Han officials

Chapter 264 Ambition and Courage [Combined]

Although the outcome of the great battle was decided, the uproar continued.

Groups of defeated soldiers were running amok in the open fields outside Linping Township, and the Wei army did not pursue them.

After all, Chunyu Qiong fought from his camp, and almost all of Yuan's more than 20,000 troops on the western route were wiped out here. Even if a few escaped, it was insignificant.

As for blocking information, that's even more unnecessary. Once a major battle of this magnitude occurs, don't expect to keep it secret.

Instead of wasting time and effort on this, it would be better to be more efficient when killing someone.

That's how it is in military affairs: if you're quick on one step, you're quick on every step.

Sometimes, even if the other party knows what you want to do, it's too late to respond effectively.

……

On the other hand, as the battle at Linping came to an end, Zhang Yan, living on the banks of the Zhangshui River, found herself in a dilemma.

"That fellow Wei Gongwei went to Linping Township?"

Chunyu Qiong's messenger, unaware that the great battle had ended, immediately pleaded anxiously:
"This humble servant speaks no falsehood. I urge the general to send troops immediately, for delay will only make things worse!"

But Zhang Yan remained unmoved, only frowning slightly as she asked, "How many soldiers did that fellow bring?"

"Around twenty thousand, mostly cavalry." The envoy, unsure of Zhang Yan's concerns, could only advise, "Though this enemy is fierce, if your army and ours combine our forces to attack from both sides, we will surely defeat the Wei army. Such a golden opportunity, General, must not miss it!"

No matter what the envoy said, Zhang Yan never gave a definite answer.

After Chunyu Qiong's envoy withdrew, Zhang Fang, who was standing by his side, couldn't help but speak up:

"Father, speed is of the essence in war, what is there to hesitate about?"

Wei Zhe has come out of the city. As long as they join forces to attack, even if they don't achieve a great victory, they won't suffer a great defeat.

If Wei Zhe were to remain holed up in Xiaquyang, even if the two armies eventually conquered it, they would likely suffer heavy casualties.

In chaotic times, military strength is the foundation for survival.

If the Black Mountain Army suffers heavy casualties, then even if Wei Zhe dies, he and his son probably won't be able to seize Youzhou.

So, before Zhang Yan could speak, Zhang Fang volunteered:

"I am willing to be the vanguard. If General Chunyu sees me, he will surely be able to hold out a little longer."

"Nonsense!" Zhang Yan glared at him and scolded, "You ignorant brat, how could you know the dangers involved?"

If Zhang Fang could think of something, how could Zhang Yan not understand it?

The reason he was still hesitant was mainly because he was considering whether to take Quyang or support Chunyu Qiong.

After all, Xiaquyang was the granary of the Wei army, and the grain transported from Zhongshan and Zhuojun was almost filling the warehouse.

Well, Ji Province is, after all, Yuan Shao's territory, so he can still find out some information.

However, Yuan Shao will find it difficult to emulate Cao Cao's raid on Wuchao this time.

Because Wei Zhe had already considered this point, he not only left 10,000 troops to guard the granary for Zhongshan Chancellor Geng Wu, but also moved all the original Xiaquyang militia and their families to the city to prevent them from being threatened with their families.

This group of volunteers may not have been particularly strong in terms of combat power, but they greatly strengthened the Wei army's foundation for control over Xiaquyang.

It is no exaggeration to say that if any gentry or powerful families in the city dared to take the opportunity to rebel and respond to Yuan's army, these righteous groups would have voluntarily cut them into eighteen pieces without the Wei army even having to lift a finger.

In the original history, Chunyu Qiong had tens of thousands of soldiers when he defended Wuchao, but the defense was still somewhat weak.

Of course, Zhang Yan was unaware of all this; he only knew the importance of the granary.

If they could capture Xiaquyang... no, as long as Xiaquyang posed a threat, Wei Zhe would probably retreat immediately.

In this way, he could still help Chunyu Qiong out of his predicament without having to rush to Linping.

Zhang Yan also knew how to use the strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao". Do you really think he hasn't read military strategy?

Zhang Yan even had another hidden meaning in this, which was to be wary of Chunyu Qiong.

