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

Yangping Pass.

Xiahou Yuan was inspecting the camps.

Seeing that each camp had sufficient food and supplies and high morale, Xiahou Yuan gradually gained confidence.

"Our troops are well-trained and well-fed, and our officers and men are all devoted to their duties. Yangping Pass will be defended as solid as a rock."

"Liu Bei, even if you have Xiao Fang, what does it matter? I want to see what conspiracy Xiao Fang has to break through my city!"

As Xiahou Yuan rode his horse slowly, he muttered to himself, but his face was full of confidence.

Wu Lan and other generals on his left and right agreed, and their expressions and words were quite optimistic.

At this moment, the generals seemed to have walked out of the shadow of the disastrous defeat in Guanzhong and regained their confidence.

After all, Yizhou is different from Guanzhong, as it has the natural barrier of Qinling Mountains.

The Yangping Pass in front of them is the most important pass in the world.

Even if Xiao Fang was a god, he would be helpless in the face of such a strong city.

Only Yan Pu frowned and remained silent, as if he was worried about something.

"Bo Miao, what's wrong? Are you still worried about something?"

Xiahou Yuan saw that he was worried and glanced at him.

Yan Pu hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said:

"General, I think it is a little suspicious that Liu Bei has been at the gate for many days but has not taken any action."

"That Xiao Fang is very cunning, and the General of the Cavalry knows that. I wonder if that Xiao Fang is planning something again."

Hearing this, Xiahou Yuan raised a sneer at the corner of his mouth.

"Bo Miao, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you are really afraid of Xiao Fang like a tiger."

After the sarcasm, Xiahou Yuan asked again: "Then tell me, as long as we hold on to the city and don't go out to fight, what tricks can he come up with to break our city?"

Yan Pu was speechless.

After thinking it over and over again and racking my brains, I really can't think of any loopholes in the current layout of Yangping Pass.

Cao Cao's order was to order them to guard the city gates strictly and not go out into battle.

Xiahou Yuan also issued an order that any general who dared to challenge would be punished according to military law.

In other words, even if Liu Bei suddenly died outside, they would never send a single soldier out.

Since he won't come out, how can Xiao Fang use his plan?
Since there is no plan to use, how can we break through Yangping Pass?

Unless the Han army had wings, how could they fly over Yangping Pass?
"Perhaps, I am really overthinking and too afraid of Xiao Fang..."

Yan Pu smiled bitterly and laughed at himself, and the worry between his brows gradually faded away.

Xiahou Yuan smiled and patted Yan Pu's shoulder gently:

"Okay, stop worrying about it, follow me back to the palace, and we'll have a few drinks."

As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of horse hooves was heard.

Lei Tong rode over on horseback, looking panicked.

"Report to the General of the Cavalry."

"I have received a report from the east that the enemy general Ma Chao led 10,000 Han troops to raid Dingjun Mountain and robbed our 50,000 hu of grain!"

"The Han army has now occupied Dingjun Mountain!"

Xiahou Yuan's body shook and his expression suddenly changed.

Yan Pu's nerves, which had been relaxed, tensed up in an instant.

As a native of Hanzhong, he realized the seriousness of the situation at the first moment.

"Dingjun Mountain?"

"Why did that bastard Ma Chao suddenly appear in Dingjun Mountain?"

Xiahou Yuan's face was filled with shock, and he shouted in excitement.

Lei Tong panted and said with a bitter face: "According to the soldiers who escaped back, the enemy should have come from the south of Dingjun Mountain, taking the Daba Mountain trail!"

Daba Mountains?
Xiahou Yuan hurriedly asked for the map and spread it out for a closer look.

Although Yangping Pass is the throat of Hanzhong, it is actually not the only passage in and out of Hanzhong.

There is also a road through the Daba Mountains in the south, and Xiahou Yuan naturally knows this.

After all, he had been guarding Yizhou for some years. Even though he was an outsider, he thought he knew the terrain of Hanzhong very well.

