Xiliang, Gaoping

Although Gaoping is a small city, its geographical location is extremely special. The Qiang people are now gathered in Fengyi Mountain. If they want to advance further, they must remove Gaoping as a thorn in their side.

The Qiang people launched several large-scale attacks on the city, but the defenders of Gaoping held out fiercely and fearlessly. In addition, the leaders of the various Xianling Qiang tribes were worried about losing too many men and did not fight with all their might. Therefore, Gaoping has been able to hold out until now.

On the city wall of Gaoping, a large banner with the character "Han" flutters in the wind. Although it is slightly tattered, it still stands upright against the raging sandstorms of the border region and has never fallen.

On the battlements, the Han soldiers who had been holding out for more than three months were exhausted. Of the original two thousand defenders, fewer than five hundred remained after the Qiang people's repeated attacks and battles.

As the garrison commander Guo Si patrolled the city walls, he looked at the emaciated faces of his soldiers and their tattered armor, and his heart sank. The city had been without food for more than a month, and all edible things had been plundered. If no reinforcements arrived, Guo Si did not know how much longer they could hold out.

Just as Guo Si was filled with extreme worry, he suddenly saw a cloud of dust rising from the east of the city, obscuring the sky.

"All troops on high alert."

Upon seeing this, Guo Si immediately shouted and then looked intently. The soldiers on the city wall also picked up their weapons and looked at the cloud of dust. The thunderous sound of horses' hooves clearly reached everyone's ears, and no one showed any fear on their face.

"It's the Han army! Our reinforcements have arrived!"

Once the cavalry force was clearly identified, someone on the city wall shouted excitedly, and all the defenders of Gaoping began to embrace and cheer. Many soldiers even knelt down, taking out the belongings of their fallen comrades and shedding tears.

Upon entering the city, Dong Zhuo was deeply impressed by the miserable state of the Gaoping garrison. He was struck by their courage and steadfastness in fighting to the death and defending the city. He immediately ordered his cavalry to distribute all their food supplies to the soldiers.

"Commander Guo, you have worked hard. It is truly remarkable that you have been able to hold out until now. I will certainly report your merits to the Emperor and General Duan truthfully."

"The Emperor?"

At this time, Guo Si was unaware of Liu Hong's ascension to the throne, because when Duan Jiong retreated to Pengyang, he only ordered Guo Si to hold the position and wait for the court's reinforcements, without saying anything else.

"good!"

Dong Zhuo looked on with reverence, bowed towards Luoyang, and then said, "The current emperor is wise and values ​​us warriors. Even when we are in trouble from both inside and outside the country, he still cares about our Xiliang and has managed to allocate grain and make up for the backlog of military pay. Moreover, His Majesty has said that as long as we kill the enemy and make meritorious contributions, we will not only be granted titles and fiefs, but even if we die in battle, our wives and children will be supported by the court!"

The more he talked, the more excited Dong Zhuo became.

Han Dynasty soldiers were known for their integrity. They were loyal to those who treated them well, especially since these men came from respectable families and were extremely devoted to the Han Dynasty. Otherwise, they wouldn't have held out for so long without food or pay.

"The Emperor is wise! We brothers who died in battle can rest in peace now..." Guo Si couldn't help but weep as he thought of his fallen comrades.

Upon learning about the current emperor's situation from Dong Zhuo, Guo Si was also extremely excited.

Dong Zhuo smiled and patted Guo Si on the shoulder, then said, "General Duan said that in this battle we must crush the Qiang people in one fell swoop, avenge our brothers who died in battle and our fellow villagers who perished! We must also let the Emperor see the loyalty and bravery of the men of Xiliang!"

Guo Si nodded firmly, “Zhong Ying is right. We soldiers should offer the enemy’s heads as a gift to His Majesty!”

Guo Si then summoned the remaining soldiers defending the city and loudly read Liu Hong's edict once more.

They learned that the emperor cared so much about them.

The soldiers, who had been demoralized, were suddenly filled with renewed vigor. In an instant, shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" resounded throughout Gaoping once again. Their comrades had not died in vain, and their perseverance had not been in vain.

Guo Si then arranged for the military scribe to begin meticulously researching and recording the number of enemies killed by the soldiers and the list of those who died in battle.

As if by prior agreement, all the surviving soldiers gave half of the heads they had slain to their fallen comrades, hoping that their families could receive more compensation. This was perhaps the spirit of camaraderie among comrades.

The next day, scouts reported that Duan Jiong's army would arrive at Gaoping in two days, so Dong Zhuo and Guo Si began to prepare for their next move.

"Zhongying, most of the Xianling Qiang tribes have now assembled. According to the information gathered in the past few days, their total strength is around 30,000, and they are all elite troops from their respective tribes..."

Although Dong Zhuo brought 2,000 men and Duan Jiong was about to arrive with 8,000 men, the Qiang people still outnumbered them by a wide margin. Therefore, Guo Si was not confident of victory in this battle.

"Haha~ Captain Guo, rest assured, quality is more important than quantity in military affairs. Although the Qiang people have a large number of troops, they are all hastily assembled and cannot act in unison. Moreover, they are all selfish and their leaders are extremely greedy and will break their promises for small gains. In my opinion, although the Qiang people are powerful, they are all a mob. What is there to fear?"

"Hmm, Zhongying's words are not wrong...!"

Guo Si nodded. Just as Dong Zhuo said, if the Qiang people could unite as one, Gaoping would probably have been lost long ago.

Guo Si then laughed and said, "I have only heard that Dong Zhongying is generous and chivalrous, but I never thought that he would also have such military strategies. He will surely be appreciated by His Majesty in the future and become a famous general!"

"Haha~ Commandant Guo, you flatter me!" Dong Zhuo laughed heartily. "I don't have that ability. These are just General Duan's words. I just copied them. But we do need to read military books. Otherwise, how can we gain the emperor's favor with just bravery?"

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