Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 400: Conquering Hebei in One Strike!

Inside the main tent of the army in Shangquanyi.

"What do you gentlemen think of Xu You's strategy?" Zhang Yu asked, looking around at the two rows of civil and military officials.

The crowd first whispered among themselves, and then a commotion gradually arose in the tent.

"My lord, Xu You's words are hard to verify, you must not believe them lightly. Our army already has the advantage, why take such a risky step!" Gao Shun advised.

"Yes!"

Xu Chu cupped his hands and said, "According to the plan we discussed yesterday, Your Excellency should lead the army north to lure Yuan Shao into attacking, and then decide the outcome. But now we are changing our strategy to attack Xindu, which is fraught with danger. If it is a trap, our army will fail at the last moment!"

Zhang Yu pressed his hands down and said, "Yijing City has abundant grain, and Gongsun is besieged in an isolated city. Yuan Shao has no intention of rescuing us; his intention is to fight a decisive battle with our army. Currently, there has been no major change in our troop strength, so the outcome is uncertain. If we can take advantage of this situation to seize Xindu, then the overall situation can be settled!"

"But the things you are worried about are also the things I am worried about."

Xu You's strategy was very tempting. If they followed the original plan to first engage Yuan Shao in a decisive battle and then attack cities one by one, the time consumed would be unpredictable. However, by adopting Xu You's strategy and taking advantage of the situation to seize Xindu, if successful, not only would Yuan Shao's army be routed, but the counties of Ji Province would also surrender without resistance, and Hebei would be pacified in no time.

Zhao Yun strode forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Xindu is Yuan Shao's base and his vital point. How could Yuan Shao be unprepared? Moreover, with such a large army heading there, how could Yuan Shao not know?"

Zhang Yu said, “Zilong’s words make sense. Therefore, this time when we attack Xindu, I want to send an elite force to launch a surprise attack. The elite troops in Hebei are all in Yuan Shao’s hands, and the troops left to defend Xindu are only a few thousand, half of whom are old and weak. The cities along the way are empty. The attacking army can use the pretext of aiding Gongsun Zan in the north to drive the troops straight in.”

With that, Zhang Yu looked at the silent strategists and asked, "Many of you gentlemen are skilled in strategy. Now that the opportunity for battle is here, I wonder if it is feasible?"

Guo Tu pondered for a moment and said, "Xindu is only about 300 li from here and about 200 li from Changshan. Cavalry can reach Xindu in a day and a night. However, according to Xu You, Shen Pei is in charge of Xindu. If he finds out and calls on Yuan Shao's troops, the elite soldiers will be defeated in the fortified city, and the elite troops from Hebei will be behind. The elite army may be wiped out."

"But if we can capture Xindu, then Yuan Shao and his family members will all be helpless, and the morale of the Hebei troops will be shattered, leaving Yuan Shao powerless. In my opinion, you, my lord, might be able to select a quick-thinking general to lead 5,000 elite troops to advance and see if you can capture Xindu. Meanwhile, you, my lord, can lead the main army to contain Yuan Shao."

"If we attack Xindu, we cannot achieve success without Your Excellency's personal presence!"

Xun You interrupted Guo Tu and said, “Since you raised your army, you have been in armor for eight years. You have defeated Gongsun, destroyed Guo and Li, and swept through Longyou. All you have done is destroy Yuan and establish a foothold in Hebei. I have carefully questioned Xu You and know the strengths and weaknesses of Yuan Shao.”

"The elite troops of Hebei are all in Yuan Shao's hands, and they are here to resist you, my lord. In order to defend against Li Song and Zhang Liao, he has also divided his troops to Zhang He to guard Changshan and to aid Gongsun in occupying Yijing. If Yuan Shao wants to turn the tide of the war, he can only decide the outcome by fighting you, my lord. This is what the enemy desires, but we will not do. Now, instead of fighting Yuan Shao, we will send out a surprise attack to take Xindu. This is the way of both orthodox and unorthodox tactics."

"Yuan Shao is not a capable commander; he is indecisive and slow to act. Even with a large army at his disposal, he cannot accomplish anything great!"

