The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

"When the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy camps, we harass; when the enemy tires, we attack; when the enemy retreats, we pursue?"

Guan Ping and Zhao Lei silently recited the sixteen-character mantra aloud, and the more they recited it, the more they felt that it was wonderful beyond words. This mantra was simply a return to simplicity and a direct path to the essence of guerrilla warfare.

Guan Yu's eyes lit up as well, and he asked in shock, "Who said that?"

Guan Xing couldn't explain it clearly, so he just made it up: "It's my own summary. In the past, when I fought with Xingguo (Zhang Bao's courtesy name), I could never beat him. I didn't want to suffer a loss, so I would take advantage of his inattention, strike him on the head with a stick, and then run away."

"Xingguo was unwilling to be beaten and chased after me with all his might. When he couldn't catch up with me, he had to retreat. I turned around and beat him up when he was exhausted and then left happily."

"I use the same tactic when I fight in the streets: first wear them down, then turn around and deliver the fatal blow. This trick always works. Basically, fight if you can win, run if you can't. I guess that's the same principle as fighting a war, right?"

Guan Ping: “…”

Zhao Lei: "..."

You've even gained experience from gang fights?

It seems like leaving you in Chengdu is a waste of your talent.

Guan Yu, on the other hand, looked at Guan Xing with curiosity, as if he were meeting him for the first time, and was ready to see through Guan Xing from the inside out.

In his heart, Guan Ping was the eldest son and the family heir worthy of being nurtured with all his might, while Guan Xing was just a figurehead, good enough that he was alive.

Therefore, he didn't value Guan Xing as much as his older brother. He originally thought that this kid was just a spoiled brat, but now it seems that he was very wrong.

This child is quick-witted and has unique ideas; with careful nurturing, he could become a capable leader.

Putting aside everything else, the fact that he could still calmly propose three strategies—superior, medium, and inferior—even after his defeat and desperate situation is enough to prove his talent and mental fortitude.

And those sixteen-character mantras—if you can come up with such mantras for a group fight, what will you be like on the battlefield?

This child is capable of great things and must be given special attention and training.

Guan Yu made up his mind and led the horse, saying, "Let's go together. It's still quite a distance to the Han River. We'll part ways when we get there. Anguo, continue to share your understanding of guerrilla warfare. Your elder brother might find it useful when he gets to Jingnan."

Guan Xing was greatly encouraged and excitedly said, "I personally believe that the essence of guerrilla warfare is not strategy and tactics, but rather that it has a broad mass base and gains the full support of the people."

"It is said that he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. This is both true and false. The First Emperor did not win the hearts of the people of the six kingdoms, but he still seized the world."

"He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world" is not just an empty saying, but to truly achieve this, having the hearts of the people is not enough; one must also utilize, ah, I should say, use the hearts of the people.

"While winning the hearts of the people, we must also know how to unite them. Only when the people of the world are united as one can we truly be invincible and unstoppable."

"Losing Jiangling and even Jingzhou is not a big deal, because we haven't lost the hearts of the people, which is the most important thing. The essence of war is always people, and then cities and land. As long as people are alive, we will take back the lost cities sooner or later."

All the generals nodded in agreement.

Guan Yu guarded Jingzhou for many years. Although his relationship with his colleagues and gentry was not good, his reputation among the people was exceptionally good.

During the years that Guan Yu was in charge of Jingzhou, the province's taxes dropped to their lowest point in history, and the people's lives were much better than when Liu Biao was in power.

Moreover, Guan Yu abhorred the behavior of the strong bullying the weak, strictly restrained the gentry, and prohibited them from oppressing the common people. The common people no longer had to worry about some rich second-generation suddenly jumping out and beating them up without asking any questions when they walked on the street.

Moreover, Guan Yu also kept the mountain bandits in check. During his tenure in Jingzhou, there were no bandit raids or peasant uprisings.

Unlike Jingzhou under Sun Quan's rule, where peasant uprisings never stopped, there were many recorded in historical books, and even more unrecorded ones.

In short, under Guan Yu's rule, the people of Jingzhou not only had enough to eat and wear, but also enjoyed peace and stability, and even basic respect. Who else would they support if not Guan Yu, that blue-eyed bandit from Jiangdong?

