I did it all for the Han Dynasty!

Chapter 472 It's not too late! It's not too late!
"Did Liu Miao come today?"

"No."

"..."

This dialogue has been taking place for five consecutive days.

The first thing Yuan Tan did every morning upon waking was to ask his personal guards if Liu Miao had sent troops to attack, as if he wished Liu Miao could sleep right next to him.

But clearly, Yuan Tan failed to guess the answer for several days in a row.

He sat up from the couch in a rather dejected manner and began to question the meaning of life without moving.

Although he said he woke up, Yuan Tan hadn't slept all night.

A general should naturally conserve his energy and build up his strength.

But Yuan Tan's mind was forced to drift towards Ye City.

Was the matter of the grain supplies truly handled by Yuan Shang?
Besides Yuan Shang, did Shen Pei, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, take any action?
and also……

The more Yuan Tan thought about it, the more uneasy he became.

Sometimes, Yuan Tan even wanted to abandon the army, go back to gather clues, and then present the evidence to Yuan Shao so that Yuan Shao could execute Yuan Shang!

In that case, isn't the position of crown prince a sure thing?

unconsciously.

Yuan Tan has lost his will to win.

If I could use the issue of supplies to put Yuan Shang to death, why would I need to confront Liu Miao here?

……

The longer it went on, the more Yuan Tan thought about it.

The fact that Liu Miao could hold out for so long, in particular, made Yuan Tan's imagination run wild.

"Is it possible that Liu Miao wasn't actually in a hurry?"

"Is it possible that Liu Miao actually still had a lot of grain supplies?"

Yuan Tan rubbed his bloodshot eyes, covered his aching and dizzy head, and shook it vigorously.

Upon seeing this, the guards immediately sent a servant into the tent to serve Yuan Tan a meal.

A bowl of fragrant minced meat.

"Do they still serve meat in the army?"

"Yesterday, a horse broke its leg, so we killed it to use as military rations."

If a warhorse's leg is injured, it's practically a death sentence.

This explanation seems reasonable at first glance.

Yuan Tan ate half a bowl of the minced meat and then put it down.

"Horse meat is ultimately not as tender as beef or mutton."

A casual remark startled the waiter, causing him to drop the lacquered wooden tray with a loud crash.

"What's going on? Why are you being so clumsy?"

Yuan Tan looked at the other person with a hint of reproach, only to see the waiter's chest exposed as he squatted down to pick up a plate.

With just one glance, Yuan Tan frowned.

What happened to the wound on your chest?

The waiter quickly gathered his collar: "I tripped and fell myself."

Yuan Tan was so angry he laughed.

"Do you think I'm a fool?"

"Those are clearly marks left by a riding whip! Others may not recognize them, but surely I do!"

The waiter remained silent, no longer daring to continue lying through his teeth.

"What's going on?"

Still speechless.

"What? My words don't carry any weight?"

The other party quickly shook his head, and then said with a slightly tearful voice, "It was the cavalry deputy general who did it."

"presumptuous!"

Yuan Tan knew that there must be some among the heavy cavalry of Hebei who were not convinced of his authority, but he did not expect them to be so arrogant!
You must know that even when beating a dog, you have to consider its owner! When Yuan Tan heard that it was the cavalry deputy general who had done it, he immediately flew into a rage and was about to go out to settle the score with the other party.

"Your Highness! No!"

The waiter rushed forward, grabbed Yuan Tan's leg, and knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly.

"This matter cannot be blamed on the general."

"It was because I saw that there was no meat in the camp and I felt sorry for Your Highness, so I killed a cavalryman's horse. I didn't expect to be caught by the enemy and get whipped!"

Yuan Tan stood there, stunned.

"What did you say?"

"Was that a warhorse I just ate?"

Yuan Tan looked at the servant with a mixture of anger and heartache.

With a major battle imminent, how can we afford to lose our own cavalry first?
Especially the warhorses of the heavy cavalry, because they carry extremely heavy loads, are all carefully selected top-quality horses! They are the kind of horses that would sell for tens or even hundreds of gold coins at the horse market!

Such a warhorse was killed by its own people first?
However, Yuan Tan quickly noticed the key point.

"What do you mean the camp has run out of meat now?"

"I remember there were several hundred sheep before! Could they all be gone?"

The waiter was still wiping away tears.

"Your Highness, most of our Yuan army soldiers come from good families and cannot endure hardship. In particular, Your Highness's troops are elite, so naturally they are served meat at every meal. How could we dare to neglect them?"

"Now, meat... we really can't find any more in the camp!"

The Northern Zhao still adopted the conscription system of the Later Han Dynasty.

The soldiers recruited were often local militia from the same area.

Those who led them were mostly local powerful and influential families.

Regardless of their combat abilities, such people are certainly not willing to fall behind others when it comes to extravagance.

Yuan Tan had not expected that the food supplies in the camp would be consumed so quickly.

