Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 389 Indecisiveness and a lack of strategic thinking make it difficult to save Youzhou

August, Yuan Jun's main camp.

Outside the camp, Xu You, having nothing to do, was giving instructions to his attendants who were about to return home.

“Recently, the army has been running out of food supplies. Your Excellency will have Shen Pei write back to the Commander-in-Chief to arrange for military provisions. When you return home, tell your family to behave themselves and not let Shen Pei catch them,” Xu You warned.

The attendant said, "Our master is highly regarded by Lord Ming and is a veteran minister. How dare Shen Pei punish my Xu family?"

Xu You sighed and said, “Shen Pei and I are not on good terms. He is of a fierce and straightforward nature. If he knew what I had done, he would surely punish me. Moreover, since Your Excellency employs Shen Pei to supervise grain production, if he were to punish my Xu family under the pretext of rectifying discipline, how could Your Excellency blame him? Therefore, after you return to your residence, you must ensure that your family behaves themselves, and Shen Pei should not hold a grudge against you for past offenses.”

Yuan Shao's decision to send Shen Pei to oversee the military provisions was not only based on Shen Pei's upright character, but also on the Shen family's prominent status in Ji Province. After all, with the stalemate at this point, the government's grain reserves were insufficient, and it was necessary to mobilize the resources of powerful clans.

Upon learning that Shen Pei had returned to Xindu, Xu You had no choice but to send his entourage back to the mansion due to the conflict between the two. He warned everyone to be careful with their words and actions, to temporarily conceal their behavior, and not to provoke Shen Pei.

"This servant will report the master's words to the madam!"

Seeing Xu You's earnest admonition, the attendant bowed in response.

After his entourage rode away, Xu You encountered a messenger on his way back to camp. The messenger rode past him and stopped at the camp gate. While verifying his identity with the gatekeeper, he talked with the others about the good news.

Seeing this, Xu You became curious and quickly went forward to call out to him.

"Has there been any good news today?" Xu You asked.

Xinqi recognized Xu You and said with a smile, "Reporting to Mr. Xu, I have just received news of the victory in Xindu. Gongsun Zan first captured Zhuojun, and Tadun defeated Xianyu Fu's army. Now the two have joined forces in Guangyangjun, and the two armies have surrounded Liu He in Ji County. Youzhou may soon be taken by our army."

"Oh?"

Xu You was overjoyed and asked again to confirm, "Could the military intelligence be false?"

"I wouldn't dare to lie!"

The messenger handed over the letter, saying, "This is a letter personally written by Gongsun Zan, which I originally intended to present to Your Excellency."

Xu You examined the letter and, seeing that it did not appear to be forged, was overjoyed and said, "You should rest first. It is best for me to report such important military matters personally. If the intelligence is verified to be correct, I will report your merits to Your Excellency."

"promise!"

With that, Xu You hurried toward the main tent.

Inside the large tent, Yuan Shao sat on a couch, discussing matters with his civil and military officials.

When Xu You arrived at the tent entrance, he saw Yuan Shao discussing matters. Disregarding etiquette, he rushed into the tent without announcing himself.

"My lord, my lord! Good news, great news!" Xu You said with a big smile, bowing to Yuan Shao as he walked.

Everyone in the tent was taken aback by Xu You's joy.

Yuan Shao gestured to stop Meng Dai from speaking and asked, "What news has surprised Ziyuan so much?"

Xu You stopped laughing and said, "With this news, Your Excellency will soon defeat Zhang Yu."

"Sir, please speak quickly!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao leaned forward, revealing a curious expression, and said.

Seeing everyone in the tent looking at him along with Yuan Shao, Xu You was extremely pleased with himself and said, "I just received a messenger's report at the camp gate. It says that Gongsun Zan has captured Zhuojun, and Tadun has defeated Xianyu Fu. The two have joined forces to besiege Jixian. The situation in Youzhou is now very favorable to our army."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent began whispering amongst themselves, discussing the military situation in Youzhou. Yuan Shao slapped his knee and laughed, while Feng Ji stroked his beard with self-satisfaction.

After a pause, Xu You bowed to Yuan Shao and offered his advice: "My lord, Liu He of Youzhou is in grave danger. Zhang Yu will not turn a blind eye to this, but will send reinforcements north or engage in a swift battle with you. Therefore, in my opinion, while Hedong and Henan are vulnerable, you may order your two sons to lead the troops of Yanzhou to attack Henan first, thus opening the way into Shanxi."

"Fa Hanoi?"

