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

Chapter 352 With me in Hefei, there is no enemy!

In the seventh month of autumn in the fourth year of Zhangwu, warships filled the Ruxukou Pass like clouds.

Sun Quan stood atop the warship, his purple beard swaying in the wind.

A thousand sails raced across the river, with warships stretching for dozens of miles, their banners obscuring the sky and drums and horns thundering.

Sun Quan raised his hand to signal, and the three armies stood at attention.

"Gentlemen!"

Sun Quan stood with his hand on his sword, his voice booming like a bell:
"Hefei, a tiny place, has long been a hindrance to our royal army!"

"With an army of 100,000, we should be able to conquer Huainan!"

"We must win! We must win!"

Wu Jun's shouts echoed like a thunderclap.

The army officially set off from Ruxukou towards Hefei.

Wu Jun had only three routes to take if he wanted to reach Hefei.

One option is to travel by waterway through Jingzhou.

One option is to travel by waterway from Xuzhou.

Another option is the Huainan waterway, which Sun Quan is currently traveling by.

All three routes are by water, partly because Wu's navy is strong while its infantry and cavalry are relatively weak.

On the other hand, it's also due to cost considerations.

Traveling by land would result in a large consumption of food.

Therefore, in order to save costs, Wu Jun basically only traveled by water.

Of the three waterways, Hefei was the route that Wu's army was bound to take.

Because the waterways from Jingzhou and Xuzhou could not directly reach the Central Plains.

Following the Ruxukou River to Hefei, one can enter the waterway.

It essentially connects to the entire Central Plains, so Hefei's waterways have the highest priority.

Wu Jun, including his regular army, auxiliary troops, and civilian laborers, officially set off for Hefei with a total force of 100,000.

The setting sun casts a blood-red glow over the city walls of Hefei.

Zhang Liao leaned on the rampart and looked westward; the smoke of war had not yet dissipated in the direction of Wancheng.

His fists clenched so tightly beneath the armor that they cracked, and he sighed:
"Traveling day and night, I was still a step too late..."

"General, there is no need to blame yourself."

Gan Ning stepped forward, his sword drawn, the armor plates clanging.

"The fall of Wancheng was not due to a lack of skill; Prefect Zhu Guang led a weak force of three thousand against an army of one hundred thousand."

"He fought to the death, yet he did not lose the integrity of a Han official."

Zhou Tai suddenly pointed to the south of the city:

"Look!"

Dust filled the sky as countless red flags surged from the direction of the Ruxu River.

The soldiers guarding the city wall were in turmoil, and some cried out in alarm:
"It's...it's Wu Jun's main force!"

Looking at the overwhelming number of Wu soldiers, the soldiers guarding the city couldn't help but swallow hard.

"quiet!"

Zhang Liao roared, his voice echoing through the city walls, "Commanders, report to your troops immediately!"

Half an hour later, the military commander urgently reported, holding a bamboo slip:

"Reporting to the general, there are currently 6,200 garrison troops remaining in the city, plus the 800 elite soldiers you brought with you..."

"There are a total of seven thousand garrison troops."

Why did such an important city as Hefei only have 7,000 men, including Zhang Liao's troops?

It's still due to cost considerations.

Liu Bei relocated a large number of people from Huainan to the vicinity of the Yangtze River basin.

According to his plan, Hefei could serve as the first major stronghold to defend against Wu's army.

The fortified city of Shouchun behind it could serve as a grain storage site.

Hefei blocked Wu Jun's first wave of attack, and then the main force of Huainan from Shouchun came down the river to support them.

If even the Huainan army can't hold out, then the Central Plains army will come south to provide support.

As mentioned earlier, the Huai River waterway north of Hefei connects to the Central Plains.

It facilitated Wu's army's attack on the Central Plains and also made it easier for the Central Plains troops to support Huainan.

With this arrangement, it would be unnecessary to station a large number of troops on the border.

This would greatly reduce military spending.

Therefore, this arrangement is actually very reasonable.

