Originally, Liu Bei planned to make up a random excuse, saying that Cao Cao was going south to Jingzhou, so he wanted to return to the army to rescue him.
But no one expected that Cao Cao really went south.
However, Cao Cao's southward march was not to Jingzhou, but to Huainan, preparing to attack Jiangdong again.
In the middle of the 16th year of Jian'an, after Cao Cao defeated the coalition forces of Han Sui and Ma Chao, he stayed in Chang'an until the end of the year to win over the hearts of Yongzhou. However, he did not go westward to attack Hanzhong, but returned to Yecheng in December. , dealing with internal issues within the court was mainly to prepare for his title of Duke of Wei.
As for Liangzhou and other places, Cao Cao appointed Xia Houyuan as the guard general, who was responsible for pacifying Liangzhou.
In the autumn of the 17th year of Jian'an, Cao Cao finally solved the problems in the rear, and Liangzhou in the northwest was almost pacified. He was finally free to take a look at the south of the Yangtze River again.
This time, Cao Cao did not plan to send troops from Jingzhou, and his purpose was not to annex the entire south of the Yangtze River. Instead, he set his sights on Huainan, intending to completely drive out Sun Quan's forces from Lujiang County and occupy all of Jiangbei.
Now Cao Cao also knows not to be impatient and to take it step by step.
So, this time Cao Cao did not underestimate the enemy at all, but personally led the army, leading his newly trained navy and the army as the main offensive force, known as 400,000, to attack Ruxukou.
At this time, Sun Quan, who had just moved his seat of government from Wu County to Moling, later known as Jianye, did not hesitate at all and decided to lead an army of 70,000 to Ruxukou to fight.
At the same time, Sun Quan also wrote to Guan Yu who was stationed in Jingzhou, asking Guan Yu to send troops to attack Xiangyang to contain Cao Cao's troops on the western front so that Cao Cao would not dare to invest too many troops in Ruxukou.
Guan Yu, on the one hand, wrote to Liu Bei to inform Liu Bei of the situation, and on the other hand, he decided to send troops to Qingnikou to attract the attention of Cao Cao's Xiangyang garrison.
Although Guan Yu did not have a "holiday" at this time, he was Liu Bei's second brother after all, and he was also the leader who stayed in Jingzhou, and Zhuge Liang was only a support.
Now that Liu Bei is not in Jingzhou, he is indeed the largest military and political officer, so he still has the right to decide whether to send troops to respond to Sun Quan.
In fact, Guan Yu's attack on Qingni was not to really relieve Sun Quan's pressure. To put it bluntly, it was just like Sun Quan sending Lu Dai to take a walk in Hanzhong.
I have sent troops, but I have no say in whether we can defeat the enemy or whether we can contain the enemy.
But the problem is that Guan Yu personally led the troops to attack Qingnikou. He personally went out and was stationed in Xiangyang. Yue Jin dared to watch this guy wandering around in the south of Xiangyang? !
Le Jin immediately formed an army and led it himself, heading to Qingnikou to confront Guan Yu.
Le Jin's arrival caused such a fuss that Guan Yu, who originally wanted to withdraw his troops after a while, did not dare to leave. If he left, what would happen if Le Jin followed the trend and attacked Jiangling? !
Guan Yu had to confront Le Jin at Qingnikou, and at the same time informed Liu Bei who was in Yizhou.
In the winter of the 17th year of Jian'an, at Ruxukou on the Eastern Front, Cao Cao and Sun Quan were still dispatching their own troops. The battle did not officially start. On the contrary, Guan Yu and Le Jin were already confronting each other at Qingnikou on the land of Jingzhou. .
Under such circumstances, Liu Bei received the news and immediately wrote a letter to Liu Zhang, expressing his willingness to return to Jingzhou.
Of course, Liu Bei didn't really want to go back to Jingzhou. He believed in Guan Yu's ability. In addition, Cao Cao's main force was not going to Jingzhou, so Liu Bei was not actually worried about the safety of Jingzhou.
So this was an excuse, an excuse that convinced Liu Zhang and at the same time lured Yang Huai and Gaopei to Jiameng Pass.
But Liu Bei knew this news, and Zhang Song in Shu also knew it early.
Originally, at Zhang Xi's reminder, Liu Bei had already written to Zhang Song, saying that he would find an excuse to return to Jingzhou in the near future, but this was just an excuse and not true. I hope Zhang Song would not make a fuss.
But now that the battle situation in Jingzhou has spread to Shu, and Liu Bei's letter of returning to the army has also reached Liu Zhang's hands, this makes Zhang Song a little confused.
Zhang Song already knew about the Battle of Qingnikou from detailed channels in Shu, and Zhang Song also knew very clearly that Jingzhou was Liu Bei's main foundation, and it was impossible for Liu Bei to give up Jingzhou.
So this time Liu Bei was eager to return to the army. Is it an excuse or does he really want to go back?
It’s not that Zhang Song wants to be troublesome, it’s that Zhang Song is not sure. After much thought, Zhang Song decided to write a letter to ask for clarification.
