Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 428 Drinking Water from the Yellow River

"Report!"

On the official road, the Shanxi army's infantry and cavalry marched in formation, their banners fluttering in the wind, while the riders rode slowly. Beside the road, a scout carrying a message flag rode against the flow of traffic until he saw Zhang Yu's banner in front of him. He then dismounted and hurried away, intending to report the urgent military situation.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Divine Palace Army has achieved a victory!"

"Shut up!"

Zhang Yu took the reins and asked, "How is the battle going?"

"Generals Zhao and Zhang have already captured Pingyuan City!"

The scout said, "Two days ago, the two generals arrived at Pingyuan City. General Zhang was afraid that Yuan's army would come to the rescue, so he advised General Zhao to take the city first. The two generals personally led their troops to attack, and Pingyuan City was captured in just one day. The first to break through the city was General Zhang's troops."

"color!"

Zhang Yu looked up and laughed, saying, "Pingyuan is the seat of the prefecture, with high walls and a formidable city. Yuan Shao's Bian Yan held it firmly, and I thought it would be difficult to attack, but unexpectedly it was breached by Junyi in a single day."

"Is there any news about the movements of Yuan's troops?"

"Shortly after the enemy general Zhang Nan led his troops across the river, he learned that Pingyuan City had fallen, so he led his troops back to cross the river to Gaotang."

"it is good!"

Zhang Yu loudly ordered his men, "Men, convey my imperial decree: Zhang He has rendered meritorious service in defeating the enemy and shall be posthumously granted a fief of fifty households. The remaining soldiers and officers shall be registered according to their merits and shall be rewarded after this battle."

"Yes, sir!" the rider replied.

"Congratulations, my lord, on acquiring such a fine general!"

Jia Xu spurred his horse forward and said with a smile, "Zhang He has once again demonstrated his prowess by storming the plains in a single day. He truly deserves to be called a famous general of Hebei. For now, my lord, you may temporarily trust Zhang He."

"Many people have surrendered from Hebei, and Zhang He can serve as a model for them," Zhang Yu said with a smile.

As he spoke, Zhang Yu slowed his horse and asked, "Now that the plains have been captured by our army, does Wenhe have any thoughts on this?"

Jia Xu pondered for a moment, then glanced back at his accompanying staff not far away and said, "Tian Feng has served Yuan Shao for a long time. Why not ask Tian Feng about this now and see if his military strategy is superior or inferior?"

Zhang Yu understood Jia Xu's intention and said, "Order Tian Yuanhao to come forward and ask him questions."

"promise!"

A short while later, led by his attendants, Tian Feng rode up on horseback.

"Feng pays his respects to Your Majesty and congratulates you on your first victory in conquering Pingyuan," Tian Feng said in celebration.

Zhang Yu nodded and asked, "Pingyuan City was only a minor victory, and now Yuan's army has retreated to Gaotang, facing our army across the river. I wonder what Yuan Hao's opinion is?"

After pondering for a long time, Tian Feng said, "Yuan Shao's army is exhausted, the people are weary, the granaries are empty, and the corvée labor is heavy. This is Yuan Shao's disadvantage. You, my lord, possess the four provinces of Ji, Bing, You, and Yong, and have 100,000 Xiong and Bi under your command. Now you are mobilizing no less than 60,000 troops, while Yuan Shao has less than 50,000 troops under his command, and they are also dividing their forces to defend many places. Therefore, the situation is in your favor."

"Since Pingyuan is now under your control, only Bohai and Dongjun in Hebei are still occupied by the Yuan family. Therefore, in my opinion, you should advance and garrison Hejin, build more ships, and prevent Yuan Shao from dividing his forces. Once Generals Zhang and Li have taken Bohai and Dongjun, the entire Hebei coast will be pacified."

"At that time, General Li Song's troops crossed the Yellow River to plunder the area between the Yellow River and the Ji River; General Zhang Liao crossed the Yangtze River eastward to Le'an and directly attacked Zouping, feigning to cut off Yuan Shao's return route. Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao will surely be terrified and divide his troops to resist us. If you, my lord, take advantage of his troops' movement and attack him, then Yuan Shao can be defeated!"

With a clear mind, Tian Feng said, "Yuan Shao's army has been wiped out, and Linzi will be difficult to defend for long, so Qingzhou can be taken. With Lü Bu as an ally in Yanzhou, the Yellow River and the Ji River can be taken, and then you, my lord, can hope to take Yuzhou."

Tian Feng's military objective was clear: to eliminate Yuan Shao in one fell swoop.

