PFC Chapter 271: Defeated like a mountain
Chapter 271: Defeated like a mountain
However, after the rebel general Zhou Wen entered Hangu Pass and arrived at Tongguan.
The garrison commander who was guarding Xishui understood deeply that this was the last barrier of the capital Xianyang. The armies of the six countries had never reached here. If this place was lost, they could go west and cross Mount Li and attack Xianyang directly. There was basically no place to defend in the west and no soldiers could be used.
He immediately sent someone to report to the court for help, and decided to hold out here to the death.
Zhou Wen's army of more than 100,000 was blocked to the east of Xishui.
Although the old Qin people in Guanzhong were also dissatisfied with the Qin Dynasty's rule, they had adapted to it for several generations after all.
They were full of doubts and vigilance towards Zhou Wen's army coming from the former territory of the Six Kingdoms in Shandong.
Suddenly, the people in Guanzhong began to whisper to each other.
"Are these people really here to liberate us? Or are they here to take revenge?" an old Qin man said worriedly.
"Who knows! After all, they are the remnants of the six kingdoms. We can't trust them easily." Another old Qin man echoed.
...............
At this time, the logistics and intelligence work of Zhou Wen's army could no longer proceed smoothly like a snowball as it did outside the Great Wall, and it was currently impossible to carry out.
At this time, this rebel army of more than 100,000 was isolated and deep in the enemy's territory, and the situation was extremely dangerous.
In addition, these hundreds of thousands of troops were assembled together within two months and had no previous cooperation. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are a mob.
Zhou Wen stood in front of the tent, silently watching the people playing in the water. He was also thinking about his next move.
"General, what should we do now?" a deputy general asked anxiously.
Zhou Wen frowned and said, "We can't move forward rashly at the moment. We must first resolve the logistics and intelligence issues."
"However, our army has already penetrated deep into Guanzhong. If we stop to rest now, will it give the Qin army an opportunity to take advantage of us?" the deputy general said worriedly.
Zhou Wen patted the deputy general's shoulder and said confidently, "Don't worry. We are fighting against the tyrannical Qin on behalf of Heaven. This is in line with the general trend. We will definitely be able to destroy the tyrannical Qin."
He turned and walked into the tent, summoned the generals, and began to discuss the specific battle plan.
"Everyone, we must strengthen our ties with the people in Guanzhong and win their support. At the same time, we must send out scouts to closely monitor the movements of the tyrannical Qin," said Zhou Wen.
The generals nodded in agreement.
"Also, the generals of each department must hurry to reorganize their armies and improve their combat effectiveness," Zhou Wen continued.
.........
However, Zhang Han did not give Zhou Wen time.
Zhang Han led the army on a rapid march, with tens of thousands of Duwei troops as the core and hundreds of thousands of new troops composed of laborers and prisoners as auxiliary troops, and arrived at the side of Xishui.
The next day, Zhou Wenyi's army took the lead in setting up their battle formation, and Zhang Han also ordered the entire army to move out.
"Brothers, today's battle is a matter of life and death! Those who make meritorious contributions will be rewarded handsomely." Zhang Han stood on the high platform, his eyes sharp as torches, and spoke loudly.
"We are willing to fight to the death with the general!" The soldiers in the audience shouted in unison, their voices shaking the sky.
Most of the people in this army, composed of prisoners, slaves and children of nobles, had never participated in actual combat, so Zhang Han organized the 200,000 people into dozens of large square formations.
After the battle started, hundreds of thousands of people rushed towards them from the east and west in the north wind. The shouts of killing gradually gathered together from far away, and then the sounds of people and metal colliding were intertwined.
Zhang Han did have military talent. He selected strong men to serve as vanguards, sent the old and weak as rear guards to manage the baggage, and he himself stayed in the center of the army, commanding the troops and generals.
"Charge!" Zhang Han's vanguard troops were like a tiger descending from the mountain, unstoppable.
"Stop them!" Zhou Wen's soldiers fought desperately, but ultimately they could not withstand Zhang Han's offensive.
Zhou Wenjun did not encounter any strong opponents along the way from east to west, and thought that the Qin people were useless, so he underestimated the enemy.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Han's troops arrived at this time, with an overwhelming force. They were unable to resist and retreated in panic.
"How could this happen?" Zhou Wen was shocked.
"General, let's retreat quickly!" the deputy general said, pulling Zhou Wen.
The army's morale was in disarray, and Zhou Wen's command became increasingly ineffective. In just one day, the situation of the war was reversed. The Qin army gained the upper hand, their morale was greatly boosted, and they became more brave, while the Zhou army was beaten to pieces and completely routed.
