I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 829: Gao Liu Battle (Chapter 6K3)

In December, in Dai County, Youzhou, snowflakes were falling.

Compared to other directions, the fighting here started first and has lasted for nearly a month.

However, the battle here was not fierce. The reason was that the prefect of Dai County did not choose to go out of the city to fight. Instead, when facing the coalition forces of Guan and Zhang, he simply closed the gate and defended the city tightly, and was surrounded by the Han army.

"Don't the bandits have any plans to attack the city today?"

Liu Hui, the prefect of Dai County, stood in front of the lobby door of the county governor's mansion, looking at the snowflakes floating outside the door, and asked questions as a routine.

And the answer he got was naturally affirmative.

"Reporting to the governor, the Han army still shows no signs of attacking the city today. They have simply surrounded the city tightly and cut off our army's contact with the outside world." A scout knelt on one knee and reported truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Liu Hui nodded slightly, then shook his head and sighed:

"What do you think these bandits are planning? They are surrounding us but not attacking us. Do they want to trap us to death?"

However, this is simply impossible.

Liu Hui knew very well that Gaoliu City had already completed the collection of autumn grain before Guan Yu's army besieged it. Now the grain reserves in the city were enough to support more than a year. It was simply a pipe dream for the bandits to trap them to death.

"In my opinion, it's probably that General Su Yao is just being vain."

Chief Clerk He Hao replied with a smile:

"That Su guy had everything going smoothly before. I don't know how he defeated the thief Dong, but I saw that he defeated Ma Teng by a very clever trick."

"Now, he probably thinks he is invincible. He is going to start a war in this cold winter and besiege the city. He wants to destroy the envoy in one fell swoop and show his prestige."

"You see, he only sent letters of persuasion to surrender before. I'm afraid he thought that once his army arrived, we would be able to surrender at will."

"However, since ancient times, the Han and the thieves cannot coexist. No matter how strong his army is, Su Yao is nothing more than a man who seeks power and usurps the throne."

"You, the governor, have defended the city and stayed inside, which immediately caused them to run into a snag. Now the Han army camp is in a dilemma and is in a state of panic all day long."

"I think it won't be long before they withdraw on their own."

"Otherwise, when Liu Shijun's reinforcements arrive, we can attack them from both sides and the enemy troops will be defeated before the city!"

Chief Clerk He Hao's words resonated with many people, and everyone agreed and praised Governor Liu for his decisiveness.

The weather in the north is cold, and now it is snowing. Not to mention fighting, even transporting supplies will become very difficult.

In their view, although the enemy troops outside the city were numerous and several times larger than their own, they had the advantage of time, place and people, so they were not afraid of the enemy at all.

However, the people in the besieged city naturally could not imagine that Guan Yu and others’ current target was not them at all.

"General Guan, I have received a letter from the thieves. I dare not take the initiative to do so. Please take a look at it."

Outside Gaoliu City, the Han army camp.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Xu Huang, Fu Gan and others gathered in the commander's tent, only to see Ma Xiu hurried in and respectfully handed Guan Yu a letter. When he opened it, it turned out to be a letter of surrender sent by Cheng Xu, an official from Youzhou.

However, the target of this letter of persuasion to surrender was naturally not Guan Yu, who was deeply trusted by Su Yao, but a group of newly surrendered generals headed by Ma Xiu.

That’s right, this is a strategy to sow discord.

In the letter, Cheng Xu spoke sincerely and openly.

First of all, he brought up the previous friendship between Liu Yu and Ma Teng, and praised Ma Teng for his loyalty and righteousness, for his willingness to risk his life for the revival of the Han Dynasty, and for planning with Liu Shijun to fight against the traitor Su Yao, saying that he was a rare hero in the world.

Then he changed the subject and denounced Su Yao for his perverse actions, betrayal, conspiracy and cunningness. He was afraid to fight openly, but instead plotted to murder Ma Teng, causing the Xiliang army to lose its heroic spirit and be completely wiped out. Not only was Ma Teng captured, but people like Ma Xiu were also forced to serve him.

"Su Yao is a man with evil ambitions, attempting to usurp the throne of the Han Dynasty. The various policies he has implemented are only to satisfy his own selfish desires, without caring about the lives of the people of the world."

"He suppressed the aristocratic families, bullied the princes, supported the empress, abolished the three dukes and nine ministers, and seriously disrupted the order of the Han Dynasty, causing chaos in the world and the people to live in misery. He is indeed a traitor worse than Dong Zhuo."

