The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 190: Yide's clever plan defeated Zhang He, and his heroic spirit shook the mountains and rivers

But when Zhang Fei heard Zhang He's insults, he was furious and gritted his teeth and glared.

He seized the snake spear, donned his armor and mounted his horse, and led his own Yan generals to attack Zhang He's camp.

Zhang Fei was extremely brave and broke into the camp several times. When he was about to engage in battle with Zhang He, he was shot back by arrows.

By evening, no one had returned.

Zhang Fei had no choice but to bear the anger and return to his camp.

He returned to the village and thought to himself:
"I boasted in front of you, sir, but now I can't defeat Zhang He's army for a long time."

"How can I face you when I go back?"

"Even if my lord and elder brother do not blame me, I will still be laughed at."

It turned out that Zhang Fei was very timid and impatient. Seeing how tightly Zhang He defended the city, he became angry.

Before he knew it, he was craving for alcohol and asked someone to bring him some wine.

He drank and had fun in the camp every day, ignoring military affairs.

At that time, Tian Yu and Chen Dao were in the military camp. Although they were minor generals, they saw that Zhang Fei, as the commander-in-chief of the army, did not take care of military affairs, so they came to persuade him.

"The three generals should know the strict orders of the Grand Commander. When the Commander returns, he will see that the generals are drinking here instead of trying to defeat the enemy."

"It must be blamed."

When Zhang Fei heard this, he suddenly remembered Li Yi's previous teachings and immediately came up with a plan.

He became more and more proud and immediately issued a military order:
"Let's drink together tonight. Anyone who disobeys the order will be punished by military law!"

Tian Yu and Chen Dao were both shocked, thinking that Zhang Fei had only been drinking alone before.

Why would they want to drag the entire army to drink once they persuaded them?

"Have the three generals forgotten the important trust placed in them by the Grand Commander?" Tian Yu asked.

Zhang Fei said:
"I am drinking with you brothers just to live up to your teachings."

The two were stunned again. Tian Yu pondered for a while and had guessed most of it in his mind.

Then he said to Zhang Fei:

"In that case, I will go to the camp and fetch a thousand jars of wine and share them with the soldiers."

Chen Dao was even more shocked, thinking to himself, how did the country let you get involved?

Tian Yu just comforted Chen Dao softly and told him to just do as he was told.

Chen Dao had no choice but to go get the wine with Tian Yu.

When I was young,

The subordinates reported that a thousand jars of wine had been distributed to the four camps in front, back, left, and right and the central army tent.

Each had two hundred jars, one jar for every ten people, and everyone had wine to drink.

The distribution had been decided and a banquet had already been set up in the big tent.

Seeing that everything was ready, Zhang Fei sat in the big tent and brought a jar of good wine himself.

Remove the mud seal with your own hands, peel off the oil paper, and immediately a strange fragrance will hit your nose.

Zhang Fei was overjoyed. He picked up the jar of wine and poured it into his throat.

After drinking a full jar, he gave the order:

"Pass on my order, everyone open the jar and drink until you are drunk!"

"But anyone who says that the wine is not good will be punished by military law!"

Ping...

The sound of gongs spread throughout the camp.

People thought to themselves that the military laws set in Xuzhou have always been strict, and drinking is not allowed unless the battle is won.

Now that the war is not over, brothers can drink to their heart's content. Why bother about so many things?
If the commander-in-chief really wants to punish someone, it should be Zhang Fei who should receive the punishment.

So there was no hesitation, and shouts of "Yes, sir" arose from all sides.

In the big tent, Zhang Fei saw that Tian Yu and Chen Dao had their own thoughts, so he raised his wine cup and said to the tent:
"Today, the soldiers are drinking heavily, please!"

Tian Yu had no scruples. He picked up the jar of wine, broke off the mud seal, tore off the oil paper, and filled a bowl with it.

After finishing the work, he raised his wine bowl to toast Zhang Fei and said:
"Thank you, General Three!"

He then said to Chen Dao and the other soldiers:
"Generals, please!"

Before he could finish his words, the drink was already at his lips.

When Chen Dao saw this, he thought to himself that since things had come to this, he had no choice but to accompany them.

He was also a wine lover, but the military laws in Xuzhou were strict, so he did not dare to drink at this time.

