Chapter 99

The night was pitch black, calm, and cold. ●⌒

Suddenly, a burst of flames lit up the sky. The sounds of battle shattered the night's tranquility, and the cold night became agitated.

Yuan Shao, leading 20,000 imperial troops in a central breakthrough, caught the Yellow Turbans off guard. With the invincibility of the Liu brothers—Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei—the operation went smoothly.

Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, united as a spearhead, were unstoppable, slaying any who stood in their way.

Guan Yu, his eyes blazing in the firelight, wielded his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, causing heads to roll and creating a scene of horses trampling the enemy camp.

Zhang Fei, with his leopard head and ringed eyes, thrust his spear wildly, leaving a trail of gory holes and blood wherever he passed.

Liu Bei, flapping his large ears, held his twin swords, which he swung like two high-powered fans, his imposing presence keeping the enemy at bay.

Seeing the favorable momentum and the disarray of the Yellow Turbans, Yuan Shao laughed heartily, "My great victory is at hand tonight. The merit of quelling the rebellion will secure my position as one of the Three Excellencies in the future!" Impressed by the bravery of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, he considered recruiting them to serve under him.

On the Yellow Turban side, in the central command tent:

"Report... The northern camp is under a fierce attack by the enemy!"

"Report... The southern camp cannot withstand the enemy!"

"Report... The eastern camp is about to reach the front lines of the central command!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jiao, Zhang Liang, and Zhang Bao were thrown into a panic. They were originally water diviners and proficient in "Taoist magic" but had limited knowledge of military strategy. They had always relied on their numbers in battle. Faced with this sudden situation, they were at a loss.

Zhang Jiao, waving his拂尘 (fly whisk), said in a panic, "What can we do?"

Zhang Liang, determined, said, "We will fight to the death against the imperial troops!"

It seemed that the Yellow Turban generals like Guan Hai, Zhou Cang, Liao Hua, Han Zhong, and Zhang Guan were only willing to fight to the death.

Just as the Yellow Turban army was on the verge of collapse, Zhang Yan stepped forward and said, "Lord, the imperial troops were defeated in the daytime and have no reinforcements. Although the night attack was unexpected, we need to remain calm. We can abandon the front camps and gather our forces in the central command to launch an orderly counterattack."

Zhang Bao quickly said, "Brother, let General Zhang take full command."

Zhang Jiao agreed with his suggestion.

Thus, Zhang Yan asked the Zhang brothers to gather the panicked soldiers and organized the carts and wagons to form a defensive line at the front of the central command.

The authority of the Zhang brothers within the Yellow Turbans was unquestionable.

"May the Blue Heaven not perish!"

"May the Yellow Heaven rise!"

"Do not panic, gather and face the enemy!" After the Zhang brothers unfurled the Yellow Turban banner, Zhang Liang burned talismans, Zhang Bao sprinkled holy water, and Zhang Jiao "invoked the great deity." The panicked soldiers found their resolve and gathered at the front of the central command line. Thus, the Yellow Turbans began an organized and disciplined resistance.

"Charge!"

"Charge!"

The imperial troops pursued the defeated Yellow Turban front troops to the central command. When the last Yellow Turban soldier fell, the imperial troops faced a defensive line formed by carts and wagons.

Liu Bei, as the vanguard, without much thought, swung his twin swords and shouted, "Continue the charge, don't stop, don't stop!" However, he was cautious and ordered his own troops to protect him, letting the imperial troops lead the way.

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led over a thousand imperial troops in a rush. However, they were blocked by the carts and wagons, and their attack was stalled.

"Heaven and earth, hear my plea..."

"Great Deity, show your power!"

"Do not fear, the Deity will protect us, the Yellow Heaven has risen, kill!"

Behind the carts and wagons, Zhang Bao waved his fly whisk, Zhang Jiao manipulated his money sword, and they chanted incantations. The Yellow Turban soldiers, hearing the incantations, felt a surge of clarity and thrust their spears through the gaps. Due to their numbers and the carts and wagons, the Yellow Turbans did not lose a single soldier, while nearly a thousand imperial troops were impaled in front of the defensive line.

Clanging and clashing, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, despite their bravery, could not withstand the simultaneous thrusts of the spears from behind the carts and wagons.

"Fire arrows, fire arrows!" Zhang Yan ordered the archers to shoot.

Arrows rained down, forcing Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei to retreat to a safe distance. The central command line was left with the bodies of the imperial troops.

Seeing this, Zhang Jiao, behind the line, rejoiced and shouted, "The Yellow Heaven protects us, the Deity shows his power!" He then said, "General Zhang, should we launch a full counterattack?"

Zhang Yan disagreed, "We have more men, and the enemy is at the end of their strength. We can eliminate a large number of their forces in a defensive battle. Once they retreat, we can pursue them!"

Zhang Jiao and the others found Zhang Yan's strategy reasonable and decided to focus on defense.

On the other side, Yuan Shao, the temporary commander, arrived at the front and angrily asked, "What's going on? Why have you stopped the attack?"

Liu Bei hurriedly replied, "General Yuan, the enemy is using carts and wagons as a defensive line, making it easy to defend but hard to attack."

