PFC Chapter 21: Disparity in Military Strength
Chapter 21: Disparity in Military Strength
After the battle, Zhang He stepped forward, knelt on one knee before Yuan Tan, and bowed, saying:
"Reporting to our lord! In this battle, we killed over four hundred enemy soldiers, captured over five hundred, seized over six hundred intact warhorses, and beheaded the enemy general Hao Meng!"
Preliminary statistics of our casualties indicate that 29 of our vanguard soldiers were killed in action, 41 were seriously wounded, and over 100 were slightly wounded. All have been properly cared for!
This achievement is truly remarkable!
In particular, their casualties were far lower than those of the enemy.
It was an absolutely exhilarating victory!
Yuan Tan stepped forward, personally helped Zhang He up, his gaze sweeping over all the eager soldiers below the platform. He then raised his voice, which echoed throughout the training ground:
"Good! Junyi, you've worked hard! Soldiers of the Vanguard Battalion, you've worked hard! All the lads who participated in the battle, you've worked hard!"
He paused, and the entire room fell silent. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Yuan Tan's next announcement.
"As I said, those who perform meritorious service will be rewarded! Today, I will fulfill that promise!"
Yuan Tan's voice suddenly rose:
"All participating soldiers will be awarded a first-class merit and a reward of five hundred coins! Those who behead enemy generals will receive an additional reward of one thousand coins! The one who beheads enemy general Hao Meng will receive a reward of three thousand coins and a promotion of three ranks!"
"The fallen soldiers will receive double the compensation, their families will be supported by the government, and their children will be raised to adulthood at the expense of this governor!"
"All wounded soldiers will receive double the reward and will be given the best medical care by the accompanying medics!"
Even though Yuan Tan had accumulated a considerable fortune beforehand, he still felt a pang of regret when he said those words.
I need to figure out how to make money from now on!
A collective gasp rippled through the audience, followed by a sudden brightening of everyone's eyes!
This reward is far more generous than usual!
Yuan Tan hadn't finished speaking when he looked at Zhang He and the front-line suicide soldiers standing at attention:
"The vanguard troops deserve the greatest credit today! They broke through the enemy's elite formation and are ranked first! The entire battalion will receive an extra ten thousand coins! And three days' worth of wine and meat!"
"Zhang He is to be rewarded with one hundred catties of gold and one hundred bolts of brocade!"
A generous reward will surely attract brave men!
Not to mention such an astronomical reward!
After a brief silence, a thunderous roar of cheers erupted across the training ground!
"Long live our lord!"
"I am willing to die for my lord!"
"Very well, vanguard camp!"
Many of the soldiers in the vanguard battalion were moved to tears.
They were once Qu Yi's former subordinates, and suffered much suspicion and suppression. Today, they not only redeemed themselves, but also received such a generous reward and recognition from their lord!
At this moment, their loyalty to Yuan Tan reached its peak!
Zhang He, his eyes brimming with tears, knelt on one knee once more:
"My lord's kindness is immeasurable; I could never repay it, even with my life! I will train my warriors to become a fierce and invincible force, and sweep away all obstacles for my lord!"
Yuan Tan helped him up again, his gaze sweeping over the excited and enthusiastic faces, knowing that the army's morale was high and its spirits had reached their peak!
He drew his longsword and pointed it directly towards Langya:
"My comrades! That scoundrel Lü Bu has invaded our territory and slaughtered our people. This grudge must be avenged! Today we reward our troops, tomorrow we will prepare for battle! Follow me, Governor, and we will crush Langya and capture Lü Bu alive!"
"Crush Langya! Capture Lü Bu alive!"
"Crush Langya! Capture Lü Bu alive!"
The soldiers roared and fought fiercely, their morale soaring to its peak in an instant.
……
News of the great victory at Dongwu quickly spread throughout the counties of Qingzhou.
The unrest that had been brewing in Qingzhou was quickly quelled, and many opportunists switched sides, sending envoys with gifts to Dongwu to express their allegiance.
Yuan Tan's prestige was initially established through this battle.
The main tent of Lü Bu's army in Langya.
"Useless! All of you are useless!"
Lü Bu overturned the table, spilling wine, fruit, and other liquids all over the floor.
