At present, Luoyang can still mobilize about 4,000 regular troops, and as for the palace troops, there are more than 10,000.

Although most of the more than 14,000 soldiers were new recruits, they were enough to suppress the noble families and wealthy families in Yanzhou and northern Henan. However, in order to break the fortifications such as forts built privately by the wealthy families densely distributed between counties and towns, more stone cannons needed to be dispatched to smash the hard tortoise shells of these wealthy families and let them experience the vast power of science and technology.

You have magical powers, I have science!
After taking Puyang and repelling Qingzhou and the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans, the battle of Yanzhou came to an end. However, the war in the north had just begun.

The walls of Yecheng still bore traces of scorch and blood from the great battle. Many soldiers were tired and resting against the parapets, holding their spears and swords.

Inside the city, at the governor's mansion, a brave general eight feet tall and as strong as a bear stepped over the threshold with a tiger's step, walked up to Yuan Shao, clasped his fists and saluted, and said in a loud voice: "My lord, Yu Du has retreated, and Gong Ji is leading his troops in pursuit."

This person was none other than Wen Chou, a fierce general under Yuan Shao and one of the four pillars of Hebei.

Upon hearing that the Black Mountain Army had retreated and that it was Yan Liang who was pursuing them, Yuan Shao's expression changed slightly, and he finally looked relaxed. He said encouragingly, "Very good. When Gong Ji comes back, I will personally commend you for your achievements."

"Thank you, my lord!"

Wen Chou knelt on one knee with a look of joy on his face.

Yuan Shao's army had just officially entered Ye City not long ago. Before they had a firm foothold, they encountered an invasion by tens of thousands of Black Mountain troops led by Yu Du and Bai Rao. Yuan Shao was unable to sleep or eat, and was very worried about this matter.

Now, after hearing the good news, everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief and put down the heavy stone in their hearts.

Then he looked cold and ordered his attendants loudly, "Pass my order and gather everyone to discuss the matter."

In just a moment, all the civil and military officials under Yuan Shao gathered in the governor's mansion, waiting for Yuan Shao's orders.

In front of all the civil and military officials, Yuan Shao cleared his throat, said a few polite words, then looked around with bright eyes and said the topic of the day: "I want to send troops to Yanzhou, what do you think?"

They had just won the battle and defended Ye City, and without even having time to hold a celebration banquet, they wanted to send troops to Yanzhou. This shows how impatient Yuan Shao was about this matter.

After all, the military situation is urgent, Yanzhou and Jizhou are only separated by a river, how can I allow others to snore in my bed?

No matter what, Yuan Shao would never sit idly by and watch Wang Jing and the Northern Army take control of Yanzhou. This posed too great a threat to him.

However, there were many wise men among his subordinates. Among them, Xun Zhan clearly stood up and expressed his opposition: "My lord, this is absolutely not allowed. Our army has just entered Jizhou. If we rush into battle, we will have little chance of winning."

Yuan Shao was not satisfied with what he heard. "Wang Yuanxu is not firmly established in Yanzhou, is he? Can we contact the local prominent families and work together to defeat this beast?"

Yanzhou and Jizhou are separated by the Yellow River, and Dongjun in particular is too close to Yecheng and poses a huge threat. It is like a thorn in Yuan Shao's throat, and he will not be happy until it is eliminated.

Xun Zhan was very smart and naturally understood what Yuan Shao meant, but he still urged him: "Yanzhou has just been through a war and the people are not happy. It is impossible to succeed if we unite with the local nobles to attack Wang Jing. What's more, thousands of Huangzhong volunteers led by Lu Bu are in Hanoi and may send troops to stop our army at any time. Although the Black Mountain Army has been temporarily repelled, its main force is still there and is still eyeing our Jizhou. How can we risk sending troops to fight when we are trapped both internally and externally?"

The other counselors also agreed with Xun Zhan's opinion. Most of them came from local aristocratic families and powerful clans. Considering their own interests alone, they were unwilling for Yuan Shao to send troops now. After all, they were afraid that Yu Du and Bai Rao would make a surprise attack and attack Yecheng again.

The generals under Yuan Shao, such as Yan Liang, Wen Chou, etc., basically remained silent, obviously supporting the dispatch of troops.

But it was different for the civil servants and advisers under Yuan Shao. They all took a clear stand and refused to send troops. They also strongly suggested that Yuan Shao must first stabilize the country before he could fight against foreign aggressors, and that everything should be done after Jizhou was pacified.

As long as the Black Mountain Army is not eliminated, they will never agree to Yuan Shao taking the initiative to attack.

