As the second-in-command of the Taiping Dao and responsible for guarding the rear, Zhang Bao could not afford any mistakes at this critical moment against the Han army, or chaos would surely ensue.

The attire of the people outside the city and their extreme worry for Zhang Bao made the city guards less vigilant upon hearing this shocking news.

Guangzong was not like Xiangquyang.

Because Lu Zhi’s troops were stationed not far away, they would not accept refugees or recruits into the city to prevent enemy infiltrators from assassinating the Great Teacher or capturing the city.

However, under no circumstances would they leave the critically ill Di Gong General outside the city.

Moreover, Zhang Bao’s group understood the rules and had more people stay at a distance, which put the city guards somewhat at ease.

“Quickly bring the Di Gong General into the city!” Huangfu Song shouted with authority.

The city guards were startled and immediately came to their senses.

While some were sent to notify Zhang Jiao, they decided to bring Zhang Bao up first after some consideration.

Even though the Great Teacher’s talisman water could supposedly cure all illnesses, the Di Gong General looked critically ill, and they dared not delay.

Seeing that those carrying Zhang Bao had no weapons, the guards felt a bit more at ease and opened the city gates to let them in.

That was Zhang Bao!

The Great Teacher’s brother!

Given his background in the Yellow Turban Army, he couldn’t help but think about the situation using the common logic of village kinship ties.

The principle of defending the city had to give way in the face of the life and death of the commanding officer’s brother.

When the drawbridge was lowered, Huangfu Song did not show any sign of his plan succeeding but instead made a delighted expression, thanking the people on the city walls before heading towards the city.

Among the city guards, only one showed a hint of confusion towards these unexpected visitors.

“Why are you standing there in a daze?” asked the person next to him. “Come and give a hand.”

“Last month, when I was sent by the Great Teacher to deliver a message to Xiangquyang, the people around the Di Gong General weren’t these people…”

He muttered to himself, thinking that the ones sent to seek medical help must have been the fastest runners, while Zhang Bao’s close associates should have stayed in Xiangquyang to guard the city.

Perhaps he was overthinking it.

However, as this group entered the city and were greeted by the head of the city guards, he suddenly saw the people carrying Zhang Bao pull out several long knives from beneath the soft bed of the litter, quickly distributing them among their companions.

As he instinctively shouted “Enemy attack!”, the face of the person leading the “Di Gong General’s subordinates” no longer showed any concern for Zhang Bao’s illness.

Instead, he appeared as a valiant and fierce general.

With a single slash, he struck down the head of the city guards, kicking him aside and rushing towards the city walls.

Guangzong was under Zhang Jiao’s control, and there were many guards on the walls.

Huangfu Song and Cao Cao, armed, aimed to delay the closing of the city gate, so they needed to control two key points within a short time.

One was the city gate, and the other was the drawbridge winch on the city wall.

With Zhang Bao as a living shield at the city gate, there was some room for maneuver despite the hesitation of the enemy.

The crucial point was still the city wall.

Before Cao Cao could utter “General, be careful,” Huangfu Song had already ascended the city wall.

However, when the guards on the wall turned their crossbows towards him, they didn’t hit Huangfu Song but the Yellow Turban soldiers he had killed while climbing the stairs.

Holding the corpse of a Yellow Turban soldier, it now served as a makeshift shield.

Driven by the desire to quickly end the rebellion and restore peace within the Han territory, Huangfu Song did not consider any potential hidden motives among the enemy soldiers.

Faced with the prospect of either successfully capturing the city or facing certain death, he couldn’t afford to think about such things.

Having a shield in front of him undoubtedly increased his sense of security.

Meanwhile, the guards on the city wall dared not focus all their attacks on him and his elite bodyguards.

At the same time that Huangfu Song launched his attack from below the city, the “subordinates of Zhang Bao,” who had previously been some distance from the city walls, also surged towards Guangzong City.

Those were elite soldiers under Huangfu Song’s command!

They hadn’t yet fully displayed their strength in the battles at Changshe and Xiangquyang, but now the situation was different.

In this frontal assault towards the city walls, the arrows shot from above barely affected their advancing formation.

Even if someone’s defense faltered and they were struck down by stray arrows, it did not hinder the others from leaving their fallen comrades behind and continuing forward with steady steps.

Though they still wore the uniforms of the Yellow Turban soldiers, the fierce and unstoppable momentum they exhibited made them resemble a fearless and sharp arrow aimed straight at Guangzong City.

Huangfu Song and his men on the city walls were the same.

One of the leading valiant generals had already been hit by an arrow in his arm, but there was no worry on his face about being wounded as a commander at this critical moment.

…he remained steadfastly in front of the winch, as if the soldiers surging towards the city below were also a force supporting him to stand his ground.

