Three Kingdoms: Wolong's brother-in-law, tricking Liu Bei into seizing Jingzhou

Cheng Yu's gaze was directed fiercely at Zhang Song.

He could naturally see that Zhang Song, this flatterer, had figured out Cao Cao's reluctance to leave the peaceful land of Chengdu and the trouble of leading the army in person.

In order to please Cao Cao, Zhang Song proudly offered a plan to order Xiahou Yuan to guard Yangping Pass so that Cao Cao could continue to live a peaceful and prosperous life in Chengdu.

"His Majesty--"

Cheng Yu's words of advice were almost about to come out of his mouth.

"Zhongde!"

Xiahou Dun on the side shouted in a low voice and shook his head at him.

As soon as Cheng Yu saw Xiahou Dun's expression, he immediately understood.

Xiahou Dun was reminding him that at this point, Cao Cao's decree had already been issued and it was meaningless for him to force his way out.

If he continued to persuade him, he might anger Cao Cao and bring himself into trouble.

"Ugh--"

Cheng Yu sighed helplessly and closed his mouth.

After all, he is not a person who would die for his advice.

Having advised Cao Cao to this extent, he claimed that he had fulfilled his duty as a subject. What could he do if Cao Cao refused to listen?

Cheng Yu turned his gaze to the map and recalled the terrain of Yangping Pass.

It was a fortress that Cao Cao once called "Heavenly Prison".

There are many fortresses in the world that can be said to be so powerful that one man can block the passage of ten thousand men.

For example, Tongguan, Jingxingguan, Yanmenguan...

But as far as Cheng Yu knew, the only place that truly deserved this sentence was Yangping Pass.

Strictly speaking, a strong pass like this only needs 10,000 troops to guard it to stop a million strong soldiers.

Xiahou Yuan's Hanzhong Legion had nearly 40,000 soldiers and horses.

With more than 10,000 troops blocking the three valley entrances and more than 5,000 troops guarding Nanzheng City, there will be nearly 30,000 troops left to guard Yangping Pass.

Thirty thousand troops should be more than enough in theory.

Therefore, although Zhang Song's strategy may seem like an attempt to guess his superiors' intentions, it is not without reason.

But the prerequisite is that Xiahou Yuan must defend Yangping Pass and not go out, and must not repeat Zhang Lu's mistakes.

Think about this.

Cheng Yu could only let out a sigh of relief and bowed:

"Your Majesty has given us your will, and we, the ministers, shall obey."

"But I beg Your Majesty to issue an order strictly for the General of the Cavalry to defend Yangping Pass. No matter what tactics Liu Bei uses, he must not send a single soldier out of the pass to fight him."

"Even if Liu Bei suddenly dies in the camp, we must not be tempted by him and take the opportunity to attack."

"Otherwise, we will fall into Liu Bei's trap of luring the enemy!"

"Your Majesty should be very clear about Xiao Fang's ingenious plans."

Cheng Yu had no choice but to settle for the next best thing and persuade Cao Cao to strictly order Xiahou Yuan not to go into battle.

After all, in Cheng Yu's view, the terrifying nature of the Han army did not lie in its strong military force, but in the existence of Xiao Fang.

That wise strategist is someone who can turn the tide and change the fate of the world with his own wisdom.

Seeing Cheng Yu give in and finally agree with his decision, Cao Cao's mouth curled up with a bit of satisfaction.

Thinking about Cheng Yu's reminder, Cao Cao also became slightly alert and said:

"Zhongde's words make sense. Xiao Fang is a country bumpkin who is extremely treacherous and must be guarded against."

"I will send a messenger to Hanzhong to announce the decree, strictly ordering Miaocai not to go to war."

“Even if the sky outside the pass collapses and the earth breaks, you must not send a single soldier out of the city, lest we fall into Xiao Fang’s evil scheme!”

Hearing what Cao Cao said, Cheng Yu felt slightly relieved.

After a slight hesitation, Cheng Yu bowed again:

"Your Majesty, we must also send a capable general to guard Nanzheng, so that the General of the Cavalry can have no worries at Yangping Pass and can fight Liu Bei with all his strength."