Yuan Shao was good at making plans but lacked decision-making. Seeing that everyone was unanimously opposed to sending troops, he could only suppress his desire to fight and chose to follow the public opinion.

As the battle of Yanzhou between Wang Jing and the Yellow Turban Army of Qingzhou ended, the news spread and heroes from all over the world began to pay attention to the outcome of this battle.

…………

Yangzhou, Lujiang County, Shu County.

There is a large Zhou family mansion on the south side of the road, with lush trees in the courtyard.

"Bofu, I'm here to see you."

The man who came had a face as white as jade and a handsome appearance, even more beautiful than a woman. Only the pair of flying sword-like eyebrows on his forehead made him look heroic.

"Gong Jin!"

Seeing his good friend visiting, Sun Ce couldn't help but show his joy and hurried out to greet him.

When Sun Jian was suppressing the rebellion in Changsha, Sun Ce lived with his mother in Shouchun, and thus he happened to become good friends with Zhou Yu, who was from the Zhou family of Lujiang.

The two were born in the same year and had similar personalities, so they hit it off at first sight and soon became close friends. They were known as the two heroes in the Jianghuai area and were praised by people of their time.

After Sun Jian died in battle, the Sun family became impoverished and homeless.

Zhou Yu then persuaded Sun Ce to take his mother and younger brother to move to Shu County in Lujiang. He also gave up his large house in Lunan for the Sun family to live in, and went to the hall to pay a visit to Sun Ce's mother. From then on, the two families became friends.

Zhou Yu pulled Sun Ce aside and whispered the news he had heard: "Bofu, I received news about that person."

Upon hearing this, Sun Ce clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred, but in order to avoid worrying his mother, he still suppressed his emotions: "Has the battle of Yanzhou come to an end?"

"Yes, the winner has been decided."

The little bully who was full of vigor and vitality in the past has now learned to control his emotions. Zhou Yu couldn't help but feel that hatred can really make people grow.

"Gongjin, please tell me in detail."

Sun Ce's eyes were as sharp as knives, because Wang Jing was the enemy who killed his father, and this hatred was irreconcilable, so he attached great importance to any news about Wang Jing.

After all, Zhou Yu was from the Zhou family of Lujiang. His great-uncle Zhou Jing and his uncle Zhou Zhong both served as Taiwei in the imperial dynasty. His biological father Zhou Yi had just retired from the position of Luoyang magistrate not long ago, so Zhou Yu was well-informed.

Both of them had great ambitions and intended to make achievements in the troubled times, so they studied strategies and military tactics hard, and always kept a map at home.

Therefore, no matter where the war broke out or how the situation evolved, Zhou Yu would come to discuss with Sun Ce as soon as he received the news.

At this moment, Zhou Yu, who was as tall as jade, pointed at the map and analyzed the specific process of the Battle of Yanzhou for Sun Ce: "In this Battle of Yanzhou, Wang Yuanxu sent out 40,000 troops. It took only more than three months to conquer the east and the west, and successively repelled and swept away the millions of Yellow Turban rebels. He occupied the entire Yanzhou, and even the land in northern Henan fell into his hands."

Upon hearing about Wang Jing's battle record, Sun Ce's breathing became heavy.

The stronger the enemy is, the slimmer his hope of revenge is.

But Sun Bofu is not someone who gives up easily. Even if he knows there is a tiger in the mountain, he will still go there.

"Go on, I want to hear more details."

Seeing Sun Ce clenching his fists and panting, Zhou Yu sighed silently and continued to explain the details of the battle to him: "At the beginning of the war, Wang Yuanxu used a surprise attack to defeat the invading Black Mountain Army, but he did not pursue them."

Sun Ce frowned upon hearing this: "Is this letting the tiger go back to the mountain?"

Zhou Yu shook his head. "No, I didn't understand it at first, but I figured it out later. Wang Yuanxu probably judged that Yuan Shao's army would pose a threat to Yanzhou, so he gave up the opportunity to annihilate the remnants of Yu Du and Bai Rao, allowing them to regroup and force them to harass Yuan Shao, so that Yecheng could not send troops to threaten the safety of Yanzhou."

When Sun Ce heard this, he said nothing, but the expression on his face became increasingly uglier.

Zhou Yu knew that his friend was not in a good mood at the moment, but he still had to persuade him: "Throughout the whole process, Wang Yuanxu repeatedly fought with a small number of elite troops, first blocking the enemy's vanguard, and then quickly launching a strong attack when the enemy's spirit was completely lost, forcing the Qingzhou Yellow Turban Army to gather its forces, and then striking with thunder and lightning to win a complete victory. With such strength and such strategy, if you really want to take revenge, it will not be achieved overnight."

