The Three Kingdoms: Home Travel

"General Zhao, show mercy! Guard Dian, you too, stop!"

Zhao Yun turned around in astonishment and saw Jiang Zhe standing not far from him, accompanied only by a few... family retainers and guards from that day. He sneered, "Sir, you're still the same... so audacious!"

Glancing at the chaotic scene around him, Zhao Yun continued, "Sir, are you not afraid of being killed in this chaotic battle? Or perhaps..."

"General Zhao, are you alright?" Jiang Zhe walked forward with a faint smile, checked Dian Wei's injuries, and asked softly, "Guard Dian, are you alright?" Dian Wei casually glanced at his wounds, shook his head at Jiang Zhe, then looked at Zhao Yun and grinned, saying, "I have never been so badly injured before. Today's battle... was exhilarating!" Zhao Yun was taken aback. Then he gave a wry smile, clasped his hands, and said, "Judging from your posture, I know you still have strength left... Could it be that you were luring me to attack you so you could counterattack?" Dian Wei scratched his head and said, "I slipped on the sand and gravel just now."

"What kind of 'you attack me' nonsense is this? I, Old Dian, would never do such a thing. A true man fights with real swords and spears. What's the point of resorting to scheming and trickery! Lord Liao..." What a scoundrel... truly a hero! Zhao Yun admired Dian Wei's words greatly, then turned to Jiang Zhe, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Sir, we meet again! I have a question I'd like to ask you!"

"I dare not ask for your advice, General Zhao, please speak frankly!" Jiang Zhe frowned slightly and said with a faint smile.

Zhao Yun suddenly swung his spear, pointing it directly at Jiang Zhe... the tip of the spear was only a finger's width away from Jiang Zhe.

"Sir, do you think I should kill you?!" Zhao Yun asked coldly.

"Why are you asking?" Jiang Zhe smiled strangely. He said softly, "Of course not!"

"Haha!" Upon hearing Jiang Zhe's words, Zhao Yun laughed three times and said angrily, "Shouldn't be? Ridiculous!"

Jiang Zhe smiled slightly and said calmly, "General, do you wish to avenge your thousands of comrades?"

"Heh, then who should the innocent people of Jizhou who died at your hands avenge?" Zhao Yun's expression froze. He gave Jiang Zhe a deep look, frowned, and slowly withdrew his spear. He hesitated and said, "Who says I wish to... merely avenge my Sanfeng Tongze?"

"Oh?" Jiang Zhe chuckled inwardly, but feigned a puzzled expression and asked, "Could it be that I have offended General Zhao in some way?"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yun ignored Jiang Zhe's teasing and sighed, "When I first met you, sir... I saw you distribute your meager remaining rations to the starving people. I thought you were a kind-hearted person, not only sparing them but also ordering your soldiers to leave their rations behind." "I never imagined you would repay us in such a way, General Zhao!" Jiang Zhe's expression turned serious. He said calmly, "I also thought you were fair and impartial. Your kindness to us is a personal matter. How could I, Zhe, dare to disregard public duty for it?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yun couldn't help but feel a little ashamed, but he still asked, "I don't understand, sir. Why don't you use your talent to save the world and its people, instead of creating bloodshed here?" "Hehe!" Jiang Zhe chuckled and shook his head, then asked in return, "General Zhao, I am saving the world and its people right now..."

"Absurd!" Zhao Yun's face was filled with anger. He subconsciously pointed his gun at Jiang Zhe, then, realizing it was inappropriate, lowered the gun and said with a cold laugh, "Sir, do you perhaps believe that Yuan Shao is a wise ruler?" "Zhe didn't say that! Of course not. I don't believe Yuan Shao is a wise ruler either!"

"Hmm?" Zhao Yun asked Jiang Zhe, puzzled. "Then why did you help Yuan Shao defeat my lord Gongsun?" Jiang Zhe smiled and shook his head, pointing to the chaotic battlefield. "I'll ask you, why is there this fighting?"

Following Jiang Zhe's directions, Zhao Yun looked around, pondered for a moment, and said, "It is because Yuan Shao is utterly devoid of benevolence and righteousness, deceiving my lord to this extent."

