In response to the encirclement network built by Yuan Shao, Wang Yu's defensive strategy was to hold on to the two large rivers flowing through Qinghe - Qinghe and Luoshuihe, so that he could effectively block the offensive of the Jizhou coalition forces.
Qingyuan is located on the bank of Qinghe River, in the north of Yangping County, and faces Guangzong City in the south of Anping County across the Qinghe River in the north and south. It controls the communication at the junction of the four counties, and its geographical location is very important.
Liu Bei didn't have many soldiers and horses, and they were all untrained rabble. As the defender of the northern defense line, it really didn't make people feel at ease. In fact, before Gongsun Zan withdrew his troops, he left a cavalry in Guangzong as a response.
According to the deployment at that time, even if Yuan Shao's main force came over, the two armies of Qingyuan and Guangzong could fight and retreat without being overwhelmed instantly.
It's a pity that Gongsun Zan and Tian Kai left one after another, leaving the northern front empty. Liu Bei's lone army was obviously unable to bear the heavy responsibility of resisting the main force of Jizhou.
Of course, Wang Yu didn't have much hope at first. As long as Liu Bei could put some pressure on Guantao, he would have achieved his goal. Even if he couldn't contain Gao Lan, it wouldn't matter. At most, Cao Cao would become stronger and more difficult to deal with.
, and will not pose a fatal threat.
Knowing Liu Bei's ambitions well, Wang Yu did not dare to expect that the other party would really fight for him. As long as Liu Bei could send him a letter before Yuan Shao came to kill him, he would be satisfied.
As a result, Liu Bei completed the first half of the mission very well, using continuous small-scale attacks to put a certain amount of military pressure on Guantao City and firmly contain Gao Lan.
A perfect start, but a terrible ending. Not only was he defeated, but he was also surrounded and couldn't even escape.
Wang Yu insisted on coming to the rescue, but did not comment on Liu Bei's behavior. Taishi Ci and other generals were very dissatisfied with Liu Bei, and Liu Bei himself was not too easy either.
"Brother, the wind at the top of the city is too strong, so it's better not to stand for too long." Guan Yu reminded with concern.
Liu Bei shook his head and did not answer. He was silent for a long time. Then he sighed and asked: "Yun Chang. Do you think Brother Yu really did something wrong this time?"
"Uh," Guan Yu hesitated slightly. This question was not easy to answer. It was too hurtful to speak bluntly. To be more tactful would go against his own style. After hesitating for a moment, he replied: "Brother is worried about national affairs and cares about the common people.
It’s a bit worrying, but there’s nothing wrong with it…”
"Are you too hasty?" Looking at his sworn brother's red face, the bitterness on Liu Bei's face became even stronger.
The second brother is not a man of eloquent words. Even though his words were quite tactful given his style, his intention was very clear. He was indeed too hasty this time.
But what if it’s not urgent?
I am now over 30 years old, but my career has not even begun. After wandering for so many years, I finally got an opportunity. How can I not cherish a place to stand?
Wang Yu can retreat, and so can Gongsun Zan. Both of them have their own foundations. As long as they keep their foundations, what will happen even if they throw back all the land they have won? There is always a chance for a comeback.
But what about you? The half of the county in Beiqinghe was conquered by yourself after fighting to the death with great difficulty. The operation time was not long, but through the policy of granting land to the people, most of the people's support for this half of the county has been won.
, in the case of local forces suffering heavy losses, it will be quite beneficial to future rule.
Although the people's support has been obtained, all the food harvested in the autumn has gone into the hands of the people, and all the supplies have been taken from the hands of local powerful men. The people's support has not been transformed into actual benefits, so give up now and wait for Yuan Shao's army to arrive.
After robbing the people, wouldn't all of his previous actions be like marrying someone else?
Following this line of thinking, Liu Bei refused to retreat, thinking that even if he retreated, he would have to take the people away and save some money. But who would have thought that Cao Ren would appear halfway and smash his plan to pieces?
At the same time, it also pricked his heart full of holes.
He is not willing to give in!
Now, being accused by his adopted brother of being eager to make meritorious deeds and making rash military advances, and yet he had to agree to it, Liu Bei felt even more depressed.
Comforting people was not Guan Yu's strong point. After Liu Bei's face calmed down a little, he suggested: "Brother, the army has been newly defeated and morale is low. Gao Lan, Cao Ren has many soldiers and horses, and Yuan Shao's army is also coming, so why not break out of the encirclement as soon as possible! Wang
The general's letter made it clear that since the enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered, it is best to extend the front as much as possible in the decisive battle place. Qingyuan is really not suitable for this."
