After two rounds of bloody battles, the rising sun finally rose slowly from the southeast, and the warm sunshine shone down, clearly reflecting the situation on the battlefield.
Under the blue sky, the Han army's camp was like a long mountain range, stretching between Qi people and Sishui. Among the red flags of the company's camp for more than ten miles, the cloud-patterned flying tiger flag above the main tent of the Han army was particularly conspicuous.
It is the focus of the battle, the key to victory or defeat. But at this moment, the eyes of everyone inside and outside the camp are not here, but focused on a group of yellow flags.
The yellow flags were dense and urgent, passing through Jiangqi like a spring tide, constantly flapping back and forth in front of the antlers. As for the fighting and bloody battles below, the Qi people in the distance were blocked by Zhang Yang and could not witness it with their own eyes, but they all saw the same thing.
Looking at the red and moist land beneath their feet, they already had the answer in their hearts.
When Gong Du led the third group of cavalry into the Han camp, Zhang Fang originally planned to move forward immediately, lead his 6,000 knights, and continue to tear apart the front line to the north. However, the military order from Grand Sima Guan Hai arrived, and Guan Hai learned that the Han
After there were ambushes on both the north and south wings of the army, Zhang Fang was ordered to wait for a few moments. When his main infantry arrived, he could coordinate with his infantry and cavalry to cover Zhang Fang's charge into the formation. Zhang Fang hesitated slightly after receiving the order, but finally agreed.<
/p>
When the offensive was interrupted, the knights who entered the camp were completely isolated and helpless. Even if it was only for two short moments, it was enough to destroy an army's offensive. The yellow waves in the Han camp rushed to the second antlers.
, about 80% was left. After the second round of running, less than half was left. The yellow flags fell one after another, like water seeping into the soil, and like yellow flowers withering in the autumn wind. By the fourth impact,
At that time, there were only a dozen flags left struggling to move northward. Then, the last wave turned into ripples, and there were no more waves.
Nearly ten thousand elite knights were all killed in battle, and the outcome could be said to have been completely decided at this moment.
The reason why people are sad is because they have emotions and spiritual existence. Therefore, even though Zhang Fang of the fourth team knew clearly that there were ambushes and traps in the enemy's tent, and knew that he would definitely die if he stepped into it, he could not lead his troops back.
When Hai led the army to the front of the formation, the generals looked at the desolate blood all the way from the battlefield to the Han camp, and they all fell into embarrassment and became mute.
Zhang Fang said to Guan Hai: "Da Sima, I am willing to charge into the battle again."
Guan Hai asked him: "The battle has been lost, what's the use of rushing into the battle?"
Zhang Fang did not answer, but looked at him with a guilty and serious look. Guan Hai understood his thoughts instantly, and he understood so thoroughly that Guan Hai had the illusion that he was not looking at him.
Instead, he was looking at the Han army camp behind him.
This battle is not just a matter of victory or defeat.
It is also related to the continued survival of the entire Linzi court. In the eyes of others, the Qi and Han court after the Linzi Rebellion was no different from the grass bandits, but to those who survived, it still had incomparable significance and represented a fulfillment of the oath.
The opportunity. At this moment, the opportunity was lost, and they were finally sentenced to death by history. At this desperate moment, Guan Hai felt relaxed for the first time, because he had a feeling, and he knew that Zhang Fang also felt this way: they were already among the dead.
Got it.
Since you will die sooner or later, why not leave a heroic figure?
Guan Hai promised: "Okay, I will play the drum for you!". The two seemed to be old friends for many years, saying it in a farewell tone. But in fact this was not the case. They were nearly twenty years apart in age, until the year before last We had just met, and we had fought each other last year, but at this moment, all the right and wrong seemed to have disappeared.
Seeing Zhang Fang going to lead the troops, Guan Hai immediately took off his armor and shirt, walked straight to the drum, and took two drumsticks from the drummer. The scars on his body were shallow or deep, and they looked like tiger stripes in the sunlight. The generals in the ministries, Xin Ji and Yang Feng, stood aside and asked him: "Da Sima, how should we arrange it?"
