Zhuge Liang accepted the mission and galloped all the way back to the capital, from Wuguan to Hanzhong. The soldiers who conveyed the message were much faster than him. Although Zhuge Liang was also proficient in the six arts and was skilled in bow and horse, he was still far behind the professional sergeants.
Therefore, when Zhuge Liang arrived in Hanzhong, the documents were already in Luoyang and sent to Guo Jia's office in Hanzhong.
Later generations joked that Guo Jia would not be able to escape until he died, and it was indeed a joke. After all, Zhuge Liang was only in his twenties when Guo Jia died. A few years earlier, Zhuge Liang had not yet reached the top. It is really reluctant to talk about humanity based on destiny.
Of course, Wang Yan believed in destiny, otherwise his most beloved living father couldn't explain it clearly, but to Wang Yan, he was destiny. Many times, Mr. Wang is still a bit domineering and has grown a lot.
Guo Jia had no idea about Wang Yan's order to send the unknown Zhuge Liang and divide his 20,000 troops to attack Shu County. General Wang is an extremely good boss. He has been wise and capable for so many years and has never made any mistakes. Guo Jia believes in Wang Yan's vision. Moreover, he also saw the copied article from Zhuge Liang, and he still recognized Zhuge Liang's level.
Now that the general has given the order, all he needs to do is cooperate, there is no need for so much nonsense. Furthermore, he is actually not very diligent. He used to want to go out and give advice and scold Fang Qiu, but after doing it too much, it becomes boring. He often even thought that after General Wang unified the country and became emperor, he would do nothing and enjoy life. Now that someone is willing to do something, he is also happy to see it happen.
Moreover, the general has clearly ordered that Zhuge Liang's food and fodder be supervised by him, which means he is under his control and can give direct orders. He understood what the general meant, which was to give Zhuge Liang a chance, but at the same time ensure that he would not get into more trouble.
Guo Jia had previously wanted to find an opportunity to cross Bashan and sent Zhao Yun to Xicheng (Ankang City). Now it happened that the war on this road was left to Zhuge Liang. He was mainly responsible for the other side and was out of reach.
So he didn't meet with Zhuge Liang. He just wrote a letter explaining some things and ignored it. He just waited for Zhuge Liang's military report.
Zhuge Liang obeyed the order and did not go to see Guo Jia. Instead, he got to know Zhao Yun and found that he was gentle and steady. He felt that the general was treating him well. Not only are military commanders domineering, but they should also be proud. Especially among the generals under Wang Yan, every one of them is a fierce general who has been famous for many years. They are proud.
He was prepared to deal with the general's cross-examination, but he didn't expect that Zhao Yun didn't say a word and completely obeyed his orders. This made him very happy, but he couldn't help but feel like he was punched in cotton. I don’t pretend to be naked, it’s uncomfortable.
In the military camp outside Ankang City, Zhao Yun sat down very humbly and asked: "Feng Xiao originally ordered me to lead his army over Bashan and attack Xuanhan to enter the hinterland of Shu. I don't know what my plan is to join the army?"
"By going down to Xuanhan, my army can go straight into Shu without any hindrance. However, I predict that Cao Jun will definitely want to send a heavy force to our west city, aiming at Hanzhong, and even in our capital region. Before coming here, I also want to attack Xuanhan, However, our Wuguan is impregnable, and Nanyang has a heavy army massed. Even if we are in good health, the general will have 20,000 troops and horses, and there will be 30,000 troops left, which can protect our rear without worries.
Therefore, I want to break Yufujiang Pass (Kuimen), which is an important place connecting Jing and Shu, and our Nanjun County has a large garrison along the river, so we can attack from the east and west. If Cao Jun sends troops and horses to the other side to rescue, our navy can cross the river and attack directly to Changsha. If he is not rescued, Jiangguan will fall and the land of Shu will be level. Zongjiang Pass is heavily defended and difficult to defeat easily. If our army attacks it, we can also attack Cao's army in Shu. There are hundreds of benefits and no harm, so why not do it? "
Zhuge Liang stroked his beard and spoke very confidently. You Qi looked at the surprise in Zhao Yun's eyes and nodded with satisfaction, feeling comfortable...
Everyone knows the importance of Jiangguan. Once Jiangguan is captured, the Henan army can march straight in. And with the combat effectiveness of Wang Yan's army, once they are not defended against danger, they will have been defeated.
But on the other hand, since everyone knows the importance of Jiangguan, Lao Cao naturally also knows it. Heavy defense is inevitable, and there are always 30,000 to 50,000 troops. So people will naturally raise Jiangguan and ignore it subconsciously.
Zhuge Liang did the opposite. Even if he could not conquer Jiangguan, he could still block Jiangguan's supplies. Once there is no supply, how long Jiangguan can be defended is a question. At the same time, there was a lot of food in Shu, and a considerable part of Cao's army's military supplies took this route.