As a seasoned thief, he wouldn't mistake Chunyu Qiong for an ally like that fool Zhang Fang.

Although Yuan Shao appointed him as the governor of Youzhou, Zhang Yan was still somewhat uneasy.

Who knows if Chunyu Qiong is planning to use him as a scapegoat!
By then, everyone else will be dead, and if Yuan Shao posthumously appoints him as the governor of Youzhou, it won't be considered breaking his promise.

Thinking about this, Zhang Yan felt increasingly suspicious of Chunyu Qiong's request for help.

The battle has only been going on for less than a day, how could it have gotten to this critical point?

With equal numbers of troops on both sides, Chunyu Qiong still held his position in the camp. Even a pig could hold out for three to five days, right?

This shows that Chunyu Qiong was either deliberately holding back his strength to lure him there, or intentionally concealing his true abilities.

After some deliberation, Zhang Yan made a decisive decision to head towards Xiaquyang.

The strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" involves attacking the area the enemy is bound to defend!
Anyway, we just need to help Chunyu Qiong out of the predicament. As for the siege, we can wait until Wei Zhe withdraws to Quyang.

At that time, he will be able to wait in comfort to intercept the Wei army, and naturally he can join forces with Chunyu Qiong to defeat the enemy outside the city in one fell swoop.

It must be admitted that compared to Zhang Fang's suggestion, Zhang Yan's plan is indeed much less risky.

Zhang Fang, who was initially somewhat puzzled, was speechless after hearing his father's explanation.

……

Meanwhile, in a fortified village not far from the Black Mountain Army's camp, Zhang Liao's troops were also engaged in heated debate.

This matter is actually related to Zhang Yan.

Because he was ordered to delay the Black Mountain army to the west, he has been harassing them constantly for the past few days.

Furthermore, Zhang Liao never mobilized more than a thousand troops each time, and he neither raised flags nor engaged in prolonged battles.

The Black Mountain Army, unaware of the situation, assumed that Zhang Liao had always been leading his men to follow them, which they found extremely annoying.

Logically speaking, Zhang Liao's mission should have been completed.

Given the current speed of the Black Mountain Army, Wei Zhe will likely arrive by the time Zhang Yan reaches Xiaquyang.

By then, it won't be Zhang Yan and Chunyu Qiong attacking the Wei army together, but Wei Zhe and Geng Wu attacking the Black Mountain bandits from both sides.

However, the problem was that through the constant harassment, Zhang Liao also realized the true nature of the Black Mountain bandits.

Simply put, mountain troops are not that effective in combat on plains.

At least Zhang Liao felt that he could have done more.

"There's still no news from the Linping front. If we let this Black Mountain bandit group continue its actions, I fear they might abandon Xiaquyang and support Chunyu Qiong's forces. Have you all considered what might happen then?"

In the main hall, Zhang Liao, with a solemn expression, said:

"If you are not careful, you will be caught in a situation where you are attacked from both sides."

"For the sake of our lord, we must take this risk!"

Zhang Liao wasn't able to read Zhang Yan's mind, so naturally he couldn't guess what Zhang Yan would choose.

However, there were too many variables involved, and Zhang Liao worried that the Black Mountain Army might not attack his own granary.

Therefore, after careful consideration, he decided to take the gamble.

Upon hearing Zhang Liao's words, the garrison commanders in the room immediately fell silent.

After all, Wei Zhe established the garrison system, so they were the most loyal.

So on that very day, Zhang Liao recruited 800 brave men from among his 5,000 garrison troops, and slaughtered cattle and sheep to reward the brave warriors.

It's not that Zhang Liao liked to fight with fewer troops, but rather that night raids are all about quality, not quantity.

In the original history, when Zhang Liao was stationed in Hefei, he also selected 800 elite warriors from among the 7,000 soldiers guarding the city to lead the charge.

In fact, Zhang Liao's eight hundred elite soldiers should be the prototype of Gao Shun's "Trap Camp" in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

After all, Gao Shun's "Trap Camp" was far inferior to Zhang Liao's eight hundred Trapped Soldiers in terms of battle record. Luo Guanzhong was a repeat offender in this regard, with countless previous offenses, and his favorite pastime was misattribution.

