Ji Han Liu Zhang

To the southeast of Bingzhou is Shangdang County.

The word Shangdang is explained in "Shi Ming" as follows: "Dang means place. It is the highest place on the mountain, so it is called Shangdang." Because Shangdang County was closer to the sky, and it was the highest place on the mountain, it was called Shangdang.

To the north of Shangdang is the Jinzhong Basin, where Jinyang City, the capital of Bingzhou, is located. To the west of Shangdang is the Hedong region, including Linfen and Yuncheng. To the south of Shangdang is Luoyang and Henei. To the east of Shangdang is Jizhou, where Yecheng, Yuan Shao’s base camp, is located.

Shangdang County, located on a high ground and overlooking the four directions, is of self-evident importance in terms of its geographical location when the world is in chaos. It can be said to be the backbone of the north.

Moreover, the high-lying Shangdang County is different from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in that it is cold and oxygen-deficient, unsuitable for large-scale agricultural cultivation by humans, and not conducive for soldiers and horses to embark and march.

Although Shangdang is high, it is not a cold place, so the population can multiply and the people can live there. The Changzhi Basin and Jincheng Basin can be used for farming and producing grain, storing food and grass, alleviating the pressure of transporting grain from the rear over long distances, thus ensuring a basis for advance and retreat.

Therefore, for Yuan Shao, Shangdang County can be used as a forward base for sending troops to Hedong. Moreover, it is located on a high ground and the soldiers can swoop down, with the momentum being unstoppable.

Now, when the army has not yet set out, Yuan Shao has arrived in Shangdang County first, making further preparations for the conquest of Hedong, hoping that this army's dispatch will have a final effect on the selection of the overlord of the north.

Inside Huguan City.

Yuan Shao met with Generals Gao Gan and Yan Liang and said: "General Yuancai, General Yan, you two defeated the Shu army last year and made Taiyuan County safe and sound. Although I have many brave generals under my command, you two are the heroes."

In response to his uncle Yuan Shao's praise, Gao Gan replied respectfully: "Ming Gong..." In public, Gao Gan did not call him uncle, but called him Ming Gong so as not to damage Yuan Shao's dignity.

"Gan was selected by you as the governor of Bingzhou to defend the area and drive away the bandits. This is my job, but I don't deserve the title of 'meritorious official' that you have praised me for."

Gao Gan was very humble and respectful, and his attitude made Yuan Shao very satisfied.

On the other hand, Yan Liang was not just a reckless general. He understood the ways of the world and said modestly, "It is my honor to fight for you, my lord, and I dare not take credit for such a small achievement."

"You two are truly loyal and capable people of the country." Yuan Shao sighed. Seeing Gao Gan and Yan Liang's respectful and humble attitudes, he couldn't help but think of a person who made him unhappy.

"It's just hateful that you two fought hard with the Shu army in Taiyuan County, working day and night without sleep, but Tian Feng lived in Yecheng, not experiencing the cold and heat, but ignored your hard work and was suspicious and jealous of you two, and falsely reported your military achievements. Now I think it's really hateful and annoying."

Gao Gan maintained a humble attitude. He lowered his head slightly and listened patiently to Yuan Shao's insults and complaints about Tian Feng without making any response. After all, with his family background and upbringing, it was not appropriate for him to say anything harsh or sad.

Gao Gan didn't say anything, but Yan Liang couldn't hold back his anger. He said, "Tian Feng is old and rebellious, and his character is as stubborn as a rock. What he said is not worth hearing."

"General Yan is right." Feng Ji interrupted, and then sneered, "Tian Feng bullied you without distinction of rank, and you just put him in jail, hoping that Tian Feng would repent and reflect on his mistakes. However, Tian Feng is in jail and still does not repent, and has not submitted a confession to ask for forgiveness."

"Oh, right." Feng Ji's eyes flashed with an evil light, and he said, "Mingsir, this morning I received a letter from the jailer in Ye City, saying that Tian Feng heard in prison that you were going to send troops to Hedong, and he actually spread unlucky words, cursing our army for sending troops this time."

"Tell me what unlucky words you have said." Yuan Shao frowned and his expression turned a little unfriendly. He felt unwell and uncomfortable whenever he heard the name Tian Feng.

Feng Ji looked timid, as if he dared not speak out. He declined, saying, "Your Excellency does not need to take the old man's wild words and slanders seriously. Just pretend that nothing happened, and I will not say anything more."

"Tell me everything." Yuan Shao demanded, his eyes half-closed, murderous intent condensing in his pupils.

Feng Ji saw that the situation was almost right, so he pretended to be embarrassed and exaggerated, saying, "Tian Feng believed that the Shu army had been operating in Hedong for several years, and the cities, reserves, and defensive war equipment were all complete. That's why he said something unlucky, thinking that if you send troops to Hedong this time, you will definitely return without success, and that the Shu army might be defeated and flee back to Yecheng like a defeated dog."

