Tiger Guards

Chapter 618 Forced by Circumstances

Xue Hong and Miao Shang each led their troops from Hanoi and Shangdang out of the city.

They also concurrently served as the governors of Hanoi and Shangdang, respectively, with each having only a little over a thousand officials and soldiers under their command, and generally none of them had family members in Chenliu.

Therefore, when Zhang Yang was held hostage by the interests of his followers from Yanzhou, Xue Hong and Miao Shang were also held hostage by the interests of their respective followers.

Their logic of action must also take into account, and focus on, their own followers.

Otherwise, without the support of their followers, they will be nothing.

They were well-prepared, loading light boats onto their vehicles, using oxen and horses to pull the carts, and each carrying five days' worth of rations before heading out of the city with their fighting equipment.

As they marched out of the city with their torches blazing, Zhang Yang no longer hesitated and immediately ordered the rest of the army to leave the city in an orderly manner. He even opened the other gates of Chenliu and arranged for officers and soldiers to march out of the city with torches, and hung sheep and beat drums on the city walls.

Due to the cold weather, clouds in the night sky, and the thin fog that formed on both sides of the Honggou Canal at night, Liu Bei instead fortified his camp and held firm.

He feared the annihilation of this army more than anyone else. Before being tested in war, Liu Bei was also unclear about the specific fighting spirit of his troops.

You could say that he was more afraid than anyone else of Zhao Ji suddenly appearing on the battlefield.

It wasn't that he was afraid Zhao Ji would use a powerful bow to kill him, but rather that his troops would turn against him and switch sides!
After all, he only has five thousand veterans now, the rest are drawn from various armies in Xuchang Garrison, and these people are deeply influenced by Zhao Ji and Lü Bu.

Seeing Zhao Ji or Lü Bu, it's not impossible for these people to turn against their own side in the face of battle.

If his 20,000-plus troops were wiped out, the entire campaign against Lü Zhao would be in vain, without a leader or vanguard.

Just like the campaign against Dong Zhuo, the true pioneer of the campaign was not the two Yuan brothers, but Sun Jian!

In fact, Cao Cao also wanted to be a pioneer back then. He borrowed a lot of troops from Yuan Shao, Zhang Miao, and Bao Xin. You could say that these people invested in Cao Cao. As a result, Xu Rong defeated him with fewer troops and wiped out his entire army.

The battlefield where Xu Rong ambushed Cao Cao was in the area west of Honggou and east of Xingyang. Xu Rong pursued Cao Cao relentlessly, and if Cao Cao hadn't received the horses from Cao Hong, he might have been killed by Xu Rong.

Therefore, Zhang Yang's hasty and organized evacuation quickly turned into a chaotic and unorganized evacuation.

However, Liu Bei had too many concerns. He watched helplessly as the city of Chenliu caught fire, but still did not decide to send troops to pursue it.

After all, Cao Cao's situation back then was truly miserable.

Liu Bei remained inactive, but his generals, lieutenants, and colonels were becoming increasingly impatient.

Chenliu City has a large grain reserve, as well as treasures looted by Zhang Yang... Who wouldn't be envious?
"Report~!"

A military officer came panting, presenting a silk scroll with both hands: "My lord, the city's captain, Lü Qian, has set fire to the east gate, intending to surrender it! This is a letter written in Lü Qian's blood!"

Upon hearing this, Jian Yong quickly stepped forward, picked up the silk scroll, unfolded it, glanced at its contents, and then said to Liu Bei in a calm and unhurried manner, "My lord, we must be wary of a feigned surrender."

These words drew angry glares from the others, but Jian Yong remained calm. He knew all too well how hard it was for Liu Bei to gather these 20,000 men, and he would rather miss the opportunity than lose them.

There are very few people as brave and diligent as Sun Jian. At that time, Sun Jian fought fiercely and plundered extensively, so even when his army was scattered, it was able to regroup.

But what about Liu Bei's army now? It can't be said that it's not elite, but it's just a rabble, because there's no single target worth fighting and killing for.

Do you really think that Lü Bu is the only one who feels disheartened because the court did not reward Zhao Ji's troops?

They were all seasoned veterans who had experienced the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the Dong Zhuo Rebellion. If it weren't for the desire for a stable job, who would be willing to serve the imperial court?
Liu Bei took the blood-written letter from Jian Yong, turned to look at the officers standing on both sides of the tent, and scrutinized them with his eyes. His gaze fell on one of them: "General Wang and General Liu, lead your troops together. Be sure to enter the city one after the other. After the vanguard takes over the city's defenses, the rearguard can enter the city later."

