Gongsun Zan opened his arms and laughed loudly. Now, he could finally treat all his past sufferings as a joke and drink them down in wine. "So, I swore that I would never let anyone around me suffer the same hardships as me. Look, these two thousand people are from the Yanshan Battalion that I recruited. Every military officer and every garrison commander was promoted based on their military merits and abilities! Sister, you and I have chosen the same path, selecting the virtuous and capable, not just based on their background." "Sister, you are so perseverant, loyal, and brave. I admire you!" Although he already knew the story and history of Gongsun Zan, he was even more shocked to hear the person involved talk about it in person. Liu Zhuang and the other generals in the White Horse Camp toasted him with emotion, expressing their admiration for this White Horse general who had also fought his way up from the bottom. "Oh? By the way, at the end of the battle, I saw a young general on a white horse, flashing into the Yellow Turban formation and stabbing the Taoist priest with a spear. I guess he must be this hero, right?" Gongsun Zan turned his gaze to Zhao Yun, and spoke without restraint as he was drunk. Well, this girl is really pretty, with skin as white as cream, hair like flying snow, and a pure white dress without a single color. Even her sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes are silver. "Sister, I love white the most in my life. I want to form a guard with all members riding white horses. I wonder if this hero is willing to..." Liu Zhuang was a little annoyed. Even if you are drunk, you can't show off in front of me, right? Just as he was about to refuse, Zhao Yun stood up first, bowed respectfully to Gongsun Zan with both hands, and said righteously in front of everyone. Although her voice was a little weak, her will was extremely firm. “I’m sorry, County Magistrate. Yun admires your courage, your military exploits, and I look forward to your rise.
However, the Sima of the Other Department saved my brothers from the water and fire. Just as you swore to the governor of Liaoxi, I also swear to the Sima of the Other Department that I will go through fire and water in this life and death, and I will do whatever you want!!!" After hearing what Zhao Yun said, Gongsun Zan gave up the idea. Liu Bei on the side felt quite regretful and looked at Zhao Yun and Liu Zhuang with envy. The two men's eager eyes and Zhao Yun's expression of loyalty on the spot made Liu Zhuang and the Baima generals very happy. They puffed out their chests with pride, toasted Zhao Yun one after another, and drank a round of wine themselves, which showed the internal unity of the Baima camp. Look at this pretty sister, she’s from our family! "Zhao Yun and I clearly charged into the battle together, so why didn't the Zhuo County Magistrate and the Sima of the Yanshan Camp mention me?" Zhang Liao was also very happy, but he was also a little unconvinced in his heart and muttered something to himself. "Maybe it's because Zhao Yun painted the armor silver and rode a white horse and white robe, so he's very recognizable. You're wearing the tube-sleeved armor of an ordinary officer. She probably didn't recognize that Thunder Boy. Who is he among us?" Lu Bu comforted the unhappy Zhang Liao. "It's okay, brothers, you all remember it. Don't worry about outsiders. Come on, continue drinking! Celebrate the demise of the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou! Celebrate your military exploits in supporting the Han Dynasty!" "Support the Han Dynasty! Kill the traitors!!!" The Baima Camp and the Yanshan Camp celebrated happily until the evening, when they stopped drinking and returned to their camps to sleep. Chapter 72: The Five Northern Army Battalions In Youzhou, Gongsun Zan and Liu Zhuang achieved an epic victory, annihilated the main force of the Yellow Turbans in Youzhou, and even captured Cheng Yuanzhi, one of the thirty-six generals, thus stabilizing the situation in Youzhou. In Jizhou, Lu Zhi, the General of the Northern Army, also led 50,000 Han troops to engage in the first large-scale battle with Zhang Jue at the foot of Yecheng. The Yellow Turban army under Zhang Jue was quite large, with a total of 100,000 people, twice the number of Lu Zhi's troops, but most of them were farmers, holding a spear. After the uprising broke out, they received some training and then stepped into the battlefield. Only 10,000 people had received long-term training, and the weapons and armor seized from Yecheng and other places could only arm 3,000 soldiers. It is hard to describe how elite they were. On the other hand, Lu Zhi's 50,000 Han troops, of which 45,000 were recruited from the vicinity of Luoyang. Although their training level was not very good, they were equipped with a full set of swords and shields, halberds, spears, and military crossbows. Each squad had two people who could be equipped with armor, and the ratio of armored soldiers was an astonishing two-fifths. The remaining 5,000 men were the most elite troops in the entire Han Dynasty: the Five Battalions of the Northern Army. During the Chu-Han period, when classes had not yet solidified, officers were selected according to their military merits and abilities. The average garrison commander who commands a hundred men is level 4. The average military officer who commands 8 men is level .
