The Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Tan, intercepted Guo Jia's...

Chapter 96 Yuan Tan! I will kill you!

Throughout the entire process, Yuan Tan's eyes were red and swollen, with tears welling up in them, which deeply moved everyone who witnessed it.

They thought it was their own lord, lamenting the tragic fate of beautiful women and the injustice of Lady Zou's death.

But Yuan Tan was suppressing a laugh, so much so that tears were almost streaming down his face.

One can imagine Zhang Xiu's feelings soon afterward; he would probably have to grit his teeth and swallow it all.

After the body is sent back, Zhang Xiu will definitely send someone to examine it.

Once she discovers that scene, who knows what her expression will be? She might even kill him to silence him.

After all, it was for the sake of his aunt's reputation.

Then he will definitely come back to seek revenge, but no one will understand him or help him curse him as a heartless scoundrel.

He, Zhang Xiu, will be etched on the pillar of historical shame, while I, Yuan Tan, will be remembered for eternity and my name will be celebrated for ten thousand generations!

Haha, the Duke of Zhou feared rumors in his day, and Wang Mang was humble before his usurpation.

How could future generations possibly know the truth about history just by reading a history book?

……

Liyang.

With a heavy heart, Zhang Xiu sent two maids to place his aunt's body back on the bed in the Liyang Prefect's residence.

But a moment later, the two maids came running out, panting:

"General! Lady Zou, she..."

Zhang Xiu immediately had a bad feeling. He rushed into the bed and grabbed the other person's hand.

He suddenly noticed that the collar of her undergarment was slightly crooked, revealing a small patch of pale skin.

He instinctively reached out to straighten her clothes.

When my fingertips touched the fabric, I felt an abnormal, slightly damp sensation.

He paused, then gently pulled open his shirt.

Moonlight slanted in through the city gate, shining on Zou's heart.

Two dark, full-bodied patterns suddenly came into view.

Zhang Xiu stopped breathing.

His eyes were wide open to the extreme, and blood vessels instantly filled the whites of his eyes.

He stared intently at the painting, at the deliberately outlined shapes, at the glaring vermilion.

Time seemed to stand still.

"ah..."

A roar was forced out from deep in his throat.

Zhang Xiu suddenly clutched his head, curled up, and trembled violently.

The guards rushed in upon hearing the noise:

"General! What's wrong—"

The sound stopped abruptly.

They saw it too.

Zhang Xiu immediately stood up, drew his sword, and swiftly killed two guards who rushed in.

Then he rushed out and pierced the two maids who had informed him beforehand.

"ah!!!"

"Yuan!!! Tan!!!"

He knelt on the ground and roared for a long time, tears streaming down his face.

Much later, he finally tidied up Zou's remains and dressed her in a brand new suit of armor.

Next, they went to the whetstone and began sharpening the gun.

He was grinding the tiger-headed golden spear that had been with him for many years.

The whetstone scraped against the gun blade, making a harsh sound.

Snap, snap, snap.

"General..."

The captain of the personal guards' voice trembled.

Zhang Xiu didn't look up. His eyes were fixed on the spear blade, looking at his own distorted face reflected in it.

"Pass on the order."

His voice was eerily calm.

"Bury the pot and cook a meal, eat your fill. At noon, open the city gates."

"Open the city gates?! General, we—"

"Open the city gates."

Zhang Xiu finally raised his eyes and said, word by word.

"Follow me to break through the encirclement and kill Yuan Tan as a sacrifice to the heavens!"

……

In Xiapi City, at the council hall of the Marquis Wen's residence.

After obtaining the Imperial Seal, Lü Bu's mindset had changed considerably.

Back then, I was a wanderer, hated by almost everyone, but I never expected that things would take a turn for the better in just a few years.

He also obtained the imperial seal.

Thinking of how Cao Cao and Yuan Tan went to such great lengths to capture Shouchun, only to find that the imperial seal had fallen into their hands.

Most of the prefectures in Huainan also fell into his hands.

He couldn't help but feel happy.

What is the will of Heaven?

This is fate!

"Gongtai, what should we do next?"

