diymy Chapter 34 Melee
Chapter 34 Melee
It was less of a battle and more of a chaotic melee.
The martial arts skills of the swordsmen were indeed superb. Although the wooden swords they wielded would not be fatal to the civilians, they would still cause excruciating pain.
But the people didn't care at all. If one person fell, two more would immediately take their place.
They dug with hoes, smashed with sticks, bit with their teeth, and even grabbed the leg of the officer and rolled on the ground.
The women threw stones and poured boiling water from behind.
The children were shooting slingshots on the roof.
The entire Xiaohuangzhuang village has been turned into a giant meat grinder.
Guan Yu, mounted on his horse, charged left and right, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade unstoppable. But he soon discovered that he was caught in the vast ocean of people's war.
No matter where he charged, he was surrounded by dense crowds. He couldn't kill them all, nor could he drive them away.
That reckless fighting style made even the battle-hardened Guan Yu feel a chill run down his spine.
One of the knife-wielding soldiers was pinned to the ground by five or six farmers, his wooden knife was taken from his hand, and he was instantly struck more than a dozen times with hoe handles, screaming in pain.
Another swordsman had just cut down a burly man when an old woman grabbed him around the waist and bit his arm, drawing blood. He cried out in pain and tried to shake her off, but found that more than a dozen people had surrounded him.
"They've gone mad! They've all gone mad!"
As Guan Yu watched his elite troops being swallowed up by the crowd, a sense of powerlessness he had never felt before rose in his heart.
Half an hour has passed.
An hour has passed.
More than half of Guan Yu's five hundred swordsmen had lost their fighting ability and were tied up like dumplings with bruised and swollen faces.
The remaining hundred or so people surrounded Guan Yu, panting and looking at him with fear.
The three thousand people, though many of them were injured, still surrounded them in layers, their expressions stubborn as they refused to back down an inch.
The old farmer who was leading the group had a large bump on his forehead from being slashed with a wooden knife, and blood was flowing down from the corner of his eye.
But he still gripped the hoe tightly, staring intently at Guan Yu.
"stop!"
A clear shout came from behind the crowd.
The people immediately made way for them.
He looked at the person who had just spoken with a respectful attitude.
Surrounded by Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and others, Li Zhao slowly walked in. He was not wearing armor, but only plain clothes. However, after Li Zhao arrived, not a single person among the people made any noise.
Li Zhao walked up to the old farmer, gently wiped the blood from his face, and said with a sorrowful expression:
"Old man, you've been frightened. These aren't bandits; I've sent them to test you."
The old farmer was stunned for a moment, then, upon recognizing the person's appearance, he was struck dumb, fell to his knees with a thud, and burst into tears.
"My lord! You've finally arrived! We...we thought we were doomed again..."
As the old farmer cried, the surrounding villagers also knelt down.
Li Zhao helped the old farmer up, turned to look at Guan Yu who was watching all this from his horse, and said calmly:
"Yun Chang, you've lost."
Guan Yu dismounted, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade clattered to the ground.
Looking at the people around him, their faces streaked with tears yet still gripping their hoes tightly, his pride finally crumbled at that moment.
He lost, lost completely.
His martial arts skills and elite troops, which he was so proud of, seemed so pale and powerless in front of these common people.
Faced with these people, he didn't even have the will to draw his sword.
"I... lost."
Guan Yu lowered his proud head and spoke in a bitter voice.
Li Zhao walked up to Guan Yu, patted his broad shoulder, and comforted him:
"Yun Chang, do you know where you went wrong?"
Guan Yu remained silent.
Li Zhao pointed to the surrounding people and said, word by word:
"You lost because you didn't understand the people's will."
"You think winning a war depends on superior martial arts skills and strong armor and weapons. You're wrong! Utterly wrong!"
"True strength lies in letting the people know why they are fighting! It's to protect the land they've fought so hard for, to protect the food in their bowls, and to protect their wives, children, and elderly parents!"
"When you give them a way to live, when you give them dignity, they will unleash a power more terrifying than any elite force!"
"These new recruits may not be as skilled as you in martial arts or as good in formation right now. But if you give them time and let them understand what they are protecting, they will become the strongest army in the world!"
"This is an army with faith!"
Li Zhao's words rang in Guan Yu's ears like a resounding bell.
He recalled the hardships and displacement of his early life, and the refugees who were treated like dirt.
He suddenly realized how narrow-minded his pursuit of "righteousness" was in the face of Li Zhao's "benevolence".
What Li Zhao gave these people was not just food, but also the dignity of being a "human being".
It was Li Zhao who gave these people hope, the hope of living!
This is true righteousness!
Guan Yu took a deep breath, stepped back, straightened his somewhat disheveled armor, and then, as if overturning a mountain of gold and a jade pillar, knelt on one knee in front of Li Zhao, clasped his hands together, and raised them above his head.