Cao Cao nodded slightly, thought for a moment, and then shouted:
"Where is Cao Zidan!"

At the steps, Cao Zhen immediately stepped out to listen to the order. Cao Cao waved his hand and shouted:

"I order you to go north to Hanzhong immediately to announce the imperial decree to your uncle Miaocai, and order him to lead the main force to guard Yangping Pass. You will stay in Nanzheng to support your uncle Miaocai!"

"Zi Dan, do you have the confidence to take on this important task?"

Cao Cao chose Cao Zhen.

In the previous Battle of Weishui, Cao Zhen suffered repeated defeats, which made Cao Cao deeply disappointed and he never used him again for a while.

However, now that they have retreated to Yizhou, the Cao clan has declined and there are only a few generals who can take on important tasks.

But Nanzheng is the seat of Hanzhong County and is of vital importance. How could Cao Cao feel at ease if he sent a general of another surname to guard such an important town?

After weighing the pros and cons, Cao Cao decided to re-employ Cao Zhen.

Cao Zhen was overjoyed. He never expected that at this critical moment, Cao Cao would use him again and give him the important task of guarding Nanzheng.

Cao Zhen was greatly encouraged and said with great joy:

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best to protect Nanzheng for your Majesty and provide support for Uncle Miaocai!"

Cao Cao was relieved and nodded slightly to show his approval.

"Zhongde, are you satisfied with my arrangement now?"

Cao Cao forced a smile with a hint of sarcasm.

Cheng Yu had nothing to say.

...

A few days later, Cao Zhen rushed to Nanzheng with Cao Cao's imperial edict.

After receiving the imperial edict, Xiahou Yuan immediately took charge of the Hanzhong army and deployed troops according to Zhang Song's advice, preparing to resist the attack of the Han army.

Nearly 15,000 soldiers and horses were deployed at the entrances of Xiegu, Luogu, and Ziwugu.

Xiahou Yuan personally led 30,000 troops westward along the Mian River and stationed at Yangping Pass.

Cao Zhen was ordered to lead 5,000 troops and replace Xiahou Yuan to guard Nanzheng City.

After Xiahou Yuan arrived at Yangping Pass, he gave a death order to all the generals, stating that no matter how the Han army provoked them, not a single soldier could leave the pass.

Anyone who dares to disobey orders will be executed immediately!

...

Five days later, Liu Bei personally led an army of 200,000 Han soldiers southward from Chencang Road, entered the heart of the Qinling Mountains, and arrived at Yangping Pass.

The 50,000-strong Western Army led by Zhang He and Ma Dai also successfully captured the two counties of Yinping and Wudu, and reached Yangping Pass almost without bloodshed.

The two Han armies, with a total of 250,000 soldiers, arrived at Yangping Pass.

The Han army had set up camp.

It's dusk.

Liu Bei, King Xiao Fang and his ministers, led their generals out of the camp, chose a nearby hill, and looked at Yangping Pass from afar.

What they saw made everyone gasp.

The majestic pass before us stretches from north to south, with cliffs and mountains towering into the clouds on both sides, which is like a bird flying south.

Yangping Pass is located between mountains and is situated at a high position, giving it a commanding position over the surrounding areas.

To the west of the city, the terrain slopes all the way up. If the Han army wants to attack, they have to attack from the bottom up.

Moreover, the terrain in front of the pass is extremely narrow, and can only accommodate less than a thousand people to attack the city, which is not conducive to the deployment of large troops and the use of military advantages.

"Yangping Pass is the most majestic pass in the world!"

After examining the situation in Guancheng, Liu Bei sighed.

The ministers looked at each other, and there was a certain degree of fear in their eyes.

Liu Bei put away his emotion and asked everyone:

"No matter how dangerous Yangping Pass is, since our army has arrived at the pass, there is no reason for us to return without success."

"Even if this fortress is made of iron, I will break through it!"

"If you have any good ideas for breaking through the barrier, please feel free to speak up!" (End of this chapter)