Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 386: Happiness and anger are different, gathering people cannot make use of them,

After Wen Chou was killed by Yan Xing, the cavalry under his command collapsed on their own and fled with gold and silver.

Under the attack of 800 cavalry led by Hu Yanle, Lü Xiang's troops were defeated and fled after a short time. Two thousand soldiers and horses were either killed or surrendered. Because of the loss of two legs, only dozens of people escaped. Lü Xiang saw that the situation was not good, so he led his troops to flee early and reported the news of Wen Chou's defeat to Zhang He.

Xiaquyang, Yuan army camp.

"Junyi, something terrible has happened!"

Jiang Qi hurriedly said with a panicked look, "Wen Chou was killed while robbing food, and three thousand elite soldiers suffered heavy casualties. Only Lu Xiang and several hundred infantry and cavalry escaped."

"Wen Chou was beheaded?"

Zhang He's face suddenly changed, and he asked, "Wen Chou is as brave as Yan Liang. Who killed him? Could it be Ma Chao again? But Wen Chou was not leading his cavalry to rob food, so how could he have met Ma Chao?"

"It's not Ma Chao!"

Jiang Qi said: "According to the report of the defeated cavalry, the army's food carts were deliberately scattered on the ground to lure the enemy, so that our cavalry would rush to pick them up. The enemy took advantage of the chaos in our army and ambushed Wen Chou. The one who killed Wen Chou was Yan Xing of Jincheng, whose name was Yanming."

"Jincheng Yanxing?"

Zhang He frowned and said, "I know Yan Xing, but I didn't expect him to be so brave and able to lead his cavalry to kill Wen Chou."

Jiang Qi paced back and forth and sighed, saying, "First Yan Liang was killed, and now Wen Chou is gone. If you knew about this, you would be furious!"

Zhang He looked at Jiang Qi, relaxed his brows, and said, "It's not a big deal that you are angry, but the morale of our army may be frustrated by the repeated defeats of Zhang Yu."

Jiang Qi waved his hand and said, "You and I can't think too much now. Li Song has killed Wen Chou and captured more than 2,000 of our elite soldiers. If we take advantage of the victory, what should we do?"

Zhang He said: "Now we should prioritize defense, repair the city, store up military provisions, and train soldiers and horses to prevent the enemy from dredging the Xiaoshui River."

Xiaquyang controlled the waterway of the Xiaoshui River, which flowed to Anping County, less than 100 miles away from Xindu. Therefore, if the Bing army could control the banks of the Xiaoshui River, it could threaten Xindu. In order to prevent the Bing army from advancing, Zhang He had to defend Xiaquyang.

"Let's just follow Jun Yi's words for now!" Jiang Qi said.

Zhang He nodded and said, "You should first organize the troops. I will now visit Military Advisor Xin and report the situation to him so that I can report to you that Wen Chou has been beheaded."

"Thank you for your help!"

While Zhang He and Jiang Qi were worried about the killing of Wen Chou, the Shanxi army was particularly excited because Wen Chou had been beheaded.

Zhang Yan personally went out of the camp to greet them. Seeing the victorious people, he laughed and said, "Li Jun has killed Wen Chou and returned. You must be very happy. Now I will make up for my mistake!"

Li Song felt deeply guilty for his defeat at the hands of Zhang He. Now that Wen Chou and his troops have been defeated, Li Song has finally put his knot in his heart to rest.

Li Song smiled and said, "Thanks to Brother Bofei's soldiers for luring the enemy. The victory of Wen Chou is not my achievement, but the achievement of all of you. Especially Yan Ming who killed Wen Chou, he deserves the credit for beheading the general."

Seeing that it was Yan Xing who killed Wen Chou, Zhang Yan couldn't help but sigh in his heart. He knew how brave Yan Liang and Wen Chou were. But now they were killed by an unknown general under Zhang Yu's command. He had to admit that Zhang Yu's command was full of talented people.

"Wen Chou is as brave as Yan Liang, maybe even better. Now Lord Yan has killed Wen Chou in battle, and Yan admires him very much." Zhang Yan said with a bow.

"Don't dare!"

Yan Xing said modestly: "Wen Chou is brave and valiant. If we were to fight him now, the outcome would be hard to predict. But now, we should take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness and kill Wen Chou."

"Meng Qi killed Yan Liang, and the Lord said he could be made Marquis of Ting. Now Yan Ming killed Wen Chou, and he can also be made Marquis of Ting!"

