Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 116 The Battle for Supremacy
West of the reed marshes.

The Han army's southern camp.

The victorious army of the Great Wei, led by Zhou Tai, Chen Gui, Sun Li, and others, is transporting several thousand shi of grain, along with some armor, clothing, shoes, straw mats, tents, and a small amount of copper coins and silk, out of the camp.

Yesterday evening, they first captured the seemingly empty camp on the north bank, which was actually garrisoned by nearly a thousand men.

Of course, before the Wei army even arrived at the camp, this part of the Han army abandoned the camp and crossed south, burning down the camp and setting fire to the pontoon bridge connecting the north and south camps.

After Zhou Tai, Chen Gui, Sun Li and other generals sent back battle reports, they soon received orders from Sima Yi to build a pontoon bridge overnight, force a crossing to the south, and seize the Han army's southern camp west of the reed marshes.

The camp contained only Tiger Cavalry Commander Huang Chong, Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant Zhuge Qiao, and fewer than two thousand guards.

Seeing that the Wei army had built a pontoon bridge on the opposite bank, he exchanged crossbow fire with the Wei army across the Wei River, which was a hundred paces wide, for a quarter of an hour. After realizing that he could not gain any advantage, he burned the camp and left.

They had been walking for less than a quarter of an hour when the four thousand ambushers, who had been feeding on mosquitoes in the reeds for a day and a night, suddenly emerged from the reeds and, as expected, found nothing.

Seeing that there were quite a few military supplies in the camp, the four thousand men rushed into the camp to rescue them. Sima Yi soon received news that the Shu army's southern camp had also been captured, so he couldn't wait to personally lead several hundred cavalry to the scene.

The purpose was quite simple: firstly, they had heard that seven or eight boxes and hundreds of volumes of military books had been salvaged from the camp, and they wanted to see if they could glean anything from these books.

Another reason was to try to determine the strength of the Shu army by examining the various arrangements of these two Shu army camps.

Although they knew that the Shu army defending the camp had left without a fight, and that the military documents they left behind were mostly useless.

It's even possible that it was something Zhuge Liang deliberately left behind to buy time and distract from the enemy's view.

However, Sima Yi still summoned the military clerks and had them read through all these books and registers.

It was just as he expected.

Apart from a small portion of military intelligence that can be easily debunked and a small portion that is difficult to verify, almost all of it consists of information unrelated to core secrets.

For example, lengthy accounts of grain and fodder expenditures:

"On the day of Dinghai in the third month, we received two thousand shi of millet from the Li family of Tianshui. Ten shi and three dou of millet were infested with insects, and one thousand nine hundred shi were actually stored in the granary... Supervised by: Li Wan"

For example, a detailed list of ordnance repairs:
"Crossbow, Class C, No. ..., three sets of string changers, five ounces of ox sinew... Works by: Zhang Tan"

There are also some decrees for punishment:

"The axes made by Yao Ta, the supervisor of the Imperial Workshop, were all unusable. More than five hundred broken axe knives and knives, some with deer antlers, were found on the way to Shanggui."

"Another commander made a thousand swords and axes, which remained intact after more than a hundred days of use. This shows that Yao Ta had no intention of harming them; they should be apprehended. This is no small matter; if used in battle, it could ruin an army."

"The Luling Granary in Dingyuan County, Hanzhong, delivered 1,200 shi of grain last year. Upon inspection, over 30% has been found to be infested with insects and mold. The relevant officials should be ordered to investigate the granary..."

There were even letters written by clerks but never sent home by soldiers:

Wang Wugou reported to his mother: "I received a bolt of Shu brocade from His Majesty in Guanzhong, and entrusted it to the courier Meng You to take back with me."

These are mostly trivial matters unrelated to military secrets.

Many clerks worked on the document until late into the night, finally finishing reading it, but apart from the military intelligence that was difficult to verify, they were unable to extract much useful information from it.

But these seemingly useless things had a different meaning to Sima Yi.

Although he had confirmed that these documents and books were indeed used by Zhuge Liang to buy time and distract attention, he could also see that they were not temporary forgeries, but genuine Shu Han documents, only the contents of which were not confidential.

These documents not only demonstrate the Shu Han system of assigning tasks based on manpower, but also show that many affairs in Shu Han were clearly assigned to specific individuals, down to who made and supervised a single spear, thus avoiding shirking responsibility and accurately tracing the responsibility for corruption, dereliction of duty, and negligence.

