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

Chapter 192 The eldest and second eldest brothers fight, the third eldest brother gets injured

Outside Ji County.

Inside the commander's tent of the Wei army camp.

Zhang He, seated at the head of the table, looked at Cao Zhen, Sima Yi, and other generals and said, “The scouts report that Zhuge Liang has already led his troops to the front and is currently stationed in Shehu Valley, twenty miles away. The surrounding terrain is complex and not conducive to cavalry advances. Please share your thoughts.”

Zhang He arrived in Ji County three days ago, and upon arrival, he heard the devastating news that Prefect Ma Zun had been killed in battle and that Lucheng and Shanggui had fallen one after another.

With Lucheng already fallen, Zhang He naturally saw no need to go to its rescue. He set up camp outside the city, intending to observe the movements of the Shu army first.

Now the Shu army has arrived, and it's clear they're here for a decisive battle.

Faced with the overwhelming Shu army, the Wei army needed to quickly devise a strategy of attack or defense.

Sima Yi replied irrelevantly, "I never expected that the commander of the Shu army's northern expedition would be Zhuge Liang instead of Guan Ping. Liu Bei really feels at ease letting Zhuge Liang lead all the elite troops of Ba and Shu."

They had previously agreed that Guan Ping was the chief general of the Shu army's Northern Expedition, and that Zhuge Liang would at most provide advice. However, Liu Bei unexpectedly promoted Zhuge Liang to the position of chief strategist, which was quite unexpected.

Zhang He said, "We've dealt with Zhuge Liang for many years, and everyone knows how capable this villager is. What do you suggest we do?"

Sima Yi said, "Tianshui County's terrain is mainly hilly and mountainous, which is not conducive to cavalry advances. Zhuge Liang himself is cunning and treacherous, and he leads the absolute elite of the Shu army. If we fight head-on, we have no chance of winning. However, Zhuge Liang has a fatal weakness, which is food supplies."

"The Shu army has no base in Longxi, and all the food and supplies they need have to be transported from Hanzhong. In addition, the Qishan Road is rugged and difficult to travel, which will greatly increase the consumption of food and supplies."

"Although the journey to transport grain from Guanzhong is long, the roads are flat. Guanzhong is also richer than Hanzhong. Zhuge Liang cannot outlast us in a war of attrition. Therefore, I believe we should build strong fortifications and fight a protracted war, wearing down Zhuge Liang in Ji County."

Cao Zhen continued, "I agree with Zhongda's opinion, but we cannot simply wait it out. We should also harass from the flanks. For example, we should order You Chu, the governor of Longxi, to send troops to attack Lucheng, creating the illusion of cutting off the Shu army's rear, forcing Zhuge Liang to be preoccupied with one thing and another, thus revealing a weakness."

"Send another general to Longxi, Jincheng, Wuwei and other counties to contact the Qiang and Hu peoples and form a Qiang-Hu allied army to attack the flank of the Shu army."

A battle between two armies is like a game between two countries. It's impossible to start with a full-scale attack. Instead, they harass and probe first, then let their subordinates fight on the periphery. Once they gain an advantage on the periphery, they advance their main force and push forward to crush the enemy's main force and lay the foundation for victory.

Zhang He looked at Sima Yi and asked, "What does Zhongda think?"

Sima Yi pondered, “That’s possible, but not enough. I think we should also ask General Xu Huang to lead troops from Xiangyang to attack Xicheng along the west bank of the Han River. If we can break through Xicheng and enter the heart of Hanzhong, we can take over the entire Hanzhong region and completely trap Zhuge Liang in Longxi and annihilate him.”

"If we cannot take it, we can spread rumors that our army is about to break through Hanzhong, thereby forcing the Shu army to return to defend it, or to undermine the morale of the Shu army. Once the morale is in disarray, it will be easy to expose our weaknesses."

Ji County is far from Xiangyang, and it would probably take more than ten days to travel there, but that doesn't matter. You have to understand that often the two armies are locked in a stalemate for years.

During the Battle of Hanzhong, Liu Bei and Cao Cao were locked in a stalemate for three whole years.

Zhang He nodded and said, "That's fine, but does Zhongda have any suitable recommendations for someone to go to Jincheng in Longxi to form a Qiang-Hu allied army?"

Sima Yi pondered, "What about General Yang Qiu, the Champion General?"

Yang Qiu was originally a subordinate of Ma Chao, but calling him a subordinate is not quite accurate, because the Liangzhou warlords, like the Jiangdong gentry, had a strong sense of independence. Yang Qiu was just one of the many minor warlords in Liangzhou, only he recognized Ma Chao as his leader.

Back then, Ma Chao and Han Sui led a coalition of Qiang and Hu troops to attack Guanzhong. After their defeat, Ma Chao fled to Hanzhong, while Yang Qiu surrendered to Cao Cao and was appointed General of the Vanguard to guard Xiaoguan.

Zhang He pondered and said, "Okay, immediately send an order to Yang Qiu, telling him not to report to Ji County, but to head directly to Jincheng along the Liupan Mountains."

After the negotiations ended, the Wei army and the Shu army engaged in a long-term standoff in Ji County. Despite the standoff, neither side was idle.