However, the main force of Huainan is currently in Jingzhou.

The defenders of Hefei could only hope that the Henan army would come to their aid.

But until reinforcements arrive, they will have to rely entirely on themselves to hold off Wu's offensive.

“Seven thousand men,” Zhang Liao said with an iron face, “facing one hundred thousand.”

In the ensuing silence, a guard suddenly stepped forward and proposed:
"In my humble opinion, we should abandon Hefei and retreat to Shouchun!"

"Shouchun is the fortified city in Huainan, with high walls, deep moats, and abundant grain and fodder."

"If we retreat there, the Wu army will certainly not be able to conquer it."

"We will surely be able to hold out until the Henan army comes to our aid."

"Absurd!" Gan Ning's hair stood on end. "Retreating before even fighting, how is that any different from a deserter?"

Zhou Tai also shook his head and rejected the idea:

“Now that Sun Quan’s army is approaching, if we abandon the city now, the people of Hefei will not be able to leave.”

"We have already lost the men and women of Wancheng. If we lose the men and women of Hefei as well, we will lose them to Eastern Wu."

“Then our sins are immense.”

"This must not be done."

Zhou Tai was worried that abandoning the city would lead to the people of Hefei falling into the hands of Wu's army.

This is not because he particularly cares about the people, but because the people are an important human resource.

In fact, the warlords of the Three Kingdoms period were not lacking in land, but rather in people.

The wars between them are all about competing for population.

Therefore, after Sun Quan captured Wancheng, he immediately sent the people there to the other side of the river.

Zhang Liao raised his hand to stop the argument and took out a sealed letter with sealing wax from his pocket:
"When I left Yingchuan, Prime Minister Li secretly gave me instructions."

"Teach me to take a look when I was hesitant and indecisive, now the Wu army is at the city gates."

"The matter is urgent; you may consult with me."

The generals held their breath.

The silk scroll unfolds, revealing twelve characters written with powerful, elegant strokes—

"Zhang Gan will go into battle, Zhou Tai will defend the city, and the Protector of the Army should not engage in battle."

This means that Zhang Liao and Gan Ning will fight, while Zhou Tai will defend the city.

No one else may engage in battle.

Everyone's face turned pale:

"This... does Prime Minister Li mean we should use seven thousand to defeat one hundred thousand?"

"No."

Zhang Liao had followed Li Yi in Hebei for many years, and he quickly understood Li Yi's meaning.

The Art of War says: "The wise men have the intention to seize from others."

"Wu's army has come from afar and is exhausted; they have not yet completed the encirclement."

"If we take advantage of the fact that we are not yet firmly established, we can launch a surprise attack with our elite cavalry and severely damage the morale of the Wu army."

"It won't be difficult to defend the city then."

Zhang Liao's understanding was that, given the situation where our troops were fewer than the enemy's, we had a larger number of troops.

We should first win a battle to demoralize the enemy and boost the morale of our troops.

This way, the defender's advantage can be maximized.

"However, we have few soldiers, while the enemy has many."

"If we suffer a defeat, I fear we will be taken advantage of by the thieves."

Some people expressed their concerns.

Zhang Liao laughed loudly:

"Just think! By the time the Henan reinforcements arrive from a thousand miles away, Hefei will have already been reduced to dust."

"It would be better to strike while their camp is still unstable and blunt their attack!"

Looking around at his generals, he said, "Success or failure hinges on this moment. Gentlemen... are you willing to risk your lives with me?"

Zhou Tai clasped his hands and said:
"I am willing to serve the general with utmost loyalty!"

Gan Ning drew his sword, slashed his sleeve, and said sternly:

"A true man would rather die in battle than live a life of dishonor!"

"good!"

Zhang Liao was overjoyed and rose up, shaking off his armor.

"General Gan then went into battle with me, while General Zhou, following the Prime Minister's instructions, focused on defending the city."

"As ordered!"

Zhang Liao quickly finished giving instructions to the garrison commander of Hefei.

The generals of each department received their assigned tasks.

