Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

A thin layer of ice clung to Gongsun's white cloak, and the sheepskin letter wrapped in the bundle behind her was wrinkled by the snow. As she knelt on one knee, her black armor clattered against the blue bricks. "Father, my uncle-master hasn't sent any reinforcements."

Gongsun Zan's raised hand froze in mid-air, his iron spear clanging to the ground. The conference room was as silent as a grave, with only the distant clapping of a clapper shattering the hope that had just ignited in his eyes. "That's all..." He stumbled, holding onto the pillar, his bloodied knuckles scraping five bloody marks on the wood. "Back in Chang'an, I was often instigated by the late emperor to make things difficult for him. Now, if I don't add insult to injury, I'm already..."

"Father! That's not true!" Gongsun suddenly opened the bundle, revealing the charred corner of the letter. "Xiliang is being raided by the Xianbei cavalry. The Xiongnu leader Huchuquan is slaughtering people in Bingzhou. The Jie are burning and killing people in Xiqiang. The Di are cutting off the grain supply route to Longxi!" She unfolded the remaining letter. The handwriting was broken by the fire, but she could still make out the powerful words "national hatred." "My uncle said that the disputes among the princes are family affairs, but the invasion of foreign races is a real family affair..."

A north wind whipped sand and gravel against the tent curtains. Gongsun Zan's hand trembled slightly as he took the incomplete letter. The words on the parchment seemed to transform into thousands of iron hooves, surging from the foot of the Yin Mountains. "The entire royal courts of the Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Xiongnu were in turmoil at the same time?" He abruptly stood up, his tiger-skin cloak sweeping the bamboo slips off his desk. "The Mobei grasslands haven't seen such a scene in years. Could it be that another powerful ruler has risen since Tan Shihuai..."

His voice trailed off, his gaze fixed on the southwest—the direction of Chang'an. Memories flooded back. Over a decade ago, he had led the White Horse Volunteers to a crushing defeat against the Wuhuan, his silver-armored white steed crushing the enemy camp. His heart was filled with the heroic spirit of defending his homeland. But now, his temples frosted, he had lost his way in the vortex of power, fighting for territory and power with the other princes, long forgotten his original oath.

"Meng Qi..." His voice was filled with worry and guilt. "Junior brother has just taken Chang'an and his foundation is not yet stable. The princes of Guandong have been coveting it for a long time. How could he let go of this opportunity? Faced with internal and external troubles, what should he do?"

Gongsun Rou took off her snow-soaked cloak, revealing a charred secret letter in her bosom: "Master-uncle only left 34 soldiers to defend Chang'an. The remaining 34 cavalrymen have returned to Xiliang with him. He said... he wanted to fight the foreigners to the death."

"Good! Good man!" Gongsun Zan burst into laughter, his laughter shaking the dust from the beams, tears welling up in his cloudy eyes. He suddenly drew his sword, the blade split the curtain, and the biting cold wind blew snowflakes in his face. The moonlight illuminated his mottled armor, and his white hair rustled in the wind. In a trance, the White Horse General who rode a horse in bright clothes and roamed the grasslands was back. "What about splitting the land and becoming a king, what about dominating the Central Plains!" His roar pierced the wind and snow, "At this time of crisis for China, how can we allow foreigners to lay hands on an inch of our land!"

Gongsun Zan slammed his sword down on the table, sending bamboo slips flying all over it. "Junior brother is risking his life on the northern border with a hundred thousand cavalrymen. I, Gongsun Zan, control Youzhou. How can I just stand by and watch!" He tore off his rusty armor. "Back then, the White Horse Volunteers swept through the Wuhuan. Even if only a remnant remains today, we must show these foreigners how tough the Han men are!"

The conference room was as silent as a grave, with only his heavy breathing echoing off the beams. After a long moment, the veteran general suddenly kicked over a chair, and the clanging of armor startled crows from beneath the eaves. He said, "Pass the order! Withdraw all troops from the southern front immediately. Yuan Shao's attack will be unstoppable, and the city will be undefended!" His gaze swept across the stunned generals in the room, and a long-lost edge lingered in his hoarse voice. "From today on, the entire Youzhou region will have only one mission: a decisive battle with the aliens!"