The average level of a captain who commands a thousand men is 12. Above them, the Generals of the Central Army and various generals of miscellaneous titles were at an average level of 16. Generals with important titles, such as the General of the Western Expedition and the General of the Eastern Expedition, start at level 17 and there is no upper limit. As for legends above level 20...there are only a handful of them throughout the history of the Han Dynasty. As for the Han Imperial Army: The Northern Army's Fifth Battalion? You must be at least a Level 4 professional, a garrison commander commanding a hundred men in other battalions, to be qualified to enter the Northern Army's Fifth Battalion and become a lowly soldier. A 2,000-stone lieutenant of the same rank as a governor, at most a Qujun officer, would be here. Among these five thousand people, at the very least they are soldiers at the level of a garrison commander like Wei Xu and Song Xian. Their armor was extremely luxurious. All the soldiers wore the recently developed basin-collar armor: this was the heaviest black iron armor ever invented in the empire. The skirt of the sleeve armor only reaches the knees; the skirt of the basin collar armor directly covers the ankles, and even the calves are protected tightly. The entire arms and palms are covered with black armor. There is a circle of high raised iron armor collar near the collar, which directly covers the neck and the lower half of the face, and the armor covers the top of the head. With this set of armor, only the upper half of the face near the eyes will be exposed to the air. He is really majestic, standing there, as if he is a towering pagoda that is breathtaking. The black armor and red rope reflect a creepy black halo in the sun. Zhang Jue felt a little guilty when he saw the posture of the Han army. There were a thousand brave and warlike Han men in the center of the army. All the soldiers in this camp wore basin-collar armor that only revealed the upper half of their faces. The armor even emitted a Confucian halo, as if a thousand black Confucian towers stood in the center of the position. They were arranged in the traditional infantry phalanx of the Han army: the first row of swords and shields, the second row of halberds, the third row of infantry spears, and the fourth row of battle spears in that order, forming an extremely majestic royal army. Their weapons were all burning with the red fire of Han, and their armor and weapons were all magical equipment. When the spring breeze blew, the large flags with red backgrounds and black borders embroidered with dragon emblems, and the red feathers on the heads of a thousand people were all fluttering in the wind, like a vast red ocean. The fifth battalion of the Northern Army - infantry battalion. Behind them on both sides, there were another one thousand extremely burly and tall Han people, wearing basin-collar armor and holding Han bows and military crossbows with exaggerated pulling force, providing long-range support for the infantry. All of them were the top marksmen of the Han Dynasty, and there were many people who could pull the three-stone longbow like Lu Bu. There were even soldiers pushing twelve-stone large yellow crossbows and chariot crossbows installed on chariots, joining the battlefield in a mighty manner. The crossbow arrows shot by those things were thicker than human arms. The fifth battalion of the Northern Army - Shesheng Battalion. War horses neighed, flags and drums shook the sky, and a thousand armored cavalrymen came marching forward. The horses they rode were not ordinary war horses, but a thousand demon nightmares. These were the thousand demon mounts that successive emperors of the Han Dynasty obtained from Dayuan with the combined strength of the empire, and have been passed down to this day. The appearance of these demonic nightmares resembles a tall, red horse, but the mane and tail are burning with the blazing flames of hell. Not only that, the four red horse hooves burning with flaming flames leave a series of burning hoof prints on the ground every time they gallop. With every breath, the wide nostrils of the war horses will spew out two groups of sulfur black mist that cover the sky and the sun. The pair of piercing demon eyes are like two stars that never go out, flashing a dazzling halo in the darkness that makes it impossible to look directly at. These horses do not sweat, but what they ooze is flames as ferocious as blood. Therefore, they are also called "blood-sweating horses" by the Western Regions and the Khan. The Han riders on the back of the Blood Nightmare were all elites among the elites. Each soldier wore enchanted basin-collared armor and the long spears in their hands burned with eerie demon fire. Even the burly body of this demon nightmare was covered in black and red horse armor. The protection and impact performance were raised to a terrifying level. Even if the entire Han Empire was gathered together, they could only produce these one thousand armored cavalry. The fifth battalion of the Northern Army - Tunqi Battalion. "WAAAGH!!!" A terrifying war cry that made one's blood freeze rang out from a corner of the army formation. A thousand green-skinned giants collectively roared out the