Since Chen Deng was not present at the time, Zhang Liao, as the former general, naturally became their commander-in-chief.

Gan Ning and Zhou Tai were also willing to obey his orders.

That night, the fires in Hefei burned all night long.

Zhang Liao personally held a sharp knife and dissected a whole cow in front of his command tent.

In ancient times, cattle were the second most important resource after human population.

It not only provides assistance in farming, but also greatly boosts morale in the military.

Cattle were usually slaughtered to reward the army when a life-or-death battle was imminent.

Blood boiled like mist in the cold night, eight hundred warriors stood in silent ranks, their iron armor reflecting the firelight.

"Gentlemen!"

Zhang Liao cut off the first piece of leg meat and threw it into the cauldron, saying, "Tomorrow's battle will be a fight to the death."

"I am willing to follow someone to my death; step forward and receive the sacrificial meat!"

Gan Ning was the first to step forward, his sword tip piercing flesh and plunging into the throat:

"When he killed someone in the Yangtze River, did he ever frown?"

After saying this, he shouted to the assassins behind him:

"You gentlemen never eat beef on ordinary days."

"If you want good meat now, why don't you go forward and eat some?"

As soon as the words were spoken, everyone stepped forward to eat the meat.

They feasted and drank fine wine with gusto.

"Report——!"

The scouts stumbled in, shouting, "Sun Quan has personally led the central army to approach the north gate, no more than three li from the city!"

Zhang Liao was taken aback and asked Gan Ning:

"I have lived in the north for most of the year and am not familiar with the south."

"Is this Sun Zhongmou quite brave and resourceful?"

"Otherwise, how could he, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, dare to risk his life?"

"He will personally lead the army down to the city?"

Gan Ning shook his head:

“Sun Quan had never led troops, but his brother Sun Bofu was quite brave and strong.”

"Chen Zhengnan spoke highly of his brother, but didn't seem to care much about Sun Quan."

"So, Sun Quan lacks both courage and strength?"

Zhang Liao glanced at him, then burst into laughter:

"This is truly heaven's help!"

Having said that, he kicked over the wine jar and shouted:

"Order: Remove the bells from the horses, gag the men, and open the north side gate!"

Before dawn, the fog was thick.

Zhang Liao, clad in heavy armor and wielding a long halberd, stood behind the gate.

Behind him, eight hundred elite soldiers stood solemnly, their iron armor gleaming, their eyes piercing.

"Open the city gate!"

With a loud roar from Zhang Liao, eight hundred warriors filed out of the city.

The city gates burst open with a roar, and Zhang Liao charged ahead.

The halberd gleamed coldly, like a tiger unleashed from its cage, and charged straight at the Wu army camp!
As the Han generals had predicted, the Wu army, due to its superior numbers, did not immediately complete the encirclement of Hefei.

Furthermore, they never imagined that the Han army, with its small numbers, would dare to launch a preemptive attack.

Therefore, Wu's army was not prepared at all.

Before Wu's army had even formed ranks, the sound of thunderous hooves suddenly rang out.

Looking up, one sees a rider moving like lightning, with the general at the forefront glaring angrily.

With a sweeping motion, he instantly cleaved several Wu soldiers in two.

"Zhang Wenyuan of Yanmen is here! Who dares to stop me?!"

Wu Jun was terrified, and the front line collapsed instantly.

Zhang Liao charged straight in on his horse, his long halberd flashing.

Wherever it passed, waves of blood surged.

"Stop him! Stop him quickly!"

Wu Jun's lieutenant Xu Gu thrust his spear forward, but Zhang Liao sneered and with a flick of his halberd, Xu Gu and his spear were cleaved in two.

Another subordinate general, Chen Qi, roared and charged forward, brandishing his sword.

Zhang Liao dodged to the side, then swung his halberd with a backhand motion, sending Chen Qi's head flying and blood splattering everywhere.

"Zhang Liao is here! Anyone who stands in my way shall die!"

Eight hundred iron cavalry followed closely behind, like a whirlwind, instantly tearing apart the Wu army's defenses and heading straight for the central army.

