Great Han Empire

Chapter 821 The Heroes of Troubled Times Compete in the Central Plains
On the first day of April, in the eastern county of Yanzhou, forty miles south of Puyang, at Wuting.

The beautiful morning glow gradually dissipated, the bright sun shed its red coat, and the dazzling brilliance illuminated the vast land.

Gao Gan reluctantly turned his eyes away from the white and elegant clouds, and slowly turned to the sky.A few fast horses were galloping over there, rolling up a few faint clouds of smoke and dust.

Gao Gan's heart beat a few times suddenly, and a sense of ominous premonition suddenly invaded his whole body.

I have always been opposed to sending troops to support Xia Houyuan, and this amount of troops will not help slow down the attack speed of the Northern Xinjiang Army.

Under the current circumstances, it is a fact that the northern army has swept across Yanzhou. To turn the tide of the battle, they can only gather heavy troops in Dingtao and Changyi to block the attack of the northern army and wait for Cao Cao and Liu Bei's return.

The Northern Xinjiang Army came from Hebei after a long journey, and they have to leap thousands of miles in a short period of time. Whether it is the morale of the army, the physical strength of the soldiers in the Northern Xinjiang, or the food and supplies of the army, they will all reach their limits. They must stop and take a break. The Yanzhou army on the front line of Changyi and Changyi waited for work with leisure, was well prepared, and had a solid city as a support. It could completely defend Cao Cao and Liu Bei's return aid.

After Cao and Liu's armies returned to Yanzhou, the strength of the northern army no longer had the upper hand, and the battle line could be stabilized at the front line of Dingtao and Changyi.

The distance between Dingtao and Changyi and Zhongmu and Chenliu is about [-] li. The armies in the two places can support each other, and the battle can be fought slowly. It is hard to predict who will win and who will lose.When the two armies are at a stalemate, the white horses and Puyang on the flanks of the battlefield are very important.These two cities are three to four hundred miles away from Dingtao. Once lost, the flanks of the battlefield will be completely exposed to the attack of the northern army, and the decisive battle situation will be very unfavorable to our side.Therefore, stationing troops to defend Baima and Puyang played a decisive role in the battle situation in the Central Plains.

But his opinion was criticized by Yuan Shao.Yuan Shao believes that now part of the northern army is on the Yanzhou battlefield and the other is on the Henan battlefield, and there is no extra force to attack Baima and Puyang.Although Gao Lan's army was stationed in the area of ​​Liyang and Changshoujin to threaten these two cities, Gao Lan assumed the heavy responsibility of guarding the southern part of Yizhou and protecting the smooth flow of grain roads leading to Hanoi. He could not rashly launch an attack on Baima and Puyang.In addition, Yuan Shao also believes that Gao Lan is now leading part of his troops to cross the river, his purpose is only to contain his own troops, so as to help the Northern Xinjiang Army advance quickly to the front line of Dingtao and Changyi.Considering the current tense situation on the battlefield in Henan, Gao Lanzong had the courage to send troops to attack Baima and Puyang without authorization at this critical moment.Once the attack fails, let your own army kill the Yellow River and cut off the food road leading to Hanoi, the northern army in the Henan battlefield will face the danger of annihilation, and the Central Plains war launched by Li Hong will be defeated soon.

My uncle has a high status in my mind, and I have listened to my uncle's words since I was a child, and I am no exception now.Uncle's words have some truth, but things on the battlefield are changing rapidly, the more inconspicuous and easy to ignore the place, the more likely to become the fatal point, and now Puyang is such a place.

The scouts rushed over.

"How is it? Where is Gao Lan's army?" Gao Gan calmed down his melancholy mood and asked lightly.

There was admiration in the scout's eyes.The slender, lean and handsome young man in front of him was astonishingly intelligent.From the moment the army retreated to Puyang, he sent a number of scouts to rush along the Huzi River for more than 100 miles, quietly lurking near the camp of the Northern Army, and closely watched the movement of the Northern Army.

