The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 88 Target: Xiangyang City!

"I thought I was already greedy for merit by not wanting to abandon Yicheng, but I didn't expect the Commandant to be even more greedy than me, still thinking about the great city of Hanbin?"

"Does the Commandant perhaps believe that he can defeat Cao Wei's tens of thousands of elite troops with his meager two thousand men?"

Hearing Yang Yi's mocking remarks.

Mi Wei's subordinates were all indignant and argued against him.

But Mi Wei raised his hand to stop the crowd and said to Yang Yi:
“Master Yang, we are both pragmatic people, so let’s not talk about empty words between us.”

"I only have two questions."

"Firstly, Xu Huang has always been known for sending out scouts from afar when leading troops. Does Lord Yang agree with this?"

Yang Yi nodded: "I had heard about this matter before."

"When cavalrymen gallop a hundred miles to intercept the enemy, scouts should naturally be as far away as possible."

Miwei asked again:

"Secondly, since Xu Huang values ​​scouts, why are we only seeing scout cavalry on land, but not scout light boats on the Han River?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

Mi Wei analyzed without stopping for a moment:
"As is well known, there are three routes of advance from Jiangling to Xiangyang."

"The westernmost two rivers, Ju and Zhang, are located in a narrow and remote area, so let's leave that aside."

"The central trail follows the Dangyang-Changban line, which is suitable for cavalry raids, so naturally more scouts should be dispatched."

"But should we just ignore the easternmost Hanmian waterway?"

"The northerners are good at riding horses and raiding, but that doesn't mean they are unaware of the advantages of a navy, does it?"

"Even if Cao Ren and Xu Huang have forgotten the defeat at the Battle of Red Cliffs, they should still remember how General Guan marched north along the Han and Mian rivers last year and flooded Yu Jin's seven armies, right?"

Upon hearing this, everyone understood what Miwei meant.

Yang Yi reacted the fastest: "Not enough enemy ships?"

“It certainly won’t be enough,” Mi Wei nodded.

"But the key question is, why isn't it enough?"

"Furthermore, you two or three should think carefully about our journey northward until we capture Ruo County."

"Besides not encountering enemy scout ships, have you not even encountered ordinary fishing boats?"

Yang Yi reacted the fastest, stomping her foot and shouting:
"All civilian ships have been requisitioned... There will surely be a major conscription in Xiangfan!"

Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood completely.

Most of those present had some experience in logistics, so they were naturally familiar with this system.

Especially the elk.

Why was he trapped in Jiangling last year with no boat to cross?

The fact that the old guard kept things hidden was one aspect.

However, the main reason was that Guan Yu's army marched north, which required the requisition of a large number of official and civilian boats.

At this moment, just as at that moment.

Now let's get back to the present.

What was Cao Ren's purpose in suddenly launching a large-scale conscription?
We can't just turn around and attack the three eastern counties, can we?

There are indeed people who have put forward this view.

However, Yang Yi immediately refuted this:

"Xiangfan is unstable, and Yicheng is the southern shield of Xiangyang."

"If Cao Ren leads his troops westward, Yicheng must be heavily defended; it should not be completely evacuated."

"Just as our army is now pointing its sword at the city upstream of Ju and Zhang, Guan Dangkou and Mi Duwei will both have to go north to contain the enemy."

Since it's neither heading west nor south...

Where else can we go?

The other directions were all occupied territories of Cao Wei.

Everyone fell into deep thought.

But soon, Yang Yi suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Mi Wei.

And with that glance.

Everyone, including Xiang Chong who hurriedly turned back.

All eyes were focused on Mi Wei.

this moment.

Everyone was in the same state as that person who, half a year ago, suddenly ran naked into the courtyard late one night.
Heartbeat.

His breathing became heavier.

……

In the afternoon, the scouts reported back.

As expected, Xiangfan is undergoing a large-scale withdrawal of its military camps!

Moreover, the reason why the enemy retreated in such a hurry was likely related to Guan Yu's sudden three-pronged northern expedition before the autumn harvest.

Of course, there are still some doubts.

For example, Guan Yu's Northern Expedition this time was far smaller in scale than last year's, and the reason was known to both the enemy and ourselves.

Why didn't Cao Ren and other Wei generals dare to continue defending the city?
Could something have happened in the north?
Or is there a trap involved?
but.

As more and more scouts turned back that day.

Xiangfan, or at least the city of Xiangyang.

A large-scale mobilization to withdraw north is underway.

It is an undeniable fact.

One piece of evidence is that Lü Chang, the Wei general stationed in Xiangyang, crossed the north bank of the Han River yesterday.

Only a small number of the rear guard were left to continue driving the remaining civilians and residents of the city northward.

