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

Chapter 354 Dilemma

"kill!"

More than a thousand cavalry, like a torrent, completely abandoned the defeated Yuan Jun cavalry and turned to kill the two thousand infantry.

Han Meng, who was injured and running away, did not expect that Zhao Yun would be so bold and dare to attack at this time.

He hurriedly ordered the infantry to form a formation to meet the enemy, but unfortunately it was too late. Zhao Yun had already led the troops to rush in before the formation was ready. The cavalry directly used Zhao Yun as an arrow and tore a bloody hole in the Yuan Army's infantry.

"Han Meng, please save your life!"

Zhao Yun's voice was like a huge thunder, and it reached Han Meng's ears. He was immediately frightened, and he hurriedly ordered the soldiers around him to form a formation to protect him. He also shouted loudly: "Don't panic, General Zhu has received the news and led his troops to kill him." , then Zhao Yun and his soldiers will all become turtles in the urn, all you can do is kill the enemy and make achievements!"

What Han Meng said was beautiful.

However, generals are brave soldiers. At this time, Han Meng was as afraid of the enemy as a tiger and used soldiers as shields to protect himself. How could the other soldiers be willing to fight?

After Zhao Yun led his troops into Yuan Jun's formation, several generals of Yuan Jun who were not afraid of death stepped forward to meet the enemy. However, they did not survive three rounds under Zhao Yun. They were all stabbed by their horses one after another. No one dared to stop Zhao Yun from charging.

Yuan's army was defeated like a mountain, and the soldiers fled for their lives.

Even so, Yuan Jun encouraged the people to rebel every day and stormed the city, which also put great psychological pressure on the Prime Minister of Pengcheng.

Zhao Yun was overjoyed when he learned that Pengcheng County had not yet fallen. He immediately changed his mind and shouted to his soldiers: "The Prime Minister of Pengcheng is still resisting Yuan's army. Since we are friendly forces, we naturally cannot sit idly by."

Therefore, Zhu Ling must ultimately bear the responsibility for the consequences of this defeat.

After Zhao Yun stabbed Han Meng to death, he cut off his head and hung it on his horse. He did not hesitate to fight and directly called his soldiers to evacuate urgently.

The situation was originally very good, and Zhu Ling also captured Xiang County, the seat of Pei State. If Han Meng could be more cautious, even if Zhao Yun was finally let go, this would definitely be a great achievement.

Han Meng was a defeated general. Even if he escaped by chance, he would still be punished. His future career would be in doubt, and the soldiers were not fools. No one was willing to lose their life for such a person.

It is precisely because of knowing this that the Prime Minister of Pengcheng State risked his life and mobilized the people to defend the city.

"What worries me even more is that because Yuan's army is rampant in various parts of the country, the messengers who go to Tan County to ask for help may not be able to arrive safely. If the king does not receive the letter asking for help, I am afraid he will think that Pengcheng has been lost, and reinforcements may not be sent at that time."

Zhao Yunhao suddenly became angry, pointed in the direction of Pengcheng County, and shouted sternly: "Charge!"

"Will you all rush with me to relieve the crisis in Pengcheng County?"

Five thousand Yuan troops surrounded Zhao Yun, who had only two thousand soldiers and horses, but were killed and severely defeated. In the end, even his deputy general Han Meng was beheaded.

As under the rule of Xuzhou, both officials and common people were relatively loyal to Liu Bei.

A general covered in blood walked up to the Prime Minister of Pengcheng and said in a hoarse voice. It was obvious that he had shouted too much at the top of his lungs on the battlefield and his vocal cords had been damaged.

In order to defend Pengcheng County, he has not slept for three consecutive days. He feels as if his whole body has been hollowed out. If it were not for the support of faith, he would have fallen asleep long ago.

The generals under his command were all trembling with fear, and no one dared to touch Zhu Ling's brow at this time.

Pengcheng County.

