Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 391: Those who cannot recognize a wise ruler are like Emperor Gaozu!
Before they could even react, a heavily armored man appeared at the tent entrance, his hand on a sword. He was burly, over eight feet tall, with a square face, a solemn expression, and a fierce air about him. How could any timid person dare to meet his gaze?

"This humble general, Zhang Wenyuan, is here to pay my respects to Your Excellency!"

As he spoke, Zhang Liao was about to kneel down and pay his respects.

"With armor on, a military salute is sufficient!"

Zhang Yu rose slightly and reached out to help Zhang Liao up, saying, "The camp in front of Qinshui is well-organized, and the enemy dares not attack it. This is truly thanks to Wen Yuan."

With an army of fifty to sixty thousand, it was impossible for all soldiers and generals to be concentrated in one place. Therefore, although Zhang Liao served under Zhang Yu, he was in charge of the vanguard troops and led them to garrison on the west bank of the Qin River to prevent Yuan's army from crossing the river.

"This is a very small contribution; Liao dares not claim credit for it!"

Zhang Liao saluted and asked, "Your Excellency has summoned me back to your main tent. Is it because of the siege of Youzhou?"

Seeing that Zhang Liao had brought it up, Zhang Yu smiled and asked, "What are your thoughts, Wen Yuan?"

Zhang Liao said in a deep voice, "Although the Wuhuan and Gongsun traitors claim to have 100,000 troops, most of them are old and weak. Only 20,000 to 30,000 are capable of fighting, and at most 40,000. If one of our armies can reach Jixian, we can coordinate from both sides and lift the siege of Jixian. Once the siege of Jixian is lifted, the Wuhuan will likely see the situation is not good and will probably retreat. If the Wuhuan leave, Gongsun can defeat them with a wave of his hand."

"If you fail to come to the aid of Youzhou and wait for its fall, Your Majesty will miss the opportunity to unify Hebei. Now is a time of rise and fall. If Your Majesty trusts Liao, I will personally lead 5,000 of my elite troops and assign the rest of my troops to join us to relieve the crisis in Youzhou."

"If you are willing to lead troops to relieve the siege, how could I refuse!"

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "It's just that Ji County is far away from our army, more than a thousand miles away. If the enemy notices us traveling on the main road, they will definitely defend the strategic points, and then our army will have difficulty coming to the aid of Youzhou."

"It's easy!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Liao said, "The Taihang Mountains stretch endlessly. Now that the tribes of the Black Mountain have submitted to our army, if we wish to rescue Youzhou, we can secretly travel through the mountain roads to avoid being ambushed by the enemy."

"Moreover, the Wuhuan soldiers are skilled cavalrymen, which is advantageous for deploying troops in the open field; our reinforcements are few in number, so we should fight by taking advantage of the terrain. If we sneak through the mountain roads, even if we encounter a strong enemy halfway, Liao can lead his troops to hold the strategic positions and avoid being blocked by the enemy. Once we reach Youzhou territory, Liao can use the terrain to his advantage, relying on the bravery of his troops and the superiority of his armor, to take advantage of the Wuhuan's unpreparedness and relieve the siege of Ji County."

Seeing that Zhang Liao's arguments were reasonable and that he had grasped the key points, Zhang Yu was overjoyed and said, "Wen Yuan's words are profound in the essence of military strategy. Now that we are relieving the siege of Youzhou, I trouble you to lead the troops north."

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked at Man Chong sitting to the side and said, "Since Bo Ning has the courage to defeat the enemy, he can be Wen Yuan's deputy general. You two will lead 7,000 infantry and cavalry, and soon gather troops and provisions to march north. What do you think?"

Man Chong rose to his feet, supporting himself on his knees, and said, "I am deeply honored that Your Excellency has entrusted me with such an important task."

"My lord!"

Xun You reminded him, "The enemy force numbers in the tens of thousands, and seven thousand elite troops may be insufficient. I wonder if Your Majesty could transfer troops from Datong to the south, so that Yan Rou could also be under the command of General Zhang."

"I share the same thought!"

Zhang Yu said, "Yan Rou is currently stationed in Shanggu with his troops. If we head north, Yan Rou is well-versed in geography and can serve as a guide for the troops. We can also have him provide military rations to prevent a shortage of supplies."

"The Datong Army is newly established, composed of a mix of the old and the weak. If it joins forces with the troops marching north, the reinforcements will number no less than ten thousand. With these ten thousand infantry and cavalry, I wonder if Wen Yuan can relieve my siege of Ji County?"

"With Yan Rou's assistance, we can defeat an army of ten thousand. He knows the customs of the Wuhuan. If we can defeat the Wuhuan, Liao can persuade him to persuade the Wuhuan to withdraw their troops."

Zhang Liao hesitated for only a moment before decisively saying, "Moreover, the quality of an army is more important than its quantity. Yuan Shao is leading a large army and is eyeing your forces. You must keep some troops for your own use. The Wuhuan army currently numbers only 20,000 to 30,000. I can easily defeat them with 10,000 infantry and cavalry. Then we can lead a large army south to intimidate Yuan Shao's capital, Xindu, so that you can defeat him."

"Courageous!"

Zhang Yu smiled and patted Zhang Liao on the shoulder, saying, "I have placed Ma Chao under Wen Yuan's command. He has the bravery of a tiger and his journey north is fraught with danger. He will be able to lend you a helping hand."

