amaotonovel Chapter 789 Liu Bei Returns to Xinye
Chapter 789 Liu Bei Returns to Xinye
Without delay, Liu Bei immediately returned to Xiangyang and summoned his generals for a meeting.
The so-called generals were actually just him, Guan Yu, Zhuge Liang, Guan Xing, and a few others. The rest were all leading troops in various places and could not come over in such a hurry, nor was there any need for them to come.
At the temporary palace of the prefect's residence, Guan Yu stroked his magnificent beard and said, "Now that the four southern passes have been captured, Cao Pi's retreat is blocked and he will surely take action. According to Cao Ren's character, he will most likely shrink the defense line to lure us across the river, and then fight His Majesty to the death on the battlefield he has chosen."
Of all those present, Guan Yu was the most familiar with Cao Ren. Guan Yu had fought Cao Ren for several months in Xiangfan and then confronted him for half a year in Jianye. Their friendship was truly forged through battle.
Therefore, everyone agreed with his suggestion.
Guan Yu continued, "The Wei army has more troops than us. If they choose the battlefield, they will have the advantage of terrain. This battle will not be easy to win."
Zhuge Liang waved his fan and said, "We have to fight, even if it's difficult. Otherwise, if the Wei army retreats and we don't follow, they will definitely divert troops to eliminate Shen Yi first. In that case, we would be betraying Shen Yi. However..."
“What Yun Chang said makes sense, but there is one thing we might be able to use. I guess Cao Pi and Cao Ren would never dare to tell the soldiers at the front that the four passes have fallen. We might as well speak up for them and spread the news among the Wei army to demoralize them.”
“There is still a long time between the Wei army’s retreat to the designated battlefield and our advance, and then the decisive battle between the two armies. This period of time is enough for the bad news to ferment among the Wei army.”
Liu Bei nodded in agreement, and after discussing some details, he made a final decision: "Then let's do as the Prime Minister says. Spread the word to demoralize the Wei army while waiting for the right opportunity. This time, we must annihilate the main force of the Wei army in the Nanyang Basin."
This Wei army represents the entirety of Cao Wei's resources. If it were to be completely annihilated, even if Cao Wei still controlled a large territory, it would be unable to organize an army to contend with Liu Bei.
In other words, as long as he wins, Liu Bei can smoothly transition from the strategic stalemate to the strategic offensive, making himself completely invincible, and even if he loses a few more battles later, it will not affect the overall situation.
To put it simply, the margin for error is greater. Losing a battle is no longer a big deal, unlike before when losing a single game could be fatal.
Just like the Battle of Guandu between Cao Cao and Yuan Shao, after Yuan Shao's defeat at Guandu, he lost all his advantages over Cao Cao, while Cao Cao rose to prominence instantly and was no longer afraid of Yuan Shao, this powerful enemy.
From this perspective, this battle was absolutely a decisive one that could determine the fate of the world.
Therefore, Liu Bei abandoned his passive approach and fully entered a state of combat readiness, actively handling military affairs and patiently awaiting news from the Wei army.
As time went by, news from Jiangbei gradually arrived, and as everyone had expected, the Wei army began to retreat.
However, the Wei army was retreating, not collapsing. They retreated in a very rhythmic manner, first transferring the troops near Wancheng back to Wancheng and setting up a defensive line outside the city, and then mobilizing troops from further away.
In other words, the Wei army in the rear retreated, but the garrison of Fancheng and the garrison of various fortresses along the river did not. It was impossible for the Han army to take advantage of the Wei army's retreat to cross the river and launch a surprise attack.
After all, the commander of the Wei army was Cao Ren, who had fought for decades and was known as the Iron Wall of Wei. He would not allow you to seize an opportunity during the retreat.
Liu Bei knew he couldn't rely on tricks forever; the upcoming battles would require a fair and square attack. So he didn't dream of a surprise victory but instead had his soldiers conserve their strength and wait patiently.
After waiting for a full fifteen days, the Wei army in Fancheng finally withdrew, and Liu Bei ordered Zhao Yun to quickly cross the river to take over Fancheng and the Wei camps along the river.
With Fancheng secured, the Han army had a foothold north of the Han River, eliminating any worry about being driven back before they could even establish a firm foothold across the river.
