My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 99 Counterattack against Cao Bao
The only difference is that Zang Ba from Kaiyang has already finished lunch.

Zang Ba's expression was naturally no better than Wu Dun's. Even though he had far more troops than Wu Dun, Kaiyang City was far superior to Jiqiu City.

Kaiyang City was the capital of Langya Kingdom and later the seat of Langya Prefecture. It was economically prosperous, with fertile land and a flourishing culture. Located at the fork of the Yi River, it had extremely convenient water transportation.

Therefore, successive prime ministers and prefects of Langya State repeatedly fortified Kaiyang, making the city easy to defend and difficult to attack.

Kaiyang City was 23 feet high, with a base of 50 feet and a top width of 6 feet. The walls were 3 li and 17 steps long (one step is equivalent to 1.4 meters today). Not only were the walls surrounded by water on three sides, making them resistant to sieges, but they also had the Yi River encircling the city, with deep moats and strong walls, making them a formidable fortress.

The entire city wall consisted of 866 crenellations, 14 watchtowers, and four city gates.
Although Zang Ba only had four thousand garrison troops, they were all seasoned veterans with formidable fighting power. Moreover, there were tens of thousands of civilians in Kaiyang City, from whom several thousand able-bodied men could be easily mobilized as auxiliary troops, ready to fight the enemy if necessary.

Kaiyang is an impregnable fortress and has always been a vital strategic location for Zang Balai, so it was carefully managed and very popular.

Such a fortified city, with the support of the people and heavily fortified, could not be breached by the enemy without leaving behind tens of thousands of corpses.

But Zang Ba himself knew that the city now had a fatal weakness: the treasury was empty.

"Damn the Mi family."

At this point, it was impossible to keep it a secret any longer, and Zang Ba finally realized what had happened.

The Mi family has definitely sided with Liu Bei. Their previous grain purchases were aimed at depleting Kaiyang's grain reserves. I've definitely fallen for their trap.

Zang Ba was furious. At first, he thought the Mi family was risking their reputation to help Liu Bei set up a scheme, which was too crazy. Weren't they afraid of ruining their own reputation?

But upon further reflection, they discovered that the Mi family did not seem to have lost anything.

On the surface, when the Mi family came to buy grain, he had agreed to sell it, and they had paid him money, and at a high price at that. The transaction was reasonable and mutually agreeable.

More importantly, how do we spread this message?

I can't just go around telling everyone that I was tricked, that the Mi family cheated me out of money, that they gave me real money to buy my grain, just so Liu Bei could launch a sneak attack on me.
Zang Ba himself felt ashamed.

Not to mention that even if Zang Ba were to completely abandon all pretense of shame, he would still have to drive back the Xuzhou army first, otherwise he would lose his life, and what would be the point of talking about revenge?

Zang Ba could only try his best to control his temper and secretly start calculating in his mind.

The grain in the warehouses right now is only enough for them to eat for two or three weeks at most. Even if they plunder grain from the people, it will probably only last for one or two months at most.

Can reinforcements arrive within two months?

This problem will only drive Zang Ba to despair, because he can't even find anyone to ask for help.

Cao Cao and Xuzhou were mortal enemies. If he dared to ask Cao Cao for help, the people of Kaiyang would rebel against him first. Zang Ba was able to win over the hearts of the people in Kaiyang so quickly because he forced Cao Hong to retreat when Cao Cao was conquering Xuzhou, thus protecting Kaiyang and the surrounding counties.

Moreover, Zang Ba wasn't even sure whether Cao Cao would be willing or able to save him.

Yuan Shu of Huainan was a good match, and Zang Ba had a long-standing relationship with him.

Unfortunately, the enemy was too far away to reach them, and the journey to seek help would require crossing Liu Bei's territory.

Kong Rong, who was in the north, had always been on good terms with Liu Bei, so it was impossible for him to turn around and send troops to help him.

Xiao Jian, the governor of Langya, was both his nemesis and had no real ability.

Even if the other party is willing to help him despite past grievances, it would only result in sending heads to Liu Bei's Xuzhou army as a reward for their military achievements.

As for Chang Xi, Sun Guan, Sun Kang, Yin Li, and others, they are probably all in dire straits now, just like Wu Dun.

For a moment, Zang Ba felt that in all the world he had been in, there was no one who could help him.

Standing atop Kaiyang City, he watched as Liu Bei's army outside the city methodically set up camp along the main road, cutting off his connection with the outside world.

They started digging and building walls, constructing defensive fortifications, seemingly in no hurry to attack.

Zang Ba's heart sank straight into an ice cellar, the cold chilling him to the bone.

Zang Ba suddenly shouted, "Guards!"

"General!"

A group of trusted generals gathered around him.

