Zhang Fan decided to discuss countermeasures with Guo Miao first. He galloped on his horse and when he arrived at the prefect's mansion, he was covered in sweat. Guo Mian was sitting in the hall, drinking tea and meditating.
Guo Mian was sitting on the city tower, holding a telescope to observe the battle situation. Zhang Fan stood aside, his heart beating like a drum. For a time, arrows were flying on the battlefield, and the sound of killing was loud. After a fierce battle, the Han army successfully defeated the Xianbei army and beheaded hundreds of people.
Although this battle was a small victory, it also exposed many weaknesses of the Han army. Guo Jian and Zhang Fan held a military meeting overnight to analyze the reasons for the defeat and discuss countermeasures. They realized that facing the powerful Xianbei army, it was difficult to win by themselves, and they must strengthen cooperation with surrounding counties and counties to fight the enemy together.
In order to better coordinate the forces of all parties, Guo Mian decided to personally go to the surrounding places such as Dai County and Yunzhong County to lobby. Zhang Fan volunteered to accompany him. Using reason and emotion, they finally succeeded in convincing the governors and wealthy leaders of various counties and counties to form a united front against Xianbei.
As time went by, Yanmen County's army gradually grew and its grain and grass reserves were sufficient. With the joint efforts of all parties, several attacks by the Xianbei army ended in failure. The cavalry led by Zhang Fan made many military exploits, which frightened the enemy.
On this day, the sky was clear and clear. Guo Jian convened a meeting with the generals to discuss the next action plan. Zhang Fan Jin said: "Although the Xianbei people have more defeats than victory, they will never give up easily. Our army should take advantage of the victory to pursue it, go deep behind the enemy's rear, and disrupt their deployment."
Everyone agreed with Zhang Fan's suggestion. Guo Yan pondered for a moment and said, "Okay! Just follow General Zhang's plan."
Early the next morning, the Han army was ready to go. Zhang Fan led the army as the vanguard and went straight to the Xianbei camp. Other armies followed closely behind, forming an encirclement. The Xianbei soldiers were panicked, unwilling to fight, and retreated steadily. The Han army pursued them for hundreds of miles, beheading thousands of people and capturing countless baggage horses.
After this battle, the Xianbei people's vitality was severely damaged and they were unable to attack Yanmen County again in a short period of time. After discussing with Zhang Fan and others, Guo Mian decided to pursue the victory.
In the prefect's mansion, Zhang Fan was already covered in sweat and came at full speed. Guo Mian was sitting in the hall, drinking tea and meditating.
"Prefect, the Xianbei army has invaded recently. How should our army respond?" Zhang Fan asked eagerly.
Guo Mian put down the tea cup and looked solemnly: "The Xianbei people are cunning. They must have a plan to attack early this time. For the current plan, the only way to ensure peace is to prepare for war with all our strength."
Zhang Fan nodded in agreement, his admiration for Guo Yao increasing in his heart. He originally thought that Guo Mian would blame him for failing to detect the enemy's situation in advance, but he did not expect that the other party would be so calm and calm, and he would deal with it calmly.
The two quickly reached a consensus on military deployment. Zhang Fan was responsible for mobilizing the army in the county and the armed forces of wealthy families from various places to strengthen Yanmen County's defenses; Guo Yao was responsible for coordinating surrounding counties and requesting reinforcements. In addition, they also discussed strategies such as luring the enemy deep and ambush the enemy.
As the sound of war drums gets closer and closer, the Xianbei army has approached Mayi, the seat of Yanmen County. Zhang Fan led his troops to patrol outside the city to ensure that there were no omissions. At dusk one day, a Han army squad of several hundred people, attracted by the bait, went deep behind enemy lines. Following an order, the main force of the Han army ambushing around them quickly attacked and surrounded the Xianbei army.
Guo Mian was sitting on the city tower, holding a telescope to observe the battle situation. Zhang Fan stood aside, his heart beating like a drum. For a time, arrows were flying on the battlefield, and the sound of killing was loud.
Zhang Fan didn't know what to say, his heart was very complicated. He thought he was ready to deal with everything, but now it seems that he is still too young and lacks sufficient understanding of this complex political and military struggle.
Guo Yan looked at Zhang Fan's reaction and was secretly amused. He knew that Zhang Fan was a talented young man, but he still needed more training to truly grow up. So he said: "General Zhang, although your action this time was a bit impulsive, it also showed your courage and determination. However, as a general, you can't just rely on enthusiasm, you also need a calm mind and a well-thought-out plan. .”
Zhang Fan felt a little unconvinced when he heard this. He felt that there was nothing wrong with the action he planned, but he did not expect Guo Mian to arrive early. So he retorted: "Prefect Guo, although the last general has shortcomings, there is nothing wrong with this plan. It's just that I didn't expect the Xianbei people to invade in advance. I will keep this oversight in mind."
After hearing Zhang Fan's words, Guo Yan felt somewhat satisfied. He knew that Zhang Fan was a young man with potential. As long as he was properly trained, he would definitely become an outstanding general in the future. So he said: "General Zhang, you have courage and strategy, which are very good talents. But as a general, you also need to learn how to better grasp the overall situation, and you can't just see the gains and losses of one city or one place."
