Cheng Yuanzhi and the Yellow Turban Army made one mistake from the beginning.

The Han army came out of the city to fight this time, not to deal with the surprise attack at all, but to prepare for it. They were going to come out in full force early this morning and then launch a massive raid on the Yellow Turban Army camp. It was just a coincidence that the man whose son died was

Deputy Commander Zhang, who was also crazy, happened to have identified this time of the morning as a convenient time for a surprise attack, so the two sides collided directly.

On the battlefield, anything can happen, and this kind of thing can only be said to be ordinary, and what comes next is the real test of the troops on both sides... Whether it is the combat effectiveness of the frontline troops on both sides, or the judgment and judgment of the commanders on both sides.

Adaptability is crucial at this time!

For the Yellow Turban Army, this sudden encounter at least allowed them to discover the Han Army in advance and avoid being raided. And if Commander Cheng Yuanzhi and Cheng Cheng could realize this possibility from the beginning, they could instead have a presence in the front camp in advance.

If you are prepared, maybe the Yellow Turban Army can really resist!

But he didn't think of it, and he didn't react correctly... It was that simple and clear.

But on the contrary, when Gongsun Xun saw reinforcements pouring out of the front camp of the Yellow Turban Army, he made a decisive decision and seized the opportunity. At the most suitable time, he personally went out of the city to fight with a dignified figure of two thousand stones, boosting morale and inspiring the entire army to move forward.

One right and one wrong, and the outcome is immediately clear.

Deputy Commander Zhang's surprise attack troops were the first to retreat, and in panic they rolled back towards the front camp of the Yellow Turban Army. However, before the reinforcements that came out of the camp to respond could react, they lost their combat effectiveness in a daze and were dragged back.

In turn, they became part of the defeated army; as for the Han army that won first, they drove the defeated soldiers away like cattle and sheep, and followed them into the enemy camp!

The front camp was immediately lost!

Moreover, the matter is not over yet! How could Gongsun Xun, who had decided to fight today, let the victory end just now?

First, all the cavalry were desperate, split into two, and attacked left and right outside the camp, completely covering both sides of the battlefield; then a large number of light infantry in civilian clothes simply holding spears and carrying wooden shields rushed out of the city, following the troops in front.

The Han army continued to advance; and then countless soldiers who were just like strong men, just holding a pair of bows and arrows, followed closely...

There are so many, no less than ten thousand people!

This battle was probably the largest Han counterattack the Yellow Turban Army had encountered since the uprising.

The Han army's offensive was like waves. Cheng Yuanzhi, who grew up in Guangyang County near the sea, had the feeling of facing the sea from the beginning. However, after he tried to mobilize the troops outside the rear camp but received no response, this man

Qu Shuai of the Yellow Turban Army was completely in a panic... He couldn't understand at all why the thirty-thousand-strong army that was attacking the city and conquering the territory five days ago would end up in this situation?

However, Cheng Yuanzhi must not have known that as the commander-in-chief of an army, being helpless in a battle of this scale was an extremely irresponsible act. He just shouted twice and personally gathered the troops in the rear camp.

It's better to fight head-on, and it's better than standing here with cold hands and feet!

The morale has collapsed due to consecutive defeats, the military commander has done nothing, the military generals have acted without authorization, and the most important point - the so-called "big army" itself has no real large-scale combat experience!

As a result, in the Han army's hierarchical, planned and organized counterattack, the Yellow Turban Army suffered a collapse almost from the beginning!

Of course, fighting on a battlefield with dense camps, the Yellow Turban Army was so large, and the Han army was still mixed, so even though it was one-sided at the beginning, the battle still started from early morning and continued until noon.

The time has finally come to an end.

Several young commanders who were Taiping Dao believers forcibly lifted Cheng Yuanzhi up and fled the battlefield... Although it was a natural move, it also allowed the exhausted Han army to take down the almost complete Yellow Turban rear camp without a fight.

Soon after, the white horse flag replaced the large khaki flag with the words "black and yellow sky" written on it, and was hung on the high platform of the rear camp where Cheng Yuanzhi had previously stood.

Gongsun Xun, who was fully clothed and covered with a black brocade cloak, rode a white horse directly to the high platform under the banner, and then looked thoughtfully at the direction in which the Yellow Turban troops were fleeing.

