Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Outside Yuan Shu's camp, the guards fixed their eyes on the hurried approaching Lei Bo and Li Feng. Their steps were unsteady, their armor tattered and stained, blood-stained, their messy hair flying wildly in the wind, their faces etched with fear and exhaustion. Their utterly disheveled appearance was a sign of recent defeat.

Though filled with doubt, the soldiers, seeing the gloomy expressions on Lei Bo and Li Feng's faces, dared not utter a word, much less ask a single question. They knew the two men were like a lit powder keg, ready to ignite. So, after a glance at each other, they hurried toward the main camp, raising a cloud of dust, determined to quickly report the news of Lei Bo and Li Feng's return.

In Yuan Shu's dimly lit and solemn camp, a group of generals and advisors sat together, their faces forced to remain calm, yet their eyes betrayed anguish. They held onto their hopes, hoping Lei Bo and Li Feng would successfully return with their rations by water, thus alleviating their immediate needs. After all, the army was currently short on rations, and their arrival would be like a refreshing rain after a long drought, their only hope.

Just as everyone waited anxiously, a soldier hurried into the tent, his steps hurried, his face a look of nervous unease. Yuan Shu's frayed nerves instantly relaxed, a flicker of joy in his eyes, his voice unconsciously rising a few notches as he eagerly declared, "Great, great! With them back, we'll have a stable supply of food and fodder." He adjusted his sleeves with a casual air, forcing a smile to lighten the suffocating atmosphere in the tent. He quipped, "Hey, these two too! Why do I have to personally go and urge them to deliver some food and fodder?"

Seeing this, Yan Xiang, standing by, quickly followed Yuan Shu's lead, hoping to ease the tense atmosphere. He bowed slightly, a well-placed smile on his face, and said half-jokingly, "My lord, you are absolutely right. However, Lei Bo and Li Feng's ability to transport the grain and fodder here is a great achievement. Even if they take a little credit for themselves, it won't be a problem."

However, the officer who had come to report the news looked hesitant, opening his mouth but hesitant to speak. He knew Yuan Shu was basking in the joy of securing food and fodder, and he dared not interrupt and ruin his lord's good mood. So, he could only suppress his worry and silently follow the others outside the camp, ready to greet Lei Bo and Li Feng.

On the way out of the camp, the soldier's footsteps seemed particularly heavy, and the uneasiness in his heart surged like a tide. He didn't know how to tell Yuan Shu the cruel fact, nor did he know how to face Yuan Shu's rage.

Outside the camp, the sky darkened, foreshadowing a coming storm. Lei Bo and Li Feng, pale as paper, trembled with fear, constantly plotting how to appear pitiful when they met their lord, Yuan Shu, hoping for a lighter punishment. They knew the mission had failed, and their guilt was grave; they simply hoped to save their lives. Li Feng thought to himself, "If I really die because of this, it would be a shame. My future wealth and glory would be gone." Lei Bo sighed beside them, consumed by anxiety.

Just as the two men were scowling, bewildered, they glanced up and saw Yuan Shu, leading a group of generals and advisors, marching out of the large tent deep within the camp. The procession was well-organized and imposing, a particularly chilling sight in the oppressive atmosphere. A sudden pang of fear seized the two men, their hearts trembling. Li Feng's lips trembled slightly as he whispered in horror, "Is this... are they planning to sacrifice us two? What should we do?" Lei Bo was also panicked, sweat pouring down his forehead. The two men exchanged glances, their eyes filled with fear and despair.

As Yuan Shu and his men approached, Lei Bo's legs gave way, and he fell heavily to his knees at the camp entrance with a thud. He trembled slightly, his head lowered, not daring to look at Yuan Shu as he approached, anxiously awaiting his fate. Li Feng followed closely behind, his legs trembling as he struggled to hold himself together. Helplessness and fear were written all over his face, and he dared not breathe, hoping Yuan Shu would show mercy and spare their lives.

Yuan Shu and his entourage edged closer and closer to the camp's entrance. Advisor Yang Hong, with his keen eyes, sensed something amiss from afar. Lei Bo and Li Feng's troops were in a state of disarray, their armor disheveled and sparsely populated. Their numbers were significantly reduced compared to when they set out, and there was no sign of any food or fodder. Startled, Yang Hong blurted out, "Lord, please take a closer look! Something has happened! They don't look like they're returning from a food transport."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu stopped and squinted his eyes, gazing into the distance. What greeted him was a scene of immense misery. His heart sank, and he thought to himself: This isn't just a return from transporting grain; it's a clear defeat! Thinking that Lü Bu might be behind this, Yuan Shu became incredibly anxious. Without giving it any further thought, he quickened his pace, hurried forward, then even faster, finally breaking into a trot. Seeing this, the civil and military officials behind him also quickened their pace, trotting to catch up.

Soon, Yuan Shu arrived before Lei Bo and Li Feng. Seeing the two men kneeling at the camp's entrance, Yuan Shu felt a surge of rage, his emotions instantly losing control. He rushed forward, staring anxiously at Lei Bo, and demanded, "Lei Bo! Where's the food? Where is it?" Lei Bo's face paled with fear, his lips trembling, but he couldn't utter a word. He simply lowered his head, trembling all over.

