The Warriors of the Three Kingdoms

As for Runan and Nanyang, each has 37 counties under its command, with a population of 200 million.

The combined population of the two counties is close to 500 million.

You know, the entire Han Dynasty had a population of 5000 million.

So during the Yellow Turban Uprising, which belonged to the two places of Runan and Nanyang, the riots were the most violent, not for anything else, purely because of the large population.

Although the population of the Yellow Turban Uprising has been greatly reduced, the combined population of the two places still exceeds 200 million.

It was precisely because of this that Yuan Shu was able to rely on these two counties to attract nearly 10 soldiers and horses from here.

Otherwise, if it were two counties in other places, let alone a hundred thousand soldiers, I am afraid that there might not even be a hundred thousand young and middle-aged men.

For example, the Xiliang area, a huge Xiliang area, a whole prefecture, has nearly a hundred counties under its jurisdiction, but there are less than 50 real Han people.

Not as large as the population of a county elsewhere.

Liangzhou has a small population, and Bingzhou is actually not much better. There are also nearly a hundred counties with a population of only 70.

The larger counties in Jiangxia County, such as Xiling County, Xiyang County, Jingling County, Qichun County, etc., are now reoccupied by Liu Biao's people.

There are at least three to five hundred soldiers and horses stationed here, and at most there are thousands of cavalry under Ding Yuan's command patrolling.

It is not easy for Liu Zheng to bypass Ding Yuan's soldiers and directly attack other counties.

Firstly, Liu Zheng had no cavalry under his command, but only infantry, which was weaker than Ding Yuan in terms of mobility.

Once Liu Zheng wanted to launch a surprise attack on other counties, Ding Yuan's troops could block Liu Zheng's retreat at any time. Without a city wall, he was besieged by Ding Yuan's cavalry in the wild. There was only one result, and that was Liu Zheng's defeat.

You can't fight and you can't fight, you can't run and you can't win.

This is the importance of cavalry in ancient battlefields.

Otherwise, Liu Zheng would not have been eager to have enough cavalry.

In history, except for the Han and Tang dynasties, which could suppress the aliens in the north because they had a large number of cavalry, the other dynasties were suppressed by the nomads in the north because they did not have enough horses, and were even beaten into the Central Plains several times by the nomads.

Horses have become the most important strategic resource in this era.

Liu Zheng couldn't take the initiative to attack, so he could only build some military buildings on the territory he already controlled to prevent Ding Yuan's troops from attacking.

For example, digging some ditches can prevent the horses from running. As long as the ditches are wide enough, it is impossible for the cavalry to rush over directly.

At the same time, some carbine-repelling guns were erected on important sites, and ground thorns were even buried to deal with cavalry attacks.

The construction of the military parade building has been relatively smooth these days. The three-story military parade building is on the top of a hill in Baqiu. The three-story military parade building can be seen at a glance from the lake. Quite conspicuous.

The scenery of lakes and mountains can also reflect some beautiful scenery.

Liu Zhenghui sent soldiers and horses to stand guard here from time to time, and at the same time keep an eye on the developments in various parts of Jiangxia County.

Although there are not many places that can be seen, the situation around the entire Dongting Lake can still be seen clearly. Once there is a navy here, it is easy to see.

When Yuan Rou woke up again, it was already noon.

Seeing that Yuan Rou didn't come back all night, Yuan Yao was also happy. He only thought that his sister and Liu Zheng had accomplished something good.

At noon, when Yuan Rou returned, Yuan Yao excitedly stepped forward and asked his sister how things were going.

"Sister, why are you coming back now? How are things going?"

Yuan Yao was still looking forward to it, staring at Yuan Rou with curiosity in his eyes.

Yuan Rou felt ashamed when she saw Yuan Yao like this, but she still told Yuan Yao what happened last night.

When Yuan Yao heard that Liu Zheng did not do anything indescribable to his sister, the surprise in his eyes became more intense.

I don't know if he was surprised that Liu Zheng didn't like his sister, or was surprised that Liu Zheng had such concentration.

"So there is nothing going on between Liu Zheng and you"

Yuan Yao didn't speak clearly.

However, Yuan Rou still understood the meaning of his words, and immediately nodded and continued.

"Although he didn't have anything to do with me, he told me how we should deal with the current situation."

"How can we save our father?"

"Let father give up Runan, and leave to have a way of life."

"Leaving Runan? It's impossible. You know your father's character. Even if he dies, he won't give up this last bit of hope."

"I also know, but if father wants to preserve our family, the only way to go is to give up Runan, and Mr. Liu Zheng also told me that if father is willing to give up Runan, he can go to Yangzhou to join him. At least there is no problem in keeping the family well-fed.”

"Brother, I have an idea. I wonder if you would like to listen to me."

As soon as Yuan Yao heard what his sister Yuan Rou wanted to say, she actually wanted Yuan Shu to give up Runan, and the expression on his face immediately turned a little ugly.

But hearing that Yuan Rou seemed to have something to say, Yuan Yao still raised his head and looked at Yuan Rou.

