Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

Chapter 145: The enemy is numerous and we are few? Liu Fenghu is powerful in Nanyang (6k)

Outside Danshui City.

Five camps were set up in strategic locations.

Located on a high ground, camping across the water.

The first camp was guarded by Colonel Kou Anguo, Commander Mi Tutong and Bei Shi Na, who led a thousand men.

The second camp was guarded by Captains Li Fu and Deng Xian, who led a thousand men.

The third battalion was guarded by Colonel Liu Qingzhi and Liu Changgong, who led a thousand men.

The fourth battalion was guarded by captains Liu Wentai and Liu Xianda, who led a thousand men.

The fifth battalion was guarded by General Wang Ping and Colonel Liu Daozhi, who led a thousand men.

In Danshui City, Liu Feng personally led the captains Tian Qi, Bai Shou, Mei Fu, and the commanders Tian Zhong, Han Chong, Shu Heli, Qu Xianzhi and other officers to guard the city with 3,000 people.

Outside the first camp.

Zhang He, Guo Huai and Yang Qiu led 10,000 people to arrive.

Zhang He was shocked to learn that the Han army had set up camp on the mountain ahead. He said, "How could the Han army react so quickly? They even captured Danshui City?"

Come from Guanzhong.

Zhang He doubled his speed in order to reach Nanxiang City as soon as possible to join forces with Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang.

Unexpectedly, before the army reached Nanxiang City, Danshui City upstream of Nanxiang City had already been lost.

After carefully questioning the spies, Guo Huai, the general of the Qiang expedition, also looked solemn: "The guards of Danshui City are extremely cautious and are in a high position, so it is difficult for spies to penetrate deep. At present, we know that there are two camps on the hill ahead, which are in a corner position, and the distance between each other is less than five miles.

There are very few flags on the hilltops, probably because they are afraid that our spies will find out the truth. According to the map, there are many hilltops along the water from here to Danshui City, and there may be more than two camps. "

After hearing Guo Huai's analysis, General Yang Qiu was quite disdainful: "Liu Feng's military force in Xincheng is only over 10,000, and now he has sent troops to Danshui City. The Danshui garrison will not use more than 5,000 soldiers.

We have to defend the city and set up camps in the mountains. There must not be many soldiers guarding each camp. We dare not raise too many flags, but we are in a guilty conscience. I estimate that the number of soldiers stationed on these two hills will not exceed a thousand.

You can select elite soldiers and attack one camp together. If they don't come to the rescue, we will surely defeat them; if they come to the rescue, we can ambush them."

Although Yang Qiu's words made sense, Guo Huai's worries did not disappear: "Our army has come from far away and has little food, so it is not suitable for a long battle; Liu Feng can not only suppress General Xiahou and General Xu outside Nanxiang City, but also have the spare force to divide his troops to seize Danshui City. He must have many brave men as his minions.

If we fail to win and our morale is crushed, it will be even harder to advance. I think it would be better to set up a camp and wait for Cao Zhengxi to arrive before attacking together. This will ensure no risk of failure."

Yang Qiu laughed loudly: "General Guo, you are too cowardly. Our army is several times larger than the enemy, so how can we not win? If we wait until Cao Zhengxi arrives before sending out troops, what is the point of us being the vanguard?

General Zuo, I am willing to personally lead two thousand elite soldiers to destroy the Han bandit camp. If we fail, please chop off my head!"

Guo Huai did not continue to argue with Yang Qiu, but looked at Zhang He.

Yang Qiu was only a deputy general, and it didn't matter whether Yang Qiu opposed Guo Huai; Zhang He was the vanguard general, and Zhang He's decision was the most important.

Zhang He lowered his head in thought.

If we do not capture the stronghold and directly attack Danshui City, the rear army's supplies will be disturbed.

If they attacked the stronghold, the battle would easily be dragged into a protracted one, which would be extremely disadvantageous for Zhang He who came from afar with little food.

A person's name, the shadow of a tree.

Liu Feng is not like Ma Su who has never been on the battlefield.

