novelSusiti Chapter 25, Part 1: Pear Blossoms Overwhelm Crabapple Blossoms
Chapter 25, Part 1: Pear Blossoms Overwhelm Crabapple Blossoms
It turned out that in the chaos just now, the soldiers guarding Lü Lingqi were either killed or escaped.
She had no idea when she had rolled into this secluded corner.
The gag in his mouth and the ropes binding his body had somehow come loose.
The two locked eyes.
The air froze instantly.
Lu Lingqi was taken aback at first, then she saw Yuan Tan's disheveled appearance with his hair in disarray.
Then I recalled the deafening shouts of battle that had just echoed in the distance.
She understood instantly.
At this point, Yuan Tan was nothing more than a stray dog.
"Haha! What goes around comes around! You bastard, I told you I'd get my revenge!"
Lu Lingqi picked up a long spear from somewhere and was about to thrust it at Yuan Tan.
Depend on!
I've been wise all my life, surely I won't die at the hands of a little girl!
Yuan Tan quickly hid behind a tree, narrowly avoiding the attack, and angrily cursed:
"I'm warning you! Don't come any closer! I don't hit women, don't force me to!"
Lu Lingqi was determined to win. Seeing Yuan Tan's arrogant and domineering attitude, she immediately laughed:
"Oh? So how do you plan to make your move?"
"If you come any closer, I'm going to take my pants off!"
Forced into a corner, Yuan Tan, in a moment of panic, actually imitated the move that Di Yun used to deal with Shui Sheng in "A Deadly Secret".
"You!!! Shameless!"
Lu Lingqi's face immediately turned red, and she quickly closed her eyes.
Hey! There's a chance!
This girl is probably still a virgin!
Yuan Tan turned to run away.
Unexpectedly, Lü Lingqi quickly realized what was happening:
"You little thief! Trying to fool me again! I'll stab you to death!"
As she spoke, she raised her spear to stab again.
"I really took it all off!"
Yuan Tan made a gesture by placing his hands on his underwear.
Lu Lingqi screamed and, with her eyes closed, haphazardly thrust the gun at Yuan Tan.
Hehe! The more shameless a person is, the more invincible they become!
Yuan Tan dodged the spear with a light touch, then gripped and pulled hard, trying to drag Lü Lingqi to the ground.
The little girl, realizing what was happening, quickly abandoned her spear, raised her small fist, and was about to punch Yuan Tan in the temple.
However, Yuan Tan was at least a martial artist, though his martial arts skills might not be very good.
But when it comes to strength and hand-to-hand combat, his advantage as a man is evident!
He grabbed Lü Lingqi's fist with his left hand, lifted her collar with his right hand, and then slammed his head into hers.
boom!
It was completely quiet!
They stripped off her full armor and tied her hands with rope.
Of course, during this period, it was inevitable that he would take advantage of both sides.
I have to admit it.
This girl is indeed quite beautiful.
Their bodies are also developing very well.
Yuan Tan was momentarily distracted by what he saw.
Just as I was considering whether or not to let a pear tree overshadow a crabapple tree,
Another shout of battle came from afar.
Forget it! The eldest is more important. The second brother's personal matters can be resolved anytime.
After a while, the sky gradually darkened.
Yuan Tan hoisted Lü Lingqi onto his back and ran towards the sea.
……
On the other side, fortunately, Zhang He was also a veteran general. He had maintained his composure despite the initial rout, gathering three hundred elite troops and fighting as he retreated.
They even arrived at the merchant ship by the sea before Yuan Tan did.
His armor was stained with blood, and he stood at the bow of the boat, holding a gun, anxiously gazing at the shore.
When he saw Yuan Tan carrying a bound woman in red, staggering out of the woods, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly sent a small boat to meet him.
"My lord!"
As soon as Yuan Tan stepped onto the deck, Zhang He rushed forward, kneeling on one knee, his tiger-like eyes filled with tears:
"This humble general is incompetent, causing our lord to be in grave danger, resulting in the loss of more than half of our soldiers, and even General Cen Bi being captured by the enemy... Please punish me, my lord!"
Behind him, the more than three hundred surviving soldiers also knelt down, all of them wounded and with sorrowful expressions.
Looking at the group of defeated soldiers before him, Yuan Tan's gaze swept over their wounds, and his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
These are the very foundation upon which he now makes his living!
He did not immediately go to help Zhang He, but slowly walked to the middle of the soldiers.
Suddenly, he bowed deeply to the ground in front of everyone!
"Brothers! It's Yuan Xiansi's incompetence that has dragged you all down with him!"
When Yuan Tan looked up again, his eyes were red and his voice was choked with emotion.
"The defeat in this battle was entirely due to my misjudgment of the enemy and my reckless advance! If it weren't for the brothers' desperate fighting, I, Yuan Tan, would have long since perished in the wilderness! It is my good fortune, Yuan Xiansi, to see you all here today!"
He walked up to a soldier with a missing arm, knelt down, examined his wound personally, and roared at the army medic:
"Use the best wound medicine! If we lack the ingredients, I'll use my personal treasury to get them! His life must be saved!"
