Wei Ni

The mountains extend into the sea, and sea fog hits the shore and shrouds the mountains.

The eastern part of Liaodong County was still wild and uninhabited for hundreds of miles. Even though it was mid-autumn in August, there was no austere scene in the world.

Looking around, the mountains are undulating and shrouded in clouds and mist. It can be said that when the clouds come, the mountains become more beautiful, and when the clouds go away, the mountains become more picturesque.

The towering trees were lush and green, and the grass was green under them. The rugged beach road meandered away from my feet, with grass, wild flowers and rocks scattered on both sides of the road. Insects whose names I couldn't tell were chirping in the grass, and the autumn cicadas hiding in some tree were also unwilling to be lonely, and they cried loudly that their time was running out.

Zhuge Dan and Sun Mi, who were visiting the Mazi River Basin for the first time, were attracted by the picturesque scenery, even though they had come with the army to recapture Xi'anping County.

As the sun was about to set, the two of them, surrounded by their followers, found a large reef to stop on, feeling the occasional sea breeze on their faces and appreciating the leisurely sight of the golden crow descending over the mountains.

Of course, they can’t learn from Cao Cao, the King of Wei, to look at the vast ocean.

Sun Mi had this intention, but he did not have such talent; while Zhuge Dan used this ambition to encourage himself and vowed to achieve his dream of seeking a title of nobility after traveling thousands of miles.

When he was in Pingguo County, he showed great courage and led his troops to kill and capture more than 300 Wu soldiers.

It's a good achievement.

At the very least, it was enough to change the emperor Cao Rui and the ministers in the court's opinion of him, and to win the praise of the literati after he returned to the capital.

But when he heard the news that Xi'anping County had fallen and Lelang and Daifang counties were being invaded and in danger, he knew that his little display of talent would be lost in the situation.

After all, Xiahou Ba, who was responsible for defending the territory, had to submit a petition to apologize!

How dare I spare no effort to praise and commend him?

It would be nice if his name could be mentioned in the military intelligence report.

Therefore, he placed his hopes on future wars.

He could be sure without waiting for news from Luoyang that, with the current emperor's determination, he would not be able to swallow the humiliation of being invaded by Goguryeo and Han Ye without any reason, and would definitely raise an army to attack and avenge them in the future.

As an old friend of the emperor who was generously cultivated and promoted above his level, Guanqiu Jian would certainly seize this opportunity to lead the army to attack the rebellion and use Goguryeo and Han Ye to clear his name.

This is also Zhuge Dan's opportunity.

When Xiahou Ba led his troops to Pingguo County and intended to join forces with him, Sun Mi and Wei Shu to recapture Xi'an Ping County, he went there eagerly and even went into Xiahou Ba's tent to offer advice on the eve of the departure.

It is not only about the strategy for the current war, but also about preparing for the future.

The opening statement is as follows:

"The general is the son of a great hero from Qiaopei, and a pawn of the Wei Dynasty. Previously, he was sent by Emperor Wen to Yongliang for garrison duty, but he rarely saw the battlefield. He only served as the vanguard when the former Grand Marshal attacked Shu, but because of bad weather and the army's withdrawal, the general had no achievements to show. Later, he followed the expedition to Liaodong, and although he fought bravely, his achievements were behind others. The emperor entrusted him with the affairs of Liaodong, and he was inevitably gossiped by idle people as a relative. Now, the thieves Wu, Goguryeo, and Han Ye have agreed to invade, and three of the four counties under the general's command have been ravaged by the war. He cannot escape the crime of dereliction of duty! Even if the emperor and the court do not punish him, I am afraid that the general's career in the future will be bumpy. At this point, the general still holds the military power, why not fight and die to win a reduction in punishment and hope to stay in office for future use?"

At that time, Xiahou Ba was silent.

Although he was a bit reckless, he was over 40 years old and could vaguely guess what Zhuge Dan would suggest next.

To get a reduction in sentence.

It was nothing more than suggesting that he take the risk and ignore the occupied Xi'anping County, but lead his troops directly by boat to Daifang and lift the siege of Daifang before the imperial reinforcements arrived.

As for why Lelang County is not mentioned.
Daifang was originally a part of Lelang County, established by Gongsun Kang in his early years by dividing Lelang County.

Therefore, Chaoxian County, the seat of Lelang County, had a large population and a relatively strong city. Judging from the simple siege equipment built by Han Ye craftsmen, it could have held out for a longer time.

And as long as they could lift the siege of Daifang County and lead their troops into Daifang County, the county seat, then Han Wei would take the initiative to lift the siege of Lelang and give up Xi'anping County.

The Wei army had arrived to provide reinforcements, and Han Wei's strategic intention to occupy Xi'an and cut off the Wei army's reinforcements was shattered.

Therefore, they would concentrate their forces to lead the Fang to fight against the Wei army, instead of continuing to disperse their forces in various places and being defeated one by one by the Wei army.

After all, as long as the Wei reinforcements were driven out, the isolated Lelang and Daifang counties would inevitably change their masters. But if that didn't happen, the Wei army would use Daifang as a base to cut off their connection with the mainland, and could destroy their nests in the south and surround and kill them in the north. How could they dare to face the danger of having their retreat cut off when the Wei army was out!
Of course, everything has its pros and cons.

This kind of desperate tactic is extremely dangerous. If you are not careful, the whole army will be wiped out. That is why Xiahou Ba hesitated for a moment.

Firstly, the seat of Daifang County, Daifang County, was not on the sea, but was located at the bend of the northern bank of Daishui River.

