Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 49 The land is lost and the people are lost, and both the people and the land are lost.

Wudu.

Shanglu.

In the Wei army's central tent, almost all the generals were in extreme panic.

A panic that almost makes one lose their mind.

No one could have expected that General Cao Zhen, who had won a great victory at Xieshui a few days ago and was about to join forces with them to encircle Hanzhong from three directions, had died.

How can we not panic?

A national marshal died just like that?!
At that time, when Xiahou Yuan, the governor of Guanxi military affairs, was killed in battle, the situation of Wei was far from as bad as it is now.

In the east there are Zhang Liao and Man Chong, in the south there are Cao Ren and Cao Zhen, and in the center there is Taizu.

There are also clan members such as Cao Xiu, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Shang, as well as foreign generals such as Zhang He, Xu Huang, Yu Jin, and Le Jin who can be entrusted with important tasks and rush to various battlefields at any time to respond to wars.

As soon as Xiahou Yuan died in battle, Taizu immediately mobilized his troops and generals, who were the best in the world in all aspects, rushed to the battlefield in an instant.

Since the death of Taizu, the generals of the Wei Dynasty began to fall one after another.

As for today, apart from the two clan marshals Cao Xiu and Cao Zhen, no one else has enough prestige to take on a war alone.

At this moment, the head of General Cao Zhen was right in front of them, so all the officers who were not direct subordinates of veteran General Zhang He suddenly lost their backbone and began to panic and be at a loss.

Even Zhang He never expected that after Xiahou Yuan was beheaded, he would once again have to take on the responsibility of commanding Guanxi alone.

"Right General, what should we do now?" Yongzhou Governor Guo Huai's face was extremely ugly. The originally good situation was reversed in an instant.

After a long silence, Zhang He spoke in disbelief:

"How many troops does the Shu invaders have?"

"How can we defeat the enemy first and then win, and defeat the general in just one or two days..."

As he spoke, Zhang He felt extremely uneasy.

He had always believed that the 40,000 to 50,000 Han troops led by Prime Minister Zhuge in Shanglu City were definitely the main force of the Han army's northern invasion.

But now, he wasn't sure.

Suddenly, he was horrified again:

"The General is here, but why hasn't your Majesty's angel arrived yet?!"

Guo Huai was stunned when he heard this, and was shocked when he realized what was happening:
"Right General, are you saying that the Shu invaders here are just decoys?
"The Shu invaders' true army has already cut off traffic between Guanzhong and Longyou, and has even reached Chang'an?"

It seems unreasonable for the Shu people to have an army of over 100,000 in just one state, but it is not necessarily impossible.

The population of the Yizhou Provincial Administration was nearly six million at its peak. During the reign of Dong Zhuo, there was chaos in Guanzhong, and millions of people flowed into Bashu.

After years of war, even if more than half of the households were in hiding, fled, or died, there were still two to three million people, which was enough to barely recruit an army of about 100,000.

Upon hearing Guo Huai's words, almost all of the dozen or so Wei generals and officers in the entire tent fell into panic.

Zhuge Liang's army of 40,000 to 50,000 was already so difficult to deal with.

If this was actually a weak force of Shu Han, then what kind of elite force was the army of the pseudo-Han emperor who beheaded the general?
The Han army is approaching Chang'an again?

The Han Dynasty...hasn't it perished yet?!

At this moment, almost everyone, including Zhang He and Guo Huai, thought of the story of Emperor Taizu of the Later Han Dynasty who restored the Han Dynasty two hundred years ago.

Although everyone claimed that Shu Han was a fake Han and Liu Chan was a fake emperor.

But as long as Shu Han survives, the prophecy of the golden sword and the ancient prediction that Liu will become the emperor will only remain dormant and will not disappear.

Now that Liu's Han army has once again approached Chang'an, and Cao's Wei Marshal has been beheaded, this prophecy has been reactivated from its dormant state, lingering in everyone's mind and cannot be dispelled.

Zhang He sat down in a state of panic. After a long while, he finally thought of something and slammed the table:
“No, no no no!

"They definitely didn't reach Chang'an!"

The generals were shocked when they heard the voice. They didn't know whether the right general wanted to stabilize the morale of the army or if he really had judged something.

After a few pauses, Guo Huai suddenly reacted:

"Yes, the Right General is right!

"The Shu invaders will definitely not reach Chang'an!
"The general was defeated and died because he was ambushed by the Shu invaders!"

"How do you decide this, lord?" Hu Zun, who was appointed by Zhang Ji, the former governor of Yongzhou and Liangzhou, and now serves as the deputy governor of Yongzhou, Guo Huai, asked.

