Liyang imperial court was flourishing with each passing day, and the people were reassured, which only served to accentuate the unrest in the northwest. It was rumored that after Beiliang Road lost Huogong and Luanhe, the last barrier outside the pass, Xiaguang City, was also on the verge of collapse. Meanwhile, Hutou City, the northernmost city outside Liangzhou Pass, was also in imminent danger. What made the people of Liyang even more disappointed and angry was a rumor that Youzhou's Hutou City, which was said to be able to hold off more than 100,000 Beimang cavalry, was said to be under the command of Yang Yuanzan. Up until now, the 300,000 troops of Beimang had actually increased instead of decreasing. The people of Liyang, especially the people of the capital, naturally began to speculate whether or not the Beiliang barbarians had thrown in their lot with the Beimang barbarians. Otherwise, how could there be more and more people fighting in this world?
Hutou City, which was north of Huaiyang Pass and south of Longyan Flat, had always been said to be the best. In Xu Xiao's hands, he had placed as many as 30,000 troops in this majestic town. There were nearly 10,000 cavalry and more than 20,000 infantrymen. All of them were old soldiers who were good at fighting. In addition, there were Huaiyang Pass and Liuya and Fuling as support. Behind this line of defense, there were Jinyuan, Qinghe, and Zhongzhong Passes, as well as Xuancan and Shenwu Cities as the two flanks of defense. Behind them were the Great Snow Dragon Cavalry, Great Ancestor Gu's infantry, and He Zhonghu's cavalry. Unlike Youzhou's Hutou City, which was passively taking a beating, to the north of Liangzhou, other than Hutou City, Liuya, Fuling, and Huaiyang Pass, where the protectorate was located, all had the strength to mobilize cavalry. It was precisely because of this flexible and powerful fighting force roaming the rear that Hutou City's defense was filled with the bravery of everyone facing death calmly.
When Hsu Fengnian walked into the protectorate's conference hall under the escort of a group of white horses, Chu Lushan was in the middle of discussing the situation with Xu Weixiong and the cavalry's deputy commander, He Zhonghu, and the others. Seeing Hsu Fengnian's arrival, they didn't exchange any pleasantries. Hsu Fengnian took the opportunity to join in without any delay. Of course, Chu Lushan couldn't completely ignore Hsu Fengnian, the King of Beiliang. Therefore, he gave a brief summary, "Cripple Liu of Hutou City is arrogant. He said that he could defend Hutou City alone for a year and a half without any problem. He asked us, Liuya, Fuling, and Huaiyang Pass, to launch an attack based on the premise that Hutou City could not be lost. At the critical moment, the 10,000 elite cavalries in Hutou City could even go out to fight at any time. Right now, we are calculating how Fatty Dong's hundred thousand Dong Family's private soldiers will be used, and when they will be used. Up until now, the Northern Mang troops attacking the city are still the border soldiers from Gusai Prefecture. We've given them nearly a thousand catapults in batches of three hundred, and they've been attacking the city day and night. It just looks very lively. Cripple Liu said that he wasn't used to it at first, but now, the Tiger Head City's defenders don't care about those disgusting catapults at night at all. They eat and sleep as usual, and there are no problems with their morale and morale.
At this point, Chu Lushan couldn't help but chuckle softly, "All the armies are like crying children who want milk. They can't wait for a few dozen people to die before they talk about the situation as if it was a pile of eggs. Only our Beiliang Frontier Army is an exception. We are afraid that our 'parents' will be worried. Even if we are beaten until we are covered in blood, we will grit our teeth and bear it."
Chu Lushan continued, "Liu Ya and Fu Ling's two cavalry armies have already taken the initiative to attack twice. The results of the battle weren't great, but they forced Northern Mang to not let loose and besiege the city. Otherwise, if those thousand Stone Catapults were to open up on all fronts, not to mention attacking Tiger Head City, even attacking Tai 'an City would be quite imposing. During this period, Beimang sent out a light cavalry of 30,000 men in an attempt to intercept Liuya's cavalry and give us an opportunity to attack Huaiyang Pass. They didn't succeed in besieging the city and attacking the reinforcements. Instead, we easily slaughtered 6,000 of them. If it wasn't for Dong Zhuo sending people to help us, we could have killed another 10,000 men. Our cavalry pushed northward to Hutou City, and each of us threw out a barbarian's head. Your Highness, you didn't see the faces of those barbarians on the frontlines. It was as if they hadn't been able to shit for months. "
Hsu Fengnian smiled knowingly and asked, "How many casualties did Yang Yuanzan suffer in Youzhou?"
