Tiger Guards

Chapter 407 Unconventional
"This world is full of uncertainties."

On the banks of the Ying River, torches swayed in the night. Zhao Ji gazed at the opposite bank and couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

After only two days of sunshine, Ji Ling gathered fuel from the camp and began setting it on fire tonight.

Limited by visibility at night, Zhao Ji was unaware of the details and specifics of what was happening on the other side.

However, the fact that Ji Ling burned down the camp and began his breakout was a possibility. It could be a breakout, or it could be a way to find a way to survive for the soldiers in the camp who were infected with the disease. It could also be that under the pressure of the epidemic, the officers and soldiers in the camp were about to mutiny, so Ji Ling was forced to make a change.

Before the situation becomes clear, Zhao Ji will not send troops to the other side of the river. Even if Zhang Liao sends envoys to ask for help, Zhao Ji will not take any action.

At this moment, Zhang Liao lit backup campfires in his various camps and used crossbows to fire wildly, repelling all sorts of figures.

Under the cover of night, the sound of drums could be heard from time to time, and the location of the drums was also changing.

Zhang Liao ordered his troops to hold their ground and ignored the attack.

If Ji Ling wanted to evacuate or break through, Zhang Liao would not stop him.

Even if Ji Ling's troops wanted to surrender, Zhang Liao would refuse.

Zhang Liao had been a soldier for more than ten years since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, and the only thing that could trouble him was epidemics, which were truly beyond his ability to fight.

Under the cover of night, Ji Ling organized his personal guards to launch several feint attacks and harass Zhang Liao's camp, each time only a probing raid.

Zhang Liao's various battalions avoided battle and allowed Ji Ling's infected soldiers to evacuate.

Even though these soldiers were too weak to walk and could only support each other, Zhang Liao disdained to capture or kill them.

As dawn broke, wisps of smoke rose from the several large fires burning in Ji Ling's western camp. The officers and soldiers most severely infected with the disease had already abandoned their weapons and sent messengers to attempt to surrender to Zhang Liao.

Their only response was a volley of arrows that killed them all within twenty or thirty paces of the camp gate.

Upon hearing the news, Wei Yue, who was stationed in Ruyang County, rushed into Zhang Liao's army to discuss the sudden turn of events.

The two stood on the watchtower near the gate. Wei Yue looked at the sick Yuan soldiers sitting and lying in groups on the open field outside the camp and said, "It seems that when the Grand Marshal flooded Ji Ling, the grain stored in his camp was severely damaged. It must have rotted and become inedible."

In the sweltering heat, then submerged in water, followed by continuous torrential rain, Ji Ling managed to endure ten days, which was already a testament to his gratitude to Yuan Shu for his patronage.

Wei Yue thought that the grain stored in the camp had been soaked and rotted, and as for the outbreak of disease in the camp... that was also quite normal.

A prolonged drought is somewhat better; even though there are countless corpses of the starving on the roads, it does not lead to widespread disease outbreaks.

Only after a major flood will there be a major epidemic; this has become an inherent understanding and experience in the military.

Zhang Liao stated directly, "My camp already lacks medicinal herbs, and now Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Nanyang, and Jingchu are suffering from severe floods, with soldiers and civilians lacking grain and starving. I apologize that I cannot offer any assistance."

Seeing this, Wei Yue didn't emphasize anything, but simply said, "I will report to the General immediately. However, there are no fewer than 10,000 people outside the camp who have surrendered. Wen Yuan, you must be vigilant to avoid falling into Ji Ling's treacherous scheme."

"Here."

Zhang Liao responded but made no further promises.

He had neither the mood nor the motivation to solve the problem at hand; he truly disdained killing such crippled and weak soldiers outside the camp.

If Lü Bu wanted to accept the surrender, he should send someone to accept the surrender, reorganize, and rescue these remnants of the army. In any case, Zhang Liao did not want to get involved.

If the goal is to attack and kill or force these surrendered soldiers to their deaths, Zhang Liao would not mind doing his part to carry out the order, as long as Lü Bu is willing to issue a military order stamped with the seal of a Grand General.

As for arbitrarily executing these infected and wounded soldiers... Zhang Liao really had no intention of doing so, nor was it his place to bear such responsibility and infamy.

Zhang Liao on the west bank and Wei Yue, the military supervisor in the rear, had no interest in helping Lü Bu or the court bear the infamy. The two were quite in sync: one sent a letter to Lü Bu, requesting guidance; the other continued to close the camp and shoot down any infected Yuan soldiers who dared to approach.

On the east bank, Zhao Ji ordered his troops to pack their belongings and prepare to migrate to the western suburbs of Chen County, thirty miles away.

Knowing full well that the remnants of Ji Ling's army were like pustules that would burst with venom if squeezed, how could Zhao Ji possibly order his troops to carry out humanitarian aid?
And so, in the middle of the night, Ji Ling abandoned the camp and the infected soldiers, and went down the Ying River to meet up with Sun Xiang in Xiang County.

Zhang Liao closed his camp and refused to fight, while Zhao Ji also led his troops to withdraw from Ruyang, which no longer had any tactical value.

On the imperial road, Zhao Ji rode slowly in his chariot, his brows furrowed and silent.

He desperately wanted to save the infected soldiers, but the reserves of relevant medicines were insufficient, and even food was in short supply.

To prevent the cholera-infected remnants from spreading and expanding the toxic zone, we should have launched a full-scale attack to eradicate them... But that would only bring us bad reputation and was pointless. Because Ji Ling led a group of officers and soldiers in relatively good health south into Xiang County, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the more than 10,000 people stationed in Xiang County by Sun Xiang would soon be infected, and the entire army would lose its fighting capacity due to dysentery and typhoid fever.