"All of you generals are good generals, and you were well-known in Xiliang. However, because of Su Yao's conspiracy, you are trapped in such an unjust army. Your future is bound to be bleak."

"What's even more terrifying is that this Su thief is suspicious and cunning, mean and ungrateful, and capricious. He even didn't let go of Zhong Fu and Yang Biao, who helped him kill Dong in the past, and he purged the court for power."

"If you are not careful, you will follow in his footsteps and end up with your head and body separated and your family wronged."

"On the other hand, Lord Liu is a dignified relative of the Han dynasty, and his reputation for benevolence and righteousness spreads far and wide. Under his command, he has counselors as numerous as rain and brave generals as numerous as clouds. He also controls the land of Yan and Zhao, and his strength should not be underestimated."

"Envoy Liu, you have raised an army of justice to defend Youzhou. This is in accordance with the will of heaven and the will of the people. If you surrender now, it is like a building that is about to collapse and cannot be supported by a single tree. He who knows the current situation is a hero!"

"Generals, if you just turn against us in battle, you will have made an unprecedented contribution. Envoy Liu will definitely treat you like brothers and sisters, and you will enjoy endless wealth and glory."

After reading the contents of the letter, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and others suddenly looked grim.

"How dare you use this kind of divisive tactics in front of us!"

Guan Yu slammed the table and cursed, and Zhang Fei was so angry that he grabbed the letter and almost tore it to pieces.

At this moment, Xu Huang and Fu Gan spoke up at the same time to stop him: "Wait a minute, General Zhang."

Seeing everyone looking at him, Fu Gan coughed lightly and said, "General Ma is loyal and brave. He exposed the discord, which is a great achievement. But it would be a pity if this letter was just destroyed."

"Are you trying to take advantage of the situation?" Guan Yu asked with narrowed eyes.

"That's right." Fu Gan replied, "Our army is now stationed outside the city, and we are struggling to find a way to defeat the enemy. Why don't we use this letter to lure the enemy into a fight, and then defeat them in one fell swoop?"

Fu Gan’s meaning was very clear. The current situation of his own Han army was indeed not good.

The governor of Dai County was a relative of the Han royal family, and everyone knew that this battle was inevitable.

However, their attack was not a blind one. There should have been internal support to help in Gaoliu City.

However, after they surrounded the city, they suddenly discovered that the promised insider had not taken any action.

Guan Yu and others didn't know whether those people had changed their minds at the last minute or their plan was exposed and they were purged, but it was obvious that everything could no longer go according to the original plan.

In this case, Guan Yu shifted his focus from the city to reinforcements.

Intelligence from the Military Intelligence Department showed that Liu Yu dispatched Xianyu Fu and Xianyu Yinliang, a total of 40,000 troops, to urgently mobilize and rush to Gaoliu overnight.

If attacking a city is difficult, then just surround it and attack the reinforcements.

As a result, who knew that the two men also fought quite conservatively, hiding in the mountains and forests in the east as soon as they entered the territory of Dai County, watching the situation develop outside the city.

Then, the two sides started the game of staring at each other.

The city cannot be attacked.

With tens of thousands of troops behind them, launching a strong attack in the cold winter would be tantamount to suicide.

They couldn't retreat. As part of Su Yao's attack on Youzhou, they returned empty-handed. Then the troops on Lulong Pass would have to withdraw in disgrace. This would have a huge impact on the morale of the army, and it would be difficult to launch such an offensive again in the future.

Now, the enemy's strategy of sowing discord has given everyone an opportunity.

The mountainous area in the eastern part of Dai County.

"Oh? They agreed?"

"And it was General Matthew who surrendered in person?"

Xian Yu Fu was greatly surprised when he heard the good news from Cheng Xu.

Indeed, there have been many classic examples of winning by relying on enemy surrenders since ancient times. The most distant example is the Battle of Muye between the Shang and Zhou dynasties, in which the Shang slaves and prisoners of war defected on the battlefield and directly destroyed the rule of the Shang Dynasty; the more recent example is the Battle of Julu at the end of the Qin Dynasty, in which the Qin soldiers under Zhang Han defected and enabled Xiang Yu to defeat the Qin army.

Therefore, if Matthew really turned against us, it would undoubtedly be a godsend.

However, Xian Yufu knew that most of Su Yao's soldiers were brave and wise, so he did not believe it immediately, but asked:
"Hasn't Su Yao taken Ma Teng back to Luoyang as a hostage? Will Ma Xiu really disregard his father's life and surrender?"

