Moments later, Guan Yu removed his armor and sat with Wei You in the hall. Before them, Sun Guan was bound tightly, his mouth stuffed with a cloth, leaving him only able to glare at the two and mumble incoherently.
Scratching his head, Guan Yu said, "That's how it happened. This fellow staged a whole act, saying he needed to avoid spies and had something important to discuss with us."
Hearing Guan Yu's explanation, Wei You smiled awkwardly. "Let's ask him first and see what he has to say."
Wei You waved his hand, and the guards immediately understood, removing the cloth from Sun Guan's mouth.
Sun Guan greedily inhaled a breath of fresh air, and after catching his breath, he immediately started cursing, "Damn it! I risked my life to come up with a way to meet you two, and you treat me like an animal, tying me up like this. Is this how you show hospitality?"
"Shut up! If you dare speak rudely again, I'll cut you down right now!" Guan Yu shouted angrily. Seeing that the two were on the verge of clashing again, Wei You quickly intervened to smooth things over.
"Both of you, calm down," Wei You said before turning to Sun Guan. "Allow me to guess, you must be the fourth leader, Sun Guan?"
"That's right!" Sun Guan proudly raised his head. "My name is Sun Guan, styled Zhongtai!"
"Since you mentioned that you have something important to discuss, and now we're in this hall where it's safe to talk openly, why don't you go ahead and say what you came here to say?"
"Sir, it's clear that you're a learned man. I don't expect you to treat me with the utmost courtesy, but at least you could untie me before we talk, couldn't you?"
Seeing that Sun Guan was pushing his luck, Guan Yu's anger flared up again, but Wei You simply laughed and nodded, "The fourth leader is right. Guards, untie him and bring him some good tea."
At Wei You's command, the guards reluctantly approached to untie Sun Guan and served him a pot of fine tea. Sun Guan, being a rough bandit, grabbed the pot and drank directly from it, causing both Guan Yu and Wei You to break into a cold sweat.
"Ah, that's refreshing! This really is good tea! You scholars really do know how to live!" Sun Guan said with satisfaction, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.
Wei You chuckled as well. "Now that you're untied and have had some tea, let's get to the point. What do you have to say?"
Taking a deep breath, Sun Guan began, "I've been a bandit in Taishan for many years now, and I've grown tired of living on the edge. "
"Today, I came down the mountain with the intention of leading my three thousand brothers from the camp to join General Qin in Langya. You two are clearly under General Qin's command. Could you perhaps introduce me to him?"
"Arrogant fool!" Guan Yu slammed the table. "Do you not realize that our Lord's soldiers are all loyal and righteous? How could we allow a group of bandits like you to disrupt our ranks?"
Sun Guan laughed and replied, "General Guan, from what I know, General Qin's forces already include many former Yellow Turban rebels. If we're talking about looting and pillaging, I don't think they're much different from us bandits."
"You!" Guan Yu was momentarily speechless. Sun Guan's words were true, and he found himself unable to refute them. Wei You also smiled and said, "It seems the fourth leader is well-informed. I take it that the fire in Chang Xi's main camp last night was your doing?"
"Indeed, I ordered the fire last night. If not for that, I doubt the two of you would have escaped Taishan."
"Hmm..." Wei You nodded thoughtfully, saying nothing further as he squinted at Sun Guan, clearly weighing whether or not to trust him.
"I understand your intentions now, but simply saying so isn't enough. After all, we already defeated you last night, so naturally, there would be some suspicion."
"Hmph," Sun Guan chuckled wryly. "You think I'm untrustworthy? I get it. A bandit like me needs to prove his loyalty. Otherwise, no matter how much I talk, you won't believe me."
Looking around the room, Sun Guan's eyes suddenly lit up as he spotted something behind the two. They turned to see a rough map of Taishan hanging on the wall.
"Trying to attack the mountain with just an empty map is overly ambitious," Sun Guan said as he grabbed a pen and approached the map. "Let me mark the hidden posts and outposts on the mountain for you."
With that, Sun Guan began marking the map with a focused expression, while Guan Yu and Wei You stood on either side, watching him closely.
"Done!" In less than the time it took for incense to burn, Sun Guan placed the pen on the table. The once-empty map was now covered in markings. Just as he said, the hidden posts, outposts, and even lesser-known paths were clearly marked.
"The terrain of Taishan is uneven, with many obstacles and cliffs. It's impressive that the fourth leader knows it so well," Wei You remarked as he glanced over the map. The details matched the intelligence he had gathered, even surpassing it in accuracy, causing him to sigh in admiration.
Sun Guan proudly clapped his hands, "It's nothing. I've been on the mountain for years. If I didn't know my own territory, how could I have repelled the government forces' attempts to encircle us?"
Hearing this, Guan Yu thought Sun Guan was mocking him again, and his expression darkened. Wei You smiled and said, "We understand what you mean, Fourth Leader, but attacking the mountain requires a detailed plan. Do you have any suggestions?"