He couldn't help but frown: "Didn't I order that the soldiers' rations be halved?"

"..."

However, as soon as he asked the question, Yuan Tan realized what he had said.

It was said that the soldiers' rations were halved, but the generals were always the ones eating meat!
What does reducing the soldiers' rations have to do with those who eat meat?
Yuan Tan touched his forehead.

He vaguely understood.

Yuan Ying has now reached his limit!

If this continues, the consequences will be unimaginable!

Undeterred, Yuan Tan went to the camp himself, hoping to get some not-so-bad news.

But as Yuan Tan appeared, the rustling sound of Yuan's soldiers arose—

"Damn it! Even cows and horses shouldn't eat this little bit of food!"

"Bullshit! Warhorses eat far more expensive food than you!"

"Damn! Are people living worse than animals these days?"

"..."

Even more so.

Some troublemakers, upon seeing Yuan Tan from afar, would pick up their earthenware pots and slam them down, making them resound with a hollow thud, as a form of protest against their rumbling stomachs.

Those with slightly better morale were the Guanzhong elite soldiers and the Hebei heavy cavalry under Yuan Tan's command.

However, in such an atmosphere, their morale will eventually decline.

After witnessing the situation in the camp with his own eyes, Yuan Tan finally let out a long sigh.

I can't hold on any longer!

We must fight this battle!

And then... I pray that I might be lucky enough to win!

Yuan Tan stamped his foot, forcing himself to cheer up.

beat!
What if Chen Deng is wrong?

What if Liu Miao is just bluffing?

Wasn't it the same when we were pretending to confront Yuan Shao in Langya?

Yuan Tan must pull himself together!

Because he knew that he had no other way to go but this path!
"Go and invite Tadun Chanyu on my behalf, and tell him that we are about to attack Liu Miao and need to discuss tactics with him!"

"Here."

……

Tadun, belching loudly with the smell of mutton, entered Yuan Tan's tent. Before Yuan Tan could say anything, Tadun complained, "Your Highness, didn't we say we were going to defend? Why are we attacking now? What kind of battle is this?"

Yuan Tan also smelled the odor coming from Tadun's mouth.

Although he frowned, Yuan Tan tried his best to remain calm.

"This time, it will be the final assault!"

"Oh?"

Tadun looked at Yuan Tan curiously: "Could it be that we have some kind of opportunity to fight?"

Yuan Tan nodded.

However, Yuan Tan obviously cannot say that it was because the Yuan army lacked food supplies.

He could only say, "A scout has reported that Liu Miao's army has run out of food and morale is low. We should lead our troops to attack and defeat Liu Miao!"

Tadun no longer suspected anything.

Liu Miao knew long ago that the country was short of food.

Thinking that he could return to Liaodong with a full load after defeating Liu Miao, Tadun laughed with satisfaction.

"So that's how it is! Then in this battle, I, the Chanyu, will surely trample Liu Miao's imperial banner under my horse's hooves!"

There were also many of Yuan's generals in the tent.

Upon hearing Tadun's words, they couldn't help but frown.

Although the Northern Zhao dynasty has been established, most people still consider themselves Han Chinese.

Even according to legal principles, the Northern Zhao dynasty was established in accordance with the abdication of the Han dynasty.

When they heard that Tadun, a barbarian Chanyu, actually wanted to trample the imperial banner of the Han Dynasty underfoot, even these enemy generals of the Yuan army found it hard to accept.

Yuan Tan sensed that something was amiss in the atmosphere inside the tent and quickly steered the conversation in the direction of the topic.

"According to the scouts, Liu Miao has five thousand cavalrymen under his command, and the rest are just civilians who have no fighting ability."

Speaking of this matter, Yuan Tan finally gained a little more confidence.

"And our army here now has 30,000 troops!"

"Therefore, the advantage in this battle ultimately lies with me!"

Thirty thousand to five thousand!
No matter how you look at it, this is a win-win situation!
Moreover, Yuan Tan's 30,000 troops were not ordinary infantry.

"Our army consists of 7,000 Wuhuan cavalry under the command of the Chanyu, 5,000 Guanzhong warriors whom I recruited in Guanzhong, and 5,000 heavy cavalry entrusted by my father!"

When talking about these three elite forces, Yuan Tan straightened his back considerably.

Regardless, he felt he shouldn't have been defeated by Liu Miao again!
"As for this battle, it's not actually that difficult to fight."

In the center of the tent was a map of Jiaodong.

It is clearly visible that between Pingdu and Jimo lies a vast plain.

There are no mountains.

There is no large river.

There was only an endless expanse of wilderness!

In terrain like this, there are no tactics to speak of!
Especially given that both sides were cavalry, this battle was ridiculously simple!

The two armies clashed head-on!

When we meet on a narrow road, the brave one wins!

On such a battlefield, only strength, and only strength, is the deciding factor!

