Chapter 345 Who Surrounds Who
Sun Lang?
Now that Sun Ce and the others are dead, there is no Sun Lang anymore.
But the person who said this was Zhou Yu.
If there is anyone in this team whose judgment is most trusted by these soldiers, it is only Zhou Yu!
When he said the words "Sun Lang" with every word being firm, no one would think that he had already determined that Sun Ce's death was the fact that happened in Yangzhou at that moment, and the accusation of shaking our military morale and sowing discord was completely the blame Zhou Yu put on Zhang Fei.
Zhang Fei himself scoffed at this way of boosting morale, but he could not ignore the situation before him.
When this sentence was spread by the officer who delivered the message to ensure that all Zhou Yu's followers in the place could hear it, the panic and confusion brought about by the sudden attack by Zhang Fei had long disappeared, and only the will to fight to keep a close eye on the opponent remained.
The one who kills Zhang Fei can be promoted to captain, and there is only one person who can actually seize this position. However, Zhou Yu has always been clear about rewards and punishments in the army, and anyone who helps kill Zhang Fei will definitely be rewarded.
Since they don't show any signs of defeat at this moment, why can't they give it a try?
That's the captain!
Although Yangzhou is not like Bingzhou, where the authority of the commander in chief of a frontier town would be elevated beyond the limit, this is still an unattainable position for most soldiers.
In this battle in the wilderness, accidents could happen at any time and anywhere. Who knows...the person who gets promoted could be them!
If Zhang Fei had realized before that Zhou Yu's orderly "withdrawal" would turn them from the initiators of the attack into fools who ran into a shield, then at this moment, what the opponent showed was a shocking high morale.
There was also a group of soldiers under Zhou Yu's command. They were the infantry trained by his uncle Zhou Shang when he was the prefect of Danyang. They became his subordinates after he followed Sun Ce to fight in Yangzhou. They were even more powerful than the Danyang soldiers that Tao Qian used to balance the Taishan bandits. At this moment, they showed their elite strength in the counterattack against Zhang Fei.
In the chaos of the fight, Zhou Yu bent his bow and shot an arrow directly at Zhang Fei.
"General, be careful!" The arrow flew through the crowd like thunder and hit Zhang Fei in the face. Fortunately, Zhang Fei's subordinates reacted in time and blocked the arrow.
This made Zhang Fei very angry.
Zhou Yu's ability to defend was already a headache for him, but he took advantage of the fact that he was unable to break through the shield formation in front of him and launched a long-range shot.
"My dear Zhou Yu! If you have the guts, follow me and fight in front of the battlefield!"
Zhou Yu remained calm, "Even the attempt to sow discord between them failed to fool me, so who are you trying to fool with this provocation?"
What he wanted to do at this moment was definitely not to do anything like fighting a general.
This may seem like a good move to delay time, but it is far less effective than his careful deployment of the entire team's defense at this moment, allowing it to take on the effect of half a military camp on the field.
After all, the test of resisting Zhang Fei's attack was only the first hurdle he had to face.
Whether he will be the pie that gets swallowed up in the pinch, or the stubborn stone that holds on to this place and becomes the key to breaking the impasse, it all depends on how he operates today!
"Dispatch the rear troops and arrange the food on the grain carts behind our army."
Zhou Yu's subordinates immediately took the order and left.
The soldiers involved in the transportation work then noticed that the food carts carrying them were not loaded with food at all, but deer antlers.
Why did this thing appear here, and why was it placed behind the army?
This question flashed through everyone's mind.
But thinking that it was Zhou Yu's calm command that saved them from defeat in Liu Bei's counterattack, the soldiers did not ask any questions about it.
Zhou Yu did not have many troops, but each one was used in the right place. For example, the soldiers who were carrying deer antler wood to build a barrier to block the cavalry in the rear were the ones who had consumed too much physical strength in the first round of attack.
Qiao Ting, who was present here, couldn't help but secretly praise.
This man's decision-making efficiency and ability to command troops are worthy of your special treatment.
Although this special treatment at this time manifested itself in letting him undertake this most dangerous mission, but...