……

The following day, Zhang Liao, as was customary, ordered his left and right commanders to lead eight hundred cavalrymen to continue the harassment.

Then, unsurprisingly, they were driven far away by the Black Mountain Army like flies being swatted.

Everything seemed perfectly normal.

It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Zhang Liao led his 800 elite soldiers, whose energy and stamina were at their peak, to raid the camp.

Late at night, Zhang Liao personally donned his armor, wielded his halberd, and knocked away the barricades and palisades outside the camp before charging into the Black Mountain army's fortifications.

When it comes to setting up camp, Zhang Yan is clearly not as meticulous as Wei Zhe.

Although the fortifications were built in a seemingly proper manner, their drawbacks became glaringly obvious when real danger struck.

At that moment, Zhang Liao was seen charging left and right through the Black Mountain Army's camp like a mad tiger.

Just as he thrust his sword into the heart of the bandit in front of him, he swung his golden mace from his waist to the left.

Immediately, the brains of a black-faced, bearded bandit leader splattered out, and he fell to the ground and fell asleep.

Seeing this, Zhang Liao instead laughed maniacally:
"With Zhang Liao here, who dares to fight!"

Not far away, Zuo Zizhangba, who was known for his fiery temper, immediately drew his sword and charged forward upon hearing this.

However, Zhang Liao didn't care who the newcomer was; upon seeing this, he quickened his pace and suddenly rammed into them.

A crisp metallic clang rang out, and Lei Gong's longsword drew a spark as it sliced ​​through Zhang Liao's left shoulder armor. Zhang Liao didn't even turn his head; instead, he swung his golden mace backward.

Immediately, a muffled thud was heard, and the back of the man's head, which had a long left mustache, collapsed.

To be fair, Zuo Zizhangba was actually quite skilled in martial arts, but tonight he died without even having a chance to demonstrate his abilities.

It's frustrating, but that's how the battlefield is; a slight difference can mean the difference between life and death!
Zhang Liao didn't care who Zuo Zizhangba was; at this moment, in his eyes, everyone except Zhang Yan was just a lackey.

Without even glancing at them, he roared, "Kill them all!"

After saying that, he took the lead and charged deep into the Black Mountain Army's camp.

Seeing his desperate stance, the eight hundred soldiers behind him became even more eager to fight.

In war, courage is paramount!

One man fighting for his life is hard to stop a hundred; a thousand men fighting for their lives are hard to defeat even ten thousand.

This is why Zhang Liao personally led his troops to raid the camp.

Because even if he personally went, Zhang Liao couldn't guarantee that the other generals and officers wouldn't really risk their lives to fight.

In comparison, the situation at the Black Mountain army camp was much worse.

Zhang Yan's camp-building skills were far inferior to Zhuge Liang's, and even to Huangfu Song's.

Therefore, even though Zhang Yan quickly woke up his personal guards after the night attack, he still failed to control the situation.

In the darkness, the numerous Black Mountain bandits either frantically hacked and slashed or ran around aimlessly like blind men.

To make matters worse, even the Black Mountain Army generals, such as Guo Daxian and Yu Digen, panicked.

Unaware of what had happened, they didn't immediately take control of the situation. Instead, they first sent someone to the commander's tent to find out what had happened, lest they be pushed out as scapegoats.

What started as a scattered spark of chaos gradually spiraled out of control under Zhang Liao's onslaught.

Bai Que, Wu Lu, Li Damu... one after another, the Black Mountain bandit leaders bumped into Zhang Liao in a daze, and before they could even exchange a few words, they were killed on the spot by Zhang Liao and eight hundred elite soldiers.

……

In the center of the camp, in front of the commander's tent, Zhang Yan remained calm and showed no signs of panic.

"Don't panic! Quickly, all of you shout together with me!"

While Zhang Yan ordered his personal guards to shout in unison, he also ordered several bonfires to be lit, illuminating the general's tent as if it were daytime, and most importantly, revealing the general's flag.

Zhang Yan, a veteran of countless battles, naturally understood that the biggest problem in this situation was the loss of morale among the troops.

