Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 453 Thief

Five armies advanced simultaneously, with Mao Dezhu leading 100,000 infantry and cavalry to Zhongshan, where they confronted Tuoba Si.

Hu Fan led a 30,000-strong detachment from Bohai to attack Youzhou, but encountered resistance from Changsun Song in Shanggu County.

Zhu Lingshi and Wang Zhongde followed behind Liu Hu, a Hu rebel, and gradually eroded Bingzhou.

However, Wang Zhen'e's actions were the most effective. He decisively defeated Qiu Mulingshou's 20,000 cavalry at Wuyuan, and then advanced to conquer Yunzhong. He then plundered the area, killing more than 20,000 people. The chieftains of various tribes south of Yinshan were wiped out, and 300,000 head of cattle and sheep and 300,000 shi of grain were seized.

They then drove away the able-bodied prisoners, marched straight in, captured Dingxiang, and their troops advanced directly towards Dai County.

His army of 60,000 men when he set out on the expedition expanded to 90,000.

Liu Hu's troops from the south also reached Juyang, forming a pincer movement with the Han army.

Compared to Wang Zhen'e's troops, Liu Hu's rebel army was even more ferocious, completely inheriting the style of Shi Le. Wherever they went, nothing grew, the old and weak were killed for food, and the young and strong were captured and turned into soldiers.

Even when the Former Qin dynasty collapsed and the world was in chaos, no force as ruthless as this had ever emerged in Hebei.

The people of Wei were in a state of panic, while many near Pingcheng surrendered to the Han army, and with their hair standing on end, they called themselves Jin people.

"We welcome anyone willing to surrender!" Wang Zhen'e did not dwell on this matter.

Wang Zhao asked, "Why did you slaughter the barbarians in Yunzhong but show leniency to the people of Dai County?"

Wang Zhen'e pointed at the refugees and said, "Look at these people, how are they any different from the Han people?"

Although some of the people did not look like they were from the Central Plains, they were clearly farmers, carrying hoes, pitchforks, and sickles.

Tuoba Gui changed pastoralism to agriculture, registered households and allocated land according to population, and made great efforts to change their customs and lifestyles. Many Xianbei, Xiongnu and Wuhuan people had actually become Sinicized.

"There's no difference anymore." Wang Zhao had to admit the reality.

“Since they make a living by farming, they can be used by our great Han. But Yunzhong is different. Shengle is a barbarian capital with many powerful chieftains who will not submit to me. If we do not carry out a great massacre, it will leave future troubles. The people of Dai County do not follow the barbarian bandit Liu Hu, but instead come to join me. Their strength can be used.”

Before joining Liu Daogui, Wang Zhen'e had served as the magistrate of Linli County, and his governance abilities were quite good.

His grandfather, Wang Meng, was also a renowned minister who was skilled in both military and civilian administration.

Wang Zhao said, "Since the people's hearts are with us, why not quickly attack Pingcheng? Once Pingcheng falls, the Wei Kingdom will perish!"

"To conquer a city is inferior to to conquer a mind; the key to this battle is not Pingcheng, but the bandit Liu Hu. If this man is not eliminated, Bingzhou will be reduced to ruins. Order all the Tiger Guards to mount their horses and follow me south. To capture the bandits, we must first capture their leader!"

The people of Bingzhou, out of fear of Liu Hu, defected to the Han army.

If Wang Zhen'e eliminates Liu Hu, he can win over the hearts of the people in the north.

Conversely, if Liu Hu were to rise to power during the Han-Wei war, the disaster would be no less than that caused by Tuoba Shujinong during the Western Jin Dynasty. Bingzhou was full of Hu people, and once Liu Hu gained momentum, these refugees who called themselves "Jin people" would let their hair down and join the chaotic army.

Pingcheng was the capital of the Northern Wei Dynasty. It consisted of the imperial city, the capital city, and the outer city. The capital city had a circumference of 20 li, and the outer city had a circumference of 32 li. Beyond the outer city, there were 24 military fortifications, with eight commanders stationed in the four directions to guard them.

Such a fortified city could not be taken in less than a year or two.

Wang Zhen'e immediately led 20,000 Tiger Guard troops south, heading straight for Juyang...

The wind is very strong in Zhongshan.

