Geng Yan and Tian Wuji stationed troops outside Nanpi City, monitoring Liu Xiu's movements while waiting for the arrival of reinforcements.

Geng Yan rushed over from Julu, so he only brought a cavalry team. The 30,000 infantry under his command fell behind. Now he is coming day and night. If this team arrives, it will greatly enhance his strength.

Before the reinforcements arrived, the emperor waited for the imperial edict. The emperor summoned Geng Shu, the younger brother of Geng Shu, to work in Handan. This was an expected personnel transfer. It was not in accordance with the rules for the two brothers to lead troops in the same army. In order to better control the Shanggu County, the emperor temporarily let the Geng brothers be generals together. Now that the army has left Shanggu, the emperor has transferred the two, which is reasonable.

The emperor ordered Tian Wuji to be restrained by Geng Yan and ordered the two to pursue Liu Xiu together. Because Tian Wuji's army suffered a defeat a while ago and suffered a great loss, the emperor promised to replenish his troops and would arrive soon.

Geng Tian and both were very excited. If Geng Yan's subordinates met and Tian Wuji's reinforcements were in place, their strength would be very strong, enough to face Liu Xiu's army head-on.

It seems that the emperor really wanted to keep Liu Xiu in Hebei, but not let him escape to Liaodong.

On that day, Geng Yan and Tian Wuji were discussing matters in the tent, and suddenly someone came to report: "General, someone has come out of the city!"

"Who?"

"Many people, no, aren't going to fight! They walked out one by one, one by one, and were definitely not deserters. They all came out of the city gate, and no one stopped them, but they seemed to be leaving and going home."

Geng Yan and Tian Wuji looked at each other and felt a little confused. They didn't understand what Liu Xiu sold in the gourd.

"Is the pseudo-emperor going to disband his army and surrender?" Tian Wuji put forward a bold idea, which he himself couldn't believe.

"Impossible!" Geng Yan flatly denied that he had a much deeper understanding of Liu Xiu than Tian Wuji, and he felt that Liu Xiu would not do such a thing.

"Maybe he just let these people come out to confuse us, and he led the elite soldiers to leave first." Geng Yan said in confusion, and then he stood up and walked out of the tent, "No matter what, go out and take a look first!"

The group of people rode out of the camp, rushed to a nearby hillside, and looked at Nanpi City in the distance.

I saw people walking out of the city in groups of three or three, saying that they were civilians, but they didn’t look like them, but they said that they were soldiers but they didn’t have weapons and were wearing armor. These people all came out and walked south, but not many of them went to Gengtian’s military camp, and most of them seemed to be scattered and went back to their own houses.

Geng Yan ordered the soldiers to bring a few people over, and he wanted to ask in person. Not long after, the soldiers came back and brought a few people from the city.

After asking questions, the answers of several people were almost the same: "Your Majesty is pity for us to separate our flesh and blood, and I feel unbearable, so I allow us to return home on our own."

"Aren't Liu Xiu afraid that you will join our army?" Geng Yan didn't believe this statement. He felt that this must be Liu Xiu's cover, and there must be some conspiracy in it.

Several people were silent, and the soldiers beside them urged loudly, and only then did one person speak: "Your Majesty is so kind and righteous. Although we cannot follow us all the way, how can we bear to be enemies with him?"

Geng Yan did not speak. Shi Yong, the commander of Xihe, beside him, had already asked: "General, the last general is willing to lead the army to attack and annihilate these bandits!"

In the eyes of the generals, the soldiers returning home outside the city are all heads! They will make a contribution if they come forward and cut them.

Killing good people and taking credit is not uncommon in the army. Some people are still thinking about the heads of ordinary people, not to mention that these people in front of them are all enemy troops, and soldiers who have taken off their military uniforms are considered heads.

As soon as Shi Yong spoke, the other generals became itchy and asked for orders to go to the battle to pick up heads under Nanpi City.

Geng Yan thought something, and Tian Wuji spoke, "General, this is absolutely impossible! Liu Xiu sent his army because the people in the army were unsophisticated and could not be used. He could not kill all his army, so he could only send them away. Since he had gained the name of benevolence and righteousness, he also left behind elite soldiers to think it had been used. Now the enemy soldiers are eager to return home, which can greatly weaken Liu Xiu's power. If our army kills him and makes them unable to return home, they will gather again under the command of the pseudo-emperor, and be with him with one heart and one virtue, and swear to be enemies with the general to death."

Kou Yong, the commander of Shanggu, also said: "General Tian said very much that Liu Xiu's morale has dispersed and no one can stop him. We cannot do such a thing that can help him gather his morale!"

Tian Wuji was born in the Yulin Army, and his troops were much stronger than Geng Yan's army's military minutes. Tian Wuji was confident in restraining his own troops, and he was not so relieved about Geng Yan's army. He said again: "I beg the general to order that those who leave the city will be banned from killing and prevent anyone from taking his own initiative and starting a killing without hesitation!"

Geng Yan's original intention of being active was dispelled by Tian Wuji. Geng Yan was somewhat worried about Tian Wuji, because he was a surrendered general who had been favored. Although he was valued, he was not the emperor's direct line. However, Tian Wuji was born in the Yulin Army trained by the emperor himself and belonged to the serious emperor's direct line. The generals of the Yulin Army had the highest loyalty to the emperor and were also the most trusted person. I am afraid that Liu Yu used him as Geng Yan's deputy general, and he had some intention of restraining and monitoring Geng Yan.

