Chapitre 600: 575. The Yuan Clan's Flurry Of Activities
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Yuan Shao's gaze hardened as he considered the options. His pride and fury clashed with the grim reality of the situation. Finally, he spoke, his voice heavy with resignation. "Yuan Xi, take what men you can muster and fortify Nanpi. The rest of you, see to it that our supply lines are secured. Send word to Yan Liang, he must hold our frontline from Henei at all costs."
Back at Henei, Yan Liang stood atop the city walls, gazing at the horizon with a mix of determination and trepidation. The city was abuzz with activity as his men fortified their positions and prepared for the inevitable arrival of Lie Fan's forces. Scouts had been dispatched to monitor the enemy's movements, but the reports they brought back were grim.
"Their numbers are overwhelming," one scout reported, bowing low. "Lie Fan's armies advance with discipline and speed. Pingyuan and Guiyang have already fallen."
Yan Liang's jaw tightened. "We will hold this city," he declared. "If we falter here, all is lost. Rally the men and prepare for battle."
The soldiers, though weary and battered from their earlier clashes, responded with a resolute cheer. Their loyalty to Yan Liang was unshaken, and they knew the importance of their mission. As the sun set over Henei, the city's defenses stood ready, a bastion of defiance against the approaching storm.
At the same time, Lie Fan's forces continued their march with relentless precision. The Qilin, Qinlong, and Baihu Armies had regrouped after their victories at Pingyuan, their ranks bolstered by the spoils of war and the morale of triumph.
As for the Zhuque and Xuanwu Armies, after their victories at Ganling, they advanced toward Ye, and their movements synchronized with Lie Fan's grand strategy.
Lie Fan rode at the head of his army, his commanding presence inspiring confidence in his men. Beside him, Lu Lingqi matched his pace, her halberd resting across her saddle. The bond between them was unspoken but palpable, a partnership forged in both love and war.
"Nanpi is the key," Lie Fan said, addressing his generals. "Once it falls, Yuan Shao's domain will crumble. We will not give him a chance to regroup."
Sima Yi, who was riding his horse behind Lie Fan, nodded in agreement. "Our momentum is our greatest weapon, my lord. If we press forward without hesitation, Yuan Shao's forces will have no time to recover."
Xun You added, "Gongsun Gong's advance from the north will divide Yuan Shao's attention further. With Beiping under our control, we will have secured the northern flank."
Lie Fan's gaze hardened. "Then let us finish this. The fall of Yuan Shao begins now."
As Gongsun Gong's army neared Beiping, the defenders mounted a desperate resistance. The city's walls bristled with archers and siege engines, and the narrow streets were barricaded with makeshift defenses.
But Gongsun Gong's forces were undeterred. Using superior tactics and overwhelming numbers, they breached the outer defenses and began to push into the city.
The battle for Beiping raged well into the night, but by dawn, the city was in Gongsun Gong's hands. His banners were raised over the city walls, a stark symbol of Yuan Shao's waning power.
In Nanpi, the news of Beiping's fall arrived like a thunderclap. Yuan Xi, who had just begun organizing the city's defenses, felt the weight of impending doom. The walls of Nanpi, though formidable, could not withstand the combined might of Lie Fan's armies for long from the south, and now suddenly Gongsun Du sent his army to attack from the north.
The weight of the news he carried was almost unbearable, and his face betrayed his inner turmoil. His hastily assembled militia of 150,000 men had been a feat of desperate determination, but even he knew it was barely a patch on the gaping wound that was Yuan Shao's crumbling domain.
Yuan Xi immediately strode into the court, his face set in a grim expression as he made his way to the dais where Yuan Shao sat surrounded by his advisors and officers.
The once-mighty ruler looked older than his years, his shoulders heavy with the burden of his crumbling domain. The court, usually alive with discussion, had fallen into a tense, oppressive silence.
"Father," Yuan Xi began, his voice steady but heavy with urgency, "our scouts report that Lie Fan's forces continue their unrelenting march from the south. Pingyuan and Guiyang are lost, and their next target is undoubtedly Nanpi. Worse still, Gongsun Du's army has invaded from the north and taken over Beiping.
Gasps erupted from the gathered officials, their faces pale with dread. Yuan Shao's face contorted with fury, but it was a brittle anger, undercut by the creeping realization of his precarious position.
"How could this happen?" Yuan Shao demanded, his voice hoarse. "How could Beiping fall so suddenly and so quickly? What is Gongsun Du thinking, betraying our agreement at such a time?"
Yuan Xi hesitated, glancing around the room before speaking. "Father, Gongsun Du's forces are far stronger than we anticipated, and they've caught our northern garrison unprepared. Beiping's fall is not just a threat; it is a reality. We must act swiftly if we are to salvage any chance of holding Nanpi."
The court descended into chaos. Civil and military officials erupted into arguments, some calling for reinforcements to be sent to the north, others demanding that Nanpi be fortified against Lie Fan's advancing armies. Yuan Shao slammed his fist onto the armrest of his chair, silencing the room. His voice was a low growl as he issued his next command.