Guo Huai paused for a long time again, and after calming down a little, he spoke in a deep voice:

"If the Shu invaders could really raise a large army to attack Chang'an, why would they send the general here?

"Why don't they just go straight to Chang'an?
"The reason why the general was sent here... is because they knew we couldn't know the true situation in Guanzhong. They wanted to lure our Longyou army into Guanzhong to rescue you!
"If we really fall for their plan and lead a large army out of the Qinling Mountains and into Guanzhong to rescue the emperor, Longyou will be left empty and will surely be taken by Zhuge Liang!"

After thinking for a moment, everyone suddenly realized and finally felt a little relieved.

What Guo Huai said is indeed very reasonable.

However, Yongzhou Beijia Hu Zun questioned again:
"Right General, Lord Envoy, should we enter Guanzhong to rescue the emperor?"

Guo Huai was stunned. "Yi Dao, if you know that this is a trap set by the Shu invaders to lure me, how can you still fall for it?"

But the deputy driver Hu Zun still had a worried look on his face and shook his head repeatedly:

"My Lord, as the saying goes, if you know yourself and your enemy, you will never be defeated in a hundred battles.

"The Right General is a veteran of the battlefield, his reputation known throughout the world. Your majesty is so powerful in Yongliang that the Qiang nobles call you a god.

"The Right General and the Envoy are the pillars of the three armies in Longyou. How could the Shu invaders not know this?
"What if the Shu invaders are certain that the Right General and the envoy will not leave Longshan after seeing the Great General's death, and take this opportunity to attack Chang'an?

"There is still no news from Your Majesty. If the Shu invaders really force their way to Chang'an, and the Right General and the envoy do not lead the army to rescue, there may be a disaster."

Zhang He and Guo Huai were both stunned.

As Hu Zun said, what should I do if he expected me to make such a judgment?
Once this chain of suspicion begins, there is no end.

Hu Zun said again:

“Right General, Lord.

“Without Zhong, there would be no Longyou.

"Since Guanzhong has been captured by the Shu invaders, our food supply has been cut off.

"Today, I have fifty to sixty thousand soldiers in Longyou, plus auxiliary soldiers, civilians, and horses to drive beasts. That's hundreds of thousands of mouths to feed, and my surplus food is less than half a month's worth.

"Although Lord Xu of Liang Province is procuring food for the army in the four counties of Jincheng, Wuwei, Tianshui, and Nangan.

“But the people in the four counties are only tens of thousands, and they are scattered all over the place, and there is no waterway for hundreds of miles.

"Even if we could gather 100,000 tons of food and fodder, only two-tenths would survive when they reach the front lines.

"Gathering more troops in Longyou to fight the Shu invaders for a long time is tantamount to waiting for death. I'm afraid it's not a good idea!"

Hu Zun came from a large family in Anding, and he knew the situation in Longyou very well. With a population of only tens of thousands in Longyou, it was absolutely impossible to feed the nearly 100,000 mouths here.

When Zhang He heard this, he felt extremely helpless.

For an army of 50,000, the monthly expenditure on food and fodder is more than 50,000 dan, not to mention the civilians and auxiliary soldiers who also need to eat.

The Longdi Road was a 200-mile land route, and the thousand-mile raid was so rushed that they couldn't even prepare carts to transport grain. Most of the grain had to be carried into the mountains. It was already the limit for 20,000 civilians and auxiliary soldiers to transport more than 50,000 stones of grain.

But this shouldn't be a problem.

After all, the grain from Luoyang and Chang'an could have been transported to Longyou continuously. Although the loss was huge, for a big country to defeat a small corner of Bashu, even if it lasted for a long time, the loss of grain and grass would be three to five times that of Bashu, which was not something Bashu could afford.

After pondering for a long time, Zhang He looked at Guo Huai:
"Boji, do you have any way to raise another month or two of food from Longyou?"

Guo Huai pondered for a long time, and finally shook his head:
"Right General, I have been in Yongliang for several years and have developed a certain friendship with the Di people of Tianshui.

"If we use both kindness and force, and offer inducements, we might be able to raise some, but it will definitely not be enough to support 100,000 people for two months."

The Qiang and Di peoples were no longer registered in the Wei register. The Wei adopted a policy of appeasement towards them, hoping only that they would not join forces with the Shu invaders to cause chaos.

Most of the Qiang nobles are superstitious.

During the years that Guo Huai served as the governor of Yongzhou, he was very effective in pacifying the Qiang nobles and used some tricks to make the Qiang nobles think that he had the magical ability to predict the future, and was called a god by the Qiang nobles.

It is more likely to get food from them than from the Han Chinese tyrants in Longyou, but it is true that you can't get much.

