Huangfu Hui wanted to fight. To Guo Rong, it was like giving him a pillow when he was asleep. As long as he was willing to come out, there was no need to continue exploring in Ancheng. Guo Rong returned to camp and summoned several commanders in the army to discuss the war. .
"Your Majesty, what did Huangfu Hui's letter say that made you so happy?" Zhao Yanjin, who was just beside him, couldn't help but ask curiously.
"After yesterday's battle, Huangfu Hui was not convinced!" Guo Rong, who had always been serious, said with a smile on his face: "He wrote a letter saying that our army rushed to attack yesterday, and while he was advancing, the formation was not completed, so he would launch an assault. , I am being dishonest. He invited me to come to the north of Lai'an City, where the two sides would line up their formations, display their swords and guns, and fight openly and openly!"
"This Huangfu Hui, you really don't want to be shy!" Hearing this, Zhao Yanjin suddenly laughed and said: "There are many soldiers in the Tang Dynasty, and I have few soldiers. When fighting, we should look for good methods, find its flaws, and attack its weaknesses. On the battlefield, victory is the key. , what do you want to be aboveboard and upright?"
"Yan Jin made this statement!" Guo Rong said: "I see that Huangfu Hui is pedantic on the outside but scheming on the inside!"
"What do you mean by this?" Zhao Yanjin asked.
Without answering directly, Zhao Yanjin looked at An Shouzhong, who was frowning in thought, and asked him: "Trust minister, I see you are thoughtful on your face, what do you think?"
After becoming a general, he was trained by his father An Shenqi, and his talents were not low. An Shouzhongxiang had his own judgment on the military situation. Facing Guo Rong's gaze, An Shouzhong said: "The last general is thinking that Huangfu Hui was born in the army and fought in the army to fight Zhenwu. His talents and virtues may not be superior, but he is not so pedantic! He knows that our army is outnumbered. , but asked to set up a battle array to attack, how can this be upright?"
Guo Rong nodded and said: "So I said that Huangfu Hui still has some ingenuity in his heart. Guessing his heart, he was defeated by our army yesterday. He was certainly dissatisfied and not angry. But this invitation to fight should be to deceive me because I am young. I think I If he is full of energy, if he meets us and sets up a battle array, he will still have many times the number of troops and will not be afraid of our army. He can even defeat me and take the opportunity to go north to Sizhou. If I don't respond, he can not only save the shame of yesterday's defeat, but also return the favor. It can stabilize military morale!
Although our army is small in number, Sergeant Longqi has been organized and trained for a long time, and each of them is excellent. He dares to fight fearlessly and can win a battle. His morale is high and he has the advantage of cavalry. If nothing unexpected happens, Huangfu Hui has already thought of how to deal with our Han cavalry attack..."
Hearing what Guo Rong said, the generals were suddenly stunned. Zhao Yanjin asked: "Since you have made up your mind to fight, I am willing to follow you!"
"Aren't you afraid of the Tang army?" Guo Rong asked: "If we set up a battle array, we may not be their opponents!"
"If you can defeat him once, you can defeat him twice, so what's the point of fear?" Zhao Yanjin, full of pride, added: "No matter what happens, if we can't defeat him, why can't we retreat? How can the Tang army keep us!"
Seeing that all the generals were willing to fight, Guo Rong expressed his awe and immediately ordered: "Send orders to all camps to organize their troops, rest and eat. In the afternoon, follow my envoy to defeat Huangfuhui!"
"yes!"
"It turns out that coming to Ancheng is not an option. Since Huangfu Hui has given you the opportunity, how can he not accept it? If he wants to be upright, I will help him!" Guo Rong's tone revealed strong confidence, which also made him happy. The officers under his command felt more at ease.
On Huangfuhui's side, he was surprised, happy, and surprised when he received Guo Rong's reply. He even grabbed the messenger and asked Guo Rong for his reaction. When he learned that Guo Rong laughed, he responded without hesitation, and he felt very happy. , directly ordered the entire army to prepare their weapons and go out of the city to form an array.
It is already the middle of the first lunar month, and the spring spirit, which symbolizes vitality, has spread across the land of Huainan, and the wild areas are dotted with greenery. The spring breeze is still cold, and white catkins are flying in the air. By the Lai'an River, the armies of the Han and Tang Dynasties have already set up their battle formations. The battle looks like it is about to break out.
On the Tang army's side, they had already set up their formation, with their swords and guns drawn out, their horses and shields raised, and their bows and crossbows cocked. In the Chinese army's formation, Huangfu Hui rode a yellow gelding. Under the banner, holding the reins in one hand and twirling his beard with the other, he looked at the Han army on the opposite side, which was also forming a military formation.
There was a touch of confidence in his eyes, and he said to his left and right: "The Han army is in a tight formation, and its soldiers are indeed well-trained, but Guo Rong is still too young. After a small victory, he becomes arrogant and arrogant. He really wants to let our army Get into position!"
After saying that, he looked at the left wing again. The Han cavalry was walking slowly and swimming to the side. He frowned and ordered: "Send the order to the left wing to guard against a surprise attack by the Han cavalry!"
"yes!"
After looking around, I felt that I was well prepared. I also saw that the sun was gradually moving westward, and the Han army was almost standing in formation facing the sun. I was more confident and sent people directly to the front of the Han army to ask Guo Rong to attack the formation. Huaheng Academy
About a mile away, in the Han army's formation, Guo Rong was wearing plain black armor. Under his hood, he had an ancient face. After receiving the message from Tang soldiers, Zhao Yanjin couldn't help but said to Guo Rong: "This Huangfu Hui is really disgusting! He supported all the troops and occupied the armor formation, but he was on the defensive and allowed our army to take the initiative to attack!"
