My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 224 Long Distance Attack

"Liu Taozhi, Liu Yi, Liu Er, you shall take my seal and go to Hanoi County, and order the prefect to prepare horses in advance."

"Here!"

"The entire army should leave behind any surplus rations; we will only bring two days' worth of rations this time!"

"........."

Hanoi District was built along the confluence of the Thanh and Dan Rivers.

Gaodu was also located beside the Dan River, built along the water, and situated directly north of Hanoi County. If Gao Yu wanted to relieve the siege of Gaodu, he would have to cross the Dan River and go east of it.

He listened to Gao Yu's military orders and gave instructions.

Gao Huan and his men were greatly alarmed.

They carried only two days' worth of rations and even had the counties and prefectures along the marching route prepare horses in advance.

Gao Yu's intentions are quite clear!
Soldiers are very fast!
He wanted to catch Ge Rong off guard, and with his troops rushing to Gaodu as quickly as possible without rest, he would strike Ge Rong without any preparation!
But Gaodu is at least two hundred miles away from Beizhong City, where they are currently located. Given such a distance, does Gao Yu intend to force his way there?

"Erlang, aren't we being a little too hasty?"

Gao Huan couldn't help but speak up and advise, "If we march so hastily, even if we manage to reach our destination, how will our soldiers have the strength to fight again?"

"I raise soldiers for a thousand days to use them for one day. My soldiers enjoy treatment far exceeding that of ordinary soldiers. How can I hold them to the same standards as ordinary soldiers?"

“The opportunity to fight is fleeting. It was because of the distance that I led my troops on a rapid march to get there that Ge Rong was not prepared. Because… he, like you, thought it was impossible.”

"When something that one feels is impossible actually happens before one's eyes, one will inevitably feel fear!"

Gao Yu didn't offer any further explanation, and instead left the tent.

The starry sky was beautiful, but he had no time to appreciate the night view.

Peng Le and Mulan have already gathered their respective followers, and Gao Yu has also assigned Li Minzhi and Liu Rong to Mulan and Peng Le's ranks respectively.

"Mulan, the Xuanjia Army has been living a comfortable life for so long. I wonder if they've fallen behind in their daily training. I hope they won't hold us back this time."

Peng Le smiled provocatively and said, "If you can't do it, then say so now. After this battle, my capture-the-lives army will be the main force under your command!"

Mulan, however, was not to be outdone. "No need for Zixing to worry so much. Let's first check whether the Capture Army can keep up with Moheduo's pace. My Xuanjia Army soldiers will always follow behind Moheduo."

"Then let's decide based on battle achievements. We'll see who kills more enemies then!"

"Compete!"

Neither of them would yield to the other.

The soldiers of the Xuanjia Army and the Zhuosheng Army not only compared themselves during drills, but also on the battlefield, neither willing to be outdone.

This is the healthy competition that Gao Yu wanted to see; that's how elite troops should be.

When facing the enemy, anyone who backs down, is afraid, or acts cowardly will be ridiculed by their comrades. This is why Gao Yu has never lowered his selection criteria.

He currently has no base of operations.

Even if you have a lot of soldiers under your command, you can't afford to support them. It's better to take the route of elite troops. In the future, as long as you have a base and enough money, food and weapons, you can have elite troops under your command and quickly expand the number of troops to tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands.

The soldiers weren't stupid.

Bringing only two days' worth of rations is actually a very clear signal.

Hou Jing kept observing the situation in the military camp.

They discovered that Gao Yu's soldiers, despite knowing they were about to embark on a forced march and engage the enemy, showed no sign of resistance.

In fact, the vast majority of people are eager to try it.

Especially those few hundred people who followed Gao Yu from the beginning, they knew better than anyone that although their general's requirements were strict, he would definitely give them enough benefits.

Gao Yu would never enjoy the glory of victory alone; this was his promise to all his soldiers.

"If Ge Rong knew that Mo Heduo was personally leading the troops, he would probably be so frightened that he would turn around and run away?"

Hou Jing chuckled and teased.

"The reason why Erlang is in such a hurry to go north is probably because he doesn't want the news to leak out."

Gao Huan also roughly understood Gao Yu's thoughts.

Ge Rong was able to expand his power to this extent, which clearly shows that he was no ordinary person.

Those who dare to come so boldly to the vicinity of Luoyang to plunder must have made ample preparations.

Even within Luoyang, there might be spies and scouts sent by them to gather information.

As fellow townsmen from Huai Shuo Town, Ge Rong knew better than anyone how strong Gao Yu's Xuanjia Army's field combat capabilities were.

As a witness to Gao Yu's great victory over the Gaoche people and his legendary feat on the grasslands, Ge Rong would never dare to fight Gao Yu head-on.

soon.

The entire army has been assembled.

Gao Yu rode up to the group and said nothing more than a simple sentence.

"All soldiers, follow me north to strike the enemy!"

Immediately.

He tightened the reins, turned the horse around, squeezed his legs hard, and galloped wildly northward!
The soldiers of the Xuanjia Army followed closely behind him, heading north with him.

………………

The governor of Hanoi Commandery was Yang Shun, the former General of the Northern Army.

He had been promoted, but had not yet resigned. When his personal guards woke him from his sleep, they saw Liu Taozhi, holding the seal of Gao Yu, coming to see him.

He dared not delay and immediately ordered people to prepare warhorses for Gao Yu.

