Chapter Fourty Nine: The princes withdraw their troops
Yuan Shao's expression changed slightly. He had just praised Li Ru. He wanted to bring Li Ru to the forefront. Once the army retreated, he would let the Xiliang army deal with Li Ru. But what kind of person Li Ru was, how could he be willing to be manipulated like this?
, and counterattack immediately.
"After this battle, it is expected that some soldiers in the Xiliang army will be infected with the plague. Our army's goal has been achieved. If we are not careful, the plague will spread among the Xiliang army, and a big enemy will be eliminated.
"Cao Cao stroked his beard and said with a smile, being able to defeat the Xiliang army without any bloodshed made him feel that his trip was worthwhile.
"Yes, the Xiliang army can't pose a threat to us. Can we withdraw?" Liu Biao asked. From the bottom of his heart, he didn't want to stay at Hangu Pass. With an initial army of 50,000, a plague would be worse than a battle.
It is going to be raging, and now there are only more than 35,000 soldiers left. These soldiers are the elite of Jingzhou that Liu Biao has gathered over many years.
Yuan Shao said: "What Jing Sheng said is true. There are many people infected with the plague among the army. If they stay here, they will no longer be able to perform their duties. It is better to retreat and plan for another day."
The coalition forces came and left quickly. They were not defeated by the powerful Xiliang army, but by the plague. When they came, there were more than 300,000 troops, and when they left, there were more than 200,000 people. Those who died in the battle were not as many as those who died from the plague infection.
, it feels quite anticlimactic. Soldiers who showed signs of being infected with the plague were all abandoned by the princes along the way. Dead people could be seen everywhere. Some people were accidentally infected with the plague, and the number of deaths became even greater.[
When Jia Rong heard the news that the coalition troops were withdrawing, he did not feel relaxed at all. He hurriedly ordered that the place where the coalition troops were stationed be piled with firewood and other things, poured with oil, lit a fire, and covered the outside of the pass with white lime.
There are already nearly 300 people in the injured camp of the Xiliang Army. Although these people are in good mental condition, they cannot stop the pace of death. If the current situation continues, more and more soldiers will be infected.
Following the example of later generations of doctors, Jia Rong ordered doctors to wear masks to prevent the spread of the plague. This also greatly ensured the safety of doctors, at least without direct air contact with patients.
"Fengxiao, how are you feeling?" Jia Rong ignored Hua Yu's advice and tried to see Guo Jia.
After a few days apart, Guo Jia's face had already turned pale. The attack of the disease and the psychological pressure caused him to become much more haggard.
Seeing Jia Rong's arrival, Guo Jia's empty eyes flashed with surprise. He struggled to sit up and wanted to bow down and salute, but Jia Rong stopped him.
"My lord, Jia is seriously ill. Your lord should focus on important matters and not come to see Jia." Although Guo Jia was excited, there were complaints in his words, and he was obviously dissatisfied with Jia Rong's actions.
"It's okay, Fengxiao. I am blessed with good fortune. I was poisoned when I was on the river, but I still survived. So you can't give up. Whenever there is a chance, you must seize it. Don't give up on yourself.
This king needs your help. No matter what, your life must be saved." Jia Rong's tone left no room for doubt, "When you recognize me as your lord, your life will be mine. Without my order,
You can't die."
Guo Jia felt that his throat was a little blocked. Jia Rong's words gave him an unprecedented desire to survive. He must live for the sake of his lord.
"Lord..." Guo Jia couldn't hold it back after all, tears burst into his eyes.
"Okay, grown man, why are you crying? Take good care of your health. I will come back to see you again."
After Jia Rongyuan left, Guo Jia whispered in a voice that only he could hear: "My lord, this life of humble duty will be yours from now on."
The soldiers in the Wounded Barracks gathered together, and what they discussed most was their military exploits. They had followed Jia Rong's army for many years, and what they deserved to show off was their military exploits.
The soldiers who could be selected to go to Hanguguan to resist the princes were not elite soldiers who had fought a hundred battles. Their hands may have been stained with the blood of many enemies. They died silently like this. Although they felt quite worthless, they did not have any restlessness. After their death, their families
They would be properly placed. Ever since they joined the army, they had thought that such a day would come, but they would die a little cowardly.
"Back then, I followed the general in Xianbei, and the battle was really enjoyable. I directly wiped out Xianbei's most elite wolf army." A general said proudly.
"What's so great about that? The Xianbei army itself is weak. Back then, I followed the military advisor and defeated tens of thousands of Xianbei troops outside Yanmen Pass." Another general retorted dissatisfied.
"What do you know, kid? When I was in the army, you were still playing with Xini. At that time, when the general and I were in Xianbei, the war horses had no stirrups, horseshoes, and no armor on their bodies. They only relied on a scimitar in their hands.
, and the Wolf Army is the most elite team in the Xianbei army, with superb riding skills and well-equipped equipment. That battle was earth-shattering." The general showed a look of nostalgia on his face, "The opponent had two thousand people, but we only had one.
More than a thousand people.”
The general suddenly asked: "Do you know what the wolf army is?"