Guan Hai glanced at him and said with a lonely smile: "If you want to fight, then fight, if you want to retreat, then retreat."
"Huh?"
"Those who are willing to stay, stay, and those who are willing to leave, leave." Guan Hai looked up at the sky and said, "Our Taiping Road has always been like this."
Yang Feng understood what he meant, and then retreated, and gathered with Han Xian and Dugu Qubei to discuss. A consensus was quickly reached, and he led his generals to retreat to the side and watch. Guan Hai understood their arrangement: At this moment, the two The army had not yet fought in one place. If they fled first, it would be easy for the Han army to divide their forces and pursue them. Therefore, they planned to wait for the melee between the two armies before slowly withdrawing. There is nothing wrong with this. Guan Hai thought to himself, everyone has their own choice. .At least everyone is equal when it comes to choosing their own way to die.
After Zhang Fang's cavalry was organized, Guan Hai beat the drum. The moment Zhang Fang whipped his horse and whipped the drum, the cavalry immediately rushed out of the Han camp. Logically speaking, they should not have heard the sound of the drum yet. The camp The Han army in the middle seemed to be inspired. In order to achieve the reputation of the Qi people's bravery, they did not continue to hold on, but went out from south to north to attack the enemy with a force of three flanks.
Today, the Han army has an absolute advantage in strength. Zhang Fang's 6,000 cavalry troops rushed into it. They were like foam sprinkled on a rock. They blinked brightly, but soon they were broken one by one under the heavy pressure of the Han army. Disappeared. First was Song Pinghan, who charged at the front as a fighting general and fell to the ground due to the rain of arrows. Then came Yu Huanglong, Liu Shi, and Guo Wulu. They were hacked to death by random knives in hand-to-hand combat. Not long after, Zhang Fang The figure also slipped away from the crowd.
Even so, the Han army was still slightly stagnant due to Zhang Fang's attack. On the battlefield, human corpses and horse corpses were piled on top of each other, running rampant across the field. Black blood flowed on the ground, seeping into the yellow soil, and the ownerless horses Among the corpses, he lowered his head and gnawed on the weeds that had not completely decayed. Occasionally he raised his head, revealing a mouth full of blood.
Guan Hai sent someone to say to Bai Bo's army: "If you want to leave, do it now. I hope you can all survive." Then he said to his subordinates who did not dare to fight to the death: "Don't be afraid. I will personally take the rear, and you will definitely be able to return." Arrive at Linzi. After returning to Linzi, leave all matters to my brother, and then apologize to my family for me. I will never see them again in this life."
"Da Sima, this..." Some generals were so ashamed that they did not dare to raise their heads and look into Guan Hai's eyes.
"Let's go! Once we engage in battle with the bandits, we won't be able to leave. Look! The flag has also moved. They are preparing to launch a general attack!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the enemy's cloud-patterned flying tiger flag indeed began to move this way. Yang Feng and others had led the Baibo Army to retreat eastward at a rapid speed. The ashamed generals knelt down once and then immediately ran away.<
/p>
Guan Hai beat the drum again and instructed the remaining 20,000 troops to slowly gather around him. They would form a circular formation. Without reinforcements, the circular formation was equivalent to a death formation, but it could also greatly kill the enemy.
.Guan Hai will use this method to rectify the name of Taiping Road and buy time for his retreating comrades.
The generals of the Han army obviously saw his intention, but no one had a good way to deal with the circular formation. They could only slow down their advance and make the north and south wings encircle them cautiously to ensure that the fruits of victory would be real.
Take it off without mistake.
During the siege, Guan Hai had a lot of thoughts. He reviewed his experiences in the past few years and had to admit that he had done many wrong things. For example, he stood by and refused to fight when Peng Tuo went to war. For example, before the Linzi Rebellion, Liu Xi
He does have connections, for example, he personally killed Zhang Yan. He has an unshirkable responsibility for the decline of Taiping Road.
This reminded him that when the wise master Daliang was still alive, he once told them to unite as one. At that time, he only thought it was natural, but unexpectedly it turned into what it is now. Thinking of this, Guan Hai felt ashamed in his heart. He thought again:
If I had been willing to advance and retreat with the masses, what would it be like now? Is there really a chance to create a peaceful world as mentioned in the "Taiping Jing"?
