Three Kingdoms: Domination of the World

February 202 AD.

In a small county on the border of Qing and Yan, a bronze battle flag fell to the ground under the blood-red setting sun. The heavy black iron cavalry of Chen Huan's army crossed the floating bridge over the moat. The sound of horse hooves shattered the reflection on the water and startled a flock of black birds perched on the white marble pillars.

Her fierce general, Niu Gao, arrived at the general's tent with dozens of supply carts, the cries of children emanating from the carts. The bronze Taotie pattern on Niu Gao's armor shone coldly, and the Australian flintlock musket hanging from his waist swayed gently with his steps.

"General, these are the relatives of the Han nobles who were unable to escape." Niu Gao reported with a fist clasped, his voice echoing like a bell in the empty courtyard of the governor's mansion.

"General Niu, do you know the first rule of our army's punitive system?" Chen Huan gently stroked the gilded and silver-inlaid sword at her waist, the blade reflecting the cinnabar mole between her eyebrows.

"Don't kill surrendered soldiers, don't humiliate women and children. I've set up a temporary shelter at the Rencheng Confucius Temple, providing three meals a day according to northern standards," Niu Gao said loudly.

"Well done! The notice has been posted to reassure the people. The important task of garrisoning Yanzhou is now entrusted to General Niu." Chen Huan unfolded the waterproof cowhide map. The beacon tower markings of the thirteen counties of Yanzhou glowed with a faint blue light under the moonlight.

"I obey your command!" Niu Gao bowed and said in a deep voice. The battle was not over yet, and Cao's army was counterattacking Xuzhou with great momentum.

Chen Huan suddenly inserted his sword into the location of Donglai County on the map:

"Inform all camps to change guards at midnight tonight. I will lead the Xuanjia Guards to launch a surprise attack on Donglai County. General Niu will guard Yanzhou and focus on defending the Lu and Langya Kingdom lines."

"Yes!" Niu Gao followed the order and began to control the Yanzhou defense line to prevent Han Xin's army stationed in Xuzhou from returning to provide support.

Young Han Xin's 30-man army was besieged by a fledgling army of and retreated to Xiapi County. However, Han Xin, outmaneuvering his allies, led Sun Quan's forces to launch an attack, gradually reclaiming the three counties of Lu, Langya, and Guangling.

Jishui.

Suo Chao's ironclad fleet sailed upstream against the Ji River, the bronze gears on the warships humming in the rain. This 800-stone ironclad warship was equipped with a rotating turret, and the bronze ram on its bow was carved with a river-swallowing beast.

Suo Chao's army advanced by land and sea, with 7 naval troops heading straight for Licheng in Qingzhou. She Jian's army advanced from Taishan Commandery and headed for Qingzhou. Ma Chao took command of the remaining troops in Dong Commandery and confronted Cao Cao and Wei Qing's army in Jizhou.

Batu, stationed in Qingzhou, was a brave warrior. Although time was short, the military strength deployed by Cao's army along the coast should not be underestimated, including floating bridges for transporting troops, artillery and arrow towers.

In order to reduce losses, Suo Chao decided to use water attack.

"Open the floodgates!" Suo Chao waved his command flag, and a specially constructed bronze floodgate diverted the Yellow River water into the old course of the Ji River. Twenty Cao army pontoon bridges disintegrated in the turbid waves, and floating corpses and timbers drifted downstream, glowing eerily in the moonlight.

"General, the twelve beacon towers in Linzi have been lit." The guards presented the rain-soaked flying kite intelligence.

Suo Chao raised his homemade telescope, and the Qingzhou city wall that was faintly visible in the rain was suddenly illuminated - the mushroom cloud rising from the direction of Zibo evaporated the heavy rain into white mist, and the high temperature of the burning black oil instantly vaporized the rain within a mile around.

"Shejian's Qin Ruishi succeeded." Suo Chao stroked the three-edged military bayonet at his waist. This alloy steel weapon from Australia glowed an eerie blue light in the moonlight.

Qingzhou's defenses were weak, so Suo Chao used water attacks to break through Batu's riverbank defense facilities, successfully captured Licheng, and then annexed Jinan County.

Soon, Shejian defeated Linzi and took over all of Qi County; Chen Huan's army attacked and captured Donglai and Beihai counties.

"Qingzhou has fallen!"

......

Five hundred miles away, in Yanzhou, Guo Jia sat slumped beneath an old locust tree. His fingertips traced the cracks in the bamboo slips of the Six Strategies, and the aura of the azure sky, unique to Qigong practitioners, lingered around him.

Suddenly, a messenger came on horseback to report that Yanzhou had been lost and the lord's family had been captured.

Guo Jia activated the divination technique from Qimen Dunjia. His face was solemn, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of black blood. This tragic outcome was chilling.

