Tiger Guards

Chapter 616 Decisiveness and Courage
After Liu Bei besieged Chenliu, the previously wavering Yanzhou became increasingly neutral.

The imperial envoy team was able to pass through smoothly. This was not a small team of a dozen people, but a huge team of more than three hundred people and vehicles.

They carried with them a large number of imperial edicts and luxury goods for rewards. After Yuan Shu died from vomiting blood and his followers scattered, many of them brought not only the Imperial Seal of the State but also rare treasures plundered by Yuan Shu when they went to Xuchang to join the imperial court.

Zhang Yang, the governor of Yanzhou, was very ruthless; he was a relatively simple person.

This "relative" refers to people like Lü Bu, Zhao Ji, or Zhang Liao.

Therefore, the defending troops in Chenliu City were extremely determined to fight, believing that Lü Bu would come to their rescue.

Even if Lü Bu stood by and watched them besieged by the rebels, Zhao Ji would still come to their rescue.

Zhang Yang's ruthless dismissal of people was tantamount to abandoning control of the counties outside Chenliu. As a result, Yanzhou, which suffered heavy losses in manpower, was still swayed by the vortex of war, even though the people of Yanzhou did not want to get involved in the war. They gradually moved closer to the Xudu court, which currently held the dominant position.

As long as there are still people in Yanzhou who want to gamble and speculate, these people will bring their entourage to serve the Xudu court, and then, under the orders of the Xudu court, they will coerce even more people.

Given the current situation, it is almost inevitable that Yanzhou will once again be involved in the war.

So much so that when Liu Bei besieged Zhang Yang, the imperial envoy team from Xudu headed north, and some gentry and powerful families in Yanzhou, under the pressure of the imminent crisis, even decided to abandon their lands and flee to other provinces with their clans, fellow villagers, and retainers to avoid the chaos.

Men and women from counties and kingdoms such as Dongping, Rencheng, Shanyang, and Jiyin traveled down the Si River to Xuzhou to escape the chaos. Chenliu and Dongjun, which already had few remaining populations, had an even stronger desire to migrate, either towards Luozhong or Nanyang.

The further differentiation of the population in Yanzhou led to the remaining population generally leaning towards the Xudu court.

By following the Xu Du court to win the war, they will not only gain a path to advancement, but also be able to annex many vacant territories in their hometown.

Just as the remaining population of Yanzhou was fleeing in droves, the cold morning sun shone brightly, and Gan Ning's massive fleet sailed down the river from Mengjin.

North of Xingyang lies Aocang.

Gan Ning personally led the vanguard to the destination, and he sailed downstream, arriving just as dusk was falling.

The Aocang Wharf and warehouses have been restored to some extent, but only to a very limited extent. In Zhao Ji's eyes, they are only a detachment-level military post, capable of accommodating 3,000 people and providing them with half a month's worth of rations.

Gan Ning would not land at Aocang; he came here to see Gao Shun.

Gao Shun was also waiting on the shore, inside the barracks at the dock.

After exchanging greetings, Gao Shun and Gan Ning both appeared indifferent, clearly not being the type to engage in conversation.

Gao Shun remained neither humble nor arrogant, holding a wooden stick and pointing to various symbols and markings on the map, explaining the meaning of these markings.

Gan Ning listened patiently, but was still somewhat surprised afterward: "So, Liu Bei only has about 20,000 men in Chenliu, and he doesn't even have any reinforcements or follow-up troops? Xuchang has no less than 30,000 troops, so is there no one willing to move?"

Gao Shun also looked grave: "As General Fubo said, this is indeed somewhat unusual. However, the reports from scouts in the army, secret agents in Xudu, and officials in various places in Yanzhou are all the same."

Gao Shun also felt that the other side was playing tricks. Without a follow-up reinforcement, what use would Liu Bei's more than 20,000 men be?

If they suffer a defeat in open battle, they could even be repelled and annihilated by Zhang Yang alone.

It wasn't that Gao Shun looked down on Liu Bei's 20,000-plus men, but rather that a stronghold like Chenliu was simply beyond the capabilities of 20,000 men.

