I Can Control My Ancestors-Chapter 151 - 57: One Battle Shakes the Realm, Liu Hong Falls
The outcome of this battle was, in fact, predetermined from the start.
The strengths relied upon by the Yellow Turban Army.
Crumbled without attack when faced with Gu Xi.
The core issues of the Yellow Turban Army were magnified during such times.
To someone like Gu Xi, who had mastery over human psychology,
He only needed to amplify these issues.
It was enough to throw the Yellow Turban Army into chaos.
The result was self-evident.
Zhang Jiao’s personal appearance certainly boosted the morale of the entire Yellow Turban Army significantly.
But so what?
Gu Xi’s strategy of inserting agents among them was the key to breaking this deadlock!
Moreover, crucially, when the Han Army charged, Gu Xi left a path open, allowing the disoriented Yellow Turban Army to abandon their armor and flee.
In such a state,
One person’s departure might not affect the army’s morale.
But what about ten or a hundred people?
A thousand or ten thousand?
The entire line of the Yellow Turban Army quickly collapsed, with countless people discarding their yellow turbans and fleeing in panic.
This trend affected the entire army.
The issues of military discipline were fully exposed.
The outcome was clear!
——Jianning, the sixth year, late June.
Zhang Jiao battled Gu Xi by the Zhang River.
The Yellow Turban Army was defeated and fled.
The Han Army returned to Ye City, tearing apart the Yellow Turban’s defenses in Jizhou State completely.
Gu Xi had evidently planned everything long in advance.
Facing the surrendering Yellow Turban Army, he quickly set a strategy of incorporating the young and strong into the army and granting them land.
The previous policies now proved immensely useful.
Why did Gu Xi want to requisition the great clans’ lands?
The reasons were manifold.
It wasn’t just to tear open the rift among the great clans.
It was also aimed at reducing casualties.
In any case, he had to provide these people with a way out.
Otherwise, the slaughter caused by this upheaval would far exceed any before.
The people are the foundation of a strong nation!
Gu Xi’s vision extended beyond just quelling the rebellion, aiming to fundamentally change everything about the current Great Han!
With the power of one man, he breathed new life into the Great Han!
He quickly disseminated the news and dispatched almost all the young men around him.
To supervise the regions and prevent the local generals from claiming excessive credit and committing wanton slaughter!
....
Yu Province, Yingchuan.
Gu Xi’s strategy of aiding through diversion indeed provided great help to Huangfu Song.
Now with the conclusion of the Jizhou campaign, the Yellow Turban Army was in panic, and Huangfu Song was not about to miss any opportunity, launching a direct counterattack!
——August.
Huangfu Song achieved a major victory against Bo Cai at Changshe.
Simultaneously, the Governor of Nanyang, Qin Jie, executed the Yellow Turban leader Zhang Mancheng, forcing the Yu Province Yellow Turbans into continuous retreat.
They were eventually encircled at Wan City.
Yuan Shao, Cao Cao, and others came from all directions, spreading news of the Jizhou battle to break the enemy’s spirit.
Ultimately, the gates of Wan City were opened wide.
The rebels were defeated in Wan.
Battles erupted everywhere, and the highly motivated Han Army continued to encircle and kill the Yellow Turbans, causing them to retreat repeatedly.
This situation was extremely fatal!
The news of Zhang Jiao’s defeat in Jizhou was like a signal, once again confirming Gu Xi’s invincible reputation!
Given this situation, how could the Yellow Turban Army’s morale remain intact?
The most crucial aspect was——
Gu Xi had always moderated the soldiers’ desire to kill, and his policies greatly encouraged the ambitiousness of talented commoners.
Under these policies, the blow to the entire Yellow Turban was indeed substantial!
The tides of battles across the regions were completely turned!
This was destined to be an extremely protracted war.
Moreover, with Gu Xi’s policy that commoners could achieve recognition by "subduing bandits," talents from all over emerged in droves, and many had already made names for themselves.
Cao Cao, Yuan Shao, and others need no further mention.
There were also many commoners.
Of course, there were members of the Gu Clan, and a warrior like Gu Tao had the greatest advantage in such circumstances.
The key was that his identity as a member of the Gu Clan gave him significant additional support.
Confronting the Yellow Turban Army, which had lost all will to fight,
He could capture them effortlessly.
Now he had made a name for himself across the land.
...
Luoyang.
Looking at the battle reports sent from all directions, Liu Hong was beaming with joy, laughing heartily.
"Truly deserving of the title of Grand Tutor!"
"With one battle, he completely reversed the situation. How dare mere rebels threaten my Great Han?"
He laughed with great abandon.
In reality, Liu Hong’s mood had been tense this whole time.
Zhang Jiao’s strength was far beyond his expectations.
Especially when the battles in various states and counties were unclear, and Zhang Jiao threatened Henei after taking Handan, Liu Hong truly felt a sense of impending doom.
But now, this feeling had finally dissipated!
"Quickly announce this to the court officials, with the Grand Tutor here, I have no more worries."
"Have the people in the palace prepare everything."
"I want to go to the market!"
For Liu Hong,
He had been holding back for some time, and now that he was at ease, he naturally wanted to relax a bit.
"Your servant obeys." Jian Shuo immediately took the order and left.
Soon, the laughter that had been absent in the Imperial Palace for many days rang out once again.
But regarding this matter,
The officials’ attitudes varied.
They had already heard of Gu Xi’s various measures and couldn’t help but worry about their own lands.
Gu Xi actually divided these lands.
If that’s the case... even if the great turmoil ends, will the land still belong to them?
People have always been like this.
In the face of the threat of extinction, they ignore things like these.
But as this threat recedes,
Their thoughts turn to the lands they gave up.
In fact, Gu Xi wasn’t being overly strict this time.
Though it was a third of the land,
How many years have passed since the Great Han last measured land? The lands in the hands of the clans have long multiplied many times over compared to back then.
