https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-614-The-Unique-General-Trait-of-Gao-Shun/13041897/
Chapter 613: The Offensive
Chapter 613: The Offensive
September 25, 2017
Lu HaiKong was a guy who often pulled off miraculous battles. In Liang Qi, this guy had the audacity to blockade a county defended by tens of thousands of troops, an act that seemed suicidal to others.
However, even a powerful man like Zhang ManCheng was helpless before Lu HaiKong's 'suicidal' actions, and in the end, Lu HaiKong forcefully breached the defenses of Liang Qi.
Under the walls of Guangping City, although Lu HaiKong's forces only numbered in the tens of thousands, and despite Lu HaiKong's army arriving without any defensive preparations, and although everyone knew that most of Lu HaiKong's soldiers were exhausted, after the battle yesterday, Zhang DaoSheng completely abandoned any thoughts of a night attack, and even the city gates probably wouldn't dare to open.
They were well aware that as long as Lu HaiKong's Blood-soaked Legion remained, their night attack had no chance of success.
This was not the most miraculous aspect of Lu HaiKong's battle; the most miraculous thing was that Lu HaiKong brought only tens of thousands of troops to attack a city defended by around three hundred thousand troops. This in itself was crazy enough, but even crazier was that everyone, including Lu HaiKong, Zhang DaoSheng, and even all the others, firmly believed that Lu HaiKong had the ability to breach this city when his army arrived at Guangping.
Could such a war be called a miracle (or rather, bizarre)? Tens of thousands of troops, so effortlessly suppressing hundreds of thousands, Lu HaiKong was the first to do this?
After Lu HaiKong's army arrived at Guangping, aside from the initial battle, for the entire following day, Lu HaiKong's troops rested and recuperated.
After all, it wasn't easy to rush through hundreds of kilometers in just a few days. Lu HaiKong might be made of iron, but his soldiers weren't. They needed rest, and Lu HaiKong was also expecting an unexpected reinforcement.
Whether it was Liu Bei, Cao Cao, or Sun Jian, almost all the top talents of the Great Han Army followed Lu HaiKong. With such powerful assistance, Lu HaiKong wouldn't be foolish enough to refuse, right?
While Lu HaiKong's side rested and waited for reinforcements, on the other side, inside Guangping City, Zhang DaoSheng was also busy, running around non-stop.
Lu HaiKong's sudden attack not only gave him the opportunity to truly control the Yellow Turban Army but also presented him with an enormous challenge.
The Yellow Turban members, who were already restless, had been causing trouble for Zhang DaoSheng in various ways recently. On the day of Lu HaiKong and Zhang DaoSheng's battle alone, Zhang DaoSheng's residence in Guangping had been searched several times.
The intruders turned Zhang DaoSheng's residence upside down, clearly targeting the Yellow Turban Register.
The internal and external troubles made it extremely difficult for Zhang DaoSheng, who had just begun to turn the situation around!
Fortunately, some people become disheartened when facing adversity, while others bravely confront it!
Zhang DaoSheng was a man of great boldness. He understood his situation well, so he wouldn't just sit and wait for death.
He was clear that Lu HaiKong wouldn't be able to quickly breach the city, and although he didn't dare to launch a night attack during Lu HaiKong's rest, Zhang DaoSheng didn't idle either; instead, he took swift action!
With no way to deal with Lu HaiKong's external threat for now, he could only eliminate the internal problem first!
Zhang DaoSheng was originally a Yellow Turban member himself, and his power within the Yellow Turbans was not weak. Moreover, his courageous confrontation with Lu HaiKong had won him the support of Bo Cai and others. With his current strength, he indeed had the qualification to purge the Yellow Turban members and the Yellow Turban Saintess' forces within Guangping.
Although it seemed foolish to take such action with a formidable enemy at the gates, Zhang DaoSheng had no other choice.
Over this period, Zhang DaoSheng had gained some understanding, if not complete knowledge, of the Yellow Turbans' actions within Guangping.
Countless people wanted to abandon the Yellow Turban's cause at this time, and some had already done so.
In this situation, who knew if someone had contacted Lu HaiKong? If someone had, the situation would become extremely unfavorable. In such a critical situation, he could only take drastic measures. After all, those guys weren't loyal to him either!
The reason Zhang DaoSheng had the courage to take such drastic action without worrying about adverse effects was that he possessed the Yellow Turban Register.
This register, crafted by Zhang Jiao with great care, was no ordinary item. After Zhang DaoSheng used it, the martial arts of all signed Yellow Turban members were sealed.
In this situation, Zhang DaoSheng and spent an entire night arresting and imprisoning all Yellow Turban members. It wasn't that he didn't want to kill them; it was just that a significant portion of the city's hundreds of thousands of troops were Yellow Turban members. If he killed them, half of the city's troops would disperse.
