Chapter 46 Desperate
Upon Gao Yang's death, the aristocratic families immediately resorted to tactics to sow discord.
First, he sent beautiful women to win Gao Chang over, and then had the women act as spies to whisper sweet nothings in his ear.
Gao Chang suspected that he could not control a fierce general like Zhi Fang, and with the court repeatedly trying to appease him, he stayed.
The imperial court's specialty was to discard those who had served their purpose, like a donkey that had been used and then discarded. Gao Chang, unlike his father Gao Yang, was not as strong-willed and patient, and thus they had managed to live in peace until now.
He remained secluded in the mansion bestowed upon him by the imperial court, while his two brothers, unable to bear this imprisonment-like existence, had already taken their confidants and fled under the cover of darkness.
He was feeling bored all alone when he heard that Si Lang had returned. He was overjoyed and quickly called him up.
The two brothers sat facing each other, and Gao Huan immediately stated the purpose of his visit.
"Brother, now the only ones who can still fight Barth are your troops."
Gao Huan couldn't help but hold his breath, taking a few breaths through his nose, and finally got used to the strong smell of the liquor.
In broad daylight, Gao Chang drank and made merry. He was ruined by wine and women, his face was haggard, his beard was unkempt, and he looked somewhat embarrassed that he had been caught.
He said, "Fourth brother, it's a blessing that you're still alive. Without news of you, I would have thought something terrible had happened."
Gao Huan sighed, "Brother, I am insignificant as an individual. If I cannot defend this city, everyone will suffer, and that will be the most troublesome thing."
Gao Chang also sighed, his brows furrowed in frustration. "Fourth brother, I can't fight the Yan people. We're all family, and I won't hide it from you. The court doesn't pay our rations on time at all. My men have been complaining for a long time. They're urging me to rob them again, just like Father did when he was alive."
Gao Huan said expressionlessly, "Luckily you didn't do that, or you would have been dead long ago."
Gao Chang's troubled expression didn't lessen; instead, it seemed he had even more to say: "If I don't do it, they'll bypass me and continue. The court has labeled them traitors and ordered me to suppress bandits. I..."
"No need to say more, I understand." Gao Huan took a deep breath: "How many men do you have under your command?"
“Eight thousand. That Zhi fellow is truly despicable. He took all the elite troops with him, leaving me with only twenty thousand miscellaneous soldiers. We suffered some losses when fighting him, and later some were besieged and suppressed when he rebelled. The imperial court stopped paying our salaries, and I only received a little occasionally. Many more soldiers deserted.”
Gao Huan laughed. There were still eight thousand people. It was a blessing from the ancestors of the Gao family.
Gao Chang felt humiliated and didn't want to face it. He kept pulling at his hair, saying, "Whether I go forward or retreat, I'll die anyway, so I might as well drink myself to death."
He reached for the wine, but Gao Huan grabbed his hand and stopped him.
"Brother, I have a way to survive, but you must put yourself in a life-or-death situation."
"Stop messing around."
"Do you know the woman who killed my father? She went after Prince Yan, Burigude. We must buy her this opportunity."
Gao Huan added: "If you don't do that, she will cut you open, just like she would kill your father."
Gao Chang was jolted awake. He had heard everything that the man surnamed Liu had said. He was thrown from his horse in a single encounter, his guards were nothing but decorations, and he took the enemy general's head amidst the chaos of battle.
“But if we can cooperate well with her and win this war, brother, you will be able to establish yourself in the court!” Gao Huan’s tone was gentle, slowly melting into his heart.
"But those guys are unlikely to follow my orders and go out to fight with me..."
"It's alright, I have a reward."
To boost morale, Gao Huan mobilized nearly 8,000 soldiers and used all his jewels and money to reward the army. He instructed Gao Chang to tell them that if they defeated the Yan people, the court would reward them handsomely.
And that's how this team was formed.
Of the nearly eight thousand people here, two thousand were elite cavalry, three thousand were infantry, and the rest were mostly bandits and outlaws who had been incorporated into the army and used as vanguards and attackers. The people behind them were completely won over by Gao Yang's bravery. When Gao Yang was no longer around, they were the most likely to cause trouble. Some of them had already been executed for robbing the court officials.
These people are usable, but it depends on how they are used.
Despite racking his brains, Gao Huan ultimately did not choose an open area that would be advantageous to cavalry.
As is widely known, every able-bodied man over the age of twelve in the Yan people was an excellent cavalryman.
His light cavalry might not be very effective; his infantry would have a numerical advantage.
After discussing with Gao Chang and others, they finally chose the Shuangdu Mountain area, with its towering mountains, deep forests and dangerous rivers, as the location for the decisive battle. This place is nestled against the mountains and by the water, with narrow valleys and deep ravines, and can be used for archery. They can ambush the Yan people here and catch them off guard.
However, he had never fought a war before and had never imagined that the battlefield would be so difficult. He was commanding people with their own agendas, and these people were uncontrollable.
Eight thousand against two thousand should have been an overwhelming defeat, especially with a surprise attack involving encirclement.
But the reality was that the Yan people reacted very quickly. Bart led his brothers to the front, using the unique shouts of the Yan people to boost morale: "Don't be afraid, Gao Yang is dead, the Gao family is gone, they are finished—"
The Yan people, who were initially flustered when they saw the Gao family's banner being raised, were immediately calmed down.
They immediately dismounted and drew their swords, still brave and fearless, their eyes almost like those of wild beasts, focused solely on the hunt.
In contrast, Gao's army was demoralized. From top to bottom, from the leader to the soldier, everyone was holding back, unwilling to fight, only wanting to escape, and would collapse at the first touch.
If the soldiers in front try to flee, the soldiers behind them become an obstacle. If the soldiers behind follow suit, it becomes a one-sided crushing defeat.
"ah--"
Cries, shouts, the sounds of weapons clashing and slaughtering, accompanied by billowing smoke.
Crows cawed and flew around, watching coldly, waiting to feast on the soldiers' bones after the war.
Gao Huan's eyes were bloodshot. He thought of his father, the man who commanded respect with his bravery. He was his son, but he had not inherited his father's strong physique.
He could only hide behind his soldiers on the chariot, and they looked at him with suspicion and reservation; no one was willing to risk their lives for him.
Each enemy attack made them want to retreat and preserve themselves.
"Drive the chariots forward, push the banner forward!" Gao Huan ordered. His fifty trusted men escorted his chariots forward through billowing smoke, amidst the rising and falling war drums.
He marched forward against the fleeing troops, his banner fluttering in the wind.
This slightly salvaged the already dire situation, and at least some people followed, thus consolidating the core strength.
But the danger also increases exponentially.
Batel rushed in front of Gao Huan and swung his knife.
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