Three Kingdoms: The Guan Family's Rebellious Son, Long Blessing Jing Xiang

In Luoyang City, a huge sand table was piled up in the government office.

This sand table was drawn by Guan Lin and specially arranged by craftsmen.

Guan Lin, Lu Xun, Jiang Jiong, Jiang Wei, Ma Liang, Ling Tong, Gan Ning, Hou Yin, Zhu Ling, Zhu Shu, Guan Yinping and others are standing around the sand table. This is a sand table that almost restores the entire terrain of the Hanzhong battlefield one by one.

In the sand table, Yangping Pass divides the entire area into two. To its northeast is Chenggu County, and to its west is the eye of the storm where the decisive battle between the Han and Wei sides is taking place - Hanzhong City!

On its west side is an endless plain surrounded by the Qinling Mountains, Dingjun Mountains, Qi Mountains, Min Mountains, and Tiandang Mountains, and formed by the confluence of Qishan Road, Chencang Road, and Mumen Road.

With the sand table set up in this way, the widest plain of the Hanzhong battlefield can be seen at a glance.

Even Lu Xun, looking at the sand table, couldn't help but point to the plain surrounded by mountains and exclaimed: "This plain in front of Yangping Pass is simply the battlefield destined for the decisive battle between Han and Wei--"

Ma Liang stroked his beard and said calmly, "The deployment of the cloud flag has finally come to an end. If everything goes well, this will be a huge turning point for the rapid decline of the Wei Dynasty! Kong Ming's idea of ​​launching two attacks from Longzhong and marching north together will also become a reality -"

After hearing what Lu Xun and Ma Liang said, everyone's eyes were fixed on the plain battlefield...

Except Guan Lin!

His eyes seemed to always be wandering around the periphery, as if he was paying more attention to the roads leading to the Hanzhong battlefield than to the decisive battle!

Qishan Road and Chencang Road west of Yangping Pass.

There are the Baoxiade and Tangxiade roads to the north of Hanzhong, and the Ziwu Valley where his father Guan Yu launched a surprise attack on Chang'an City.

Seeing this, Guan Lin couldn't help but sigh: "There are only these five roads!"

This sudden remark drew the attention of everyone in the room to him.

Ma Liang was the first to ask, "What five roads?"

Jiang Wei was the first to react. He tried to explain for Guan Lin, "It seems that Master Yunqi is no longer concerned about the outcome of the decisive battle between Han and Wei at Yangping Pass, but has begun to analyze which way Cao Cao will escape!"

Guan Lin nodded at Jiang Wei's words, "The one who knows me best is Bo Yue..."

He smiled faintly at Jiang Wei, then pointed at the sand table. It was still the five roads... Qishan Road, Chencang Road, Baoxia Road, Tangxia Road, and Ziwu Valley.

Then, Guan Lin followed the mountains and traced the road among them with his fingers.

"You see, if we take the Qishan Road and the Chencang Road, we will have to pass through Xiabian City, and Xiabian City has already been captured by my third uncle and General Ma Mengqi. As long as we cut off the strategic points, it will be a pipe dream for Cao's army to escape from here..."

Guan Lin started the conversation, and everyone started thinking in this direction.

In fact, if all the plans had been implemented smoothly, the current situation would be that Hanzhong and Chang'an had been captured, the barbarians had defected... Even though Cao Cao had a large army, he still could not escape the fate of failure in the end.

If you finally decide to escape, you will definitely choose this path.

Jiang Wei was more familiar with the terrain here because he had been in Cao's camp and had lived in Tianshui since he was a child. He continued Guan Lin's words, "Because of Xiabian City and the army formation of Liu Huangshu, as Yunqi Gongzi said, if Cao Cao escapes, he will definitely not choose Qishan Road and Chencang Road, so... inevitably, he will risk passing through Hanzhong and choose from the three roads of Baoxia Road, Tangxia Road, and Ziwu Valley... But if he learns that Chang'an has fallen, then..."

Without waiting for Jiang Wei to finish his words.

Lu Xun seemed to have thought of something. He smacked his lips and said seriously, "Is it possible? I'm wondering... Is it possible... Cao Cao's first choice is not to withdraw his troops?"

After being reminded by Lu Xun, the warriors were still trying to follow the thoughts of these counselors, but Guan Lin had already spoken.

He replied to Lu Xun solemnly, "It is possible——"

However, having said this, Guan Lin waved his hand slightly, indicating that the discussion had gone off topic.

And this... is all his fault!

How could it be possible that before the decisive battle of Hanzhong even started, they had already started thinking about Cao Cao's escape route?

This is a bit too confident.

Of course, deep down in his heart, Guan Lin has this confidence.