Li Song pointed at Man Chong and said with a smile: "The strategy of lifting the siege of Puwu and killing Yan Liang and Wen Chou was proposed by Lord Man. When the Lord learns about the course of this campaign, he will surely praise Bo Ning's contribution."

Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, Zhang Yan extended his hand to invite everyone in, and said with a smile: "I heard that you have made great contributions, so I asked someone to prepare a banquet. You can have a few drinks now."

"Brother Lao Bofei is here!"

"Somebody come!"

As everyone entered the tent, Zhang Yan felt something and ordered, "Count the household registration of the Black Mountain tribes and send it to the Qinshui camp later to be presented to Lord Zhang."

"Your Excellency is fighting Yuan Shao, why are you submitting your household registration now?" Chief Clerk Ge Hong asked, "Besides, your Excellency did not ask the general for his household registration, so why are you submitting it?"

Seeing that his trusted aides did not understand the deep meaning, Zhang Yan said with emotion: "If we don't send it now, it will be too late to submit the household registration after Yuan Shao's defeat."

"As for waiting until the Lord asks for it?"

Zhang Yan chuckled and said, "It will be hard to be valued by the Lord in the future. It is important for a person to know himself. The Lord has appointed me as the General of the Northern Expedition. If I don't know what's good for me now, I will fail the Lord's expectations."

The importance of household registration is not trivial. Now that the subordinate forces have submitted their household registration to the other forces, it is nothing more than a sign of submission. The only thing missing from being fully controlled is the right to collect taxes and appoint personnel. Now that Zhang Yan has submitted his household registration to Zhang Yu, the significance is the same. The Black Mountain Army will be part of Zhang Yu's rule.

The reason why Zhang Yan wanted to submit the household registration immediately was that he thought Zhang Yu would have the hope of defeating Yuan Shao and unifying Hebei, so it was better to express his intention before winning. Moreover, as Zhang Yan said, if he pretended to be ignorant and waited for Zhang Yu to point out the matter, it would be meaningless.

Ge Hong seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "In that case, I will sort out the household registration immediately and then send it to you together with the military report."

"good!"

Not to mention that the generals of Changshan were delighted by the defeat of Wen Chou, now Zhang He was the first to pass the news of Wen Chou's defeat and death to Yuan Shao's army.

In the big tent, Yuan Shao drank chicken soup and commented: "Xianfu is thoughtful. The chicken soup is quite sweet!"

"Father, you have been busy with military affairs and you look exhausted. If the chicken soup can nourish your body, I will be very satisfied!" Yuan Shang said.

As soon as he finished speaking, a servant took the opportunity to say, "Your Excellency may not know that the Third Young Master burned his palm when he was stewing soup for you."

"Don't say too much!"

Yuan Shang deliberately scolded him, saying, "Your Excellency is busy with many things every day. How dare I report such a small matter to you?"

"I've been talking too much!" said the servant with a look of grievance.

"I am thinking about Xianfu. How can you scold me now?"

When Yuan Shao learned that Yuan Shang had been scalded while cooking soup for him, he felt distressed and asked, "How is the wound now? Do you want a doctor to treat it?"

"I have applied the herbal medicine!" Yuan Shang deliberately exposed his wound and said, "Father is concerned about military affairs. How dare I disturb him with this?"

"Ok!"

Yuan Shao showed a distressed look and said, "If Xianfu is not feeling well, he can go to Handan to recuperate."

"How can a man retreat because of a minor injury? I am willing to advance and retreat with my father. I will not return until Zhang Yu is defeated." Yuan Shang said proudly.

"My son has great ambitions!" Yuan Shao praised.

Seeing the loving father and filial son, Yuan Tan felt jealous and thought to himself, "Yuan Shang is just a kid who can please his father. If Yuan Shang can make chicken soup, it's better to believe that he is Han Xin."

While Yuan Shao and Yuan Shang were talking, Feng Ji suddenly walked into the tent quickly, looking anxious.

"Ming Gong, something terrible has happened!"

Feng Ji interrupted Yuan Shao and said, "Wen Chou was defeated and died!"

"what!"