Now that everyone was drinking heavily, the alcohol bug in his stomach had already been churning, so he took a jar of wine and drank it in one gulp.

Zhang Fei laughed out loud and asked:
"Uncle Zhi, how is Zhang Fei's fine wine?"

Chen Dao put down the wine jar and shouted loudly as if to vent his anger:
"Good wine!"

Zhang Fei looked at the other officers again. Even if they didn't agree with what they said, they all shouted in unison:
"Good wine! Good wine! Good wine..."

Zhang Fei was satisfied then. He put down the wine jar, opened his eyes wide, and looked around.

Seeing that there was one brother sitting still, he stepped forward and asked:
"I, Zhang Fei, offer you a toast. How can you not drink?"

The soldier immediately stood up, holding the cup in one hand and shaking it with the other, saying:

"Third, Third General, I don't know how to drink."

Zhang Fei's face immediately turned cold, and he asked in a deep voice:
"A real man can't drink alcohol when he marched and fought?"

The soldier replied, "I dare not deceive you, General. I really can't drink."

A gossipy brother explained that the young man had missed his father's funeral due to his excessive drinking in his early years, so he quit drinking.

Zhang Fei thought to himself, this is a filial son, it should be a good thing.

But now that we have implemented this strategy, the arrow is on the string and has to be shot.

I can only make you suffer...

He forced the wine cup into the soldier's hand and said with a glare:

"Xia Pi's chancellor Cao Bao cannot drink. When I, Zhang Fei, offer him a toast, he will drink three full cups."

"How do you compare to the Prime Minister of Xia Pi?"

The soldier shook his head quickly, "How dare I compare myself to Lord Cao? I have already given up drinking and I dare not touch it again."

Zhang Fei was furious, his thick eyebrows raised, and he shouted:

"I, Zhang Fei, would like to offer a toast. Even the Grand Commander would have to give me some respect."

"How dare you, a young man, not show me your courtesy!"

So he ordered his men to bring a whip, and ordered the warriors to hold down the soldier.

He swung the whip and lashed dozens of times.

The soldier was beaten so hard that he rolled on the ground, crying for his parents and in unbearable pain.

After the whipping, the soldier was covered in blood, with no trace of his body left.

The brothers present were all veterans of the battlefield, but after seeing this scene, they were still frightened.

So, the generals led by Tian Yu and Chen Dao went forward to plead for mercy.

Zhang Fei then stopped, threw away his whip, and angrily said to the soldier:
"I am drinking wine today. If you don't drink, I will give you dozens of whips."

"If you want to drink again tomorrow and you don't drink, I will whip you dozens more times."

"This goes on and on until you are willing to drink."

After saying this, he returned to the table and continued drinking, still feeling resentful.

The party ended at midnight.

Zhang Fei returned to the camp and was sleeping soundly when he suddenly heard a noise outside the tent.

He turned over and sat up, and it was me who reported to Tian Yu that he wanted to see him.

Zhang Fei then brought him into the tent.

"It's getting late. Why are you here instead of going to bed?"

"I want to ask the three generals, when can we mobilize the troops?"

Tian Yu didn't waste time and asked directly to the point.

Zhang Fei was surprised and surprised, and said:

"Has Guo Rang figured out my plan?"

Tian Yu nodded, indicating that he knew it when he first ordered the drinking.

"The third general was really cruel. He made the filial son suffer. He beat him until his skin was torn and his flesh was exposed. It was heart-wrenching to watch."

Tian Yu didn't forget to complain.

Zhang Fei grinned:
"If you can defeat Zhang He's army, I will reward him handsomely."

Although Zhang Fei felt sorry for the soldier, he himself did not have any psychological burden.

It's a personality reason.

He naturally despises lowly people.

Even if Zhang Fei picked up his sword and killed that man right now, he would not feel the slightest bit of guilt.

Because Zhang Fei was still a little thick-skinned, even if he had done something wrong, he would probably forget about it once he turned around.

"I saw that soldier being punished today. Although he was angry, he still lacked the confidence."

"I am also worried about this. Now that Guo Rang is here, the wine has been drunk, and the people have been beaten, we have to come up with a plan."

Tian Yu hesitated for a moment and said:

"I will send my trusted people to talk to him secretly and help him leave the stronghold."

