Han officials

Chapter 65: Disdain for Each Other [4K]

The next day, Zengdi was outside the county.

After a few days of busy work, the Han army camp outside the city had become as majestic as a city.

Although it was a wooden fort, when the King of Goguryeo looked down from a high place, he still couldn't help but frown.

Although Goguryeo originated in the wild land of Liaodong, Han culture was highly respected in China.

Since Goguryeo did not have its own writing system, it used Chinese characters.

During the reign of King Liuli, the second king of Goguryeo, he married a Han woman and wrote the "Song of the Yellow Bird":
The yellow birds are dancing, the male and female are relying on each other.

Thinking of my solitude, who can I go home with?
Even the tomb inscriptions of Goguryeo kings of all generations were written in Chinese characters, which shows that the degree of sinicization was quite high.

Therefore, Gao Nanwu was familiar with Chinese military books such as "The Art of War" since he was a child.

Even though there were no annotations from the ancient sages, he still learned some tricks.

"This guy is really a tough guy!"

After Gao Nanwu led the riders on a tour with a frown on his face, he couldn't help but sigh like this.

"Set up camp and attack again tomorrow!"

Seeing that there was no chance to take advantage of, Gao Nanwu had no choice but to give up the idea of winning quickly by luck.

At the same time, Wei Zhe on the watchtower of the Han camp was also watching the Goguryeo army outside the city.

When they saw the Goguryeo army coming in like a tide, the people on the watchtower fell silent.

Tens of thousands of people are endless, let alone an army of 20,000?

Even Yuan Jun, who had experienced the decisive battle with the Xianbei, couldn't help but look solemn at this moment.

Because he found that the Goguryeo people were much more powerful than the scattered Xianbei coalition forces.

Among the crowd, only Wei Zhe was not affected at all.

After all, compared with the many grand scenes during the Yellow Turban Rebellion, these are really nothing.

Looking at the Goguryeo army setting up camp in front of him, Wei Zhe felt a little confused.

"So fast?"

"Master, is there something wrong?"

Wei Zhe thought about it but didn't explain anything.

He just felt that the Goguryeo army was coming a little too fast, and rushed towards Zengdi County without hesitation.

Maybe... he is not the only one who wants a quick victory!
Call it intuition or just keen battlefield perception, Wei Zhe pondered for a moment and then suddenly said:

"Gongsun Zhao, listen to my orders!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone behind him was stunned, but Gongsun Zhao reacted immediately.

"exist!"

"I order you to lead 3,000 cavalrymen to patrol the outer areas and look for opportunities to cut off the enemy's food supply. You may do as you see fit!"

We must know that the food supply is the throat of an army. Its survival and success are crucial.

Therefore, many famous generals in ancient times ordered their troops to move back and forth, either to cut off the enemy's rear or to burn their stored food.

If the food supply is cut off, we will be defeated even if we don’t win!
Gongsun Zhao naturally understood these principles, but he just wanted to ask, where did the three thousand cavalrymen come from?

You won’t let him put three thousand flags on his back, will you?
Seeing Gongsun Zhao's confused look, Wei Zhe didn't keep him in suspense and directly took off his sword and gave it to him.

"This sword has been with me for many years. All the camps of the Lelang Army know it. With this sword as a token, three thousand cavalrymen have come."

After the seven tribes of the Xianbei were annihilated, although Wei Zhe could not afford to support four thousand Han cavalry, it did not mean that they did not exist.

Especially the 3,000 cavalrymen who were originally selected from the military camps, are now just returning to their base camp.

After hearing what Wei Zhe said, Gongsun Zhao finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Here!"

He solemnly took Wei Zhe's sword, then immediately went down the watchtower without hesitation and led his men away at a gallop.

Seeing this, the Goguryeo scouts in the distance immediately led a small group of people to chase and kill for a while, but they retreated after a few people died, thinking that this was a messenger sent by Wei Zhe for help.

That night, Zengdi County and the Han camp outside the city both increased their vigilance.

Even if a scout reported an incident at night, he had to stand still twenty steps outside the gate, and the guards had to identify his voice and confirm the order arrow before letting him in. If anyone delayed or broke into the city, they would be shot, regardless of the death.

In this regard, Wei Zhe was not worried about killing the wrong person at all.

The next day, at the end of the fifth watch and the end of the drum beating, everyone in the camp got up and washed up.

After breakfast, the drums were sounded and the flags were raised, and all the generals gathered in Wei Zhe's tent.

"Leave the camp and form a battle line!"

Following Wei Zhe's order, all the generals responded loudly.

After a few days of preparation, we already have a plan on how to deal with everyone, so there is no need to say more at this moment.

At this time, the Goguryeo army also made the same decision.

So on the east bank of the Pei River, one could hear the neighing of horses and the fluttering of flags, and even the air became tense.

……

In front of the Goguryeo army, there were more than a dozen burly generals standing on horseback.