"Zhang Yu, Guan Zhu, Lu Ling, gather your soldiers, put on your armor, and follow me into battle!"

Zang Ba knew that he absolutely could not allow Liu Bei's army to successfully besiege the city, otherwise his side would not be able to sustain the siege for long.

Only by striking first when the opponent is new to the area and has not yet established a firm foothold can one have a chance of victory.

"Yes! General!"

Zhang Yu, Guan Zhu, and Lu Ling were all fierce generals under Zang Ba, each possessing the strength of a bear. They were always at the forefront of every battle and were Zang Ba's trusted and valiant generals.

The two men immediately accepted the order and hurriedly went down the city wall to muster their troops, while Zang Ba stood on the city wall to continue observing the enemy's situation and looking for an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

In his view, the two enemy forces below were divided into two groups, with more on the right and fewer on the left. The enemy on the right had about seven or eight thousand men, but their discipline was lax and their movement was slow.

Although the left flank only had four thousand men, nearly half the number, they moved swiftly and were in high spirits.

Zang Ba knew that if they were to fight, they would have to attack the right side first.

Although the enemy numbers are large, they are easy to defeat. Once the breakout is successful and chaos ensues within the enemy ranks, a great victory will be within reach.

The problem is, the enemies on the left aren't all idiots; they can only watch and not move.

Once the enemy on the left flank moves and attacks from the side and rear, it will be bad news for our side.

If we want to block the enemy's left flank while simultaneously crushing their right flank, then there's only one conclusion.

Zang Ba thought it over and over and it became clearer to him that he either had to launch a full-scale attack or simply not attack at all.

Instead of giving up after getting a small advantage, it's better to hold the city and be more secure.

"All troops, attack! You have two quarters of an hour to assemble at the North Gate. Anyone who delays or slacks off will be executed on the spot!"

The generals all obeyed the order and went down the city to gather troops.

Although Zang Ba made his decision, the pressure on him grew ever greater.

Has Liu Bei gone mad?
Wasn't he afraid that Cao Cao and Yuan Shu would raid his base?
I haven't rebelled against you, nor have I colluded with outsiders... Why do you need to make such a big fuss to deal with me?

Zang Ba felt a mix of anger, resentment, and slight guilt. He glared fiercely at Liu Jun's formation, trying to find a good opening.

Two quarters of an hour passed quickly, and the troops had already assembled.

Zang Ba knew he couldn't delay any longer; if he did, the enemy's fortifications would be completed, and he would truly be trapped like a turtle in a jar.

"Attack!"

Zang Ba hurriedly disembarked from the city wall, mounted his horse, and shouted loudly to the armored soldiers around him: "The bandits overestimate themselves and have attacked Kaiyang without cause. Today, I stand with you all, and we will not return to the city until the bandits are defeated!"

"We will not return to the city until the enemy is defeated!"

Zang Ba's elite troops were far more well-trained and better equipped than Wu Dunren's troops.

Among them were thousands of men who had followed him in raids against hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turban rebels. They were experienced, skilled in combat, and veterans who had fought many battles. Their equipment was also much better than that of other soldiers, with almost everyone wearing full armor.

The city gates were wide open, and the Taishan army troops came out of the city one after another, their ranks were strict and they could be called elite troops.

Liu Bei's army outside the city was also prepared. When they saw the Taishan army launching a counterattack, they were not surprised at all and changed their formation in an orderly manner.

Soon, the Xiapi army on the left side formed a defensive formation based on the half-finished fortifications, while Zhang Fei's troops on the other side were pulled back about a mile away, spreading out to the side. Whether the enemy attacked Xiapi troops or Cao Bao's troops, Zhang Fei's troops could launch a straight attack and attack the enemy's flank and rear.

If the enemy dares to attack Zhang Fei's troops directly, it would be tantamount to leaving Cao Bao and the troops of Xiapi County to their flank, and the outcome would be even worse.

Zang Ba was quite experienced; how could he possibly fall for such a trick?

They disregarded their own plans and charged straight towards Cao Bao's troops.

At the same time, a portion of the troops were sent out to cover the flanks. If Zhang Fei's troops wanted to launch a flanking attack, they would have to defeat this portion of the Taishan Army first.

Chen Deng's battle formation was located about three or four miles from the Taishan city wall, and the vanguard of the Taishan army quickly came into contact with Cao Bao's Danyang army.

The two sides began a fierce battle.

Although Cao Bao was not particularly skilled, he was still a veteran general and had once been Tao Qian's top general, so he did possess some ability. He divided his troops into four divisions, each with two thousand men, and arranged them in separate formations.

The central army was arranged in two formations, with one formation on each of the left and right flanks. Cao Bao selected five hundred men from each flank, and together with himself and more than a hundred personal guards, they were placed in the center as reserves.

