People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 161 Success
"Master, we won!"

When the officers and soldiers were still withdrawing one after another, Huang Long returned to Xu Chen and his voice was full of excitement and joy as soon as he opened his mouth.

Although this battle alone could not be considered a victory and was at most a draw, both Xu Chen and Huang Long understood that after the officers and soldiers withdrew, the strategic role of the Yellow Turbans in the western battlefield was successful.

"Now we just have to wait for General Wang to come back. We will combine our forces to attack the west and at least be able to take down Guangyang County!"

At this point, Huang Long couldn't help but applaud, and he looked like he really wanted to chase after him immediately.

However, he also understood that quick success and instant benefits were not advisable. He would not be able to achieve anything good with the limited number of troops now. It would not be too late to wait until Wang Dang's troops joined forces before marching west again. The Yellow Turbans had spent two years preparing for this war, and they only wanted to be safe.

After the officers and soldiers withdrew, Xu Chen felt the pressure was relieved and was naturally happy.

However, when he saw the messy camp and the people collecting corpses and carrying the wounded everywhere, he was not very happy.

"After the military medical battalion is done, General Huang, please come with me to visit. Although we have held our ground in this battle, the officers and soldiers are not so comfortable with their strong attacks. I am afraid that our army has suffered a lot of casualties."

"Well, that's what the leader said."

Huang Long was stunned at first when he heard this, but then he felt warm in his heart. Xu Chen's care for the soldiers was really beyond words.

If he was just pretending to be righteous, he probably wouldn't care whether this was the busiest time for the military medical camp and just rushed in. But if he really cared about the wounded, he would of course know that going there now would only cause trouble for the military doctors.

Wait until the military doctor has finished treating the soldier, and then go over to visit him. Even if it can't be of much help, it can at least make the soldier feel better.

"Our army should have suffered more than a thousand casualties in this fierce battle, but our army is well-equipped after all, so the casualties should be few. As for the injuries, there is no need to worry too much. Our military doctors are all Mr. Zhang's cheap disciples. They may not be able to treat difficult and complicated diseases, but battlefield injuries are definitely easy to treat. The leader can rest assured."

Huang Long saw Xu Chen looked worried, so he spoke a few words to comfort him.

Xu Chen nodded. He certainly understood these things. Although there were many casualties this time, he was sure that the casualties among officers and soldiers would be even greater.

Sure enough, after a while, someone reported the battle damage data. The casualties of the Yellow Turbans were almost the same as Huang Long's estimate. There were more than 800 bodies of officers and soldiers on the battlefield alone, not to mention the large number of wounded. The total casualties had reached more than 3,000.

The difference in combat effectiveness is directly reflected in the casualty data. This is because Gongsun Zan's officers and soldiers are of qualified quality, otherwise the gap would only be more exaggerated.

After a long time, when Xu Chen and other military doctors had almost finished treating the wounded, they brought Huang Longtian and Shitou to the military medical camp to visit the wounded.

As soon as he came in, the wounded were extremely excited. Even though many of them could not move, they all wanted to stand up and salute Xu Chen. Finally, they stopped when Xu Chen signaled with his palm.

"Soldiers have suffered, but your efforts are worth it. We have won this battle!"

Xu Chen looked at the wounded with a smile on his face. He knew that what the wounded needed at this moment was not sentimental comfort, but the joy of victory.

As expected, as soon as he finished speaking, many wounded soldiers started to giggle, and the originally depressed and miserable mood of the military medical battalion suddenly became relaxed. Of course, this was also because the words of the leader Xu Chen could have such an effect.

The influence of the leader's words and deeds is naturally unique in the eyes of the soldiers.

Xu Chen looked at a wounded man beside him, a strong man of about 27 or 28 years old, who was currently lying on a sickbed. His face was pale, his brows were tightly furrowed, and he was in visible pain.

The wounded soldier had a cloth wrapped around his abdomen, and blood was oozing from the wound. At first glance, Xu Chen knew that it was a puncture wound. This kind of injury would inevitably require surgical operation. In the absence of mature anesthesia methods, it must have been extremely painful. No wonder the soldier has not recovered yet.

Just as he was about to speak, he saw that the wounded soldier was holding something tightly in his hand. It was a blood-stained book.

"Before the sergeant left, his last words were asking if we could succeed, but I can't answer that question."

The sturdy man suddenly grabbed Xu Chen's hand, his eyes filled with tears.

This action frightened Tian Shitou, and he wanted to go over to rescue.

But before he could step forward, Huang Long grabbed him and shook his head.

Tian Shitou was stunned for a moment, and then he looked again and saw that Xu Chen did not struggle to break free from the soldier after a moment of silence, but covered the soldier's hand with his other hand, and then sighed softly.

From the soldier's question, Xu Chen knew what the other person had experienced.

Such things are certainly sad, but as long as the Yellow Turbans continue to move forward, they will continue to happen in the future. The Yellow Turbans' cause is destined to be painful and struggling. Without bloodshed and sacrifice, there is no way to dream of success.