"Breaking through?" Liu Bei's eyes narrowed, and his expression became more and more gloomy.
There are a full 20,000 troops outside the city, but there are only more than 3,000 remnant troops left in the city. The military strategy is as follows: 10 times to encircle, 5 times to attack. With a strength gap of nearly ten times, the Jizhou Allied Forces are enough to fight an siege and annihilation battle.
, breakout, how easy is it?
With the bravery of the two sworn brothers, it is indeed possible to fight their way out and escape. But after escaping, how many of the last three thousand people will be left? If they are all lost, they will have to fight again.
Starting over again?
Of course Liu Bei didn't want to.
"Inappropriate. If our army holds fast in the city and waits for reinforcements to arrive, there will still be a chance to cooperate inside and outside. If we break out hastily, won't we give the enemy a chance to defeat each other? I have already made such a mistake before. How can I do this?
Repeat? Even if we really want to break through, we have to wait for General Wang's instructions. If he feels that Qingyuan is really not suitable for a battlefield, send me an order and it won't be too late to break through at that time."
Liu Bei said earnestly: "Because the enemy is outnumbered and we are outnumbered, every unit and every soldier is very important. We must try our best to play their role. This is the way to be a general."
"...That's what the elder brother said." Guan Yu looked around the city and saw a stretch of military camps with no end as far as the eye could see. He couldn't suppress the worry in his heart and said: "However, Cao's soldiers were tightening the siege of the city, and there was a letter from the king.
You may not be able to get in, so why don’t you let me break out of the encirclement and go south, look for the prince, and tell you about the battle situation in Qingyuan, what do you think, brother?"
"This..." Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, then Zhang Fei patted his chest and shouted: "You can't kill a chicken with a bull's knife. You two brothers only need to defend the city. Leave this matter to me."
The two sworn brothers have expressed their attitude. If they don't comply, it will be unjustifiable. Liu Bei nodded obediently and said: "It's okay, defending the city is also a big deal. We can't do without Yun Chang, so let Yide take this trip."
, Xianhe..."
"Jian Yong is here." An elegant scholar came out from behind, it was Liu Bei's younger brother Jian Yong.
Liu Bei spoke slowly and meaningfully: "Third brother is not good at words. Please write a letter to explain the situation before and after. May I ask what General Wang is doing?"
"Yes." Jian Yong's eyes lightly touched Liu Bei's, and he immediately understood. He turned around and greeted Zhang Fei: "Third general, please."
Zhang Fei touched the back of his head and laughed: "Hey, brother knows that Pengju is a careful person. After we meet him, he might actually ask him a detailed question. If he can't answer, it will be a mistake.
It would be great to have Xianhe help me."
Liu Bei warned Zhang Fei a few more words, and then discussed defense with Guan Yu. Jian Yong was doing things. He was still very relieved. He was most afraid that Wang Yu would not understand his hints. However, Wang Yu always had the ability to grasp psychology.
, you shouldn’t miss that meaning, right?
Jian Yong is a good writer. The situation in Qingyuan is not complicated. The letter was written quickly. Zhang Fei was even more crisp and neat. He was wearing armor and holding a spear. He took another package with three days of dry food in it. Wait until the sky is getting dark.
In the evening, when the sun was setting in the west, he rode out of the city.
No matter how tight the siege is, there are still gaps. What's more, Cao Ren only has 20,000 soldiers and horses in total, and they are still divided into three parties. He has many gates, so naturally there is no way for him to reveal any flaws.
Zhang Fei's breakout route had been observed long ago and was the junction between Lu Kuang's army and Cao Ren's army. The defense here was already quite weak, but with Zhang Fei's bravery, it was overwhelming.
"Why are you panicking?" The general Cao Ren was quickly alarmed. The incident happened suddenly, but he behaved very calmly. He didn't even put down the letter in his hand. He looked like a general.
"General Qi, there is a breakout in the city!"
"Oh?" Cao Ren raised his eyebrows slightly and asked again: "How many soldiers and horses are there?"
"There is only one man and one horse, but he is unstoppable. This man wields a spear eight feet long and has no generals under his command. Now he has broken three camps in a row and killed many generals!"
