My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 571 Raid on Zhuti
After capturing Zhuti, the road to Bidao will be completely open. Alternatively, some troops could be left to defend the area, bypass Zhuti, pass through Hanyang to Pingyi, and then head directly north to Bidao.

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Although the former requires capturing Zhuti, it also clears the way out and allows the forward base to be moved to Zhuti, making the rear safer.

Although the latter forces had to divide their troops to guard Weixian and Hanyang to prevent a counterattack by Zhuti's Shu army, the main force could advance unimpeded straight to the Bodao Pass.

At this moment, an order arrived from Yangzhou.

Liu Feng's order was more of a suggestion than an order.

Because Yangzhou was too far from Nanzhong, Liu Feng could not grasp the local situation immediately, and the orders he gave were likely to be unrealistic or severely delayed.

Therefore, Liu Feng simply recounted in detail Zhao Wei's plan to rebel against Liu Zhang and his request for help, and shared the intelligence he had obtained with Lu Xun.

Furthermore, Liu Feng pointed out that Zhao Wei would most likely launch an attack in June, and it's only April now, so there are still two months left. If we consider that Liu Feng's army is playing the role of the hunter-gatherer, then they will have even more time to rest and regroup.

From this perspective, whether or not Zhuti can be taken out first is not only a matter of concentrating forces, but also takes into account that when besieging Bidao in the future, the besieging army will not have to worry about being attacked from the flank by Zhuti.

In Liu Feng's orders, Bodao was a place that had to be captured.

As long as Liu Feng controls the two key transportation routes of Bodao and Jiangzhou, and with Fucheng County, which Zhao Wei is certain to capture, the three counties of Shu will essentially be locked down by Liu Feng.

At that time, regardless of whether Liu Zhang or Zhao Wei were the victors in the Battle of Chengdu, they would have no choice but to submit to Liu Feng after their victory.

In the conquest of Wei County, Lu Xun's troops suffered over 400 casualties on the first day and over 800 on the second day, but Han soldiers accounted for only half of those casualties. On the third day, the city was breached, but over 700 casualties were still suffered, with over 300 of them being Han soldiers.

The total casualties were just over two thousand, including more than 1,200 Han soldiers, of whom more than 300 died in battle and more than 500 were seriously wounded. Many of the seriously wounded would have had a hard time surviving if it weren't for the army's precious wound medicine and white wine for disinfection.

However, Liu Feng placed great importance on veterans, especially wounded soldiers.

He believed that as long as wounded soldiers were not disabled, their fighting spirit and combat experience would far surpass those of new recruits once they returned to the battlefield. Even the most well-trained new recruits could not be considered elite without battlefield experience. Not to mention that a wounded soldier could also serve as a paid veteran upon returning to service.

Liu Feng had anticipated this matter, so he specifically mentioned in the document that Lu Xun had the power to abolish and reorganize units. When necessary, Lu Xun had the power to directly abolish a unit and add it to other units.

However, this move was bound to provoke resentment. Generals like Wei Yan and Lü Meng had developed relationships with their subordinates and were relatively familiar with them. Naturally, they were unhappy about having their subordinates suddenly transferred away. On the other hand, generals like Sun Ce, Huang Zhong, and Liao Hua had many veterans among their troops, who were either loyal followers from their respective families or members of their hometowns and clans.

If the troops were transferred or reorganized, it could very likely affect their combat effectiveness. It was only because Liu Feng consistently paid attention to the education of his troops that this behavior could have instigated a mutiny, especially under the former rule of the Sun family in Jiangdong.

However, Liu Feng only granted Lu Xun emergency authority, which Lu Xun would not easily use.

After discussing with the generals, it was decided to temporarily refrain from attacking, and to give the wounded soldiers time to rest and recuperate.

The various armies were temporarily stationed in Wei County, while the Han auxiliary troops were selected to enlist the best and the old and weak were dismissed.

After careful selection, including surrendered soldiers, more than 2,300 strong and capable men were chosen and organized into a separate tribe of Baiyue, still under the command of Xizhen.

The remaining several thousand elderly and weak were given rice, grain, and cloth, and were sent home to prepare for spring planting and summer harvest.

As a result, the number of troops in Wei County decreased significantly, leaving only nine thousand elite Han soldiers and a little over two thousand Baiyue tribesmen.

The military equipment of the Baiyue tribes had also been greatly improved at this time. Not only did all the captured weapons and armor belong to Xizhen's troops, but they were also rewarded with fifty pieces of iron armor and supporting maintenance supplies.

These armored vehicles are spare parts used by various units for replacement. Now that transportation to Jingzhou has been restored, multiple transport routes are in operation simultaneously, and supplies are no longer in short supply.

Xizhen has performed remarkably well along the way. As a local powerful family in the southern part of Zangke County, and with his heart set on the Han Dynasty, he has the effect of "buying a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold," so he naturally deserves to be rewarded.

**
Time flies, and June is here soon.

After receiving reinforcements of military equipment, supplies, and provisions from Liu Feng, Zhao Wei's confidence soared. On June 8th, he raised an army of 40,000 in Jiangzhou and swore an oath to march north.