Compared to the extensive governance of the Wei Dynasty, Zhuge Liang's meticulous governance and rule of law were undoubtedly beneficial for accumulating national strength in a short period of time.

But everyone knows that doing so would provoke anger in many people, affect the interests of many people, and even affect the interests of those who have benefited from the "Nine-Rank System". Therefore, no one in the Great Wei would push for such a system.

For example, after Meng Da was executed last month, powerful figures from the three commanderies of Shangyong, including Yao Jing and Zheng Ta, surrendered with more than 7,000 people. After returning to the capital, the emperor wanted the household registration of the three commanderies, so Sima Yi reported back to the emperor:
"Thieves use a tight net to bind their subordinates, so the subordinates abandon them. We should establish a broad and comprehensive framework, and then peace and happiness will naturally follow."

Zhuge Liang's overly strict legal system and strict control over his subordinates led to these people defecting from Shu to Wei. Therefore, if our Great Wei wants to prosper, it must always oppose the Shu bandits in order to win the hearts of the people. This is a reasonable and well-founded argument.

But who can say that Sima Yi, as one of the many officials in the court, didn't have other thoughts?
The emperor now wants the household registration of the three prefectures, but who knows if the emperor will have an even bigger appetite in the future and want to extend his reach to the "Yingchao Zhongzheng" family.
Returning to the present, Sima Yi also understood that the reason why Zhuge Liang was able to govern Shu to this extent was simply because Shu Han was a small country with a small population, and it still had the lingering prestige of the "Great Han" banner that had stood for four hundred years, which enabled him to implement such strict laws and punishments to bind his people with a tight net.

But to truly do something, there's still a "Shang Yang" missing, and Zhuge Liang is that Shang Yang now.

And thinking of this "Shang Yang," and then of the wells, stoves, latrines, fences, and barriers in the newly captured camp, all of which should be neatly arranged according to rules and regulations, and then of the orderly and solemn military appearance of the Shu army yesterday...

Sima Yi couldn't help but feel a mixture of admiration and wariness towards this enemy.

Of course, this feeling of admiration and wariness did not last long.

Because in the middle of the night, he received news that the Shu army, without rest and despite their exhaustion, launched a night attack on Guanqiu Jian's camp.

He was greatly relieved and ordered the more than 10,000 troops led by Chen Gui, Zhou Tai and other generals to spend the night in the Shu army camp.

He himself slept for three hours in the Shu army camp and didn't get up until dawn.

After they finished eating, he ordered the soldiers in the Shu camp to march eastward with the spoils of war.

He then leisurely rode eastward ahead of Zhou Tai and the others, returning to his camp to arrange military plans for a pincer attack on Shu.

In fact, there was no point in rushing things. The Shu army's camp was a hundred miles away from Guanqiu Jian's camp. If they really marched a hundred miles, it would be hard to say who would be more exhausted.

“Father, I don’t understand. Previously, Meng Da defended the city, but Father launched a fierce attack, willing to sacrifice lives to capture it.”

"Now Zhuge Liang has challenged us several times outside our camp, but failed to succeed. He has then traveled more than forty miles."

"Afterwards, despite being exhausted, they attacked the fortified stronghold of our Great Wei overnight."

"Why has Father become so unmoved?"

Sima Zhao, sitting on horseback, was puzzled the whole way, so he turned to his father and asked.

Sima Yi watched the Wei Tiger and Leopard Cavalry charging towards him from afar, his eyes fixed straight ahead:

"The art of war lies in adapting to changing circumstances; how can one be bound by one particular approach?"

Sima Zhao and Sima Shi exchanged puzzled glances.

After receiving news in the latter half of the night that Zhuge Liang had indeed launched a full-scale attack on Guanqiu Jian's camp,
The two brothers then felt they should return to camp to redeploy troops and take advantage of Zhuge Liang's exhausted army and vulnerable flanks to attack his side.

However, their father simply went to sleep.

Sima Yi, without looking to the side, asked:
"When Zhuge Liang waged war, he would first hesitate and not advance, wasting supplies; then, after several challenges, he would launch a rapid and arduous attack. What is the meaning of this strategy of first slowing down and then rushing forward?"

