Chapter 8 Military Achievements (2)

There was no response from the city, and as Zhao Zuoyou was about to reach him, Gao Huan cursed and turned his horse to escape towards the adjacent long embankment.

As the enemy troops outside the city saw that no one inside responded, they were preparing to attack the city. Suddenly, a loud voice from the city asked: "Who is making noise down there? Why are so many people coming here at this late hour to hunt?"

Gao Huan and Duan Chang immediately began to prepare for defense separately

As everyone dispersed to prepare for the impending battle, Gao Huan, after bidding farewell to his parents and siblings early the next day, led his troops to garrison at Fuyang

"Fire!" At Gao Huan's command, the one hundred archers standing on the city tower released their arrows in an instant, and many fell on the opposite side. However, Zhao Zuo's forces were numerous, and although a few were shot down, more quickly filled the gaps and surrounded them.

"If you ask me to come down, I will come down? Wouldn't that be too humiliating for me? After all, your father is a proper official soldier; how can I let you, a negative character, command me around?" After saying this, the officials on the city tower all laughed.

It must be said that Gao Huan's martial arts are indeed average, but at that time, the six northern garrisons of the Northern Wei were all composed of ethnic minorities, who were exceptionally skilled in cavalry. Although Gao Huan may not have been the best, he was often trained in the army, which helped him improve. Do you not remember the military training during our university days? Was it not said that one could march in three days and form an army in five? In short, this young man has learned a thing or two about horseback riding and combat, so his life should be safe.

Seeing that everyone was still in heated discussion, Yang Yu spoke loudly: "Gentlemen, since the court has dispatched a large army to suppress the rebels, and we, having received the emperor's grace, should share in the concerns of the state, it is also our time to charge into battle and repay the court. Each of us should perform our duties and fulfill our responsibilities. When the army arrives, we will surely be able to annihilate Han Baling in one fell swoop and capture Wuchuan, reclaiming the fertile lands."

Zhao Zuoyou was indeed enraged and shouted angrily, "Charge! Capture this city and bring me the head of that brat, and I will reward you with 5,000 taels of silver, plus two women!"

It is said that Gao Huan and Duan Chang were pulling and tugging back and forth, while Zhao Zuoyou was exhausted from running around. With a fierce cry, he charged at Gao Huan with a knife, clearly determined to make a desperate attack, indicating that the opponent was ready to fight to the death.

Suddenly, the gate of Fuyang Fortress opened, and Gao Huan, mounted on his horse, shouted loudly at the gate: "Brothers, today is the day to achieve our ambitions, charge and kill!" Behind him, four to five hundred soldiers surged forth, rushing towards the central army led by Zhao Zuoyou. Gao Huan hesitated at the drawbridge by the city, ultimately afraid of death. However, to be frank, no one is a desperate outlaw; unless pushed to the brink, who is not afraid of death?

"Indeed, what do you all suggest we do?" Gao Huan turned his face and asked

Who are you? State your name! Gao Huan retorted

Duan Chang pulled Gao Huan to a secluded place and said: "It must be due to the personnel deployment arrangements of the Dingjun Division. In fact, I was quite puzzled when I learned that it was your first time on the battlefield that day. Logically, it would not make sense to assign such an important position as Fuyang Guard to a general who is making their debut in battle." After speaking, Duan Chang glanced at Gao Huan to confirm that he was not offended by this.

Fortunately, in his previous life, Gao Huan had watched some ancient military dramas and remembered certain scenes of defense and siege. He immediately commanded, "Convey my orders: archers, prepare to shoot arrows; block the main gate completely; prepare some oil and stones on the city tower; wait for my command to attack"

Seeing that the city gate had been closed, Gao Huan secretly cursed, "Damn it, closing the gate is quite efficient!" Now, there was no choice but to charge forward, so he spurred his horse and brandished his spear towards the enemy formation

Even so, there were still a continuous stream of enemy troops approaching from behind, and several even climbed up the city wall along the stairs! The situation began to become critical

Gao Huan's troops had just arrived at the Fuyang garrison area, and they saw a long trench being constructed along both the north and south sides of the Fuyang city wall. Duan Chang was commanding the officers from the city wall, directing everyone to dig continuously, and everyone was working with great enthusiasm

As dusk fell, a considerable number of people, armed with torches, appeared in the west. At this moment, Gao Huan was observing from the arrow tower of the garrison city, noting that the enemy's vanguard numbered at least ten thousand. However, in this small place of Fuyang, the defending troops amounted to only twelve hundred, half of whom were still on the nearby Fuyang Mountain. How could they withstand such a large enemy force? Gao Huan began to feel anxious.