Just as Guo Huai said: Liu Feng was not only able to suppress General Xiahou and General Xu outside Nanxiang City, but also had enough strength to divide his troops to capture Danshui City. He must have many brave men under his command.

The most important thing is: Zhang He did not know that Danshui City had been lost before he came, so he chose to travel light. At present, the food and grass brought with him were only enough for ten days. If he could not capture Danshui City within ten days, Zhang He would have to retreat and wait for Cao Zhen's rear army.

This is also the reason why Guo Huai said, "We have come from afar with little food, so it is not advisable to fight for a long time."

In fact, this is also the reason why Liu Feng established five camps outside Danshui City.

One word: drag.

If Zhang He didn't attack the stronghold, he would not be able to reach Danshui City.

If Zhang He attacked the stronghold, his morale would be worn down, which would delay Zhang He's arrival at Danshui City.

Think for a long time.

Zhang He made up his mind and gave the order: "We are the vanguard. If we get scared when we encounter the camp, the General of the Western Expedition might think that we are not doing our best. So we should follow General Yang's advice and select the best soldiers to attack the camp with all our strength. We should also ambush another army to provide support."

Yang Qiu laughed loudly: "General Zuo is wise! I will attack the stronghold, and General Guo will set up an ambush. General Zuo will stay in the main camp. As long as General Guo can stop the enemy's reinforcements, I will be able to defeat the enemy in one battle!"

Done.

Yang Qiu looked at Guo Huai provocatively.

The meaning is self-evident: Don't hold me back, you coward!
Guo Huai breathed steadily, ignored Yang Qiu's provocation, and looked at Zhang He again.

The look of "I don't want to bother with you, you idiot" made Yang Qiu furious.

Guo Huai came from an aristocratic family. His great-grandfather was Guanglu Dafu, his grandfather was Da Si Nong, and his father was the Taishou of Yanmen. Guo Huai himself was selected as a filial and honest official, so he was definitely the son of a wealthy family.

Yang Qiu, one of the warlords in Guanzhong, once followed Ma Chao and Han Sui in rebelling against Cao Cao, and surrendered to Cao Cao after his defeat. Although his official title was higher than Guo Huai's, in Guo Huai's eyes Yang Qiu was still just a nobody.

In fact it is.

Although Guo Huai was only a general in the expedition against the Qiang at the moment, his achievements recorded in history included being promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry, Yitong Sansi, and Marquis of Yangqu. After his death, he was posthumously awarded the title of General and given the posthumous name of Zhen.

Guo Huai's upper limit is something Yang Qiu can never reach.

It is normal for the wealthy children in Kyoto to look down on the local tyrants in Guanzhong.

Zhang He did not want the two to fight, so he accepted Yang Qiu's request: "In this case, General Yang will lead the elite troops to attack the camp, and General Guo, you will lead an army to ambush between the two camps of the Han bandits to cut off their connection, and I will also provide support from the side."

Compared with Xu Huang's straight march, Zhang Liao's eight hundred men breaking the enemy's formation, and Le Jin's breaking through the enemy's formation first, Zhang He's style of employing troops tends to use strategies and command generals.

Zhang He would not go into battle personally unless it was absolutely necessary.

The reason why Zhang He was able to outlast a bunch of famous generals in the late Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period was because of one word: stability.

If Sima Yi had not forced Zhang He to pursue Zhuge Liang, with his stable mentality, he could have lived another ten years and lived to be eighty like Cheng Yu.

Yang Qiu was eager to attack the stronghold, and Zhang He was naturally happy about it.

From the heart.

Zhang He was reluctant to come to Nanxiang City this time.

The Wei army had a long journey from Guanzhong to Nanxiang.

Help from afar will help you in a quick battle.

Once the Han army held the fortress and maintained a long standoff, the Wei army would return empty-handed due to lack of supplies.

after all.

There is a fundamental difference between an army marching south and an army rushing to the rescue.

The army marched south and had plenty of time to prepare supplies.

The army rushed to the rescue, and there was not enough time to prepare supplies.

If the person in the south was a man like Meng Da, Zhang He would be able to kill Meng Da in a short time.

