Gan Ning covered his face while Taishi Ci, holding a cup of wine, spilled it all over himself without even noticing. "Is this really a battle? This is too pathetic!" Gan Ning muttered in disbelief at the incompetence of the forces outside the city.
"The strategist probably foresaw just how incompetent the Governor of Youzhou's men would be," Gan Ning mumbled, unable to bear the sight of the chaos outside the city gates.
"Should we take the Governor of Youzhou away now?" Taishi Ci asked, his face twitching in disbelief. "One incompetent general can bring down an entire army!"
"They're utterly useless," Gan Ning scoffed as he looked disdainfully at the Youzhou troops who had already broken through the city gates and were trampling over each other. "If these were my men, I'd kill a tenth of them before starting their training. It's a disgrace to waste the country's money on such trash!"
"But we should start thinking about how we'll leave. Your ships have been sent off to gather the rest of your fleet, and I can't guarantee a safe exit by land," Taishi Ci said, equally frustrated. Although his mission of rescuing Liu Yu seemed easier than saving Gongsun Zan from an entire army, the real challenge would be getting Liu Yu out safely.
"Let's take it one step at a time. It might turn out easier than we think," Gan Ning, ever the optimist, said nonchalantly. "When the time comes, we'll grab a few horses, tie up the Governor of Youzhou, and make a swift exit. Gongsun Bogui won't be able to find us easily."
As Taishi Ci listened to the chaotic sounds of footsteps and shouts from outside, he realized that Liu Yu was indeed beyond saving. His forces were so weak that they didn't even qualify as common soldiers—they were more like lambs to the slaughter.
Meanwhile, Liu Yu, who had been resting in the governor's mansion, suddenly sat up when he heard the noise outside.
"Husband, what's the matter?" his wife asked.
"It sounds like there's fighting outside," Liu Yu said as he quickly put on his shoes and stepped out of the room without even grabbing his coat.
"Master, something terrible has happened!" his old servant cried out as soon as Liu Yu stepped through the door.
"What is it?" Liu Yu asked, slightly annoyed by the panic in his servant's voice.
"Master, Gongsun Zan's subordinate, Zou Dan, has led his troops into the city!" the servant shouted in fear.
"He's courting death! How dare he challenge me with barely a thousand men under my army's watchful eyes? Has Gongsun Bogui lost his mind?" Liu Yu sneered, his contempt for Gongsun Zan growing even stronger.
"Master, Zou Dan has already routed most of General Yan's forces!" the servant exclaimed in terror. "You must flee immediately!"
"What? How is that possible?" Liu Yu was shocked. How could his force of over ten thousand men, led by General Yan Rou, be defeated by an unknown commander like Zou Dan? "Where is Yan Rou?" Liu Yu demanded furiously.
"Master, I'm afraid General Yan has already met his end. You must leave this place at once!" The servant's face was filled with panic as the sound of battle drew closer. "Zou Dan's forces are only a few hundred meters away!"
"A few hundred?" Liu Yu paused, then smiled in relief. "Only a few hundred soldiers? There's no need for such panic. Fetch my armor! I'll show Gongsun Zan that a mere scheme can't topple me!"
"Master, you mustn't!" the old servant pleaded. As Liu Yu's servant, he knew all too well the vast difference between Liu Yu's pampered guards and the battle-hardened soldiers under Gongsun Zan.
"Out of my way!" Liu Yu snapped, shoving the servant aside as he strode toward the main hall. He ordered his guards to defend the gates, confident that the citizens of Zhuo County would soon rise against Gongsun Zan and deliver him to Liu Yu in chains.
"General, the entrance to Liu Yu's residence is heavily guarded. Shall I lead our troops to eliminate them?" a subordinate asked Zou Dan.
Zou Dan sneered as he looked at the five or six hundred guards blocking the entrance. "Attack the front gate? Ridiculous! Break down the courtyard walls and capture Liu Yu alive!"
"Yes, General!" The subordinate bowed and quickly led his men to tear down the outer wall. In no time, they broke through the flimsy barrier and stormed into the residence. A simple wall was no match for an army, and Zou Dan wasn't foolish enough to waste time on a frontal assault.
The guards at the gate had no time to react before they were caught in a pincer attack, and Liu Yu, born into royalty and never needing to prove himself on the battlefield, found himself in the center of the chaos. His guards, packed tightly around him, were quickly overwhelmed by Zou Dan's forces, leaving them defenseless.
Zou Dan mercilessly cut down the guards, indifferent to their cries of agony. Within moments, the hundreds of guards had been slaughtered, leaving only Liu Yu, drenched in blood, standing alone among the bodies.
"You can't kill me!" Liu Yu shouted in terror as he locked eyes with Zou Dan's crazed gaze. The blood that had splattered on him snapped him back to reality, and he began to tremble uncontrollably. "You can't kill me! This is treason! I am a member of the Han royal family! I am the Emperor's uncle! You can't kill me!"
Just as Zou Dan's blade was about to strike, Gan Ning casually deflected the attack with a flick of his hand.
"Taishi Ci..." Zou Dan's eyes burned with anger as he glared at Taishi Ci. "I thought you were my allies! Why are you stopping me from killing Liu Yu? And you, Gan Xingba, how dare you interfere like this! Form up! Capture these three, dead or alive!"
Zou Dan, having just led a few hundred men to defeat thousands, seemed to have reached a new level of power, and his commanding presence inspired awe among his troops.
Gan Ning raised an eyebrow, a hint of admiration in his expression. Regardless of their previous relationship, anyone who could stand their ground and face him without flinching deserved respect.
What Gan Ning didn't know was that Zou Dan had already let go of his attachment to life the moment he stepped forward to confront Yan Rou while others cowered in fear. If Zou Dan had reached the peak of his martial arts, he might have become a master of internal energy at that very moment.
"Quickly, seize the traitor Zou Dan!" Liu Yu finally snapped back to his senses, glancing at Gan Ning and Taishi Ci, who had suddenly appeared by his side, and angrily shouted orders. The contrast between his previous demeanor as a benevolent gentleman and his current state made even his allies cringe.
"Ziyi, can I kill this guy?" Gan Ning glanced at Liu Yu, and the murderous intent in his eyes made Liu Yu shiver with fear. Faced with the threat to his life, Liu Yu fell silent.
"Zou, tell General Gongsun that I've completed my mission," Taishi Ci said before grabbing one of Liu Yu's arms. Gan Ning grabbed the other, and together they leaped into the air, dragging Liu Yu along with them. Whether Liu Yu could survive such a reckless escape without throwing up his guts was another matter entirely.