Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 471 Why Fear the Enemy?

The Tang army crossed the Yellow River at Baima Ferry, with a massive force of 70,000 men. They passed through Baima and Suanzao before reaching Yangwu.

At that time, Zhang Chao led his troops to garrison at Guandu, where he built fences and ditches, intending to use the Guandu River to block the Tang army. The vanguard Meng Ningzhi went to Yangwu first to investigate the strength of Zhang Chao's camp. He then recruited 500 armored soldiers, who sailed to the south bank and personally braved arrows, leading the charge to burn down the fences.

Zhang Chao led his troops to attack him, but Meng Ningzhi led 500 armored soldiers and lured his troops from the north bank to cross the river. Together they attacked and defeated Zhang Chao's army.

The Tang army was fierce and they fought for half a day without being able to win. Zhang Chao was greatly alarmed and abandoned the camp, retreating to Yongqiu to defend against the enemy.

With the fall of Guandu and the capture of the Langdang Canal (Honggou) by the Tang army, the water transport in Henan was greatly improved. Grain from Hebei could pass through Xingyang and be stored at Guandu. From Guandu as the center, it could be transported downstream to Junyi (Kaifeng) and then connected to the Si River via the Bian and Sui Rivers; while through the Langdang Canal, it could pass through Chen County and flow into the Ying River.

Historically, Cao Cao and Yuan Shao fought a fierce battle over the Guandu River, aiming to gain control of the river. Whoever controlled the Langdang Canal would have the initiative in the battle.

For example, Cao Cao possessed the Langdang Canal, which allowed him to extend his influence into the Yellow River and reach deep into the Hanoi Commandery.

If Yuan Shao were to capture Guandu and control the Langdang Canal, his ships could then supply his army with grain from Hebei via waterways. Furthermore, Yuan Shao could use Chenliu Commandery as a center to control Yanzhou via the Ji River and connect with his former troops in Yuzhou via the Honggou Canal. At that point, Henan would no longer be under Cao Cao's control.

It was precisely because of the importance of Guandu that when Cao Cao hesitated and retreated, Xun You strongly advised him not to. He argued that if he withdrew, Cao Cao's fragile regime would collapse.

Now that Guandu has fallen, the grain from Liyang will be able to be transported to Guandu so that the Tang army can attack Chenliu County.

Therefore, after Meng Ningzhi captured Guandu, he rested for a day before heading down the canal, subjugating Junyi (present-day Kaifeng), and besieging Chenliu County. Zhang Yu's army, however, was a day slower and only reached Guandu to set up camp when Meng Ningzhi besieged Chenliu.

On August 20th, Zhang Yu dispatched 10,000 infantry and cavalry under Xianyu Yin and Zhang Xiu to Chenliu, instructing Meng Ningzhi to lead the three armies in a fierce attack on Chenliu.

Chenliu was originally named Liuyi. It was renamed Chenliu because it was conquered by the State of Chen during the Spring and Autumn Period. Since the Qin and Han Dynasties, Chenliu has been the seat of Chenliu Commandery. Due to the river passing through it and its flat terrain, it was a vital transportation hub with convenient access in all directions.

When Liu Bang launched his western expedition against Qin, Li Shiqi used Chenliu as a means of advancement, while Liu Bang used Chenliu as his base to recruit tens of thousands of soldiers to conquer Guanzhong. Although Chenliu was a strategic point, its terrain was not particularly precipitous and it was easily captured. Therefore, Zhang Chao retreated to Yongqiu to defend it.

According to the city defense system, it can be roughly divided into three types: city, city god, and city wall.

A city is an outer wall, and outside the city, a moat is dug. If there is no water to fill it, it is called a moat. Many county towns in the northern border region are of two types: city and moat. If water is poured into the moat, it is called a moat (or pool), and together with the wall, they are called city moat (or city pool). As Mozi said, "Cities, walls, moats, and pools are used for defense."