Zhang He lowered his head again, thinking silently. After almost half an hour, he finally spoke:
"Chang'an City is high, with a view of dozens of miles, and there are nearly 30,000 troops stationed there. It is unlikely that Your Majesty will be besieged in Chang'an.

“Even if Your Majesty is indeed besieged in Chang’an, the mission east of Chang’an cannot be cut off, and Your Majesty will be able to dispatch troops from Luoyang.

"We only need to hold out in Longyou for another two months, and then Your Majesty will lead a large army with food and supplies to support us.

"By then, the Shu invaders will undoubtedly retreat!"

Zhang He was just gambling.

The Shu army in Guanzhong had few troops, horses, money or food.

I bet that His Majesty won't sit still and wait for death.

He continued:

"In my opinion, it would be better to send 20,000 to 30,000 troops to Guanzhong to hold off the Shu invaders. This may open up the grain route through Guanzhong.

"Another 20,000 to 30,000 troops will be deployed to firmly defend Longyou, awaiting assistance from Guandong."

If the troops are divided into two groups, half of them can get food and fodder supplies from Chang'an.

The other half of the troops can also get food supplies after the food route is opened.

By dividing the troops, the unnecessary losses caused by transporting food to the army by land can also be reduced.

What matters in war is logistics and food supplies.

The so-called conquering the enemy without fighting is often not about competing in clever strategies, but about who can outlast the other.

Guo Huai was hesitant:

“Right General, once we divide our forces, we will enter Guanzhong via Chencang Road and return to Tianshui along the same route.

"Zhuge Liang sent down nearly 40,000 troops, but Wei Yan was still at Qishan Fort, and no one knew how many there were.

"When the Shu invaders, numbering 40,000 to 50,000, attack us from both sides along the original route back to Tianshui. How can our army resist them?
"Or what if Zhuge Liang didn't pursue Tianshui, but instead led his army to pursue Chencang, and then joined forces with another group of Shu invaders in Guanzhong to attack from both sides?

"By then, not only will we be unable to open up the Guanzhong grain route, but we will be defeated one by one by the Shu invaders."

The most brilliant military strategy is to use the majority to defeat the minority and to rely on the strong to bully the weak. Once the troops are divided, they can easily be defeated one by one.

Zhang He was speechless again, and then sighed in his heart.

The defeat of General Cao Zhen and the loss of the food supply route west of Chang'an almost put his tens of thousands of troops into death.

Since it is a dead end, how can we find a safe way to solve it calmly just by using our brains?
There is no safe and easy way!
For a time, the military discussion that was originally about how to trap the Shu invaders in Shanglu to death turned into a discussion about how to keep tens of thousands of troops alive, and finally fell into a stalemate.

This concerns the life and death of tens of thousands of people, and no one dares to make a decision lightly.

This stalemate in the military meeting lasted from morning to afternoon, with few people offering suggestions and most people remaining silent.

During this time, many captains left the tent and led their troops to deal with the Shu bandits who frequently left the city to attack.

The middle-level officers of the Wei army easily discovered that their superiors were in a bad mood.

There is really nothing we can do about it.

Perhaps some people can still pretend to be calm and composed in the face of such huge changes and pressure, but such people are absolutely a minority.

So naturally, the captains and captains who had learned that the general had been defeated and killed, and that the Longyou army might be out of food, were all worried.

When it comes to reports from his subordinates, his slow reaction is not just half a beat, but several beats or even dozens of beats, or he may not hear it at all, and only ask about it in confusion after a long time.

As the morale of the Han army was inexplicably high, the frequency of attacking the camp outside the city became higher and higher, and the offensive became more and more fierce.
As the Han army began to spread the word, either by shouting or writing on bamboo slips and silk manuscripts, that their general Cao Wei had died, Guanzhong had been lost, Cao Rui had returned east, and their tens of thousands of troops would be trapped and killed in Longyou,

The morale of the Wei army, which was already low due to the frequent attacks by the Han army on its unstable camp, became even lower.

After watching the Han army for a long time in front of the battle line and counting the food and grass again, Zhang He, who was becoming more and more resentful, suddenly thought of something and knew that he had to take countermeasures.

In the military tent.

The generals gathered again.

Zhang He said angrily with a solemn expression:

"Now that the general is here, the Shu invaders have already won the battle for at least three or four days!

"The fact that Your Majesty's mission was interrupted also indicates that the Shu invaders have completely controlled the area south of the Wei River and blocked the Chencang Pass.

“What will they do next?
"I thought they would definitely attack Jieting!
“Although I have sent envoys to reinforce the troops and order them to prepare, it will still take three days for the envoys to arrive.

