Liu Xiang was looking through the yellow book of the Han army. This unit that changed the flag was the main force that followed Huangfu Song to the north. It had a good weapon configuration, including 300 iron armors, more than 2,000 leather armors, more than 1,000 powerful crossbows, and more than 4,000 bows and arrows.
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There were more than 12,000 people in total, including 1,300 Knights of the Three Rivers accompanying the army.
The knights who followed the Anping Army were the ones who obeyed the Anping Army the most, and they were beaten so badly.
Other infantrymen did not dare to cause trouble.
There are many reasons. After the senior officers left, there was no one to take the lead. They were frightened by the reputation of the Anping Army. The most important thing was that they had been really beaten. They had suffered so much in the past month and they did not dare to refuse.
The principle in the military is very simple: the strong are respected.
As long as Liu Xiang is given some time, it will not be difficult to convince these low-level soldiers and middle- and low-level officers. All the middle- and high-level officers who think they are of noble origin have left, and no one above the army commander level is left. Some Qu Junhou also left.
Once they leave, the hidden danger of Huangfu Song's troops left behind to stab the Anping Army in the back will be eliminated, and it will be much easier to control the troops.
This was also the reason for his hesitation. Was Huangfu Song just delaying the attack, or was he sincerely advocating for peace? He couldn't guess, the situation was complicated and confusing, and he was hesitating.
Liu Xiang was hesitating, Zhang Bao was making plans.
When the Anping army appeared, he was secretly happy that someone was helping him to test the Han army's conspiracy, and they also had the idea of taking advantage of the snipe and the clam.
Unexpectedly, the Han army surrendered directly.
The reality outside the city is clear at a glance.
But he had another evil thought, cavalry, who doesn't want to have a large group of cavalry under his command these days? Isn't it just to use cavalry to cut off the enemy's food routes? Who doesn't know that?
As long as he has cavalry, he doesn't have to worry about the Han army's conquest. At worst, he can escape thousands of miles with the cavalry. His brothers are all dead, leaving only a single seedling in the old Zhang family. If he dies too,
There is no heir, one of the three brothers must survive.
When he was surrounded by Huangfu Song, he almost despaired, but now he saw a way out.
He wants to live, he must live, his life is not his alone.
He summoned his various commanders and leaders and pointed to the station of the Anping Army: "Lead your men and horses out of the city from the east gate and besiege the enemy's camp. Be sure to entangle the enemy's cavalry and not let them go."
The leaders of the Yellow Turban Army looked at each other. Aren't there reinforcements from the Divine Envoy outside the city? They sent troops to rescue and defeated the Han army besieging the city, but you want to annex them?
They all know that they are interested in someone else's war horse, but even the most despicable bandit has to find an excuse before he gets angry, but you can't do this.
You don’t have any sense of loyalty, you don’t have any integrity, you are worse than a thief, who would dare to follow you?
They hesitated, and no one wanted to agree.
Zhang Bao asked sharply: "You dare to disobey military orders? Do you want to die?"
He stared angrily at his subordinates, and watched helplessly as a black-faced man threw a halberd straight into his face. He cried out in pain and fell on his back. Even to the end of his life, he could not believe that the subordinates who had been following him would suddenly be violent.
He took action and killed himself without hesitation.
Zhou Cang limped out of the crowd and glared at Zhang Bao's personal guards. Due to the power they had accumulated in the past, no one dared to look at him and they all lowered their heads and dodged.
He turned around and looked around at the yellow turban commander and the bandit leaders from all directions, pointed to the outside of the city and said in a deep voice: "When the Han army besieged the city, everyone was desperate and thought they were going to die here. God sent Liu Jun to lead his troops to help.
, I feel grateful in my heart."
Having said this, he stared at everyone with his big copper bell-like eyes and asked: "I dare not forget the grace of my life. Do you want to be ungrateful?"
Everyone said that they dare not be ungrateful. Zhou Cangli admitted his own death and had just killed General Digong. Who dared to contradict him at this time and risk his life? Besides, they did not agree with Zhang Bao's behavior in their hearts. How could they get angry just after relieving the siege?
and reinforcements.
Zhou Cang continued to ask: "A certain person wants to go to the city to join Liu Jun. What do you say?"
"Go together, go together."
Everyone hurriedly spoke in response. If they remained silent at this time, they would be regarded as ungrateful and tarnished their reputation. If Zhou Cang was offended and killed on the spot, it would be an unjust death.
Zhou Cang didn't waste any time. He led a group of leaders to open the city gate, abandoned their weapons, and walked to the military camp to ask for an audience.
Liu Xiang met them at the Chinese army's tent. As soon as they met, Zhou Cang knelt on his knees and bowed in salute: "Hedong Zhou Yuanfu, thank you Liu Jun for saving your life!"
Zhou Yuanfu? Liu Xiang blinked and looked at the black-faced strong man kneeling on the ground. Is this Zhou Cang?
"Quickly invite me, but Commander Zhou Cang and Zhou Qu, who are under the command of General Di Gong?"
"Exactly." Zhou Cang stood up and replied.
"Yuanfu doesn't have to be so arrogant. Our two armies are originally an alliance, and it is only right to send troops to rescue."
When Zhou Cang heard this, he admired in his heart, this is called an ally, this is loyalty, and he strengthened his will to defect: "Report to the envoy of God, Zhang Bao is not loyal and wants to send troops to attack friendly forces. He has been killed by a certain person."