As soon as autumn arrives, the weather turns cold and everything withers.

Between heaven and earth, the Wei army spread across the land like a tide, more than twice the size of the Han army opposite.

"There is still a glimmer of hope in a decisive battle, but certain death is certain if we hold out!" Tuoba Si calmly said to the generals around him.

It wasn't that he didn't want to hold out, but that Zhongshan's food supplies were already running low.

Food is the foundation of morale and fighting spirit; without food, Zhongshan City would inevitably fall.

"Why doesn't Your Majesty retreat to Pingcheng? With its fortifications, Pingcheng can hold out for another year," Wang Jian advised with a mournful face.

Tuoba Si's eyes shone brightly. "And what about a year from now?"

"The Han state mobilized 400,000 troops, and the food and supplies consumed were several times that of ours. How could it sustain this for a year? In the Battle of Jicheng, Shi Hu also mobilized 400,000 troops to attack the Former Yan, but was defeated by Murong Ke with only 2,000 elite cavalry, and more than 30,000 were beheaded. The Jie Zhao declined from then on, and the Former Yan entered the Central Plains."

Wang Jian brought up old stories from the previous dynasty.

However, the Former Yan unified Liaodong, defeated the alliance of Goguryeo, the Duan clan, and the Yuwen clan, and became the hegemon of Liaodong. They moved their capital to Daji City in western Liaodong to show their determination to conquer the Central Plains.

At that time, the Former Yan's stronghold in Liaodong was unharmed.

Murong Ke and Murong Chui were the bravest warriors in the army. The country was on the rise, and although the army was small, everyone dared to fight.

The hundreds of thousands of troops of Jie Zhao were forcibly conscripted from the people of Hebei. They were poorly equipped and poorly trained. Shi Hu had been on the throne for a long time and was no longer the same as before.

Now, the Han Dynasty has countless elite soldiers and fierce generals. After several northern expeditions, the Han people's confidence and national self-confidence have been completely restored.

The crucial Wei state's stronghold, Wuyuan, had already fallen, and Dai County was also under the Han army's blade.

In this situation, what can the State of Wei use to fight a desperate battle against the Han Dynasty?
The rise of the Wei Kingdom was only one or two decades ago. It won the Battle of Canhebei, buried 50,000 surrendered soldiers alive, and killed Murong Chui. Only then did it manage to swallow up the larger state of Later Yan and occupy Hebei. Its strength was naturally insufficient.

If the world descends into chaos, the State of Wei might still have a chance.

But now the Han Dynasty has swept across the land and has become the chosen one.

Tuoba Si looked up at the sky, the north wind was blowing and flying south. "If I retreat, the morale of the army will collapse immediately, and the 200,000 troops will be wiped out. Enough talk. Today, there is only one battle!"

Two hundred thousand troops cannot be retreated at will.

The lessons of the Battle of Fei River are still fresh in our minds.

Therefore, Tuoba Si actually only had two options: fight or surrender.

"Anyone who retreats even a step will be beheaded!" Tuoba Si was, after all, Tuoba Gui's son, and his temper was as fierce as fire.

"I am willing to fight to the death for Your Majesty!"

The generals all bowed in respect. The sound of bugles filled the air.

As before, the infantry led the way, while the cavalry followed behind to oversee the battle.

However, the cavalrymen's horses were clearly weak, and they were panting heavily after only a few steps.

The Wei army didn't even have enough to eat for its men, let alone its warhorses. If they didn't fatten up in the autumn, most of the livestock wouldn't survive the winter.

But Tuoba Si can't care about these things now. If he doesn't fight, he has no chance of winning. If he fights, he has a 20% chance of winning, since the Wei army has twice the strength of the enemy.

A large number of people can create a sense of confidence and a sense of certainty of victory.

Boom, boom, boom——

The steady, powerful sound of war drums from the other side gradually shattered his hopes.

Dragon banners and flags blotted out the sky, armored soldiers stood in imposing formation, and cavalrymen were majestic and awe-inspiring, as steady as a rock.

On average, they were a head taller than the Wei army, and most of them were burly and strong men.

From afar, the eyes of the Han soldiers were as deep and greedy as wolves, as if they were looking at a flock of lambs.

"kill!"

