Different from the past, this time Wei General Cao Zhen wanted to attack Bashu, and the temples of Wei State all agreed with it.
The biggest reason is naturally that there is no fighting in the northern Xinjiang and southeastern fronts this year.
If we don't take the opportunity to attack now, we may end up with a two-front or even three-front battle in the future.
Needless to say, Sun Wu, who had already proclaimed himself emperor and had formed an alliance with Ni Shu, would definitely send troops to Ni Shu again as long as he suppressed the internal rebellion.
The stability of northern Xinjiang may not last long.
Because Liang Xi just died of illness.
Liang Xi, a native of Zhe, Chen County, was a famous minister promoted by Cao Cao in the Wei Dynasty.
During his tenure as the governor of Bingzhou, he attacked the powerful rightists and defeated the Xiongnu tribes and Xianbei Kebineng. He had great prestige in the northern Xinjiang and was one of the things Wei relied on to deter and appease the northern Xinjiang.
His death was probably due to the fact that during the period of Wei Cao Cao and Wei Wen Cao Pi, the Xianbei tribes' security guards and the Xiongnu generals who moved into Bingzhou had colluded with the county magnates and wanted to cause chaos!
Furthermore, the internal conflicts in Wei State need to be transferred.
After the emperor Cao Rui ordered a strict investigation of the embezzlement of farmland by wealthy families and implemented the war preparation laws with a tough attitude, the families who benefited from the ninth-grade official system began to feel dissatisfied.
Although the words of abandoning Liangzhou will not be mentioned again, "it is better to defend the people's mouth than to defend the river".
For internal stability, Wei State needed war to divert internal conflicts.
If this attack against Shu and the recapture of Longyou land can demonstrate Wei's military power, all criticisms will be melted away.
Finally, it is about Liangzhou and the Western Regions.
When Emperor Wen of Wei Cao Pi came to the throne, small countries such as Shanshan, Qiuci, and Khotan in the Western Regions each sent envoys to contribute. The Wei State was also allowed to appoint Wuji Captain, which opened up the Silk Road trade in the Western Regions again.
In December of last winter, King Bo of the Great Yueshi sent envoys from the Wei State to offer sacrifices.
This was a matter of joy for everyone in the Wei Kingdom, and it was also a manifestation of the destiny of Cao Wei and the Han Dynasty.
Because the Da Yueshi, who were defeated by the Xiongnu and Wusun one after another, had long since migrated out of the jurisdiction of the Western Region Protectorate, far to the west of Dawan.
However, Da Yuezhi's envoy even mentioned that he hoped to increase the trade of Shu brocade with Wei.
The Shu Brocade is owned by Shu!
In other words, all the Qiang and Hu tribes in Liangzhou, as well as Haoyou, are secretly doing business with Nishu!
If we do not conquer Bashu as soon as possible, I fear that the people of Liangzhou will gradually turn against Shu, and it will be even more difficult to conquer in the future.
And for the sake of long-term peace and stability, how can we sit back and watch Ni Shu form a cavalry?
Many reasons came together to form a situation where all the temples and temples in Wei State spoke with the same voice.
However, the route the troops took out was slightly adjusted.
Based on the information relayed by the ranger scouts and careful preparations, the general Cao Zhennai planned to feign an attack on Wudu and Hanzhong County. The main force in Guanzhong and the Liangzhou garrison combined more than 100,000 troops to march to Longyou.
However, important ministers such as Chen Qun, Liu Ye and Yang Fu all held different opinions.
But I felt that when I walked through Anding County and entered Longyou via Xiaoguan, the terrain gradually rose to a height of nearly two to three hundred feet, and it was difficult to transport such a large army by transporting baggage and food.
Moreover, there were many garrisons set up by Shu in the north of the Wei River!
If Cao Zhen were to leave Xiao Pass with all his main force, it would probably be difficult to spread out, resulting in an empty military advantage that could not be demonstrated.
Therefore, on the grounds that 180,000 troops can be mobilized this time, it is recommended that Hanzhong and Longyou attack simultaneously!
The national power of defeating Ni Shu with superior military strength was weakened, and it offset Ni Shu's geographical advantage.
