Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 225: Quick Attack Unites, Slow Attack Separates

"Sir, according to the scouts, the rebel generals have been leading their troops to gather in Weibei for the past few days."

Zhao Yun pointed to the map of Guanzhong and said, "Guo Si, Zhang Ji, Fan Chou, Ma Teng, Li Meng, Hu Zhen and more than ten other officers from Guanxi are stationed in the counties north of Wei. Zhang Ji's troops have already reached Chongquan."

"How many soldiers are there?" Guo Tu asked.

Zhao Yun shook his head and said, "The number of generals ranges from several thousand to over ten thousand, including the old and weak. They are very powerful, so it is difficult to know the details of their forces for the time being."

Zhang Yu looked at Lu Bu who was present and asked, "Fengxian has come from Chang'an. Do you know the troops of each general?"

Lu Bu pondered for a moment and said, "Dong Zhuo has a large number of soldiers and horses. Before he entered Luoyang, he commanded 20,000 soldiers. In compliance with the order of the previous emperor, Dong Zhuo led 5,000 righteous cavalry to station in Hedong. These 5,000 soldiers and horses are Dong Zhuo's support for entering the capital."

"After entering Luoyang, Dong Zhuo annexed the troops of Ding Yuan, He Jin, and Dong Zhong, with a force of 20,000 to 30,000. The righteous men from Guandong rose up, and Dong Zhuo recruited soldiers, with a force of 50,000. Dong Zhuo held the coalition forces for a long time with tens of thousands of soldiers."

"When the capital was moved to Chang'an, Huangfu Yizhen's 30,000 soldiers and Jingzhao Yin Gai Xun's 10,000 soldiers were all taken over by Dong Zhuo, so Dong Zhuo's army reached 100,000. After that, Dong Zhuo left 30,000 soldiers in Guanzhong, and sent Generals Li Zheng and Guo to lead tens of thousands of soldiers to attack Zhu Jun, and let the generals garrison in dangerous places."

After a pause, Lu Bu said, "From my point of view, the rebels have no less than 70,000 or 80,000 soldiers and horses. If we add the Ma and Han armies, the enemy army will be at least 100,000. If we count the soldiers who are taken hostage by the civilians, the number is difficult to count."

Dong Zhuo's success in taking control of Luoyang was related to Huangfu Song's indulgent attitude. When Dong Zhuo was transferred to Bingzhou, Huangfu Song had more than 30,000 border troops. Even if Dong Zhuo took control of the Luoyang Imperial Army with a small force, Huangfu Song's military strength was not weaker than Dong Zhuo's.

When Zhang Yu led his troops to occupy Shangdang, he received a letter from Gai Xun, in which Gai Xun expressed his intention to unite Huangfu Song's 30,000 troops, his own 10,000 infantry and cavalry, and Zhang Yu's troops to launch an uprising from Guanzhong to fight against Dong.

However, the plan failed because Huangfu Song gave up his military power and was summoned to the court by Dong Zhuo. Gai Xun had to give up his plan to start a rebellion because his troops were weak, and he died of depression in the court.

Huangfu Song's prestige in the Guanxi army was second only to Dong Zhuo. Although the Guanxi rebels attacked Chang'an City in the name of revenge for Dong Zhuo, Huangfu Song, who led the troops to kill Dong Zhuo's entire family, was not punished during the rebellion. Instead, he was elected as the Grand Commandant by the Guanxi generals.

Therefore, if we look closely, at least half of the Guanxi rebels were Huangfu Song's students and former officials. Wang Yun did not trust Huangfu Song and did not dare to let him lead the army. It was not because Wang Yun was suspicious, but because Huangfu Song might really become the second Dong Zhuo.

Cheng Pu frowned and said, "The rebels have more than 100,000 soldiers, but you only have 20,000 soldiers available. The difference in strength between the enemy and us is too great. What I said a few days ago was full of mistakes and almost misled you."

Zhang Yu didn't care and said, "Among the more than 100,000 rebels, the elite ones are only 10,000 to 20,000 Luoyang Imperial Guards and 30,000 to 40,000 Guanxi troops, totaling only 50,000 to 60,000. The rest are old and weak, unable to take on important tasks. It's not an exaggeration to call them old and weak!"

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked at Lu Bu and asked, "Fengxian, can our soldiers fight against the elite rebels?"

"be honest!"

"promise!"