"Junhou!"

"Please give the order, Your Majesty!"

"Please make it clear, Your Majesty."

The generals were so excited that they inevitably came to ask for instructions.

It is inevitable to ask for instructions... Gongsun Xun can only decide where the Han army will go next, and it is indeed difficult for people to decide, because according to the current situation, it is probably because the Han army has limited troops and is hindered by the vast camp area.

Because of this, tens of thousands of Yellow Turban troops actually escaped!

So next, is it better to use the remaining brave men to pursue the poor bandits and encourage the entire army to pursue them in order to completely destroy the Yellow Turban Army? Or should we stop here and rest first, and at the same time take over the large amount of ordnance and supplies left by the Yellow Turban Army and collect them from the prisoners on the spot?

How about recruiting young people?

The benefits of the former are undoubted, but the latter is by no means a small gain at a loss... You must know that although this battle is won, from the perspective of the entire campaign, troops need to be sent out immediately to rescue Fan Yang's siege!

If you think about it this way, the former is certainly a relief, and it also saves more than 10,000 people from escaping back to Guangyang County or allowing them to join Fan Yang's enemies to cause subsequent trouble; however, the latter method seems to be the best way to deal with Guangyang County.

The optimal solution to the siege of Yang!

In the Yellow Turban Army over there, even if the quality of the lower-level soldiers and mid-level officers is as worrying as here, there is Zhang Bao among them after all! As Zhang Jiao's biological brother, he was the core figure of this rebellious group many years ago.

, the other generation is so well prepared, then the military quality of him and his close subordinates must be much better than that of Cheng Yuanzhi here, right?

Not to mention, there were 50,000 people there!

The numerical gap is there, and we have to travel dozens of miles to rescue Fan Yang without the protection of the city. In this case, getting an army with sufficient equipment and sufficient numbers as early as possible seems to be more important than anything else.

Bar?!

The difference between combat objectives and strategic purposes must be clearly distinguished here.

Gongsun Xun withdrew his gaze, and then looked at the other chaotic camps behind him... where the soldiers took the opportunity to do some small-scale plundering after controlling the prisoners... but Gongsun Xun, and even officers at all levels

No matter what, they don't want to stop it, because if these people who were originally just county soldiers or even civilians, apprentices, and prisoners were not allowed to get some benefits, then it would be difficult for them to have the desire to fight again in a short period of time.

In fact, after watching for a while, Gongsun Xun actually turned around with a smile. Instead, he stood on his horse and asked the generals: "What do you think? Should you mobilize the entire army to pursue it, or should you give up and turn around?

Absorb prisoners of war and arm soldiers on the spot?"

Many of the generals were smart people, so they guessed that the other party had an idea and was just testing the generals, so they all began to speak freely.

Those who were more prudent and thought long-term, such as Gongsun Yue and Yang Kai, all said they would stay and take over the camp; those who were more militant, such as Wei Yue, Zhang Fei, etc., still proposed to pursue as soon as possible and try to take advantage of the two thousand cavalry.

Completely surround and engulf the enemy before dark, so as to avoid long nights and endless dreams.

As for the other middle and low-level officers who had gathered along the white horse flag at this time, most of them agreed with the suggestions of these two parties.

However, there are still some people's opinions that are more interesting... When the two sides were arguing, Guan Yu, who had always been talented and intelligent, actually took the initiative and suggested a pursuit, and his words may not be unreasonable.

"Junhou." Guan Yu bowed his hands and saluted, and then said seriously. "Our army defeated the enemy in five days, which can be called a quick victory. After all, Fan Yang is a rare big city, and Shen Zhengnan has the potential to form a horn with him in Beixin City.

, I think that although the situation there is urgent, it is not critical... Therefore, instead of abandoning the deserters and reorganizing a new army here, it is better to eat these deserters first, then seize their youth and repair them for a few days, and then the army will be

If the army is more victorious, wouldn't it be more effective with half the effort to go to the rescue?"

This is what it means to sharpen your sword and cut firewood without missing a beat. There is some truth in it. In addition, Guan Yu's performance these days is very impressive and is highly praised by the military... Therefore, as soon as he said this, more and more people around the White Horse Banner

Among the officers, quite a few nodded or gave words of praise.