However, the one in the south was the increasingly famous Liu Feng, who not only turned the tide in Jingzhou and beat Sun Quan and his generals black and blue, but also suppressed Xiahou Shang and Xu Huang in the south.

Let’s not even mention Xiahou.

Who is Xu Huang?

He marched straight into the city of Fancheng, broke through the four tombs and lifted the siege of Fancheng. Guan Yu even avoided his sharp edge for a while. Cao Cao even praised Xu Huang in an order, saying that "his achievements as a general surpass those of Sun Wu and Tian Rangju."

result.

Xu Huang just couldn't get any advantage over Liu Feng in Nanxiang City!

Although Xu Huang is old, we should not underestimate Liu Feng's abilities.

Zhang He was unwilling to take the risk of facing such an opponent.

After setting up camp.

Zhang He sent someone to the rear to deliver a letter to Cao Zhen.

The letter specifically stated that Danshui City had been captured by Liu Feng, and that Liu Feng had set up a stronghold outside Danshui City, relying on the dangerous mountains, making it difficult to advance.

If we only consider military positions, Zhang He is superior to Cao Zhen.

However, status in the military is defined by the power of the position.

Although Cao Zhen was only the General of the Western Expedition, he was able to control Zhang He by holding the Yellow Axe.

Zhang He is also a sensible person.

In other words, Zhang He was eager to be controlled by Cao Zhen.

If you win, you can get some small credit and accumulate military merits to get promoted.

The responsibility for the loss lies not with Zhang He but with Cao Zhen.

As long as you remain "humble" to Cao Zhen and report everything to Cao Zhen, you will not be held accountable.

Zhang He actually agreed with Guo Huai's analysis.

Just like before Xu Huang conquered the Four Tomb, he waited until Yin Shu and Zhu Gai's twelve battalions arrived and he was confident enough before advancing.

however.

Just as Zhang He said, "We are the vanguard. If we get scared when we encounter a camp, the General who Expedites the West may think that we are not doing our best", many times the decision to march and fight does not depend on whether the decision is right or not, but on whether the general thinks the decision is right or not.

Write a letter to Cao Zhen.

This was to tell Cao Zhen: I have done my best as a vanguard. However, Danshui City was lost too early, I came from a long distance, tired and short of food, and it was difficult to win.

Don't mention the credit first, but push the responsibility first.

Zhang He refused to take the blame.

Last time, a man named Guo Tu wanted Zhang He to take the blame, but Zhang He turned around and defected to Cao Cao.

For Zhang He.

Only those who live longer can be promoted to higher positions.

Those who do not live long have already turned into a handful of dust.

Among the former Yuan clan warriors who surrendered to Cao Cao, only Zhang He is still alive. Even among those who are still alive, no one has climbed higher than Zhang He.

Compared to Zhang He's calm mentality, General Yang Qiu, who requested orders to attack the stronghold, was high-spirited but also a little resentful.

Yang Qiu was very unhappy with Guo Huai's sense of superiority as a rich family's son, which was revealed in his every move.

The chain of contempt between the wealthy families in Kyoto and the warriors in the border areas is as if it is engraved in their bones. It was so during the period of Dong Zhuo and also during the period of Yang Qiu.

"Wait till I break into the stronghold, and see if that fellow Guo Huai still dares to underestimate me!"

Scolds are scolded.

Yang Qiu was not really arrogant or careless.

Most of the warlords in Guanzhong who followed Ma Chao and Han Sui in the uprising were dead. Not only was Yang Qiu still alive, but he was also appointed a general and conferred a title of nobility by Cao Cao. He was also ranked eighth in the "Memorials to the Dukes, Ministers and Generals of Wei" which shows that he had some real abilities.

And at this time.

The hilltop of the Danshui First Camp.

Captain Kou Anguo had been waiting for a long time.

As an outstanding young man from Liu Feng's original clan, the Kou family, although Kou Anguo was not as brave and intelligent as Liu Feng, he had also followed Liu Feng in battles for ten years.

In ten years, as long as you don't waste your time, even a dog can become an expert dog.