Once the morale of the troops can be stabilized, then annihilating the enemy forces that attacked the camp will naturally not be a problem.

From this perspective, Zhang Yan's response cannot be said to be problematic.

However, the Montenegrin army was not a well-organized army, and expecting them to recover on their own was asking too much.

They had only been transformed from Black Mountain bandits into the Black Mountain Army for a little over a year, so their military discipline was even worse.

Whether it's the level of the officers or the quality of the soldiers, these people are completely incomparable to the former Northern Army.

Therefore, Zhang Yan's actions, apart from exposing himself to Zhang Liao, did not have much immediate effect.

Although Guo Daxian, Yu Digen, and other Black Mountain Army generals led their still-controllable soldiers toward the commander's flag at the first moment, Zhang Liao also charged toward Zhang Yan with piercing eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, having torn apart one defensive line after another and charged through hordes of chaotic soldiers, Zhang Liao finally led his army to Zhang Yan's vicinity.

When Zhang Liao saw Zhang Yan's gloomy face illuminated by the distant firelight, he couldn't help but burst into wild laughter:

"The day will come to slay generals and seize banners!"

"My lads, follow me and kill!"

At this moment, the eight hundred elite soldiers following Zhang Liao were actually less than six hundred, but none of them were afraid.

Even after Zhang Liao finished speaking, the eyes of these blood-soaked, ferocious-looking soldiers lit up, and they became excited, rushing towards Zhang Yan's direction one after another.

Under the banner, Zhang Yan felt a chill run down her spine upon witnessing this scene.

He realized he had miscalculated; the attacker today was not just a powerful general.

This group of people, from top to bottom, are a bunch of suicide squads!
Zhang Yan didn't know how Wei Zhe had managed to do that, but at that moment he suddenly realized how ridiculous his own family was.

With such ability to win over the hearts of the people, Youzhou can only belong to Wei Zhe; no one can take it away!

Even if he were to manage to kill Wei Zhe in battle at the foot of Xiaquyang City this time, he would inevitably die at the hands of these assassins in the future.

Losing her spirit, Zhang Yan couldn't help but secretly consider giving up.

Let whoever wants to go to Xiaquyang go; he's definitely not going.

Tomorrow he will throw away the seal of the governor of Youzhou. If he can't stay in Taihang Mountain, he will go to Chang'an to join the Liangzhou army.

Anyway, those Liangzhou soldiers are no different from the Black Mountain bandits. If he goes there, he might even be able to become one of the Three Dukes or Nine Ministers. Once the situation in the world stabilizes, he can just surrender to the final victor.

Seeing Zhang Liao and his men rushing towards him like demons, causing the surrounding Black Mountain soldiers to retreat in defeat, Zhang Yan finally sighed helplessly and chose to give way.

Seeing this, Zhang Liao naturally became very anxious and immediately roared in provocation:
"You coward, don't run away! Come and fight me to the death!"

However, Zhang Yan had already decided to give up, so she naturally wouldn't pay too much attention to this kind of provocation.

Surrounded by the Black Mountain Army's personal guards, Zhang Liao pursued Zhang Yan further and further away.

When Zhang Liao charged to the Black Mountain Army's banner, Zhang Yan was no longer in sight.

Seeing this, Zhang Liao was so angry that he could only angrily cut down the Black Mountain Army's banner.

With Zhang Yan's retreat and the fall of the commander's flag, the morale of the surrounding Black Mountain bandits plummeted.

Illuminated by the firelight, the Black Mountain bandits in the distance had no idea what was happening at the commander's tent. They only saw the Black Mountain army's banner collapse with a crash, and their already chaotic morale completely crumbled.

At the same time, the garrison commanders Lu Feng and Ma Hao, who had been waiting outside the Black Mountain Army camp for a long time, were overjoyed to see this. They immediately led the remaining four thousand garrison soldiers on horseback into the camp, set it on fire, and killed people!
This wasn't the last straw that broke the camel's back, but the last nail that sealed the coffin.

At this point, the Black Mountain army was completely routed.

That night, most of the 20,000 Black Mountain soldiers were killed or wounded, and their leader, Zhang Yan, went missing...

(End of this chapter)