Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 89: Selling a Flaw
Since the Han Dynasty occupied several important locations north of Chang'an and set up camps, almost everyone thought that the battlefield of the upcoming Battle of Chang'an would be limited to the surrounding areas of Chang'an.

After all, according to common sense, Zhang He had already suffered a crushing defeat because of his isolated advance, and Sima Yi was unlikely to choose to take the risk of advancing alone again.

He has two best options.

One is to use superior forces to forcibly capture Gaoling before the Prime Minister goes down to Long, so that the food supply will no longer be a problem.

One is to wait and see south of the Wei River, waiting for the Han army to cross the river, and then use the home advantage to launch a counterattack.

But contrary to everyone's expectations, he chose to take the risk.

Liu Chan was puzzled at first, but finally he began to understand.

"I think, perhaps in Sima Yi's eyes, this is not an adventure at all."

At the emperor's camp at Wuzhangyuan, Liu Chan summoned all the civil and military officials who were qualified to attend court discussions.

This matter is of great importance. Sima Yi may ignore the three camps of Xiliu, Jimen and Gaoling at any time and advance directly to Wuzhangyuan.

All civil and military officials must be informed, otherwise if Sima Yi's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry suddenly arrives and causes chaos at Wuzhangyuan, the whole country will be doomed.

Li Yan's son Li Feng was puzzled and said:
"But Your Majesty, how is Sima Yi's behavior different from Zhang He's?

"If we advance our army deep into our territory and are defeated, we will be killed like Zhang He, without a burial place."

If this is not an adventure, then Li Feng can't think of what is.

Guo Youzhi, Chen Zhi, Li Yi and other courtiers also nodded.

Liu Chan then let everyone in the room speak freely, wanting to see whether a group of insignificant generals could defeat Zhuge Liang.

Everyone soon started talking and their spirits were high.

The scene was beyond Liu Chan's expectations.

It seemed that because of the previous experience of Zhang He, most of the civil and military officials in the camp were not worried about Sima Yi's lone army advancing deep into the enemy's territory.

Liu Chan even sensed an inexplicable excitement in their voices and expressions.

Liu Chan remained silent and became a little worried.

In the last battle, a lot of food, fodder, armor and weapons were seized from Zhang He. Everyone had tasted the sweetness, and now everyone seemed to be there to deliver equipment.

This was the case with the ignorant courtiers such as Guo Youzhi and Chen Zhi, as well as the relatively knowledgeable captains such as Zong Qian, Yang Ji, and Li Feng.

It seems that keeping a clear and calm mind at all times is indeed easier said than done.

The consecutive victories were like a double-edged sword. While it boosted the morale of the Han officials, it also inevitably made many people look down on the Wei army.

This excitement reached its peak, especially after learning that the Prime Minister had recaptured Tianshui and was leading his troops down to Long to join forces with Guanzhong.

Many noobs forget that they were originally just a small force.

The reason for the consecutive victories was that they relied on positional warfare and defensive counterattacks, not field battles and offensives.

Fortunately, the "feigned defeat" at Xieshui, which could not be more real, always kept Liu Chan on alert.

To be cautious, he had to issue the military order through Zhao Yun:

Before meeting up with the Prime Minister, all officers must tighten their defenses, build strong camps, fight static battles, and try to avoid leaving the camps and going down to the city walls to engage in field battles with the Wei army.

As a result, many middle and senior military officers put forward different opinions and suggestions.

Some people said that the Wei army had suffered repeated defeats and would only dare to build a camp under the city of Chang'an to defend itself. If they did not attack quickly, their fortifications would become more complete, so they should fight quickly.

Some people say that being overly cautious in shrinking defense will dampen morale. Once the unstoppable momentum is curbed, our army will be unable to fight and will gradually lose its fighting spirit, while the enemy will have a chance to catch their breath and their morale will gradually weaken, which is very disadvantageous.

In short, almost no one thought that Sima Yi would be a tough guy.

After all, Sima Yi had no outstanding military achievements before he killed Meng Da.

