Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 73: The Full Moon Bow, Powerful and Unstoppable

"Your Majesty, do not worry. Zhang He fell into the trap of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao because he did not know the strength of our Han army in Guanzhong, so he had no choice but to surrender."

Zhao Guang was also worried, but when he saw that the emperor was also worried about his father, he thought for a moment and then spoke to comfort him.

"My father is different. He knows that the enemy is short of food and has only about 10,000 or 20,000 soldiers. He also knows that Your Majesty has the natural defenses of Wuzhangyuan to rely on, making him invincible.

"If we really fall into the trap and break out, it will ruin your majesty's plan!

"Your Majesty, no one knows a father better than his son. My father would never ruin a great cause just to maintain a false reputation for loyalty and righteousness!"

After hearing what Zhao Guang said, Dong Yun, Huang Chong, Xi Zheng and others who were also worried looked at each other in confusion.

However, Liu Chan suddenly understood and nodded heavily:

“Pijiang’s words make sense!
"General Zilong and I have shared hardships, and we are a harmonious relationship between ruler and subject. How can we compare to Zhang He and the false emperor? General Zilong will not fall for this trick!
"Even if I'm desperate to rescue you and break out of the siege, how can a brave tiger be afraid of a group of ants?!

"There is no use worrying about this. Zhang He is about to arrive. I have ordered Deng Yangwu, the Right General of the Central Army, and the other lieutenants to come to the Weinan camp to discuss with me how to defeat the bandits."

"Yes!" Dong Yun bowed.

This is a time to brainstorm.

Chenshi.

A camp located north of Wuzhangyuan and on the south bank of the Wei River.

Generals Dong Yun, Deng Zhi, and Zong Yu, as well as several defenseless captains including Zong Qian, Cuan Xiong, and Yang Ji, gathered in the central army wooden house.

Liu Chan handed over Wei Xing's blood letter and also told him that Zhang He might attack along the south bank of the Wei River.

The scout who delivered the blood letter on behalf of Wei Xing was promoted by Deng Zhi to be a personal soldier because he did not follow Wei Xing in his rebellion against Han and surrendered to Wei. Deng Zhi was the first to know the news and had a plan in mind:

"Your Majesty, the Wei invaders launched a surprise attack from Weinan with a light force. Our troops are short of food. It must have been Zhang He who came in person, otherwise we wouldn't have dared to take such a risk.

"I believe that the Wei invaders led by Zhang He will not fight alone, but will act together with the Wei invaders stationed to the east and west of Weibei.

"I have two plans. Your Majesty, will you pursue a safe and cautious approach, or take a risk and catch the Wei invaders who launched a surprise attack in Weinan off guard?"

"Let's talk about the safe plan first." Liu Chan said.

Deng Zhi said, "If Your Majesty wishes to maintain a safe and secure situation, I suggest that you evacuate the Weibei camp at night and leave 3,000 men to garrison Zhongzhou.

"When the Wei invaders in northern Wei see that our camp is empty, they will surely send some signal to Zhang He in southern Wei, forcing him to stop taking risks.

"With the fortifications and the natural fortifications of Wuzhangyuan as a barrier, Zhang He had no choice but to set up camp far away and wait for reinforcements from Guandong, or withdraw to rescue Longyou, or even storm Chencang."

Zhang He must have discovered that the main force of the Han army was mostly on the north bank of the Wei River, so he led his army to attack, hoping to isolate the main force of the Han army in the north of the Wei River and then make other plans.

Once they discover that the Weibei camp is empty, they will surely see that the Han are well prepared and may not continue to attack.

Liu Chan nodded: "What if we take risks?"

Deng Zhi said, "If you want to take the risk, then Deyan should lead 6,000 soldiers back to Weinan to guard against Zhang He, while I will lead 4,000 soldiers to remain in Weibei to lure the enemy.

“Your Majesty, you can withdraw the scouts and lure them deeper.