In fact, Cheng Xu was not sure about this at first, so his initial main target was not Ma Xiu, but to win over other surrendered generals of the Xiliang Army.

However, Matthew's reply made him feel 70% convinced.

Ma Xiu also spoke sincerely in the letter. He first expressed his admiration for Liu Yu and his dissatisfaction with Su Yao. He mentioned that he and others were loyal to the Han Dynasty and were irreconcilable with the Su thief. If the Su thief had not burned the mountain to force them to surrender, they would never surrender easily.

They were forced to surrender to Su Yao, and what was even more hateful was that Su Yao was brutal and cruel, and did not trust them. Not only did he demote his father to a commoner and bring him back to the capital to humiliate him, he also disbanded almost all of their organizations, and often monitored and suppressed them, causing them to feel resentful.

"As the saying goes, a son dies if his father is humiliated. Now the Su rebel army is stationed at the gates of the city, and they are in a dilemma. I am willing to serve you like a dog and horse. I will lead my troops to turn against you to avenge my father and fulfill my filial duty. I will help you defeat the rebel army and lift the siege of Gaoliu. After the success, I will follow you and revive the Han Dynasty."

After Cheng Xu presented Ma Xiu's reply to Xian Yu Fu, Xian Yu Fu read it over and over again. He still had doubts, but he also felt that what he said in it was not unreasonable.

Xian Yuyin couldn't hold back any longer and said anxiously:
"Brother, what Ma Xiu said makes sense. The enemy's morale is unstable now. This is a golden opportunity. If we miss this opportunity, it will be even more difficult to defeat the enemy in the future."

"Yes, I think we can trust what Matthew said."

Cheng Xu also followed up:

"General, do you still remember Prince Liu He (son of Liu Yu)? He was a hostage in the court, and he sent back a letter saying that Ma Teng's situation was worrying."

"As a surrendered vassal, Su Yao did not treat him with any courtesy. Instead, he demoted him to a commoner and only allocated a small house for him to live in under surveillance."

"With such treatment, I think Ma Teng must be living a precarious life in the capital, having to endure humiliation and harassment from people sent by Su Yao every day."

"Master Liu He knows all about this. I think Ma Xiu must also know that his father is in a miserable state in the capital. It is reasonable for him to want to avenge his father."

"That Su thief actually treated the surrendered people like this?"

Xian Yufu raised his eyebrows, sneered, and said:
"With such arrogance, it's no wonder that the soldiers under your command are alienated. However, we must be prepared for such a major event. We still need to plan carefully on how to cooperate."

Next, the two sides continued to exchange letters secretly and soon decided on a safe strategy.

In his letter, Ma Xiu pointed out that there had been heavy snow recently, making supply transportation inconvenient. The Hu people following the army could not bear the hardship and their morale was unstable. They would withdraw their troops in the near future. This was a good opportunity for them to make achievements.

After the Hu people withdrew, Ma Xiu would take over part of the camp defense as the number of soldiers besieging the city decreased. Then he could launch a mutiny at night, open the camp gates, and welcome Xianyu Fu's army in.

At that time, they would attack the central army camp together, kill Guan Yu and defeat the enemy army that was besieging the city in one fell swoop.

Han army camp.

"Do you think Liu Yu and his gang will be fooled?"

As the plan progressed, Zhang Fei couldn't help but ask:

"The snow is getting heavier and heavier. If I were to fight, I would never go out in this weather."

Zhang Fei's words resonated with some people.

Indeed, with heavy snow and freezing cold, marching and fighting in such weather is a great test for the soldiers' physical strength and morale.

However, Guan Yu stroked his beard and smiled, saying confidently: "It is this kind of weather that makes them believe it more."

"The Hu people have no military discipline. They gather when it is advantageous and disperse when it is not."

"Now our army is stationed outside the city, and it is snowing heavily. It is natural for the Hu people to flee. How can they not believe it?" "General Guan is right."

Fu Gan also added:

"Although Liu Yu is a cautious person, not all of his generals are patient."

"Xian Yufu and Xian Yuyin are from prominent families in Yuyang, and are the vanguards against the new policies of the imperial court."

"In this war, the two of them joined forces to attack. They must not be willing to wait in vain, but want to show their abilities in front of Liu Yu in order to gain more benefits and power after the war."

"Now, we have used their tricks to spread the news that Ma Xiu has defected, and also spread the news that our army is unstable and the Hu people are retreating. How can they miss such a godsend opportunity?"

