Chapter 338 Battle of Jizhou (End)
Mid-December.

There was heavy snow in Jizhou, and the Southern Army suddenly launched an all-out attack, catching the Yuan and Cao armies off guard.

In cold weather, the combat capability of war horses was greatly reduced, but the Confederate infantry seemed not to be afraid of the severe cold.

Changshan State.

Yuan Shao retreated all the way here and finally understood why the Southern Army was not afraid of the cold.

"You think every soldier in the Southern Army should have one of these divine cold-proof clothes?"

In Yuan Shao's hand was a complete cotton jacket that had been confiscated, and the person who presented the jacket was Yuan Shao's nephew Gao Gan.

The original four pillars of Hebei were either killed or escaped, and the army gathered around Yuan Shao was less than 20,000 people.

The Youzhou cavalry marched southwards, and their defeat was inevitable; it was only a matter of time.

"Where is Cao Mengde now?"

Yuan Shao threw away what he was holding, looked towards the east, and asked, "Have you surrendered?"

Gao Gan said uncertainly: "It should not have been surrendered."

Yuan Shao smiled bitterly and said, "I regret it now."

"If I had known this would happen, why would I have held on until now just for a little face?"

Gao Gan immediately advised, "Uncle, what you said is wrong. The victors are the kings and the losers are the bandits. This has been the case since ancient times. Uncle has fought on the battlefield all his life and is well-known. Even if the situation is unfavorable today, he is still a hero. Moreover, victory and defeat are common in the military. Uncle has been in Hebei for many years and has a deep foundation. As long as we are united, there may be a turnaround. The most important thing right now is to stabilize the morale of the army, find a good strategy, and wait for the right time."

When Yuan Shao heard this, a gleam flashed in his eyes and he asked, "Do you really think so?"

Gao Gan nodded and said, "It's not just me, all the gentlemen and sirs think so!"

"Okay!" Yuan Shao said with great enthusiasm: "Order the whole army, there will be plenty of wine and meat, eat as much as you want, the next step is our final battle!"

"Yes!" Gao Gan took the order and the morale of Yuan's army increased greatly, and a momentum of victory was generated spontaneously.

night.

Amid the rumbling sound of horse hooves, more than 20,000 cavalrymen from Youzhou headed straight for Yuan’s army.

The white snow melted under the horses' hooves, revealing the soil underneath.

Zhao Yun was wearing a cloak, a tiger-skin felt on his head, breathing hot air, and had a sharp look in his eyes.

"stop!"

Zhao Yun let out a long whistle, and the Youzhou cavalry began to slow down and eventually stopped.

Five hundred steps ahead, a black carriage with baggage could be vaguely seen under the snow.

After Yuan's army was discovered, they no longer hid and came out to fight, shouting slogans.

With 20,000 remnant soldiers facing more than 20,000 highly motivated cavalrymen, it is hard to tell whether they have any chance of winning. It seems that they can only hold on for a moment.

Zhao Yun knew this very well and was not in a hurry to attack.

At this time, Huang Zhong and Cheng Pu came to Zhao Yun's side.

"Captain Zhao, what do you think we should do?"

Huang Zhong was born as a royal guard, had a lot of experience and military achievements, so Cheng Pu was inferior to him.

Zhao Yun was not too proud and clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, General Huang, for your kindness. I am only an acting officer and not yet a captain of the cavalry battalion."

Huang Zhong laughed loudly and said, "Then why are you still calling me General?"

The three of them laughed in unison, as if the flying snow was shaken away.

Zhao Yun said: "General Huang and General Cheng are both the backbone of the army. Although I am temporarily taking over their positions, I know that only unity can defeat the enemy. Although the enemy army seems to be aggressive now, but after days of fighting, its edge has been weakened. In addition, the supply is not continuous. It is time for our army to counterattack. However, a direct confrontation may not be the best strategy. We need to find a clever plan to win this battle with the least loss."

Cheng Pu frowned and said in a deep voice, "The first push is strong, the second push is weak, and the third push is exhausted. Captain Zhao wants to wear down the enemy's spirit?"