Because... historically, Fa Zheng's outstanding "large army dispatching" ability completely overwhelmed Cao Cao's advisers, which forced Cao Cao to retreat in vain.

Compared with the decisive battle of Hanzhong in history, the current situation has many times more chances of winning. It can be said that the time, place and people are all favorable. If we still can't win under such circumstances, it would be strange!

It is here that I thought...

Guan Lin quickly brought the topic back to the topic, "We have to eat one bite at a time. The most urgent thing is... Let's analyze the Hanzhong battlefield. I hope our plan goes well! Everyone, tell me how well my uncle will win this battle? What should we do in the Central Plains to take advantage of the situation?"

That's right...

It's not about how this battle will go? It's not about how this battle will be won or lost...it's about how well this battle will be won?

Guan Lin has full confidence in this uncle.

In this situation, everyone is full of confidence!

...

...

Under the sky, on the vast plains of the Hanzhong Plain, two huge armies were like two steel torrents, quietly confronting each other in the biting cold wind.

On one side were Cao's 350,000 elite troops, with fluttering flags and armor shining with a cold metallic luster, as if they were a steel forest spread across the earth. Xiahou Yuan and his Speedy Battalion took the lead, exuding an unstoppable momentum and deploying in a cone formation.

On the other side, there was an army of 200,000 led by Liu Bei himself. Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong and Zhang Fei each led an army, forming a huge goose-shaped formation, like a wild goose spreading its wings, trying to encompass and surround all the enemy's cones!
At this time, Cao Cao was wearing a black cloak, with deep eyes. He stood on the high platform of the central army and overlooked the entire battlefield. His rising aura of dominating the world was revealed...

The generals around him included the Xiliang general Han De and his four sons Han Ying, Han Yao, Han Qiong, and Han Qi;
Including Zhang Fang, the chief priest of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect;
Including Tianshui Prefect Ma Zun, County Lieutenant Liang Xu, Generals of the Central Army Cheng Wu and Cheng Yan, including Xixiang Marquis Zhang Ji, and the 50,000 Qiang army.

They were all in high spirits and ready for battle.

It seemed as if they were just waiting for Cao Cao's order and would rush towards the enemy formation like a tiger descending from the mountain and break it up.

In contrast, Liu Bei was riding a white horse, wearing silver armor and a white robe, and looked like a true god in the morning light.

In the open space between the two armies, the wind was whistling, flags were fluttering, and the air was filled with a murderous atmosphere.

The soldiers gripped their weapons tightly, with cold light flashing in their eyes, as if they were ready and waiting for this decisive battle that would go down in history and that the people of the world were eagerly awaiting the outcome.

At this moment, time seemed to freeze, and the only thing left between heaven and earth was the tension and silence of the confrontation between the two armies.

"Boom boom boom——"

"Boom boom boom——"

Accompanied by the thunderous sound of drums, the war is imminent and may break out at any time.

"Xiaozhi, the flag is for you..."

At this time, Liu Bei, riding on a white horse, handed all the military flags in his hands to Fa Zheng, implying that he would be responsible for the command of this battle.

Fa Zheng solemnly took over the battle flag, and Liu Bei's voice was heard again.

"Our Han Dynasty has lasted for four hundred years. Whether it can last for another four hundred years, this heavy responsibility is placed on you, Xiaozhi!"

Fa Zheng cupped his hands and said: "My Lord, rest assured, I will definitely fulfill my mission!"

As he spoke, Fa Zheng abandoned his horse and stepped onto the command platform step by step. This battle was a gamble on his talent and friendship, and he could not afford to lose!

In order to prepare for this battle, Fa Zheng had started planning since he set out on the expedition. He was familiar with every mountain, every river, and every terrain... He even had a strategy in mind for every deployment of troops.

At this time...

"Report..." A messenger came quickly on horseback and shouted, "The Wei army sent someone to bring a message saying that the King of Wei wants to see the Emperor's uncle in front of the army!"

At the same time as the voice of the report appeared, Cao Cao rode slowly out of the Wei army's formation. When he arrived in front of the two armies, he was sixty years old, and the vicissitudes of life on his face could no longer be hidden. However, he rode on his horse with his back straight, squinting his eyes and looking towards the Shu army formation, as if he was looking for something.

Soon, he found what he was looking for.

——It’s Liu Bei!

This is the little brother whom he hates the most, despises the most, but also admires the most.

Across half of the battlefield, Liu Bei met Cao Cao's gaze. At this moment... the eyes of the two heroes met in the air, as if sparks could be created, but it also made them eager to make a move against each other!

Logically speaking, now that it is the decisive battle, the entire battlefield will become a huge Shura field. Liu Bei and Cao Cao are the chess players on the chessboard and the only two knife-wielding hands in this massacre.