"Qingzhou has also been lost. It seems that Heaven wants Cao to be destroyed!"

......

Yecheng, Jizhou.

Cao Cao crumpled up the Yanzhou battle report and threw it into the bronze tripod. The flames in the tripod burst, reflecting the throbbing veins between his eyebrows:

"Pass my order, the entire army will march out to recapture Yanzhou!"

"My lord, think twice! Suo Chao's army's movements are peculiar and cannot be broken by ordinary military tactics." Wei Qing held down his sword and unfolded the Twenty-Eight Mansions formation diagram unearthed from the Mausoleum of the Emperor of Mount Li.

Before he could finish his words, the neighing of war horses could be heard from outside the city. Ma Chao's heavy cavalry charged forward, hurling pottery jars hanging from their saddles. Poisonous smoke filled the air, and Cao Cao's army suffered greatly. Xu Chu's Tiger Guards raised their shields to block the attack, but they were powerless to resist the attack of the poisonous smoke.

"Hurry up and get a wet cloth!" Xun Yu pulled out a wet cloth from his pocket. This was a solution Cao's army had devised to deal with the poisonous smoke attack. But the defenders on the city wall couldn't stop coughing and fell to the ground one after another.

"This horse is too bullying and has no sense of martial ethics." Cao Cao shouted angrily.

......

At the Yellow River ferry, Cao Ang gazed at a banner bearing the inscription "Suo" on the other bank when he suddenly noticed the water glowing. A corpse wearing a jade pendant floated downstream, and Dian Wei's pale face revealed an eerie smile in the moonlight.

"General Dian!" Cao Ang wanted to jump overboard to salvage the ship, but was stopped by Taoist Ge Xuan.

"Sir, look! The Ji River has been polluted by a strange corpse." Ge Xuan flicked his whisk, and a three-foot-high wall of ice rose from the river.

Dian Wei's floating corpse suddenly opened his eyes, and black blood flowed from the corner of his mouth:

"Tell the lord... plague... I will give my last bit of light and heat..." After saying that, Dian Wei's body exploded into countless black butterflies and pounced towards Suo Chao's camp.

"This is a corpse-resolving plague technique! Immediately order the entire army not to consume contaminated water or food." Ge Xuan bit his fingertip and drew a talisman, isolating the plague aura emanating from the black butterfly.

North of the Yellow River, the flames of war raged in Qing and Yan provinces, while the southern bank was already stained with blood for a thousand miles. In Yu Province, Wu Qi personally led 30,000 elite cavalry in black armor, their iron hooves trampling across the Runan Plain, crumbling city walls wherever they passed.

In the direction of Nanyang, Sun Wu personally held the command flag, and 100,000 heavily armored infantrymen formed a Black Tortoise formation. The cold iron shield wall reflected the blood-red setting sun, and was crushing the Yingshui defense line inch by inch.

"Report—Guancheng has been taken!" The scout, three broken arrows lodged in his back, knelt before General Huang Zhong's tent. The old general's silver beard was stained with blood, and the phoenix-beaked knife in his hand was mottled with nicks. Outside the tent, the sounds of fighting grew closer, and faintly visible were the crimson dragon flags of Sun Wu's army waving on the city walls.

"Order the three armies to burn the food and grass and retreat to Hanoi!" Huang Zhong's sword blade slashed across the map and pointed heavily at Hanoi County.

"Sun Wu's 34-man Shen Ce Army has deployed at Mengjin Ferry. The next 34 miles is the line between life and death!"

On the battlefield of Yingchuan, Zhang Xiu's white-robed army was defeated in the morning mist. Sima Yi's Eight-Gate Golden Lock Formation trapped eight thousand elite cavalrymen, and black smoke billowed from the formation, faintly visible were the talismans of the Yin-Yang School dancing in the air.

"What a tiger! He's actually joining forces with the military strategists!" Zhang Xiu's silver spear knocked down three poisonous arrows. Suddenly, a huge cloud of dust rose in the southeast. Sun Wu's vanguard cavalry unexpectedly rushed out from the center of the formation, and two large banners with the word "Sun" on them clashed like poisonous dragons.

"Retreat! Retreat to Changsha!" When the remaining 34 cavalry broke through the wall of fire, the Sima clan's Black Leopard Banner had already been raised on the city wall of Yangdi, the seat of Yingchuan County.

The land of Heluo trembled in iron and fire, the Yellow River's raging waves pounding the scorched earth on both banks. When the remnants of Huang Zhong's army met Zhang Meiniang's Mysterious Lady Banner at Heyang Ferry, Sun Wu's fleet of towering ships on the other bank stood like a forest of masts. Behind them, Wu Qi's army was nailing blood-red banners to the six counties of Yuzhou, one by one.