12dz Chapter 444 Tell them, I'm giving them one last chance.
Chapter 444 Tell them, I'm giving them one last chance.
"Chen Tai is getting old after all."
Watching the battle raging outside the city, Liu Bang couldn't help but sigh.
At such a young age, he was still able to fight Sima Ban to a standstill, so he must have been a fierce general in his youth.
Unfortunately, he is now somewhat exhausted and is gradually being put on the defensive.
If nothing unexpected happens, they are likely to be defeated.
"Where is Wen Yang? Why hasn't he made a move yet? What is he planning to do?"
If this continues, forget about making history; these two will be hung on the wall!
"Your Majesty, he... may be bolder than either of us."
Zhang Liang pointed into the distance.
That was the direction where Sima Shi had set up camp, and now clouds of dust were rising from it.
Give this kid a few hundred cavalrymen, and he'd dare charge into the camp of a hundred thousand soldiers.
Thinking back to the previous review of Tianmu, his evaluation of entering and exiting seven times.
It seems like it might actually be possible!
"Although I know this kid is using a strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,' I have to say..."
"His audacity is in no way inferior to Xiang Ji's back then!"
When Xiang Yu attacked his 560,000-strong allied army, he was facing a force difference of nearly twenty times.
But now, even if Liu Bang were to guess too much, the number of soldiers Wen Yang brought would definitely not exceed five hundred.
Five hundred men charging into a camp of 100,000 troops—a two-hundred-fold difference in troop strength. Even if Xiang Yu were alive, he wouldn't have dared to be so reckless.
"To be honest, this is completely different from what I planned."
Zhang Liang gave a helpless, bitter smile.
He had previously explained that he intended to ambush and swallow up the troops sent by Sima Shi to test the waters, thereby deepening Sima Shi's suspicions.
But this kid, instead of paying attention to Sima Ban here, turned around and charged into the enemy camp to his death.
They're incredibly brave, but I wonder if they'll make it back alive.
The two instigators could see clearly from the city wall, but those on the battlefield were caught up in the situation.
Sima Ban, in particular, after noticing the commotion behind him and the disturbance in the direction of the main camp, even though Chen Tai was already in a losing position, he had no intention of pursuing him at all.
At that moment, only four words remained in his mind.
We've really been fooled!?
Otherwise, there's no reason why his camp would be attacked so soon after he set out with his troops!
He immediately turned his horse around, letting go of Chen Tai and Jiao Bo, who were easy targets, and gave an order to head straight for the main camp.
The two who had escaped death were now filled with shock.
His Majesty really does have a backup plan!
Taking advantage of the enemy's unstable foothold, we lured out the enemy's cavalry and then sent troops to strike directly at the heart of the enemy's stronghold!
No wonder His Majesty was so confident in defending the capital; it turns out they were all kept in the dark!
"Quickly, Minister Chen, press the attack!"
After a brief moment of shock, Jiao Bo was incredibly excited.
Press the attack and kill the enemy on behalf of His Majesty!
Chen Tai: "..."
Dude, we only have a few hundred cavalry. What about the rest of us? Do you expect us to chase after four-legged men on two legs?
They couldn't catch up even if they ran themselves to death!
"Eunuch Jiao, let's return to the city and report to His Majesty first. I think His Majesty doesn't really intend to strike at the heart of the enemy with this battle."
He calmed down after the initial shock.
Having fought in numerous campaigns over the years, Chen Tai was keenly aware that the commotion was not significant enough.
In other words, the raid on the enemy camp was carried out by only a small group of cavalry, intended merely to intimidate or demoralize the enemy.
Even if the general leading the troops is not brave or decisive enough, resulting in heavy losses of the raiding cavalry, it will affect the morale of the troops.
At least in his view, now is far from the time to pursue them.
But now, he no longer felt despair, but rather a bit more confidence.
Perhaps His Majesty is also using this action to prove to them that he has not given up on himself!
Just as Jiao Bo was about to retort, he heard the sound of retreat coming from the city wall.
He could refute Chen Tai's words, but he would obediently obey His Majesty's military orders.
After the troops withdrew back to the city and the battle losses were tallied, Chen Tai approached Liu Bang with great trepidation.
"My dear minister, what is the battle report?"
"More than one hundred died in battle, four hundred were wounded, and no more than thirty were killed."
"Your Majesty, our troops have never been tempered on the battlefield and are at a great disadvantage against the enemy. If you really have a backup plan, you can insert them into the elite troops in batches, which should enable them to play a greater role."
That's how he treated new recruits when he was in command of troops.
Besides training, the mindset of elite veterans also has a positive influence on them, enabling them to adapt to the battlefield more quickly.
The reason we were able to achieve a four-for-one casualty ratio was because most of our soldiers were willing to die for their lives; otherwise, the results would have been even worse.
"How many troops do you think I have as a backup plan?"
Liu Bang sighed and asked in return.
How many soldiers?
From afar, Chen Tai could see that the commotion in the enemy camp was still ongoing.
This means that even though Sima Shi had an army of 100,000, he was unable to quickly suppress the attackers.
This should...
"It shouldn't be less than five thousand elite cavalry, right?"
He pondered for a moment before speaking.
"Five thousand?"
"My dear minister, you added an extra zero. Wen Yang's troops will not exceed five hundred."
"Even if it's a large amount, breaking it down into smaller parts will alert Sima Shi."
"what?"
five hundred?
Five hundred soldiers could throw the enemy into such chaos?
Chen Tai said he didn't believe it at all.
Even if you threw 500 people into a pigsty with 100,000 pigs, they would probably be dead by now!
With a troop strength difference of two hundred times, if it weren't for the reincarnation of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon of Western Chu, he wouldn't have imagined that he could have held out until now!
"Don't worry, my dear minister. I have more than one backup plan. You don't need to be too concerned."
"Your task now is to visit the aristocratic families who were unwilling to help before, and tell them that I am giving them one last chance."
"Then you will compile a list of those who still choose to remain neutral and send it to me. I will keep it for future use in settling scores."
Chen Tai: "..."
At this point, they can think of settling scores later.
I don't know whether to say His Majesty is confident or overly optimistic.
But since His Majesty has issued the decree, he has no choice but to go down this path to the bitter end.
However, this time, the reaction of the gentry was beyond his expectations.
Those who had previously been perfunctory now directly handed over their own guards, indicating that they were at his beck and call.
Those who had previously refused now became ambiguous, indicating they would offer assistance if needed, even if they didn't immediately agree.
After circling around, he found that he had an additional five thousand men behind him.
Even though they were all green recruits who had never been on the battlefield, they could be of great use when defending the city.
This quickly narrowed the gap in troop strength, coupled with the fortified defenses of the capital.
He gradually saw hope in holding the city, waiting for Guanqiu Jian's reinforcements, and then launching a pincer attack from both sides!
While he was moving among the various powerful clans, Wen Yang once again broke out of Sima Shi's camp and retreated back into the city.
Looking at the young man in front of him, whose body was covered in blood but who was still full of energy, Liu Bang was more and more delighted.
What I lack is precisely such a fierce general!