Yao and his troops marched urgently throughout the journey and finally arrived in the territory of Yingchuan after fifteen days. By this time, the Yellow Turban Rebellion had already been ongoing for a month.

The journey was tiring, so Liu Yao found a place near the river for a brief rest to ensure that everyone would have ample energy for the upcoming battles.

At this moment, Liu Yao, Tian Feng, Zhao Yun, Gao Shun, Zhang Fei, and Huang Zhong were sitting in a circle.

"Lord," Tian Feng took out a map from his chest, "According to the information from our undercover agents within the Yellow Turbans, the Yellow Turban forces are mainly distributed in three places: Guangzong, Yingchuan, and Nanyang."

"The Yellow Turban forces in the Yingchuan area are led by Bo Cai and Peng Tuo. They have already occupied the regions of Runan and Chen. From the intelligence we have gathered over the past few days, the army of Zhu Jun was defeated by the Yellow Turbans shortly after arriving in Yingchuan and retreated to Changshe to defend the city with Huangfu Song."

"Bo Cai, seeing the enemy's recent defeat and the low morale of the Han army, has led over ten thousand troops to besiege Changshe. Peng Tuo has also led the Yellow Turbans from Runan to defeat the governor Zhao Qian in Shaoling. The Yellow Turbans have not shown any signs of retreating due to the Han government's actions. Instead, they have continued their offensive. Bo Cai and Peng Tuo have become the main forces of the Yellow Turbans in the east. Therefore, our most important task now is to advance to Changshe, join forces with Zhu Jun and other generals, and eliminate Bo Cai and his men to resolve the main force of the Yellow Turbans in the east."

"What about the situations in Guangzong and Nanyang?" Liu Yao asked.

"In Nanyang, Zhang Mancheng killed the governor Zhu Gong and led about seventy thousand Yellow Turbans to occupy the region. However, it is not a major issue. The court has promoted Jiangxia's military commander Qin Jie to the position of Nanyang governor, and he has the assistance of Sun Jian, known as the Tiger of Jiangdong. Even if they cannot eliminate the Yellow Turbans in Nanyang, they can certainly delay them for a considerable time."

"Sun Jian!!?" Liu Yao's expression changed, and he muttered to himself. Sun Jian is indeed a remarkable figure, and even more outstanding are his two sons. Sun Ce, known as the Little Overlord of Jiangdong, is almost on par with Zhang Fei in martial arts. However, the one to pay more attention to is Sun Quan. Taking over Jiangdong at a young age, he was able to divide the world into three with Cao Cao and Liu Bei, demonstrating his capabilities. However, Sun Quan is probably just a six or seven-year-old child now.

"Lord, is there something wrong with Sun Jian?" Tian Feng asked, noticing Liu Yao's strange expression.

Liu Yao quickly realized and hastily covered up, "Nothing is wrong. Yuanhao, why don't you tell me about the situation with Zhang Jue in Julu?"

Tian Feng, though still somewhat puzzled, did not press further. "Zhang Jue started his rebellion in Julu but was defeated by Lu Zhi, losing over ten thousand troops. He has now retreated to Guangzong, and both sides are currently in a stalemate."

"I understand. Our primary goal now is to pacify the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan," Liu Yao nodded and said, "Issue the order to rest for an hour, and then head straight for Changshe."

"Understood."

After resting for an hour, everyone was well-fed and their energy was mostly restored. Liu Yao then continued to lead his troops towards Changshe.

Changshe City, which was now completely surrounded by the Yellow Turbans. The city walls were filled with Yellow Turban soldiers wearing yellow headbands and wielding farming tools like hoes and sickles. Looking down from the city walls, the dense crowd was countless. The Yellow Turbans, composed entirely of commoners, had very few soldiers with actual weapons. If it weren't for their large numbers and high morale, they would have been suppressed by the government forces long ago.

At this moment, a rider emerged from the Yellow Turban camp. On the horse sat a Yellow Turban leader wearing light armor and holding a long spear, who was none other than Bo Cai, the leader of all the Yellow Turbans in the Yingchuan region.

Bo Cai rode forward a few steps, raised his spear to the sky, and shouted, "Hey, Zhu Jun, Huangfu Song, you two are still famous generals of the Han Dynasty. Why have you become like turtles hiding in their shells? If you have any courage, come out and fight me for three hundred rounds!"

There was still no response from the city gates, and Bo Cai became angry. "Men, join me in cursing them. Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, you are as timid as mice and as cowardly as turtles!"

All the Yellow Turbans burst into laughter and began to curse along with Bo Cai, "Timid as mice, cowardly as turtles..."

The curses of over ten thousand people echoed throughout Changshe. Even if one were hiding underground, it would be hard to miss.

Inside Changshe, the expressions of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun changed constantly, from red to black, and then to white, their moods fluctuating.

Finally, the hot-tempered Zhu Jun could no longer bear it. He stood up with a "Whoosh" and shouted, "Ah! I can't take it anymore! I am a famous general of the Han Dynasty, and I have been insulted by the likes of Bo Cai. I will fight him to the death today!" He picked up his weapon and was about to go out to battle the Yellow Turbans.

Zhu Jun was indeed unable to bear it. He was not like Sima Yi, who could endure anything. He had been insulted by the Yellow Turbans for days, and if he continued to endure, he would feel like he was no longer a man.

Huangfu Song, seeing this, quickly pulled Zhu Jun back and earnestly said, "Gongwei, don't be impulsive! The Yellow Turbans are using provocation tactics. If we go out, we will fall into their trap. If we lose Changshe, how can we face the emperor?"

Zhu Jun, though not an irrational person, calmed down after Huangfu Song's words, but his anger still could not be vented. He kicked the wooden table in front of him, and it shattered. He said dejectedly, "If we had more troops and higher morale, I would have gone out to eliminate Bo Cai long ago. Why should I have to endure this humiliation here?"

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