Chapter 34 Supporting Anshi The failure of the Liaohe River battle made Su Puyan completely give up the idea of fighting with the soldiers of Wen County on the water, and instead he tried every means to cross the river. However, Han Dang was extremely well prepared. There were soldiers patrolling the surrounding rivers on horseback. No matter day or night, as long as his large army made any move to cross the river, it would be noticed immediately. Moreover, under Tian Ze's training, Han Dang's military skills have also improved. He is well aware of Su Puyan's current predicament, so the number of troops he sends out each time is not large. Even if Su Puyan adopts the strategy of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west, it will soon be discovered. "Divide our troops and cross the river. We can't waste time here with the Han army any longer." Su Puyan said hatefully, looking at an inconspicuous little boat in the distance. The successive failures made him extremely upset. "promise!" Taking advantage of the night, Su Puyan dispersed all the troops and hid himself among them. Early the next morning, they began to cross the river from various places. Although Han Dang responded quickly, he only had 500 naval forces after all. Faced with thousands of Wuhuan troops crossing the river, he had no choice but to annihilate a part of them. But Su Puyan did not gain any benefit. He lost hundreds of young and strong men again. The original 6,000 Hu cavalry were now reduced to just over 4,000.
If they were not so poor that they had no food, they would have dispersed long ago. But thinking of their wives and children at home, they still gritted their teeth and continued to persevere. After crossing the river, the Wuhuan quickly regrouped and after a short rest, they headed eastward. As a result, not long after they marched, they saw several forts lying ahead. Although the terrain around Wen County is flat, its area is very small. These forts were almost all located on the road they had to take to reach Wen County. If left unattended, they would easily be attacked by the soldiers inside. "My king, something is wrong. The Han army seems to have been prepared for this, and they have a lot of troops!" Through the reconnaissance of the scouts, Ke Sanying soon learned that there were six forts around, and their layout was quite methodical. No matter which direction he went to Wen County from, he would almost certainly be caught in the pincer attack of several of the forts. The fort was tall and solid, and difficult to climb without siege equipment. The number of soldiers inside was unknown, but there were at least dozens of them. What should I do? This problem was once again put before Su Puyan. If they choose to continue advancing into Wen County, they must capture at least one fortress. Otherwise, if the attack fails and the retreat is unstable, they will likely be in a dangerous situation of being attacked from both sides. If they chose to retreat, they would have to cross the Liao River again and would inevitably be harassed by the navy on the river. "If we can't take down a mere fortress, how can we capture Wen County?" Faced with this dilemma, Su Puyan calmed down a little. He had the idea of giving up attacking Wen County, but he didn't want to retreat in such a disgraceful manner, otherwise he would not be able to explain to his tribesmen. However, just crossing the Liao River had cost them nearly 2,000 soldiers, and now there were many forts blocking their way, so Wen County must have made thorough preparations. Continuing to advance would probably be dangerous. "Organize two thousand elite troops to attack the fort to test the Han army's strength. If the Han army is just bluffing, then we will immediately attack Wen County." "In addition, arrange three teams of light cavalry. One team will return to the Liaohe River to check the situation of the Han navy, one team will take a detour to check the situation around Wen County. The other team... will check the situation around Anshi County to the north of Wen County." Su Puyan said. Soon, Su Puyan led his army to attack Wen County. However, Tian Ze had already implemented a strategy of clearing the countryside around the city, and there was not even a tree, making it impossible to build siege equipment. The Wuhuan cavalry kept shooting arrows around the fort, and from time to time a few people wanted to climb up the city wall or open the big iron gate.
Facing the solid fortress, these actions were completely in vain. The cement wall was smooth and hard, and could not be shaken at all. The Han troops in the fort used hidden shooting holes to treat the surrounding Wuhuan cavalry as moving targets and practiced their archery skills without any pressure. There are sufficient arrows, food and other supplies in the fort, so there is no need to worry about logistical supplies. In less than an hour, Su Puyan reluctantly ended this meaningless attack and ordered the troops to withdraw. At the same time, the cavalry who went to the Liao River for reconnaissance also rushed back to report that more than half of the navy on the river was gone, but there were still more than ten Zou Ke and two warships. The cavalry that went to Wen County for reconnaissance returned after losing most of their men. They said that Wen County was a high city with many soldiers and many forts around it, and they did not find any villages that could be plundered. Because they accidentally exposed their tracks, they were chased by the Han cavalry who rushed out of the nearby fort. They only escaped with the help of some of their tribesmen who fought to the death to cover their retreat. The Wuhuan cavalry who went to Anshi County, north of Wen County, reported that the villages there were poorly defended and that they saw many Han people. After Su Puyan learned the news, he gave up the hard nut to crack Wen County without hesitation and led his troops to attack Anshi County instead. Upon learning that the Wuhuan cavalry was retreating northward, Tian Ze guessed Su Puyan's intention and could only sigh helplessly. As early as when Su Puyan crossed the river, he sent news to the governor of Liaodong and the magistrate of Anshi County. When you are poor, you should take care of yourself. Tian Ze wants to save him, but he doesn't dare to act rashly. After all, it is reasonable to use the strength of one county to resist the invasion of Wuhuan, as long as the results of the battle are concealed and reported less. As long as the Wuhuan people were not stupid, they would not spread their disastrous defeat everywhere, and this matter could be easily covered up. However, if they catch up and defeat the Wuhuan army head-on, the problem will be serious and cannot be concealed no matter what. In this case, the Liaodong governor would definitely not let him go and would forcibly recruit his soldiers. The power of his own county could not defeat the Wuhuan, but a mere county magistrate actually did it. Anyone would be worried. "My lord, there is no need to blame yourself. Liaodong is so big that it is beyond the ability of us to take care of it all." Cheng Yu comforted Tian Ze when he saw that he was feeling a little depressed. From his point of view, this is actually the result he most wants to see. Raise the bandits to respect themselves. If Wuhuan fell, it would not be a good thing for them. "We have already reminded the Liaodong governor and the Anshi county magistrate in advance, so Liaodong will be fine this time. Moreover, Anshi county is very close to Xiangping, so the Liaodong governor will definitely send troops to rescue it." Jia Xu said. "What do you think will happen when Governor Liu faces off against the Wuhuan?" Tian Ze asked. He also had some understanding of Liu Yin. This man was good at calculating and was quite knowledgeable in the art of war, but he was cowardly and selfish, and he always retreated in battle with the Hu people. "The Hu people will probably just carry out a small-scale looting before leaving. After all, they don't dare to openly turn against the Han people." "The people of Anshi County are probably going to suffer." Tian Ze murmured. "My lord, why don't you let me lead the cavalry to provide some support? Even if we don't ask to kill the enemy, it would be good to save some civilians." Zhang He said. Tian Ze looked at Jia Xu and others. All three nodded.
Zhang He has always been steady, and has a good understanding of terrain, is quick-witted and resourceful, and has the potential to be a good general. With his talent and ability, there should be no problem. "Okay, Junyi, you will lead three hundred light cavalry and wait for an opportunity to strike. Don't seek to defeat the enemy, but to protect yourself first." "Yes!" Zhang He said solemnly. Zhang He knew very well that this time he was leading his troops to maneuver around thousands of Wuhuan cavalry, and the most important thing was mobility, so he did not equip his knights with armor. The three hundred light cavalrymen were dressed in leather armor, holding hard bows, with long spears on their backs and ring-handled swords hanging on their waists. They were full of fighting spirit and marched northward under the command of Zhang He. (End of this chapter)