"Old bastard!!!" Yuan Shao shouted angrily. At this moment, he no longer cared about Tian Feng's contribution and kindness in helping him to defeat Gongsun and Heishan. There was only a murderous intent flowing in his heart.

Yan Liang stepped forward and said, "The old villain Tian Feng made such an ominous statement to discourage our army. It is really hateful... My lord, we should kill this old man to clarify the criminal law and correct people's hearts."

"No hurry." Yuan Shao shook his head. The murderous look in his eyes gradually disappeared, and his expression gradually became calm. After a moment, a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth: "This time, I will take over Hedong and attack Guanzhong, then return to Yecheng, summon civil and military officials, and teach this old man a lesson in public, so that he can change his mind. I will never tire of teaching people."

"Your Excellency is benevolent and kind. You do not rule the world with weapons, but save people with forgiveness." Feng Ji complimented him, but he did not think so in his heart. He knew that with Tian Feng's uprightness and stubbornness, he would never tolerate such humiliation from Yuan Shao. He would definitely rush to the ground and bang his head to death.

"Let's not talk about this old man Tian Feng. It will bring bad luck if we talk about him too much." Yuan Shao said this and threw Tian Feng into a corner. He was also unwilling to talk about Tian Feng and did not want to mention this name.

The topic started to get on the right track. Yuan Shao asked Yan Liang about the situation in Hedong. To march into Guanzhong, they had to take Hedong first. Otherwise, they would not be able to reach the gate of Guanzhong.

Yan Liang has been stationed in Taiyuan since last year. He has sent scouts and spies into Hedong many times to investigate the geography and human conditions in detail. Although the Shu army's inspections in Hedong were very strict, many scouts and spies were captured by the Shu army as soon as they first entered Hedong, but some scouts and spies still went deep into Hedong and brought back news for Yan Liang.

When facing Yuan Shao's question, Yan Liang replied: "Since Hedong fell into the hands of Shu army, Shu army has built new cities, such as Yubi on the bank of Fenshui River and three sub-cities near Yubi, and repaired old cities, such as Anyi, Jiangyi, Dongyuan, etc. Shu army raised the city walls and widened the moat, as if to make Hedong into a fortress of gold and hot springs."

"The Shu army is afraid before the battle even begins and is only increasing its defenses. This shows that Liu Zhang must be afraid of you, my lord." After Feng Ji waited for Yan Liang to finish speaking, he bowed and flattered Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao remained unmoved, only slightly raised the corner of his mouth. He waved his hand and said, "Feng Qing, the Shu army has increased its defense and is determined to hold on. Although their courage and will have been lost, it will be difficult for me to take Hedong if the Shu army holds on."

It is a good thing that the Shu army is cowardly, but it is not necessarily a good thing that the Shu army is too cowardly and turns Hedong into a fortress of peace. Attacking a city is a hard job. Yuan Shao, who had previously removed Yijing established by Gongsun Zan, was well aware of the difficulty.

Feng Ji then said: "The Shu army is so cowardly. They invaded Taiyuan last year and were defeated by our army. How can they have any intention of defending? My lord, please be at ease. Our army's attack in this battle will be like the scorching sun burning the remaining snow, and the ice and snow will melt in an instant."

Yuan Shao smiled at this time. What Feng Ji said hit the mark of his mind. For this march into Hedong, he hoped to achieve the momentum of breaking bamboo and the speed of flowing water.

“I hope that what you said will be true, that this battle can successfully capture Hedong, set foot in Guanzhong, and decide the outcome in one battle.” Yuan Shao looked forward to his hegemony. This year he would capture Hedong and Guanzhong, and seal Liu Zhang off in the desolate land of Shu. Then next year he would march south, defeat Cao Cao in one year, and then use the emperor to command the princes, clear up the vast land, unify the eight wildernesses, and achieve the ambition of being a king.

Going further, the Han emperor knew that he lacked virtue, so he abdicated the throne to Yuan Shao. After Yuan Shao declined three times, he had no choice but to accept the mandate of heaven and establish the Yuan Dynasty.

The future is promising.

……

Changshan County.

Left General Liu Bei has been restless lately, for he misses his second brother Guan Yu. Last year, he killed Che Zhou and retook Xuzhou, but was later defeated by Cao Cao. He had no choice but to defect to Yuan Shao, but was separated from Guan Yu, and it has been almost a year now.

"Yun Chang."

The moon was dim and the forest was silent. Liu Bei looked at the full moon in the sky and missed Guan Yu, but he didn't know where Guan Yu was.

"Brother." Zhang Fei woke up at night and found no one around him. He went out of the tent and saw Liu Bei standing outside the tent. At the same time, he heard Liu Bei's voice of missing Guan Yu. He first sighed silently, and then called Liu Bei softly.

Liu Bei did not look back when he heard this. He just tilted his head and asked, "Yide, why did you get up?"