Zhao Yun nodded, looked into the distance with deep eyes, and said slowly: "Yes, that's right."

Huang Zhong's eyes gleamed when he heard this, and he clapped his hands in praise, "Excellent! Captain Zhao is indeed both wise and brave. I am willing to lead my soldiers as the vanguard and go forward to challenge him."

"Why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken?" Cheng Pu also echoed: "I am willing to lead the Wuhuan and replace General Huang Lao."

"It doesn't have to be so troublesome."

Zhao Yun shook his head, pointed nearby and said, "I know a small path that can lead to a detour. I'd like to trouble you two generals to lure Yuan's army here. I'll attack from the rear, and you two can join me and defeat them with one strike!"

Huang Zhong and Cheng Pu then remembered that Zhao Yun was from Changshan and was indeed very familiar with the place.

"Captain Zhao is really cunning." Huang Zhong laughed and scolded, "You stole our credit as the vanguard!"

The three of them laughed for a while and decisively divided their troops. Zhao Yun took away 5,000 elite cavalry. Even if Yuan’s army knew that his purpose was not pure, they were powerless to stop him.

The third watch.

There were deafening shouts and cries from the rear of Yuan's army. Huang Zhong and Cheng Pu knew that the time for battle had come, so they led more than 16,000 cavalry to launch a frontal assault.

Yuan's army was defeated and 20,000 men collapsed and fled.

The morning sun is rising.

Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong and Cheng Pu surrounded more than a thousand of Yuan Shao's elite confidants, advisers and generals.

Yuan Shao washed his face with snow to make it less dirty, and despite everyone's objections, he came to the front of the battle.

"I wonder which general is here? Yuan Shao is polite."

Zhao Yun was pushed out by Huang Zhong and Cheng Pu as a representative. He held a bright silver spear in his hand and his silver armor shone. He looked even more heroic in the morning light. His eyes were as sharp as torches as he stared directly at Yuan Shao.

"I am Zhao Zilong from Changshan. I have come here on the orders of my lord to suppress the rebellion!" Zhao Yun's voice was like a loud bell, and every word was sonorous, shaking the air around him as if it froze.

Yuan Shao's face changed slightly when he heard this, but he immediately regained his composure and said, "It turned out to be General Zhao in person. I meet you, General."

Zhao Yun smiled slightly, and the tip of his spear tapped the ground, making a crisp sound. He said firmly: "Mr. Yuan is defeated today. I hope you won't cause any more innocent deaths. Surrender!"

Huang Zhong and Cheng Pu nodded in agreement. Although they did not say anything, the fighting spirit and determination revealed in their eyes coincided with Zhao Yun's.

Yuan Shao saw this, although he was unwilling, he also knew that the situation was hopeless. He looked around at the captured confidants and advisers, and his heart was filled with mixed feelings. Finally, he sighed and said slowly: "General Zhao is right. Yuan Shao is doomed to fail. There is nothing to say. I only hope that the general can treat the surrendered soldiers in our army well and not let innocent people suffer."

Zhao Yun nodded slightly to show respect. "Don't worry, Lord Yuan Shao, our army is here only to suppress the rebellion and will never kill innocent people. As for those who surrender, we will properly settle them according to your wishes."

Then, Zhao Yun shouted: "Please take off your armor!"

"Take off your armor! Take off your armor! Take off your armor!" The Youzhou cavalry shouted in unison, their voices shaking the snowy plain.

Yuan Shao stretched out his hand to take off his armor, but at this moment, a hand grabbed him tightly and prevented him from doing so.

"My Lord, why would you tarnish your reputation for the sake of our lives?"

Ju Su looked behind Yuan Shao and said sternly, "My lord, although we have been defeated, we still have our integrity! My lord is a descendant of three dukes for four generations, and his reputation is prominent. How can you let us damage his reputation?"

"There is only death!"

"Are you afraid of anyone?"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao immediately understood what Ju Su was going to do. He grabbed Ju Su's hand tightly and said with tears in his eyes, "I regret not listening to the military advisor. Why did it come to this?"

