Chapter 461: Desperate Situation
Seventeen years passed in the blink of an eye after Zhao Yun led the militia to pledge allegiance to Gongsun Zan.
Achieving great merit and establishing a career was far from as smooth as Zhao Yun had imagined. Gongsun Zan already had many fierce generals under his command, so a newcomer like Zhao Yun naturally received little attention. Zhao Yun did not grow discouraged. He followed Gongsun Zan through campaigns north and south, constantly seeking an opportunity to prove himself.
Unfortunately, that opportunity never seemed to come.
After entering Gongsun Zan's ranks, Song Que, as Zhao Yun's closest companion, naturally became his personal guard.
The talk of becoming an army cook had only been a joke. With wars raging endlessly, Song Que no longer had the leisure to cook fine dishes. In every battle, he stayed close to Zhao Yun, guarding him at his side.
Having trained in martial arts alongside Zhao Yun for years, Song Que was no longer the frail boy who could be blown over by the wind. Though not as powerfully built as Zhao Yun, he possessed solid strength. Owing to his background as a cook, Song Que was more skilled with the blade. He forged himself a fine saber, and after several brutal engagements on the battlefield, his presence grew fiercer and more resolute.
Of course, stepping onto the battlefield meant injuries were inevitable.
Over the years, he suffered no major wounds, but minor injuries were constant.
This made Qi Han—who was inhabiting Song Que's body—secretly miserable.
Why was the Zilong Sheds His Armor Food Realm so dangerous this time…?
Eight more years passed. Until Gongsun Zan died in battle against Yuan Shao, Zhao Yun still could not be considered a famous general. Fortunately, he had befriended Liu Bei—who had also once served under Gongsun Zan. The two shared similar ideals and often conversed at length.
Thus, after Gongsun Zan's death, Zhao Yun did not hesitate long before turning to serve Liu Bei instead.
Under Liu Bei, Zhao Yun enjoyed far greater freedom than before. Although his reputation still could not compare to that of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, he was indeed more valued than during his time with Gongsun Zan. He participated in several campaigns and had thought that perhaps his life would continue in this manner.
Until nine years later, when the Battle of Changban erupted—the battle that would make this young general famous in a single stroke.
…
In the thirteenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao personally led his army south to attack the Jingzhou region. At that very time, Liu Biao, Governor of Jingzhou, had just passed away, and the position was succeeded by his son, Liu Cong.
Liu Cong was timid and cowardly. Barely having taken office, he was immediately faced with Cao Cao's massive southern campaign. Terrified, he surrendered without a fight. Yet he did not dare inform Liu Bei of his surrender. By the time Liu Bei sensed something was wrong and sent someone to inquire, Cao Cao's army had already reached Wancheng.
A true disaster of a teammate.
Zhuge Liang and other advisors under Liu Bei urged him to seize the opportunity to attack Liu Cong, occupy Jingzhou City, and defend against Cao Cao's forces from within the walls. However, Liu Bei hesitated, unwilling to attack Liu Cong. After all, he and Liu Biao were of the same clan; no matter how weak or incompetent Liu Cong was, he was still his kinsman.
In the end, with Cao Cao's army already at the doorstep, Liu Bei gritted his teeth and chose to withdraw.
But leaving was no simple matter.
Accompanying him were more than a hundred thousand civilians from Jingzhou. In this time of chaos, they were terrified and helpless, clinging tightly to Liu Bei's army for protection. Yet civilians carried heavy belongings, and their stamina could not match that of soldiers, severely slowing the army's march.
"My lord, this cannot continue."
During the march, an advisor rode swiftly to Liu Bei's side.
"If this continues, we will inevitably be overtaken by Cao Cao's army. The civilians carry too much baggage, they move far too slowly."
Worry flickered in Liu Bei's eyes; he had long recognized this problem.
He turned to glance at the generals guarding him, then at the vast sea of dark heads trailing behind in the distance.
"And according to your plan… what should be done?"
