It was at Jiuliguan that Liu Bei was intercepted and killed.
Now that he was back at Jiuliguan, Zhang Xiu felt like he was revisiting his old place, but this time the action was special, and the chance of victory lay in the importance of military strength and speed, so he did not dare to slack off at all.
Zhang Xiu ordered Ma Chao and Pang De to be the vanguard, and Zhang He and Gan Ning to be the rear troops, each leading 2,000 cavalry. He personally led 6,000 cavalry as the center army, taking advantage of the darkness to prepare for a surprise attack on Jiuliguan.
Jiuli Pass is an important pass linking Yuzhou and Jingzhou. In order to prevent soldiers and horses from Yuzhou from entering Jingzhou's territory, at the beginning of this battle, Liu Bei ordered Xiang Chong and Meng Da to guard the pass here, and left five thousand elite soldiers and horses in the pass.
At a dangerous pass, a defense of 5,000 people can be used as an army of 50,000 people.
Moreover, the war in the Central Plains was stalemate, and even the Jingguo army would find it difficult to mobilize a force to attack Jiuli Pass, which was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Logically speaking, this place should be very safe.
Therefore, although Xiang Chong and Meng Da were actively on guard, they were somewhat relaxed.
That night, it was dark and windy.
The vegetation in the canyon rustled and swayed in the incoming wind. The gloomy sky blocked the light. The entire valley could not be seen, and only the strong wind howling in the valley, the rustling of the grass and trees, and the bursts of pine waves could be heard. .
A group of people approached quietly.
"Ma Chao!" Zhang Xiu's dark voice came from the darkness.
"The end is here!" Ma Chao hurriedly leaned forward and clasped his fists.
"Have all the secret sentries hidden nearby been removed?"
"Your Majesty, don't worry. Xiang Chong and Meng Da are still too young in their skills. They found out their locations during the day and removed them one by one after nightfall. No one was missed."
Zhang Xiu nodded and looked up at the dark sky. The howling wind blew away the hair on his forehead, revealing his plump forehead. He looked at Jiuli Pass, two miles away and three feet high in front of him, "Zhang He, E Huan, Tu Lichen, Wei Yan, and Gan Ning obey orders!"
No one hurriedly leaned forward and clasped their fists: "The end is here!"
"I order you to each lead a hundred elite soldiers, climb to the top of the city for me in the dark, capture the garrison at the top of Jiuliguan City, and open the city gate."
This lineup is absolutely luxurious, and it can be said to be a dimensionality reduction attack.
Xiang Chong and Meng Da were both third-rate generals, and it was an honor to be defeated by generals such as Zhang He, Gan Ning, and Wei Yan.
What Zhang Xiu wants is this kind of foolproofness.
"Here!"
No one took the order, so they each ordered their own elite soldiers who they could trust, and quietly moved towards the city of Jiuliguan in the dark.
The five hundred men and horses they brought were all wrapped in night clothes outside their armor. They could still be seen clearly when they left. After a few dozen steps, they gradually merged into the darkness and disappeared.
"emperor!"
Ma Chao said: "How can I kill a chicken with an ox-knife? To kill Xiang Chong and Meng Da, why use General Gan and the others?"
Zhang Xiu smiled: "A tiger fights a rabbit with all his strength. Don't underestimate anyone. Besides, our advantage in this battle is speed. If they notice it and report it to Guan Yu, wouldn't it be a missed opportunity?"
Ma Chao nodded: "Your Majesty."
Zhang Xiu looked ahead: "The whole army is ready. When the city gate is opened, they will rush in as quickly as possible. Don't let anyone escape."
"Here!"
Everyone responded.
Gan Ning and others felt the darkness and approached the city at Jiuliguan with gentle steps. The hidden sentry outside had already been removed, and with the cover of the howling valley wind, they reached the city smoothly.
"General Gan, with such strong winds, it may be difficult to throw the rope up!" Tulichen looked up, feeling very high and a little worried.
Wei Yan touched the city wall and sneered: "Xiang Chong and Meng Da are really big-hearted. If you touch the city wall, I'm afraid this wall hasn't been repaired for a long time."
When everyone touched the city wall, they found that the rammed earth between the stones had become soft.
Gan Ning took out an arrow and inserted it hard into the gap at the tip of the stone. It was inserted halfway in, just enough to be able to step on. He smiled and said: "Humph! It's better now. Although it takes a little trouble, But it’s guaranteed to catch the Chu army by surprise.”
Wei Yan said: "Let's work together to go up as quickly as possible."
When the veteran spoke, no one dared to dissent.
Tulichen, who had greater brute strength, took the lead and began to climb up while inserting arrows. In order to prevent the arrow body from breaking, Tulichen had to insert three arrows each time.
The strong wind roared, exhausting the defensive soldiers on the top of the city, and covering up the actions below the city.
Half an hour later, Tulichen finally arrived at the battlement. He stepped on the arrows with his feet and secretly popped his head out to inspect the movement in the city wall. Only then did he find that the Chu army on the wall was hiding in the parapet for shelter from the wind, huddled up. The body is drowsy.
Originally, there were guards on the top of the city every ten steps. However, it was too cold tonight. They huddled together to keep warm. This gave Tulichen the opportunity to enter the top of the city.
He tiptoed quietly into the city, followed by Jing Jun who turned over and entered.
Chu Jun curled up with his head lowered and his eyes closed. His head kept swaying in the wind, and there was always a risk of being shaken awake. Tu Lichen kept his composure and quietly approached. The Jing army behind them also followed suit and surrounded them.
Tulichen gritted his teeth and whispered secretly: "Do it!"
Before these Chu soldiers could react, Tulichen and the others touched their necks as fast as lightning.
Gan Ning, Wei Yan and others from behind also quickly climbed to the top of the city and saw that Tu Lichen had already eliminated the Chu army in front of him. Gan Ning said: "General E, General Tu Lichen, you lead your own troops and divide them to annihilate the defenders on the city. General Wei Yan will follow me down to open the city gate. General Zhang He, you will send a message to the emperor."
Gan Ning was the military governor of the Military Governor's Mansion, and no one dared to object.
So everyone acted quickly.
The Chu army at the city gate slept more soundly than the Chu army at the top of the city. The soldiers at the top of the city were still sleeping with their weapons at least, while the soldiers at the city gate lay down and slept, completely defenseless.
Wei Yan sneered: "These idiots really don't know how to live or die."
Gan Ning said: "This is the best, it saves us the trouble. Keep your voices down, don't alert other Chu troops!"
Everyone touched them quietly, and the throats of the sleeping Chu soldiers were cut without feeling any pain at all.
Due to the loud howling of the wind and the unpreparedness of the defenders at the city entrance, Gan Ning and the others easily seized control of the city gate. After killing the Chu army, they quickly opened the city gate.
Zhang Xiu outside has been preparing for a long time.
Seeing that the city gate was open, they knew that Gan Ning and the others had succeeded. He was overjoyed and said: "Gan Ning and the others have succeeded. All officers and men listen to the order! Follow me and kill!"
Following the order, Zhang Xiu took the lead and led the cavalry into Jiuliguan.