"As your lord expected, when the Northern Border Army learned that your lord led the army back to Puyang, they really went out of the camp overnight and rushed to the outside of the city in secret."

"Where is it?" Gao Gan asked hastily.

"There are too many scouts from the Northern Border Army, we dare not approach them." The scouts looked ashamed and bowed their heads back.

Gao Gan waved at them, "Very good. It's good to come back alive. Go down and rest."

Several scouts bowed and retreated.

=

Gao Gan spread out the map and took a closer look, then waved to He Mao beside him and shouted: "Send people to Puyang immediately, order Deng Sheng to lead his troops out of the city, rush to Xiaoliangting, and attack the northern border army with me from north to south. "

He Mao was stunned for a moment, and asked with a little doubt: "My lord, there are scouts from the Northern Xinjiang Army everywhere on the road from here to Puyang. Isn't this going to die?"

"The prey has already entered the mouth, how dare Gao Lan scare the snake?" Gao Gan said with a smile, "Don't worry, you will be safe and sound along the way."

The messenger who didn't know the danger flew away like flying.

Looking at the messenger who was gradually going away, a trace of pain appeared in He Mao's eyes.As far as he was concerned, the brave orderly was doomed.

"My lord, shall we move on?"

"Sleep." Gao Gan lay down on the grass and closed his eyes comfortably, "Deng Sheng's army will not arrive at Xiaoliang Pavilion until noon at the earliest, so let's sleep first. The soldiers ran all night , tired, let them rest."

He Mao looked at Gao Gan in disbelief, and said in surprise, "My lord, the Northern Border Army is only twenty miles away, and we are sleeping here?"

Gao Gan ignored him and fell into a deep sleep with a slight snoring sound from his nose.

Half an hour later, Gao Gan was woken up by He Mao, "My lord, report back from the scouts, a northern border army suddenly appeared fifty miles behind us."

Gao Gan lazily opened his eyes, and asked sleepily, "Did you come from the direction of Xiancheng?"

He Mao looked at him in surprise and nodded, "It's Zhou Hua's army. It seems that he has been with us all night."

"Sleep." Gao Gan closed his eyes and muttered softly, "Only when you sleep well can you kill someone."

=

Trabecular Pavilion.

Lei Chong walked up and down restlessly.

Xiao En sat on the ground, constantly turning the helmet in his hand, with a few vicious curses coming out of his mouth from time to time.

Gao Lan crouched in the shade of a tree, poking a clump of grass with a horsewhip in his hand, watching the busy ants on the ground with interest.

The scouts came in a hurry.The enemy army still stood still.

"Exposed." Lei Zhong raised his foot and stomped a weed under his foot.

"Let's retreat." Gao Lan stood up and patted the ashes on his body, and said calmly, "Order all the ministries to retreat in the direction of the white horse."

"Zhou Hua is right behind the high-ranking officials. Do you want him to retreat to Xiancheng immediately?" Lei Zhong asked.

"Please keep a distance from the high-ranking officials, and don't retreat too early, lest the high-ranking officials find out and bite back." Gao Lan walked towards the horse and waved, "Order him to move in the direction of Puyang. If the army counterattacked, let him quickly retreat to the bank of the Yellow River."

The soldiers of the Northern Border Army left the Xiaoliang Pavilion quietly as when they came.

When the army marched near the city of Ji, the scouts rushed to report.The defenders of Puyang came out in full force, rushing towards Xiaoliang Pavilion.

"The high-ranking officials have plotted against us." Lei Zhong whipped his whip in the air, and said angrily, "It's up to the plan, hit him once."

"The high-ranking army plus Deng Sheng who came from Puyang, has at least 7000 troops." Xiao En shook his hands hastily, "We also have 7000 troops. The two sides are close in strength. It will be a bloody battle. The casualties are too large to be worthwhile. .”

