Chapter 247 Reinforcements Arrive at the Battlefield
The twenty-second day of the first lunar month, at the hour of Yin.

Outside Guangcheng Pass, 20,000 troops of Yangzhou were ready to go.

Sun Jian was right.

Cheng Pu did not appear on the battlefield, not because he was afraid of fighting, but because he received a reply from Jin Mao, asking him to find out the enemy situation outside Guangcheng Pass.

Because Jin Mao will personally lead 20,000 elite troops to attack Guangcheng Pass!
Here we have to talk about a key person.

Xun Yu!
After thirteen days, Xun Yu finally arrived at Luyang County from Jianye County.

Jin Mao remembered that day very clearly. The extremely handsome Xun Yu had fallen to the same level of appearance as him due to exhaustion.

but!

Xun Yu seemed even more anxious than Jin Mao himself. As soon as they met, he pulled Jin Mao into the tent.

What happened next is indescribable.

Only a conversation is left.

"My Lord! I have sorted out everything on the way here. Please send troops immediately to attack Dagu Pass!"

The cause of the incident was that Xun You proposed to consult Xun Yu about a strategic matter, so Jin Mao asked Xun Yu to come to him and tell him what to do.

Although the military is an extension of politics, how to extend it specifically is a technical job.

What Xun Yu said is how to extend it.

"Dong Zhuo has so many Hu Xiong cavalrymen under his command. This man has more or less been tainted by the habits of other races. He fears power but not virtue!"

"My lord, if you want to obtain 30,000 books through political means, you must first scare Dong Zhuo before you can succeed through diplomacy."

Xun Yu said a lot in succession.

Jin Mao disagreed: "Why don't I just attack Luoyang and take it myself?"

This way, it is both safe and secure, and there is no need to worry about Dong Zhuo changing his mind.

Xun Yu did not refute, but asked: "My lord, are you willing to exchange the development of the next two years for the victory now?"

Jin Mao frowned and asked, "Why?"

Xun Yu explained, "Dong Zhuo's tyrannical and tyrannical taxation has caused public outrage and resentment in the area around Luoyang. This is known to everyone, and I think the lord should know about it."

Jin Mao touched his nose. He had been busy with many things recently and had not paid much attention to it.

Fortunately, Xun Yu assumed that Jin Mao already knew this, and continued, "Dong Zhuo is unpopular and will not be able to stay in Luoyang for long. I predict that he will withdraw his troops soon, or even move the capital."

Dong Zhuo's plan to move the capital is still under planning.

However, Xun Yu deduced: "Dong Zhuo will use Hangu Pass as a barrier, and he will never abandon the emperor, so he will definitely move the capital to Chang'an!"

Move the capital?

Memories deep in Jin Mao's mind began to emerge, and it was indeed true.

"in this case."

Jin Mao stood up and said, "I should march quickly into Luoyang!"

He remembered that when Dong Zhuo moved the capital, he burned Luoyang, so those books were gone.

"No!"

Xun Yu objected, "My lord, you cannot attack quickly. You should hold your ground against Dong Zhuo and wait until he dies."

"Why?"

Xun Yu continued to explain: "Dong Zhuo is unpopular, so military rations are bound to be in short supply. The most important thing for an army is rations. Without rations, even if Bai Qi and Han Xin were reborn, they would not be able to win the battle!"

"I think what Dong Zhuo wants most is to have a quick victory over the lord."

"Why do you have to do what the enemy wants instead of using your own strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses?"

Jin Mao stroked his chin and paced back and forth, saying, "So, I am not in a hurry to attack Luoyang, but Dagu Pass is a place that must be taken quickly."

Jin Mao began to draw inferences from this: "If we want to pursue Dong Zhuo closely and prevent him from retreating comfortably, we must break the barrier."

He made his right hand into a claw and said, "Bite its tail. If it cuts off its tail to survive, eat this part of its tail. Then continue to chase it and bite its trunk!"

"This way, Dong Zhuo can't leave even if he wants to, and I will avoid fighting him head-on."