He then helped up a young junior officer, brushed the dust off his shoulders, and said with heartache:
"I remember you. During the attack on Dongwu City, you were the first to scale the walls and kill three enemies! Well done! I'm so sorry for letting you down..."
Yuan Tan moved among the wounded soldiers, offering gentle words of comfort and checking their injuries. When he spoke of them with emotion, tears actually rolled down his cheeks.
These veterans, who have survived countless battles, value loyalty and are most easily moved by sincerity.
Seeing his lord's "self-reproach" and "concern," the resentment and injustice in his heart dissipated by most, replaced by a feeling of "a scholar will die for one who understands him."
"My lord! It's not a fault of the battle! It's that Gao Shun arrived too quickly!"
"Yes! Our lord's kindness to us is as heavy as a mountain; we are willing to follow him to the death!"
"I am willing to die for my lord!"
Someone shouted first, and everyone echoed, instantly dispelling the sorrow and rekindling morale!
Okay! Okay!
The morale of the troops is truly high!
Yuan Tan almost wanted to award himself a Golden Rooster Award, but unexpectedly, a few words were enough to win back the morale of the army.
As expected, I, Yuan Tan, am perfectly suited for this job!
……
Meanwhile, in Ye City, at the General's Mansion.
The messenger was holding the battle report from Qingzhou and reading it aloud to the crowd.
"...The eldest son, Yuan Tan, led his troops south across the sea, launching a surprise attack on Dongwu, cutting off Lü Bu's supply lines in the fields of Tancheng, and even ambushing Lü Bu's daughter, Lü Lingqi, in open battle! Lü Bu was terrified and showed signs of retreating!"
As soon as the messenger finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the large council hall.
Yuan Shao, seated in the main seat, first showed a hint of surprise on his face, then burst into laughter:
"Hahaha! Well done! What a fine Yuan Xiansi! Truly a steed of our family! A surprise attack by sea, capturing the kingpin! Such courage, such achievements, let's see who dares to say that my eldest son, Yuan Benchu, is mediocre!"
Although the battle report omitted the details of Yuan Tan's defeat and hasty escape by Gao Shun, and emphasized his achievements in the surprise attack on Dongwu and the burning of the grain supplies, Yuan Shao found it quite unexpected that his eldest son could achieve such a feat under Lü Bu's nose.
Ju Shou clapped his hands and sighed deeply, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement:
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! This strategy is truly a stroke of genius! By avoiding the enemy's strength and striking their weakness, we can strike straight at their heart! In this battle, the eldest son not only relieved the siege of Qingzhou, but also drew the flames of war into the heart of Xuzhou, leaving Lü Bu unable to attend to both ends!"
Such vision and courage already possess the makings of a renowned general! My lord, this is a gift from heaven, a blessing upon Hebei!
Even the usually stern Tian Feng nodded heavily, a rare look of admiration on his face:
"The key to military strategy lies in achieving victory through surprise. The eldest son's ability to break out of the stalemate at Langya and launch this long-distance surprise attack by replacing infantry with sea transport demonstrates a deep understanding of the essence of military strategy: 'engage with the orthodox and win with the unorthodox'!"
What's even more remarkable is that his objective was clear: not to conquer cities and seize territory, but solely to burn grain supplies, capture women, and strike at Lü Bu's Achilles' heel! Such insight is no fluke! Feng, I admire you!
Ju Shou and Tian Feng's praise was purely based on professional recognition from a military perspective.
They did not get involved in factional struggles, but only discussed success or failure. Yuan Tan's strategic vision in this battle earned him the respect of these two strategists.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao was quite pleased. After a moment's thought, he made his decision:
"Issue the order: Grant Yuan Tan a thousand catties of gold, a thousand bolts of brocade, and increase his fief by three hundred households! Also grant him the authority to act as regent, and allow him to make arbitrary decisions regarding military affairs in Qingzhou, executing first and reporting later!"
"False festival!"
Upon hearing this order, the expressions of the people below the hall varied.
This means that Yuan Tan's power in Qingzhou has been greatly expanded.
Some officials who had initially held a neutral stance offered their congratulations:
"The eldest son's bravery and decisiveness are truly a blessing to our lord and a boon to our army!"
However, the third young master Yuan Shang, who was sitting at the lower end, suddenly turned gloomy.
He forced a smile and echoed the congratulations of the crowd, but his eyes glanced at Lady Liu, Yuan Shao's mother, who was sitting next to him.
Madam Liu understood, gently put down the jade chopsticks in her hand, and said in a soft, charming voice:
"My lord, I am happy for your illustrious achievements. However..."
She changed the subject slightly.
"Qingzhou is far from Yecheng, and with the back and forth of battle reports, some details are inevitably blurred. I am but a woman, ignorant of military and national affairs, but I am worried..."
If there is any exaggeration in this, or if the battle report is inaccurate, my husband's generous reward now, if he were to learn the truth later, wouldn't it damage Xiansi's reputation and also impair my husband's discernment?