Under Zhuge Liang's guidance and Liu Bei's command, the Han army crossed the river in an orderly manner.
At the same time, Xu Huang led his troops to withdraw from Zhangling, and Zhang Fei successfully took over Zhangling, opened up the Sui-Zhang corridor, and rushed to meet Liu Bei.
As soon as he entered the command tent, Zhang Fei burst into loud laughter, saying, "Your Majesty, Shen Yi's side fought a truly magnificent battle, forcing the Wei army to retreat across the board. It's a pity that old codger Xu Huang ran away too quickly; I hadn't even launched the general offensive before he escaped."
After capturing Lü Jian alive that day, he began to plan a strong attack on Zhangling and to open up the Sui-Zhang Corridor in one fell swoop. However, before he was ready, Xu Huang withdrew.
Liu Bei laughed and scolded, "Don't be disappointed, the decisive battle is about to begin, and you'll have your chance to make your move."
Zhang Fei asked, "What's the situation now?"
Liu Bei replied, "The Wei army is retreating towards Wancheng. Even the garrison at Wuguan has retreated back to Yaoguan. It seems that Cao Pi is preparing to fight us in a decisive battle at Wancheng."
Zhang Fei cursed and said, "It doesn't matter where we fight, let's see how Cao Pi wins this time!"
After winning several consecutive battles and forcing the Wei army to retreat, Zhang Fei became a little arrogant. But it didn't matter; with Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang around, he couldn't get carried away.
In the days that followed, the Han and Wei armies seemed to have a tacit understanding and fell into a strange calm of retreat and advance. The Wei army would retreat and the Han army would take over, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the place that Liu Bei often missed.
Xinye!
Liu Bei had stayed in Xinye for seven years and almost considered it his second home, but was ruthlessly driven away by Cao Cao. Now, after many years, he has finally returned.
Standing on the city wall of Xinye, Liu Bei looked at the familiar layout of the city with a sigh. He said to Guan Yu, Zhang Fei and Zhuge Liang, "Times have changed. Xinye has not changed much, but we have grown old. If only there were poems to enhance this scene. Anguo, do you have any poems that fit this scene? Let me recite them for you."
"Uh..." Guan Xing asked in surprise, "There isn't one, is there?"
The vast sea of poetry in later generations surely contains poems that resonate with this state of mind, but the problem is, where can he find such inspiration in such a short time?
Damn, the Three Kingdoms period developed too slowly. Liu Bei has been gone for so many years, yet Xinye has not changed at all and is still exactly the same as it was back then. It's unimaginable in later generations.
When he returned after leaving for more than a decade, the things in his memory were completely gone. When he graduated from university and left his alma mater, only six years later, the urban village near the school had been completely demolished, leaving no trace of human life.
He remembers standing at the back gate of the school, feeling extremely stifled by the unfamiliar scene. It was as if his past had been ruthlessly erased, and he felt a tightness in his chest.
In comparison, Liu Bei was truly fortunate; after being away for many years, he could still see familiar sights and sounds, which was truly enviable.
But you want me to find poems? Where am I supposed to find them for you?
Besides, when did you three old killers pick up the bad habit of being pretentious and cultured?
Liu Bei turned to look at him and said, "You should have this in your mind, I don't believe you don't."
He read the battle report of Shen Yi's sneak attack on the four passes. After reading it, he was speechless at Guan Xing's use of later poems as a secret code. It was such a waste of resources. Is this how poems are used?
Seeing that everyone was staring intently at him, as if to say, "If you don't write a poem, then we'll make one," Guan Xing had no choice but to rack his brains and start thinking. In his haste, he actually came up with a poem and recited it leisurely:
"I left home young and returned old, my accent unchanged but my hair gray. Children I meet don't recognize me, and laughingly ask, 'Where do you come from, stranger?'"
Liu Bei was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but sigh, "Good, good, good, what a wonderful 'smilingly asking where the guest comes from'! Thinking about it carefully, it's been almost forty years since I left my hometown of Zhuojun. I guess there aren't many people in the village who recognize me anymore."
Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang all remained silent; weren't they the same?
That's your home, the place where you grew up. When you return after achieving success, you're treated like a guest. Who wouldn't be upset by that?