Plateau is a unique landform in the Yongliang area of Guanzhong.
Due to the perennial erosion of flowing water, the loess structure follows the direction of the water flow, forming a long platform-like terrain with steep sides and a flat top.
For example, during the First World War in Guanzhong, the Wuzhangyuan where the Prime Minister stationed troops was actually a type of plain.
The high plateau where Hangu Pass is located starts from the Dahe River in the north and reaches the Qinling Mountains in the south. It is called Choosangyuan.
As you can tell from the name, this plateau might have been covered with mulberry trees in the past.
There are cliffs on both sides of Cousangyuan, and there is a cliff in the east. Together with the dense forest on the plateau, they create a dangerous terrain where one man can pass the Hangu Pass and no one can pass it.
But today, the water level of the river continues to drop, exposing a large area of the river bed.
The army can directly bypass Hangu Pass from the riverbed exposed on the south bank of the river, and Gaoyuan will naturally lose its role in blocking the enemy.
However, in his early years, Cao Cao attacked Zhang Lu and Ma Chao in the west. In order to transfer supplies for troops and horses, he ordered Xu Chu to build a gate tower at the narrowest part of the river bed.
This pass tower was built at the northernmost end of the plateau, less than ten miles away from Qinhangu Pass, and was called the new pass.
Today's Wei army is guarding Qinhan Valley Pass and Xinguan Pass at the same time, blocking the advancement of the Han army.
Jiang Wei and Liu Yin were short of troops, and the Wei army was well prepared. They dug a deep ditch and built a barrier in front of the new pass in advance, leaving them with little choice but to do something.
After hearing Jiang Wei's words and seeing his eyes looking southward along Cousang Plain, Liu Yin immediately guessed what the other party was thinking, and he couldn't help but feel worried:
"Does Boyo want to find a way to climb to a high plateau? Most of these high plateaus are cliffs and there are dense forests on them, so it may be difficult to climb up."
At this time, although the Choumulberry Plain was no longer a forest of mulberry trees, it was still lush with trees, making it extremely difficult to climb.
"If the west side of Choosangyuan is the same as the east side, both facing a dead stream, then we have no other option but to attack by force."
Jiang Wei looked at the endless high plains with firm eyes:
"Now that there is no absolute canyon here, we have to give it a try. Otherwise, how can we be willing to return without success?"
After hearing this, Liu Yin knew that Jiang Wei had already made up his mind and could not persuade him any more, so he could only ask:
"Then how should I cooperate with Bojo?"
Jiang Wei said:
"The fighting was fierce in the previous round, and the soldiers may be a little tired. Xiuran just arranges for them to rest, and the thieves will not doubt it."
"I will take this opportunity to lead the army southward and look for opportunities. If we can find a mountain trail, I will send someone to inform Xiuren and we will act together."
Liu Yin heard this and nodded:
"That's very good. The soldiers really should take a rest."
So the two summoned the generals below, and Jiang Wei said:
"The thieves are well prepared today. If we attack them forcefully, the casualties will be incalculable. Therefore, I want to lead an elite group to find a dangerous route to defeat the thieves."
"But if I go here, there are many dangers. Who is willing to follow me?"
All the generals responded enthusiastically:
"I am willing to follow the general!"
Jiang Wei was overjoyed to see that his morale was ready. He carefully selected three thousand men who dared to die. They did not wear armor, but only carried leather armor and enough dry food. They all held axes, cut ropes and other tools, and began to explore southward along the Choosang Plain. go.
It's just that the walls of the Choosang Plateau are as sharp as a knife, lying between the Qinling Mountains and the river. How difficult is it to find a dangerous path across it?
Even if they occasionally find a place where they can cross the high plateau, because it is too close to Hangu Pass, the Wei army has already been prepared.
Jiang Wei had no choice but to lead his army and continue walking south.
It’s just that the further south you go, the harder it becomes.
Jiang Wei led his people and traveled south for dozens of miles, but found that the place was desolate and overgrown with weeds. He could only rely on the high plateau and cliffs to identify the direction.
The soldiers could only use their swords and axes to clear the way, and step one foot high and one foot low to make a path.