After the generals requested Liu Feng to garrison Danshui City, Kou Anguo took the initiative to request to station troops in the first battalion.

The first battalion is also the most dangerous battalion!
Watching the Wei army gradually approaching the top of the hill, Kou Anguo licked his lips that were cracked by the cold wind and shouted to the soldiers on the hill to boost their morale.

"It has been said since ancient times that it takes a thousand days to raise an army and only a day to deploy it. Your Highness has always been kind to us and our families, but now he is afraid that we cannot defeat the Wei dogs, so he has only given us two days of dry food and allowed us to withdraw to the second camp at any time.

How can we not repay the great kindness Your Highness has bestowed upon us? If we were to be timid when seeing the enemy and retreat to the second camp without firing a single arrow, I would be deeply ashamed!
Now, Wei Gou has not yet completed the encirclement. If anyone wants to withdraw to the second camp, you can stand up and I will never stop you! "I have been following Liu Feng for a long time.

Kou Anguo's calls to boost morale are also increasing day by day.

Liu Feng's soldiers were already brave, and their morale was even higher after being inspired by Kou Anguo's words.

"It's not like I haven't killed Wei Gou before, so why would I be afraid of Wei Gou?"

"Captain Kou, why do you underestimate us? I have killed many Wei dogs myself, so why should I be afraid of the Wei dogs under the mountain?"

"We have received great kindness from His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan, and we are worried about how to repay him. Today, we will kill a few more Wei dogs to congratulate His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan."

"The Wei dog is not invulnerable. If I chop him down with my sword, he will fall down. What is there to be afraid of?"

"His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan once said: When two people meet on a narrow road, the brave will win! What is there to be afraid of a mere Wei dog?"

"."

For a moment, the crowd was excited and morale was high.

Kou Anguo laughed and divided the soldiers into three groups.

One part was given to the commander Mi Tutong, one part was given to the commander Bei Shi Na, and one part was led by Kou Anguo himself.

"As the Art of War says: When you are on high ground, you will be unstoppable! Let the Wei dogs see how powerful we are!"

Kou Anguo shouted loudly, and the thousand Han soldiers on the hilltop quickly separated and took their positions.

The confrontation in the first battalion also attracted the attention of Li Fu and Deng Xian from the second battalion.

Upon hearing the news, Deng Xian was about to lead his troops to rescue.

Li Fu stopped them and said, "The second battalion has a lot of food and fodder. Don't move rashly. Be careful of the ambush set by the Wei dogs."

The amount of grain Liu Feng stored in the five camps outside the city was different.

The first camp near Zhang He had only two days' worth of dry food.

It’s not that Liu Feng was unwilling to provide more food to the First Camp, but Liu Feng knew very well that the First Camp could not be defended.

Instead of leaving food and grass to Zhang He, it is better to give the First Battalion greater mobility.

Fight if you can, retreat if you can’t.

Regardless of victory or defeat, the First Battalion will withdraw to the Second Battalion within two days.

Compared with the first camp, the second camp had more food.

The Second Battalion left five days' worth of food for two thousand men, which was a guarantee for the First Battalion to retreat safely.

If the Second Battalion holds out until the food runs out, it will retreat to the Third Battalion.

The third battalion had more food than the second battalion, enough to feed three thousand people for seven days.

If the Third Battalion holds out until its food runs out, it will retreat to the Fourth Battalion.

The fourth battalion had more food than the third battalion, enough to feed four thousand people for ten days.

If the Fourth Battalion could hold out until its food ran out, it would retreat to Wang Ping's Fifth Battalion.

The Fifth Battalion's food was enough to feed five thousand men for twenty days.

This deployment is intended to drag.

It also has the meaning of Tian Ji's horse racing.

Use the least amount of troops to fight when Zhang He's army's morale is at its highest, and run away if you can't win the fight.

The morale of Zhang He's army will be constantly consumed in the process of capturing the camp, while the morale of Liu Feng's army will gradually rise as the number of troops continues to increase.

When one gains strength while the other loses strength, it can create an advantage in morale.

