Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 87: Five-year grand plan? people were stunned.

Jiangxia.

Wuchang.

Ever since Zhaolie's army marched out of Yiling, Sun Quan moved the capital here.

Even after burning down the camps and completely securing his hold on Jingzhou, he did not return to Jianye. Seven years have passed since then, and he felt like the King of Wu guarding the country's gate.

After all, Cao Wei controlled the Jingzhou territory north of the Han River. If there was any change, they could lead the navy downstream from Xiangyang at any time.

Lu Xun, who was preparing for war in Xiakou, suddenly received an urgent edict from Sun Quan today, asking him to go to Wuchang as soon as possible.

So they took a light boat down the river.

It took only two hours to travel more than a hundred miles by water, and Sun Quan had been waiting for him at the dock for a long time.

"Your Majesty, what's so urgent?" Lu Xun stepped forward to greet him and asked directly.

Sun Quan said nothing and handed a piece of silk letter to Lu Xun.

Lu Xun took it in confusion.

When it is unfolded, the first thing that catches the eye is the seal of the Han emperor.

He looked at the letter in surprise and doubt, and after a moment he was completely dumbfounded and couldn't believe it.

"The Lord of Shu will lead the army personally?"

"Cao Zhen was beheaded?"

"All 30,000 Wei invaders were killed in Xiegu?"

It’s not Sun Quan’s fault that the internet speed is slow. It’s because Wuzhangyuan is more than 3,000 miles away from Wuchang, and the road is difficult to travel. The ship only speeds up after crossing the dangerous Three Gorges.

Sun Quan nodded with a complicated expression and sighed:
"I really didn't expect that Ah Dou would actually lead the army in person?
"I never expected that without Zhuge Liang, relying on Zhao Yun's small army, he could defeat the Wei army and kill Cao Zhen."

After saying this, Sun Quan felt more and more depressed and it was difficult to let go.

Both of them led the army in person, but he was beaten so badly by Zhang Babai that the children in Jiangdong stopped crying when they heard the Liao language.

And how could Liu Adou, who was turned into a puppet by Zhuge Liang, defeat the Wei army and kill Cao Zhen?

When I think of this, I sigh again:
“No wonder after Sima Yi killed Meng Da and seized the three eastern counties, he did not choose to march his army into Xiangyang, but instead led his army north.

“We are going to defend Guanzhong.

"Boyan, you said...

"Could it be that the Shu army's northern expedition this time wasn't aimed at seizing Longyou at all?

"But you're going straight to seize Guanzhong, hoping to use it to directly stabilize the territory west of Tongguan?

"Perhaps Zhuge Liang was the detachment sent to lure the enemy, while Adou and Zhao Yun were the main force?
"Perhaps Adou pretended to be a mediocre ruler for five years, and Zhuge Liang pretended to be a powerful minister for five years, just to paralyze Cao Wei today and take Guanzhong directly?"

Of course, Liu Chan's letter did not elaborate on how the Han army defeated Cao Zhen.

It would be enough to just give Sun Quan some general information and pass on a battle report.

"If that were true, wouldn't Ah Dou be like Guan Yu who flooded seven armies and shocked the Central Plains, shaking the world and making people support Shu?"

The more Sun Quan spoke, the more annoyed he became.

He could accept Zhuge Liang's seizure of Longyou.

It is even acceptable for Zhuge Liang to seize Guanzhong.

But he absolutely could not accept that Adou, a mediocre ruler known to everyone, could actually be the King Zhuang of Chu, who would either remain silent or make a stunning debut.

If this is true, then the game that Adou and Zhuge Liang, the king and his minister, spent five years playing was extremely big.

Lu Xun saw Sun Quan's thoughts and said:
"Your Majesty, the Lord of Shu has won this victory, and Cao Zhen has lost this defeat. I imagine it is just like when Your Majesty appointed Xun as governor, and Guan Yu's arrogance led to his defeat.

"Without fighting, there is no way to explain how heroic the Shu ruler was and how elite the Shu army was."

Although Lu Xun said this, he did not dare to make a conclusion rashly about Sun Quan's question just now, whether Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang had been lying dormant together for five years just for today.

After all, judging from Liu Chan's performance in the first five years of his reign, he was just a mediocre ruler. The phrase "leading the army in person" could not possibly be associated with him in the slightest.

Not to mention that he defeated Cao Zhen in the absence of Zhuge Liang?
Is this Liu Chan?

This is not just a stunning success, it is a blockbuster that shocks the world.

