People in the Three Kingdoms: Starting from Preaching

Chapter 526 Trail
Zhang Wei followed him out of the tent and frowned when he saw the dangerous pass in the distance.

For the two brothers, Jianmen Pass was actually not unfamiliar, as it was the place that blocked the road from Hanzhong to Shuzhong. As long as Jianmen Pass was not lost, it would be difficult to break into Shuzhong.

Of course, Jianmen Pass is not the only way to enter Shu, but it is definitely the most convenient way for the army to move. If a large-scale attack is to be launched, Jianmen Pass is almost a key pass that must be removed. At least this is the idea of ​​both sides inside and outside Jianmen Pass at this time.

Zhang Lu took a look at the camp. What he saw were densely packed military tents and soldiers performing various guard duties. The 80,000-man force almost covered all the nearby hilltops.

In order to set up camp, all the surrounding trees were cleared to form a relatively wide area, and the felled wood could be used on-site to make equipment.

From any perspective, Zhang Lu's attack this time was serious.

Zhang Lu was serious about attacking Jianmen Pass, but he was also not serious.

These 80,000 Hanzhong troops almost emptied out all of Hanzhong's assets. They included not only a large group of believers, but also many temporarily recruited militiamen. This was all the strength that Hanzhong could muster.

In fact, Hanzhong itself was not known for its strong military power. Zhang Lu was able to stay in Hanzhong and become a local emperor because he won the hearts of the people with his relatively relaxed and friendly policies in the governance of people's livelihood.
As the Han Dynasty declined, the world was in constant strife. Looking around, there was no safe place on this land, and Hanzhong was an exception.

While people in other places were suffering from fighting and murder and their livelihoods were miserable, Hanzhong had maintained a relatively stable situation. People had enough food to eat, warm clothes to wear, and could live and work in peace. The results of this governance cannot be said to be bad.

Being able to achieve this, the people of Hanzhong naturally had a high opinion of Zhang Lu. This was especially not easy to achieve during the turbulent times.

If not for this, the Yellow Turbans might not necessarily be willing to take the initiative to negotiate and persuade Zhang Lu to surrender.

No matter what, Zhang Lu had made contributions to the people of Hanzhong, so Xuan Xia was certainly willing to look up to him and was even willing to accept Zhang Lu as a priest.

If it were any other prince who occupied a certain place, Xuan Xia would not have come to negotiate in such a nice tone. Although Xun Chen's attitude was not very friendly during the negotiation, it was just a performance required by the negotiation skills.

Of course, in addition to this, the Yellow Turbans also knew that Zhang Lu was quite popular among the people of Hanzhong. If they fell out with him, it would not only be difficult to fight him, but it would also easily lead to resentment from the local people, which would not be a good thing.

Fortunately, the result is good now and both sides do not have to face a tragedy.

"Brother, are we still going to attack the pass today?" After the two of them inspected the camp for a while, Zhang Wei asked, his eyes already fixed on Jianmen Pass in the distance.

Zhang Lu nodded when he heard this. "After all, our army is here to attract the attention of the main force of the Shu army. We have to make a show of attacking the city as we did today. Tell the generals below that they don't have to fight desperately, but they must make a loud noise and not let the enemy see any clues."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wei immediately agreed, and then called over a few generals to give them some instructions.

After the generals dispersed, the camp soon began to move. The soldiers stood up sparsely under the general's reprimand, and then frantically looked for weapons, and then rushed to the gate with long ladders on their backs under command. Jianmen Pass, which had been relatively calm just now, became tense all of a sudden. When the Hanzhong army camp moved, the Shu army soldiers on the pass also moved.

In an instant, shouts and screams rang out everywhere. Even though it was just a narrow mountain road, the Hanzhong soldiers rushed forward in a crowded crowd, and there was still some momentum. After all, when there are so many people and they shout, it is still very shocking.

The mountain roads were rugged and difficult to travel on, so the soldiers even carried some small equipment directly, and then put them together when they were not far from the pass, and then began the formal attack.

At the door, heavy battering rams hit the huge wooden door again and again, while outside, long and small ladders were erected one after another, and the soldiers rushed up with bows and arrows, rolling stones and logs, and the battle was quite fierce.

Although the combat effectiveness of the Hanzhong army was average, the Shu army guarding Jianmen Pass was not much better. The main force of Shu Han was taken away by Liu Bei, and the remaining army not only had few troops, but also had very poor combat effectiveness.

If not for this, Yan Yan, who came to guard Jianmen Pass, would not have felt so much pressure to ask Liu Bei for help. After all, there were also an army of 100,000 on the opposite side.

Whether a war can be fierce or not has nothing to do with the strength of both sides, but rather with whether the strength of both sides is balanced.

Both sides were armies with low combat effectiveness and their strength was very close, but the fighting was quite lively and back-and-forth. The two sides attacked and defended for the city walls, and the fierce battle between them was really tense, and it looked very fierce and exciting.

However, even so, the two brothers Zhang Lu and Zhang Wei, who were watching the war in the rear, were not particularly nervous, because after fighting for a while, it would be time to call off the troops, as they had been doing for many days before.

Attack Jianmen Pass?
You must be kidding. If the Shu army just randomly deployed some troops to such a dangerous pass, they would be overwhelmed. It would be a dream to attack it head-on.

From the very beginning, the Hanzhong army had never really thought about taking down Jianmen Pass. Their only mission was to launch a feint attack to attract the attention of the Shu army defenders. As long as they could create an opportunity for another army to sneak in, they would be considered a success.

What they were protecting were none other than the 20,000 elite Yellow Turban soldiers led by Wuli Xunchen, who had already unknowingly separated from the main army.

"Brother, Xun Chen said that there is a small trail through Yinping that can lead us into Shu. Is this really possible? I have never heard of this marching route before. Even you and I don't know about it, so how could the Yellow Turbans know about it?" The battle was raging in the distance, but Zhang Wei was concerned about something else.

Zhang Lu pondered for a while, "There is indeed a small road in Yinping, but it is very dangerous and difficult for a large army to pass through. If we don't want to alert the Shu army, we have to deploy a large army in front to confuse the enemy. There are not many troops that can sneak through the small road, and even if they succeed, it will not be meaningful. At least my Hanzhong army does not have the strength to carry out such a military plan. As for the Yellow Turbans, maybe it can be done."

Zhang Wei nodded in agreement after hearing this. "Although I am very dissatisfied with the price offered by Xuan Xia, the strength of the Yellow Turbans is still beyond doubt. This time the Yellow Turbans came to Hanzhong with only 20,000 troops. The force is not large, but their momentum and equipment make me tremble in my heart. I think if they really sneak into Shuzhong, 20,000 troops can turn the place upside down."

Zhang Lu glanced at him and said in a deep voice: "It's more than that. If they want to, they can turn Hanzhong upside down."

(End of this chapter)