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

At that moment, the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Just then, Fayou came rushing over, looking hurried, and called out urgently:

"Your Majesty, the scouts have just brought back urgent news: the Han cavalry are less than thirty li away from here!"

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

Empress Vinu's previously composed expression changed drastically in an instant, replaced by shock and panic.

Cao Rui and Sima Yi were also horrified; their faces turned deathly pale, their eyes filled with terror and disbelief.

Empress Vinu frowned and asked in a deep voice:
"Our spies have already penetrated deep into the heart of Han territory. Logically, the Han army's every move should be under our control. Why did we only discover them now that they are at such close range?"

Fa You looked distressed and said helplessly:

"Your Majesty, the Han army led by Xiao Fang did not come from the south, but suddenly attacked from the north!"

"North?"

Empress Vinu looked bewildered, her eyes revealing deep confusion.

At this moment, Sima Yi slapped his thigh and shouted:
"Oh no! Xiao Fangding is coming from the northern desert!"

That desert is usually sparsely populated; we had completely overlooked this route!

After saying this, Sima Yi hurriedly ordered someone to bring the map and spread it out.

Everyone gathered around, their eyes fixed on the map.

The map clearly shows that there are two main routes from Luoyang to Liangzhou.

Firstly, the route was from Luoyang westward, following the established road all the way to Liangzhou;
Secondly, they first traveled north, crossed the desert, and then turned south again, heading straight for Zhaowu City.

It is worth mentioning that this route was also a necessary passage often chosen by the Xiongnu when they moved south.

No one expected that Xiao Fang would choose this unexpected route to relieve the siege of Zhaowu City.

Empress Vinu was overwhelmed with emotion and murmured to herself:

"Xiao Fang's military tactics are truly unpredictable and impossible to guard against."

"Qin Emperor, no wonder you failed; you were relentlessly pursued by Xiao Fang."

Although Xiao Fang was an enemy general, Empress Pinu felt a sense of respect for him at this moment.

Fa You's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, our army is currently attacking Zhaowu City with all its might, but we have still failed to capture it."

If the Han cavalry were to arrive at this time, forming a pincer movement against our army, the situation would be extremely unfavorable for us.

Upon hearing this, Empress Pinu's eyes flashed with a hint of apprehension.

She knew the gravity of the situation; her army had only a few thousand cavalrymen, while the Han army had tens of thousands. Outnumbered, the chances of victory were slim.

Empress Vinu was caught in a dilemma. Her siege had failed, and she was unwilling to retreat. For a moment, she did not know what to do.

At this critical moment, Sima Yi's lips curled into a slight, cold smile:
"Your Majesty, I have a plan that can help you defeat the traitor Xiao!"

Empress Vinu was overjoyed and hurriedly asked:
"Sima Yi, what exactly is your plan? Tell me quickly."

Cao Rui also looked at Sima Yi, his eyes full of anticipation.

Sima Yi smiled and said slowly:

"Xiao the traitor came from the north this time, clearly intending to catch us off guard."

Since that's the case, let's turn the tables on them.

Yi believed that His Majesty could order the entire army to retreat immediately, feigning defeat and appearing to be in complete disarray.

Seeing our army routed, that traitor Xiao will surely think he has an opportunity to take advantage of and will relentlessly pursue us.

At that time, we can set up an ambush in advance, and once Xiao enters the encirclement, we can defeat him in one fell swoop!
If the Han cavalry can be completely annihilated, the Han state will suffer a severe blow and its vitality will be greatly damaged.

At that time, our army will be able to seize the opportunity to advance eastward, drive deep into the heart of the Han Kingdom!

Sima Yi explained his plan in a clear and logical manner.

Upon hearing this, Empress Vinu's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but praise:

"Sima Yi, you are indeed a rare talent. We will follow your advice and adopt your strategy."

Upon hearing this, Sima Yi's brows furrowed with a hint of smugness, and he secretly rejoiced.

Empress Vinu immediately shouted, "Order the army to retreat immediately!"

Upon receiving the order, the Yuezhi army retreated swiftly like a receding tide, raising clouds of dust in the air.

That very night, the Yuezhi army broke camp and retreated westward towards Dunhuang. Several days later...

Xiao Fang personally led his cavalry southward and successfully reached Zhaowu City.

The once tightly closed, frozen city gates slowly opened, and Guanqiu Jian strode out of the city to meet him.

"Guanqiu Jian pays his respects to Prime Minister Xiao!"

Guanqiu Jian knelt on one knee and bowed respectfully.

"Be flat."

Xiao Fang slightly raised his hand and spoke gently.

Guanqiu Jian stood up and stood respectfully to one side.

Xiao Fang looked up at the frozen city wall and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration:

"Guanqiu Jian, you are truly a rare talent to come up with such a brilliant plan as freezing the city walls."

"Prime Minister Xiao is too kind."

Guanqiu Jian responded humbly:

"If Prime Minister Xiao hadn't arrived in time, the frozen city walls probably wouldn't have lasted more than a few days, and Zhaowu City would have already fallen into enemy hands."

Xiao Fang smiled and nodded, then entered the city.

Guanqiu Jian hosted a grand banquet to welcome Xiao Fang and wash away the dust of his journey.

After several rounds of drinks, Xiao Fang put down his wine cup and asked:

"I've always had a question in my mind: how exactly did the Yuezhi people solve their food supply problem?"

They came from afar; logically, transporting provisions should have been an extremely difficult task.

Guanqiu Jian's eyes held a meaningful look as he cupped his hands and said:
"Reporting to Prime Minister Xiao, the Yuezhi people relied on a transport device called the Divine Chariot to transport grain, which solved the problem of having enough food."

"A speeding car?"

Upon hearing this, Deng Ai, Guan Xing, and Zhang Bao exclaimed in unison.

Their faces were full of surprise, and their hearts were filled with doubt and curiosity.

Not long ago, their Prime Minister Xiao Fang had just shown them the wooden ox and horse, this amazing means of transportation.

But now they have learned that the Yuezhi people possess a similarly miraculous transportation device, the Divine Chariot.

This thing actually has the same function as the wooden ox and horse?
This is really unbelievable!

Are you sure the Yuezhi people really had a divine chariot?

Deng Ai couldn't help but ask.

"it is true."

Guanqiu Jian nodded firmly, but then a strange look appeared on his face:
"What, General? Have you perhaps heard of this before?"

"I've heard of it more than just!"

Deng Ai looked at Xiao Fang and said:
"Prime Minister Xiao also built wooden oxen and horses to transport grain, and their effectiveness is probably comparable to this divine chariot!"

Guanqiu Jian was greatly surprised upon hearing this, and stared wide-eyed as he said:
"This is strange. Prime Minister Xiao actually created such a transportation marvel... It's truly perplexing that there are such coincidences in this world."

Guanqiu Jian was deeply confused, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.

Deng Ai and the other generals all turned their gazes to Xiao Fang, their eyes filled with anticipation and curiosity, hoping that Xiao Fang could resolve their doubts.

Xiao Fang remained calm and showed no surprise, slowly saying:

"No wonder the Yuezhi Empress dared to disregard the concerns about the supply lines and rashly send out troops."

It turns out she was relying on Sima Yi's creation of the Divine Chariot, thinking that with such a transportation marvel, she could rest easy.

At this point, Xiao Fang's doubts were finally dispelled.

Guan Xing looked worried and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Prime Minister Xiao, the Yuezhi people have no shortage of food and supplies now, so this battle may not be easy."

"What's so hard about fighting?"

Xiao Fang sneered, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes:

"She has brought the entire nation's army; I will ensure she never returns!" (End of Chapter)