Chapter 898 Confrontation

Zhuge Liang received the task and rode back to the capital, entering Hanzhong from Wuguan. The messenger was much faster than him. Although Zhuge Liang was also proficient in the six arts and was skilled in archery and horsemanship, he was still far behind the professional soldiers.

So when Zhuge Liang arrived in Hanzhong, the document had already been sent to Luoyang and delivered to Guo Jia in Hanzhong.

Later generations joked that if Guo Jia didn't die, the Sleeping Dragon wouldn't come out, which was indeed a joke. After all, when Guo Jia died, Zhuge Liang was only in his twenties. A few years earlier, Zhuge Liang hadn't even reached adulthood. It's really a stretch to talk about humanity with destiny.

Of course, Wang Yan believed in destiny, otherwise his most beloved living father couldn't explain it clearly, but for Wang Yan, he was destiny. Many times, Wang was still a bit domineering and grew up a lot.

Guo Jia had no idea about Wang Yan's order to send an unknown Zhuge Liang to divide his 20,000 troops to attack Shu County. General Wang is a great boss. He has been wise and powerful for so many years and has never made any mistakes. Guo Jia believes in Wang Yan's vision. Moreover, he has also seen the memorials sent by Zhuge Liang, and he still recognizes Zhuge Liang's level.

Since the general has given the order, he just needs to cooperate, without so much nonsense. Besides, he is not very diligent. He used to want to go out and point out the country and make great efforts, but he found it boring after doing too much. He even often thought that after General Wang unified the country and ascended the throne to become emperor, he would do nothing and enjoy life. Now that someone is willing to take on the job, he is also happy to see it happen.

Moreover, the general made a clear order that Zhuge Liang's grain and grass would be supervised by him, which means that he was under his jurisdiction and could be directly ordered. He understood the general's intention, which was to give Zhuge Liang a chance, but to ensure that no bigger trouble would arise.

Guo Jia had wanted to find an opportunity to cross the Bashan Mountains and sent Zhao Yun to Xicheng (Ankang City). Now, it was just right that the war along the way was handed over to Zhuge Liang. He was mainly responsible for the other side, so he could avoid being out of reach.

So he did not meet Zhuge Liang, but just wrote a letter to explain some things and then left it alone, just waiting for Zhuge Liang's military report.

Zhuge Liang followed orders and did not go to see Guo Jia. He got to know Zhao Yun and found that he was gentle and steady, and felt that the general treated him well. Military generals are not domineering, but they should be proud. Especially the military generals under Wang Yan, every one of them is a famous general who has been famous for many years, and they are proud.

He was still prepared to deal with the generals' questions, but he didn't expect Zhao Yun to say a word of nonsense and completely follow orders, which made him very happy, but he couldn't help feeling like punching cotton. It's uncomfortable to be forced.

In the military camp outside Ankang City, Zhao Yun sat at the bottom very modestly and asked: "Feng Xiao originally ordered me to lead the army to cross the Bashan Mountains and attack Xuanhan to enter the heartland of Shu. I wonder what the army plan is?"

"If we take Xuanhan, our army can go straight into Shu without any obstacles. However, I expect that Cao's army will definitely want to take our Xicheng with heavy troops, aiming at Hanzhong and even our capital. Before coming here, I also wanted to attack Xuanhan, but my Wuguan is unbreakable, and Nanyang is heavily armed. Even if it is Ankang, I will take away the general's 20,000 troops and horses, and there are still 30,000 left. The army of Yufu can protect our rear without worries.

Therefore, I want to break Yufu Jiangguan (Kuimen), which is a key place connecting Jing and Shu, and my Nanjun has a large number of troops stationed along the river, which can be attacked from the east and west. If Cao's army sends troops from the other side to rescue, our navy can cross the river and attack, and directly take Changsha. If they don't rescue, Jiangguan has been taken and Shu has been pacified. Even if Jiangguan is heavily guarded and difficult to conquer, our army can also move Cao's army in Shu by attacking it. There are a hundred benefits and no harm, why not do it? "

Zhuge Liang stroked his beard and said it very confidently. Especially looking at the surprise in Zhao Yun's eyes, he nodded with satisfaction and felt comfortable...

Everyone knows the importance of Jiangguan. Once Jiangguan is taken, the army of Henan can march straight in. And with the combat effectiveness of Wang Yan's army, once there is no danger to defend, they will be defeated.

But on the other hand, since everyone knows the importance of Jiangguan, Lao Cao naturally knows it too. Heavy defense is inevitable, and there are always 30,000 to 50,000 troops. So people will naturally elevate Jiangguan and subconsciously ignore it.

Zhuge Liang did the opposite. Even if he couldn't take Jiangguan, he could block Jiangguan's supplies. Once there was no supply, how long Jiangguan could be defended was a problem. At the same time, there was a lot of food in Shu, and a considerable part of Cao's military supplies went along this line.

