Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 459 Changes due to circumstances
In Pingchun, the Han army camped.

In the large tent, Liu Bei was discussing the current military situation with Pang Tong, Fazheng, Zhao Yun, Wenpin and other Han military officers and soldiers.

"Your Majesty, according to the scouts, the traitor general Man Chong has ordered the cities in Runan to be ruled, the walls to be fortified, the fields to be cleared, the troops to be gathered together, and no leaving the city allowed. In addition, the noble families and noble families in Runan were afraid of the strength of our army, so they gathered soldiers from their hometowns and retreated to Wubao one after another. .”

Wenpin looked at the map and sighed: "Manchu has governed Runan for nearly ten years with kindness and power, and the villagers respect him. Now that the army wants to invade Runan, it may be difficult."

Liu Bei stroked his sparse beard and said: "The reason why Cao Cao was able to secure Yuzhou was thanks to Manbonin. Now our army is leaving the Dabie Mountains in the north. He knows that our army has no water transportation, so he specially ordered the cities to fortify their walls and clear the fields. He wants to cut off food for our army. His many good strategies should not be underestimated!"

Cao Wei has never lacked talents, it just lacks opportunities for talents to take the stage. Compared with Cao Ren who was in charge of Jingxiang, Man Chongcai was a top commander who only controlled one side.

Before the Battle of Guandu, the situation faced by Cao Cao was not optimistic. The actual territory he controlled extended from Mount Tai in the east, to Chenliu in the north, to Qiao County in the south, and to Luoyang in the west. During this period, only a few counties such as Yingchuan and Chenliu paid taxes.

At that time, Yuan Shao was the hope of the world, and the whole county of Runan responded to Yuan Shao's wishes, supported his troops and refused to defend, and rebelled against Cao Cao.

Cao Cao had no troops to use, so he expressed his favor to Manchu as the prefect of Runan, allowing him to recruit troops on his own to pacify Runan County. Fortunately, Man Chong had extraordinary abilities. He recruited 500 new soldiers, broke through more than 20 castles, and killed more than 10 thieves. Not only did he help Cao Cao stabilize Runan, but he also gained 20,000 households.

The reason why Li Tong, who was based in Yiyang in the past, was able to seek refuge with Cao Cao was closely related to Manchu's favor and power in Runan.

After the defeat of Chrysostom, Cao Cao appointed Man Chong as the governor of Runan in order to secure the border. Although the official position of the governor of Runan has not changed for more than ten years, Man Chong has become an important part of Cao Cao's control of the south.

While thinking deeply, Liu Bei looked at Fazheng and asked: "Xiaozhi, although our army has sent its troops out of Runan, Man Chongxing's strategy of strengthening the walls and clearing the wilderness has made it difficult for our army to enter the city. And now Cao Cao will soon send his army to Runan." Nan, why should I care?"

Fazheng pondered for a while and said: "According to your report, Cao Cao has requisitioned the army from various states to go south. The northerners are more good at riding, while the southerners are more good at sailing. This is the common law in the world. If your Majesty wants to compete with Cao Cao, you need to raise your strength. Your own strength is limited to meeting the thieves, so you cannot compete with Cao Cao in formation."

"Our army was greatly defeated in the ban. Cao Ren was frightened when he heard the news, and Lu Chang raised his neck to look for help. For example, Xiangyang has been besieged for a year, and people are panicked. It may not be possible for the day to come. Therefore, the power now belongs to me and not to the enemy. Your Majesty sends troops to Runan, not to capture Runan. , is to support Xiangfan. For example, Huo Du is sitting in Hefei and pretending to leave Hefei."

As he said that, Fazheng stroked his beard and smiled, and said: "Your Majesty and the princes are brothers and share weal and woe. The victory of the princes is your Majesty's achievement. The walls of Runan are strong and the wilderness is clear. Cao Cao hastily marched his army. Your Majesty has won a great victory in Xiangfan, so what? We need to rush to use troops as Cao Cao wishes."

Now, as Fazheng said, the Seventh Ban Army was hastily defeated, and Guan Yu took advantage of the situation to besiege Fancheng. Compared with Fancheng, which was besieged not long ago, Xiangyang, which had been besieged for more than a year, must have been in a state of panic and turmoil. Therefore, judging from the battle situation, if Liu Bei had not launched the Northern Expedition to Runan, Cao Cao would have personally rescued Xiangfan.

Under such a situation, Fazheng did not want Liu Bei to rush into battle with Cao Cao because of his greed for military success. It would be more beneficial for the Southern Han Dynasty for the two sides to enter a confrontation. In order to dispel Liu Bei's eagerness to make achievements, Fazheng instead approached Liu Bei from the perspective of Guan and Liu as one, and persuaded Liu Bei to assist Guan Yu with peace of mind.