Yuan Shao was originally unhappy with Feng Ji for interrupting him, but now that he heard that Wen Chou was defeated and killed, his expression changed drastically. He got up from the couch excitedly and said angrily: "Wen Chou was extremely brave and fought for me in the battle of Hebei and made many achievements. Now he led thousands of elite troops to rob food. Even if he cannot win, how can he be defeated?
General Feng Ji reported to the emperor, saying, "Mingsir, Wen Chou led 3,000 infantry and cavalry to rob food. His cavalry was trying to seize the baggage, but was suddenly ambushed by the enemy and scattered. Wen Chou had fewer soldiers and was suddenly attacked by Yan Xing, so he was killed by Yan Xing!"

Yuan Shao paced back and forth, feeling heavy-hearted, and asked, "Who is Yan Xing? How come I have never heard of his name?"

Feng Ji had investigated in advance and said, "Yan Xing is from Jincheng, with the courtesy name Yanming. He was originally a general under Han Sui. When Zhang Yu attacked Long, Yan Xing led his troops to surrender and served Zhang Yu. According to people in Guanxi, Yan Xing was an outstanding military strategist and was as famous as Ma Chao when he was in Longyou."

Yuan Shao frowned, and with a hint of jealousy in his tone, he said, "How come Zhang Yu has so many brave generals under his command? First there was Zhao Yun, then there was Ma Chao and Yan Xing, all of whom are so brave that they can't be stopped by ten thousand men."

Yuan Shao sighed and said, "Wen Chou and Yan Liang are lacking in strategy, and now they are relying on their bravery and strength to lead the troops. This is not what a great general should do!"

That being said, Yuan Shao felt pained in his heart. Generals like Yan Liang and Wen Chou are hard to come by. In the battle with Zhang Yu, Zhang He won a small victory, while Yan Liang and Wen Chou were defeated and killed. Zhang Yu had many talented people under his command, and brave generals emerged one after another.

Feng Ji tried to appease Yuan Shao, saying, "Zhang Yu came from the frontier, and was good at archery and horsemanship, so Zhang Yu had many brave generals under his command. Now Wen Chou and Yan Liang used their troops crudely, and took advantage of the enemy's strengths to meet them, and were defeated and killed. Your Excellency leads the soldiers of Guandong, and all the officers are good at strategy. If you want to defeat Zhang Yu, according to Ji's opinion, you need to use strategy to defeat him, and it is not appropriate to fight with Zhang Yu in battle array."

Although Yan Liang and Wen Chou were few in strategy, they were not without strategy. It was just that their strategies were not as good as those of the wise generals. In the past, when the two of them were fighting in Hebei, the intensity of the war was not great. Except for Gongsun Zan, the enemy generals were not worth mentioning, so Yan Liang and Wen Chou were still sufficient.

Now, when facing the Guanxi Army, Yan Liang and Wen Chou's lack of strategy was exposed. In particular, Yuan Shao valued their loyalty and insisted on using them as generals, so when facing Li Song and Man Chong, they were at a disadvantage. Therefore, Yan Liang and Wen Chou were not capable enough to be commanders, but only generals under the command of generals.

Yuan Shao had many talented generals under his command. Ju Su, Zhang He, and Qu Yi all had the ability to stand on their own. However, Yuan Shao was able to gather people but not to use them, and thus many talents were bound under his command.

Perhaps knowing that he had made a mistake in his personnel appointments, Yuan Shao was upset and said, "Now that Wen Chou has been killed in battle, the enemy at Changshan is rampant. What should we do?"

Feng Ji pondered for a moment and said, "Although Wen Chou and his 3,000 elite troops were annihilated, Xiaquyang is defended by Zhang He. With his and Jiang Qi's abilities, they will surely be able to defend Xiaquyang for you."

As he spoke, Feng Ji intentionally deepened Yuan Shao's dissatisfaction with Tian Feng, and said with a folded hand: "Although Changshan has undergone drastic changes, the situation is still in your favor. The reason for the defeat today is not because you made a mistake in using the troops, but because Tian Feng advised you to attack Zhang Yan. That's why Yan Liang was defeated first, and then Wen Chou was defeated."

Yuan Shao felt much better and said, "Although the Changshan incident was started by Tian Feng, we have lost two generals and tens of thousands of soldiers. I am afraid that our army's morale will be weakened, which will greatly boost Zhang Yu's morale."

"No!"

Feng Ji suddenly laughed, which made Yuan Shao very confused.

"Why is Gongtu laughing?" Yuan Shao asked.