Ju Su shook his head and said, "The past is all over. My lord, there is no need to talk about it. I will leave first!"

After saying this, Ju Su broke free from Yuan Shao's hand, drew his sword and committed suicide.

"No!" Yuan Shao stretched out his hand, only to grab Ju Su's cold hand. The hot blood flowed onto his hand, leaving only a moment of warmth.

"My Lord!" Shen Pei took off his helmet, knelt on the ground and bowed three times, then drew his sword and said, "It's just death, why should I be afraid?"

With a swipe of the sword, another life was lost.

Feng Ji began to take off his helmet...Tian Feng and the soldiers followed closely behind.

"stop!"

Yuan Shao stood up, facing his own people, with his back to the Youzhou cavalry, and drew his sword, saying, "There is only death!"

"You all are not afraid of death, so why should I, Yuan Shao, be afraid?"

"Please follow me to death!"

After saying that, Yuan Shao turned around and launched a final charge.

"Death!" "Death!" "Death!"

The momentum of more than a thousand remnant soldiers should not be underestimated. If one of them is not careful, Yuan Shao will really kill them and break out of the encirclement.

"Three shots!"

"Buzz!"

The rain of arrows was like black lightning, cutting through the snow-white earth and causing blood-red flowers to bloom.

It turned out that the strong crossbow battalion led by Huang Zhong had been prepared for this move. With four thousand strong crossbows firing at the same time, even if there were twice as many people, they would be shot into a hornet's nest.

However, the remaining troops of Yuan Shao never thought of going back alive. They fell one by one, and then stepped over the predecessors and continued to charge.

A quarter of an hour later, apart from the Youzhou cavalry, only a dozen cowardly Yuan army scholars were left standing.

Zhao Yun rode his horse to Yuan Shao, who had been shot like a hedgehog. Seeing that Yuan Shao was still alive, he dismounted, took off his felt hat and helmet to salute him.

"You are a true warrior!"

Yuan Shao seemed to be waiting for these words. He opened his mouth and only blood flowed out. Then memories of his entire life began to flash through his mind like a kaleidoscope of thoughts.

Thinking back to the time when he first entered Luoyang, he was full of vigor and vitality. Even Yuan Ji, the head of the Yuan family, was not as popular as him. For a time, the only outstanding figure was Yuan Shao.

Afterwards, he killed the eunuchs, fought against Dong Zhuo, gathered the princes to attack Dong Zhuo, and occupied Jizhou.

How did it suddenly come to this?
A figure emerged.

Cao Cao!

Yes, looking back on my life, I succeeded because of Cao Cao, and failed because of him.

If Cao Cao could withstand the pressure from the south, today's situation should be reversed.

Unfortunately, there is no such thing.

Until he closed his eyes completely, Yuan Shao never suspected that there was something wrong with his advisers.

Zhao Yun remounted his horse and looked at Xu You, Guo Tu and others who were fawning on him with disgust. He turned back to Huang Zhong and said, "General Huang, although Yuan Shao is unjust, he is a hero. We cannot let some people tarnish his reputation!"

Huang Zhong felt sick when he thought about having to deal with this kind of thing in the future, and fired another volley of bullets. If they could survive this, they would be considered lucky.

...

Bohai County.

Cao Cao was surrounded on all sides and was besieged here with less than 5,000 men under his command.

Looking at the vast Bohai Sea, Cao Cao wanted to recite a poem, but he no longer had the mood.

He was surrounded by the main generals of Cao's army, and except for Yu Jin who was captured, most of them were there.

"Everyone, Cao has reached a dead end. I want to surrender and find a way out for you."

The generals were no different from Yuan Shao's generals. They also shouted that they would fight to the death and would never surrender.

There were even more stubborn people like Chen Gong who drew his sword and was ready to commit suicide.

"Gongtai, what are you doing?"

Cao Cao snatched Chen Gong's sword and sighed, "Even if you look down on me, Cao Cao, why do you have to humiliate yourself?"

