The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 206 Self-deception
As a Wei native, Xu Miao was naturally familiar with the terrain and the advantages of cavalry on flat ground.

In reality, Ye County and Kunyang, which are currently being defended by the two armies respectively, appear to be very close to each other.

However, because Ye County is backed by Fangcheng Mountain and is located in the foothills, it is not suitable for large-scale cavalry maneuvers.

On the contrary, the area north of the Lishui River, from Kunyang to Yanxian, is flat and open, with no major rivers to obstruct the way. Cavalrymen can travel back and forth between these two cities in a single day without regard to the cost.

So the enemy cavalry that went all the way to Yanxian seemed to have gone far away.

In fact, judging from the marching speed, they were actually "closer" to Kunyang.

If we rashly launch an attack on Ye County.

The Li River is like a tripping rope that binds your feet.

The Han army, attacking from both flanks, was caught in a pincer movement.

Those four hundred riders will be a guillotine behind your head!

With this, the thousands of troops I've painstakingly built up will crumble in an instant!

What a plan!
So insidious!
July's heat has subsided.

Xu Miao was drenched in sweat in an instant.

After a long pause, he said in a trembling voice:
"So in this battle, all I need to do is hold Kunyang City and wait for the imperial army to come to my rescue?"

Deng Ai thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly:

"We cannot hold out in Kunyang to the death."

"While the enemy general may have intended to lure Xu Gong into attacking, he may have also made arrangements that left things open to both sides."

"If Lord Xu holds firm and does not come out, he can easily seize the counties north of the Zhi River to strengthen the defense of Fangcheng."

"In this way, when the imperial army comes from the south of the rivers, it will be blocked on the river when it reaches the Zhi River, making it difficult to quickly break through Fangcheng Fortress and rush to Wancheng."

Xu Miao's brows furrowed instantly into a deep frown.
"Then wouldn't it mean that neither attacking nor defending is right?"

Deng Ai looked down at the map again.

It took him a while to say:
"Not really."

"The counties of Zhinan, with Kunyang being the main passage to Fangcheng, cannot afford to lose it."

"Secondly, there is Dingling, where the Zhi River flows into Ru."

"As long as we hold these two places, the enemy will not be able to completely control the Zhishui River, and the situation will not be too bad."

"Even if we cannot defend both cities at the same time, forcing the Han army to divide its forces, or causing them to waste time in one city while securing the other... will ultimately benefit the overall situation."

Xu Miao nodded secretly as he listened.

It must be said that this young, stuttering official is quite talented in military affairs, and even more remarkably, has a broad perspective.

After pondering for a long time, he said:
"If that's the case, I'm afraid we'll have to conscript soldiers from Xiangcheng again."

"Otherwise, Dingling cannot be defended."

Upon hearing this, Deng Ai finally frowned:
"Autumn is approaching, the harvest is coming, but I'm afraid..."

Xu Miao understood.

Deng Ai was only articulate when discussing military strategy.

He then raised his hand to interrupt the other person, saying:
"How could I not know these things?"

"Last year, there was a locust plague in Jizhou. Although the insects could not cross the river, famine struck."

"This year, grain prices in Henan have been high, and many people are waiting for this harvest to feed their families."

“The people who came to me privately to cry and plead for mercy during the previous conscription period never stopped.”

“Now that taxes are being levied again and again, the autumn harvest is bound to be delayed. I, Xu Miao, am afraid I will be branded as a cruel official in the future.”

"To be honest, the other day someone in the city even tried to assassinate me!"

Deng Ai's eyelids twitched upon hearing this.

"Fortunately, Xu had done a lot of good deeds in Yingchuan over the years, and had accumulated a good reputation, so he didn't end up dead in the street."

Xu Miao softened his tone and pointed at Deng Ai, instructing him:
"However, with the nation facing such difficulties, how can those of us who receive a salary possibly care about our own reputation?"

"So be it, let it be a bad reputation."

"If the siege of Wancheng cannot be lifted this year, I fear that next year Yingchuan will be like Hanzhong, Xiangfan, and southern Anhui in the past, with hundreds of counties and thousands of villages being cleared of their inhabitants."

"If that day ever comes, the number of those who die and those whose families are ruined will likely be far greater than today... What use will it be to preserve one's reputation then?"

"Can I live with myself?"

Xu Miao pointed to his chest, his expression agitated.

It was less about persuading Deng Ai and more about persuading himself.

Deng Ai had long since fallen silent.

At this moment, he couldn't help but recall his experiences as a teenager.

At that time, the late emperor conquered Jingzhou in the south and forcibly relocated people to the Yingchuan and Runan areas.

Various tragedies involving broken families and deaths still occasionally haunt my midnight nightmares.

"The morale of Kunyang depends entirely on me right now. Even if I come to see you, I can only do so secretly and dare not go far."

"Therefore, the task of recruiting people to reinforce Dingling can only be entrusted to you."