After a pause, Zhang Yu seemed to have thought of something and said with great interest, "If Wen Yuan can kill Tadun, I will appoint you as a county marquis and reward you with a thousand gold pieces."

Perhaps influenced by history, Zhang Yu had a strange confidence in Zhang Liao's northward journey, but he didn't know if Zhang Liao could recreate the historical events.

"Thank you for your encouragement, my lord!"

Zhang Liao cupped his hands and asked, "I am the only one leading the army north. I wonder who is in charge of the vanguard?" Seeing that Zhang Liao did not forget his original position, Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Gongming is brave and disciplined. He can succeed you as the commander of the main camp. Bosong will continue to command the army in Changshan to contain Zhang He's army."

"Yes, sir!" Xu Huang and Li Song bowed and accepted the order.

After discussing military deployments for a while, Zhang Yu dismissed everyone as darkness fell.

Everyone left the main tent, except for Guo Jia and Guo Tu, who were left behind.

Watching the departing figures of the crowd, and recalling Zhang Yu's demeanor as he presented his strategies, Guo Jia couldn't help but admire Zhang Yu's clear-headedness and decisive actions; no wonder he had swept through Shanxi. Moreover, compared to Cao Cao, who had established his career in the Jianghuai region, the young Zhang Yu was not politically naive but possessed his own set of methods, and his sincerity touched Guo Jia deeply.

“Fengxiao has served under both Yuan Shao and Cao Cao. It is truly remarkable that I am able to meet Fengxiao today!” Zhang Yu said with a smile.

Guo Jia snapped out of his thoughts and replied, “In this world, it is not only the ruler who chooses his ministers, but also the ministers who choose their rulers. I had a long-standing friendship with Xun Yu, so I followed him. When I first met Yuan Shao, he treated people with the courtesy of the Duke of Zhou, but he rarely accepted good advice. So I went south with Xun Yu to join Cao Cao.”

“Cao Cao acted decisively, similar to you, my lord. However, compared to you, Cao Cao was more ruthless and his methods were more severe, unlike you, my lord, who was more magnanimous and generous.”

With that, Guo Jia smiled and asked in return, "Why doesn't Your Excellency suspect that I am a spy for Yuan Shao?"

"And why are you not angry that Jia abandoned you, my lord, and fled south to Yanzhou?"

Zhang Yu shook his head and laughed a few times, saying, "If you were a spy, you would know even better what Yuan Shao meant by being able to gather people but not to use them. With your talent, you could be a good man like Liang or Ping!"

"As for abandoning me and fleeing south in the past?" Zhang Yu said jokingly, "Now you are abandoning the south and going north, isn't that precisely to say that Cao Cao was not a wise ruler?"

Seeing that Zhang Yu did not hold a grudge over the past, Guo Jia was greatly impressed and said, "The world is ever-changing, and there are countless people who steal fame and fortune. But now, seeing you, my lord, with your magnanimity and broad-mindedness, just like Emperor Gaozu, I now know the countenance of a true king!"

"My meager contributions are hardly worthy of comparison to those of Emperor Gaozu!"

Zhang Yu waved his hand and smiled, saying, "Fengxiao has now presented his grand strategy, which has enlightened me. You are serving under the army, so you can temporarily serve as a scribe and concurrently lead the military advisor's deliberations. If there is any promotion in the future, I will recommend you for a position. What do you think?"

"How could I, Jia, refuse to serve you, my lord!"

Zhang Yu looked at Guo Tu and said, "Fengxiao has just arrived in the army. You are a relative of his, so you should take good care of him."

"promise!"

"Thank you for your concern, my lord!"

Not to mention that Zhang Liao and Man Chong led their troops north to Youzhou to relieve the siege after Zhang Yu's intervention. Tian Feng, who was far away in Handan prison, couldn't help but sigh when he learned of Yuan Shao's decision.

Sitting in the haystack, listening to the news his confidant revealed to him, Tian Feng sighed and said, "Ju Gong's strategy was too conservative, Feng Ji's strategy was unremarkable, but Xu Ziyuan's strategy was truly insightful!"

The confidant said, "Xu You is arrogant and disdainful of others. How can his plan be considered insightful?"

"Although Xu Ziyuan is arrogant, his proposed strategy is flawless and truly far-sighted!" Tian Feng shook his head and sighed, saying, "Zhang Yu knows that Youzhou is in turmoil, and he will surely send troops north to its aid. If an army can be sent to attack Hanoi, it will disturb Shanxi and keep Zhang Yu awake all night."

"Then what should we do? Should we write to the Duke and ask him to change the military strategy?" the confidant said.

"It's difficult!"

Tian Feng said, "Feng Ji has rendered meritorious service in presenting the strategy for Youzhou, and is now highly valued by Your Excellency. My words are now useless. If I am not mistaken, Feng Ji will take the opportunity to offer slanderous words. Now, if I want to be released from prison, I can only hope that Your Excellency can defeat Zhang Yu, so that I can escape with my life."

A trusted aide complained, “Sir has offered advice and strategies for many years, and all of them have been of great benefit to you, sir. Yet now you are disregarding our kindness and imprisoning him, which is truly disappointing to everyone.”

Tian Feng was speechless and could only pound his legs and sigh, lamenting that he could not recognize a wise ruler to serve.

(End of this chapter)