Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The snow on Jicheng's walls was ripped apart by battle flags. Gongsun Zan, leaning on the battlements, gazed at the winding Wuhuan camp outside. The scars of the battle at Jieqiao had not yet healed, and the arrow wound in his right ribs still ached, but his gaze was sharper than ever. Three days earlier, Wuhuan Chanyu Tadun had personally led 30,000 cavalrymen to overrun Yuyang County and now laid siege to Jicheng.

"General! Yuan Shao's army has crossed the Lu River!" Yan Gang's iron spear pounded heavily on the city bricks, shaking off a cloud of frost and snow. Although the deputy commander of the White Horse Volunteers had been seriously injured in the battle of Jie Bridge, he still stood tall and straight. "If we withdraw the troops from the Jizhou defense line at this time, the Lu River will be lost!"

As Gongsun Zan turned, his dark cloak swept across the arrow slits in the city wall. Below, civilians pushed wooden carts laden with stones, children bundled their collected arrows, and even old women sewed linen armor. He suddenly recalled the scene half a month ago, when he had led the remnants of his army through Yuan Shao's encirclement and entered Youzhou—those civilians, holding tattered banners, their eyes filled with fear for survival and hope for him.

"Send the order down, dispatch Tian Kai's 30,000 elite troops to immediately return for support." Gongsun Zan's voice was like an icy shard. "Tell them that every inch of Youzhou's land must be shed to the last drop of blood."

Yan Gang stepped forward hastily, his spear sparking on the ground. "General! We've been facing Yuan Shao for three months, finally securing the Lu River defenses. Now we're withdrawing..."

"Yuan Shao wants the city, the Wuhuan want the lives of the people of Youzhou!" Gongsun Zan suddenly drew out his broken sword, which was the sword that was severed by Qu Yi during the Battle of Jie Bridge. "Do you still remember the secret letter from the governor of Yuyang County? Wherever the foreigners pass, they don't even spare children!" His eyes swept towards the distant direction of Yijing Tower. The fortifications there were still being worked on day and night, but they were far less fast than the expansion of the Wuhuan camp outside the city.

That night, thirty thousand cavalrymen marched south under the waning moon. Gongsun Zan stood atop the city walls, watching the torches swirl like crimson dragons. The roar of the Battle of Jieqiao seemed to echo in his ears. Back then, the White Horse Volunteers had galloped like flowing clouds, but now only exhausted soldiers and tattered armor remained. But when he saw the beacon fires spontaneously lit by the city's inhabitants, and saw Yan Gang leading the remnants of his troops raising the "Gongsun" banner on the city walls, his blood boiled again.

Three days later, the horns of the Wuhuan ripped through the dawn. Gongsun Zan wore blood-stained silver armor, the broken sword at his waist reflecting a cold light. Beside him, Yan Gang clutched his iron spear. Behind him were soldiers withdrawn from Jizhou and young and strong civilians who had spontaneously ascended the city walls. When Tadun's battle flag appeared on the horizon, Gongsun Zan raised his arms and shouted: "Men of Youzhou, listen to my orders! Today, we are not here for fame and fortune, but for the lights of the thousands of homes behind us!"

War drums roared, and the remnants of the silver armor of the White Horse Volunteers gleamed like stars in the sunlight. Gongsun Zan gazed at the approaching dawn, thinking back to his youth, when he single-handedly repelled the Wuhuan. Back then, he had been dressed in fine clothes and on a vigorous horse; now, his body was covered in scars. But now, as he heard the cries of the people behind him and saw the burning fighting spirit in Yan Gang's eyes, he suddenly understood—protection wasn't about achieving invincibility, but about ensuring the eternal glow of the smoke from the cooking fires on this land.

At Yuan Shao's headquarters, behind the Lu River, he sipped warm wine from a gold-threaded and jade-inlaid wine jar. The candlelight danced on the bronze Boshan censer, illuminating the words "Gongsun Zan urgently summons Tian Kai back to Youzhou" and causing tiny ripples in the wine.

"Gentlemen, what exactly was Gongsun Zan's plan for abandoning the Lu River defense line?" Yuan Shao threw the bamboo slips onto the long table covered with sheepskin maps, and a jade paperweight pressed down on the border of Youzhou. "The Wuhuan cavalry is pressing in from the front, and our army is lurking behind, yet he's withdrawing his main force to return north. This move..." Before he finished speaking, discussions were already rising in the tent.

