Tiger Guards

Chapter 546 Taking advantage of the situation
Later that night, Xianyu Yin led his elite cavalry at full speed to Gongsun Zan's central army.

Gongsun Zan's central army, numbering over 20,000 cavalry, was stationed in layers both inside and outside the village, while Xianyu Yin's hundred-odd cavalry passed directly through the outer camp.

Soon after, Gongsun Zan, who hadn't slept all night, immediately received Xianyu Yin. Xianyu Yin looked at Gongsun Zan with an anxious expression: "General..."

Seeing that Xianyu Yin hesitated to speak, Gongsun Zan composed himself and asked in a deep voice, "What is it?"

"The former general..."

Xianyu Yin pulled out a blood-stained military letter. The bloodstains were still damp and not completely dry. It was an envelope sealed with coarse hemp paper. Gongsun Zan stood up abruptly when he saw it. He often corresponded with Zhao Ji or Zhao Yan, so he naturally recognized that this kind of hemp paper envelope came from Hedong. It was tough and had a certain degree of water resistance.

Gongsun Zan sat down again: "What is it?"

"The Grand Marshal's messenger is coming around Juyong Pass..."

Xianyu Yin handed over the letter with both hands: "The messenger and our army's guard knights were ambushed and killed by a large group of Wuhuan knights. The messenger has already been killed."

"A large contingent of Wuhuan?"

Gongsun Zan narrowed his eyes: "So, Yuan Shao has already succeeded in his plan."

But he still obediently extended his hand. Seeing that the envelope had already been torn open, Gongsun Zan thought it was normal, since Xianyu Fu had never been a dutiful or honest person.

He tore open the letter completely and pulled out a piece of paper soaked in blood. The writing style was indeed that of the Grand Marshal, and the calligraphy was also similar.

Looking at the seals at the beginning and end of the letter, the details were not clearly visible in the firelight because the blood had not yet dried.

But the inscription was correct; it was the inscription that Gongsun Zan was familiar with.

The letter was simple, advising Gongsun Zan to be cautious and not fall into Yuan Shao's trap of luring the enemy. It also stated that Zhao Ji would personally lead a large army to conquer the Donghu next spring, and hoped that Gongsun Zan could preserve his strength and join forces with the loyal and righteous men of Youzhou to march north and meet at the old Xianbei royal court to carry out a thorough annihilation.

The wording was mild and not forceful; it was more like an invitation.

Gongsun Zan's expression was gloomy as he held the blood-stained letter in his hand: "So, you and your brothers intend to respond to the Grand Marshal's call, raise an army to the north, and annihilate the old Xianbei court?"

The situation was already very urgent. If he disagreed, Xianyu Fu would lead the rear army in a large-scale retreat.

Without the rear guard to shield him and entangle the Yuan clan's ambush troops in Guanjin and Wuyi, it would have been difficult for him to escape unscathed.

Breaking out is not difficult; the difficulty lies in withdrawing the main force of the army.

Judging from the appearance of the various units of the vanguard, they were already exchanging glances with Yuan Shikai, so there was no possibility of deceiving or scheming against the vanguard and sacrificing them to block Yuan Shikai's pursuing troops.

Therefore, if the central army commits any immoral acts, those with disloyal intentions in the various units of the vanguard can incite other dissatisfied tribes to turn against them on the spot, becoming the vanguard and henchmen of the Yuan clan in their pursuit of the central army.

The rear guard withdrew voluntarily, and the front guard changed its mind again. The morale of the officers and soldiers of the central army was panicked, and they no longer had the courage to continue fighting.
Even if their retreat is cut off, a large number of officers and soldiers in the central army will surrender in order to avoid meaningless fighting and killing.

Gongsun Zan's heart pounded. He nodded slowly, his expression calm: "I understand. I will not fail the Grand Marshal's good intentions. Please take this letter with you. I will withdraw my troops tomorrow. If the Yuan family dares to pursue us, your brother and I will join forces to defeat their pursuers and then retreat at our leisure. We will not delay the matter you have mentioned, Grand Marshal."

As he spoke, Gongsun Zan let out a long sigh of relief, his eyes shining with joy: "The Grand Marshal's ambition to sweep away all obstacles is also what we all desire."