"Think about your family. You still have an old mother at home."

Chen Gong sighed and said, "Lord Cao, it's not that I don't want to surrender, it's just that I have a sense of honor. I don't want to live in disgrace and lose my pride. What's more, the world is so big that there is no place for me to stay."

Cao Cao was filled with mixed emotions when he heard this. He admired Chen Gong's loyalty, but also felt helpless about his own situation. He was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Gongtai, although we have different political views, I, Cao Cao, have always admired your loyalty. Although I am in a desperate situation today, I am not at the end of my rope yet. If you and I can overcome this difficult time together, we may be able to achieve something in the future. Even if you don't want to live, you have to think about your wife and mother!"

Cao Cao turned to look at the generals and said firmly, "Everyone, I am not a saint, but I know that the lips and teeth are cold. Now we are in danger, and only by uniting as one can we find a way out. Surrender is not a shame, and preserving strength and waiting for the times to change is what a wise man does. If someone does not want to go with me, I will not force you, but please think of your family behind you and do not talk about life and death lightly."

After these words, the originally heated atmosphere gradually subsided, and the generals looked at each other, as if moved. Chen Gong also put down the sword in his hand, looked at Cao Cao with complicated eyes, and finally sighed and said nothing more.

Cao Cao saw this and knew that there was a chance of a turnaround, so he continued, "We are not ordinary people. If we can regroup in the future, we will surely create greater glory. Today's difficulties are just an episode in our life journey."

Unexpectedly, Chen Gong did not appreciate it: "I heard that the King of Wu treats the common people well and is harsh on the nobles. If I die, my family will not be in any trouble."

"If there is anything wrong, please take care of me, Lord Cao."

Cao Cao frowned slightly when he heard this, but then he relaxed his brows and a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes. He walked slowly to Chen Gong and said sincerely and firmly: "Chen Gongtai, I will keep your concerns in mind. If that day ever comes, I will ensure that your family is safe and let them enjoy peace in this chaotic world."

After saying this, Cao Cao left his sword behind, turned around and couldn't bear to look at it.

Chen Gong bowed to Cao Cao and then committed suicide.

"Lord Cao!" "My Lord!"

As if stimulated by Chen Gong, generals and counselors jumped out one after another, bid farewell to Cao Cao, and all committed suicide, preferring to die rather than surrender.

In a short while, more than a hundred people died.

When Cao Cao turned around and saw this scene, his headache came back. He scratched his head, covered it, screamed, and fainted.

Wake up again.

Cao Cao found himself on a prison cart, surrounded by the main generals of Cao's army.

...

February of the second year of Jian'an.

Luoyang, Beigong.

Jin Mao never expected that Yuan Shao would die because of his bravery, while Cao Cao would surrender instead.

Looking at the dishevelled clothes of the historical Three Kingdoms leader in the prison car, Jin Mao felt mixed emotions.

"Cao Cao pays homage to the King of Wu."

Cao Cao smiled and wanted to bow, but he couldn't do it. However, it didn't bother him. He said with a smile: "When I was young, I wanted to be a general who conquered the west. If Your Highness the King of Wu can help me fulfill my long-cherished wish, I will be very grateful."

At this time, Liu Xie came to the Shangshutai, and Cao Cao was even happier. He bowed and said, "Cao Cao greets Your Majesty!"

However, this time Cao Cao was smart enough not to make any demands.

"Are you Cao Mengde?"

Liu Xie looked at Cao Cao with great curiosity, for he knew that this was the person his uncle feared the most.

"Your uncle will definitely not allow you to go out to fight." Liu Xie said, "Then you can serve as an official in the court."

Jin Mao objected, which was rare: "Your Majesty, you can't do that!"

What a joke! If Liu Xie got help from Cao Cao, it would be extremely difficult for him. How would he govern the country in the future?

"Cao Cao is a war criminal. I will make the final decision on this matter!"

Cao Cao's eyes sparkled, as if he had discovered an incredible secret.

(End of this chapter)