Chapter 575: The Situation on Both Sides
Chapter 575: The Situation on Both Sides
September 25, 2017
In Jizhou's Julu County, within the city of Guangping.
Ever since the recent battle at Guangping, a sense of despair gradually permeated the entire city.
Logically, the Guangping battle, although the Yellow Turban Army failed to defeat Huangfu Song's entire legion, and they lost nearly 100,000 soldiers, and even one of the three Yellow Turban leaders, Zhang Liang, was slain by Lu Hai Kong, it was still far from the point of despair.
It's worth noting that Huangfu Song's army also suffered heavy losses, but they still had considerable strength under their command.
In Julu County, aside from the 300,000 to 400,000 troops, there were talented generals like Bo Cai, as well as capable commanders like Guan Hai and Yan Liang. Their strength was not inferior to Huangfu Song's forces in any way, and they also had the Yellow Turban's final boss, Zhang Jiao.
With Zhang Liang's full power, he could directly break through a hundred enemies. As for Zhang Jiao, the Yellow Turban's ultimate boss, he should be an even more formidable presence. Hadn't they seen him wave his hand and cause the sky and earth to change color?
But the problem was precisely with Zhang Jiao's body!
Zhang Jiao had always been the absolute spiritual leader of the Yellow Turban Army, and this was true for both the natives and the outsiders.
Including Zhang Daosheng and the Yellow Turban Saintess, they only dared to take on the task of changing the Yellow Turban's fate because of Zhang Jiao's existence. As his direct disciples, they were well aware of the terrifying nature of their master.
What they hadn't expected was that Zhang Jiao's formidable strength not only failed to aid them but also dealt a significant blow at this critical moment.
In the battle at Ye City, Zhang Jiao unleashed his full power to breach the city, but his ultimate move was interrupted at the last moment.
During the Guangping battle, Zhang Jiao didn't even get a chance to truly show his strength. Before he could make a move, several purple lightning bolts struck down, not only disrupting his ultimate move again but also injuring Zhang Jiao.
It was only when they witnessed Zhang Jiao's injury that Zhang Daosheng, the Yellow Turban Saintess, and the other outsiders realized that Zhang Jiao wasn't as powerful as they had imagined.
No, it should be said that Zhang Jiao was even more powerful than they had anticipated, but this kind of power exceeded the limits, bringing not benefits but unexpected harm to Zhang Jiao and the Yellow Turbans. He couldn't truly become the protector of the Yellow Turbans.
With Zhang Liang killed and Zhang Jiao injured, although Zhang Daosheng and his forces still possessed formidable military strength, their confidence was almost completely shattered when they witnessed their master, whom they revered like a heavenly deity, being severely wounded.
Perhaps only a few individuals like Zhang Daosheng and the Yellow Turban Saintess still maintained their faith and determination, but the entire Yellow Turban Army's morale had nearly collapsed.
In this situation, some of the outsiders began to consider their own escape routes.
...
While the Yellow Turban Army faced issues with morale, Huangfu Song encountered problems on a larger scale.
After a confident battle, not only were they humiliated at the gates of Guangping, but if it weren't for Lu Hai Kong's intervention, their entire army would have been on the verge of annihilation.
Even with Lu Hai Kong's assistance, this army still suffered heavy losses.
What made matters worse was that Huangfu Song had known from the start that capturing Julu wouldn't be easy. He had even prepared for a protracted war in the Guangping battle.
So, on the Guangping battlefield, he brought a large amount of supplies, ready for a long-term campaign.
Who would have thought that they would almost be annihilated at the beginning of the battle? In the end, although the troops retreated, all the logistical supplies were left behind at Guangping. This situation directly led to a shortage of supplies for the Great Han Army at Qu Liang. Huangfu Song now had enough supplies for his army of over 100,000 to last less than ten days.
The defeat at Guangping also dealt a significant blow to Huangfu Song's reputation, which had risen again after capturing several counties like Qu Liang.
Especially in the Guangping battle, it was Lu Hai Kong, whom Huangfu Song had forced to retreat, who saved them. This further led to doubts about Huangfu Song within the army, and there were even whispers of a hidden plot against him, with some calling for his removal.
Most importantly, after the Guangping battle, the morale of the Great Han soldiers plummeted, and there were even signs of fear in battle.
After all, the Yellow Turban Army's methods during the Guangping battle were indeed a bit too bizarre. If it weren't for the combat traits of Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, this army would have collapsed long ago. After all, seeing the brothers who once stood by your side turn into enemies and Yellow Turban warriors is something no one can easily bear.
However, even though the combat traits of Huangfu Song and Zhu Jun could maintain the army's morale during the war, these traits were not omnipotent.
After the combat trait's effect faded, the soldiers would still feel sad, afraid, and hesitant as they should.
Therefore, the situation Huangfu Song currently faced was extremely dire!
Chapter end
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