"The disputes among the princes are merely family affairs; the invasion of foreigners is the national enemy!" These words resounded like thunder, and the lieutenants exchanged glances, their eyes blazing with passion. Some lashed out their swords, carving deep bloody marks on the pillars; others raised their arms and shouted, their voices so loud that the snow on the tent roof fell.

Guan Jing's bony fingers unconsciously stroked the bamboo slips on the table, while Fan Fang tightly gripped the jade pendant at his waist. Their gazes met, like the stillness of a cold pond. From outside the tent, the faint sound of Yuan Shao's army drums, mixed with news of the southern advance of the northern border tribes, filled the meeting room with a sense of suffocation. With Gongsun Zan's order to withdraw from Yuan Shao and fight to the death against the Xianbei, they all knew this was a deadly situation—wolves in front, tigers behind. How could the tiny Youzhou withstand a double attack?

"That's all." Guan Jing suddenly chuckled bitterly and threw the bamboo slips into the brazier. Green smoke instantly rose from the withered and yellow bamboo slips. "In the past, my lord roamed the northern border. Now... to be able to fight to the very end is a worthy death." Fan Fang silently clenched the jade pendant, the firelight making the determination in his eyes even brighter.

Gongsun Rou suddenly said: "Father! Although my uncle has no reinforcements, he has found a way for us to survive!"

Gongsun Zan's grip on the pillar suddenly tightened, and five new bloodstains on the wood oozed a dark red. All the generals in the tent turned their heads in unison, their torches casting shadows across the cowhide tent, swaying like a swarm of demons dancing wildly.

"Master, my uncle said that Youzhou is hanging in the jaws of Jizhou. If we continue the war, we will be crushed to pieces." Gongsun Rou unfolded the half-burned secret letter, and the words flickered in the flickering flames. "But now Bingzhou is being slaughtered by the Xiongnu Huchuquan, and nine out of ten houses are empty. My uncle asked my father to abandon Youzhou and hand the city over to Yuan Shao, and then join forces to march west to defend Bingzhou together! After the success, he is willing to divide the land with my Gongsun family!"

Gongsun Zan let out a muffled sound from his throat, as if struck by a heavy hammer. Guan Jing and Fan Fang straightened their backs simultaneously, the former's murky eyes suddenly filled with tears. "What a good plan! What a good plan!" He stumbled and grabbed the table. "Giving up territory that is sure to be lost and taking land that can be contested will not only allow us to avoid Yuan Shao's attack, but also restore our prestige by fighting against the foreigners!"

Fan Fang took a sudden step forward, his bronze wristband colliding with the candlestick on the table, and the flames made the doubts in his eyes burn red. "General! This may be Ma Chao's trap! Once we have exhausted our troops to pacify Bingzhou, he will be able to reap the benefits and uproot my Gongsun family!" He pointed to the location of Bingzhou on the map, "By then, our army will be far away from home, without a city to defend and no food to rely on. Wouldn't we be like fish on the chopping board?"

Before Fan Fang finished speaking, Gongsun Rou suddenly stepped forward, and the short sword at her waist hit the table with a clear sound: "Mr. Fan!" The girl's delicate face flushed, "Master has been guarding Xiliang for many years. How many times has he rushed into the alien camps alone? That year, 30,000 Xiongnu cavalry invaded, and he slaughtered the enemy so hard that they fled in disarray!" He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, "Now, I hear that the aliens are heading south in droves, and he only left 20,000 old and weak to defend Chang'an. He didn't even care about his family and went to the battle himself! Where in the world can you find such a heroic man who disregards his own life? How can you judge with such a mean mind!"

Gongsun Zan's furrowed brow gradually relaxed, his rough hands slowly stroking his graying beard, a rare smile in his eyes: "My junior brother...really hasn't changed at all." His eyes swept over the officers and soldiers in the tent, and his old voice was filled with a hint of relief. "Everyone, what do you think of my junior brother's plan this time?"