Zhao Yun did not dare to fight, so he bypassed the counties occupied by Yuan's army and planned to return directly to Tan County.

Zhu Ling looked at Han Meng's headless body and almost roared with gritted teeth.

"Pfft!"

All the soldiers shouted in unison: "It is our duty to point to the point of the general's sword!"

It is said that the dead person is the most important, and Zhu Ling is the commander-in-chief. If all the responsibilities are passed on to a dead person now, it will definitely attract criticism.

As soon as Zhao Yun passed through the Pengcheng Kingdom to govern Pengcheng County, a scout came to report that Yuan's army was storming the city, and the Pengcheng Kingdom's Prime Minister was leading the soldiers and civilians in the city to resist Yuan's army.

When Han Meng saw this, his eyes were about to burst, and he cursed at the fleeing soldiers.

Less than half an hour after Zhao Yun led his troops to retreat, Zhu Ling also led Xiangxian troops to fight over, but he could only beat his chest in anger.

"Gather the defeated troops, clean the battlefield, rescue the wounded, bury the corpses, capture the camp Zhao Yun left behind, and then return to Xiangxian County!"

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yun ignored the opponent's begging for surrender and directly shot him to death.

Seeing Zhao Yun leading his troops to attack and being injured again, Han Meng hurriedly shouted: "General Zhao, please show mercy, I am willing to surrender!"

The Prime Minister of Pengcheng State said with some concern: "The situation in Pengcheng State is like this. I am afraid that Pei State and Xiapi County are also unstable. Now half of the places under the king's rule are full of wars. I am not sure how long it will take for Yuan's army to be dispatched to relieve the siege of Pengcheng. .”

"Your Majesty, when will the reinforcements arrive?"

Because the Prime Minister of Pengcheng State knew that Pengcheng State was adjacent to Donghai County and was the southwest gateway to Tan County in Xuzhou Prefecture.

But after Zhao Yun led his army into Pengcheng Kingdom, he found that just as he had guessed, there were many cities here that Yuan Jun took the opportunity to occupy.

This is why Prime Minister Pengcheng was able to mobilize the people to defend the city when Yuan's army was attacking the city, even at the risk of losing the city and dying.

When the soldiers protecting Han Meng nearby saw this, they all shouted and dispersed.

Fortunately, the people of Pengcheng Kingdom did not succumb to Yuan Jun's coercion and inducement. They always stood on the side of Pengcheng Kingdom's Prime Minister and managed to hold on to the city.

Things are very different now.

Never thought about it.

Once Pengcheng Kingdom is completely defeated, Yuan Jun can directly enter Donghai County without any hindrance, and then besiege Tan County.

Worst of all, there is no escape from the charge of improper employment and poor rescue.

But now Han Meng has died in the battle.

If Han Meng is not dead, Zhu Ling can put all the blame on the other party, and it is indeed Han Meng who should bear the responsibility.

Zhao Yun did not pursue the fleeing soldiers, but instead led his troops to pursue Han Meng.

The reason why Prime Minister Pengcheng did not deceive this lieutenant was because he had been partnering with him for a long time and knew each other's nature well, so there was no need to hide it.

When the deputy general heard this, he was silent for a long time, and his eyes gradually became firm.

He said in a deep voice: "Without the king, I am afraid that Pengcheng would have been slaughtered by Cao Cao's men. This time the Yuan army invaded our territory of Pengcheng. As long as I am still alive, Pengcheng will never be lost!"

Prime Minister Pengcheng patted the deputy general's shoulder heavily and said, "Don't worry, even if you fall, as long as I still have breath, Pengcheng will not be lost!"

As soon as Prime Minister Pengcheng finished speaking, he vaguely heard some frightened shouts from Yuan Jun coming from outside the city.

He hurriedly looked up and saw a torrent in the distance with a strong sense of oppression, heading towards the rear of Yuan Jun.

"Tap Tap!"

"Tap Tap!"