"You two are right."

Xu Huang also nodded in agreement:
"Now the general's power is growing, and the court's authority is growing. Not only are the two capitals under the court's jurisdiction, but Qingzhou, Bingzhou, and even Youzhou and half of Liaodong have all surrendered."

"Under such a great situation, I think they themselves know that if the war drags on for a long time, they will definitely not be able to compete with our army with their half of Youzhou."

"When our army has sufficient supplies and the weather turns warmer next year, their chances will only be smaller. Now Matthew's 'defection' has given them a seemingly perfect strategy to defeat the enemy, and they will not easily miss it."

"And this heavy snowfall can hide our tracks, making it the perfect opportunity for a sneak attack. They will definitely think that this opportunity cannot be missed!"

"exactly."

Guan Yu nodded in agreement:

"All we need to do is set up an ambush and wait for them to fall into the trap, and then we can wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Zhang Fei heard this and a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes: "Okay! Let them have a taste of our power!"

When the Han army took action, the people in Gaoliu City were completely unaware of it.

They are isolated from the world and still lead a regular daily life.

One day, they suddenly saw a commotion in the Han army camp outside the city. It was difficult to see clearly in the wind and snow, but it seemed that someone was leaving the camp, which immediately caused cheers in the city.

Officials and civilians praised the governor for his wisdom and said that the day when the enemy troops would be defeated without a fight was not far away.

But the same signs saw a different picture in the eyes of the Xianyu brothers.

They hid in the mountains and forests in the east, keeping a close eye on the movements of the Han army through scouts. When they saw that the wind and snow were gradually subsiding, the Hu people broke camp and left, and they immediately felt more confident.

Cheng Xu's face flushed, and he clenched his fists. "Look, General, what Ma Xiu said is true. The Hu people really can't stand the severe cold and have begun to withdraw."

"This is our great opportunity!"

Xian Yufu frowned, sniffed, and still couldn't make up his mind:

"Don't panic, don't panic. Although the Hu people have withdrawn, there are still nearly 30,000 bandit soldiers. We must act carefully."

"What if the Hu people are cooperating with the bandits? Wouldn't it be a disaster if we fell into a trap?"

"Brother, the opportunity is rare and will never come back again!"

Xian Yufu hesitated, but Xian Yuyin was particularly excited:
"This is such terrible weather. We are hiding in the forest and people are getting frostbitten every day. You know how difficult it is."

"It is inevitable that our army will be in turmoil when defending our homeland. Given the habits of the Hu people, how can they just sit here and suffer?"

"This is a God-given opportunity, don't miss it, big brother!"

His brother's words tipped the balance in Xianyu Fu's heart.

There were many Han and Hu people living together in Youzhou. As far as he knew, it was impossible for the Hu people to suffer here for a long time without getting any benefits.

After observing for another day and seeing no sign of the Hu people, Xianyu Fu finally made up his mind and asked Cheng Xu to contact Ma Xiu to plot a night attack. His entire army also began to mobilize and prepare for the surprise attack.

As the orders were passed down layer by layer, the Youzhou army mobilized nervously and a war was about to break out.

The next day, as night fell, the cold wind howled and snowflakes were still falling all over the sky.

Xianyu Fu and Xianyu Yin personally led an army of 40,000 and, under the cover of night and snow, cautiously approached the Han army camp.

In order to deal with this winter war, the soldiers under his command were wrapped in thick coats. Their faces were frozen red, but they dared not make any sound. Only some crackling sounds could be heard from their feet stepping on the snow.

Xian Yu Fu was riding on his horse. Seeing his brothers and soldiers with high morale beside him, he gripped the reins tightly and stopped thinking about other things. He only thought about winning.

Although the Han army camp seemed peaceful at this time, it was actually filled with murderous intent.

Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Xu Huang and others had already taken their positions, waiting for the arrival of the enemy.

Guan Yu, wearing a green robe and holding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, stood in front of the tent, staring straight into the vast night and the snow.

"Here they come, General Guan, the thieves are coming!"

"Okay, get ready for action!"

As Xianyu Fu's army approached the Han army camp, Ma Xiu was the first to take action.

According to the plan, in order to dispel the last doubts of the Xianyu brothers, he began to create signs of chaos in the camp.

Suddenly, several tents in the Han army camp were set on fire. At the same time, the soldiers began to shout rebellion and killing, and some soldiers even ran around, creating chaos.

In the wind and snow, Xian Yu Fu didn't see this scene clearly, but the sound couldn't be more real.

