Chapter 63

Ultimately, most of Zhu Jun's army consisted of newly recruited soldiers. Under Zhu Jun's training, they had a certain level of discipline and high morale due to previous victories. However, after truly experiencing the power of firearms and realizing that every soldier on the opposite side was much stronger than them, it was inevitable that the army would begin to collapse after the Gan army invaded the main camp.

After all, this was an army from the era of cold weapons. It would be a miracle if it did not collapse after losing a third of its men.

In this aspect, Zhang Hao's army was different. His troops had undergone strict training and had a fanatical faith that made them fearless of life and death. Although the limits were unknown, they definitely surpassed all armies in this world. Even the Yellow Turban Army, which also had faith, could not compare, as most of them were farmers with unstable beliefs, more like a desire to survive.

Seeing the army begin to pursue, Zhang Hao sighed in relief. It was fortunate that it did not rain heavily, or even with the large amount of ammunition stored in the storage space, it would have been difficult to achieve the current effect.

Although the 81-type rifle battalion, which was Zhang Hao's trump card, did not play a role, it was not a bad thing. One must always keep a card up their sleeve.

After the morale collapsed, the soldiers only knew how to flee in a panic. In such a situation, it was not strange for one person to chase hundreds.

Furthermore, the people of various counties spontaneously helped, guided by local officials to prevent the fleeing soldiers from causing chaos. At this point, Zhu Jun's soldiers probably felt like they were in the midst of a people's war.

In the end, only a tenth or two of Zhu Jun's army managed to return to Shouchun. The rest were blocked outside the city when the pursuing troops arrived. The inner river navy of the Huai River had already established fortifications on the opposite bank, making it impossible to cross the river. Large numbers of fleeing soldiers began to surrender.

Now, Zhu Jun's remaining troops were like fish in a jar, trapped in Shouchun. Shouchun was a strong city, and it was their own city. Zhang Hao did not rush to attack but only surrounded it. He methodically cleaned up the battlefield and gathered the fleeing soldiers. Additionally, he ordered compensation for the civilians who had suffered losses during Zhu Jun's invasion. After all, the army was meant to protect the country and its people, and if it failed, it was the government's fault, and compensation was due.

He handled everything in an orderly manner and did not care about the suffering of the people in the city. Of course, Zhang Hao did not forget to send in letters of surrender.

The war in Yangzhou temporarily came to a halt, but the battles in other regions were still raging.

In Jingzhou, with the help of local aristocratic families, Zhang Zhao and others had completely stabilized the situation. Huang Zhong had planned to lead a large army to attack Yuzhou to relieve the pressure on Zhang Hao, but Huangfu Song's arrival restrained him.

Jingzhou had just stabilized, and it was essential not to let Huangfu Song disrupt the situation. While the battle was ongoing in Yangzhou, Huangfu Song and Huang Zhong also began to clash.

Huangfu Song's reputation in the Han Dynasty was unparalleled, but in the battle of Jingzhou, he was extremely passive. No matter how great a general he was, with insufficient troops and a significant gap in the quality of soldiers and military technology, Huangfu Song could not perform well.

Although Huangfu Song was full of strategies, Huang Zhong knew the importance of his responsibility and proceeded cautiously, with Xizhi Cai and others providing military strategies. In terms of strategy, they did not suffer any losses. In a direct confrontation of pure strength, Huangfu Song, the famous general, was in a very difficult position.

If it were not for the increased support from General He Jin in the court, Huangfu Song might have already been unable to hold on. Even so, the situation was not good.

In Xuzhou, after Zhu Jun invaded Yangzhou, Zhang Hao refused to recall the troops. Taishi Ci had to accelerate his actions in Xuzhou, hoping to resolve the situation and free up troops.

Under Taishi Ci's attacks, the coastal regions of Xuzhou had all fallen, and even with the Yellow Turban Army sharing the pressure, Tao Qian could hardly bear it. Even with reinforcements from Wu Kuang and Bao Xin from Mount Tai, such new troops could not match the ferocious army of the Gan state.

Especially due to the current situation, the attitudes of the aristocratic families in Xuzhou had quietly changed, causing Tao Qian to suffer even more.

He did not know how long he could hold on, as he had already suffered several defeats.