Ni Shu, who has few troops, has no choice but to spread his soldiers across the long border, thus becoming weak in defense! By then, no matter where there is a lack of support, it will cause the overall collapse!
Cao Zhen did not refute this.
Even so, the unidentified advance also dispersed the strength of our own army.
However, as the commander-in-chief, he can arrange the time when the soldiers are sent out from each department, and he can also prioritize them.
For example, let the armies in the Wushui Basin and Anding County stand still for the time being, and wait until the other troops marching into Hanzhong have attracted all Ni Shu's attention, and then rush out with lightning speed!
Use the method of virtual reality to achieve the effect of surprise soldiers.
Therefore, after bidding farewell to the emperor Cao Rui, he rushed back to Guanzhong to build up his troops.
After the important ministers of the Wei State were deciding on the strategy, they all got busy, preparing supplies, food, fodder, etc.
Because the significance of this battle is just like the Battle of Shiting in the past.
If they win, Ni Shu can be expelled back to the land of Bashu, and they will continue to be trapped with a small army, waiting to be crushed by the Wei State that has occupied all the rich lands in the world.
If it fails, Wei's western front may also fall into passive defense.
In the tug-of-war against Shu's repeated attacks, the Liangzhou Qianghu tribe and their rightful heart were lost, and thus the territory of Liangzhou was lost.
However, our own military strength advantage is so obvious, even if we can't win, we can both lose, right?
Both sides suffered losses, and it can be regarded as a tragic victory for Wei.
After all, the Wei State sent a lot of troops this time, but it cannot be called a battle with all the national strength.
Every time Ni Shu mobilized troops, it was regarded as a desperate gamble on the fate of the country.
How can it last long?
Guanzhong and Jingbei are under great pressure, and the movement of the army is naturally impossible to hide from others.
In other words, Cao Zhen didn't intend to hide his intentions at all.
After Sun Quan from the east of the Yangtze River heard about this, he regretted that this battle was not timely. The rebel Wei army was going northwest. If he marched to the southeast at this time, he would not have to worry about reinforcements coming to rescue him.
Therefore, he sent several troops to harass the border areas in Huainan to see if there was anything to gain.
Zhu Ran's troops stationed in Jiangling, Nanjun, were on the alert.
Jiangling City is located on the north bank of the river and has always been the bridgehead for Jiangdong to march to Jingbei.
As Sun Quan's childhood companion, he was highly trusted and had arbitrary power.
First, wait and see from the other side of the river to see if there is any possibility of taking advantage of the fire. The right thing should be to coordinate the Northern Expedition of the two countries.
Furthermore, in a relationship of mutual dependence, helping others is self-interest.
If we can break through several garrisons against the Wei Dynasty, or plunder some common people and baggage and return, it will also weaken the strength of the army against the Wei Dynasty to go south in the future.
Why not do it?
After the big man heard about it, he also prepared his troops and prepared for them.
Prime Minister Zhuge Liang ordered soldiers and horses from all counties to strictly guard the passes and dangerous points, and once again mobilized soldiers and horses from Shu to guard them.
It's Li Yan.
At the beginning of this year, Li Yan wrote to the emperor and the prime minister, claiming that he wanted to lead more than ten thousand people from his army to Longyou to fight in order to repay the kindness of the late emperor.
And his words are quite sincere.
On the grounds that he was already over fifty years old, he claimed that he would not lead an expedition now, fearing that he would not have the chance in the future.
The Prime Minister was not easy to refuse.
After all, when the late Emperor Liu Bei left him alone, the responsibility he gave Li Yan was to command the Chinese and foreign military.
And seeking to fight with the conquest is a sign of loyalty and devotion to the country.
At that time, the prime minister politely refused on the grounds that the food supply was not yet abundant and it was not yet time for the war, and the minister Zhang Yi had just died of illness, and it was necessary for him to stay in Chengdu to stabilize the situation, and allowed him to stay in Chengdu for another year or two before heading north. .
However, now it is just the right time.
The Wei Dynasty was about to launch a large-scale attack, and the Han Dynasty was at a critical moment, so it was natural to mobilize all the troops in the country.