"Brother, how can I sleep peacefully if you can't sleep?" Zhang Fei bluntly explained the reason. He comforted Liu Bei and said, "Don't worry, brother. I have the courage of ten thousand men. Nothing will go wrong. The day when we will meet again is not far away. Just wait patiently."

"Yes." Liu Bei nodded, a smile appeared on his lips, and he pointed to the bright moon in the sky and said to Zhang Fei: "The moonlight is beautiful tonight. If Yunchang is also admiring the moon, the three of us brothers, although separated by thousands of miles, will seem to be close at hand."

Day two.

Liu Bei, who had been camping here for three days, finally saw the person he was waiting for. At noon, when the sundial's needle landed at three quarters past noon, a horseman came flying from afar.

The rider was dressed in snow-white, and the horse he was riding was pure white without a single stray hair. The man on the horse was dressed in a white robe and held a silver spear in his hand, moving as fast as a meteor.

When the white cavalry approached, it could be seen that behind the white cavalry were hundreds of cavalrymen. Most of these cavalrymen rode white horses and galloped towards them with a force like thunder. However, the team appeared to be neat and tight, which showed the excellence of this team of cavalrymen.

Liu Bei rode up to meet them. He faced the leader, the young general in white robe and silver spear, head-on, but heard him call out, "Zilong."

"My lord." When Zhao Yun, riding a white horse and holding a silver spear, was a dozen steps away from Liu Bei, he first responded, then pulled the reins to stop the galloping horse, then dismounted, knelt on one knee to salute Liu Bei.

Liu Bei also dismounted, stepped forward to help Zhao Yun up, and said gently, "Zilong, there is no need to be so polite."

Zhao Yun was not polite. He stood up and asked Liu Bei nervously, "Is Yun late?"

"It's not too late. It's noon now." Liu Bei laughed loudly and responded to Zhao Yun's question.

"Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission." Zhao Yun breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, the hundreds of cavalrymen following Zhao Yun also approached. They dismounted and knelt before Liu Bei to show their respect to him. Zhao Yun explained, "My lord, most of these people are the remnants of the White Horse Volunteers under General Gongsun. Since General Gongsun passed away, these people are unwilling to serve Yuan Shao and have been traveling around Youyan. Now that they heard that my lord is here, they would like to join us."

"General Zuo, please accept us." Several small leaders of the White Horse Volunteers came forward and asked Liu Bei. As Gongsun Zan's junior brother, Liu Bei was more willing to serve this group of White Horse Volunteers than Yuan Shao.

Liu Bei stepped forward and helped these small leaders up one by one. He comforted them and said, "You used to be under the command of Senior Brother Gongsun. Now Senior Brother Gongsun has passed away. If you come to surrender, I will take you in and make you my personal guards. What do you think?"

"My lord, if you are willing to take us in, it will be as you command." The group of white horse volunteers cheered in unison and responded to Liu Bei's order.

On that day, Liu Bei ordered the kitchen to slaughter pigs and sheep, and took out Zhang Fei's treasured wine, and entertained the White Horse Volunteers who had come to surrender, making them feel like home.

At night, the lights in the central army tent were on. Liu Bei raised his cup and thanked Zhao Yun, saying, "If it weren't for Zilong, I wouldn't have been able to recruit hundreds of white horse volunteers. This cup is to thank Zilong."

"Mr. Ming Gong, I am too humble to praise you." Zhao Yun said modestly, "I am humble and lowly, but I was able to recruit hundreds of white horse volunteers this time, thanks to your reputation for benevolence."

"In short, having these hundreds of cavalry is better than having three thousand soldiers and horses. We should congratulate them together." Liu Bei knew very well the fighting power of the White Horse Volunteers. In the past, his senior brother Gongsun Zan selected elite cavalry and equipped them with white horses. They were unparalleled in fighting and would fight to the death.

And you know, at the beginning, relying on the White Horse Volunteers, when Gongsun Zan was fighting against Yuan Shao, Yuan Shao was almost on the verge of death. The vast Hebei province was about to be obtained by Gongsun Zan.

Unfortunately, in the Battle of Jie Bridge, Gongsun Zan's White Horse Volunteers were defeated by the powerful crossbowmen led by Qu Yi, a brave general under Yuan Shao. From then on, they never recovered and never rose again.

However, the remnants of the White Horse Volunteers were still brave enough to fight ten enemies at once, and they were not matchable or contendable by the ordinary soldiers recruited.

Therefore, Liu Bei sent Zhao Yun to Youyan to recruit the remnants of the White Horse Volunteers and use them as aids to build up a fortune for himself. After all, since the defeat in Xuzhou, his personal guards had dispersed, and he had lost a group of personal guards who could be considered his confidants.

The remnants of the White Horse Volunteers who were recruited were not only powerful but also loyal, and they were a good foundation for Liu Bei's personal guards. (End of this chapter)