After these troops contracted the disease and scattered, fleeing back to various parts of Huainan... Zhao Ji forced himself not to think about these things.

Since the chaos began, war, famine, and disease have claimed lives time and again, and the men and women of Huainan have not been spared this blow either.

What good does it do to think too much, except make yourself feel guilty?

Our own army doesn't even have enough food reserves, so how can we talk about saving the people and restoring peace to the world?
When Zhao Ji's army arrived along the road, Yuan Shu saw it all from the city walls of Chen County.

The fact that Zhao Jin was able to bring his entire army here means that Ji Ling is finished.

They were either annihilated or betrayed; in short, the troops stationed in Jiling and Ruyang could no longer provide support for Chen County.

Once the news spreads throughout the city, officials and soldiers will naturally understand the situation and become pessimistic about the war, which will lead to many unpleasant consequences.

Yuan Shu's background and experiences determined that he was a very generous person.

Even if he loses the garrison and civilians in the city, he will still have the opportunity to rebuild an army of similar size in the future.

But if he were to fall into the city, even if the eastern front in Xuzhou were to achieve a great victory, what would that mean to him?
Yuan Shu had a clear self-awareness, and once the idea of ​​retreat arose in his mind, it became unstoppable.

He wasn't the kind of person who would mince words and try to shift blame through others. He immediately said to Yan Xiang beside him, "Lu Bu, Zhao Ji, and Sun Ce are all tigers and wolves of our time. While I am in Chen County, they can still stand together. If I suddenly withdraw my troops, these three will plot against each other, and there will surely be casualties."

Yan Xiang was used to it. Yuan Shu didn't care about the people and army of Chen County, so why should he, a strategist, care about them?
Since the start of the war, Zhao Ji's superior cavalry had blocked the roads, cutting off Chen County's communication channels with the outside world.

Unless Liu Xun and Zhang Xun gain a significant advantage, it would force some of the military officers under Zhao Ji and Sun Ce to switch sides and deliberately let the enemy win.

The fact that Zhao Ji and Sun Ce's officers and soldiers have not shown any relevant performance indicates that the situation in Xuzhou on the eastern front is not ideal.

Now that Ji Ling's entire army has been wiped out, what's the point of staying in Chen County?
Once Zhao Ji, Lü Bu, and Sun Ce had finished discussing how to divide the spoils, the garrison of Chen County was doomed.

Faced with Yuan Shu's sudden yet decisive proposal, Yan Xiang pondered for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, the General and Liu Zitai have not yet sent any good news or reports of victory, which indicates that the situation in Xuzhou is critical. Now that the former General has suffered a defeat and Zhao Ji and Lü Bu are at the height of their power, Your Majesty's retreat to Shouchun would not be a bad strategy."

"Yes, this boy is sharp and strong, even surpassing Sun Ce."

Yuan Shu sighed softly, then chuckled, his laughter growing louder: "Yuan Shao is ignorant! He allowed Zhao Ji and Lü Bu to join forces against me, resulting in our army's defeat and retreat to Huainan, leaving us powerless to even look towards the Central Plains. Do you think Zhao Ji and Lü Bu will let him off easily from here on out?"

Following this line of thought, Yuan Shu himself felt like he was about to laugh out loud in anger.

If Yuan Shao had also raised an army, and the two sides had supported each other from the north and south, how could things have developed to this point!
Even if Zhao Ji had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare lead more than 30,000 men to the Central Plains to fight against him!
All of this is Yuan Shao's fault. If Yuan Shao had just been willing to put in the effort, or even just made a slight statement, things wouldn't have gotten this bad.

Anyway, after he fell on hard times, Yuan Shao wasn't much better off.

Thinking about this made Yuan Shu feel much better for no apparent reason.

Even if he were to be defeated and die, when his soul returned to the afterlife and he faced the questions of his father and grandfather, he could calmly answer that he had truly done his best.

Yuan Shu pondered, resentful of Yuan Shao's selfishness and stupidity. The more unwilling he felt, the more he raised his hand, clenched his fist, and slammed it against the edge of the battlement.

He then took a few steps and suddenly stopped, looking back at the large marching column in the distance outside the city. He said to Yan Xiang, "Send a message by arrow outside the city. Tomorrow morning I will go out of the city to have a dialogue with Zhao Ji on the battlefield. When Sun Ce finds out, he will make this happen."

"only."

Yan Xiang bowed and accepted, his expression calm and his posture composed.

The struggle for power is a long process. As long as they can safely retreat to Shouchun and survive the year, it will be a victory for Yuan Shu's side.

It was like being struck by lightning. Although the lightning charred him black, the fact that he was still alive had shaken and damaged the prestige accumulated by the Han Dynasty.

Yuan Shu's actions are unconventional, but given the current special circumstances and mobilization mechanism, he can make a comeback next year.

There's nothing to be discouraged about. As long as we retreat to Shouchun, it will be just like Dong Zhuo retreating to Chang'an.

At that time, the so-called National Protection Army units that the Allied Forces are currently attacking will have to fight amongst themselves, just like the story of the campaign against Dong Zhuo.

Yuan Shu was confident in this regard; he was capable of holding out until the day when all sides tore off their masks and engaged in a chaotic war.

As long as the various units of the National Protection Army are now embroiled in infighting, it will prove that they are all birds of a feather, and Yuan Shu's lost prestige can be regained.

(End of this chapter)