Besides, what Tian Wuji said was reasonable. If Geng Yan wanted to take advantage of the chaos, he would probably be the one who wanted to return home and run away and close the city gate to fight him to death. That would have been a waste of time.

Geng Yan understood the truth, so he followed the situation and gave Tian Wuji face, and ordered the entire army not to move without any action, allowing the soldiers in Nanpi City to leave.

The soldiers returned home for a long time, and a carriage suddenly came out of the city. This was extraordinary. Originally, the soldiers were walking on two legs, but no one had ever taken the carriage. Geng Yan felt that it was a big fish, so he asked someone to come forward and welcome the other party to the camp.

This is indeed a big fish. The founding of Wuhan Grand Situ, but the Marquis Fu Zhan is a dignified marquis, a three-month-level and top-level senior official. Geng Yan had known Fu Zhan, not to mention that Fu Zhan's two sons were already Liu Yu's people anyway, which made the two of them continue to have a relationship with colleagues.

Geng Yan warmly received Fu Zhan and learned from him that Liu Xiu was indeed reducing his troops, so he even allowed the court officials to leave. Geng Yan immediately ordered the soldiers to meet him in the south city, and all the ministers of Liu Xiu tried to invite him directly to his camp.

Geng Yan asked Fu Zhan, "Duke Fu, what is the situation in the city? If our army attacks the city, can it be defeated?"

Fu Zhan said: "Your Majesty sent most of the people and horses, leaving behind all the elite soldiers and generals, and their hearts are all towards Your Majesty. Such military and horses... cannot be taken."

Geng Yan sneered: "My heart is towards him? Who is his heart against?"

"The king's heart is nothing but a heroic pursuit of hegemony." Fu Zhan sighed, "The rest are all ants in his heart."

Geng Yan was silent.

He remembered that in Jicheng, Liu Xiu held his hand and said to everyone: "It is my master of North Road." For this sentence, Geng Yan went through life and death and helped Liu Xiu to conquer half of the country.

Geng Yan seemed to have returned to Qi County back then. He stood at the top of the city and looked eastward, fantasizing that Liu Xiu led his army across the Taihang Mountains and saved him in desperate situations. He imagined Liu Xiu as a hero who saved himself, but Liu Xiu only thought he was an ant.

How desperate he was back then, how angry he was now. He wanted to let the ruthless emperor fall into the same despair. The former master of the North is now a life-seeking person.

Although Geng Yan was eager to defeat Liu Xiu, as a top military strategist, he still would not take action rashly. He clearly realized that his strength was at a disadvantage and was not enough to win in one fell swoop. He had to wait for reinforcements, wait for the opportunity to wait for Liu Xiu to make a mistake.

But Liu Xiu didn't seem to want to wait anymore.

After a brief rest, Liu Xiu's army was dispatched again. Unlike before, Liu Xiu did not continue to go north, but led his army out of the South Gate and set up a battlefield outside Nanpi City.

Liu Xiu sent someone to send a message: "A battle between the king and the minister, the fate between you and me begins on the battlefield, and we should also make a break on the battlefield. I am willing to fight with Bo Zhao and Nanpi."

Geng Yan responded without hesitation. He deliberately ignored all his strength and opportunity. At this moment, Geng Yan just wanted to make a break with Liu Xiu.

He personally led the army to fight, Tian Wuji led his troops to support him, and Chen Fang, the general of the siege, led his army to stay in the camp.

When he arrived at the battlefield, Geng Yan immediately discovered that the state of the soldiers and horses on the opposite side was obviously different.

This is a truly elite force and is in high morale. It seems that Liu Xiu really wants to have a real face-to-face confrontation with him.

Geng Yan was unwilling to show weakness. Even if the opponent's troops surpassed him, he wanted to use his courage to decide the outcome.

He turned around and looked at his subordinates. Before he could speak, several people were already rushing forward and said in unison: "The last general is willing to be the striker!"

They are Youhe, the commander of the central Wuyuan, Shi Yong, the commander of the Xihe commander, and Qian Chen, the commander of the school.

Geng Yan ordered You He and You Yong to lead their troops to rush cavalry on the left and right, and attack at the same time.

The war drums sounded, and the horses of both sides moved forward and gradually approached.

Liu Xiu used an infantry as the central army, with the Youzhou cavalry on both sides. The infantry pushed forward step by step, and the cavalry pressed forward with speed.

Liu Xiu's formation means that the central infantry of the army resisted Geng Yan's vanguard, and the cavalry on both sides surrounded him and surrounded him in the middle and annihilated him.

The premise for the success of this tactic is that the central infantry is elite enough to withstand the impact of the cavalry. It seems that Liu Xiu is full of confidence in his infantry.

Geng Yan immediately responded and ordered the heavy cavalry to advance and break through the opponent's central army's defense line.

Cavalry is a money-burning thing, almost an iron-made army. Liu Yu has only two such teams under his command, one is commanded by Liu Yu himself and the other is in Liu Biao's hands.

In order to strengthen the strength of the Northern Expedition Army, Liu Yu specially added more than 2,000 people behind Geng Yan with equipment. Geng Yan was also unambiguous and waved his hand to send them all on the field.

This kind of head-on battle is a momentum. Whoever takes the lead in the election will take the initiative in the battlefield. This is especially important for Geng Yan, who is at a disadvantage in his troops.

As the flag was swinged, Shi Yong and Youhe's two teams changed their trajectory, separated to the two sides, and met the enemy's cavalry on both wings.
Chapter completed!