Even if they were trapped on the west side of Jiangguan, with their fighting power, they could still hold off the enemy for a while, and even if they came too few, they wouldn't be able to fight them. Such a move to mobilize the whole body not only affected Cao's army in Shu, but also affected Cao's army in Jingzhou. It had a significant impact on this war.
So have Guo Jia, Jia Xu and others thought of this? Definitely thought of it. They are all smart people, and they will never ignore this place. It's just that Jia Xu's task is to look after the family, while Guo Jia's task is to coordinate the overall situation of Hanzhong and be responsible for the attack on Shu. Jiangguan is too far away, and Guo Jia cannot go there in time to make a decision. One mistake will ruin tens of thousands of troops.
Even though their family background was strong, the loss of tens of thousands of troops in World War I was not something they could easily bear.
The most important reason is, of course, because the advantage is on their side. Guo Jia followed Wang Yan for twenty years and was deeply influenced by him. They are more inclined to end the battle with the minimum cost rather than taking risks.
This is where Zhuge Liang is different. He is a player who claims to have the ambition to govern the country. Although he has been an official for so many years under Wang Yan's rule, he has done well, and he has learned ideological and theoretical knowledge well, but he always wants a bigger stage. Wants to use his talents.
After the separation of military and political affairs, he didn't know what the strength of the army was before. Now he is commanding an army and has a deeper understanding of strength. Zhuge Liang said that he had never fought such a rich battle in his life, and it was inevitable to take risks.
In general, Zhuge Liang is still young and more energetic now, as high-spirited as when he came out of the mountain, instead of the endless regret and loneliness when he came out of Wuzhangyuan.
Immediately, Zhuge Liang wrote a document and made his strategic intentions clear.
Send one copy to Nanjun to ask the troops guarding there to pay attention and attack together if necessary. Of course, one copy was given to Guo Jia. If the situation changes, Guo Jia must be prepared. Dumplings were made on his side, and Guo Jia was asked to send troops to rescue him. Another copy was sent to the Luoyang Governor's Mansion. Military affairs mobilization must be clearly recorded, which involves the mobilization of various materials and reserve militia. The Governor's Mansion will forward the report to Wang Yan, allowing Wang Yan to be prepared and respond in a timely manner.
On the second day, they followed Zhao Yun very simply and led the army into Bashan. They wanted to sneak over and catch Cao Jun by surprise...
In order to facilitate command, Cao Cao led his army to station in Poyang County, which was not far from the three fronts of the Yangzhou battlefield, making it easier for him to command the army at close range. At this point, he didn't feel comfortable handing over command to such an important battlefield.
As night approached, military information from various places was sent to them one after another. Every place was under fierce attack, and they all asked for support. For a moment, Cao Cao felt overwhelming pressure. He was in panic everywhere, as if he was going to be doomed in the next moment. It felt like the average person's mind could not stand it at all.
But Lao Cao was certainly unusual. He judged immediately that it was Wang Yan who came in person. And he also judged that Wang Yan was in Wuhu, and it was Wang Yan that Xu Chu was facing.
It's very simple. Wang Yan's goal is to cross the river across the board. Because in this way, Wang Yan would not have to confront his old Cao across the river. No one dared to use the air defense on the riverside. Wang Yan crossed the river and Lao Cao was done. Lao Cao crossed the river and wreaked havoc on Henan. The losses were too great, and Wang Yan's work was in vain for several years.
Once the Yangtze River was crossed, the troops guarding the Yangtze River were liberated, and Lao Cao was completely defeated. Although he also liberated the soldiers guarding the river bank, his front-line soldiers relied on large numbers to gain an advantage. The same was true for his second-line soldiers. The quality of his army was indeed no match for Wang Yan's army.
The more important point is that the food and grass consumed when a large army is stationed and when a large army is mobilized for war are different. Even if Wang Yan cannot fight a battle of annihilation, Lao Cao's food and grass cannot last longer. If it lasts for a long time, Cao Cao will be defeated.
This is a war with a destined outcome, but there are many people in this world who are unwilling to give up, and that's what Lao Cao is.
In the official office of Poyang County, Cao Cao rubbed his head with a headache, drank wine, and thought hard about how to deal with it.
Sitting below are Xun You, Cheng Yu and others. These are all planning here with Cao Cao, including coordinating food and grass. In Shu, Xun Yu was in charge, leading Jiang Ji, Liu Ye, Yang Xiu, etc. to confront Guo Jia.
If Cao Cao didn't speak, they certainly wouldn't say much.
Everyone present was a wise person, and they all understood the impact of Wang Yan's fierce attack.
Now Cao Cao has limited troops at his disposal, and there is no way to increase all the troops. Otherwise, the Yangtze River will not be able to be defended. And if we only increase troops on Xu Chu's side, what about the other battlefields? Besides, they couldn't tell whether there were more troops on Wang Yan's side. It has been more than a month since the war started. Wang Yan's military mobilization force is so strong that no one knows how many people have been mobilized.