This trip started in early August. In ten days, we only walked seventy or eighty miles. We covered no more than ten miles in one day.
Except for the fact that wherever he goes, there are rare human traces, there is no way to go, and he needs to make his own way.
Jiang Wei and his soldiers also had to carefully search for any places where they could climb up to the plateau, so the speed was naturally very slow.
The terrain near Choosangyuan is inherently undulating with thousands of ravines.
The road of a hundred miles may seem short, but if you really have to walk it through mountains and ravines, it is actually two hundred or even three hundred miles.
In addition, from the Qinling Mountains, a lot of water flows into the river. However, due to insufficient flow, it accumulates under the high plateau, forming mud pits and even swamps.
These mud pits and swamps are often hidden among tall weeds. If you are not careful, you will sink into them.
If Jiang Wei hadn't asked someone to bring extra ropes and pull them out in time, the soldiers who fell in would have been swallowed by the mud and water.
Even so, several soldiers still disappeared into the wild grass and deep pools. Nearly a hundred people were sick and injured due to various reasons and had to be transferred back.
Fortunately, Jiang Wei found a few dry places along the way and set up temporary camps without dismantling them, so he didn't have to worry about going back.
When the terrain rose significantly, even Jiang Wei had to abandon his horse and explore the road on foot with his soldiers.
"General, if we go further, we will reach the Qinling Mountains. What should we do?"
If they arrive in the Qinling Mountains and fail to find a suitable location, then they will really return without success this time.
Jiang Wei raised his eyes and looked around, but the last ten miles or so of Cousang Plain remained the same as before, and its end had already submerged into the Qinling Mountains and formed one with the Qinling Mountains.
Jiang Wei looked back at the soldiers around him, but saw that everyone was covered in mud, water and dirt, and looked tired.
Fortunately, the Eighth Army of Guanzhong had received rigorous training and was led by veterans of many battles, so their morale was acceptable.
So he called all the generals to come and said:
"As the saying goes, a person who travels a hundred miles is half as good as ninety. This means that the end of the road is difficult. How can our army retreat after reaching this point?"
"Tomorrow, I and you and others will carefully search the last ten miles. If we get God's blessing and cross this plateau, I will share the great achievements with you."
Those who can take the initiative to ask for orders to follow Jiang Wei to explore the road are naturally mentally prepared for the current situation, and they all responded:
"We are willing to follow the general!"
Jiang Wei then ordered everyone to go down and encourage the soldiers to wait for tomorrow.
It's just that no matter how useful the military spirit is, it still depends on God's will.
At dawn the next day, Jiang Wei ordered the camp to be broken up and the search began.
However, until the sun passed high in the sky, no one from each team had any good news.
Jiang Wei stood at the foot of the high plateau and looked up. He saw that the mud and rocks on the high plateau were jagged and monster-like, as if they would fall down and smash people if they were disturbed.
Looking at the Qinling Mountains not far away, the mountains are stacked on top of each other as far as the eye can see. The white clouds in the sky surround the mountain peaks, making them mysterious and unpredictable.
He couldn't help but let out a long sigh:
"Surely God will not bless me?"
Who would have expected that as the sun went down and the last team returned to camp, one person would be secretly escorted back:
"General, we have captured someone, it may be a spy!"
When Jiang Wei heard this, his heart skipped a beat, "Elaborate work?"
But when the team leader came forward with a sword and a bow:
"General, these are the weapons collected from this person."
Jiang Wei took it and took a closer look, and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows:
"Is this... a thief's military weapon?"
The appearance of this sword and bow is a bit old, but Jiang Wei joined the army in Tianshui, Liangzhou after all, and he can recognize it at a glance as the style of the weapons used by Wei thieves in his early years.
He couldn't help but look up at Xizuo who was tied tightly and even his mouth was sealed.
There is actually a thief working in this place?
Could it be that the bandit army had already anticipated my actions?
Thinking of this, his heart sank.
However, I saw that Xi Zuo had anxious eyes, whining and twisting his body continuously, as if to indicate that he had something to say.
"Take the thing out of his mouth. I have something to ask."