Therefore, Gao Shun concluded that Liu Bei must have reinforcements hidden in the shadows, possibly the Xuzhou army coming down the Bian River, or possibly the Qingzhou army coming down the Ji River.

Gan Ning arrived full of enthusiasm and was prepared for a tough battle.

But now, Liu Bei's troops, from all aspects, are behaving like a plump, meat-filled baked bun; anyone would want to pounce on them and take a bite.

The more this was the case, the less Gan Ning dared to make a move.

Staring at the map, Gan Ning asked directly, "Could we ask Lord Zhang to abandon Chenliu and break through to the west? If that happens, if Liu Bei dares to lead his troops across the Honggou Canal to pursue us, I can block the Honggou crossing and cut off his reinforcements! Even if there are 100,000 reinforcements, I can hold them off for several days."

This question is about Gao Shun's command authority: whether he can mobilize Zhang Yang to break through the encirclement, which would be tantamount to asking Zhang Yang to abandon the territory.

Gao Shun countered, "If Sun Ce leads his Qingzhou naval and land forces down the Yellow River and the Ji River, how many days can General Fubo hold them off?"

Gan Ning did not rush to answer. He looked down at the map, pondered the situation, and said, "Two days. I can only hold him off for two days. My fleet is mainly escorted by infantry and cavalry, who are not good at naval warfare. When the time is right, I will abandon the ships, join forces with the infantry and cavalry, and march west of the Honggou Canal to cooperate with you in attacking Liu Bei from both sides."

When Zhao Ji and Lü Bu discussed Liu Bei, they would address him out of respect as Liu Xuande, Marquis Fan, Duke Xuande, or Liu Cheqi.

However, in the eyes of core generals like Gan Ning, it was Liu Bei, who came from a neighboring prefecture, who betrayed the burgeoning alliance of military men.

Calling Liu Bei by his name is already a great honor; otherwise, if he had called him a traitor to his face, who could have said anything?
"Two days?"

Gao Shun muttered to himself and said, "Two days is enough. I am ordered by Grand Protector Lü to make a decision on the spot, and I can ask Governor Zhang to lead the troops to break through the encirclement. What I am worried about now is that Sun Ce's navy from Qingzhou will advance and harass Aocang and Xingyang, or even enter Henan, threatening Grand Protector's flank and heart."

Following the route, Gan Ning would march for another night and arrive near Chenliu City at dawn, at which point Han Meng and Wei Xing's troops, who were traveling with the navy, would be able to join the battle.

However, Gan Ning also dared not launch a rash attack, because, similarly, he had no follow-up support or reinforcements.

If you can't break through or hurt your opponent, and you get entangled, the more you try to break free, the higher the price you'll have to pay.

If Zhao Ji were to follow behind, even without tens of thousands of men, or even just his own force of three thousand chariots and cavalry, Gan Ning would dare to immediately charge forward, leaving no reserves, and go all out to fight Liu Bei to the death.

Not only him, but all the officials and soldiers here dared to take a gamble, believing that Zhao Ji could bail them out.

Even if the battle goes badly, as long as Grand Tutor Zhao's battle flag appears on the battlefield, everything will be alright.

Upon hearing Gao Shun's statement, Gan Ning said, "General Gao, please prepare to receive Lord Zhang as he withdraws from Chenliu. When Liu Bei crosses the river to pursue him, I will cut off his retreat. If Sun Ce suddenly leads a large army to attack, I can only buy you two days."

Boats and ships can be abandoned, and even many weapons and armor can be abandoned.

Gan Ning was well aware of Zhao Ji's approach to military management: not only did he demand victory, but he also demanded minimal casualties.

Military supplies and equipment can be abandoned when necessary.

As long as most of the officers and soldiers are brought back, they can be re-armed at any time, turn around and come back to settle scores.

Moreover, Gan Ning himself didn't value material possessions much. Even though he was currently the top admiral of the Xizhou navy, he could still abandon and destroy all warships and transport ships. Gao Shun sensed Gan Ning's determination and simply asked, "The Qingzhou Sun family's navy is brave and elite, with excellent ships and equipment. If General Fubo's ships are all lost, the strategic advantage of Luozhong will be completely destroyed."