"You can fight." Gao Lan reined in his horse and said with a slight smile, "Let's go to fight Puyang. Once Puyang is lost, Gao Gan will beat his chest and cry loudly."

"Hit Puyang?" Lei Zhong hesitated for a moment, then suddenly realized, "My lord, I'll go to Wu Ting to arrest the high-ranking officials."

"Okay." Gao Lan waved his horsewhip, "Urgently order Zhou Hua to lead his army to Puyang."

"Order all the ministries to return to Puyang as quickly as possible."

=

The army was then divided into two.

Lei Zhong marched towards Wu Ting with 2000 troops.Five hundred cavalry galloped back and forth in front of the team, raising dust all over the sky.

Gao Lan and Xiao En led 5000 troops to the northwest of Jicheng first, then turned their horses around and killed Puyang from the southeast.

=

Wu Ting.

Gao Gan got up slowly, put on his battle helmet, and said with a smile: "Gao Lan can't wait?"

"The northern border army came aggressively." He Mao said anxiously, "My lord, it seems that Gao Lan is going to fight us to the death."

"Do you think the High Expo will fight us?" Gao Gan asked back, "He has almost the same strength as ours, and he won't fight recklessly. Even if he wants to fight recklessly, I don't want to."

"Could it be that he expects Zhou Hua to launch an attack from behind us?" He Maoruo realized something, and his tone became respectful, "If the Lord hadn't suddenly ordered the army to stop this time, we really wouldn't have been able to find Zhou Hua. But , Zhou Hua is too far away from us, but Deng Sheng is close at hand. Gao Lan is doomed this time."

Gao Gan looked at the smoke and dust flying in the sky in the distance, and sneered at the corner of his mouth, "Order all the ministries to form formations and prepare for war."

=

Lei Zhong led his army to stop three miles away from Wuting, facing off against the high-ranking army.

The scouts flew back and forth, constantly reporting the enemy's position to Lei Chong.

"My lord, the enemy army has reached Xiaoliang Pavilion, and it is still fifteen miles away from us."

Lei Zhong looked up at the sky, with a sneering expression on his face, "Deng Sheng ran fast enough... After sending an order, each part immediately turned around and rushed towards Xiaoliang Pavilion."

=

"Gao Lan is in chaos." Gao Gan heard the news and said to He Mao with a smile, "Gao Lan wanted to eat me, but he never expected that he would be surrounded by me in a blink of an eye."

"Order all the ministries to advance towards Xiaoliang Pavilion and surround Gaolan."

However, just when the encirclement was about to be completed, something happened that stunned the high officials.The northern border army scattered and fled.

Then scouts flew to report, Zhou Hua did not continue to follow up, but turned around and killed in the direction of Puyang.

Gao Gan felt a chill in his heart, and immediately realized that he had been fooled, "Hurry back to help Puyang, quick, quick..."

=

On April, in Yin, Henan, forty miles east of Bianqu, Fengyun gathers.

The night wind blew gently over the camp, and the banner fluttered feebly in the night sky. There was a faint smell of blood in the air.

Inside the big tent, candles were brightly lit.

Yuan Shao sat quietly behind the desk, silently looking at the pile of documents on the desk.After a long time, he moved his body and let out a low and bitter sigh.

For three days, the northern border army was like a crazy tiger, killing Bianqu and Dingting at all costs, until they retreated to Fengyunju.

I have no intention of fighting with the Beijiang army, but the Beijiang army is not letting go, pressing every step of the way, insisting on a decisive battle with me.His own strength was at least twice that of the Northern Xinjiang Army, but Zhang He, Zhang Xiu, and Wang Dang on the opposite side seemed to be holding a knife to their necks. Regardless of their disadvantages, they commanded the army to fight fiercely.Especially that Zhang Xiu, because of the enmity he had formed with him in the Hongnong War back then, he led a group of Xiliang soldiers into his central army several times.Hu Che'er, a Qiang man under him, was so brave that within three days, he had killed four military officers, three military commanders, and one school lieutenant.