The Battle of Xuzhou does need to be decided quickly, in order to prevent Liu Bei from sending the news of Qiao Yan's presence in Yangzhou to Yuan Shao and then inviting the enemy's support. It is imperative for this team to attract firepower and complete the breakthrough of the central front of Xuzhou!
Therefore, it is only natural to put Zhou Yu in such a situation.
While she was thinking, she heard Zhou Yu's second order, "Bring the hook-and-sickle spears, and order the Danyang cavalry to rest and wait for orders."
Then came the third order, "The garrison troops will rest on the spot, and the front troops will rotate in half an hour."
The confrontation on the battlefield was completely different from Qiao Ting's efforts to fan the flames of the situation between the two states. She had already persuaded Zhou Yu and was acting as a hostage to an ally at this time, without giving any inappropriate guidance to Zhou Yu's actions.
She watched quietly as the military orders were issued. No matter how fierce the fighting in the front army was at the moment, the garrison assigned by Zhou Yu to take over the next wave of offensive immediately began to eat the dry food they carried with them on the spot, and inspected their armor and weapons, just to prepare for the upcoming tough battle.
With no natural barriers in front of them, they could only try their best to conserve their energy.
In fact, there is nothing wrong with such preparation.
Zhou Yu's methodical approach made Zhang Fei realize that he must launch an effective attack on Zhou Yu's barrier as soon as possible, otherwise he would only be able to set up a military camp between Huaiyin and Sheyang.
The news that Zhang Fei's team had failed to make effective progress quickly spread, prompting the rest of Liu Bei's troops to gather here as quickly as possible.
During the exchange of personnel half a quarter of an hour later, Liu Bei's reinforcements, which had already arrived here, led by Zhang Fei, launched an all-out attack towards the place where the formation was disordered.
Zhou Yu grabbed the long spear beside him without thinking, replacing the long sword he had previously used for command. As he moved his horse, the hook-and-sickle spear team that had been on standby behind him also moved.
Zhang Fei's troops, who had just broken through the formation, faced such a team.
Zhou Yu is not only the commander-in-chief, but can also display his ability as a military general at this moment. Although he cannot be compared with Sun Ce, when his primary goal is to lead the cavalry to intercept the enemy rather than to confront Zhang Fei head-on, the difference in military strength can be ignored.
Before Zhang Fei could rush towards Zhou Yu with the intention of attacking him head-on and killing the enemy general, Zhou Yu, who had repelled the cavalry's cross-border offensive, had retreated behind his shield under the cover of his subordinates.
Although the "garrison" is a reserve force, it is by no means ordinary for them to be chosen by Zhou Yu to meet the enemy at this time. At least it is not difficult to fill this gap after we create an opportunity.
The moment the iron shield was closed, the attack of arrows followed closely. If Zhang Fei had not retreated in time, he would have lost a mount there.
"We still underestimated Zhou Yu!"
Chen Gui looked at the information sent from the front and couldn't help but sigh while stroking his beard.
They underestimated Zhou Yu's calmness when facing the news of Sun Ce's death, and also underestimated Zhou Yu's combat skills.
But they may not necessarily be at a disadvantage at this moment.
The marching speeds of different types of troops meant that Liu Bei's troops could not arrive in front of Zhou Yu at the same time, so the number and intensity of the attacks he suffered would gradually increase.
After all, the shield soldiers he used were not real city walls, and they would eventually be broken.
What’s more——
The scouts reported that smoke and dust could be vaguely seen to the north of the battle site, suggesting that there were cavalrymen present.
Perhaps Guan Ping is about to arrive.
When they are surrounded from both sides, Zhou Yu's army will be surrounded and annihilated here!
Chen Gui's guess was not wrong. Of course, in his opinion, this was the only possible result.
When Zhang Fei launched the sixth charge against Zhou Yu's troops, he not only discovered that the enemy's blockade was already showing signs of crumbling, but also heard a chaotic sound of charging and fighting in Zhou Yu's rear army.
Before the voice had lasted long, a rider came from afar to report, "General Zhang! General Xiaoguan has arrived!"
Zhang Fei's face lit up with joy.