Liu Bei nodded in agreement and said: "What Xiaozhi said is very reasonable. Xiangfan is the most important part of this Northern Expedition. Now Cao Cao is eager to fight, so our army must not follow his wishes. We should go to Xiangfan first, and then observe the situation of the two armies, and then slowly and slowly Enter."

Compared with the last Northern Expedition, under Fazheng's words and persuasion, Liu Bei's battle seemed more conservative, adopting the strategy of advancing slowly and using troops based on the situation.

When Liu Bei finished speaking, Pang Tong wanted to say something.

"Report!"

But I saw the attendant hurried into the tent, interrupted Pang Tong, handed over the letter, and said: "A letter from Xiangfan. General Lu Mengyan has something important to report!"

"Letter from Lu Meng?"

Liu Bei looked suspicious. Usually, letters from Xiangfan were sent by Guan Yu himself, not Lu Meng. With doubts, Liu Bei opened the letter sent by Lü Meng and saw that Lü Meng clearly stated the causes and consequences of Guan Yu's northward march to Wancheng in the letter.

Obviously Guan Yu's decision to go north to Wancheng made Lu Meng worried. Therefore, he reported this matter to Liu Bei in his own name.

"Your Majesty, could it be that Guan Junhou has changed?" Fazheng asked.

Liu Bei handed the letter to Fa and Pang and said: "Wancheng guard Hou Yin, on the orders of Yunchang and Ziming, took advantage of the turmoil in Jingxiang and led the mountain people to occupy Wancheng and return to Yiyi. Xu Huang led his troops to besiege him. It was so urgent that Hou Yin sent letters to Yun Chang, asking for his troops and horses to support him."

While speaking, Liu Bei put his hands behind his waist and said: "According to Zi Ming's statement, Yun Chang saw that Hou Yin's letter was sincere, and also thought that Xu Huang would have more than 10,000 new soldiers, so he rode north with 8,000 paces, hoping to restore the four counties of Jingxiang. However. Ziming was afraid that Yun Chang might be missing something, so he wrote to me."

Zhao Yun looked worried and said: "Your Majesty, Hou Yin separatized Wancheng. Xu Huang led more than ten thousand new soldiers, and General Guan took advantage of the situation. There is no problem. However, now that Xiangfan has not yet been conquered, Wancheng is close to Xu and Ying, and General Guan led We might be too hasty to send reinforcements to the north!"

"Ziming is also worried about this. Yan Wancheng is three or four hundred miles away from Xiangfan. Even if Xu Huang is defeated, there may be an army of thieves as a backup." Liu Bei said.

"What do Xiaozhi and Shiyuan think?"

Fazheng frowned and said: "Your Majesty, Hou Yin gathered the people in the mountains to raise an army, so the troops under his tent cannot be trusted. Guan Junhou traveled hundreds of miles to aid Wancheng. He went deep into the enemy's territory alone and had no followers. Using the army for reinforcements is a disadvantage for military strategists!"

"The minister's opinion is as the king said." Pang Tong held the letter and said: "Wancheng is adjacent to the hinterland of thieves. Although Hou Yin is used by our army, he is not convinced by his talent and the troops under his tent. . The monarch is eager to achieve success and leads his elite cavalry to the north. I am afraid that when the monarch arrives, Wancheng will have been captured by the bandit army."

As he spoke, Pang Tong sighed and said: "Nanyang is an important transportation place, connecting all parts of the world. In the past, the Lord of Guan relied on the Han River to control Xiangfan, making it difficult for thieves to easily capture him. Now the Lord of Guan is heading north and is alone in Xiangfan, fearing that he will meet again Being taken advantage of by thieves!"

"At that time, heavy troops were guarding the Han River. Today, troops are sent to Nanxiang and Wancheng. The troops are gradually dispersed. If the troops in Guanzhong pass through Wuguan, they will rush to Nanxiang. The soldiers in Nanxiang are under the command of Meng Da, and their troops We are few and have few generals. If we encounter thieves, we will attack them fiercely. I am afraid that Mengda's troops will be lost!"

As a native of Xiangfan, Pang Tong was too familiar with the geography of Nanyang and Xiangyang.

The advantage of the Southern Han Dynasty lies in the navy. Meng Da and Fu Fang left Nanxiang to control the road upstream of Xiangfan; Guan Yu and Lu Meng used the navy and the army to surround Xiangfan, hoping to weaken the morale of the defenders.

Guan Yu asked Meng Da and Fu Fang to move to the west of Wancheng, and he led his troops north to Wancheng, seemingly advancing from both ends. Once Xu Huang is defeated and Wancheng is saved, Cao Wei's forces can be forced out of Jingxiang.

However, don’t forget the Wuguan Road. If the troops from Guanxi attack the Nanyang Basin from the northwest, Mengda’s partial army alone may not be able to withstand the troops from Guanxi.