Gongsun Xun smiled and said nothing, then turned his gaze to Liu Bei who was sitting on the ground aside: "Xuande, why have you not spoken?"

Liu Bei smiled bitterly when he heard the words, but he pointed to his right calf: "Reporting to you, I really don't know how to speak. If I follow my true intention, I should pursue quickly at this time; but I just said

I was a little careless during the battle and was stabbed in the leg by an old man. Although he was not seriously injured, I was afraid that he would not be able to immediately join the pursuit. Therefore, I also wanted to advise you to take it easy and fight again in two days...

…”

Everyone burst into laughter, and even Gongsun Xun shook his head helplessly.

In fact, Gongsun Xun had already noticed that these officers in the army generally wanted to continue the pursuit. They were those who considered the overall situation, or guessed the thoughts of their own princes, and said that they would ignore the deserters and take over the camp first to prepare to rescue Fan Yang.

In his true heart, he also wants to pursue it!

The reason is simple. Just as the soldiers behind them couldn't wait to seize the opportunity to plunder, these officers also wanted something... However, they looked down upon the few feet of cloth and dozens of money these soldiers looted. They asked for credit!

Therefore, they are generally unwilling to let go of these 10,000 or so defeated soldiers!

This is an instinctive pursuit that has nothing to do with character, intelligence, or personality.

In fact, when the commander of an army makes a decision, he must also take into account the needs of the soldiers, the desires of the officers, and the attitude of the superiors... Of course, sometimes there are more objects to consider... But in short, the commander makes military deployments

You must make choices when making decisions, and you must also pay attention to whether your decision is completely contrary to people's hearts!

If you disobey your superiors, you will be dismissed from your post; if you disobey your officers, you will mutiny; if you disobey your soldiers, you will deserters... Anyway, once something crosses the line, it is no lie that it will be defeated without a fight.

Of course, back to the present, these red lines are still too far away for Gongsun Xun. As the governor of a county like a local monarch, he has just fought such a victorious battle, and most of his core officers have been nurtured by many years of kindness, and even

There is also a group of loyal soldiers who are incredibly elite on this battlefield, so there is no risk in any decision he makes!

These people will definitely obey.

"Pass my order." Sure enough, after everyone had finished laughing, Gongsun Xun squinted his eyes and looked at the southeast direction where the Yellow Turban Army was escaping, and simply gave the order. "Zijing (Lian Zhao), Zizhang (Yang Kai),

Each led eight hundred cavalrymen to pursue the deserters in two directions, not seeking to kill or injure them, but only to delay them... The most important point was to cut off their way to Guangyang and not allow them to escape back to Guangyang. They only had to go to Fanyang.

, and you have to slow down!"

This requirement is very simple, interception and delay... One thousand six hundred cavalrymen, against ten thousand defeated soldiers who have lost most of their staffs and have no food and fodder, can do this kind of military action, and they can almost capture them with ease.

However, it is a bit inexplicable, and the selection is also quite subtle... Qianzhao is restrained in doing things, and Yang Kai is steady and loyal. Let these two people do this, as if they really don't want to kill, but only want to make no mistakes.

Of course, no matter what, Qian Zhao and Yang Kai immediately stepped forward and bowed.

"The rest of the generals can select prisoners on the spot and select three thousand young and capable men to join the army. The rest of the scoundrels, wounded soldiers, old and weak... Even if there are some young and capable men, they will all be included.

And set them free and drive them away to find their leader!”

Everyone is getting more and more confused... Seven or eight thousand people were obviously captured, but only three thousand were kept and the rest were released?!

"After selecting the prisoners, Wang Gongcao and others will naturally go out of the city to take over the camp, and you will go find him to replenish weapons and supplies." At this point, Gongsun Xun also became serious. "Uncle Fang still doesn't know whether he is alive or dead in Fan Yang.

Nan was entrusted by me to leave the Zhenbei New City, and there is no good or bad news... You must act according to the order quickly and do not shirk. Tomorrow I will see that the three thousand young men have been organized and fully equipped with weapons!"

After saying that, Gongsun Xun dismounted directly and walked towards the military tent where Cheng Yuanzhi originally lived. When the generals saw Qian Zhao and Yang Kai leaving quickly, they were also a little confused.
To be continued...