Even though he heard Chen Gui joking about not letting the credit for the battle be snatched away by Guan Ping before sending out the troops, and he vowed that the first achievement would be his, the appearance of support from his side during such a protracted battle still relieved the pressure on him.
Now that they have launched the attack, they must not fail.
He wanted to see how Zhou Yu would respond to this increasingly intensified attack!
However, from Zhang Fei's perspective, he could not see that in Zhou Yu's rear army, the charge and chaos were all caused by the same group of people.
Guan Ping, who came from afar, did not encounter Zhou Yu's troops first, but a piece of deer antler wood that was specially set up to stop cavalry.
It was not until the moment the cavalry slowed down that the reserve archers, under the command of the deputy general, fired a row of arrows.
Everyone could see that the defending side was short of arrows.
Because it was unknown how long the stalemate on the field would last, they had to choose to launch the offensive when the chances of hitting the target were greater in order to save more weapons.
But these two obstacles were already a big trouble for Guan Ping.
Following your father in leading troops and leading troops yourself are two completely different things.
When rushing from Huaipu to Huaiyin, Guan Ping made some prudent calculations in his mind - he would first capture Huaiyin City, completely take away Zhou Yu's retreat route, and then go to meet Zhang Fei.
Who knew that the gates of Huaiyin City were closed, with only Zhou Yu's flag standing on the top of the city.
Unable to tell how many defenders there were on the city wall, Guan Ping chose to attack the city directly, but was attacked by boiling water from the top of the city.
In order to prevent any changes to the more important matter of attacking Zhou Yu, he left several people to keep an eye on Huaiyin City and report to him at any time. Then he continued to move south and pursued along the route of the large army.
But it was obvious that Zhou Yu had made sufficient preparations for the enemy forces in this direction in advance, which was far beyond Guan Ping's expectations.
The antler trees that were not discovered until they were close and the arrows that were shot only after they slowed down were clearly intended to stop them with the minimum manpower and cost.
It was not known whether it was Guan Ping's illusion, but he felt that since Zhou Yu had enough spare energy to prepare for the garrison of Huaiyin City and to guard against enemy attacks in the rear army, he did not seem to be completely unaware of their joint attack.
Although the other side was young, their battle results in Yangzhou and Xuzhou were not bad at all.
If the enemy knows that he is going to be surrounded, but still does not retreat when he is at a disadvantage, then what is he planning?
When Guan Ping thought of this, he suddenly felt a chill in his heart.
Oh no, could it be that Zhou Yu still has reinforcements at this time?
He wanted to report this news to Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and others, but he was afraid that he was young and inexperienced, and if he analyzed the situation wrongly, he might miss the opportunity to fight.
Thinking that Zhang Fei had been fighting with Zhou Yu for such a long time, if there was anything unusual, he should have discovered it by now. In particular, Chen Gui, who formulated the encirclement plan, was supporting Zhang Fei in the rear and should have been aware of the situation. Guan Ping quickly dismissed this idea.
What he should do now is to complete the attack mission as soon as possible, knowing that the enemy's rear troops are short of manpower and material resources.
Yes, that's it!
Guan Ping, having calmed down, immediately ordered a new attack, targeting the weakest point in the rear army where the arrows had just been shot.
However, this time when he rushed here, he was hit by a violent storm.
Zhou Yu's deputy general Chen Wu said to Qiao Ting: "Young lady, you have good eyesight."
Qiao Ting shook his head: "We can only play some tricks on young generals here. The subsequent direct confrontation will still be handled by the general."
She withdrew her gaze from Guan Ping and the others and looked at the sky with some worry.
From the time Zhou Yu and Zhang Fei fought to this moment, even if they rotated manpower and mobilized the morale of the army, nearly half a day had passed.
At this point in the fierce battle, even she, who did not need to participate in the battle, felt a little mentally exhausted, let alone those who were fighting with real swords and guns.
It was almost dusk. If reinforcements did not arrive, in this wilderness without any barriers, Zhou Yu's team would be eaten up by ferocious hungry wolves even if they were a tough bone to chew.
