sovbooks Chapter 29 An Immense Achievement!
Chapter 29 An Immense Achievement!
The more Yuan Tan thought about it, the more suffocated he felt.
I finally managed to be transferred to Qingzhou, but I didn't expect that Yuan Shang's lineage would still not let me go.
And Yuan Shao is too easily fooled!
They're both sons; they're both my flesh and blood.
Let's not expect everyone to receive equal treatment, but at least there should be basic trust.
As a result, Lao Tzu fought a desperate battle and won.
It's one thing if you don't give me any reward at all.
And then he turned around and handed over his entire fortune to someone else?
What kind of unreasonable father is this?
No!
We must resist!
Otherwise, even if he gave up his military power and lived a comfortable life as a wealthy man, these people would not let him go.
Yuan Tan's face grew increasingly grim, and before Guo Jia could speak, he spoke again:
"Fengxiao! Tell me, what would happen if Shen Pei were to personally pursue Lü Bu?"
If a son were to betray his own father, he would be condemned to death in the late Han Dynasty, a time when filial piety was the foundation of the nation.
From now on, it's basically equivalent to the society dying.
Scholars and officials who value their reputation would not come to rely on him.
You can't reason with your advisors about this, because if they're rigidly bound by rules and etiquette, they'll definitely refuse to listen.
Fortunately, the opponent was Guo Jia, not Xun Yu.
He was a figure whose reputation was not good throughout history.
If Cao Cao hadn't valued talent above all else, Guo Jia wouldn't have even had the chance to rise to prominence.
As expected, Guo Jia was also taken aback upon hearing this, then looked intently at Yuan Tan with a meaningful smile.
"As expected of Jia, our lord is someone Jia values highly. Now that our lord has made his decision, all we need to do is make sure it's done discreetly."
He looked around to make sure no one was nearby before leaning in and whispering:
"This matter is neither difficult nor difficult, as long as my lord does this and that..."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Tan immediately clapped his hands and cheered:
"Fengxiao's plan is exactly what I wanted! I'll go and make the arrangements right away!"
……
Outside Dongwu City in Qingzhou, at the temporary camp of Yuan's army.
Shen Pei sat upright in the main tent, with several secret reports delivered by scouts on the table.
"Zhang He pursued Lü Bu and achieved considerable success... Lü Bu fled in defeat..."
After arriving in Qingzhou, he had always wanted to bring Zhang He to his side.
Despite repeated urging, Zhang He did not lead his army over.
After sending scouts to investigate, they learned that Zhang He had been pursuing Lü Bu for the past few days and had achieved considerable success.
It seems this hungry tiger has truly reached its end!
Shen Pei looked at the message brought by the scouts repeatedly, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.
This is indeed a very good time.
Lü Bu has always been a thorn in the side of all the warlords.
If we can successfully defeat him, or even capture him alive.
That would be an immense achievement, enough to earn one a place in history.
Which scholar-official could resist the allure of a place in history and fame?
"But Chen Gong is no easy opponent, and Lü Bu is the bravest warrior in the army. Is such a 'collapse' too easy? Could it be a trap to lure the enemy deep into our territory?"
Shen Pei was cautious by nature and did not act immediately. Instead, he dispatched a large number of scouts to closely monitor the movements of Lü Bu's army.
For several days in a row, the returns have been exactly as predicted:
Lu Bu's army retreated hastily, abandoning countless supplies. Zhang He led his troops in pursuit and achieved several victories, but they were never able to catch up with Lu Bu's main force.
Shen Pei's doubts lessened slightly, but his desire for unparalleled achievements became even more difficult to suppress.
Just as he was hesitating, his trusted aide quietly entered the tent and presented him with a small scroll of silk.
"Master, a secret message from Wuyu."
Shen Pei's spirits lifted, and he immediately began to work.
The handwriting on the silk scroll was elegant, clearly the work of Wu Yu, and the content was concise and to the point:
"Yuan Tan could no longer contain himself, fearing that Zhang He would take all the credit. Today, he personally led several hundred guards out of the city quietly, heading southeast, intending to join forces with Zhang He to attack Lü Bu. The city is now undefended."
After reading the secret letter, the last trace of doubt in Shen Pei's eyes finally vanished.
"Excellent! Excellent! A golden opportunity!"
He suddenly stood up, unable to suppress the smile on his face any longer.
"Yuan Xiansi, Yuan Xiansi, you finally lost your composure! How could your few hundred personal guards possibly be a match for Lü Bu? I'll gladly accept this credit."
Without further hesitation, he immediately got up and headed to Yan Liang's tent.
"General Yan! The opportunity has arrived!"
Shen Pei's voice became somewhat excited.
"Lu Bu's army has been routed, and Yuan Xiansi, greedy for merit, has already personally gone to the front lines. This is the perfect opportunity for our army to decisively defeat Lu Bu and secure the overall situation in Qingzhou! General, please immediately muster your troops and follow me on this expedition to achieve unparalleled glory!"
Although Yan Liang was the commander-in-chief of the army, before he left, the lord had instructed him to obey Shen Pei's command in all actions.
Since Shen Pei has already made up his mind, what reason do I have to object?
Moreover, if they could defeat Lü Bu, that would indeed be an unparalleled achievement.
Back then at Hulao Pass, I missed an opportunity due to some business, which led to the rise of figures like Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei, who wove mats and sold shoes.
Therefore, I certainly cannot miss this opportunity.
He immediately agreed:
"Very well! I'll go muster my troops right now! I'll make sure that scoundrel Lü Bu sees what I'm capable of!"
A moment later, the camp gates swung open, and Shen Pei and Yan Liang led 20,000 elite troops in a grand procession straight toward the direction in which Lu Bu had been reported to have retreated.
Shen Pei, riding on his horse, was full of pride and self-satisfaction, as if he could already see himself in control of Qingzhou with the might of a great victory.
The army marched swiftly, and along the way they indeed saw many flags and armor abandoned by Lü Bu's army, as well as scattered grain carts. All signs indicated that the enemy army was indeed fleeing in disarray.
Seeing this, Yan Liang's confidence soared, and he urged the troops to speed up.
Shen Pei was somewhat secretly surprised.
Were these supplies abandoned by Lü Bu himself, or were they lost during Zhang He's pursuit?
Moreover, the retreat of Lü Bu's army seems to be a little too slow.
It was as if they were waiting specifically for me.
Thinking of this, he had to be careful and even secretly put himself at the back of the group.
Soon, when the entire army poured into a narrow valley, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, the deafening sound of war drums erupted from both sides of the valley!
Countless arrows rained down like locusts!
Immediately afterwards, logs and boulders came crashing down with a deafening roar!
"An ambush! We've fallen into their trap!"
Yan Liang's eyes were bloodshot as he roared and brandished his sword to parry the arrows.
However, it was too late!
The valley's exit was blocked by boulders, and the entrance was also cut off by ambushes!
Lu Bu's ambush troops descended like divine soldiers from the sky, attacking from all directions!
The leading general, riding the Red Hare and wielding the Fangtian Halberd, is none other than Lü Bu.
"Huh? If it's not Yuan Tan, then who are you?"
When Lü Bu saw Yan Liang, he was also taken aback, but then he immediately spurred his horse and charged.
"Never mind, prepare to die!"
Although Shen Peijun was numerous, he was caught off guard and found himself in a desperate situation, which caused chaos to break out immediately! Countless soldiers trampled on each other!
Although Yan Liang was brave, he was personally targeted by Lü Bu. In less than ten rounds, he was swept off his horse by Lü Bu's halberd and tied up tightly by the Bingzhou soldiers who swarmed around him!