After receiving Zhuge Liang's letter, Cheng Ji extorted 5,000 shi of grain and 500 cart-pulling horses from You Chu. He then led his troops to retreat into Zhang County, leaving Feng Xi to guard the area and prevent You Chu from advancing eastward. Afterward, he headed north to Xiangwu and then to Xundao.

Xiangwu and Xundao were both small counties. Upon seeing the Shu army, they surrendered immediately, allowing Cheng Ji to reach his designated location smoothly.

Not long after You Chu saw off Cheng Ji, that plague god, he received an order from Zhang He to attack Lu City and harass the rear of the Shu army.

This order put Prefect You in a very difficult position. He cursed Zhang He a hundred times in his heart. "Zhang, don't you even know what kind of people my men are? Sending them to attack Lucheng, are you really not afraid they'll kill me?"

Insults are acceptable, but work is essential. Relying on his accumulated prestige and silver tongue, You Chu persuaded the city's officials and powerful figures to hastily assemble an army of 5,000 to rush to Lucheng, only to be stopped by Feng Xi in Zhang County.

At the same time, when Chen Ji saw You Chu leave the city, he immediately adopted the posture of attacking Didao and sneaking into You Chu's lair, which frightened You Chu into retreating hastily.

Upon receiving the news and seeing that the Wei army was temporarily inactive, Zhuge Liang ordered Ma Dai to serve as an envoy to persuade the Qiang and Hu leaders to rebel. Ma Dai then clashed with Yang Qiu, who had come from Liupan Mountain.

As a result, the main battlefield in Ji County remained calm, while fierce fighting raged on the outskirts. Before Zhuge Liang and Zhang He even began their battle, the various Qiang and Hu tribes had already started fighting.

It's true what they say: when the eldest and second eldest fight, the third eldest is gone.

……

Mei County.

Liu Bei suffered another defeat in his siege and was forced to retreat to his camp at Wuzhangyuan. As he entered the command tent, he swept his leg and kicked a pottery pot on the table more than three meters away. He roared in fury, "Damn Fei Yao, damn Guo Huai, you've infuriated me!"

On the third day after he arrived at Wuzhangyuan, he launched an attack on Mei County. However, Fei Yao, the garrison commander of Mei County, was a capable man who defended the county so well that he did not give Liu Bei any chance to break through.

And then there's that scoundrel Guo Huai, who led 5,000 cavalry as a mobile force. Whenever Liu Bei attacked the city, he would launch a surprise attack, forcing Liu Bei to give up and then immediately turn and leave. When Liu Bei attacked again, he would launch another surprise attack, and when Liu Bei withdrew again, he would run away again, repeatedly messing with Liu Bei's mentality.

Liu Bei had no cavalry to pursue, so he could only watch helplessly as Guo Huai came and went as he pleased. Today, Guo Huai had outmaneuvered him again, and Liu Bei could no longer hold back. In anger, he kicked away the earthenware pot he was drinking from.

An honest person's anger is the most terrifying. Liu Bei's furious appearance frightened Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Wei Yan into silence, and none of them dared to offer any advice.

After a long while, Huang Quan weakly said, "Your Majesty, Hao Zhao is currently guarding Chencang, Fei Yao is guarding Meixian, and Guo Huai is leading cavalry as a mobile support force. We are outnumbered and have no hope of attacking the city. Should we retreat?"

"Retreat?" Liu Bei was stunned upon hearing this, his astonishment mixed with resentment.

If we retreat now, wouldn't his trip have been for nothing?

Huang Quan said, "Our original plan was a feint attack, intended to draw away the main force of the Wei army and create an opportunity for Zhuge Liang to attack Longxi or relieve some of the pressure. But it seems that Zhang Ji did not fall for it, and our mission has failed."

"Therefore, I believe that there is no need to stay at Wuzhangyuan. Rather than wasting time here with the Wei army, we should hurry to Longxi to meet up with the strategist and work together to defeat Zhang He."

Zhang Fei said, "I think Gongheng is wrong. Even if we can't capture Mei County, stationing our troops at Wuzhangyuan will still attract the Wei army's attention. If we withdraw, all the Wei troops in Guanzhong will flock to Longxi. Wouldn't that cause trouble for the strategist?"

Huang Quan shook his head and said, "General Zhang, you are mistaken. The Wei army can no longer spare many troops in Guanzhong. The only ones they can send to Longxi are Guo Huai's five thousand cavalry, which will not have much impact on the strategist."

“But if we stay here, it will have a big impact on the strategist. All of your best generals who are good at attacking are in Guanzhong. The strategist has more soldiers than generals, so the attack power is insufficient.”

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's expression changed drastically. He looked at Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, and Wei Yan, and became uneasy. He then realized that his most valiant generals were all by his side. Although Zhuge Liang led the elite Shu army, the troops under his command were a group of young boys.

Keeping the sharpest spear by your side while sending an inexperienced and weak young general to deal with Zhang He is tantamount to crippling yourself.

What if Zhang He seizes the opportunity to defeat Zhuge Liang...

Liu Bei dared not think any further and frowned, saying, "Gongheng is right. The feigned attack plan has failed. There is indeed no need to continue wasting time at Wuzhangyuan. We should immediately go to Longxi to meet up with the strategist."

"But if we want to go to Longxi, we have to first retreat back to Hanzhong along the Baoxie Road, and then head north along the Qishan Road from Hanzhong. It takes too much time. Do any of you gentlemen have a way to save time?"