Yuan Shao frowned slightly and asked, "Now that there is trouble in Youzhou and the enemy is Zhao and Wei, how can we suddenly send troops to take Hanoi?"

Xu You, looking smug, said, “My lord, you are unaware that Henan borders Shangdang to the north and connects to Hedong to the west. With Youzhou currently in turmoil, Zhang Yu will inevitably be distracted to the north, leaving the two provinces of Henan vulnerable. If we send an army to take Henan first, we can advance and intimidate Hedong, and retreat to look north towards Shangdang. My lord, by restraining Zhang Yu's main force, if both armies can sweep across the north and south, then Shanxi can be conquered in a single battle!”

Xu You's plan was undeniably brilliant, directly striking at Zhang Yu's Achilles' heel.

Previously, Youzhou was not in turmoil. Zhang Yu gradually gained control of the battlefield by defeating Wen Chou and Yan Liang. If Hanoi were attacked by Yuan Shao, Zhang Yu could still divide his troops to resist. But now Youzhou is in danger. In order to prevent Youzhou from being seized by Yuan Shao, Zhang Yu must either send troops north to provide support or defeat Yuan Shao first.

Xu You's strategy was to have Yuan Shao contain Zhang Yu's army and, while Zhang Yu was distracted by Youzhou, have Yuan Xi launch a surprise attack on the undefended Hanoi Commandery. If Hanoi Commandery could be captured, Zhang Yu's stronghold, Hedong Commandery, and Shangdang, where grain and supplies were stored, would be threatened. At that time, Zhang Yu would be too busy to defend himself and would inevitably be defeated by Yuan Shao sooner or later.

Yuan Shao stroked his beard in thought, looked at his civil and military officials, and asked, "What do you think of Ziyuan's plan?"

"inappropriate!"

Ju Shou said, “My lord, Yanzhou has just been conquered. To the south are Zhang Miao and Lü Bu. If the two princes were to send troops westward into Hanoi, Dongjun might fall into Lü Bu’s hands. Moreover, Hanoi is the gateway to Shanxi, and Zhang Yu is very prepared. Therefore, when Zhang Yang was in office, he built many fortified villages to defend the region. So, in my opinion, my lord should not order the two princes to send troops.”

After a moment of contemplation, Ju Shou said, "In my opinion, if we wish to defeat Zhang Yu, Your Excellency should wait and see how things develop in Youzhou, and order your troops to close their camps and hold firm, waiting for Zhang Yu to be eager for battle before launching an attack. If we can win a single battle then, Shanxi will be within our grasp!"

"A pedantic view!"

Xu You sneered and said, "Now that we have a good opportunity, why not seize it and instead wait for Zhang Yu to become desperate before launching an attack? If something unexpected happens, wouldn't we miss this golden opportunity?"

Ju Shou glanced at Xu You and said calmly, "When waging war, one should proceed cautiously. Your plan is too hasty. The situation in Youzhou is very favorable to our army. If you proceed slowly, you can win. Why rush things? Moreover, the troops in Shanxi are elite. It is difficult to predict the outcome of a battle for Hanoi with a small force."

Xu You sarcastically remarked, "Zhang Yu's main army is in Zhao, and he is also preoccupied with Youzhou. How can he possibly send troops to rescue Hanoi? If Zhang Yu had a large army, why would he confront our forces?"

Ju Shou said calmly, "Zhang Yu has been defending Qinshui for several months, building extensive fortifications. Is it difficult to mobilize several thousand elite troops now?"

Yuan Shao looked at Feng Ji and asked, "The strategy to conquer Youzhou was proposed by Yuan Tu. What are your thoughts now?"

Feng Ji, with a proud expression, said, “Your Excellency, Gongsun and Tadun have besieged Ji County for many months and it is estimated that they will not be able to break through. I am afraid that Zhang Yu will send reinforcements north when he learns that Ji County is under siege. Therefore, in my humble opinion, Your Excellency can send someone to challenge Zhang Yu to battle and also send someone to inform Tadun to intercept the enemy along the way.”

"If reinforcements cannot arrive, Your Excellency can spread rumors to disrupt the army. In a crisis, Zhang Yu may withdraw his troops. At that time, Your Excellency can send troops to pursue and defeat Zhang Yu decisively. Then, you can secure Youzhou in the north and attack Shangdang in the west, thus pacifying Shanxi!"

The three men had different plans, which put Yuan Shao in a difficult position once again, as he did not know how to choose.

