Chapter 376: Fighting breaks out on all fronts, with the Wan imperial army as bait!

Chapter 376: Fighting breaks out on all fronts, with the Wan imperial army as bait!

Wang Ben knew that the strength of the Southern Border Army could not be underestimated and could not be dealt with easily. After careful consideration, he decisively decided to adopt a strategy that would force Cao Shen to accept this battle - siege the city! You know, if the imperial army fought a field battle with the Southern Border Army in the woods, the chances of winning were really slim. There are usually vast open spaces and fertile land suitable for farming around cities like Echeng. Therefore, the terrain here is mainly flat and open, rather than completely covered by mountains and forests.

This terrain feature was undoubtedly extremely advantageous for the imperial army, as it provided them with excellent conditions for launching an attack and also provided them with a chance to effectively counter the southern border army. As a result, Wang Ben commanded his soldiers to surround Echeng, but he was not in a hurry to launch a strong attack every day. Instead, he forced the army led by Cao Shen to confront him head-on by constantly feinting attacks.

Under such circumstances, Cao Shen was caught in a difficult decision. If he did not try to lift the siege of Echeng, Wang Ben could turn the original feint attack into a main attack at any time. Once Echeng fell, it would mean that the imperial army would firmly establish a foothold in the Zhentuo area, thus taking the initiative in strategy. By then, it would be even more difficult for the southern border army to turn the tide of the war.

If they really decided to solve this dilemma, it would not be easy. Because the more than 60,000 troops sent by the court are definitely not vegetarians. They are well-trained and well-equipped, and their combat effectiveness should not be underestimated. This battle is destined to be extremely fierce and cruel, and it can be called a life-and-death contest.

Looking at the geographical environment around Echeng, it has long been fully developed and most of the area is a flat plain. This terrain makes it difficult for both sides to find effective fortifications or hiding places. Therefore, when the two armies meet, they can only fight head-on, with no room for detours.

Although Cao Shen may have some confidence in achieving the final victory, he also knew that after such a tough battle, his own casualties and losses would be extremely heavy. Moreover, even if he wanted to use delaying tactics to consume the enemy's strength, it would be extremely difficult. According to reliable intelligence, when the army led by Wang Ben set out from the two counties of Bashu, the food and grass they carried could last for at least one month. Facing an enemy with such sufficient supplies, it was simply a pipe dream to want to find a fighting opportunity by delaying time.

At this moment, the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable for Cao Shen. He had to adopt some special strategies to deal with the current predicament. For example, he ordered his soldiers to disperse and spread throughout the Zhentuo area, and rely on the complex and changeable terrain advantages of the local area to continuously harass and attack the imperial army. Although this would make the enemy exhausted, it could not fundamentally change the situation of the disparity in power between the enemy and us.

The number of defenders in Echeng was only over 5,000. Cao Shen had to make a difficult choice: either lead his army to rescue Echeng and fight the imperial army head-on, or watch Echeng being captured by the enemy at any time. No matter what he chose, he could not escape the fate of fighting Wang Ben.

On the battlefield in Nanhai County, Zhang Han, who had also received the order, had already led the mighty and majestic army of 100,000 and launched a fierce offensive towards Nanhai County like a surging tide. However, compared with the fierce battles in full swing in other places, Zhang Han's actions were slightly slower, but even so, the huge pressure and impact he brought still had an impact on the Southern Border Army that could not be underestimated.

Zhang Han's style of leading troops in battle has always been to fight quickly and decisively with great force, and he is good at taking advantage of the enemy's weaknesses to deliver a fatal blow. He was full of confidence and determined to win this expedition. However, due to various reasons, although he had already led his troops to the designated location, he had to stay put. Watching other battlefields with roars of killing and flames, he could only wait here. This made Zhang Han, who was always impatient, feel like there was a blazing fire burning in his heart, and the feeling of frustration was simply indescribable.

When the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan's order was issued, Zhang Han was like a wild horse that had broken free from its reins, and immediately commanded his army to rush out in full force. In just three short days, they conquered two county towns in succession! These two victories were so fast that both the enemy and us were shocked.

In fact, the two county towns themselves had long anticipated that they would be captured by the enemy. They were far apart from each other, and mutual support was extremely difficult; and their own city defense forces were relatively weak, and their defense facilities were relatively simple. Therefore, for these two county towns, more often than not, they only served as an early warning to remind the main force in the rear to be prepared. But despite this, Zhang Han was able to capture them so quickly, which fully demonstrated his outstanding military talent.

