At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 299 Night Battle

The commander's flag was broken before the battle, which was indeed an ominous sign in this era.

"Is it really a warning from God?"

Zhou Yu stepped forward to check the broken handsome flag, his face became extremely solemn.

He did not reply to the generals, but frowned and thought hard, and began to review the plan to attack the Hanzhong military camp to see if there were any flaws in some places.

But after thinking about it, Zhou Yu didn't realize where the problem was.

The Chu army was already outnumbered, with elite soldiers and brave generals, and had an absolute advantage.

On the other hand, in the Hanzhong Army, only the commander Zhang Wei took the lead in the battle. The other generals were either afraid of the Chu army or had secretly collaborated with the Chu state.

Especially since Yang Bai, the deputy general of the Hanzhong Army, thought that there was an internal response, Zhou Yu could not imagine that this night attack would fail.

After much deliberation, he couldn't find any flaws. Zhou Yu immediately looked around at the crowd and said in a deep voice: "It's a strange thing that you can't do anything. The breaking of the commander's flag is just an accident. How can it be taken seriously?"

"I have made an agreement with General Yang to attack the Hanzhong military camp at five o'clock. If we fail to do so, we will not only break our promise, but we will also miss the best opportunity to defeat the enemy!"

When Wei Yan heard this, he advised: "The night attack cannot be canceled easily, but the governor has a distinguished status, how can he go to rob the camp himself?"

"The general is incompetent and is willing to lead [-] elite troops to rob the camp. The governor can lead his own army to respond from behind."

"If the general successfully robs the camp, the governor can lead troops to rush to the rescue, expand the results of the battle, and completely defeat the Hanzhong army in one battle."

"If things change, the governor can also lead an army to rescue the general."

Wei Yan's policy was indeed considered mature and prudent, with almost no faults to be found. Zhou Yu did not reject it when he heard it.

Wu Yi also said: "Wen Chang's words are very kind, and I also ask the governor not to put himself in danger. Besides, although Man Chong was taken away from the seal and ribbon, he is still in the enemy's camp after all, so there is no guarantee that something will happen."

"boom!"

Wu Yi's words were like thunder exploding in Zhou Yu's mind.

It wasn't until this moment that he realized how important something he had overlooked.

According to common sense, since Man Chong was taken away from his seal and ribbon, he should be sent back to Nanzheng. However, he is still being detained in the Hanzhong Military Camp.

The plan to drive a wedge between Zhang Lu and Man Chong was not planned by Zhou Yu.

In addition, Man Chong was also an unknown person before and had no impressive record at all. Out of his trust in Li Yan's ability, Zhou Yu didn't think much about it and believed that Man Chong was no longer something to be afraid of.

It's not that Zhou Yu is incompetent in resourcefulness, it can only be said that he is careless. He didn't understand Man Chong at all before.

If the person who went to the Hanzhong military camp this time was the already famous Guo Jia or Cheng Yu, Zhou Yu would never be so trusting and would definitely act cautiously.

Now, with the warning of the broken flag and the unintentional reminder from his generals, Zhou Yu finally woke up.

He thought to himself: "If Man Chong had already understood Zheng Fang's strategy of alienation and planned to use his plan to find out the spies in the Hanzhong army, and then planned his plan on me, then if he rashly led troops to rob the camp, I'm afraid he would fall into his trap. It’s a trap!”

Thinking of this, Zhou Yu immediately looked at Wei Yan and said: "There may be an ambush in the Hanzhong military camp. Chief Wen can lead [-] troops to rob the camp. Be careful. Once you encounter an ambush, pretend to retreat immediately and lead your troops to attack." Come from Dingjun Mountain."

"Commander Wen, please remember that there may be experts in the Hanzhong army. When you are pretending to be defeated, you are not allowed to let your subordinates march in order, otherwise the opponent may not fall into the trap!"

When Wei Yan heard Zhou Yu's words, he couldn't help being surprised and shouted: "Does the Governor think that Yang Bai betrayed us?"

Zhou Yu said in a deep voice: "It may not be Yang Bai who betrayed us, maybe he has been killed."

When all the generals heard this, they were all filled with awe.

Wei Yan frowned and said, "The formation was in chaos during the retreat. If the Hanzhong Army takes the opportunity to pursue us, our officers and soldiers may suffer a lot of casualties."

Zhou Yu said: "As long as the Hanzhong army can be induced to leave the stronghold to pursue, even if thousands of people are lost, this battle will be the first achievement!"

When all the generals heard this, their expressions changed.

As the saying goes: Compassion does not control soldiers, and righteousness does not control wealth.

Although many people understand the truth of this sentence, few people can actually do it.

They did not expect that Zhou Yu, who was leading an army alone for the first time, would have the courage to use three thousand soldiers and horses as bait, and even planned to lose one-third of these soldiers and horses.

This number of casualties is definitely not small.

