Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 172 Old General, do you know Zhao Zilong of Changshan?
Yes, if Zhang Xun sees the reinforcements defeated, can he really sit calmly in the city and remain unmoved?
In other words, someone comes to your aid with good intentions, but ends up being ambushed as a result.

You stood in the city watching the fire from the other side of the river, watching the reinforcements be annihilated. If that is really the case, then who will come in the future, and who will dare to come to support you, Zhang Xun?
If no further support is received because of this, the isolated city will be difficult to defend, and Wen Ping will really have to keep at it.

Therefore, Zhang Xun had no choice but to come to the rescue and had to leave the city to fight.

This will be an unsolvable, open strategy that is far more effective than feigning weakness to lure the enemy or resorting to insults and verbal abuse!
Upon hearing this plan, Huang Zu was greatly encouraged. The reason he proposed withdrawing his troops was precisely because Zhang Xun's stubborn defense would only waste time if he continued to delay.

If we can win a battle outside the city, even if we can't defeat Zhang Xun, just capturing some of his reinforcements would be enough to give us an explanation to our lord. It would be better than returning empty-handed.

However, Huang Zu still had doubts when he thought about this matter. "General's plan may be brilliant. If our army ambushes the roads and intercepts the reinforcements, we may be able to force Zhang Xun to come out of the city to fight in the field."

"But General, have you considered that if our army cannot defeat this reinforcement force in a short time, and Zhang Xun instead breaks out of the city, we will be attacked from both sides, which could lead to disaster? What should we do then?"

Wen Ping laughed upon hearing this, “General Huang Zu is very thoughtful, but how could I not know the dangers involved?”
I recently heard that Yuan Shu launched a northern expedition, defeated Cao Cao at Yingchuan, and forced Liu Bei to retreat at Pei. His main force is also fighting against the allied forces of Cao Cao, Liu Bei, Heishan, and the Xiongnu at Liang.

With so many fronts to fight, and one country fighting against several other states, its military strength was greatly tied up, so where would it get the troops to come to its aid in a short time?

The 20,000 elite troops that Zhang Xun brought earlier were clearly the last remaining strength of Shouchun. Otherwise, if there were still 20,000 mobile troops, why didn't Zhang Xun bring them along earlier?
The recent call for recruits in Shouchun has been spreading like wildfire in the Jianghuai region. This Yuan army has come to our aid at just the right time. If it weren't for recruiting new soldiers, where else would they have come from?
From this perspective, it seems that Yan Xiang of Shouchun, in his desperation, hastily recruited a motley crew of villagers and farmers out of fear of our large army pressing in.

With my 50,000 elite troops from Jingzhou, what is there to fear in defeating these 20,000 ragtag new recruits? If that is so, General Huang, do you still have any doubts?

Upon hearing this, Huang Zu hesitated, just as the scouts Wen Ping had previously sent out arrived to report.

"Report! General!"
It has now been ascertained that the enemy's banner bearing the character "王" (Wang) belongs to the commander-in-chief of the reinforcements of Yuan Shikai's army, whose surname is Wang, given name Lang, courtesy name Jingxing.

"Wang Lang?"

Upon hearing this name, Wen Ping burst into laughter.

"Yan Xiang is at his wit's end; this is truly a stroke of luck!"

He then said to Huang Zu:

"Wang Lang was a renowned scholar, a man of great talent and elegance, and a respected figure throughout the land. He was a famous scholar of the classics in his time, with extensive knowledge and a reputation that spread far and wide."

If Yuan Ying appointed him as a key minister to oversee domestic affairs, I would certainly not dare to underestimate him in the slightest.

But in Shouchun, he was appointed as the commander-in-chief, leading 20,000 ragtag new troops. It was utterly ridiculous. I have never heard of him having any achievements in commanding troops.

General Huang, I ask you, if this army and its generals fall into our ambush, wouldn't they collapse in an instant? Do you still have any doubts?

Huang Zu had also heard of Wang Lang's name.

Hearing that the commander of Yuan Jun's reinforcements was Wang Lang, a renowned scholar and a great Confucian master, he felt relieved.

He bowed and accepted the order, replying, "I am willing to obey the general's command."

The invading Jingzhou army was mainly composed of his and Wen Ping's troops. They persuaded Huang Zu, and the 40,000-strong army could then be commanded with ease.

