Brother, stop curling up! You're curling up like the founder of the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 257 Liu Bei's Counterattack, Guan Yu Goes Berserk at Bowang (Please Subscribe and Vote)
Guan Yu was very arrogant.

Even with Liu Bei's admonition, he remained arrogant.

However, it was precisely because of this arrogance that Guan Yu was able to surpass Liu Bei's generals in talent.

Liu Bei left Guan Yu in the crucial position of Yuzhou, which was also to give Guan Yu the opportunity to make a name for himself and achieve merit.

Since becoming emperor, Liu Bei has not bestowed large-scale rewards upon his military generals.

Firstly, the world is not yet at peace, so it is too early to bestow titles and rewards now; otherwise, there will be no one left to bestow titles upon in the future.

Secondly, Liu Bei had not yet determined the candidates for Grand General, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and the four generals to conquer and four garrisons.

Although Liu Bei hoped to appoint Guan Yu as Grand General, Guan Yu's current achievements were not enough to warrant such a promotion.

If we directly appoint our confidants as generals, just like Yuan Shu did, how can our arrogant and fierce soldiers and generals be convinced?
What works first and what works next.

If the battle record is not good enough, even if Guan Yu is currently recognized as the most capable fighter under Liu Bei, Liu Bei cannot take the lead in breaking the rules.

Yuan Shu's northern expedition was a perfect opportunity for Guan Yu to prove his abilities.

Liu Bei understood this, and so did Guan Yu.

If Guan Yu cannot achieve great merit in this battle, his future aspiration to become a great general will be a long way off.

After answering Yang Xiu's question, Guan Yu then sent a memorial to Liu Bei in Luoyang. The memorial only described Yuan Shu's invasion and the corresponding tactics, but did not request Liu Bei to send troops to help.

Subsequently, Guan Yu led his army in batches to Nanyang, intending to defeat Yuan Shu's main force of the Northern Expeditionary Army there.

In Luoyang.

Upon receiving Guan Yu's memorial, Liu Bei ordered Generals Huang Zhong and Taishi Ci to lead troops into Taigu Pass to closely monitor the battle in Nanyang.

Despite the trust, Liu Bei still needed to prepare for both possibilities.

If Guan Yu fails to defeat Yuan Shu's main force in Nanyang, the four thousand Lingyan soldiers at Taigu Pass will quickly cut into Yuan Shu's rear.

Nanyang.

They learned that Guan Yu not only did not choose to defend the city, but also took the initiative to advance on Bowangpo.

Yuan Shu's general Zhang Xun was overjoyed: "Although our army has more than 100,000 men, less than half of them are capable of fighting. If Guan Yu had held the fortified city, I would have had to return empty-handed. Now that Guan Yu has taken the initiative to abandon the advantageous terrain of the fortified city and choose to set up camp at Bowangpo, it is truly a stroke of luck! This time, I must kill Guan Yu and restore discipline to the army."

Zhang Xun has a somewhat impatient temperament.

The reason he became a general was not because of his wisdom, courage, or military achievements, but purely because he had followed Yuan Shu for a long time and was promoted based on seniority.

In terms of battle record, General Zhou Xin was the most qualified to be a Grand General.

Zhang Xun understood this, and so did Yuan Shu.

Therefore, this time the army was divided into two routes. Yuan Shu sent Zhou Xin, Zhou Ang, and Cai Mao to the eastern route of Shouchun as a detachment, while Zhang Xun, Lü Bu, Qiao Rui, and Liu Xun were the main force.

Lü Bu, Qiao Rui, and Liu Xun were all Yuan Shu's confidants.

Yuan Shu wanted Zhang Xun to achieve great merit so that Zhang Xun could suppress Zhou Xin in the future.

Seeing Zhang Xun's delighted expression, Lü Bu remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he felt contempt and wanted to make Zhang Xun suffer. So he urged, "The Han general at Bowang Slope was just a Yellow Turban leader from Runan in the past. Guan Yu is underestimating us by sending a Yellow Turban leader as his vanguard. If we don't lead our troops to break through quickly, how will we save face?"

Zhang Xun immediately realized the logic in this, so he changed the marching speed and selected more than 10,000 elite soldiers to march on Bowangpo overnight.

The plan was to break through Bowangpo before Guan Yu arrived.

However, upon arriving at Bowangpo, Zhang Xun discovered that the Bowangpo camp was well-fortified and heavily guarded, making a night attack difficult.