If one decided to go there by sea, one would need to go upstream from the Daishui estuary and sail nearly 200 miles along the river to reach the destination.

Although he had enough confidence in the fighting ability of his soldiers, how could he not be discovered by Han Ye's scouts if he approached the 200-li inland river?

What if Han Wei had set a trap in advance, turning his rescue into a suicide attempt?
Another reason that made him hesitate was related to his family's reputation.

He is not afraid of death.

They also take pride in dying on the battlefield.

But if he died in battle, it would be an unbearable burden for the Xiahou family.

I dare to ask, his father's shame of being a "white general" is still there, and he died in battle alone, how can the Xiahou family stand in the army in the future! His sixth brother Xiahou Hui has fought in the south and the north for many years, and it is not easy to reduce the slander of the family's reputation. He can't just ignore it to reduce his own guilt.

The benefits and harms are not equal.

His dereliction of duty was justified, and neither the emperor nor the court would blame him.

But if he died for the sake of greed, even Xiahou Hui, who had helped him guard Liaodong, would be implicated.

In this case, why bother?
With such thoughts, facing Zhuge Dan's instigation, Xiahou Ba's expression did not change. He just said softly, "I know what Gongxiu means, and I don't think it's a bad idea. But I am concerned. Do you know what Gongxiu means?"

What are your concerns?

Do you feel that you should be cautious when guarding the four counties of Liaodong, and not be reckless and put yourself in danger like a lieutenant general?

Zhuge Dan was speechless for a moment when he did not receive the expected answer.

But he was no ordinary man.

Soon, he remembered the old stories of the Xiahou family and said so.

"Who do you think I am, General? In Luoyang, I had no contact with the Central Guard, but the Central Guard did not hesitate to write to recommend me. I have never forgotten this noble kindness. After arriving in Liaodong, the General treated me with great courtesy, giving me the opportunity to kill the bandits in Pingguo. I am deeply grateful for such support. Now that the bandit chief Han Ye is invading, it is the time for me to repay the Central Guard and the General for their kindness! When I am planning a plan, how can I not consider the General's worries first?"

After speaking with emotion for a while, he continued to explain without waiting for Xiahou Ba's response.

"I believe the general has understood that my intention is to ask the general to go to the sea to rescue Dai Fang. If this plan succeeds, it will be beneficial to the war situation. I will not say more. I just advised the general to fight and die, but I only asked the general to lead the troops and go with a desperate spirit, not to put the general in a desperate situation. I dare to guarantee with my own head that the general will not be in any danger when he goes to the sea to rescue Dai Fang. There are three reasons for this."

"The first is that Han Wei had no preparations."

"If Lelang is captured, Daifang cannot survive; if Lelang survives, Daifang can still be recovered. I think Han Wei knows the importance of this, and he will not attack Daifang if it is captured, but will gather a large force to attack Lelang. In this way, the general can go lightly, use the majority to defeat the minority, and attack them by surprise, so there will be no danger."

"The second is that Han Ye is confident that the journey is long."

"Han Ye dared to raise troops to participate in the surprise attack by Wu and Goguryeo this time. He relied on the fact that Liaodong had few soldiers and generals, and the imperial court was far away and difficult to help. In addition, the previous military report claimed that Goguryeo had transferred Xi'anping to Han Ye. Xi'anping County is the hub connecting Lelang and Daifang County in Liaodong. Since Han Ye occupied it, he thought he could stop our Liaodong soldiers from rushing to help. In addition, the four counties of Liaodong are across the sea from the Central Plains. Even if the general asks the imperial court to send troops for help, it will take two months to arrive. In this case, if the general goes, it will be unexpected, so why worry about danger?"

"Secondly, the leaders of Han Ye are not on the same page."

"Han and Ye refer to the various tribes of Han and Ye. There are many small states coexisting in their states, without a common ruler. They are all elders and clan leaders who claim to be supreme and arrogant. They are just monkeys in human form. This time, the chiefs gathered their troops to invade. On the one hand, they were lured by Goguryeo; on the other hand, they were like the Ma Han that Gongsun Kang married his clan daughter to, and they were thieves who refused to submit to our Wei State."

"The chieftains have different interests and are not willing to work together; the armies are divided into different groups and are not willing to fight to the death. When things are going smoothly and they are profitable, they can still stick together; when things are not going well, they will blame each other and protect themselves. Therefore, it can be said that the day when the general's troops arrive at Daifang, the chieftains of Han and Ye will fall apart! Some of the weak ones may even be panic-stricken and afraid that our Wei will send troops to attack them one day, so they privately send envoys to ask to be internal support in order to avoid the crime of our Wei."

After a while of talking dryly, Zhuge Dan finally made Xiahou Ba's expression somewhat moved.

Therefore, he struck while the iron was hot and immediately added fuel to the fire.

"This time, Goguryeo and the bandit Wu invaded together. The emperor and the imperial court will definitely raise troops to fight against them. If nothing unexpected happens, Envoy Guanqiu has already submitted a petition to the imperial court requesting to be a general. If the general can break the siege of Daifang and stop Han Ye from harming Lelang before the imperial court's reinforcements arrive, then when Xi'an is recovered, he can legitimately submit a petition to the imperial court requesting to be a general and lead troops to attack Han Ye's tribes."

"General, you are a descendant of a general family. You have served in the army for many years, but you have achieved little because you rarely had the chance to fight in battle. It is like Feng Tang's regret of growing old! Now that you have the merit of destroying a country and destroying a nation, and you have the opportunity to be recorded in history, why are you hesitating?" (End of this chapter)