Chapter Sixty-Six: Reunion with Gongsun

“Report...” Just as Liu Yao was leading his troops forward, the scouts he had sent ahead returned.

“Reporting to my lord, ten li ahead, two armies are engaged in battle. Around three thousand imperial soldiers are surrounded by twenty thousand Yellow Turbans, the situation is extremely dire,” the scout relayed.

“Hm? Do you know what banner the imperial soldiers are fighting under?” Liu Yao asked, frowning.

“Reporting to my lord, the large banner bears the characters ‘Gongsun.’”

“Gongsun.” Liu Yao was taken aback. At this time, in this place, leading troops and bearing the surname Gongsun—there could only be Gongsun Zan. Liu Yao thought to himself, “Hmph, Gongsun Zan. I’d wanted to kill you myself, but it seems you’ll die at the hands of the Yellow Turbans instead.”

“Gongsun, that dog...” An angry, low growl reached Liu Yao’s ears. Turning, he saw a face that was somewhat familiar, anger flashing across it before quickly being suppressed. Liu Yao’s heart leapt—“It’s him. How could he be here?”

This was Zhou Han, whose village had been massacred by Gongsun Zan’s troops during a grain requisition. No wonder he reacted so furiously upon hearing the Gongsun name.

What Liu Yao didn’t know was that after Zhou Han had been demoted to a common soldier, he had reflected deeply, tempering his once impatient nature. When Liu Yao formed the Assault Battalion, Zhou Han volunteered without hesitation. Thanks to his robust physique and quick mind, he joined easily and distinguished himself in battle, rising to the rank of battalion leader, commanding a thousand men. It was worth noting that any soldier in the Assault Battalion would at least be a squad leader in another army—a testament to Zhou Han’s abilities, which had previously caught Huang Zhong’s eye.

Liu Yao was very satisfied with Zhou Han’s restraint. He had not lost his head to rage, but instead kept control—a clear sign of his growth over the years.

“Hold the army, rest for an hour, then advance,” Liu Yao ordered. He had no intention of rescuing Gongsun Zan. Though Gongsun Zan had contributed greatly to repelling foreign invaders, he had slaughtered his own compatriots, defenseless civilians—a crime Liu Yao would never forgive. To him, such scum was no different from the likes of Zheng Jian; both deserved death.

“We mustn’t, my lord!” Guo Jia rode up to Liu Yao’s side.

Liu Yao, dissatisfied, demanded, “Why not?”

Guo Jia, seeing Liu Yao’s demeanor, knew there must be some enmity between him and Gongsun Zan, and asked, “May I ask, my lord, what grudge exists between you and Gongsun Zan?”

Liu Yao furrowed his brows and replied angrily, “Fengxiao, did you know that last time, when Gongsun Zan was fighting the Wuhuan, he sent his troops to massacre nearby villages just to seize what little grain they had? Tell me, does such a man not deserve death?”

Zhou Han, standing behind Zhao Yun, heard Liu Yao’s words clearly and was deeply moved, tears streaming down his face. He had thought Liu Yao had forgotten his insignificant troubles and that vengeance was impossible. But now, he realized Liu Yao had kept these matters close to heart.

Guo Jia’s brows knitted tightly as well. In his view, such a man was no better than a beast; no wonder Liu Yao acted as he did.

But as Liu Yao’s advisor, Guo Jia always prioritized his lord’s interests. He said, “My lord, Gongsun Zan indeed deserves death. But we cannot neglect the rescue. If word spreads that you let imperial soldiers die at the hands of rebels out of personal vendetta, what will the world say? Your reputation would be ruined.”

“This...” Liu Yao was momentarily silenced, unable to retort. He knew well that in the era of the Three Kingdoms, reputation was everything. Once lost, one could become an object of scorn.

Liu Yao fumed, “Must he live yet again? Such a rare opportunity!”

Guo Jia chuckled slyly, “If my lord wishes to kill Gongsun Zan, it’s not difficult.” His sinister smile made everyone think of Liu Yao himself, sending chills through those who saw it.

“Teach me quickly, Fengxiao!” Liu Yao exclaimed, excited.

“We’ll need General Huang’s help,” Guo Jia said with a smile. “If my lord and General Huang would lend an ear…”

Huang Zhong was puzzled but complied.

Guo Jia whispered his plan to Huang Zhong and Liu Yao. Instantly, a variety of expressions appeared on their faces—Liu Yao’s was full of excitement, realization, and regret; Huang Zhong’s showed hesitation.

“So simple?!” Liu Yao grumbled.

“It’s just that simple,” Guo Jia replied with a wicked grin.

Huang Zhong hesitated for a long moment, then gritted his teeth and said, “My lord, Fengxiao, isn’t this a bit...”

Before Huang Zhong could finish, Guo Jia cut him off. “General Huang, with a man like Gongsun Zan, why bother with honorable methods? Killing him would rid the world of a menace. Don’t you wish to avenge those villages he destroyed?” As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Zhou Han.

Huang Zhong noticed Zhou Han as well. The hesitation on his face vanished, and he cupped his fists, saying, “I obey.”

Liu Yao nodded in satisfaction, feeling greatly relieved. Not only would this avenge those Han citizens slaughtered by Gongsun Zan, but with Gongsun Zan on Liu Yao’s territory, his ambition posed a future threat. His White Horse Cavalry, though not as formidable as Liu Yao’s Assault Battalion, was stronger than ordinary light cavalry. Such a threat should be eliminated early.

“Move out!” At Liu Yao’s order, more than ten thousand elite troops marched toward Guangping, “to rescue” Gongsun Zan.

Meanwhile, perhaps because Liu Yao had delayed, failing to rescue in time, Gongsun Zan was now in dire straits. His helmet was gone, his hair tie missing, and his once neat long hair now disheveled. A deep sword wound crossed his left hand and back, blood flowing freely.

Watching his White Horse Cavalry soldiers cut down one by one by the Yellow Turban rebels, Gongsun Zan’s heart bled. He had come, full of confidence, with three thousand elite White Horse Cavalry to suppress the Yellow Turbans, hoping to earn merit thanks to his mentor Lu Zhi’s position.

He had not expected that, by disobeying Lu Zhi’s orders and moving out on his own, he would fall into the Yellow Turban trap. Though his cavalry could fight two or three enemies at once, the Yellow Turbans’ sheer numbers slowly wore them down. When the White Horse Cavalry was destroyed, Gongsun Zan’s life would end as well.

“Hahaha, Gongsun Zan! Your paltry tricks were obvious to me all along. If you surrender now, perhaps I’ll spare your life!” cried He Man, a general under Zhang Bao, full of pride as his flying fork struck another White Horse Cavalry in the chest.

“He Man, you wretch! Even if I, Gongsun Zan, die here, I will never surrender to traitors like you!” Gongsun Zan, undefeated in countless battles, had never suffered such humiliation. He shouted to the heavens, “Where righteousness leads, life and death follow! Heaven bears witness, the White Horse is proof!”

At once, the remaining White Horse Cavalry echoed his cry, “Where righteousness leads, life and death follow! Heaven bears witness, the White Horse is proof!” For a moment, Gongsun Zan’s troops’ morale soared; all became fearless, launching their final desperate assault.