Because the officers and soldiers were hungry and thirsty, and the men and horses were exhausted, and there were no trenches or fortifications, they took off their armor to rest.

Seeing Zhang Xun, who dared to order his troops to remove their armor and rest outside Bowangpo because he thought he had more soldiers, Lü Bu felt even more contempt for him.

He then had his trusted confidants spread the word that "Han soldiers have come out of the stronghold!"

Unaware of the situation in the darkness, Zhang Xun was so frightened that he didn't even bother to put on his armor. He turned his horse and fled, and his soldiers panicked and scattered, abandoning their armor, weapons, and horses as they ran away.

This unusual behavior left He Yi and his two companions at Bowangpo completely bewildered.

"What's going on? Why did the enemy soldiers suddenly collapse? Could it be a trap?"

"Very likely! They must have seen that our defenses were too strong to launch a surprise attack, so they feigned defeat to lure us out of the camp!"

"How can such clumsy tricks deceive us? We have studied military strategy for several years and are no longer the Yellow Turbans of yesteryear."

He Yi and the other two analyzed the situation for a while and imagined Zhang Xun's intentions.

However, the truth is that Zhang Xun had no plan at all, and instead rode for more than ten miles before stopping his warhorse.

Before Zhang Xun could even voice his question, Lü Bu preemptively retorted, "We are about to fight to the death, why is the General withdrawing his troops?"

Zhang Xun was about to question, "Who is shouting that the Han soldiers have come out of the camp?" when Lü Bu asked him the same question. He immediately blushed and could only force a straight face and say, "This is a feigned defeat. I didn't expect the Han soldiers not to pursue. Guan Yu's vanguard is indeed quite capable."

As soon as he finished speaking, not only did Lü Bu feel contempt, but Wen Ping, Lü Jie, Huo Du, Xu Gong and other generals also secretly felt contempt.

What you call feigning defeat?
If we hadn't stopped the troops, we would have been routed tonight!

Perhaps knowing he couldn't convince anyone, Zhang Xun said with a stern face, "Let's rest here for now and wait for the rear guard to arrive before heading to Bowangpo tomorrow."

The next day arrived.

Zhang Xun led his troops back to Bowangpo, retrieved weapons and armor, and decided to attack the Han army camp to regain the face he had lost in his panicked flight the previous night.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lü Bu said, "How about I lead my troops to ambush on both sides, while you lure the enemy away, General?"

Zhang Xun frowned and said, "Why should I be the one to lure the enemy? The General of the Cavalry can also go."

Lü Bu laughed and said, "If I lure the enemy, how dare the Han army at Bowang Slope leave their camp?"

Although Lü Bu's words made sense, Zhang Xun found them awkward no matter how he listened: According to you, those few former Yellow Turban leaders are afraid of you, Lü Bu, but not of me, Zhang Xun.

Zhang Xun felt a surge of dissatisfaction, but dared not show it, so he sent his subordinate Xu Gong to lure the enemy.

Xu Gong accepted the order and stepped forward, shouting a challenge to battle.

But then He Yi led his troops out of the camp, shouting, "How dare you, nameless nobody, be so arrogant!"

Just as Xu Gong was preparing to feign defeat to lure the enemy, He Yi suddenly shouted, "The traitor is formidable! Return to the camp at once!"

Upon seeing He Yi's troops flee in panic, Xu Gong froze on the spot.

I'll feign defeat, and you'll feign defeat too?
Having failed twice in a row with his schemes, Zhang Xun was even more embarrassed and directly ordered his generals: "The Han soldiers at Bowangpo are few in number. We are outnumbered, so why bother with a scheme? Let's just storm the gate!"

Lu Bu, who was already stirring up trouble, immediately retorted, "General, you mustn't! Today, the Han army feigned defeat, and some troops must be hiding north of Bowang Mountain. We should wait for Qiao Rui and Liu Xun to arrive with their rear troops before attacking the stronghold, so that we can be absolutely certain of success!"

Zhang Xun was furious: "If we don't lead our troops to break through quickly, how will we save face?"

You're the one who told me to attack the stronghold, and you're also the one who told me not to attack it. So, whose side are you on?

Before Lü Bu could speak, his personal guard Qin Yilu complained, "How can you blame General Lü? If the general hadn't suddenly withdrawn his troops last night, we would have fought to the death and broken through the camp long ago."

Zhang Xun's expression changed drastically, and he shouted at Qin Yilu, "Even we ministers are courteous, how dare you, a mere commoner, be so rude?"

