Chapter 26: Departure for Hanzhong

  After Liu Bei finished writing the imperial edict, he read it aloud and handed it over to Li Yu. Li Yu did not dare to be slow and knelt down on the ground with both hands to receive it, placing it in the center. Liu Bei said: "The military situation is urgent, and we must set out today. We cannot be slow, as it is said that 'armies value speed'. Please, Great General, lead the expedition!" Li Yu said: "Now that this is an imperial edict, how dare I delay?" He then asked Liu Bei to sit in the middle, invited Empress Dowager Liu's mother to take a seat, and bid farewell to Lady Wang Yue. Li Yu drew his sword and shouted angrily on the city wall: "The current Great Han Emperor is in danger, and now I, Li Yu, have received the imperial edict to lead the army out of the pass, to attack Zhang Lu in Hanzhong. This is actually for the sake of reviving the Great Han dynasty in the future. Now that Hanzhong has been pacified and Yizhou has no more worries about its rear, we should focus on recovering the Central Plains, eliminating the warlords, and reviving the Great Han. All you generals, follow me out! We will surely conquer, we will surely win! Let us revive the Great Han!"

  When Li Yu finished speaking, the three armies of soldiers under the city walls shouted in unison: "Attack and conquer, fight and win! Revive the great Han! Attack and conquer, fight and win! Revive the great Han! Attack and conquer, fight and win! Revive the great Han! Attack and conquer, fight and win! Revive the great Han! .............!

  The echo lasts forever, shaking the mountains and valleys, and the sound spreads across the nine heavens!

  Li Yu orders to go on an expedition!

  Li Yu was wearing a golden armor with the character "帅" on his helmet, and he had Han Ping Emperor's Shangfang treasure sword at his waist! He rode a yellow horse, holding a Fangtian painting halberd! On the victory notch of the yellow horse hung Li Yu's familiar bronze bell! Majestic and extraordinary! Guo Jia followed closely behind him in Confucian attire, also looking handsome and elegant!

  Seventy thousand troops are indeed following orders! General Li Yu's order was given! The mighty army set out of Chengdu city in a majestic manner!

  Li Yu glanced up at the city tower and saw Wang Xue, but he also felt a little uneasy in his heart. However, as a general who had sworn to defend the country, how could he prioritize family matters? Going to war for the country was a major national affair!

  Guo Jia also looked at Cai Wenji on the city tower, and the two of them gazed at each other for a long time! Unable to part ways!

  Wang Xue was also looking at Li Yu, cheering him on in her heart for her husband!

  Cai Wenji also gazed lovingly at her beloved husband Guo Jia!

  At this time, don't mention Li Yu going to war, first talk about General Guan leading the army into battle! As the saying goes, two flowers blooming on one branch can't be facing each other and talking at the same time!

  But Guan Yu was in Zitong City every day, practicing his troops and preparing for battle. That night, after receiving Li You's order, Guan Yu led his army out on a campaign that very night!

  Guan Yu led 30,000 cavalrymen to set out overnight and arrived at the border of Hanzhong in Ningqiang County.

  At this time, Zhang Lu of Hanzhong had also received the battle report, saying that Liu Bei's army in Yizhou had two generals, Guan Yu as the vanguard and Li Yu as the commander-in-chief of the central army, with more than 100,000 troops coming to seize Hanzhong!

  Li Yu's route was Guan Yu leading the army from Hanzhong Ningqiang County to Hanzhong, Zhang Ren from Ningxiang to Hanzhong Zhenba County! Xu Huang took Kang County! Li Yu then went straight from Nanjiang County to take the main road and rush to the city of Hanzhong! And finally, Nanzheng County was where the four armies converged!

  Zhang Lu was greatly shocked in his heart! In fact, Zhang Lu had long thought that Liu Bei would seize Hanzhong! Because Liu Bei wanted to send troops out of Yizhou, whether to advance on Chang'an or take Xiliang! Hanzhong was always his biggest worry and concern for the rear route! But Zhang Lu did not expect that Liu Bei would be so bold! He actually chose the war god Li Yu as the commander!

