I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 886 Change the direction
I'm afraid it's hard to rely on the imperial army.

Feng Ji and others couldn't help but lower their heads when they heard this.

Yuan Shao's worries were not without reason. The six counties were small and had little food. With tens of thousands of troops stationed there, the food and grass were consumed very quickly.

And they attacked ahead of time in order to gain credit. Even if the imperial court did not target them, it would take time to mobilize a large army by land and sea.

Could Yuan Shu give them so much time?

Sure enough, the next morning, the scout came back with the report:

Another large army came from the direction of Shouchun, going up the Bi River and approaching the six counties!

Yuan Shao's face suddenly changed when he heard this. He knew very well that with the unstable morale of the army, if the city was besieged by Yuan Shu's army, the consequences would be disastrous.

"Order the entire army to prepare for battle immediately!" Yuan Shao gritted his teeth and ordered, "Is there anyone who dares to lead his troops to attack and resist the enemy outside the city?"

"General, don't do that!" Feng Ji tried to dissuade him: "Our army has just been defeated and morale is low. If we rush into battle, something bad may happen!"

"Not going to fight?" Yuan Shao sneered, "Am I going to just sit there and wait for Yuan Gonglu to trap me to death in the city?"

Yuan Shao's words were supported by Yan Liang.

If they wanted to hold out for a long time before the enemy army surrounded them, they had to maintain a force outside the city that dared to fight, coordinate with the defenders in the city, launch counterattacks from time to time, and make the enemy troops besieging the city fearful.

Otherwise, once the enemy troops surrounded them and they were trapped in an isolated city, they would be at the mercy of others.

Not to mention digging tunnels, just the enemy approaching the city and building walls with earth can easily offset the defensive advantage of their city.

By then, the offensive and defensive situations will be different. They will be surrounded and it will only be a matter of time before their food and supplies run out and they surrender.

"General, I am willing to lead my troops out of the city and serve as the wings of my army!"

Yan Liang immediately clasped his fists and asked for a fight, his voice as loud as a bell and his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Immediately afterwards, Wen Chou was not to be outdone, and shouted loudly, following suit and asking for battle.

As Yan Liang and Wen Chou urged to fight, Yuan Shao's eyes moved back and forth between the two generals, as if he was weighing the pros and cons. Finally, he nodded heavily and said in a deep voice, "Okay! Yan Liang and Wen Chou, listen to my orders. I order you two to lead 3,000 elite troops out of the city each, and you must stop Yuan Shu's bandit army and buy time for our army!"

"I obey your command!" Yan Liang and Wen Chou responded in unison, their voices like a loud bell, echoing through the city walls.

After receiving the order, the two men turned around quickly, strode down the city wall, and began to select the troops for battle.

Faced with the arrogant Yuan Shu, Yuan Shao's army fought a desperate battle and launched a night attack that night when the reinforcements of Shu's army had not arrived yet.

Ji Ling and others were caught off guard. They did not expect that Yuan Shao's defeated troops could actually fight back. Chaos fell for a moment, and the army besieging the city was forced to retreat more than 20 miles, abandoning countless food and supplies.

Yuan Shao's army knew when to stop and did not pursue the enemy relentlessly. Instead, they packed up some baggage and supplies and retreated back to the city. Yan Liang and Wen Chou set up camp in the southeast and northeast of the city respectively, forming a "品" shape to guard the six counties.

The victory that night greatly boosted the morale of Yuan Shao's army. The soldiers in the city swept away the gloom of the past, admired the bravery of Yan Liang and Wen Chou, and gained more confidence in their future perseverance.

However, Yuan Shao knew very well that this was only a temporary respite. Yuan Shu would never give up, and a larger-scale attack was bound to follow.

Sure enough, a few days later, Yuan Shu from Shouchun arrived with a large army and joined forces with Ji Ling and Zhang Xun, preparing to launch a larger-scale attack on Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shu stood under the general's flag, looking at the tightly closed gates of the six counties, his eyes full of resentment:

"Today is the day you die, my dear!"

Yuan Shu waved his hand, and tens of thousands of troops under his command launched an attack like a tide.

However, due to the existence of the camp outside the city, Yuan Shu could only take out Yuan Shao's outer defenses one by one.

Therefore, although Yuan Shu kept uttering harsh words, the actual fighting was far from as easy as he had imagined.

It is said that the army under Yuan Shu rushed towards the camp of Yuan Shao’s army outside the city like a surging tide.

The soldiers in the front row of them held long shields and were closely connected, forming an indestructible mobile barrier, slowly advancing forward.

The archers in the back row drew their bows and shot out a rain of arrows that covered the sky.

Although Yuan Shao's army was prepared, they were still badly defeated by the fierce attack. For a time, the military camp was full of dust, tents were pierced by arrows, and many soldiers fell to the ground after being shot, screaming in pain.

After the rain of arrows, the two sides engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand fight. Yan Liang and Wen Chou each led their troops and relied on the camp to fight back resolutely. The two sides fought back and forth, and the fight was hard to determine.

