dognovel Chapter 121 Captain, I give up, please don't leave!
Chapter 121 Captain, I give up, please don't leave!
Guan Xing knew that Zhang Zhao and Lü Meng would most likely not pay the ransom this time, since the price they were asking for was too high.
Moreover, you can't keep picking on the same sheep, otherwise you'll eventually make that sheep angry.
However, he still decided to ask Zhang Zhao and Lü Meng for ransom, not because he really wanted the money, but because he wanted to take the opportunity to annoy them and, incidentally, to strike at Zhang Cheng and his group of four.
If Zhang Cheng, Zhuge Ke, and the other two knew that Zhang Zhao and Lü Meng had abandoned them, even if they could understand, they would still feel resentful.
After all, being understood is one thing, but being truly abandoned is quite another.
Once resentment is formed, absolute loyalty to Eastern Wu will cease. Disappointment with Eastern Wu will naturally lead to seeking another wise ruler. Is there any wiser ruler in Jiangdong than the King of Hanzhong?
Therefore, what he wanted was not the grain supplies from Eastern Wu, but the genuine allegiance of Zhang Cheng and the other three.
Although the battle was won, it also exposed too many problems in the Han army. The biggest problem was the lack of talent, which led to a shortage of manpower at critical moments.
If Zhang Cheng and the other three were willing to join the Han army, the shortage of talent would be greatly alleviated, and they might even attract more people, since all four of them have star power.
But Zhang Ming is unwilling to deliver the message, so who should be sent?
Before Guan Xing could decide on a candidate, Deng Hong suddenly rushed in, glanced at Zhang Ming, and bowed, saying, "General, this humble general has something to report to you."
Guan Xing waved for Zhang Ming to leave before asking, "What's wrong?"
Deng Hong replied, "This humble general has come to bid you farewell. Now that Zhang Cheng has been captured and the battle is over, this humble general should return to Jianye to report to you."
He came here with a mission, and now that the mission is accomplished, what's the point of keeping him around?
Moreover, Guan Xing's victory this time was too thorough, with the Wu army losing 40,000 to 50,000 troops. The news would definitely cause a sensation when it reached Jianye, and might even trigger a series of chain reactions. Therefore, it was necessary to report to Guan Yu as soon as possible so that Guan Yu could make preparations.
Guan Xing frowned and said, "Why don't we rest for a day and leave tomorrow morning? We're exhausted these past few days."
He really couldn't bear to part with Deng Hong. Deng Hong was experienced and brave in battle, and if he left, he would lose a great general.
But they couldn't refuse to release him; after all, he was a swordsman in the Yu Battalion, and such a great victory had to be reported to Guan Yu.
Deng Hong shook his head and said, "The military situation is urgent and cannot be delayed. The sooner General Guan knows, the sooner he can prepare. Intelligence is crucial to victory and cannot be lost."
Guan Xing smiled wryly and said, "Alright, then be careful on your journey and bring plenty of dry food."
Deng Hong nodded and said, "Thank you for your concern, Young General. I will take my leave now."
After saying that, he clasped his hands in a bow and turned to leave. Guan Xing remembered something and quickly called out, "Old Deng, are you going to come back? What will the commando team do without you?"
Deng Hong turned and bowed, saying, "Whether we return or not depends on the old general's arrangements. As for the assault team, let Xia Tong be the captain. He is rough but meticulous and brave in battle. He can be entrusted with important responsibilities."
Guan Xing nodded and said, "Then have Xia Tong come to see me. When he sees my father, tell him that I hope you will come back to lead the assault team again."
Deng Hong nodded and left. After leaving, he did not return to the camp to say goodbye to the assault team members, but instead sent someone to find Xia Tong to meet him alone.
He disliked parting, and with heavy responsibilities on his shoulders, he didn't want to waste time bidding farewell to his comrades.
Soon, Xia Tong arrived dressed in a stylish infantry armor, his eyebrows dancing with excitement, and asked, "Captain, what brings you here? You haven't come to your senses and are planning to hand over the captaincy to me, have you?"
Deng Hong nodded and said, "Yes."
"Uh..." Xia Tong was stunned. I was just joking, why are you taking it so seriously?
As Deng Hong helped him adjust his armor, he said, "I'm going back to Jianye. Before I leave, I recommended you to General Guan as the captain, and General Guan agreed."
