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A thunderous sound of Horse Hooves shattered the silence of the battlefield. Changshan rode forth, spear in hand, like a streak of white light, charging directly towards Yuan Shao. His silver spear flickered like lightning, its cold gleam flashing as arrows were released too late; several archers fell one after another, their blood staining the yellow earth. The Yuan Army collapsed in an instant, scattering in all directions, chaos erupting under the pounding of hooves.
Yuan Shao's face changed dramatically as he turned and shouted, "Hold your ground! Quickly! Prepare to meet the enemy!" However, before his words could settle, Gongsun Zan's main force surged from behind like a tidal wave. Changshan pierced through the enemy lines like a sharp arrow, thoroughly disrupting the Yuan Army's defenses. The sounds of Horse Hooves and clashing weapons intertwined, with cries of battle echoing across the fields.
Seeing the dire situation, Tian Feng hurriedly approached Yuan Shao and whispered urgently, "My Lord, we cannot stay here; we must temporarily retreat to that empty wall over there and wait for reinforcements!" Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's face darkened with anger as he roared, "A true man cannot hide behind walls to survive! I would rather die on the battlefield than lose face for the Yuan Family!" With that, he threw off his helmet onto the ground, drew his sword, and loudly commanded, "All troops fight to the death; we shall not retreat an inch!"
The soldiers of Yuan Shao felt their morale lift slightly at their leader's fierce spirit and fought desperately against the enemy. In the midst of chaos, Changshan charged left and right; his silver spear moved like a dragon emerging from the sea, each strike claiming lives unseen. Yet ultimately, he was but one man against many; several attempts to reach Yuan Shao were thwarted by dense shields and a rain of arrows. Just then, Yan Liang's reinforcements finally arrived, merging with Yuan Shao's remaining troops to begin their counterattack. Seeing the enemy's strength growing, Changshan hurled his spear through several shields and fought his way out with Gongsun Zan to carve a bloody path back to Jie Qiao.
Witnessing Changshan's retreat, Yuan Shao immediately commanded his army to pursue. Countless soldiers of the Yuan Army surged past Jie Qiao; in the crush, many fell into the rushing river below, their cries mingling with the crashing waves. As Yuan Shao reveled in his success upon seeing this scene, he suddenly heard shouts rising from behind in the valley; war drums thundered. Dust flew into the air as a cavalry unit swept forward like a mountain flood.
At the forefront rode three men on fine steeds, wielding various weapons like gods of war on the battlefield. The leader bellowed, "Traitorous scoundrel Yuan Shao! Guan Yunchung is here!" Following him were two generals who glared fiercely with swords drawn: "Yanman Zhang Yide has come to take your life!" The third spoke with a voice steady as rock: "Liu Xuande comes to punish evil in the name of heaven!"
The three generals charged into Yuan Shao's ranks; amidst flashes of blades and swords, the Yuan Army's defenses fell like straw before a scythe. Upon seeing these divine warriors descend upon him, Yuan Shao was already terrified beyond measure; in his panic, he dropped his treasured sword and hastily turned his horse to flee while shouting, "Retreat! All troops fall back!"
Yuan Shao's remnants withdrew like a tide; Jie Qiao became a death trap—pursuers behind and chaos ahead—more soldiers lost their footing and fell into the river with deafening screams. Gongsun Zan observed this and ordered his soldiers to withdraw while Changshan steadied their formation; ultimately, the Yuan Army retreated in disarray.
Back at camp, Gongsun Zan brought Changshan to thank Liu Bei and his brothers Xuan De with choked voices: "If it weren't for your timely rescue today, I fear I would have become a ghost under Yuan Shao's blade." He turned to Changshan and introduced Liu Bei: "Zilong, this is Liu Xuande—gifted beyond measure and comparable to ancient heroes." Changshan bowed respectfully while Liu Bei beamed with joy as he grasped Changshan ’s hand repeatedly saying, "To meet you is truly a blessing!"
