Chương 49: Liu Bei's "Three Brothers" Volunteer for Battle

Liu Hong became increasingly happy as he watched, and couldn't help but jump up from the dragon throne, gesturing wildly:

"Good! Well done! You truly are my good brother! You are my lucky charm and the pillar of the Han Dynasty! Bo Cai and Zhang Bao, the leaders of the Yellow Turban rebels, have been taken down! Bo Lue has really brought honor to the Liu family!"

He proudly held the battle report and boasted to the ministers and officials below him, who were usually noisy but useless in crucial moments:

"Open your eyes wide and see clearly! Listen carefully! What does it mean to be loyal to the emperor and to love your country? What does it mean to be capable and responsible?"

"When it really matters, it's always our own Liu family members who come through! Liu Bolue, a fine steed I recognized at first sight!"

"How long has it been? They've wiped out two of the Yellow Turban leaders! You lot, you should all take note!"

The ministers below, whether genuinely sincere or not, were all putting on a full performance, showering the ministers with flattery.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! To have such a fine general is a great fortune for the Han Dynasty!"

"General Liu is truly a celestial being descended from the heavens, all thanks to His Majesty's boundless blessings and discerning judgment!"

"Your Majesty's wisdom shines brightly, and your ability to recognize and appoint capable people is truly admirable!"

In an instant, Deyang Palace became a scene of overwhelming praise, as if the restoration of the Han Dynasty was just around the corner.

Liu Hongzhi, brimming with pride, stepped down from the dragon throne and walked to the wooden box. With the curiosity of a victor, he gestured for the eunuch to open it.

"Open it, let me see just how badly this treasure has been trampled..."

The eunuch held his breath and carefully opened the box.

Instantly, an even stronger, indescribable odor filled the air, revealing a head that had been "carefully processed," completely disfigured, a bloody mess, with distorted and broken features, making it impossible to discern its original appearance.

"Yue...!!!"

Liu Hong only glanced at it, and his stomach churned violently. He almost vomited up his breakfast. He quickly covered his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his dragon robe and retreated while waving his hands.

"Cover it! Cover it up for me now! It's... it's truly an eyesore! Quickly! Hang it on the city gate tower! Let those treacherous officials see the consequences of defying the court!"

After dealing with this "spoils of war," Liu Hong was still in a good mood. Then he remembered another guy, frowned, and asked:

"Where's Dong Zhuo? He's been in Guangzong for a while now, replacing Lu Zhi, and hasn't made a single move! Is he just retiring there?"

"Why hasn't Zhang Jiao, that culprit, been captured yet? Issue my decree urging Dong Zhuo to advance his troops immediately! Stop dawdling! If he misses the opportunity, I will dismiss him from his post!"

……

Jizhou, Guangzong, deep within the Yellow Turban Army camp.

The tent was filled with the strong smell of herbs, and the atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Zhang Jiao's daughter, Zhang Ning, ran in with red eyes and threw herself at the bedside, her voice trembling with uncontrollable sobs:

"Father... Second Uncle... Second Uncle... He... died in battle in Xiaquyang..."

Before she could finish speaking, tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string.

On his sickbed, Zhang Jiao's breath was even weaker than before, his face was sallow, and his eyes were sunken, as if he would burn out at any moment.

Upon hearing the news of his younger brother's death, his tightly closed eyelids trembled violently a few times before he slowly opened them.

To Zhang Ning's surprise, there wasn't much shock or rage in his father's eyes.

Instead, it was a bottomless weariness and... a near-numb relief, as if this day had been foreseen all along.

He struggled to raise his withered, bony hand, gently patted his daughter's trembling shoulder, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Ning'er... don't cry... don't cry... this is... the will of Heaven... beyond human power... to change..."

He paused, a smile that was even more painful than a grimace tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"We... in the end... defied fate... and failed..."

After saying this, he stopped looking at his weeping daughter and instead stared blankly at the top of the tent, as if reminiscing about the past.

It was as if he were examining his own magnificent yet doomed life.

After a long while, his gaze refocused and fell on his daughter Zhang Ning's face, which was tear-streaked, full of youthful energy yet tinged with worry.

His eyes became incredibly complex, filled with love, reluctance, and guilt for not being able to give his daughter a secure future.

Ultimately, it all turned into a heavy sense of determination; he had to find a way out for Zhang Ning.

A little over a week later, in Guangzong, Jizhou, at Dong Zhuo's army camp.

The atmosphere was nowhere near as relaxed as in Luoyang.

Inside the main tent, Dong Zhuo, with his obese belly, paced restlessly back and forth, complaining to a scholar with a sinister face and a goatee beside him:

"Wenyou! You've seen His Majesty's decree urging us to march! What should we do?"

"Although Zhang Jiao is said to be dying, his men are like madmen! Since we arrived, we've launched several attacks, and every time we've been utterly defeated!"

"If we hadn't listened to you and not sent our old Xiliang soldiers to fight head-on, but instead used government troops and newly recruited soldiers to lead the charge, we would probably have suffered even greater losses now!"

This scholar was none other than Li Ru, Dong Zhuo's chief strategist. He stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming, and said in a deep voice:

"My lord, His Majesty is pressing us hard. If we do nothing, the court will blame us and we will have no way to explain ourselves."

"The only course of action now is to launch a large-scale offensive with all our might."

"I suggest that we immediately convene all the generals to discuss the offensive strategy and come up with a feasible plan."

Although Dong Zhuo was crude and reckless, he still listened to Li Ru's words without question and quickly said:

"Good! Good! We'll do as you say, Wenyou! Quickly, summon all the generals to the main tent for a meeting!"

Soon, inside the Han army's main tent, generals of all ranks gathered, but the atmosphere was somewhat somber.

Dong Zhuo sat in the main seat, cleared his throat, and said in a gruff voice:

"Gentlemen! We all know His Majesty's decree! Guangzong must be captured as soon as possible! Tell me, how should we fight this battle?"

The generals whispered amongst themselves, discussing the matter. Some advocated a direct assault, others a siege, and still others suggested luring the enemy into a trap...

After discussing for quite some time, a seemingly safe solution was finally settled on: First, a portion of the troops would launch a feint attack from the front to draw attention, then elite troops would be sent to the flanks to attempt to create a breach.

Just as the plan was basically finalized and Dong Zhuo was about to make a decision, a man sitting at the end of the table stood up.

This man had large ears, long arms, and a kind yet resolute face; he was none other than Liu Bei, Liu Xuande.

Standing beside him were two burly men, one holding a gun, who was his second brother Fang Yue, and the other holding a knife, who was his third brother Wang Shuang.

Liu Bei clasped his hands in a fist salute to Dong Zhuo, his voice steady yet carrying an undeniable determination:

"General Dong! My two sworn brothers and I, though unworthy, are willing to serve as the vanguard, clearing the way for our army! We will exert all our strength to defeat the enemy's vanguard and uphold the prestige of our Han army!"