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

Chapter 92 Holding Out and Awaiting Reinforcements, Yang Yi Offers a Plan

There are still two to three thousand registered households in Xiangyang.

However, there seem to be more foreigners or stateless people stranded in the city for various reasons than this.

Although the population has already dwindled significantly.

But it's not to the point of despair like in Hanzhong and Huainan, where nine out of ten houses are empty.

It's a way of preserving a bit of life force.

The grain, fodder, and wealth had already been moved out.

But as long as we can hold the city and rely on the Han River channel for blood transfusions, we will definitely be able to get support later.

The surprise was the large defensive armaments.

For example, catapults, crossbows, and logs.

Because it was too heavy to move, it was originally intended to be incinerated.

Fortunately, before Cao Cao's army could burn the area, Mi Wei arrived with his men, so the area was largely unharmed.

But still the same sentence.

Even the best equipment needs someone to use it to be effective.

Soon, shortly after breakfast, the four gates of Fancheng on the opposite bank suddenly opened wide.

Large numbers of Cao Cao's troops emerged one after another, their drums beating like thunder.

Whether the nest will be completely destroyed or not, the strength of the elk is uncertain.

But the scene was truly frightening.

Four or five thousand infantrymen lined up and surged toward the riverbank, crossing the bridge and heading south.

Following the infantry was an astonishing number of cavalry.

However, they did not step forward to contest the bridge with the infantry.

Instead, it split in two like a wild goose spreading its wings, heading in two directions, east and west.

For a moment, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves even drowned out the sound of war drums, making people feel suffocated.

This was the first time Mi Wei had ever witnessed a cavalry force of this size since he traveled through time.

This intuitive perspective is more impressive than any military strategy theory, and it makes one's blood boil.

"The cavalry that went west was probably looking for shallow water upstream to cross the river."

Yang Yi's voice rang out from the side.

Mi Wei composed himself slightly and nodded in response:
"Xu Huang's scouts had already discovered that Guan Dang's bandits were approaching Yicheng, so they must have taken precautions."

He then turned his head to look to the east, at the enemy cavalry that was slightly smaller in number.

The knights there were leading a large group of auxiliary soldiers and laborers around the northeast of Xiangyang, at the great bend in the Han River where it turns from east to south.

Mi Wei could guess the purpose without Yang Yi needing to remind him.

They should go downstream to find suitable mudflats to build a settlement.

Then, whether it's building a dam or installing barrier cables, it's all up to you.

The goal is to block the reinforcements heading north along the Han River.

It's the same as the cavalry unit in the west.

The reason why Xu Huang did not directly attack the city, but instead went around to cut off Mi Wei's reinforcements.

Mi Wei spent half a day observing the terrain and topography of Xiangyang City.

Then recall the various experiences and observations of both lifetimes.

They were also aware of the situation.

Xiangyang City is located north of the Han River and west of hills and valleys.

There are also interconnected lakes and ponds in the surrounding area.

It was a death trap for cavalry.

Only the mudflats and sandbars on the east side are barely passable for horseback riding during the dry season.

But then, in the southern suburbs stands Mount Xian, which is neither particularly high nor particularly low.

This severely limited the width of the battlefield.

If cavalrymen set foot there and the water level rose, they would truly be doomed.

And now is the season of abundant water.

Therefore, the south bank of the Han River, that is, the side of Xiangyang City.

It is not suitable for large-scale cavalry maneuvers, nor is it very advantageous for sieges.

Therefore.

Historically, this has been the best strategy for attacking Xiangyang.

First, the city must be besieged to isolate it from the outside world.

Then, in front of Xiangyang.

They crossed the river to beat up the open terrain of Fancheng on the other side.

Or in the opposite direction.

They bypassed Xiangyang to the south, blocking reinforcements from the southeast along the Han River and from the southwest on land.

This was intended to wear down the morale and reserves of the defending troops.

The former is precisely the strategy Guan Yu used in his northern expedition last year.

The latter was Kublai Khan's strategy for invading the Southern Song Dynasty more than a thousand years later.

Xu Huang, who currently commands the Northern Army in Fancheng, is a seasoned and experienced general of Cao Wei. It was only natural that he would make a choice similar to the latter.