Zhang Fei was overjoyed, holding Tian Yu's hand and saying, "This is very good. If the matter is successful, Guo Rang can be credited as a second merit."

So, everyone acted according to the plan.

Tian Yu sent his trusted aide, secretly bringing some ointment, to visit the soldier who had been beaten today.

The brother who was beaten was whipped for no reason today and was filled with resentment.

Coincidentally, the person sent by Tian Yu arrived with medicine. He was a captain of Qu under Tian Yu's command, who was already fifty years old.

The soldier stood up hurriedly, but Captain Qu supported him.

Seeing that his wound was quite deep, he sighed:

"Zhang Fei is such a vicious guy. He beat you up just because he didn't drink."

"They also set military rules, saying that if you don't drink tomorrow, you will be whipped again..."

The soldier heard the old captain Qu calling Zhang Fei by his name and repeatedly mentioned that he felt unfair.

He was filled with anger and complained to the old Quchang:

"What Qu Chang said is very true. Today's whipping is already painful enough. If it comes again tomorrow, how can I endure it?"

The old Qu Chang then took the opportunity to advise:

"Zhang Fei is being unkind today, why should we endure his anger?"

"While the soldiers are drunk, we can go to the top of the mountain tonight and seek refuge with Zhang He."

"Let Zhang He lead his troops to attack us. I will cooperate with you from inside and outside to force the gate open."

"How could Zhang Fei get away with this?"

The soldier was overjoyed when he heard this, and took the old commander's hand, thanking him:

"It is true. Qu Chang should be given the same grace as a rebirth!"

So, according to his words, under the arrangement and cover of Qu Chang.

He left Zhang Fei's camp at night and rushed to the top of the mountain to join Zhang He's camp.

The Qingzhou soldiers in the camp saw a Xuzhou soldier panting and panicking, saying that he wanted to surrender, so they let him into the camp.

After finding out the details, he was kept aside and Zhang He himself came into the tent to interrogate him later.

"General Zhang, a soldier from Xuzhou has come to the camp and said he has something important to report to you."

"We dare not make a decision on our own, and have detained him in front of the camp, awaiting the general's decision."

"Send him here!"

After a while, the Xuzhou soldier was brought to see Zhang He.

Before Zhang He could open his mouth to ask, the soldier had already told Zhang He everything Zhang Fei had done during the day, including whipping soldiers for no reason.

Zhang He frowned and looked at the soldier carefully.

Sure enough, he was covered in bruises and blood, and had indeed been beaten today.

However, Zhang He was always cautious in employing troops, and he had been tricked by Zhang Fei before, so he did not dare to trust him easily.

So he came up with a plan, drew his sword and shouted angrily:
"You are so bold! Do you think I don't know how to use self-torture?"

"That bandit with round eyes ordered you to come and pretend to surrender, to lure me into robbing our camp, and even set an ambush. Did you think I didn't know?"

"Someone! Drag this bandit out and behead him!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two warriors stepped forward with swords raised.

The Xuzhou soldier hurriedly bowed his head, kowtowed repeatedly, and begged for mercy.

Once again expressed his feelings to Zhang He:
"General, please understand! If Zhang Fei wanted to use the self-torture tactic, why not send a great general to come? Wouldn't that help him gain your trust?"

"How dare I, a humble soldier, speak so arrogantly in front of the general?"

"Every word I say is true, not a single word is false."

"I only beg you to take advantage of Zhang Fei's army being drunk and raid their camp tonight. If I can avenge my enemies, I will die with no regrets!"

Zhang He narrowed his eyes and carefully observed the soldier's expression.

Seeing that his words were passionate and heroic, and there was no falsehood at all, I thought they were true.

So he first accepted this small soldier, and then gathered all the generals to discuss the matter.

"After losing a battle earlier, they have been holding their ground and refusing to fight again recently."

"All the soldiers have been rubbing their hands, eager to fight. If Zhang Fei's army is really drunk, they should not miss such an opportunity."

After that, he added:
"But Zhang Fei has a plan in his battle formation, and the words of that little soldier cannot be trusted."

"So I decided to send one or two scouts to investigate first."

"If what that soldier said is true, we can defeat the enemy tonight."

