My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 478 Shocked Xiahou Yuan for a Whole Year
After Huang Zhong and Su Fei formulated a siege strategy that focused on deterrence and expulsion, supplemented by attacking and killing, the Battle of West City soon began.

The 30,000 Jingzhou troops did not bother to spend time building a solid siege camp. After hastily setting up camp, they put all their energy into destroying the outer fortifications.

Xicheng County is located in a mountainous area. Although it is close to the Han River, it is impossible to dig a moat because of the large difference in terrain between the east and west sides of the city.

The altitude of the east side of the city is several feet lower than that of the west side. If a moat is dug that runs through the entire city, all the water in the river channel in the west side of the city will flow into the east side and overflow, and it will be impossible to store water.

In addition, the county town in the Qinling Mountains was not rich in manpower, and it was not a battleground before. The Shen family invested very little manpower in building the city and repairing fortifications. In the end, Xicheng County was only defended on the south side by the Han River, and the other three sides were simply dug with a few dry trenches and bitter bamboo sticks inside to form pits.

Facing this kind of fortification, the Jingzhou army could easily destroy it by just piling up manpower. 20,000 out of 30,000 people worked day and night, and in just two days, they had filled in countless gaps in the trap trenches, enough to push the siege vehicles through.

With such a short time, it was too late to assemble and build the Gegong Car, so Huang Zhong did not count on those equipment. He just used a large number of flying ladders, several small cloud ladders, and several battering rams.

The 30,000 Jingzhou troops fought in batches, attacking the city day and night.

There were only 3,000 regular army garrisons in the West City, as well as even more local militiamen. In addition, they had just heard a few days ago that Shangyong had been captured and Shen Dan had been killed, so the morale of the garrison was very low.

In contrast, the Jingzhou army came on the strength of a victory, with morale high. After a burst of momentum, Shen Yi soon could not hold on.

On the evening of the second day after the attack, the Jingzhou army's offensive still showed no signs of slowing down. Several generals around Shen Yi urged him to think of a way out quickly, and complained that the soldiers could no longer hold on, and the elite armored troops of the Jingzhou army had rushed to the top of the city several times.

In panic, Shen Yi had to organize his personal guards and be ready to abandon the city and break out at any time.

As luck would have it, just when Shen Yi was considering running away, there was a loud shout from the direction of the north tower. Shen Yi quickly sent someone to ask, and saw a messenger with a bloody face riding a horse galloping towards him, asking for help:
"General, it's bad! Old Huang Zhong has personally led his elite armored soldiers to charge onto the city walls! Sima Wu at the north gate is begging you to send reinforcements to block the entrance, or we won't be able to hold out!"

When Shen Yi heard this, he was like, what's the point of filling this bottomless pit? Hurry up and get out of here!
Shen Yi quickly mounted his horse, whipped his horse whip, and then waved his hand. More than a hundred personal guards and more direct infantry surrounded him and fled to the west gate. Before leaving, Shen Yi only left a sentence to the emergency messenger:

"Tell Lao Wu to hold on! There are no reinforcements!"

After leaving behind this declaration of betraying his teammates, Shen Yi led his troops out of the west gate of Xicheng, rushed upstream against the Han River, and fled to Anyang County, Hanzhong Prefecture, which no one knew whether it belonged to Zhang Lu or Xiahou Yuan.

(Note: This Anyang County is completely different from the Anyang in Henan. This Anyang County is named after its location on the north bank of Anshui, a tributary of the Han River, which is now Shiquan County, Ankang City, Shaanxi Province)

Huang Zhong and Su Fei took advantage of the situation to seize the county town, quickly ended the battle, eliminated the remaining bandits, appeased the people, rebuilt fortifications and were ready for battle.

Liu Qi didn't care about Shen Yi's escape. He just let him run away.

At this point, the battle of 30,000 Jingzhou troops to seize Shangyong came to a successful conclusion.

