And so Yuan Shao led the Hebei army in retreat.
Yet the mood in the army was good, because Yuan Shao was in good spirits. At least, he appeared to be.
After making camp in an open stretch of land amid mountains and water, Yuan Shao even had the leisure to gather the men of Hebei together.
Yuan Shao raised his teacup and declared, "Gentlemen, drinking is forbidden in the army. As commander, I cannot be the first to break that rule. Today, I shall toast you all with tea instead of wine."
His actions left everyone rather puzzled. Tian Feng was a blunt man, and he demanded angrily, "General, our army is confronting Gongsun Zan's Army. We of Hebei have lost men and officers, and have yet to win a great victory.
Why are you doing this, General?"
Faced with Tian Feng's rather discourteous words, Yuan Shao was not angry. Instead, he smiled. "I shall sit comfortably here and watch Gongsun Zan bring about his own destruction."
Tian Feng suddenly noticed that Xun Chen had not said a word. His heart gave a jolt, and he immediately realized that Xun Chen had offered Yuan Shao a plan.
He grew rather restless, and his temperament finally got the better of him. He could not help asking, "General, have you made some arrangements?
Why did you not discuss them with us?"
Excellent!
At Tian Feng's words, Yuan Shao immediately cheered inwardly. He had long been displeased with Tian Feng. The man never showed any respect for rank when he spoke, frequently challenged his superior, and was always clamoring that failure would come sooner or later if his advice went unheeded.
Moreover, Tian Feng was far too unyielding. Had Yuan Shao not known that his intellect was rarely matched in All Under