"what idea?"

"Brother, please tell me first, in the current situation, can father still keep Runan?"

"If Liu Zheng hadn't led the army to come, I'm afraid my father would have been defeated long ago. Thanks to Liu Zheng who restrained most of Ding Yuan's soldiers, my father's people could still survive."

"Yeah, you also know that my father can't keep Runan anymore. Since my father will definitely fail, why don't you just go to Mr. Liu Zheng directly? With Mr. Liu Zheng's ability now, not to mention that he occupies Yangzhou and Jiaozhou, just Liu Zheng The strength shown by your lord is not much weaker than that of the Han court."

"With Lord Liu Zheng's current strength, it is not impossible to seize the world in the future. If my father took refuge in him early, maybe there is still a meritorious service from the dragon."

With Yuan Rou's words, why didn't Yuan Yao think about it, just asking his father to join Liu Zheng, this kind of thing is not so easy, unless it really comes to the last moment.

"Oh, I understand what you said. Father will definitely not make such a choice until the last moment."

"Brother, you can go back and convince your father. It must be better to seek refuge with Liu Zheng than to go to Jizhou to seek refuge with uncle."

Yuan Rou is also aware of the relationship between Yuan Shu and Yuan Shao.

Chapter 554 The End of the Yellow Turban

"I thought that with Liu Zheng sending troops to rescue, my father's crisis should be resolved, but now it seems that Liu Zheng's sending troops can't solve my father's difficulties. Sister, you stay here, it is best to fight Liu Zheng here Good relationship, I'll go back now and tell my father about Liu Zheng's situation, I think if my father knows that Liu Zheng's men are trapped in Jiangxia and cannot go to Nanyang to support him, he should know the choice."

In Yuan Yao's heart at this time, he was actually somewhat certain of what his sister Yuan Rou said, knowing that what Yuan Rou said was right.

So I want to go back and talk to Yuan Shu before the worst situation, and see if Yuan Shu is willing to give up the Runan area and join Liu Zheng's command.

After Yuan Yao and Yuan Rou finished talking, they hurriedly left Liu Zheng's territory again.

At the same time, in another part of the land of China, in Qingzhou, the land of Qilu, a great battle was also taking place.

Qingzhou.

Qingzhou has never been a peaceful place. Although the territory of Qingzhou is not large, the entire Qingzhou has only six counties in total, and there are more than 60 counties under its jurisdiction, but the population is quite large.

It has a population of more than 300 million, and because after the defeat of the Yellow Turban Army in Jizhou, a large number of remnants of the Yellow Turbans poured into Qingzhou, which once caused the population of Qingzhou to increase slightly.Close to 400 million.

It is precisely because of these huge population bases that the Yellow Turban Army can continue to linger in Qingzhou.

Beihai, Donglai, Jinan, Pingyuan, Le'an and other places are all controlled by the Yellow Turban Army. Even Zhang Mancheng, the new Tiangong General, recruited 50 troops in Qingzhou.

Then use the 50 dozen counties to attack Taishan County in Xuzhou.Want to try to get involved in Xuzhou.

He thought that as long as Xuzhou was opened up, he would be able to connect Qing and Xu together, and then the territory would be enough to occupy a place in this world.

It's a pity that the wishful thinking of the Yellow Turban Army was not so easy to achieve. Tao Qian, the newly appointed governor of Xuzhou, was also a person who had followed Huangfu Song in the southern and northern wars. He knew some strategies and immediately mobilized Xuzhou's soldiers and horses to start Fight back against these Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou.

Although Tao Qian wants to rely on the tens of thousands of soldiers in Xuzhou to block the 50 Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou, it is somewhat unlikely, but Tao Qian is not alone, he is a member of the imperial court, Yanzhou not far from Xuzhou , is exactly where Liu Bei and Cao Cao had just recuperated.

After Yanzhou was pacified, the imperial court immediately asked Liu Bei and Cao Cao to send troops to support Tao Qian. Together with Tao Qian's troops, they targeted the remnants of the Yellow Turbans in Qingzhou in one fell swoop.

The population of Yanzhou is larger than that of Qingzhou. Although the population of Yanzhou has dropped a lot after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Dai, the former governor of Yanzhou, managed Yanzhou well, and the population has recovered somewhat in recent years.

After Liu Bei took office, he cared for the people, and Cao Cao was a capable official. The two cooperated to pacify Yanzhou in just one year and raised 8 horses.

Among the 7 people, 5 are Liu Bei's troops, and 3 are Cao Cao's troops.

They each left only 2 or [-] people stationed in Yanzhou, and then led an army of [-] to Xuzhou, where they joined Tao Qian's [-] army.

A total of 9 people began to encircle and suppress the remnants of the Yellow Turban Army.

Don't look at the fact that these three parties have only 9 people, which is far inferior to the 50 of the Yellow Turban Army.

But what kind of thing is the Yellow Turban Army? Except for a few tens of thousands of soldiers who are barely elite, the rest of them are mobs gathered together, and on the battlefield, a single impact can disperse them.