Lu Bu ordered Qin Yilu to step back and apologized, saying, "Please forgive me for my lax management of my subordinates, General. Although that is the case, the opportunity for a surprise attack has been lost, and we cannot rush into advancing. I urge you to reconsider, General."

Although Zhang Xun was furious, he could only wait for Qiao Rui and Liu Xun's rear guard to arrive. This delay lasted for two days.

Upon seeing this, He Yi and his two companions in the mountain stronghold burned down their camp that very night and fled north.

Zhang Xun was preparing to launch a strong attack on the Han army's camp the next day when he suddenly saw a fire at Bowangpo. He was so angry that he jumped up and down: "You cunning Han dogs, where do you think you're going!"

Various signs led Zhang Xun to mistakenly believe that the Han army at Bowangpo was unable to continue fighting and decided to pursue them under cover of night.

Lü Bu, however, did not want to get involved and deliberately advised, "The enemy soldiers may have an ambush! If we pursue them, the general may lose his life! It would be better to wait for the rear guard and His Majesty to arrive before pursuing them."

If Lü Bu hadn't tried to dissuade him, Zhang Xun might have changed his mind halfway through and stopped pursuing.

Lu Bu's persuasion immediately broke Zhang Xun's guard.

As a general with tens of thousands of troops fighting against a few thousand, why did he have to wait for the rear guard and Yuan Shu to arrive before pursuing them?
"General of the Cavalry, you stay here to guard the supplies and await the rear guard. Qiao Rui and Liu Xun, you two come with me to pursue the enemy!"

Lu Bu was pleased with this arrangement, but he still urged, "General, please reconsider!"

The more Lü Bu urged Zhang Xun to reconsider, the more reluctant Zhang Xun became, and he immediately led his army to pursue the Han army.

"He's really in a hurry to die."

Watching Zhang Xun leave in a hurry, Lü Bu couldn't help but sneer.

When Lü Bu competed with Guan Yu in the past, he knew that Guan Yu was not only exceptionally brave in martial arts, but also skilled in governance, military administration, and commanding troops.

If the Han army at Bowangpo burned their camp and fled as soon as they saw Zhang Xun's army arrive, why did they even bother to set up a camp at Bowangpo?

Therefore, after He Yi and others burned down the camp, Lü Bu concluded that this was an ambush plan set up by Guan Yu.

As for simultaneously encouraging and advising Zhang Xun, it was simply that Lü Bu wanted to make Zhang Xun suffer while also trying to impress Yuan Shu.

In Yuan Shu's view: Lü Bu judged that he could launch a surprise attack on the Han army's camp. As a result, just as Lü Bu was about to fight to the death, Zhang Xun fled directly. Lü Bu was meritorious and innocent. Lü Bu concluded that the Han soldiers' burning of the camp was a ploy to lure the enemy. Therefore, he advised Zhang Xun that if Zhang Xun was defeated, Lü Bu would be meritorious and innocent.

Lü Bu's judgment was correct.

In pursuit of the Han army that had burned down their camp and "escaped," Zhang Xun crashed headlong into Guan Yu's ambush.

Wu Ban, Zhang Zhang, and Zhou Cang attacked from the left, while Wang Ling, Han Meng, and Guan Ping attacked from the right. Zhang Xun's tens of thousands of troops suffered a crushing defeat, and the Han army recaptured Bowangpo.

After suffering three consecutive defeats at the same Bowangpo, Zhang Xun wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

Lu Bu then calmed him down, saying, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war, General, there is no need to be discouraged. Guan Yu has always been arrogant and thinks too highly of himself. You are only pretending to suffer repeated setbacks to embolden Guan Yu. Even if His Majesty were here, I would say the same thing."

The words fell.

Qiao Rui, Liu Xun, Wen Pin, Lü Jie, Huo Du, Xu Gong and other generals all looked at Lü Bu in astonishment.

How could this possibly provide Zhang Xun with a reason to exonerate himself?

The generals were immediately relieved when they thought that Lü Bu, a surrendered general, could become Yuan Shu's confidant and even marry Yuan Shu's clanswoman: if he didn't have the ability to flatter and be eloquent, how could he have gained the emperor's favor?

Zhang Xun was also shocked by the reason Lu Bu had fabricated, and then whispered to Lu Bu, "I will definitely repay the kindness you have shown me today, General of the Flying Cavalry."

Lu Bu feigned indifference: "General, you are too kind. We are all serving His Majesty, so why distinguish between us? If Zhou Xin were here, I would not say anything more."

