Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 508: Disaster in the Heart
In April, war broke out in Guanlong, Xuhuai, and Jingshang, causing great changes in the world.

Liu Bei turned west and entered Guanzhong. The Han army marched quickly on foot and cavalry. In only three or four days, they were halfway through the journey.

When the army arrived at Wuguan, Liu Bei reunited with the generals at Wuguan and left Wu Ban to guard Wuguan to prevent their retreat from being cut off. Then Zhang Fei and Pang De were ordered to lead thousands of troops as the vanguard, and the troops were directed towards Chang'an.

Before the army was about to set off, Huang Quan, the general of Shence, came up and said: "The business is located in a land of 600 miles. There are smooth passes and mountains and roads. It is easy to advance but difficult to retreat. The people of Wei are brave and good at fighting. Your Majesty is going against the road. I am afraid that the people of Wei will copy the way. With no food available, I would like to serve as my winger and join the army in Hongnong Realm to protect His Majesty's side."

Wuguandao is connected by the Bashui River Valley and the Danshui River Valley on the south side of the Qinling Mountains. It has been an important pass connecting Guanzhong and Jianghan since ancient times.

Compared with the difficult and dangerous Shu Road, Wuguan Road is generally not difficult to pass except for the difficult section into Lantian, Guanzhong. And because it is a river valley, there are many people living there, and there are two counties: Shangluo and Shang.

Shang is located in a land of 600 miles, and it seems that it can only connect Guanzhong and Jianghan. In fact, it can also reach Hongnong over the mountains, and Hongnong is connected to Luoyang.

Therefore, in addition to besieging the Han army in Lantian, Cao Wei could actually ambush the Han army halfway along the road and cut off the Han army's road.

Huang Quan was born in Badi, and he knew that there was no danger in the world, and most passes could be crossed by climbing over mountains and ridges. Seeing that Liu Bei, besides leaving a large number of troops at Wuguan, lacked vigilance and vigilance in the mountains and valleys on the flanks, he took the initiative to ask Yingtun soldiers to protect him.

Liu Bei was convinced and adopted Huang Quan's suggestion. He worshiped Huang Quan as the general of Zhenbei, supervised Shangdan's tens of thousands of people, and stationed troops at the dangerous point of Hongnong on the east side to prevent Wei's troops from taking the road and ambushing him.

The more everyone listened, the worse their expressions became. Cao Pi led his army to march south, but was sidelined by Liu Bei. Now the main force of the army is in Nanyang, while Liu Bei has advanced to Guanzhong.

Cao Zhang put his hand on the handle of the knife and said in a deep voice: "Now the enemy is facing us, and our Cao family is in danger. There is no need to study the strategy of retreating from the enemy now. All we can do is to leave all the tribes of the Sili clan and rush to Guanzhong. I am the king of Wei Rencheng. If you have the blood of the late emperor, you should lead your troops to fight on the battlefield, how can you lead women and children to death?"

"Don't dare!"

Sun Quan stood up directly from the couch, excited, and said excitedly: "Guanzhong is related to our gateway to the Wei Dynasty. Now we are attacked by water thieves. We can only send the entire country's troops to resist them. How can there be room for discussion and inquiry?"

Cao Zhang still knew that the current situation was critical, so he raised his hand to Sima Yi and said: "Sima Fujun, your majesty has entrusted you with a high-level appointment. I am willing to obey your military orders."

"Why is Your Highness dressed in military uniform?" Chen Qun asked knowingly.

Everyone reacted and saluted Cao Zhang.

"Meet the king!"

Five thousand troops were left to guard Wuguan, and five thousand troops were assigned to fight against Huang Quan. After ensuring that the rear was safe, Liu Bei led 30,000 elite infantry and cavalry and approached Shangluo City.

Liu Bei had already arrived at Chang'an, so Sun Quan was still in the mood to discuss strategies to defeat the enemy with Chen Qun. Once Chang'an is captured by Liu Bei and Guanzhong is recovered, the Wei Dynasty can directly declare its demise. This is no longer a disaster at the border, but a disaster within the heart.

Even though Sun Quan usually had thoughts of seeking personal gain and playing tricks of power, now that he was facing a formidable enemy, how could he dare to think of favoritism anymore. He is not good at military strategy, but he also knows the story of Han Lun Te's death.

"No need!"

Chen Qun tried his best to remain calm and asked: "Your Majesty has sent a letter today, saying that Liu Bei will cut the road and take Guanzhong. The army is in Nanyang and cannot mobilize enough troops. Cao Zhenxi is the only one to defend Lu Xun. Lantian and Shangluo Wei, Guo Huai and Fei Yao, have the strength." What should I do if it fails?”

As he spoke, Sun Quan looked at Chen Qun again and said: "Gong sent all the tribes of Luoyang's tribes to serve as soldiers, and sent a general to Lantian."