At the beginning, Zhang Mancheng relied on several powerful generals under his command, but he was able to take advantage of the battlefield in Xuzhou. This is a common problem of the Yellow Turban Army.

Because the momentum in the front is relatively strong, the offensive is still passable, relying on the number of people to attack the city, it is possible to take down a few counties.

But after Tao Qian reacted, he began to gather a large army to encircle and suppress the remnants of the Yellow Turbans, and the Yellow Turbans were on the verge of being defeated.

First, they fought against Tao Qian's troops in Taishan County, and lost several generals and tens of thousands of soldiers. Then Liu Bei and Cao Cao's troops came from Yanzhou to support them, and launched a pursuit of the Yellow Turban Army ahead. They fought again in Pingyuan County, and then Tens of thousands of horses were killed or injured.

The Yellow Turban Army, which claims to have an army of 50, has been aggressive from the very beginning, and took down Qingzhou for a period of time, and then lost two battles and two losses, and its strength was greatly reduced.

At this time, Zhang Mancheng, who was still a little bit high-spirited, was left with a melancholy face.

Beihai County.

It has become the headquarters of the Yellow Turban Army.

Zhang Mancheng slumped on a chair when he heard the news from the front line.

"General Tiangong, our troops lost again in Pingyuan County, and now they are forced to Linzi City by Liu Bei."

Liu Bei and Cao Cao's troops came from Yanzhou, and the first to attack Pingyuan County was Pingyuan County. In history, Pingyuan County was where Liu Bei served as the county magistrate.

However, Liu Bei is now a state shepherd, with unprecedented strength. After having two younger brothers fight for him, he is almost invincible on the battlefield.

Although there are still a few third-rate generals under the Yellow Turban Army, they are not triad enemies at all under the men of Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

It's only a matter of time before they are defeated.

"How many Liu Bei and the others are there?"

"No more than 5 people!"

"5? 5 will eat up our 12 army?"

After hearing the news from Guan Hai, Zhang Mancheng's expression was not very good.

Zhang Ning, who was still standing beside Zhang Mancheng, was calmer.

Seeing that Guan Hai's expression was not right, she also hurriedly stood up.

"Guan Hai, our soldiers and horses are superior, why did we lose so quickly?"

"Miss, although Liu Bei and the others have few soldiers, they are all elites, especially Liu Bei's two younger brothers, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. The morale of the army is naturally slackened, and the defeat is a matter of course."

"It should be taken for granted, what is taken for granted? What's the use of raising you bastards? Now that they're all at your doorstep, you should think of a way!"

Although Guan Hai said it tactfully, Zhang Ning could understand it, knowing that his own troops were mixed, and he should be able to defeat the regular army of the official army.

But Zhang Mancheng didn't understand. Zhang Mancheng had no other abilities. After he became General Tiangong, his self-confidence swelled, but the defeat in the battle was a blow to him, which made him feel a little dazed at this moment.

"Brother, for the current plan, we have to take back all the people we sent out temporarily. Shrink the defense line!"

Chapter 555 The Stubborn Zhang Mancheng

"Shrink the line of defense? How can we do that? Our soldiers and horses are at their peak right now."

"How can we shrink the line of defense at this time? We should go all out and defeat Liu Bei's reinforcements. Only in this way can we show the momentum of our Yellow Turban Army and deter those young people!"

Zhang Mancheng couldn't understand the situation, and thought that the officers and soldiers were the same as they used to be. When Liu Yan proposed to abolish history and establish animal husbandry, the times had changed.

The official army of the imperial court is no longer the force of the local counties and counties, but has become the private armed forces of the princes, and the stragglers have become elite divisions.

The advantage in numbers is no longer able to make up for the gap in strength.

Zhang Ning frowned when he heard that his elder brother was still thinking about attacking at this moment.

Immediately speak to persuade.

"Brother, what are you thinking? Let our people go to attack now. We don't intend to die. The other party has support. We should retreat and stick to it. The court is now fighting everywhere. Yuan Shao is making trouble in the north, and Liu Zheng is in the south. To deal with it, we are just one of the inconspicuous forces, as long as we can delay the time and wait until the soldiers and horses of the imperial court go to other places, then we can counterattack, why take the initiative to attack at this time."

Zhang Ning originally wanted to persuade Zhang Mancheng when he spoke like this.

But when Zhang Ning said that the Yellow Turban Army was just an inconspicuous small force, and that Liu Zheng had involved most of the court's troops in the south, Zhang Mancheng's face became even more ugly.

Who is Zhang Mancheng, General Tiangong, who is in charge of hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans, and who is Liu Zheng? little people.

Why is he even more prestigious than him now? How did he become an inconspicuous little force when he occupied Qingzhou with hundreds of thousands of Yellow Turbans, and how did Liu Zheng become the overlord of one party?

Zhang Mancheng is not afraid of doing badly, but he is afraid that your younger brother was better than you.