If the Hanzhong Army can be drawn out, then so be it. If the war does not go in the direction Zhou Yu expected, Zhou Yu will bear a large responsibility for just this casualty.

How could Zhou Yu not know this truth?

But he knew better that if his prediction was correct and Yang Baizhen was killed, then the Yang family, who was regarded as an internal support by the Chu army, would soon be purged.

If this is really the case, future battles will be difficult to fight.

Once the war is delayed until Guanzhong reinforcements arrive, the Northern Expedition will end in failure.

Zhou Yu's northern expedition to Hanzhong caught Zhang Lu by surprise. If he missed this opportunity, it would not be so easy to attack Hanzhong in the future.

It was precisely because he knew the seriousness of the matter that Zhou Yu planned to use three thousand soldiers and horses as bait, and planned to use his tactics to decide the outcome in one battle.

Wei Yan also felt awe-inspiring and said: "I will obey the orders of the Commander-in-Chief!"

Zhou Yu stepped forward and patted Wei Yan on the shoulder, saying: "Whether Yang Bai was killed or there might be an ambush in the Hanzhong military camp, these are just my guesses and may not be true."

"Chang Wen should be prepared with both hands."

"If I meet Yang Bai himself when we rob the camp, maybe I'm overly worried. Wen Chang can cooperate with him inside and outside to defeat the Hanzhong army."

"If Yang Bai hadn't personally greeted him, there would most likely be an ambush inside the camp. Chief Wen must be cautious."

Wei Yan said: "The general does not know Yang Bai. Even if Zhang Wei sent someone to pretend to be Yang Bai, he would not be able to tell the difference."

Li Yan took the opportunity to say: "I know Yang Bai and asked to go with General Wei to rob the camp!"

Zhou Yu nodded and said: "In that case, then Zhengfang, please go with Chang Wen, and be sure to ensure your own safety!"

Wei Yan was also overjoyed when he heard this.

His defection to Zhou Qi was short-lived, and he was entrusted with important tasks without making any achievements. There was a lot of criticism among the army.

Li Yan had long since joined Zhou Qi, and had made great contributions, and he and Wei Yan were from the same hometown. If he could build a good relationship with Li Yan through this battle, Wei Yan would have people who could help him in the future, and he would naturally be happy.

After Wei Yan ordered his troops and horses to leave, Zhou Yu immediately looked at Huo Jun and said: "Zhong Miao led three thousand troops and horses, put on Hanzhong army uniforms, and ambush not far from the enemy camp."

"When the Guanzhong army leaves the stronghold in large numbers, they will immediately lead their troops to falsely open the stronghold gate!"

Huo Jun agreed with a bang.

Zhou Yu looked at Wu Yi again and said: "Zi Yuan led three thousand troops and ambush in the wild boar forest. After the Hanzhong army breaks out, they will cut off their retreat." Wu Yi also agreed with a bang.

Zhou Yu immediately ordered his generals Dong Xi, Pan Zhang, Ma Zhong and others to each lead a troop of troops to follow him and find a position in advance to ambush him.

When the fifth watch arrived, Wei Yan and Li Yan immediately led [-] troops to rob the camp.

The soldiers and horses quietly walked outside the Hanzhong military camp, and sure enough they saw the people coming to meet them at the agreed place. Wei Yan looked at Li Yan and asked in a low voice: "Is this general Yang Bai?"

Li Yan shook his head gently.

Wei Yan felt awe-inspiring and enthusiastically stepped forward to greet the general who came to meet him. Then he pretended to be casual and asked, "Why didn't General Yang come?"

The man lowered his voice and said: "General Yang has led his men to the place where the grain, grass and baggage are piled. Once the general leads the troops into the robbery camp, General Yang will be the first to set fire to the grain and grass baggage, causing chaos in the camp."

Wei Yan Yangzhuang suddenly realized, and then praised: "General Yang is still thoughtful."

The responding general sneered in his heart, but asked calmly on the surface: "May I ask, general, how many soldiers and horses have been brought to rob the camp this time?"

Wei Yan raised his chin proudly and said, "You are here with five thousand elites, and with General Yang as your internal support, you are enough to defeat the Hanzhong military camp!"

It was now dark night, and the soldiers were hiding in the dark and had no idea of ​​the exact number. The general who responded believed it was true, but sneered in his heart: "It's just five thousand headless ghosts. Today next year will be their memorial day."

This person felt that five thousand Chu troops were just right, no more, no less.

If it could be swallowed completely, it would definitely hurt the Chu army's strength and vitality, and it would also greatly boost the morale of the Hanzhong army.

If there are too many troops and horses coming, the [-] Han Chinese army may not be able to swallow them all with the elite Chu army.

With the help of supporting troops and horses, Wei Yan led his army into the Guanzhong military camp unimpeded.

However, since he knew that this was a trap, he naturally kept some caution and let Li Yan lead the troops from behind to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Seeing that two thousand people under his command had entered the Hanzhong military camp, Wei Yan said, "Why are there so many of us coming in, but there is no movement in the camp?"