"Either agree to my request or let me swallow it whole!"

Xun Yu bowed and praised: "My lord, you are wise."

Jin Mao laughed and said, "Wen Ruo, I didn't expect you to be such a person."

Then, Jin Mao put his hands behind his back and said, “This way, the army will be a little smaller.”

"Dong Zhuo has an army of 200,000, and I only have 40,000..."

Jin Mao threw his cloak and said, "Pass the order!"

"Except for Zhixian, Jianye, Shouchun, Huaiyin, Yandu, Guangling, Qu'a, Xiangyang, and Jiangling, a thousand men will be left behind for garrison, as well as security personnel from each county."

"Mobilize all combat-capable troops and county soldiers from the two states and twelve counties to join forces in Luyang County!"

"The other two states are recruiting 100,000 young and strong men to transport food and fodder."

Once this order is issued, 30,000 elite troops and 40,000 new recruits will gather in Luyang County.

Together with nearly 10,000 nurse soldiers and civilian laborers who transported food and fodder, they could barely put together an army of 170,000, which was claimed to be 300,000 to the outside world.

Jin Mao looked at Xun Yu and said, "Wen Ruo doesn't have to rush back. Just stay in Luyang County and supervise the manufacture of military equipment for me."

At first, Jin Mao couldn't understand why Yuan Shu refused to retreat from Luyang County, but now he understood.

Luyang County is a treasure land. It not only has iron mines and coal mines, but it can even produce salt!

Moreover, the output is not low. If it is more extensive, it is enough to supply 50,000 troops. Even if it is more refined, it can supply 20,000 elite troops. This is worth all of Jinmao’s previous efforts!

The only drawback is that there are too many nobles and they control the lifeline of the industry.

Even if Jinmao holds the ownership of the minerals, all the technical personnel are their own people, so cooperation is necessary if they want to produce any output.

Therefore, even if Jinmao occupied this precious land, he could not use it immediately. He had too few craftsmen under his command, and he had to rely on the power of the gentry in the short term.

But when Xun Yu came, things took a turn for the better.

Xun Yu’s presence is definitely important enough. Not to mention making these nobles listen to him, there should be no problem in giving them some face and asking them to do some work.

"I'll do my best." But Xun Yu didn't dare to guarantee it.

Unlike Jin Mao's understanding, Xun Yu did not think that these Jingzhou gentry would give him face.

They didn't even give face to Yuan Shu, let alone Xun Yu, an outsider.

"Wen Ruo doesn't have to worry."

Jin Mao comforted him: "I just need someone who can do the work."

"With so many people, there must be someone willing to work, right?"

"As for those who don't work, there is no need for them to exist!"

They would just accuse him of treason and confiscate his property and exterminate his entire family. Anyway, Jin Mao held the title of emperor in his hands.

He is justice!
Xun Yu instantly understood what Jin Mao meant and immediately said, "Don't worry, my lord. I will definitely convince them."

It doesn't matter if he can't convince others. Xun Yu is not a kind-hearted person. If some people don't die, there will always be people who want to take advantage of the situation.

Jin Mao was very satisfied with Xun Yu's attitude and said, "I will leave Huang Gai and 10,000 navy soldiers to assist you."

Next is some trivial arrangements.

Xi Zhicai was still responsible for the dispatch of grain and fodder from Jiangling to Xiangyang, while the section from Xiangyang to Luyang County was under the management of Xun Yu.

The amount of grain was also increased from the previous 1.5 million shi to 3 million shi, which means 6 million shi including food and fodder, enough for the army to fight for half a year.

Orders were also sent from Luyang County to Qu'a, Guangling and Yandu counties.

First, Jin Mao ordered the three counties to stop their work and focus on manufacturing military equipment.

As for Luyang County, it is mainly responsible for the manufacture and maintenance of bows, crossbows, arrows and other highly consumable weapons.

In addition, shipyards in the Yangtze River and Huaihe River basins must also start work at full capacity.