They should not act rashly, and should not rashly appear on the battlefield!
But they are like close friends who appreciate each other. They know that after this battle, there will probably never be another chance for them to have a face-to-face conversation like this!

This meeting might be the last one! Tension, solemnity, and determination, all the emotions reached their peak at this moment.

But even in such an atmosphere, Liu Bei slowly drove his horse forward, and with the stamping of his horse's hooves, he approached Cao Cao step by step, until the two were ten steps apart, and then Liu Bei's horse stopped.

Cao Cao glanced at Liu Bei and asked knowingly, "Who is coming?"

Liu Bei's full-throated voice came out: "Liu Bei, a descendant of the Han Dynasty, with the courtesy name Xuande, Brother Mengde is so forgetful..."

"So it's my dear brother Xuande! You and I knew each other when we were young, but I never thought... you've grown so old now?" The two looked at each other, Cao Cao stared at Liu Bei, "As for the forgetfulness you mentioned? Is there anyone in this world who is more forgetful than you? When you were learning martial arts in the Qishi Mountain, who pulled you into the 'Running Friends' to help the party imprisoned? When you were fighting against Dong Zhuo, who helped you join the Eighteen Princes? When you were being chased by Lu Bu and had no way to escape, who took you in? As the saying goes, a favor must be repaid, but you repay kindness with enmity. Everyone says that you are a benevolent and righteous gentleman, but I, Cao Cao, am the only one who can see your true colors. You are treacherous and repay kindness with enmity. Are you right... benevolence and righteousness? These two words can never be associated with heroes!"

After Cao Cao finished speaking, it was Liu Bei's turn.

Liu Bei laughed, a wanton laugh, but also a bitter laugh, "Treacherous, repaying kindness with enmity, Cao Cao, how dare you say such a thing, aren't you the most treacherous and ungrateful person in this world? Lü Bushe, Chen Gong, Xu You, Mao Jie, Cui Yan, Xun You... and Xun Yu, Xun Lingjun, which one of them didn't die at your hands! You usurped the throne, usurped the Han Dynasty, imprisoned the emperor and killed the empress, and slaughtered the loyal and good people. Those loyal and righteous people who died at your hands, which one of the millions of people in this world doesn't want to eat your flesh and sleep on your skin. Today, the emperor's edict has arrived, Liu Bei obeyed the emperor's edict, followed the will of heaven, and killed you to serve the country... This is the explanation I can give to the world and the world!"

Following Liu Bei's words, "Hahahaha" Cao Cao laughed loudly, "There are so many people in the world who want to eat my flesh and sleep on my skin. But in the end, they all fell at my feet without exception, without leaving any bones... I'll give you a chance. If you surrender to me today, I can forgive you for the past. You and I will be ministers to serve the emperor together! Otherwise, with the 350,000 troops behind me, this day next year will be your death anniversary, Liu Bei——"

"Cao Mengde..." Before Cao Cao could finish his words, Liu Bei couldn't wait to speak, "To be honest, I have been waiting for the battle today for eighteen years. Ever since I received the blood edict of the emperor in Xuchang, I have been thinking about the decisive battle with you day and night! This time next year, I will go to your grave to pay homage. I will erect a tombstone for you and write this sentence on it personally - Tomb of the great traitor Cao Mengde!"

At this time, Cao Cao's expression had become furious. He stared at Liu Bei coldly with his tiger eyes, "Do you really dare to fight me? You have never won a single victory against me!"

"Hahaha..." This time it was Liu Bei who laughed, and he shook his head as he laughed, "Brother Mengde, open your eyes and take a look... The world has changed! In the past, when I faced you, I might have been bluffing, but in the past three years, my second brother, my nephew Guan Yunqi, has destroyed the Eastern Wu with only a corner of Jingzhou, and has taken down your Luoyang and Xuchang, and brought back the emperor. Brother Mengde, I really don't know what you are so confident about. Why do you still think you can beat me again!"

This…

Liu Bei's words left Cao Cao speechless.

Cao Cao's tiger eyes widened even more, "Good, good, very good--"

Then he reined in his horse and turned back, shouting as he returned to the army: "Let's fight—"

Liu Bei also reined in his horse and returned to the army. In his career of more than fifty years, he had never been as excited and passionate as he was today. With a "whoosh", before he returned to the army, his double-edged swords had already been drawn.

"All officers and men, exterminate the traitors and bandits, kill—"

When Fa Zheng understood this, the battle flag fluttering in the wind had already been raised.

"General Yide led his troops to meet the enemy head-on—"

"General Zhao Zilong will launch a surprise attack from the left and right wings..."