At the same time that Liu Bei was sending troops to Chang'an, Luoyang received Cao Pi's letter from Cao Pi and learned that Liu Bei had diverted his troops to conquer Chang'an himself. The high-ranking officials in the government and the opposition were immediately panicked.

May, Luoyang, Shangshutai.

"Jin Zhang has gathered two to three thousand people from the clan and martial arts clans, and hundreds of people on horseback. However, there are many young and old, so he may not be a match for the water thieves." Cao Zhang replied.

Sima Yi hurriedly helped Cao Zhang up and said: "Your Highness is respected, how dare you kill him? If Your Highness wants to kill the enemy, you can go to Guanzhong with Yi's army. How many troops have your Highness already joined?"

In the hall, the visitors sent by Cao Pi explained in detail the changes in the war to Sima Yi, Sun Quan, and Chen Qun.

As soon as he finished speaking, a deep voice came from outside the palace. Everyone looked for the name, and saw Cao Zhang, the king of Rencheng. He was wearing heavy black fish scale armor, with a long sword on his waist, and an iron-faced bag in his hand. His steps were strong and steady.

Sun Quan looked at Sima Yi and said: "Your Majesty has given you and I troops of five thousand each. Although these troops have not yet returned, disaster for our family is ahead. We should not hesitate. We should send troops and horses to the west quickly to surround Liu Bei. Lan Tian Ba ​​Shang."

Sima Yi pondered for a while and said: "Yi and Sun Zhenguo each have 5,000 men and horses. Your Highness can now lead the cavalry to travel day and night to Lantian in Guanzhong first. Yi will lead the rest of the infantry, leave the baggage and go forward together, and follow His Highness's troops."

Then, Sima Yi warned: "The enemy has come all the way from Jianghan and does not know the details of our army. When Your Highness leads the cavalry to Lantian, if the enemy's troops have reached Ba Shang, they can bluff and pretend to be false, making Liu Bei suspicious and dare not Enter lightly."

"You should feel at ease!"

Cao Zhang raised his head and smiled, and said confidently: "I am alone across Wuhuan, and I am attacking Liaodong. No one can stop me. I ride to Bashui alone, just like Liu Bei crossing the river. If I use my cavalry to cross over, I will definitely break his army; if Liu Bei is afraid and does not If you advance, you will lower your camp and wait for your troops." After saying this, Cao Zhang marched out with his sword and tiger steps, and immediately led his cavalry westward to Lantian, Guanzhong.

After Cao Zhang left, Sima Yi stepped forward and held Sun Quan's hand, saying: "Your Majesty has entrusted you and me with a great responsibility. Now the family in Guanzhong is in trouble, so we can only do our best. When Yi goes to Guanzhong, the affairs of the country will depend on you!"

"Please rest assured Zhongda!"

Sun Quan sounded excited and promised: "Quan should send Chinese manpower and material resources to respond to Guanzhong. I only hope that you will take action to retreat Liu Bei. The four dangerous places in Guanzhong are close to the capital, and they must not be taken advantage of by Liu Bei."

"good!"

Sun Quan and Sima Yi originally had a minor power dispute due to their relationship as chief and deputy chief. Now that the enemy is in front, all conflicts between Sun Quan and Sima Yi have been put aside and they can concentrate on dealing with the foreign enemy Liu Bei.

I have to say that Liu Bei's transfer to Guanzhong was very surprising in terms of strategy and tactics, but don't forget that Cao Wei is still a huge empire that rules the Central Plains, and its war potential in times of crisis is particularly amazing.

As Liu Bei transferred to Wuguan, the focus of his war also switched to Wuguan.

Liu Bei set out from Wuguan, aiming at Chang'an, and the morale of his troops was high. Zhang Fei and Pang De were in the front, attacking everywhere they went. They attacked several cities in a row, and their troops were approaching Shangluo City.

When he heard that Liu Bei had led his elite troops into Guanzhong, even though Cao Zhen was prepared, he was also horrified. However, because Ma Chao's troops entered Longyou and Lu Xun's troops sent out from Tangluo to threaten Guanzhong, it was difficult for him to return. He had to order Fei Yao and Guo Huai to try their best to defend Shangluo and Lantian.

Fei Yao defended Shangluo with 3,000 men. Zhang Fei and Pang De's troops were unable to defeat him in a bloody battle. They only went down to the camp to wait for Liu Bei who was rearing. Taking advantage of the opportunity to breathe, Fei Yao immediately sent a letter to Guo Huai, asking him to lead the military department to come to rescue.

Guo Huai, who was stationed in Lantian, wrote a letter vetoing Fei Yao's request.

Guo Huai wrote a letter saying that in Chang'an, the old capital of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bei has always regarded the prosperity of the Han Dynasty as his own responsibility. Now that he has brought troops, the morale of his troops will be high, so he can only avoid its sharp edge and then defend it. Moreover, Lantian's troops and horses are weak, and even if they have Shangluo City, they may not be the enemy of Liu Bei's powerful army. The terrain of Lantian is rugged and surrounded by mountains on three sides. Build a fortress and hold it firmly. If you gather the power of the pass, you may be able to stop it...

