Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 30 Three Longs and Two Weaknesses
This time, Du Xi did not refute.

Veteran General Zhao Yun is also known for his prudence.

When he heard that Liu Chan was going to risk the lives of his soldiers, he wanted to object but could not because Liu Chan was leading the army himself.
It is understandable that one would feel resentful and angry because he was worried that his reputation would be ruined.

Cao Zhen then asked Lai Yi, "Do you know if the false emperor and Zhao Yun have sent people upstream to store water?"

The traitor Lai Yi was stunned when he heard this, then shook his head:

"General, I don't know.

"That bandit leader, Zhao Yun, has always been strict about his laws. Ever since he arrived at Xieshui and set up camp, he has issued strict orders: no one is allowed to leave their camp without permission, or they will be punished by military law.

"Even matters like drawing water and chopping firewood were handled by him and Deng Zhi who sent special people to handle them, and then distributed them to each camp.

"This is to prevent anyone from escaping, and also to prevent those with ulterior motives from leaking Ge's empty camp strategy."

As a captain of a battalion, Lai Yi knew that the Han army's Xieshui camp was a fake camp, so he never doubted Zhao Yun's military orders.

He really didn't know what Zhao Yun and Liu Chan were planning behind the scenes.

At this moment, when he heard Cao Zhen and his military advisor asking him if he knew about Zhao Yun's water storage, he suddenly came to his senses.

It turns out that the strategy Liu Chan mentioned that day to defeat the enemy was actually the strategy Han Xin used to kill Long Ju and defeat the enemy halfway across the river?

In fact, when Liu Adou told the captains that the prime minister had a plan to defeat the enemy, he felt that it was fake. It was most likely that Liu Adou wanted to make trouble in the military camp.

There are more than 20,000 people in this empty camp, most of them are old and weak. How could Zhuge Liang take risks with these soldiers?

It can only be you, Liu Adou, who made the decision on your own.

But what can you use to fight Cao’s army?
It will be over sooner or later!

However, he never had the opportunity to communicate with Cao's army, and he was a little hesitant in his heart whether to surrender or not, after all, his family was in Shu.

Until today, when he saw Cao Zhen's army rushing towards him and felt panic, and heard Cao Zhen himself shouting that those who surrender would not be killed, he couldn't help but be moved.

When he was in Shu, he would listen to his uncle say all day that Liu Chan would be finished sooner or later. He had long been disappointed with Shu Han and yearned for the Wei Dynasty.

Now the opportunity has come. If a captain like me surrenders, the impact on the war situation will be so great that I may be able to obtain a title of nobility in your Cao Wei, right?

You, Cao Wei, will definitely set me up as an example and publicize me widely so that more people in Shu can learn from me, right?

Thinking about the possibility of being promoted to a marquis, Lai Yi wanted to laugh.

On the other side, Cao Zhen looked up and down at the surrendered general who was lost in thought, trying to figure out whether what he said was credible.

Finally, he looked at Du Xi and said, "Military Advisor, what time is it now?"

Du Xi looked up at the sky and said, "It should be past 3 p.m."

Upon hearing this, Cao Zhen first looked up at the Wuzhangyuan opposite, then at the Wei River, and finally turned his head to look at the surrounding military formations.

The Wei soldiers had already formed their battle formation and were ready to wade across the river at his command.

Judging from the size of the army, it can be estimated that there were about 26,000 to 27,000 people.

In other words, the casualties in today's battle were only around two thousand soldiers.

Looking at the opposing army, there are probably only 15,000 or 16,000 soldiers left.

The total loss of those injured, dead, escaped, and surrendered was about six or seven thousand.

Almost a quadruple loss.

It seems promising, but it is actually a big loss.

——The seven hundred Tiger and Leopard Cavalry led by Pang De’s son were almost completely wiped out.

He couldn't help but feel heavy-hearted.

He is both Pang Hui and Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

The kid Pang Hui is quite popular with him.

The imperial court only maintained a total of four to five thousand cavalrymen, and today they suffered such a huge loss in one battle.

According to the dozen or so riders who escaped back, they encountered some kind of powerful crossbow that could fire continuously.

I have never heard that the Shu invaders have such a thing. I searched around the battlefield and found nothing missing.

If the corpses on the battlefield were not covered with crossbow arrows, he would have suspected that the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry who had escaped were talking nonsense.

The crossbow is inherently powerful and accurate, making it a powerful weapon against cavalry. Its only two disadvantages are its slow reloading speed and short range.

A crossbow that can fire continuously?
"General, look!"

Du Xi's voice suddenly reached Cao Zhen's ears. Cao Zhen turned his head to look at Du Xi, and then looked in the direction of Du Xi's gaze.

At this moment, the shadows of horses appeared on the Wuzhangyuan Plateau, slightly northeast of the Han army.

Cao Zhen was unhappy and became suspicious:

"Could it be the Shu cavalry?"

Because the place where the horse appeared was still six or seven miles away from where he was, and the air was filled with dust and fog, he could not see clearly who it was.

