Chapter 402 Zhuge Liang’s Gift
The Shu Han made it clear that they wanted to fight with Cao Wei, and basically dragged everyone who could move onto the battlefield. One hundred thousand elites gathered on the Yongzhou front line, clearly planning to attack Guanzhong.
At this time, all the generals in Guanzhong expressed their intention to abandon the three auxiliaries of Guanzhong and the northern part of Guanzhong according to the original plan. Withdraw the main force to the south of the Wei River and use Wugong and the Wei River as defense lines to fight a protracted war against the Shu army.
This was the initial plan. According to the concept, it was planned to use the only natural danger in Guanzhong to hold back the Shu army. With Shuhan's family background, it would definitely be very difficult to mobilize so many troops. It would only take a year.
But at this time, Sima Yi, the proposer of the plan, flatly refused. He directly stated that in order to protect the people in northern Guanzhong from plunder by the Shu Han, he must send troops to defend the territory.
Then Sima Yi overcame all opinions and forcibly led 100,000 troops in Guanzhong to garrison Sanfu in Guanzhong. More than 100,000 Wei troops wanted to camp in the Sanfu area to show that they would not give in.
The Shu Han side was not used to this at all. After more than half a month of reorganizing the army in Fufeng County, the Shu Han Northern Expedition Army was reorganized. Under the command of Zhuge Liang, the prime minister and general of the Shu Han Dynasty, one hundred thousand Han troops, with Ma Di as the vanguard, began to march towards the Sanfu in Guanzhong.
Since the fifth year of Jianxing, the largest Northern Expedition between Shu Han and Cao Wei has officially begun.
Fufeng County is not far from Guanzhong Sanfu, but on the tenth day, Ma Di led the Han army vanguard to meet the Wei army at Guanzhong Sanfu.
After meeting with the vanguard of the Han army, the Wei army chose a deep trench and high fortress to avoid fighting.
Ma Su was not in a hurry about this. While ordering the Han army to camp on the spot to confront the Wei army, he personally led hundreds of cavalry to survey the Wei army's arrangement.
Sima Yi also dispatched the main force of Guanzhong this time and set up more than a hundred camps on the main road of Sanfu in Guanzhong. Antlers have become the most important thing in all camps, and crossbows and trenches have also become frequent visitors, obviously to prevent you from coming.
Ma Di provoked several times outside the camp, but in the end not even a single Wei general was willing to show up and look at him.
Later, Ma Su also received a report from a scout, indicating that Wei general Chen Tai was leading an army to relocate the people of Weibei. Seeing this situation, how could Ma Su not see what Sima Yi wanted to do by going out of his way to fight?
"Old thief Sima is really unwilling to suffer any losses. He is still unwilling to give up on the people of Weibei at this time." Ma Di looked at the highly alert Wei army camp and said to himself.
Judging from this situation, Sima Yi was here to delay and buy time for the people in the rear to relocate. At this moment, Ma Su had few troops at hand, and the prime minister had sent Deng Zhi to watch over him. Ma Su had no choice but to set up camp and wait for the main force to arrive.
Because the Han army had a large number of soldiers and horses, it was slow to gather the follow-up troops. After waiting for several more days, almost all the 100,000 Han troops arrived at the Sanfu battlefield.
After arranging a large army to confront the Wei army and setting up more than a hundred camps, Zhuge Liang personally rode a four-wheeled vehicle to the front of the formation to inspect the Wei army's deployment.
Sima Yi's defense was very stupid. He deployed all his main forces in the narrowest area of Guanzhong Sanfu. An army of one hundred thousand troops set up three forts, which were deep and wide in front and back, with the Wei River and Wugong in the south facing each other.
This not only relies on the last narrow strip of Guanzhong to block the Han army, but also prevents the Han army from attacking the flanks on Baoxie Road in the south. In addition, the strength of the Wei army and the Han army were almost the same, so it was indeed not easy to break through the Wei army camp.
"You Chang, this Sima Zhongda is indeed a great talent." Zhuge Liang observed the Wei army's formation, nodded slightly and said,
"The camp layout is so exquisite, and the troops advance and retreat in a controlled manner. He is definitely not an idle person. This person must be a serious problem for my big man."
"He's just an old guy with a leaky mouth. Isn't it easy to kill him?" Ma Di shrugged, disapproving of this.
"Please Prime Minister, please give me 10,000 soldiers and horses. I will march eastward along the Weishui River and circle behind it. I will definitely defeat Chen Tai and defeat Sima Yi for Your Majesty!"
"Okay, please calm down for a while." Zhuge Liang suddenly laughed, looked at Ma Su who was eager to fight, shook his head and said,
"There are many battles for you to fight in this battle, but I don't need you now. I have already made a plan, and I think I can force Sima Zhongda to take the initiative to fight..."
"With all due respect, Prime Minister, your strategy might have worked a few years ago, but it probably won't work now." Ma Di interrupted Zhuge Liang. Seeing the Prime Minister's confident look, Ma Di said bluntly,
"Don't mention Sima Yi for this plan. I guess even if Guo Huai and Chen Tai come, they won't fall for it."
"In my opinion, it's best for me to go and defeat the Wei army directly, capture the old thief Sima personally, and let him dance under your tent..."
"You, you really can't bear the loneliness." Zhuge Liang smiled and shook his head.
"But even if this strategy doesn't work, it won't be your turn."
"It's not easy for the Wei army to give up its geographical advantage. In this kind of war, it is better to give priority to young generals to take part in training. As for you, let's wait until others can't defeat it."
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When the main force of the Han army advanced in front of the Wei army's formation, the tense atmosphere among the Wei army began to spread.
As the front line against the Shu Han all year round, these generals have all seen the fighting power of Western Shu. So even though Sima Yi's arrangement was almost perfect, the group of generals headed by Guo Huai still took turns to keep vigil, for fear that Ma Su would sneak in from any corner and attack the camp.
As for the shouts and curses of the Han army in front of the formation, let alone Sima Yi, even Sun Li, who was not angry, pretended not to hear them.
The confrontation lasted for several days, with the Han army constantly shouting and begging for battle in front of the formation, but the Wei army completely ignored them.
But just when everyone was tensing up, they suddenly heard that a messenger had been sent from the Shu Han Dynasty, saying that the Prime Minister had a gift for Governor Sima Yi.
This news was reported to Sima Yi by the soldiers, which aroused Sima Yi's interest.
"Zhuge Liang has a gift for me? Are you sure Ma Di didn't ask Zhuge Liang to give it to me?" Sima Yi glanced at the envoy who was introduced suspiciously, and felt a little apprehensive when he looked at the gift box in the envoy's hand.
If this was sent by Ma Su, he would immediately ask the guards to drive him out. The news that Lu Xun was given a box of horse dung by Ma Di and was showered with water had already spread to Liaodong, and Sima Yi remembered the lessons learned from the past.
But the strange thing this time is that it was Zhuge Liang who gave the gift. Zhuge Liang is rumored to be a true gentleman, unmatched in ability and morality.
Such a person... wouldn't send something like horse dung to irritate someone, right?
To be on the safe side, Sima Yi ordered the guards to take the box and open it for him several steps away.
The lid was opened by the guard, and it was not horse dung inside.
But when Sima Yi saw the contents of the box clearly, he fell into deep silence.