most bloodthirsty and crazy roar! The Xiongnu orcs were once the most terrifying enemy of the Han Dynasty, but now, even the orcs of the Southern Xiongnu had to surrender to the pressure of the Dragon Emperor and become the Changshui Hu Cavalry. The Orcs are a very strange race. The average greenskin is about two meters tall, but the best among them will grow taller and taller because other greenskins think they are very strong and WAAAGH!!! These one thousand Orc cavalrymen are all big Orcs over two and a half meters tall. The shortest ones are about the same height as Lu Bu, and the most terrifying ones are even over three meters tall. The leading captain is a four-meter-tall green-skinned behemoth. Just standing there is terrifying. After he rides on his mount, he is even taller than most of the Han army's flags! The orcs have a wide variety of mounts, most of which are domesticated war pigs, a type of large mount that is slightly slower in speed but has excellent endurance and charging performance. Moreover, like the greenskins, these things can continue to grow larger and can withstand their ever-expanding body size. This alone is something that ordinary war horses cannot do. Some leaders even rode on various strange and ferocious monsters such as giant wolves, giant spiders, and flying dragons from the Beidi grasslands. The fifth battalion of the Northern Army - Changshui Battalion. Zhang Jue frowned, and along with the fluttering red dragon flags, he saw a thousand gorgeous tree elves: they were a kind of forest elves that lived in the miasma rainforest in the south. They had extremely slender and graceful bodies, delicate facial features, and were very similar to the elven women from the Western Regions. Their colorful and dazzling eyes always exuded an eye-catching brilliance. The skin and hair color of the tree elves change with the seasons. Now it is spring, their skin has a normal skin color, and their long hair gradually changes from winter's snow-white to spring and summer's turquoise green. Pink peach blossoms quietly bloom on their light blue hair, making these forest elves look particularly beautiful and charming. When the Han Dynasty gradually conquered the various tribes of Nanyue, some tree spirits chose to hide in the mountains, while others chose to pledge their loyalty to the Han Emperor. The Han Emperor selected the best among them and incorporated them into the Five Battalions of the Northern Army to serve as the imperial guards. Some of these goblins rode on war horses provided by the Han Empire, while others rode on deer, rhinos, and war elephants, which were native to South Vietnam. Some of them were even war tree men that were more than ten meters tall! These goblins were century-old giant trees that had become spirits. Their roots had been pulled out of the ground, turning into thousands of tentacles that carried their towering bodies all the way from South Vietnam to Jizhou.
These wood elves and tree giants constitute the last battalion of the Imperial Guard. The fifth battalion of the Northern Army - the Yue Cavalry Battalion.
The author says: Author's words: 1500 monthly tickets ~ Explosive update days +3 Chapter 73: Confrontation between Confucianism and Taoism Zhang Jue looked at the Five Battalions of the Northern Army with secret fear. Even a centipede was still alive after death, but the terminally ill Han Empire still maintained the terrifying combat power of the Five Battalions of the Northern Army. Thousands and thousands of large flags with red backgrounds and black borders were dancing in the spring breeze, like a blazing sunset covering the sky and the sun. The five battalions of the Northern Army hadn't even gone into battle yet, but their momentum alone had already frightened the Yellow Turban Army so much that they almost wanted to leave first - I'm going to attack the five battalions of the Northern Army? Really? At this moment, an elegant and easy-going old man, wearing a Confucian robe and riding a red horse, walked out in front of the Han army. His handsome face was etched with deep grooves by the years. He became extremely old and his hair and beard were white, but he was still energetic and strong, and his whole body still exuded a suffocating pressure. "The Great Sage, that is Lu Zhi. Lord Lu, he is different from those officials. He is a good man. Do we really want to fight him? And... can we defeat him and the five battalions of the Northern Army?" After seeing Lu Zhi, several Yellow Turban leaders who came to seek refuge from Youzhou and Luoyang weakened their morale, were intimidated and sweated profusely, and hurried to report to Zhang Jue. "I'll come and meet him." Zhang Jue also respected Lu Zhi very much. He held a three-meter-long scepter in his right hand and a large flag embroidered with a double-headed eagle and the yellow sky in his left hand. He walked out of the army formation calmly. The breeze blew, making her bright yellow clothes and black hair dance in the air. Her dignified and holy face and sacred and graceful body made the Great Sage look like a fairy from the ninth heaven who was born into the mortal world. "General Beizhong, I have long heard of your great name." Zhang Jue bowed respectfully in front of the two armies to show his