  Zhang Lu was shocked and immediately ordered the three armies to prepare for battle!

  Yan Pu, a strategist under Zhang Lu, advised Zhang Lu not to engage in battle with Li Yu, as the military strength of Yi Province was unmatched among all the lords! Dong Zhuo had been defeated several times by Li Yu's hands! The war god Li Yu used weakness to control strength, attacked where it was difficult to defend, and emerged victorious through unexpected means! He was wise and full of strategies! Guan Yu, Xu Huang, and Zhang Ren were all famous generals at that time, but there was no match for them in Hanzhong. It would be better to dig deep trenches and build high walls, wait for Li Yu's army to exhaust their food supplies and retreat back to Yi Province naturally. The city walls of Hanzhong were tall and easy to defend, difficult to attack! Now with tens of thousands of armored soldiers, when the time comes, they can take advantage of the situation and launch a surprise attack, which will surely lead to a great victory!

  But Zhang Lu was confident! He felt that he now had many soldiers and brave generals, and actually sent troops to conquer! Yang Song also played a great role in this! Before the expedition, Li Yu ordered Chen Gong to bribe Yang Song, Zhang Lu's military strategist, and let Yang Song suggest that Zhang Lu send troops to fight against the Yi State army!

  Zhang Lu ordered his general Yang Ren to lead 100,000 troops out of Nanzheng County to engage in a decisive battle with Guan Yu. He also ordered Yang Ang to lead 50,000 troops out of Mianyang County to engage in a decisive battle with Xu Huang at Rangyang County. He ordered Yan Pu to lead 50,000 troops to intercept Zhang Ren at Xichuan County and engage in a decisive battle with him! He himself led 50,000 troops to defend the city of Hanzhong! In fact, Yan Pu's expedition was also his own request. Originally, Zhang Lu wanted to send Military Advisor Yang Song, but Yan Pu saw through it - Yang Song must be Li You's internal response! He feared that Yang Song would bury Zhang Lu's tens of thousands of soldiers, and when the time came, the gates of Hanzhong would be wide open! That would truly be a national disaster! Therefore, Yan Pu led his troops to battle!

  At this time, Guan Yu had already taken the lead in capturing Ningqiang County, which was also Li Yu's strategy of "valuing speed" and winning the battle unexpectedly! As the saying goes, "winning the first battle is crucial". At this time, the Liu Bei army led by Li Yu had seized the initiative and gained the upper hand in this battle! This was also the result of Guan Yu's all-out preparations for war. Because Guan Yu was fully prepared for war, he could launch a surprise attack at night. Although Guan Yu's troops were all cavalry, if they hesitated for a day or two, it was uncertain whether they could achieve such great results! Even if they could capture Ningqiang County, they would still lose some troops. Therefore, Guan Yu was the first to be credited with this victory, and his contributions cannot be ignored!

  Guan Er Ye is currently stationed in Ningqiang County to train troops. Scouts reported that Zhang Lü's general Yang Ren led an army of 100,000 to conquer and punish him.

  Guan Yu smiled coldly and thought to himself, "This nameless mouse, how dare you compete with me! You truly don't know when to die! As the saying goes, good advice is hard to give to a stubborn ghost like you! Although your troops are numerous, three times mine at least, if you think you can defeat me, Guan Yu, by relying on sheer numbers, then you're dreaming! Today, I'll let you witness my prowess!"

  General Guan ordered Vice General Ji Yi to come and discuss matters!

  Ji Yi entered the commander's tent, bowed his head and said: "The commander has summoned me, I don't know what it is about! Is it because Yang Ren led 100,000 Han soldiers to come and discuss countermeasures?"

  Guan Er Ye smiled and said: "My fourth brother always says that you can be entrusted with great things when talking about General Ji Yi. Last time General Ji Yi defended the Qi Mountain Pass and today followed me to conquer, it's truly a blessing for Yun Chang in three lifetimes! Now I've found you, it's precisely this matter!"

  Yu Ji unfolded the map and said: "Now I have three plans, which can be divided into upper, middle and lower! General Guan, which plan do you want to use?"