In response, Miwei had no choice but to hold his ground and wait for reinforcements.

However, he also has his own reasons for being confident.

One reason is that I worked diligently that past summer.

There was no embezzlement or cost-cutting involved along the way.

With the inland river fleet they had built themselves, they were able to operate during this high-water season.

Let's not talk about directly confronting Xu Huangjun.

But surely the efficiency with which reinforcements and supplies were sent north could be trusted?
Due to the earlier large-scale conscription, the enemy forces now had very few proper ships left in Fancheng.

Can they really effectively stop our own ships in the Han River?

Secondly, the nearest reinforcements on land were, after all, Guan Ping's troops.

Even though Guan Ping's prestige and experience were not as good as his father's, he could not defeat Xu Huang's cavalry head-on.

But surely you can at least try to restrain or delay things a bit?

As long as they can hold off the enemy cavalry on land for a few days.

With reinforcements arriving from the Han River, the scales of victory will eventually tip in our favor.

Other than that.

Yesterday, I met with that old man from the village who, in every sense of the word, "doesn't put all his eggs in one basket."

Six months ago, I had that vague feeling about strategic opportunities.

Not long ago, I had a vague suspicion about Yicheng Shaobing.

Suddenly things became clearer.

I have a few more clues now.

This gave them even more confidence.

But these are just clues, not enough to prove anything, so there's no need to elaborate.

……

That afternoon, most of the enemy infantry had already crossed the south bank of the Han River.

They began constructing siege or siege positions around the city.

Yang Yi looked at the sky and then at the pontoon bridge over the Han River.

He suggested, "Why not take advantage of the enemy's unstable foothold under the city walls and go out tonight to burn the pontoon bridge?"

Miwei asked, "How do we burn it? From where do we leave the city to burn it?"

Yang Yi pointed towards Tanxi Creek in the west of the city and said:

"The stream flows north into the Han River. If we release the fireboats near the estuary and give them a little push, they will naturally follow the current into the river channel and then flow downstream, crashing into the pontoon bridge!"

"Moreover, the enemy's siege has not yet extended to the west of the city, so there is still room to leave the city tonight!"

Upon hearing this, Mi Wei pondered for a moment and immediately understood.

Like Yicheng, Xiangyang has a terrain that is generally higher in the west and lower in the east.

The word "high" here does not refer to towering mountains.

Instead, it is a large hilly area extending from the foothills of Wudang Mountain and the northern foothills of Jing Mountain.

That is, the transition zone between the second and third levels.

The streams between these hills converge eastward along the terrain, and then split in two at a place called "Yahu" west of Xiangyang City.

To the north is the Tanxi River, which flows into the upper reaches of the Han River.

To the south lies the waterway that Mi Wei and his group had previously used to sneak north.

So even from a bird's-eye view.

On the west and south sides of Xiangyang, there seems to be a "moat" that runs directly through the upper and lower reaches of the Han River and flows around the city.

But they are actually two streams that originated from the same source but diverged.

Both sides can receive water from the Han River.

And based on the same terrain problem.

Before the enemy forces gained a foothold in the north of the city.

We can't worry about the difficult-to-access hilly valley to the west for the time being.

If we're going to burn the bridge, tonight is truly the last chance.

After a moment's thought, he agreed to Yang Yi's plan.

Yang Yi was overjoyed and volunteered to go into battle, leaving Mi Wei to sit on the city wall and watch the battle.

Although Mi Wei did not refuse, he still ordered Xiang Chong to accompany him, just in case.

That night, after dusk.

Yang Yi followed Xiang Chong's troops and quietly slipped out of the city through the marshland south of the city, then quickly turned west.

Before long, they led a group of bamboo rafts piled high with charcoal and firewood to the vicinity of Tanxi River.

At this moment, Mi Wei stood on the city wall, watching intently and keeping a close eye on the enemy camp's movements.

If the enemy makes any unusual movements or successfully ignites a fire, he must create a commotion to cover Yang Yi and the others' retreat.

Fortunately, the moon is obscured by dark clouds tonight, and the enemy is unaware of it for the time being.

(End of this chapter)