respect for Lu Zhi. "People often say that you are a great Confucian scholar, with a reputation throughout the country. You are a role model for scholars, a pillar of the country, and the hope of the world! I studied Taoism, but I also know a little about Confucianism. I have a few questions that I would like to ask you." "Excuse me." Lu Zhi nodded politely, but did not return the greeting to the traitor. "Confucianism believes in the interaction between heaven and man. The emperor governs the world on behalf of heaven. If the emperor goes against heaven's will and is unkind and unjust, heaven will send disasters to condemn and warn him; if the emperor governs well and the people are harmonious, heaven will send auspicious signs to encourage him. Since Liu Hong's son ascended the throne, there was famine in Henei in the third year of Jianning, and couples were cannibalistic; in the fourth year of Jianning, earthquakes occurred frequently, and seawater flooded into fertile fields; in the second year of Xiping, plague was rampant, killing four or five out of ten people; in the fifth year of Xiping, there was a locust plague in Guanzhong. In the seventh year of Xiping, locusts swept across the seven states with Guanzhong as the core! The swarms of insects covered the mountains and plains, blocking out the sun! In the second year of the Photosynthesis era, two more major earthquakes broke out in succession. In the third year of the Photosynthesis era, an unprecedented plague swept across the entire Hebei region! In June of the fourth year of the Photosynthesis era, the well water was frozen into a deep frost, and not even a drop of water could be fished out. A month later, in the scorching summer, hailstones as big as chicken eggs fell! So many sufferings and natural disasters occurred in the ten years since Liu Hong ascended the throne. Isn't this a warning from heaven? Isn't this what you Confucians mean by the emperor being unkind and unjust? Isn't there something wrong with the emperor? According to your theory, Liu Hong deserves to die! If he is still worthy of ruling this empire, I can only think that not only the emperor, but also the heaven is blind! Dead! The heaven is dead! The Yellow Heaven should be established!!!" "You are also qualified to explain the connection between heaven and man?!" Lu Zhi's eyes were wide open and his hair and beard were fluttering. How could Confucianism be interpreted arbitrarily by others? "We have all been trying hard to persuade the emperor to cultivate virtue. His Majesty changed the reign title to Jianning, Xiping, and Guanghe, and prayed to the heavens for help. He has granted amnesty to the people forty times in a row, and sent eunuchs and imperial doctors to cure diseases and save lives. For every natural disaster you mentioned, the court has allocated a large amount of funds to the disaster area for relief. Recently, it has lifted the ban on party imprisonment and released a large number of Confucian scholars from prison. Is the current emperor guilty of the crime you said and deserves death? Are you qualified to evaluate the emperor?" "Oh? So you think he's doing okay?" Zhang Jue sneered sarcastically.
"Lord Lu seems to have been sitting in the temple for too long and has lost sight of us. Those disasters may seem to you to be just records from a corner of the empire on a bamboo slip, but to us, these disasters happened to us! Every famine means the end of the world! Look at the people behind me! Some of them were forced to flee because of the famine in Hanoi. In order to survive, they shed tears of blood and ate the emaciated bodies of their wives and children with their own mouths. Some people's entire families died suddenly due to the plague. He was the only one left in a family of more than a dozen people. Later, his family's manors and fields were swallowed up by the government and aristocratic families, and even he himself became a slave of the aristocratic families at a young age. Ah, do you see these people on my right? They are refugees from the Bohai Sea. The great earthquake that year caused the seawater to flood the land, destroying everyone's homes. The land was flooded by the seawater and nothing could be grown. The lucky ones who survived the earthquake experienced a great famine and had to flee the whole village or county. When they arrived in Julu, the number of people was less than half of the original number. The remaining people were starving and skin and bones, and they were all recruited by the noble families as slaves. " Zhang Jue looked at the people behind him who were willing to follow him, his voice choked up a little, and his beautiful eyes were filled with crystal tears. “The people I just mentioned all had a good ending. At least they were recruited by the noble families and had food to eat. Do you know what kind of hell the rest of the people are going through? The continuous natural disasters over the past decade have made it impossible for the noble families to support a large number of domestic slaves. The remaining people have been displaced, their food has been eaten by locusts, their bodies have been destroyed by plagues, and their spirits have gradually collapsed as their family members have passed away one after another, devouring