The shouts and sounds of weapons clashing on the battlefield were deafening. The ground was stained with blood and corpses were piled up like a purgatory on earth.

"General Huangfu, this won't work. There are also enemy warships patrolling here!"

The officer in charge of exploring the way was anxious and reported the latest situation to Huangfu Song. Huangfu Song looked solemn, looking at the turbulent Huai River in front of him, his brows twisted into the shape of a "chuan" character.

Although Yuan Shao did not have much hope for Huangfu Song, he was certain that the imperial court would stand by and watch him die.

But in fact, Huangfu Song was an upright person and he had no intention of standing still when his friendly forces were in trouble.

The only reason why Yuan Shao was trapped for more than ten days was this: he simply couldn't cross the Huai River.

Huangfu Song asked: "How is the battle going on General Taishi's side? When will the imperial navy arrive?"

The lieutenant replied, "General, there is no progress downstream. General Taishi said that we need to wait for the Liaodong navy to arrive before launching an offensive."

Guan Yu frowned and said, "Doesn't that mean we have to wait another ten days?"

Guo Jia understood and said: "The thieves' navy has the advantage of terrain, so it is difficult to attack them by force."

Although Huangfu Song felt helpless after hearing this, he also knew that it was the truth.

The lower reaches refer to the lower reaches of the Huai River, the Shouchun section.

After the Runan Navy suffered a major defeat, they retreated upstream, taking the last few remaining ferries and warships, hiding behind the fortress built by the Han army in the narrow part of the river, relying on the camp to protect the last fleet.

If the Qingxu Navy wanted to provide support, it had to come from the sea, enter the mouth of the Huai River, and break through the Shouchun defense line before it could come.

How difficult is this?
You know, the Qingxu Navy and Yuan Shu's Navy are of the same lineage, and their equipment and technology are almost the same. At this time, Yuan Shu's Navy, which occupied the upper reaches and had the defense of water forts on the shore, had the advantage.

Taishi Ci once launched a sneak attack at night in an attempt to break through the defense, but although it cannot be said that he returned in failure, the results were very limited at least, and instead caused the enemy soldiers to strengthen their defense.

Now, Taishi Ci could only wait for the Liaodong navy to come as reinforcements, so that everyone could join forces and make another breakthrough through ship and sea tactics.

"I'm afraid Yuan Benchu ​​won't be able to hold on until then."

Huangfu Song looked embarrassed, and everyone else's faces also looked unhappy.

Even without mentioning the relationship with Yuan Shao's friendly forces, at least they had just given their beloved daughter to the general.

Not long after the marriage, the father of Duke Tang's beloved concubine died on the battlefield, and it was difficult for him to explain to the general.

If the girl holds a grudge and starts a long-lasting fight, they will probably have a hard time in the future.

"For now, we must stop sticking to the old ways."

Guo Jia suggested:
"General Huangfu, I suggest that we immediately head east, take the route through Pei State, bypass Shouchun and cross the river!"

Huangfu Song was cheered up when he heard this. This was indeed a good idea.

Since Yuan Shu's navy is concentrated in Shouchun, it is indeed feasible for them to take a detour downstream and cross the river under the cover of the navy.

Moreover, in this way, they could attack the enemy and then rescue him, besiege Shouchun, and force Yuan Shu's army to return.

However, there is still a problem with this strategy:
"Pei State Prime Minister Yuan Zhong is Shu Ze's cousin. The two have a decent relationship. He is a spectator in this battle between the two Yuans. He may not allow our army to pass through his territory."

Huangfu Song said with a serious expression:

"If our army forces its way through, this person might develop evil intentions and we might be attacked from all sides, which would be detrimental to our success."

Guo Jia smiled slightly, with a sly look in his eyes: "Don't worry, General. Yuan Zhong is a smooth person. Now our army is coming with the righteousness of the court. If he dares to stop us, it would be a blatant rebellion."

"Since the general has been ordered to command the military affairs of Jianghuai, you can use courtesy first and then force. As the commander-in-chief, you can order them to open the border and supply food and grass. At the same time, send a general to lead the army to monitor. If they obey orders obediently, our army will pass smoothly. If they dare not obey, or make the slightest unusual movement, we will capture them directly and incorporate the army of Pei State into our own."

Seeing Huangfu Song nod, Guan Yu immediately asked for the order and was willing to carry out the mission.

Soon, Huangfu Song ordered Guo Jia to draft a document, allowing Guan Yu to lead his troops ahead and march into Pei State.

"I hope Yuan Zhong can understand the current situation and reason. Otherwise, once the war breaks out, I don't know how much time it will take."

Huangfu Song clenched his fists and prayed silently in his heart.

At this moment, suddenly, a messenger came with a message:
"The general has issued an order: Huangfu Song's troops must immediately move to Xiacai, Pei State, and arrive within a certain time frame. There must be no delay!"

"what?!"

"General's order?"

Everyone looked at each other.

(End of this chapter)