Seeing Lei Bo so cowardly, Yuan Shu was so angry that his face turned red. He pushed him away suddenly, reached out and grabbed Li Feng's armor collar, pulled hard, almost lifted Li Feng up, and roared with eyes wide open: "Li Feng! Tell me, where is the army's food? I sent you to pick it up, where did the food go?" Li Feng was lifted off the ground with his feet, his face full of fear, his eyes flashing with despair, and he stammered but could not say anything.

Seeing Yuan Shu's fury, Lei Bo and Li Feng trembled with fear, their bodies trembling like sieves. They stammered, "My lord, it's absolutely true! Ma Chao did steal the food!" Yuan Shu's eyes were red as if spitting fire, and he roared, "That's nonsense! You took the waterway, and Ma Chao's men are mostly cavalry. How could we have a navy to intercept you on the river? Could it be that you've embezzled the food and are now fabricating lies to deceive this general?"

Lei Bo kowtowed heavily, his forehead instantly bleeding. Tears welled up in his eyes as he cried, "Lord, be wise! A few days ago, we were safe in Jiujiang County, so we continued along the river. But when we reached Panlong Gorge in Lujiang County, the waters were incredibly turbulent. We were sailing cautiously when the Jinfan pirates, crisscrossing the river, suddenly appeared from the shadows. Their speedy boats were as swift as ghosts, leaving our fleet completely defenseless. They quickly decimated and scattered us."

Lei Bo cried, "My lord, I finally broke through the encirclement and was on my way back when I ran into Li Feng, who had come to rescue us. We were so anxious at the time, and our only concern was to recapture the food and supplies, so we didn't care about anything else. So, we hurriedly gathered our remaining men and chased in the direction the Jinfan bandits had fled."

Li Feng continued, "When we reached the riverbank, we saw some boats moored on the shore, with what appeared to be food supplies. We thought the Jinfan bandits hadn't had time to transport the supplies, so we rushed to recapture them. Little did we know, however, that this was a trap! The Jinfan bandits had long been in cahoots with Ma Chao, who had sent elite troops to ambush us by the river. We were so focused on the food supplies that we didn't anticipate an ambush, and by the time we discovered it, it was too late. The ambushers were countless, firing arrows at us from all directions. We were attacked from both sides and were completely unable to resist. We had no choice but to fight our way out, and by chance, we escaped and returned to report to you."

Yuan Shu listened to their excuses, his anger growing even stronger. He suddenly snatched the whip from the guards nearby and lashed at Lei Bo and Li Feng viciously, cursing as he did so: "Useless bastards! You can't even complete such an important mission, and yet you still dare to make excuses!"

The whip lashed out again and again, causing them to scream in pain, yet they dared not dodge. Yuan Shu grew increasingly angry as he fought, feeling a surge of pent-up anger in his chest, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid. Suddenly, he felt a dizziness, his vision went black, and the whip in his hand fell to the ground with a thud, and he collapsed straight down.

Everyone was horrified and shouted, "Lord! Lord!" Yan Xiang was the first to react. He hurried forward to check Yuan Shu's breath. Finding that he was still breathing, he breathed a sigh of relief and shouted, "Quick! Call the military doctor! Do everything you can to save our lord!"

The guards immediately dashed off, while other civil and military officials gathered around Yuan Shu, their faces etched with anxiety. Yang Hong frowned, wondering how to handle this situation now that his rations had been plundered and his lord had suddenly collapsed. Lei Bo and Li Feng, oblivious to their injuries, knelt beside him, their hearts pounding with fear, terrified that something might happen to Yuan Shu and their own lives would be in jeopardy.

Soon, a military doctor arrived, carrying a medicine box on his back. He immediately squatted down to feel Yuan Shu's pulse and diagnose him. Everyone held their breath, nervously watching the doctor's every move. A tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the entire camp...

After a frantic acupuncture and medication treatment by the military doctor, Yuan Shu finally blinked slowly and came to. He lifted his heavy eyelids slightly, his gaze hazy, as if he hadn't fully recovered from his coma. Glancing around, Yuan Shu seemed to have momentarily forgotten what had happened. With a hint of bewilderment, he asked, "Why am I outside the camp? Why hasn't the grain transport returned yet? When will it be delivered?"

Yan Xiang stood aside, his face filled with sorrow. He took a step forward and said with a hint of helplessness and sadness, "My lord, Generals Lei Bo and Li Feng have returned. But...but the food and fodder were looted by Ma Chao's men, so they couldn't be brought back."

When Yuan Shu heard this, his originally somewhat distracted eyes tightened instantly, and an expression of disbelief appeared on his face. He subconsciously struggled to get up, muttering: "Impossible, absolutely impossible! How could the two of them be so incompetent at doing things!" With the help of the guards, Yuan Shu barely stood up and looked forward staggeringly.

Only then did he notice Li Feng and Lei Bo, still kneeling not far away, their bodies in disarray, faces etched with fear and guilt. Yuan Shu stared at them, his mind gradually replaying the preceding events. A wave of grief, anger, and despair washed over him. He pressed his hands to his forehead, overcome with grief, and wept bitterly, "Oh, Heaven! This is my demise! I, Yuan Shu, have worked so hard, yet how could this be?" Tears streamed down his cheeks, dripping into the dust. His former dignity and dominance were gone, replaced only by desolation and despair...