"Respond to Huangfu Hui and tell me that I will launch an attack later!" Guo Rongze said with a calm look: "Send the order! Let the sergeants of each battalion take turns to rest, wait for orders, and stand by to act! Without our military orders, act rashly The one who killed me will be killed!”
After hearing the order, Zhao Yanjin immediately wanted to persuade him, but when he heard the next order, his face lit up and he quickly responded: "Yes!"
"Huangfu Hui's military formation is quite well-arranged. If we force a charge, there will be heavy casualties, and I won't do anything about it!" Guo Rong said lightly: "If he wants to wait for me to attack, let him wait!"
With Guo Rong controlling the battlefield situation, and supplemented by generals such as Zhao Yanjin and An Shouzhong, the Han army's infantry and cavalry of less than four thousand always appeared calm. In terms of overall momentum, they were on par with the Tang army.
Huangfu Hui waited here for the Han army to attack the formation. A quarter of an hour, two quarters of an hour, and half an hour passed, but there was still no movement. Realizing the problem, Huangfuhui's expression no longer relaxed, and he frowned in thought. At this time, in the Han army's formation, the war drums were thundering and the military flags were flying. Huangfu Hui was overjoyed when he saw this and immediately ordered the entire army to be on alert and prepare for battle.
However, a quarter of an hour later, the Han army died. Seeing this, if Huangfuhui still couldn't see Guo Rong's intentions, then he was really stupid. He couldn't help but cursed: "This Guo Rong is so cunning!"
"Your Majesty, the Han army is trying to consume their physical strength and morale with our army!"
"How could I not know!" Huangfu Hui said in a serious tone. His expression was serious and his mood was getting heavier, but Huangfuhui didn't respond for a moment, he was hesitating.
Two quarters of an hour later, the Han cavalry led by An Shouzhong had withdrawn and dismounted to rest in front of the Tang army. As a result, the Tang army's formation began to loosen up. The soldiers who had stood for a long time were a little impatient, and an impetuous spirit gradually grew and spread.
Huangfu Hui noticed it immediately. He calmed down and sent someone to ask: "What is the meaning of fighting but not fighting, retreating but not retreating?"
Guo Rong's envoy replied: "We have formed a formation and are waiting for Huangfu's envoy to attack!"
Huangfuhui felt very uncomfortable about this. The military academy under his command suggested an attack, but Huangfu Hui still hesitated and said: "If we had launched an attack at the beginning of the formation, our army would still have a chance of winning. Now, after confronting the Han army for more than an hour, the soldiers are exhausted and their morale has dropped. If we rashly If we launch an attack, we may fall into the trap of the Han army and take advantage of it. Furthermore, if we launch an attack, our army's formation may fall apart. How will we deal with the attack of the Han cavalry!"
"Without the advantage of the cavalry army, fighting against the Northern Army in the field is still too passive and controlled by others!" Huangfuhui sighed with emotion, and immediately ordered: "Instruct the three armies to maintain the military formation and take turns to rest. Guo Rong wants to fight with this general, I Just spend time with him and see who is more patient!"
On the Han army's side, the soldiers had already taken turns to rest, eating and drinking. Immediately, his butt was already hurting from sitting, but Guo Rong didn't notice it. He stared at Tang Jun closely, holding a piece of wheat cake in his hand, chewing it slowly.
"Your Majesty, the Tang army's formation is already unstable!" Zhao Yanjin pointed to the opposite side and said.
"It's not enough! Let the soldiers be patient for a while!" Guo Rong still said this.
Seeing that the Tang army was beginning to rest on the spot, the Han army's drums and horns were blaring, flags were waved and shouting, which shocked the Tang army to quickly alert. After less than half an hour, silence returned again.
In this way, after the two sides faced off for nearly two hours, Huangfu Hui, a "famous general", could not calm down and sent someone to tell Guo Rong that it was getting late and they would fight again tomorrow. Then he personally led the troops to suppress the formation, assumed a defensive posture, and slowly retreated, hoping to return to Ancheng.
When the Tang army started to move, Guo Rong asked the entire army to prepare. When the Tang army actually retreated, Guo Rong gave an order and the entire army attacked, aiming directly at Huangfu Hui's army. Guo Rong and Zhao Yanjin warned: "The morale of the Tang army has been lost, their physical strength has been lost, and the military formation has been dispersed. This is an opportunity to defeat the enemy. The soldiers should attack with all their strength, regardless of casualties!"
The Longqi Army, which numbered less than three thousand, under the command of Guo Rong and Zhao Yanjin, finally launched an active attack on the Tang Army. The cavalry led by An Shouzhong also attacked from the flanks. Although the Tang soldiers were numerous, they were at a disadvantage, especially Huangfu Hui, who was holding the formation at the back. He was completely unable to stop the Han army's pursuit and was captured alive in the formation. The general was bound, the banner fell, and the Tang army was completely defeated. Under the leadership of Guo Rong, the Han army entered Ancheng easily.
In the battle of Lai'an, a lot was captured. The Han army once again fought a battle against the Tang Dynasty with a small number and defeated a large number. More importantly, Huangfu Hui was defeated, and the Southern Tang Dynasty's strategy of regaining Huaishuizhou Town would be completely in vain. With one defeat and another defeat, the situation in the Southern Tang Dynasty's fight against the Han Dynasty would not be optimistic, and the strategic situation in Huainan of the Northern Han Dynasty became increasingly clear.