Upon seeing this, he immediately issued an order: "Good! In that case, General Huang, lead your 20,000 troops to ambush me on both sides of the road. When Wang Lang's troops arrive, immediately attack him from both sides."

Speed ​​is of the essence in this battle. We must defeat Wang Lang's forces as quickly as possible and then deliver a crushing blow to Zhang Xun when he arrives with reinforcements.

If Wang Lang is not defeated and Zhang Xun has already arrived, I will lead 20,000 men to block Zhang Xun, and wait for General Huang to defeat Wang Lang before coming to my aid.

"Then we will join forces and decisively defeat Yuan's army! That day will come!"

"only!"

Because the naval forces of Cai Mao and Zhang Yun were tied down by Jiang Qin on the Yangtze River, the land battle appeared to be a contest of 40,000 against 40,000.

But for Wen Ping, fighting Yuan's army in the field was better than forcibly attacking the city.

Moreover, this time they have the advantage of an ambush, and half of the enemy's army is a newly formed force led by the renowned scholar Wang Lang.

Even if they don't collapse at the first touch, how long can they withstand Huang Zu's offensive?

Seven or eight miles outside Shucheng, the 20,000-strong Black Mountain army looked at the young general with white horse and silver spear at the head of the army with awe and obeyed his orders.

The banner raised in the middle of the group was the one bearing the character "王" (Wang) of their commander, Wang Lang.

As they were marching, they suddenly heard shouts of battle erupting from both sides of the road. On the left, a large yellow flag fluttered in the wind, carrying 20,000 soldiers, while on the right, a large flag with Chinese characters fluttered in the wind, also carrying 20,000 soldiers.

It was indeed Wenpin! Huang Zu!
From the left and right flanks, 20,000 enemy troops on each side, a total of 40,000, came from both sides, their shouts of battle shaking the heavens and the earth.

The Black Mountain bandits, who were marching in formation, were caught off guard by this ambush and were about to panic and fall into chaos.

But then the young general leading the group, riding a white horse and wielding a silver spear, glanced back with a cold eye, and all the generals immediately fell silent, maintaining their formation and daring not to move.

Then I heard him laugh loudly!

"Gentlemen, please calm down!"
Yun once stood alone at the gates of Meng County, regarding Sun Qing's army of over ten thousand as nothing!
We now have soldiers and generals, and several miles away in Shuxian County, General Zhang has 20,000 elite troops ready to provide assistance at any time.

The enemy force currently numbers only 40,000; what do we have to fear?

"All soldiers, fight to the death with me to defeat the enemy! Those who retreat will be executed!"

Upon hearing this, the Black Mountain bandits did some quick thinking!
Right!

We have 20,000 men, and this murderous demon in front of us is 10,000 men, plus Yuan's army of 20,000 in the city.

With 50,000 against 40,000, the advantage is in my hands!

Furthermore, charging towards the Jingzhou soldiers might offer them a chance to survive. Those who dare to retreat must think that the white-robed killing god in front of them is no longer able to wield a gun.

The Black Mountain soldiers immediately calmed down and, under Zhao Yun's command, charged in formation, heading in the opposite direction towards the encircling enemy!
It should be noted that these soldiers from the Black Mountain region were all former bandits who once dared to charge at well-equipped government troops with only hoes and sickles.

Moreover, they had by this time become government troops, equipped with the standard weapons of Yuan's army, including swords, spears, and halberds. Thus, under Zhao Yun's leadership, they charged forward fearlessly.

For a moment, neither Wen Ping nor Huang Zu had expected that these Yuan soldiers would be so fierce.

Wasn't it supposed to be a newly formed army that would collapse at the first sign of trouble?
When your new army is ambushed, they don't panic or run away; instead, they bravely charge back into the enemy lines.
Wen Ping and Huang Zu's soldiers were caught off guard and were so shocked by this turn of events that they couldn't tell whether they had ambushed Yuan's army or Yuan's army had ambushed them.

How come the ambushed ones have even more momentum in their charge than the main force? The vanguard of the army was even thrown off balance by the charge.

Fortunately, they had the advantage of numbers. With 40,000 men against 20,000, they withstood the enemy's first wave of attack. Under the command of Wen Ping and Huang Zu, the Jingzhou soldiers quickly stabilized the situation and gradually pushed forward to encircle the Black Mountain Army of Yuan's camp.