At this time, Sun Quan was discussing matters with Lü Fan under his banner.

Lu Fan said with great concern:
"Your Majesty, as the commander-in-chief of the three armies, it would be best not to risk your life."

"Our entire army depends on you."

"If anything were to happen to you, our army's morale would certainly be boosted."

In Lü Fan's view, Wu's army was numerous.

It's only a matter of time before we capture the isolated and helpless city of Hefei.

As the commander-in-chief of the three armies, Sun Quan had no need to besiege the city and come to the front line.

If something happens, everyone will have to protect him, considering both the consequences and the future.

Sun Quan stroked his beard and laughed heartily:

"Why do you underestimate me, sir?"

“I have been fighting alongside my father and brothers since I was a child, though I have never been to the battlefield myself.”

"But having witnessed it firsthand, how could one not know the soldiers?"

Since taking over the throne, Sun Quan had always longed to establish a great career.

Although he did a fairly good job working within Fuding Jiangdong.

However, it has never had any notable achievements in foreign wars.

This made it difficult for him to control his group of veterans who had followed his father and brothers in starting the business for many years.

Therefore, Sun Quan chose to personally lead the expedition in this campaign.

Given such a favorable situation, Sun Quan naturally wanted to go to the front line to show off his power.

Firstly, it boosts the morale of the army. Your King of Wu has already charged to the front, how can you not charge?
Secondly, it was also to prove to the people of Wu that Sun Quan was capable of leading an army.

At that moment, a commotion arose from the orders relayed from the front.

Sun Quan looked up and saw that the vanguard was in complete disarray.

A troop of iron cavalry charged into the formation like ghosts, their vanguard general's halberd stained with blood, their momentum unstoppable.

“Zhang…Zhang Liao?!” Sun Quan’s pupils contracted sharply, and the teacup in his hand clattered to the ground.

"This...is it Zhang Liao?"

"Your Majesty, run!"

Lü Fan drew his sword and shouted sharply, "Imperial Guards, protect the Emperor!"

Zhang Liao had already charged within a hundred paces, and no one could stop him wherever his halberd pointed.

Sun Quan was horrified. Disregarding his dignity, he mounted his horse and fled in panic, surrounded by his personal guards.

When Wu's soldiers saw their commander fleeing, chaos erupted, and they trampled each other, resulting in countless deaths.

Seeing this, Zhang Liao sneered and swung his halberd.

Eight hundred iron cavalry continued their charge like a torrent, chasing after Sun Quan!
The saying goes, "To catch the thief, first catch the king," so Zhang Liao disregarded the rest of the Wu army.

They focused their attacks on Sun Quan, only pursuing his troops.

Sun Quan was filled with fear and panic, and fled in haste to a high mound, where he hurriedly ordered his personal guards to form a defensive formation.

Wu Jun's long halberds formed a forest, fiercely guarding the path up the mountain.

Zhang Liao led his troops to the foot of the mountain, where he saw Sun Quan holding a high position and couldn't help but laugh.
"Blue-eyed boy!"

"Didn't you boast that you had an army of 100,000? Didn't you make a bold claim that you would conquer Huainan in three days?"

"Why have you, a rat, scurried here?"

Sun Quan's face turned ashen, and he gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, but dared not move.

Zhang Liao pointed his halberd and shouted sternly:
"You coward! Do you dare come down the mountain to fight?!"

"Come and fight me, Zhang Liao, one-on-one!"

Sun Quan gritted his teeth and remained silent, while Lü Fan beside him whispered:

"Your Majesty, please do not be angry. Your Majesty, please do not be angry."

"Zhang Liao is a brave and fierce enemy; we must not underestimate him!"

Sun Quan's purple beard trembled violently.

His gaze was fixed on the Han army of only a few hundred men below the mountain, when suddenly his pupils contracted sharply.

Yes, Zhang Liao only had a few hundred men!

Only then did Sun Quan realize that the Han army that had just defeated him was actually only a few hundred men.

