Three Kingdoms: I, Liu Feng, do not want to die

Chapter 189: Guanzhong in chaos, Zhuge conquers the city and defeats Guo Huai (6k)

The gate is closed.

The Han flags fluttered.

Generals Xue Ti and Wang Sheng were as dejected as the other prisoners.

The two of them could not figure out why Yaoguan was breached in just ten days!

A fire broke out in the camp last night. Li Ping's thousand brave soldiers appeared in the rear like a ragtag force descending from the sky, catching the Wei army officers and soldiers at Yaoguan off guard.

If we use a more vivid metaphor to describe rock climbing, it can indeed be described as "divine troops descending from the sky."

Da da da.
The sound of footsteps was heard.

Several strong men of the Han army arrived at the prisoner camp, looked around for a while, then stepped forward and dragged Xue Ti and Wang Sheng up.

The brutal force made Xue Ti and Wang Sheng feel uncomfortable and they wanted to struggle.

A familiar voice sounded: "Hey, be gentle, don't hurt the two generals."

Xue Ti and Wang Sheng looked up and saw that it was Xu Zhong who had come to the pass to persuade them to surrender ten days ago.

Xu Zhong greeted them with a smile on his face: "Two generals, the ten-day deadline has passed. Are you willing to surrender? If you surrender, your families will enjoy the wealth of Guanzhong."

Xue Ti and Wang Sheng just felt depressed.

Does the so-called ten-day period mean breaking through the barrier in ten days?

Seeing Xue Ti and Wang Sheng bowed their heads and kept silent, Xu Zhong smiled and said, "Don't be so dejected, it's not shameful to lose to His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan.

In order to break through the Yao Pass that the two of you were guarding, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan used a series of tricks including inducement, false attack, detour, and fire attack, and it took him ten days to finally break through the pass.

Think about Xiahou Mi at Wuguan. It only took His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan one day to break through the pass, and he only used a small trick of bribery.

You two have enough to be proud of."

Xue Ti and Wang Sheng were stunned.

Look at what you said. Is it worth boasting that we two have been guarding for ten days?
Then I thought about it.

That seems to be the case too.

Xiahou Mao surrendered the pass after only one day of guarding it, while Xue Ti and Wang Sheng surrendered the pass after ten days of guarding it.

No matter how you look at it, he is better than Xiahou Mao!
"My family is in Chang'an. I hope you will die quickly."

Although Xu Zhong's words were beautiful, Xue Ti and Wang Sheng had not forgotten their families in Chang'an and clearly expressed their attitude of not surrendering.

Xu Zhong did not comment, but asked the strong man to bring the two men to Liu Feng, and then went forward to report why the two men refused to surrender.

Liu Feng laughed loudly, stood up, walked to Generals Xue Ti and Wang Sheng, untied the ropes for them, and asked someone to bring them some wine.

"You are willing to die to protect your family. You are a righteous man. I respect you deeply. Please drink this wine."

Listening to Liu Feng's sincere words and looking at the wine in front of them, Xue Ti and Wang Sheng looked at each other, sighed, and each took the wine and drank it all.

But after drinking, the two men once again asked for a quick death.

Liu Feng restrained his expression and said, "If I slaughter righteous men, how can I be worthy of the title of King of Yan of the Han Dynasty? My father ordered me to march north to Guanzhong to restore the Han Dynasty and save the people, not to kill people indiscriminately.

You two don't need to seek death, nor do you need to surrender. You just need to stay here in Yaoguan and don't cause any trouble.

If I can capture Chang'an, I will send you two to reunite with your families, and then we can decide whether to surrender or die; if I cannot capture Chang'an, you two will be the heroes who help Cao Rui retake Yaoguan. "

Xue Ti and Wang Sheng were shocked when they heard this and looked at Liu Feng in disbelief.

Xue Ti and Wang Sheng would be lying if they said they were not moved by Liu Feng's magnanimity, which was rare among ordinary people. If their families had not been held hostage in Chang'an, they would have kneeled down and surrendered.

The two of them clasped their fists and bowed, silent, but everything was expressed in their silence.

Liu Feng then signaled Xu Zhong to take the two men back to the prisoner camp. Xu Zhong understood and used kind words to comfort Xue Ti and Wang Sheng along the way. He also used the two men's return to the camp to comfort the Wei prisoners in the prisoner camp.

Those who can become powerful people in Nanxiang and dare to engage in smuggling are not simple.