The Wei army roared like thunder, but lacked conviction, as if they were trying to bolster their courage.

The Han army remained motionless, divided into three formations: left, right, and rear. The front row of the left and right formations consisted of crossbow carts, which had inflicted a great psychological trauma on the Wei army during the Battle of Fangtou.

The crossbows were already drawn, and arrows, as long as spears, were aimed directly at the Wei army.

Behind them were cavalry, their gleaming armor concealing a flurry of figures.

Military appearance is combat power.

If they can maintain this level of military strength, their combat capability must be quite good.

"How is this possible? Could it be that all 60,000 Tiger Guards of the Han Kingdom are here?" Cold sweat beaded on Tuoba Si's forehead.

Cui Hao, standing to the side, said: "The Han state followed the example of the Han and Wei dynasties and implemented a system of central and outer armies. The Tiger Guard Army was the central army, and the Fubing Army was the outer army. When they won a battle, the Fubing Army was rewarded with land based on their merits. Therefore, the Han people were happy to hear about war. In the major battles of recent years, the Fubing Army has participated in all of them, and thus they have become stronger and stronger with each battle."

The soldiers of the garrison have been well-fed in recent years, have enough financial resources to practice archery, horsemanship, swordsmanship, and spear fighting, and also have money to forge armor and weapons.

Wei soldiers did not receive this treatment.

Although land was distributed, it had not yet been converted into combat power. The loss of the Battle of Fangtou was also a loss for the nation's fate.

Just as the two armies were about to clash, a group of armored soldiers emerged from the left flank of the Han army. The leader, a general, rode a white horse, wore golden armor, and carried a large banner on his back with the words "Gongsun" written on it.

It was none other than Gongsun Biao, the former Imperial Secretary of Wei and General of Wu.

"Listen up, Han people! The Great Han has returned! The day to kill the traitors has arrived! The Emperor of the Great Han commands you all to return to Han!"

"Return to Han!"

The roars of the Han army's left and right flanks were like thunder, echoing throughout the entire battlefield.

The advancing Wei army suddenly stopped, staring blankly at Gongsun Biao, their eyes filled with confusion.

He was originally from a prominent family in Hebei and was highly respected in the Wei Kingdom. Many Wei soldiers knew him, and the impact of seeing him persuade others to surrender on the battlefield was unimaginable.

Regardless, the State of Wei was a state of the Xianbei people. Although it did not exclude the Han people, oppression and discrimination were inevitable.

In the past, we had no choice but to compromise in order to survive.

Now that the Han army has arrived, won the Battle of Fangtou, and recovered the Central Plains and Guanzhong, even the most obtuse person can see the general trend of the world.

"What are you waiting for? Are you still going to continue serving the barbarians?"

Gongsun Biao was tall and imposing, and his speech was full of imposing manner, making him naturally irresistible.

However, the Wei army was still hesitant and uncertain.

But at this moment, the Xianbei cavalry supervising the battle moved first, spurring their horses forward and driving away the infantry.

"Anyone who retreats even one step shall be beheaded."

If they didn't shout that, the Wei army would still be hesitant.

After uttering these words, it was as if he was reminding all the Wei soldiers that there was no way to retreat...

"The cavalry must advance! We can't wait any longer!" Tuoba Si was young after all; he had the courage to fight to the death, but lacked experience in large-scale battles.

When the State of Wei was powerful, it still had the confidence to win people's hearts. Now, the State of Wei is on the verge of collapse and has lost control of the situation.

With the command flag waved, Wei cavalry charged out directly from the rear.

Looking at the cavalry rushing towards them from behind, the Wei infantrymen couldn't tell whether they were there to kill the enemy or to kill them.

In the chaos, someone in the ranks suddenly raised their arm and shouted: "Return to Han! Kill the Hu!"

This shout immediately stirred up a huge wave, and several infantry units turned their long spears and pointed them at the Wei army.

Other infantrymen who refused to defect also threw down their weapons and fled in all directions.

Before the battle even began, the Wei army was already in disarray.

Gongsun Biao laughed loudly, "Hahaha, the Tuoba clan is defeated!"

The Han army's war drums beat even more fiercely, shaking the earth. The rear cavalry split into two, forming a long dragon that flanked the Wei army on the left and right.

(End of this chapter)