Yuan Shao was displeased. Seeing victory within reach, he knew that killing the Zhang brothers behind the line would secure the merit of quelling the Yellow Turbans. He could not afford to stop now, so he ordered, "Xuande, I give you 10,000 men. Break through the line immediately! Pass my order to Qin Zijin and Cao Mengde to continue the attack without stopping. Those who disobey will be executed without mercy!"

The imperial troops, following the order, launched another attack.

"Charge!"

"Charge!"

"Ugh!"

"I'm dead!"

Behind the Yellow Turban lines, arrows flew like locusts, striking the imperial troops. Behind the carts and wagons, spears thrust out, causing the imperial troops to cry out in pain. Many imperial soldiers, losing their courage, turned to flee but were impaled from behind.

In a short time, one-third of Liu Bei's 10,000 men were dead. Liu Bei, like a "company commander" in a modern army, was in a panic, facing the enemy's intense fire. He was hesitant to send Guan Yu and Zhang Fei into the fray.

Yuan Shao, the "battalion commander," was also in a panic, pacing back and forth in a safe area.

Yuan Shao, standing out in the safe area, caught Zhang Yan's attention. Zhang Yan had an idea and called for the Yellow Turban's top general, Guan Hai, pointing to Yuan Shao and asking, "General Guan, can you shoot Yuan Shao?"

Guan Hai, confident, agreed and found two bows, combining them to form a powerful bow. He aimed at Yuan Shao.

Unaware of the impending danger, Yuan Shao continued to pace anxiously, shouting, "Xuande, charge, charge! Break through the line, and you will earn the greatest merit. This is the time to achieve glory and be ennobled!"

Liu Bei, hearing this, flapped his large ears. Although he wanted to be ennobled, he valued his life and would not agree to a posthumous ennoblement.

At that moment, the bowstring twanged, and an arrow flew like a meteor toward Yuan Shao. In the critical moment, Yuan Shao's restless pacing saved his life.

"Ugh!" Yuan Shao felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, saw the arrow, and fell off his horse in shock.

Yuan Shao's deputy, seeing his commander fall, was also in shock. He picked up Yuan Shao, who was pale and unresponsive, and carried him to the rear. Yuan Shao's banner also began to retreat.

Seeing this, Zhang Yan was overjoyed and immediately ordered Guan Hai, Zhou Cang, and Liao Hua to lead a counterattack.

"The enemy commander is dead, brothers, charge!"

Most of the Yellow Turbans, seeing Yuan Shao fall, were greatly encouraged and charged out of their lines.

The imperial troops, seeing Yuan Shao fall, lost their morale. Liu Bei, unable to withstand the counterattack of the Yellow Turbans, began to retreat, and the entire central force of the imperial troops followed suit. Thus, the Yellow Turbans sounded the call to counterattack, and Yuan Shao's central force began to collapse.

On the other side, Qin Feng was blocked at the northern camp by a female general, none other than his wife, Chu Feiyu.

He tried to persuade her to leave with him.

"Qin Zijin, you scoundrel, you have defiled my honor. I will never reconcile with you in this life!" Chu Feiyu, her silver spear pointed, her teeth clenched, and her eyes filled with tears, could not believe that her beloved husband was an imperial general. The Yellow Turbans and the imperial troops were from two different worlds.

The soldiers on both sides were on high alert, while the generals were caught in a web of love and hate.

Qin Feng, holding his golden spear, reached out and pleaded, "Feiyu, don't you know my heart? Our love cannot be tied to the conflict between the Yellow Turbans and the court. Come back with me, and we will be a family..."

Chu Feiyu, tears streaming down her face, said with deep love and hatred, "We can never be together..." But she added, "Unless... unless one day you no longer serve the court!"

"Ah..." Even with his experience, Qin Feng was at a loss.

At that moment, a scout rushed up, dismounted, and reported, "Lord, bad news, General Yuan has been shot, and his condition is unknown. Our central force is in retreat!"

"What!" Although Qin Feng had anticipated a Yellow Turban counterattack, the news of Yuan Shao's defeat still shocked him. He glanced at Chu Feiyu, rubbed his reddened eyes, and regained his composure, picking up his spear, "Pass my order, retreat the entire army!"

As he was about to leave, he turned to Chu Feiyu and called out, "Feiyu, wait for me. We will be together in the future."

Qin Feng left, and Chu Feiyu, watching his golden figure disappear into the distance, wept. But her heart held a glimmer of hope. The Yellow Turban soldiers, intimidated by Qin Feng's reputation and without Chu Feiyu's orders, did not pursue.

Qin Feng, although he safely retreated from the Yellow Turban camp, was disheartened by the sight of the retreating imperial troops. Yuan Shao's defeat meant the loss of the imperial forces' strength, and they could no longer hold their position. A relentless pursuit awaited Qin Feng and his men. Even if they escaped this crisis, the defeat would revive the Yellow Turbans' momentum, and the blame would surely fall on them from the court.

(The internet at home is down, and it's inconvenient outside. Ah... I must persevere.) Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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