"Generals, please return to your headquarters, gather your troops, and follow my orders."

All the soldiers said yes in unison and returned to their camps.

Soon, several Hebei soldiers quietly disguised themselves as civilians and tried to enter the Xuzhou camp.

Sure enough, the camp gate was half-open, and from time to time there could be heard sounds of drinking and frolicking, as well as drunken shouting and cursing.

The Hebei soldiers thought to themselves that Zhang Fei had become annoyed after failing to capture the city for so long, and so he drank and made mistakes.

So he excitedly reported to Zhang He what he had seen and heard truthfully.

Seeing that his family members said so, Zhang He finally felt relieved and rewarded them heavily.

Then he selected 5,000 soldiers and marched out of the stronghold with guns.

Without making any sound or lighting any fire, they crept into Zhang Fei's camp in the dark, taking advantage of the dim moonlight.

Before we had gone far, we saw dark shadows ahead, the sound of rumbling vehicles and the clatter of footsteps approaching from afar.

When the vehicle approached, they hid in the dark and took a look. They saw hundreds of soldiers pushing and pulling the vehicle, which was full of wine jars.

Zhang He laughed secretly, this thief with round eyes is still drinking too much, he deserves to die!

So he let his soldiers charge out and shouted:
"Zhang He is here!"

When the soldiers saw so many Hebei troops suddenly appearing in the dark night, they all panicked and immediately abandoned their vehicles and fled.

Zhang He urged his troops to charge forward, secretly thinking that the correct thing to do was to capture the leader first, and killing Zhang Fei was the right thing to do.

So the hidden army went straight to the central army tent to attack.

The drums on the hilltop were beaten for help, and they charged straight into the central army.

But I saw a general in the tent, with a black helmet on his head and a huge body. It must be Zhang Fei.

Zhang He was overjoyed. He rode his horse and drew his spear, rushed into the tent and stabbed.

"tie--"

A single shot knocked the general to the ground.

But the moment the spear pierced, Zhang He realized something was wrong.

Although the general was huge, he had no strength and was knocked down by the spear without even having to exert any strength.

When I looked up, I saw it was a scarecrow.

Zhang He exclaimed in shock, realizing he had fallen into a trap.

He hurriedly reined in his horse and turned back, but heard loud drumbeats and shouts behind the tent.

Countless Xuzhou soldiers rushed out from the tent, and one general led the way, blocking their way.

With eyes wide open, he roared like thunder:
"I am Zhang Yide, let's fight to the death together!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his spear, jumped on his horse, and went straight for Zhang He.

When Zhang He saw that it was Zhang Fei, he became frightened, and the two generals engaged in a melee in the firelight.

After fighting for about thirty to fifty rounds, Zhang He fought and retreated, fleeing all the way.

When I looked back at the soldiers behind me, there were only one or two thousand people left, and most of the troops I had brought with me had not yet set out.

They had no choice but to gather the defeated soldiers and rush back to the camp.

Before he returned to the village, he realized something was wrong.

Zhang Fei had a lot of troops under his command, but not all of them were seen during the battle tonight.

Where are the remaining troops?

Thinking about not seeing Tian Yu and Chen Dao during the previous fight, he secretly thought that something was wrong.

He immediately ordered the soldiers to rush back to the camp.

……

However, Tian Yu and Chen Dao each led a thousand soldiers to ambush in two directions, waiting for Zhang He to lead his troops out.

Then they went around behind him and went to rob the village.

So they took advantage of the darkness and the absence of commander Zhang He, who was left without anyone to oversee the situation, and launched a fierce attack on the stronghold.

Once they broke into the village gate, they took out the vehicles prepared in advance.

There were more than ten chariots in total, all of which were loaded with firewood and straw.

So he threw all the fire starters that he had prepared in advance all over the ground.

Then they set fire to the intersection and blocked everyone from entering or leaving.

When Zhang He led his defeated troops back, he saw flames and smoke rising from the camp.

Zhang He was very upset and sighed:

"I thought I led the army across Hebei, but now I have fallen into the trap of a common man!"

While feeling deeply moved, he hurriedly ordered the soldiers to rush to put out the fire.

If they could cooperate with the soldiers guarding the stronghold and attack the Xuzhou army from both sides, there might be hope of survival.