They even declared that they would burn the city down tomorrow!
This practice of burning cities and destroying land, and massively relocating people and supplies.

This aligns well with the defensive military logic of "scorched earth" policy.

It's just that Cao Ren's cleanup covered a particularly large area and was quite astonishing in scale.

But this was definitely not the first time Cao Wei had done this.

For example, in the eighteenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao worried that Sun Quan would gain control of the counties in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, thus providing him with a foothold to advance into the Huai River region.

He then decisively ordered more than 100,000 households in Lujiang, Jiujiang, Qichun, and Guangling to cross the river and migrate westward.

So much so that ever since.

South of Hefei, all the way to the Yangtze River.

Only one city in Anhui still retains its human presence.

For example, between the 20th and 24th years of Jian'an, Cao Cao relocated the people of Hanzhong to the east several times on a large scale.

It turned Hanzhong into a white wasteland.

From then until Liu Bei entrusted his son to Liu Bei at Baidi City, Hanzhong was unable to recover its strength.

And the consequences of doing so.

At the grassroots level, of course, various large-scale human tragedies are constantly unfolding.
However, from the perspective of Cao Wei's military strategy...

This did indeed greatly delay the offensive launched by the Liu and Sun families against the Central Plains.

In the short term, it's definitely worth it.

Then there was Guan Yu, who had just besieged Xiangfan the previous year, shaking the whole country with his might, and although he had suffered setbacks afterward, he had finally recovered.

It's not entirely incomprehensible that Cao Ren was conservative and opportunistic.
To be honest, Mi Wei still had some vague and inexplicable doubts at this moment.

The only thing that was already a fait accompli was that Cao Ren had retreated.

So he is in this position, at this point in time.

They possess an army that is neither too large nor too small.

When faced with a once-in-a-millennium, but certainly once-in-a-century, opportunity.

How could one not have thoughts in their mind?

The key point is that among Guan Yu's army, there were those who could get there before Xiangyang was burned down.

Only his Han River naval force remains!

Mi Wei: "Lord Yang, do you think our troops should take advantage of the situation to head north and probe Xiangyang, or take advantage of the enemy's inability to look south and continue to assist Guan Dang in besieging Yicheng?"

"Why ask a question you already know the answer to, Commandant!"

Yang Yi was even more excited than Mi Wei was that night.

"If we capture Xiangyang, taking Yicheng will be as easy as taking something out of a bag."

"On the contrary, if we stand idly by and watch Xiangfan be burned to the ground, who knows when the reconstruction will take!"

"If Xiangfan is not rebuilt, how can Yicheng alone establish itself on the southern bank of the Han River and Mian River in the future?"

"It will be lost again sooner or later!"

"Commander, you should do your best to protect Xiangyang!"

"If we can hold onto one city, we will still have the confidence to stand firm in Miannan!"

Mi Wei had already thought of this, and nodded heavily.

So he sent messengers to inform Guan Yu and Guan Ping.

Meanwhile, another military meeting was convened.

Continue the siege.

It's just Xiangyang City!

Mi Wei said to Yang Yi:

"Master Yang is a renowned scholar from Xiangyang. Does he still remember the landscape of his hometown?"

"How could I not remember! Commander, just tell me your plans!"

Yang Yi looked overjoyed.

Miwei pointed to the marching map and said:
"Xiangyang's topography is such that the Han River is to its north and Mount Xian is to its south."

"At the foot of the southern slope of Mount Xian, there are large lakes and small ponds that are connected to each other like waterways, winding around the south and west of the city."

"At this moment, Cao Cao's army has withdrawn from the city and is retreating north. There must be countless ferries and pontoon bridges on the Han River between Xiangyang and Fancheng. It is a place that attracts everyone's attention and we cannot go there."

"I think it would be better to take advantage of the terrain of Mount Xian and the cover of night, to bypass the city from the south and go behind Xiangyang. Once we get close to the city, we can seize it with lightning speed."

At this point, Mi Wei looked up and stared directly at Yang Yi.

"I wonder if the waterways on the west and south sides of Xiangyang are navigable at this time of year? Is it easy to run into hidden reefs at night?"

Yang Yi's eyes lit up when he heard about the plan.

Miwei's tactic was actually a replica of the previous attack on Yicheng.

The only difference is the location.

Moreover, compared to using large ships for cover.

Natural mountains provide better cover!
He then put his hands behind his back and said:

"So that the Commandant may know that my ancestral home is in Guangchangli, south of Xianshan."

"I dare say no one here knows better than I where a boat can sail and where it cannot!"

Mi Wei was overjoyed: "Then I'll trouble you, Master Yang, to lead the way!"

(End of this chapter)