"My lord, why not abandon the civilians and their baggage? Let a few dozen of us ride swiftly and travel light. As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood. Once we weather this crisis, Cao Cao's army will surely be no match for us."
The advisor had clearly prepared this suggestion in advance and spoke without hesitation.
All the generals guarding Liu Bei heard these words. For a moment, the atmosphere grew strange, and expressions varied.
Not far behind Liu Bei, Zhao Yun remained expressionless, but the reins clenched tightly in his hand betrayed his inner turmoil.
Back when he chose to follow Gongsun Zan, it had been because he heard that Gongsun would implement benevolent policies for the people. Although he later realized that Gongsun Zan's actions did not entirely match his words, Zhao Yun had not left out of loyalty.
Later, upon discovering that Liu Bei truly shared his ideals—and coinciding with Gongsun Zan's death—Zhao Yun had followed Liu Bei for nine years without hesitation.
To abandon the people and flee at such a critical moment was clearly not the conduct of a ruler who practiced benevolent governance.
What would Liu Bei choose?
With that thought, a trace of scrutiny appeared in Zhao Yun's gaze as he looked toward Liu Bei.
Hearing the advisor's proposal, Liu Bei's expression turned cold. He swept his eyes over the generals, whose faces showed mixed emotions, and then spoke in a firm voice:
"Do not mention this matter again! The people are willing to follow us—how could we abandon them in their hour of peril?"
Zhao Yun's grip on the reins quietly loosened.
It seemed Liu Bei was still the same Liu Bei as before—the wise and virtuous lord worthy of his loyalty.
Unaware of Zhao Yun's subtle reaction, Liu Bei turned to the silent Zhuge Liang at his side.
"Sir, do you have a better plan?"
After pondering briefly, Zhuge Liang sighed softly.
"Dispatch a force ahead to Jiangling. Cao Cao has taken Jingzhou; his next target will likely be Jiangling. Jingzhou may already be lost, but if we seize Jiangling first and defend the city, we can thwart Cao Cao's designs."
"An excellent plan." After a moment's thought, Liu Bei finally showed a hint of relief. "Surely Cao Cao would not expect that though we abandon Jingzhou, we would strike Jiangling first."
"Second Brother!"
"I am here!"
A great general in green robes, with a red face and a magnificent beard, rode closer—it was Guan Yu.
"You heard the plan. Jiangling is entrusted to you. Do you have confidence?"
"A simple matter." Guan Yu laughed heartily. "Brother, just leave it to me. Men, follow me to battle!"
With a sweep of his arm, he led a detachment of light cavalry away from the main force, riding straight toward Jiangling.
Zhao Yun had originally intended to volunteer himself. His lips parted—but slowly closed again. He remained silent, though a trace of envy flickered in his eyes.
What general would not wish to achieve merit and glory?
Seizing Jiangling would be a great accomplishment—Zhao Yun wished to claim a share of it as well.
But though his lord was worthy, he had two sworn brothers of unmatched valor.
…
"My lord, there's movement over there!"
While marching, Zhao Yun sensed something unusual. Peering into the distance, he saw dust rising on the horizon. His pupils shrank sharply as he shouted out.
Everyone fell silent, looking toward the direction Zhao Yun indicated.
In the distance, a force of elite cavalry was galloping toward them under the command of a young general.
"It's the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of Cao's army!" someone exclaimed. "They're the most elite cavalry unit in Cao's forces. There must be five thousand of them. The one leading them should be Cao Chun!"
"Cao Chun…" A dark shadow passed over Liu Bei's eyes.
He turned to glance at the shallow stream ahead. The gloom deepened in his expression.
Though the stream could be crossed in just a few steps, it would further delay the civilians' progress.
Cavalry against infantry was a complete massacre.
Though Liu Bei's force numbered over a hundred thousand, they were all civilians—common folk untrained in warfare. There were only a few dozen cavalrymen capable of combat.
In such a situation… what could be done?
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