Liu Bei accepted Cheng Pu's request, left the wounded barracks, and immediately wrote a letter and sent it back to Luoyang to his father-in-law Han Rong, asking him to handle the matter.
After handling this trivial matter, Liu Bei began to pay close attention to the military situation on the front line, and then he learned that the progress of the three armies was indeed not going well.
Zhou Shen, in particular, was in a mess, not only losing troops and generals, but was still unable to capture Yuzhong City.
Dong Zhuo's battle was not going well either. The resistance of the Qiang people in Hanyang County was very fierce. In addition to the Qiang people, some Huns also seemed to have joined the rebels, supplementing the strength of the local rebels and posing a great threat to Dong Zhuo. big.
Not to mention Bao Hong, he was in a hard fight from the beginning and had trouble fighting with the local Qiang and Di people.
Zhang Wen's judgment seems wrong.
The three-pronged attack on the rebels put a lot of pressure on the Han army. The local forces in Liangzhou did not seem to choose to move closer to the Luoyang court again because of the previous failure. However, there were a large number of Qiang, Huns and people living in Liangzhou. A considerable number of unknown Zahus joined the rebel ranks.
The Han army still needs victory, and more victories are needed to convince the locals that the Han army can quell the Liangzhou rebels. Only in this way can victory be finally established.
Otherwise, they are still wavering and will not easily choose to move closer to the Han army.
Because Liu Bei himself had made great achievements in battle, he deliberately gave up the front line battlefield to unite the entire army in order to quell the Liangzhou rebellion as soon as possible. However, what he did not expect was that he had to retreat to the second line, and the battlefield turned towards he came.
One day in October, because he learned that the road to Yuzhong City to transport military rations was not safe, he personally led troops to escort the rations. As a result, he encountered an attack by thousands of Liangzhou rebels on the way.
Fortunately, Liu Bei personally led the troops to escort the grain, and Dong Huang and Xia Houyuan were still with them. When the rebels attacked the grain road, Liu Bei led the troops to fight back and killed them personally. Dong Huang showed off his skills again and stabbed the former soldier to death with a spear. The rebel general who came to attack the grain road.
So the Han army escorting the grain defeated the rebel army and captured more than a thousand people.
After saving the grain road and the army rations, Liu Bei escorted the army rations to Yuzhong City quickly, told Zhou Shen about the matter, had serious negotiations with Zhou Shen, and asked Zhou Shen to respond immediately.
We can't continue fighting like this!
Zhou Shen was shocked when he learned that Liangdao had been discovered and attacked by the rebels. He felt that he could not continue to fight like this.
Then he decided to withdraw his troops.
Abandon all baggage and supplies and withdraw troops as soon as possible.
"If the grain road has been discovered, the rebels can increase their troops to sneak attack on the grain road at any time. This time, Liu Duwei was brave and skillful in fighting. Who knows what will happen next time? Without a safer grain road, the only option is to withdraw the troops. The best thing to do!”
Strictly speaking, Zhou Shen's choice is not wrong.
If the army's food route has been discovered, it will be a fatal matter for the expeditionary army. No one knows when the rebels will next want to cut off the army's food route.
This is a major event that can shake the morale of the military, and withdrawing troops is not an unacceptable option.
But the news Liu Bei brought was not just that.
"What if I also know where the rebels' food routes are?"
Zhou Shen was stunned.
"ah?"
"There are only two or three smooth routes from the enemy's rear to Yuzhong City. I have captured more than a thousand rebel officers and soldiers. If I have to interrogate them more, can't I know the truth?"
Liu Bei looked serious and said loudly: "I heard that someone once suggested that General Zhou focus on cutting off the rebels' food routes, besieging the city without attacking, and wait and see what happens. Isn't this a good strategy? Why doesn't the general adopt it? Okay. If we don't use the strategy, the enemy will use it, and the trapped beast will still fight. Has the general forgotten it?"
Liu Bei's momentum was fierce and his words were pressing. Zhou Shen was so frightened by Liu Bei's pressing momentum that he was unable to argue head-on with Liu Bei.
After a while, Zhou Shen's face showed bitterness.
"Despite this, the army's food route has been discovered. Even if we can know the location of the rebel's food route, it will take time to intercept it. During this time, can our army guarantee that there will be no problems?
