Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 83: Even if there are a hundred precautions, there will always be a loophole

"How many Shu bandits are there? How could they move so quickly?!"

Xiahou Ru was already dizzy from the swift and terrifying actions of the Han army. Was this the true aggression?

"Look, are there Shu bandits lying in ambush on the road ahead?!" After hearing what Xiahou Ru said, his cousin Xiahou Bao also became suspicious.

Everyone looked in the direction of the man's finger and was shocked for a moment, almost forgetting to breathe.

Guanqiu Jian was also shocked. He held his breath and looked at it for a long time before he felt relieved.

At the end of my sight, one or two miles away from the Wei River, the grass and trees were swaying in the wind, quite like human figures. At first glance, it seemed as if countless Han army troops were lying in ambush there.

"Don't scare yourself, it's just like the plants and trees showing off their power." Guanqiu Jian said with forced composure.

When Du Xi saw everyone's attitude, and even saw that Guanqiu Jian had lost his composure, he became even more depressed and even felt a palpitation in his heart.

Although the grass and trees ahead were not ambushes of the Shu invaders, the situation was so tense that the generals mistook the grass and trees for ambushes. This was enough to show how much pressure the sudden appearance of the Shu army in Xiuli brought to the generals who had suffered a series of defeats.

If the generals are like this, what will happen if the soldiers under them know that there are bandits from Shu blocking their way back?
Just as Du Xi was wondering what to do, Guanqiu Jian suddenly turned his head and asked again:
"Military Advisor Du, the Shu invaders are coming from Anding, so their troops and horses are probably not numerous.

"The people who robbed the grain trains of Gaoling and Baling were probably the same group of people.

"Even the people camping in Xiliu right now are probably this group of people.

"He simply knew that the morale of our Wei soldiers was greatly reduced, and he was trying to scare us.

"Ten miles ahead is Huaili. Should we station troops there to block the Shu invaders from pursuing us, and then lead 10,000 troops to attack them?
"Wang Yanglie is a man who understands military affairs. If he learns that I am fighting the Shu bandits in Xiliu, he will definitely mobilize his troops to join forces with me and attack.

"The Shu invaders camped at Xiliu are few and tired, and may not be a match for our Wei. We can also use this victory to boost the morale of our army.

"Xiliu is one of the lifelines of Chang'an. When the Xiongnu invaded, Zhou Yafu was ordered to station troops here to protect Chang'an together with the Jimen and Baling camps.

"Once Xiliu is lost, the last line of defense left on the northwest sides of Chang'an City is the Feng and Wei rivers.

"The Shu invaders could use Xiliu as a springboard and support to protect Gaoling east of Chang'an. Jian believed that Xiliu must be captured."

"What if we can't capture Xiliu?" Du Xi asked, shaking his head.

"Military Advisor, the Shu invaders in Xiuli are few in number and weak in power, we will definitely be able to capture it!" Guanqiu Jian vowed.

Du Xi shook his head again: "How many men and horses does Zhong Gong want to leave to guard Huaili?"

Guanqiu Jian was stunned when he heard this, then became dejected after thinking for a moment.

Du Xi sighed and said, "Now the Shu invaders are pursuing us with unstoppable force, and the people of Wei are uneasy. They have even abandoned Meiwu. How can we hold Huaili?
"The Shu invaders could simply cross Huaili and head straight for Xiliu to engage in a chaotic battle with our Great Wei. If we fail in this battle and suffer another crushing defeat, I'm afraid Chang'an will fall today!"

In short, when a Shu army suddenly appeared on the Danggui Road, the soldiers, whose morale was already greatly reduced, could not rationally judge whether the army had 2,000 or 20,000 people.

In addition, with tens of thousands of pursuers rushing forward to fight, the soldiers probably have no other choice but to escape.

Guanqiu Jian nodded helplessly, then glanced at Lu Zhao with a look of disappointment.

If the Southern Xiongnu had not come this time, the situation would not have been so bad!
The saying in the art of war that invasion is like fire, unpredictable like the shadow, still like a mountain, and swift like thunder was most realistically reflected in the small group of Shu bandits that attacked the Xiongnu.

I don’t know which general in Shu is leading the army?
When he thought of this, Guanqiu Jian suddenly thought of Tian Yu and Qian Zhao, and sighed sadly in his heart.