Chenliu was fortified with city walls, but its wide and low walls and proximity to waterways were its drawbacks.

After several days of piling up earth, not only was the moat filled, but also temporary mounds were erected outside the city. Archers and crossbows fired in unison, and densely packed soldiers shot at the city walls with the help of the north wind.

Chen's soldiers either hid behind the city walls or took the opportunity to draw their bows and fire back, the arrows crisscrossing in the air.

"kill!"

"The first to climb the city wall will be rewarded!"

Below the city, the Tang army sergeant roared and led his soldiers, carrying shields and ladders, to charge up the wall. Arrows rained down from the wall, hitting a few men, but at long range, they couldn't penetrate the armor.

Chen Zu aimed at a man below the city wall and was about to draw his arrow to shoot him when he was shot in the cheek by an archer outside the city. He cried out in pain and fell on the city wall, his life hanging in the balance.

Among the Tang army's soldiers, archery was always the primary skill for both infantry and cavalry, followed by long spear and swordsmanship. The soldiers from Guanzhong and Hebei, being close to the border, had a particularly strong local culture; both men and women wielded spears, and those from wealthy families were skilled archers. Now, taking advantage of the wind, the hills, and the sheer number of soldiers, they had the Chen army virtually defenseless.

As the siege ladders were placed on the city walls, archers outside the city unleashed a barrage of arrows, suppressing the lightly armed Chen army. Armored soldiers raised their shields and climbed the ladders, using both their legs and feet to scale the walls in the blink of an eye. Using the strength of their armor, they surged into the city passage and engaged in fierce combat with the Chen soldiers.

Seeing the soldiers climbing the city wall and the lack of strong resistance, Meng Ningzhi's serious face finally relaxed a little.

He had followed Zhang Yu for over ten years, and because of his appearance and short stature, he was often ridiculed by others. Now, having been appointed General Who Pacifies the South based on his seniority, Meng Ningzhi was most afraid of being criticized for his lack of notable achievements.

Now he is leading more than 10,000 men to besiege Chenliu, which is defended by several thousand soldiers. If he cannot break through it quickly, wouldn't he lose face and be letting down Zhang Yu, who values ​​him so much?

"Inform Generals Zhang Xiu and Xianyu Yin that we must capture Chenliu today and march towards Yongqiu tomorrow," Meng Ningzhi said.

"General, this is only the first time we've attacked the city!" His attendant hesitated for a moment before reminding him. Meng Ningzhi's eyes widened, and he said, "If we can't take the city within half an hour, my sons, come with me and lead the troops to the city walls."

"promise!"

The subordinates on either side quickly responded.

A moment later, the scouts reported excited sounds.

"Zhang Xiu's soldiers have scaled the city walls!"

Meng Ningzhi stared intently, and saw that Tang flags were already flying on the south city wall, which Zhang Xiu was responsible for attacking, and a large number of soldiers were pouring down to the city walls. The commotion on the south city wall even affected the west gate, which he was attacking, and the already crumbling Chen soldiers became restless.

"color!"

Meng Ningzhi was overjoyed and clapped his hands, then ordered, "Men, beat the drums and advance! Quickly take Chenliu!"

As he spoke, Meng Ning, eager for merit, told the scribe, "Report to the King that our army has captured Chenliu and will march toward Yongqiu tomorrow."

"promise!"

Shortly after the military report was sent out, Chenliu was captured, and the defending general Zhang Lu surrendered with his troops and offered 30,000 shi of grain from the granary.

Junyi (Kaifeng), the military headquarters of the Tang army.

"Your Majesty, Meng Ningzhi's victory report has arrived. The moat was filled in one day, and the city fell in another." The scout rushed into the tent and knelt on one knee to report.

Zhang Yu looked away from the map and smiled, "Meng Ningzhi will take Chenliu in two days, and the army will soon be pressing Yongqiu."

