Here in Geyang Village, Liu Xiu responded to a total of six groups of Han troops and fought more than ten battles with Kaixiao's army. The Kaixiao army had fewer troops, so Liu Xiu led his troops to fight vigorously. The Kaixiao army had more troops.
, Liu Xiu then led his troops to retreat to avoid its sharp edge.
As more and more Han troops arrived at the camp outside Longguan, more and more Wei Xiao troops gathered. Soon, Zang Gong also arrived at the Han camp. Geng Yan, Ma Wu, and Wang Ba had already arrived a day ago
When we arrived, Zang Gong was the last one.
Now counting the number of people, there are more than 50,000 Han soldiers in the camp, and there are more than 40,000 soldiers. Excluding the battle losses, there should be nearly 20,000 people who have not returned to the Han army camp. These 20,000 people are now in
Even the Han army themselves didn't know where it was.
In the central military tent, Liu Xiu and the generals stood around the sand table. Lai She pointed at the sand table and said: "It is reported that the enemy troops are gathering in the Longguan area. There are no less than 150,000 enemy soldiers and horses. They want to attack
Our army has formed an encirclement and encirclement trend."
Geng Yan frowned and said: "Your Majesty, given the current war situation, our troops must withdraw from Hanyang immediately."
Wang Ba said: "However, there are still more than 20,000 soldiers who have not been able to withdraw!" If our side withdraws the third auxiliary now, then the 20,000 soldiers who have not yet returned to camp will die in Hanyang.
Lai She said: "We can't wait any longer. If we wait any longer, our army will be trapped in Hanyang and will be unable to escape!"
Liu Xiu asked Long Yuan: "Is there still no news at all?"
Long Yuan shook his head solemnly.
Twenty thousand soldiers have not returned, so we cannot withdraw now. But if we do not withdraw, we will be surrounded by Wei Xiao's army, and may even be in danger of being annihilated.
At this time, both Liu Xiu and his soldiers were in a dilemma.
Liu Xiu lowered his head, looked at the sand table carefully, and said: "According to the enemy's marching speed, it will take two days to complete the encirclement. Let's... wait."
When I came to see Liu Xiu, I hesitated to speak. The soldiers who have not yet been able to retreat to the camp are probably in danger. Even if they are still alive, as the enemy's encirclement becomes smaller and smaller, it will be difficult for them to get through.
Enemy troops, return to the camp.
However, if His Majesty must abandon the 20,000 soldiers and withdraw immediately, it will be difficult for Lai She to say so.
In the afternoon, Liu Xiuzheng was sitting in the Chinese military tent, checking the intelligence sent back from all parties. Long Yuan came in from the outside and said: "Your Majesty, there is urgent military information coming back from Fuxiang!"
Fuxiang is located in the northeast of Longguan, at the foot of Fushan Mountain, more than a hundred miles away from Longguan. It is a small town with a population of several hundred. Fuxiang is not a strategic location. To the west of Fuxiang is Fushan.
It can be said that this is a dead end. Kai Xiao's army did not set up a garrison in Fuxiang, and the Han army did not go out of its way to capture Fuxiang. For both sides, Fuxiang was a useless place and did not have much strategic value.
Liu Xiu was quite surprised when urgent military information was reported back to such a place that neither side was willing to fight for. He said: "Bring the scouts in!"
Long Yuan agreed, turned around and walked out. Not long after, a Han soldier with a disgraced face and blood stains all over his body walked into the Chinese military tent.
Entering the big tent, the Han soldier knelt on the ground with an ordinary sound, kowtowed forward, and said: "I pay homage to Your Majesty, little man!"
Liu Xiu looked at the soldier and asked, "Aren't you a scout of our army?"
The soldier said in a trembling voice: "This villain belongs to the first song of the first battalion under General Tuulu. Your Majesty, more than 10,000 soldiers of our army are trapped in their hometown. Please rescue them!" As he spoke, the soldier knocked his head on the ground.