Yizhou's Ba County and Zhi County were also at war, and needed a large number of ships to deliver new soldiers, supplies, and weapons during the dry season.

Xi Zhicai had already informed Jin Mao of this matter, and Jin Mao did not want to give up Yizhou, but he had no elite troops left, so he could only send more than 10,000 new soldiers to support Zhou Yu.

To defend Zhi County, we don’t need so many elite soldiers. Instead, it can be a chance for new recruits to train and gain experience.

Everything is arranged properly.

Jin Mao led 20,000 elite troops and 6,000 nurse soldiers to Guangcheng Pass.

When they arrived at Guangcheng Pass, Jin Mao met up with Cheng Pu and left Cheng Pu at Guangcheng Pass to replace Sun Ben, the general guarding the pass under Sun Jian. Sun Ben did not say much about this, because although he was Sun Jian's brother-in-law, he was no match for Jin Mao.

Moreover, Cheng Pu is an old acquaintance of both sides, so changing the leader is almost the same as not changing it, at least for the soldiers below.

Four thousand nurses were left inside the pass. Guangcheng Pass was only fifty miles away from Dagu Pass, so it was enough to bring two thousand nurses for emergency treatment.

In addition, Jin Mao left four battalions to Cheng Pu to ensure that he would be able to control the enemy, and Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were also to be brought along.

Therefore, when setting out from Guangcheng Pass, Jin Mao had exactly 20,000 troops under his command.

They set out at yin hour, and by shen hour (four o'clock in the afternoon), the army was only five miles away from the place where Sun Jian and Dong Zhuo fought.

The scout reported: "General! There is a big battle five miles ahead."

Jin Mao could be seen without him saying anything. Five miles was not far away. Sun Jian and Dong Zhuo's army were still fighting halfway up the mountain.

It's as clear as watching a play from the audience.

"Stop!"

"The whole army forms an array!"

Jin Mao made a prompt decision and ordered: "Generals, come forward and listen to my orders!"

"Huang Zhong! I order you to lead two thousand strong crossbowmen from my personal guards on horseback to the front battlefield."

Jin Mao warned: "Remember! Do not engage the enemy head-on, mediate the shooting."

"Yes!" Huang Zhong took the order and went down.

Jin Mao looked at Zhang Fei and said, "Zhang Fei, Guan Yu, you two will lead your cavalry to protect Huang Zhong's troops and inform them of the enemy's whereabouts in a timely manner."

Guan Yu immediately responded: "Yes!"

On the contrary, Zhang Fei asked in surprise: "Ah?"

Jin Mao looked at Zhang Fei dangerously: "Hmm?"

Zhang Fei then bowed his head and responded.

"Ling Cao, Dong Xi."

"You two lead the main forces of the first and second battalions and follow me to advance steadily."

Jin Mao continued to give orders: "Gong Lei stays behind to protect the baggage troops and the nurses."

"Yes!" the three responded.

As a result, the army has nearly 12,000 people, and now the main force of a battalion has 4,000 people.

Gong Lei only had two thousand nurses, two thousand combat soldiers, and nearly ten thousand civilian laborers who were escorting food and fodder.

It's a bit difficult for him.

But Jin Mao had no choice. The military situation was urgent. He could only hope that Dong Zhuo's troops would be attracted by their combat soldiers and ignore the baggage train.

Sun Jian cannot be defeated!
...

At the foot of Mount Song.

Sun Jian led his men in battle for a whole day, and the entire army was on the verge of collapse several times.

If Dong Zhuo's army had not been so ruthless that they did not take any prisoners, Sun Jian would have been imprisoned long ago.

But when human power is exhausted, even if a trapped beast fights to the end, Sun Jian doesn't know if he can lead the remaining thousand people to hold out until nightfall.

As long as it's night, there's still hope.

Sun Jian once again repelled Dong Zhuo's army and suddenly collapsed to the ground.

The funny thing is that this was the place where Sun Jian besieged Gao Shun a few days ago.