Unless the other side is stupid, they cannot force their way through Chenliu, Xingyang, Hulao Pass, or Yique Pass.

Therefore, the real low-cost breakthrough and disintegration of the Luoyang defense line was in Hanoi. This is also the key reason why Dong Zhuo sent his generals to resist the armies from the Central Plains and Jingzhou, but he himself went to deal with Wang Kuang of Hanoi.

Compared to the past, Sun's forces in the allied forces now possess the strongest naval force in the Yellow River basin. They could even abandon the army and send the entire army by boat to advance directly into Hanoi and seize strongholds on the south bank near Luoyang, thus launching a pincer movement.

Gao Shun did not want to sacrifice Gan Ning's navy, which was the only force that could resist and counter the Qingzhou Sun family's navy.

If Gan Ning easily and decisively abandons the navy's ships and warships, then the Yellow River area between Hanoi and Luoyang, as well as both banks, will become the enemy's backyard.

Unlike Gan Ning, Gao Shun didn't think about flanking the enemy and then going to eat big steamed buns.

His idea was simple: stabilize the defenses of Hanoi and the Yellow River, while his side successively abandoned Chenliu and Xingyang, forcing the enemy to fight near Luoyang.

After a moment's thought, Gao Shun declared: "I can ambush and defeat Liu Bei's army crossing the river; there is no need for General Fubo to abandon his ships and send his entire army ashore to assist in the battle. If we discover that Sun's navy is approaching, General Fubo can calmly retreat without worrying about our army."

Seeing Gao Shun's arrogance, Gan Ning, who was naturally frivolous, smiled and said, "General Gao, I dare not believe you so easily. Please entrust me with the written record. In the future, when the Grand Protector and Grand Tutor argue about this matter, I will have a written record."

It doesn't matter that Gao Shun died on the battlefield; what matters is that Gan Ning needs a written statement to prove his innocence.

It wasn't that Gan Ning didn't trust Gao Shun, but rather that he didn't trust Lü Bu's character.

Without such a written agreement, Lü Bu would definitely blame Gan Ning for not forcefully blocking Liu Bei's reinforcements... If Grand Tutor Zhao loses the argument, Gan Ning won't get away with it either.

Gao Shun remained calm, ignoring Gan Ning's contemptuous ridicule, and immediately ordered someone to bring him pen and ink, and began to write on a silk scroll.

After writing it down and stamping it, he did not give it directly to Gan Ning. Instead, he said, "I also hope that General Fubo can send me a copy. I ask for nothing else but that General Fubo can scout the area within a hundred miles downstream of the Yellow River and the Ji River. If the Sun family's army from Qingzhou approaches, please inform them. In this way, even if we are defeated, I am willing to accept military punishment."

"it is good."

Gan Ning readily agreed, seeing it as something allied forces should do, nothing to be embarrassed about.

Gan Ning also took out a silk scroll and wrote, "I will set up beacon fires upstream of the Honggou Pass. If I detect Sun's army, I will send a messenger to inform you, General. When our army retreats from the Honggou Pass, we will light the beacon fires from east to west. Therefore, General, keep an eye on things. If the battle is not going well, you can also head north, and I will meet you on the shore."

"General Xie Fubo."

Gao Shun bowed, and after Gan Ning affixed his seal to the silk scroll, the two sides exchanged written documents.

Gao Shun was not one to host a banquet for Gan Ning, and Gan Ning did not want to waste time with Gao Shun, so he took his leave promptly.

Gan Ning quickly returned to the fleet, and not long after, Wei Xing and Han Meng from the rear transport fleet arrived at Gan Ning's flagship.

During this period, some more three-toothed warships were added, and Gan Ning's navy only had twenty-seven warships, enough to bully the Hebei soldiers. However, in the face of Sun's huge navy, these twenty-seven warships had only more than three thousand men, which was not enough to defeat Sun.

