Seeing Xu Rongming withdrawing his troops, Liu Bei on the tower also breathed a sigh of relief.
Frankly speaking, today's battle was not difficult. It was just Zhang Heng's insistence on letting the newly recruited soldiers go into battle that made Liu Bei a little worried.
Before hand-to-hand combat had even begun, the soldiers on the tower had begun to show signs of escaping, and most of the remaining people showed fear on their faces.
Fortunately, Xu Rong retreated and temporarily withdrew his troops.
Liu Bei breathed a sigh of relief. The soldiers on the tower were also exhausted. Many people were lying on the ground gasping for air.
The mental impact of entering the battlefield for the first time is far more tiring than the physical exertion.
Especially when they see living beings being hacked to death in front of them, whether they are enemies or comrades, it is enough to make these recruits panic and lose their minds.
Fortunately, the most difficult moment was finally over.
Next, they will slowly get used to war and killing, and after experiencing the baptism of war, they will become true veterans of hundreds of battles!
Seeing that the soldiers were tired, Liu Bei was considerate and did not immediately order them to form formation.
For a moment, the city tower that had just experienced a bloody battle suddenly fell silent.
Of course, it would be better if Zhang Fei didn't come to disturb the tranquility.
"It's so happy, so happy!"
Zhang Fei laughed and ran over, shouting to Liu Bei with excitement on his face: "Brother, this stone lacquer is much easier to use than any magical weapon! We might as well get more of it, and use it directly in the future when we fight. , burn him clean!"
"Yide, don't talk nonsense. This thing is hard to come by, and it is not easy to preserve. How can you carry it with you when you march." Liu Bei smiled and shook his head.
"That's such a pity..."
Zhang Fei smacked his lips twice, feeling unwilling to do so.
Liu Bei couldn't help but glared at him and scolded: "Third brother, you should focus on thinking about how to use the army. You are thinking about these strange skills all day long. When will you become the commander-in-chief of the three armies?"
"Hehe, brother is right, you are right, I was wrong."
Zhang Fei never dared to talk back to Liu Bei's scolding, but he didn't want to just stand there and be scolded, so he touched his head and said with a smile: "Brother, I'm going to check the casualties of the soldiers first!"
As he spoke, Zhang Fei turned around and strode away without waiting for Liu Bei to nod, leaving Liu Bei looking at his back, shaking his head and sighing.
"Yide, when will you be more stable?"
Zhang Heng persuaded with a smile: "Yide is straightforward by nature, so why should Duke Xuande be too harsh?"
"Of course I know Yide's strengths, but in today's troubled times, how can he lead an army with his temperament? He can't be a lieutenant for others all his life." Liu Bei shook his head and said with some distress.
"That's not necessarily the case." Zhang Heng shook his head, "Some people are geniuses and are self-taught in the art of military use. With a little guidance, they can serve as generals, and Yun Chang falls into this category.
But some people, although they seem to have mediocre talents, have a moment of soaring into the sky. It just takes a little more practice, and you will be able to dominate the battlefield in the future. If I guess correctly, Yide belongs to this category. "
Hearing this, Liu Bei looked sideways and said in surprise: "I didn't expect that Ziyi would have such a high opinion of Yide?"
"Yide deserves this evaluation." Zhang Heng's tone was full of affirmation.
In history, Zhang Fei was indeed able to be manipulated by anyone in the early stage, and suffered more losses than anyone else.
But Zhang Fei, who suffered these losses, instead of sinking, stood up tenaciously time and time again and developed muscle memory.
It was not until the Battle of Chibi that Zhang Fei achieved great success. After that, he entered Shu from the west, pacified Jiangzhou, and captured Bashu, but he was invincible. Even in the final battle of Hanzhong, Zhang He, who was famous for his clever tactics among the five good generals, was completely wiped out and only escaped with his life!
As long as I suffer enough losses, no one will be able to plot against me in the future. This is a true portrayal of Zhang Fei.
But now, even Liu Bei didn't believe that Zhang Fei could grow up. He thought Zhang Heng was complimenting Zhang Fei and immediately shook his head with a smile.
"Ziyi, although the enemy retreats, they will definitely come back soon. When do you estimate the next attack will be?"
After Zhang Heng thought for a while, he replied: "Although we won a great victory in today's battle, the enemy did not suffer any substantial losses. The reason why we withdrew the troops was only because the oars were burned. It can also be seen from the side. , Xu Rong is very prudent in his military use. Once the war goes against him, he must first build up his morale before attacking with a large army."
"So, he won't attack again in these two days?"
"That's right." Zhang Heng nodded and said, "But just because he doesn't attack doesn't mean he won't use other means to deplete our military morale."
Liu Bei asked doubtfully: "What method?"
"We don't know yet, but Duke Xuande doesn't have to worry. The soldiers will stop us, and the water will cover us. After all, the key to the success or failure of this battle is not with us."
As soon as he said this, Liu Bei remembered that there was still a raiding team in action, and he couldn't help but worry a little: "I don't know what's going on over there in Wenyuan."
"Mr. Xuande, although Wen Yuan is young, like Yun Chang, he is a natural general and is very good at seizing opportunities. We don't have to worry about him."
Zhang Heng comforted him with a smile.
…
Moonlight night.
It is ten miles outside Juan County.
Zhang Liao stood in front of the camp with his hands clasped behind his hands, his eyes blazing and he didn't know what he was thinking.
News of Xu Rong's attack came as early as the morning, but Zhang Liao, who was eager to make a contribution, did not express his gratitude. Instead, he ordered all soldiers on the spot not to go out or even light a fire for breakfast.
Zhang Liao was newly surrendered to Liu Bei and was entrusted with important tasks. Naturally, he was extremely eager to make meritorious deeds. But the moment he received the news, he stopped this desire. Only he knew how much he was suffering in his heart.
The reason for being so cautious is that he is worried that Xu Rong will discover his movements.
Although Zhang Liao has not worked with Xu Rong for a long time, he is well aware of Xu Rong's character, which is just one word - stability!
If he dares to lead his army to attack Juan County, there must be messengers along the way. As long as he moves, he will be able to spot it immediately and lead his army back to Xingyang to aid. Even if there are no messengers along the way, there must be a grain transport team. If they are dispatched rashly now, they will definitely arouse the enemy.
With Xu Rong's character, once he retreats to Xingyang, it will be as difficult as climbing to the sky to get him out.
With Xingyang's city defense and Xu Rong's military tactics, as long as he has enough food, he can fight Liu Bei until he retires!
If this raid is to be successful, they must not be discovered on the road.
Therefore, Zhang Liao is waiting for the right time!
Not long after, a soldier came over.
"General, Juan County battle report has arrived!"
Zhang Liao hurriedly took it and opened it, his face suddenly lit up with joy.
The time has come!
"What time is it now?" Zhang Liao raised his head and asked the soldiers.
"Back to General, it's already Haishi."
Zhang Liao looked solemnly and ordered: "Send my order to the general and assemble the entire army. Abandon all baggage, bypass the enemy troops outside Juan County, and advance towards Xingyang at full speed!"
"As you command!"