"Bo Yan, what should we do now?

"But do we still want Zhou Cang to pretend to surrender to Cao Xiu?
"Or should we, the Great Wu, take Xiangyang directly while Sima Yi is too busy to look south?"

Sun Quan originally wanted to take Xiangyang.

After all, Hefei was thirty miles away from the water, and a landing battle was required. The people of Eastern Wu had long lost all confidence in taking Hefei by infantry.

But it was different in Xiangyang. The navy of the Great Wu could go up the Han River and reach the city directly.

But no one expected that Meng Da was such a waste that he couldn't even last a month under Sima Yi.

This completely disrupted the Eastern Wu's plan.

Sun Quan had no choice but to settle for the second best and try to use Zhou Cang to pretend to surrender to Cao Xiu to see if he could weaken Cao Wei's control over Huainan.

But now chaos has arisen again.

Lu Xun pondered for a long time and finally spoke:
“Your Majesty, I believe Xiangyang can be attacked.

"Pei Qian, the governor of Jingzhou during the Wei Dynasty, was able to maintain peace and order in the government, but I have never heard of him being able to use military force.

"Sima Yi is going to rescue Guanzhong now, and he will not be able to return for two or three months. Our army is more than enough to capture the pass and city on the way and besiege Xiangyang.

"When summer arrives, the sky will rain heavily, and perhaps the story of Guan Yu flooding the seven armies will be repeated, preventing Fancheng from coming south to support Xiangyang.

"If we do this, we can capture Xiangyang and completely control the natural barrier of the Yangtze and Han Rivers.

"If we retreat, we can also force Hu Zhi, who is guarding Shiyang in Jiangxia, to leave the city and seek battle.

"Even if Xiangyang is not taken, we can take the opportunity to seize Shiyang and open up the Sui-Zao corridor, which will serve as a springboard for advancing to Xiangyang in the future."

Shiyang is just fifty miles northwest of Xiakou, located in the Yunmeng Lake. It is difficult to deploy troops and is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

It is stuck at the southern end of the "Sui-Zao Corridor" that goes north from Jingchu to Nanyang.

During the Western Zhou Dynasty, the Sui-Zao Corridor was the main transportation route for the Zhou people to move south. It was the only north-south passage for marching except for the Han River, similar to Jieting between Jingzhou and Nanyang.

Once the Sui-Zao Corridor is opened, the Eastern Wu can even march into the heart of Nanyang and tie up tens of thousands of Wei troops.

A big part of the reason why the Eastern Wu did not dare to attack Xiangyang with all its might was that it was worried that the Wei State would come out through this passage to harass the food supply route and cut off its way back.

Sun Quan attacked Shiyang twice last year, and he led the expedition personally the second time. However, he was completely defeated and repelled by Hu Zhi, the prefect of Jiangxia in Wei State.

Even when he personally led the army, Pan Zhang made a mistake when he retreated. The fleet was in chaos, and Hu Zhi's army came to pursue him by boat, and Pan Zhang was unable to resist.

If Zhu Ran had not returned to help Pan Zhang stop the enemy, Sun Quan, who was leading the army in person, would probably have caused another scene where 100,000 Wu soldiers were frightened and returned.

Seeing Sun Quan hesitate, Lu Xun continued:

"Your Majesty, Zhou Cang's plan of feigning surrender requires Cao Xiu to be careless. This requires several months of accumulated effort to paralyze him.

"Furthermore, now that Cao Zhen has been executed, Cao Rui will be horrified and will surely order all regions to tighten their defenses.

"Although Cao Xiu is stubborn and incompetent in military affairs, he will certainly be more cautious, making the feigned surrender plan more difficult to implement.

"Taking Xiangyang is the Supreme Lord's original intention, and it is also the lifeline of Jiangnan.

"If Xiangyang is in our hands, we can advance directly to Nanyang, and if we retreat, we can ensure the safety of the south of the Yangtze River.

"Now that Sima Yi has retreated, if we don't take it quickly, once Cao Wei sends other generals to reinforce us, there will be no chance of seizing it. I hope Your Majesty will make a wise decision."

Upon hearing this, Sun Quan fell into silence and thought.

Hefei was definitely impossible to capture. The soldiers were worried and many of their legs began to tremble when they arrived at that place.

For him personally, that place is also a big concern, and he is not willing to try it easily.

Once Xiangyang is captured, it will no longer matter whether to fight for Hefei or not.

Directly manage Jingzhou as the military center and launch a northern expedition from Xiangyang.