Upon seeing this, Lang was furious!
General Wang Lang, his face flushed with anger, shouted angrily at the enemy army in Jingzhou!

"Are the visitors Wen Ping and Huang Zu?!"
I have long admired the names of the two generals, and it is an honor to meet you today.

Since you two generals know the will of Heaven and are aware of the times, why do you raise an unjust army to invade our borders?
Having already violated our territory, and with our two armies facing each other and fighting on the battlefield, why then did you also plant treacherous agents to ambush us?
The course of destiny changes, divine instruments are replaced, and they belong to the virtuous; this is the natural order!

Now, our lord, Lord Yuan, is appointed General Who Restores the Han Dynasty, bearing the weight of the imperial regalia, with the jade seal at his waist. He is tasked with assisting the nation, saving the country from imminent peril, and relieving the people from dire straits. This is in accordance with Heaven's will and the will of the people.

If you two generals are ignorant of the will of Heaven, defy the principles of Heaven, and attack the righteous, have you not heard that those who follow Heaven prosper while those who defy Heaven perish, and that you are courting death?

"Why not surrender with courtesy, submit to our lord, and retain our seats at the Golden Terrace? Then both sides can cease hostilities. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

I heard that Wang Lang was leading a group of soldiers who were shouting slogans, and they were talking incessantly on the battlefield.

Wen Ping, a man of great talent, was able to remain calm and command with composure. But Huang Zu? He couldn't control his fiery temper at that moment.

He's busy fighting right now, in the midst of battle, where danger lurks everywhere. Who has time to listen to your empty talk?
He immediately shouted and cursed loudly!

"You white-haired scoundrel, you old thief with a gray beard! Why are you here here, spouting nonsense and turning black into white?"
My lord is Liu Jingzhou, a member of the Han imperial family.

However, before he could finish cursing, Zhao Yun immediately located him amidst the chaos of battle, riding a white horse and wielding a silver spear!

This time, he wasn't alone at the gates of Meng County; he was all by himself and his horse.

Instead, it was a full 108 heavily armored cavalrymen, followed by 20,000 Black Mountain soldiers, charging into battle with the Dragon Gallant!

With Zhao Yun as the spearhead, 108 armored heavy cavalry as the spear blade, and 20,000 soldiers as the spear shaft, they pierced straight into the left flank of the army formation.

Anyone who stood in Zhao Yun's way was either knocked down by his Dragon Gallant Silver Spear or crushed by the charge of the heavy cavalry, after which the Black Mountain infantry following behind would further expand their advantage.

In a short time, he had already carved a bloody path through Huang Zu's army. Before Huang Zu could continue to berate Wang Lang, a cold glint appeared first, followed by a spear thrusting out like a dragon!

"Old general, do you know Zhao Zilong of Changshan?"

"But is he Yuan Gonglu's fifth adopted son?"

As Huang Zu spoke, his face turned deathly pale. He hurriedly drew his sword to parry and called for his personal guards to come to his rescue.

"The legendary Zhao Yun, who could take the head of a general from the midst of a massive army as easily as taking something out of a bag!"

"Exactly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the silver spear shone on the white horse!

Protect him with your personal guards, or your personal guards will die!
A long sword blocks, a long sword breaks!
The head, large and with its eyes wide open in death, was beheaded by Zhao Yun with his longsword, the head held high on the tip of his spear!
Gentians charge!

The Black Mountain Army was filled with fervor upon seeing this!

He thought to himself, "As expected of the White-Robed God of Slaughter, this battle was truly exhilarating when he was on my side!"

Then everyone shouted in unison:

"Huang Zu is dead, why doesn't Wen Ping surrender?"

"Huang Zu is dead, Wen Ping, why don't you surrender!"

His voice resounded in the heavens!

Commander Wang Lang was even more pleased and continued to shout and rebuke them.

"Wenpin!"
My lord, Lord Yuan, is the Son of Heaven. He has come by divine mandate to save the world from peril!

Huang Zu defied the will of Heaven; the lessons of the past are right before our eyes.

If you do not surrender, Heaven will surely punish you. You will suffer divine retribution and die suddenly like Huang Zu, and then it will be too late for regrets!