News reached Chang'an where Dong Zhuo was feasting in court when Li Ru hurriedly approached him and whispered: "Yuan Shao and Gongsun Zan have been locked in fierce battle at Panhe for some time now; if this continues it may disturb the peace of the realm. If you were to send an envoy under the Emperor’s decree to persuade them towards peace, they would surely remember your kindness and submit to you to help pacify all lords." Dong Zhuo laughed heartily and raised his hand saying, "A brilliant plan! It suits my intentions perfectly!" He then summoned Grand Tutor Ma Rida and Tai Fu Zhao Qi into court and ordered them to carry a decree to persuade peace in Hebei.
The two rode swiftly under the stars until they reached Yuan Shao’s army. Yuan Shao had already received word of their arrival and hastily led his generals out to meet them from a hundred miles away—military ranks aligned perfectly with banners waving high. Ma Rida sat tall upon his horse and proclaimed loudly as he unfurled the decree: "Chancellor Dong Zhuo has received an edict from Heaven; recognizing that both Yuan Shao and Gongsun are esteemed figures of our time who should not be at odds with each other causing suffering among common folk. Thus I am sent here to urge peace between you both so that together you may serve our nation." Upon hearing this decree, although reluctant at heart, Yuan Shao remained still and knelt down accepting it.
The next day Ma Rida and Zhao Qi arrived at Gongsun Zan’s camp where Zan personally led his officers out to greet them at the gate. Though showing disdain on his face, he still feigned respect by sending an envoy carrying letters to Yuan Shao’s camp proposing a ceasefire. Although skeptical about their sincerity, fearing Dong Zhuo’s power nonetheless led him to respond agreeing to negotiate peace. Both sides exchanged letters confirming their truce and withdrew their forces. Ma Rida and Zhao Qi completed their mission triumphantly returning to Chang'an to report back.
Gongsun Zan returned to the capital and immediately submitted a memorial to the court, recommending Liu Xuande for the position of Chancellor of Pingyuan. Xuan De declined the offer but was ultimately compelled to accept the imperial edict and take up his post. Before his departure, the camp was enveloped in silence. Zilong rode swiftly to the camp gate and saw Liu Bei organizing the troops, hastily dismounting to bid farewell. Xuan De, upon seeing Zilong, rushed forward, grasping his hand tightly with tears welling in his eyes. " Zilong, after I leave today, I fear we may not meet again. My heart is heavy with reluctance, but such is the way of the world." Zilong's expression darkened as he replied softly, "In the past, I believed Gongsun Zan to be a true hero. Today, I realize he is no different from Yuan Shao—merely a man chasing empty fame without any ambition for the world!"
Liu Bei placed his hands on Zilong's shoulders, gazing intently at him with a firm tone. " Zilong, this is not a place for long stays; however, we must endure and bide our time. I firmly believe that in this vast world, there will be another day when we meet again." Zilong hesitated to speak but finally sighed deeply. "If that day truly comes, I will repay you with my life!" The two stood together for a long time in silence until it was time to part ways, both faces stained with tears. Zilong watched as Xuan De rode away until the banners disappeared over the horizon before turning back to the camp with a heavy heart.
In Nanyang, Yuan Shu heard the news that his brother Yuan Shao had acquired Ji Province and felt a surge of dissatisfaction. After pondering for a moment, he ordered someone to deliver an edict to Ji Province demanding a thousand horses for military use. Upon receiving the message, Yuan Shao merely scoffed and told the messenger, "Ji Province has just been acquired; everything is still in disarray. Horses cannot be lent lightly. Return and tell him not to make unreasonable demands." The messenger returned to Nanyang and conveyed Yuan Shao's words verbatim to Yuan Shu. Furious upon receiving this message, Yuan Shu slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed angrily, "Yuan Benchu thinks he can disregard his brothers just because he has Ji Province! I will surely take revenge for this!"
Yuan Shu's mind raced as he quickly dispatched someone to Jingzhou to demand two hundred thousand stones of grain from Liu Biao. The envoy respectfully presented this request before Liu Biao, who stroked his beard thoughtfully before sneering, "Yuan Shu is ambitious and growing stronger in Nanyang. If I lend him grain now, wouldn't that be aiding a tiger in its cruelty? I shall not comply!" He dismissed the envoy with evasive words and sent him back with no promise of assistance. When Yuan Shu learned of this incident, he was beside himself with rage and cursed repeatedly: "Liu Jing Sheng is treacherous; he has long been secretly colluding with Yuan Shao! He appears benevolent on the surface but is truly insidious! I will find an opportunity to make him regret this!" Still seething with anger, he devised a plan and quickly penned a letter to Jiangdong, seeking to use others' blades for his own gain.
