Chương 54: The generals request to fight, Zhang Jiao plans a retreat.

Liu Ce looked at him, then deliberately feigned a thoughtful expression, and asked:

"Speaking of which, you look rather familiar. Have we met somewhere before?"

Liu Bei immediately smiled and replied gratefully:

"General, you are so busy with state affairs, yet you still remember! Several months ago in Zhuojun, you visited my straw sandal stall and even placed a generous order for a batch of goods."

"If it weren't for your generosity that day, General, I wouldn't have been able to raise even a little money to recruit local militia to join the army and serve. I will always remember your kindness!"

Liu Ce then pretended to suddenly understand and nodded:

"Oh... I see. We only met once in Zhuojun, and I never expected to meet again in the military today. It's fate."

He thought to himself, "Damn it, the inertia of history is indeed powerful."

After this conversation, the atmosphere inside the tent became even more harmonious.

The crowd toasted and drank, and amidst the relief of surviving the ordeal and the anticipation for the future, the celebration banquet lasted until late into the night.

In the following days, the Han army camp resumed its daily drills.

One after another, generals could not contain themselves and went to the central command tent to ask Liu Ce for permission to fight, believing that they should take advantage of the victory to attack Guangzong City in one fell swoop and completely wipe out the remaining Yellow Turban army.

"General! Our army's morale is high, why not take advantage of this momentum and attack the city?"

"General, Zhang Liang has just suffered a defeat, and the garrison inside the city must be in a state of panic. This is the perfect opportunity to breach the city!"

Faced with the generals' requests to fight, Liu Ce always remained calm. He sat in the main seat, his gaze calmly sweeping over the generals who had requested to fight, his tone even but unequivocal:

"What's the rush? Guangzong is a high-lying city with deep moats. Although Zhang Jiao is ill, his power still remains. How can it be taken so easily? Forcing an attack on the city will only increase casualties."

He paused, his voice slightly lower.

"If any of you feel absolutely certain that you can easily take down Guangzong City, then step forward now, and I will immediately allocate troops to you so you can launch the attack."

As soon as he said this, the generals under his command, who had been in high spirits, immediately fell silent. They looked at each other and remained silent.

Siege warfare is the most brutal, and no one has absolute certainty of victory, nor is anyone willing to bear the responsibility for a failed siege and the loss of troops.

Looking at the silent crowd below, Liu Ce's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and he thought to himself:

"Now we just have to wait, until Zhang Jiao is exhausted and breathes his last."

"The Yellow Turban army in the city will lose its spiritual pillar and its morale will inevitably collapse. That will be the best time to break through Guangzong at the lowest cost."

That night, in Liu Ce's own tent.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Dian Wei, Qin Qiong, and Cheng Yaojin, the six core brothers, gathered here.

Zhang Fei, being the most impatient, was the first to speak and ask:

"Brother! I, Old Zhang, truly don't understand! The brothers are in high spirits, eager to storm the city and capture Zhang Jiao alive, so why won't you order the attack?"

"Between this dilapidated city, consuming provisions every day, isn't that just a waste of time?"

The others nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same question.

Liu Ce had anticipated their questions. Unable to openly admit he knew the course of history, he deliberately smiled and, in a half-joking, half-serious tone, "tricked" them by saying:

"You guys are just too impatient. Let me tell you the truth, I observed the celestial phenomena a few nights ago and did some quick calculations with my fingers. That Zhang Jiao... hehe, his days are numbered, he doesn't have many days left to live."

Upon hearing this, the six men exchanged bewildered glances. Zhang Fei scratched his head and muttered:

"Brother, your excuse... is too flimsy, isn't it? Can't you come up with a more plausible reason?"

Cheng Yaojin winked and said, "That's right, brother, your charlatan act isn't very convincing!"

Liu Ce, somewhat embarrassed by their exposure, touched his nose, then straightened his face, put on a serious expression, and continued his "fabrication":

"Alright, alright, to tell you the truth, I have placed spies in Guangzong City. A few days ago, they risked their lives to send out a secret letter informing me that Zhang Jiao is terminally ill and will be in critical condition in the next few days."

"If we force an attack on the city now, we will only drive the Yellow Turban army to desperate measures and suffer heavy casualties."

"Why not wait for Zhang Jiao to die, leaving the city leaderless and its morale collapsing? Then we can launch a general offensive, wouldn't that be twice as effective?"

This reason sounded much more reasonable. Guan Yu stroked his long beard and nodded thoughtfully.

"I see. Brother, you have a profound strategy of waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. Once Zhang Jiao is killed, the enemy's morale will be shattered, and our army can then launch a counterattack, which will indeed reduce many unnecessary casualties."

Zhao Yun, Qin Qiong, and the others also showed expressions of sudden realization and admiration:

"Brother (My Lord) is wise!"

Seeing the six people's convinced expressions, Liu Ce secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time felt a little guilty:

"Brothers, don't blame me for lying to you. I can't exactly say that I read the script beforehand and knew Zhang Jiao was about to die, can I...?"

Therefore, in the days that followed, the Han army remained inactive.

Every day, they simply carried out their routine training, patrols, and fortifications, as if patiently waiting for something. Beneath Guangzong City, an eerie calm prevailed, like the calm before a storm.

Every day, they simply carried out their routine training, patrols, and fortifications, as if patiently waiting for something. Beneath Guangzong City, an eerie calm prevailed, like the calm before a storm.

The core area of the Yellow Turban Army camp within Guangzong City.

Zhang Jiao's condition worsened, and he spent most of his time lying on his sickbed, his breath weak.

These past few days, his mind has been in turmoil, filled with many thoughts.

He considered having the loyal Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao protect his daughter Zhang Ning, and lead the remaining elite Yellow Turban troops in the city to break through the encirclement and head north to join Zhang Yan's forces active in the Black Mountain, perhaps preserving a sliver of hope.

He had also considered having Zhou Cang and Pei Yuanshao abandon their army, taking only Zhang Ning and a small amount of valuables, to find a remote and unknown place, where they could live in anonymity and let their daughter live out the rest of her life peacefully like an ordinary woman.

He considered many other options, but upon closer examination, each one was fraught with unknown dangers and uncertainties.

Can Zhang Ning, a frail woman who is also the daughter of the Yellow Turban leader, really escape capture and persecution?

Encirclement by government troops, pursuit by powerful families, internal strife, and treacherous journeys... none of these seemed to guarantee the safety of his daughter and his old brothers who had followed him to the very end.

Zhang Jiao couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, his voice hoarse as he muttered to himself:

"Is it really true... in this vast world, there is truly no way to save Ning'er, no way to give these remaining brothers a way to survive?"

While deep in thought, Liu Ce's image suddenly appeared in his mind.

This young general defeated his two younger brothers in succession, driving him into a desperate situation.

This man is cunning in his military tactics, yet he seems... not to be a bloodthirsty person.

Hearing that he dealt with prisoners, it seemed he had a unique method. He recalled that night when he observed the stars and glimpsed a glimpse of the "Purple Star" destiny...

A bold, even insane, idea gradually took shape in his mind.

He muttered to himself, as if trying to convince himself: "Perhaps... I can... try... to find him..."

Then, he used all his strength to summon Zhou Cang, who had been guarding outside the tent, and whispered in his ear for a long time, ordering him to find a way to shoot a secret letter into Liu Ce's camp.