Fangling, Yangxian, Wudang, Shangyong, Xicheng and other counties were all captured. Liu Qi was also very excited - this was the first time he had made achievements and opened up land since he was reused by his father!
Of course, Liu Qi immediately asked his secretary to write a detailed victory report and have someone take a fast boat down the river to send it to Xiangyang to make his father happy and ask for instructions on how to deal with the next stage.

The victory report also reminded his father of the risks, telling him that "Xiahou Yuan could arrive in Anyang County at any time and threaten Xicheng." Liu Biao also had to decide whether the 30,000-man army should stay in Shangyong and how long they should stay.

……

Liu Qi led Huang Zhong and Su Fei to achieve great things.

In Nanxiang County of Hanzhong County, 260 miles northwest of Xicheng County, Cao's general Xiahou Yuan was carrying out the final siege on Zhang Lu.

Xiahou Yuan broke through Yangping Pass two months ago, and then within just five or six days, he advanced to Dingjun Mountain and seized the commanding heights in the Nanzheng Basin. Half a month later, he captured Nanzheng, the seat of Hanzhong.

Afterwards, Chenggu, Mianyang, Nanxiang and other places were almost conquered by the order. However, Zhang Lu himself sealed up the treasury and fled southward into the Daba Mountain area, which made Xiahou Yuan's search and suppression difficult.

The northern army was unfamiliar with mountain warfare or the geographical environment of the Daba Mountains.

Moreover, it was June and July, the hottest and most humid season of the year. In the hot mountain jungles, the northern soldiers soon suffered a large number of non-combat casualties. Although most of them were not fatal, they would still lie down for ten days or half a month and need to be slowly recuperated.

Xiahou Yuan wasted a month due to the unfamiliarity of the place and the hot and humid weather.

Later, Jia Xu helped him think of a solution: he suggested that Xiahou Yuan use pursuit and suppression as a supplement and persuasion as the main approach, and sent an urgent envoy to Xudu to ask Cao Gong for instructions, asking Cao Gong to personally state that he would not settle accounts with the rice bandits, would not eliminate the Five Pecks of Rice Sect, and acknowledge that there was a difference between the rice bandits and the Yellow Turbans and Taiping Dao of the past.

Xiahou Yuan was not happy about this at first, but seeing that it was not easy to go deep into the Daba Mountains in the summer, things were delayed, and recently he heard that Liu Biao of Jingzhou might make unusual moves, Xiahou Yuan was afraid that the night would be long and dreams would arise, so he had to do this. The urgent messenger traveled day and night over the mountains and ridges, crossed the Qinling Mountains and took the Wuguan Road, and took a lot of detours to ask Cao Cao for instructions.

Cao Cao's idea coincided with Jia Xu's. He was looking at the overall situation of the world. Of course, Cao Cao could sense that Liu Biao and Liu Bei might make unusual moves, so when Xiahou Yuan's envoy arrived, Cao Cao approved his affirmative opinion without any hesitation.

He also sent someone to deliver an imperial edict with the seal of the Sikong Mansion, expressing his opinion of pardoning the leader of the rice bandits.

When Cao Cao's imperial edict was delivered to Nanxiang County, Xiahou Yuan managed to contact Zhang Lu who had hidden in the mountains and negotiated terms. When Zhang Lu heard that the rice thief could be cleansed, he decisively came out of the mountains and surrendered.

Just seven or eight days before Zhang Lu formally surrendered, Xiahou Yuan actually received another urgent message for help from Shangyong area in the east, which was sent by Shen Dan from Shangyong County.

At that time, Xiahou Yuan found Jia Xu and discussed the solution: "Shangyong Shen Dan wanted to surrender to the court, but was forced by Liu Biao. I hope our army will rescue him as soon as possible.

But the imperial edict pardoning Zhang Lu was sent to Baxi yesterday. Now is the critical moment to deter Zhang Lu from surrendering. What do you think should be given priority?"