Therefore, Gan Ning did not intend to rely on these naval forces to resist the Sun family. Gan Ning knew all too well how naval warships were used; they were not for defense, but only for offense.

If it were simply a matter of defense, how should Gan Ning's navy defend against Sun's overwhelming naval superiority when he invaded the banks of Hanoi and Luoyang?

Should they cower in their water fortress and adopt a rigid defensive posture, or should they launch an offensive and engage in a naval battle on the Yellow River?
Or perhaps it was simply a literal defense, merely deploying a fleet of warships to flank the battlefield, only responsible for containing a portion of Sun's forces.
Therefore, Gan Ning made flexible and decisive choices when dealing with different enemies at different times.

When bullying the Hebei soldiers, Gan Ning dared to show off his power with a transport ship, practicing fancy formations outside the Hebei soldiers' water fortress.

When confronting the Sun family, whose navy was extremely superior, Gan Ning only wanted to sink their warships and transport ships to cause trouble for the Sun family.

No matter how strong Sun's navy is, it can only show off its power on both sides of the Yellow River. Do you dare to break away from both sides and fight dozens of miles away?

Faced with Sun's navy, Gan Ning's attitude was to simply abandon naval confrontation to avoid unnecessary losses.

Then, in terms of their own superior infantry and cavalry land warfare, they would engage in a decisive battle with Sun's various armies that had landed.

If Sun Tzu delays landing and engaging in field battles... the army's supplies will always be limited, and Sun's army will eventually have to withdraw. Let them withdraw.

Our side only lost warships and transport ships that we deliberately scuttled, while Sun's large fleet of warships and navy accomplished nothing and achieved no significant results. They even disrupted the stability and production of Qingzhou. By all accounts, Sun's side suffered the greatest loss.

As for the warships and transport ships that were scuttled, that's really nothing.

By this time next year, with the productivity under Grand Tutor Zhao's rule, the Pingyang Shipyard alone will be able to replenish Gan Ning's damaged warships and transport ships.

Therefore, in such a decisive battle that determines the fate of the world, there is really no need to feel sorry for the warships.

Gan Ning has a good mindset, but he still needs to communicate with Wei Xing and Han Meng.

This battle is very likely to clash with the Hebei army, so Han Meng's attitude is rather restrained. He only thinks, analyzes, and weighs the situation repeatedly, without taking the initiative to express his opinion.

Wei Xing had fewer concerns. After hearing Gan Ning's analysis of the navy, Wei Xing intuitively felt that there was some truth to it, but said, "What General Fubo said today reminded me of a wonderful incident when Grand Tutor Zhao first joined the army as a tiger-like warrior."

Upon hearing this, Han Meng straightened his back and listened attentively.

Gan Ning was also very interested and smiled, gesturing for Wei Xing to continue. Wei Xing smiled and said, "It's like this: At that time, Uncle Zhao provided the Grand Tutor with three thousand coins. The Grand Tutor thought that using money to do things was not as good as having the capital of a wealthy family, and three thousand coins couldn't accomplish anything significant. So he took one thousand coins and went to the front lines lightly."

After saying that, Wei Xing first looked at Han Meng: "In my opinion, this is the reason why General Fubo made such a decision. The navy is not going to do much now, so it is better to abandon it and preserve manpower for long-term planning."

Upon hearing this, Han Meng looked at Gan Ning and bowed, saying, "General Fubo's insightful remarks are truly remarkable."

Gan Ning immediately smiled and waved his hands, saying, "I wouldn't dare, how could I compare myself to the Grand Tutor..."

Although he spoke so modestly, the smugness in his expression was hard to hide.

Perhaps it was because Wei Xing cited Zhao Ji's example that Han Meng stopped resisting and nodded repeatedly, becoming increasingly convinced that Gan Ning's decision was brilliant.

Only with such boldness as sinking all warships and transport ships could they unleash their full power and fight the rebels to their heart's content.

In fact, if forced by the war situation, Gan Ning might have to sink all his warships and transport ships, which would be comparable to Zhao Yun's charge into Cao Cao's camp and his great victory.

(End of this chapter)