This is a quarter stronger than Zhao Wei in the original timeline. This is not only because Liu Feng provided him with great assistance, but also because Liu Feng's presence delayed the time when Liu Zhang and Zhao Wei turned against each other.

At the same time, Liu Feng's army took over the counties and passes along the Yangtze River up to Jiangzhou, which also greatly increased Zhao Wei's military strength. Coupled with Liu Feng's actual assistance, the local gentry and powerful families of Ba County were even more optimistic about Zhao Wei's uprising, and greatly increased the manpower and resources invested in Zhao Wei.

These various factors combined to make Zhao Wei's military campaign far more powerful and influential than in the original timeline.

Pang Xi wavered briefly after hearing that Liu Feng supported Zhao Wei.

Pang Xi and Zhao Wei actually had a very good relationship. Although their friendship had been strained in recent years due to the interests of Ba County, Zhao Wei still treated Pang Xi with great respect and friendliness.

Otherwise, if Pang Xi had violated military regulations by privately recruiting Ba people as soldiers, arousing Liu Zhang's suspicion, Zhao Wei would not have stood by so desperately to ensure that the other party would never rebel.

Unfortunately, Pang Xi did not rebel, but Zhao Wei did.

Zhao Wei also sent people to persuade Pang Xi to cooperate with him, but at the last moment, Pang Xi firmly refused Zhao Wei's invitation and stood against Zhao Wei.

This is not because Pang Xi was stupid, but rather because Pang Xi was too clever.

After careful consideration, Pang Xi realized that standing against Zhao Wei was actually the most advantageous choice for him.

Pang Xi's main force consisted of the Dongzhou troops, which numbered 30,000 to 40,000. Half of them were stationed in the three counties of Shu, while the other half were under his command and stationed in Deyang to divide Zhao Wei's power.

In fact, the 20,000 men under Pang Xi's command were taken over from Zhao Wei.

Zhao Wei's compliant surrender was partly due to his desire to remain a loyal subject, but the Dongzhou army's lax discipline and plundering of the local area led to numerous conflicts and confrontations between the Dongzhou army and the Ba Commandery.

Zhao Wei was a native of Anhan in Ba Commandery, having grown up there. He was a true local.

On one side were his fellow villagers, and on the other was his own army, which was the apple of Liu Zhang's eye, yet he had entrusted it to his command.

If the army is mobilized, not only will the Dongzhou soldiers object, but Liu Zhang will also object.

If the army is not mobilized, the local people will not be able to bear it, and one's own reputation will be ruined.

Furthermore, the fact that Zhao Wei's private army and the local militia of Ba Commandery were in direct conflict with the Dongzhou army undoubtedly gave Zhao Wei a major headache.

This is also one of the main reasons why Zhao Wei readily handed over the Dongzhou troops to Pang Xi. After Zhao Wei raised his army, almost all of his tens of thousands of men were Ba County people and Cong people, who were sworn enemies of the Dongzhou troops. If one side won, they might wipe out the other side.

If Pang Xi had dared to surrender to Zhao Wei, he probably would have been killed by the Dongzhou soldiers before Zhao Wei even arrived.

However, if he sided with Liu Zhang, he could continue to command the Dongzhou troops and might even profit from the chaos of the war. Furthermore, given Zhao Wei's great favor towards Pang Xi, Pang Xi naturally felt that even if Liu Zhang failed, he could still surrender in time.

If Liu Zhang wins, I, as a loyal subject, will surely be rewarded; if Zhao Wei wins, I can also jump ship at the last moment and become a new nobleman.

Therefore, at the last moment, Pang Xi did not hesitate to refuse Zhao Wei and led the Dongzhou soldiers to block Zhao Wei's only way north.

The two sides clashed in Deyang, marking the first major battle since Zhao Wei raised his army.

Zhao Wei's side consisted of 10,000 private soldiers from the Zhao family, 20,000 local armed forces from Ba Commandery, including Ba Commandery soldiers, local county soldiers, and the retainers of powerful clans who supported Zhao Wei, and finally 10,000 Bantun barbarians.

Pu Hu, the King of the Cong in Ba Commandery, fully supported Zhao Wei and even brought in Du Huo, the King of the Cong in Hanzhong.

Du Hu and Zhao Wei were old acquaintances. Du Hu was originally the king of the Ba people in Ba County, and his status was no less than that of Pu Hu.

However, Du Huo was unlucky and was targeted by Liu Zhang, forcing him to have nowhere to stay in Ba County. He had no choice but to go north and seek refuge with Zhang Lu, which can be described as a bitter and deep-seated grudge.

Other matters are one thing, but if anyone raises an army to attack Liu Zhang, Du Huo must lend a hand.

Du Huo led 5,000 Banshan barbarians from Hanzhong southward, crossing Ba County all the way to Jiangzhou to support Zhao Wei. Zhao Wei was deeply moved and held a three-day banquet with Du Huo.

