Shuhan

Ji County.

It looks even more solemn and majestic in the falling snow.

The snowflakes were like feathers floating in the sky, silently covering every inch of land, and adding a bit of solemnity to the power drama that was about to be staged.

After receiving a firm promise of support from Cao Wei's general Cao Zhen, Gongsun Yuan finally took off his disguise of indulging in wine and sex. His eyes became sharp and firm again, like a cheetah ready to launch a fatal attack on his prey.

In the dead of night, Gongsun Yuan slowly walked out of the mansion. The cold wind blew in his face, but it did not slow down his pace at all.

He was wearing a heavy black armor inlaid with silver trim, which gleamed coldly under the light of the snow. He had a long sword on his waist, and the scabbard was carved with intricate cloud and dragon patterns, highlighting his noble status as the lord of Youzhou.

Every step Gongsun Yuan took seemed steady and powerful, as if every step was stepping on everyone's heartstrings, making people feel awe involuntarily.

Outside the mansion, a group of soldiers had already gathered. Some of them were wearing battle robes, while others were holding weapons. Despite the heavy snow, no one slacked off because they knew very well that an important action would take place tonight.

Gongsun Yuan stood on a high step, his eyes like torches, scanning everyone one by one. His eyes were full of majesty and contained infinite expectations for the future.

Following Gongsun Yuan's order, an elite force quickly took action. They walked on the snow and moved silently towards Yang Zuo's mansion.

At this time, Yang Zuo was immersed in his own little world, completely unaware that danger was approaching quietly.

His mansion was brightly lit, but there was an ominous atmosphere.

When Gongsun Yuan's army poured in like a tide, Yang Zuo stood up from the warm fire and looked at the uninvited guests in astonishment.

The soldiers were merciless and quickly tied Yang Zuo up. His struggle seemed so weak that he was eventually dragged out of the mansion roughly and thrown in front of Gongsun Yuan.

On the snow, Yang Zuo was in a miserable state and fell flat on his face, his former glory gone.

He looked up and met Gongsun Yuan's stern eyes. He immediately understood everything - it turned out that his indulgence in wine and sex those days was just a trap carefully set up by Gongsun Yuan to confuse him.

"My lord... since you already have a plan in mind, why didn't you inform your subordinates about this matter in advance?" There was a hint of grievance and unwillingness in Yang Zuo's voice.

He never thought that he could be manipulated so easily.

Gongsun Yuan heard this and sneered, his voice as cold as ice: "How can you tell me that you are not loyal? Do you think that your little cleverness can deceive me?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Zuo felt sad. He knew that although he was Gongsun Yuan's brother-in-law, what he had done was enough to cause him to die without a burial place.

Just when he was in despair, Gongsun Yuan's words unexpectedly shone into his heart like a ray of sunshine in winter: "Although you are unfaithful to me, you are my brother-in-law after all. I will give you a chance. If you lead the Han army into Ji County and make great contributions, I will forgive you for your past mistakes!"

When Yang Zuo heard this, a complicated look flashed across his eyes, with surprise and confusion, but in the end, he sighed and seemed to have made a decision: "I will obey your orders!"

Gongsun Yuan chuckled and signaled the soldiers beside him to untie Yang Zuo.

In fact, he had no real resentment in his heart. Human nature was complex and changeable, and he knew this very well.

At this moment, what he needed more was to unite all the forces that could be united to fight against the impending Han army and regain complete control of Youzhou.

The snow was still falling, but the atmosphere was completely different.

Gongsun Yuan looked into the distance with a determined light in his eyes, as if he had seen the dawn of victory.

He turned around and said to Yang Zuo: "General Yang, you must be careful in this operation and make sure that nothing goes wrong. After the mission is accomplished, I will reward you handsomely."

Yang Zuo nodded, feeling mixed emotions, but since he had made his choice, he had no choice but to go all the way.