"Your Excellency left troops to guard Qinshui, first sending a vanguard to capture the Yang family, then selecting elite troops to join them, advancing hundreds of miles, leaving in the morning and arriving in the evening. At that time, even if Shen Pei had the ability of Han Xin, there were no soldiers available in the city, making it difficult to accomplish great things."

With that, Xun You said resolutely, "The weather is getting colder. If there is heavy snow in Shanxi, the mountain roads will be blocked, and the grain will not be able to reach the army. Then the situation will change drastically. Destroying Yuan in one battle is the will of Heaven for Zhang!"

Guo Jia said with doubt, "Gongda's words are good, but if Xu You's words are false, I'm afraid things will be dangerous!"

Xun You said, "I have long heard of Xu You; he is greedy and avaricious, and would never die for Yuan Shao. Now that he is imprisoned in the army, how could his words be false?"

"What insights does Wenhe have to teach me?"

Seeing that Jia Xu remained silent for a long time, Zhang Yu took the initiative to ask.

Jia Xu slowly said, "In the past, when Han and Chu were vying for supremacy, Emperor Gaozu took advantage of Xiang Yu's campaign against Qi and joined forces with the armies of five princes to attack Pengcheng. Now Yuan Shao is in the west and Xindu is in the middle. With elite troops plundering, we can take Xindu. This move is similar to Han Xin's strategy of fighting with his back to the river, sending troops to attack the main camp."

"Xu You's words are true. If you, my lord, can follow the plan, just as Emperor Gaozu captured Pengcheng, you will be able to intimidate Hebei. Yuan Shao is not Xiang Yu, and you, my lord, are not Emperor Gaozu. Yuan Shao will surely be defeated!"

"Wenhe's words resonate deeply with me. Xu You abandoned Yuan and joined me, revealing Yuan's military secrets and offering me strategies. If I cannot follow them now, how will I unify the world!"

Zhang Yu sighed deeply and said, "My sons, do not try to persuade me any further. I will now follow your advice regarding the attack on Xindu!"

Seeing this, Xu Huang stepped forward with his sword drawn and said in a deep voice, "Your Excellency is the commander of an army. If things go wrong in this campaign, the people of Shanxi will be in danger. Although I am not talented, I am willing to lead five thousand elite troops to attack Xindu."

"To conquer the world on horseback and then retreat in the face of danger is not the act of a true man!"

Zhang Yu refused, saying, "Since Gongming is willing to serve, you may lead two thousand elite troops to attack the Yang family first. Once the Yang family is captured, I will raise elite troops to join you."

Yangshi was a city under the jurisdiction of Julu Commandery, bordering Changshan Commandery, and was a necessary passage to Xindu. According to Xu You's report, due to Yuan Shao's division of troops, Yangshi only had more than 500 soldiers to defend it. Therefore, if one wanted to attack Xindu, Yangshi must be captured first.

The greatest significance of Xu You's surrender to Zhang Yu wasn't actually his suggestion to seize Xindu, since Zhang Yu had many strategists under his command; surely they would have devised a similar plan. Rather, it was Xu You's status as a high-ranking official under Yuan Shao, who was intimately familiar with the Yuan army's military intelligence. His surrender meant that the Yuan army would have no secrets from Zhang Yu. "Yes, sir!"

Seeing Zhang Yu's resolute attitude, Xu Huang had no choice but to obey.

“Since Your Excellency intends to lead the troops there, you must also leave some men to guard the main camp in case of any unforeseen circumstances!” Guo Tu said.

"The troops for a surprise attack on Xindu should be of the best quality, not the largest. This time, Xu Huang will lead two thousand elite troops as the vanguard, and then I will lead five thousand infantry and cavalry, with Xu Chu, Zhao Yun, Ma Dai, Zhang Xiu and other generals leading troops to accompany us."

Zhang Yu instructed, "When I lead the army out of the camp, Lü Fan and Zhang Yang will lead the army, while Xun You, Guo Tu, and Jia Xu will be in charge of military discussions. Meng Ningzhi will hold the front camp, and the rest of the generals will receive their respective military orders!"

