Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 377: The Tough Guys and the Ugly Guys
In the big tent, Tian Feng dissuaded Wen Chou from asking for a fight, saying: "Changshan was originally occupied by Zhang Yan, who knows the geographical advantages of Changshan very well. After Yan Liang was defeated and our army retreated, Changshan has been re-occupied by Zhang Yan. Now the Shanxi and Heishan bandits have joined forces, and if our army attacks them again, it will be hard to predict the outcome. If our army wins, the enemy will retreat to Puwu and will not be able to hurt the foundation of Shanxi; but if we lose, the enemy will advance to Julu, which will shake people's morale."

Seeing that Tian Feng was always contradicting him, Yuan Shao could not help but get angry and said, "Tian Yuanhao, why do you keep going against my will?"

"Before I went to war, you advised me to attack Zhang Yan first and eliminate Zhang Yu's wing. Now Zhang Yan has revived and is causing chaos in Changshan, but you advised me not to do so. Don't you know that Changshan is connected to Zhao in the south? The two are only two or three hundred miles apart. Cavalry can travel day and night and reach the destination in one day."

Yuan Shao slapped the map with his hand and said angrily: "You said that we should not attack Zhang Yan now. If he leads his troops south and joins Zhang Yu, how should our army respond?"

Tian Feng said calmly, "I advised you to attack Zhang Yan in the past, which would not only weaken Zhang Yu's power, but also cut off the connection between Bing and You. However, when you first defeated Zhang Yan, you should have used your strong forces to defeat him in one fell swoop, but you sent Jiang Qi to lead a small army to support you. Now that the two bandits have joined forces and worked together, if you send a small army to attack them, can you win?"

"If we win, we won't be able to conquer Puwu, and if we lose, we may shake people's hearts. I want to ask you, are you capable of commanding troops?"

"Are you blaming me for my improper use of troops?" Yuan Shao asked, laughing angrily.

Tian Feng was not afraid of Yuan Shao's gaze and said, "I don't blame you for making mistakes in your military operations, but considering the situation, you should be cautious. Zhang He has the ability to adapt to changes. If you use him to defend the strategic location, it will be difficult for the enemy to attack Julu, and we can use him to contain the enemy."

"Shanxi has a sparse population and insufficient food and grass. Zhang Yu has traveled thousands of miles with the intention of heading to Hebei. You, sir, will defend Cishan and waste the troops and food. When the enemy retreats, that will be the time for you to defeat Zhang Yu."

Yuan Shao's face was gloomy and uncertain. He was both angry and loving towards Tian Feng. He loved Tian Feng for his wisdom, but was angry that Tian Feng always went against him.

Seeing this, Feng Ji rebuked him sternly, saying, "Tian Feng, you are just using your strategy, and you just lost Yan Liang and many soldiers. Zhang He, Jiang Qi, and Yan Liang have 20,000 soldiers, all of whom are elite soldiers under your command. I wonder if 20,000 soldiers are not enough, do you want your own army to lead the army?"

As he spoke, Feng Ji bowed to Yuan Shao and said, "Your Excellency is magnanimous and forgiving. Tian Feng is now shirking responsibility and slandering your Excellency. This is intolerable!"

Seeing Feng Ji interfering, Tian Feng said angrily: "You treacherous people, if you are defeated by Zhang Yu, it will be all your fault!"

Feng Ji sneered and said, "Don't you think that without your advice, you can't win?"

Tian Feng sneered and said, "If you don't listen to good advice and suffer defeat, it will be too late to regret it!"

Tian Feng warned in a deep voice, "You have a lot of food stored up, but if you don't hold on to it for a long time, you will be using your own weakness to attack the enemy's strength. Moreover, Zhang Yu has many cavalry under his command, so you must be cautious. If you send out your troops now, you will surely suffer a defeat. I hope you will be cautious."

Seeing that Tian Feng continued to disobey him and still thought highly of himself, Yuan Shao frowned in anger and said, "Take Tian Yuanhao away and temporarily imprison him. I will deal with him after I return to the army!"

"promise!"

"Mingsir, please use your troops with caution!"

The soldiers captured Tian Feng. When Tian Feng saw that Yuan Shao was going to take him away, he kept shouting loudly, trying to change Yuan Shao's intention.

Among the people on the left and right, Ju Su looked unhappy. Seeing that Yuan Shao was angry, he could only sigh secretly. Feng Ji was secretly delighted because Tian Feng was a man of upright character and now he had finally overthrown Tian Feng.

"Mingsir, I am willing to lead the army north to defeat the enemy for you!"

As Tian Feng was taken away, Wen Chou stood up again and asked Yuan Shao to send troops. However, because Tian Feng was imprisoned, no one dared to speak out to stop him.