"We will succeed."

Xu Chen's deep and steady voice echoed in every corner of the military medical camp, and everyone was excited.

The question asked by the soldier was also a question in the minds of the others. No one was sure whether they could succeed in the goal they were fighting for so hard, and everyone was eager to hear a positive answer.

No one else can give this answer, only one person can give it, and now this person has given it. When Xu Chen spoke the affirmative words, tears instantly flowed from the soldiers' eyes, and the others also felt relieved, as if a stone in their hearts had fallen to the ground, making them feel more at ease than ever before.

"Why can it succeed? This is not some prophecy from gods or ghosts, but is determined by objective laws!"

Xu Chen gently patted the soldier's hand, and the soldier finally let go of his hand in panic. Then Xu Chen stood up and looked around at all the wounded soldiers: "As long as we truly represent the interests of the vast majority of people, we will definitely succeed."

In fact, to the soldiers, any objective rules were not as reassuring as Xu Chen’s firm tone.

But no matter what, they could all feel Xu Chen's complete confidence. If even the leader was determined to succeed, then they would not have any doubts.

This kind of affirmation is an unparalleled motivation for the soldiers. A path and goal that is certain to be achievable is enough to make them countless times more determined.

"The leader said it's okay, so we believe it. As long as we can succeed in the future, it doesn't matter if we suffer a little now. We should endure it first, so that people in the world won't suffer in the future!"

A wounded soldier began to respond with a laugh, and his words immediately caused everyone to laugh.

The pain brought by the injuries was immediately covered by optimistic and positive emotions. When they thought about the world they would build in the future, they were full of energy, and the injuries on their bodies suddenly became insignificant.

The soldier holding the book finally smiled with relief. The sadness and pain did not destroy his fighting spirit, but made him more eager to fight.

It’s a pity that I’m already seriously injured and can’t participate in future battles.

He could only comfort himself that there were still many areas for the Yellow Turbans to liberate in the future, and he would not worry about not having the opportunity to participate in the cause.

The Han Dynasty still has many more thirteen states. I must follow the leader and rescue these places one by one.

The leader said that the Yellow Turbans' cause could succeed, and he did not have the slightest doubt in his heart. From the time he had known the Yellow Turbans and the leader until now, he had never seen the other party break their promise.

After following Xu Chen to the military medical camp, Huang Long couldn't help but admire the spiritual leadership role of the leader.

Just walking around like this and talking to the soldiers greatly encouraged the injured soldiers.

This made him feel that, at least in Youzhou, the leader's prestige was no less than that of the great virtuous teacher of the past, and might even far exceed it.

He himself also felt very reassured because of the words "it will succeed".

Although the Yellow Turbans of the Natural Religion Sect are still only a small force in a corner compared to the first year of the Yellow Calendar, and although the Han Dynasty has recovered and is more powerful than in the first year of the Yellow Calendar, Huang Long still feels that he is more at ease now than when the Great Sage Master started the rebellion.

Visiting the wounded soldiers was just one of Xu Chen's actions in the past few days. In fact, during the days of waiting for Wang Dang's army, he also visited various military camps.

Listening to the soldiers' combat experiences and responding to their various questions can not only bring you closer to the grassroots, but also directly boost the morale of the entire army.

This is not to say that Xu Chen has begun to pay less attention to practical matters, but that his career has reached this point today, and he also needs to play the role of a spiritual leader. As a so-called spiritual leader, he naturally needs to inject strength into the soldiers on the spiritual level.

These seemingly formal behaviors are, to some extent, more effective than specific matters.

After a few days, the Yellow Turbans finally waited for Wang Dang's army to arrive.

Xu Chen didn't need to worry about Liaodong at all at this time. With Lu Ping, who had been training in western Liaoning for two years, taking over, there would be no trouble in Liaodong. The Yellow Turbans only needed to focus all their energy on the officers and soldiers.

Without any greetings, once the two sides met, Xu Chen simply affirmed Wang Dang's great contribution in this battle and led him into the big tent.

A map had been placed in the center of the tent, and small flags representing the military distribution of both sides had been planted.

"The officers and soldiers still have some strength left, and our army has been at loggerheads for several months and is not suitable for a long battle. Therefore, there is no need to be greedy for merit in this battle. We will take Guangyang County as our goal!"

Xu Chen directly established the strategic goal, and the next step was to discuss how to fight.

Wang Dang and Huang Long had no objection to this. The Yellow Turbans were indeed very strong now, but their strength was built on countless amounts of money and food.

Whether it's the soldiers' salaries, post-war pensions, or the money and food for the equipment and expeditions, these are all huge expenses. It would be easy to take a big step and difficult to recover it later.

The Yellow Turbans are now in an ideal situation of advancing step by step, and they don't want to create any more trouble.

"According to our scouts, after the withdrawal, the soldiers entered the counties of Guangyang and have begun to build walls to fortify the city. They are determined to defend it to the death!"

Huang Long pointed to several flags of Guangyang on the map, then looked at them.

(End of this chapter)