This kneeling was no longer a gesture of respect from a subordinate to a superior, but a warrior's complete submission to a wise ruler.
"My lord's teachings are etched in my heart! From this day forward, the Green Dragon Crescent Blade in my hand will fight only for my lord, and only for the common people of this world! If I break this oath, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!"
Li Zhao quickly helped Guan Yu up, holding his rough hands tightly, a hint of tears welling up in his eyes.
"Having these words from Guan Yu is worth more than a million soldiers!"
At this moment, Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Taishi Ci, Xu Shu, and others standing to the side were all deeply moved by what they saw.
......
Since Guan Yu suffered a crushing defeat at Xiaohuangzhuang and genuinely surrendered, the restlessness within the Pingyuan Army caused by its rapid expansion was swept away.
but.
The bountiful harvest in Qingzhou has become a thorn in the side of some people.
Jizhou, Yecheng, the General's Mansion.
"Bastards! Useless! A bunch of good-for-nothings!"
Yuan Shao's furious roar echoed throughout the hall.
The servants on both sides trembled and stood there, not daring to breathe.
A mahogany table was overturned on the ground, scattering bamboo slips, writing brushes, ink, and jade artifacts all over the floor.
Cui Yan knelt on the ground, his clothes disheveled, his face deathly pale. Where was the arrogance he had shown when he first went to Qingzhou?
"I told you to go and teach Li Zhao a lesson, but what did you do? You were carried to the drill ground like a chick, and you ran back in a panic, wetting your pants! You've completely disgraced me! You've completely disgraced the General's Mansion!"
Yuan Shao was so angry that his chest heaved violently, and he pointed at Cui Yan and cursed.
He came from a family that had produced four generations of high-ranking officials, and he was always very particular about his reputation and dignity. Now that his special envoy had suffered such a humiliating defeat in Qingzhou, it was even more painful for him than losing a battle on the battlefield.
"My lord, please calm your anger! My lord, please calm your anger!"
Seeing that the time was right, Xu You quickly stepped forward to smooth things over.
He gestured to his attendants to help Cui Yan down, while picking up the bamboo slips from the ground and rearranging them.
"Although Inspector Cui's actions were somewhat inappropriate, he did manage to probe Li Zhao's true strength and weaknesses for our lord."
Xu You stroked his beard, a shrewd glint in his eyes.
"True or False? What do you mean, true or False? I think he's just a cowardly piece of trash!"
Yuan Shao, still furious, plopped down on the folding chair, panting heavily.
Guo Tu said ominously from the side, "My lord, Inspector Cui's trip has at least proven two things. First, Li Zhao has indeed greatly expanded his army in Qingzhou, and his forces are not to be underestimated. Moreover, those 30,000 new troops are already showing the ferocity of tigers and wolves, and are by no means a rabble."
"Secondly, Li Zhao no longer has any respect for his lord, and his ambition to seize Qingzhou and his disloyalty are obvious."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's face darkened even further.
He originally thought Li Zhao was just a clever opportunist, but he never expected that in such a short time, he would have become so influential.
"In that case, I will send troops to punish this traitor!"
Yuan Shao slammed his hand on the armrest of the folding chair, his eyes revealing murderous intent.
"My lord, please wait!" Feng Ji hurriedly advised, "The autumn harvest is imminent, and it is the perfect time to wage war. However, the Black Mountain bandit Zhang Yan is active in the Taihang Mountains. Although Gongsun Zan has been defeated, he still has remnants in Youzhou. If we launch a large-scale southward attack on Qingzhou now, and if our rear is attacked, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao immediately deflated like a punctured balloon.
He also knew that Feng Ji was telling the truth.
Although he won the Battle of Jieqiao, he paid a heavy price in order to completely defeat Gongsun Zan.
While it appears to be doing well now, it is actually outwardly strong but inwardly weak, and it is indeed incapable of launching another large-scale war in the short term.
"This won't do, that won't do! Are we just going to stand by and watch Li Zhao grow powerful in Qingzhou? Do I, as the Great General, have no face left?" Yuan Shao scratched his headdress in frustration.
A sly glint flashed in Xu You's eyes. He stepped forward and lowered his voice, saying, "My lord, if force doesn't work, we can try a softer approach. Since Li Zhao disrespects you as the one who recommended him, let's use righteousness to pressure him."
"Righteousness? He dares to humiliate even the inspector, what righteousness would he care about?" Yuan Shao asked, puzzled.
"My lord, please don't be hasty. Let me explain slowly," Xu You said confidently. "Li Zhao's current status is that of the Prefect of Pingyuan, appointed by the court. In name, he is still your subordinate. As long as this formality hasn't been broken, he must abide by the court's rules."