Hearing this, everyone present was shocked. More than 10,000 soldiers were trapped in their hometown. How could these more than 10,000 soldiers escape to their hometown?
Liu Xiu leaned forward and asked, "What's going on? Please tell me clearly!"
At present, more than 10,000 Han troops are trapped in their hometown. These Han troops did not come together, but came in groups.
Although the Han army was broken into pieces, Kaixiao's army also set up blockades at all levels. The Han troops who ran to Fuxiang were forced to run to Fuxiang to avoid the interception and pursuit of Kaixiao's army.
Wei Xiao's army also intended to open an opening in Fuxiang and let the Han army in. However, if the Han army entered Fuxiang and tried to escape, they would have no chance.
Currently, among the Han troops trapped in their hometowns, the highest-ranking one is a partial general named Lu Jin.
Lu Jin saw through Kai Xiao's army's plan and sent dozens of small groups of elite Han troops to break out and ask for reinforcements.
As a result, of the dozen or so groups of Han troops that broke through, only one group was lucky enough to pass through the encirclement of Kaixiao's army, and among this group of Han troops, only this soldier made it to the Han army camp alive.
After listening to the soldier's story, everyone present was shocked. No wonder 20,000 of our own soldiers disappeared inexplicably. It turned out that they were all trapped in Fuxiang.
Liu Xiu asked the soldier to learn more about the situation of returning to his hometown, and then asked someone to take him down to rest.
He looked at the map and searched for a long time before finally finding Fuxiang. He raised his hand and clicked on the map and said: "Fuxiang is here, more than a hundred miles away from our army camp."
Lai She said with a solemn expression: "Your Majesty, given the current situation, it is difficult for our army to rescue and return to our hometown!"
If all one's own troops go out to rescue Fuxiang, it will be like beating a dog with meat buns, and they will never come back. Lai She continued: "Wei Chen is worried that the Weixiao army will besiege Fuxiang instead of attacking it. What they are using is siege."
Please provide assistance!"
General Geng Yan nodded, feeling that Lai She's suspicion was not unreasonable. Ma Wu's face darkened and he asked loudly: "More than 10,000 soldiers of our army are trapped and returning to their hometowns. Are we going to die without saving them?"
Lai She spread his hands and said: "Sending troops to rescue will only cause greater losses to our army!"
Ma Wu said angrily: "That's more than 10,000 soldiers! You are greedy for life and afraid of death. You dare not go. I will go!"
As he spoke, he raised his hands to Liu Xiu and said: "Your Majesty, please give me five thousand soldiers and horses. I am willing to go back to my hometown and rescue our trapped brothers!"
Lai She said urgently: "General Ma, now is not the time to act on impulse!"
Ma Wu said loudly: "I am not motivated. In order to survive, I have abandoned more than ten thousand soldiers. I, Ma Wu, cannot do such a thing!"
Wang Ba raised his head, looked at Ma Wu, and then at everyone present. Finally, his eyes fell on Liu Xiu and said, "Your Majesty, I would like to accompany Ma Wu to his hometown!"
This time, he rarely stood on the same side as Ma Wu. With more than 10,000 fellow brethren, it would be impossible for a king to do such a thing.
If you don't know where these brothers are, that's fine. But now you know clearly that they are returning to their hometown and that they are alive. How can you do nothing and evacuate first?
Lai She said urgently: "It is the courage of an ordinary man to do something when you know it cannot be done!"
Ma Wu said: "Even if I die, I, Ma Wu, will die together with my brothers!"
Wang Ba raised the corners of his mouth and said with a smile: "Count me in!"
Lai She was speechless. The stakes were clearly laid out in front of him, but Ma Wu and Wang Ba were still looking for death. What could he do?
He murmured: "Two generals, think about it carefully. In order to rescue more than 10,000 soldiers, more soldiers will die on the battlefield. Is this worth it?!"
"It's worth it!" These words were not said by Ma Wu, nor Wang Ba, but by Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu, who had been silent, looked at Lai She and said, "Some things are not based on whether the loss is large or the loss is great."