Guo Huai's letter is very long, analyzing the current war situation for Fei Yao. He said that Liu Bei has been plotting Chang'an for a long time. This time he marches, the morale of Liu Bei and his men will be high. There are few soldiers in Guanzhong now and they cannot confront Liu Bei head-on.

Guo Huai not only rejected Fei Yao's request for help, but also suggested that Fei Yao lead his troops to withdraw to Lantian and stay with him to wait for Luoyang's troops to rescue him.

If the facts are as Guo Huai said, Liu Bei's determination to defeat Chang'an is extraordinary and extraordinary. After he set out from Wuguan, he divided his money among his subordinates, and made an appointment with his subordinates to "go to Chang'an and divide all the treasury in the city." The morale of the army's lieutenants suddenly became high.

And under the command of Liu Bei, they were invincible in every battle along the way, and no city could be conquered. Now that the army was approaching Shangluo City, Liu Bei first sent people into the city to persuade him to surrender, but Fei Yao refused to surrender. Liu Bei directly selected the dead soldiers to attack the city first, went to the battlefield in person, and attacked the city for two days.

After two days, the Han army suffered many casualties, and the defenders in the city also suffered heavy casualties. Unable to bear it any longer, Fei Yao led his troops to leave the city and defect to Guo Huai's army stationed in Lantian.

Seeing Fei Yao abandoning the city and fleeing, Liu Bei took advantage of the situation and entered the city to comfort the people in the city. But the merchants and the common people all ate the pulp from their pots and welcomed the king's master happily.

The army did not dare to stay too long in Shangluo. Liu Bei, on Fa Zheng's suggestion, led his elite troops to Guanzhong. The journey was more than a hundred miles, but due to the rugged mountain roads, the Han army had no choice but to walk for two days.

When the banner of the Han army under Liu Bei appeared in Lantian, the officials in Chang'an and other border cities were shaken and uneasy. However, because Guo Huai was guarding Lantian, Liu Bei's army was blocked in Qingni and was not allowed to enter the pass. The Jingzhao nobles were waiting to see the situation and did not dare to take any action.

Guo Huai was worthy of being a famous general. He knew very well that the morale of Liu Bei's troops was so high that he could not defeat him head-on. During Liu Bei's advance, Guo Huai deliberately moved his camp to the mountain, high up and down, strengthened the camp, and set up many traps to welcome Liu Bei's troops.

When Liu Bei's troops arrived at Qingni, they saw Guo and Fei's troops descending into camp. They had no choice but to attack the camp along the mountain. After attacking for several days, the two armies suffered heavy casualties and could not be defeated.

Immediately afterwards, Fazheng suggested that Liu Bei send troops to bypass the mountains, abandon the siege of Guo Huai, and sneak attack Chang'an. Liu Bei accepted Fa Zheng's strategy and sent Tai Shiheng to lead three thousand elite troops across the Ba River and headed straight for Chang'an.

Guo Huai had already taken precautions. In Fei Yao's confusion, he abandoned the mountain camp and retreated to the west bank of Ba River. He defeated Tai Shiheng who wanted to sneak around and attack later, and voluntarily ceded the east of Ba River to Liu Bei.

Although the strategy of sneak attack on Chang'an failed, Liu Bei finally defeated Guo Huai and obtained the land of Badong.

After resting for a day, Liu Bei ordered Liu Feng to lead his troops across the river. Guo Huai retreated and showed weakness to lure the enemy, so Liu Feng led his troops halfway across the river to pursue him. Cao Zhang led his cavalry to fight out. Two thousand cavalry gathered Guo Huai's five thousand troops and defeated Liu Feng. The Han army drowned nearly a thousand people.

Fortunately, Liu Bei built a pontoon bridge and sent Pang De to cross the river. He was able to defeat Cao Zhang and Guo Huai and rescue Liu Feng and his troops.

After Cao Zhang and Guo Huai joined forces, Cao Zhang wanted to camp under the river and retreat the enemy to Ba River.

Guo Huai believed that Liu Bei's defeat was small, but the enemy was still numerous and we were outnumbered. The purpose of setting up camp before the battle is to show weakness to the enemy. It is better to set up camp far away from the water, repeat the old strategy, and attack after crossing halfway. Liu Bei is cunning. If you see him now, you will definitely be suspicious of him. I will only look for him to defeat me.

Cao Zhang adopted Guo Huai's suggestion, and the two of them set up camp on a high hill on the west bank of the Ba River. Liu Bei wanted to cross the river again, but seeing the two men's arrangement, he suspected that they had an ambush and did not dare to advance rashly.

(End of this chapter)