Although Xu Zhong is not as famous as other celebrities, as the eldest of the four Xu brothers, he is also very scheming and cunning.

Not all the Wei captives were as determined as Xue Ti and Wang Sheng. Some were unwilling to surrender, while others were willing to work for Liu Feng.

Even Xue Ti and Wang Sheng, two people who were unwilling to surrender, were treated well, so how could those who were willing to surrender be treated any worse?
While Xu Zhong was helping Liu Feng to pacify and win over the Wei prisoners, Liu Feng was also discussing the next strategic direction with Fa Zheng.

Now that Yaoguan has been taken, it is only a hundred miles away from Chang'an.

If the commander of Chang'an was a coward and lacked strategy, upon hearing the news that Yaoguan was lost, he would either abandon the city and flee or open the gate and surrender.

Considering that the defender of Chang'an was Cao Rui, the eldest grandson who was even praised by Cao Cao, he would definitely not abandon the city or flee or open the gates to surrender just because Liu Feng's army was at the gates.

Attacking Chang'an by force is not a good idea.

"We can first use the strategy of 'making a feint to the east and attacking the west', pretending to capture Tongguan, and create the impression that the pass is locked. Upon hearing the news, Cao Rui may divide his troops to guard Tongguan to protect the way back.

Then, he used the strategy of "attacking the heart" to widely distribute proclamations in the counties of Guanzhong, creating panic in the counties and inducing the officials, soldiers and people of the counties to respond.

By cooperating with the "rumor" strategy and spreading the news that Cao Rui had abandoned Chang'an, especially to the north of Chang'an, it might be possible to delay Cao Zhen's return.

Your Highness will set up an ambush on a road west of Chang'an, following Sun Bin's strategy of "waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out" and ambush the Wei army returning from Longyou."

Fa Zheng was well versed in the geography of Guanzhong. He outlined each location on the battle map and made a series of plans based on the intelligence about Guanzhong he learned from the prisoners.

have to say.

When it comes to governing government, Fa Zheng's ability can only be considered average.

Fa Zheng's vindictive character alone makes it impossible for his officials to be convinced, and there will definitely be many who pretend to obey his orders but actually disobey him.

When it comes to giving advice and suggestions, Fa Zheng's talent is top-notch.

There is no need to consider interpersonal relationships or care about whether you will offend anyone. You only need the person who asks for advice to decide whether the strategy is feasible.

Strategies such as feinting to the east and attacking in the west, attacking the enemy's heart, spreading rumors, and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out emerged one after another, and they were coordinated layer by layer. Coupled with the chain of strategies used when taking Yaoguan, the combat effectiveness of Liu Feng's elite soldiers and generals was brought into play to the maximum.

In the past, Liu Feng had to think hard on his own about how to use and implement his strategies, which took up too much of his energy.

Now with Fa Zheng, Liu Feng has an external brain, allowing him to focus more on commanding troops and fighting on the battlefield.

"Your policy is very much in line with my opinion."

Liu Feng was generous in his praise.

Although there were conflicts with Fa Zheng in the past, these conflicts had basically disappeared during the period of entering Guanzhong, and the cooperation between them was quite tacit.

Liu Feng respected Fa Zheng's strategy, and Fa Zheng also respected Liu Feng's bravery.

If Liu Feng was only the King of Yan and not the Crown Prince, this tacit understanding would be even deeper.

Ponder for a moment.

Liu Feng then ordered generals Wu Ban and Zhao Rong to lead a thousand troops with a thousand newly surrendered soldiers to Tongguan to carry out the "strategy of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west."

Generals Fu Kuang and Fu Rong were left at Yaoguan with a thousand men and more than a thousand newly surrendered soldiers, led by Fa Zheng, and in cooperation with clerks such as Yu Fan and Fan Cheng, they were responsible for guarding the prisoners and food, and co-operating in the implementation of Fa Zheng's "attack on the heart" and "rumor" strategies to create panic and incite rebellion in the counties of Guanzhong.

Liu Feng personally led Wang Ping, Li Ping and other troops with 10,000 infantry and cavalry to the west of Chang'an to block the Wei army returning from Longyou.

Although the ingenious strategy could give them the advantage of taking the initiative, whether they could completely defeat the Wei army in Guanzhong still depended on the bravery of Liu Feng and his soldiers.

"Zhang He is brave and has excellent cavalry. Your Highness, you must be extremely careful when you go there. If you cannot stop them, you can retreat to Yaoguan and make other plans. Don't force yourself." Fa Zheng instructed carefully.

