Chapter 713: After a tough battle, Gao Yao arrives!

Chapter 713: After a tough battle, Gao Yao arrives!

The food and grass of just one county was simply a drop in the bucket, so Wu Rui naturally had to send letters to attack, which was the so-called "fighting to support the war" strategy. Wu Rui continued to advance without hesitation, and the first target was Huiyang County where Wu She and Li You were located.

Wu She led more than 10,000 soldiers, swearing to defend Huiyang County to the death, while Li You led 5,000 elite black-armored troops to support from the periphery.

Facing such a powerful enemy, Wu Rui would naturally not show mercy. He decisively ordered to send 30,000 vanguard troops as the vanguard, while he personally led 60,000 troops to follow closely behind, keeping a close distance to guard against possible unexpected situations, especially to prevent sneak attacks by the Black Armor Army.

Although this arrangement can ensure safety, it will inevitably slow down the march. The destination that originally only took more than a day to reach now takes more than three days. The main reason for this is that the Black Armor Army frequently launches sneak attacks on the rear army. Not only that, their attacks are not limited to daytime, but also at night, which seriously hinders the army's advance.

However, Wu Rui was not without countermeasures. He knew the importance of defense, so he took a series of effective defensive measures during the march. Although he encountered many sneak attacks, because the army always maintained a state of formation, Li You also understood that it was not wise to charge directly, so Wu Rui's losses were relatively small.

If the massacre had not happened, the situation might have been easier for Wu She to handle. After all, the fighting style that Gao Yao advocated, namely guerrilla warfare, did have a great advantage when the enemy had the upper hand.

Gao Yao had a deep understanding and application of this fighting method. He knew that the essence of guerrilla warfare was to be flexible and adaptable, and to be good at taking advantage of the enemy's weaknesses. Specifically, when the enemy advances, we retreat, avoiding direct confrontation with a strong enemy; when the enemy stays, we harass, constantly disrupting the enemy's deployment and actions; when the enemy is tired, we attack, seizing the opportunity when the enemy is exhausted to launch an attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue, not giving the enemy a chance to breathe.

The brilliance of this combat method lies in its strong adaptability. Whether in ancient times or modern times, it will not appear too advanced or outdated. In fact, many generals under Gao Yao's command have learned this combat method under his supervision and have achieved remarkable results in actual combat.

However, the situation this time was completely different. Wu Rui had gone so far as to start a bloodbath in the city, which put Wu She and the others in an unprecedented predicament. Now, even if they could continue to retreat, they could no longer continue to use the guerrilla warfare strategy. Because this was no longer just a matter of victory or defeat, but a matter of bottom line.

Li You knew that the current situation was extremely unfavorable to him, and all he could do was to try his best to delay time and buy more time for Wu She to prepare for defense. However, no matter how hard Li You tried, he could not change the fact that Wu Rui's army was about to arrive in Huiyang County.

Dou Yong, in particular, although his injuries had not yet fully healed, in order to make up for his previous mistakes, he did not hesitate to lead the vanguard army of more than 30,000 people to launch a fierce attack as soon as they arrived at Huiyang County. Wu She naturally did not dare to relax at all, he put all his strength into the resistance and did not dare to be negligent.

The difference in the strength of the two sides was too great, and Dou Yong, under Wu Rui's strict orders, was like a chicken with blood, almost never stopping the attack from morning to night, always maintaining a high-intensity offensive. Faced with such a fierce offensive, although Wu She's army resisted tenaciously, it was ultimately difficult to resist. In just one day, Wu She's side lost as many as 2,000 people.

Of course, the situation on Wu Jun's side was not optimistic either. Their losses almost doubled, reaching an astonishing number of nearly four thousand people.

The next morning, just after the sun rose, Wu Rui led the rear army to the battlefield like a surging tide. His arrival made the already fierce attack even more fierce. Wu Rui invested his troops without hesitation and continued to attack at all costs, as if he wanted to capture the city in one fell swoop.

Facing such a fierce attack by the Wu army, Li You was extremely anxious. He knew that if he could not stop the Wu army's attack in time, Huiyang County would be in an irreparable situation. So, he led the Black Armored Army without hesitation, charging again and again, trying to disrupt the Wu army's position and interrupt their offensive rhythm.

However, despite the Black Armored Army's valor, their efforts were like a mantis trying to stop a chariot in the face of the fierce Wu Army. The Wu Army had far more troops than them, and they were constantly replenished, making Li You's counterattack seem insignificant. Although the Black Armored Army's charge had some impact on the Wu Army, this impact was really a drop in the bucket and could not fundamentally change the situation.

After a whole day of fierce fighting, the Black Armor Army was exhausted. Not only did they have to deal with the fierce attacks of the Wu army, but they also had to endure the physical and mental stress brought by the long battle. The soldiers of the Black Armor Army looked haggard, and their horses were panting, obviously reaching their limit.

As night fell, the battle in Huiyang County became more and more brutal. The Black Armored Army led by Li You suffered heavy losses, with less than 4,000 men left. Wu She was seriously injured and could no longer lead the battle. If it were not for the difficulty of attacking the city after dark, the Wu army would have already broken through the city gate and marched straight in.

Wu Rui's side had already suffered losses of over 10,000 people, but Wu Rui didn't care at all at this time, and was determined to take Huiyang County.

At night, the moonlight sprinkled on the earth like water, illuminating Wu Rui's camp and the surrounding mountains. Less than three miles away from Wu Rui's camp, Li You led the Black Armored Army to lurk quietly. However, the Black Armored Army was exhausted at this time. They had experienced a fierce battle and suffered heavy losses.

At least it was impossible to launch a night attack tonight, because the soldiers were in urgent need of rest and recovery. Not only that, the Black Armored Army had lost thousands of people, and the once powerful team was now reduced to less than 4,000 Black Armored Cavalry. Faced with such a predicament, Li You felt unprecedented helplessness.

Tomorrow, Wu Rui will definitely launch an attack, and Li You really can't think of any way to resist this wave of attacks. When he thought that Wu Rui might massacre the city again, Li You's heart was filled with resentment and pain.

Just as Li You was lost in thought, suddenly, a messenger came running over and reported breathlessly: "General, reinforcements are coming, and they also seem to be black-armored cavalry!"