Is what General Duan just said true? Gao Huan held Duan Chang's hands tightly, fearing that the other party might have a change of heart

General, the enemy is at the gates, what shall we do now? The subordinate officer has begun to panic again

The bandits halted in formation about seventy or eighty meters from the city, preparing to attack. Several mounted generals led the way, and among them, a bearded Hu man wearing a yellow scarf shouted loudly: "People inside the city, listen! We are the troops of the true king of the Xiongnu, breaking the Six Han. The vanguard army is at the city gates. Those who are wise should raise the surrender flag early to avoid the destruction of the city and the loss of lives, leading to a calamity for the common people"

In the large tent of the military camp, all the notable officers from the Huaishuo Town battalion had gathered. It was said that Wei Kegu's army had already captured Wuchuan and was marching swiftly towards Huaishuo, resembling dark clouds pressing down on a city, threatening to destroy it. The atmosphere inside the tent was extremely oppressive

The subsequent battle was straightforward; the leaderless bandit army was disarmed by the imperial troops, although some took advantage of the chaos to escape. In summary, this battle resulted in the capture of the enemy chief Zhao Zuoyou, the beheading of over 2,000 individuals, and the capture of nearly 6,000. Our side suffered only 21 fatalities and 236 injuries, while seizing countless weapons and provisions from the enemy. Overall, this battle was indeed a significant gain for Gao Huan

Damn it, you still know about the suffering of the people, yet you still bring people to attack me

"Haha, the little general truly lives up to his prestigious lineage; he is indeed clever, just as expected." Duan Changshou laughed heartily, stroking his beard like a booming bell.

"Hehe, a gentleman's word is hard to retract even with four horses!" the section chief said, patting Gao Huan on the shoulder with a smile

"Damn it, stop wasting my time and come down here to face your death!" Zhao Zuoyou was a bit angry

Upon hearing this, Gao Huan's tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed. If next time he were to go into battle with an experienced veteran like Duan Chang assisting him, he truly need not panic; he could also follow the old general to learn some tactics of marching and formation.

Watching the generals begin to busy themselves, Gao Huan felt an inexplicable excitement in his heart

Well, very good. Seeing that everyone has quieted down, Yang Jun said: "We will now begin to allocate the defense zones..."

General Duan, what is this for? Gao Huan is now following behind General Duan, and he is eager to learn.

Gao Huan, seeing this, was so frightened that he turned his horse around and retreated to the foot of the city, shouting: "Quickly open the city gates and let me in!"

Oh, it turns out to be Brother Si Bi, I have long admired you. Gao Huan was still joking on the city tower to buy time

On that evening, the two were chatting idly in the camp when suddenly a scout came to report: "The enemy's vanguard is less than 10 miles from here"

Well, at least there is hope to save my life. Gao Huan thought to himself, I will slowly follow Duan Chang to learn, and while I dare not think of achieving merit, preserving my life should not be a problem

In the past few days under the guidance of Duan Zhang, Gao Huan has indeed learned some techniques of military deployment, such as how to select a campsite, how to arrange scouts to investigate enemy conditions, and how to choose a marching route, among others. However, the actual methods of formation and tactics were not taught to him by Duan Zhang, as it seems that he intends to demonstrate them to Gao Huan in person at the appropriate time

"Who are you?" asked the Yellow Turban warrior, raising his head.

Kill! The enemy forces outside the city have begun to take action. This Fuyang garrison is a small city, with a front length of only about 200 meters and a height of just 4 to 5 meters. With nearly 10,000 troops, it is somewhat cramped. In front, there are two to three thousand men forming ten columns, each carrying ladders and starting to assault the city.

Gao Huan's team was indeed assigned to the forefront at Fuyang, and it seems this is all due to Yang Yu's "contribution". Gao Huan now hates him to the point of grinding his teeth. However, Duan Zhang took the initiative to propose to guard Fuyang together with Gao Huan, which deeply moved Gao Huan; this old man might not even care for his own son as much. Perhaps this operation is of great significance, and Yang Jun is also worried that Gao Huan's team guarding Fuyang might encounter problems, so he agreed to Duan Zhang's request.