However, Liu Chan's cavalry guards have not appeared on the battlefield today.

He couldn't help but wonder if veteran general Zhao Yun had anticipated that the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry from Chang'an would cross the Wei River from the opposite side of Wuzhangyuan, and therefore sent those several hundred imperial guards to intercept them and prevent them from landing there. This was indeed beyond his expectations.

You must know that when he set out from Meiwu that day, he deliberately let the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry lead the way in order to attract the attention of the Shu army and let the Shu army know that he had brought cavalry.

In this way, the Shu army can be mobilized and their cavalry guards can be deployed on this battlefield.

As a result, the Shu army did not respond in this way.

The sudden appearance of the crossbow was indeed something he could not have predicted.

Du Xi was obviously also doubtful about whether the troops on Wuzhangyuan were Shu cavalry or Tiger and Leopard cavalry. After a moment, he advised:
"General, let's just forget it.

“We’ve gained a lot today, it’s already a big victory.

"If we wade into the water to attack the enemy, there might be unexpected changes."

This great general had said before that even if the false emperor planned to attack the enemy halfway across the river, he could still defeat the Shu army by crossing the river with half of his troops, and at that time, he might be able to capture the false emperor alive.

In response to Du Xi's dissuasion, Cao Zhen just smiled in relief:
"It's okay, let's just wait.

"Since the false emperor intends to attack us halfway across the river, he will not withdraw his troops easily.

"And if the two thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry from Chang'an were truly stopped by the Shu Cavalry on the north bank of the Wei River, they must have returned to Meiwu by now. A messenger would have reported back soon."

Du Xi suddenly understood.

There are only four or five hundred Shu cavalry, and at most they can prevent two thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry from landing, but it is absolutely impossible to wipe out all of them.

If the two thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were blocked from crossing the river, they would definitely send someone to report the news at all costs.

According to estimation, the total distance is only about seventy or eighty miles, and the messenger will arrive in less than an hour.

The army will move slowly, and it won't last long.

After a while, Du Xi saw something again.

"Look, General.

"Those flags on Wuzhangyuan seem to be those of the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry?"

Cao Zhen looked around but couldn't see clearly.

He squinted his eyes and looked at it for a long time, then frowned and looked horrified:

“No, I have an appointment with His Majesty!
"If the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry of Chang'an arrives, they will raise five flags, three long and two short as a signal!

"There are only three flags over there, they are definitely not our Chang'an Tiger and Leopard Cavalry!"

Cao Zhen couldn't help but be shocked.

Speculation is one thing, but when the facts are laid out before our eyes, it proves that Zhao Yun really anticipated that he would arrange a cavalry attack north of Wuzhangyuan.

He even successfully intercepted the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and successfully obtained the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry's flag to deceive himself. Cao Zhen had to respect Zhao Zilong, who had gone in and out of Changbanpo seven times.

Not all generals can be so comprehensive.

Moreover, how did they stop the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry from crossing the Wei River?
"General, should we fight or retreat now?" Du Xi asked.

Although he was a military advisor, he was only cautious and provided advice to the general.

The real military action still depends on the general. Only when the general makes up his mind and determines whether to fight or retreat can he plan effectively.

Cao Zhen looked up the sloping water, then looked northeast at the cavalry on Wuzhangyuan. He pondered for a long time, then suddenly laughed:
“This sloping water is only four feet deep, and there is no one guarding it for five or six miles downstream.

"Once the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry from Chang'an arrive, this sloping stream will be crossed in no time. Even if they dig a dam to release the water, it will probably take some time for the water to rise, right?"

Upon hearing this, Du Xi suddenly understood again.

Although the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry were blocked, they could not launch a surprise attack from behind.

But if two thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry crossed the sloping water from the front battlefield and chased the Shu army, how could the Shu army respond?

By then, I'm afraid the only way we can do is to dig a dam and escape when we see the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry coming from afar, right?
Moreover, the general has just sent people over the mountain to investigate upstream of Xieshui. I believe that accurate news will be received soon.

Thinking of this, Du Xi couldn't help but feel a lot of emotion when looking at this "big" general with a broad face, a heavy chin and a waist that was as round as ten.

Although this great general had said before that he would capture the false emperor alive even at the risk of attacking him halfway across the river, the fact is that this great general does not seem to be as rough as he looks.

On the other side of the Xieshui River, there was a constant stream of Shu army's civilians and auxiliary soldiers carrying rice and wounded soldiers towards the Xiegu plank road.

The two armies are still facing each other.

The wooden bridge has been destroyed.

Cao Zhen sent 6,000 troops downstream to a place where the Shu army could not intercept them, but he did not cross the sloping water, but just waited quietly.

This was to prevent the Shu army from digging the dike and releasing water, and to attack them in different directions.

It also prevented the Shu army from digging the dike and releasing water, which would block the Wei army from crossing the dike and allow them to escape safely.

The Han army was short of manpower and troops, so they remained in place and only protected the weak troops as they returned to Xiegu.

Soon, several riders came running from the direction of Meiwu.

(End of this chapter)