gnovel Chapter 120 A Shortage of Troops
Chapter 120 A Shortage of Troops
"My lord, this is the latest intelligence gathered by Tingtao Pavilion."
Wu Yu placed the two volumes of secret reports on the table, speaking in a coquettish voice.
Yuan Tan unfolded the first volume, which was covered in tiny print:
"News from Xiapi: Sun Ce has met with Lü Bu. The troops in the northern border of Xu Province have been assembled, numbering approximately 100,000. Sun Ce has received the seal of the vanguard."
He put it down and began the second volume:
"News from Ji Province: Yuan Shao has moved his camp to Liyang, with General Wen Chou as the vanguard and Chunyu Qiong in charge of supplying provisions. Guo Tu and Feng Ji will accompany the army. The proclamation is complete and will be dispatched soon."
Upon hearing this, Yuan Tan also sighed.
Sun Ce was indeed alive and had even gotten involved with Lü Bu.
In the north, Yuan Shao is finally about to make his move.
The Battle of Guandu seems to be happening earlier than expected.
"Any new developments regarding the talent pools in various regions that you've been following?"
Besides helping him gather information on the movements of the feudal lords, Tingtao Pavilion also served the purpose of investigating talented individuals.
Wu Yu sat in Yuan Tan's lap and nodded slightly:
"There's some new news from Jingzhou. There's a recluse named Xu Shu who has now graduated from the tutelage of Mr. Shui Jing, Sima Hui. Also, there's a young military commander in Xiangyang named Wei Yan, who is arrogant and has repeatedly offended his superiors, so he's not being given important positions. And there's also an old soldier named Huang Zhong, who is also very famous."
Xu Shu?
He left the mountain so early, and there is no record of him after that in history until he joined Liu Bei in 207.
If I extend an olive branch to him at this time, there's no reason why he wouldn't come to me for help, right?
After all, my reputation for benevolence and righteousness is widely praised.
Furthermore, after Xu Shu joined the cause, he would likely recommend Zhuge Liang and other famous figures from Jingzhou.
He also had the Zhuge family as a tool.
I imagine that Zhuge Liang, both morally and logically, would also come to join me.
As for Wei Yan and Huang Zhong, they were also fierce generals!
Why not take advantage of a free lunch?
"Find Xu Shu, offer him a high position with generous gifts," Yuan Tan paused, "As for Wei Yan and Huang Zhong... have our people in Xiangyang find a pretext to approach them and try to lure them to Qingzhou."
"promise."
"Also, how's the deal with inviting Hua Tuo? Is he willing to come?"
"We are still in contact."
Yuan Tan said calmly, "Bring plenty of gold and silk, speak respectfully, and say that there is an epidemic in Qingzhou and the people are suffering. Please ask the divine physician to come north to provide relief. If you really refuse... you know what to do."
Wu Yu nodded: "Understood."
"That's all. You can go ahead and get busy. Come back and keep me company tonight."
Yuan Tan took the opportunity to pinch it a few times.
Hmm! Obedient cats are definitely better.
……
When Guo Jia was summoned to the study that very night, he was carrying half a pot of wine.
This drunkard is still drinking.
No wonder he died so young.
When Hua Tuo arrives, you'll have to have him treat you.
Lao Tzu's chief strategist must not die too early.
Yuan Tan pushed the secret report over.
Guo Jia finished reading by lamplight, and the languid look on his face gradually disappeared.
"Fengxiao, will Lü Bu launch an attack?" Yuan Tan asked.
"meeting."
Guo Jia put down the wine pot and answered without hesitation.
"Lu Bu is a warmonger. If such a large army runs out of supplies, it will only cause internal strife. Therefore, in order to stabilize morale, he will definitely expand outwards. The gathering of 100,000 troops is not just for show. Their first target will definitely be Langya."
How many soldiers do we have?
"Qingzhou has a standing army of 50,000, plus about 30,000 newly recruited and troops from other commanderies and kingdoms, totaling 80,000." Guo Jia walked to the map on the wall. "It seems to be comparable to Lü Bu's vanguard, but..."
He pointed to the map:
"To the west, there is Cao Cao. This man is ambitious and will never sit idly by while we fight Lü Bu. If the war becomes stalemate, he is very likely to intervene from the direction of Taishan County, either by harassing or by marching straight to Linzi. This is a major threat."