Zhang Liao's attack was so sudden that it caught both Wu's army and Sun Quan off guard.

This is what left everyone bewildered.

Now trapped on the mountain mound, Sun Quan finally realized what was happening.

He laughed loudly, looking up at the sky:
"I was actually scared away by a mere few hundred cavalrymen? And now I'm trapped here?"

He then drew his sword and cleaved the flagpole beside him, shouting:

"If a hundred thousand soldiers are allowed to run rampant by a few hundred, how can the men of Jiangdong stand between heaven and earth!"

"Pass on the order—"

"Quickly gather troops and surround and kill this traitor!"

The war drums suddenly changed, and the Wu army's formation surged like a tide.

Wu Jun's generals and officers also realized that the king was trapped on the mountain.

So they all rushed to Sun Quan's rescue and surrounded and killed Zhang Liao.

Ling Tong led his spearmen to block the northern route, Chen Wu led his archers to occupy the eastern side, and Song Qian led his swordsmen and shieldmen to cut off the return route.

In the blink of an eye, Zhang Liao's troops were surrounded on all sides.

"General!"

The guard pointed to the Wu banners standing all around and said, "The Wu army is surrounding us!"

Zhang Liao swung his halberd backhand, piercing through the Wu soldier who had launched the sneak attack. His iron mask, splattered with blood, turned eastward, and he roared:
"Follow me to break out!"

Eight hundred iron cavalrymen formed a cone-shaped formation and charged straight into Chen Wu's army formation.

"Release the arrows!" Chen Wu shouted sternly.

Arrows rained down, but Zhang Liao swung his halberd in a circular motion, tearing a gap in the barrage of arrows.

He suddenly appeared at the front of the battle, and with a sweeping halberd, three Wu soldiers wielding shields were sent flying along with their shields.

Chen Wu was shocked and had not yet drawn his sword.

His shoulder armor had been shattered by the halberd tip, and he staggered back into the army.

"Turn!"

Zhang Liao suddenly turned his horse around, and his eight hundred cavalrymen moved with perfect coordination, charging diagonally towards Ling Tong's troops.

Before the thicket of spears could close in, the Han army had already penetrated through the gaps.

Ling Tong roared and threw his spear, which Zhang Liao dodged to the side.

He slashed the spear shaft with a backhand stroke, and the broken shaft continued its momentum, striking Ling Tong squarely in the chest.

Ling Tong was wounded and bleeding profusely.

He suffered a crushing defeat and led his army in retreat.

"General!"

Dozens of guards suddenly cried out in alarm.

It turned out that Zhang Liao had charged too hastily and had separated from the main force with only a few dozen of his personal cavalry.

Hundreds of Han soldiers were surrounded by Wu troops and were on the verge of annihilation.

"Zhang Liao is trying to escape!"

Wu Jun cheered and surrounded the remaining several hundred Han troops.

Even if we can't kill Zhang Liao, killing these few hundred Han soldiers would be enough to complete our mission.

Especially now that they can outnumber the enemy, everyone is eager to fight.

The Han soldiers, surrounded in the center, shouted to Zhang Liao:
"Has the general abandoned me?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liao reined in his horse and turned around.

The besieged soldiers struggled to look up amidst the flashing swords, and countless blood-stained faces stared at them.

Without saying a word, he turned his horse around.

Spurring its flanks sharply, the white horse reared up, and roared:
"How can a true man abandon his comrades!"

After saying this, he led dozens of riders in a counterattack, charging into the encirclement.

Wu Jun was dumbfounded.

Just as Chen Wu's sword and shield formation was about to close in, Zhang Liao arrived like a whirlwind.

Where the halberd passed, three shields shattered simultaneously, and the shield-bearers were sent flying backward, coughing up blood.

Song Qian launched a surprise attack from the side, but was forced back ten steps by Zhang Liao's halberd strike as he turned his horse around.

"Anyone who stands in my way will die!"

Zhang Liao roared and charged into the heart of the enemy. The Han army, which was surrounded, was greatly encouraged by this and fought their way out.