Even Liu Chan insisted that the closer it got to the final moment, the more cautious he should be.

But when he heard one opinion after another advocating a quick victory, it still took a lot of energy for him to strengthen his own ideas.

Fortunately, he hid this hesitation and repeatedly issued orders, thus suppressing those who sought a quick war.

Now, with Sima Yi's unexpected advance of his troops alone, the civil and military officials of Wuzhangyuan were not worried but happy, which made Liu Chan vaguely guess the reaction of the soldiers in Xiliu, Jimen and other places.

Or it means that Sima Yi is alone and deep in the enemy's territory, and there are loopholes, so we should attack him.

Or they would take the initiative to ask for help in the name of rescuing Wuzhangyuan.

When he thought of this, Liu Chan became more and more fearful.

It was obvious that Sima Yi had anticipated the Han army's intention to fight, so he took the initiative to expose a flaw.

Why dare you do this?
There is only one explanation: he had considerable confidence in the soldiers he trained, and wanted to use this to lure the Han army out of the camp and seek an opportunity to fight the Han army in the field.

This is exactly what Sima Yi is good at.

The Battle of Liaodong, in which Sima Yi destroyed the country in one battle.

Gongsun Yuan relied on the Daliaoze Lake to build a defense line of dozens of miles, with high fortifications and deep trenches, leaving the Wei army with no place to stay, let alone attack.

In the end, Sima Yi bypassed Liaoze and went straight to Xiangping, the capital where Gongsun Yuan was located.

Even after crossing the Liao River, he performed a desperate act of art, exposing his flaws to the Yan defenders, which eventually led to an attack from the Yan army behind the Liaoze defense line.

As a result, the Yan army won three battles and retreated.

The Liaoze defense line collapsed without a fight, and the Wei army marched straight to the city of Xiangping, destroying the country in the final battle.

The people in the camp were still discussing excitedly, not realizing the seriousness of the matter. Liu Chan could only speak with a hint of helplessness:
"Sima Yi traveled a thousand miles at full speed and reached Shangyong City in eight days. Without stopping, he launched a strong attack on Shangyong and captured it in less than two weeks.

"Of course, the defection of Meng Da's nephew was a factor, but the bravery and courage of Sima Yi's soldiers is also a factor that cannot be ignored.

“Although we are unable to ascertain exactly how many troops Sima Yi brought with him, it is at least 20,000 to 30,000.

“Although he is currently alone and has set up camp in Huaili, he will send an elite force to Wuzhangyuan in two days at most.

"In the final analysis, it is because our troops in Guanzhong are too few and too scattered, and the elite troops are all in Chang'an, so Sima Yi can act recklessly.

"I have heard what you have just said. Most of you think that this Wuzhang Plateau is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and Sima Yi will definitely return empty-handed.

"But the situation we face this time is completely different from that of Zhang He.

"Sima Yi could have simply ignored Wuzhangyuan and attacked directly from the entrance of the Xie Valley.

"Once the Xiegu plank road is destroyed, the Han will lose its food supply and retreat routes.

“In other words, this is a must-defend place.

“Although I have 10,000 men in Wuzhangyuan, most of them must be sent to guard the entrance to Xiegu.

"Wuzhangyuan is a difficult place to attack, but the entrance to Xiegu has no natural defenses to rely on. Do you still think Sima Yi has no choice but to retreat?"

Some of the subordinates who had no knowledge of military affairs were finally surprised and panicked when they heard this.

The 10,000-strong army in Wuzhangyuan is their confidence. Now they suddenly heard that most of them are going to guard the entrance of Xiegu. Who will protect them?

Deng Zhi, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke:

"Your Majesty is right. The Wei invaders will attack us no matter what, and we must defend the entrance to the Xie Valley no matter what.

"As for the food supply you just mentioned, Sima Yi doesn't plan to stay for long. Using cattle, horses, donkeys, and mules to carry ten days' worth of food for a strong attack is no problem at all."

Many people became even more panicked after hearing the sound.