"Hmph! Zhang Yide? Liu Xuande is just a common man, but he has good generals under his command..." Cao Ren snorted coldly, but his troops were not angry: "It's getting late, I don't know if it was a false shot, so just let him go. The officers and soldiers in the ministries are not allowed to do anything without authorization.
When going into battle, everyone will defend their camp. If an enemy approaches, just use bows and crossbows to kill them."
"Here!"
…
Wang Yu doesn't know what happened in Qingyuan City, and he doesn't care much. He and the civil and military personnel in Qingzhou are worried about another personal guard. Compared to Qingyuan, this information is much more important.
.
"This is Leader Pei from Daluze..."
The news of Zhang Yan's defeat first came through Tian Feng's intelligence network. The Tian family in Julu was somewhat famous in the local area. During the war, it was not difficult to find out the news.
Although Yuan Shao is more powerful, Wang Yu's deeds include many victories with less. For the closely connected aristocratic families in Jizhou, there is no way out; but for the marginalized Tian family, hedging their bets is the best option.
The smartest choice.
Of course, even without the help of the Tian family, Wang Yu would not have had no channels to understand the battle situation in Julu and Guangping. In fact, Zhang Yan's messengers and the Tian family's messengers basically arrived at the same time.
To Qingzhou Wenwu, Zhang Yan's envoy was an unknown person, but to Wang Yu, he was not a stranger. In the novel, this person was just a minor character, and he could not be said to have any ability, but his name
But it is familiar to people - Pei Yuanshao.
The civil and military officials were more concerned about the news brought by Pei Yuanshao, but Wang Yu was somewhat interested in him. This person was a Yellow Turban, and he seemed to be hanging out with Zhou Cang. If he came, would Zhou Cang be far behind?
Zhou Cang is also not a great person, but Wang Yu is very interested because Zhou Cang's naval attributes are very high, and Qingzhou is currently short of naval generals.
In his previous life, Wang Yu had wondered, Zhou Cang was obviously from Kansai and a bandit, so where did he get the navy attribute? After listening to Pei Yuanshao's self-introduction, he realized that this guy had also been a bandit.
What's even more gratifying is that, hearing what Pei Yuanshao meant, his reputation in the Yellow Turban Army had a great influence on these two people. Basically, he just waved and the other party would bow to them.
This discovery particularly pleased Wang Yu.
Although the process of recruiting famous generals is very interesting, who doesn't like to be shocked and overflowing with domineering energy, and then solve the problem easily?
Wang Yu was thinking about this, but the tent was already in full swing. The generals were asking for details, and they were all puzzled. OK, why was Zhang Yan suddenly killed?
"It's the Huns!" Pei Yuanshao gave the answer with a look of grief and anger.
"Huns?" Everyone's hearts trembled. Wang Yu's chaotic thoughts also coalesced again.
"On that day, Yuan Fu and I escorted Zhang Feiyan into the Ze, but Yuan Shao couldn't help us, so he sent Ju Shou's son to the Ze..." Pei Yuan Shao told the story of Ju Hu's mission in detail, "The Huns have many cavalry, and they
Once here, the previous guerrilla tactics were useless. Feiyan was hesitant at the time, but Yuanfu came up with a good idea..."
The method proposed by Zhou Cang that day was to divide the troops and get rid of Wucunjing. Let a large group of troops escort the supplies back to the Taihang Mountains, leaving some elite troops to join forces with the water thieves in Daluze. After Yuan Shao relaxed his vigilance, he could stab Yuan Shao unexpectedly.
This tactic also coincided with Zhang Yan's consistent style. Zhang Yan made the decision on the spot.
"This is a very good plan. Taking advantage of Yuan Shao's eagerness to advance eastward and attacking directly behind him, we will definitely achieve considerable results." Tian Feng nodded repeatedly in agreement.
The strength of the Montenegrin Army is not in battlefield fighting. After the advantage of mobility is offset, there will be no threat. Zhou Cang looks for another way. He plans to use his familiarity with the terrain to give full play to the advantage of hiding, which is in line with the art of war.
, the principle of exploiting strengths and avoiding weaknesses is a great idea.
He flicked his long beard and asked doubtfully: "How could this strategy lead to a huge defeat? Could it be that Zhang Ping accidentally fell into a trick to lure the enemy?"
"It's that thief Yuan Shao!" Pei Yuanshao shook his head and said through gritted teeth: "He sent an envoy to say that if the Black Mountain Army lingers, he will lure the Huns into the country. As a result, he used a treacherous trick! The Huns have been here for a long time.