"Although Wen Chou's defeat and death are not good for you, Youzhou is good for you. Gongsun Zan and Tadun are jointly attacking Youzhou, and the generals of Youzhou are going out of the city to fight. If Wuhuan can defeat the Youzhou army, they will be able to encircle Jixian. If Jixian is broken, Youzhou will submit to you, and you can let Gongsun take another route to directly attack Taiyuan, which will greatly alarm Zhang Yu."

Feng Ji was confident and said, "Zhang Yu is afraid to run away. If you attack him from behind, you will surely win a great victory!"

Yuan Shao frowned slightly and asked, "Why do you think that Wuhuan will win and Youzhou will lose?"

Feng Ji laughed and said, "The generals of Youzhou are not united. The soldiers under their command are good at defending the city, but not good at field battles. Therefore, if the soldiers of Youzhou leave the city, it will be beneficial for Tadun and Gongsun to use their military power."

Yuan Shao seemed to be thinking about something, and said, "Now we are facing Zhang Yu at Qinshui. If we want to win and defeat the enemy, Youzhou is the key."

"Tian Yuanhao has misled me!"

As he spoke, Yuan Shao seemed to suddenly realize something. He clapped his hands and sighed, saying, "If I had sent Wen Chou and Yan Liang north to Youzhou earlier, I am afraid that Liu He would have been defeated by me and all the counties would have surrendered. But now that two great generals have been killed and the army has suffered a setback in Changshan, Zhang Yu will be proud of himself!"

"Ming Gong is wise!"

Feng Ji said: "Although you have lost a general, your army is intact."

Yuan Shao thought for a long time and said, "Order all troops to strictly guard the camp and not engage Zhang Yu. Wait for the situation in Youzhou. If there is a victory report, victory will not be far away."

After being fooled by Feng Ji, Yuan Shao regretted that he had listened to Tian Feng's plan wrongly. Now he wanted to concentrate on waiting for the military report from Youzhou to see if he could wait for the battle situation as Feng Ji described.

When Yuan Tan saw that Feng Ji, who supported Yuan Shang, was very favored by Yuan Shao, he became worried. If the situation continued in this way, if something happened to Yuan Shao, wouldn't Yuan Shao adopt Yuan Shang as his heir?

When Yuan Shao ordered his troops to defend the camp, Tian Feng, who was in prison in Handan, sighed when he learned that Wen Chou had been beheaded.

Looking at the memorial he had written with great difficulty, Tian Feng hesitated for a moment, and finally put it in the brazier and burned it.

Seeing that Tian Feng had burned the memorial he had written with great effort, the old jailer hurriedly opened the cell door and asked, "General Wen was killed by Yan Xing, and now is a time to recruit people. Mr. Tian may be appointed soon. Why did you burn the memorial?"

Tian Feng shook his head and sighed, saying, "Your Excellency is generous on the outside but cautious on the inside. If you accept my plan to attack Zhang Yan and return victorious, I still have hope of recovering. However, now that Yan Liang and Wen Chou are about to be beheaded, Your Excellency will be sad. If you are provoked by Feng Ji, you will definitely blame me for the mistakes in the use of troops instead of reflecting on your own mistakes in the use of people."

"Having said that, if Mr. Tian could offer the strategy to you and you appreciate it, he might have a chance of being released from prison. But if you burn it now, it would be a waste of effort," said the old jailer.

Tian Feng sighed and said, "Your Excellency is resourceful but indecisive. If my suggestion is wrong, how can he accept my opinion? Besides, Feng Ji is always against me. If I have the same strategy as him, he might change his strategy out of resentment and end up harming your cause."

Hearing this, the old jailer looked sad and said, "Mr. Tian has been with you on the expedition and his advice has never been wrong. How can you blame him for a small defeat? What's the connection between the failure of employing people and Mr. Tian's strategy?"

Tian Feng walked to the small window, looked at the bright moon in the sky, and said: "Your Excellency's character is unknown to outsiders. He can gather people but cannot use them, and he wants to be generous but cannot tolerate others. If he defeats Zhang Yu, I will not only have a chance to survive, but also be able to get out of prison and resume my official position. However, if he fails~"

Tian Feng did not say much about the rest of the story, or perhaps he did not want to say much. After all, although Tian Feng was imprisoned by Yuan Shao, he still had feelings for Yuan Shao, and he still hoped that Yuan Shao could defeat Zhang Yu and eventually unify the north.

ps: I'm getting married the day after tomorrow. I've been busy these days, so I'll temporarily write one chapter at 4k.

(End of this chapter)