Although she felt that there would always be people from the north and south who could come to support her, she still felt a little confused because of her young age.
But perhaps it was precisely because of this hope that she shifted all her energy away from the confrontation in front of her and drifted it to a farther place, so that she suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves coming from the north.
This movement, which seemed unclear amid the surrounding sounds, became more and more obvious as she listened carefully.
It seems like a sign that the army is coming!
"Look over there, is there a group of people arriving?"
Qiao Ting suddenly grabbed Chen Wu and motioned him to look towards the north.
Chen Wu didn't react to Qiao Ting's sudden change in attitude for a while. He just subconsciously looked in the direction she pointed, and actually saw some clues from the smoke and dust behind.
"This young general is also bringing reinforcements?" Chen Wu made what he thought was the most likely guess, "Why is he bringing the old ones along after beating the young ones?"
Qiao Ting interrupted him quickly: "No, if I'm not mistaken, that should be our person!"
Of course it's their people!
Lu Su, Zang Ba and others entered the city shortly after Guan Ping left Huaipu, and did not stay in the city for long before continuing to move south.
Before they arrived at Huaiyin City, they had already received the news from Qiao Lan who was in the city. They immediately passed through the city and went straight to Guan Ping's rear army.
Guan Ping, who was planning to try to break into Zhou Yu's camp in this third round of attack, suddenly heard the sound of commotion from the army in the rear.
When he turned around, he was shocked to see that from behind him, where he had never been on guard, a column of troops was rushing towards him and attacking without hesitation.
The two leaders were Lu Su, who once served under Liu Bei, and Zang Ba, who Liu Bei had never persuaded to surrender and who always had a delicate relationship with the northern part of Xuzhou!
Guan Ping was completely unable to understand what was happening before his eyes.
Why did the two of them appear here and join forces to defect at this moment?
What put him in even more danger at this moment was that General Chen Wu of Zhou Yu's rear army had prepared the attacking team with suspicion, and when he found out that the people coming were really his reinforcements as Qiao Ting said, he immediately chose to lead his troops to break out of the siege.
This hero from Lujiang submitted a visiting card to Sun Ce last year at the age of 18. Adhering to the Lujiang people's vigorous and decisive style, he was highly appreciated by Sun Ce, who ordered him to follow Zhou Yu.
Seeing the opportunity in hand, his inherent bravery took over, and he did not even bother to ask Zhou Yu whether now was a good time for him to attack, and he rushed to Guan Ping.
However, the battle situation changed rapidly, and his intuitive reaction at this moment was the most useful.
This unhesitating combination of forces made Guan Ping's previous guess come true. The fierce attack from the rear and the unyielding front directly interrupted his ability to maintain stable command.
On the one hand, he let people escape from the gaps in the siege and went to find Zhang Fei, Liu Bei and others to report the news, while on the other hand, he tried his best to form a defense to counter the attacks from these two sides.
But how is the situation he faces similar to that of Zhou Yu?
Zhou Yu's intentionally slowed marching speed and complete military composition made it possible for him to defend on the spot, but Guan Ping had only two results:
Either die or escape!
Unless another team comes down from the sky to support him.
But Liu Bei and others obviously would not be such a team.
The arrival of Guan Ping's reinforcements and the repeated failures in breaking through the defense forced Zhang Fei to launch a desperate attack on Zhou Yu's army without consulting Liu Bei and Chen Gui.
"This is truly a fierce general." Zhou Yu couldn't help but admire the other party's good physical strength.
After holding on until this moment, Zhou Yu's face was already covered with a layer of cold sweat.
If he hadn't clearly known that he would be dead if he relaxed even a little, and if he hadn't longed for an answer to his doubts, he would have been unable to hold on.
Zhang Fei, a fierce general who grew up in Youzhou, did have such courage and strength. In his eagerness to relieve the depression in his heart, he struck hard and with one spear he broke open the two closed shields.
The long weapon in his hands is far more flexible than people imagine.
As his horse charged forward, the two armored soldiers holding shields had blood marks on their necks and fell down immediately.
This should have been a place with strong defenses, but due to Zhang Fei's brutality, a hole was opened, and his subordinates followed closely and rushed in.