It's not that he doesn't know this truth.

Logically speaking, there should be no hesitation at all in taking advantage of this opportunity to attack Xiangyang, and there is no need for Lu Xun to persuade him.

But he still hesitated:

“I am lonely and unwilling.

"Now that Adou has killed Cao Zhen, it will be no problem for Zhuge Liang to seize Longyou.

"Adou is leading the army in person, and his ambition is not small. Once Longyou is captured by the Shu army, Zhuge Liang will lead his troops down to Long and take Chang'an together with Adou." "If my army goes to capture Xiangyang, Cao Wei will have to send troops and food to rescue from Yuzhou, Nanyang, and even Huainan.

"In this way, Cao Wei will no longer be able to mobilize resources to enter Guanzhong to rescue Chang'an.

"It would be fine if Great Wu could capture Xiangyang, but what if we can't?

"We have lost soldiers and generals, and wasted money and food.

"But instead, he helped Adou and Zhuge Liang take Chang'an. Wasn't he simply being used by Adou and Zhuge Liang?"

The reason for his hesitation was that he was too skeptical about whether the Wu army could capture Xiangyang.

His initial idea was that Shu Han and Cao Wei would be in a stalemate for at least three or four months.

In the end, the Shu army took away most of Cao Wei's troops and food, and returned empty-handed, while he was able to profit from it.

Unexpectedly, Meng Da was beheaded by Sima Yi's 20-day offensive.

What they never expected was that Adou personally led the army to kill Cao Zhen.

His plans went haywire.

Now that we are advancing towards Xiangyang, there is a high possibility that we will be making things easier for Adou.

"Your Majesty, although Cao Zhen has been defeated, there are still fortresses west of Chang'an. It will be difficult to capture them in a month or two.

"According to the date, Sima Yi should have arrived in Chang'an by now.

"With Sima Yi's extraordinary military prowess and bravery, the Shu ruler could only seize Longyou at best.

"My Great Wu is allied with Shu. Shu is weak. If we can seize Longyou to strengthen its power, it will surely force the Wei Dynasty to focus its full attention westwards, which will also be beneficial to my Great Wu.

"Looking at the Wei Dynasty, the only two skilled commanders were Cao Zhen and Sima Yi.

"Now that Cao Zhen is dead, Sima Yi will surely stay in Chang'an for a long time.

"If the Great Wu can capture Xiangyang and then advance to Nanyang, and occupy the upper reaches of the Huai River, then Hefei will no longer be a threat."

As a conservative, Lu Xun was unwilling to support Sun Quan in mobilizing the entire country, especially consuming the troops, money and food of Jiangdong to forcibly resist Cao Wei.

However, it is absolutely necessary for Jiangdong to take Xiangyang and Hefei and use the Han River and Huai River as a buffer for the Yangtze River defense line.

Sun Quan looked at the surging river in silence for a long time.

It was not until sunset, watching the reflection of the setting sun in the river being shattered by the surging waves, that he finally made up his mind: "Let's take Xiangyang."

Lu Xun felt relieved when he heard this.

But before he could relax, Sun Quan said something shocking: "I will personally lead the army!"

Lu Xun was stunned when he heard the voice.

...

Shangluo.

Sima Yi arrived at night with a hundred cavalrymen.

Sima Shi and Sima Zhao brothers came out to greet them.

"Father, something terrible has happened!" Sima Zhao was only eighteen years old, not the age to keep calm.

"Why are you so scared?" Sima Yi frowned slightly, somewhat dissatisfied with his second son's performance.

"Father, Zhang He is dead." Sima Zhao saw his father frowning, and immediately stood at attention, trying to steady his breathing.

"Zhang He is dead?!" This time it was Sima Yi's turn to lose his composure.

Half a month ago, he received an imperial edict from the emperor, ordering him to lead light cavalry to Hangu Pass to welcome the emperor and not to enter Luoyang.

He also sent another general to lead the army to quickly leave Shangyong and stay in Wuguan.

I thought it was just the defeated troops in Guanzhong or Longyou.

It was only after receiving the emperor at Hangu Pass that they learned that Cao Zhen was dead.

After so much effort helping the Emperor pacify the court and stabilize Luoyang, now Zhang He is dead again?!

"When did you receive the news? Why didn't you send a messenger to inform me?" Sima Yi took a deep breath and calmed himself.

Sima Shi, who had just come of age, stepped forward and said sternly:

"Reporting to Father, this is the news from three days ago.

