Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 693 Liang Xin Da Sima

In October, the Han camp was established in Yunan.

Soldiers and civilians were scattered across the countryside, harvesting crops in the fields. The cool breeze blew past, and the ears of wheat swayed gracefully.

Zhuge Liang stopped on the hill and asked, "How is the harvest in the fields now?"

"Not bad!"

Yang Yi replied, "Wancheng's soil is fertile and can be used as farmland. Water can be poured into the fields and rice can be planted. The harvest this autumn will be enough to feed 20,000 soldiers."

Zhuge Liang looked out over the fertile fields and sighed, "Nanyang has been a prosperous place since ancient times, with thousands of acres of fertile fields and a population that is the best in the world. However, during the turbulent times of the Han Dynasty, the people died out and the fields and houses were abandoned. Looking at the graves and houses on the road today, we can see how prosperous it was in the past."

As he spoke, Zhuge Liang smiled and said optimistically: "Now the Grand Marshal's troops have risen from all cities, sweeping across Qingqi, and are gradually showing signs of reviving the Han. If they can control Mount Tai again, march westward and join forces with our army, they will be able to recover the old capital. When Nanyang is under control, the displaced people will gather and revive easily!"

Seeing Zhuge Liang so optimistic, Yang Yi hesitated for a moment and said, "There are rumors about the Grand Marshal in the army now. I don't know whether I should tell you or not?"

Zhuge Liang looked calm and said with a smile: "What is it that makes Lord Wei hesitate?"

Yang Yi and Ma Liang looked at each other and said, "Prime Minister, there have been many rumors in the army recently, saying that the Grand Marshal has recruited old officials from Qi and Lu, gathered his former subordinates, and appeased the people in the countryside, with the intention of occupying Qingxu and establishing his own regime."

"And then?" Zhuge Liang asked back.

"This~"

Yang Yi hesitated and said, "Prime Minister, the Grand Marshal is a strong soldier with old subordinates all over the country, and he is eyeing the whole world. If he has the intention of rebellion, then... Now the rumors are spreading everywhere, I am afraid they are not groundless, I hope the Prime Minister will make a wise decision."

Zhuge Liang stroked his fan and thought, then asked, "What's Ji Chang's opinion?"

Ma Liang frowned and said, "Prime Minister, I have had many contacts with the Grand Marshal. Judging from his past behavior, he may not have the intention to rebel. The rumors now are not credible. I am afraid that this is a plan by the Wei people to sow discord."

"Prime Minister, the Grand Marshal holds a strong army. The Governor of Yangzhou, Bu Zhi, is related to him. Jianghuai has been his home for a long time. Now he has won the hearts of the people of Qingxu. We need to be prepared for any eventuality." Yang Yi said cautiously.

"Be careful!"

Zhuge Liang raised his eyebrows slightly and said solemnly: "The Grand Marshal has devoted all his energy to the country for more than 20 years, and has been entrusted with the care of the orphan by the late emperor. Now that he is at the age of destiny, he has gone through so much hardship to launch the Northern Expedition. How can I tolerate criticism?"

As he spoke, Zhuge Liang turned his back to Yang Yi and said, "The Grand Marshal conquered Qi and established the foundation for the Han Dynasty. Wei has been declining since then. The rumors now slandering the Grand Marshal are an old trick of Tian Dan to restore Qi. They want the Han Dynasty to destroy its own Great Wall. Don't believe them."

"Where is Ji Chang?"

"Liang is here!"

Zhuge Liang ordered, "From now on, thoroughly investigate the rumors in the army. If anyone gathers a crowd to criticize the Grand Marshal, he will be executed for the crime of inciting chaos."

Seeing Zhuge Liang's big reaction, Yang Yi hurriedly said, "Prime Minister, I am worried about state affairs and have no intention of criticizing the Grand Marshal."

Zhuge Liang slowed down his tone and said, "How could I not know the loyalty of Lord Wei? But from now on, you should be careful in what you say and do, and don't listen to rumors."

"promise!"

Before leaving, Zhuge Liang pointed to the crops in the fields and said, "Winter is approaching. Harvest the crops and do not leave them in the wild."

"promise!"

Wei Zhen's rumors about Huo Jun might make Yang Yi suspicious because Huo Jun was too powerful, but it would have no effect on Zhuge Liang.

In Zhuge Liang's view, if Huo Jun intended to rebel, he would definitely plan it secretly in Qingxu, so why would he let the lower-level officers in the army know first? Moreover, Qi County is thousands of miles away from Nanyang, so why contact the lower-level officers and soldiers in Jianghan now?
Not to mention that before going to war, Huo Jun specifically found Zhuge Liang and expressed his intention to retire. Huo Jun was already determined to retire, so how could he suddenly change his mind and become emperor!

Analyzing the current situation, Zhuge Liang saw through the rumors at a glance. It was probably Cao Wei who was trying to stir up conflicts between the monarch and his ministers in order to sabotage the Han Dynasty's Northern Expedition.

Zhuge Liang came into the tent from the fields. Fearing that rumors would spread in Wuhan, he wrote a letter to Liu Chan, telling him about the story of three people making a tiger, and asked Liu Chan not to believe the rumors.