When Xizuo got a chance to speak, he collapsed on the ground without waiting for a moment to catch his breath, kowtowed repeatedly, and begged for mercy:
"General, general, the villain is not careful, not careful, really not careful!"
Jiang Wei's eyes fell on him, but he saw that this man's face was full of fear and his clothes were ragged. He did not look like a meticulous worker.
"Where did you find him?"
"Back to the general, we followed the general's order and went to the foot of Nanshan Mountain to investigate. Unexpectedly, this person was hiding in the jungle and setting up a trap. If we hadn't searched carefully, we would have been injured by the trap."
"You're wronged, General. You're wronged by the villain! The trap set by the villain was originally for hunting. How dare you hurt the tiger soldiers under the general's command?"
"Hunting?"
Jiang Wei is such a smart person. He immediately captured the important information in this person's words.
But I saw him raising the sword and bow in his hand and signaling:
"This is the weapon used by the Wei army. If you are just a hunter, how can you explain this?"
"Besides, I've never seen anyone living here. You said you're hunting, so where do you live?"
With that said, Jiang Wei pointed to the Qinling Mountains, "Could it be that you live in the deep mountains and old forests of the Qinling Mountains? Isolated from the world?"
When the man heard this, his expression changed and he immediately dared not speak.
Jiang Wei saw it and immediately shouted:
"It's really a meticulous work. Take him down and torture him severely. We must ask him everything he knows!"
"Here!"
Who would have expected that Wei Jun's meticulous work had no backbone. Before the sergeant could pull him up, he immediately shouted:
"General, General, spare your life! The villain is here, the villain is here!"
Jiang Wei waved his hand, and the sergeant put the man down knowingly.
Jiang Wei raised his chin and signaled, "Go ahead."
Seeing the other person lying on the ground, he hummed a few times, his eyes rolled around, and Jiang Wei said "Huh?"
"The villain said, the villain said, the villain's name is Li Liu, and he does live in the mountains..."
Before he finished speaking, Jiang Wei threw the knife and bow in front of him with a clang and shouted:
"How dare you quibble! This weapon is a weapon used by the Wei thieves. You and I don't know!"
"If you live in the mountains, then let me ask you, where did you get this weapon?"
But seeing Li Liu trembling, he said in a somewhat squeaky voice:
"Yes...it was passed down from the villain's father..."
Jiang Wei came up to him and said word by word:
"That is to say, your master once served in the Wei army, right?"
Li Liu suddenly raised his head and looked at Jiang Wei in disbelief.
Jiang Wei didn't give him a chance to react and continued:
"And he's a deserter?"
The blood on the other party's face suddenly faded and turned extremely pale.
When Jiang Wei saw the other party's expression, he had already guessed it. He sneered, stood up straight, and looked at Li Liu condescendingly:
"If you are really not a meticulous worker, then you are probably living nearby when you appear here. If I send people to search separately, maybe we can find some clues..."
"General, General, spare your life, General, spare your life!"
Jiang Wei's words, as if he could guess everything, directly broke Li Liu's psychology. He kowtowed, "I'll move, I'll move them all!"
"explain!"
"The villain, the villain's lord, indeed once lived in Wei... Wei..."
"Wei thief!"
"Yes, yes, yes! I once served as a soldier for the Wei thieves. That was, that was," the man thought hard, "that was more than twenty years ago."
"The villain's late father was a native of Guanzhong. Later, he was revolted by the army and his family fled to Hanzhong. Unexpectedly, Wei and Wei thieves later invaded Hanzhong and moved all the people in Hanzhong."
"The villain was only thirteen years old at the time, and he moved back to his hometown with his late father. Unexpectedly, before he settled down and had no livelihood, the local government bullied the villain and his family before they returned to their hometown. They had nothing to live on, so they took the villain away. Join the army with everyone."
"My father and son have just passed Hangu Pass with the army. It is reported that the Wei thieves were defeated again in Jingzhou in the south. The war is getting tense. The King of Wei is moving the capital, which makes people panic."
"At that time, many soldiers fled privately. The villain and my late father also took advantage of the chaos to escape and hid in the Qinling Mountains."
When Jiang Wei heard this, he finally understood.