The danger is too great, Xuande, these are thirty thousand people! If I'm not careful, these 30,000 troops will be destroyed in my hands. Will I still have a way to survive? This can't go on like this! "
"The opportunity to resolve the war in one go is right in front of us. If we fail to seize it but miss it, causing the war to drag on for a long time, the price we have to pay will be ten times more!"
Liu Bei gritted his teeth and said to Zhou Shen: "If the general is worried, give Bei the task of cutting off the rebels' food routes. Bei is willing to issue a military order and personally lead the army to cut off the rebels' food routes. If this fails, please behead me! In addition, please ask General Army Sima Sun Jian is the person in charge of protecting the grain road, and with his bravery and agility, he will be able to protect the grain road without any danger!"
Zhou Shen was shocked. He had never expected Liu Bei to be so brave and decisive.
Is he really a scholar?
Is he really the top scholar of the future House of Yue?
Why are you so brave and fearless of death?
Doesn't he care about his future glory and wealth?
"Xuande! What's the point of saying this? If you fail, it will be my turn to behead you? If you fail, what's the point of me beheading you? This is completely meaningless!"
Zhou Shen threw his hands away, very annoyed.
Liu Bei persisted in his persuasion.
"Right now, the outcome is still in doubt. We can still preserve the food route. As long as we can act before the rebels make their next move, we will most likely cut off the rebels' food route first. The rebels will be the ones who are anxious then. , not us!
General, wealth is sought in danger. The opportunity to make great achievements is now in front of the general. The Art of War says that one must risk one's life to survive. Isn't this critical moment like this? If this opportunity is missed, won't the general be held responsible once Liangzhou collapses? "
Zhou Shen was stunned, thinking about it, and felt that Liu Bei was right.
Once Liangzhou collapses, doesn't he need to be responsible?
It's always a failure, but if you try once, you might still be able to win, right?
After a long silence, Zhou Shen looked at Liu Bei.
"If the military order is issued, you will really have no room for regret, Liu Bei. Now, I can still pretend that I didn't hear this sentence."
Zhou Shen looked at Liu Bei seriously and advised him word by word not to think so hard.
But Liu Bei had already made up his mind.
"General, I will not take back what I have said. Please issue a military order. If it does not succeed, please behead me! If we withdraw our troops, all our previous efforts will be wasted and it will never be possible!"
Zhou Shen took a deep breath and paced back and forth in the military tent. His expression changed several times, and he was extremely confused.
Finally, he gritted his teeth and stamped his foot.
"Liu Bei! If you can't cut off the rebels' food route, I will personally chop off your head to vent my anger! Remember! I'm not kidding! I don't care who you are!"
Liu Bei smiled.
"Thank you, General! Be prepared to do your best to save your head!"
So Zhou Shen made arrangements according to Liu Bei's suggestions. He continued to lead the troops to besiege the city, truly surrounded Yuzhong City, and began to besiege instead of attacking, in order to deter the rebels and cut off the rebels' internal and external communication roads.
Then Sun Jian, who was inexplicably confused, was sent to replace Liu Bei in charge of the army's food and fodder transportation, and he was told to personally protect the army's food and fodder no matter what, and must not slack off, otherwise he would not be spared.
Then, he gathered elite cavalry and soldiers and handed them over to Liu Bei. Together with Liu Bei's original subordinates, he gathered 10,000 people for him and asked Liu Bei to lead them to cut off the rebels' food routes.
At the same time, Liu Bei also sent people to torture the captured rebel officers. According to the principle of beating them to death as long as they could not be beaten to death, after a heavy memory recovery spell, the rebel officers finally couldn't bear it anymore. Some people relaxed and confessed. Everything I know.
very good.
Don't you want to cut off my food supply?
I'm also here to cut off your food supply.
Let's go against each other and see who can carry it!
Before the war started, Liu Bei told Dong Huang and Xiahou Yuanming that this battle was dangerous and if they did not want to fight, Liu Bei would not force them.
Dong Huang and Xia Houyuan looked at each other, and then made it clear that they were willing to live and die with Liu Bei.
"Being able to live and die with you is a worthwhile thing in my opinion."
"It's my wish, but I don't dare to ask for my ear!"
Liu Bei was very happy, patted the two of them on the shoulders, and made an oath never to treat them badly.
(End of chapter)