In particular, Li Yan's headquarters of more than 10,000 people is quite elite.
After the Battle of Yiling, the late emperor Liu Bei transferred some of the remaining veterans to Li Yan's command to serve as low-level generals, and trained elite soldiers who could guard the country.
Therefore, Li Yan got what he wanted and led his army to the north.
He was conquered by the Prime Minister in the name of the Emperor and sent to Mianyang County, Hanzhong County to garrison and guard the Baoxie Valley in Baozhong County.
Former general Zhao Yun then transferred to garrison in Chenggu County, where he oversaw General Yuan Wei, General Yangwu Deng Zhi, and the governor of Golden Garrison Huo Yi. Liu Min, who later joined the army, and others guarded Tangluo Road, and went to Ziwu Valley to join forces with Sima Yi.
The golden gorge.
Li Yan, with a high official position, supervised the few troops, while Zhao Yun, with a low official position, supervised the troops. With this arrangement, there was no need to worry about conflicts.
One of the reasons is that Li Yan, who has just gone north, is not familiar with the land of Hanzhong yet, so it is not easy to overtake him.
On the other hand, Zhao Yun is the veteran minister with the most experience in the Han Dynasty. He is also known for his kindness and is highly respected by both the government and the public. When Li Yan sees him, he is often the first to greet him with a smile.
As for the defense of Wudu County, the prefect Zhang Yi added two thousand more troops and personally supervised the five thousand troops to guard Dashan Pass.
Jiang Wei, who was leading the Qiang lieutenant, was sent to guard the Lianyun Plank Road connecting Chencang Road in Baoxie Valley because his troops were mainly Qiang people who were good at fighting in the valley.
Even Liao Hua, the prefect of Yinping, led his soldiers to Tazhong, north of Qiang Road in Wudu County.
Above Tazhong is a tributary of the Taoshui River (Die Zang River). You can march quickly in two or three days to reach the Wangqu Valley in Lintao.
Because Ma Dai, who has been promoted to the general of the Northern Expedition, will lead the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and the Zhengdiaoshao Dang Qiang to intimidate Wei Xiping County from Jishi Gorge in Heguan County, reducing the pressure on Gaoxiang's troops to guard Longxi County. Lintao-Suo
At the horse ranch in the Xicheng area, only Yin Shang was left on guard, fearing that the wolf-breeding Qiang might make some unusual move.
The prime minister, who is cautious in planning things, will not neglect this.
Let Liao Hua march forward and watch the Qu Valley in a tight formation, which is to prepare for a rainy day.
Furthermore, the Prime Minister did not send the Longyou troops back for the time being on the grounds that Hanzhong and Wudu counties were easy to defend but difficult to attack.
They are temporarily staying in Tianshui and Ji County to serve as mobile reinforcements to be prepared for any trouble.
Naturally, the grain, fodder and baggage required by each department were allocated in advance and stocked up to reassure the troops.
The soldiers of each department are in transit, facing each other on the road.
The embarrassment of busyness and the depression of preparing for war were mixed together, and there was a sound of unfamiliarity.
General Wei Yan of the left, who was aspiring to make great achievements, saw that the war was approaching and the transportation of food and baggage was quite full. He felt impatient, so he rode back in person to urge him.
The person in charge of allocating supplies was none other than Yang Yi, who had been moved to the post of Deputy Chief Shi of the Prime Minister's Office.
Both of these two people have unruly temperaments and think highly of themselves.
After a few words, an argument broke out. Wei Yan was so angry that he drew his sword and waved it to kill him, which made Yang Yi burst into tears.
Fortunately, the assistants Fei Yi and Zhuge Qiao were both in the office.
When the two saw this, they quickly stood up and tried to persuade them, so that the farce ended.
Afterwards, Wei Yan was reprimanded by the Prime Minister for blaming his colleagues and sent back to the station; Yang Yi was also reprimanded for inappropriate words.
It's just that these two people have not stepped down from their duties.
That is to say, other generals and generals who were often influenced by Wei Yan and Yang Yi secretly joked about this matter.