"Certainly. I still have three thousand brothers in the camp on the mountain. Tonight, at dusk, you can take this small path up the mountain, which will lead you directly outside my camp, avoiding the sentries. "
"I'll have my men light two lanterns at the gate to guide you. Once you see the lanterns, you can launch your attack!"
"Good!" Wei You and Sun Guan quickly agreed. Wei You stood and cupped his hands in salute to Sun Guan, saying, "Fourth Leader, your wisdom and courage are admirable. After tonight's victory, I will report to our Lord, and you will surely be rewarded!"
"Thank you, Chief Clerk, and thank you, General Guan, for sparing my life!" Sun Guan responded gratefully.
Guan Yu courteously returned the gesture, "There's no need for thanks, General Sun. From now on, we are comrades-in-arms, and we should devote ourselves to fighting bravely on the battlefield and achieving great deeds!"
"Haha, excellent!" Sun Guan was overjoyed, feeling truly valued for the first time, and his excitement was hard to contain.
With the battle of Taishan temporarily set aside, the scene shifts back to Youzhou, Youbeiping. While Guan Yu and Wei You were on their campaign to Taishan, Gongsun Zan personally led his army on a third expedition to Liaodong.
The ultimate goal of this expedition was to remove the thorn lodged between the Liaoxi and Liaodong plains—Eagle's Beak Pass!
After Gongsun Fan's failed campaign in Liaodong, Gongsun Du took in the rebellious Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun brothers from Yuyang. At the same time, the commander of Liaoxi, Huang Xin, was killed in battle, and Gongsun Du handed over Liaoxi to the Zhang brothers to defend.
However, the brothers had no experience in leading troops or waging war, and Gongsun Du's decision to have them defend Liaoxi was clearly an attempt to use them as cannon fodder.
Sure enough, even before Gongsun Zan's army started preparing to attack Liaoxi after crossing Youbeiping, news arrived that Zhang Ju and Zhang Chun had already fled.
The Xiongnu leader Yudigen, who had rebelled alongside them, retreated to Eagle's Beak Pass with his troops to join forces with the commander Yang Zuo in resisting Gongsun Zan.
"Shield bearers to the front, crossbowmen on the flanks to cover them, and advance the main army to protect the siege ladders!" Three days later, Gongsun Zan's army arrived as planned.
Their imposing momentum immediately struck a blow to the morale of Yang Zuo's troops.
"Soldiers, hear me! The enemy's large numbers mean nothing! Form ranks on the walls, draw your bows, and when the enemy approaches, shoot to kill! The one who kills the most will be rewarded with ten taels of gold!"
For every strategy, there's a counter-strategy. Today was Yang Zuo's third time facing Gongsun Zan's army, and he was full of confidence, knowing that reinforcements from Liaodong were already on the way.
They only needed to hold Eagle's Beak Pass for one day, and tomorrow the reinforcements would arrive, turning the tide!
"Yes, sir!" Both sides shouted their battle cries to the heavens. Soon after, the war drums sounded, and the tension in the air grew.
Gongsun Zan's infantry and archers advanced in alternating cover, making significant progress. But Yang Zuo's troops held the higher ground, and as soon as the enemy came within range, Yang Zuo shouted, "Release!"
In an instant, a rain of arrows poured down from the city walls. Despite the shield bearers raising their defenses, they couldn't protect the soldiers behind them, who fell in rows like wheat being cut down. The air was filled with the sounds of wailing and battle cries.
Gongsun Zan watched the carnage from the rear, his face emotionless, but his hand gripped his whip so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"No retreat! I don't believe they have endless arrows! Send in the reserves!" Gongsun Zan issued another command, and a new unit charged into the battlefield to replace the fallen.
After half an hour of fierce fighting, the first wave of the assault finally reached the base of Eagle's Beak Pass. As the siege ladders were raised, the battle was about to turn into a brutal melee on the walls. A victorious smile began to spread across Gongsun Zan's face.
"Hmph, don't even think about it!" Yang Zuo sneered. He had prepared several large barrels filled with oil atop the city walls.
"Pour it down! Burn them to death!" Yang Zuo commanded. The soldiers atop the walls, working in pairs, dumped the oil down onto the soldiers struggling to climb the ladders. Many soldiers were doused before they even realized what was happening.
"Not good! It's oil!" someone shouted. Immediately after, the defenders threw down a torch, igniting a massive blaze. Wherever the oil had spread, the ground turned into a fiery hell.
"Ahhh!" The agonized screams of burning soldiers filled the sky. Watching the inferno below and the soldiers writhing in agony like demons in the flames, Yang Zuo laughed maniacally.
"You beast!" Gongsun Zan's forehead bulged with veins as he saw nearly two thousand of his soldiers consumed by the flames. His fists clenched tightly.
"Lord, we should sound the retreat!" Guan Jing advised anxiously, his eyes fixed on the horrific scene before them.
Gongsun Zan nodded. "Order the retreat. We've achieved our objective. Now it's up to Tian Yu." As he spoke, Gongsun Zan glared at Eagle's Beak Pass and gritted his teeth, "Tomorrow will be the day of reckoning!"