At that time, Jia Xu simply asked the commander of the Jingzhou army and learned that Liu Qi had brought two local Jingzhou generals with no meritorious service to attack Shangyong. Jia Xu made a rare mistake. After thinking about it, he replied to Xiahou Yuan:
"Liu Qi has never been in a battle. Could it be that Liu Biao is old and frail, and is afraid that he can't suppress Cai Mao and can't support his eldest son to take over the throne a hundred years later, so he lets Liu Qi come to gain some military merit?

Compared with Shangyong, Hanzhong is naturally much more important. Although the counties of Hanzhong have fallen into our hands, this place has been bewitched by the rice thieves for decades. If we cannot remove the leaders of the rice thieves and use them for our own benefit, Hanzhong will not be able to remain peaceful for long.

Please do not doubt, General, and continue to use your military might to subdue Zhang Lu, so as to avoid complications. Liu Qi is just a rich and powerful man, even if he has tens of thousands of soldiers, it is impossible for him to defeat Shangyong within half a month, we still have time."

Xiahou Yuan himself also thought this was true. In addition, the two suggestions that Jia Xu had given him before had both come true and the results were very good, so Xiahou Yuan followed his advice.

The main reason was that Huang Zhong and Su Fei had no outstanding military achievements known to the world before, so it was reasonable for Xiahou Yuan to look down on them.

……

The time soon came for Zhang Lu to formally come out and surrender.

Zhang Lu did not carry the bundle of twigs himself, but asked his servants to carry the coffin, took a bundle of twigs, and brought some money, wine and meat as tributes and rewards to the soldiers, and then came to Nanxiang County.

Xiahou Yuan also gave enough face and, following Jia Xu's instructions, personally went out of the south gate of Nanxiang County to welcome Zhang Lu.

As soon as the two sides met, Zhang Lu knelt down and confessed his guilt. Xiahou Yuan also walked across the venue, broke the whip that Zhang Lu had taken from others, and threw it on the empty coffin. He then took a torch and burned the empty coffin to show that he would not hold Zhang Lu accountable for the past.

Xiahou Yuan: "General Zhang, don't worry too much. Cao Gong cares about the world and is magnanimous. He said he would pardon the rice thief, and he will definitely pardon him. As long as you are willing to live in Chang'an, I can guarantee that your Zhang family will be rich and prosperous for the rest of your life."

Zhang Lu declined repeatedly and was then taken away.

Xiahou Yuan looked at Zhang Lu's timid back and a sense of pride rose in his heart.

The heroic strategy and outstanding achievements of Hubu Guanyou added a lot to the history.

Xiahou Yuan patted Jia Xu on the shoulder, very proudly: "Today is a good day, Wenhe, after returning to the city, you must drink with me! After rewarding the soldiers enough, we will start to rescue the Shangyong Shen family tomorrow!"

Jia Xu was humble and indifferent. He always followed Xiahou Yuan's words and sang his praises.

However, Xiahou Yuan's complacency did not last long.

He had just returned to the city and had just finished a few drinks with Jia Xu when several urgent messengers came galloping from the lower reaches of the Han River in the east, entered Nanxiang City, and headed straight for the county government office.

"General! Urgent news from Shangyong! Huang Zhong conquered Shangyong County in one day and killed Shen Dan. Then Liu Qi led Huang Zhong and Su Fei to advance upstream and have surrounded Xicheng County! Shen Yi from Xicheng is in urgent need of help!"

Xiahou Yuan had just drunk three bowls of wine and was only slightly tipsy. He sobered up completely after hearing this: "What? An old nameless guy actually has this ability? He conquered Shangyong in one day?! Hasn't he followed old Liu Biao for many years? Why haven't I heard of his military exploits before?"

Xiahou Yuan stood up suddenly, flicked his sleeves, and swept the wine cups to the ground. He paced back and forth anxiously like an angry beast. The more he thought about it, the more incredible it seemed to him.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

(End of this chapter)