Chapter 66

"Report...," Just as Liu Yao was leading his troops forward, the scout he had sent out earlier galloped back.

"Lord, ten miles ahead, we have discovered two armies in battle. There are about three thousand imperial troops being surrounded by twenty thousand Yellow Turbans. The situation is very urgent," the scout reported.

"Hmm? Do you know what banner the imperial troops are carrying?" Liu Yao asked, frowning.

"Lord, the banner reads 'Gongsun.'"

"Gongsun." Liu Yao was taken aback. At this time, the only person who could be here with troops and have the surname Gongsun was Gongsun Zan. "Hmph, Gongsun Zan, I was thinking of killing you, but I didn’t expect you to die at the hands of the Yellow Turbans."

"Villain Gongsun..." A voice of angry growl reached Liu Yao’s ears. Liu Yao turned around and saw a face that was somewhat familiar. The anger on his face quickly subsided. Liu Yao was startled, "It’s him. Why is he here?"

This person was Zhou Han, whose village had been massacred by Gongsun Zan for grain requisition. No wonder he was so angry when he heard the name Gongsun.

What Liu Yao didn’t know was that after Zhou Han was demoted to a common soldier by Liu Yao, he had reflected deeply on himself and calmed his impetuous nature.

When Liu Yao formed the Charge Corps, Zhou Han joined without hesitation. With his strong physique and agile mind, Zhou Han easily joined the Charge Corps. He earned many merits in battle and was now a company commander, leading a thousand-strong Charge Corps. In other armies, even a common soldier from the Charge Corps would at least be a squad leader. This showed that Zhou Han had some ability, which was why he had been favored by Huang Zhong in the past.

Liu Yao was very satisfied with Zhou Han’s current actions. He hadn’t been blinded by anger but had remained rational, showing his growth over the years.

"Entire army, stand by. Rest for an hour, then advance." Liu Yao didn’t want to save Gongsun Zan. Although Gongsun Zan had made great contributions in resisting foreign tribes, he had also slaughtered his own people, unarmed civilians. Liu Yao could never accept such a person. In his view, this scum was no different from Zheng Jian, and both deserved to die.

"Lord, this cannot be done." Guo Jia rode up to Liu Yao’s side.

Liu Yao, somewhat dissatisfied, asked, "Why not?"

Guo Jia, seeing Liu Yao’s expression, knew that there must have been some conflict between Liu Yao and Gongsun Zan. He asked, "Can Lord tell me what enmity exists between you and Gongsun Zan?"

Liu Yao frowned and said angrily, "Fengxiao, do you know that during the last campaign against the Wuhuan, Gongsun Zan actually ordered his troops to massacre the surrounding villages just to seize a small amount of grain from them. Do you think such a person deserves to live?"

Zhou Han, who was behind Zhao Yun, heard Liu Yao’s words and was deeply moved, tears streaming down his face. He had always thought that Liu Yao had long forgotten about him, a minor figure, and that he would never be able to take revenge. But he never expected that Liu Yao had remembered everything.

Guo Jia also frowned, thinking that such a person was no different from a beast. No wonder Liu Yao had such a reaction.

However, as Liu Yao’s advisor, Guo Jia always put Liu Yao’s interests first. He said, "Lord, Gongsun Zan indeed deserves to die. But we cannot ignore the rescue. If others learn that you let the Han soldiers die at the hands of the rebels due to personal enmity, how will the world view you? Your reputation will be ruined."

"This..." Liu Yao was speechless, unable to refute. He knew that in the Three Kingdoms era, a person’s reputation was as important as a tree’s shadow. Once it was tarnished, he would become a public enemy.

Liu Yao said angrily, "Do we have to let him live? This is a rare opportunity."

"Hehe, Lord, killing Gongsun Zan is not difficult," Guo Jia said with a sly smile. His smile made everyone think of Liu Yao, sending chills down their spines.

"Fengxiao, teach me quickly," Liu Yao said excitedly.

"This will require General Huang’s help," Guo Jia said with a smile. "Please, Lord and General Huang, come closer."

Huang Zhong was surprised but still obeyed and leaned in.

Guo Jia then whispered in Huang Zhong’s and Liu Yao’s ears. Immediately, two different expressions appeared on their faces.

Liu Yao’s face showed excitement, realization, and regret. Huang Zhong’s face showed some hesitation.

"Is it that simple?!" Liu Yao said dejectedly.

"It’s that simple," Guo Jia said with a sly smile.

Huang Zhong hesitated for a long time before gritting his teeth and saying, "Lord, Fengxiao, isn’t this a bit... improper, a violation..."

Before Huang Zhong could finish, Guo Jia interrupted him. "General Huang, Gongsun Zan’s actions are so despicable that they don’t deserve any honorable means. Don’t you want to avenge the villages Gongsun Zan massacred?" He glanced at Zhou Han.

Huang Zhong saw Zhou Han and the hesitation on his face quickly disappeared. He gritted his teeth and saluted, "Your subordinate will obey the order."

Liu Yao nodded in satisfaction, feeling greatly relieved. Not only would he avenge the Han people massacred by Gongsun Zan, but Gongsun Zan was also a threat on Liu Yao’s territory. With his ambition, he would not remain under Liu Yao’s control in the future. Although his five thousand White Horse Volunteers were not as strong as Liu Yao’s Charge Corps, they were still better than the regular light cavalry. It was best to eliminate this threat as soon as possible.

"Advance." With Liu Yao’s order, over ten thousand elite troops headed towards Guangping to “rescue” Gongsun Zan.

On the other side, perhaps because Liu Yao had delayed for some time, Gongsun Zan was now in a dire situation. His helmet was gone, his hair was disheveled, and his left hand and back were deeply wounded, bleeding profusely.

Watching his White Horse Volunteers being cut down one by one, Gongsun Zan’s heart was bleeding. He had brought three thousand elite White Horse Volunteers with high morale to suppress the Yellow Turbans, hoping to gain credit through his teacher, Lu Zhi’s influence.

But he had fallen into the Yellow Turbans’ trap because he had acted without following Lu Zhi’s orders. Although the White Horse Volunteers were elite and could fight two or three enemies at a time, the Yellow Turbans’ numerical advantage was slowly eroding his forces. When the White Horse Volunteers were annihilated, Gongsun Zan would also meet his end.

"Ha ha ha, Gongsun Zan, your petty tricks are all seen through by this great general. If you surrender now, I might spare your life," He Man, a general under Zhang Bao, shouted arrogantly, thrusting his spear into the chest of a White Horse Volunteer.

"He Man, even if I die, I will never surrender to you rebels," Gongsun Zan, who had been victorious in countless battles, had never suffered such humiliation. He roared to the sky, "Where there is righteousness, there is life and death! Heaven can bear witness, the white horse is the proof!"

Immediately, the remaining White Horse Volunteers roared in unison, "Where there is righteousness, there is life and death! Heaven can bear witness, the white horse is the proof!" Gongsun Zan’s morale soared, and everyone fought to the death in the final battle.