It wasn’t until these people approached closely that those on the city wall noticed that, in addition to the typical Yellow Turban attire, these individuals also had a red cloth tied around them to distinguish the two sides and prevent friendly fire.

However, perhaps the red cloth wasn’t necessary, as there was unlikely to be any mistaken identity between the two sides.

The soldiers who had fought and guarded the borderlands showed a completely different demeanor when the tiger was finally unleashed, compared to the typical Yellow Turban soldiers.

After dozens of them fell from the attacking force that surged towards the city, they had already stepped onto the drawbridge, rushed through the still-open city gate, and swiftly climbed the city walls, blocking Huangfu Song’s path.

This terrifying efficiency in their attack undoubtedly sent shivers down the spines of the Yellow Turbans in Guangzong.

Since their capture of the city and their self-proclaimed “pacification” of Jizhou, they had encountered many Han army units, but it was only today that they encountered such a fierce imperial force.

Were they not afraid of death?

If Qiao Yan were here, perhaps she could provide an answer.

The relaxation of the conditions for enfeoffment based on military achievements at the end of the Han Dynasty had created a situation where both sides saw the battle as a key to victory.

Everyone was willing to fight to the death for a chance at fame and honor.

Just as she had persuaded the Xue and Tian families to sacrifice themselves for her in the battle of Changshe, the lure of benefits placed before them spurred them on to fight to the death.

But what’s even more crucial is, despite Huangfu Song’s stern and thunderous demeanor, he was able to leave a record in history of “showing kindness and care to his soldiers, greatly winning their hearts. Whenever the army halted its march, tents and screens were set up first, and only then would he abandon his own tent. The soldiers all ate before he did.” Such accounts demonstrate Huangfu Song’s ability in military management.

His genuine concern and compassion for his soldiers, especially at such a critical moment, were a commendable trait for a commander.

Moreover, it’s not just Huangfu Song’s army in this place!

When their attention was focused on Huangfu Song’s vanguard and the subsequent troops entering the city, they inevitably neglected their surroundings.

Seeing that Huangfu Song had successfully deceived the city gate and, at this moment, had taken control of it as an example, Lu Zhi immediately signaled the attack.

Mounting his horse and raising his sword, he shouted, “Yi Zhen has already taken the lead, not fearing death. How can we lag behind? Guangzong is right before us. Please follow me!”

This was also an elite force!

Relying solely on Huangfu Song and his officers would be a mistake.

Although they might occupy the city walls for a while, the Yellow Turban forces in Guangzong City are strong.

Relying on a two-pronged attack, they would still retake the city walls.

However, with the addition of his forces at this moment, the situation became quite different.

Earlier, Huangfu Song had entrusted a portion of the cavalry he brought with him to Lu Zhi for unified command.

Now, these cavalry had been integrated into Lu Zhi’s main forces and quickly appeared within the sight range of Guangzong City.

The infantry that moved out subsequently were also in a hurry.

After encircling the three city walls, more troops rushed into the city gate that had been completely occupied.

Following the victorious momentum on this section of the city wall, they continued to advance into the city.

Guangzong City was quite large, even having both an inner and an outer city wall.

However, because Lu Zhi had been engaged in small-scale battles with Zhang Liang in Quzhou previously, it seemed impossible for him to advance to the walls of Guangzong City in such a short time.

The sturdy fortifications of the city walls and the traps below them made it unimaginable that the Han army could attack and invade the city at such a rapid pace.

As a result, at this moment—

Although there were a few soldiers stationed early on the inner city walls, and their defensive arrows had claimed the lives of several attackers, their defenses proved insufficient against Lu Zhi’s siege troops.

Behind the swift cavalry assault team, there were soldiers pushing small carts equipped with battering rams, which forcefully broke through the inner city gate that had not yet been securely reinforced.

This was precisely the result of a well-planned surprise attack!

A gleam of joy flashed in Lu Zhi’s eyes as the inner city walls opened a breach, making the subsequent tasks much simpler.

Of course, even though the two armies had successfully converged within the city and taken control of the defenses on this side of both the inner and outer walls, the battle for Guangzong was not yet over.

This was not a night raid, after all.

To choose a time that wouldn’t seem suspiciously opportunistic, Huangfu Song had not hesitated to launch this deceptive attack to open the gates during daylight.

This also meant that it was much easier for the Yellow Turban soldiers in the city to quickly enter a state of readiness compared to a night attack.

Zhang Jiao was not in the same situation as Zhang Bao had been; when he noticed something unusual in the city, by the time he donned his armor and stepped out, Huangfu Song would already be upon him.

Moreover, this great virtuous teacher, having dared to challenge the Han Dynasty with an uprising, naturally wouldn’t lose his composure upon first hearing that his brother was gravely ill and seeking help outside the city, and then hearing that the Han army had breached the city.

He still maintained a dignified and composed appearance, exuding an aura of otherworldly wisdom.