Even if they were trapped on the west side of Jiangguan, they could block the enemy for a while with their combat effectiveness, and even if they came less, they would not be enough for them to fight. This affected the whole body, affecting not only the Cao army in Shu, but also the Cao army in Jingzhou. It had a major impact on this war.

So did Guo Jia, Jia Xu and others think of this? They must have thought of it. They are all smart people, and they would never ignore this place. It's just that Jia Xu's task is to look after the house, while Guo Jia's task is to coordinate the overall situation of Hanzhong and be responsible for the attack on Shu. Jiangguan is too far away, and Guo Jia can't make a decision in time. If he is not good, tens of thousands of troops will be buried.

Even though they have a strong family background, the loss of tens of thousands of troops in one battle is not something they can easily bear.

The most important reason, of course, is that the advantage is on their side. Guo Jia has followed Wang Yan for twenty years and has been deeply influenced. He is more inclined to end the battle with the least cost rather than taking risks.

This is what makes Zhuge Liang different. He claims to have ambitions to govern the country. Although he has been an official under Wang Yan for so many years, he has done well and has learned ideological theories well, but he always wants a bigger stage and wants to display his talents.

The military and politics are separated. He didn't know the real strength of the army before. Now he leads the army and has a deep understanding of the strength. Zhuge Liang said that he had never fought such a rich war in his life, and it was inevitable to take risks.

In general, Zhuge Liang is still young and more aggressive, just like when he came out of the mountain, instead of the endless regret and loneliness at Wuzhangyuan.

Immediately, Zhuge Liang wrote a document to explain his strategic intentions.

One copy was sent to Nanjun, asking the guarding army there to pay attention and attack together when necessary. One copy was of course sent to Guo Jia. Once the situation changed, Guo Jia had to be prepared. He was surrounded by dumplings here, and Guo Jia had to send troops to rescue him. Another copy was sent to the Military Governor's Mansion in Luoyang. Military mobilization must be clearly recorded, which involves the mobilization of various materials and reserve militia. The Military Governor's Mansion will forward it to Wang Yan, so that Wang Yan can be prepared and respond in time.

On the second day, he followed Zhao Yun and led his army into Bashan. They wanted to sneak over and catch Cao Jun off guard...

In order to facilitate command, Cao Cao led his army to station in Poyang County, which was not far from the three fronts of the Yangzhou battlefield, so that he could command the army at close range. At this point, he was not at ease to hand over the command power for such an important battlefield.

As the evening approached, military information from various places was delivered one after another. All places suffered fierce attacks and requested support. For a moment, Cao Cao felt the overwhelming pressure, and all places were in urgent need, as if they would be finished in the next moment. That feeling was completely unbearable for ordinary people.

But Lao Cao was of course not ordinary. He immediately judged that it was Wang Yan who came here in person. And he also judged that Wang Yan was in Wuhu, and Xu Chu was facing Wang Yan.

It was a very simple truth. Wang Yan's goal was to cross the river across the river. Because in this way, Wang Yan would not have to confront him across the river across the river. No one dared to use the air defense of the river bank. Wang Yan crossed the river, and Cao Cao was finished. Cao Cao crossed the river and destroyed Henan. The loss was too great, and Wang Yan worked for several years in vain.

Once the Yangtze River was crossed, the troops guarding the Yangtze River were liberated, and Cao Cao was defeated. Although he also liberated the soldiers guarding the river bank, his front-line soldiers had to rely on their large numbers to gain an advantage. Similarly, his second-line soldiers were also the same. The quality of his army was indeed not as good as Wang Yan's army.

The more important point is that the consumption of food and grass for a large army stationed and a large army mobilized to fight is different. Even if Wang Yan cannot fight an annihilation war, Cao Cao's food and grass cannot support it for longer. If it lasts for a long time, Cao Cao will lose.

This is a war that is destined to end, but there are many people in this world who are unwilling to give up, and Cao Cao is one of them.

In the official office of Poyang County, Cao Cao rubbed his head with a headache, drinking wine while thinking hard about how to deal with it.

Sitting below were Xun You, Cheng Yu and others, who were all following Cao Cao in planning here, including coordinating food and grass. In Shu, Xun Yu was in charge, bringing Jiang Ji, Liu Ye, Yang Xiu and others, and they faced Guo Jia.

Cao Cao didn't say anything, so of course they wouldn't say much.

Those present were all wise people, and they all understood the impact of Wang Yan's fierce attack this time.

Cao Cao now had limited troops to mobilize, and there was no way to increase all the troops, otherwise the Yangtze River would not be able to be defended. And if only Xu Chu's troops were increased, what about the other battlefields? Besides, they had no way to judge whether Wang Yan had more troops. The war had been going on for more than a month, and Wang Yan's military mobilization was strong, and no one knew how many people were transferred here.

