Wait, please don't call me Emperor Zhaolie

Chapter 145 Liu Bei: Yu Fuluo, I'm waiting for you by the river
I don't know when the south wind started blowing.

The Han army's scouts and the Xiongnu's scouts were riding horses and fighting twenty miles east of Qinshui in Huai County. The wind blew the dust so hard that they were slightly choking. They even had to rub their eyes constantly between drawing their bows and shooting arrows, which caused their fighting power to drop sharply.

"Xilulu..." The horses neighed, and both sides stopped charging as if in tacit understanding, and retreated vigilantly.

Although the Hun scouts who arrived were numerous, they were still unable to defeat the Han cavalry who were well-equipped but outnumbered.

Some Xiongnu wanted to give chase, but were stopped by the chief scout, who explained in Xiongnu language: "This group of Han cavalry are skilled in archery and horse riding, comparable to the Liangzhou cavalry, and even better at shooting, and can shoot farther with their bows. If we rashly give chase, we will be the first to be hit by arrowheads, as their bows are different from those of other Han cavalry."

The scouts didn't bother to care what the Huns behind them thought. It was best if they didn't catch up, so they wouldn't have to find ways to get rid of them.

After leaving the battle, the scouts hurriedly rode at full speed to report to the envoy that the Huns were attacking along the Qin River.

Liu Bei received a message and invited Xun You, Guo Jia and Zhang Fan to come for a discussion. He learned that there were reeds stretching for several miles on the north bank of the river where they were currently, which could cover the cavalry's advance and hiding.

I was overjoyed and made arrangements immediately.

He first ordered Sun Qian to sail downstream to intercept the grain ships coming from the Dahe and Qinshui rivers, so that the Xiongnu would mistakenly believe that the Han army was short of food and weapons.

He also ordered Taishi Ci to lead the Huben Cavalry to tie the horses' mouths immediately, make as little noise as possible on the way, march several miles south to the reeds and then ambush on the west side of the river bank. Liu Bei squinted his eyes to check the time, and ordered Taishi Ziyi to lead the cavalry to attack the rear of the Xiongnu when dusk fell.

He led the infantry to rest, and waited for the Hun cavalry to slowly retreat with a wall of chariots, and then formed a battle array with their backs to the river to defeat the Huns.

An order was issued to the three armies that after this battle, all the soldiers and auxiliary soldiers, regardless of their achievements, would be rewarded with fine silk and good farmland.

The morale of the entire army was instantly boosted, and the soldiers shouted "Victory!" "Long live the Han army!"

The soldiers were so excited that they jumped up and could not wait to fight the Huns. Many of them wanted to divide the land. After all, the governor had ordered that the reward for killing the Huns would be greater than that for killing the bandits in Liang Province.

Xun You asked with a worried look on his face, "Sir, if we march through the reeds and the Huns startle the horses, won't we be exposed?"

"Besides, lining up with your back to the water is a strategically important matter. Since the Marquis of Huaiyin, there have been few generals who have gathered their troops by the river. Since your campaign, you have never seen a general defeat the enemy with your back to the water. It would be safer to form a circle to defeat the Xiongnu."

"Sir, please do not forget that in the early Han Dynasty, Emperor Gaozu underestimated the enemy and advanced his troops, which led to the siege of Baideng!"

Xun You advised earnestly.

Unlike Guo Jia who only cared about the big picture and not the details, he was better at preparing strategies for the enemy in front of the army. If he had a choice, he really didn't want him to follow the example of Marquis Huaiyin.

Using this method, there is indeed a great possibility of defeating the main force of the Xiongnu Chanyu, but it is also very dangerous for the Han army.

The special envoy even risked his life by raising a large flag on the river bank to lure the Xiongnu Chanyu to attack.

Liu Bei heard Xun You's kind reminder, and couldn't help but explain: "Gongda, you see, the wind is blowing from the south right now. Since I was in Chenliu County, I have been paying close attention to the wind direction in Heluo. In recent months, I have summed up the pattern. If the south wind blows now, it will not stop until midnight at least."

"If the Xiongnu dare to set fire, the first to be burned will be the Xiongnu themselves and their horses."