He secretly vowed to take advantage of this opportunity, not only to save his life, but also to prove his worth.

And on the other side.

Outside Guangyang County, the wind was cold and the snow was falling heavily. The sky and the earth were covered in silver, as if the whole world was covered in pure white.

On this vast snowfield, a large army marched slowly, their figures looking both small and tough in the wind and snow.

This army was mainly composed of infantry, and the team stretched for miles. Every step they took was firm and powerful, as if declaring their indomitable spirit to this cold winter.

Behind the army were hundreds of horse-drawn carriages, whose wheels left deep marks on the snow, making dull sounds.

The carriages were loaded with food, fodder, equipment for defending against cavalry such as chevaux de frise, and a variety of military supplies. These were the lifeline of the army and the basis for their survival and fighting in this desolate land.

The leading general was Hao Zhao.

His beard was already covered with snowflakes, which trembled slightly with his breathing, adding a comical touch to his appearance.

However, when his eyes looked into the distance, the funny look was instantly replaced by an indescribable firmness and sharpness.

His eyes seemed to be able to penetrate the wind and snow, see the future battlefield, and see the dawn of victory.

"Is there any place suitable for defense outside Ji County?" Hao Zhao asked the guide beside him in a low and powerful voice.

The guide was a local who knew the terrain well.

Upon hearing this, he immediately replied, "Twenty miles north of Ji County, there is a valley with a dangerous terrain and only a passage for three people to walk parallel to each other. It is an excellent place for defense."

When Hao Zhao heard this, his eyes immediately lit up.

In such terrain, as long as the deployment is proper, even if the enemy has a large number of troops, it will be difficult to break through.

So he immediately ordered the army to change direction and head towards the valley.

The army struggled forward in the wind and snow, but their steps never stopped.

Finally, before nightfall, they arrived at the valley.

Hao Zhao stood at the entrance of the valley and looked around. He saw steep cliffs on both sides of the valley and only a narrow passage in the middle. It was indeed a good place that was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

He nodded continuously, secretly thinking about how to set up a defense line here.

"This place is indeed a natural fortress. If we have time to prepare the city defense equipment, we can probably hold out for a long time."

Hao Zhao pondered in his heart, and then he ordered loudly: "All troops, listen up, set up camp here immediately! Order people to occupy the mountain road, and set up sentries, arrow towers, and catapults on the mountainside! We must build an indestructible line of defense here!"

Upon hearing this, the army immediately took action.

The soldiers had clear division of labor. Some were busy setting up tents, some were busy setting up obstacles such as chevaux de frise and antlers on the mountain roads, and some were building arrow towers and sentry posts on the mountainside and constructing catapults, placing them in the best positions.

Hao Zhaoze personally supervised the battle. He moved among the soldiers, constantly encouraging and guiding them.

His figure seemed particularly tall in the wind and snow, as if he was an unshakable monument.

At the same time, Hao Zhao also sent out scouts to collect intelligence.

In this war, the importance of intelligence is self-evident.

Only by understanding the enemy's movements and intentions can we formulate the most effective tactics and strategies.

The scouts took the order and left, riding fast horses and galloping in the wind and snow.

Their figures left long tracks on the snow, as if they were elves on the snowy field, silently shuttling among the enemy forces.

As night fell, a blazing bonfire was lit in the valley.

The soldiers sat around the fire, roasting themselves by the fire and eating hot food, mostly meat. With such abundant food, the faces of these soldiers were filled with smiles of satisfaction and happiness.

However, Hao Zhao did not let down his guard.

The footsteps of war are getting closer and closer.

The valley is twenty miles south.

Ji County, this ancient city seems particularly quiet in the wind and snow, as if even the air has frozen.

Gongsun Yuan was sitting in the hall of the mansion at this moment, his brows furrowed, his eyes revealing a bit of uneasiness and confusion.

The letter in his hand clearly stated that the Han army had reached a valley twenty miles north of Ji County, but had not directly approached Ji County.