With Yaoguan, even if the Wei army in Longyou could not be intercepted from returning, it did not mean that the plan to capture Guanzhong had failed.

The Wei army in Longyou has returned, and Liu Chan's army in Longyou will follow, which will only make Chang'an's defense stronger and make the attack on Chang'an more time-consuming.

Guanzhong is not just a city or a pond called Chang'an. Even if Cao Rui can defend the isolated city of Chang'an, the brothers Liu Feng and Liu Chan can still take over most of Guanzhong.

If Liu Feng did it reluctantly, if an accident happened, not only would his morale be dampened, but Yaoguan and Wuguan would also be recaptured by the Wei army.

Not worth the candle!

Therefore.

Fa Zheng's idea was: if you can block, then block; if you can't block, then retreat to Yaoguan. The throat has been obtained, so there is no need to rush and deliver a fatal blow.

Liu Feng nodded and promised: "I have kept in mind what you said, Lord Fa Ling, and I will act accordingly."

Liu Feng moved quickly.

As a brave general who has fought on the battlefield for many years, Liu Feng has developed an almost physical instinct for fighting.

Liu Feng's prestige was also like that of a god in the hearts of all the generals.

As long as Liu Feng personally leads the troops, the morale will be five points higher than if other generals were leading the troops.

This is the prestige in the army that Liu Feng gained through real combat achievements, which made the soldiers feel invincible and "invincible".

As long as Liu Feng is here.

Whether outnumbered against many or weak against strong, the confidence of the soldiers will not be shaken.

This is the power of a "famous general".

The majesty that comes from fighting and the awe that comes from killing.

As expected.

Cao Rui in Chang'an City was shocked when he learned that Liu Feng had broken through Yaoguan in ten days.

At this moment, Cao Rui was secretly glad that he did not go to Yaoguan to supervise the battle in person.

If he went to Yaoguan, not only would Yaoguan be lost, but he, the crown prince of Wei, would also most likely be captured alive.

Even the crown prince of Wei was captured alive, so there was no need to defend Chang'an.

Just open the door and surrender!
At that time, Cao Zhen, Zhang He and other Guanzhong generals who had not yet returned became dogs that had lost their homes.

There is no need to fight, most of the soldiers in the army can escape!

Just like when Liu Bei was ambushed by Lu Bu in Xia Pi, his soldiers either fled or surrendered, and Liu Bei could only flee to Haixi with his remaining troops.

"Fortunately, the general has good advice, otherwise I would have suffered great humiliation!"

Cao Rui took a long breath and suppressed his inner panic.

Liu Feng's unstoppable momentum made Cao Rui, the crown prince of Wei who had followed Cao Cao for a long time and had seen big scenes, feel uneasy, not to mention the officials, soldiers and civilians in Chang'an city.

Fortunately, there was the Grand Marshal Zhong Yao who shared Cao Rui's pressure, otherwise Cao Rui would have been overwhelmed just by pacifying the officials and civilians in Chang'an City.

As the saying goes: Good fortune never comes alone, and misfortune never comes singly.

Before Cao Rui could calm down, another spy came to report that "Han troops are advancing towards Tongguan."

"Tongguan? Why would Liu Feng suddenly attack Tongguan? Could it be that Liu Feng has an insider in Tongguan?" Cao Shuang exclaimed.

Since the details of Liu Feng's capture of Yaoguan in ten days did not reach Chang'an, the defeated soldiers did not know how Yaoguan was breached.

Both Cao Rui and Cao Shuang believed that one of the commanders of Yaoguan had rebelled, otherwise it would have been impossible for Liu Feng to keep his troops inactive for nine days and then suddenly break through Yaoguan in one day.

The commander of Wuguan was instigated to rebel, and the commander of Yaoguan was also instigated to rebel. How do we know that the commander of Tongguan will not be instigated to rebel?

Cao Rui was also shocked.

Liu Feng's advance was too fast, so Cao Rui had to think more.

If there is an accomplice to Liu Feng among the defenders of Tongguan, once Tongguan is locked, the entire Guanzhong area will be trapped by the Han army.

"Please ask the Crown Prince to go to Tongguan as soon as possible!" Cao Shuang was worried that Cao Rui might be in danger, so he requested in a stern voice.

