Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 165: Position and Wife, Han and Xiongnu Conspiracy

Under Yan Zhi's persuasion, Yu Fuluo chose to form an alliance with Zhang Yu in order to restore his country and regain his position as Chanyu.

While Yan Zhi was away, Zhang Yu led 4,000 infantry and cavalry under his command to go on the expedition, leaving Zhang Yang to lead a thousand garrison soldiers to guard the Shangdang passes and garrison Huguan City.

On the way to the west, Zhang Yu joined the 500 men led by Hao Zhao. Now the army has a total of 4,500 infantry and cavalry. If we analyze the composition of the troops carefully, it includes 1,500 cavalry and nearly 3,000 infantry.

Among the 1,500 cavalry, there were 100 armored cavalry, 700 elite Yunzhong cavalry, and the remaining 700 were Shangdang County cavalry. Among the 3,000 infantry, there were 700 imperial guards, 2,300 county soldiers and newly recruited soldiers, divided into three camps.

Zhang Liao and Ke Bi were in charge of a thousand cavalry, and five hundred cavalry were directly under Zhang Yu; the Left Camp led by Gao Shun was the elite infantry, followed by the Right Camp led by Xu Chu, and the Right Camp led by Meng Ning was the third.

When Zhang Yu was about to lead his troops to Qinshui, he met Yan Zhi who had returned from a diplomatic mission.

The army marched in the valley, with the infantry holding flags in the middle and the cavalry on both sides. Zhang Yu, standing on a high place, looked at the marching troops and felt proud. With only 4,000 men, he could see such a large army. What would the army of 10,000 or even tens of thousands of people he would lead be like in the future?

Yan Zhi rode up the hill quickly, held the reins, and said, "Sir, Yu Fuluo has agreed to form an alliance with you, but he requires you to submit a petition to the court after defeating Baibo, appoint him as Chanyu, and marry his sister Alahai."

"it is good!"

Zhang Yu held the whip and laughed, saying to his attendants, "Now that we have Yu Fuluo's help, we will surely be able to defeat the Baibo bandits, eliminate the great threat to Bingzhou, capture all of their people, and fill the Shangdang counties."

The Baibo bandits plundered Taiyuan and Hedong counties, taking a large number of people with them. Zhang Yu had been coveting them for a long time. If he could defeat the Baibo bandits and subdue tens of thousands of people, and then take advantage of the upcoming campaign to defeat Dong Zhuo, the number of households in Shangdang would surely increase dramatically.

Seeing Zhang Yu so happy, Yan Zhi hesitated and said, "But Yu Fuluo said that Alahai is the daughter of the Chanyu, and her status is noble, higher than the prince's wife. Now that the prince wants to marry the Chanyu's daughter, the favor cannot be weak!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yu's face darkened and he asked, "What does Yu Fuluo mean?"

Yan Zhi gritted his teeth and said, "Yu Fuluo has no intention of asking the prince to divorce his wife, he just wants the princess to have a status no lower than that of the lady."

Zhang Yu narrowed his eyes and sneered. Wang Ji and he had been married for a long time. It can be said that without Wang Ji's encouragement and Wang's support, he would not have become a warlord in just a few years.

Wang Ji is not only his lover, but also his family in life and a noble person on his way to growth. In addition to love, what he can give to Wang Ji is nothing more than respect for status. Zhang Yu is very dissatisfied with Yu Fuluo's mandatory request.

Zhong Yao pondered and said, "The Baibo bandits are mostly from the people of Xihe and Hedong counties. Because they are near the Hu people, they value martial arts. Yang Feng and Han Xian are brave and their soldiers are fierce. They are not comparable to ordinary bandits. Now that we have a big event, I hope you will not be too picky. And if Madam knows your current situation, I think she will agree to this matter."

Zhang Liao was anxious and said, "Madam is kind and has been with you for many years. Now she is alone on the frontier. You should not let her down."

Although Zhang Yu was angry in his heart, he remained calm on his face and said, "Madam and I know each other well. We are in a hurry now, so we should put the important things first."

"Tell Juvro that I have granted his request, and let him not forget his promise!"

"promise!"