Zang Ba was truly desperate, ordering the entire army to be mobilized, leaving only a few hundred auxiliary soldiers to guard the city.

Fortunately, Kaiyang City is surrounded by water on three sides, so any attempt to raid the city would easily result in a pincer attack from Zang Ba's tribe and the city itself, so there was no need to worry about their retreat being cut off.

Zang Ba divided his four thousand men into a division of one thousand, which was led by Lu Ling, a commander of another division, and was specifically tasked with blocking Chen Deng and Zhang Fei's forces.

Lu Ling was a fierce general whose martial prowess was second only to Guan Zhu and Zhang Yu. This time, Zang Ba entrusted him with an important task: to block Chen Deng's troops and buy time for the main force to defeat Cao Bao.

After that, Zang Ba sent the remaining three thousand men, with Guan Zhu as the spearhead, to charge forward, intending to break through the Danyang army's formation in one fell swoop.

I don't expect Lu Ling's thousand men to hold out for too long. As long as they can hold out for an hour, that will be enough for me to break through Cao Bao's formation.

The Taishan army was in high spirits. Despite being outnumbered, they showed no fear and slowly approached.

At the eighty-step mark, the Danyang soldiers began to hurl arrows, and a large number of arrows rained down from the sky.

The Taishan soldiers raised their shields, and most of the arrows were blocked by the shields. Only a few unlucky ones were hit in the instep, calf, arm and other places by arrows that pierced through the gaps, and screamed in pain.

The casualties caused by the arrows were not severe, as most of the arrows were blocked by the shields.

Those with minor injuries who were still able to move continued to advance with the group, while those with more serious injuries who collapsed to the ground had little chance of survival and almost all died at the feet of their comrades.

This is the cruelty of war.

Most people remained silent and continued to advance steadily towards the Danyang army's formation, while the Taishan army's archers began to counterattack, launching projectiles at the enemy formation, mainly to disrupt their formation.

When the two armies were within twenty paces of each other, they simultaneously erupted in a deafening roar and charged together.

This kind of charge is not a full-speed sprint, but more like a quick walk, trying to maintain formation. The main purpose is to use the momentum of running to suppress the opponent and disrupt their formation.

At this point, the battle entered the melee phase, with both sides using their brave warriors as spearheads to try to break through the enemy's formation, penetrate deep into their territory, squeeze them, and finally defeat them.

This is called breaking through enemy lines.

Guan Zhu was indeed extremely brave, wielding a long sword and striking with wide, sweeping movements.

With a single slash, he cleaved his enemy in two, scalding blood splattering everywhere, along with bits of flesh and severed intestines, spraying onto those around him, creating a scene resembling hell.

Then, Guan Zhu strode forward, his long sword drawing a semicircle in the air before slashing out from right to left, directly disemboweling the two Danyang warriors who were counterattacking.

He then slashed left and right, launching a fierce attack, and killed seven or eight people with his own hands, creating a small gap in the enemy's formation.

Encouraged by Guan Zhu, the Taishan army's morale soared, and they surged forward, breaking through the gap and pushing the battle line towards the Danyang troops.

The Danyang soldiers couldn't withstand the onslaught and retreated slightly. In just one exchange, their formation was disrupted.

Cao Bao was furious and shouted encouragement. At the same time, he sent out cavalry to warn the captains of the vanguard that if they retreated again, they would be executed without mercy.

Colonel Cao Ruyi was Cao Bao's cousin. Knowing that his uncle was truly enraged, he dared not be negligent.

Seeing that the enemy's vanguard general was exceptionally brave, Cao Ruyi realized that he was no match for him. None of his personal guards were as skilled in martial arts, so he had to think of another way.

So he secretly summoned a group of crossbowmen to prepare for a sneak attack on Guan Zhu.

This can be considered Cao Ruyi's prized possession. Such a heavy crossbow can penetrate even iron armor if the distance is within thirty paces.

Cao Ruyi secretly pondered to herself, "Don't be fooled by how fierce the enemy is; they've boosted the morale of the Taishan army."

However, as long as his plan succeeds and he kills the enemy, the morale of the Taishan Army will surely decline. At that time, he can personally lead a garrison of armored soldiers to counterattack and catch the Taishan Army off guard.

Guan Zhu was unaware of Cao Ruyi's plans. He only noticed that the Danyang army formation in front of him was constantly retreating, so he fought more and more bravely. He cut deep into the enemy formation in the middle and actually formed a convex shape. The Taishan soldiers around him were also inspired by this and roared and bravely advanced.

Guan Zhu killed another Qu Junhou who was trying to surround and kill him with a dozen personal guards, but suddenly found that there was no one in front of him.