Liu Chan no longer cared about how these people acted and looked at Captain Yang Ji:

"Bo Tao, there are too many prisoners. Once we see the Wei invaders approaching Wuzhangyuan, people will inevitably be confused. Let's take them all to Chencang for custody first." Sima Yi dared to come to Wuzhangyuan, but it was impossible for him to go deeper into Chencang.

"This mission is now entrusted to you. You must immediately select a thousand soldiers and set off."

"Yes!" Yang Ji originally wanted to stay in Wuzhangyuan to resist the enemy, but the emperor had given an order, and it was not something he, a captain, could interfere with.

If His Majesty had not led the army in person, how could he, a captain in charge of military farming affairs, be qualified to see the Emperor?

Just as he turned to leave the camp, the emperor suddenly called him from behind.

“Wait, Bo Tao, Chencang City is small and probably can’t accommodate more than 20,000 prisoners.

"I am worried that the Wei invaders might send the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to harass us outside Chencang City.

"Well, let's detain some of them at Sanguan Pass. You must be very careful not to let these prisoners take advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble."

"Yes!" Yang Ji responded again, his back straight. Seeing that His Majesty had no other instructions, he turned around and strode away.

Liu Chan still sat upright, his eyes scanning the dozens of people in the room.

Soon, Su Chao, the eldest son of the Wugong Su family, was found near the door.

"Boshu, if Sima Yi comes to Wuzhangyuan, he will definitely pass by your Su family's fort.

"Go back and tell County Lord Su not to leave the fort to meet the attack.

"I will send another military commander to lead 500 soldiers to defend your fort. What do you think?"

"As long as your majesty gives an order, the Su family will not dare to disobey!" Su Chao stood up and bowed.

Those who can still stay in Guanzhong nowadays are all powerful people in the fortresses. Su Cho does not have the flashy literary style of the scholars in Guandong, but is more similar to the scholars in Liangzhou.

Liu Chan was not worried that the Su family, who had surrendered voluntarily, would defect. He was only worried that the Su family would leave the fort to pursue Sima Yi and suffer heavy losses when Sima Yi retreated.

Su Cho soon took the order and left. Liu Chan asked Deng Zhi to allocate 500 armored soldiers to accompany him, and at the same time asked Yang Tiao to send 200 cavalry to explore the way ahead.

It is possible that Sima Yi has already sent the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry to sweep the area near Wugong.

Wugong County is very large, with more than a dozen forts of various sizes, and only one family, the Su family, surrendered to the Han.

Several other families sent envoys to make contact and offered some food, but their attitude was not clear. At least they did not send Ren Zi to surrender like the Su family did.

If Sima Yi had acted faster, he might have been able to "requisition" some food and supplies from certain people.

After all, the Han Dynasty did not declare its sovereignty over Guanzhong, and Wugong was still nominally the territory of the Wei State.

Liu Chan looked at Deng Zhi again and said, "Deng Yangwu, if Sima Yi leads 10,000 elite troops, how many men will be needed to block the entrance to Xiegu?"

Deng Zhi already had the answer: "Your Majesty, with five thousand men, we can guarantee safety."

Liu Chan secretly rejoiced and nodded slowly:
"Since Deng Yangwu is confident, the entrance to the Xie Valley will be handed over to him. Please quickly send people to build fortifications to prepare for the enemy.

"In this way, there are still 4,000 soldiers available in Wuzhangyuan, which is more than enough."

Fortunately, after Deng Zhi and Yang Tiao delivered the grain to Huaili, they only left two thousand people to guard Huaili, and then led four thousand troops back to Wuzhangyuan to prepare to transport the grain to Huaili again.

Otherwise, there were only 6,000 defenders in Wuzhangyuan, and they were not elite troops, so they could not stop Sima Yi's surprise attack.

If the situation really came to this, Deng Zhi and Yang Tiao from Huaili, and Wang Ping and Fu Qian from Xiliu would have no choice but to leave the camp and fight Sima Yi in the field.

How could a group of only 10,000 men fight against Sima Yi's 20,000 or 30,000 men in the field?