"The defenders of Jieting numbered only a thousand men, and the Shu invaders managed to gain a lucky victory over the general and seized countless pieces of armor from our Wei army!

"If Jieting fails to receive Your Majesty's mission and is careless and unprepared, the Shu invaders will easily be able to seize it!
"After taking Jieting, the Shu invaders will station their troops there again and spread the news that the general has been defeated and that they have captured Guanzhong. With this momentum, the Han and Qiang peoples in Longyou will surely rebel against Wei and join Shu!

"Envoy Guo may not be able to obtain food and grass reinforcements from those wavering Qiang nobles.

"There is less than a month's supply of food and grass in Longyou. Your Majesty will have to lead the Guandong army back to Longyou for at least a month. If the Shu invaders occupy Jieting, I'm afraid that food and grass reinforcements will not be able to reach Longyou for two or three months!

"If I lead this army of 50,000 to 60,000 back to Tianshui, I will be forced to flee without food and supplies, and everyone in Longyou will rebel. This will be tantamount to self-destruction!"

All the generals were horrified and uneasy. How could they not hear that the right general who was assigned to protect Longyou was now intending to give up Longyou?
"Right General, do you mean that we should just hand over Longyou to the Shu invaders?" Guo Huai found this somewhat unacceptable. If Longyou was abandoned, he, the governor of Yongzhou, would probably die.
"How is this possible!" Zhang He was extremely angry and slammed the table again.

The situation was originally very good, and I even thought that I could capture Zhuge Liang and seize Hanzhong in one fell swoop, but I never thought that I would be forced to this point!
Although I still haven't received the mission from His Majesty.

But Zhang He could easily imagine that the emperor must want to protect both Longyou and Guanzhong.

But how is it possible to think about it at the same time? !
You will get nothing!
Without food and grass, the collapse and dispersion of tens of thousands of troops was completely foreseeable.

That Majesty probably has no idea how much food and fodder his tens of thousands of troops have brought!

Thinking of this, Zhang He said sternly:

“Once my army of tens of thousands collapsed and scattered before the reinforcements from Kanto arrived.

"Since the Shu invaders have taken control of Longyou, they have taken the dangerous route down to Long. They have led an army of 100,000 to besiege Chang'an, blocking Wuguan Pass and the ferry crossings. Then even Guanzhong may be in danger of being destroyed!

"How much food can Chang'an have?

"If the food supply is cut off, there will be defeat!
"The only solution now is for my army to descend from Longshan Mountain to secure the Yellow River ferry and Lantian Wuguan Pass!"

Zhang He did not have the confidence to gamble with the Han army.

After thinking about it for a whole morning, I felt that the possibility of Jieting being lost again was too high.

If the army were to be defeated and scattered due to lack of food and grass, then Guanzhong would be in great danger.

His mission has now changed from protecting Longyou to protecting Guanzhong.

"Envoy Guo!" Zhang He ordered.

"If there is any loss in Longyou, I will bear the blame!

"Shanggui is no longer defensible, and the county seat of Ji County has high walls and deep moats.

"You led 5,000 soldiers from Longyou County and fled behind my army under cover of darkness, returning to Ji County in Tianshui along the mountain road! Don't take the easy route!
"Order You Chu, Dai Ling, and Fei Yao to lead 10,000 troops, fighting and retreating, to lift the siege of Qishan! We will defend Ji County with you!
"Send another message to ask General Xu of Liangzhou to lead his troops to defend Jincheng! If there is any spare capacity, please send aid to Ji County!"
"Please do everything you can to raise food and fodder for these 15,000 men. Be frugal and save money. Hold Ji County for two months and hold off Zhuge Liang's army!"

After hearing this, Guo Huai finally understood.

He might be able to find a way to raise food for 15,000 troops for two or three months in Ji County, the county seat.

Zhang He's move meant that the situation suddenly returned to its original state.

He continued to defend Longyou to the death.

The Shu invaders continued to defend Jieting.

Zhuge Liang continued to fight with him.

The only variable is Guanzhong.

The tens of thousands of troops Zhang He led down from Longshan might engage in a battle with the tens of thousands of troops of the Shu invaders in Guanzhong.

"Right General, what should we do if the Shu army in Guanzhong has blocked the Chencang pass and Zhuge Liang is following closely behind you?" Guo Huai was not afraid of being trapped to death in Ji County, but he began to worry about Zhang He.

If Zhuge Liang did not take Longyou, but instead followed Zhang He and joined forces with the tens of thousands of Shu bandits who might be at the Chencang Road to attack Zhang He, then Zhang He's tens of thousands of troops might not be able to safely get out of Chencang Road.

Zhang He gritted his teeth and said, "Then we'll fight our way out!"

(End of this chapter)