Sun Ce finally suppressed his restlessness and said, "Gongjin, I understand what you mean. Don't worry, I won't act rashly."

It is still the period of mourning, and according to the rules, Sun Ce must observe mourning for his father Sun Shou for three years.

However, under Zhou Yu's plan, Sun Ce was not doing nothing. He had already secretly begun to lay out his plans in Jiangdong, planning to take over the south first and then go north to compete with Wang Jing.

Zhou Yu had been encouraging Sun Ce and constantly sharpening his ambition to dominate the world: "Wang Yuanxu is brave and dominates the world, and his army is overwhelming. If Bofu wants to compete with him, he can only accumulate strength and wait for the right time. Lujiang has no chance now. If you want to make a fortune, you should move to Jiangdu, lie dormant in secret, and bide your time." "Jiangdu..."

Sun Ce looked south and muttered to himself.

Two days later, after burying his father Sun Jian in Qu'a, Sun Ce and his family moved to Jiangdu, and his legendary story was about to begin.

On the other side, five miles outside Ningyang City, Yanzhou, there were also people working hard for their own prospects and future.

"Hurry up and keep going!"

Chen Ze led his troops and marched towards the set target.

Because he was not familiar with the local conditions, Chen Ze specially invited a local to be his guide.

Chen Ze was generous with his money, so the guide did his duty conscientiously: "Sir, Zhaojiagou is ahead. The damned Zhao San and Zhao Si brothers are hiding here."

"Very good, these two thieves, I have been keeping an eye on them for a long time."

Chen Ze clenched the bow in his hand, his brows were filled with anger, his eyes were blazing with fire: "They burned, killed, looted, and harmed the people. Such villains really cannot be appeased unless they are killed."

Zhou Cang, who was standing next to Chen Ze, snorted a few words in dissatisfaction: "Okay, stop talking about me. How old are you? Don't fight with me for heads later. We agreed to give each of us one head."

"I know, long-winded."

Chen Ze glared at Zhou Cang unhappily.

Zhao San and Zhao Si were originally notorious bandits in Ningyang who had been rampant in the area for ten years, and the local people hated them to the core.

After the Yellow Turban Army from Qingzhou arrived, the brothers Zhao San and Zhao Si quickly surrendered and became members of the Yellow Turban Army. They gathered a group of experienced bandits under their command and their strength was quite strong.

If it were just this, Chen Ze wouldn't be so angry.

What really made him angry was what Zhao San and Zhao Si did.

The two brothers, along with the bandits from the original mountain stronghold, killed innocent people everywhere, committing hundreds of horrific bloody incidents. They were extremely cruel and even spared no young girls and children. The crimes they committed were too numerous to list.

Not long ago, the main force of the Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou was annihilated, and countless people surrendered. Most of the refugees who had nowhere to go obediently accepted the recruitment and training of the Northern Army.

However, many people within the Yellow Turban Army knew that the Northern Army’s military laws were strict and did not want to be bound by them, so they fled in all directions.

If they had simply run away, it would have been fine, and Wang Jing would not have had the time to care about them. But they were reckless and actually returned to their old ways, wreaking havoc in the countryside, seriously undermining the social harmony in Yanzhou.

Therefore, Wang Jingcai adopted Guo Jia's suggestion and sent out the palace soldiers to quell the rebellion. Through low-intensity security battles, he gave the palace soldiers under his command a chance to see blood and accumulate some combat experience.

That's why Chen Ze and Zhou Cang led the soldiers to suppress the bandits. Actually, they were originally going to Lu County, but a scout reported the whereabouts of Zhao San and Zhao Si. The two immediately brought their men to chase and kill them, determined to kill the two thieves.

"I hope it's not too late."

Chen Ze looked into the distance in the direction of Zhaojiagou, feeling increasingly uneasy and anxious.

Sure enough, when he and Zhou Cang arrived at Zhaojiagou, it had been burned into ruins, with corpses everywhere, including the elderly, children, and women in dishevel.

Looking at the miserable and desperate expressions on the faces of the dead, Chen Ze felt a pang of pain in his heart and his anger almost burst out of his chest.

Holding back his anger, Chen Ze dismounted and touched the ground: "It's still hot, it looks like he hasn't gone far, let's keep chasing!"