When Yan Zhi ran away, Zhang Liao said in dissatisfaction: "How can a mere Hu girl be respected as the same as you?"

Zhang Yu's emotions exploded, and he said angrily, "Madam has contributed a lot to my current situation. How could I not know what you are talking about?"

"My fellow men, defeat the Baibo bandits for me now. Do not let the Xiongnu underestimate you!"

"promise!"

All the generals responded in a deep voice, especially Zhang Liao, Hao Zhao, Shi Yi and other generals who had received favors from Wang Ji, who reacted most enthusiastically.

With the help of Yan Zhi, Zhang Yu and Yu Fuluo reached an agreement and agreed on the time to launch the uprising.

On February 27, Guo Tai led the Baibo bandits to Qinshui. Since the army had more than 60,000 people, the Baibo army had to set up camps along both sides of the Qinshui River, stretching more than ten miles from east to west. Zhang Yu set up camp more than ten miles away from Qinshui River and sent a letter to Guo Tai.

Baibo Army Camp, inside the big tent.

Guo Tai sat on a chair, with generals Yu Fuluo, Yang Feng, Han Xian, Hu Cai, Xu Huang and others on his left and right. Everyone had their own thoughts and their minds were divided.

"Zhang Yu invites our army to a decisive battle tomorrow. What do you think?"

Guo Tai handed the letter to everyone to read, saying: "Zhang Yu is famous in Bingzhou. When the Han army was defeated, he led the defeated army to repel the Xiongnu army and killed the Xiongnu Chanyu. He fought very bravely."

Yang Feng was a burly man, and he said in a careless manner, "Zhang Yu killed the Chanyu by taking advantage of the night. Now the two armies are fighting, Zhang Yu has fewer soldiers, and our army is several times larger than his, so we don't need to be afraid. In my opinion, if Zhang Yu wants to fight tomorrow, then we will fight him to decide the outcome."

"Yup!"

Han Xian disagreed and said, "Zhang Yu's troops may seem to number several thousand, but as far as I know, his own army only has a thousand imperial guards, two thousand are from Shangdang County, and the rest are newly recruited soldiers. His troops are not even as strong as Niu Fu's. Now Niu Fu is no match for our army, let alone Zhang Yu?"

"Since Zhang Yu wants to fight, we will fight him tomorrow. After we defeat his army, we will enter Shangdang, plunder, and then join Zhang Yan." Seeing Yang and Han were so aggressive, Guo Tai said worriedly, "Zhang Yu has a long history of military experience and is well-known in Bingzhou. Now we know that he has few soldiers, but he actively invites us to fight. I am afraid there is something fishy going on."

In his early years, Guo Tai followed Zhang Jiao in the uprising in Hebei and was considered a mid-level general in the Yellow Turban Army. After the Yellow Turban Uprising failed, he led the remnants to flee westward and returned to his hometown, Xihe County, to preach.

When the Xiongnu invaded Xihe County, causing the people to flee, Guo Tai seized the opportunity and raised an army in Baibo Valley. Drawing on the experience of the failed Yellow Turban Rebellion, Guo Tai repeatedly defeated the Han army and relied on the terrain to continuously expand his power.

In order to have a broader space for development, Guo Tai planned to lead his troops across Shangdang, unite with the Black Mountain Army entrenched in the Taihang Mountains, and prepare to develop in the prosperous Hebei Plain.

At that time, Guo Tai originally wanted to set out in winter, but because Zhang Yu took control of Shangdang, he was afraid of Zhang Yu and delayed until the beginning of spring, waiting for his elite troops to set out.

Yu Fuluo sneered, "The envoy is too cautious. As far as I know, the Han people are fighting in the Central Plains. Yuan Shao and Yuan Shu have joined forces with more than ten provincial governors and prefects to attack Dong Zhuo. Zhang Yu has no reinforcements, and now there are only a few thousand soldiers available. Why should we be afraid?"

Guo Tai's expression slightly became serious, and he retorted: "It's not that I'm afraid, but I'm worried that Zhang Yu will cheat tomorrow!"