This caused Zhang He's army, which was already exhausted after traveling a long distance, to fall into a low state with its morale being continuously depleted.

Liu Feng gave detailed instructions on the tasks of the various camps before appointing the captains.

Liu Feng analyzed to all the generals the possible methods Zhang He might use to attack the stronghold when he arrived at the first camp.

In terms of probability.

It would be safest to have Liu Feng personally garrison the First Battalion.

Whether it is Liu Feng's bravery or wisdom, Kou Anguo cannot compare to him.

On the one hand, the officers tried their best to dissuade Liu Feng from taking any risks, and on the other hand, Liu Feng also intended to train Kou Anguo and the officers.

As Liu Feng's status becomes higher and the power he holds becomes greater, his opportunities to go to the front line will become fewer and fewer.

If there are too few capable officers under his command, Liu Feng's use of troops and dispatch of troops will become uncoordinated.

therefore.

After careful consideration, Liu Feng finally chose to defend Danshui City and divided the five camps outside the city among his officers.

The most dangerous First Battalion was handed over to Kou Anguo.

In addition to the fact that Kou Anguo volunteered, there is also a reason why Kou Anguo's surname is Kou.

Liu Feng sent all his clan brothers to the most dangerous positions, so how could the other soldiers not be dedicated?
With Li Fu's reminder, Deng Xian gave up the idea of rushing to rescue the First Battalion.

After the two of them discussed it.

Decided to wait and see how Kou Anguo responds first.

If Kou Anguo chooses to retreat to the second battalion, go to support him immediately.

If Kou Anguo can hold on, we will meet him at the original planned time.

The Second Battalion's inaction made Guo Huai, who was lying in ambush at the foot of the mountain, suspicious.

"Strange. Liu Feng set up two camps for mutual defense. With his ability to employ people, he would not employ a general with personal grudges. Now that the front camp is under attack, the rear camp is not moving? Does he have other plans, or is he sure that the front camp can be defended?"

Can't guess why.

Guo Huai sent people to inform Zhang He of the battle situation, and at the same time sent scouts to investigate further.

Guo Huai disagreed with Yang Qiu's conclusion that "the number of soldiers Liu Feng was allocated to Danshui City was less than 5,000, and the number of Han soldiers on these two hills would not exceed 1,000."

Guo Huai's initial judgment was that "there are many hilltops along the water, and there may be more than two camps", but he could not find out the truth because the scouts could not go deep enough.

Now that there are ambushes here, Guo Huai can also let the scouts conduct more in-depth investigations.

As time goes by.

Guo Huai's doubts became even greater.

It was not just because Liu Feng's second battalion remained idle, but also because Yang Qiu failed to capture Liu Feng's first battalion.

Although he despised Yang Qiu's background and rudeness in his heart, Guo Huai also knew Yang Qiu's abilities. A madman has the capital to be a madman, and Yang Qiu has achieved his current status because of his ruthlessness and courage.

Guo Huai did not mock Yang Qiu for his rudeness, but sent someone to find Zhang He again to convey his doubts and guesses.

The messenger left soon.

The scout who was sent out hurried back with an arrow in the shoulder.

Guo Huai had a bad feeling in his heart.

"Guardian, there is also a camp of the Han army behind this hill, also built on the dangerous hill. There are secret sentries at the intersection. We didn't have time to react, two of them died, and I was the only one who escaped!"

The scouts were shocked and frightened.

In the blink of an eye, the two companions were shot dead.

Guo Huai's face darkened and he took a deep breath: "Send the order, attack the Han army's front camp immediately!"

The deputy general was surprised when he heard this: "Guardian, if we attack the Han army's front camp now, we will anger General Guanjun."

Guo Huai glared: "That's not your concern, follow the military order!"

Scolding.

Guo Huai looked at Liu Feng's second camp again, his eyes deep and no one knew what he was thinking.

After a while.

Guo Huai issued another military order: raise the flag and beat the drum.

The flags and drums of the Wei army also alarmed Li Fu and Deng Xian of the second camp.