"it is good!"

Yuan Shao patted Wen Chou on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Yan Liang was defeated because of his careless use of troops. If you want to avenge Yan Liang, you must be careful in your use of troops. I will stay in the camp and wait for your victory report."

"Please rest assured, my lord!"

Wen Chou said: "I will repay your kindness with all my strength and loyalty."

"Great!" Encouraged by Yuan Shao, Wen Chou bowed and retreated.

Ju Su hesitated again and again, and advised: "Mingsir, you must know the way to win or lose. Now Zhang Yu has stationed Li Song, Man Chong, and Zhang Yan in Changshan, which means he is well prepared. The current strategy is to leave the main army here and send a small army to guard Julu. If we can repel the enemy, we can send more troops to Changshan and send the general to go to war."

"If we rush to fight now, we won't be able to take Jingxing if we win, and we may even lose and shake the overall situation!"

Yuan Shao squinted at Ju Su and sneered, "All the soldiers and generals under your command want to achieve great things, so why can't they go out to fight? If we wait for the enemy to attack Julu and penetrate deep into Xindu, the morale of the soldiers and civilians will be shaken."

Seeing that Yuan Shao had made up his mind, Ju Su threw his sleeves in anger and sighed: "The superiors are full of ambition, and the subordinates are working hard. The Taihang Mountains are towering, and the fortunes are unpredictable!"

"I am not feeling well. Please go back to your tent and rest!"

Having said that, Ju Su shook his head, said goodbye and left the tent.

Yuan Shao was furious at Ju Shou's disregard for him, but because Ju Shou was the commander-in-chief of the three armies, he had to suppress his anger. He recalled that someone had advised him to share the military power with Ju Shou.

"Refund!"

Yuan Shao waved his hand, signaling all the civil and military officials to leave.

When Yuan Shao detained Tian Feng and sent Wen Chou north to avenge Yan Liang, Zhang Yu was delighted by the good news achieved by Man Chong.

Inside the tent, Zhang Yu laughed loudly and said, "Gongda has made great contributions in employing Bo Ning and Meng Qi. Now, with a small number of soldiers, they have killed Yan Liang and lifted the siege of Puwu. This has not only greatly boosted the morale of our army, but also reversed the unfavorable situation for our army in Changshan."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu stroked Zhao Yun's back and said approvingly, "In the battle of Qingshankou, Zilong was full of courage. He led hundreds of cavalry to scare away Zhang He and led our army to victory, which was beyond my expectation. I wonder how your injury is now?"

Zhao Yun said modestly, "My back is slightly injured. Thank you for your concern. The battle of Qingkou was won thanks to your sacrifice. It was not just my work."

Zhang Yu's face was full of admiration, and he said, "Zilong was shot in the back by several arrows. Now he is back to the camp to report, and he can stay in the camp to recuperate."

Since the two armies joined at Yuanshi, Zhao Yun was entrusted by the generals to return to the camp and told Zhang Yu everything about the battle at Changshan.

Zhao Yun cupped his hands and said, "I am here to report my work and to ask the generals who will lead the two armies."

Zhang Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "Man Chong, Li Song, and Zhang Yan can all be commanders. Among the three, Li Song and Zhang Yan have the highest official titles, and Zhang Yan is well versed in the geography of Changshan. However, if we look at their military strategies or reputation, Li Song and Man Chong both have the ability to be commanders."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu wanted to test Zhao Yun, so he asked, "What do you think, Zilong?"

Zhao Yun said, "My Lord, although Man Chong has made great achievements, he is not to be approached. He may not be able to unite the Black Mountain Army if he is the commander. Zhang Yan is well versed in geography, but he is not loved by our soldiers. Li Song is well-known in Shanxi, treats people sincerely, and is clear about rewards and punishments. He can resist the two armies!"

"good!"

Zhang Yu clapped his hands and smiled, saying, "I share the same opinion with Li Song, but I am afraid that he will not be able to serve as a commander because he defeated Zhang He the first time. However, since Zilong has recommended him, we might as well choose Li Song as the commander and let him fight Zhang He again."

"Victory or defeat is standard issue!"

Xun You smiled and said, "Li Jun used his troops earlier and had a good command of the army. He was just not careful for a moment and fell into Zhang He's ambush. However, since Zhang He took command of the army, Li Jun has never made any mistakes in commanding the troops. Jiang Qi went south to support Zhang He instead of going north to support Yan Liang because Li Jun led a large army and selected elite troops to attack the camp, which frightened Zhang He. Therefore, when Man Chong killed Ma Chao, Li Jun played a role in supporting him."

"good!"

(End of this chapter)