Xu Miao pointed at Deng Ai and said.

"If you encounter any difficulties, you can ask my family for help."

"Xu Miao's remaining reputation should still be enough to convince a few people."

Deng Ai opened his mouth to offer words of comfort, but couldn't get his tongue out.

Just as they had finally sorted things out, a scout came to report that a part of the Han army had already captured Chou County and was blocking the mountain passes in the north of Ye County. The two men were immediately horrified upon hearing this.

The Han army's offensive was incredibly swift!
Deng Ai was worried about the safety of Kunyang and wondered if he should volunteer to stay and help.

But the next moment, Xu Miao pointed to the ferry and urged him to hurry back and recruit soldiers.

Deng Ai had no choice but to accept the order and leave.

They rode back to Xiangcheng in this manner.

Deng Ai was still shaken by the military situation and remained in a daze throughout the journey.

It wasn't until I entered the familiar Xiangcheng and saw the endless paddy fields and large ponds that my thoughts settled down.

But my mood also became depressed.

What wonderful fields, what wonderful water, what wonderful rice.

It's a pity that the farmers are all going to be taken away by him.

……

when!
A knife rolled to Xiahou Ru's feet.

I heard my cousin's voice.

"Our Xiahou clan only has generals who die in battle, not cowards who retreat in the face of the enemy."

"If our late father had not died in battle at Dingjun Mountain, where would our wealth and status be today?"

"After you leave, I will take care of your wife and children."

Xiahou Ru trembled and tried to squat down to pick up the knife.

His knees, however, were as hard as iron.

Looking up to meet Xiahou Shang's cold gaze, she said in a trembling voice:

“I have disobeyed military orders, and my elder brother wants to use my head to uphold military discipline. I should not have any complaints.”

"But brother, that Mi Wei is no ordinary person. He must not be looked down upon because of me!"

Xiahou Shang stared at him coldly, without saying a word.

Xiahou Ru's expression immediately became tense:
"When Marquis Min (Xiahou Yuan) was killed by the Shu bandits, the morale of the army was in turmoil. It was only thanks to Guo Boji's composure in the face of danger that the army was able to safely withdraw. He rallied the scattered soldiers and recommended a great general."

"From then on, everyone praised Guo Boji for his military acumen, and the late emperor trusted him as before."

"Even someone as knowledgeable in military strategy as Guo Boji was defeated by Mi Wei in the Battle of Longyou and almost lost his life on the banks of the Wei River."

"Brother, please ask yourself honestly, how do you compare to Guo Boji?"

Xiahou Shang then spoke:
"In terms of battle tactics, I am superior to him. But in terms of understanding military strategy, I am inferior."

Xiahou Ru's expression softened.

Before he could say anything more, Xiahou Shang had already raised his hand to signal his men to come forward and shove him to the ground.

Then he personally stepped forward, picked up the knife, and brought it to the back of his neck.

"No matter what I say, you are still afraid of fighting and disobey my orders. Do you admit it?"

Xiahou Ru dared not answer, and could only kowtow and weep.

Xiahou Shang grew annoyed and simply cut him off with a single stroke, ending his life.

However, looking at the blood flowing all over the ground, all I could think of were the lakes and cities around Wancheng that were collapsing one after another.

My heart couldn't help but grow increasingly irritable.

Turning to another person standing far to the side, he said:

"Is Miwei really that skilled in battle?"

"Could it be that my brother is just afraid of war and is deliberately exaggerating?"

The man was silent for a moment, then said:

"I did not witness his performance in Kansai firsthand."

"But Wen Zhongye died in Jiangxia, and he was the mastermind behind it all."

"This happened right under our noses, General, why deceive yourself?"

Xiahou Shang looked lost and remained silent for a long time.

Upon seeing this, the man immediately displayed the same look of disgust as before:

"Now that things have come to this, General, do you still harbor any delusions?"

"Whether Mi Wei is truly capable or merely has an empty reputation is fine."

"At this moment, Guan Yu occupies seven or eight out of ten parts of Nanyang. Our army has only large cities, and our military strength is difficult to advance. We can only hope that the imperial army will come to our rescue."

"Even if we successfully relieve the siege and temporarily repel Guan Yu, given the current strength of the Han army, we will still have to withdraw from Nanyang and implement a scorched earth policy in the future."

"If that's the case, why not make plans early to avoid being caught off guard and losing sight of the bigger picture?"

"The loss of Xiangfan three years ago serves as a lesson for today!"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Shang immediately dropped his blood-stained blade and stared wide-eyed:

“Man Boning! Lord Man! I heard that when Marquis Zhong (Cao Ren's posthumous title) wanted to abandon Fancheng, you even drowned your beloved white horse to persuade him to stay!”

"Why are you advising me to leave now that it's my turn?"

"Could it be that you've also been scared out of your wits by that elk-like creature?"

It turned out that the man was none other than Man Chong, the Prefect of Runan.

(End of this chapter)