Yu Fuluo said: "Zhang Yu's intention is not difficult to understand. The Qinshui River valley is narrow, and it is difficult for a large army to deploy. Therefore, it is beneficial for Zhang Yu to use his troops, but not for our army. What Zhang Yu relies on is nothing more than a hundred armored cavalrymen of the Han army. When we fight him tomorrow, the divine messenger will lead the troops in the front, and I will lead the cavalry to protect the two wings. We can win!"

"What Zuo Xian Wang said makes sense!"

Yang Feng nodded and said, "Our army will fight tomorrow, and we may send elite troops to sneak in. When the cavalry led by the wise king entangles the Han cavalry, the elite troops will rush out from the flank mountains and attack the Han army together with the main army, which will be enough to defeat them."

Hearing the above words, Guo Tai could not help but nod in agreement, while Xu Huang, who was at the end of the table, secretly complained. The Han army was short of manpower, and if they followed Yang Feng's plan and sent an ambush to attack from behind, Zhang Yu's troops would surely be defeated.

Xu Huang did not want to see Zhang Yu defeated. He was an official in Hedong County and was unfortunately captured by Guo Tai in a battle. Guo Tai appreciated his martial arts and his ability to use troops well, so he gave him troops.

In the battle with Niu Fu, Guo Tai nearly died, and Xu Huang, out of gratitude, led his troops to rescue Guo Tai. After the battle, Xu Huang was promoted to a lieutenant and was able to participate in military affairs.

Although Xu Huang is now a lieutenant of the Yellow Turbans, he dare not forget his identity as a Han official, and he longs to return to the ranks of the Han army. Zhang Yu is famous in Bingzhou and is one of the targets Xu Huang wants to serve.

"Gongming, what do you think of your strategies?" Guo Tai asked.

Xu Huang hesitated for a moment and said, "Your strategy is very good, but the mountains are rugged and the ambush will delay us."

"Then choose someone who is good at running!"

Guo Tai asked, "Gong Ming, how about you lead the ambush troops tomorrow?"

"promise!"

Xu Huang sighed secretly, then bowed and accepted the order.

If his family had not been in the hands of Guo Tai, Xu Huang would have really wanted to run away. However, for the sake of his family, Xu Huang could only work for the Yellow Turbans. Tomorrow he would lead the ambush troops and would have to act according to circumstances.

Seeing that everyone agreed, Guo Tai said, "Tomorrow, Han Xian will lead the front, I will lead the troops in the middle, Yang Feng will lead the troops in the back, Xu Huang will lead the ambush troops to bypass, Lao Zuoxian Wang will lead the cavalry to the left and right, and Li Le will lead the old and weak to guard the camp."

"No!" Everyone responded in unison.

Yu Fuluo returned to the main camp from the big tent and told his attendants, "Leave the camp at night and inform the Han army that they will be fighting tomorrow. Guo Tai secretly sent an ambush to the rear and told the Han army to be more careful when they line up."

"Yes!" The servant retreated quickly.

When no one was in the tent, Hu Chuquan said, "Brother, can Zhang Yu really restore our country for you?"

Yu Fuluo sighed and said, "Guo Tai is determined to go east and unite with the Black Mountain Army. Now among all the heroes in Bingzhou, except Zhang Yu who is willing and capable of restoring our country for you and me, the rest are not trustworthy."

"If my third sister marries Zhang Yu, he will not dare to break the contract out of consideration for my third sister's reputation. If Zhang Yu wants to succeed, the Xiongnu tribes can send more than 20,000 soldiers to help him."

Yu Fuluo forced Alahai's status not to be lower than Wang Ji because he considered many things. In addition to feeling sorry for his third sister, he also considered the different status of wives and concubines. Alahai had a status similar to that of a wife, and the weight of her words was different.

"I hope Zhang Yu will keep his promise!" Huochuquan said, "If he breaks the promise, I will make Zhang Yu regret it."

Huochuquan underestimated Zhang Yu. To Zhang Yu, the Huns were a force that he had to control, so he would definitely help Yufuluo restore his country.

But as to what form of restoration of the country shall be decided by Zhang Yu!

While the Yufuluo brothers were discussing tomorrow's arrangements, Guo Tai's letter agreeing to the battle was delivered to the Han army camp.

At dawn, the war is about to begin!
(End of this chapter)