"Shen Pei, draft a letter immediately to Gongsun Du. Offer him Beiping without further bloodshed. If he will halt his advance, I will relinquish the city."
A stunned silence followed his words. Beiping was a critical city, a hub for supplies to the Great Wall and the garrisons stationed along it. Surrendering it meant effectively abandoning the soldiers there. But Yuan Shao's tone brooked no dissent.
Feng Ji and Guo Tu, ever eager to curry favor with their lord, quickly voiced their support. "My lord is wise," Feng Ji said, his voice dripping with sycophancy. "By offering Beiping, we gain time to consolidate our forces here at Nanpi and prepare for Lie Fan's attack."
Guo Tu nodded, his smile oily. "Indeed, my lord. A strategic retreat is better than a pointless sacrifice. With Nanpi secure, we can regroup and strike back when the time is right."
Some civil and military officials, however, could not contain their outrage. "Abandon Beiping?" one of them cried. "You would leave our soldiers to die and our northern flank exposed?"
But Yuan Shao's patience had worn thin. "Enough!" he thundered, his voice echoing through the chamber. "This is my decision. Shen Pei, do as I command."
Shen Pei bowed deeply, as he hastened to carry out the order leaving the hall to draft the letter, which he entrusted to a swift messenger. Unbeknownst to him, the letter was doomed to fail, for Gongsun Du was long dead, and Gongsun Gong, his successor, had already pledged allegiance to Lie Fan years earlier.
Meanwhile, Yuan Xi left the court, his mind churning with doubts. The decision to surrender Beiping did not sit well with him, but he knew opposing his father would accomplish nothing. He returned to his residence, where his wife, Zhen Ji, awaited him alongside her father, Zhen Yi, and the other elders of the Zhen Clan.
Zhen Ji rose as Yuan Xi entered, acting as concern etched on her delicate features. "Husband, what has happened? The court has been in an uproar since morning."
Yuan Xi sighed, sinking into a chair. "Father has decided to relinquish Beiping to Gongsun Du in the hopes of halting his advance. The situation grows worse by the hour. Lie Fan's armies press us from the south, and now the north is all but lost. If Nanpi falls, there will be nothing left."
Zhen Yi's face darkened. "Relinquishing Beiping? That city is the lifeblood of our northern defenses. Without it, the Great Wall garrison is cut off. What madness drove your father to such a decision? Does he truly believe Gongsun Du will honor such a surrender?"
Yuan Xi hesitated. "It matters little. Even if he does, Lie Fan's forces remain the greater threat. Nanpi is vulnerable, and our resources are stretched thin. I have managed to gather 150,000 men from the surrounding cities, but they are little more than a militia. They cannot hold against Lie Fan's seasoned troops for long."
Zhen Ji who feared that she and her family could possibly die, held back her disgust as she placed a hand on her husband's arm. "Then what will you do? Surely there must be some way to protect Nanpi and our family."
Yuan Xi looked into her eyes, finding strength in her gaze not realizing that she was holding back her disgust of him. "I will do what I can. Father is focused on Beiping, but my priority is here. If we are to survive, we must prepare Nanpi for the worst. Father-in-law, I hope you can organize the Zhen Clan's resources to support the war effort. Every man, weapon, and grain of rice must be accounted for."
Zhen Yi hearing that nods his head, knowing that the Zhen Clan ship had already been tied with the Yuan Clan ship. "It will be done don't worry, the Zhen Clan will use whatever resources and connections we have."
Meanwhile, at Beiping, Gongsun Gong stood atop the city walls, his banners fluttering in the wind. The battle had been hard-fought, but the city was now firmly under his control. His men were already reinforcing the defenses and preparing for the next stage of the campaign.
At this time Shen Pei's letter made it to Beiping, but it arrived too late to change the course of events. The messenger, expecting to meet Gongsun Du, was instead brought before Gongsun Gong, who read the letter with a bemused smile. He had long pledged his loyalty to Lie Fan, and the offer of Beiping was of little consequence.
Gongsun Gong read the letter with a faint smirk. "Relinquish Beiping?" he muttered to himself. "Yuan Shao has no idea who he is dealing with."
"Send the messenger back," Gongsun Gong ordered. "Tell Yuan Shao that Beiping is already ours, and there will be no peace. Let him know the name of the one who now controls his north."
After saying that to the messenger who immediately left, he handed the letter to one of his aides. "Burn it. We march south to join Lord Lie Fan's forces. The time has come to end Yuan Shao's reign in the most for our lord."
The message was sent back to Nanpi with haste, and when Yuan Shao received it, his fury knew no bounds. He hurled the letter across the room, his face red with rage. "Traitors, all of them! Gongsun Du, Gongsun Gong, they will all pay for this betrayal!" But even as he raged, the reality of his situation pressed down upon him. The walls were closing in, and the strength that had once made him a formidable warlord was slipping away.
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Overlord Of The Central Plains
Age: 32 (199 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 1325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 951 (+20)
VIT: 613 (+20)
AGI: 598 (+10)
INT: 617
CHR: 96
WIS: 519
WILL: 407
ATR Points: 0
L’AVIS DES CRÉATEURS 
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