Liu Bei patted Xun You on the shoulder and said with a smile:
“There are visible and invisible weapons. Visible weapons include brave men, fierce soldiers, and warriors like bears and tigers. Invisible weapons include the stars, the sun, the moon, the mountains, the rivers, the spiritual energy, and all things.”

“Those who have accomplished great things in the past not only knew themselves and the enemy and made good use of their soldiers and generals, but also made good use of the weather and terrain, and commanded their troops to advance and retreat freely.” Liu Bei knew that Xun You’s proposal was more cautious and safe, but he also had his own concerns.

Apart from the thousands of auxiliary soldiers assigned to various counties, the main force of the Han army's infantry is almost all here. Four hundred Wugang carts may seem like a lot, but if they are really formed into a circle, the range will be much smaller, and even if the baggage carts are used, it will still be insufficient.

The soldiers could be kept steady, but if the pack horses, draft horses, donkeys, mules and other livestock were frightened during the Huns' attack and broke up the army in the chariot formation, the whole army would be finished.

They could only use Wugang carts to form a semicircle array, and use baggage carts to firmly surround the pack horses and draft horses at the riverside and tie them down with wooden nails.

Liu Bei patiently explained to the generals and captains, "The Xiongnu came here on horseback to attack us because they wanted to take advantage of our unstable foothold. They didn't expect us to cross the river quickly. If we don't show our strength and give them a chance to win, they will probably turn around and run away."

"The Xiongnu fought by instinct, like wolves hunting sheep, using light horses to roam around in search of their targets and then attack them in turns. They came in waves and dispersed in a hurry. They had seized a lot of armor from Zhang Yang's arsenal, and if they were allowed to escape, it would be a disaster."

As he spoke, Liu Bei pointed his whip at his banner and said with a smile, "Fortunately, the Xiongnu are my enemies. The Left Commander and the Xiongnu nobles asked me to kill them right here in Weijun. I think Yu Fuluo is eager to avenge his son and his people, so I'll give them a chance."

"Use the shafts of the carts to build a high platform and raise the red flag high, so that the Xiongnu Chanyu can see from afar that I, Liu Xuande, have not gone anywhere and am waiting for him at the river bank with my back to the water."

"If I miss such a good opportunity to defeat Liu Bei, Yu Fuluo will probably regret it in the middle of the night and be so angry that he won't be able to sleep."

Upon hearing this, all the generals, military officers, and staff members burst into laughter, and they all said in unison, "Long live the Han army!"

Fortunately, at this time, the Han army would often shout "Long live the Han army" after winning a battle, and sometimes add "Han army" or "Great Han", so Liu Bei would not misunderstand after hearing it many times.

As long as you don't address him by name in front of outsiders and shout "Long live Liu Shijun", he will basically remain calm.

As soon as the military order was given, everyone followed suit and left.

Taishi Ci took the order with both hands, then bowed solemnly, gathered his troops and horses, and rode out of the chariot formation to the south. More than a thousand cavalry followed closely behind and disappeared in the distance.

The cavalrymen all knew that the victory of this battle depended on them, and their faces were solemn even though they were far away from the camp.

This was especially true since it was the first time that Taishi Ci had undertaken such an important task. While he was grateful to the envoy, he also secretly said in his heart, "I will not let my lord down even if I die."

Liu Bei looked at the Tiger Guards howling in the south wind from afar, and took two meals of dry food with him to ambush in the reeds.

He could not help but sigh, "We can defeat the Xiongnu in one move. I will hold the Chanyu in the front, and you will attack the Xiongnu royal court from behind. If we can capture and kill the fierce Yufuluo, the Heluo area will surely be shaken, and then we can issue an order to settle the matter."

When Guo Jia saw the envoy looking towards the south, he guessed that he was also worried, but he could not show it in front of the whole army so as not to disrupt the morale of the army.

He walked over and said with a smile: "Don't worry, sir. We have the best weather, terrain and people. The Han army will not be able to defeat the Xiongnu in this battle. The leader Yufuluo will not agree to it. Isn't it a waste of time to come all the way from Hedong?"

Liu Bei couldn't help laughing when he heard this.

Feng Xiao's words made sense. The Han army has always been hospitable and they certainly couldn't let people go there in vain.

(End of this chapter)