One of the warriors, a round-faced, bald man, watched the battle for a moment and couldn't help but shook his head and sighed:

"Tsk tsk! This kid from the Wei family is really capable. He was able to recruit thousands of young and strong men in such a short time."

This person didn't know Wei Zhe's background and thought that except for the 4,000 Lelang County soldiers, the rest were urgently recruited by him.

When he said this, the generals beside him immediately had different expressions, some were disdainful, some frowned.

However, Gao Nanwu remained calm. After all, he had already taken Wei Zhe seriously.

At this moment, he was even in the mood to chat and laugh: "It seems that this guy wants to keep the enemy out!"

The Han army did not leave the camp yesterday, and Gao Nanwu had not noticed it yet.

When he saw the Han army's formation at this moment, he immediately thought that Wei Zhe had concentrated all his forces here.

Thinking of this, Gao Nanwu immediately stroked his beard and smiled, "This man is quite sensible, just what I want."

Hearing this, Gao Yanyou, who was standing by, immediately smiled and said, "Since father likes this guy, I will definitely capture him alive and present him to you!"

Gao Nanwu laughed heartily upon hearing this and said, "Great! I heard that the Han Emperor likes to employ eunuchs. Then we'll castrate this fellow and make him a slave!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the generals around him burst into laughter, looking as if they had Wei Zhe in their grasp.

From Gao Nanwu onwards, the Goguryeo army was in high spirits and eager to fight.

It has to be said that Goguryeo did have some ability to stir up trouble in Liaodong for so many years.

For example, now, Wei Zhe looked around and found that the Goguryeo army was not short of weapons.

Compared with the Wuhuan, Xianbei and other tribes, Goguryeo obviously had a certain foundation in metal smelting.

In addition, there was no shortage of iron ore and trees in Goguryeo, so there were no shortage of swords, spears, and armor.

Even though the armor rate is not high, it is no longer an ordinary barbarian army.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhe immediately ordered Kuang Sheng to lead three battalions to station troops on the left, and Xu Kuan to lead three battalions to station troops on the right.

Both are arranged in a circular formation, with the front part bending forward and coming out in front of it, the front part bending backward and coming out in parallel with it, the rear part bending backward and coming out behind it, the rear part bending forward and coming out in parallel with it, the left and right parts and the middle part then rotate, and the left and right guards follow.

The square formation is good at attacking, and the circular formation is good at defending. These two formations are the two most practiced by the Han army.

As for Wei Zhe, he led 4,000 county soldiers and formed a square formation in the center, as if waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Seeing this, Gao Nanwu, who was under the opposing banner, was not surprised. It was just an ordinary response, nothing more than that!

With this in mind, he immediately ordered "Damuda" Yulu and "Moke" Yiduli to lead 5,000 soldiers each to test the situation.

The so-called "Damoda" of Goguryeo was probably equivalent to the general of the Han Dynasty.

As for the position of "Mo Ke", it is equivalent to the General of the Central Army, and is basically considered a general with real power.

However, Goguryeo had too little cultural background and only learned superficially from the Han people, so there were often situations in the country where the Tiangang were reversed, and the level of position and power often varied from person to person.

For example, "Damoda" Yu Lu, although he was the brother-in-law of the King of Goguryeo, his status was similar to that of "Moke" Yiduli.

After receiving the order, the two men did not dare to slack off and immediately returned to their own camps.

As the sound of war drums boomed, the two armies marched towards each other on the flat wilderness.

Compared with the well-organized Han army, the Goguryeo army was a bit rough.

Although the Goguryeo army had more infantry and fewer cavalry like the Han army, the personnel in the Goguryeo infantry were extremely diverse, including Xianbei, Mahan, Humei, Mohe, Buyeo, Han people, and so on.

And their respective equipment is also quite confusing.

Some wore leather robes, some wore leather armor, and some wore bamboo or wood armor.

Only some soldiers who looked like low-level military officers were wearing armor.

But even so, the styles of iron armor were varied, and Wei Zhe even saw the two levels of armor of the Han army.

In comparison, although the Han army garrison soldiers only wore leather armor, each of them had one. It was hard to tell who was stronger.

However, the two sides had a tacit understanding and they shot at each other within an arrow's distance.

As countless arrows flew through the air, many Goguryeo infantrymen who were charging immediately fell to the ground.

The green grass along the Peishui River gradually turned red with blood.

Of course, the garrison troops were not having an easy time either. Even though they had shields, many of them were still hit by arrows.

However, except for a few unlucky guys who were shot in the face, most of them were still able to fight.

Then, with a series of "whoosh~whoosh~" sounds, arrows rained down from both sides again.

After three arrows, the two armies finally engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

"Lift!"

"prick!"

In the circle, the soldiers responded mechanically to the shouts of their respective captains.

Don’t underestimate the garrison troops. They are still soldiers and they also need to practice battle formations.

In particular, the sixteen battalions of garrison troops that Wei Zhe moved from Daifang County have been training for almost a full year.