Yuan Shao looked up at the three men, then at the expressions of the other civil and military officials in the tent, and couldn't help but rise and pace back and forth. "My lord..."

Xu You called out, hoping Yuan Shao would adopt his plan. Yuan Shao looked at Xu You, then at the confident-looking Feng Ji.

"Then let's follow Yuan Tu's plan!"

Yuan Shao stopped and said, “Ziyuan’s strategy is too hasty, Gongzhi’s strategy is too cautious, and Yuantu’s strategy is acceptable. If Ji County has no reinforcements, it can be captured after a siege of several months. However, if Youzhou is captured by our army and the reinforcements cannot lift the siege, Zhang Yu will surely go there in person. This will be our opportunity to launch an attack!”

Meng Dai laughed and said, "It's hard to say. Zhang Yu fears our army's numbers and knows that something has happened in Youzhou. He will lead a large army north to relieve the siege."

"If this is how the troops are deployed, I will lead them in pursuit, and then lead the main army north to fight Zhang Yu. I will surely be able to take advantage of the Bing army's exhaustion from their long journey and win again."

As he spoke, Yuan Shao gazed at the map and said, "But judging from Zhang Yu's military strategy, he would never have come up with such a plan!"

"They are truly formidable enemies!"

Since his confrontation with Zhang Yu, Yuan Shao has increasingly felt that Zhang Yu is a formidable enemy. For example, Yan Liang and Wen Chou, who had followed him for many years, were defeated and killed in just a few battles against the Bing army, resulting in nearly ten thousand casualties. If it weren't for external intervention, he fears he would still be under Zhang Yu's control.

It is not mentioned that Yuan Shao accepted Feng Ji's plan to first block the Bing army's reinforcements from advancing north, and then take advantage of the situation to defeat Zhang Yu again. However, as news of the Youzhou military situation reached the Bing army's camp, Zhang Yu and his civil and military officials were greatly alarmed.

Inside the large tent, Zhang Yu paced back and forth, his expression grave.

"Xianyu Fu was defeated by Tadun, and Liu He is trapped in Ji County. Now Youzhou is in grave danger." Guo Tu handed the letter in his hand to Gao Shun and said with concern.

Zhao Yun said, "Youzhou is the strategic stronghold of our army. Now that Youzhou is in danger and in trouble, and because we are related by marriage with you, Lord Zhao, we cannot leave Youzhou unattended!"

"How difficult it is to save them!"

Meng Ningzhi shook his head and said, "The Wuhuan and Gongsun armies claim to have 100,000 troops. Although the number may be false, their fighting force should be no less than 30,000 to 40,000. The enemy has a large number of troops. If we have too few troops, Jixian will be difficult to save; if we have too many troops, our main army will be in danger."

After a pause, Meng Ningzhi looked at Zhang Yu and said, "My lord, the enemy has a large number of troops, and Yuan Shao is pressing us with his army. If you wish to relieve the siege of Ji County, in my opinion, you will need to personally lead a large army to do so."

"inappropriate!"

Xun You spoke up to stop him, saying, "Our army has been locked in a stalemate with Yuan Shao for nearly half a year. If we were to march north again on such a long journey, our soldiers would surely be exhausted. Moreover, knowing that you, my lord, are heading north, Yuan Shao will also personally lead his troops north. At that time, the enemy's army will be twice as strong, while our army will already be exhausted. How can we possibly win?"

Zhao Yun hesitated for a moment, then said, "Why don't we find an opportunity to challenge Yuan Shao to a duel and see if we can defeat him with our cavalry? If we can defeat Yuan Shao, the siege of Youzhou may be lifted."

“If our army knows about the changes in Youzhou, how could Yuan Shao not know?” Guo Tu frowned and said, “With the wisdom of Ju Shou, Xu You, and Feng Ji, it is not difficult for them to predict our army’s intention to challenge us. They will surely advise Yuan Shao to close his camp and not come out, to wear down our army’s morale, and wait for the changes in Youzhou.”

"Moreover, if we are too eager for war, we will be at Yuan Shao's mercy!"

"Then what should we do?" Zhao Yun asked.

Seeing that everyone was struggling with the rescue, Zhang Yu looked at Jia Xu and Xun You and asked, "What are your thoughts, Wenhe and Gongda?"

Xun You pondered for a moment and said, "Liu He is loyal to his country and deeply loved by the people. Now that his isolated city is under attack and on the verge of destruction, we must come to his rescue. However, to save Ji County, we need fierce generals and elite troops. Moreover, with the wisdom of the advisors under Yuan Shikai, they will surely be able to foresee our army's plan to save Youzhou."