So he led his army into the fire stronghold and fought with Generals Tian Yu and Chen Dao.

Not long after, a scout came to report:
"Four fires are starting outside the village, I don't know where the soldiers are coming from!"

Zhang He sighed inwardly, wondering where the troops could be from? It must be Zhang Fei leading a large army.

Looking outside the village, I saw countless flames and a pitch-black mass.

Zhang He knew that Zhang Fei would definitely mobilize his entire army and even abandon his own camp.

Judging from this move, it seems that he wants to wipe out the new forces in his hands in one fell swoop.

What courage and boldness!
Although the Xuzhou army currently has the upper hand, they dare to mobilize the entire army and bring out all the soldiers to fight a decisive battle.

This requires great courage.

No matter what the outcome of this battle is, from today on, Zhang He will no longer dare to underestimate Zhang Fei.

Zhang Fei brandished his snake spear, his eyes wide open, and shouted for war and killing.
Unlike Guan Yu, Guan Gong only used his sword to kill generals and did not like to hurt small soldiers.

However, Zhang Fei had a violent temper. Once he broke into the formation, he was like a tiger driving a flock of sheep, as if he was in an empty space.

Zhang He braced himself and charged into battle with his spear in hand.

He was no match for Zhang Fei, and saw Chen Dao and Tian Yu leading their troops to attack him.

They had no choice but to abandon the camp, gather the defeated soldiers, and flee to Dongpingling.

So Zhang Fei ordered his men to set fire to the stronghold, burning it down to a bare ground, making it impossible for the stronghold to block the road again.

Just as the soldiers were burning the camp and looting weapons, food and supplies, someone suddenly recognized the Xuzhou soldier who refused to drink and turned to Yuan to report the news.

So he was brought to see Zhang Fei.

The soldier trembled all over and fell to his knees at Zhang Fei's feet, saying that he was "guilty and deserved to die."

Zhang Fei saw this and knew that he was innocent, so he smiled and said:
"Listen, soldiers. Today I have used my tricks and skills. Without your help, it would be difficult to defeat Zhang He."

"You will be credited with a great achievement. Leave for now. When the Grand Commander returns, there will be another generous reward."

The soldier had already lost all hope and thought he would surely die this time, but unexpectedly, the situation turned around and he saw the light at the end of the tunnel.

Not only did he gain a chance to survive, but he also achieved a great feat. He unconsciously turned from sadness to joy and bowed repeatedly:

"Thank you for your grace, General San!"

The soldier immediately burst into tears of gratitude and kowtowed repeatedly, his head was broken and blood flowed all over the ground.

But compared to the good news he received, not to mention the broken scalp, even the beating he received before didn’t hurt anymore.

After cleaning up the battlefield, Zhang Fei first ordered his men to seal up the captured weapons and supplies, and then took out wine and food and feasted the soldiers.

This time, I can really drink to my heart's content.

At the same time, he sent someone to divide the victory report into two parts.

One copy was sent nearby and reported to Li Yi, who was a migrant worker in the rear.

One copy was sent far away and reported to Liu Bei, who was still in Xia Pi and was in charge of the overall situation.

Let my brother know that I, Zhang Fei, am also a hero on the battlefield.

However, Li Yi led the people of Jinan into Qi State. When he heard that Yide had defeated Zhang He's army, he was overjoyed.

He immediately led his soldiers to Tugu Mountain to join Zhang Fei's army.

After Zhang Fei won the battle, he immediately asked Li Yi for credit.

Li Yi also cooperated very well and asked:

"Zhang He is a famous general in Hebei, and he is not someone that can be defeated easily. How can Yide defeat his main force?"

Zhang Fei then told Li Yi all the strategies he had used.

Li Yi nodded and praised:

"My lord has repeatedly used Zhao Hu to encourage Yi De. In the past few years, I have seen Yi De constantly sharpen himself and make progress diligently."

"Today's victory over Zhang He is my greatest military achievement since I set out to conquer Qingzhou. This achievement should go to Yide."

The real achievement of Zhang Fei in this battle was the annihilation of Zhang He's fresh forces.

As a result, for a long period of time, they were unable to take the initiative to attack and could only retreat into the city.