Aside from his own faction, the most powerful military faction under Yuan Shu was led by General Zhou Xin.

The thought of Yuan Shu's fear of Zhou Xin made Zhang Xun feel even more ashamed, ashamed that he had failed to help Yuan Shu gain fame. Hearing Lü Bu say this now, he felt a sense of kinship.

After suffering repeated defeats, Zhang Xun did not launch another attack. Instead, he chose to set up camp south of Bowangpo and wait for Yuan Shu to arrive.

On the Han army's side...

Upon learning that He Yi and his men had successfully dampened Zhong Bing's morale as planned, Guan Yu urged the rear guard to quickly advance into Bowangpo.

Looking at the chaotic Zhongbing camp south of Bowangpo, Guan Yu couldn't help but sneer: "I thought that Yuan Shu must have raised elite troops after destroying Liu Dai, Liu Biao and Liu Yan, but I didn't expect him to be just a bunch of rabble."

If Zhou Xin were here, the rules wouldn't be in disarray.

After all, it was Zhou Xin who was basically the one who helped Yuan Shu eliminate Liu Dai, Liu Biao, and Liu Yan.

Yuan Shu was merely a bystander who reaped the benefits without contributing anything in return.

If Yuan Shu had appointed Zhou Xin as his general, Guan Yu might not have been able to defeat Zhou Xin at Bowangpo.

However, Yuan Shu feared that Zhou Xin's power was too great to control, and in this battle he wanted to support Zhang Xun to make meritorious contributions, so he only let the most capable and skilled Zhou Xin serve as a detachment commander.

In addition, Lu Bu's constant provocations caused Zhang Xun to suffer repeated setbacks, and his morale gradually declined.

It's already a miracle that they were able to maintain their village at Bowangpo.

"By order of a certain military officer, we will raid the camp tonight!"

Although they had all come from afar, Guan Yu had two thousand skilled and brave soldiers under his command, the Lingyan Army.

Immediately, Guan Yu selected a thousand elite cavalrymen to conserve their strength and prepare for battle.

Under the cover of night and while Zhong Bing was fast asleep, Guan Yu personally led his elite cavalry straight to Zhang Xun's central camp, setting fires and shouting battle cries along the way to create chaos.

"Don't panic! It must be a spy deliberately creating chaos! Form ranks! Form ranks!"

Zhang Xun was not frightened away by Guan Yu's raid on the camp. He subconsciously thought that, like last time, someone was deliberately creating chaos. In reality, the Han soldiers did not raid the camp.

However, Zhang Xun's shouts did not stop the panicked soldiers!

A thief spy?

Was that a spy?
The guards hurriedly grabbed Zhang Xun and shouted, "General, retreat quickly! Guan Yu is almost at the central camp!"

"Guan Yu?" Zhang Xun's pupils contracted sharply, and he asked urgently, "Where is the General of Chariots and Cavalry?"

Only Lü Bu could be Guan Yu.

Zhang Xun also wanted to use Lü Bu's strength to intercept Guan Yu. If he could keep Guan Yu, Yuzhou would be within his grasp!

However, the guard's next words shattered Zhang Xun's illusions: "The General of the Cavalry has gone to protect His Majesty!"

Zhang Xun was immediately taken aback.

Why did you have to go now of all times? Lü Bu, you did this on purpose!

Without Lü Bu to hold off Guan Yu, Zhang Xun dared not confront Guan Yu head-on and hurriedly fled the central command tent under the cover of night.

Generals like Qiao Rui and Liu Xun dared not confront Guan Yu in the darkness; each of their commanding officers only knew how to flee for their lives.

They claimed to have over 100,000 men, but were so frightened by Guan Yu's 1,000 cavalry that they forgot to organize their troops for battle.

Even if Guan Yu was fierce, he only had a thousand cavalry. Even if there were more than 100,000 pigs, they could exhaust Guan Yu and force him to retreat.

rear.

Upon learning that Zhang Xun's camp had been raided by Guan Yu at the front, Yuan Shu was furious: "Guan Yu, you scoundrel, have gone too far in bullying me!"

In his anger, Yuan Shu felt a deep disappointment in Zhang Xun.

Soldiers against soldiers, generals against generals, kings against kings. Liu Bei hadn't even met him, yet he was being forced to face off against Guan Yu, the Zhong Emperor.
　Post two chapters to recover some losses
　　
　
(End of this chapter)