He pointed north: "To the north, there's Yuan Shang. Although he has a grudge against our lord, they are both from the Yuan clan. With a formidable enemy at hand, we might be able to hold off for now. However, if our army shows signs of weakness, this man might take advantage of our misfortune."
He pointed eastward: "The eastern sea poses no immediate threat. However, we must be prepared if Lü Bu sends a detachment to harass Donglai by sea."
Finally, the finger landed heavily on Langya:
"This place is the key. Langya is connected to Taishan Commandery and is located at the junction of Qing, Xu and Yan provinces. By holding Langya, we can cut off any possible collusion between Lü Bu and Cao Cao and keep Lü Bu's main force outside Qing Province. If this place is lost, the gateway to Qing Province will be wide open."
Guo Jia turned to look at Yuan Tan: "Therefore, our army of 80,000 needs to be divided into four sides for defense. We need to deploy heavy troops to defend Taishan County in the west against Cao Cao, we need to have troops to monitor Yuan Shang in the north, we need to set up guards along the coast of Donglai, and we also need to leave troops to guard each county. So, the number of troops that can be gathered at Langya to fight against Lü Bu's 100,000-strong army is only about 30,000 to 40,000."
Three or four thousand versus one hundred thousand.
Fortunately, it was a defensive play.
The study was quiet for a moment.
"Our forces are stretched thin," Yuan Tan said, rubbing his temples.
"However, there is still a chance of winning."
Guo Jiadao,
"Our army is holding the city and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out. Lü Bu is exhausted from his long campaign, and Sun Ce is eager for revenge; their morale may not be high. Moreover, Langya is a fortified city; General Zang Ba has been there for months and it cannot be taken overnight. If we can hold them off, and wait until their army is tired and weary, there may be a turning point."
"In that case, we should divide our forces to guard the area and focus our defenses on key areas."
Yuan Tan stood up and nodded repeatedly.
"Western Front, Taishan County."
He pointed to the strategic point to the west.
"Issue Cen Bi as the commander-in-chief and Peng An as the deputy, leading 10,000 troops to guard the Fenggao and Boxian line. Your only task is to keep a close watch on Cao Cao's Yanzhou army. If he does not move, you do not move. If even a single soldier of his sets foot on Mount Tai, you must repel them and hold your ground until reinforcements arrive."
"Southern route, Langya."
The finger moved to the major southern town.
"This is the main battlefield. Zhao Yun is appointed as the commander-in-chief, with Zang Ba as his deputy, leading 25,000 troops to guard Langya City. Zilong is still recovering from his injuries, but he can coordinate from the center. Zang Ba is good at defense, so we need to turn Langya into an impregnable fortress. Lou Ban will lead 1,000 elite cavalry to garrison the hilly area north of Langya as support, and look for opportunities to harass Lü Bu's supply lines."
"Gan Ning is in charge of the water route, leading the old Jin Fan troops and the Qingzhou navy to patrol the coast from Donglai to Langya, ensuring the smooth flow of supplies and preventing enemy surprise attacks from the sea."
"To the north," he looked up at the map, "send a message to Zijing, asking him to strengthen the defenses of Bohai Commandery and keep an eye on Yuan Shang."
Currently, not only are military personnel scarce, but generals are also scarce.
Yan Liang was stationed in Moling and could not be moved.
Zhang He was tasked with defending Hefei, thus keeping Liu Bei occupied and unable to make any moves.
Fortunately, Lu Su was a scholar-general, and could be used as an envoy.
"Also, have Liu Bei lead his army to Qingzhou to support me, and tell him that I will prepare the provisions and equipment myself."
"In the remaining prefectures, strengthen defenses, conscript civilians and laborers, and reinforce city defenses. I will personally lead 15,000 central troops to garrison Linzi, ready to provide support to all sides at any time."
Jia listened attentively and nodded slightly. The lord's plan was steady and comprehensive, and although it lacked ingenious schemes, it was a prudent strategy to deal with the current situation of being attacked from all sides.
"Fengxiao," Yuan Tan said, looking at him after making his arrangements, "you and Jia Xu will stay in Linzi and oversee all the administrative and logistical matters in the rear."
"Jia, I obey."