Even Zhang Bao is not exempt from vulgarity.
He is now in Xiaoguandao and is temporarily under the control of Zheng Pu.
Hanyang County's defense was based on Pingxiang City and Ayang City as its rear, and built garrisons along the mountains, rivers and valleys.
Pingxiang City has always been Wei Yan's residence, and he also took care of the defense of the Changlishui River Valley.
As for Ayang City, Chen Shi's troops were on guard. Their duty was to protect Zheng Pu's troops who were stationed on Xiaoguan Road, and to guard the passage to Longguan Road in the north.
In summary, Chen Shi's responsibilities are very easy.
One of the reasons is that once a large-scale attack against the Wei Dynasty occurs, the prime minister will definitely increase his troops to protect Longguan Road. It will not be difficult for him to hold on to the city with his own troops.
On the other hand, Zheng Pu was stationed outside and controlled a lot of troops.
He has three thousand soldiers in his headquarters.
Since Zhang Bao was transferred to command the heavy cavalry, Liu Yin was asked to lead the 2,000 "蜑獽" army on his behalf. The Prime Minister also placed this force under his command.
In other words, based on the number of troops and horses under his command, Zheng Pu is now a general who does not have the title of general but has the actual title.
In this regard, the senior generals in the army have no objections.
Because of Zheng Pu's meritorious service in planning and leading battles since he joined the expedition, it is more than enough to be promoted to a general with a heavy title!
He has never been removed from his position, but the Prime Minister was worried that his young position in a high position might lead to arrogance and underestimation of the enemy, so he divided his military achievements by enfeoffing the city.
However, people also have a vague understanding.
After this battle, as long as Zheng Pu does not make improper arrangements, he will definitely be promoted to the rank of general.
Because the position of Zheng Pu's Xuanwu Governor was transferred to Zhang Ni by the Prime Minister, and the "蜑獍" army was controlled, this was the most obvious signal.
The duties and powers of a special governor are similar to those of a miscellaneous general.
If he was not about to be promoted to a general with a heavy title, how could he command two separate governors and also command Yang Ji's 500 cavalry?
This is not the first time that Chen Shi and Zheng Pu have worked together.
Therefore, we get along very harmoniously.
Not only did he devote himself to supporting Zheng Pu's tribe, he also often sent troops to assist Zheng Pu in investigating the enemy's situation.
Not only because of his devotion to duty and his resolute temperament, but also because of the vague expectations in his heart.
He is an old man in the army!
In all aspects, such as qualifications and abilities, they are no worse than Gao Xiang, Ma Dai and others.
But now Gao Xiang is the general of Zhenxi and Ma Dai is the general of Zhengbei, but his position prefix is still "Anxi".
The reason was not that the Prime Minister was partial, but that he was unlucky.
Promotion in the military can only be achieved through military merit.
And when there was a big war, he was either stationed or on the way to support, and he failed to catch up with the military achievements he won in the battle.
This time he was on the front line of the resistance against Wei. He also wanted to work together with Zheng Pu to accumulate military exploits and raise his official position again.
It's not for vanity, it's not for power, it's not for the little salary.
A man in the army must fight for this reputation!
Besides, he is not young either.
Throughout the ages, there have been few people who have lived long lives while marching with the army.
After decades of military service, who has not suffered any injuries or hidden illnesses?
He has long been indifferent to life and death, and also wants to get a better name for himself after his death.
Zheng Pu didn't know about this.
He simply patrolled the defense area under his jurisdiction with great gratitude for Chen Shi's loyalty.
The place where Luoxia camp was located was still the place where he and Ma Su shared the same camp in the past. The two tribes of Shuzhao and Xuanwu opened Luoxia camp separately, echoing each other and forming a cornering posture.
The only difference is that things are different and people are different.
For example, most of the original Xuanwu soldiers were buried in this mountain valley.
Zheng Pu, who felt a little sentimental in his heart, stood with Zhang Bao on the gentle slope of the mountain road, overlooking the valley road where the tributary of Jingshui River winds into Xiaoguan. He looked at the military flag embroidered with the word "Wei" above the pass and was speechless. .