"Tap, tap, tap!" As the sound of horse hooves got closer and closer, Prime Minister Pengcheng finally saw the flag of the visitor, which was the word "Zhao".

"kill!"

At the same time, Zhao Yun had already rushed into Yuan Jun's formation with his troops and horses. No one could stop the spear wherever it passed. Everyone who encountered it, whether they were ordinary soldiers or Yuan Jun generals, were stabbed to death.

A general is the courage of a soldier.

This cavalry had followed Zhao Yun for a long time and had seen the bravery of their own generals. Their morale was boosted and they charged towards Yuan Jun without fear of death.

Many counties in the south of Pengcheng County have already been captured by Yuan's army.

They didn't expect that a cavalry force would come from behind at this time. They were immediately in chaos and were scattered by Zhao Yun's cavalry.

On top of the city wall.

The deputy general looked at Zhao Yun, who was running rampant with white horses and silver spears under the city, like a god descending from heaven. He couldn't help but asked the Prime Minister of Pengcheng: "Do you know who the white-robed general is?"

The Prime Minister of the Pengcheng Kingdom looked at him intently, with a look of joy behind him, and said: "This is the general under the king's command, Changshan Zhao Zilong."

"General Zhao Zilong is unparalleled in his loyalty and valor. He is no less respected by the king than General Guan and General Zhang. This time, General Zhao is leading troops to help, so Pengcheng has nothing to worry about!"

The deputy general was overjoyed when he heard this and said: "The Yuan army is in chaos at this time. Why don't we open the city gates and let me lead the troops out and attack the Yuan army with General Zhao from front to back? Why worry about the Yuan army not being defeated?"

The Prime Minister of Pengcheng State was also a decisive person. Without any hesitation, he immediately ordered his deputy general to lead his troops out of the city to fight.

With the cooperation of the Pengcheng defenders, Zhao Yun's pressure to attack was greatly reduced. Yuan Jun lost nearly a thousand men and had to retreat in panic.

Zhao Yun didn't know how many soldiers and horses Yuan's army had, and because he was exhausted from the long-distance attack, he didn't dare to pursue them, so he had to join forces with Lieutenant General Pengcheng and then enter the city.

"The general's magic troops descended from the sky, and our Pengcheng city was like a rain of rain after a long drought!"

"With the general sitting here, Pengcheng will have no worries!"

Zhao Yun smiled bitterly in his heart, but said calmly on the surface: "A certain soldier under your command is exhausted after a long journey. I wonder if you can arrange for them to rest first and give them some food and hot water?"

The Prime Minister of Pengcheng State hurriedly said: "It's me who has been slacking off. Let's make arrangements and provide enough food!"

After Pengcheng, the Prime Minister of the State, gave his instructions, he immediately led Zhao Yun into the Prime Minister's Mansion.

Only when he saw no one on either side did Zhao Yun ask, "I wonder how many soldiers and horses Yuan Jun has outside the city?"

The Prime Minister of Pengcheng State said: "At first, only two thousand Yuan troops came to seize the city. After the defeat, a steady stream of Yuan troops gathered here. Now there are six thousand troops."

"According to the speed at which Yuan's army is gathering now, sooner or later the number of troops attacking the city will exceed 10,000!"

When Zhao Yun heard this, he couldn't help but look solemn, and continued to ask: "I wonder when the reinforcements sent by the king will arrive in Pengcheng?"

The Prime Minister of Pengcheng had a look of astonishment on his face and asked, "Isn't the general sent by the king to help Pengcheng?"

Zhao Yun smiled bitterly and shook his head: "That's not the case."

Prime Minister Pengcheng became even more confused and asked, "If that's the case, where did the general come from?"

Zhao Yun said with a hint of bitterness: "To be honest, a certain person is from Pei State. Now Pei County and Xiangxian County have been lost successively, and the powerful families in the territory have also taken refuge in Yuan Shao. I lost Pei State and broke through to Pengcheng State. I was lucky. The crisis in Pengcheng has been resolved!"