  Guan Yu was overjoyed and said: "Please, General Jia Xu, tell me slowly, Yunchang is eager to hear the details!"

  "General Guan, our army values speed and has already entered Ningqiang County! Whether to fight or not is no longer up to Yang Ren. Our army can head north through Kuanchuan and Da'an, advancing towards Xinpuzhen and then directly attacking Mianxian County! Once Mianxian falls, we can strike Hanzhong directly! Our army consists entirely of cavalry, if Yang Ren tries to pursue, he will be left in the dust. This is the best strategy! However, if we allow Yang Ren to catch up and sandwich our army between his forces and those of Hanzhong, we will be in danger. Although this is a superior plan, it is also a perilous one!"

  "Then what's the middle strategy?" Guan Er Ye asked with his eyes narrowed and his mustache twirling.

  "Yang Ren's 100,000-strong army has already passed through South Zheng. If nothing unexpected happens, they will come to fight a decisive battle with our army on the main road between South Tun and Zhenchuan towns. Our army can take advantage of the speed of cavalry warfare, set out overnight, and capture Hujiaba Town before Yang Ren arrives. According to Yang Ren's current marching speed, it will take at least five days. Then, our all-cavalry army can use three days to ambush between Xiangjia Mountain and Yangpo Ridge, which is a must-pass route for Yang Ren. As soon as he comes, I will lead the army of 10,000, launch a barrage of arrows, and unleash rolling stones. The enemy will surely suffer heavy losses! Then our cavalry can use the sharp peak formation to charge from left and right. At this time, Yang Ren's infantry is mostly on foot, so they cannot form a square array to contend with our cavalry. In the midst of the ambush, the enemy's morale will be low. This battle will be won by General Guan in one fell swoop! We can annihilate the 100,000 elite soldiers from Hanzhong!"

  Guan Er Ye heard this plan and laughed, thinking to himself that Ju Yi indeed had two brushes and his ideas were roughly the same as mine! But Guan Er Ye didn't move a muscle and continued to say: "I'd like to hear the next chapter!"

  Guan Yu listened and felt that Guan Er's previous two strategies were not feasible, so he reluctantly said: "The iron lock city wall is high and grand, now there are only less than 2,000 remaining defenders. This is because Zhang Lu did not expect our army to be so swift and powerful! Our army can quickly break through the iron lock city gate, relying on this high city wall, and engage in a defensive battle with Yang Ren's 100,000 Han Zhong army! This is the lower strategy! Although our army can hold onto the iron lock city gate, it will absolutely not be able to complete the task target set by the great general! It is difficult to surround Han Zhong city on all sides!"

  Guan Yu listened and laughed, "The first plan is too hasty and too dangerous! If Yang Ren cuts off our military grain road and Zhang Lu of Hanzhong attacks us from both front and back, there will be a danger of the entire army being wiped out! The second plan is too slow, I am Guan Yu, Guan Yun-chang, in every war, I take the lead, how can I fall behind others? It cannot be taken! Then there is only the middle strategy, actually, I have another plan in mind, General Zuo, are you willing to listen?"

  "Please instruct me, General!" said Ji Yi with a bow.