"Somebody come!"

Zhuge Liang hung up his towel and said, "Send this letter to Your Majesty by express horse!"

"promise!"

After the attendants quickly left, Ma Su came in with a letter, looking extremely happy.

"Prime Minister, good news from Guanxi!"

"But is there any news of victory at Chencang?" Zhuge Liang asked with anticipation on his face.

"No!"

Ma Su suppressed his smile and said, "Prime Minister, Wei Liangzhou Governor Guo Huai went south to attack the counties in Longyou. Lu Xun sent Generals Wei Yan and Jiang Wei to Longyou and defeated Guo Huai at Fengyi Mountain. Guo Huai fled and returned north across the Great River."

"Not only that, in order to prevent Guo Huai from going south to disturb us, Jiang Wei sent people to contact the Qiang people in Hexi. Now Guo Huai's army was defeated at Fengyi Mountain, and the evil Qiang people in Hexi rebelled, so they should no longer have the energy to go south. Now the general's troops can focus on resisting Cao Zhen, and don't worry about Guo Huai!"

Guo Huai's troops were in Hexi, like a sword hanging over Longyou. Now Lu Xun sent troops from Longyou, not only had to fight against Cao Zhen, but also had to divide his troops to guard against Guo Huai, so that he was suppressed by Cao Zhen at the entrance of Chencang.

In order to guard against Guo Huai, Lu Xun sent Wei Yan and Jiang Wei to attack. Wei Yan was unwilling to defend, so he and Jiang Wei took the initiative to attack, seeking a decisive battle with Guo Huai. Guo Huai also wanted to fight in the field, and the two armies met at Fengyi Mountain.

In the Battle of Fengyishan, the Han army had over 10,000 soldiers, while the Wei army had 20,000 Han and Hu soldiers.

Wei Yan deployed the central army with spears, sharp blades, and powerful crossbows, while Jiang Wei led the elite cavalry of the Han army. Guo Huai's troops were in disarray, so he divided his troops into three groups to resist. Wei Yan led his troops to resist Guo Huai's attack, while Jiang Wei led his cavalry to break the Hu cavalry. The Hu cavalry was defeated and fled, and Jiang Wei took advantage of the situation to attack the Wei army from behind, turning the situation on the battlefield around. Guo Huai saw that the situation was not good, so he led his troops to flee far away.

After the victory at Fengyi Mountain, Jiang Wei contacted the evil Qiang tribe in Hexi. The evil Qiang tribe in Hexi had been dissatisfied with Guo Huai's rule, and when they learned that Guo Huai had been defeated, they rebelled against Cao Wei.

When Guo Huai learned of the internal unrest and his defeat at the hands of Wei Yan, he had no choice but to retreat.

Jiang Wei wanted to go north because he had contact with the Qiang people in Hexi. However, Wei Yan rejected Jiang Wei's suggestion on the grounds that the military in Guanzhong was more important than the military in Hexi.

Wei Yan was worried that Lu Xun would interfere with his military operations, so he took the initiative to enter Guanzhong via the Jing River without saying hello, preparing to take Chang'an directly, and then join forces with Lu Xun to attack Cao Zhen.

The Jingshui River was more than a thousand miles long, and Wei Yan's initial march was smooth. He conquered Anding County, broke through various cities, and marched straight to Chang'an. Unfortunately, because the road was too long, Cao Zhen learned of Wei Yan's march and sent Wei Ping to occupy Qi County to resist Wei Yan, thus blocking Wei Yan's advance.

Lu Xun was both happy and angry when he learned of Wei Yan's actions. He was happy that Wei Yan defeated Guo Huai, but also angry that Wei Yan sent troops without authorization. Considering the war situation and to reduce the pressure of the army on Chencang Road, Lu Xun sent troops to support Wei Yan and let him maintain his competitiveness in the Jingshui River Valley.

It can be said that Wei Yan's defeat of Guo Huai and Cao Zhen's division of troops in the Jingshui River Valley greatly alleviated the difficulties faced by Lu Xun.

"Wen Chang defeated Guo Huai at Fengyi, which can relieve Bo Yan's worries. Now the troops have entered Jingshui and divided the troops at Weishui, which can relieve Bo Yan's current difficulties."

Zhuge Liang read the battle report from Longyou and said with emotion: "In the past, the late emperor thought that Wen Chang had the ability to be a great general, so he placed him in Bashu. Now he has achieved many remarkable feats, which is enough to prove the wisdom of the late emperor!"

Although Wei Yan was arrogant, he was indeed a great general. Although his strategy was not as good as Guo Huai's, his tactics were better than Guo Huai's. Moreover, Wei Yan was outstanding in martial arts, brave in battle, and daring in assaults, which even Wang Ping could not match.

"Prime Minister, we have had a great victory in Fengyi in Guanxi and great victories in Zhucheng in Qingzhou. Although our army's responsibility is to contain the Wei army in the capital, we cannot do nothing just because Sima Yi is defending!" Ma Su suggested.