If it's a lie, that's it. If you really want to leave, you must not leave. Everything has been arranged now. We are just waiting for you Liu Bei to go south to attack Chengdu. I will act as your internal agent and open the city gate for you.
Then, the world line will end.
Zhang Song's brother Zhang Su intercepted the letter and gave it to Liu Zhang.
Zhang Song also didn't expect that there had been no problems in secret communication with Liu Bei, but this time there was a problem, and it was his own brother who reported it.
Zhang Song really couldn't understand why his own brother wanted to report him. Even if there was a conflict, there was no need to sacrifice his life for Liu Zhang.
Zhang Song was puzzled and unwilling, and was clicked by Liu Zhang.
Immediately afterwards, Liu Zhang immediately sent orders to various passes to prevent Liu Bei from returning to the south, and prepared troops to wait.
At this point, Liu Zhang and Liu Bei completely fell out.
Just such a change of face, Liu Bei was somewhat caught off guard.
The troops and generals have made arrangements to attack Chengdu, but Yang Huai and Gao Pei behind them have not yet been dealt with, and they dare not just go south to attack Chengdu without caring.
The original plan was to use the excuse of returning to Jingzhou to trick these two out, but now, Liu Bei and Liu Zhang have fallen out. Can these two people still believe that they are going back to Jingzhou? !
But if we want to send troops first to attack a military pass like Baishui Pass, how can we defeat it every six months and one year? !
Will Liu Zhang leave half a year to himself? !
Liu Bei had a headache, Pang Tong, and Fazheng also had a headache, but Zhang Xi didn't.
"My lord, why don't you write a letter to invite two people to come and discuss matters."
This was Zhang Xi's idea, which was collectively despised by the three people including Liu Bei.
Those two are stupid. At this time, they can deceive people with just one letter? !
Zhang Xi just smiled mysteriously, and then persuaded Liu Bei that it was just a letter anyway, so it didn't matter if he tried.
Liu Bei had no choice but to write a handwritten letter to Yang Huai and Gao Pei, asking them to come to Jiameng Pass to discuss matters.
Then, these two really came.
Not only did they come, they only brought a dozen guards with them, not any troops at all.
Pang Tong couldn't figure it out. Really, he really couldn't figure out what kind of brains these two had. In the end, he had to start to wonder whether their IQs were only in single digits.
Fazheng also couldn't understand whether there was something wrong with the brain circuits of these two people, and why Liu Zhang allowed these two idiots to be the guards of Baishui Pass.
But no matter what, as soon as these two guys arrived, Liu Bei used the excuse of being rude to the guests to kill them.
For this reason, it is better to say that they walked in with their left foot first.
Later, Liu Bei sent people to take over the soldiers from Baishui Pass, plus the nearly 20,000 men stationed at Jiameng Pass, making a total of more than 30,000 troops.
At this time, there was no need to use the banner of "clearing the emperor's side". The two families had already turned against each other. Liu Bei simply did not borrow any slogans, but directly promoted generals and made military arrangements.
"Zhang Xi, Wei Yan, and Kou Feng listen to the order."
In the camp, Zhang Xi took a step forward, followed by Wei Yan and Kou Feng.
The three men who defended the city in E County finally accepted orders at the same time again.
"I ordered Zhang Xi to be the vanguard of the army and Wei Yankou to be the deputy general. The three of them led 10,000 elite troops and marched into Jiangyou. I couldn't help but feel slack."
"promise!"
Zhang Xi took the order, and at the same time led Kou Feng and Wei Yan to sit down.
Liu Bei continued to give orders.
"With Huang Zhong as the front of the Chinese army and Fu Kuangzong as the rear of the Chinese army, prepare to send troops immediately without any mistakes."
Huang Zhong, Fu Kuang, and Zong Yu also stood up to take orders.
Then, Liu Bei turned around and said to Meng Da, "I ask Zijing to be the rear army and supervise the transportation of grain and grass for the use of the army. Don't let anything go wrong."
Well, as Meng Da is a powerful figure in the Dongzhou faction, Liu Bei has not yet captured Yizhou, so he should be more polite to others.
Finally, Liu Bei also made arrangements regarding Jiameng Pass.
"Take Huo Jun as the guard general of Jiameng Pass and lead a thousand troops to garrison Jiameng Pass to guard against Zhang Lu's invasion!!!"
After making these arrangements, Liu Bei led 30,000 troops in batches to attack Chengdu.
Regarding the matter of guarding Jiameng Pass, it was still Huo Jun who Zhang Xi recommended to Liu Bei.
Once the whole army sets off, Jiameng Pass will become the rear area. All food and grass supplies will be sent from here, and they must also be prepared for possible sneak attacks after Zhang Lu learns the news.
Therefore, the defender of Jiameng Pass is very important.
Liu Bei's original intention was to let Wei Yan stay at Jiameng Pass, but he felt that by letting Wei Yan stay at Jiameng Pass, he would lose one of his generals who could attack the city.
Just as he was hesitating, Zhang Xi recommended someone—Huo Jun.
No need to ask, is there a more suitable candidate than Huo Jun to guard Jiameng Pass? !