Thinking this, the drum beat in his hand slowed down, and he suddenly looked around, only to realize that the encirclement of the Han army had been completed. Outside a giant circular formation of 20,000 people, there was an even larger circular formation of 100,000 people.
, even in the era of the Warring States Period when all the people were soldiers, no one had ever seen such a battle.
However, after the Han army completed the encirclement, they were not in a hurry to launch an attack. Instead, they sent an envoy. The envoy rode through the encirclement of swords, walked to the center of the circle, dismounted, and held a piece of paper in both hands.
The yellow silk cloth slowly walked to Guan Hai.
The envoy said to Guan Hai: "I am under the command of Liu Bei, the great general of the Han Dynasty, who is admonishing the emperor Jian Shou. Following the order of the general, I would like to ask you a question. You are now trapped in a place where you will die, and you are in a desperate battle. It can be said that you are in trouble.
Before Zhang Jiao's death, he presented the dragon's head with the Yellow Sky Talisman, ordering all the ministries to obey the Heavenly Talisman. Today the Talisman is here, why don't you surrender early? You can still save your life. The country has the policy of equalizing land, and you can still be a rich farmer if you have been farming for several years.
."
Guan Hai took off the Yellow Sky Talisman and spread it out. When he saw the rune writing on it, his face showed a nostalgic look. He sighed softly, returned it to Huangfu Jianshou, and said with a smile: "You
He must be Huangfu Song's son. How brave he is to dare to come here to speak."
Huangfu Jianshou saw his expression and knew that he was unwilling to surrender and that his mission had failed. He still asked unwillingly: "Does Guan Gong want to win the hearts of thousands of people with the heart of one person?"
Guan Hai snorted contemptuously. He looked around at the soldiers around him and asked, "Does your envoy think that those who can stay here at this time will be people who are afraid of death?"
The Taiping Taoist disciples burst into laughter, which made Huangfu Jianshou's face feel hot. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, Guan Hai stopped him, pointed at Huang Tianfu and said to him: "If you have a chance, put the talisman into water
Pour it into the East China Sea!" The expression on his face was solemn and unbearable.
When Huangfu Jianshou was leaving, he heard them singing a ballad. The tune was desolate and simple, sometimes slow and sometimes fast, like a faint soul rising from the nine springs, and like an endless river flowing into the ocean. The lyrics
He kept it secretly in his heart:
"Now that the body is dead, it is buried in the sun of the mountain. How majestic the mountain is and how blue the sky is. There are trees in the mountains and sorrow in the springs. The soul returns to look at its hometown.
The body is dead and buried in the mountains. Life is hard and the years are wasted. Life is impermanent and death has an end. When the soul returns, it has no mountains and rivers to hang on to.
The body is dead and buried at the foot of the mountain. The sky is so high and the wind is so solemn. Under the dome is a spiritual flag. The soul has returned and will be bound to this earth forever."
When Huangfu Jianshou returned to the army, Liu Bei learned that the enemy's intention was to fight to the death and not surrender. He couldn't bear it for a moment and immediately hesitated with a whip. Fa Zheng urged him: "My lord, quelling the chaos is the benevolence. Don't hesitate anymore."
”
Liu Bei then made up his mind and shouted: "Beat the drums! March!", and then the whole army shouted loudly, and the red flags marched forward, launching a tsunami-like general attack on the last Qi and Han elites.
In this battle, more than 40,000 people died in the Qi and Han battles, and only more than 2,000 were captured due to injuries. After the war, Jinyang Bafu counted the casualties and found that more than 20,000 of its own casualties were killed and wounded. After occupying Pengcheng, the Han army also
Unable to advance eastward, Liu Bei ordered Zhang Xian to settle in Xuzhou, appointed him as the governor of Xuzhou, and then led his army back westward.
But all the knowledgeable people in the world are horrified. In this battle, all the elites of Qi and Han will be wiped out, and the country will be destroyed in just one or two years. And this also means that the country will only be a few feet away from unification.