Lu Bu pondered for a moment and said, "To be honest, my lord, your soldiers are strong and their armor is solid. They are the strongest army in the world. However, the Guanxi rebels were originally the central army of the court, and they have been fighting with the Longxi rebels for many years. Compared with them, your army may only have 10,000 soldiers who can fight."

As mentioned before, the predecessor of the Guanxi Rebellion was the Guanxi Frontier Army used by the imperial court to suppress the rebellion, and the Luoyang Imperial Guard. The strength of its troops and the bravery of its officers and soldiers far exceeded that of ordinary county and state troops.

The troops under Zhang Yu's command were actually elite soldiers selected from the Bingzhou County troops. It was barely enough for them to have the combat effectiveness of the rebels, and it was almost impossible to expect them to be able to fight better than the rebels.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu remained silent and fell into deep thought.

Seeing this, Xin Pi showed his worry and said, "The three armies under your command are selected from the best soldiers in the county. Compared with the rebels, they may not be as brave and their numbers are not as large as the rebels. Therefore, in my opinion, it is not appropriate to use troops at this time."

Zhang Liao nodded and said worriedly, "We still have more than 10,000 surrendered soldiers. Although we are safe for now, if we fight the rebels, I am afraid the surrendered soldiers will rebel. So it is better to pacify Hedong first, reorganize the troops in Bingzhou, and then plan for Guanzhong later."

Zhang Yu stopped in front of the map and asked, "What do you think, Ziheng and Gongze?"

Lu Fan pondered for a long time and said, "The rebels killed the princes and held the emperor hostage, and all the righteous men in the world are indignant. Your Excellency's own strength is not enough to defeat the rebels, so it is better to issue a proclamation to the world and invite all the righteous men in the world to rise up, such as Liu Bo'an of Youzhou, Yuan Gonglu of Jingzhou, Gongsun Bogui of Jizhou, and Tao Gongzu of Xuzhou."

"Moreover, General Zhu Jun has stationed his troops in Xingyang. Now that you have raised your arm and called for action, all of you above will dare not disobey. At that time, you will go on stage to hold a meeting and send troops to fight the enemy. When we welcome the emperor and recover the old capital, your reputation will be feared throughout the country!"

Zhang Yu nodded slightly, showing appreciation. He believed that forming an alliance to fight the enemy could maximize his interests.

He did not join Yuan Shao's coalition to fight against Dong Zhuo before, not only because he wanted to take advantage of the chaos in the world to occupy as much territory as possible, but also because he did not want Yuan Shao to gain fame in vain. Now that Guo and Li occupied Guanzhong, if he could form a coalition, the fame would fall on him. If he could defeat Guo and Li, he would not only be able to push his reputation to the peak, but also occupy Guanzhong, which would be a two-birds-with-one-stone move.

Seeing the expression on Zhang Yu's face, Guo Tu no longer had any scruples and said, "Sir, the Dong clan was destroyed, Niu Fu was killed, and now the most respected among the rebels is Li Jue, and the second is Guo Si. Everyone is afraid that you will cross the river to attack, so they used official positions to win over Han Sui and Ma Teng." "If you attack quickly, there will be a strong enemy outside, and the generals in Guanxi will not dare to defect; if you take it slowly, there will be no strong enemy outside, and the generals in Guanxi will fight for fame and fortune. Therefore, in my opinion, it is better for you to say that the Xianbei are in rebellion, return to Jinyang, and wait and see what happens."

"When the situation in Guanzhong changes, you should gather the righteous men from Guandong and launch a strong attack. Then you can conquer Guanzhong in one fell swoop!"

"Military advisor Guo is right. The generals from Guanxi came together because of danger and will disperse when there is no danger. Without Dong Zhuo's power, how can the generals from Guanxi live in harmony?" Xin Pi said.

Zhang Yu understood, and paced in the tent, saying, "Ma Teng and Han Sui are not of the same mind as Guo and Li. They are here to seek profit because of the changes in Guanzhong. If we withdraw now, the two armies will go in opposite directions."

Lu Fan said: "Not only that, you can issue a letter saying that the generals are innocent and the crime lies with Li Jue and Guo Si, so as to divide the rebels in Guanxi. And when you attack Guanzhong, the generals will not resist stubbornly, which will be beneficial to you."

"color!"

Zhang Yu clapped his hands and laughed, saying: "If your plan succeeds, it will be easy to defeat the two thieves Guo and Li!"