These two famous generals who were feared in the northern border had nearly 10,000 light cavalry under their command. If they had not been entangled outside the Great Wall by the 30,000 Xianbei cavalry, but had come to support Guanzhong, would the result have been very different?
Although these two were repeatedly impeached and framed by some villains, who said that they had a close relationship with Liu Bei and asked Your Majesty to be careful and vigilant, Your Majesty did have some fear in his heart.

However, most knowledgeable people in the court believed that these two had been favored by the Wei Kingdom for more than 20 years and were loyal and devoted, and were definitely not people who acted on impulse.

They may even work harder to kill the enemy in order to prove their loyalty to the country.

Just like when Xu Huang and Guan Yu talked about their life stories on the battlefield of Xiangfan, they were having a great time. But Xu Huang's words "Whoever gets Guan Yu's head will reward you with a thousand pounds of gold" frightened Guan Yu.

The army continued to return eastward.

The Wei army, which was afraid of everything, ultimately chose not to take the risk to capture Xiliu.

General Cao Zhen thought he was safe, but in the end almost all of his 30,000 troops were lost.

Right General Zhang He took a risk, and eventually all 30,000 soldiers surrendered to Shu.

Without General Sima Gong coming, no one has the confidence to take the risk again.

There was a bridge to the south of Huaili City. The 20,000-strong army crossed the Wei River along the bridge and arrived at the south bank.

After the 4,000 troops behind Niu Jindian had all withdrawn, they immediately demolished the bridge and finally headed east to Chang'an with the materials.

evening.

When this team of more than 30,000 people including civilians suddenly appeared at the Fengshui River west of Chang'an and tried to build a bridge across the Fengshui River, Xiahou Mi and others were so frightened that they almost abandoned the city and fled.

Fortunately, the patrolling Tiger and Leopard Cavalry recognized Yin Damu, Guanqiu Jian, and Lu Zhao, and brought the news back to the city before Xiahou Mi could escape from Chang'an.

Otherwise, there might be a shocking misunderstanding.

"Brother, where is General Yang Lie?" Xiahou Ru asked hurriedly after seeing Xiahou Mao.

"Wang Yanglie has taken 6,000 troops to guard Ba Ling." Xiahou Mao said.

"He said the Shu invaders camped at Xiliu were undoubtedly a decoy force. We just had to wait for the Right General to return with his troops, and then we could attack them from both east and west, and we would surely defeat them."

Xiahou Bao paused. "So, there are only 6,000 men and horses left in Chang'an?"

Xiahou Mao, however, looked panicked and did not answer the question:

"But why did you come back from Fengshui? Why didn't you go and seize Xiliu?
“Where’s the Right General?
"Didn't he still have 40,000 troops? Why are there only so few left now?
"Are we continuing to besiege the Shu invaders at Chencang?
"Or are we going to intercept the Shu invaders' food supply at Meiwu and Huaili?"

Xiahou Meng poured out all the questions in his mind like pouring out beans.

The people of Chang'an City only knew that Zhang He's army had marched down to Long and intended to launch a surprise attack on Wuzhangyuan, but they had no idea how the battle at Wuzhangyuan actually went.

However, the news that should have been flowing in and out suddenly stopped, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry sent out to deliver the message were driven away and shot by a large group of Xiongnu cavalry.

Thousands of Shu army's infantry and cavalry suddenly appeared at Baling to rob food and grass, but suddenly discovered that Gaoling was also lost!

Today is even more bizarre, we discovered that the Shu invaders actually set up camp in Xiuliu!

The Chang'an defenders led by Xiahou Mao and Wang Chang had actually made plans for the worst.

Otherwise, Xiahou Mao would not have wanted to escape when he saw a large group of troops appearing on the Feng River... He would have wanted to join forces with Wang Chang.

Not long after, Wang Chang, horrified by the news of encountering tens of thousands of enemies at Fengshui, rode his horse back to Chang'an City.

"The Right General was defeated? The plan to burn the floating bridge was foiled? Over 30,000 soldiers surrendered to Shu?!"

Even though Wang Chang had a strong mind, he was still horrified and trembling physically and mentally when he heard this series of bad news.