On the other side, Pang Xi's forces were undoubtedly much weaker. In addition to 20,000 Dongzhou soldiers, there were 1,000 of Pang Xi's personal troops, 1,000 county soldiers from Deyang and Guanghan, and 2,000 Banshun barbarians who were on good terms with Pang Xi. Their total strength was no more than 24,000 men.

Originally, the Dongzhou soldiers had some advantages in terms of weaponry and armor, but now Liu Feng has generously provided Zhao Wei with so much military supplies, which has filled a gap in Zhao Wei's capabilities.

With this, Zhao Wei easily won the Battle of Deyang, beheading more than 300 soldiers from Dongzhou, a truly great victory.

Pang Xi didn't even dare to return to Deyang City. Instead, he passed through the city without entering and headed towards Guanghan.

Zhao Wei entered Deyang with great pride. After resting for three days, he continued north along the Fu River to advance on Guanghan.

Pang Xi faced the enemy again but suffered another defeat and continued to retreat.

However, this battle was clearly not as fierce as the Battle of Deyang, with only a little over a hundred casualties on both sides.

Subsequently, Pang Xi retreated to Guanghan and held the city to the death, forcing Zhao Wei's army to halt their advance, build fortifications, cut down trees, and begin manufacturing siege equipment.

The reason why Pang Xi dared not defend Deyang was partly due to the significant losses suffered in the Battle of Deyang, but the main reason was that Deyang was too deeply influenced by Zhao Wei, and Pang Xi was worried about being betrayed by the local powerful clans.

The situation was much better in Guanghan. Pang Xi held out in Guanghan for more than half a month. When Zhao Wei finished building the siege equipment and was preparing to launch a major attack, he feigned an attack and withdrew from Guanghan.

Subsequently, Pang Xi ambushed Zhao Wei in several locations.

When Zhao Wei's army arrived at the gates of Fucheng County, more than a month had passed.

Although Fucheng was not the seat of Guanghan Commandery, it was a large city with a considerable population and a large amount of stored grain due to its prosperous commerce.

Liu Zhang ordered Pang Xi to hold Fucheng firmly.

Once Fucheng falls, Zhao Wei's navy will be able to transport supplies directly to Fucheng from Jiangzhou, heading north along the Fu River. At that time, Zhao Wei will be able to begin his advance on Chengdu from Fucheng.

Under pressure from Liu Zhang, Pang Xi held firm in Fucheng and refused to retreat, and a major battle between the two sides was imminent.

The great battle in Shu began, and Lu Xun's troops in the south finally launched their operation.

Lu Xun appointed Huang Zhong as the vanguard and personally led Sun Ce and Lü Dai to advance towards Zhuti.

Meanwhile, Wen Ping's troops stationed in Hanyang merged with Liao Hua's troops who had been transferred there, and set off from Hanyang to attack Zhuti, intending to join forces at the city of Zhuti.

Lu Xun had already decided to prioritize stability, first eliminating Zhuti to secure his rear, and then launching a full-scale attack on Bidao. Furthermore, he received news from Jingzhou that Zhuge Liang would lead an army from Jiangzhou along the Yangtze River, with Bidao also as his target.

In this situation, Lu Xun decisively launched an attack, sending Huang Zhong with a light force to bypass Zhuti County (now Zhaotong) and set up a camp south of the Zhuti North Pass, blocking the Zhuti garrison's retreat route to the north.

Sun Ce was then positioned as the second vanguard, following behind to cover Huang Zhong's troops.

Lu Xun's prediction was correct. When Huang Zhong arrived at Zhuti County, he happened to encounter Deng Xian's troops in the city who were planning to withdraw.

At this time, in addition to the two thousand reinforcements led by Deng Xian, there were one thousand county soldiers in Zhuti County, totaling three thousand people.

Although Zhuti County was relatively well-defended, Deng Xian had long intended to avoid battle after learning the approximate strength of Liu Feng's army.

Moreover, Deng Xian was not simply cowardly, but rather had considerations that aligned with military principles.

In his view, Zhuti City was not as fortified as Bidao, and the garrison numbered only three thousand. Most importantly, Pingyi had already been lost. Even if Liu Feng's army did not take the Zhuti Road, they could still take the Pingyi Road north to Bidao, making his defense pointless.

Since that's the case, it would be better to simply abandon Zhuti and retreat to Bidao to strengthen the military forces there.

Guarding the Bo Road means guarding the south side of Chengdu.

Regardless of Deng Xian's true intentions, his suggestion was indeed sound.

Unfortunately, Chengdu hesitated and debated the matter endlessly.

One faction believed that Zhuti was, after all, a major city in the south, with strong fortifications, and that three thousand elite soldiers were sufficient to defend it. As long as Zhuti was not lost, Bodao would not be an isolated city.

The other faction agreed with Deng Xian's suggestion and supported withdrawing troops from Bidao to strengthen its defenses.

Time was wasted in the argument between the two sides, and Liu Zhang was not a decisive person. He felt that both sides had their reasons, making it impossible for him to make a decision and thus he could not come up with a result.

(End of this chapter)