"We had just received our father's transfer order that day, so we moved our troops from Wuguan to Yaoguan.

"After travelling less than ten miles, we received a report from a messenger sent by the commander of Yaoguan Pass.

"It is said that the Right General Zhang He went down to Long to rescue Guanzhong, and after entering Guanzhong, he planned a surprise attack on the false emperor Liu Chan.

"As a result, almost the entire army was wiped out, with only 6,000 to 7,000 men led by Lieutenant General Niu Jin escaping."

"What's going on?" Sima Yi paused.

He expected that Zhang He might retreat to Long due to the lack of food and grass, but he never expected that Zhang He would be defeated so miserably and even die.

Sima Shi then told Sima Yi all the news he had received in the past few days.

"Zhang He!" Sima Yi almost burst into a curse after hearing this. After calming down, he began to educate his two sons:
"The surprise attack on Wuzhangyuan is not without the possibility of success.

“But as the saying goes, before you think about victory, you must think about defeat.

"If we wade across the Wei River and march deep into our territory, we may die without a burial place if we fail!
“Although he left ten thousand troops to guard Chencang, and although Niu Jin could use a light boat on the north bank of the Wei River to deliver grain to Weinan.

"But why didn't he anticipate that the Southern Xiongnu were unreliable?

"Why didn't you expect Zhuge Liang to send troops to rescue us through the narrow pass of the Wei River?
"Even then, wouldn't Zhao Yun, who was guarding Chencang, have forced his way out? Did he think he could lure Zhao Yun to his death with 10,000 men?

"Having already suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhuge Liang, don't you know that the army's morale is unstable?

"In my opinion, it's not that he didn't expect it, but he is actually gambling the fate of the Wei Dynasty on his posthumous reputation!"

Sima Zhao was stunned when he heard this.

He always felt that Zhang He's strategy had a high chance of success and that its failure was largely due to accidental factors.

He also did not expect that the Shu invaders would find a way to persuade the Huns to surrender.

The plan of burning the pontoon bridge to isolate the Shu invaders in the north of Wei and force them to collapse on their own also sounds quite feasible, even thorough.

After all, Niu Jin and Guanqiu Jian led more than 10,000 people to attack the camp and transport food and grass.

Moreover, Linghu Yu and Xiahou Bao had six thousand men and horses on a hundred boats, waiting for them on the south bank of the Wei River. This was a feasible strategy no matter how one looked at it.

Even if the surprise attack failed, it would not be a problem for Zhang He to lead his troops to retreat. Chencang was guarded by 10,000 people, so it should not have been lost.

"Father, we received news today that the Shu invaders have occupied Xiliu and Gaoling and are preparing to march on Chang'an."

Sima Yi nodded:

"My great Wei's Guanzhong cavalry has been completely wiped out, the Shu invaders have fled eastwards in their thousands, and Anding has rebelled. This is inevitable.

“But this is very good.

"It is the best strategy for Liu Chan to hold Wuzhangyuan and wait for Zhuge Liang's army to descend to Long.

“Occupying Huaili and Wugong, and supporting each other with Wuzhangyuan, is a trap.

"Arriving at Chang'an is a bad idea.

"If you carry out the above plan, I can only protect Chang'an, but I cannot break it and drive it away.

"If they fall into my trap, I can defeat them and drive them away. I can also advance my troops to Wuzhangyuan, seize Zhongzhou, and force Zhuge Liang back to the plateau before he can descend from Long.

"However, Chang'an was within sight but was not taken, and Xiliu and Gaoling were guarding the strategic food route to Chang'an but were not held.

"This is not something that Liu Chan, who has won consecutive battles and has become arrogant and self-deprecating, can do.

"He knew that it was difficult to transport food through the Wuguan Pass and believed that my army of tens of thousands could not hold out for long. That's why he occupied Gaoling. He wanted to use this to force me to go to Xinfeng for food. He used Gaoling to hold me back. He was just being self-righteous."

Sima Shi suddenly became puzzled. "Didn't my father just say that we should be wary of defeat before the battle? Shouldn't we clear the food supply route and establish an invincible position?"

Sima Yi smiled:

"After I killed Meng Da, I only carried a month's worth of food. What kind of food supply do I need?
"Liu Chan wanted to use Gaoling to buy time and wait for Zhuge Liang to come down to Long to provide assistance.

"This is because I didn't know myself and the enemy, I misjudged his situation, and I misjudged my decision.

“This is the next plan.

"I will definitely break it."

(End of this chapter)