“Yongqiu is surrounded by a moat, has a barbican in the middle, and a small city inside. It has ample food and supplies. Without a prolonged siege, it may be difficult to take it quickly.” Xun You pondered for a moment and said, “I fear that if our army besieges Yongqiu for long, Yuan Shu’s army will arrive suddenly. In my opinion, we should not besiege Yongqiu for the time being, but instead choose a place to confront it, so as to provoke Yuan Shu to send troops.”

"Our army is elite infantry and swift cavalry, and the strongest armies in the world are all in Your Majesty's hands. Although Yuan Shu's army is large, it is no match for our army. Moreover, Your Majesty is good at commanding troops, while Yuan Shu has little experience in military affairs."

Jia Xu nodded in agreement and said, "Chen's troops have few cavalry, while our army has many. The territory of Chenliu is vast, which is conducive to the movement of elite cavalry. If Yuan Shu comes with the intention of defeating us, our army can attack him from both sides and we will surely win. If he comes with the intention of repelling us, Yuan Shu will not dare to advance rashly. We can send out our cavalry to provoke him and defeat him!"

Zhang Yu frowned slightly, looked at the civil and military officials on his left and right, and said, "What do you all think?"

Zhang Liao cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness, if our army besieges Yongqiu, and Yuan Shu's troops arrive, attacking from both inside and outside, our army will be in danger. In your opinion, it would be better to withdraw the camp below the Sui River."

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, although the soldiers of Danyang and Congren were famous, in terms of the quantity and quality of strong soldiers and combat experience, the seven strong northern armies were superior, not to mention the Tang army, whose soldiers were veterans who had been trained in battle.

Based on the above and many other factors, both the Tang and Chen armies share a common consensus: in terms of combat strength, the Tang army is superior to the Chen army. If Yuan Shu wants to defeat Zhang Yu, he needs to patiently wait for Zhang Yu to expose weaknesses, such as Lu Xun's burning of Yiling or Cao Cao's surprise attack on Wuchao.

Zhang Yu paced back and forth for a long time, then said, “With Guandu established and the canals and rivers flowing through, the grain transport will never cease. We should first set up camp and establish an invincible position. If we hold out against the enemy for a long time, Zhang Chao will run out of food and Yuan Xi will be defeated and surrendered. Without any effort, we can subdue the Heji region. Yuan Shu was defeated by Cao Cao and Liu Bei and is now attacking us from afar. We should advance and occupy strategic locations to block their routes.”

Zhang Yu looked around at his generals and said in a deep voice, "Yuan Shu is risking his life to fight us. We will surely defeat him. If he does not fight, Yuan Xi will collapse first, and Li and Lü will come to his aid. If Zhang Chao then flees, Yuan Shu will be unable to advance or retreat and will surely be defeated by us. If we do not advance and occupy Yongqiu now, Yuan Shu will reach Chenliu. With all the newly surrendered cities, he will surely attack Changyi. If the two villains join forces, what will we do?"

With Yongqiu proving difficult to capture, Jia Xu, Xun You, and other civil and military officials all hoped that Zhang Yu would retreat to his camp and confront Yuan Shu to defeat him. However, Zhang Yu was different. He did not want to see Zhang Chao and Yuan Shu join forces. Instead, he hoped to retreat to his camp, separate Zhang Chao and Yuan Xi from Yuan Shu, and force Yuan Shu to use force against him.

"Bound internally by Yongqiu and externally by Yuan Shu, our military operations are extremely perilous!" Jia Xu said, frowning.

Zhang Yu laughed and said, "Military affairs are always fraught with danger. Now we build long ramparts to besiege the city and station troops in strategic locations to hold our ground. We are invincible, so why should we worry about being attacked from both inside and outside?"

As he spoke, Zhang Yu looked at Xu Huang and said, "Gongming is meticulous in his military tactics. Now he is leading his troops, joining forces with the armies of Xianyu Yin, Meng Ningzhi, and Zhang Xiu, to besiege Yongqiu again."

"The last general takes command!"

(End of this chapter)