Xiliang, Jincheng.
Han Sui held a secret letter in his hand. After reading it carefully, he sneered and placed it on the long desk in front of him: "Cheng Yu is a shameless man. Do you really think that I, Han Sui, am an idiot? Just let him be. Gunslinger?"
As he spoke, he handed the secret letter to Yan Xing below.
"Cheng Yu wants me to send troops to bypass the Qishan Mountains, go out from the Qishan Road, go north to Chencang Road, attack Chencang in Guanzhong, and support Xiaoguan. What does Yanming think?" Yan Xing, also known as Yanming.
Yan Xing pondered for a moment, "General, last time our army and Zhang Lu jointly sent troops to Guanzhong, Zhang Xiu was fully prepared. Now the Xiongnu is knocking on the pass and Cao Cao is coming menacingly. How can he not be prepared for our army? Now that the summer harvest has not come, our army has food and grass. It is not sufficient, and if the troops are sent without success, we will be in a dilemma."
Han Sui nodded.
Cheng Gongying next to him thought thoughtfully and said: "Don't worry, general. No matter how capable Zhang Xiu is, he doesn't have three heads and six arms. Now there are Cao Cao's 100,000 troops in the east knocking on Hangu Pass, and Huchuquan's 100,000 troops in the north knocking on Xiao Pass. Our army can bypass it. Qishan Kousunguan, under attack from three sides, how can Zhang Xiu be invincible?"
Cheng Gongying, the compound surname is Cheng Gong, and the given name is Ying. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he was born in Jincheng and at the end of the Zhongping Dynasty. He was Sui's confidant from Han Dynasty. This man was both civil and military and was a rare wise general in Xiliang.
Han Jin, the son of Han Sui, seconded the opinion: "Aweng, if the fertile plain in Guanzhong can be occupied by our army, it will definitely become a prince. Now Zhang Xiu is surrounded by enemies on three sides. This is a God-given opportunity."
Han Sui hesitated.
After Dingxi City was breached last time, the army was running out of food and grass. Now that it appears, it must win in a single battle, otherwise the consequences will be serious. The army is very likely to run out of food, but we have to admit that this is an excellent opportunity to enter the pass. Chance.
Zhang Xiu's military strength is limited. Facing Huchuquan and Cao Cao's 200,000 troops, he is already going all out. He sends troops at this moment to get twice the result with half the effort and disintegrate Zhang Xiu's strength.
But after conquering Guanzhong, can Huchuquan and Cao Cao allow him to stay in Guanzhong with peace of mind? The answer is no. His current strength is definitely not Cao Cao's opponent. If he breaks Guanzhong, his initiative will be in Cao Cao's hands.
Think about it carefully.
He decided not to send troops to Guanzhong because he saw no benefit in this battle.
"General!" Yan Xing said, "There are wolves in front of Guanzhong and tigers in the back. We can't get any benefits if we go there, but we can't miss this opportunity. It is useless to attack Guanzhong. It is better to... capture the Hetao."
"Um?"
Everyone in the audience looked at Yan Xing in surprise.
No one thought that Yan Xing would dare to challenge Huchuquan. If Huchuquan turned around and attacked, they might not be able to resist, and the Xiongnu's spearhead would be turned on them.
"hiss!"
Cheng Gongying gasped, frowned, considered carefully, and nodded: "General, Yan Ming's words are feasible."
"oh?"
Han Sui looked at Cheng Gongying and said, "How can it be done? Please tell me carefully."
"General," Cheng Gongying said, "Although Huchuquan has a hundred thousand troops, he has already become enemies with Zhang Xiu. What's more, he is now trapped in the quagmire of Xiaoguan. If he wants to escape intact, it depends on whether Zhang Xiu agrees. , the Huns' 100,000-strong army goes south, and the Hetao will definitely be empty, and the Hetao borders our Xiliang, so we only need to go down the Yellow River, and we will definitely be able to attack Shuofang."