It took Wang Chang nearly a quarter of an hour to digest this devastating news. After a long period of weeping and lamenting, he finally said with luck:

"Fortunately, you didn't go to Xiliu. The Shu invaders were coming with such force and momentum that our soldiers were defeated step by step. If you had gone to Xiliu, Chang'an would have been finished."

How could it not be luck?!
If Guanqiu Jian and his men had really gone there, he would have led these 6,000 men without knowing where to go and charged directly towards Xiuliu. He would probably have been scattered and scared away by the fleeing soldiers!

In this way, the Shu army, knowing that the General Huoqi cannot enter Chang'an in a short time, can chase the defeated army to the gates of Chang'an today!

At that time, will the city gate be opened or not?

No? That means another 30,000 soldiers will be captured and killed!

Can Chang'an be taken in a moment?!
By the time Sima Gong entered Guanzhong, Chang'an would probably have become a deserted city!

"General Yang Lie, let the 6,000 defenders of Ba Ling go directly to guard Xinfeng Warehouse." Du Xi suggested with concern.

Wang Chang nodded directly.

He knew without Du Xi's reminder that under the current circumstances, if even the Xinfeng granary was lost, Sima Gong's army entering from Wuguan would have to go to Zheng County, eighty miles away from Xinfeng, to find food.

By then, how can we still take care of Chang'an?

Xinfeng Warehouse cannot afford to lose anything.

Xiahou Mao was puzzled. "Wang Yanglie is going to defend Xinfeng? What about Chang'an? If the Shu invaders come directly to Chang'an, who can defend it?"

Wang Chang looked at Xiahou Meng:
"General Anxi, the Shu invaders have no siege equipment. Coming to Chang'an to show off their might is a waste of time.

"In my humble opinion, as long as Chang'an is closed and defended, the Shu invaders will not cross the Weilin City.

"Instead, we should consolidate the three lines of defense at Gaoling, Xiliu, and Jimen, mutually supporting each other. We should first establish an invincible position, and then look for opportunities to challenge."

Although Xiahou Mao didn't understand, he thought for a moment and nodded:
"Since this is the case, please, Wang Yanglie, do not let the soldiers know about the Right General's defeat at Wuzhangyuan.

"They just said that a small group of Shu bandits came from Anding to attack. It's just a trick to confuse the enemy. There's no need to panic."

After all, he is General Anxi, so he has to make his presence felt.

Wang Chang nodded and left.

Longyou can be lost, Meiwu can be lost, but Chang'an must be defended.

The reason for defending Chang'an is not to see how much geographical advantage the Wei Dynasty can gain in Guanzhong.

Rather, it was a struggle between Shu and Wei for political symbols, or for "mandate of heaven".

It was just like when Emperor Wu learned that Xiahou Yuan was defeated and Liu Bei had captured Hanzhong, he still sent an army of 100,000 at all costs to try to fight for the last time.

Why?

Hanzhong has great political significance to the Liu family!

When Liu Bei captured Hanzhong, he directly called himself the King of Hanzhong, which made people in the world think of Liu Bang's King of Han.

So when Guan Yu attacked Xiangfan, Jingzhou Governor Hu Xiu and Nanxiang Prefect Fu Fang defected on the battlefield, Wancheng Hou Yin and Wei Kai kidnapped the prefects and rebelled, Prime Minister's assistant Wei Feng rebelled in Ye City, and Sun Lang, a powerful man near Luoyang, rebelled in Luhun.

If Hanzhong was like this, once Liu Chan captured Chang'an, it would be too much like Liu Bang's "recovery of the Three Qins".

It goes without saying that the people's hearts and resources west of Tongguan all belonged to the State of Shu.

The powerful people in Hedong, who are separated from Guanzhong by a river, will also begin to feel uneasy.

Even Kanto will be undercurrent!

Thin willow.

Generals Zong Yu, Wang Ping, and Fu Qian, who led 19,000 troops in pursuit, finally met Guan Xing, who looked a little tired.

As soon as he saw Guan Xing coming, Zong Yu asked with a slightly nervous tone:

"An Guo, why are you in Xiliu?
"Leaving aside the previous risky move, bringing only a few thousand people to camp here to lure the enemy is truly too risky.