Cheng Pu hesitated for a moment and said, "Your Excellency, do you want to withdraw your troops now?"

Seeing Cheng Pu's determination to avenge Wang Yun, Zhang Yu tried to appease him, saying, "The enemy army has many soldiers and horses, and they are aided by the rebels from Longyou. Our army is not strong enough to defeat them now. We will return to Jinyang, reorganize our troops, recruit many righteous men, and wait for the rebels to change, then we may be able to quickly take Guanzhong."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu held Cheng Pu's hand and sighed, "The prince has been very kind to me, so how could I not avenge him?"

Cheng Pu was not a reckless person. His expression was heavy. He cupped his hands and said, "The world is divided, and heroes are vying for supremacy. Only heroes can set things right. I believe that the affairs of the world today are up to you. Only you can help the needy. I only hope that you can avenge me."

"Mondemour Trust!"

Seeing Cheng Pu smoothly become a member of Zhang Yu's army, Lu Bu felt inexplicably anxious. He didn't know how Zhang Yu would treat him.

Become a member of Zhang Yu's team?
Lu Bu was naturally unwilling in his heart. Although his current official position was General Fenwei, he was able to set up his own government and was also an ally of Wang Yun in killing Dong. Therefore, in terms of status, at least the relationship between him and Zhang Yu should be that of allies.

Lu Bu thought for a moment and asked, "My Lord, if you withdraw your troops, where should I station them?"

Zhang Yu glanced at Lu Bu and knew that Lu Bu had other ideas. After thinking for a while, Zhang Yu suddenly smiled and said, "Fengxian is an important official of the court. I want to submit a petition to recommend you as the governor of Yanzhou. However, the rebels have not been eliminated yet. We can station troops in Jie County to prepare for Hedong. What do you think?"

Lu Bu is not a man who stays contented. Zhang Yu cannot dream of subduing him, so it is better to treat him as a semi-subordinate guest general. After all, although Lu Bu has no long-term vision, his military strategy is outstanding. After conquering Guanzhong, he can be used as his chess piece to disrupt the situation in the Central Plains.

"Thank you, sir. I'll lend you the city wall to rest for a while!" Lu Bu said tactfully.

Zhang Yu laughed a few times, took Lü Bu's arm, and said, "Don't worry, I have three orders, I wonder if you can follow them?"

"Please speak!"

"First, you are not allowed to rob the people of Hedong. I will ask Hedong County to transfer money and food to you, and the limit of the number of soldiers is 2,000. Second, you must guard the river well and do not let the bandits from Guanxi invade Hedong. Third, if the soldiers under Fengxian's command attack the people, they must be handed over to me for punishment." Zhang Yu said.

Lu Bu hesitated for a moment and said with a smile: "How can I not obey these three things?"

Now Zhang Yu provides him with money and food to support him, allows him to recruit soldiers on his own, and also recommends him as the Governor of Yanzhou. How dare Lu Bu refuse!
"good!"

"Sir, although General Lu is brave, he has few soldiers and horses. Do we need to leave another general to take charge?" Guo Tu reminded.

"Now I appoint Wenyuan as the governor of Hedong and let him lead the Gaoping army to station in Anyi. Shangdang will be under the command of Gongming who will lead the Hezhong army, and let Yingchuan prefect Dong Cheng lead his troops to station in Fenyin." Zhang Yu said.

Hedong County had the largest number of registered households among all the counties under Zhang Yu's jurisdiction, but because it was newly established, the situation was the most complicated. Therefore, Zhang Yu simply let those semi-subordinate guest generals station troops in Hedong so that they could be supported by the money and food of Hedong County. Then he let Guo Yu transfer to be the governor of Hedong County and vacate Yanmen County to prevent Guo Yu from staying in Yanmen for too long.

At the same time, in order to prevent evildoers from taking advantage of the situation, Zhang Yu had no choice but to send Zhang Liao, whom he relied on most, to station troops in Hedong to intimidate everyone and the rebels in Guanxi.

"Jiangzuo Yice": After Zhuo's death, Li Jue, Guo Si, Fan Chou, Zhang Ji and others rebelled, attacked the capital, defeated Lu Bu, and killed Wang Yun. At that time, Shenwu stationed troops in Hedong, fearing the enemy's large number of troops, and no longer advancing westward, so he withdrew from Bingzhou and occupied Guanxi with the Dahe River.

(End of this chapter)