Cao Rui shook his head and rejected Cao Shuang's proposal: "If we flee before the battle, how can we defend Chang'an? Now the General Who Conquers the West and the General Who Stays with the Left have not returned yet. If I flee, wouldn't I be putting the generals in danger? We can't do that!" He paused.

Cao Rui said again: "Zhao Bo, I have no one available in Chang'an City. You go to Tongguan yourself."

Cao Shuang was surprised and said: "Your Highness, if I go to Tongguan, if I am in Chang'an City..."

Cao Rui interrupted Cao Shuang and said, "Don't talk nonsense! There are loyal ministers and generals in Chang'an. How could there be a villain who would betray me? Now everything is urgent. We can't hesitate any longer. What's more, there is the Grand Marshal in the city who can handle it."

Seeing Cao Rui's firm attitude, Cao Shuang gritted his teeth and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will not lose Tongguan. If there is an emergency in Chang'an, Your Highness should not force it and come to Tongguan as soon as possible."

Influenced by Liu Feng's breakthroughs in Wuguan and Yaoguan as well as Fa Zheng's "heart attack" and "rumors", it is not an exaggeration to describe the Guanzhong region today as a place of chaos.

Cao Zhen, who was originally in Anding to suppress the rebellion and was preparing to connect with the generals in Liangzhou to march south to Longyou, did not dare to hesitate at all after learning that Liu Feng's army was approaching Chang'an. He also did not care what the people of Anding would think, and he forcibly requisitioned ships and food along the way and headed straight for Chang'an along the Jing River.

Seeing this scene, powerful people like Yang Tiao once again wanted to respond.

Zhang He, who had just arrived at Jieting, left Yang Qiu to resist Meng Da and then hurriedly led his troops back.

Meng Da, who felt the pressure suddenly drop in Jieting, also realized that something was wrong and hurriedly reported the incident to Zhuge Liang in Lueyang.

Zhuge Liang acted decisively and abandoned the original plan of holding out in Lueyang. He sent Ma Chao, Wei Yan and other generals to counterattack Yang Qiu in Jieting. He also ordered Jiang Wei, Li Yan and other generals to attack Linwei.

Although the intelligence had not yet arrived, Zhuge Liang guessed that there was only one reason why the Wei army reinforcements could come back: Liu Feng entered the pass!
Only very few people knew about the plan of the Wuguan surprise attack.

In the entire Longyou, only Zhuge Liang knew the inside story.

Others, such as Li Yan, Wei Yan and others, might be able to see some clues, but they basically thought that Zhuge Liang came to help take Longyou and to "cut off Long".

As soon as Zhang He left.

Yang Qiu’s pressure doubled.

In particular, Ma Chao brought nearly 10,000 Qiang soldiers who were summoned from somewhere and frightened Yang Qiu greatly.

Although the fighting effectiveness of the Qiang soldiers who were temporarily summoned was not high, Ma Chao's reputation frightened Yang Qiu.

Yang Qiu was the only surviving warlord from Liang Province who had followed Ma Chao in the rebellion against Cao. His fear of Ma Chao was deep in his bones.

same.

Ma Chao also harbored a lot of hatred towards this former ally who had surrendered to Cao Cao.

Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet.

Less than three days after Zhang He left, Yang Qiu's large camp at Jieting was defeated.

Knowing that he would be held accountable if he returned to Chang'an, Yang Qiu fled to Anding with his remaining troops.

It was not until after defeating Yang Qiu that Zhuge Liang informed everyone of Liu Feng's detailed plan for a surprise attack on Wuguan. The captives of Yang Qiu's army also proved that Zhang He had returned.

Meng Da responded quickly: "Prime Minister, I know the terrain of Guanzhong very well. I am willing to be the vanguard to pursue Zhang He and join forces with the King of Yan!"

Meng Da made a great contribution this time because he stopped Yang Qiu at Jieting and promptly noticed the changes in the Wei army at Jieting.

Once he had achieved success, Meng Da felt that he had straightened his back.

At this moment, Meng Da had an even more urgent desire to show off in front of Liu Feng: You took away my military power in the past, so today, don’t you need me, Meng Da, to lead troops to reinforce you?

After being suppressed by Liu Feng for several years, Meng Da was eager to vent his anger.

Although Meng Da is recorded in history as capricious, he is not so annoying nowadays.

The tough battle was also fought hard.

The Battle of Jingzhou secured the key city of Zigui, and the Battle of Longyou secured the key city of Jieting. Even though his personal morals had flaws, their merits outweighed their flaws.