Deng Xian was horrified: "There really is an ambush! If you hadn't warned me, Captain Li, I would have fallen for the Wei dog's evil plan!"

Li Fu's face turned ugly: "Don't be happy too soon, Wei Gou did it on purpose! If I guess correctly, Wei Gou is going to attack the First Battalion! We can't wait any longer, you stay in the main camp, I will go to support the First Battalion!"

Deng Xian was puzzled: "Captain Li, it is almost night, Wei Gou should have withdrawn his troops back to the camp, are you being too suspicious?"

Li Fu frowned, "It will be even more troublesome at night! To prevent any accidents, send two more messengers, one to the third camp and one back to Danshui City."

Deng Xian was about to say something but stopped himself, then suppressed the doubts in his mind.

Although they are both colonels, the second battalion is led by Li Fu. Deng Xian, the colonel, was promoted because he was Meng Da's nephew, and he is not comparable to Li Fu at all.

Li Fu's troop deployment did not escape the notice of Guo Huai's spies.

Guo Huai did not change the military order and still ordered his troops to assist Yang Qiu in attacking Liu Feng's first battalion.

When Yang Qiu saw Guo Huai coming, he instantly became angry.

"Guo Hujun, what do you mean?"

Seeing Yang Qiu's frustrated look, Guo Huai also guessed that Yang Qiu's attack on the village was not going well.

However, Guo Huai did not argue with Yang Qiu, but said calmly: "I sent three scouts, two died, and one escaped. The scouts found that the Han army had a third battalion. General Yang, you should understand what this means."

Yang Qiu's anger froze instantly.

Two thousand elite soldiers attacked the stronghold but could not gain any advantage. Guo Huai then said that the Han army had a third battalion.

This means that the number of Han troops far exceeded Yang Qiu’s estimate!
Seeing Guo Huai's look as if he had everything planned out, Yang Qiu became furious again: "So what if there is a third battalion? Give me another day, and I will definitely be able to take down this stronghold! Let your soldiers retreat, and don't steal my credit!"

Seeing that Yang Qiu knowingly committed the crime, Guo Huai's eyes darkened and his tone became unfriendly: "General Yang, don't let personal interests interfere with public affairs! This is a delaying tactic of the Han army. This camp must be taken tonight! There is no time for you to attack for another day!"

Yang Qiu was furious: "Guo Huai, how dare you, a mere general of the Qiang Army, teach me how to use troops?"

Guo Huai's eyes became even gloomier.

Just now.

The messenger came riding up, holding a command and shouting, "The Left General has ordered that the Qiang Protector General Guo Huai and the Champion General Yang Qiu should attack the camp with all their might. If we fail to break through the camp tonight, we will all be punished!"

Yang Qiu became even angrier.

Judging from Guo Huai's expression, he must have sent someone to inform Zhang He in advance.

"Guo Huai, don't think that just because General Zuo trusts you, you can act arrogantly in front of me. I will talk to you after we break into this camp!" Yang Qiu left angrily.

Although he was very dissatisfied with Guo Huai's attempt to steal the credit, Yang Qiu did not dare to disobey Zhang He's military orders.

The top of the mountain.

Mi Tutong sent someone to report: "Captain, the second battalion has come down the mountain."

Kou Anguo couldn't help but be shocked.

The second battalion went down the mountain ahead of schedule, which meant that an accident had occurred at the foot of the mountain that Kou Anguo was unaware of, and Li Fu concluded that he had to go down the mountain to provide support.

Looking at the Wei army at the foot of the mountain that had no intention of retreating, Kou Anguo also vaguely guessed the Wei army's intentions.

"Damn it! Can't you even hold on for a day? I am ashamed of your cultivation!"

Kou Anguo slammed his spear hard into the ground. The humiliation of not being able to perfectly carry out Liu Feng's plan made Kou Anguo feel very depressed!
Taking a deep breath, Kou Anguo calmed his inner anxiety and thought of Liu Feng's past teachings: Don't be emotional when deploying troops, and don't hesitate when it's time to retreat.

"Order, retreat to the second camp!"

(End of this chapter)