Once Wang Yan failed to stop here, and the other fronts were broken, the battle of Yangzhou would be over. Wang Yan's large-scale advance would not protect Changsha for long. After that, they retreated to Shu, and Wang Yan's army besieged them. Even if Shu was dangerous, how long could they hold on?

How can they achieve a surprise victory? They can't even cross the river. Even if they were to destroy the 100,000 elite troops in Yangzhou in one battle and control the Jiangnan region, it would not help. They could only live another ten years. Because Wang Yan's foundation is there, the loss of 100,000 elite troops is indeed a serious injury, but it is also difficult for them to march north.

Even as strong as Wang Yan, crossing the river is so difficult, let alone their small sampans.

When their surprise attack did not achieve the expected results, they were defeated. It was a surprise attack again, and they had several times the number of troops, but they failed to penetrate Wang Yan's army and take Hanzhong and the eastern part of Yangzhou, so that the subsequent sneak attacks on Chang'an and Luoyang were delayed and could not be carried out.

Their strategy in Shu is to defend. Resist the attack in Hanzhong and find a good opportunity to deal a heavy blow to Wang Yan. By the way, wait for the situation in Yangzhou and then discuss it.

Wang Yan's army is getting bigger and stronger, and their high pressure in recent years has made the people unstable. Although Wang Yan is always blackened, the legend of Wang Yan has been circulating. No matter how ignorant the people are, they know that they are not living well, and they always have a rebellious mentality.

The next battle is to fight hard, because there is no way without fighting. They all hope to find a weakness in the dynamic battlefield, win with one blow, and turn the tables.

But obviously, Wang Yan, who has been wise for 24 years, is still wise.

So Lao Cao drank alone, so the wise counselors did not speak.

Xu Shi was aware of the low morale, and Cao Cao put down the wine bottle heavily: "Send my military order to dispatch 30,000 troops and horses to help Xu Chu, and another 15,000 troops and horses, and each department will increase its troops by 5,000, which must be defended. I will go there in person tomorrow. In front of the battle, there is a chance of survival. If we capture Wang Yan, great things will happen. If we fail... I will die."

He thought about it for a long time, but couldn't think of any good way. He could only hope to win by relying on military strength. And these less than 50,000 soldiers and horses were all he could spare. Fifteen thousand was the guard force around him, and thirty thousand was taken from the riverside. No matter how much, the Yangtze River cannot be defended.

So he decided to fight to the death, hoping that he was smarter than Wang Yan. With an army of 80,000 in such a small place, he didn't believe he couldn't defeat Wang Yan...

Xun You cupped his hands, stood up and wrote a military order aside. He gave it to Cao Cao to take a look at, then he used his seal and the sergeant quickly passed on the order.

Taken together, under the current circumstances, the only hope is to kill Wang Yan. As long as Wang Yan dies, although the background is still there, the internal political struggle will inevitably affect the war. Even if they captured Wang Yan alive and could imprison him, Wang Yan's men would never dare to move.

What a beautiful thought. I actually thought that General Wang was the useless Huiqin Second Sect, and he thought he was Zhu Qizhen?

Fortunately, General Wang didn't know that they were so bold and beautiful. Otherwise, this group of people would definitely not end well if they were defeated. It was really insulting.

After a day of victory, the results of this day were still good. In addition to reducing the number of 3,000 people on the opposite side, the front line was also advanced by 30 miles.

As for the supply problem for his march, that was too simple. There are warships on the river, and supplies on the other side. Therefore, after the front line advanced, the militiamen on the other side of the river were dispatched to escort the prisoners, dig holes and bury the bodies, and supplement the loss of soldiers.

So far, the number of front-line combat troops he has directly mobilized has reached 200,000, including 100,000 in Hanzhong and Yangzhou. The number of second-line militiamen and semi-adult men over fifteen years old reached one million. Among them, the second-line militiamen are responsible for escorting grain and grass, replenishing soldiers, guarding various passes and riversides, etc. Those over the age of fifteen are simply responsible for transporting grain and grass, providing them with a sense of participation in the war.

The term "over fifteen years old" includes former retired soldiers, except for the disabled and men over forty years old. A large number of police lieutenants have not moved, and are still maintaining stability in various places and dealing with material transfer issues in various places.

A month has passed, and the order has been spread to all directions. From the Northeast to the grasslands to Liangzhou, no one is idle, and they are all serving the war.

Although millions of men were mobilized, this was not enough to go all out. Because there is still a lot of room left to prepare for next year's spring plowing, I don't dare to delay farming at all costs.

After all, Wang Yan did not regard Lao Cao as his opponent. He did have such strength. After all, he had been farming for more than 20 years, how could he be white.

After a full night's sleep, the next morning, after breakfast, the battle began again. Today's battle was very interesting. In the morning, he fought against the opponent who was struggling to hold on. After a few battles, he lost more than 2,000 troops and advanced ten miles. But when it was getting dark, a sudden failure occurred and hundreds of people were lost, which made Wang Yan laugh.

He knew that Lao Cao was coming...

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