xymnovel Chapter 94 The Trapped Camp
Chapter 94 The Trapped Camp
Jian Yong took the grass stem out of his mouth and suddenly spoke.
"Boshun, who taught you this three-step counterattack method?"
Gao Shun remained silent for a moment.
"Half of it came from books."
"Half of it was my own idea. Shanggu is also a border region, and Shun has been used to seeing cavalry coming and going since he was a child."
"Every time I see it, I think about it. The Han army has few horses. If I only have infantry, how should I deal with them?"
"Thinking about it a lot led to these ideas, but I didn't have the chance to verify them when I was in Shanggu."
"So you came to western Liaoning to test these ideas?" Jian Yong asked.
Gao Shun's eyes flickered slightly, and then he nodded.
"Yes."
Jian Yong put the grass stem back in his mouth and remained silent. He glanced at Liu Bei.
Liu Bei kept looking at Gao Shun, but his gaze wasn't one of scrutiny; it was more like a confirmation.
It's like someone looking closely at a painting they've seen before, trying to see if it matches their memory exactly.
Liu Bei finally spoke, his voice softening slightly: "Bo Shun, if I were to give you command of these five hundred infantrymen, would you be willing?"
Gao Shun's gaze shifted slightly.
This was the first subtle change in his expression since he stepped into the council chamber; it wasn't excitement or joy, but rather a solemn confirmation.
"What does the Commandant mean?"
"My troops are all cavalry."
Liu Bei said, "You are right. Once the cavalry enters the Central Plains, they will lose all their advantages due to the terrain."
"I need an infantry force, an infantry force that can truly withstand, limit, and counterattack cavalry using the methods you just described."
He stood up and walked over to Gao Shun.
"You will be in charge of assembling this team of 500 people. You will decide how to select, train, and organize them."
"There is only one requirement—to be able to do the three steps you just mentioned: to form a mountain-like formation when defending and to be ruthless when trapping cavalry."
Gao Shun stood up, looked into Liu Bei's eyes, then took a step back and solemnly knelt on one knee.
"Gao Shun is willing to die for his lord!"
The eight words, spoken softly, caused the candlelight in the hall to flicker slightly.
Liu Bei was overjoyed and reached out to help him up. Their hands clasped together; Liu Bei's palm was dry and warm, while Gao Shun's palm was rough and strong.
In the instant their eyes met, Gao Shun saw something in Liu Bei's eyes that he didn't quite understand. It wasn't the joy of recruiting talent, but more like the feeling of a long-awaited reunion.
Gao Shun didn't ask. He always followed a principle: don't ask what you shouldn't ask.
"Five hundred infantrymen, bestowed the title of 'Trap Camp'!"
Liu Bei's voice was steady and resonant: "From this day forward, you shall be the Commander of the Vanguard Camp."
Trapped Camp.
Upon hearing these three words in the hall, Cheng Yu's eyebrows lifted slightly.
He was a well-read man, so he naturally understood the meaning of the phrase "trapping into battle".
The term "Xianzhen" (陷阵) first appeared in the Spring and Autumn Period and was formally established in the Warring States Period. It was often listed alongside "Xian Deng" (先登) and was the bravest fighting force.
In the Book of Lord Shang, it is mentioned that the Qin state had a special suicide squad, also known as the Vanguard Warriors, who were specifically tasked with attacking fortified positions.
The name itself is a declaration: "Those who charge into battle have no intention of retreating."
Gao Shun's lips moved slightly, and he repeated the name in a very soft voice, which felt perfectly suited to him.
"The Trapped Camp!"
He raised his head and said, "Thank you, my lord, for bestowing upon me a name!"
Liu Bei laughed heartily: "Hahaha, good, good, good! Tonight, let's host a banquet to welcome Bo Shun!"
Jian Yong was the first to stand up from the corner. He walked up to Gao Shun, looked him up and down, and then reached out and patted Gao Shun on the shoulder.
The gesture was so casual, as if he were taking a picture of an old friend he had known for many years.
"Lord Gao, the mosquitoes in western Liaoning are fierce. One bite can cause swelling for three days. Remember to keep the mosquito net tightly closed at night."
Gao Shun paused for a moment, then looked down at his arm.
The mosquitoes in western Liaoning are indeed fierce; he had several bites on his wrists along the way.
"Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Xie!" he said earnestly.
Jian Yong grinned, picked up a blade of grass from his mouth, and swaggered out.
Cheng Yu also stood up. Unlike Jian Yong, he didn't pat Gao Shun on the shoulder. Instead, he stopped half a step as he walked past him.
"Boshun, the three steps you just mentioned are excellent, very excellent. I'll remember them!" After he finished speaking, he followed Jian Yong out.
Everyone expressed their goodwill towards Gao Shun, which softened Gao Shun's serious expression.
Dusk had fallen in the courtyard.
The branches and leaves of the old locust tree rustled in the night wind, and the distant shouts of night patrol soldiers changing shifts could be faintly heard.
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Autumn comes later in Luoyang than in western Liaoning.
Xu You has been in Luoyang for more than half a year.
He lived in an inconspicuous alley in the east of the city. His storefront was small, but the interior was quite exquisite.
Liu Bei sent him money every month, and he spent it very prudently, using three-tenths for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and seven-tenths for favors and favors.
Over the course of more than half a year, his network of connections in Luoyang grew from nothing to something, from sparse to dense, though it was still not enough to reach the level of the officials in the imperial court.
However, within the circle of officials, attendants, and retainers of the Imperial Attendants, they could already hear many things that others could not.
On this day, Yuan Shao sent a messenger with a message, inviting him to a gathering at a tavern in the south of the city.
Yuan Shao was the most valuable connection Xu You made in Luoyang.
This man came from the Yuan family of Runan, whose members held high office for four generations. His students and former officials were all over the country. He was also handsome and dignified, and he was able to humble himself before scholars. He had an excellent reputation among the scholars in Luoyang.
Xu You had known Yuan Shao since childhood, and this reunion naturally allowed him to establish a friendship with him.
In addition, Xu You was a very eloquent man, knowing when to praise and when to criticize, never making people feel bored, so Yuan Shao was willing to associate with him.
The tavern is located on the banks of the Luo River in the south of the city. From the second-floor window, you can see the sails of boats on the river.
Yuan Shao arrived earlier than Xu You, and several people were already sitting around him.
Today he was dressed in a moon-white robe with a jade belt around his waist. Although it was casual wear, his every move still exuded the air of a scion of a noble family.
"Ziyuan, over here." Yuan Shao waved and called out to Xu You as he came upstairs.
Xu You found a seat next to him, picked up the wine pot and poured a cup for Yuan Shao, then poured one for himself.
The two drank a cup of wine and chatted for a while. Xu You deliberately steered the conversation towards Youzhou.
Whether Yuan Shao noticed or not, he released a message: the imperial court had transferred Guo Xun to be the governor of Youzhou.
He spoke with a hint of disdain: "That man was originally the magistrate of Jizhou, but I don't know who he used to get transferred to the position of governor of Youzhou."
Xu You remained outwardly calm, but his heart was already churning with emotion.
"Does Benchu know this person's temperament?" Xu You asked, his tone casual, as if he were asking about something insignificant.
Yuan Shao picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and then frowned slightly.
"I heard that when this person was in Jizhou, he had a reputation for being mean, ambitious, and narrow-minded."
"More importantly..."
He glanced at Xu You.
He had some reservations about that Commandant Liu in Liaoxi.
Xu You's heart sank slightly.