This action made ripples in his heart. Could it be that the Han army had already discovered his plan?

Gongsun Yuan's thoughts were as chaotic as the wind and snow outside the window. He knew very well that if the Han army really saw through his layout, the next battle would be extremely difficult.

At this time, he decided to send Yang Zuo to communicate with the Han army.

Yang Zuo, who was ostensibly an internal supporter of the Han army in Ji County, was actually a chess piece planted in the Han army by Gongsun Yuan. At this moment, he became the key to his finding out the intentions of the Han army.

After receiving the order, Yang Zuo immediately organized a delegation and hurriedly marched towards the valley in the wind and snow.

The wind and snow made the road difficult to travel, but Yang Zuo's mind was more complicated than the weather. He was worried that his identity would be exposed, and he was curious about why the Han army chose to station in the valley instead of attacking Ji County directly.

Finally, the delegation arrived outside the valley. Yang Zuo looked up and saw steep cliffs on both sides of the valley, a narrow passage in the middle, and the flags of the Han army fluttering in the wind and snow, which was particularly eye-catching. He took a deep breath and led the delegation into the valley.

The scene in the valley surprised Yang Zuo secretly.

The Han army did not prepare to attack Ji County as he had imagined. Instead, they set up numerous defense lines here, with arrow towers, catapults and other equipment. The soldiers were on high alert, as if ready for a big battle at any time.

Yang Zuo muttered to himself, what on earth is the Han army up to?

Under the guidance of a Han army general, Yang Zuo soon met Hao Zhao.

Yang Zuo was shocked. He originally thought he would meet Zhao Yun, but unexpectedly it was Hao Zhao.

He forced himself to remain calm, saluted to Hao Zhao and said, "General Hao, according to the previous agreement, why don't you enter Ji County? The Wei army is already outside the city, and it's extremely urgent. I have come here to communicate with you."

Hao Zhao glanced at Yang Zuo coldly and said in a deep voice, "Who is in charge of Ji County, you or Gongsun Yuan?"

Yang Zuo was stunned for a moment, then pretended to be calm and replied: "Of course I make the decision!"

Hearing this, Hao Zhao sneered and said, "I heard from the military department in the city, how come the news I got is that Gongsun Yuan is in charge?"

Yang Zuo was shocked and his face changed suddenly.

He didn't expect Hao Zhao to question him so directly, and he didn't expect that the Han army had already grasped the internal information of Ji County.

He secretly regretted that he was too careless.

Hao Zhao saw his expression and knew what was going on. He snorted coldly and said, "You are really trying to trick me! Do you think you can fool me with your little cleverness?"

Yang Zuo's heart trembled, he knew that his identity had been exposed.

"General, spare your life!"

At this point, in order to save his life, he had to reveal the news that Gongsun Yuan and Cao Zhen had formed an alliance and were preparing to ambush the Han army in Ji County.

With a trembling voice, he told Hao Zhao the whole story.

After hearing this, Hao Zhao showed a playful smile on his face.

He stood up, walked to Yang Zuo, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Want to ambush me? I will be in this valley, waiting for him to attack! Do you think that with the small forces of Gongsun Yuan and Cao Zhen, you can defeat our Han Dynasty? What wishful thinking!"

After saying that, Hao Zhao turned and left, leaving Yang Zuo alone in a daze.

Yang Zuo looked at Hao Zhao's back and felt an indescribable fear in his heart.

"Yang Zuo, if you want to stay alive and be rich, then tell Gongsun Yuan for me that my army needs to rest for three days and then enter Ji County. If you can do this, you only need to go to Baizui Tower in Ji County and someone will naturally escort you out of Ji County."

Yang Zuo's eyes flickered and he could only nod.

Jump left and right, repeatedly.

It seems that the path given to him by the Han Kingdom is better.

after all
How could Gongsun Yuan be a match for the Han Dynasty?
Yang Zuo walked out of the valley silently.