Guan Jing's withered fingers tapped the table, and the bronze candlestick trembled slightly. "My lord, Yuan Shao has always prided himself on his benevolence and righteousness. If he knew we were withdrawing our defenses to resist the alien race, he would not pursue us openly." Before he finished speaking, Yan Gang stomped forward, the sound of armor clashing shook the ground slightly. "I am willing to lead 3,000 elite troops to cover the rear! If Yuan Shao dares to attack, his blood will be stained in the Yishui River!"

Gongsun Zan stared at the Youzhou map on the sand table, his brows knitted into a knot. "I'm afraid Yuan Benchu ​​will secretly allow the Wuhuan to march south and use the Hu cavalry to plunder Youzhou. The infamy of the displaced people and the piles of corpses will ultimately fall on my Gongsun family." He suddenly clenched the hilt of the sword at his waist, the tassel rustling in the cold wind. "Not to mention if our army advances west and Yuan Shao takes advantage of the opportunity to cut off our food supply..."

"My lord!" Fan Fang suddenly stepped out from the crowd, his dark brocade robe fluttering. "I am willing to carry the imperial seal and go to Yuan Shao's camp!" The jade pendant on his waist swayed slightly with his movements, reflecting a cold light. "Yuan Benchu ​​values ​​the reputation of four generations of three officials the most. If I invite him with the promise of 'China is in danger, let's jointly resist foreign aggression,' and if he brazenly pursues me, wouldn't that destroy his reputation as a 'descendant of a distinguished family'?"

The veteran general swept his sharp gaze over the crowd and asked, "What if Yuan Benchu ​​is just playing coy and secretly colluding with the Wuhuan?"

Fan Fang sneered, "If Yuan Shao ignores the gossip of the world, I will explain the pros and cons in front of his camp! In front of the Hebei soldiers, his plan of 'killing with a borrowed knife and disregarding the people' will be made public!" He suddenly drew his sword, the blade lifted the curtain, and the north wind wrapped in snowflakes hit his face. "I will go, even if the battle is stained with blood, I will make Yuan Shao bear the infamy of 'making his relatives sad and his enemies happy'!"

Gongsun Zan stroked the mottled hilt of his sword, tears streaming down his wrinkled cheeks. The image of the valiant scholar who had stood by the general against foreign aggression, "I, a scholar, would follow him faithfully," seemed to reappear before Fan Fang's eyes: "Very well! As you say!"

Gongsun Zan slammed the bronze command arrow on the table, causing the model of Youzhou City on the sand table to collapse. "Pass the order! All defenders on the southern front immediately retreat north!" His vigorous finger traced the winding Yishui River on the map. "Order Tian Kai to hold the Zhuojun defense line, Gongsun Yue to hold the Juyong Pass, and Tian Yu to lead the White Horse Volunteers to cover the rear! All troops must be gathered in Jicheng within three days!"

The old general's blood-stained cloak rustled in the wind, and a wolf-like light ignited in his cloudy eyes: "Tell the soldiers, this is not a retreat, but a battle to Bingzhou!" He drew his iron spear and pointed it to the north, "I can hand over the city to Yuan Shao, but before I leave, I will also give the Wuhuan a hard time!"

The generals in the tent responded with a roar, and the clashing of armor was like thunder. Gongsun Zan suddenly pressed the sword at his waist and said in a deep voice: "Remember! Restrain your subordinates. Even if we leave Youzhou, it is my incompetence, not the people's fault. The people of Youzhou have made great contributions to our army. We failed to defend the land and left in a hurry. We should not let the people bear the consequences." He turned and stared at the "Youzhou Map" hanging in the tent. His skinny fingers heavily stroked Yanmen County. "When Yuan Shao takes over Youzhou, our army will march west through Yanmen and join forces with Meng Qi in Bingzhou!"

A north wind whipped gravel against Fan Fang's black iron armor. He gripped the nine-jointed yak-tail tassels on his bamboo staff tightly, swirling like lingering snow. Behind him, two hundred white-horse righteous followers, their silver armor gleaming in the sunlight, their hooves breaking the thin ice. In the rising snow and mist, the towering arrow towers of Jicheng gradually shrank into silhouettes on the horizon.

On the top of Jicheng City, Gongsun Zan stroked the mottled arrow marks on the bricks with his calloused hands. Looking at Fan Fang's receding back, endless thoughts surged in his heart.