Guan Xing continued, "Brother, I'll give you sixteen more words on your way to Jingnan: If you save people but lose land, you'll save both people and land; if you save land but lose people, you'll lose both people and land."

"Since we've chosen to wage guerrilla warfare, we shouldn't worry about the gains or losses of a single city or place. Once we're there, we should first develop the rural areas, then the townships, then the county towns, and finally achieve the goal of encircling the cities from the countryside."

"Imagine if the rural towns and villages surrounding Jiangling fall into our hands, and the people become our eyes and ears. What does it matter if Sun Quan takes Jiangling? A city without support or supplies, no matter how strong, can it hold out for long?"

These words contained so much information that Guan Ping was completely bewildered and confused. It would probably take him a long time to fully digest them.

Guan Yu, as if struck by a sudden enlightenment, gleamed with unprecedented brilliance in his eyes and muttered to himself, "If we save the people but lose the land, we can save both; if we save the land but lose the people, we can lose both. We should not be concerned with the gains or losses of a single city or place, but rather use the countryside to surround the cities?"

"These words are even more profound than the Sixteen-Character Mantra, Anguo. Is this really something you came up with from fighting in groups?"

Guan Xing felt a little guilty upon hearing this, and touched his nose to change the subject, saying, "Father, how about I go to Jingnan with my elder brother? Maybe we can be of help there."

Although a surprise attack on Jianye could bring them instant fame, it was, after all, the stronghold of Eastern Wu. A successful raid would certainly provoke a fierce counterattack from the Wu army, and they might have to retreat and flee for their lives as soon as they entered the city.

Jingnan was different; once it gained a foothold, it could advance step by step and easily recapture Jiangling by joining forces with Liu Bei.

Therefore, Guan Xing felt that conquering Jingnan was more important than rushing to Jianye, and he was afraid that Guan Ping would not be able to handle things in Jingnan.

It's not that I don't believe in Guan Ping's military capabilities, it's just that Guan Ping hasn't been influenced by later generations and has little experience in the theory and practice of guerrilla warfare, so he's likely to suffer losses in the early stages.

It's different if I'm with him. As the young master of the Guan family, Guan Ping also has a high reputation in Jingzhou. With his reputation and his own theories, he can definitely make a name for himself in Jingnan.

Guan Ping said excitedly, "I think it's a good idea, Father. How about letting An Guo come with me to Jingnan?"

Guan Yu resolutely refused, saying, "No, he must come with me to Jianye. I am very confident that we can take Jianye this time, but if we want to secure our position after taking it, we will probably have to pay a certain price."

Guan Xing asked in astonishment, "What do you mean? You don't mean you're planning to use me as the price to pay, do you?"

Guan Yu stroked his beard and praised, "You are a promising young man. You are not young anymore and it is time for you to settle down and start a family. When you go to Jianye, I will find you a daughter of a prominent family in Eastern Wu to be your wife. Two will do."

Guan Xing: "..."

Guan Yu, you son of a bitch, what do you take me for?

I shouldn't have saved you. It would have been better if I had let you go to Linju to die.

Guan Ping patted his shoulder and said with a wicked smile, "Then I won't argue with Father. Anguo, the women of Wu speak softly and sweetly, so you must take care of yourself when you go."

Guan Yu said nothing more and silently led his two hundred remaining soldiers on their way.

Having guarded Jingzhou for many years, he was so familiar with the terrain of Nanjun that he could not get lost even with his eyes closed. He easily led his army to avoid the Wu army's sight and successfully arrived at Zhangshan on the banks of the Han River before dawn.

Unable to travel and find a place to rest during the day, the army split up at nightfall. Guan Ping and Zhao Lei led fifty men to retreat along the Han River to Jingnan.

Guan Yu then used a bamboo raft he had secretly built during the day to cross the Han River and enter Jiangxia. He then hid during the day and went out at night, taking small paths to reach the Dabie Mountains.

Jiangbei is entirely Cao Wei territory. To avoid any misunderstanding from Sun Quan and to allow him to deal with Guan Yu with peace of mind, the Wei army has been hiding in the city recently and has shown no intention of causing trouble.

With only about two hundred men by his side, Guan Yu was a small and insignificant force. With a little care, he could easily avoid the Wei army's sight and become completely invisible.