"promise!"

Zhang Yu did not want to end up like Cao Cao, who spent eight years conquering Hebei and missed the best opportunity to unify the country.

Attacking Xindu now is a risk-free endeavor with greater potential gains. If the attack fails, Zhang Yu will only lose a few thousand elite troops, and he can still seek Zhang Liao in the north or return to Li Song in the west. However, if it succeeds, not only will the morale of Yuan Shao's troops waver, but the counties of Hebei will also surrender due to the fall of Xindu.

Not to mention that Xu Huang, under Zhang Yu's orders, led troops to attack the Yang family. Now, Zhang Yu has met with Xu You again to find a better way to attack Xindu.

After dismissing all the civil and military officials, Zhang Yu went to the tent entrance to greet Xu You, warmly took Xu You's hand, and said with a smile, "Ziyuan's defection to me is like Chen Ping's defection from Xiang Yu to Gaozu. My mind is now made up, and I will follow your plan to attack Xindu."

Chen Ping is hardly a good analogy. Although he ultimately became one of Liu Bang's founding ministers, he had serious character flaws. Zhang Yu's use of Chen Ping to compare Xu You was simply to show that Xu You was greedy and avaricious, yet he was willing to employ him. However, what Xu You cared about was Zhang Yu's attitude.

Xu You was overjoyed and said, "The Yang family has few soldiers, so you can easily take them by attacking. The Yang family is only a hundred li from Xindu. You can pretend to be Zhao Rui's troops and be ordered to go north to Yijing. On the way, you will need to pass through Tangyang. The county magistrate, Fang Kuang, is an old friend of mine. He was demoted for offending Shen Pei. This man can be used by you."

"When we arrive at Xindu, our troops can pretend to rest and regroup there. Then, taking advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness, we can launch a surprise attack and capture the city!"

"Zhao Rui?"

Zhang Yu asked, "Does Shen Pei recognize Zhao Rui?"

Xu You pondered for a moment and said, "Zhao Rui is a general under Yuan Tan, and Shen Pei has no connection with him. I still have a letter from Yuan Shao. Your Excellency, have someone forge it, and have it stamped with an official seal. You will be able to proceed without hindrance. By the time Yuan Shao learns of the change, Your Excellency will have already arrived in Xindu!"

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and said with a smile, "It seems Ziyuan will need to be your guide!"

Xu You secretly observed Zhang Yu's expression and replied, "I am willing to serve you, my lord!"

"good!"

Zhang Yu beckoned Zhao Yun over and instructed him, "From this day forward, Zilong will send cavalry to guard Mr. Xu's safety."

"promise!"

Xu You inwardly groaned. It seemed that Zhang Yu still did not trust him. He had brought him along to raid Xindu. If anything went wrong on the way, he might be killed.

While Zhang Yu and Xu You were chatting, Lü Fan and Zhang Yang returned and were now requesting an audience at the tent entrance.

Seeing this, Zhang Yu waved for Xu You to leave and asked, "What brings you two here?"

Lü Fan and Zhang Yang exchanged a glance, then hesitantly said, "Your Excellency is leading an army in a surprise attack on Xindu. There is no guarantee that something might go wrong. Therefore, we hope Your Excellency will leave a message so that we may act accordingly."

Zhang Yu frowned slightly, then relaxed and said, "If the raid on Xin fails this time, I will withdraw from Changshan. You two can await orders. If the raid on Xin succeeds, you two will lead your troops to follow Yuan Shao closely, but will not engage him in battle."

"What if things don't go well?" Lü Fan asked again.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu understood what Lü Fan was worried about. Instead of expressing his dissatisfaction, he smiled and said frankly, "With the eldest son present, the two princes can proceed according to protocol!"

"As ordered!"

It's not surprising that Lü Fan was worried about Zhang Yu's safety. After all, the Shanxi army had become a separatist regime, and as the core civil and military officials under Zhang Yu, they needed to consider important matters.

(End of this chapter)