Is that really the case? Zhe doesn't think so!

Sensing the disdain in Jiang Zhe's tone, Zhao Yun asked疑惑地, "Then, in your opinion, why this conflict?" Shaking his head, Jiang Zhe didn't answer Zhao Yun's question. Instead, he smiled and asked another question, "General Zhao, once upon a time, there was a river that flowed ceaselessly. Whenever it flooded, the people downstream would suffer, almost losing their entire year's harvest. If you wanted to stop the river's flow, what would you do, General Zhao?"

Zhao Yun gave Jiang Zhe a strange look. Feeling bewildered, he hesitated and said, "How about setting up an obstacle upstream?" "That method only addresses the symptoms, not the root cause. The best solution is to cut off the source!"

"..." Zhao Yun's expression changed slightly, and he vaguely guessed what Jiang Zhe wanted to say.

Pointing to the chaotic scene, Jiang Zhe smiled faintly and said softly, "If it weren't for Gong Kongbo, and if it were Yuan Shao, in General Zhao's opinion, would there still be such a bloody battle?"

Zhao Yun's face was pale and ashen as he stared blankly at the chaotic scene.

Seeing that Zhao Yun's resolve was wavering, Jiang Zhe continued, "It seems General Zhao's doubts have been dispelled. Now, let me ask you, General, why are you here? Could it be that Gongsun Du is also a wise ruler?"

"...Looking at the smile on Jiang Zhe's face, Zhao Yun was speechless. He clasped his hands and said in a deep voice, "Sir, please don't call me General anymore. My courtesy name is Ziju...As you have said, my lord Gongsun is not a wise ruler..." Jiang Zhe smiled slightly and interrupted Zhao Yun, saying, "Why don't you come to me, Zilong, and report to the court and the people? Wouldn't that be a perfect reward?"

Startled by Jiang Zhe's call of "Zilong," Zhao Yun shook his head and smiled bitterly, saying, "My lord has shown me great kindness. If I were to defect to the enemy when he is in trouble, it would be unrighteous; moreover, there are still many of my close friends in the army. To abandon them would be unjust. I will not act out of such unrighteousness and selfishness..."

"Zilong, why are you doing this? Are all people in ancient times so stubborn? Even the Zhao Yun you admire is still Zhao Yun," Jiang Zhe was truly speechless. He could only advise, "Gongsun Gua's defeat is inevitable. There's no way to turn the tide! He's just fighting like a cornered beast!"

"If that's the case, then Yun definitely can't leave!"

"You!" Jiang Zhe shook his head with a bitter smile. "Does Gongsun Hu truly treat you so well?" Zhao Yun's tone faltered, his mind flashing back to the day he risked his life to return, and the way Gongsun Hu treated him. His anger intensified, and he quickly shook his head to dismiss the matter, saying resolutely, "As long as he is my lord, I will treat him with the respect due to a subject! Even if I die here today, I will not regret it! What a fine Zhao Zilong of Changshan!" Jiang Zhe was filled with respect, bowing his head in thought for a moment. He smiled and said, "Zilong is indeed unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness, not small..." Pointing to the Yuan and Cao armies that held the upper hand on the battlefield, Jiang Zhe smiled and said, "I have long heard that Zilong is a 'warrior of ten thousand men,' but on this battlefield..."

"I have already said it!" Zhao Yun said in a deep voice. "I will not regret it even if I die!" He then clasped his hands in a fist salute and said to Jiang Zhe, "I appreciate your kindness, sir, and I will take my leave!" "Wait!" Jiang Zhe interrupted Zhao Yun. At this moment, more and more Cao soldiers were gathering around them.

Zhao Yun was startled. Looking at Jiang Zhe's expression, he said, "Could it be that you intend to capture me here, sir? Haha! No, no!" Jiang Zhe spread his hands and laughed, "I, Zhe, am not skilled in martial arts. Moreover, I am no match for Zilong. How could I be so unwise?" He glanced at Dian Wei and said to him, "Guardian Dian, are your injuries alright?"