Zhang Yu led a large army to tie down Yuan Shao, preventing Yuan Shao from diverting his troops to rescue other areas. This allowed the remaining troops to gain an advantage, eventually forcing Yuan Shao to divide his forces. At that moment, Zhang Yu could take advantage of Yuan Shao's panic and attack, thus annihilating his army in one fell swoop.

"If this stalemate continues, I fear Yuan Shu might intervene in the military!" Zhang Yu said worriedly.

Tian Feng stroked his beard and smiled, saying, "When Yuan Shao was your age, he was still making friends with scholars in Luoyang. But you have already ruled four provinces and controlled Hebei. You are in your prime, why rush to victory? It would be better to use your troops slowly and employ both orthodox and unorthodox tactics to defeat Yuan Shao. A surprise attack on Xindu is something that can only be done by chance, not by force. You should not force it."

"As for Yuan Shu's troops?"

Tian Feng said, "Lü Bu is entrenched in the area between Yan and Yu. Now that he has sent troops to help you, my lord, he will inevitably turn against Yuan Shu. If Yuan Shu raises an army, Lü Bu will be the first to be hit. Only by using Yuan Shu to weaken Lü Bu can we make Lü Bu submit to you, my lord."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and subconsciously looked at Jia Xu.

Sensing Zhang Yu's questioning gaze, Jia Xu cupped his hands and said, "Since you raised your army, you have been victorious in every battle, lasting anywhere from two or three months to seven or eight months. Few in history have been as skilled in warfare as you. Now, Yuan Shao is holding the river, and if you force your way across the Yellow River, you will be easily attacked by Yuan Shao while he is crossing. In matters of war, one should act swiftly when necessary and deliberate when necessary. I believe Mr. Tian's suggestion is feasible."

"Your two opinions are not without merit. With fewer troops, we should use risky tactics; with more troops, we should rely on both conventional and unconventional methods. Although we conquered Ji Province in one fell swoop last year, we were locked in a stalemate with Yuan Shao for many months, and many of our soldiers and generals were exhausted. This year, we should gradually erode Yuan Shao's forces, then retreat to rest and recuperate; next year, we can launch another campaign and destroy Yuan Shao." Under Jia Xu's advice, Zhang Yu became much more clear-headed. According to normal military tactics, even if he defeated Yuan Shao, it would take at least two or three years to conquer Ji Province. The reason he was able to quickly conquer Ji Province was simply through a surprise attack on Xindu, followed by a psychological warfare strategy to disintegrate Yuan Shao's army.

Now, influenced by the desire to quickly conquer Ji Province, Zhang Yu, while outwardly appearing to be gradually eroding Yuan Shao's power, secretly yearns to swiftly defeat Yuan Shao and then swallow all of his territory. The strategy of first slowing down and then rushing, proposed by Tian Feng and Jia Xu, is undoubtedly the right one, as being too hasty in defeating the enemy would only backfire.

"Your Excellency is wise!" Jia and Tian praised.

"I appreciate your advice, gentlemen!"

Zhang Yu returned the two men's greetings slightly, then pointed his whip forward and said in a deep voice, "The troops shall advance quickly and rest at Pingyuan City!"

"promise!"

Under Zhang Yu's urgent order, the infantry and cavalry quickened their pace and headed towards Pingyuan County.

On May 15th, Zhang Yu's 30,000 troops had joined forces with the 10,000-strong Shenfu Army, totaling 40,000 infantry and cavalry. Of the original 30,000 infantry and cavalry, there were 15,000 Protectorate Army soldiers and 5,000 each of the Black Mountain, Xi'an, and Xihe Armies.

The troops from Hezhong, Xianyang, Fengxiang, and other counties that had previously accompanied the main army on its eastern expedition were either stationed in various prefectures of Jizhou, or taking turns to return home, or escorting the army's supplies, due to exhaustion from the campaign.

Shortly after Zhang Yu arrived in Pingyuan, Yuan Shao's army followed closely behind and set up camp in Gaotang.

Standing atop the hill, Yuan Shao looked exhausted, his face several years older than the previous year, as if all his energy had been drained away. After all, he had gone from being the hegemon of four provinces with the potential to rule the world to a warlord struggling to survive, and the large-scale defection of his followers had dealt Yuan Shao a significant blow.

"Cough cough!"

Gazing at the Yellow River flowing eastward, Yuan Shao suddenly covered his mouth and coughed.

Seeing this, Yuan Shang draped the cloak over Yuan Shao's shoulders and said with concern, "Father, the wind is strong by the river, you must take care of yourself!"