"Place more scouts twenty miles away to reassure them.

"He saw that I had indeed stationed scouts, but that most of them were stationed twenty miles away. He simply thought that I had indeed not prepared for his attack from Weinan.

"Seeing that there are indeed people in the Weibei camp, I will no longer be suspicious.

"In this case, I predict that he will take advantage of the moment when the scouts bring back the news and launch a surprise attack, hoping to seize control of the Wei River while I am deeply shaken and have insufficient time to deploy defenses.

"Either they will kill the defeated troops on the pontoon bridge, or they will destroy the bridge, preventing our army from returning south."

After Deng Zhi finished speaking, Dong Yun, Zong Yu and several captains in the room nodded repeatedly.

If Your Majesty and Guan Xing had not anticipated the enemy's attack, Zhang He's surprise attack might have succeeded.

Even if the Wei invaders had no plans to demolish the pontoon bridge, once they attacked from three sides, the three armies would be in a panic, and more than 10,000 people in Weibei would be crowded to seize the pontoon bridge, which would easily lead to accidents.

Zong Yu's clan member Zong Qian sighed, "Although Zhang He's strategy is risky, if our army is unprepared, it will be a tremendous achievement."

Upon hearing this, Captains Cuan Xiong, Yang Ji and others also agreed deeply and nodded repeatedly. However, they never expected that Zong Yu would shake his head:

"No, for the rebel leader Zhang He, this strategy is not only not risky, but extremely safe."

Zong Qian and several other captains were stunned for a moment and cast questioning looks at Zong Yu.

Zong Yu sighed and shook his head slowly: "If he finds that our army is prepared, he can retreat calmly.

“But if our army is caught off guard and his 20,000 men successfully seize the ferry, the Wei invaders in Meiwu can directly come to our aid by boat, bringing their troops and provisions.

“Although we cannot capture Wuzhangyuan, our Wuzhangyuan troops are few and our generals are few, so we cannot do anything to him either.

"He doesn't need to sacrifice a single soldier to easily trap our Zhongzhou and Weibei armies."

"So that's how it is." Captains Zongqian, Cuanxiong and others suddenly understood when they heard this.

Yang Ji of Qianwei looked towards the emperor, clasped his fists and said:
"Your Majesty, I believe we can adopt Deng Yangwu's risky strategy. Now that our army is well prepared, we will surely catch Zhang He off guard!"

The Han people won battle after battle, and their morale was at an all-time high. No one was willing to give up the military achievements that were within their reach.

What’s more, the invader was Zhang He, the marshal of Longyou of Cao Wei?

If you can kill Shuai Qianqi, you will be awarded a title of nobility!
"Do you have any other plans?" Liu Chan, who was sitting at the main seat, slowly shifted his gaze and looked around at everyone.

He also couldn't find any fault with Deng Zhi's two strategies.

Everyone in the room looked at the emperor sitting in the middle, and most of them shook their heads. Now it depends on whether His Majesty will choose to be safe or take risks.

Cuan Xiong from the south suddenly stood up:
"Your Majesty, since Zhang He has come such a long way, he must be exhausted. Why not ambush a few thousand men along the way?

"Either we attack him first and catch him off guard, or perhaps we attack him from behind when the two armies are engaged?"

Deng Zhi immediately refuted:

"If we are discovered, wouldn't it alarm Zhang He?

“How will these thousands of people be able to come back then?
"Our army is already small, and this strategy is too risky."

Cuan Xiong nodded angrily and sat back.

"I think Deng Yangwu's risky strategy is not that risky, so we can implement it." Liu Chan certainly did not want to miss the opportunity to strike hard at Zhang He.

If Zhang He could be defeated, General Zhao would be able to defend the city with peace of mind when he sees Zhang He's army collapsing in Chencang.

Seeing that no one seemed to object, Liu Chan tentatively proposed his own arrangement:
"Deng Yangwu left behind the 4,000 elite troops previously stationed in Zhongzhou to guard the Weibei camp.