“You’ve been defiant against me since the first day you entered the camp, and you still are. Now you’ve got your wish. I’m no longer in your way. Work hard with General Guan. I hope you can expand the assault team to more than a thousand men when we meet next time.”
After saying that, he patted him on the shoulder and turned to leave. Xia Tong stood there stunned for a long time before he reacted. He hurriedly called out to his back, "Captain, I give up. Can you please not leave?"
He was personally selected by Deng Hong to join the commando team. After joining, Deng Hong, like an older brother, passed on the skills and experience he had learned from General Guan without reservation. Although he didn't say it, he had long regarded Deng Hong as his father and brother.
As for asking Deng Hong to hand over the captaincy to him, that was just a joke, and he never intended to take it seriously.
But Deng Hong actually took it seriously, and really passed the position to him and then left?
Xia Tong felt a lump in his throat and inexplicably wanted to cry, but Deng Hong, with his back to him, shouted, "Go and report to General Guan quickly, don't keep him waiting."
Xia Tong didn't go; instead, he took off after Deng Hong. Unfortunately, he was wearing heavy armor and couldn't outrun Deng Hong at all. Before long, Deng Hong disappeared from sight.
Helpless, he could only turn back and bow dejectedly before Guan Xing, saying, "General, is Captain Deng really not coming back?"
Guan Xing patted his shoulder and laughed, "It doesn't matter whether he comes back or not, because we will fight our way back to Jianye sooner or later. After we join forces with General Guan, you will naturally see him. Lead the assault team to do a good job. When you see Captain Deng again, you must teach him a lesson."
Xia Tong's sorrow instantly turned to joy. He patted his chest and promised, "General, rest assured, I will definitely not let Captain Deng down. When I see him again, I will use my strength to show him what it means for each generation to be stronger than the last, and for the old generation to be swept away on the beach."
Guan Xing encouraged him, "That's more like it. Go ahead, I'll personally go to the commando team to announce your appointment later."
After seeing Xia Tong off, Guan Xing called Chen Zan over and asked with a smile, "Captain Chen, are you getting used to life in the camp?"
Chen Zan rolled his eyes at him on the spot. "I just surrendered and you dragged me for hundreds of miles. Do you think I'm used to it?"
Guan Xing put his arm around his shoulder and laughed, "I just asked Zhang Ming to go back and inform Zhang Zhao and Lü Meng, but he didn't want to go, so he recommended you to me. Are you going?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Zan immediately lost his composure and cursed, "Damn Zhang Ming, is he trying to send me to my death? I'm going to find him."
As he was about to leave, Guan Xing grabbed him and continued to fan the flames, saying, "I think this is a good thing. The main reason for the defeat in this battle was that Zhang Ming was too treacherous. You were tricked so badly by him and you don't want revenge? Is there a better way to get revenge than to complain to Grand Commander Lü?"
Chen Zan tilted his head, lost in thought, but Guan Xing stuffed the written silk into his arms and laughed, "Don't worry about it, it's you. You've been away for so long, you want to go back and see your family, don't you?"
After much persuasion and cajoling, Guan Xing finally managed to get Chen Zan to leave, and then began to think about how to handle the aftermath.
The casualties and gains in this battle were too great. The most important thing right now is to quickly digest the results, rather than being overwhelmed by the results that far exceed our own strength.
There are too many things to do, including compensation for the dead, treatment of the wounded, rehabilitation of prisoners of war, rewards for military merit, reorganization of the army, and future development plans for the Jinqu Basin.
These things require our full effort; otherwise, even the slightest mistake could lead to a complete collapse.
"One minute on stage requires ten years of practice off stage." To achieve victory on the battlefield, one must do thorough preparation outside of the battlefield.
Guan Xing rested in Shan County for three days. After three days, he left Meng Jun to continue defending the city and taking care of the wounded on both sides, and led the army and prisoners back to Wushang City.
At the same time, a fast horse was sent to Shen Yi, who was far away in Da Mo, to ask him to bring Zhou Xun, Quan Cong, and Zhuge Ke to Wushang for a meeting.
Now that the battle was over, the four prisoners should meet and catch up. Guan Xing even considered getting them a mahjong set to play.