Huang Zucai had barely finished shouting his curses when a fine head was already hanging high above the tip of a spear.

How could the people of Jingzhou not be astonished by this scene?

Even the great general Wen Ping was filled with fear!
How could this be?

This Yuan army was not only tenacious and fierce, but also far superior to the New Army.

The young general in the lead, named Zhao Zilong of Changshan, was even capable of taking the head of an enemy general amidst a vast army.

What a hell!

Are Yuan Shu's elite army and top-tier military generals of the time inexhaustible?
Despite being embroiled in conflict with other warlords in the north, he managed to maintain a commanding presence in the south, deploying 40,000 elite troops, along with two generals, Zhang Xun and Zhao Zilong of Changshan.

Huang Zu was already dead at this time. Although the army was still there and his banner as the commander had not fallen, the morale of the army had not completely collapsed.

However, if they were to follow the previous plan and pretend to ambush the reinforcements in order to lure Zhang Xun out of the city and annihilate him in one fell swoop, it would likely backfire, and they would be attacked from both sides by Yuan's army, leaving them with no chance of survival.

Thinking of this, Wen Ping was indeed a great general, and his decisiveness was extraordinary. Without hesitation, he immediately ordered his troops to retreat.

Although the Black Mountain Army gained great momentum from Zhao Yun's victory in the midst of a massive army, having killed a general and raised the flag, the enemy still numbered 40,000 while their own army numbered only 20,000.

Although Zhao Yun tried his best to delay the battle, Wen Ping was extremely decisive in his retreat, leaving behind thousands of men to cover the rear and withdrawing without looking back.

What was originally a large-scale ambush by the Jingzhou army turned into a decisive battle when Zhao Yun took down Huang Zu amidst a massive army attack, making Wen Ping realize that there was no way to turn the tide. Thus, the battle was rapidly drawing to a close.

When Zhang Xun, who was in Shuxian City, heard that the reinforcements had been ambushed, he rushed out of the city to come to their rescue, he could only catch a glimpse of some Jingzhou soldiers who had become separated from the main army and were still fleeing in panic.

He inquired about the enemy's situation with Wang Lang and Zhao Yun, and upon hearing that Wen Ping had already withdrawn his troops and fled, he immediately gave the order!

"All troops, follow me into battle!"
How dare a mere scholar like Wenpin invade our territory?
"Today, I, Zhang Xun, will pursue him for a thousand miles, and I will not turn back until I have defeated Wen Pin."

They relentlessly pursued Wen Ping, who was determined to preserve Liu Biao's strength, until he entered the important city of Jiangxia and defended it, before finally stopping.

After Wen Ping withdrew, Cai Mao and Zhang Yun soon led their naval forces to break away from Jiang Qin and retreat back to Jingzhou.

All the waterways in Jingzhou were controlled by the Jingzhou navy, and Jiang Qin's lone army dared not pursue them too far.

From this point on, the Battle of Lujiang was coming to an end.

Soon, battle reports arrived in Shouchun!

Lujiang is pacified!
On that day, the army was ambushed.

Although the commander Wang Lang was startled, he remained calm and used psychological tactics to damage Huang Zu's mental state!

Deputy General Zhao Yun, with his might, captured Huang Zu, beheading him amidst a vast army!

General Zhang Xun led his troops to a great victory over Wen Ping, pursuing him for thousands of miles, and his prestige shook Jingzhou and Xiangyang!

Naval Commander Jiang Qin routed the Jingzhou navy a hundred miles away, displaying the might of our army.

The generals returned in triumph to Shouchun. After Yan Xiang delivered the military report to Yuan Shu at the northern front, they would soon receive their rewards.

After everyone has rested for a few days, this day will come.

Yan Xiang ordered someone to summon Jiang Qin to his study and explained to him the instructions in Yuan Shu's letter.

How could Jiang Qin not be overjoyed upon hearing this!

Send him to be a pirate at sea? Isn't that a perfect match for his expertise?
Seeing that he had grasped Yuan Shu's deeper meaning, Yan Xiang then ordered someone to summon Zhao Yun in.

"Young Master Yun! Allow me to introduce you. This is the person the lord instructed in his letter to escort you and the supplies back to Youzhou."

His surname is Jiang, given name Qin, courtesy name Gongyi, and he is currently the naval commander under our lord.

(End of this chapter)