Dian Wei grunted and said in a simple-minded manner, "If your promise is true, sir, then I am fine. Any injury will be completely healed after I drink some wine!"

"Hehe, alright, I'll provide you with a month's worth of wine. But I'll trouble Guard Dian to escort General Zhao on his way!"

Jiang Zhe glanced at the puzzled Zhao Yun and explained, "With him here, our soldiers will certainly not fight against Zilong, thus avoiding a pointless battle. Isn't that a win-win situation?" Zhao Yun vaguely sensed something amiss, but seeing Jiang Zhe's unwavering sincerity, he clasped his hands and said, "You are kind and righteous, sir. I thank you!"

"No need!" Jiang Zhe smiled slightly and glanced at Dian Wei.

Although Dian Wei was puzzled, he still did as Jiang Zhe instructed, ordering Cao's soldiers to advance and telling Zhao Yun to go first.

Watching Zhao Yun turn his horse and ride away, Jiang Zhe gazed at his retreating figure and exclaimed in admiration, "What a worthy Zhao Zilong of Changshan! His reputation is truly well-deserved..."

Unexpectedly, someone behind him also said, "Jiang Zhe, Jiang Shouyi, you truly live up to your reputation!"

Jiang Zhe turned around in surprise and was dumbfounded to see Guo Jia and Xi Zhicai standing behind him with smiles on their faces. It was Guo Jia who had just spoken.

"Fengxiao, please don't make fun of me!"

"What ridicule?!" Guo Jia spread his hands and said seriously. "Jia is speaking the truth. We already know about Shouyi's eloquence, so we will say no more. Today, Shouyi used the method of 'espionage' so subtly and silently, like spring rain nourishing the earth, that no one noticed it at all..."

"Hehe!" Xi Zhicai chimed in. "I imagine that once this man returns, Gongsun Zeng will also be suspicious and dare not employ him again. Tsk tsk tsk, Minister Jiang is truly no simpleton!"

"Go, go, go!" Jiang Zhe's face flushed slightly. He had indeed had this purpose in mind when he asked Dian Wei to escort Zhao Yun out, and naturally hoped that Gongsun Bi had witnessed this scene. "This man's martial arts and moral character are rare in the world. It's a real pity that he's being wasted on Gongsun Bi!"

Guo Jia gazed at the white figure in the distance. He nodded in agreement with Jiang Zhe, saying, "We have overheard some of what this person said earlier. It would be unwise of us not to take such a talented person. Shouyi, do you have a proper plan?" Jiang Lan shook his head.

"How about this..." Guo Jia leaned closer to Jiang Zhe and whispered, "Since Shouyi has already used his 'spy' on him, why don't we let Jia add some time for Shouyi?" Jiang Zhe shook his head and sighed, "No, Zilong is a rare talent in the world. We can't be too harsh on him. Today, I've already persuaded him, but he only turned back to help Gongsun Ran out of consideration for the duty between ruler and subject. Whether Gongsun Ran uses him or not, let's not overdo it. After we defeat Gongsun Ran, I'll go and talk to him then! Wouldn't it be better to use a scheme to make them suspicious of each other? Hehe, Shouyi is too kind-hearted." Fine, since Shouyi values ​​that person so much, Jia won't interfere any further. The battle is over, let's go back!"

Jiang Zhe and Xi Zhicai both nodded, and the three of them, along with more than a hundred guards, slowly walked away.

In the Battle of Jieqiao, both sides committed 100,000 troops each. The fighting lasted for three full hours. Gongshou and Du's 50,000 troops were wiped out; Zhang Yan of the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans lost over 30,000 men, with countless fleeing; Yuan Shao lost nearly 30,000. Cao Cao lost over 20,000, with the remaining 4,000-5,000 being due to the collapse of Yuan Shao's vanguard… a mutually destructive situation!

After that, Gongsun Cao kept a no-battle sign up for more than ten days and did not come out. He and the Black Mountain Yellow Turbans held their camp on the north bank of the border bridge to the death. Even Cao Cao and Yuan Shao could not do anything about it.

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