If he fulfilled the Northern Border Army's wish and fought to the death with them, his losses could be imagined, but if he retreated step by step, the morale of the army would gradually drop, and he might be defeated by the Northern Border Army at any time.

To fight or not to fight?
Today Yuan Wei sent an urgent report that something happened on the Kansai battlefield.Yang Feng, the nine-headed bird in northern Xinjiang, assembled an army of about [-] to storm Shancheng.Chunyuqiong and Wang Xiu couldn't hold on, so they had to abandon the city and stick to Mianchi.Chunyu Qiong personally rushed to Luoyang and yelled at Yuan Wei.Without reinforcements, Kansai will definitely not be able to defend.Once Guanxi is lost, the connection between Guanzhong and Luoyang will be cut off, and Guanzhong will soon fall into the front and rear attacks of Western Xinjiang and Northern Xinjiang. Yuan Tan is very likely to lose to Chang'an.

Yuan Wei wanted to transfer troops from the battlefield in Hanoi.

The progress of the Hanoi battlefield was very unsatisfactory.Gao Rou has arrived in Hanoi at this moment.Zhu Ling and Zhao Rui conquered Licheng, but Wen Chou of the Northern Xinjiang Army set Licheng on fire when he withdrew from Licheng.The fire burned for two full days, blocking Zhu Ling and Zhao Rui's army from the south bank of the Jishui River, and the attack on Ping Gao had to stop.

Yuan Wei believes that the safety of Luoyang is far more important than the safety of Henan at this moment.At present, the northern border army only controls the three cities of Xingyang, Chenggao and Aocang in Yin, Henan, and is surrounded by their own army. For the time being, it will not cause greater danger to Luoyang. On the contrary, the situation in Kansai is much more serious, so he I want to transfer Zhao Rui's army to the Kansai battlefield.Yuan Wei's opinion was opposed by the judge.The judge believed that Yang Feng's attack on the Kansai battlefield was only to contain Luoyang's troops to cooperate with the Northern Army's attack on the Henan and Central Plains battlefields, so he firmly opposed the deployment of troops to support Kansai.

Yuan Weiwei was determined not to let go, and urgently wrote to Yuan Shao for countermeasures.

Almost at the same time, an urgent report from senior officials arrived.Puyang City was lost.

Yuan Shao was shocked by this news.Gao Gan said in his letter that before dusk, I gathered about 4000 troops to return to Puyang, but Lei Zhong and Zhou Hua's [-] troops blocked me at the Punan Pavilion ten miles south of Puyang City, making it difficult to advance.Gao Lan and Xiao En commanded an army of five thousand to attack Puyang.Although the [-] soldiers in the city stood firm and refused to surrender, due to the disparity in strength between the two sides, Puyang City fell in the early hours of the morning.

Yuan Shao was very regretful.At this moment he thought of Tian Feng.

Judging from the development of the current situation, it was completely correct for Tian Feng to persuade him to stay in Baima and Puyang.Returning to aid Henan by himself is tantamount to throwing away all the initiative on the battlefield.

If he was still in Baima and Puyang, it would be impossible for Li Hong's army to reach the front line of Dingtao and Changyi.As for the battlefield in Henan, even if he did not come back to help, but because his army was staring at the east of Henan, it would be difficult for Yan Liang to do anything after taking Xingyang. At most, he would send troops to attack Hulao Pass.

A good, wrong step.

Yuan Shao covered his cheeks with his hands and groaned in pain.

=

The curtain was lifted, and Xu You strode in, "My lord, Xia Houyuan hastened to report that Fancheng is lost, and Qu Yi and Zhao Yun's army is heading south rapidly."

Yuan Shao's expression changed in astonishment, and he exclaimed, "So fast?"

(End of this chapter)