At this time, Zhang Han had made all the preparations. He led his army and rushed towards Ming County. The location of this county is quite similar to that of Xia County, but from a geographical point of view, its strategic significance is even greater. When Xia County fell, it was like exposing the entire Xiang County nakedly under the eyes of the imperial army, allowing them to launch a large-scale attack at will. Now if Ming County also fell, then the imperial army would be able to march straight into the county without any hindrance and approach the county town.

Because of this, most of the 50,000 defenders originally left in Nanhai County were stationed in Ming County, ready to resist Zhang Han's fierce offensive. As for the remaining main forces, they were basically concentrated in the county city, just in case. It is worth mentioning that although the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan knew the traps and schemes set by Gao Yao, he did not hesitate and directly launched an exquisite tactical action. For Yi Xiaochuan, the most important goal at the moment is undoubtedly to get rid of Gao Yao, the biggest threat, as quickly as possible!

This was undoubtedly a last-ditch trick left by the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan! The purpose was to force the entire battlefield to stir up an uproar, and then trigger a large-scale, all-round attack. If Gao Yao was not killed in this battle, then at least he could be trapped in a dilemma of running around and being overwhelmed, so that he would have no time to take care of the command and dispatch of the entire battlefield. In this way, the entire southern border would be dragged into this chaotic battle, making Gao Yao unable to take care of both ends and be stretched to the limit.

The mysterious Yi Xiaochuan's elaborate layout this time was to use the nearly 100,000 imperial troops in Xiangjun as bait, but in fact, he was catching the key chess piece that affected the overall situation. It would be great if Gao Yao could be eliminated in one fell swoop, but even if he failed to do so, he could take advantage of the situation to promote the development of the war in the entire southern region. When Gao Yao racked his brains to calculate the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, he didn't know that the latter had already quietly laid out a chess game of a larger scale.

In this thrilling contest of wits and strategies, there is a most obvious difference between the two: for the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, even if a full 300,000 elite troops of the imperial court were lost in this battle and all were abandoned in the southern border, he would not feel the slightest regret or pity; on the other hand, Gao Yao could only choose to advance his strategic deployment step by step and steadily.

It is not that Xiao He, Zhang Liang and other counselors were not smart enough to foresee that the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan would act like this. In fact, it was more due to the limitations and differences in their way of thinking. Because of this, the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan was always one step ahead of everyone else. After all, in that era when many heroes competed for the world, no matter which side of the princes, it was impossible for them to spend all their wealth without hesitation just for a battle. Therefore, it was normal that they could not foresee the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan's bold and surprising actions in advance.

In Xiangjun, Ying Bu was leading a mighty army and easily conquered Yecheng with a thunderous force. Under the current situation, Yecheng has been isolated and helpless, and there is really no other way to support Gaoyao in time. It is true that Yecheng is like a sharp nail deeply embedded in the heart of Xiangjun, but everything in the world has its pros and cons. From another perspective, although Ying Bu's capture of Yecheng successfully captured a strategic location, it also means that he himself is firmly tied to this city.

At this time, Gao Yao was fighting in full swing. The imperial army's attack was like a tide and there was no pause at all. It was not until sunset that they were able to withdraw their troops and return to the camp. However, Gao Yao still had more than a thousand soldiers left.

At this time, Gao Yao was sitting under the city wall, eating cooked meat with big mouthfuls, thinking constantly. The best way now was to break through, but it was indeed difficult, especially when facing the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan. Breaking through was easy to say, but it was too difficult in practice. The key point was that there were very few cavalry on his side. Gao Yao even suspected that the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan had already dug horse traps everywhere, waiting for him to break through and step into them.

"My lord, I suggest that we break out early tomorrow morning before the enemy launches an attack!"

Seeing Gao Yao thinking secretly at this time, Zhang Liang immediately stepped forward and expressed his thoughts. When Gao Yao saw Zhang Liang coming, he smiled slightly.

"Sir, the swords and guns on the battlefield are blind, and it is not easy to break through. Tomorrow I will find a house in the city for you to hide in. You have been with me for a short time, and the imperial army does not know you well, so they will naturally not recognize you."

At this time, Gao Yao comforted Zhang Liang instead. Breaking through the siege was full of dangers. If he didn't break through, he would be dead. Gao Yao was still in great danger, but he planned to make arrangements for Zhang Liang first.