Once Wang Yan is not blocked here and several other fronts are defeated, the battle in Yangzhou will be over. Wang Yan launched a large-scale military campaign, and Changsha could not protect Changsha for long. After that, they retreated to Shu and were besieged by Wang Yan's army. How long could they hold on to Shu even if it was dangerous?
If you want to win by surprise, how can you surprise? They can't even cross the river. Even if they were to wipe out the 100,000 elites in Yangzhou in one battle and control the Jiangnan area, it would not help. They could only live for ten more years. Because of Wang Yan's background, losing 100,000 elites would really hurt them, but if they wanted to make the Northern Expedition, it would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.
As strong as Wang Yan, crossing the river is so strenuous, let alone their small sampans.
When their raid failed to achieve the expected results, they were already defeated. Another surprise attack and several times more troops failed to penetrate Wang Yan's army and capture Hanzhong and eastern Yangzhou. As a result, subsequent sneak attacks on Chang'an and Luoyang were delayed and could not be carried out.
Their strategy in Shu was to defend. Resisting Hanzhong's attack and finding good opportunities can deal a heavy blow to Wang Yan's side. By the way, we will wait for the situation in Yangzhou and discuss it later.
Wang Yan's army fought more and more and became stronger, and their high pressure in recent years has made the people unstable. Although Wang Yan is always being vilified, the legend about Wang Yan has always been circulated. No matter how ignorant the people are, they still know that they are not doing well and will always have a rebellious mentality.
The battle that follows is to be fought forcefully, because it won’t work without fighting. They all hope that they can find weaknesses in the dynamic battlefield, win with one blow, and make a decisive comeback.
But obviously, Wang Yan, who has been wise for twenty-four years, is still wise.
So Lao Cao was drunk, so all the wise counselors didn't say anything.
Xu Shi was aware of the low morale, and Cao Cao put down the wine bottle heavily: "Pass my military order to dispatch 30,000 troops and horses to help Xu Chu, and another 15,000 troops and horses, and each department will increase its troops by 5,000, which must be defended. I will go there in person tomorrow. In front of the battle, we have a chance to fight here. If we capture Wang Yan, great things will happen. If not... I will die from heaven."
He thought about it for a long time, but couldn't think of any good way. He could only hope to win by relying on military strength. And these less than 50,000 soldiers and horses were all he could spare. Fifteen thousand was the guard force around him, and thirty thousand was taken from the riverside. No matter how much, the Yangtze River cannot be defended.
So he decided to fight to the death, hoping that he was smarter than Wang Yan. With an army of 80,000 in such a small place, he didn't believe that he couldn't defeat Wang Yan...
Xun You cupped his hands, stood up and wrote a military order aside. He gave it to Cao Cao to take a look at, then he used his seal and the sergeant quickly passed on the order.
Taken together, under the current circumstances, the only hope is to kill Wang Yan. As long as Wang Yan dies, although the background is still there, the internal political struggle will inevitably affect the war. Even if they captured Wang Yan alive and could imprison him, Wang Yan's men would never dare to move.
What a beautiful thought, actually thinking that General Wang is the useless Huiqin Second Sect, and Zhu Qizhen?
Fortunately, General Wang didn't know that they were so bold and beautiful. Otherwise, this group of people would definitely not end well if they were defeated. It was really insulting.
After a day of victory, the results of this day were still good. In addition to reducing the number of 3,000 men on the opposite side, the battle line was also advanced by 30 miles.
As for the supply problem for his march, that was too simple. There are warships on the river, and supplies on the other side. Therefore, after the front line advanced, the militiamen on the other side of the river were dispatched to escort the prisoners, dig holes and bury the corpses, and supplement the loss of soldiers.
So far, the number of front-line combat troops he has directly mobilized has reached 200,000, including 100,000 in Hanzhong and Yangzhou. The number of second-line militiamen and semi-adult men over fifteen years old reached one million. Among them, the second-line militiamen are responsible for escorting grain and grass, replenishing soldiers, guarding various passes and riversides, etc. Those over the age of fifteen are simply responsible for transporting grain and grass, providing them with a sense of participation in the war.
The term "over fifteen years old" includes former retired soldiers, except for disabled people and men over forty years old. A large number of police lieutenants have not moved, and are still maintaining stability in various places and dealing with material transfer issues in various places.
A month has passed, and the order has been spread to all directions. From the Northeast to the grasslands to Liangzhou, no one is idle, and they are all serving the war.
Although millions of men were mobilized, this was not enough to go all out. Because there is still a lot of room left to prepare for next year's spring plowing, I don't dare to delay farming at all costs.
After all, Wang Yan did not regard Lao Cao as his opponent. He did have such strength. After all, he had been farming for more than 20 years, how could he be white.
After a full night's sleep, the next morning, after breakfast, the battle began again. Today's battle was very interesting. In the morning, he fought against the opponent who was struggling to hold on. After a few battles, he lost more than 2,000 troops and advanced ten miles. But when it was getting dark, a sudden failure occurred and hundreds of people were lost, which made Wang Yan laugh.
He knew that Lao Cao was coming...
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