However, I believe that General Gao, you truly possess extraordinary martial prowess. On your first campaign, you decisively defeated the enemy chief and achieved great merit. Such an imposing presence is certainly beyond what we can compare to. If the General embarks on another expedition, I am willing to accompany you and fight alongside you. It seems that Duan Chang greatly admires Gao Huan. Presumably, due to the arrogance of the military commander Yang Yu, Duan Chang prefers to engage with the rising star Gao Huan.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going, you little brat? Today, I will definitely kill you!" With that, he took three steps and leaped forward, grabbing Gao Huan's horse's tail and pulling it back. Just as he was about to strike with his knife, the horse, in pain, neighed loudly and kicked back with its hind legs. With a cry of despair, Zhao Zuoyou flew out about ten meters like a kite with a broken string, and the ghost-headed knife in his hand disappeared without a trace, leaving him unconscious.

Upon hearing the news, the generals lowered their heads and began to discuss among themselves. Yang Jun, noticing this, cleared his throat and said in a loud voice: "Gentlemen, you only need to remain calm and hold onto Huaishuo, delaying the enemy forces. The court has already dispatched General Wei and the Eastern Road Governor, King Yuan Yu of Linhuai, as the commander-in-chief, who will lead the 80,000 imperial troops from Pingcheng to support us shortly."

So this person really has to rely on luck, for example, Gao Huan, who, in a series of muddled events, managed to take down the leader of the opposing side and achieved great merit, truly blessed with good fortune. In the words of Xiao Yueyue: Am I proud?

Gao Huan, still in shock, gasped heavily and cursed, "I bought a watch last year, and almost ended up in this guy's hands. Fortunately, my horse is strong!" After saying this, he patted the horse's neck.

Originally, the ambush by Duanzhang was successful, and the enemy's rear was on the verge of collapse. However, Zhao Zuoyou's orders prevented the blocking forces from advancing to the city walls, allowing the enemy troops to quickly find targets to attack and vent their frustrations. The situation immediately turned unfavorable for Duanzhang, who was retreating step by step up the mountain.

Little General, you may not be aware that our main force is currently in a defensive position. We cannot allow the enemy to launch a surprise attack on us. The vast wild grass has become a hidden danger, so I have already sent people to burn all the wild grass within three miles around the garrison city. We have constructed a long trench to prevent the enemy from flanking us. Additionally, I have built a camp on Fuyang Mountain, where I personally oversee the troops stationed there. If the enemy attempts to attack the city at night, I will lead my troops down from the mountain. If the enemy comes to the mountain at night to raid the camp, Little General, you..." He then looked at Gao Huan and smiled without speaking.

Ladies and gentlemen, the current situation is critical. The rebel leader Wei Kegu from the Liu Han Ba Ling faction has led an army of 100,000 bandits to attack us in Huaishuo. At present, Wuchuan Town has already been captured, the town's defenders have been killed, and the common people have suffered greatly. We must not follow the tragic example of Wuchuan; we must unite and defend ourselves to resist the momentum of the enemy forces.

At this tense moment, a cannon shot suddenly rang out, and the sounds of battle echoed from Fuyang Mountain. A group of government troops, led by the squad leader, descended the mountain like fierce tigers, charging straight at the rear of Zhao Zuoyou's central army.

Ah?! Everyone looked at each other in disbelief, as the commander actually did not know how to respond to the enemy's siege

Zhao Zuoyou suddenly heard a cacophony of killing sounds from the rear of the position. He turned his head, raised his gun, and shouted: "Follow me, turn around and eliminate this wave behind us first!" After saying this, he spurred his horse towards Duan Chang and the others.

Gao Huan sat in the fifth chair on the lower left, currently holding the position of a captain in charge of eight hundred infantrymen. Opposite him was He Ba Du, who held an equivalent rank. Compared to the lower-ranking officers still standing, Gao Huan's rise had become a legend among them, a representation of the dream realized from commoner to general, akin to the divine status that Toyotomi Hideyoshi would hold in the hearts of the Japanese people centuries later. However, Gao Huan himself was unaware of these matters.

Throw stones! Ignite the arrows! Shoot!" Gao Huan issued the order once again

The command was issued in one breath at that moment, and everyone was initially stunned by his unexpected reaction, now they were listening in confusion as he rapidly issued numerous commands.

"What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and take action, go go go!" Gao Huan clapped his hands and shouted loudly.

I will exit the city and launch a rear attack, thus we will form a mutual support with our two forces. Am I right in saying this?" Gao Huan said with an excited expression

Hmph, I am Zhao Zuoyou, the commander of the vanguard under General Wei, known as the Four-Armed Deity! If you know what is good for you, come down from the city and accept your death quickly! Otherwise, I shall take action myself. " Zhao Zuoyou said with a proud expression