Now, Sun Jian also has to consider whether it is feasible to sacrifice pawns to save the chariot.

Gao Shun and others were able to escape by abandoning their soldiers. Only when the generals escaped with their personal soldiers could they succeed.

The most important thing is that Sun Jian has no mountain cavalry.

But if it were Sun Jian, this would not work. Yesterday, it was because Lu Bu led the mountain Qiang and Hu to attack from the rear, which caused Sun Jian to be unable to take care of both ends.

If he dared to escape, Lu Bu would chase him with the Qiang and Hu people and kill them all.

"This time it really went too far."

Sun Jian looked towards Guangcheng Pass and said to himself with a wry smile: "Brother, did I misjudge you after all?"

next moment.

Sun Jian thought it was an illusion and rubbed his eyes hard.

"Reinforcements!"

Sun Jian was ecstatic. He jumped onto the huge rock behind him, pointed in the direction of Guangcheng Pass, and shouted angrily: "Reinforcements are coming!"

The remaining soldiers looked in the direction Sun Jian pointed, and before they could see what the reinforcements looked like, they saw a row of crossbow arrows shooting into the sky.

The black iron arrow emitted a dark golden light under the evening sunlight, and it flew across the sky with the breath of death before falling down.

Everyone looked down from their high place and saw that Dong Zhuo's army, including its men and horses, were falling down one after another like wheat being cut.

Good times are not long.

When Dong Zhuo's army discovered the reinforcements, they immediately sent out a group of troops.

Just when the soldiers thought that the reinforcements were doomed, they were shocked to find that the two armies seemed too far apart.

Immediately, someone with sharp eyes shouted, "Strong crossbows! The reinforcements are all strong crossbow troops! They are even riding horses!"

Sure enough, when everyone looked, the reinforcements had already mounted their horses and started to flee.

Even when the horses reached full speed, Dong Zhuo's army was still nearly a hundred feet behind them.

As the saying goes, the higher the expectations, the greater the disappointment.

The reinforcements came quickly and left even faster, soon disappearing from sight.

Sun Jian noticed something was wrong, and while trying to comfort his soldiers, he cursed inwardly, "What the hell is this kid doing?"

Although the reinforcements took away five or six thousand cavalrymen of Dong Zhuo's army, there were still over ten thousand cavalrymen on the scene.

Sun Jian’s formation didn’t know how to stop the next wave of joint attack.

When the reinforcements didn't arrive, everyone was ready to die. But now their spirits have been lowered and they have no morale to fight.

No matter how much Sun Jian encouraged them and how much he offered huge rewards to seek brave men, there was no response.

"Heaven wants to kill me."

Sun Jian couldn't understand how Jin Mao, who was always wise, could make such a low-level mistake.

At the foot of the mountain, Duan Wei apparently sensed the opportunity and quickly organized a powerful offensive, hoping to achieve victory in one battle.

but!

Before the new round of attack begins.

"Failed!"

"Dong Zhuo is defeated!"

Sun Jian's soldiers looked in the direction where Dong Zhuo's army had just left, as if they had discovered a new continent.

There were only about five or six thousand of them when they left, and the number that escaped back was not much less.

But this is enough for Sun Jian’s army!

This is enough to show how powerful the reinforcements are.

Soon, the soldiers discovered that they had just overlooked the most important information.

Not far behind the Strong Crossbow Army was a large number of infantry groups, roughly estimated to be over ten thousand!
And judging from the neatness of the formation, they are definitely elite.

at the foot of the mountain.

Duan Wei also received the news. He did not expect that the enemy infantry could get so close before being discovered.

However, there was not much time for Duan Wei to hesitate.

If there were only two or three thousand cavalry crossbowmen, Duan Wei would not have felt much impact. However, if an organized infantry group came up, even the cavalry might not be able to defeat them.

"retreat!"

Duan Wei gave the order without hesitation. After all, Sun Jian had been crippled by him, with only more than a thousand left out of the ten thousand men. No one could say that the mission had not been completed.

(End of this chapter)