The Sima brothers still shook their heads, not daring to "show off their limited skills" and offer any random opinions.

Sima Yi showed no favoritism:
"When Zhuge Liang saw that I was attacking Meng Da in Shangyong, I won in ten days."

"After entering Guanzhong, the army ventured deep into enemy territory, employing surprise attacks and risky tactics, which resulted in a minor defeat."

"Now I know that my military campaigns are as fierce as fire, and I am eager to avenge my previous humiliation."

"Therefore, the troops are used to delay and show us weakness, in order to lure our main army out of the camp to fight them in the open field."

“I did not fall for their scheme, so I used a long-term strategy to defeat them.”

"In their haste, they showed me their strength, though they used the opposite of what they had done before, they still wanted to lure my army out of the camp to fight them in the open."

"Wait, they're trying to lure me into a battle in the open."

"Why are you trying to lure me into a battle in the open field?" Sima Zhao and Sima Shi exchanged glances.

His father had previously said that Zhuge Liang would most likely not fight against Wei due to political factors.

As a result, Zhuge Liang not only came, but he came very aggressively. He not only lined up in front of the camp to challenge them, but after failing to challenge them, he directly attacked Guanqiu Jianjian's camp overnight.

These two fortified camps, which were thought to be the Shu army's rear and supply lines, were actually abandoned without a fight.

The brothers Sima Shi and Sima Zhao discussed for a long time last night, but ultimately failed to figure out what Zhuge Liang's intentions were.

In the end, only one conclusion was reached.

"Zhuge Liang was arrogant, believing that the troops he trained could dominate the world and be invincible."

"He also thought that his father's soldiers were no different from the Wei soldiers under Cao Zhen and Zhang He, and were no match for the Shu bandits in a single battle."

"So you do not wish to conquer cities and fortresses, but instead seek battles in the open field?"

After hearing his second son's words, Sima Yi shook his head:

"No.

"They showed me patience before, but now they show me urgency, all in an attempt to provoke a quick battle with me."

"The reason for seeking a quick victory is similar to my previous attack on Mengda, both due to the lack of supplies."

Sima Zhao was puzzled: "The food supplies are running low? How do you know that, Father? If the food supplies were really running low, shouldn't Zhuge Liang have taken all the several thousand bushels of grain from this camp?"

Sima Yi smiled:
"It's just to show me that we have enough food."

"The Shu bandits occupied a province with a population of one million. A single northern invasion would require three to five years' worth of grain."

"Zhuge Liang has now cut off his own retreat, and the grain he carries is far from enough to support the more than 100,000 people under his command at Xiliu, Jimen, Gaoling, and for ten days."

"Therefore, he must have had provisions transported from Anding along the Jing River to Guanzhong, otherwise he would not have been able to continue and would never dare to enter Chang'an lightly."

"But once grain is transported from there, the losses increase by three to five times."

"The grain supplies that the Shu bandits had originally provided could last for more than a year, but the grain transported from there can only last for two or three months."

"If they hold out against me for a long time under the walls of Chang'an, it will only take a month to deplete their reserves. Even if they manage to capture Chang'an, they will have no food to garrison their army there, and our Great Wei can launch a counterattack at any time."

"Therefore, he has no intention of engaging in a protracted stalemate with our Great Wei. His so-called slow approach followed by a rapid one is nothing more than a desperate attempt to expose his weaknesses. All he wants is to lure us into a quick battle with him."

Before he could finish speaking, a scout rushed up to Sima Yi and reported, "General of Chariots and Cavalry, we have learned that the Shu bandits have ceased their attacks this morning!"

Sima Yi nodded upon hearing this and waved for the scout to leave.

After the scout had vanished, Sima Yi asked solemnly, "You two brothers, do you now know why Zhuge Liang attacked Guanqiu Jian's camp overnight?"

Sima Zhao shook his head, perhaps too lazy to think about it, indicating that he didn't know.

After all, in just a few days, his father's assessment of Zhuge Liang changed repeatedly.
The so-called "times change and circumstances shift"
The saying goes, "One should not be biased towards one side."

Either way, they can argue their point.

Sima Shi pondered for a moment before speaking:
"Zhuge Liang only led his troops out of my camp at noon yesterday. After marching more than forty li, he attacked the fortified position overnight. Guanqiu Jian's strong fortified position had been under construction for more than a month and could not be taken down in one night."

