Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 111 Taking Chang'an Straight to the Edge?

Xiuli Camp.

The atmosphere in the Han army's main tent was oppressive.

Today is the fourth day of the fifth lunar month, and the army has been camped here for a full month.

Although their camps were becoming increasingly fortified, they came to attack Chang'an, not to defend them.

After months of holding their ground and not engaging in battle, the morale of the Han soldiers, which had been soaring after a series of victories, had waned to a certain extent.

Sima Yi had been blocking the river upstream for twenty days, and the food supplies in the Xiliu Camp were running out. The high-ranking officers all knew that the food could only last for another four or five days at most.

Although the ordinary soldiers did not know how much food they had left, common sense told them that the army would soon run out of food after twenty days without any external supplies.

"General who is about to attack the enemy, Sima Yi has already fallen for the Prime Minister's strategy of luring the enemy out of their hole. Isn't this the perfect opportunity for our army to seize his camp? Why don't we act now!"

"We're hiding until the Prime Minister's army arrives, and now that it's here, we're still hiding. How long are we going to keep hiding?!"

"That's right, we're here to attack Chang'an, not to defend this camp. No matter how strong the camp is, what good will it do to take Chang'an?!"

"We are facing the danger of running out of food. The morale of our soldiers is wavering, and their resentment is already very high. If we don't fight the Wei invaders soon, our army may collapse without a fight!"

The officers and captains kept chattering.

General Wang Ping, who was tasked with suppressing the bandits, sat at the head of the table, his expression calm and composed.

"Please calm down, everyone. The Prime Minister and General Zhao are not unaware of the strength of our army, yet they remain unmoved. They must have a plan. As long as we have enough food, we will hold our ground here. There is no need to panic."

All the generals looked at each other.

"General who is tasked with suppressing the bandits, did the Prime Minister and General Zhao tell you the whole plan and ask you to keep it from us?" Yang Qun asked angrily.

Although all the generals knew the principle that things are accomplished in secrecy and ruined by leaks, they still did not know what the plan was at this point, and their anxiety was inevitable.

Wang Ping paused, then shook his head: "No."

The generals looked at each other again.

This general who fought against the bandits would not lie.

If I say no, then I truly mean no.

"Indeed, there isn't." Just as the generals were feeling uneasy, a voice that immediately put their minds at ease came from outside the tent.

Before the words had even finished, General Zhao, dressed in light armor, lifted the curtain and entered. The generals in the tent immediately rose from their seats and came forward to greet him.

The old general stepped forward to help Wang Ping up, but before he could say anything more, the generals erupted in a commotion.

"General Zhen Dong, you've finally arrived!"

"General Zhen Dong, is an operation about to begin?!"

"If we don't take action soon, the morale of our soldiers will probably collapse!"

Zhao Yun looked at the excited officers and nodded with a smile:

"Alright, alright, calm down."

"Order the soldiers in the camp to prepare, leave 3,000 men to guard the camp, and send 5,000 elite troops to prepare for crossing the river to fight."

"River crossing operation?" Yang Qun paused.

The same applies to me.

Deng Tong asked, "General Zhen Dong, crossing the river to fight is disadvantageous for the army. Since Sima Yi has mobilized all his forces, I think we should deal with Sima Yi first!"

Yang Qun suddenly realized something: "Could it be that the Prime Minister's main force is not north of the Wei River, but is preparing to attack Sima Yi's southern camp? Our crossing of the river is to prevent the Wei invaders in Chang'an from sending reinforcements there?"

The Wei army also set up a camp directly south of Xiliu Camp, across the Wei River. Wei generals Guanqiu Jian, Linghu Yu, and others gathered there. The number of people there was about the same as that of Xiliu Camp, around seven or eight thousand.

Sima Yi's army's provisions were transported from Chang'an to Guanqiu Jian's place, and then Guanqiu Jian arranged for people to escort and protect them to Sima Yi's main camp. The two places were more than 30 li apart.

If the Prime Minister attacks Sima Yi's camp, Guanqiu Jian and others might go there to provide support.

Wang Ping realized the key point: "General Zhen Dong, are we going to besiege the city and attack the reinforcements?"

Zhao Yun stroked his beard and shook his head, then smiled confidently: "Sima Yi thinks he is invincible because of his deep trenches and high walls, but in fact he has only trapped himself. We don't need to pay attention to him. We will take Chang'an directly."

