Chapter 44 of 100
Chapter 44
16 min read3,971 words
Standing at the entrance of the camp, layers of tall encampments stretched towards the land. Zhang Hao stood on the wall, surveying the large camp opposite.
"Are you sure it's the Liu-Guan-Zhang brothers?" Zhang Hao asked with great interest.
"It has been confirmed. When we heard the description of the situation here, we suspected that the ones leading the assault on the encampment were Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. Through our spies, we have also confirmed that the three brothers, Liu, Guan, and Zhang, have joined the Liyang army. Chen Wen values them highly for their achievements in the Yellow Turban Rebellion," Luo An reported.
Zhang Hao's expression was quite intriguing. He hadn't expected to encounter these three famous brothers, whose names have been passed down through the ages, at this time and place. Although it was a surprise, it could also be considered a small delight. After all, their reputations were too great.
Walking on the wide wall, he watched as many engineers were repairing the damaged parts of the wall. The recent relentless attacks by Chen Wen's army were not without effect, but the results were not worth the cost.
This loss was negligible to Zhang Hao.
Speaking of which, Chen Wen's army's greatest achievement was made yesterday when Guan Yu and Zhang Fei led the charge.
The defenders, caught off guard by the unexpected strength of the attackers, were suddenly overwhelmed by Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who managed to lead a small group onto the wall, causing some damage.
"Truly worthy of being called 'ten thousand men's match.'" Zhang Hao couldn't help but marvel as he looked at the cannonball and the cannon that had been split in two by the defenders.
"Lord, what's so great about Guan Yu and Zhang Fei? Yesterday, it was just that none of our generals were here. If I had been here, I wouldn't have let Guan Yu and Zhang Fei run rampant! I'll see what makes them worthy of being called 'ten thousand men's match' when I get the chance," Ling Cao said boldly.
"Even with solid cannonballs, there are many in our army who can split them. With explosive shells, he can only rely on his qi to resist."
This guy had been pestering Zhang Hao for days, and finally, he was sent to the vanguard. With his fierce and powerful personal combat skills, he quickly gained control over the soldiers assigned to him. The army was relatively simple, especially the vanguard, which suited this rough man.
Zhang Hao glanced at Ling Cao. Although there was no historical record of Ling Cao fighting Guan Yu, Zhang Hao didn't have much confidence in him. However, it wasn't good to crush such confidence. Moreover, in some aspects, what he said was true. Generals like Huang Zhong, Dian Wei, and Taishi Ci were no less than Guan Yu.
At this moment, Zhang Hao noticed the interest in Huang Zhong's eyes. Yesterday, only Taishi Ci was here, but he was in the main camp. By the time he arrived, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had already been repelled.
Speaking of yesterday, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei didn't gain any advantage. Although they managed to lead a group of soldiers up the wall with their powerful qi, most of their soldiers couldn't keep up.
Moreover, under the encirclement of the main army, the two were eventually forced to retreat in a rather狼狈 manner, and they were injured.
As for the destruction of a few cannons and some damage to the wall, it was insignificant. At most, it boosted the morale of Chen Wen's army.
No matter how formidable a 'ten thousand men's match' might be, they couldn't play a decisive role in a large army, especially when facing Zhang Hao's advanced technology.
"Alright, Gongjue, help me capture them when the time comes," Zhang Hao encouraged instead of discouraging Ling Cao.
Zhang Hao's generals were all equipped to the teeth, with modern alloy armor and weapons, and even anti-stab vests inside. Wearing such equipment significantly enhanced their combat capabilities. At most, he could have Dian Wei keep an eye on Ling Cao to prevent any issues.
Ling Cao nodded eagerly, looking impatient. Zhang Hao couldn't help but laugh.
At this moment, a commander led two young, robust officers onto the wall. Upon seeing Zhang Hao, they immediately knelt and paid their respects. The two young officers, who were meeting Zhang Hao for the first time, were visibly excited.
"Rise quickly, both of you are still injured," Zhang Hao stepped forward and helped them up. One of the young men, who was particularly tall and robust, was even taller than Zhang Hao, probably around 1.97 meters. The other was also taller than Zhang Hao.
In this era, most valiant generals were tall and strong, which was not surprising.
"Your Majesty, they joined our navy last month. They are skilled and proficient in water combat. The more robust one is Zhou Tai, and the other is Jiang Qin. They led the defense against Guan Yu and Zhang Fei yesterday. Your Majesty, as the one destined by heaven, these talents have come to you at the right time," Cheng Yuan stepped forward to introduce them. Despite his weathered and stern appearance, he was quite adept at flattery in front of Zhang Hao. Of course, having seen so many wonders from Zhang Hao, much of it was likely genuine.
From a dismissed naval officer to the commander of the most powerful navy in the Han Dynasty, the change in status and the recognition from Zhang Hao made Cheng Yuan's loyalty unparalleled. Moreover, as a high-ranking officer, he knew more.
Or rather, he was more convinced by Zhang Hao. Like Huang Zhong and others, he wasn't just pursuing status in this world but also wanted to see other worlds and eventually become a god.
"Very good," Zhang Hao said, offering some comforting words to the excited Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin.
"Yunbo, I'm going to take them from you. Let Zhou Tai and Jiang Qin join my personal guard first. We can discuss whether they want to join the army or the navy later," Zhang Hao said to Cheng Yuan.
Cheng Yuan naturally had no objections. After all, the current naval equipment had greatly reduced the reliance on personal bravery.
After inspecting the camp and boosting morale, Zhang Hao settled down in the main camp. Unfortunately, in the following days, Chen Wen seemed to have given up, and no more troops were sent to attack, leaving Zhang Hao's desire to witness the might of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei unfulfilled. Ling Cao was also disappointed, eager to face Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.
Chen Wen might have realized that it was impossible to break through the encampment. Perhaps he had initially intended to harass the encampment to prevent the army from resting, but they couldn't even break through the first layer of the encampment, let alone affect the rest of Zhang Hao's army!
So, they could only watch helplessly as Zhang Hao's encampment advanced step by step. However, after Zhang Hao's arrival, this method was abandoned. The resources consumed were too great, and cutting wood on the riverbank was impractical. Transporting from the opposite bank was too troublesome.
Meanwhile, Chen Wen's army was also busily building encampments and defensive works.
Compared to Zhang Hao, Chen Wen had fewer options. To prevent Zhang Hao from dividing his forces to conquer other counties, he had to block Zhang Hao at Hengjiangpu. Since he couldn't drive Zhang Hao's unsteady army back to the river, he had no choice but to engage in a direct confrontation.
As for choosing the most suitable terrain to limit Zhang Hao's artillery and cavalry, that was just a dream in this situation. He could only try to make the encampments and defensive positions as strong as possible.
Zhang Hao didn't want to waste time and energy, so he abandoned the method of advancing step by step under the cover of artillery, which relieved Chen Wen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known how to deal with such a strategy, feeling completely helpless.
For a time, the atmosphere at Hengjiangpu became quiet, but both sides were still busily preparing. The air over Hengjiangpu was thick with the tension of an impending storm. Many people and forces were waiting for the outcome of this decisive battle for the entire Yangzhou region.
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