If Meng Da's troops are lost, Guan Yu's troops will become increasingly isolated. Even if they repel Xu Huang, the Kansai troops and horses will intercept Guan Yu's grain route from the rear. At that time, Guan Yu will be trapped in Wancheng and face the attack from Cao Wei's various ministries.

Under such circumstances, the best outcome for Guan Yu would be to not save Wancheng and directly lead his troops back to Xiangfan.

The Nanyang Basin is known as the revolving door in the world, and it is a must-pass for the southern and northern expeditions. Its numerous channels and complex terrain structure far exceed others' imagination. For example, the Han River was beneficial to the Southern Han Dynasty, but it was also beneficial to the Northern Wei Dynasty because of the many channels.

After listening to Pang Tong's speech analysis, Liu Bei couldn't help but look worried.

He had been with his two younger brothers for so many years, so how could he not know the personalities of Guan and Zhang? The second brother Guan Yu was superb in martial arts and outstanding in military management, but he was strong and coquettish, which was his own shortcoming.

"The news from Hou is not trustworthy, and Yunchang is in danger of going deep into the army alone. Now I would like to ask you, if you have any strategies to teach me, how to solve Yunchang's current troubles." Liu Bei asked.

Pang Tong paced in the tent and said: "It is difficult to deal with the fire that is close by the water far away. If you want to relieve the danger of General Guan, you need to send troops west to Nanyang. Only then can you relieve the danger of General Guan. If the thieves have troops to leave Wuguan, To attack the people in Nanxiang, the reinforcements were changed to the rear army, thinking that they would support General Guan."

"If General Guan repels Xu Huang, he can protect Wancheng. The reinforcements have entered the city to help General Guan defend against the enemy. At that time, your Majesty can take the road to the west, enter Nanyang, occupy Wancheng, and confront Cao Cao."

It is not difficult to understand Pang Tong's intention. Guan Yu's lone army went deep into Wancheng. In order to prevent his retreat from being intercepted and to prevent Guan Yu from defeating Wancheng, he sent a force to the west. This would not only ensure that Guan Yu's withdrawal path was smooth, but also prevent Guan Yu from defeating Wancheng. Ensure that Guan Yu does not fall into siege.

Even if Guan Yu is lucky, he can defeat Xu Huang and defend Wancheng. The westward reinforcements can be turned into defenders to reinforce Wancheng and cooperate with Guan Yu to resist Cao Wei.

Fazheng looked at Liu Bei and said sternly: "Your Majesty, Governor Pang's words are a good plan. Now Guan Junhou is heading north to Wancheng. Changes have occurred in Jingxiang. Your Majesty must send troops and horses for reinforcements. And if the war situation is urgent, in order to ensure If you can get to Xiangfan, it is inevitable that your Majesty will take the road westward."

Liu Bei's northern expedition from Runan was mostly in response to the Xiangfan war. Now Guan Yu is determined to open up a second battlefield in Wancheng. If he is defeated, the situation will be unstable again. In order to ensure that Xiangfan could be conquered, it was necessary for Liu Bei to abandon the Runan battlefield and move westward to Nanyang.

A single move can affect the whole body. Since Jingxiang is the target of the war, the Northern Expedition army will naturally change according to the situation and use troops according to the changing situation.

The worried look on Liu Bei's face gradually disappeared. He stroked his beard and paced back and forth, thinking, and said, "Now I am sending soldiers to the west. I wonder who can do the job?"

"Gongheng leads the army and goes deep into Runan and cannot move it; Zilong serves as the guard and helps me control the central army, and I can't leave him behind; Zhongye Zhenjiang Xia knows the mountains and rivers terrain well, and I consider him my arm."

Pang Tong looked solemn, raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty, Tong is from Xiangyang and knows a lot about the geography of Nanyang. If Your Majesty is willing to believe it, Tong is willing to lead ten thousand people to march westward to help you."

Seeing that Pang Tong took the initiative to ask for orders, Liu Bei was overjoyed and said: "Shi Yuan is a man of extraordinary intelligence. If he is willing to lead the army, how can I not be willing to do so?"

As he spoke, Liu Bei changed the topic and said: "However, Shi Yuan led the Jianghuai soldiers and horses. They first arrived at the army after a long journey, and now they go to Jingxiang again. I am so reluctant to leave!"

"Jingxiang is in danger, and all the generals have their own arrangements. How can your majesty refuse to give up because of personal feelings?" Pang Tong said with a slightly serious expression, "You are willing to lead troops to the west to help stabilize the war situation in Xiangfan."

"good!"

Liu Bei held Pang Tong's hand and warned: "Swords have no eyes. You are a scribe and you should be more careful when you lead the army."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Pang Tong replied.

(End of this chapter)