The news of Zhu Jun's defeat spread, boosting the morale of the Gan state and causing panic in the Han Dynasty, making the situation even clearer.

At this point, Zhang Hao did not have time to focus on the development of other regions. After this personally led battle came to a temporary end, he followed Gu Yong's advice and sent Zhao Yun to lead the Shen Ce Army to invade the weakened Yuzhou. Then, he returned to the modern world.

After all, he was still in Africa at this time. Fortunately, the war did not last long, and his visa had not expired.

Upon returning, Zhang Hao did not explain anything to Wang Zhi, as he did not know how to explain.

Wang Zhi did not ask much. During this time, he had been concerned about the surrounding situation, but nothing special had happened. Perhaps he did not have the channels to get the information. Regardless, he was satisfied as long as Zhang Hao was safe.

Wang Zhi took him on a hunting trip in the African savanna with the 81-type rifle, as the prey here was quite different from that in the Three Kingdoms world. After all, they were on different continents. After two days of hunting, considering the length of their stay, Zhang Hao bid farewell to Wang Zhi and prepared to leave Africa.

Wang Zhi also had his own work to do. Before leaving, Zhang Hao had a deep conversation with Wang Zhi, mainly about his work. Zhang Hao wanted to know if Wang Zhi planned to stay in Africa and whether his current job was too demanding or if he had any other career aspirations.

Wang Zhi's response surprised Zhang Hao. He was unsure if he would stay in Africa, but at least he had no intention of returning to China for now. As for his job, it was not easy, but he enjoyed the current environment.

Zhang Hao was a bit at a loss for words and did not know how to continue the conversation. He decided to directly share his plans. With ample funds, or rather, ample gold, Zhang Hao thought that if Wang Zhi had any business ideas, he could help.

To avoid working in a job he did not like and being busy without much gain.

Wang Zhi's expression was a bit strange, and Zhang Hao emphasized that his gold and money were clean. Wang Zhi quickly shook his head, indicating that he did not mean that. After a moment, he still declined Zhang Hao's offer.

His current job paid well, enough to support his family and even live comfortably. It was not very demanding, and Wang Zhi did not like the idea of working hard for a business.

"As long as you are happy. No matter what, if you need any help, just let me know," Zhang Hao said, not forcing the issue. He now realized that a person's happiness did not depend on wealth or power but on their own pursuits.

"Of course, you can't run away. Regardless, you must come to my wedding. The local wedding customs are quite unique, and I need you to help me save face," Wang Zhi said, laughing.

Looking at Wang Zhi, Zhang Hao felt very happy, as he could see that Wang Zhi was truly content, which was very good.

The two brothers drank for a long time. By this point, Wang Zhi could not keep up with Zhang Hao. The next day, when Zhang Hao left, Wang Zhi struggled to get up, looking extremely pale. Zhang Hao sent him back to his room and left alone, ending his African trip.

After returning, he contacted his parents and friends as usual and hurriedly returned to the Three Kingdoms era, as the war had not yet ended.

Zhao Yun's command of the Shen Ce Army in Yuzhou went smoothly. All the capable soldiers in Yuzhou had been mobilized by Zhu Jun, and now they were either dead, captured, or trapped in Shouchun. Even the aristocratic families had few guards, as they had been mobilized as well.

In such a situation, how could they resist the Gan army? Any resistance was easily crushed. Thanks to the strong propaganda and strict military discipline, the people of Yuzhou were calm and even welcoming when the Gan army arrived.

Therefore, before the battles in Xuzhou and Jingzhou ended, Yuzhou was taken first.

Zhao Yun led his troops close to the border of Jingzhou to support Huang Zhong, who seized the opportunity and finally defeated Huangfu Song's army.

Huangfu Song retreated with his remaining troops to Yingchuan, with very few soldiers left. This was not his fault, but his reputation was still damaged.

At the same time, in Xuzhou, Tao Qian could no longer hold on and retreated continuously until he reached Yanzhou. Taishi Ci stopped pursuing him. The Yellow Turban Army, with the cooperation of the aristocratic families, was defeated. Although there were still some scattered soldiers to be rounded up, they were minor issues that did not affect the overall situation.

Thus, this great battle came to a temporary end, and it was already October.