Chapter 890: The Death of Tian Feng

"I'll take your head!" Wei Yan laughed maniacally.

This was the plan Xu Shu had devised for Wei Yan. For the young Wei Yan, as long as he could kill Yuan Shao, even lying on the ground to be trampled was a price worth paying. And just as Xu Shu had predicted, Yuan Shao's chariot came right to where Wei Yan was waiting. Wei Yan jumped up with a crazed laugh.

"Slash!" Blood splattered over Wei Yan’s body, but he too screamed in pain as he was forced back. Meanwhile, Tian Feng slowly collapsed.

The moment Wei Yan leaped out, Tian Feng spotted him. Because Tian Feng wasn't skilled in horseback riding, Yuan Shao had him ride alongside him in the chariot. When Wei Yan’s strike came toward Yuan Shao, Tian Feng reflexively pushed Yuan Shao off the chariot, taking the blow himself.

If it weren’t for Wei Yan's loud laugh, Tian Feng might not have had the chance to push Yuan Shao out of the way.

Sometimes, reality works like that—many die because of their own words. Wei Yan should be grateful that Tian Feng pushed Yuan Shao out of the chariot, as he was split in two and only managed to unleash a mental shock attack on Wei Yan just before losing consciousness. Had it not been for this, Tian Feng might have dragged Wei Yan down with him.

After being struck by Tian Feng's final blow and injured, Wei Yan was quickly protected by the city defense troops and retreated. Guanyu’s son, Guan Ping, arrived to provide support, allowing Wei Yan to escape, narrowly avoiding being surrounded and killed.

"Yuanhao!" Yuan Shao cried out in anguish. In just a few short hours, he had lost his beloved generals Yan Liang and Ju Yi, and now his trusted advisors Tian Feng and Ju Shou as well!

Though Yuan Shao often found Tian Feng and Ju Shou troublesome, it didn't mean they were unimportant. In the heart of the still proud and powerful Yuan Shao, Tian Feng and Ju Shou were indispensable to maintaining his momentum and growth.

Yet now, just moments ago, these men, whom he had seen as his left and right arms, had fallen before his very eyes.

"Retreat!" Yuan Shao took a deep breath, suppressing the grief and anger in his heart. He roared the command, understanding the silent message in Tian Feng’s determined expression. He knew what he had to do.

Wen Chou, Jiang Qi, the Lü brothers, Han Ju, and others surrounded Yuan Shao as they fought their way northward. Meanwhile, Zhang He and Gao Lan, after holding off Liu Bei’s reinforcements, headed toward the weaker northwest, managing to escape.

Wen Chou and his comrades escorted Yuan Shao, while Guan Yu, Hua Xiong, and Zhao Yun led their cavalry in relentless pursuit. Meanwhile, Liu Bei’s other generals stayed behind to gather up Yuan Shao’s scattered soldiers to prevent them from causing damage to Yanzhou and Jizhou. This also served as preparation for absorbing Jizhou into their ranks.

After the battle, Liu Bei's army ordered their soldiers to tend to the wounded on both sides and began preparing burial grounds for the fallen to prevent the outbreak of disease.

It was during this process that Chen Xi and Liu Ye found Liu Bei, who was supervising the removal of corpses, alongside Jia Xu, Guo Jia, and Lu Su.

"We’ve won!" Liu Bei said calmly to Chen Xi. "After this battle, even if Yuan Shao escapes with his life, it won’t affect the overall situation. The strategy you devised back then has taken its biggest step forward. Now it’s up to you to govern Hebei and transform it into our strength as quickly as possible."

"It’s just a matter of following the steps. Zijing has already completed the plan. As for Yuan Shao, there’s no way he can escape. Even without the pursuit by General Guan and the others, my arrangements alone would prevent him from getting away," Chen Xi replied with a shake of his head.

"Good!" Liu Bei nodded. "Once the battlefield is cleared, we’ll march directly toward Ye City and complete our strategic objectives as quickly as possible."

"I believe our strategy is almost complete," Guo Jia said slowly. "If I’m not mistaken, the upheaval in Hebei has already begun. Yuan Shao no longer has any hope of a comeback."

"That’s correct," Jia Xu said, opening his folding fan. "We’re just waiting for the emperor to intervene. If I’m not mistaken, the emperor's order to mediate has already reached Yanzhou by the time Xun Chen appeared."

"Indeed," Liu Ye agreed. "Yuan Shao probably never imagined that after losing this battle, he would never have another chance to lose again. After all, we don’t like to drag things out."

"Lord Xuande, it's time to decide. Should we head straight for Ye City or go to Puyang to meet the emperor’s envoy?" Chen Xi asked, turning his head toward Liu Bei.

"What’s the difference?" Liu Bei asked.

"If we go to Ye City, we’ll seize the Xuanyuan Cauldron. If we go to Puyang to meet the envoy, we’ll receive it," Chen Xi said casually.

"It’s always better to take what we need by our own hands. Once we’ve finished clearing the battlefield, we’ll head straight for Ye City," Liu Bei said calmly. His steady tone made it clear that he had already considered the situation deeply.

After cleaning up the battlefield, Liu Bei left some of his soldiers behind to guard the prisoners and tend to the wounded. Despite the fact that they had more prisoners than their own troops, Liu Bei wasn’t worried about a rebellion. Zhang Yan’s Black Mountain Army, although disbanded, was more than capable of handling the task of guarding prisoners.

As for Zhang Yan, Liu Bei did punish him, stripping him of his title as General of the Vanguard and keeping him by his side as a personal bodyguard. It was clear from this light punishment that Liu Bei had no intention of severely reprimanding Zhang Yan—just a slight warning, which left Zhang Yan deeply moved and swearing his loyalty to Liu Bei.

Liu Bei then ordered Gan Ning to return to the navy, directing him to bring the warships down the Yellow River for the upcoming attack on Ye City. The navy’s role in transporting troops was crucial, but cavalry was equally indispensable.

Liu Bei’s army had gained a considerable number of warhorses from the battle, though many were too injured for use. Nevertheless, Yuan Shao’s forces had employed a vast number of horses, and the cavalry sent by the Wuhuan had been destroyed before they even had a chance to show their might.

As for the majority of infantry who didn’t know how to ride, with saddles and stirrups, a little training could quickly turn them into mounted infantry. While transforming them into cavalry used to take three years, it now took about a year for them to be combat-ready.

More importantly, horses preserved the infantry’s stamina for long marches, enabling faster travel and reducing fatigue during campaigns.

By the time Liu Bei had finished clearing the battlefield, Guan Yu, Zhao Yun, and Hua Xiong had nearly completed their pursuit of Yuan Shao’s forces. The trio relentlessly chased Yuan Shao’s routed army, finally catching up to them in a valley at the border between Jizhou and Yanzhou.

"Protect the lord and retreat! I’ll hold them off!" Wen Chou, seeing Guan Yu’s forces bearing down on them, turned back with a roar, ready to charge at Guan Yu.

Just as Wen Chou turned, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the valley. A mighty general rushed in, and Yuan Shao, whose heart had been in his throat, finally relaxed, tears streaming down his face.

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