Zhuge Liang put down the battle report and said, "I was worried about the battle of Chencang, but now Wen Chang has defeated the enemy, which is enough to relieve my current worries!"

Ma Su asked, "What does the Prime Minister mean?"

Zhuge Liang stood up and walked to the map, saying: "Sima Yi is now firmly defending Bowang, and it is very difficult to defeat his army. However, judging from the current situation, our army may be able to send out a surprise attack!"

After the victory at Laokou, the Han army gained an advantage when marching northwards. However, Zhuge Liang, who was of a steady character, did not dare to use aggressive tactics, considering his mission of containing the capital, and instead confronted Sima Yi across the Yu River.

With the victory in the Guanzhong and Qingqi battle zones, Huo Jun led his troops to sweep Qingqi, and the Han army had room for error, so Zhuge Liang dared to consider trying a surprise attack.

Zhuge Liang's style of using troops is positive, which is very suitable for pinning down the main force of the enemy. He uses troops in an unexpected way, and only dares to send out troops when he has a strategic advantage. Therefore, if Zhuge Liang wants to march north, he needs to use famous generals like Han and Bai to open up the battlefield space for him.

Zhuge Liang pointed at the map with his fan and said, "Luoyang and Nanyang are separated by Xiong'er Mountain. If we want to enter Luoyang, we need to enter Xuying from Fangcheng, and then enter Luoyang through Chongguan. Now our army and Sima Yi are facing each other at Yushui, and the Fangcheng Road is cut off, so we can't enter Luoyang."

"However, if we can cross Xiong'er Mountain, pass through Xixian and Luhun, follow the Yishui River, and pass Yique Pass, we can reach the capital. Now if we can send a small army to take this route, even if we cannot win, we can still shock Cao Rui."

As he spoke, Zhuge Liang looked at Ma Su and said with a smile: "The capital is in turmoil, Cao Rui is afraid, and he will station a large number of troops in Luoyang."

The road that Zhuge Liang mentioned basically bypassed Bowang where Sima Yi was stationed, passed through Wuguan, crossed Xiong'er Mountain, entered Hongnong, and went along the Yi River.

Yishui is the main river in Luoyang, flowing from southwest to southeast. Once the Han army appeared in the Yishui River basin or arrived at Yique Pass, the impact on Cao Wei can be imagined.

Such deployment of troops can not only achieve the purpose of shocking the enemy, but also force Cao Rui to station troops in Luoyang. Once Cao Rui stationed troops in Luoyang, it will help Lu Xun and Huo Jun share the pressure.

Although Zhuge Liang used his troops correctly, it did not mean that he would not use surprise tactics. The strategy of knocking on the mountain to scare the tiger was the strategy Zhuge Liang had been conceiving in recent months.

Ma Su was amazed and bowed in admiration, saying, "The troops marched out of Xiong'er and attacked Luoyang, shaking the capital and the people of Wei. I am deeply impressed by the Prime Minister's strategy."

"Ha ha!"

Zhuge Liang stroked his fan and smiled, saying, "Youchang, call General Zilong here on my behalf."

"promise!"

After a while, Zhao Yun entered the tent wearing armor and carrying a sword, and said, "Yun greets the Prime Minister!"

"General Zilong, you are so polite!"

Zhuge Liang took Zhao Yun's hand and walked to the map of the capital, saying, "It is not a long-term strategy for our army to fight Sima Yi for a long time. Liang wants to send out a surprise attack to shock Cao Rui. Liang originally wanted to let someone else lead the army, but considering Zilong's reputation, this task must belong to Zilong!"

"But Liang is also worried about Zilong's health. In addition, this mission requires going deep into enemy territory, so he is hesitant!"

Zhao Yun looked serious, cupped his hands and said: "I followed the late emperor into battle, wearing armor and holding sharp weapons, going deep into dangerous places, fearless of everything. Why would I be afraid of entering the Yi River now?"

Zhao Yun pounded his chest and said, "Although I am old, I have the bravery of Lian Po and Ma Yuan. Please give me your orders, Prime Minister!"

"good!"

Seeing Zhao Yun's statement, Zhuge Liang no longer hesitated and gave instructions, saying: "I want you to lead 5,000 elite soldiers and 5,000 old and weak people to carry food, cross Xiong'er Mountain to Hongnong, and then go down the Yi River, deep into the enemy's territory, to threaten Luoyang."

"However, Zilong is deep in the enemy's territory, so he must not lead his troops to fight. If he encounters Wei soldiers, the general should lead his troops to retreat quickly. The general's mission is not to kill the enemy, but to disturb the capital and make the Wei people panic."

Zhuge Liang had no intention of letting Zhao Yun take Luoyang directly. His fundamental purpose was to use Zhao Yun's reputation and the news of the Han army appearing in Yishui to intimidate.

Zhao Yun wrote down the route and said, "Please rest assured, Prime Minister. I will remember the military order!"

Zhuge Liang took Zhao Yun's hand and said, "You need to hire a guide to lead the way when you cross mountains and ridges. If there is any change, you should leave quickly and don't fight alone."

"Thank you for your warning, Prime Minister!"

(End of this chapter)