  "Ha ha, now my army has 30,000 men, while Yang Ren has 100,000. But I'm not afraid! With the military might of Yi Province, one against ten is not something I dare say, but two against ten, although it's also a case of more defeats than victories, relying on our army's prestige and being well-rested, it's also a fifty-fifty chance of winning or losing. But if we use General Zhang Fei's strategy, hiding in ambush between Xiangjia Mountain and Yangpo Ridge, taking advantage of the nine bends and eighteen turns of this terrain, then with my cavalry charging into battle, the enemy army under Yang Ren won't be able to form a battle line, and I, Guan Yu, will have a ninety percent chance of winning! And I've already sent scouts to investigate, from Beishang to Kuanchuan, passing through Da'an, advancing on Xinpuzhen, then directly attacking Mianxian County. Only Mianxian County has 5,000 defending soldiers, and the other places combined have only about 7,000 defending soldiers. I'll give you, General Zhang Fei, 10,000 men, and also transfer to you all the more than 5,000 infantrymen captured in these battles. In this way, Zhang Lu will never expect me, Guan Yu, to divide my troops, and he will certainly be empty-handed. Then we can annihilate the enemy army, and General Zhang Fei can directly attack Mianxian County while I engage Yang Ren in a decisive battle at Xiangjia Mountain and Yangpo Ridge, then march through Gaogou, fight at Wangjiaping, advance on Huangjiagou, then take the main road to capture Zhenchuan Town and Nandun Town, and finally directly attack Nanzheng County and meet up with our great commander, my fourth brother. Then we'll attack Hanzhong! And you, General Zhang Fei, if you can't take Mianxian County, you can wait for Xu Gongming to arrive, join forces with him, and together attack Mianxian County, then advance on Hanzhong! Surrounding Hanzhong from four sides will achieve two goals: first, it's an unexpected move that will catch the enemy off guard; second, it will intimidate Zhang Lu into retreating and defending, making it easier for our great commander, Xu Gongming, and Zhang Ren to block his way. If you, General Zhang Fei, take Mianxian County, that would be even better! As long as you hold onto Mianxian County, it's like stabbing the enemy in the throat. According to Zhang Lu's personality, he will definitely order all his troops to retreat and hide in Hanzhong. In this way, I can coordinate with you from afar, take Langjiatang, and then Hanzhong will have no outer strongholds left. I can join forces with our great commander, and General Yan Yan still has 200 catapults. Except for the time it takes to march and fight, as long as we hold out for more than twenty days, Hanzhong is sure to fall! Then you, General Zhang Fei, will be the hero of this battle! Even I, Guan Yu, the second general of Yi Province, can't compare to you!"

  "General, the saint said: 'A gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall.' These 5,000 soldiers are yours to command! The enemy has over 100,000 troops, and Yang Ren is no ordinary person. He has ten times our numbers! I suggest that either General Guan leads the army north to take Mian County, or I go to Jia Mountain and Yangpo Ridge to engage in a decisive battle with Yang Ren. Even if I die, I can block General Guan's and General Gongming's alliance! Otherwise, you should lead these 5,000 soldiers yourself; otherwise, I will not obey your orders even if it means death! You are the second general of Yi Province, and if anything happens to you, what will happen to our lord and the other generals? I would be guilty of a great crime!

  Please, General, prioritize the safety of our lord and the other generals. Do not take unnecessary risks!

  Guan Yu helped Ju Yi up and stroked his beard, saying: "I, Guan Yunchang, along with my brothers Liu Bei, Zhang Fei, and Li Un, have sworn to revive the Han dynasty. How can we avoid danger? Moreover, if I, as the commander-in-chief, do not lead by example and fight bravely, how can our soldiers be willing to risk their lives?

  Furthermore, my sister-in-law is about to give birth, and her children are waiting for me to return. Guo Jia's wedding has also been delayed due to this war, and his fiancée is eagerly awaiting his return.

  Considering the bigger picture, Ma Teng and Han Sui of Xiliang, as well as Guo Si and Li Jue of Chang'an, and Liu Biao of Jingzhou, are all waiting for an opportunity to invade our territory. This battle cannot be delayed! If we win, we can shorten the war by at least a month.

  When my brother left for battle, he knew he might not return before his wife gave birth. As his older brother, how can I not help him? My mind is made up, and it will not change!

  You should lead the army north immediately! I, Guan Yu, have traveled the world and am not afraid of Yang Ren's insignificant forces! There is no need to say more. Go and carry out your orders!"

  Guan Yigang wanted to say something else, but Guan Er Ye shouted: "If you don't respect the commander's orders, don't blame the commander for being ruthless! Get down quickly!"

  Jū Yì saw Guān èr Yé being so resolute, and could only cup his hands in respect and say: "In Hànzhōng City, your humble servant awaits to drink wine and share joy with General Guān, we won't part until drunk!"

  Guan Yu also cupped his hands and said: "The city of Hanzhong, let's drink and celebrate! We won't leave until we're drunk!"

  Guan Er Ye finished speaking and Ju Yi Tou left without even turning his head back!

  The outcome of this battle will be revealed in the next chapter!