Wei Yan on the side also actively asked for a fight, not wanting to fall behind Meng Da.

Zhuge Liang pondered for a moment, agreed to Meng Da and Wei Yan's request to fight, and ordered the two to select 5,000 elite troops to pursue Zhang He.

The two generals were overjoyed.

Although they wanted to go together, the two generals did not argue anymore.

Since it is such a great achievement, it is impossible for one person to enjoy it alone.

After the two generals leave.

On the one hand, Zhuge Liang ordered Ma Chao to head north to Liang Province to intimidate the generals of Liang Province; on the other hand, he sent envoys to Anding to pacify the counties of Anding, and on the other hand, he directed his troops to Linwei.

Linwei was the last city of Cao Wei in Longyou, and was defended by generals such as Guo Huai, Hu Zun, and Zhou Tai.

Originally, thanks to the solidity of Linwei City, they could have managed to hold on.

But now.

Seeing Zhuge Liang's flag appear at the foot of Linwei City and the Han army coming from Jieting, Guo Huai's heart was filled with horror.

"Jieting, defeated?" Guo Huai was surprised and suspicious.

And below.

Jiang Wei held his spear and rode his horse, shouting to persuade them to surrender: "Guo Huai, the Prime Minister respects you as a famous scholar in Bingzhou and has something to tell you.

Now, where the Han flag points, three counties have returned, Liangzhou is holding their breath, His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan has broken through the Wu and Yao passes and is approaching Chang'an, Zhang He came and went, Yang Qiu was defeated and fled, and Cao Zhen is unable to take care of himself.

You are trapped alone in this isolated city, don't you know the weather?

Even if you are loyal and willing to die for the country, do you care about the safety of the soldiers and elders in the city?
How can you let your own mistake cause the lives of so many people to be in jeopardy? "

"Prime Minister Zhuge has said: If you open the city and return to Han, not only will the soldiers and elders in the city be spared from war, but you can also keep your official title and rank, and you can also pacify the western border.

If you insist on not changing your ways.” Jiang Wei suddenly reined in his horse and turned back. The Han army behind him raised their spears and halberds like a forest, shining coldly in the sun: “When the city is broken, everything will be destroyed!”

Guo Huai's face changed drastically.

I already suspected that there might be changes in Jieting, and Yang Qiu might have been defeated.

What Guo Huai didn't expect was that Zhang He came and went back, and the reason was because Liu Feng broke through the Wu and Yao passes and was at the gates of the city?

Zhou Tai on the city wall shouted, "Jiang Wei, do you think you can fool us with such lies? If Wu and Yao were lost, how could you get the news before us? How dare you show off such tricks?"

Jiang Wei laughed loudly: "Zhou Tai, you are just an ordinary man, how can you understand the general situation of the army? According to the Prime Minister's wishes, I will make you lose clearly today.

Whether it was the Crown Prince taking Longyou or Your Majesty attacking Wanluo, it was all just a feint to cover His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan's surprise attack on Wuguan.

If you don't understand the general strategy, how can you understand the opportunities for ingenious strategies and responses?

If Wu and Yao Passes had not been lost, and His Royal Highness the Prince of Yan had not marched to Chang'an, how could Zhang He have come back? How could Yang Qiu have been defeated and fled? Why has the reinforcement you've been waiting for not arrived yet?

Do you know why troops were deployed in Longyou in winter?
This was because Zhang Ji and Su Ze, who were both famous in Yong and Liang, had died last year, Guo Huai, the new governor of Yongzhou, had not yet established his reputation, and Meng Jian, the governor of Liangzhou, was an old friend of the prime minister.

This is a golden opportunity!

If you can't even understand this, how can you be a general?"

Zhou Tai's face flushed, and he punched the top of the city wall fiercely, shouting angrily: "Jiang Wei, if you have the ability, just attack the city, don't try to show off your power by talking!"

Jiang Wei laughed loudly and pointed his spear at Zhou Tai and his men: "Zhou Tai, if you want to be loyal to the Pseudo-Wei, you can just kill yourself. Why do you have to drag the soldiers around you to die with you?
You will be able to leave your name in history, and your children will be well-fed by Cao Pi, but the soldiers around you will be nothing but a pile of earth after their death, and no one will care about them.

According to Cao's rules, when the soldiers in the front are fighting, the wives and daughters in the rear will also be classified as other people's wives.