Therefore, Yuan Tan's tactics were quite simple—

"We urge the Chanyu to lead his troops forward and engage Liu Miao in battle first."

"As long as we can delay him, our cavalry will be able to tear Liu Miao's army formation apart, preventing even one of his horses from crossing the glue!"

The Guanzhong warriors were stationed in the center.

The Wuhuan cavalry harassed the flanks.

Hebei Heavy Cavalry sealed the victory!
There are absolutely no fancy tricks; only a head-on clash can determine the outcome of this battle and even the fate of the world!
When Tadun Chanyu heard that Yuan Tan wanted him to be the vanguard, he felt a little sorry for him.

Yuan Tan naturally knew what the other party was worried about.

So Yuan Tan added a sentence—

"Once the enemy's heavy cavalry appears, the Chanyu can withdraw first."

Tadun then beamed with joy: "Your Highness, rest assured! The Wuhuan warriors will fight to the death!"

Yuan Tan nodded slightly.

Immediately, he drew his sword and thrust it heavily towards Jimo.

"In this battle, we must defeat Liu Miao in one fell swoop and pacify the world!"

"Here!"

------

Beihai, Ju County.

A cavalryman charged from the north across the wilderness.

Upon arriving at the local post station, the cavalryman immediately dismounted from his panting horse, which was showing signs of rolling its eyes, and shouted inside, "Quickly bring dry rations and water! Get another horse! I have urgent military intelligence!"

The inspector quickly came out to greet them, but his smile was somewhat ingratiating when he looked at the cavalry.

"It's getting late. Please rest here and deliver the message tomorrow."

But the cavalryman immediately shook his head, even angrily rebuking the inspector: "Don't you know the rules? This is an urgent military situation! Men and horses can't rest, how can I stay here?"

Only then did the inspector notice a tuft of bright yellow feathers on the other man's iron armor, and his expression immediately changed drastically.

"Could something have happened on the Central Plains battlefield?"

The cavalryman nodded helplessly, his tone tinged with regret.

"The supervising officer Ju Shou fought against Liu Miao and Zhou Yu at Mangdang Mountain, but was defeated and killed! At the same time, the Han cavalry is exceptionally brave. Their warhorses are equipped with double stirrups and high-bridged saddles, and the Han cavalry also use heavy arrows and long spears, which can defeat heavy cavalry head-on! Therefore, His Majesty sent me to inform Your Highness that you must not fight against the Han cavalry!"

The inspector's pupils were trembling!

He asked incredulously, "Why is such important news only being delivered now?"

The cavalrymen were somewhat helpless.

After Ju Shou was defeated and killed that day, Yuan Shao also fainted.

Three days passed before Yuan Shao regained consciousness.

Three more days passed after Yuan's generals had sorted out the battle situation.

It wasn't until Yuan Shao summoned his advisors again that he realized Liu Miao might attack Yuan Tan.

And then, three more days passed.

Furthermore, with the Central Plains and Qingzhou separated by Mount Tai, Yuan's cavalry sent a message that they would have to rush along the river and bypass Mount Tai to reach Qingzhou, which would take several more days...

The Battle of Mangdang Mountain put Yuan's army in a completely passive position. It was already extremely difficult to send the news, let alone a few days earlier.

The cavalryman, growing impatient with the questions, urged the inspector, "Hurry up! Otherwise, if we delay the journey, can you afford the consequences?"

The inspector hurriedly prepared the dry rations, fresh water, and horses, but his expression was already somewhat dazed.

As the cavalryman was about to leave, he couldn't help but tug at his sleeve.

"General! What if we don't have enough time?"

"How could it be too late?"

"What if... it's too late?"

After some hesitation, the inspector informed the cavalry of the previous news that Wang Xiu had defected and that Yuan Tan was short of supplies.

The Yuan army cavalryman also gasped for breath: "What did you say?"

"Your Highness is now short of food?"

"Yes."

"How long have you been missing?"

"Almost...almost at the limit!"

The cavalrymen's faces also turned pale.

Nearing the limit?

Doesn't that mean that Yuan Tan could lead the last hope of the Yuan army to fight Liu Miao at any time?

As someone who had experienced part of the Battle of Mangdang Mountain, Yuan Jun's cavalry knew all too well how terrifying Liu Miao's unreasonable heavy archer cavalry was on the plains!
"There's enough time!"

"But……"

"We'll definitely make it in time!"

The other party had no time to exchange pleasantries with the inspector.

He had only one thought at that moment—

That means we must inform Yuan Tan of the intelligence! We must persuade Yuan Tan to avoid fighting Liu Miao! And bring back the Hebei heavy cavalry, to whom Northern Zhao has poured countless resources and effort, intact!
Otherwise, the only way out for the entire Northern Zhao might be to smash their head against the walls of Pengcheng!

"Young Master, the future of His Majesty and the Great Zhao Dynasty rests entirely on your shoulders!"

(End of this chapter)