She didn't even dare to go back to sleep, and instead waited with Liu Taozhi outside the city.

Rumble!
The thunderous sound of galloping hooves filled the air.

Under the cover of night, Gao Yu's cavalry soon arrived.

After dismounting, Gao Yu didn't bother with pleasantries and continued issuing orders!

"Liu Taozhi, first lead your men across the Dan River, then head north to Gaodu. Once inside the city, meet General Heba and inform him that he will lead his troops out of the city at noon tomorrow to help me defeat the bandits!"

"Yes!!" Liu Taozhi and the others immediately mounted their horses and disappeared into the night.

Yang Shun, on the other hand, was completely dumbfounded.

Gaodu?

Tomorrow at noon?

Gao Du is about a hundred miles away from Hanoi. Has Gao Yu gone mad?

But Gao Yu did not give him any chance to question, but simply bowed and said, "I'm sorry to trouble General Yang so late at night. I still need to head north to meet the enemy. I will come back to catch up with General Yang after I have achieved my goal!"

Then he turned around.

"Quickly change horses and follow me across the Dan River!"

Gao Yu mounted his horse again.

As the army crossed the Dan River, the night gradually faded, and the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

After a night of marching, the soldiers all looked somewhat tired.

This was the first time Gao Huan, Hou Jing, and others had accompanied Gao Yu on such a high-intensity forced march. Their martial arts skills and physical abilities were considered quite formidable even in the army.

However, both of them were exhausted and looked very tired, but they didn't say anything.

The soldiers under his command did not complain, so how could the generals have the audacity to complain?

Gao Yu glanced at it and immediately gave the order.

"Everyone should dismount and rest for 15 minutes, drink water and eat rations."

It's not that I think the soldiers are incompetent.

It's not that the horse needs to catch its breath.

After crossing the Dan River, there were no more places to change or replenish horses on the road ahead. It didn't matter whether they were riding horses or pack horses; the main thing was to let the warhorses rest a bit, because in the end, they would have to rely on the warhorses to carry the men to launch the charge.

After a short rest.

Gao Yu then gave the order to continue the march!

………………

Liu Taozhi and the others had no such concerns and traveled non-stop until they arrived outside Gaodu City at Chenshi (7-9 AM).

"I am a personal guard under the Right Guard General. I have important military intelligence to deliver. Let me into the city immediately!!"

After arriving at the city gate, Liu Taozhi introduced herself.

To prevent Ge Rong from launching a surprise attack, the gates of Gaodu were kept tightly closed. Hebayun ordered his personal guards to guard each gate. Hebayun's personal guards, of course, recognized Liu Taozhi and immediately lowered the basket to take them up.

Liu Taozhi didn't dare to linger and went straight to Heba Yun.

"Greetings, General Herba!"

Seeing that he looked travel-worn and exhausted, Heba Yun guessed what was going on. "Go and bring me a bowl of water."

After Liu Taozhi finished drinking the water, she said, "General Heba, my general has ordered you to take stock of your troops and assist him in meeting the enemy at noon today."

He then produced Gao Yu's seal as proof.

Hearing his words, Heba Yun was stunned and asked incredulously.

"What? Noon? Is it really true?"

"No joking in the army!"

Although Liu Taozhi looked exhausted, her eyes were bright and her words were firm and resolute: "My general never utters wild words."

Hebayun paced back and forth.

It wasn't that he didn't believe Gao Yu, but rather that he felt... the news was simply too shocking.

He sent someone to deliver the message just the day before yesterday, and judging by the time, they should have arrived in Luoyang by now.

result……

Has Gao Yu already sent someone over to deliver the message?

Are these animals completely free from rest?

But images from the past flashed through Hebayun's mind again.

When Wuchuan was besieged by rebels, Heba Yue went to Huaishuo to ask for reinforcements.

At that time, Heba Yue had told them that Gao Yu's favorite thing to do was to march quickly and then catch the enemy off guard.

When Gao Yu led his army into the city, he used this method to severely punish the rebel army.

Is this still the way to play?

Everyone understands the importance of speed in military operations.

But that's why we don't play it that way.

It's because accidents are very easy to happen. Rapid marches are a huge drain on a person's physical and mental health. Don't be fooled by riding a horse; the bumps and jolting on horseback are not pleasant at all.

Forcing soldiers to march could very likely result in a complete collapse of morale.

It is a great test of a general's ability to manage his subordinates.

However, it cannot be denied that if a rapid march is successful, it can greatly increase one's chances of winning.

Throughout history, countless famous generals have relied on this tactic of rapid marches to win battles worthy of being recorded in history books.
"General! Time waits for no one. Please do not hesitate any longer, lest you miss a crucial opportunity."

Heba Yun no longer hesitated; he didn't want to miss this opportunity to earn merit. "Men! Reward the troops and prepare to follow me out of the city to meet the enemy!!"

He knew Gao Yu's character and abilities very well, and he also knew what kind of 'madmen' the elite soldiers under Gao Yu's command were.

If someone else makes the same arrangement, he'll think they're just bragging!
But Gao Yu definitely wouldn't.

Why so sure?
This is the prestige that Gao Yu has earned!
P.S.: Guys, it's been so long since I've written about war, I'm feeling a bit out of sorts.

I'll only update twice today, but I'll definitely finish writing this battle tomorrow.

Consider this my way of taking a short break during the Dragon Boat Festival.

(End of this chapter)