"Matthew succeeded!"

"Charge! Charge into the enemy camp and capture Guan Yu alive. Now is the time for us to become famous!"

At Xianyu Fu's command, 40,000 troops launched an attack like a tide, rushing straight to the agreed camp gate. His brother Xianyu Yin took the lead, leading 3,000 vanguard cavalry to launch the first wave of charge and test.

Probing, yes.

Although the arrow is now on the string, they have not given up their final vigilance.

Xian Yuyin's three thousand cavalrymen were responsible for opening the way for the entire army.

If there is a trick in the camp, they can take precautions in advance.

However, in Xian Yuyin's opinion, all this was naturally just his elder brother worrying too much.

During their fierce charge, the gate of the Han army camp opened as expected. Xian Yuyin, escorted by his personal soldiers, rushed in first and quickly occupied the area.

"General, we can't miss this opportunity - that's where the enemy's main force is. Follow Ma and charge in!"

"Are you Matthew?"

Xian Yuyin was also excited when he saw a young general in shining armor and a silver helmet riding towards him:
"Well done, you have made a great contribution to defeating the enemy this time. I will definitely ask the envoy for credit for you!"

"It is an honor for me to serve you, my Lord. My small contribution is not worth mentioning."

Matthew clasped his fists and said:
"Now there is no time to lose. The Han army soldiers have already noticed something is wrong. We should quickly charge to the central army and capture the thief and the leader!"

After saying that, Ma Xiu took the lead and rushed towards the central army tent he pointed to.

When Xian Yuyin saw that there were indeed shouts and screams all around and more and more people pouring out from all directions, he knew that the opportunity was not to be missed, so he left some cavalry and Ma Xiu's soldiers to guard the gate, and then led the friendly forces and followed them to charge forward.

"Brothers, follow me and kill!"

"Wealth and honor are just around the corner!"

Xian Yuyin led nearly three thousand cavalrymen and galloped through the Han army camp.

The weak resistance of the Han army made him feel very proud. He felt that he and his men could defeat these tens of thousands of bandits without the help of his brother.

This is not impossible.

Night raids and beheadings have always been the only way to defeat the larger force with a smaller one.

However, his enthusiasm did not last long.

"what?"

"What about the Mashou people?"

"Is the central army's tent this way?"

Xian Yuyin rushed along the road pointed by Matthew, and the more he ran, the more he felt something was wrong.

Logically speaking, the closer you are to the general's tent, the more intense the enemy's resistance should be.

But after running for a long time, he saw fewer and fewer people. All he saw were empty tents around him, with only torches swaying lonely in the wind and snow, lighting the way forward for them.

Xian Yuyin's heart was filled with alarm, and he pulled the reins of his horse suddenly. He looked around and found that there was no one around except his cavalry. His heart sank, and he realized that he might have been ambushed.

"No! I fell into a trap!"

"retreat!"

"All troops retreat! Retreat quickly!"

Xian Yuyin hastily ordered a withdrawal.

However, it was too late.

Just as he finished speaking, deafening shouts of killing suddenly rang out all around.

The originally quiet Han army camp instantly turned into a huge trap. Countless Han soldiers poured out from all directions and surrounded Xian Yuyin's 3,000 cavalry.

"Zhang Yide from Yan is here, you villain, come and get yourself killed!"

The person in charge of encircling and suppressing Xian Yuyin's vanguard cavalry was Zhang Fei, the General of the Eagle Guard.

After shouting loudly, he did not give Xian Yuyin time to react, and directly rushed forward with his spear, piercing into the enemy formation.

"kill!!!"

In the light of the fire, Zhang Fei's Zhangba Snake Spear was like a dragon emerging from the sea, unstoppable, taking away lives one after another.

Under the leadership of the main general, the morale of the Han army was high, and the shouts of killing shook the earth. Xian Yuyin's cavalry immediately fell into chaos.

"Break through, follow me and break through!"

Xian Yuyin knew that he was outnumbered and did not dare to engage in a fight. He immediately led his cavalry to charge in the direction they came from.

However, Zhang Fei would not give him a chance. He immediately shouted and rode his horse straight to the enemy general, blocking his way:
"Thief, come and get your life!"

Xian Yuyin was horrified when he saw this and quickly drew his sword to fight.

However, how could he be a match for Zhang Fei? After only a few rounds of fighting, Xian Yuyin was stabbed to death by Zhang Fei's spear.
(End of this chapter)