their bodies! I saved them all! The court sent eunuchs and imperial doctors to the countryside? Appropriated funds for disaster relief? We didn’t see a single one! Where is the emperor’s virtue?” After listening to Zhang Jue's words, Lu Zhi was also a little horrified. He had some idea about the collapse of the grassroots of the Han Dynasty, but he did not expect it to be so exaggerated. "Then let me ask the second question. With such a natural disaster warning, how can the emperor cultivate virtue and change the era name to appease the wrath of heaven? Do we have to die? Aren't we human beings? The emperor was extremely evil and caused so many natural disasters, but he was able to cultivate his virtues and correct his evil deeds. Why should we die miserably in the endless natural disasters that angered the emperor? Could he change his own virtues and change the lives of the thousands of people who died because of him? ! " Zhang Jue was extremely angry at this moment. He held high his Huangtian flag, and hundreds of thousands of people behind him roared in anger. "The blue sky is dead! The yellow sky should be established! The year is Jiazi! Good luck to the world!!!" Zhang Jue was surrounded by thousands of people and asked Lu Zhi the last question coldly. "You are a great scholar of the time, a leader of Confucian scholars, and one of the representatives. I just want to know one thing. Are we really unworthy of living? Must we die in agony in the disaster caused by the emperor's immorality?" Lu Zhi sighed and bowed deeply, not to Zhang Jue, but to the people behind her. "I am a lowly person with little influence. Even in the court, I am only a general of the Northern Army. I cannot change the world. As the ancient sage said, if you are rich, you should benefit the world; if you are poor, you should only benefit yourself. In my hometown, I spent all my family wealth and savings to help all the disaster victims I could. Most of my monthly salary was used for disaster relief, leaving only enough for myself to eat and use. At the same time, I set an example and advised my neighbors. In my hometown, the man-made disasters you mentioned have never happened. When I was the governor of Jiujiang County, I was dedicated to the people under my jurisdiction and took care of everything myself. None of the situations you mentioned have ever occurred in Jiujiang County. The people under my rule lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the whole society was happy. In Luoyang, I tried my best to persuade the emperor, even if it meant I would be implicated in the Party and Faction Persecution. Not only that, I have recruited many disciples and passed on my philosophy to everyone. Maybe my generation can no longer change the Han Dynasty, but my disciples will continue to do their best to change this empire! After them, there will be their disciples! The dawn will illuminate the darkness sooner or later, and I have done my best and have no regrets. " Lu Zhi spoke frankly, and his voice gradually changed from frank to angry. “Before I came here, I read your resume, Zhang Jue. You are just like me. You also spent your wealth to provide porridge to the people in famine and save lives for people in plague. I admire you! This is the right way to do it. If you think the Han Empire is not good, then just follow me, just like you did before, and work hard to build it, transform it, and turn this imperfect empire into what we dream of, instead of pulling a bunch of people together to rebel like you are doing now - look at the innocent people behind you! You are pulling them to be buried with you!!!" "Since Lord Lu is so compassionate to the people, why don't we have a fight first?" Zhang Jue also sighed and said, forget it, the theoretical beliefs are completely different, there is nothing more to say. "I promise you that when I defeat you, I will not kill your people indiscriminately. They will all be treated fairly." Lu Zhi nodded in agreement.
"Then thank you, Lord Lu, General Lu." Zhang Jue nodded in thanks, stuck the flag into the ground, and covered her holy and beautiful face with her slender hands. The thunder power lingering at her fingertips, accompanied by her pious prayers, instantly formed a majestic and solemn divine mask. There was also a horizontal eye on her forehead, emitting divine lightning. When she put on the three-eyed mask constructed by divine power, her whole aura changed drastically! The strong wind brought with it dark clouds, instantly covering the blue sky and plunging the entire battlefield into darkness. Thunder roared down from the sky, and golden lightning illuminated the dark world again like daylight. Surrounded by the thunder, a pair of wings wrapped with thunder grew out of Zhang Jiao's back. His six-dimensional attributes skyrocketed, and his aura continued to rise until it reached its peak. His limbs, bones, and the scepter in his right hand were also wrapped with ferocious electric snakes, as if the Nine-Heaven Yingyuan Leisheng Puhua Tianzun had descended to the mortal world. When the divine mask was actually put on her face, the divine branches behind Zhang Jue, which were completely forged by thunder and fire, even turned into a real divine tree that everyone could see.