Chương 45: Zhang Jiao's attempt to glean divine secrets backfires.

On the other side, Changshe.

After a few days of rest, the battlefield was cleaned up and the prisoners were initially dealt with.

Liu Ce's army not only got to rest and recuperate, but also gained many strong prisoners, which strengthened their forces.

That day, Liu Ce found Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun and asked them:

"General Huangfu, General Zhu, what are your plans for the next step? Where do you intend to go to quell the rebellion?"

Zhu Jun replied, "Wancheng in Nanyang County is now occupied by the bandit leader Zhang Mancheng, who wields considerable power."

"I discussed with Yizhen that our next step is to lead the army south to Nanyang to wipe out Zhang Mancheng's forces."

Liu Ce then looked at Cao Cao: "Brother Mengde, what about you? What are your plans?"

Cao Cao, clearly having considered this beforehand, cupped his hands and said:

"Cao Cao is willing to follow Generals Huangfu and Zhu to Nanyang and do his best to help."

His forces were not strong at the time, but by following the two big shots, Huangfu Song, his safety and merits would be more guaranteed.

Liu Ce nodded. He wasn't very interested in fighting Zhang Mancheng, and he remembered that the battle in Nanyang was also quite complicated. He thought it better to go north as planned.

So he clasped his hands in a fist salute to the three men and said:

"In that case, let us part ways here. I intend to lead my army north to see if we can achieve anything in Ji Province."

"May we unite as one and quell the Yellow Turban Rebellion as soon as possible, restoring peace to the land! Then, we shall drink and celebrate together!"

Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Cao Cao also solemnly returned the greeting:

"General Liu, take care!"

"General Liu, have a safe journey!"

"Looking forward to reuniting with the general!"

After saying goodbye, Liu Ce mounted his horse and swung his Heavenly Dragon City-Breaking Halberd forward:

"Set off!"

His soldiers responded in unison, their voices booming.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin, six generals, followed closely behind.

The mighty army set off again, heading north.

Liu Ce led his 800 Xuanjia Iron Cavalry and 6, 000 infantrymen northward, heading straight for Xiaquyang, where the Yellow Turban general Zhang Bao was based.

The troops were in high spirits, their banners fluttering, the afterglow of the great victory at Changshe still lingering, and every soldier's face carried a sharp edge.

On the road, Zhang Fei, riding his horse, with a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, mumbled indistinctly:

"Brother, why do we have to go all the way to fight Zhang Bao? Can't we just find anywhere in Ji Province to fight him?"

Liu Ce glanced at him sideways: "Yide, do you know what 'precisely timed fishing' means?"

What does "precisely timed fishing" mean?

"It means... we only target the big fish." Liu Ce said this nonsense with a straight face.

"The three Zhang brothers were the three biggest fish in the Yellow Turban Army."

We've already killed Cheng Zhiyuan and set fire to Bo Cai. Now we'll deal with Zhang Bao, leaving only Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang.

When the imperial court rewards those who have made contributions, we will be the ones with the greatest merit!

Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard, seemingly lost in thought: "Brother, you are a man of profound wisdom."

Meanwhile, in Guangzong, Jizhou, the main base of the Yellow Turban Army, the atmosphere was oppressive.

In a quiet room with an eerie decor and the smell of incense, the Great Teacher Zhang Jiao sat cross-legged in the center of a complex star chart formation.

His face was withered and haggard, a far cry from the ethereal and otherworldly appearance he once had when he preached.

Exhausted from the past few days, and worried about the future of the Yellow Turbans, he decided to spare no expense to forcefully deduce the heavenly secrets again in order to find a glimmer of hope for the Way of Peace.

He made hand seals, chanted incantations, and stared intently at the points of light on the ground that represented the fortunes of various directions.

Initially, the aura representing the Han dynasty was dim and uncertain, and seemed on the verge of collapse, while the aura representing the Yellow Turbans, though chaotic, was raging.

However, when he tried to focus his mind and peer into the mysterious variables, something unexpected happened!

In the star chart, a previously faint, newly emerging purple star suddenly burst forth with dazzling light, like a sharp sword, instantly shattering the Yellow Turban fortune he was trying to gather, and even backfiring on him!

"puff--!"

Zhang Jiao's body trembled violently, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the star map in front of him red.