Xianyu Yin was quite surprised, so he went along with it and said, "Since the former general knows the will of Heaven and the changes in strength, then I will also persuade my brother to temporarily withdraw in order to lure the Yuan family into an ambush and then turn around and kill them."

"good!"

Gongsun Zan did not delay. He immediately summoned the core officers and senior officers of the central army, displayed the blood-written letter in front of Xianyu Yin, and wrote a reply, thus officially confirming the matter in public. Most of his officers and soldiers relaxed, as the battlefield situation was not as favorable as expected.

After all, Yuan Shao was reluctant to sacrifice too many troops covering the rear; the lives of the people of Hebei mattered too.

If Gongsun Zan's vanguard were of one mind with him, and carefully screened and interrogated the prisoners, they would naturally be able to figure out that these rearguard troops were mainly soldiers from the commanderies and kingdoms of Ji Province, rather than retainers of powerful clans.

The vanguard pursued at full speed, but captured less than three thousand enemies... This was far too little. Gongsun Zan's troops had fought many decisive battles, so they naturally felt that the results were abnormal.

A smart person will realize what's happening and won't make a fuss or cause trouble for themselves. They will simply quietly prepare to escape or break out.

As for ordinary people who cannot understand the situation and details, when the situation suddenly changes and the earth collapses, their morale will naturally crumble and they will collapse again and again.

Now that Gongsun Zan has established a plan for retreat and counterattack, the morale of the central army can be considered stable.

After retreating, they followed the Grand Marshal into battle... This was the fundamental factor in maintaining morale!
If Gongsun Zan were willing to back down and retreat, a good life and ultimate victory would befall them.

After Gongsun Zan saw Xianyu Yin off, the morning drums sounded.

Gongsun Zan immediately sent messengers to summon the leaders of the vanguard. It was not yet fully light, and the leaders dared not refuse.

It was only proper to hold this pre-battle meeting in the morning, and even the leaders of the various Hu tribes who had been turned against their cause had no choice but to bite the bullet and come to see Gongsun Zan.

After the three morning drumbeats ended, smoke filled the air from the cooking fires of Gongsun Zan's vanguard and central armies.

More than forty leaders of the vanguard, large and small, arrived at Gongsun Zan's tent one after another. The leaders had as many as ten thousand men, while the leaders had as few as five hundred.

Once everyone had arrived, Gongsun Zan held up the blood-written letter in his hand: "Last night, the Grand Marshal's messenger came to the army to deliver military orders. He said that there were traitors in our army who were colluding with Yuan Shao, which I did not believe at first. However, the messenger was chased by cavalry and was seriously wounded. The guards fought bravely and killed the traitors, and some were captured as well."

As Gongsun Zan spoke, he looked around at the leaders of the vanguard. His eyes were sinister. At this moment, he was very skilled, just like when he used Liu Yu's power to carry out various operations.

Under his gaze, some of the Hu leaders looked uneasy, some lowered their heads, some forced themselves to remain calm and met his gaze, some were bewildered, and some were inexplicably terrified.

Gongsun Zan remained silent and unmoved, and with his accumulated prestige over the years, these Hu leaders dared not act rashly.

After a few long breaths, Gongsun Zan gave a soft shout: "Bring him up."

Immediately, more than twenty guards, in pairs, dragged a Hu man who appeared to be severely tortured inside. The Hu man's leather clothes had been stripped off, and he was shivering from the cold. His felt clothes also showed signs of torture and were covered in blood.

Their hair was disheveled, their heads were down, and they looked listless.

In a panic, some people drew their swords and pointed them at Gongsun Zan. The other leaders of the various Hu tribes in the vanguard also reacted and immediately distanced themselves from them.

The leader pointed his sword at Gongsun Zan: "Traitor!"

“It’s ridiculous that the barbarian called me a traitor.”

Gongsun Zan sneered, raised his hand and waved, and the personal guards inside the tent gathered around him. The tent walls were quickly breached, and more and more heavily armored guards poured in, wielding spears and halberds to surround and attack.

Before long, thirteen leaders of various Hu tribes were stabbed to death on the spot, their eyes wide open in death.

(End of this chapter)