To take Chang'an head-on?!
All the generals were suddenly stunned.

...

Dawn.

Sunrise.

Chen Gui, Zhou Tai, Sun Li, and Wang Guan received Sima Yi's order to hold their troops still, but ordered their soldiers to leave the camp and form ranks, posing as if facing west.

After breakfast, the soldiers picked up their armor and weapons, took some dry rations, and ran to the open space outside the camp to form a battle formation.

More than two thousand cavalrymen then scattered their horses across the plateau they had captured the day before.

As can be seen, the Shu cavalry are still eyeing the area from the platform north of the Shu army camp, making a show of preventing the Wei scouts from getting close.

What surprised Wang Guan, Chen Gui, and the others was that the camp ten miles away had not seen any Shu bandits come out to gather firewood or water today, and not even any smoke rose from the chimneys this morning.

It seemed to be telling them that the place was now an empty camp.

"What tricks are the Shu bandits up to now? Should we send someone to check?" Chen Gui asked.

Wang Guan was also puzzled: "Didn't the night sentry discover that the Shu bandits were moving north of the Wei River?"
"Could it be that it was a smokescreen, and the Shu bandits really fled without a fight, just as the General of the Flying Cavalry predicted? Or perhaps they launched a full-scale attack on the General of the Flying Cavalry's main camp?"

Zhou Tai shook his head: "We've already come to this point, how can we possibly retreat without a fight?"

"It is possible that they will launch a surprise attack on my Nanzhai, but it is also uncertain."

"After all, this practice of lowering the flags and drums, leaving the camp empty to lure the enemy, is a common trick used by the Shu bandits."

"Back then, when Emperor Taizu was fighting with Liu Bei for Hanzhong, Shu generals Huang Zhong and Zhao Yun came one after another to rob our Wei army's grain. Emperor Taizu led his army to pursue them to Zhao Yun's camp."

"Zhao Yun opened the camp gates wide, lowered the flags and silenced the drums. Emperor Taizu suspected an ambush and withdrew his troops."

"Zhao Yun then beat the drums to the heavens and fired crossbows in pursuit. Taizu's army was terrified and fled in disarray, with many falling into the Han River and dying."

"Is this really true?" Chen Gui, Wang Guan, Sun Li and the others were all astonished.

The Great Wei would naturally not publicize wars that were unfavorable to it, and these people had indeed never heard of them before.

Zhou Tai also knew that in this battle, Zhao Yun led a dozen light cavalrymen in and out of the Wei army several times, fighting and retreating as if they were in an empty field. After the battle, Liu Bei praised Zhao Yun as "a man of unparalleled courage". Afterwards, the Shu soldiers called Zhao Yun "Tiger General".

These stories were told to him by veterans from Jingzhou stationed in Xiangyang; those veterans had also been members of the Shu army.

Before he was recruited into the General of the Cavalry's office, he was the chief administrator of Pei Qian, the governor of Jingzhou, and was stationed in Xiangyang. It is natural that Chen Gui, Wang Guan, and other officials of the General of the Cavalry who were stationed in Wancheng did not know this.

"Let's inform the General of the Flying Cavalry first and let him make the decision," Chen Gui said nervously after hearing about Zhao Yun's deeds.

The Shu cavalry were still watching from afar, and even if it was an empty camp, they couldn't find out.

If too few scouts are sent out, they will inevitably be wiped out by the Shu cavalry, and no news will be brought back, resulting in a waste of troops.

If too many are sent out, and the camp isn't empty, they'll be annihilated by a combined infantry and cavalry force.

If we were to send the entire army in, the Shu bandits had just moved their forces to the northern camp last night. If there were indeed 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers there waiting in ambush, then we would be doomed.

...

Mangshui West.

South of the reed marshes.

The Han army marched eastward.

With great fanfare, dust and smoke rose everywhere.

Two thousand Wei soldiers were stationed on the east bank of the Mang River. When they saw the Han army approaching in a large force, they put up a token resistance for a while before hastily withdrawing.

The idea of ​​defeating the enemy halfway across the river is simply a myth.

The Mangshui River is over twenty miles long. Unless tens of thousands of troops are deployed here, and the Han army moves, the army can be deployed in a targeted manner. Otherwise, it is impossible to defeat the enemy halfway across the river.

As the vanguard, Wei Yan, seeing the Wei army in disarray, immediately dispatched fifty of his personal elite cavalry and three hundred elite Han cavalry brought by the emperor to pursue and kill them.