The letter was delivered directly into Sun Jian's tent. Upon unfolding it, Sun Jian found every word sharp as a knife; it read:
"I have always been aligned with you, yet I have recently heard that Liu Biao is blocking roads and ambushing; this is not his intention but rather my brother Benchu's dark scheme. Now that I hear they have conspired to attack Jiangdong, you must urgently raise troops against him. I will take advantage of this situation to strike at Benchu; we can avenge our grievances and seize two provinces. You take Jingzhou while I take Ji Province—this opportunity must not be missed!"
After receiving the letter, Sun Jian was filled with fury; he slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "This Liu Biao is utterly detestable! He blocked my way home before and nearly cost me my life! If I do not take revenge now, when will I?" He turned around and lit the candles in his tent, summoning generals such as Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Han Dang to discuss strategies.
Cheng Pu pondered for a moment before clasping his fists together and saying, "My Lord, we cannot fully trust Yuan Shu's letter. He has always been cunning and scheming; this correspondence may very well be a ploy to incite discord. If we fall into his trap, Jiangdong's situation could become precarious." Huang Gai chimed in as well: "Liu Biao firmly holds Jingxiang; its terrain is perilous. If we are to go to war, we must plan carefully and ensure Jiangdong has no vulnerabilities."
Sun Jian surveyed the generals in his tent with a cold smile and declared: "I Sun Jian am not here to serve Yuan Shu but rather to avenge Jiangdong! This grudge should have been settled long ago; how can we endure any longer? Even if Liu Biao has treacherous terrain to defend himself against us Jiangdong men, do you think we fear mere mountains and rivers?" After speaking thus, Sun Jian ordered Huang Gai: "You must immediately lead men to prepare warships by the riverbank—load them with weapons and provisions. The large ships are specifically for warhorses; let our soldiers practice beforehand so they are ready at any moment to cross the river and meet the enemy!" Huang Gai accepted without hesitation and quickly departed. Sun Jian’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he clenched his fists tightly and proclaimed loudly: "I will personally lead our great army into battle to punish Liu Biao and avenge this shame!"
Before long, Sun Jian's preparations were swiftly underway; warships filled the river like great dragons swimming through water while blades glinted alongside crossbows on their decks. The soldiers donned armor with an imposing spirit about them. Flags along the riverbank fluttered in the wind while war drums rumbled like thunder—foretelling an impending storm of bloodshed.
At this moment in Jingzhou’s Xiangyang district, a scout rushed in hastily and knelt down reporting: "Sun Jian is training troops by the river; provisions and ships are all fully prepared and may cross at any moment!" Upon hearing this news, Liu Biao's expression darkened immediately as he summoned Kuai Liang, Kuai Yue, Cai Mao, and others into his tent for discussion.
Kuai Liang stood up calmly and brushed off his sleeves saying: "My Lord need not worry too much. Although Sun Jian is fierce in battle, crossing rivers for combat will undoubtedly be constrained by terrain. We can order Huang Zu to lead Jiangxia Troops to guard critical points along the riverbank to cut off his advance route. Meanwhile, you should lead Jingxiang’s main forces as reinforcements from within while coordinating efforts from outside—this way Sun Jian will find it impossible to establish himself."
Upon hearing this, Liu Biao's expression softened slightly as he slammed the table and said, "The strategy of Yingdu aligns perfectly with my intentions!" He turned to the burly Huang Zu, whose face was marked by a rough demeanor, and spoke in a low, firm tone, "Huang Zu, I command you to lead the Jiangxia Troops and keep a close watch on Sun Jian. You must prevent him from crossing the river!" Huang Zu rose to accept the order, his hand brushing against the sword at his waist as he strode out of the tent.
Before long, the Jiangxia Troops had laid an intricate net along the riverbank. Flags obscured the sky, and weapons stood like a forest, ensuring that not a single drop could pass through. Meanwhile, Liu Biao personally led the Jingxiang Army in the rear, gathering forces. The war drums thundered, and a murderous aura filled Xiangyang. The shadow of war loomed over the land, and a decisive battle was on the verge of breaking out.
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