Zhang Fan was touched after hearing this. He knew that he still had a lot to learn, and Guo Yan was the role model he needed to learn from. So he asked sincerely: "Prefect Guo, can you give me some advice on my junior general? I am willing to learn with an open mind and constantly improve my abilities."
Guo Yan was very happy after hearing this. He knew that Zhang Fan was a talented person, and as long as he was well cultivated, he would definitely become the pillar of Yanmen County in the future. So he said: "General Zhang, it's a good attitude for you to ask for advice humbly. There are still many things we have to do next. I will slowly teach you how to better grasp the overall situation and how to better command the army. .”
The two chatted for a long time and gradually became immersed in the ocean of military and political struggles. They talked about the situation in Yanmen County, the dynamics of the Xianbei people, the powerful families in various places, etc. Zhang Fan listened carefully to Guo Yao's analysis and insights, constantly comprehending the truth in his heart.
At this moment, a soldier suddenly broke into the hall and reported urgently: "Prefect, General Zhang, the Xianbei army has broken through the Mayi defense line and is approaching the county seat!"
Zhang Fan and Guo Jian's expressions changed after hearing this. They knew that the next battle would be more intense and cruel. But they are also well aware of the heavy responsibility they shoulder and must go all out to protect the people and homes of Yanmen County.
Like wolves and tigers, the Xianbei army broke through the Mayi defense line and approached the county government office. Zhang Fan and Guo Mian urgently discussed and decided to adopt strategies such as luring the enemy deep and ambushing the enemy. After days of fierce fighting, although the Han army suffered losses, the Xianbei army was also exhausted.
At this time, Guo Mian proposed a bold plan: to attack the Xianbei camp at night. Although Zhang Fan hesitated, he was finally persuaded by Guo Mian and decided to take the risk.
As night fell, Zhang Fan led his troops and hundreds of elite cavalry to quietly approach the Xianbei camp. They attacked unexpectedly and caught the Xianbei army by surprise. In the chaos, Zhang Fan rushed into the enemy's main camp and beheaded the enemy chief, leaving the Xianbei army leaderless.
At the same time, Guo Mian set up a dragnet outside the city, waiting for the Xianbei army to fall into the trap. Sure enough, a large number of Xianbei troops fled out of the city in chaos, only to be heavily surrounded by Han troops. After a night of fierce fighting, the Xianbei army suffered heavy losses and had to retreat.
In this battle, the Han army won a complete victory, and the reputations of Zhang Fan and Guo Mian spread throughout Yanmen County. The people praised them as heroes and warriors who protected their homeland.
However, the joy of victory has not yet dissipated, and a new crisis has quietly arrived. It turned out that when the Xianbei army was retreating, some Xianbei troops quietly sneaked into Yanmen County and prepared to launch a sneak attack.
After Zhang Fan learned the news, he immediately led his army to respond. After a fierce battle, they successfully repelled the Xianbei army's attack, but they also paid a heavy price. This battle made Zhang Fan deeply aware of his own shortcomings and strengthened his belief: in order to protect his homeland and the peace of the people, he must continue to work hard and grow.
After returning to the county office, Zhang Fan reported the battle situation to Guo Mian. Guo Yan nodded after hearing this and affirmed Zhang Fan's performance. He told Zhang Fan that as a general, you must not only know how to command operations, but also learn to learn lessons and sum up experience from every battle. Only in this way can we better utilize our capabilities in future battles.
In the days that followed, Zhang Fan and Guo Jian continued to discuss issues such as how to strengthen Yanmen County's defenses and how to better coordinate the armed forces of wealthy families in various places. They also personally inspected the city walls, arrow towers and other defense facilities to ensure that there were no omissions.
However, as time goes by, the situation in Yanmen County becomes more and more serious. The surrounding counties and counties were invaded by the Xianbei army one after another, and the rescue troops have not yet arrived. Under such circumstances, Zhang Fan and Guo Mian decided to take the initiative and led their troops to attack the Xianbei army's camp.
During the night attack on the Xianbei camp, Zhang Fan showed amazing courage and strategy, which greatly improved his status in Guo Yao's eyes. Guo Jian knew in his heart that Zhang Fan was not an ordinary son of a wealthy family. He had the potential to become an outstanding general, and he needed to train and guide him well.
So Guo Jian decided to give Zhang Fan a test to see if he could stay calm under pressure and make the right decision. He told Zhang Fan that he would leave Yanmen County tomorrow morning and report to Bingzhou, leaving Zhang Fan to guard Yanmen County alone.
Zhang Fan was shocked when he heard the news. He understood that this was Guo Mian's test and his opportunity to show himself. Therefore, he promised Guo Mian that he would do his best to guard Yanmen County and wait for the return of the prefect.
Early the next morning, Guo Mang left Yanmen County. Zhang Fan immediately began to inspect the city defenses to ensure that there were no omissions. However, at this moment, a soldier came to report that a group of Xianbei troops was approaching Yanmen County.
Zhang Fan felt nervous, but he didn't panic. He knew now was the time to showcase his talents. He quickly deployed his troops to prepare for the Xianbei army's attack.
The battle was extremely fierce. The Xianbei army was large in number and powerful in combat effectiveness. However, Zhang Fan was well prepared. He took advantage of the terrain of Yanmen County, set up traps, and used archers to attack the enemy from a distance.