Advisor Ju Su was the first to rise, his wide sleeves sweeping across the winding Yanshan Mountains on the map. "My lord, Gongsun Zan has always been determined to defend his territory. This withdrawal may be related to the Wuhuan's southern invasion. If our army rashly pursues him, we may fall into their trap. Secondly, the people of Youzhou have suffered from war for so long that they will lose their support if they are ravaged by war again."

"How soft-hearted!" Guo Tu slammed his folding fan on the table, causing candle tears to splash. "The Luhe River defense line was hard-won. If we don't take advantage of the opportunity now, when will we attack? Gongsun Zan is under attack from all sides. This is a godsend opportunity!" His eyes swept over the generals in the tent. "We only need to send light cavalry to launch a surprise attack, and we will surely wipe out Jicheng in one fell swoop!"

The atmosphere in the tent suddenly became tense. Yan Liang could no longer contain himself, and slammed his iron palm heavily on the pillar: "Mr. Guo is absolutely right! I am willing to lead my troops and conquer Jicheng within three days!" Before he finished speaking, Wen Chou stood up, sword in hand, eyes wide: "I am willing to be the vanguard!"

Yuan Shao raised his hand to signal everyone to silence, then turned his gaze to Zhang He and Gao Lan, who remained silent. Zhang He gently stroked the ring-handled sword at his waist and said in a deep voice, "I believe that although Gongsun Zan is in a desperate situation, he is not a man without strategy. Youzhou is in a dangerous terrain. If our army advances deep into the area, our food and supplies may become a hidden danger." Gao Lan also folded his arms and nodded, "It is better to proceed steadily and steadily, first capture the surrounding counties and cut off his wings."

"Excellent!" Yuan Shao laughed, his eyes gleaming. "It's easy to take Youzhou, but it's hard to win the hearts of the people. Pass the order down - Yan Liang and Wen Chou lead the cavalry to Guangyang, and Zhang He and Gao Lan lead the infantry to bypass Yanshan." His fingertips ran over the marks of Youzhou villages on the map, "Whenever you come across a village or town, do not harm them. Those who violate the order will be punished by military law!" After speaking, he looked at Yan Liang and Wen Chou and said, "You two generals are brave and unparalleled, but this time the focus is on deterrence. We must not lose the big picture for the sake of small things."

Three days later, the banners of the Four Pillars of Hebei were like a dark cloud looming over the border. The soldiers under Zhang He and Gao Lan strictly followed military orders, helping villagers repair broken cart shafts during the march and even distributing surplus rations to the elderly and the weak. "Mr. Yuan said this is only to suppress the rebellion, and not to harm the civilians." The sergeant handed the millet to the trembling old woman, and this message spread rapidly throughout Youzhou along with the refugees' footsteps.

However, the situation changed dramatically once Yan Liang and Wen Chou's cavalry entered Guangyang County. Gazing upon the empty city after Gongsun Zan's retreat, arrogance grew within the army. One cold night, several drunken cavalrymen kicked down the door of a tavern and snatched the wine from the jars. The centurion on duty, observing the mess, simply turned his back to wipe his sword. When news reached Yan Liang, the fierce general scoffed, "They're just a few commoners, why make such a fuss?" Wen Chou frowned and tried to dissuade them, but he didn't impose strict discipline.

The violence spread like wildfire. In just three days, more than a dozen villages were looted. The cries of young girls, mixed with the blazing flames, startled the crows from the forest. The people looked at the "Yuan" on the banners of Yuan's army, their anticipation gradually turning to fear. When the refugees reported the tragic situation to Yuan Shao, he was playing with a newly acquired jade disk. Upon hearing this, he suddenly smashed the jade to the ground, sending shattered pieces flying. "This brat is not worth conspiring with! Quickly order Guo Tu to Guangyang to enforce military discipline. Any looters will be executed without mercy!"

At dusk, as the rain of arrows ceased, congealed drops of blood from the battlements of Ji City slowly dripped through the cracks in the blue bricks. Gongsun Zan stroked the dense arrow marks on the wall, his broken sword gleaming coldly in the shadow of the "Gongsun" banner. After three days and nights of bloody fighting, the silver armor of the White Horse Volunteers had turned a dark red. The moat was littered with corpses, but they had barely managed to hold Tadun's 30,000 cavalry at a distance of ten miles.