He looked closely and saw that thirty paces ahead, there were crossbowmen lined up in rows of three.

These crossbowmen were arranged in rows of three, with the front row crouching, the back row bending their knees, and the last row standing, with nine heavy crossbow bolts aimed at the barrel.

Guan Zhu shouted, threw away his long sword, and used both hands to lift up the two armored corpses in front of him, using them as shields.

All that could be heard was the whooshing sound of crossbow bolts, all of which struck the corpses, yet not a single arrow wounded Guan Zhu.

Guan Zhu threw away the corpse, picked up the long sword again, and the guards around him rushed forward to protect him, but he pushed them away forcefully.

Guan Zhu pointed his long sword forward: "The Danyang bandits are weak and powerless, only capable of inflicting casualties with sneak attacks. They couldn't even manage to ambush your father. What's there to fear about such cowards? Follow me to break their formation! Slay the bandits for the general!"

After the roar, Guan Zhu bravely took the lead. Seeing Guan Zhu's bravery and fearlessness, the Taishan soldiers around him were all filled with excitement and followed closely behind, charging forward and causing the Danyang soldiers' formation to begin to loosen.

Cao Ruyi's idea was good, but he never expected that the other party was still alive.

Not only was it not dead, it wasn't even injured, and it charged at him with a group of people, howling.

Cao Ruyi was drenched in sweat. He knew that the only way now was to lead his personal guards and reserves in a counterattack. Even if they couldn't kill Guan Zhu, they could at least hold him back.

As long as we can hold them off, the army formation won't be broken, and we'll still have a chance to fight.

But looking at the fierce-looking Guan Zhu, Cao Ruyi couldn't take a step.

Cao Ruyi could only order the garrison commander to lead a counterattack.

The garrison commander was also afraid, but in the end he dared not disobey the military order and led his garrison of soldiers to charge towards Guan Zhu.

Guan Zhu, however, was not afraid at all. He led his personal guards to meet them. In just one charge, seven or eight men fell.

Guan Zhu remained incredibly brave, and the fierce battle between the two sides had reached a fever pitch. No one on the Danyang soldiers' side could stop Guan Zhu, and they could only keep feeding with their own lives.

Seeing Guan Zhu scatter the soldiers in front of him and then personally strangle the armored sergeant who led the counterattack to death.

This terrifying scene not only terrified the Danyang soldiers around them, but also stunned Cao Ruyi, who was watching from afar.

Guan Zhu quickly spotted Cao Ruyi, gave him a ferocious smile, and brandished his large knife as if to slit his throat, revealing his ruthlessness.

At this moment, Cao Ruyi could no longer suppress her fear and turned to flee.

Guan Zhu had already spotted him. When he saw him turn and run, he burst into laughter and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Your commander has already fled! What are you waiting for? Run!"

The soldiers of Danyang were skeptical, and some of the more timid ones couldn't help but turn around to look. They saw Cao Ruyi's fleeing figure and immediately erupted in uproar.

The already difficult resistance and the deformed formation of the vanguard began to collapse rapidly, with large numbers of soldiers following Cao Ruyi as they turned and fled.

Cao Bao was jumping up and down with excitement, while Zang Ba was overjoyed.

"Guan Zhu did a great job!"

Zang Ba's momentum was overwhelming: "Let Zhang Yu's troops step forward to replace Guan Zhu as the vanguard, and drive the disorderly soldiers towards the enemy's rear!"

"Men, put on your armor! I want to personally take Cao Bao's head!"

Zang Ba seemed to see the dawn of victory. He wanted to take advantage of the fact that Chen Deng's troops in the west had not yet made a move and completely defeat Cao Bao's Danyang troops.

The remaining troops under Chen Deng will likely be completely terrified and probably flee overnight.

Zang Ba felt a surge of anger wash over him, realizing that Liu Bei was nothing special!

Once I personally storm Tancheng, I will ask Liu Bei why he dared to launch a sneak attack on this general.

Cao Bao hurriedly ordered his personal guards and the supervisory team to go forward and oversee the battle, ordering the routed soldiers to leave the battlefield from both flanks and not to charge into his own formation.

The Danyang soldiers were, after all, seasoned veterans who had fought many battles. Most of them were aware of the danger and knew to run to the sides. Only a few, blinded by their own folly, continued to run towards the main formation, only to be met with a hail of arrows.

Then they heard the supervising officers and their personal guards, wielding gleaming broadswords, shouting as they ran to either side.

Those who were lucky enough to dodge the arrows and were fast enough were directly tackled to the ground by the supervising team and beheaded on the spot.

This series of maneuvers prevented the rear guard from being overwhelmed by the fleeing troops, which would have attracted the Taishan soldiers to charge and cause a complete collapse.

(End of this chapter)