Zhang He did not dare to act rashly until Jizhou sent reinforcements.

But Jizhou itself is providing blood transfusions to Bingzhou and Youzhou because these two states cannot afford to support so many soldiers.

If Qingzhou were to be bleed again now, it would undoubtedly disrupt Yuan Shao's original battle plan.

Li Yi has completed the goals set before the expedition on the eastern front.

Although he still doesn't know how the Yanzhou battlefield is going now, he has really tried his best along the way.

Next, what Li Yi needs to do is to continue to expand the results of the battle.

So Li Yi rewarded Zhang Fei handsomely.

He also ordered people to give him a set of golden armor, two iron-framed bows, and eight blue horses.

To honor his glorious military exploits.

This is all that Li Yi can give within the scope of his current authority, as for what he cannot give outside of his authority.

They could only wait for Liu Bei's instructions.

However, Liu Bei never treats his brothers unfairly, so there is no need to worry too much about this.

After rewarding the soldiers, Li Yi immediately reorganized the army and did not give Zhang He a chance to catch his breath.

March forward immediately and attack Dongping Mausoleum.

Once the main force is broken, defense will become relatively difficult.

……

After Zhang He fled back to Dongping Mausoleum after his defeat, he was filled with remorse, but to make matters worse.

When someone reported that Li Yi sent Zhang Fei as the vanguard to attack Dongping Mausoleum.

The defenders of Dongpingling were all in panic and restless.

It turned out that in the previous battle of Tugushan, most of Zhang He's soldiers and horses were killed and terrified.

Having already lost a battle before, everyone originally wanted to put in all their efforts and win another battle.

I don't want to lose even more miserably.

When the defeated soldiers fled back to Dongpingling, they discussed the Tugushan battle with the Dongpingling defenders.

When the guards heard this, they were all terrified.

So word spread from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred, and the rumor spread like wildfire.

This eventually caused the defenders of Dongpingling City to become uneasy and fearful of Fei like a tiger.

What's more, this time Li Yi is personally leading the army. We have long heard that Li Yi is a master of military strategy, and now he has the powerful Zhang Fei to assist him.

Isn't it like a dragon finding water, which makes a tiger even more powerful?
Faced with the soldiers' restless hearts, Zhang He had no choice but to come forward in person to appease them one by one. The defenders then settled down a little, but were still restless.

Zhang He did not care about much else and urgently summoned all the generals to discuss countermeasures.

"Our army has just been defeated and has no will to fight. Li Yi is leading a large army to attack Dongpingling again."

"What can we do about it?"

Zhang He asked.

At that time, there was Sima Cenbi, the general of the Dongpingling Army, who was a general under Yuan Tan and was ordered to stay in Qingzhou.

Seeing the new official taking office, he took the initiative to offer advice:

"I think that the city of Dongpingling is strong and easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"Our army has just been defeated, and the soldiers have no desire to fight. We don't have many men and horses, but two months is enough to hold out."

"The envoy sent to Jizhou has already set off."

"After seeing Lord Yuan and receiving reinforcements and food supplies, it won't be too late to fight a decisive battle with the people of Xuzhou."

Cen Bi had a confident look in his eyes and a calm tone as he proudly offered a plan.

Dongpingling is the seat of Jinan government and is considered the most solid city in the county.

Now that Zhang He had lost all of his main forces, he had indeed lost the qualifications to fight a field battle with Li Yi.

There is no other choice now but to hold the city and wait for Lord Yuan to send reinforcements.

Zhang He's eyes narrowed, but he did not rush to agree. Instead, he quietly analyzed the current situation.

The strategy proposed by Cen Bi seemed to be the only option Zhang He could make.

Otherwise, you can only give up Dongpingling and give up Jinan.

But if Zhang He dared to do this, Yuan Shao would send someone to chop off his head the next day.

This is different from Gao Lan’s previous loss of seventy cities.

The Yuan family's control over the eastern part of Qingzhou was already weak.

But in the western part of Qingzhou, namely Pingyuan, Jinan, Le'an and other places, the Yuan family not only stationed officials in these places.

There are also heavy troops stationed there, which means it is the territory actually controlled by Yuan family.

What's more, these missiles are the barrier of eastern Jizhou and have extremely high strategic value, so they cannot be lost.

