Chapter 382: The whole army charges
"My lord, if we fight against Tian Ze, our forces are equal, and I'm afraid we will be at a disadvantage." Looking at Gongsun Zan who was determined to fight Tian Ze head-on, Han Sui couldn't help but sigh.
What kind of world is this, where a common man can dominate?
Although Han Sui admired Gongsun Zan's character, he was helpless against Gongsun Zan's stubborn temper that could not be changed even by eight horses.
As one of the few literati and wise men in Xiliang, Han Sui experienced the frustration shared by almost countless other literati in Xiliang.
Outside, no one would look down upon the counselors of Xiliang. After all, Xiliang had been in a state of being semi-abandoned by the Han Dynasty, and there were not many aristocratic families. Most of the counselors who came from this place did not have a deep background and most of them had shallow foundations.
Internally, in Xiliang, a place where people survive by force, they believe in force and wisdom is hardly valued. People who can accomplish great things have good strategies around them, and they will not care about new scholars.
Therefore, for the Xiliang strategists, wanting to serve a wise master in peace and stability like the civil officials in the Central Plains is a luxury.
It was because Han Sui encountered countless setbacks and experienced too much suffering that he developed the ambition to set up his own business.
When he was under the command of He Jin, he had proposed a plan to exterminate the eunuchs early on and boasted of his extraordinary talent, but he was not taken seriously at all.
From then on, he understood that fools don't need help, they can only rely on themselves.
However, he was born at the wrong time and was too impatient.
He was the one who started to make trouble before the troubled times came, and was the first to gain momentum.
When Dong Zhuo was still working under Huangfu Song, he and Bian Zhang already controlled an army of 100,000.
However, the rafters that stick out will rot first. On one hand, he has to face attacks from the imperial court, and on the other hand, he has to face a group of stupid allies who are holding him back.
When Gongsun Zan was gaining power in Xiliang, his situation became worse and worse. Not only did he consume most of Xiliang's already limited vitality, but he still only had tens of thousands of soldiers and horses.
After seeing Gongsun Zan's strength, he realized that he could not win no matter what, so he decisively chose to surrender.
Now it seems that my original choice was a wise one.
It’s just that Lord Gongsun Zan is a little too stubborn.
Seeing that Gongsun Zan did not react much, Han Sui turned his gaze to Fa Zheng standing aside.
If there is anyone who can persuade Gongsun Zan, it can only be the young-looking Fa Zheng in front of him.
Fa Zheng had extremely unique skills in advising and convincing others, and was a perfect match for Gongsun Zan, who refused to listen to advice.
Fa Zheng naturally understood what Han Sui meant, but he shook his head slightly and then spoke to Gongsun Zan.
"My lord, we must do our best to fight against Tian Ze so as not to be underestimated."
Gongsun Zan nodded slightly and said, "Wen Yue, mobilize all the cavalry. This time, I want to fight Cheng Shou with real swords and guns."
Most of Gongsun Zan's troops were under the management of Han Sui. Although Han Sui's combat ability was average, his organizational ability was extraordinary.
The internally chaotic Xiliang Iron Cavalry was managed in an orderly manner under his leadership.
Although Han Sui, who possesses military power, is the third-ranking figure on the surface, the power he holds is second only to Gongsun Zan.
Although he knew he had no chance of winning, Gongsun Zan still had no intention of giving up.
General Bai Ma's pride meant that even if he lost, he would make a deep impression on Tian Ze and show the world the might of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry under his command.
Han Sui nodded in agreement, then looked at Fa Zheng calmly again.
Fa Zheng continued, "My Lord, this battle is of great importance. But the princes of the Central Plains and the barbarians from all over the country must also be on guard."
"If they get desperate and start causing trouble on the border, I'm afraid the people of Xiliang will suffer."
Gongsun Zan frowned when he heard this: "Station the remaining infantry in all directions. In addition, there are some auxiliary cavalry..."
At this point, Gongsun Zan hesitated slightly.
Although they are all auxiliary cavalry composed of Qiang people, due to their fanaticism for Gongsun Zan, as long as they are not fighting against the wind, they can still exert extremely strong power by following the Xiliang Iron Cavalry.
In the face of a decisive battle with Tian Ze, Gongsun Zan was naturally unwilling to give up this part of his troops. As for the other infantrymen...
In a place like Xiliang, where did Gongsun Zan get so many infantrymen?
After so many years of war, many people died, and there were more horses than people. Most of the local young and strong people have been dealing with horses since childhood, and riding horses is the basics.
The army may not be able to provide each person with a set of leather armor, but they can provide each person with a horse.
"Xiaozhi, do you have any good ideas?" Gongsun Zan asked.
Fa Zheng smiled slightly and said, "My Lord, why don't you hand over Wudu County in the south of Liangzhou to Tian Ze?"
"First, it can relieve us of our worries. Since Tian Ze is determined to fight with us, he will not launch a surprise attack. If our army wins, we can easily recapture the land of Wudu, and I don't think Tian Ze will stop us."
"Secondly, it can weaken Tian Ze's military strength."
"Tian Ze sent nearly 100,000 cavalry on this mission."
"Unlike most of our cavalry, which are auxiliary troops, Tian Ze's cavalry are all combat soldiers. Therefore, we are actually at a disadvantage."
There is one point that Fa Zheng did not mention, which is the gap in quality between the soldiers under their command and those under Tian Ze's command.
The Xiliang cavalry is brave, and the Bingzhou and Youzhou cavalry are no pushovers either.
Although their foundation was already good, and with Tian Ze's unsparing training, there was still a very obvious gap in strength between the two sides.
Considering the armor, horses, etc., Fa Zheng felt that his side had little chance of winning.
After a little thought, Gongsun Zan agreed to Fa Zheng's suggestion.
Wudu County has a sparse population and is not a core area under his command, so gains and losses are not important.
Now, he only thought about fighting with Tian Ze and did not give much thought to the issue of the territory under his command.
Upon hearing this, Han Sui couldn't help but look at Fa Zheng deeply.
Fa Zheng gave him a faint smile in return.
Perhaps because he had been the leader of the rebels for too long, Han Sui never really found his place. If he had not been truly capable, Fa Zheng would have made things difficult for him long ago.
Unlike Han Sui who had no hope for this battle, Fa Zheng, who truly understood Gongsun Zan, felt that there was still a certain possibility of victory in this battle.
But it was just this battle.
Even if we win, it will only give us more reasons to admit defeat.
"My Lord, where do you plan to fight this battle? How do you plan to fight?"
"Canglangyuan." Gongsun Zan said without hesitation.
It was a flat and vast grassland with no cover, perfect for cavalry duels.
"As for the tactics, naturally, we will form a square formation and make a frontal assault!"
"Tan Ze's cavalry is well-armored and has heavy cavalry, so it's not suitable for us to engage in a roundabout guerrilla campaign against them."
"In cavalry combat, the winner always takes all. If we can't outlast them, we'll just go for the offensive."
"All the formations, no one is defending, all are attacking!"
A wolf-like ferocious look flashed in Gongsun Zan's eyes.
"In this battle, I want to let Tian Chengshou and the people of the world see that cavalry battles cannot be won simply by having elite soldiers and good armor."
(End of this chapter)