Even Zhao Yun, who was stationed at Jimen, had to lead his troops there, otherwise no one would be able to command this unexpected battle.

If the situation develops in this way, the Wei army guarding Chang'an can take advantage of the empty Han camp to seize the camp.

Sima Yi is advancing alone this time. As long as he can return to Chang'an safely, the morale of the Chang'an defenders such as Guanqiu Jian and Niu Jin will rise accordingly.

If Sima Yi could win a battle, no matter how big or small, it would boost the morale of the Wei army, while the morale of the Han army would be dampened.

This is not what Liu Chan wants to see.

Liu Chan looked at Yang Tiao and said, "King Qiang, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry are already patrolling the north bank of the Wei River. It will be difficult to safely convey this news to General Zhao.

"But please find a way to get a message to General Zhao and his men, telling them to strictly adhere to the previous decree, hold their camp firmly, and not engage in a field battle with the Wei invaders before the Prime Minister's army arrives in Long to join forces.

"There is nothing to worry about at Wuzhangyuan. Sima Yi's goal was not to take Wuzhangyuan, but to lure our soldiers from Xiliu and Jimen out of their camps for a battle in the open.

"Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to station troops in Weibei at all. He could have led his army directly to Wuzhangyuan."

"Yes!" Yang Tiao bowed and left.

...

...

Weibei.

Ten miles west of Huaili City.

Sima Yi's army was cutting willows by the river to build their camp and digging earth to make fortifications.

The officers and soldiers of the Wei army were quite dissatisfied with this move and talked about it a lot.

Chen Gui, the Sima of the Cavalry Department, had been listening to the generals' complaints all morning. After finishing his work, he finally came to Sima Yi and said in confusion:

"Lord Sima, the soldiers are asking, since our army has already taken the enemy by surprise and arrived here, why don't we just attack Wuzhangyuan directly? Instead, why are we setting up camp here? This is not the right way to defeat the enemy!"

“It is said that when united, we are powerful, and when divided, we are weak.

"My 30,000-man army is now split into two, one in the south and one in the north. We can neither fully attack Wuzhangyuan nor fully deal with the Shu invaders in the east. Isn't this cutting off our own strength?"

Sima Yi looked at Chen Gui and spoke calmly:
“Before you think about winning, think about losing.

"If all 30,000 troops were to attack Wuzhangyuan, how many days would the food and fodder last?

"The Shu invaders have been occupying Wuzhangyuan for two months. How can they capture it in just a few days?
"If we fail to capture the city and something unexpected happens, who will support our army?

"Are we going to let what happened to Zhang He happen to our army again?"

Wuzhangyuan is still a fog of war for the Wei army, and how many troops are there is all guesswork.

There were even spies who bought information saying that Zhuge Liang had already arrived at Wuzhangyuan.

"If the Shu invaders are unprepared, two thousand Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and ten thousand elite soldiers can storm the entrance to the Xie Valley and cut off their plank road.

“If the Shu invaders are well prepared, even an additional 30,000 troops will be of no avail.

"As for the self-severed arm you mentioned.

"If all my 30,000 troops cross to the north bank of the Wei River, how can the Shu invaders in the east, seeing that my army has been assembled here and Wuzhangyuan is safe, will they still actively seek a fight?

"In that case, why should I lead my army here? Why not just go and capture Gaoling and Xiliu?

"Tell the soldiers to relax. The Shu invaders from the east will surely be terrified when they see our army suddenly appear here.

"If he attacks, it will be enough to prove that Wuzhangyuan's defenses are weak.

"I can first defeat the invading enemy, then lead the army to attack Wuzhangyuan. If they dare to pursue, I will defeat them.

“If he doesn’t come, it means Wuzhangyuan is well-defended and attacking is pointless.

"Our army will be stationed here, blocking the Wei River and cutting off the food supply route for the Shu invaders downstream.

"What else can we do if Zhuge Liang doesn't come to attack us when he comes down to Long?
"I'm waiting for the enemy to tire out. Am I still afraid I can't defeat Zhuge Liang?"

(End of this chapter)