Use it as a basis."
More than 10,000 soldiers were trapped, and our own side sent soldiers to rescue them. The final result was probably that the rescued soldiers and the trapped soldiers were killed together.
If you only look at the surface data, this approach is indeed stupid, and it will cause your side to lose many soldiers in vain. However, you cannot just look at the surface, you have to look at the deeper level.
Sending reinforcements for rescue may cause greater losses, but it shows the world that as long as you join the Han army, you will have hundreds of thousands of brothers. Once you are in danger, your brothers will definitely come to save you, even if
Even if they are shattered to pieces, they will definitely come even if they are doomed. The soldiers of the Han army are monolithic. They will never leave behind a comrade or a comrade.
On the contrary, not sending reinforcements can indeed stop losses, but the problem is that from now on, the Han army officers and soldiers will follow this approach. Is there even unity within the Han army?
On the battlefield, everyone only cares about their own survival and does not care about the life or death of their brothers. How can such an army last long?
Liu Xiu looked around at the crowd and said: "Tomorrow morning, Jianwei will lead the main force of our army to retreat. Tonight, I will personally lead five thousand soldiers to rescue and restore our hometown."
As soon as he said these words, everyone gasped in unison, and Lai She said urgently: "Your Majesty will never do this!"
"Your Majesty, I am a minister..." Geng Yan, Ma Wu, Wang Ba, Zang Gong and others still wanted to speak. Liu Xiu waved his hands and said seriously: "There are too many people going, and the goal is too big. Even if we get to Fuxiang smoothly, we still can't do it."
It is difficult to escape, so it is most appropriate for me to lead five thousand brothers and rush to Fuxing for rescue."
"Your Majesty..." Ma Wu and Wang Ba said in unison: "Let the ministers go!"
Liu Xiu shook his head and said: "Whether it is Zizhang or Yuan Bo who leads the five thousand soldiers to rescue and return to his hometown, it will be difficult for him to escape. As long as I go there in person, there is still a glimmer of hope!"
After all, he is the emperor. Where the emperor is, the morale of the soldiers can be greatly improved. If other generals are allowed to lead their troops there, whether it is Ma Wu or Wang Ba, they will not have such an effect.
In the past two days, the scene before Zhugan's death in the battle always appeared in Liu Xiu's mind. There were many young soldiers like Zhugan among the Han army. He brought them to Liangzhou and Hanyang.
He has the responsibility to bring these young soldiers back.
Therefore, whether speaking from a general point of view or from a personal point of view, Liu Xiu could not just sit back and ignore the more than 10,000 soldiers who were trapped and returned to their hometown. He had to go to the rescue and do his best.
Liu Xiu said decisively: "You don't need to say any more, I have made up my mind!"
"Your Majesty..." Everyone was anxious and knelt down one after another. In their opinion, if His Majesty only brought five thousand soldiers to rescue Fuxing, it could not be said that he had narrowly escaped death, but that he had suffered ten deaths. "No, Your Majesty!
"Your Majesty, think twice!"
Liu Xiu stood up and said decisively: "Geng Yan, I am not in the army. You are the chief general, Ma Wu, Wang Ba, Zang Gong, Lai She, etc., to assist me!"
"His Majesty……"
"The movements of your troops can contain a large number of enemy troops. This will also facilitate our troops' rescue of Fuxing."
Liu Xiu glanced at everyone and said seriously: "After retreating to Sanfu, if Kaixiao's army takes advantage of the victory to attack, your troops can avoid their attack and return to Chang'an to garrison. Chang'an is well-defended, easy to defend and difficult to attack, and can withstand the main force of the enemy's army.
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Lai She said anxiously: "Your Majesty is the king of a country and has a body of thousands of people. How can you personally take risks? Your Majesty, think twice!" "Please think again, Your Majesty!" The rest of the people also knelt down and kowtowed.
Liu Xiu ignored it and walked out, saying at the same time: "I'll order the troops!"