At this moment, Zhou Yu's expression was so ugly that it could not be described.
In just a dozen short breaths, the originally relatively solid barrier had suffered many casualties from this madman. Even though the rain of arrows this time forced him back with more precision, it could not change the fact.
Zhang Fei's successful attack this time was different from the previous ones.
Zhou Yu could clearly realize that the morale of his side was gradually declining with the arrival of dusk, and Zhang Fei's attack was the last straw.
So when Zhang Fei led his troops to attack again, Zhou Yu still chose to fight in person even though he knew that this might not be appropriate.
The arrival of the commander-in-chief made the morale, which had been stagnant, boil again, and made Zhang Fei, who was also on the verge of exhaustion, focus all his attention on Zhou Yu.
This was also the time when Guan Ping's messenger for help arrived.
But he couldn't find Zhang Fei in the crowd at all, because the two teams had already started fighting, and Zhang Fei was deeply involved.
Guan Ping's messenger hurriedly ran in the direction of Liu Bei.
Fortunately, even if Liu Bei and Zhang Fei had to stay behind to mobilize the rear troops and deploy personnel, their positions were not far away.
"Tanzhi was attacked and urgently needs rescue?" When Liu Bei heard this, how could he sit still?
Zhang Fei was still fighting with Zhou Yu and others. Liu Bei could already see that he was gradually gaining the upper hand, and he was also able to keep an eye on Zhang Fei's safety at all times. Once the situation changes, he can immediately provide support to Zhang Fei.
Even though the war has continued to this point, good news still comes first.
But he couldn't see what was happening on Guan Ping's side.
This was also the journey where he felt assured of her safety.
Guan Ping came from the north, and his territory was behind him, so why did such a change happen?
The messenger had to make his story short and replied anxiously: "Lu Zijing and Zang Xuangao are attacking from the rear, General Xiaoguan has not made any preparations, I am afraid the situation is not good, please send support as soon as possible."
Lu Su and Zang Ba?
Guan Ping was so confused when he saw these two people appear, and Liu Bei had the same reaction at this moment.
But now was not the time for him to delve into the matter.
Support...Yes! Of course we need support.
Guan Ping is Guan Yu's eldest son, so Liu Bei treats him as half a son. He would never let him be trapped in the siege of the rebellious army at this moment.
Even though he made the order to dispatch Guan Ping here based on Chen Gui's suggestion, he was still the one who made the real decision, and he must be responsible for Guan Ping's safety.
"Immediately order Yide to retreat and provide support..."
But before he could finish the second half of his sentence about supporting Guan Ping, the horse Liu Bei was riding suddenly shook its hooves anxiously, and then a clear sound of earth trembling came from afar.
And this distant place was none other than the rear of Liu Bei and his team.
If it is possible that there are their own people behind Guan Ping, then it is absolutely impossible that there are their people behind Liu Bei.
These could only be Jia Xu's reinforcements coming from the direction of Sheyang!
Liu Bei quickly looked in the direction of the sound, and saw a large group of troops attacking in the distance.
"Oh no, we have delayed for too long. I am afraid that the Sheyang defenders will find out that this place is not right and send troops to help!"
But if these were just the garrison troops coming to support from Sheyang, it might be a good thing for Liu Bei.
Apart from ensuring that Sheyang was not lost, most of the soldiers under Jia Xu's command were retainers borrowed from the Mi family of Donghai. It looked like a large formation, but the actual striking effect it could have was not necessarily significant.
At this moment, the troops coming towards Liu Bei were the Yangzhou Army and the Jingzhou Army led by Wen Pin.
Of the two teams, the former was worried about Zhou Yu's safety. After getting an ambiguous answer from Jia Xu, they became more worried that something might go wrong and sped up their journey a lot. The latter was determined to prove that the fighting effectiveness of their Jingzhou soldiers was not that bad, and they were determined to achieve some results in today's multi-party meeting.
It is no exaggeration to say that they are a coalition as ferocious as tigers and leopards!
When the smoke and dust seemed to have not yet dissipated, the blades of this team were already in front of them!