Next, Zhao Yun told everything about what happened in Pei State, and the Prime Minister of Pengcheng State looked heavy when he heard it.

He smiled bitterly and said: "I thought that the general was a reinforcement sent by the king, but I didn't expect it to be the case. I did send a messenger to Tan County before, but I don't know whether the messenger arrived in Tan County. .”

"Since Yuan Jun besieged the city, it has been difficult to send out messengers, so we can only passively wait for news."

Zhao Yun said: "If you are worried that the messenger cannot reach Tan County, why don't I send a few more elite cavalry to ask for help? With their skill, it should not be difficult to reach Tan County."

Prime Minister Pengcheng accepted Zhao Yun's opinion.

In fact, just as Prime Minister Pengcheng was worried, the messenger they sent was indeed intercepted halfway.

Xuzhou, Donghai County, Tan County, Prince Qi's Mansion.

Bad news comes one after another from all over.

Now, Yuan's army not only occupies Xiapi County, Pei Kingdom, and most of Pengcheng Kingdom, but even Langya Kingdom in the far north of Xuzhou was invaded by the 30,000 Qingzhou Army led by Yuan Tan.

Today's Xuzhou is like a leaky sieve. Except for Donghai County, which is still stable, the rest of the country is full of wars.

Yuan Shao has many soldiers and generals under his command. When attacking Xuzhou, he can naturally fight on multiple fronts, with flowers blooming on all sides, and he can do so with ease.

Xuzhou is different. Since there are not many soldiers and horses, and it is a place of four battles, there is no danger to defend. If you divide your troops to fight like Yuan Jun did, you will only bring about your own destruction.

It is for this reason that even though Liu Bei knew that wars were raging everywhere, he still did not dare to divide his troops to go to the rescue. Instead, he began to concentrate his troops, shrink the defense line, and prepare to concentrate all his troops in Donghai County to resist Yuan Shao.

At this time, Liu Bei looked very ugly.

Although he knew that Yuan Shao was eyeing Xuzhou and would definitely use troops against Xuzhou sooner or later, he never thought that the other party would risk fighting on two fronts to attack Xuzhou at this time.

Yuan Shao's actions completely disrupted Liu Bei's original plan, and he fell into an extremely passive situation.

"Is there still no news about Zilong?"

Liu Bei looked at Mi Zhu and asked worriedly.

The reason why he was able to gain a foothold in troubled times was not only due to his good reputation gained through hard work, but it was also inseparable from the generals under his command.

Even if he loses the entire Pei Kingdom, Liu Bei is not willing to lose the general Zhao Yun.

In fact, ever since Yuan's army raided Pei County from Yanzhou, Liu Bei knew that Pei would not be able to defend it, and he began to worry about Zhao Yun's safety.

But today, due to the raging wars and cutoff of transportation, the scouts sent by Liu Bei to explore Zhao Yun's details have not returned, which also makes Liu Bei quite anxious.

Mi Zhu sighed: "The situation has changed so quickly that it far exceeded our expectations. I didn't expect that Yuan Benchu ​​would have such courage. With their current offensive against Xuzhou, I am afraid that the main force of the Xiangfan battlefield has already been brought over."

"While your Majesty is worried about Zilong's safety, you should also consider the safety of Xuzhou."

"Today, Xuzhou has truly reached a life-and-death situation. Without strong help, I am afraid that we will not be able to overcome this difficulty."

The implication of Mi Zhu's words is very obvious, that is, let Liu Bei find a way to reconcile with Zhou Qi, and then let the Chu State send troops to rescue Xuzhou.

However, it was obviously difficult for Liu Bei to ask Zhou Qi for help at this time.

And even if Liu Bei really sends people to Xiangyang in a low voice, it is not certain whether Zhou Qi will choose to rescue Xuzhou.

(End of this chapter)