“Since it was a prediction that our army would act as we expected, the Yuan clan or the Wuhuan will likely send troops to attack from both sides of the road!” Jia Xu said.

"If we follow the advice of the two strategists, wouldn't the journey to rescue Ji County be fraught with difficulties? And when we arrive at Ji County, there will be tens of thousands of troops waiting for us?" Zhao Yun asked.

"almost!"

Xun You looked at Zhang Yu and said, "The siege of Youzhou is difficult to lift. Now, if we want to lift the siege of Jixian, there are only two strategies. First, defeat Yuan Shao, and the Wuhuan troops will retreat on their own. Second, divide our forces and march north to defeat the Wuhuan and Gongsun armies. The first strategy is too risky. The main army is controlled by Yuan Shao, and the odds are against us. Therefore, we should not act rashly. The second strategy is also risky. The reinforcements will travel a long way north, and the enemy will be well-prepared and able to meet us in a strategic position. We will lose more often than we win. It will be very difficult!"

Xu Chu scratched his head and said, "The first strategy is that the war with Yuan Shao is related to Hebei, so we cannot use troops casually. If we use troops according to the second strategy, there will be many enemy troops along the way, and there will be a large army in Youzhou. Only you, my lord, can defeat them."

The reason was that they had won too many battles, so much so that everyone had developed a dependency on Zhang Yu, and they wanted Zhang Yu to solve any difficult battles they encountered.

"Your Excellency has led your army north. What should we do with the army now?" Gao Shun said, "Moreover, this journey is dangerous. Your Excellency should not go in person."

Zhang Yu stopped, narrowed his eyes, and said, "To conquer the world, one must do so on horseback; how can it be obtained from within the tent?"

"If I can relieve the siege of Youzhou, I will personally lead the troops to Ma'er!"

"My lord, please be cautious!"

Jia Xu hurriedly advised, "There are many generals in the army, including former subordinates of the Dong family and surrendered soldiers from Longyou. These generals are arrogant and rely on their bravery and fighting skills. The reason they are at your command is not because they are obedient, but because of your prestige. With your ability to march north, you will surely be able to lift the siege of Ji County. However, if the army is thrown into turmoil, morale will collapse and no one will be able to command the troops."

Jia Xu's words highlighted the complexity of Zhang Yu's troops. Due to Zhang Yu's years of campaigning, he had won over many arrogant and fierce generals, such as Zhang Xiu, Ma Chao, and Yang Qiu. Without Zhang Yu's command, who knows what trouble these men might cause? Therefore, if Zhang Yu were to leave the army and head north, the Shanxi army might disintegrate if something unexpected happened.

"Since Your Excellency cannot personally relieve the siege of Ji County, you must select someone else to lead the troops!" Guo Tu said.

"Among the generals in the army, Zhang Wenyuan, Xu Gongming, Man Boning, or Li Bosong might be able to shoulder this important task!" Zhao Zi said.

With Jia Xu's advice, Zhang Yu abandoned the idea of ​​personally going to the rescue and instead conceived the idea of ​​appointing generals to lead troops to relieve the siege. He then instructed his men, "Send a message to the four generals Li Song, Man Chong, Xu Huang, and Zhang Liao, saying that there are military matters to discuss and that everyone should return to their tents."

"As ordered!"

While Zhang Yu was talking with the others, he saw a servant approaching the tent.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, General Xu has escorted 100,000 shi of grain to the camp. There is also a letter from Military Advisor Zhong, recommending Guo Jia and Guo Fengxiao of Yingchuan to serve in the army!"

"Guo Fengxiao?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu raised an eyebrow and looked at Guo Tu, asking, "If I remember correctly, Guo Jia is your cousin. He is going to serve in the army now. Why didn't you mention it beforehand?"

Guo Tu looked bewildered and said, "Since the upheaval in Yanzhou, I have lost contact with Guo Jia. I was unaware that he was serving in the army."

As he spoke, Guo Tu added, “My lord, although Guo Jia is young, he boasts of having the abilities of Liang and Ping. Now that he has been recommended by the military advisor, his reputation is certainly not undeserved. You might as well meet him.”

Seeing that Guo Tu was sincere, Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Have Guo Jia come to my tent later!"

"promise!"

P.S.: It's been a while since I've written anything, so my skills are a bit rusty. Please allow me to update 4k today, and I'll resume 6k updates tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)