How pitiful! Fighting to the death for Cao Cao, his wife and daughter have to be humiliated. If it were me, I would definitely not tolerate it!"

Zhou Tai's face changed drastically. He subconsciously pressed the handle of the knife and looked around vigilantly.

Before Zhou Tai could speak again, the Han army below began to shout "Descend quickly" in unison, the sound was like thunder, as if it could pierce the sky.

Guo Huai hurriedly discussed the matter with Hu Zun and Zhou Tai.

"Morale is low now, and the reinforcements have retreated. Linwei can no longer be defended. Go to Chencang quickly to preserve our military strength. When the General of the Western Expedition and the General of the Left resolve the crisis in Chang'an, we may have a chance to counterattack Longyou."

Hu Zun and Zhou Tai also agreed with Guo Huai's analysis.

After holding out for many days, the soldiers' morale had been boosted by messages like "reinforcements are coming soon".

Now that Yang Qiu has been defeated and Zhang He has retreated, the soldiers will no longer listen to Guo Huai's nonsense.

Especially Jiang Wei's words "I fought to the death for Cao Cao, but my wife and daughter had to be humiliated. If it were me, I would definitely not tolerate it" directly touched the hearts of ordinary Wei soldiers.

Although Guo Huai also thought that Cao Wei's regulation was inappropriate, he could not change the general perception.

Guo Huai was also worried.

If he continued to defend like this, he would be killed by the resentful lower-level soldiers at night.

Seeing that Hu Zun and Zhou Tai both agreed to retreat to Chencang, Guo Huai no longer hesitated and immediately selected 2,000 soldiers who were still able to fight and prepared to break out at night.

The city was handed over to Ma Zun to guard, and Guo Huai said very directly: If you return to Chang'an, you will be punished; if you help me break out, I will protect your family in the future; if you are unwilling, I will kill you now, and your family will also suffer.

Ma Zun had no choice but to agree to Guo Huai's arrangement.

That night.

Guo Huai led Hu Zun, Zhou Tai and other soldiers to secretly leave the city, intending to retreat to Chencang via the Weishui trail.

Soon after leaving the city, he was blocked by Jiang Wei.

Jiang Wei held his gun and laughed: "Just as the Prime Minister expected, Guo Huai, today is the day you die!"

Guo Huai was horrified and shouted to his men: "There is no way to retreat now. Soldiers, follow me and fight to the death!"

Hu Zun and Zhou Tai also shouted loudly and led their troops to attack.

In the fighting room.

Two more troops came to attack, one led by Li Yan and the other by Zhang Yi.

Shouts of "Guo Huai, don't run!" rang out one after another.

Guo Huai was even more frightened.

Just when they were about to run out of options, they suddenly saw a commotion among Jiang Wei's rear troops.

A general rushed over and asked, "Where is the envoy? Dai Ling is here!"

Dai Ling was heard shouting again: "You Han dogs have fallen into General Zuo's trap!"

The Han army in the rear was disrupted by Dai Ling, and Guo Huai hurried forward to join forces.

Dai Ling whispered again: "Empress, leave quickly. This is a trick to confuse the enemy. It won't fool people for long!"

It turned out that Dai Ling was arranged by Guo Huai to be a decoy to attack Hanzhong, but halfway through the attack he received a message from Guo Huai to return to defend Chencang.

After returning to Chencang, Dai Ling was surprised to hear that Zhang He had returned to Chang'an. Fearing that Guo Huai might be in danger, he deployed decoy troops in Chencang and secretly took a small path along the Wei River to meet Guo Huai.

He happened to meet Guo Huai breaking out and fell into a trap.

Guo Huai was shocked and thanked him and promised: "If you can escape with your life, I will definitely reward you handsomely in the future!"

Subsequently.

Guo Huai ordered the soldiers to shout, "General Zuo is just ahead, quickly join forces with General Zuo," and then hurried away.

In the dark, they didn't know whether it was true or not, and Jiang Wei, Li Yan and Zhang Yi didn't dare to chase closely, for fear that Zhang He would really come back.

Zhang He's reputation for skillfulness had long been well known in Yongliang.

It was not until dawn that the generals realized that they had fallen into a trap. They were filled with remorse and came to Zhuge Liang to apologize.

Zhuge Liang did not blame the generals, but said: "The pseudo-Wei has many talented people, so there is no need to be discouraged. Now the spring water is about to rise. First, take Linwei, then go to Chencang through the Wei River to help the King of Yan."

(End of this chapter)