Liu Dai, with a scar on his face, and Wang Zhong, with bulging eyes, exchanged a glance, then stepped forward, cupped their hands, and loudly proclaimed, "Yes, sir!"

They didn't need any orders or military documents; each led their own troops into battle, and all they had to do was show their faces.

After Liu Bei nodded slightly, Liu Dai and Wang Zhong took three steps back, turned around, and walked away quickly.

They hadn't gone far when Liu Bei called out again, "General Lu?" Lu Zhao strode forward, turned, and clasped his hands in greeting, "Your subordinate is here."

"I trouble you, General, to lead your troops as a backup. After Generals Liu and Wang have captured the East Gate, you should immediately lead your troops into the city to take over the remaining gates and organize the officials and people in the city to put out the fire."

"Here!"

Lu Zhao agreed and turned to leave.

Liu Bei then began to arrange other generals and officers, but did not issue an order to pursue.

Acquiring Chenliu City is already a tremendous and inspiring victory for the army; there is really no need to continue taking risks.

Of course, even if Liu Bei took over Chenliu City, it would be difficult for him to issue an order to close the treasury.

Because the officers who carry out the order will not obediently follow it, and if his former subordinates do it, it will directly exacerbate the conflict between his unit and other officers.

Everyone followed him to Chenliu City, wasn't it all for the wealth in the city?

The more they grab, the more they will naturally resist the arrival of Lü Bu and Zhao Ji.

Most of the troops in the camp were transferred out by Liu Bei, leaving only the main force of 5,000 men, and more than 3,000 men from Changshan, Zhongshan and Zhao provinces under the command of Liu Hui.

These people first followed the Liu family of Ji Province in responding to the imperial court, and then went to Taiyuan with Zhao Ji. Zhao Ji then arranged for them to enter the court to protect the emperor. So they followed the emperor and Lü Bu to Nanyang, and then left Nanyang to settle near Xuchang, where they became self-sufficient through military settlements.

These more than three thousand troops of Liu from Hebei, having traveled to various places and constantly absorbed refugees from all over to replenish their losses, are now exceptionally elite and resilient, and can be described as a formidable force protecting the emperor.

Liu Bei found himself in an increasingly difficult position. What he held in his hands was not the lives of more than 20,000 soldiers, but the very banner that could be used to punish the two traitors, Lü and Zhao.

If this banner is severely damaged, he is very worried that all sides will remain inactive and be defeated one by one by Lü and Zhao, leading to the downfall of the Yan Liu dynasty.

Liu Hui sensed Liu Bei's predicament, but he had a different opinion. He cupped his hands and asked, "General of Chariots and Cavalry, are you worried about the enemy's ambush? Are you using a feigned defeat to lure me into pursuit?"

"Exactly."

Liu Bei replied in a deep voice, "Although I am willing to pursue them, I fear that we will repeat the old story of Cao Mengde's defeat at Bian River when he was sent to fight the rebels."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hui smiled calmly: "Since the general knows about Cao Mengde's defeat at Bian River, then the enemy generals must also know. In that case, why would they set up an ambush that is known to both sides?"

The most important thing about ambushes is to strike unexpectedly.

Since we are already prepared, what is there to fear from an ambush?
Liu Bei listened with a frown, then slowly nodded: "There's some truth to that."

He also felt that he lacked confidence, and that if he and Zhang Fei were to encounter an ambush, they might not be able to handle everything.

If Guan Yu were here, even if Lü Bu personally set an ambush, Liu Bei would have the confidence to escape unscathed.

Liu Bei hesitated for a moment. If all the evidence later proved that Zhang Yang had suddenly collapsed, and he missed the opportunity if he didn't pursue him... then the officials in Xuchang would definitely not waste this chance.

Because he was invited by Lü Bu to join the government, even though he gave up competing for the high position of prime minister, he had already made the nobles wary of him.

Especially after the capable generals Lü Bu and Zhao Ji, the emperor and his ministers were particularly wary of other generals who could command troops and fight battles, especially those from the border regions.

Even if you are from a noble family in a border region, it won't work; you'll be even more distrusted by the emperor and high-ranking officials.

Therefore, another possibility for acting cautiously and preserving the army is that the Xu Du court will take the opportunity to strip the army of its power!
Thinking of this, Liu Bei looked at Liu Hui with a sudden realization, stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "In that case, Brother Hui's troops will go ahead as the vanguard, and I will lead the central army to follow!"

"It should have been done long ago!"

Liu Hui cupped his hands in greeting and accepted with a smile. Liu Bei also showed a relieved smile, and then he looked triumphant.

(End of this chapter)