Even though they worked during the busy farming season, they practiced a lot during the slack season.

Having transformed from refugees into normal people again, they cherish the present time more than anyone else.

From this perspective, Gao Nanwu and others had made a big mistake.

Even though their clothes were in disarray and they looked no different from the conscripted young men, their fighting capacity was no less than that of the county soldiers.

For example, at this moment, even though they were on the battlefield, the garrisoned soldiers subconsciously stabbed their necks and thighs.

Brutal, precise, and extremely efficient in killing.

In fact, this is also the difference between refugees and ordinary young and strong people. They are actually more adaptable to the battlefield.

Looking at the performance of their soldiers, Kuang Sheng and Xu Kuan couldn't help but nod slightly.

In fact, if Wei Zhe hadn't given the order, they would even want to switch from defense to offense.

What's wrong with having more people? If one dies, it counts as one. If two die, it's a win!

They just didn't believe that the Goguryeo people were indestructible.

Besides, even if they are made of iron, they will have to bite off a few pieces of flesh.

After all, they have finally settled down, and no one should think of destroying their family.

Whenever they thought of this, the disgusting smell of blood in the air seemed wonderful to them.

Some refugees who had experienced hell gathered as soldiers, and even the smiles on their faces became gradually distorted as they killed people.

……

Not to mention how tenacious the garrison troops were.

Under the central army flag, Gao Nanwu saw that his 10,000 men had not been able to defeat the enemy's 6,000 men, and he immediately showed dissatisfaction. Even if the Han army was good at defense, it shouldn't be like this.

He immediately gave the order with a gloomy expression:
"Yao Lu, Xiang Fu, Lou Si, Yi Mi!"

As soon as these words were spoken, four strong and powerful generals immediately stepped out to receive orders.

"I order you to each lead two thousand warriors to besiege the Han army's center!"

After the four men received their orders and left, Gao Nanwu was left with only two thousand personal soldiers.

It can be said that he took Wei Zhe very seriously in this battle, and almost sent his entire army to fight in the first encounter.

At the same time, Wei Zhe under the banner of the Han army also saw Gao Nanwu's thoughts.

"Want to swallow me in one fell swoop? Haha~ It depends on whether you have the teeth to do it!"

Wei Zhe sneered and decisively ordered the two county Simas beside him to lead their troops into battle.

"Remember, protect the left and right garrisons, and then retreat back to the main camp in turns."

With that, Wei Zhe took the initiative and led a thousand of his own cavalry forward, charging towards the Goguryeo army. Jiao Shan and Wu Zhong accompanied them, while Zhang Chang, Liu Yi, and Han Zhong each served as cavalry commanders. They immediately tore a chasm through the enemy lines, slaughtering countless people and leaving the ground covered with corpses.

To put it bluntly, the one thousand cavalrymen around Wei Zhe are now no worse than the five schools of the Northern Army.

After all, after many battles, the weak ones had already died, and those who survived were veterans who had fought many battles.

Whether it is the tacit understanding of cooperation or the killing skills, these people almost crush the opponents.

After a few rounds, Wei Zhe led a thousand personal soldiers to kill them all.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, 3,000 county soldiers decisively protected the left and right garrisons and kept a distance from the enemy.

After alternating left and right, they successfully retreated to the camp in just a few moments.

Seeing this, Gao Nanwu under the Goguryeo flag was so angry that his face turned pale.

"What an arrogant boy! How dare you treat my army like nothing!"

He angrily threw down his whip and immediately ordered, "Pass the order, follow me to kill this guy and let the Han people know that Goguryeo cannot be insulted lightly!"

After saying this, he ignored the dissuasion of those around him and led two thousand personal soldiers to kill Wei Zhe and his party.

However, Wei Zhe did not give him the chance to besiege. After seeing that all the troops had retreated to the camp, he laughed and then turned a corner in front of the Goguryeo army in a cool manner. Then he returned to the camp smoothly under the cover of the archers in the camp.

After all, cavalry is a flexible weapon, and it is even more unpredictable in the hands of Wei Zhe, who is good at cavalry.

If Gao Nanwu wanted to surround and kill Wei Zhe, he would have to replace his 20,000 infantry with 20,000 cavalry.

Perhaps he couldn't stand being teased by Wei Zhe, so even though the Han army had returned to the camp, Gao Nanwu still refused to give up.

Furious and humiliated, he immediately ordered his troops to attack the Han army camp.

For a time, countless Goguryeo soldiers shed blood in front of the Han army camp, and the Han army camp was also scarred.

But even so, Gao Nanwu still failed to break through the heavily guarded Han army camp.

So when Zengdi County suddenly opened its gates and released two thousand volunteers to kill the Goguryeo people by surprise, Gao Nanwu saw that morale had weakened. No matter how angry he was, he could only temporarily withdraw his troops and fight again tomorrow...

(End of this chapter)