Although Wu's army was numerous, they all crumbled at the mere sight of him.

No one dared to confront them, and they could only watch helplessly as this remnant army rode away triumphantly.

At noon, the gates of Hefei were suddenly slammed shut.

Zhang Liao had his armor removed, leaving him with more than twenty wounds all over his body.

Just as his personal guards were pulling the arrow out of his shoulder, they suddenly heard thunderous cheers from the city walls.

"What's the matter?"

"Wu Jun...has retreated?"

"General, the Wu army has retreated!"

The scouts galloped up twice, then knelt on one knee to report.

Zhang Liao remained silent, but slowly walked towards the battlements.

Looking into the distance, one could see the Wu army camp breaking up its camp ten miles away, with its red flags fluttering southward like the receding tide.

The battlefield was littered with corpses.

Broken spears and halberds lay askew in the blood-soaked mud, while flocks of crows flew low, circling and cawing mournfully.

"Ah……"

Zhang Liao's lips curled slightly, and he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, but still burst into laughter.

"These Jiangdong rats are nothing special!"

That night, the general's tent in Hefei was brightly lit.

Gan Ning was shirtless, with bells hanging from his waist.

He was oblivious to the arrow wound in his chest that was still bleeding, and instead slammed his fist on the table and laughed loudly.
"That was exhilarating! Today's battle has utterly terrified Wu Gou!"

Zhou Tai also downed a bowl of strong liquor, wiped the liquor stains off his beard, stood up, and clasped his hands in a fist salute to Zhang Liao:

"General Zhang's bravery today is something I have never seen before in my life!"

"He moved through an army of 100,000 as if it were empty; he is truly a god!"

The other garrison commanders of Hefei also rose and raised their glasses in a toast:

"If it weren't for the general's bravery, Hefei would have been in grave danger! We are completely convinced!"

Zhang Liao shook his head and said in a deep voice:

"This victory was not achieved by Liao alone, but by the bravery of his soldiers!"

Having said that, he raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp. "Gentlemen, let us drink this cup to the end, to honor those who died in battle!"

The generals stood solemnly and responded in unison:
"Respect to the war dead!"

"Dry!"

Smoke curled from chimneys, and the aroma of roasted meat filled the entire city.

Zhang Liao ordered: Today we will feast the three armies with plenty of wine and meat!

Although several hundred elite troops were lost in this battle, the Wu army suffered even greater casualties.

Most importantly, their morale was severely damaged.

Even if they recover their strength, it will be difficult to rebuild morale.

Inside the wounded soldiers' camp, a medical officer is treating the wounded.

Suddenly, Zhang Liao arrived in person. The wounded soldiers struggled to get up, but Zhang Liao held them down.
"Gentlemen, you have been wounded for the country; there is no need for further formalities."

After speaking, he personally fed water to a seriously wounded soldier and then took off his own brocade robe to cover him.

The soldier, tears welling in his eyes, cried out hoarsely:
"General...this humble general is willing to follow you again to fight the enemy!"

Zhang Liao patted his shoulder and said in a deep voice:

"Take good care of your injury, and we'll fight again another day!"

As night deepened, the city of Hefei remained bustling with activity.

On the tower,
Gan Ning and Zhou Tai stood side by side, gazing at the scattered campfires of the Wu army camp in the distance.

"Xingba, do you think Sun Quan would dare to attack again?" Zhou Tai asked.

Gan Ning sneered:

"Today's defeat has terrified the Wu army! Even if they come again, it will only be a death sentence!"

Zhou Tai nodded, then suddenly sighed:
"General Zhang is truly a divine general; none of the generals in Huainan can match him."

Gan Ning remained silent for a moment, thinking to himself:
“Youping really underestimates me.”

"If Sun Quan dares to come again in the future..."

“I should kill one of Wu’s generals, so that others will know that Huainan has a capable man.”

……

In the following days, Sun Quan reorganized his defeated army and continued his attack on Hefei.