"Song Xian is incompetent! Hao Meng is a fool! Over a thousand iron cavalrymen were wiped out in a single battle by that brat Yuan Tan! What a disgrace!"
Chen Gong stood quietly to the side, waiting for Lü Bu's anger to subside before slowly speaking:
"Lord Wen, please calm down. The failure of Dongwu was due to our army underestimating the enemy, but more importantly... Yuan Tan is by no means as mediocre as the outside world has said."
Although Chen Gong was somewhat reluctant to admit it, he had to say it.
Yuan Tan's strategy of feinting to the east while attacking in the west, launching a surprise attack on Dongwu and cutting off Song and Hao's return route, demonstrates a level of strategy and courage that a spoiled young master could never achieve.
If this wasn't a sudden epiphany for Yuan Tan, then it must have been due to guidance from a highly skilled person under his command.
Lu Bu snorted coldly, his face full of disdain:
"Gongtai, don't boost their morale! Yuan Tan only succeeded by luck! If our army hadn't been short of supplies and our soldiers hadn't been exhausted, how could he have succeeded in his sneak attack? Although he occupies Dongwu now, his forces are few and his base is unstable. He's nothing to be proud of!"
"Our top priority remains Langya! Zang Ba is at his last gasp. If we can capture Langya and seize all his provisions and supplies, our army will be able to recover! At that time, I will personally lead the army and crush that brat Yuan Tan into dust!"
Chen Gong frowned and advised:
"Lord Wen! Yuan Tan has just won a victory, and his morale is high. Our army has been besieging the fortified city for a long time, and our troops are exhausted and our supplies are running out. If we launch a strong attack on Langya now, even if we capture it, it will be a Pyrrhic victory."
If Yuan Tan attacks from Dongwu, how can our army resist? Perhaps… we should temporarily halt our offensive, even cease hostilities with Zang Ba, return to our base in Xuzhou, and then devise a plan for the future.”
"Postpone? Retreat?"
Lu Bu suddenly waved his hand.
"Impossible! I, Lü Bu, have roamed the world freely. How could I be timid and hesitant because of a minor setback? Yuan Tan won a brief victory by chance, but does he think he can contend with me? What a joke!"
"Gongtai, my mind is made up! Concentrate all our forces and attack Langya day and night! We must take this city before Yuan Tan gains a foothold! Once Langya falls, the gateway to Qingzhou will be wide open, and any losses we suffer can be recovered in an instant!"
He firmly believed that any scheme was futile in the face of absolute force.
Once he captures Langya and obtains supplies, he can crush Yuan Tan and his scattered troops with overwhelming force.
Looking at Lü Bu's slightly deranged expression, Chen Gong knew that it was useless to advise him, and sighed inwardly.
He knew that Lü Bu was blinded by anger and only wanted to wash away his shame with a greater victory, but he had overlooked the huge potential risks.
"In that case... I request that Marquis Wen allow me to redeploy my troops. At least a portion of them should be deployed along the Yi and Shu Rivers to guard the direction of Dongwu and prevent Yuan Tan from launching a surprise attack."
Chen Gong opted for a less desirable option: to stabilize the flanks.
Lu Bu waved his hand impatiently:
"As you wish! But not a single member of the main force for the siege can be lost! Within ten days, I will raze Langya City to the ground!"
As the military order was given, war drums thundered in Lü Bu's camp, and the offensive became even more ferocious than before!
Driven by the supervising team, countless soldiers surged towards the walls of Langya like a tidal wave, suffering heavy casualties, with corpses piled up on and around the city walls.
Zang Ba, standing atop Langya City, felt the pressure increase dramatically. He struggled to hold on and once again sent his elite warriors to Yuan Tan for reinforcements.
After receiving news from Zang Ba, Yuan Tan summoned Guo Jia and Xin Pi to discuss the next course of action.
Although Lü Bu has been defeated, his army is still besieging Langya, which is always a sharp blade hanging over Yuan Tan's head.
Furthermore, Lü Bu had a large army, and his soldiers were exceptionally brave.
Given Yuan Tan's current troop strength, defeating Lü Bu would be quite difficult.
Even with Guo Jia's brilliant strategies, he was still powerless to make a meal without ingredients when faced with such a vast disparity in resources.
"Fengxiao! Lü Bu's attempt to seize the grain supply failed, yet he still refuses to retreat. What should we do now?"