After returning to Ji County, Yang Zuo told Gongsun Yuan what had happened, and explained that it would be difficult for the Han army to enter Ji County in three days.

After hearing this, Gongsun Yuan looked suspicious.

But three days is not a long time, he can still wait.

however.

After waiting for three days, there was still no sign of the Han army.

In Ji County, a depressing atmosphere permeated Gongsun Yuan's mansion.

There was heavy snow outside the window, but the house was silent. Only Gongsun Yuan's heavy breathing and the occasional footsteps broke the tranquility.

He sat at his desk, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes revealing an anxiety that was hard to conceal.

The third day was a critical moment in his plan, but he did not expect that the Han army did not arrive as scheduled, which gave him an ominous premonition.

"Could it be that I was fooled by the Han army?" Gongsun Yuan muttered to himself, his brows furrowed, his face terribly gloomy.

He stood up suddenly, strode to the window, looked at the snow-covered world outside, his heart was in chaos.

At this moment, a guard hurried into the room and reported: "My lord, Yang Zuo is missing!"

Gongsun Yuan's face turned even uglier when he heard this.

He snorted coldly, a cold light flashed in his eyes: "This traitor actually dared to betray me! Come, send someone to capture him immediately, no matter if he is dead or alive, bring him back!"

However, the guards took the order and left, but no good news came back.

Gongsun Yuan knew that Yang Zuo had already slipped away.

He felt angry, but helpless.

The most important thing now is how to deal with the threat of the Han army.

He immediately decided to inform Cao Zhen of Wei State and ask for reinforcements.

After receiving Gongsun Yuan's letter for help, Cao Zhen immediately led his troops there.

The two sides joined forces and marched towards the valley north of Ji County in a mighty force.

There was heavy snow and the road was difficult to travel on, but the army did not stop and rushed straight into the valley like an unstoppable torrent.

However, when they arrived at the valley, they found that the Han army was already ready for battle.

The city walls are made of ice water mixed with earth, stone, beams and wood, and they are towering into the clouds. They are equipped with all kinds of city defense equipment, making it look like an indestructible fortress.

Gongsun Yuan and Cao Zhen looked at each other, and both felt an ominous premonition in their hearts.

These three days were enough time for Hao Zhao to arrange everything.

The two sides immediately launched a fierce battle in the valley.

The heavy snow obstructed the vision, but the soldiers were not afraid and fought bravely.

Although the coalition forces of Gongsun Yuan and Cao Zhen were large in number, they suffered repeated setbacks and heavy losses due to Hao Zhao's careful planning.

Gongsun Yuan stood on a high ground, looking at the battle in the valley, feeling an indescribable anger and unwillingness in his heart.

He clenched his fists, digging his nails deep into his palms, as if he wanted to vent his anger.

The Han army came well prepared.

No matter how hard he tried, he could not change the outcome of the battle.

Hao Zhao successfully defended the valley with his talent for defending the city.

The city walls were as solid as a rock and the city defense equipment was so powerful that the coalition forces of Gongsun Yuan and Cao Zhen could not capture it at all.

The two sides fought back and forth in the valley, and the battle was extremely fierce.

In this battle, Hao Zhao's figure was particularly eye-catching. He was wearing armor, holding a spear, standing on the city wall, like a god of war.

His eyes were firm and sharp, as if they could penetrate the wind and snow and look directly into the enemy's heart.

He shouted the soldiers' names loudly, encouraging them to fight bravely.

His voice echoed in the valley, inspiring the fighting spirit of every soldier.

As the battle continued, the losses on both sides became increasingly severe.

The valley was littered with corpses and the blood dyed the snow red.

The soldiers' shouts and screams mixed together, like hell.

While the battle was in full swing here, on the other side, Zhao Yun led the cavalry and was about to enter Zhuo County! (End of this chapter)