His breath instantly weakened, and his face turned pale and powerless.

He felt as if a large part of his life force had been drained away with that mouthful of blood, and he felt completely hollowed out.

"The tide has turned... the situation is hopeless..."

He muttered to himself, his voice hoarse:

"I can't push him down... I can't push this mighty man down... A Purple Star has descended from the heavens... It's... it's him... that Liu Ce who has ruined my plans time and time again... Liu Bolue..."

He suddenly looked up, staring into the void, his eyes filled with resentment and anger, and roared with all his might:

"Heaven has spared the Han! How unjust!!"

This roar seemed to have exhausted his last bit of energy, causing him to cough repeatedly, blood constantly spilling from the corners of his mouth, making him look extremely miserable.

"Father! Father, what's wrong?!"

The door to the quiet room was suddenly pushed open, and a young girl dressed in a pale yellow dress, with a beautiful face and a worried look in her eyes rushed in. It was Zhang Jiao's daughter, Zhang Ning.

Seeing her father coughing up blood and barely breathing, she was so frightened that she rushed to Zhang Jiao's side.

"It's alright... Ning'er, your father... is alright..."

Zhang Jiao tried to hold on and stroke his daughter's head, but his arm trembled so badly that even lifting it was extremely difficult.

"He's vomiting blood and still says he's fine!"

Zhang Ning, her voice trembling with tears welling in her eyes, quickly turned and ran out.

"Hang in there, I'll go get the doctor right away!"

soon.

After a cautious diagnosis, the doctor, facing Zhang Ning's eager gaze, carefully said:

"Miss... Your great teacher... He... He's exhausted, his energy and spirit are depleted, like a lamp running out of oil... He needs to rest and must not be overworked or subjected to any stimulation... Otherwise, his life may be in danger..."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Ning's heart sank to the bottom. She rushed to the bedside again, grasping Zhang Jiao's icy hand:

"Father, what did you just do? How did things turn out like this?"

Just then, General Zhang Liang rushed in. He had come with military intelligence to report, and he was shocked to see his elder brother in such a state.

After Zhang Ning's explanation, Zhang Liang understood the gist of it, and his expression turned extremely ugly.

"Big brother..." Zhang Liang's voice was heavy, filled with worry.

Zhang Jiao barely opened his eyes. Seeing that it was his third brother, he seemed to remember something and asked urgently, his voice weak but tinged with urgency:

"Third brother... is there any news from Changshe?"

Zhang Liang gritted his teeth, knowing he couldn't hide it any longer, and given the urgency of the military situation, he had no choice but to tell the truth:

"Defeat... Brother, the Changshe... annihilated..."

He explained in detail: "Bo Cai set up camp next to a haystack, and Liu Ce happened to appear at that moment, saw the opening, and set it on fire under cover of night!"

"A strong wind then picked up, and the fire, fanned by the wind, quickly spread like wildfire!"

"Bo Cai's army was thrown into chaos, and Liu Ce took the opportunity to unite with Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun in the city, as well as Cao Cao who had just arrived."

"Attacking from three sides... Bo Cai... he was personally killed by Liu Ce! One hundred thousand soldiers, either dead or surrendered... gone, all gone!"

Despite being mentally prepared, hearing the details of this crushing defeat firsthand, especially hearing the name "Liu Ce," was still quite a shock.

Zhang Jiao still felt a sharp pain in his chest, a sweet taste in his throat, and almost vomited blood again.

He held back his anger, his face growing even paler, his breathing rapid and weak.

He leaned against the bed, closed his eyes, and two lines of tears slid down his cheeks as he repeated in a barely audible voice:

"The tide has turned... the tide has turned... Ziwei Star... it really was him..."

After a long while, he struggled to open his eyes, which were now filled with lifelessness and exhaustion. He then instructed Zhang Liang:

"Third brother... Guangzong... is entrusted to you... You must... guard it well... I... my body is no longer capable of handling it, I can no longer... personally command it..."

After he finished speaking, he seemed to have used up all his strength and began to breathe heavily, making him look even older and weaker.

Seeing his elder brother like this, Zhang Liang felt both grief and heaviness in his heart. He nodded heavily.

"Don't worry, brother! I'm here, and Guangzong is here!"