We have decided unanimously to join Liu Jun."
Zhang Bao is dead? It's a good thing. You don't have to worry about this idiot anymore, and the situation in Quyang instantly improves.
If it weren't for Zhang Bao's delay in taking action, the cavalry led by him would not be able to break through the camp, Huangfu Song would not be able to escape at all, and the situation would not have become so complicated.
A good death.
Liu Xiang felt happy, but then he thought about it. The three Zhang brothers were all dead, and the original envoy Zhang Mancheng had also died long ago. The last main force of the Yellow Turban Army defected to his command.
He, who had only been a divine envoy for a few days, had become the highest-ranking person in the Yellow Turban Army.
Have I become the commander-in-chief of the Yellow Turban Army?
He wiped out tens of thousands of Yellow Turbans in Youzhou and finally became the leader of the Yellow Turban Army. Destiny is just a joke.
The situation was urgent, and there was no time to sigh. Zhou Cang led the Yellow Turbans to surrender, so they had to be settled quickly. The situation of the Han army in the south was unknown, so the army had to be reorganized quickly to deal with subsequent changes.
"I am very happy that Yuan Fu came to surrender. Zhang Bao has done many unjust things and deserves to die. I am afraid that the people and horses in the city are in chaos and will be taken advantage of by the Han army. It needs to be rectified quickly. I want to appoint Yuan Fu as the commander of another department to command the old Yellow Turban Army.
Are you willing to give in to weeding out the old and weak to form a new army?"
Zhou Cang bowed his hands and saluted: "I am willing to be driven by the Lord."
He was considering himself a general of the family. Liu Xiang nodded and recognized his master and subordinate, and reminded him: "The Anping Army has strict military discipline. Yuan Fu must set an example from now on, restrain his subordinates, and not violate military laws."
"only."
After a few words of comfort to the old Yellow Turban troops, Liu Xiang decided to dismantle the siege barracks first and ordered each of them to take their own troops out of the city to work.
More than 100,000 people moved together, and it took them an afternoon to fill in the trenches, pull out the walls, and leave a military camp outside the east gate, standing at an angle to the city, to help defend the city.
While everyone was working, Liu Xiang had already figured out the situation in the city. All the people in the city were being held hostage. There were 160,000 Yellow Turbans, mostly old, weak, women and children, and less than 70,000 of them were capable of fighting.
The food and supplies were scarce, and the war equipment was incomplete. If he hadn't involved the Han army in the wild, they would have been destroyed long ago.
The fighting power is insufficient and there are enemies on all sides. We cannot stay in Quyang for long.
In the evening of that day, we began to eliminate the old and the weak and select craftsmen. More than 90,000 people were roughly selected as the first batch of evacuees. They took advantage of the weather to get warmer and set off early the next morning.
This group of people was led by Yan Zhi and a thousand Yue cavalry. Together with them, there were also Han troops who had changed their banners. If Huangfu Song turned back to attack, they would be a hidden danger. It would be better to withdraw early in the name of protecting the old and the weak.
rear.
More than 100,000 people carried most of the food and fodder in carts and marched northward in a mighty manner. They estimated that it would take them ten days and a half to walk more than 300 miles. Liu Xiang led more than 60,000 yellow turbans and strong men.
Three thousand cavalry were behind Quyang Duan in Xia.
This behavior made the old Yellow Turban troops headed by Zhou Cang feel grateful, and they all wanted to die as a result.
Liu Xiang didn't care about this and ordered people to retrieve ten thousand shi of food and grass from the valley to supplement the army's supplies. The total amount was less than 20,000 shi.
There are too many pot-bellied men in the army. One or two kilograms of food can only be used to wrap the belly. There are nearly 10,000 horses. The 60,000-strong army must consume at least 2,000 shi of food and grass every day.
Before the Han army arrived, Liu Xiang took his people to Wuji County, coaxed and frightened them, and obtained more than 30,000 stones of grain and grass and hundreds of carts, which solved the urgent need.
After four days of non-stop tossing, the situation in Quyang was finally smoothed out. Liu Xiang led 20,000 people to garrison in the camp outside the city, and Zhou Cang led more than 40,000 people to defend the city. Because they were supplemented by weapons from the Han army's camp,
It can barely be considered as having all the combat equipment.
From the beginning to the end, Liu Xiang did not send anyone to pursue Huangfu Song and his party.
"I'm still lucky, I don't know if it's right or wrong." He whispered softly while rubbing Bai Xi's cheek.
In his exclusive stable, he has already raised five horses, including Baixi, Red Tudu, Tuxue Wuzui, and two Dawan horses, which were unexpected gains. The mounts of the defeated Northern Army were also seized this time.
One is a five-brown horse, and the other is a chestnut mare. They have no names.
Liu Xiang plans to give the Wuhua Cong to Zhao Yun and leave the Tuxue Wuzui to Cui Yi. This little chestnut mare will be given to Chi Tu as his concubine.
After relaxing his mood, he continued to return to the Chinese army's tent to handle military affairs. He was waiting for the reaction of the Han army.
On the sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky was high and there was no wind. Thirty thousand Han troops left Quyang and camped twenty miles away.
The tooth flag is red.
What concerned Liu Xiang the most was the three banners of Sun, Cao, and Liu.