Since Yuan Shao arrived in Linzi, his hemoptysis has occasionally recurred, and his health is deteriorating. However, in order to preserve his foundation, Yuan Shao has no choice but to push through his illness and launch military campaigns.

After a few moments, Yuan Shao asked, "How is the military situation now?"

"Just arrived a report that Zhang He led his troops to capture the cities of Ande and Xipingchang, and now there are no more fortifications of our army in Hebei." Yuan Shang said, "Zhang Yu has stationed his troops south of Pingyuan, and he is probably planning to confront our army across the river."

Upon hearing Zhang He's name, Yuan Shao felt indignant. He coughed a few times and said, "Zhang He, that traitor! I treated him well, yet he betrayed me. Now he serves Zhang Yu so diligently and earnestly. I, your father, have misjudged him!"

Yuan Shang said, "Zhang Yu has divided his forces into three routes to take Dongjun, Bohai, and Pingyuan. He is only leading 40,000 troops here now. Father, with 30,000 troops here, we also have a chance to defeat Zhang Yu!"

Yuan Shao gazed at the river and said worriedly, "If Zhang Yu crosses the river to attack, our army still has hope. I fear that Zhang Yu will hold out without fighting, so that the Bohai and Dongjun armies can defeat our army separately."

Yuan Shang pondered for a moment and said, "If that's the case, our army has no choice but to confront Zhang Yu and hope that Gongsun Du and Yuan Shu will raise troops to attack Zhang Yu."

“If Yuan Shu and Gongsun Du can send troops, there is still hope for the survival of our Qi state,” Yuan Shao sighed. “However, if we are defeated by Zhang Yu today, not only will the Qi state not be able to recover, but you and your brothers will also be living under someone else’s roof!”

Previously, Yuan Shao sent someone to contact Yuan Shu, hoping that Yuan Shu would send troops at a crucial moment, and also hoping that Yuan Shao could find a safe haven for his descendants when his power base was destroyed. After all, no matter how much hatred he had for Yuan Shu, at least protecting his sons and nephews would not be a problem.

While Yuan Shao and his son Yuan Shang were having a detailed discussion, Gao Gan stepped up the hill, cupped his hands, and said.

"Your Highness, Zang Ba said that there is unrest in Xuzhou, and he fears that Tao Shang may be invited by Zhang Yu to use troops, so it is difficult for us to go north now!"

Although Zang Ba had previously submitted to Gao Gan, it wasn't because Gao Gan had subdued him, but rather out of mutual benefit. Now that Yuan Shao's group was in danger of collapse, Zang Ba wasn't a fool; why would he be willing to die for Yuan Shao? Therefore, he used the pretext of resisting Tao Qian to politely decline Gao Gan's summons.

As for Tao Shang, due to his mediocre abilities and the presence of powerful enemies on all sides, his policy was to rely on Yuan Shu, but he would not obey orders to provoke Cao Cao, making him a follower of the crowd.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shao's expression grew even more dejected, and he said, "When I ruled over four provinces, none dared to disobey Zang Ba. But now, in this time of crisis..."

"Please forgive my incompetence; I am unable to pacify Xuzhou quickly," Gao Gan said, bowing.

"It has nothing to do with Yuan Cai!"

Yuan Shao waved his hand and said, "You have only been the governor of Xuzhou for a short time, and Xuzhou already has a ruler. It is already difficult for Yuan to hold half of the territory. Zang Ba is a treacherous and rebellious man, so let him stay and guard Donghai."

Seeing Yuan Shao's dejected expression, Yuan Shang encouraged him, saying, "In the past, Emperor Gaozu repeatedly defeated Xiang Yu, finally achieving a great victory at the Battle of Gaixia, and establishing his dynasty. Now, our Yuan family still has tens of thousands of soldiers. If we wait for Yuan Shu and Gongsun Du to send troops, we may be able to turn the tide. If we can win this battle, Father will be able to return to Ji Province. Why should we be so afraid of Zhang Yu as if he were a tiger!"

Yuan Shao gave Yuan Shang a deep look, and a smile suddenly appeared on his dull face. He said, "Xianfu has great ambitions. If the Yuan family can be restored, it will be in Xianfu's hands!"

Compared to the indomitable Liu Bei and the determined Cao Cao, Yuan Shao's reaction after suffering a major setback can hardly be described as heroic.

Historically, Yuan Shao abandoned his army and fled after his grain supplies were burned at Guandu, eventually dying of depression and vomiting blood. Now, after suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhang Yu, he fell ill with depression, and when he led his troops into battle again, he had no desire to win, only the thought of preserving his foundation.

(End of this chapter)