"Report - Urgent news from Guangyang!" The blood-soaked scouts broke open the city gates. "Yuan's army, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, allowed their troops to plunder, reducing thirteen villages to scorched earth!"

The tower instantly exploded with a thunderous roar. "General! I am willing to lead 3,000 warriors to crush the thief Yuan's head!" The lieutenant's eyes widened in anger, and the hilt of his sword was almost scratched with water. Yan Gang plunged his iron spear into the city wall: "The Yuan family has betrayed us. If we don't fight now, when will we fight?"

Gongsun Zan suddenly laughed to the sky, his laughter shaking the frost and snow off the city walls. He ripped open his bloodstained shirt, revealing a crisscross of scars—the arrow wounds from the battle of Jie Bridge had not yet healed, and the new knife wounds were deep enough to see the bone. "Look!" His voice pierced the cold wind, "Which of these scars is not for this land? Which drop of blood is not shed for the people of Youzhou?"

The deputy general roared with red eyes: "But the elders of Guangyang are suffering!"

&34;Guangyang is the flesh and blood of Youzhou, and Jicheng is the gateway to China!&34; Gongsun Zan suddenly turned around, pointing his broken sword at the forest of foreign camps in the north, &34;Yuan Shao captured the city, but he only changed the governor; when the Wuhuan invaded the territory, they destroyed our race! Back then, Master Dong single-handedly mediated the conflict between Qiang and Hu, relying not on swords and guns, but on the righteousness of protecting his people! Today, even if I, Gongsun Zan, die in battle on the city wall, I will let the foreign race know that the bones of the Han people are harder than the rocks of Yanshan!&34;

Night fell over the city walls, and Tadun's wolf-head banner fluttered in the bonfires, a blood-red hue. Gongsun Zan gently stroked the broken sword at his waist, recalling his youthful days as a student with Liu Bei under the tutelage of Lu Zhi. Back then, the teacher had said, "Every man bears his share of responsibility for the fate of his country." Now, he finally understood the true meaning of responsibility.

"Pass my order!" Gongsun Zan's voice resounded through the night sky, "Tomorrow at noon, open the city to meet the enemy! Anyone who retreats will be beheaded! Anyone who plunders the people will be beheaded! Anyone who allows foreigners to even take a single step through the city gate—" He suddenly thrust the broken sword into the blue brick, "I, Gongsun Zan, will be the first to commit suicide to atone for my crime!"

Yan Gang suddenly knelt on one knee, pounding his spear heavily on the ground. "I, your humble general, am willing to lead the White Horse Volunteers to defend the north gate to the death!" The generals knelt with a resounding thud, their armor clashing like thunder. Gongsun Zan looked at his comrades who had followed him for many years, then at the people below—elderly men sewing protective gear, children carrying arrows, even frail women boiling medicine for wounds.

"Gentlemen," his voice suddenly became low and firm, "The Yuan family is fighting for power, and we are upholding justice. The worst that can happen is that Gongsun Zan dies, but as long as I am still breathing, I will never let the horses of other races trample on an inch of our Han land!"

Late at night in Jicheng, a chill wind whipped snowflakes against the arrow tower. Gongsun Zan leaned against the battlements, the lingering blood on his sword forming a dark purple scab. In a trance, he was transported back to the walls of Chang'an—the year Dong Zhuo deposed the young emperor Liu Bian, and he, ordered to defend the emperor, was distracted by Liu Bian. The phantom of a golden seal and purple ribbon flickered before his eyes, making him forget his pride as a White Horse General and only think of competing with Yuan Shao.

In the years that followed, the silver armor of the White Horse Volunteers crushed countless cities, but never again could they protect the people. Now, looking at the wolf-head banner of the Wuhuan outside the city, listening to the childish sounds of children carrying arrows inside, Gongsun Zan suddenly laughed out loud, his laughter tinged with rust.

Looking back, Gongsun Zan realized his folly in pursuing power. It turns out the most precious thing was never the high position bestowed by the emperor, but the everlasting light in the eyes of the common people when they looked up at the city walls.

In the darkness before dawn, beacons of Jicheng shot up into the sky. Clad in silver armor, Gongsun Zan stood atop the city walls, braving the wind. He knew this might be his final battle, but as he watched the dawn break, the great "Han" banners fluttering on the city walls, a faith more fervent than death surged within him: Though this body perish, his noble spirit lives on; to not yield an inch of ground is the highest righteousness!