After Zhang DaoSheng arrested the Yellow Turban members, he originally wanted to continue dealing with the Yellow Turban Saintess, but he didn't expect that she had already evacuated Guangping City before he could act.
Although Zhang Daosheng was unable to capture the Yellow Turban Saintess, the news was not all bad for him.
With the Yellow Turban Sect under his control and the Saintess having evacuated Guangping City, this vast city was now essentially under his command.
While this decision had its drawbacks, Zhang Daosheng could at least breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the internal threat had been eliminated. From now on, he only needed to focus on dealing with Lu Haikong.
Indeed, Lu Haikong's strength was formidable, but with the internal issues resolved, Zhang Daosheng's confidence returned. He not only commanded tens of thousands of troops, a dozen historical warlords, and over a hundred generals, but he also had the heavily fortified defenses of Guangping City, ample logistical supplies, and the advantage of not having to leave the city. He truly believed that Lu Haikong would not be able to breach his walls.
After dealing with the internal threat, Zhang Daosheng confidently waited. On the third day after Lu Haikong arrived at Guangping City, the armies of Liu Bei, Cao Cao, and Sun Jian finally assembled, and Lu Haikong's troops finished their rest.
With all the necessary rest completed, Lu Haikong officially began his preparations for the siege.
Lu Haikong was skilled in military strategy and did not rush into the attack.
Over the past few days, even the dullest person could sense the unique fear the Yellow Turbans had towards Lu Haikong. So, Lu Haikong decided to take advantage of this fear.
On the third day of his preparations, Lu Haikong set up his formation early in the morning, making gradual offensive preparations and displaying a full-scale siege posture. However, he did not launch the attack, choosing instead to wear down the Yellow Turban Army.
This move put immense pressure on the Yellow Turban Army.
The Yellow Turbans in Guangping already had a certain fear of Lu Haikong. When they saw Lu Haikong setting up his formation after two days of silence, it was enough to make anyone afraid.
Even Zhang Daosheng, upon receiving the news, personally climbed up the wall and did not dare to come down for the entire morning.
After waiting for a morning, with no sign of movement from Lu Haikong's side, the Yellow Turban Army started to relax. As their tension subsided, a cavalry unit from Lu Haikong's army emerged, led by Pan Feng.
Pan Feng, with his large build and loud voice, was well-suited for this task.
In a deep, booming voice, he shouted towards the wall: "Yellow Turban rebels on the wall, listen up! Three days ago, my lord ordered you to hand over Zhang Jiao, but you showed no signs of compliance, which angered my lord greatly. Originally, he intended to exterminate all the Yellow Turbans in Julu, but out of his kindness, he is giving you a chance to live. Before dusk, anyone from Guangping City who brings a Yellow Turban head can spare their life!"
"What a joke! Such a big joke! With your mere tens of thousands of troops, what audacity do you have to speak such grand words?"
On the wall, Zhang Daosheng immediately stepped forward.
He was well aware of Lu Haikong's formidable presence among the Yellow Turbans, so he had to take a stand in this situation. If he didn't, there was a risk of causing panic among the troops, which would be disastrous.
Unexpectedly, Pan Feng ignored Zhang Daosheng's rebuttal and merely cracked a cruel smile.
"My lord has spoken. After dusk, we will leave no Yellow Turban alive in Guangping!" Pan Feng said, his words dripping with bloodlust, before turning and leaving without another word.
As Pan Feng walked away nonchalantly, Zhang Daosheng was left in a dilemma. Pan Feng's loud voice, combined with his deliberate use of internal energy, especially in his final statement, resonated throughout half of Guangping City. This severely impacted the morale of the Yellow Turban Army and caused Zhang Daosheng considerable trouble.
Fortunately, Zhang Daosheng still had Bo Cai.
As one of the few talented generals among the Yellow Turbans, Bo Cai was skilled in boosting army morale. His words, filled with bloodlust, combined with Lu Haikong's fearsome reputation, minimized the impact in a very short time.
At the same time, in Lu Haikong's military camp, a scholar standing next to Tan Tai Ming Jing witnessed the scene and chuckled.
"Psychological warfare! Lu Haikong has clearly recognized the fear the Yellow Turbans have for him, and he is directly exploiting this fear to demoralize the enemy!"
"Are you sure it's psychological warfare? I feel like Lu Haikong truly intends to exterminate all the Yellow Turbans in Guangping," Tan Tai Ming Jing said, furrowing his brows.
Almost simultaneously, as Pan Feng retreated.
In Lu Haikong's army, Lu Haikong himself, who was making pre-battle preparations, stared at Guangping City with icy eyes. Turning to Wen Chou and Gao Shun, he spoke in a chilling tone: "Follow the plan. Break through the city gates and slaughter every Yellow Turban within Guangping, leaving none alive!"
Wen Chou and Gao Shun shuddered, sensing the overwhelming killing intent in Lu Haikong's words.
"Yes!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