"General Zong Zhonglang will select two thousand soldiers to protect the floating bridge and Zhongzhou.

"The rest of us returned to Weinan to guard against Zhang He.

"What do you think, sir?"

Several captains immediately praised his kindness.

Dong Yun and Zong Yu had no objection either.

Liu Chan was about to make a decision when he saw this, but Zhao Guang, the only armored man in the room, stepped out from beside him, raised his armor and clasped his fists, saying:

"Your Majesty, sending the masses to set an ambush is not advisable.

"But I think we can send a small group of elite troops to hide in the dense forest and attack behind the enemy lines.

"If Zhang He is badly defeated, even two or three hundred men can accomplish remarkable feats.

"If Zhang He had not been defeated or had sent spies to investigate, a small group of two or three hundred elite troops could have retreated calmly without fear of being caught up by the bandits."

Cuan Xiong, who proposed the ambush, suddenly had his eyes light up.

Even Deng Zhi, who had just refuted Cuan Xiong, looked at Zhao Guang and thought about it. Judging from his expression, he seemed to think that it was indeed feasible.

Liu Chan, who was sitting at the main seat, hesitated:
"It's not a bad idea to set up an ambush with two or three hundred elite soldiers.

"But what kind of elite troops should we send?

"The heavy armor of the Penling Army is the mainstay of the army on the front lines of the battlefield. If commanded properly, two or three hundred men may be able to defeat two or three thousand bandits.

"If we can't find an opportunity to ambush, wouldn't these two or three hundred heavy armors be wasted? This might be disadvantageous in a frontal battle."

Cuan Xiong immediately requested:

"Your Majesty, may I send five hundred soldiers from the south?
"The soldiers in the south are good at hiding in the mountains and forests. If the Wei invaders come to investigate, we can fight and retreat at the same time. There is no need to be afraid of them.

"If you don't come to investigate, wait until they are severely defeated and then raise dust to follow them. You will surely cause chaos!"

Captain Cuanxiong of Yokono obviously wanted to seize this opportunity to make merit.

Liu Chan looked at Deng Zhi and Zong Yu.

If we don't send heavy infantry, it seems there's really no better force to lurk in the mountains than the Nanman. The two men nodded slightly, expressing no objection.

After thinking for a while, Liu Chan said: "In that case, let's follow Cuan Hengye's idea."

Cuan Xiong was immediately excited: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Several other captains also wanted to ask for the order, but seeing that His Majesty had already made the decision and that the soldiers under Cuanxiong Nanzhong did have some expertise in concealed combat in the mountains and forests, they kept silent and stopped arguing.

Liu Chan looked at Cuan Xiong and said, "Cuan Hengye, if Zhang He sends men into the dense forest to investigate, regardless of whether you are discovered or not, immediately lead your troops west and do not return to Wuzhangyuan."

"Your Majesty, why is this?" Cuan Xiong was a little puzzled. Although he was a powerful man, he was somewhat influenced by the habits of the southern barbarians, and his tone of voice was a little direct.

"I am worried that if Zhang He fails in his attack, he may not retreat directly to Chencang, but instead set up a camp far away to confront us at Wuzhangyuan and look for another opportunity.

"If the battle is really going badly for him, and he knows that our army is well prepared, he will naturally suspect an ambush in the dense forest. If he cuts off your way back, you may not be able to escape."

The dense forest proposed by Zhao Guang and Cuan Xiong was actually not in the Qinling Mountains, but in a plateau extending northward from the Qinling Mountains in the south, a plateau that was exactly the same as the Wuzhang Plateau.

Wuzhangyuan is suitable for living because it is close to Xieshui. It has been developed by people from Guanzhong. There are few trees and a lot of flat land. There are many wheat fields that were cultivated and eventually abandoned.

But from Wuzhangyuan a hundred miles west to Sanguan, all the way to the plateau is covered with forests and trees.