He arrived before he sent the envoy, and he ambushed Zhao Guo on the way back to the Black Mountain Army!"
"His!" Everyone gasped.
Yuan Shao is really crazy. He colluded with the Huns. The most realistic problem is that these people are beasts, and what they have experienced is much more miserable than suffering from military disasters! After successive defeats, Yuan Shao's remaining territory is not very large.
, being ravaged by these beasts again, how will he live next year?
This is really going to burn the boat!
Pei Yuanshao did not need to explain the subsequent process. He mobilized some elite troops and encountered a large number of cavalry surprise attacks during the march. A tragic defeat was inevitable.
Taishi Ci clenched his fist and shouted: "Chief Pei, please express your condolences. Sooner or later we will avenge this! Fighting Yuan Shao is to help the country. Fighting the Huns is the unshirkable responsibility of every Central Plains person. This is the great justice of the country!"
"Yes!" Pei Yuanshao's eyes were red, with an angry look on his face, but his eyes were shining with gratitude.
"Chief Pei, how many Huns have come?" Jia Xu was much calmer than Tai Shici. His first concern was relatively practical issues.
"A lot!" Pei Yuanshao gave a very vague answer. Seeing Jia Xu frowning, he waved his hand again and added: "The information was brought back by the defeated troops. They were all frightened. They only knew that they were foreigners.
, many cavalry came from all directions, and everyone was scattered before they had time to resist..."
Pei Yuanshao's eloquence is not bad, which may be the reason why he was sent as an envoy. Through his narration, the tragic battle, or massacre, was completely presented in front of the Qingzhou generals.
The Montenegrin Army was defeated miserably. Huchuquan, the Xiongnu Chanyu, personally led the team. Thousands of cavalry were ambushing near Fangfang City. The Montenegrin Army was originally planning to stay nearby to rest, but at the moment when they were exhausted and preparing to camp,
The Huns appeared.
In Zhang Yan's absence, the Montenegrin army that encountered the surprise attack failed to organize a resistance at all and collapsed in an instant. Only a few were lucky enough to escape, and the rest were either killed or captured. The Huns were not blind either.
Killing, because they don't understand production, so they want to capture Han people and make them slaves.
In short, the Montenegro Army escorting the baggage was basically destroyed, and the Montenegro Army suffered a major blow.
Although he had not seen it in person, Pei Yuanshao burst into tears when he talked about the excitement. There should be no one among his relatives, but he could empathize with the various difficulties that the Yellow Turban Army has experienced over the years.
Seeing that he was agitated and could no longer tell any useful information, Wang Yu ordered someone to send him down to rest and discuss it later.
"Junhou," when he reached the tent door, Pei Yuanshao suddenly turned around, looked straight at Wang Yu, and asked, "Are we still going to fight this battle?" It was just a simple question, but Quanquan was looking forward to it.
The meaning is beyond words.
Everyone was silent when they heard this, even the most radical Taishi Ci frowned and didn't answer.
The situation is getting worse and worse.
One goes down and the other goes up!
Yuan Shao gained another friendly army, and it was a very powerful one. With the arrival of Huchuquan, how many Huns came? But on his own side, first Liu Bei, then Zhang Yan, basically lost both friendly forces.
gained combat effectiveness.
After receiving the battle report from Fangfang City, Zhang Yan had already led his troops to return for reinforcements, trying to recapture his captured brothers from the Huns. Zhou Cang was a water thief, and he only had a few hundred capable soldiers.
Zhang Yan faced off against the Huns on foot, and his chances of winning against the Huns were slim. Even if he could win, he wouldn't be able to kill many Huns. The grassland aliens were best at guerrilla warfare. Relying on the mobility of the cavalry, they wanted to
Fight them as hard as they want, leave them whenever they want, no one can keep them.
"Alas!" Tian Kai sighed heavily and muttered repeatedly: "If my lord was here, if my lord was here..."
The most restrained grassland cavalry was Gongsun Zan's Youzhou Army. If Gongsun Zan was still there, how could the Huns dare to be arrogant even if they had thousands of cavalry?
In terms of hatred and vigilance against foreigners, Tian Kai, who was born in the Youzhou Army, should be second only to Wang Yu.
"Leader Pei, there is no need to worry too much. Indeed, it is never too late for a gentleman to take revenge in ten years." Wang Yu stood up and said loudly: "But I am not a gentleman. I believe that revenge does not last overnight! As long as the Huns dare to come,