As Liu Bei hastily ordered his men to line up for battle, Chen Gui could not help but mutter to himself, "Who is surrounding whom?"
They fully believed that they could surround Zhou Yu and destroy him here, and they were only one step away from success.
But just before they were about to break through the enemy's line, they received news that there were wolves in front and tigers behind.
Guan Ping was caught between the reinforcements led by Lu Su and Zang Ba and Zhou Yu's rear army.
Liu Bei and Zhang Fei's troops were caught between the Sheyang reinforcements and Zhou Yu's vanguard.
The active and passive situation changed in an instant!
In an instant, Zhou Yu was no longer the prey. If they did not handle the situation properly, they and Guan Ping who was already surrounded would become the prey!
Even more efficient than their hunting.
Putting aside Guan Ping who had been forced to ask for help, the team coming from the rear was clearly not an ordinary army. Just in the first battle, they had already demonstrated the demeanor of elite soldiers and brave generals.
Zhang Fei was in the middle of a fierce battle with Zhou Yu and his followers when he suddenly heard the sound of a retreat horn behind him.
The movement of the spear in his hand immediately stopped, intending to withdraw from the battlefield.
Zhang Fei and Liu Bei had known each other for more than ten years and knew each other's temper. Since Liu Bei wanted to withdraw his troops, it would definitely not be a simple trouble.
But it was easy for him to come, but it was so difficult for him to leave.
The sound of the horn issued by Liu Bei's side was not only a warning to Zhang Fei to withdraw as soon as possible, but also a signal to Zhou Yu.
It was difficult for Zhou Yu to concentrate all his attention at this moment, but he suddenly realized that it was not that Liu Bei let Zhang Fei take a break because he saw that he had failed to break the deadlock, but that reinforcements from his side had arrived and had caused great trouble to Liu Bei during the confrontation!
If this isn't the right time for him to take advantage of the opportunity to counterattack, then when will it be?
Zhou Yu immediately gritted his teeth and shouted: "The reinforcements have arrived, what are we waiting for?"
Almost the next moment after he shouted this sentence, the sound of fighting coming from far away also reached the ears of Zhou Yu and others. Mixed in was the sound of an exceptionally loud horn, which was the signal for the Yangzhou army to advance.
Even if no one could hear Zhou Yu's call, the sound of the horn was enough for people to hear the real signal that reinforcements had arrived.
When the enemy retreats, I advance. It has always been like this.
Those soldiers who were originally afraid of Zhang Fei's repeated entry and exit of the shield soldiers' team suddenly became courageous when they saw the other party's eagerness to leave and join Liu Bei, and they also thought of the reward proposed by Zhou Yu himself.
Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk, and this is especially true when we have the upper hand.
Liu Bei was already being chased by Wen Pin because of his appearance, and he was just waiting for Zhang Fei to escape and return so that he could leave immediately. However, the moment he saw Zhang Fei's figure, he saw a small soldier suddenly appeared from nowhere and slashed at the hoof of the horse that Zhang Fei was riding.
Even though the soldier's chest was pierced by a spear the next moment, Liu Bei still clearly saw Zhang Fei fall off his horse and then be surrounded by the crowd.
"Yide!"
Liu Bei's shout was drowned out by the chaotic battle.
Unfortunately, not only could his voice not reach Zhang Fei's ears, but it was also too late for him to send troops to rescue.
When Han Qian went to meet Zhou Yu, Jiang Qin and Wen Pin both caught Liu Bei's eye as he was distracted by the fall of his brother's horse, and they hurriedly rode over, ready to rush up to him.
Rather than worrying about Zhang Fei falling into the hands of the enemy, he would rather worry about his own safety.
"Let's go!" Although Chen Gui was old, he was still agile. He grabbed Liu Bei's sleeve and dragged him onto one of the chariots, just in time to use the chariot's barrier to block several flying arrows.
The sound of the arrow hitting the chariot and the momentary jolt during the start brought Liu Bei back to his senses.
He heard Chen Gui say in a daze: "Master, don't be distracted, we must go and meet General Guan as soon as possible, maybe there is still room for recovery!"
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