After crossing the Mang River, they proceeded to Hu County, directly south of Sima Yi's camp, to clear out the Wei army's scouts stationed throughout the area, thus reducing their field of vision. The Wei army had left few scouts in this area, with only about a hundred positioned along the Mang River.

Seeing that the Han army cavalry was numerous and powerful, they knew that they could not win this preliminary battle, so they did not put up much resistance. Some continued to retreat eastward, while others fled directly back to the Wei army's main camp and brought the news to Sima Yi.

At almost the same time, Sima Yi received a message from Chen Gui and others in his central command tent.

"The Empty Camp Strategy?" Sima Yi pondered, feeling increasingly unable to fathom what Zhuge Liang was thinking.

Initially, it was assumed that Zhuge Liang would preserve his strength and avoid battle, but Zhuge Liang instead divided his forces into the north and south, demonstrating a strong will to fight.

They thought Zhuge Liang might be bluffing, sending troops to intimidate them so they would leave without a fight. But Zhuge Liang didn't leave; instead, he actually led a large army to seize the camp.

Now they've set up a so-called empty camp tactic, sending their entire army to attack this fortified stronghold.

His actions are increasingly unlike those of a powerful minister.

Did I overestimate Zhuge Liang? Did Zhuge Liang not understand politics at all?

But it doesn't matter. Since Zhuge Liang dares to attack, let him never return.

"What do you mean by an empty camp? Just send Wenqin with two hundred cavalry and a bunch of laborers to scout it out, and we'll know for sure," Zhou Dang said disdainfully.

Jia Xu rolled his eyes: "Easy for you to say. The Shu cavalry are waiting there in comfort. Wouldn't sending two hundred riders there be suicide?"

Zhou Dang choked for a moment.

Jia Xu pondered for a moment: "In my opinion, let's not worry about whether his camp is empty or not. Let Wen Qin recall the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry first. Otherwise, it will be difficult to know whether this Shu bandit force in the south is real or not."

With insufficient cavalry, visibility was limited, making it impossible to determine the exact number of Shu troops present.

Even when playing a defensive counter-attack, completely losing sight of the enemy is a very passive situation.

Sima Yi stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and then slowly said, "No need. If we recall the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, the Shu bandits' cavalry will surely follow us here."

"The Shu bandits have many crossbows. If our army does not leave the camp to provide support, the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry alone will not gain any advantage against the Shu bandits' infantry and cavalry."

Jia Xu said, "Since that's the case, let's take advantage of the Shu bandits' exhaustion from their long journey and their unstable foothold, and go out of the camp to fight them!"
"Anyway, with Wei Ping's four thousand hidden troops, once the two armies clash and become entangled, they will surely catch Zhuge Liang off guard!"

Sima Yi shook his head again:
"Since Zhuge Liang has brought his army here, it means that he saw Chen Gui and Zhou Tai in the north and thought that our camp was empty."

“When I led my army out, I scared him away.”

"It may be possible to win by a small margin, but it is better to cut off one finger than to injure all ten fingers."

"Order the troops in the stronghold to lower their flags and silence their drums, luring them into a strong attack."

"Once they have suffered heavy losses and their troops are exhausted and unable to break through, our army will launch a full-scale attack and we will surely defeat them."

At this point, Sima Yi summoned his personal guards:

"I order Chen Gui and Zhou Tai to remain inactive and await my orders."

"If Zhuge Liang launches a strong attack on my camp and then orders Chen Gui and Zhou Tai to lead troops to seize that empty camp, if I am not mistaken, that place will undoubtedly be an empty camp."

"After taking it, try to cross south and seize the Shu bandits' camp in Weinan."

"Zhuge Liang has only been here for two days, and his camp is not yet secure. If we capture it, Zhuge Liang will have nowhere to retreat."

After giving his instructions, Sima Yi left the central command tent and ascended the watchtower.

However, even standing atop the watchtower, the field of vision was only a little over ten miles, not even reaching the end of the reed marshes, let alone the Shu army marching along the edge of the reed marshes.

Without the advantage of a commanding position, they could only rely on scout cavalry scattered outside to gather information about the Shu army.

Noon.

The vanguard of the Han army began to cross the Mang River and appeared on the plain of Hu County, where Sima Yi's camp was located.

Although they had marched more than twenty miles, their military bearing remained impeccable.