The general responded and said, "General Yang has already made arrangements. This area is where his soldiers are stationed!"

"Don't worry, General, just keep going deeper."

A sharp light flashed in Wei Yan's eyes, and he knew that he could not continue to lead his troops in, otherwise it would be difficult to break out when all the troops fell into the encirclement.

He winked at the deputy general next to him. The other person understood and immediately disappeared quietly into the darkness.

Not long after, a huge noise suddenly arose from the rear of the Chu army, and someone immediately came to report: "The general is in trouble. The soldiers just now were too nervous, and some mistook friendly troops for enemy troops, causing a conflict."

Wei Yan was furious when he heard this, and then cursed: "How dare you ruin my good deeds?"

After scolding him, he immediately raised the sword in his hand and shouted sternly: "The whereabouts have been revealed, there is no need to continue to hide, you all, please follow me and charge, and we will make great achievements today!"

After speaking, Wei Yan immediately took the lead and rushed towards the nearby camp.

The generals who came to respond were dumbfounded. They did not expect that the Chu army's military discipline was so bad and that they came to rob the camp to make such a big fuss, ruining Man Chong's plan to lure the enemy deeper.

But the matter has come to this, and that’s all it can do.

He immediately left the military formation without leaving any trace, and not long after, the shouts of killing were heard all around the Chu army.

"Wei Yan'er has fallen into my trap, why don't you dismount your horse and accept your surrender!"

At the same time, thunderous shouts rang out from all directions in order to disrupt the morale of the Chu army.

as predicted.

The Chu soldiers who came to rob the camp opened several tents in succession and found that they were all empty.

While they were wondering, someone heard shouts from all directions and couldn't help but turn pale with fright.

The reason for this is that in order to perform well, Wei Yan did not inform his soldiers of the details, which made the soldiers of Chu State confused.

At this time, Wei Yan showed extraordinary ability in commanding troops. He asked his personal guards to hold torches high to protect him, and then shouted sternly: "Wei Yan is here, don't panic, and follow me out of the camp!"

"Wei Yan is here, don't panic, just follow me out of the camp!"

The guards around him shouted in unison.

Seeing that their general was so calm and unhurried, the Chu army calmed down and followed Wei Yan, who was bathed in the light of the torch, to kill outside.

However, since Zhang Wei and Man Chong had already made plans to encircle and annihilate the Chu army, how could they be allowed to leave so easily?

"Choo Choo Choo!"

Rockets shot towards the Chu army from all directions, fell into their nearby camp, and quickly ignited the fire starters inside.

In an instant, fire shot into the sky, mixed with billowing smoke.

Even though Wei Yan commanded his troops calmly in the face of danger, the Chu army that entered the camp was still in chaos and fled in all directions.

The Hanzhong army took the opportunity to cover up the attack, and the Chu army was defeated.

Wei Yan finally led more than a thousand people to rush out of the camp. If Li Yan hadn't sent troops to support him, I'm afraid this time it would have been a fake show and he would have been completely defeated.

Wei Yan, whose face was full of soot, had just rushed out of the camp and immediately shouted to his soldiers: "I fell into the traitor's plot by mistake. We can't fight anymore tonight. Follow me back to Dingjun Mountain!"

After shouting, Wei Yan led the crowd to flee in panic.

Inside the camp, Manchong ordered his men to capture several Chu prisoners. After interrogation, they learned that they had indeed come to rob the camp because they had insiders, and had never expected to suffer such a defeat.

Man Chong asked again: "How many soldiers and horses are coming to rob the camp this time?"

The prisoner answered truthfully: "It should be five thousand people!"

Although Wei Yan only brought [-] men, he announced that he had [-] men. These low-level soldiers did not know at all, so they informed Man Chong of the number of [-].

Upon hearing this, Man Chong breathed a sigh of relief, then turned to Zhang Wei and said: "What the prisoners said is exactly the same as the report of the general responsible for responding to Wei Yan. From what I can see, the Chu army's formation was in chaos when they retreated. If it weren't for Then Wei Yan can be regarded as a general, and I am afraid that thousands of Chu troops will suffer loss."

"Chu's army has lost all courage. We should take advantage of the victory and pursue it. Don't let it go!"

Zhang Wei won a battle this time, and when he was in high spirits, he immediately said: "Bo Ning led three thousand troops to clean the battlefield. I will lead the rest of the troops to pursue the Chu army. I must kill Wei Yan's head!"

Man Chong said: "General, you should be careful when going here. You can only chase ten miles away at most. Otherwise, when Zhou Yu leads the troops to rescue, it will definitely be a fierce battle!"

Zhang Weidao: "I will definitely keep the military advisor's words in mind!"

After speaking, Zhang Wei left behind three thousand soldiers and horses, but he led the rest of the soldiers out of the stronghold to pursue the Chu army.

(End of this chapter)