The veteran general He Zhong suddenly laughed heartily and said, "There are already more than 50,000 casualties. In addition to the successful interception by Your Highness and Yu Luandao with the Youqi, they may have added more than 100,000 men from Jinhe and Donghe, but they were actually just putting on a show. Those two prefectures should have been given to the two Liaodong lines. In the end, they used them so early. Beimang has a lot of controversy. Everyone is cursing the King of South Courtyard for robbing Peter to pay Paul. Some people have already suggested handing over the military power to Tuoba Bodhisattva. If it wasn't for the Order of Peace, Dong Zhuo might have already packed up his things and left. "
Hsu Fengnian looked at the sand table and nodded. He said softly, "We don't need to rush to a decisive victory. We just need to wear down Beimang's patience bit by bit. The battlefield has always been an extension of the court. We should aim for this battle at the end of the second year of Xiangfu. If we succeed in fighting until Dong Zhuo loses the King of South Courtyard, it will be our Beiliang's victory. The following three years of Xiangfu will be much easier. "
Xu Weixiong nodded quietly, agreeing with Hsu Fengnian's words. It was obvious that "no fault is a merit" and was extremely conservative.
Chu Lushan glanced at Hutou City on the sand table. "Then we must first ensure that Hutou City is not lost. We must not let Dong Zhuo have a chance to breathe."
Hsu Fengnian said calmly, "Therefore, even if Liu Jinu and Hutou City can't defend it, we must defend it! Send a message to him. In the past, Hutou City was used as the Great Wu Castle in Youzhou. Now, it's different. He can die, but Hutou City cannot be lost. Therefore, whenever Hutou City is about to fall, no matter what method we use, we must immediately let the Protectorate know. Then, even if we have to use Jinyuan, Qinghe Heavy Tomb, and Xuanxin Shenwu, we must reduce the pressure on them. Even the 10,000 Great Snow Dragon Cavalry and the 8,000 heavy cavalry can be used at the critical moment. "
He Zhonghu and a few famous old generals looked at each other, wanting to say something but hesitating.
In Beiliang's plan, after a certain amount of Beimang's military strength was depleted, all the Great Wu Castle in the three cities of Youzhou could be lost. They could also lose North Pass Town in Liangzhou. There was no need to defend to the end at all costs.
Was it worth it for Dong Zhuo?
Great Ancestor Gu closed his eyes and began to silently consider the battle situation and weigh the pros and cons.
He Zhonghu unconsciously looked at Beiliang Protector-General Chu Lushan. The Great King of Beimang's South Courtyard had once been defeated by him. Logically speaking, Chu Lushan should be the one to refute this suggestion. However, in He Zhonghu's eyes, Chu Lushan did not speak. Instead, he interlaced his fingers on his abdomen and quickly scanned the sand table.
At this moment, when even Chu Lushan did not speak, probably only Xu Weixiong dared to speak. She frowned and said, "If the definition of Hutou City is changed, the entire defensive line of Liangzhou will change. This will have a huge impact on Lingzhou behind us."
Hsu Fengnian replied, "Even if Xu Beizhi empties the entire Lingzhou and the area around Lingzhou, Liangzhou's provisions will not be affected."
Great Ancestor Gu muttered to himself, "Fighting outside the country? Although this is Great Ancestor Gu's greatest dream, is it really suitable for Northern Liang, who has been sparing no effort to expand their territory? "
This was definitely the first time Hsu Fengnian had displayed such an unyielding stance on the matters of the border.
The atmosphere in the Protector-General's house was particularly solemn.
Hsu Fengnian suddenly asked, "Commander Yuan asked for the armor I wore at the time. He said it was the Protector-General's idea?"
Xu Weixiong's expression was strange.
Chu Lushan chuckled and said, "I originally wanted to display it in this hall to look imposing. Later on, I thought about it and had someone send it to Hutou City. Cripple Liu then gave it to someone else."
Hsu Fengnian was confused.
Chu Lushan withdrew his smile and said, "He gave it to our first Beiliang general to die in battle."
Hsu Fengnian lowered his head to look at the sand table. "I know, it's Ma Ji from Hutou City. At the time, in the courtyard inside the city, he sat at the very back. Because he scolded me, he didn't dare show his face. "
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