Every two or three hundred steps, the military officers and magistrates responsible for maintaining order would order the drummers to beat the war drums once.

The troops stopped at the sound of the drum, made some reorganizations, and then continued their march.

This was a very long procession, with the auxiliary soldiers and laborers forming the supply train, totaling 60,000 to 70,000 people. The procession stretched for more than ten miles, and the sound of drums resounded for dozens of miles around.

East of Wugong, the population gradually increased.

There were large and small fortified villages and fortified walls every few miles, mostly built along the streams, controlling the fertile fields around the streams.

Around the fortified villages and their walls, many thatched huts and wooden houses were built, forming simple small villages where the inhabitants of the fortified villages lived.

They don't live in the fortified village on ordinary days; they only gather there when there is war. The fortified village is like a small city, protecting its inhabitants from the ravages of war.

Even though it is wartime, the people of the various fortified villages are still watering, weeding, and pest-controlling their fields. The war has not affected their farming.

After all, the commanders of the fortified villages in Guanzhong understood that they were objects that both the Han and Wei dynasties needed to win over, and neither side would easily break the rules and take action against them.

Sima Yi had come to them a few days ago asking for grain, and they had given it to him.

The Han army would never risk ruining its reputation in Guanzhong, the ancestral homeland of the Han dynasty.

The farmers, hearing the deafening drumbeats, would often straighten up to look.

It is possible that there were spies from Cao Wei mixed in, but the advancing Han army did not harass the people and tried its best to avoid damaging their crops and fields.

in the afternoon.

The sun gradually sets in the west.

The vanguard of the Han army, numbering over 8,000, formed ranks eight li south of the Wei army's camp and slowly advanced towards it.

The Han cavalry, whose numbers clearly exceeded four or five hundred, galloped and patrolled the plains of Hu County between the Mang River and the Lao River, driving away the Wei scouts, compressing the Wei army's field of vision, and even pursuing them directly to Chang'an, further east.

The Han army continued to arrive in droves, and after the first 8,000 armored soldiers, they rested, formed ranks, dug camps, and built fortifications.

Upon receiving the news, Sima Yi once again climbed the watchtower to observe from afar.

After observing for more than an hour, the Han army had about 20,000 armored soldiers lined up in battle formation and marched to a distance of three or four miles from the Wei army's camp before finally sitting down to rest.

It must be said that the formation was orderly, and when they marched, they did give people a sense of being as steady as a forest, which was quite impressive.

Sima Yi had no choice but to abandon his underestimation of Zhuge Liang, after all, this neat and solemn military appearance was not much different from the Jingyu army he had trained, and could be considered a strong army.

Before long, Han cavalrymen rode out from the ranks and shot a challenge letter towards the Wei army camp, inviting the Wei army to come out of the camp for a field battle.

Some Wei soldiers requested permission to fight, but Sima Yi refused.

Sunset.

The Han army maintained a fairly orderly formation and retreated slowly, eventually setting up camp at a new camp ten miles away from the Wei army's fortifications.

Both sides were on guard against a night attack from the other.

Fortunately, nothing happened overnight.

The next morning, everything proceeded as usual.

After the Han army of more than 20,000 soldiers finished their meal, they once again marched out of the camp and formed ranks.

Then Han cavalrymen rode up to the Wei army camp and shot a challenge signal.

The Wei army still refused to respond and declared that anyone who dared to attack the camp should do so.

At noon, Sima Yi climbed the watchtower. The Han army was clearly exhausted from the sun, but they still did not seem to have any intention of launching a strong attack on the camp.

Sima Yi's expression turned serious.

If you come here but don't dare to fight, what's the point of coming here?
After gazing for a long time, they suddenly spotted a troop of cavalry galloping towards them from the east.

After watching for a while, they realized that it was dozens of Wei scouts being chased by Shu cavalry.

Sima Yi was suddenly alarmed and immediately ordered two hundred elite cavalry to be dispatched out of the camp to provide support.

A scout broke through the encirclement, entered the camp, and quickly ran to Sima Yi, his expression terrified:
"General of the Flying Cavalry, something terrible has happened! More than 10,000 armored Shu soldiers, escorting a supply train of tens of thousands of men, have crossed the Lao River to the east and are heading towards the camp of General Guanqiu!"

"The Shu bandits from Xiliu Camp have also broken out! They are crossing the Wei River to the south under the cover of these more than 10,000 armored soldiers!"

(End of this chapter)