Although Zhou Cang was a Yellow Turban bandit for a while and killed many people, he never bullied women, let alone killed the elderly and children.

The actions of Zhao San and Zhao Si had obviously touched his bottom line, making him furious: "That's right, catch up and kill these two beasts."

The two continued to chase. Chen Ze was an experienced hunter and was good at tracking, so he quickly followed the footprints left at the scene and caught up with the target half a day later.

At this time, Zhao San and Zhao Si were attacking another village.

After being defeated in the Battle of Rencheng, the two men fled at night with more than 300 defeated soldiers. After that, without any restraint, they burned, killed and looted along the way, acting lawless.

Zhao San was riding a horse, directing his bandits to launch an attack: "Everyone, give me some strength. After we take over this village, we will have a good meal and a good time."

"Hahaha, Sixth Brother is right. This is how comfortable life is."

Zhao Si also echoed from the side. Under the reflection of the firelight, the excited expression on his face looked as hideous and terrifying as a devil from hell.

They were originally bandits who wreaked havoc in the local area. The bandit spirit was ingrained in their bones, and they also had pretty good skills. Therefore, after joining the Yellow Turban Army, they were like fish in water, and they became even more adept at killing and robbing than before.

Now the two brothers have not only successfully formed a team of their own, but they are also more brutal and cruel than ever in burning, killing and looting, leaving no room for anyone else.

Zhao San touched the scar on his face that was still bleeding, and said angrily: "What a bullshit Qi Hou, he still wants me to surrender? It's really hateful. If it weren't for him, I'm afraid we would have invaded Puyang long ago and got whatever we wanted!"

When he thought about how he almost died in Rencheng, he felt so angry that he couldn't calm down.

Originally, he surrendered to Guan Hai, and after joining the Yellow Turbans of Qingzhou, the situation was very good. He was about to break into the county city and rush in to enjoy the fascinating world.

As a result, in the blink of an eye, Wang Jing led the Northern Army to descend from the sky, directly shattering all the dreams and fantasies in his heart.

On the battlefield, the Yellow Turban Army of Qingzhou suffered repeated defeats, suffered heavy casualties and lost many soldiers and generals.

The brothers Zhao San and Zhao Si had worked so hard to gather a team of several thousand people, but in the end most of them either died or surrendered. Now there are only more than 300 people left. How can they not hate them?

What's more, Zhao San himself was disfigured by a crossbow arrow when fighting with the Bingzhou soldiers, and Zhao Si had two fingers on his right hand cut off. Therefore, the two brothers hated Wang Jing to the core. In addition, the Northern Army's military regulations were strict, and they were used to being lax and were unwilling to accept such discipline. That's why they gathered a group of defeated soldiers who were also unwilling to surrender and wandered around.

At this time, under the siege of Zhao San and Zhao Si, the militiamen temporarily organized by the village chief continued to resist hard, but they were few in number and weak in strength, their weapons and equipment were too simple, and their martial arts were not as good as those of the murderous bandits in front of them, so it was only a matter of time before the village was breached.

Zhao Si was too lazy to continue giving orders, so he pulled Zhao San and said, "Old Six, after we destroy this village and have enough food and drink, we have to leave."

Zhao San nodded upon hearing this: "That's right, it seems that we can't stay in Yanzhou anymore. I heard that Yuan Shu of Runan is recruiting soldiers. With our abilities, going there might be a good way out."

Wang Jing continued to send troops to wipe out the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou. In the past few days, Zhao San and Zhao Si also clearly felt that the pressure was greater than before. Their living space was constantly being compressed, and the sense of crisis in their minds kept reminding them to escape quickly.

If you don't escape, you'll die.

Zhao Si suggested, "Yuan Shu comes from a noble family. How could he really take people like us seriously? Why don't we go to Qingzhou? It is said that there is a very powerful guy named Zhang Rao there. He has more than 300,000 soldiers and strong men and horses. If we go there now, we may be able to accomplish something."

"Okay, I'll do as you say..."

Before Zhao San could finish his words, there was a sudden sound of a string, and the wind was shaking in his ears.

"careful!"

Zhao San also had martial arts skills, so when he heard the sound of an arrow, he instinctively swung his sword to block it.

However, he was half a beat too slow. When he cut the arrow shaft into two pieces with a knife, the arrowhead had already pierced his shoulder, penetrating into the flesh and bursting into a blood flower.

"Who are you, you bastard, to have the audacity to attack someone from behind?"

The arrow wound penetrated Zhao San's bones, causing him to grimace in pain, but it also made him extremely ferocious. (End of this chapter)