Although the giant trees on the plateau have long since disappeared after 600 years of logging during the Qin and Han dynasties, the small trees that the royal family and wealthy people looked down upon are still there.

Chang'an had been in turmoil for nearly forty years and was deserted. Many small trees had grown into big trees.

The Southern Barbarians are only good at fighting in the mountains and forests. It doesn't mean that they can walk on the mountains as if it were flat ground. If they encounter a road that they should not be able to walk on, they cannot walk on it.

If Zhang He became suspicious, he only needed to send people to the plateau to block the way back and then move westward. He would easily see traces of human activities. If he sent people to block the other end, it would be difficult for them to escape.

The military meeting ended soon after.

Liu Chan returned to Wuzhangyuan.

However, surprisingly, another day passed without any incident.

The Wei army is still clearing a path through the wilderness. Judging from their progress, the east and west will be connected in one day.

Guan Xing's army of more than a thousand riders and several hundred oxen still threatened Guanqiu Jian and Linghu Yu's army of more than ten thousand from the north, separated by more than ten miles of wilderness.

The Southern Xiongnu also did not move.

...

...

into the night.

wilderness.

Cao Ying.

Because Yin Damu, Du Xi and others continued to stay in Meiwu.

Guanqiu Jian, Linghu Yu, Xiahou Ru, Lu Zhao and other eastern reinforcements gathered in one tent. The candlelight in the tent flickered and everyone ate.

Lü Zhaoju refused to eat, and hesitated to speak. Finally, he looked at Guanqiu Jian:

“Zhong Gong, do we have to set up defenses and ambushes all night tonight?
"The Right General should arrive tomorrow morning. If the soldiers lose their spirits, wouldn't that be disastrous?"

Upon hearing this, Linghu Yu glanced at Lu Zhao and Guanqiu Jian, but said nothing.

Xiahou Ru looked a little tired, obviously he didn't get enough rest.

Guanqiu Jian looked at Lü Zhao and shook his head slowly:
"Order the soldiers in the camp to take more rest.

"It's just tonight. If they don't come by tomorrow, then the situation is already decided. We can just send the Huns to drive them out."

Xia Houru, dressed as a scholar, nodded slightly:

"What Zhong Gong said is very true. With a little patience for one night, we can be completely safe.

"The Shu invaders have won consecutive victories in recent months, and their soldiers have become arrogant and unruly.

"Now our army is large and powerful, but we are avoiding their attack and showing weakness at Weibin. The enemy will surely think that we are afraid of fighting, and will mock them and become even more arrogant.

“It is like a bow with a full moon; although its force is strong, the string will soon break.

"If the Shu cavalry of more than a thousand in the north really attack in the formation of fire bulls, the Shu bandits in Weibin Village will see our camp on fire and predict that we will be in great chaos. They will definitely send out all their elite troops in an attempt to easily win.

"If that's the case, what's the harm in you and I enduring for one more night?
"Xiang Yu's defeat was caused by his arrogance, while his victory at Huaiyin was achieved through his forbearance of humiliation.

"If he still doesn't come tomorrow, just as Zhong Gong said, the outcome will be decided.

"Zizhan can simply order the Xiongnu cavalry to drive them away."

When Lu Zhao heard Xiahou Ru's flowery words, he felt helpless for a moment.

Yesterday evening, scouts reported that the more than a thousand Shu cavalrymen attacking from the north seemed to be mostly using oxen to carry armor and military supplies.

No one cared about it at first, thinking that the Qiang people in Anding were short of slow horses, or that oxen could carry more loads than horses.

However, General Guanqiu Jian was somewhat surprised when he heard the news. After thinking it over again and again, he personally reined in his horse to investigate.

Finally, a different opinion was put forward. It was believed that there might be some wise men among the more than a thousand Shu cavalrymen who wanted to use fire bulls to attack the camp and take the opportunity to cause chaos.

Everyone was a little skeptical at first.