Hearing Cheng Gongying's analysis, Han Sui's thinking also opened up. There were countless cattle and sheep in the Hetao grassland, which could be used as military rations, not to mention the exotic customs and unique beauty.
So he said: "In that case, we will send 50,000 troops and set out tomorrow. We will take Gaoping first and then Shuofang."
"Here!"
Everyone clasped their fists and agreed.
…
Shuofang City.
After a day of preparation, Zhang Xiu led an army of 20,000 people southward, and at the same time asked Lebat to accompany the army. He appointed Ma Dai to lead 5,000 troops to stay in Shuofang City, and appointed Jiumozhi as the prefect of Shuofang, so that they could guard Shuofang together.
Jiumozhi has been conquered by Zhang Xiu's "seeking common ground while reserving differences". He regards Zhang Xiu as his master and devotes himself to the common development of the two races.
According to the established marching route, go down Helan Mountain and head towards Liupanshui. Three days after setting off, the army received battle reports from Xiao Pass and Hangu Pass.
The battle at Hangu Pass was even more tragic than that at Xiao Pass. After realizing his shame, Cao Cao courageously transformed the trebuchet. The technology of the trebuchet was greatly improved. Although the accuracy and distance were not up to the level of the trebuchet, There is also the power of resistance.
The two sides fought desperately in front of Hangu Pass.
The generals under Cao's army all went into battle and attacked the city, forcing Ji Ling to reveal his ultimate move in advance: heavy armored infantry.
Two hundred heavy armored infantry took action, completely suppressing the vigor of Cao's army and firmly resisting it outside Hangu Pass. Cao Cao did not have heavy armor, and even if he had heavy armor, he would not need to attack the city. Facing the Guancheng, The dark heavy armored infantry sighed in excitement.
But Guo Jia immediately thought of a countermeasure.
Zhang Xiu's trebuchet has a large attack range, and its shortcomings are in close quarters. However, Cao Cao's trebuchet has a short attack range, and its strengths are in close quarters. Guo Jia took advantage of this feature and ordered his soldiers to cut down wood and make huge planks to block the way. The enemy's arrows pushed the catapult not far from the city, and used the catapult to attack the heavy armored infantry.
However, the stone thrown does not distinguish between friend and foe. It can hit heavy armored infantry as well as his own soldiers. However, the effect of this move is that Ji Ling does not dare to use heavy armored infantry easily.
After all, not everyone can wear heavy armor. These two hundred people are carefully selected elite soldiers and generals who dare not sacrifice casually.
Ji Ling asked for advice and rectification.
Fazheng smiled and said: "He has his strengths, and we also have our strengths. If we put the trebuchets under the city, wouldn't they have nothing to fight against my trebuchets? We will not hesitate to scrap the trebuchets, but we must also intercept them in the letter." Outside Guguan.”
As a result, the trebuchets in Guancheng blasted outwards regardless of the cost, and the battle between the two sides reached a climax, but Hangu Pass was still firmly in Ji Ling's hands.
Two battle reports were placed in Zhang Xiu's hands.
Whether it is Hangu Pass or Xiao Pass, they are both gateways to the pass. Once they are lost, the consequences will be immeasurable. Although the battle between the two passes was fierce, fortunately, the pass was not lost, which made him feel more confident in his subsequent operations.
He handed the battle report to Xu Shu and Yan Xiang, and said with a smile: "Gan Ning and Ji Ling should take the lead in this battle. Without them holding the pass, we would not be able to safely attack Huchuquan from the rear."
After reading the battle report, Yan Xiang said: "Although Hangu Pass is still in my hands, Cao Cao's offensive is fierce and cannot be delayed. The nights are long and there are many dreams. We need to take precautions!"
Zhang Xiu nodded and ordered: "The whole army will speed up and reach Gaoping City in three days!"
"Here!"
Everyone agreed.
At this time, Han Sui led 50,000 cavalry along the Yellow River towards the city of Han. The distance between the two armies was gradually getting closer, and neither side expected it.