"Just as Father said before, Zhuge Liang's initial haste followed by a slow pace was merely a way to expose his weaknesses and lure Father into a field battle."

"So last night's all-night attack on the fortress was nothing more than revealing our weakness to Father, hoping to lure Father into leading a large army to a quick battle in the field."

"If my son is right, at most half of his men are attacking the fortress. The rest are either conserving their energy or simply resting and preparing for an ambush, waiting for their father to walk right into their trap."

"Although Father can defeat the enemy, he desires to subdue them without fighting, so that Zhuge Liang will be stationed in Chang'an and waste his supplies."

"If we can delay for a month, Zhuge Liang will not be able to make the same mistake again for a year."

"If we can delay for two months, Zhuge Liang will not be able to make the same mistake again for two years."

"If we can delay for three months, then our Great Wei will have no more worries in Guanzhong."

“This is the ‘long-term strategy’ that Father spoke of.”

After Sima Shi finished speaking, he became even clearer-headed. Now, there was a severe drought in Guandong, and the waters had almost dried up. It would be difficult for the Great Wei to transport its grain to Guanzhong, and it might not be able to sustain the war for long.

However, the Shu bandits numbered 100,000 in Guanzhong, and the Great Wei also had 100,000 in Guanzhong.

The losses incurred by the Shu bandits transporting grain from the Jing River were far greater than those in the grain transported by the Wei.

The Great Wei could afford to wait and recover, but the Shu invaders could not afford to wait and could not recover.

This is a strategic perspective.

On a micro level, his father fell for the Shu bandits' strategy of dividing their forces, leaving only about 10,000 men and horses in the camp. He only received news of the Shu bandits' attack on the camp in the middle of the night. If he had gone to fight the Shu bandits that very night, there would have been a real risk of being ambushed.

It would be better to wait and see how things develop, and to take a gradual approach to overcome the crisis.

In any case, Guanqiu Jian will not be defeated within three to five days. His father can simply break camp today, advance slowly, and confront Zhuge Liang on equal terms. Why risk defeating a superior enemy with a smaller force?

Sima Yi nodded: "This young man is teachable."

...

Twenty li east of Wuzhangyuan.

The Han emperor, dressed in military attire, rode the white-hoofed eagle given to him by Yang Tiao, galloping freely across the wilderness, leading the way.

Zhao Guang and dozens of Longxiang Lang, who were practicing riding and archery, followed closely behind, but they could not keep up with the speed of the emperor's white-hoofed steed. They could only eat the grass clippings and mud that kept flying up and flying towards them from behind.

A moment later, the emperor nocked an arrow and shot it out in a flash, his movements fluid and effortless, without even needing to aim.

The bowstring twanged like thunder, and fifty paces away, a large deer, exhausted from being chased by the crowd, collapsed.

The emperor sheathed his bow, then reined in his horse and circled twice before suddenly bursting into a hearty laugh for no apparent reason.

Zhao Guang, the Imperial Guard, rode up to the Emperor's side and said earnestly, "After only a few months of training, Your Majesty's archery skills have become so refined that no other archer in the army can compare to you."

It's not that Zhao Guang is exaggerating, but being able to shoot down prey that's escaping fifty paces away while the warhorse is at full gallop is enough to earn him the title of a master archer.

He knew that the emperor disliked exaggerated flattery, so he replaced it with archery skills.

The emperor, however, did not care about these things.

Looking at the large deer being carried over by the swarming Longxianglang, he said:
"When I first arrived at Xiegu, I chased a deer and obtained it. Thus, I defeated Cao Zhen and Zhang He, and gained half of Guanzhong."

"Today we have regained the deer, it seems Sima Yi will also suffer a setback, and Chang'an is about to be captured."

Zhao Guang and his group of dragon-riding warriors immediately cheered.

Before long, the first to return, the Imperial Son-in-Law Zhuge Qiao and the Tiger Cavalry Commander Huang Chong, rode to the side of the Emperor, who was having a barbecue with a crowd on the banks of the Wei River.

The emperor divided the deer among himself and asked, "How is the war going?"

Zhuge Qiao accepted the venison bestowed by the emperor: "Your Majesty, the Prime Minister broke through the camp overnight and his troops are already at the gates of Chang'an."

(End of this chapter)