Therefore, Zhang He had to hold on even if it meant grit.

At least don't throw it away in too short a time, hold on as long as possible.

Seeing Zhang He was hesitant, Cen Bi tried to persuade him again:

"General Zhang, we have 5,000 elite soldiers in Dongling, plus General Zhang's own troops."

"With nearly 6,000 or 7,000 people and Dongpingling being so strong, how could they not hold out for two months?"

Cen Bi was very confident.

It was not that he looked down on Li Yi, nor was it that he looked down on Zhang Fei and the soldiers of Xuzhou.

But as a soldier, he knew the advantages of defending the city.

There is an idiom called "One Hundred and Two Qin Passes" in "The Records of Emperor Gaozu".

"Hundred and two" means two against a hundred.

When Liu Bang evaluated the Qin State, he said, "Qin is a country with a strategic advantage, surrounded by mountains and rivers, with counties separated by thousands of miles. Among the millions of soldiers holding halberds, Qin can only obtain 120 of them."

It means that with the strategic location of Qin, 20,000 men can defeat a million men of other feudal lords.

Although Dongping Mausoleum does not have the rugged mountains and rivers of Qin, the defenders still have considerable advantages.

Zhang He also understood this truth, but for some reason, he was always uneasy.

I always feel like something bad is going to happen.

But it is not easy to say this out loud, otherwise it would disrupt the morale of the army.

"... General Zhang?"

Cen Bi widened his eyes and asked again tentatively.

Zhang He recovered and sighed:

"That's all we can do for now."

"Please, generals, guard the city walls strictly and hold out until Lord Yuan's reinforcements arrive."

Huh!
All the soldiers bowed and left after receiving the order.

Three days later.

After Li Yi had integrated the troops and horses, he personally led an army of 20,000, marched westward along Tugu Mountain, and attacked Dongpingling.

Dongping Mausoleum is the location of Jinan. As long as we take this city, the remaining counties in Jinan can be conquered by issuing an order.

Twenty thousand troops set up camp outside the city and surrounded Dongping Mausoleum.

Xuzhou military camp, central military tent.

A map of the defense of Dongpingling City was hung high in the tent.

"After Zhang He was defeated at Tugushan, he was trapped in Dongpingling."

"Although their numbers are small, when I went to the city today, I saw that they had deployed the city defenses properly despite the number of defeated troops."

"Zhang Junyi is truly a talented general!"

Li Yi pointed at the defense map and exclaimed in admiration.

Over there, Zhang Fei and other victorious generals who had participated in the Battle of Tugushan all showed disdain on their faces.

"To be honest, I met General Zhang once during the expedition to Qingzhou."

"At that time, I advised him that if he was unhappy in Hebei, he should come to Xuzhou to find me and General Liu."

"Now that Zhang He is at the end of his rope and trapped in Dongpingling, perhaps this is a good opportunity to recapture it."

Li Yi expressed his desire to add population to Xuzhou.

There is no need to say much about Zhang He's ability. The key is that he has been used for a long time and is able to endure hardships.

He possesses almost all the qualities that a military general needs most.

"The Grand Commander had previously praised Zhang He, a famous general from Hebei. In the previous battle at Tugu Mountain, I defeated him and he fled, leaving his armor and weapons behind."

"Today, we have gathered a small army of ants and besieged Dongping Mausoleum. All we need to do is send a letter of surrender."

"Why waste so much effort just to teach them to open the city gates and surrender?"

Zhang Fei thought he was very proud and said excitedly.

"...Haha, victory and defeat are common in the military."

"General Zhang, how can you judge a general's ability for the rest of his life based on a temporary setback?"

Li Yi criticized Zhang Fei out loud.

Looking at the entire Three Kingdoms period, who has not suffered a defeat?

Otherwise, why do we say that heroes in the late Han Dynasty were as numerous as crucian carp crossing the river, and none of them was easy to deal with?

"...Haha, I was just joking just now."

Zhang Fei scratched his head and continued:

"Sir, you are the general, and we are the soldiers."

"Soldiers should obey their generals. If the general has any orders, just follow them!"

Hearing this, all the generals burst out laughing.

Li Yi also smiled helplessly. It was a rare moment of laughter in the military camp.

……

(End of this chapter)