"General Huang Hansheng, draw your crossbows... and fire—"

"Chen Dao, Zhuge Ke, set up the Six Ding and Six Jia formation—"

Wuwuwu——

On this side, Liu Bei was shouting and Fa Zheng was giving orders, and on the other side, Cao Cao was roaring angrily and Xiahou Yuan was leading the attack.

"Uuuuuu——"

"Uuuuuu——"

"Boom boom boom——"

"Boom boom boom——"

The horns and drums of both the Han and Wei sides sounded in unison.

“Kill…Kill—”

"Kill the traitors and the bandits, kill them——"

The war is about to start.

...

...

Between Hanzhong and Yangping Pass, the existence of the small county town of Chenggu County seems a bit abrupt.

However, the existence of this county town is crucial in today's Hanzhong battlefield.

First... the existence of Chenggu County can guard the exit of Dingjun Mountain, not only on the eve of the decisive battle... even now, Xiahou Yuan's camp is still stationed here, and there are still more than three thousand soldiers left here, monitoring the situation of Dingjun Mountain at any time, ambushing at the foot of Dingjun Mountain to prevent the enemy from suddenly attacking from behind.

Secondly, because this place is closer to Yangping Pass, closer to Dingjun Mountain, and closer to the main battlefield, so... the military rations that the Five Pecks of Rice Sect left to Cao Cao, enough for ten years, were most likely stored here.

only…

At this moment, Guan Ping gave the order to "set fire".

The entire Chenggu County was ablaze. The Wei troops stationed at the exit of Dingjun Mountain, who had set up numerous ambushes and were on high alert, would never have dreamed that the enemy did not attack from Dingjun Mountain, but instead launched a surprise attack on them from Hanzhong City behind them without any warning.

The entire rear of Chenggu County was completely undefended...

The Guan Family Army led by Guan Ping rushed in like a whirlwind and defeated the Wei troops stationed there with ease!
Their target was the food stored here.

"Burn, burn everything to ashes—"

As Guan Ping shouted again, countless torches were thrown into the granary, and in an instant, the raging flames engulfed the entire granary. The flames illuminated half the sky, and the heat waves were rolling, as if even the air was trembling.

The food that was once inexhaustible... is now engulfed in the fire, and the flames are constantly "crackling"...

"Papa, papa!"

Countless grains of rice and wheat exploded in the flames, and the sound, like a victory salute, echoed in the night sky.

"Burn it again, hurry up, hurry up..."

Nearly 10,000 Guan family soldiers were well-trained. Some were responsible for driving away the Wei army soldiers, and some were responsible for setting fire to burn the grain.

In just a quarter of an hour, the smell of burnt grain and wood filled the air. The smell was pungent and strong, and thick black smoke floated in the sky, as if even the mountains and rivers in the distance could smell it.

The temperature of the flames made the surrounding air scorching hot, and the soldiers' faces were illuminated red by the firelight.

However, it was also this fire that filled the eyes of every Han soldier and turned into the most determined light.

"The matter has been accomplished, retreat——"

When they saw that all the grain in the county had been burned, there was no time or space to put out such a fire. All that was waiting was the burning of the entire granary and all the grain!

So Guan Ping immediately ordered a retreat...

quick--

too fast--

The whole process took only an hour, and Guan Ping had already led the Guan family army to evacuate quickly.

But even after walking far away, he still couldn't help but stop his horse, turn around... and look back at the fire rising into the sky.

The flames rising into the sky... could be seen clearly even in Hanzhong City, so naturally... Yangping Pass would also quickly discover and find out...

"If you want to be a scoundrel, you will have to pay back what you took one day—"

Guan Ping narrowed his eyes and chanted quietly, "The Battle of Guandu that determined the affiliation of the Central Plains and the North and established Cao Cao's hegemony began with the fire of Wuchao. Today... the foundation of the rebellion against Wei is also in this fire... Haha, why do you suddenly feel emotional? What is there to be emotional about? The only thing is to let all this turn to ashes!"

For a moment, Guan Ping felt the same mood as when Cao Cao personally led light cavalry to burn the food and grass of Yuan’s army in Wuchao.

A fire at that time would have enabled Cao Cao to turn the tide in the Battle of Guandu...

Similarly, today...because of this fire, victory in the Battle of Hanzhong is at hand.

Yes…

The three armies have not moved yet, food and grass go first!
No matter how many troops Cao Cao has, without food and grass, they will still be unable to move forward and will be at the mercy of others!

Although he felt there was no need to be sentimental, the fire was rising to the sky and Guan Ping was so excited that he couldn't help but chant in a rather childish way.

"Burn it, burn it, let these traitors to Wei and Cao be reduced to ashes—"

...

…(End of chapter)