Liu Bei hesitated because he didn't understand Huo Jun's abilities. At this time, Huo Jun was just a small captain with no reputation.
But Zhang Xi could not know that this defensive genius could climb down the two armies of Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang with the help of hundreds of troops.
Under Zhang Xi's recommendation, Liu Bei decided to trust Huo Jun and left a thousand men with him to guard Jiameng Pass.
After making all arrangements, Liu Bei still wanted to choose an auspicious day to set off his troops, but Zhang Xi, Wei Yan and Kou Feng had already set off for Jiangyou.
Pioneers are the ones who open roads and fill bridges when encountering mountains and rivers. It’s no good if we don’t start early.
Although it was a winter expedition, it was a bit hard, but Zhang Xi really didn't expect that his march would be so smooth.
Although Liu Zhang ordered all cities and passes to stand guard, Liu Zhang's prestige in Yizhou was only that much, not to mention that all the wealthy families near Jiameng Pass had been bribed by Liu Bei.
Therefore, Zhang Xi relied on Liu Bei's letters to open the way to the west, and entered Jiangyou County with almost no obstacles. Jiangyou County did not even show any pretense of resistance and surrendered directly.
Immediately afterwards, Zhang Xi led his army to turn south. With the help of internal agents deployed by Liu Bei, he broke through Zitong County, the commandery of Zitong County, and captured the Zitong Ling Wang Company.
Liu Bei followed Zhang Xi's forward army, almost all the way to the city, to pacify the people, to the city, to pacify the people. There was no obstacle at all. In the first month of the 18th year of Jian'an, he marched into Fucheng.
We can't go any further, as Mianzhu is further ahead. Zhang Xi doesn't think he can break through Mianzhu Pass with just his few pioneers, so he suppresses Kou Feng and Wei Yan's desire to fight and waits for Liu Bei's army to join up. .
And this journey was smooth sailing, which made Liu Bei feel a little distracted.
After entering Fucheng, Liu Bei was very happy, so he held a banquet. On the one hand, he was to reward the soldiers, and on the other hand, he wanted to drink two drinks because he was happy.
Liu Bei drank wine and made people sing and dance at the banquet. Pang Tong couldn't stand his posture.
Back then, Cao Cao was watching singing and dancing and drinking heavily in Chibi. As a result, he completely squandered his advantage.
Why does the master also have this problem now?
Therefore, Pang Tong felt that he needed to mention his lord.
Therefore, Pang Tong made a dark face and wanted to talk about his lord.
You are attacking other people's countries, and you are not a teacher of benevolence and righteousness. Is it normal for you to succeed just after you have achieved some results? !
But just as Pang Tong was about to say something, Zhang Xi grabbed his sleeve.
To be honest, it's quite tiring.
Banquets these days are all divided into separate meals. Each person has a table. Even if he is sitting at the next table, Zhang Xi is actually a bit far away from Pang Tong, at least one or two meters away.
When Zhang Xi wanted to pull Pang Tong's sleeve, he had to turn sideways and reach out as far as possible to hook him. Instead, he hooked Pang Tong's sleeve, but his whole body was tilted at a 45-degree angle, leaning to Pang Tong's side. Pang Yi led him down like this.
This posture is really a bit unsightly.
So, let alone Pang Tong, even Fazheng, who was sitting opposite Pang Tong, and Liu Bei, who was watching the song and dance, noticed Zhang Xi's awkward falling to the ground.
"Could it be that Yuan Chang doesn't control his drinking?!" Liu Bei asked with a smile.
Although Zhang Xi basically relied on Liu Bei's letters to pave the way, there was still hard work without credit. Being a pioneer was very tiring work.
Therefore, Liu Bei still recognized Zhang Xi's hard work and was not angry when he saw Zhang Xi's rude behavior. He just thought that Zhang Xi drank too much and was a little rude.
Zhang Xi, on the other hand, is a little blushing. After staying in this era for a long time, he still needs to have some face.
But Zhang Xi still adjusted his clothes, stood up, bowed to Liu Bei, and then answered.
"Shicaixi was thinking a lot, so he lost his composure. Please forgive me, my lord."
"Oh?!" Liu Bei smiled nonchalantly and asked, "What is Chief Yuan thinking about?!"
"Think of Cao Mengde, Yuan Benchu." Zhang Xi replied.
Liu Bei immediately paused, very puzzled, and continued to ask, "What do you think these two people are doing?!"
Zhang Xi thought for a moment and glanced at Pang Tong, wondering whether he should continue talking.
At this time, Pang Tong probably understood what Zhang Xi meant by dragging him. After listening to Zhang Xi's words, he also understood Zhang Xi's intention.
I suggest you do it, but don't be so disrespectful to your lord and hurt the relationship between everyone.
This is probably what Zhang Xi wants to convey.
But Pang Tong didn't do it. His character and temper were not the kind of person who beat around the bush.
Therefore, Pang Tong stood up directly, raised his hands to Liu Bei, and protested, "Yuan Chang's thoughts are that Cao Mengde was in Chibi, and Yuan Benchu was in Guandu!!!"
Liu Bei's expression suddenly changed.
(End of chapter)
