Chapter 15: The Impressive Zhang Liao

As the army marched, Liu Zhan began to make arrangements.

"Zhang He and Gao Lan, each of you lead a team. Split into two groups, one on the left and one on the right, to prevent the young and strong from the Yellow Turbans from escaping. Focus on capturing prisoners."

"Yes, we will follow your orders."

Zhang He and Gao Lan took their troops and left.

The army continued forward, and within seven or eight miles, they encountered the Yellow Turban bandits as expected. Both armies lined up and prepared for battle.

The Yellow Turban forces numbered about twenty thousand, spreading across the horizon. This was the newly assembled mob led by the Yellow Turban general Cheng Zhiyuan.

With both armies facing off, the Yellow Turbans had the numerical advantage, but Liu Zhan's troops were well-armed and equipped, with sharp weapons, complete armor, disciplined ranks, and high morale. Each side had its own strengths.

Liu Zhan looked at the enemy from a distance and felt a twinge of anxiety. Damn, the Yellow Turbans really can rally people. Just a call and they gather such a huge crowd. Looking at his own army, he felt a bit disheartened. Their numbers were still somewhat lacking, making a direct confrontation impractical.

Suddenly, he recalled a famous scene from "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," where Liu Bei, the notorious rebel, had Guan Yu slay Cheng Zhiyuan and Zhang Fei kill Deng Mao.

With this in mind, Liu Zhan immediately came up with a plan: Deng Mao could be killed for credit, but Cheng Zhiyuan might be useful later. Perfect, let's have a version of the Three Kingdoms scene.

He turned to his generals and said, "In this battle, Zhang Liao will behead the enemy's leading general, and then Zhao Zilong will capture Cheng Zhiyuan alive. After that, our army will strike from the front. When the enemy is in a panic, we will capture young recruits to replenish our forces and drive away the old and weak Yellow Turbans."

"Yes, we will follow your orders."

Originally, Guan Yu was supposed to be the one in this scene, but since Guan Yu doesn't have his Green Dragon Crescent Blade, Zhang Liao will take his place. With everything arranged, Liu Zhan mounted his horse and shouted, "Rebels, why do you not surrender sooner!"

Damn, this is a typical knockoff of the Three Kingdoms scene. The language is word-for-word. Why isn't anyone collecting royalties? It's serious infringement.

Cheng Zhiyuan was enraged by this and quickly sent his deputy, Deng Mao, to battle. Seeing this, Zhang Liao spurred his horse and charged, brandishing his green spear directly at Deng Mao. As their horses crossed paths, Zhang Liao roared, "Watch the spear!" The spear moved with incredible speed, and before Deng Mao could react, it pierced him. Zhang Liao shouted again, "Die!" and tossed Deng Mao off his horse, killing him.

Zhang Liao's entrance was quite impressive! Using a knife to kill a chicken—this is the famous enforcer of the Three Kingdoms, killing a nameless minor figure, haha.

Seeing Deng Mao killed, Cheng Zhiyuan was furious. He brandished his sword and charged at Zhang Liao. Zhao Yun quickly took up his spear and met Cheng Zhiyuan, engaging in combat. After two rounds, the horses passed each other, and Zhao Yun, with his long arms, seized Cheng Zhiyuan and captured him alive. The war drums beat, and Liu Zhan signaled his troops to advance.

The Yellow Turban forces, leaderless, were thrown into chaos. Liu Zhan's troops surged forward, with Zhao Yun, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun, and other generals leading the charge. They cut through the enemy ranks with ease, causing the Yellow Turbans to fall into disarray.

With these warriors penetrating the Yellow Turban ranks, Liu Zhan's troops maintained their formation, arranged in several phalanxes. Each phalanx was composed of groups of three, charging into the enemy lines. The battlefield erupted in the sounds of battle. Those Yellow Turbans who dared to resist were met with swords and shields, while the spear users on both sides struck down enemies with precision. Those without weapons were commanded to kneel and surrender to avoid being killed.

The main force advanced with great momentum, instilling fear in the enemy.

It's no wonder the Yellow Turbans were a disorganized mob, a group of farmers who had just put down their hoes. They were no match for the ferocity of the enemy and were thoroughly frightened.