"Retreat!" Zhou Wen shouted helplessly.
He hurriedly led his troops to retreat eastward, with Zhang Han's pursuers behind him and the shouts of killing incessant.
The defeat was like a landslide. At this time, it was more like fleeing than retreating.
From the approaching pursuers, the rebels saw a fluttering black flag with a huge seal-script character "章" (Zhang) on it.
They didn't know that this Qin army was made up of prisoners, and that these prisoners were willing to risk their lives to fight for their freedom.
From Xishui all the way to Ningqin Fortress, the whole area was plain. Zhou Wen was simply unable to organize the rebel army to effectively resist. Soon after gathering the remnants and gaining a foothold, he was defeated again and again by Zhang Han's army.
The rebels fought and fled, with corpses strewn all over the ground and blood flowing like a river. They lost more than half of their troops.
When he arrived in the Tongguan area, Zhou Wen stood on a high place, looking at the steep terrain in front of him, and a complex emotion surged in his heart.
"General, do we really have to resist here?" asked a deputy general worriedly.
Zhou Wen took a deep breath and answered firmly: "Yes, this place is dangerous and it is our last line of defense."
He recalled the scene not long ago when he led an army of over one hundred thousand and thousands of chariots, marched into Hangu Pass, and laid eyes on Xianyang. A sense of heroism welled up in his heart.
"Thinking back then, the Chu general Xiang Yan defeated Li Xin's 200,000-strong Qin army. I was in the army and actively offered advice to General Xiang Yan." Zhou Wen sighed in his heart.
When Zhang Chu Wang Chen Sheng needed a fearless general to lead the army to attack Xianyang, but no one dared to step forward to take the order, it was I, Zhou Wen, who volunteered and took on this important task.
He clearly remembered that Chen Sheng only gave him three thousand soldiers and horses at that time, and held his hand with trust in his eyes.
"King Chen Sheng has high hopes for me, and I cannot let him down." Zhou Wen's voice was firm.
However, in the battle between the two armies in the southern plains of Tongguan, Zhou Wen's rebel army soon could not hold on and began to retreat towards Hangu Pass.
"Everyone, calm down and keep in formation!" Zhou Wen shouted loudly, but the defeated rebel army was like a frightened bird. When they heard the Qin soldiers' shouts of killing, they just fled for their lives.
The Qihan Ancient Road was originally easy to defend but difficult to attack, but the rebel army at this time could not form a defensive formation no matter what.
Just as they were about to return to defend, they were instantly cut open by the Qin army and were beaten to pieces.
The rebels were trapped in a desperate situation, and many fell into the Yellow River and were swallowed by the water. Most of the rebels who fled south also fell off the cliffs and died in the ravines.
Zhou Wen looked at the tragic scene before him, his heart filled with grief and helplessness. He knew they had already lost this battle, but he was unwilling to give up.
"As long as we are still breathing, we can't give up resistance!" Zhou Wen said gritting his teeth.
Zhang Han led his army all the way out of present-day Tongguan and all the way to Hanguguan before withdrawing his troops for reorganization.
When Zhou Wen escaped from Hangu Pass and retreated to Caoyang Pass, southeast of Lingbao, his army was completely routed. When he counted his generals and soldiers, there were less than 5,000 men left.
"General, why don't we pursue the victory and wipe out Zhou Wen's remaining troops in one fell swoop?" asked a general with a puzzled look on his face.
Zhang Han turned and spoke slowly, "Our army is currently composed entirely of prisoners and civilians. Our victory this time is entirely due to our superior weaponry. The rebels outside the Great Wall are numerous and surging like a tide, their momentum is growing. Our top priority is to protect the foundation of the Great Qin in Guanzhong and keep the rebels out."
After a brief pause, Zhang Han continued, "The remnants of Zhou Wen's army are now like grasshoppers after autumn, and are nothing to fear. We must patiently wait for Wang Li and Feng Jie's northern troops to return to Xianyang, and then lead the elite Qin army out of the pass to quell the rebellion. Only in this way can we completely quell the rebellion and defend the Great Qin Empire, ensuring its stability."
After saying this, Zhang Han led the army and stood ready in front of Hangu Pass.
On the other side, the Xiongnu royal court.
After resting, Meng Yi re-formulated his strategy, intending to find Maodun's main force for a decisive battle, completely resolving the northern border threat so that the Central Plains would have no worries and could concentrate on dealing with the internal disputes of the Qin Dynasty.