However, due to previous defeats, the morale of Wu's army was greatly reduced.

The Han soldiers on the city walls, however, were all energetic and vigorous, with high morale.

Wu Jun attacked for several days but could not capture it.

The longer the war goes on, the less hope there is left.

Even more critically, an epidemic suddenly broke out in Wu's army at this time.

In a short time, countless people died.

On the banks of the Ruxu River, the frost was as heavy as snow.

Sun Quan stroked the battle report on his desk, the words "more than 2,300 people died from the plague" on the silk scroll stinging his eyes.

The faint sound of coughing could be heard outside the tent, rising and falling like a death knell.

"Your Majesty."

Lü Fan lifted the curtain and entered, his brow furrowed, and said with deep concern:
"Three more camps were burned down, and the number of dead is..."

"enough!"

Sun Quan waved his hand, and his purple beard moved without wind:

"After a ten-day siege, more than ten thousand men were lost, yet they couldn't even gnaw off a single brick from the city wall!"

"Continuing this battle is pointless."

"Order the troops to prepare for a retreat."

"But Your Majesty—"

Lu Fan said with great concern:
"Our army mobilized a large force for this battle, totaling 100,000 troops."

"So far, the war has yielded no results."

"If we withdraw our troops in this way, I fear we will have no face to return to the people of Jiangdong."

Sun Quan, with his hands behind his back, said in a deep voice:

Before the expedition, the land of Jiangdong was full of vitality.

"But now they are all half-dead and crippled."

"If I continue playing, not many young men will be able to return to health with me."

"At that time, I will truly have no face to return to my elders in Jiangdong!"

Therefore, Sun Quan officially ordered the withdrawal of troops.

However, withdrawing troops is not easy either.

In ancient warfare, everyone liked to pursue and defeat the enemy.

This is because armies do not wear armor when marching or withdrawing.

Normally, armor is kept in the baggage train and only worn when going to the battlefield to fight the enemy.

The withdrawal of 100,000 troops was a highly technical task.

We must be extremely careful.

Therefore, Sun Quan decided to personally cover the rear.

He personally led his most elite thousand Tiger Warriors, his personal guard.

They are the elite among the elite.

In addition, he ordered generals Lü Fan, Pan Zhang, Chen Wu, Ling Tong, and Song Qian, along with their guards, to personally cover the rear of the main army.

These guards were the generals' private retinues, numbering around three to five hundred men.

But they are all the elite of the elite.

Therefore, the rearguard consisted of approximately five thousand men.

Before that, however, Sun Quan decided to hold a small team building event.

This can be considered a summary of the work done in this operation.

Inside the central command tent, the aroma of medicine mingled with the smell of wine.

Sun Quan took off his sword and placed it on the table.

"Gentlemen."

He raised the bronze wine vessel, its surface reflecting the haggard faces of the generals around him.

"The blame for this defeat lies entirely with me."

"I am not content with what you have done."

After he finished speaking, all the generals of Eastern Wu covered their faces and sighed.

Disappointment was evident on everyone's face, as if they were filled with resentment towards the war.

At some unknown time, the low, mournful sound of Wu songs drifted from outside the tent, gradually coalescing into the roar of five thousand men:
"Carrying a long sword and carrying a Qin bow—"

"Though my head and body are separated, my heart remains unyielding!"

……

While Wu Jun was still organizing team building activities to commemorate the unsatisfactory withdrawal,

Zhang Liao, far away atop the city walls of Hefei, silently observed all of this.

He stood by the parapet, his hand on his sword, and squinted—

Three miles away on the riverbank, hundreds of elegantly dressed warriors stood in formation drinking wine, their golden goblets reflecting a dazzling light in the morning sun.

Who on earth was so bold as to hold a team-building activity by the river during the withdrawal of troops?

It's so hard to guess!
(I was originally going to write directly up to the Battle of Xiaoyaojin today, but I accidentally deleted the main text. So I was devastated and had to rewrite it, only going up to the Battle of Hefei.)
(End of this chapter)