But in Xiahou Yuan's impression, the paths in Daba Mountains were all rugged paths, which were inconvenient for transporting food and marching, and even war horses could not pass.

Even if the Han army went through Daba Mountains, they could only send out small groups of troops at most, and there was no way they could send out a large army.

Ma Chao actually led an army of 10,000 and attacked Dingjun Mountain through the Daba Mountain Trail?
Xiahou Yuan's face was stunned, his eyes full of disbelief.

"The Han army knew that Dingjun Mountain was a place where food was stored, so they dared to send 10,000 troops to launch a surprise attack in order to seize our food and fodder to solve the problem of inconvenience in transporting food!"

"They are using war to support war. Those 50,000 hu of food and fodder are enough for his 10,000-man army to use for several months!"

Yan Pu came to his senses and pointed out the secret in one sentence.

Xiahou Yuan's body was shocked, and he suddenly realized what was going on.

It was inconvenient to transport grain along the small road in Daba Mountains, and Liu Bei originally did not dare to send a large army. However, it happened that he had a granary at the foot of Dingjun Mountain, where 50,000 hu of grain and fodder were stored.

In this way, the Han army only needed to carry a few days' worth of dry food. As long as they captured Dingjun Mountain and seized the food and grass stored at the foot of the mountain, the problem of transporting food would naturally be solved!
"Moreover, Dingjun Mountain can threaten Yangping Pass to the west and cut off our army's food supply, and it can threaten our Nanzheng City to the east."

"This mountain can be said to be the throat of Yangping Pass!"

"I finally understood why Liu Bei kept his troops inactive for so many days. It turned out that he was planning a surprise attack on Dingjun Mountain."

"General Huqi, this must be Xiao Fang's trick. I've said it before, we can't underestimate him!"

Yan Pu pointed at the map and pointed out the seriousness of the loss of Dingjun Mountain, feeling extremely regretful.

Xiahou Yuan sucked in a breath of cold air, his expression becoming increasingly awkward and ugly.

At this moment, his previous arrogance had long since disappeared.

He felt like he was slapped hard by Xiao Fang!

He had been guarding Yizhou for many years and claimed to know the terrain of Hanzhong like the back of his hand, but he unexpectedly overlooked the strategic location of Dingjun Mountain, and was taken advantage of by Liu Bei!

This means that Liu Bei has a hold on his weak spot, so how can he defend Yangping Pass?
"Good Xiao Fang, you are such a traitor, you are still so cunning and deceitful!"

"But even if you seize my Dingjun Mountain, what can you do?"

Xiahou Yuan gnashed his teeth and cursed for a long while, then suddenly raised his whip and shouted:

"Pass the order down, mobilize the army, and follow me out of the pass immediately. I will take back Dingjun Mountain!"

"promise!"

Lei Tong took the order and was about to pass it on.

Yan Pu was shocked.

Cao Cao's order was that they must strictly guard the city gates and not go out into battle.

If we go into battle now, wouldn't that be against Cao Cao's will?

"General Huqi, calm down. His Majesty has ordered us to guard the city walls strictly and not to go out into battle. How can we go against His Majesty's order?"

"Besides, Liu Bei's move is clearly intended to lure us out of Yangping Pass so that he can defeat our army outside the pass. Isn't this move by General Huoqi exactly what he wants?"

"General, please stay calm and don't go into battle rashly!"

Yan Pu immediately looked solemn and tried his best to dissuade him.

Xiahou Yuan's expression was shocked, and suddenly he felt as if a bucket of cold water was poured on him, and he calmed down a little.

After hesitating for a while.

Xiahou Yuan gritted his teeth and said:
"Your Majesty forbad me to go to war, but now that Dingjun Mountain has been lost, if that bastard Ma Chao cuts off my food supply route to Yangping Pass as you said, or goes east to attack Nanzheng, then Hanzhong will be in jeopardy, right?"

"If Hanzhong is not safe, what's the point of me guarding Yangping Pass?"

"The situation has changed. How can I be stubborn and inflexible? I must lead my army out of the pass and recapture Dingjun Mountain!" (End of this chapter)