"If my army is stopped by the Wei invaders in Huaili, and the Wei invaders in Chang'an come out of the city to attack us, how can you, a few thousand men, escape?"

Zong Yu couldn't help but feel uneasy. Look at what Guan Xing has done in the past few days.
Dozens of people attacked the Xiongnu camp by surprise and captured the king, thousands of cavalry rushed east to attack and seize Gaoling, and now they led only a few thousand people to Xiuliu to lure the enemy and make them suspicious.

If you make any mistake at any time, you may die without a burial place!
But unexpectedly, Guan Xing said sternly:

"Right General of the Central Army, the surprise attack on the Xiongnu was a decisive move made after careful consideration by Xing, the Qiang King, and Hunyi.

"As the saying goes, knowing yourself and the enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles. The Xiongnu are only good at archery and horseback riding, and lack the advantages of armor, spears, and battle formations. In their chaos and panic, and not knowing the exact number of our troops, they simply believe that the Han army has descended from the sky.

"By the time he reacted, the Qiang King had already led a thousand cavalrymen to attack. Even if he was defeated, he still had the Hunyi to support him.

"Besides, our Han Dynasty has won consecutive battles and is in high spirits. Liu Bao changed his surname to Liu and called himself the nephew of the Han Dynasty. We can indeed win him over by coercion and inducement.

"So, in that battle, Xing, Hunyi, and the Qiang King all had their plans in mind, so it wasn't a risk.

"As for capturing Gaoling, it's all about speed.

"Xing and Liu Bao's men first gathered the hundred or so Xiongnu cavalrymen patrolling near the Jing River and ordered them to return to Gaoling with the news that five thousand infantry and cavalrymen had appeared a hundred miles from Gaoling, and to prepare carefully.

"And the Hunyi Anding infantry and cavalry of 5,000 have already reached Gaoling 30 miles away.

"Afterwards, Liu Bao and I led 500 cavalrymen out from the south of Gaoling.

"Before approaching the city, they first went to Xinfeng Granary, pretending to protect the grain, and then went up the Jing River.

"Finally, while they were drawing water and gathering firewood, and the city gates were not yet closed, I led a hundred cavalrymen on horseback into the city and guarded the gates.

"Liu Bao and Hun Yi, with over a thousand cavalrymen, arrived in a moment, and the Anding infantry also arrived with great fanfare.

"The defenders in the city heard that Zhang He was dead, and saw that the Xiongnu had returned to the Han Dynasty. The cavalry was patrolling outside the city, but no reinforcements came from Chang'an. Before the infantry could reach the city, they took off their armor and surrendered.

"As for the seizure of grain at the Wei River, it was certainly beyond the ability of Xing and Hunyi to foresee.

"But since they were unprepared, I used my old trick again and succeeded."

Guan Xing couldn't help but smile as he spoke.

It was foreseeable that Gaoling would be captured with some sacrifices, but it was really unexpected that more than 10,000 dan of grain could be captured.

"There is actually no risk in setting up camp in Xiliu today.

"When the Wei invaders in Chang'an saw me setting up camp in Xiliu, they thought I was a decoy. However, since Chang'an had few soldiers, they didn't dare to attack me rashly. They wanted to join forces with the Wei invaders returning from Meiwu to attack me.

"The Wei invaders in Chang'an don't know how Zhang He was defeated and how low their morale was, but I do know.

"If he really dares to attack, I only need to hold out for half an hour. Once your army arrives, they will surely be defeated.

"With better luck, perhaps our Han Dynasty could chase the fleeing soldiers to the gates of Chang'an today and capture another 10,000 or 20,000 people.

"If we're luckier, there's still a chance we can capture Chang'an in one fell swoop."

Zong Yu was stunned when he heard this.

How come the second kid from the Guan family has the same personality as Guan Gong, even daring to say something like taking Chang'an in one fell swoop?
Guan Xing sighed regretfully and said seriously:
"I knew the Wei invaders were frightened, but I didn't know they were frightened to this extent.

“We really should have demolished the two wooden bridges south of Huaili to force them over.

"At worst, if we learn they intend to cross the river south on a floating bridge, I can quickly lead my troops there and work with the General of the Central Army to expand our victory.

"As expected, even if one is careful, there will always be a loophole."

(End of this chapter)