Isn't this what happened when Cao Cao and the late emperor were at a disadvantage in the battle for Hanzhong, and then encountered the Battle of Xiangfan and had insufficient troops, so he had to urgently recruit servants from all over the country?
Of course, Jiang Wei didn't care whether this person's words were true or false.
Anyway, he is the general of the Han Dynasty who conquered the east, and has nothing to do with the Wei thieves.
He only cared about whether he could climb over the high plateau in front of him and get around to the rear of the bandit army.
"Is what you said true?"
"The villain guarantees with his life that every word is true."
Judging from the flags of the army in front of us, most of them are Shang Chi. Now that they call Wei a thief, they must be the Han army.
If it were Wei Jun, he would definitely not dare to tell even a single word of the truth.
"Okay, since you dare to guarantee this, that means you have been hiding in this mountain for more than twenty years?"
"yes."
"That means you are familiar with this area?"
"yes."
"Then you must also know how to cross this high plateau?"
"I know, I know..."
Jiang Wei approached the man again and stared at him: "Lead the way. As long as you can lead the right way, I will believe you."
In troubled times, it is not a strange thing for people to flee to the mountains and forests for refuge. On the contrary, it is the most normal thing.
There is really nothing wrong with what Li Liu said.
Jiang Wei stood up and waved.
"General?"
"Bring one bag of candy, three bags of dry food, and five blankets."
"Here."
The things were quickly brought over. Jiang Wei threw a piece of candy in front of him and signaled:
"Try?"
The man picked it up hesitantly, hesitated, and took a careful bite.
After just two chews, his eyes suddenly lit up: "Salty? Delicious!"
"Of course it's delicious. It's mixed with salt, shredded pork, chicken and many other good things. Eating one piece can make a full meal."
Jiang Wei said, patting the bag:
"These three bags are all filled with this good stuff."
He took out another piece and threw it over, "Try this again."
This time, the man didn't hesitate and just bit off a big piece.
Then his eyes suddenly widened: "Sweet?"
He spoke too hastily and accidentally sprayed foam from his mouth. Then he was so frightened that he subconsciously covered his mouth, carefully scratched the ground, picked up the foam the size of a grain of rice, and put it back into his mouth.
"Of course it's sweet." A smile appeared on Jiang Wei's face, and then he patted the bag containing the candy. "It's such a big bag, it's all there."
"There's sugar in it. Just the piece in your hand will keep you hungry for half a day."
"What is sugar?"
"It's honey."
I didn't bother to explain it to him, I couldn't explain it clearly anyway.
"You will lose your longevity..." The man's eyes were a little dull and he murmured, "You will lose your longevity if you eat it..."
"Peng!"
Jiang Wei shakes off the blanket and throws it in front of him, "The blanket is very thick! It's very cold in the mountains. Cover it at night and it will be extremely warm! If you don't believe me, touch it!"
"General, general, what are you..."
Li Liu's body was trembling, and even his lips were trembling.
"As long as you can take us to the other side, these will all be yours. I will let you go then."
Jiang Wei pointed at the thing in front of him, and then stared at the other person coldly:
"But if you can't do it, then it must be Wei thieves who are doing it carefully. When the time comes, I will use your head to sharpen my sword!"
Li Liu kowtowed quickly:
"The villain dare not hide it from the general. The villain just knows that there is a place where you can climb up and cross the plateau."
"good!"
Jiang Wei was overjoyed.
When the sergeant took Li Liu down, someone on the left and right asked worriedly:
"General, if this person lies, or if the Wei thieves are careful, we will be in danger if we follow him!"
Jiang Wei smiled and said:
"How could I not have thought of it? It's just that I don't think this man's clothes and demeanor look like those in the army. Even if what he said is false, it is still half true."
Then he lowered his voice again:
"I just used words to deceive him. Judging from his reaction, I guess he must live nearby. You should lead people to search carefully."
"It would be best if we can find the same kind. Even if we can't find it, we still need to find clues. Then I will test it again and know whether he is careful or not."
If the other party's accomplices were really escaping from the world, they would probably have already begun to hide elsewhere.
But in haste, all traces cannot be destroyed.
At that time, as long as they confirm each other, they will know the true identity of the other party.
"Here!"
(End of chapter)