"The Wolf Army, isn't it the Xianbei army that thinks it's the enemy's army across the grassland? It's still defeated by the Xiliang Army. So, no matter what kind of army it is, it can't defeat our Xiliang Army." The general said disapprovingly.
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"Don't yell. Listen to what he has to say. What happened after we met the wolf army?" The general who interrupted had quite a reputation in the army.
More than a dozen soldiers were also attracted by the conversation between the generals. Normally, there are few opportunities to have such direct contact with generals, and the lower-level soldiers know less information. Such topics have a great impact on them.
Attraction.
"The Wolf Army was the most elite force under Tan Shihuai when he unified Xianbei. It was able to sweep through Xianbei with no enemy." The general said slowly.
The soldiers didn't know who Tan Shihuai was. They only knew that the Xiliang army was the enemy and invincible.
"The sky and the earth were dark in that battle. The sun and the moon were shining brightly. Except for the scimitars in their hands, our army could hardly compare with the Xianbei wolf army in terms of equipment. The riding skills of the opponent's cavalry even far surpassed our army."
Seeing that the general beside him was also attracted to him, a look of lust appeared on his face. The experience of being on the grassland with Jia Rong was the most unforgettable and the most worth showing off in his life. In his free time,
This is what I am most willing to talk about. I have focused everyone's attention on myself many times. It can be said that I have never failed.
"The brutal battle was the most brutal since our army entered the grassland. The entire wolf army was wiped out, and there were only about fifty of our army left." The general's face showed a look of nostalgia.
He survived that battle, but was defeated by the plague.
Everyone was silent. Although the general's words were brief, they could imagine the tragic situation of the war at that time.
"Didn't your kid also participate in that battle? Otherwise, how could he describe it so clearly?" The general's tone was filled with envy.
"That's right, I was among the fifty or so people who survived at that time. Unexpectedly, the elite wolf army did not kill me, but died cowardly due to this plague." The general sighed.
The tent suddenly became silent. After many battles, it was not easy to get ahead, but fate made a joke, and anyone would feel uncomfortable.
"Brother, be careful. If you survive the catastrophe, you will be blessed later. Maybe this time is also a test for you. If you survive the catastrophe, you will be the leader of the Xiliang Army in the future." The general pretended.
The mature man advised.
"Brothers, don't worry, the general will not give up on you." At some point, a medical staff came in.
The battlefield is cruel, and the plague is even more cruel. At least you can see the enemy on the battlefield, and if you are good at it, you can avoid the enemy's open and hidden arrows. But under the plague, how many people can survive.
Although Jia Rong's reward is very high, the medical skills of this era are limited after all. They rely on medicine to stabilize the plague every day. It is very difficult to cure it. Doctors have been coming in these days, and they are all gone when they go out.
He shook his head and left.
Under the heavy reward, there was no shortage of brave men and medical personnel, and the results were quite impressive. The plague was basically under control. The measures taken in Chang'an were relatively early, so the plague did not arrive and had little influence.
Not only the Xiliang Army, but also the soldiers of the princes suffered heavy casualties when they withdrew their troops. In short, in this attack on the Xiliang Army, all parties suffered heavy casualties.
The plague had stabilized slightly, and Jia Rong was determined and focused on rectifying the army. A battle also exposed some problems in the Xiliang army. There is no doubt about the combat effectiveness, but there is still a certain lack of cooperation between the teams.
The main reason is that the generals cannot seize the opportunity in time and the soldiers cannot make effective judgments. This also points out the direction for Jia Rong to train the soldiers next, focusing on training the generals' battlefield adaptability.
The princes attacked Hangu Pass and almost depleted the Xiliang army's food and grass. The biggest losses were the merchants in Chang'an. The princes blocked the road to Chang'an and the goods could not be circulated. How could they do business with others? Fortunately
The rice grain in Chang'an was controlled by the government, and merchants did not dare to mess around, so there was no unrest among the people.
"Now, the princes have withdrawn their troops. Our army has also lost troops and generals after this battle. The plague has temporarily stabilized, but medical personnel should not relax their vigilance."
In addition to the civil and military officials in the tent, Hao Ran, the staff of the medical center headed by Hua Yu, was also present. The Xiliang army was able to repel the coalition forces of the princes this time, and the medical center was indispensable, especially at the critical moment. The medical staff wanted to
After finding a way to stabilize the plague, Jia Rong was overjoyed and directly rewarded him with a hundred gold. It can be said that it was the highest reward since the establishment of the Xiliang Army. He received so much reward at once from an unknown medical staff.
While other medical staff were jealous, they also began to increase their efforts to conquer the plague.
There are fewer and fewer dead soldiers in the wounded barracks. Now small groups of soldiers gather together. Their faces no longer have the worry that they had at first. Especially the generals who followed Jia Rong and returned from the battle on the grassland, their faces are full of red.
His own martial arts skills are not weak, and he has high qualifications in the army. As expected, he will become a battalion general after walking out of the wounded barracks. In the Xiliang Army, a battalion general can definitely be called a senior general.[