How could they cause chaos in a camp with more than a thousand cavalrymen? Aren’t they afraid of being intercepted and killed by the Huns who have more cavalrymen?

Guanqiu Jian then analyzed the situation with everyone.

Once the Shu cavalry really attacked the camp with a formation of fire bulls, causing the camp to catch fire and fall into chaos, the Shu bandits camped north of the Wei River would surely send all their elite troops to help.

Everyone was still a little confused.

The camp here is more than ten miles away from the Shu invaders. If all the elite troops are sent out to attack, the Xiongnu can divide a thousand cavalry to deal with the Shu cavalry, and there will still be a thousand cavalry available.

They were exhausted from the long march, so how could they possibly escape the Huns' cavalry and archery?
Guanqiu Jian reminded everyone that Pang Huisuo led 700 Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and had seen the power of the Shu invaders' crossbows.

Everyone finally came to their senses.

The Xiongnu light cavalry wore light leather armor. If they were careless and unprepared to pursue the Shu invaders' infantry, they would certainly not escape the fate of Pang Hui's hundreds of Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

In order to be on the safe side, Linghu Yu, who had been quite radical before, suggested to everyone that Lu Zhao order the Huns to directly expel the more than 1,000 Shu cavalry.

Don't cause any trouble and ruin the right general's plan.

However, Guanqiu Jian, who had been quite cautious before, became radical and told everyone that the so-called Fire Bull Formation could only attack the enemy when they were unprepared, and was actually very easy to defend against.

All you need to do is dig deep trenches, set up more barricades, and prepare plenty of gongs, drums, and rockets.

The cows are afraid of loud noises, and this can even drive them to charge in the opposite direction towards the attacking Shu cavalry.

If the King of Yan had not believed the rumors and worried that the general Yue Yi would become the King of Qi after conquering Qi, and finally sent a useless person to replace Yue Yi, Tian Dan might not have had the opportunity to restore his country.

Everyone finally felt relieved after hearing this.

Guanqiu Jian led his men to dig trenches and set traps around the village, and also prepared gongs, drums, and rockets.

Xiahou Ru took advantage of the night and set up an ambush in the western wilderness with 4,000 Chang'an defenders. As soon as the Shu bandits from Weibin arrived, they would be caught off guard.

Lu Zhao was also not idle. He sent someone to inform Liu Bao and ordered him to be careful of the Shu invaders' crossbows.

If the Shu cavalry in the north really launch a surprise attack on the Wei camp with fire bulls, we don't have to worry about the Shu infantry, we just need to intercept and kill the Shu light cavalry.

As a result, nothing happened that night.

Another uneventful day followed.

Seeing that no one seemed to have anything to say, Xia Houru, dressed as a scholar, stood up and left the table, bowing resolutely to everyone:

"Ru is leaving, and I entrust this place to you gentlemen.

"If the Shu cavalry does not arrive tomorrow, our 4,000 soldiers from Chang'an will march south with drums drummed, and join you in hunting at the bandit camp at Weibin.

"In the past, Huaiyin was facing the water, and Zifang burned the warehouse. Both were due to the interaction of odd and even.

"Now the Right General has taken the enemy by surprise, rushing a hundred miles from Weinan and now appears on the enemy's side.

"General Niu also prepared many boats and fire-breathing materials upstream, but the Shu bandits were completely unaware and actually laid their boats across the pontoon bridge upstream. If a fire were to start, it would surely cut off the Shu bandits' retreat route north of the Wei River.

"Now the Shu rebels are arrogant, and our Wei generals and soldiers are determined to die. This is what is meant by "arrogant soldiers will be defeated, and pitiful soldiers will win."

"In addition, we are dividing and advancing to attack together, which is a unique strategy of division and combination, and is in line with the wisdom of the ancients. The Shu bandits will find it difficult to resist and will undoubtedly be defeated."

After saying this, Xiahou Ru waved his sleeves and left, worthy of being a top-notch figure in Luozhong.

(End of this chapter)