"Lord Wen,"

Chen Gong's voice was calm and steady.

"Although Liu Xun has suffered a temporary setback, his name still stands. The most urgent task is to immediately dispatch elite troops with provisions and armor to support him and help him regroup in the Hefei area."

Even if we cannot recapture Lujiang, we must keep him like a nail, firmly anchored in Hefei! This will maximize the depletion of Yuan Tan's troops and supplies, buying time for our Xuzhou forces to prepare for war.

Lu Bu tapped his fingers on the armrest, making a dull sound.

He naturally understood Chen Gong's scheming of watching from the sidelines, but the thought of having to use precious grain and military supplies to fill Liu Xun's bottomless pit made him feel agitated.

Just as he was pondering and undecided.

"Report—!"

A scout stumbled into the lobby and loudly announced:

"Reporting to Marquis Wen! Mr. Chen! Hefei... Hefei has fallen! Yuan Tan's army has breached the city! General Liu Xun has sent me at great risk to break through the siege, imploring Marquis Wen to send reinforcements immediately!"

The air inside the hall froze instantly.

Lu Bu suddenly sat up straight, and Chen Gong's finger, which was resting on the map, also abruptly stopped.

Although it was expected, the news of the defeat came so quickly that it still shocked the two of them.

Lu Bu took a deep breath, suppressing his anger, and waved his hand:

"Understood. You may go and rest now, and return with a detailed report after you have eaten your fill."

The scout had just been helped down, less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"Report! Urgent military intelligence!"

The second scout rushed in, his face filled with fear.

"Generals Liu Xun and Zhang Xun were pursued by Yuan Tan's cavalry and suffered a crushing defeat, with only about five thousand men remaining under their command, in imminent danger! Fortunately... fortunately General Zhang Liao arrived in time and repelled the pursuers, and they have now been escorted to Liyang for temporary refuge!"

"Five thousand?!"

Lu Bu could no longer contain himself and abruptly stood up.

"Tens of thousands of troops in Lujiang, and after only a few days?! Only five thousand remnants remain?!"

His heart was filled with rage, hating Liu Xun's incompetence and even more furious at Yuan Tan's arrogance.

Chen Gong's expression was also solemn. Just as he was about to speak, the third scout rushed in, bringing even more earth-shattering news:

"Report! Urgent report from Liyang! General Zhang Xiu... After receiving the body of his aunt, Lady Zou, General Zhang Xiu suddenly went mad, killing his close attendants, and then... He personally led his remaining troops out of Liyang City, heading straight for Yuan Tan's camp, vowing to take revenge!"

The result…they fell into an ambush, and the entire army…the entire army was wiped out! Only a hundred or so former Xiliang soldiers fought desperately to protect them and break through the encirclement, their whereabouts unknown!

"What?!"

This time, even the usually composed Chen Gong was so surprised that he stood up.

Lu Bu was dumbfounded and couldn't believe it.

Although Zhang Xiu had just suffered a defeat, he was once a regional warlord who had defeated Cao Cao several times and had the demeanor of a great general. Why would he do something as reckless as a moth drawn to a flame?

Standing to the side, Lü Lingqi couldn't help but interject, her delicate brows furrowing:

"Zhang Xiu is not an unwise person, how could he act so impulsively? But what heinous crime did Yuan Tan commit against Lady Zou's remains?"

She had been captured by Yuan Tan before, so she naturally knew his character.

This guy appears virtuous on the surface, but he's actually full of bad intentions. Who knows what he might do that heinous thing?

The scout, prostrate on the ground, replied:

"Miss, please understand. According to our informants, when Madam Zou's body was returned, her clothes were neat and her face was peaceful. It seemed that she had been carefully cleaned and tidied up, and there were no obvious signs of dishonor."

"snort!"

Upon hearing this, Lü Bu slammed his hand heavily on the table:

"Useless! Fool! To lose your mind so much over a woman! Even with a blood feud, you should have bided your time and waited for the right opportunity! To disregard the big picture and destroy your own defenses is nothing but the rage of a common man! Such an incompetent person deserves to perish!"