My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 631 Advantage of Geographical Location
Ironically, the terrain greatly aided Sima Yi. Not only was Chengdu blocking Guangdu's path, but rivers also provided protection on both flanks. Moreover, it was now April, and the flow and speed of the rivers were increasing significantly due to the warm spring weather, blooming flowers, and melting snow from the mountains, marking the start of the flood season.

Areas that were once accessible by people are no longer passable.

Sima Yi keenly observed these circumstances, which led him to make this bold gamble.

The second reason is that the allied forces have a cavalry advantage, with their cavalry forces outnumbering the Left Cursed Army by nearly three times. This cavalry advantage can suppress any harassment or reconnaissance attempts by the Left Cursed Army's cavalry.

The third reason is that there are three existing cities along the way, and the distance between them is just right. It is about fifty li from Chengdu to Pixian, and also fifty li from Pixian to Guandi. Finally, it is only forty li from Guandi to Fancheng County.

In this way, according to Sima Yi's plan, several thousand more laborers were conscripted from Pixian, Xindu, Fancheng, and Guandi. These 24,000 to 25,000 laborers were then divided into three groups to be responsible for the transportation tasks from Chengdu to Pixian, from Pixian to Guandi, and from Guandi to Fancheng.

In this way, laborers only need one day to reach their destination, then return the next day, rest for half a day, and repeat this cycle, making the transportation efficiency extremely high.

According to Sima Yi and Yang Xiu's estimates, with this method, each able-bodied laborer, equipped with a wheelbarrow, could transport more than three shi of grain per day. If animal power were added, the daily transport capacity could reach ten to fifteen shi. If there were neither livestock nor wheelbarrows, then only one shi could be transported.

The above refers to young and strong laborers. Ordinary laborers who are older or younger are slightly less capable, accounting for two-thirds of the young and strong laborers.

As for the elderly, weak, women and children, their loads were less than a shi (a unit of weight), but Sima Yi, for various reasons, did not mobilize this manpower at all.

In this way, with an average of nine thousand people, 28,000 shi of grain can be transported every two days, and the transported grain can reach Fancheng directly.

In addition, with the thousands of oxen and horses in Chengdu, as well as more than 2,000 carts of various sizes, the amount of grain that can be transported every two days can increase by more than 30,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

Therefore, in the most optimistic scenario, more than 60,000 shi of grain can be transported every two days.

Based on Chengdu's grain reserves of one million shi (a unit of dry measure), it would only take another month to transport all the grain. Considering the costs incurred, the transportation could be completed even sooner.

Moreover, even if things really couldn't continue, Sima Yi had a contingency plan in mind: he would rather burn everything down than let the grain fall into the hands of the Left Guard Army.

For Cao Ang and Sima Yi, as long as Cao's army could hold out in Chengdu for a month, they would be able to successfully retreat with over 30,000 Shu soldiers, over 20,000 able-bodied men, and a million shi of military provisions. After retreating to Fancheng, they would receive support from Shifang and Mianzhu, and in another month, they could reach Fucheng.

Faced with such enormous profits, everyone from Cao Ang and Cao Ren to Cao Chun, Cao Xiu, Shi Huan, Zhang Xiu, and other generals gave their full support. Although everyone knew that the risks were great, no one objected.

**
Luoyang, Henan.

When Cao Cao received the news that Jiange and Tianxiong had fallen, and that Cao Cao's army in Shu had been cut off by the Left Army and was effectively surrounded in Shu, he was stunned for a long time.

When he regained consciousness, his first words were: "Quickly go and invite Zhicai, Wenruo, Yuanrang, Wenhe and others here."

Because of the urgency, everyone put down what they were doing and hurried to the General's Mansion.

At this moment, Cao Cao was already waiting for everyone in the main hall.

After everyone entered the hall, they were about to pay their respects when Cao Cao stopped them.

He waved his hand, somewhat eagerly, and said, "Gentlemen, there's no need for formalities. Please take your seats."

Everyone's hearts sank. If Cao Cao was so anxious, it must be something big. And Cao Cao's face was stiff and there was no joy in it. It seemed that things were probably not going well.

Next, Cao Cao relayed the news to everyone in the hall. Although the crowd had some guesses, they were still shocked when they heard what Cao Cao said.

Cao Ang and Cao Ren's two armies, each with nearly 60,000 men, were all elite troops of Cao Cao's army.

Cao Ang's 20,000 troops were all direct descendants of the Cao family, formed with the middle-aged members of the Cao clan as the backbone. Cao Ren's troops, although not direct descendants of the Cao army, were all elite soldiers and capable generals. For example, Zhang Xiu's Liangzhou soldiers were not only experienced in battle, but also had a large number of cavalry, making them a rare and valuable elite force.

If those 60,000 people don't return, Cao Shi won't necessarily die on the spot, but she will at least lose an arm.

The first to speak was Cao Cao, who asked Xi Zhong, "Zhi Cai, what are the movements of the Left Army in Yu Province and Xiangyang? And what about the Flying Cavalry in Xu Province?"

Now, all of Cao Cao's intelligence is in the hands of Xi Zhong, who categorizes and selects the key information before presenting it to Cao Cao.

Xi Zhong pondered for a moment, then replied with absolute certainty, "Your Excellency, these places are as usual, and there is no unusual activity."

Cao Cao nodded, then turned to Xiahou Dun and asked, "Yuanrang, how many troops can still be mobilized from various places?"

Upon hearing this, Xiahou Dun's thick, short eyebrows furrowed almost together. After pondering for a long time, he replied hesitantly, "Yanzhou can at most send another eight to ten thousand men, Yuzhou can only send a few thousand, and Nanyang can mobilize no more than five thousand. Only Henan can mobilize tens of thousands. However..."

Cao Cao was well aware of Xiahou Dun's unspoken meaning.

The troops in Henan were not only the most elite, but also directly under Cao Cao and extremely loyal to him. They were Cao Cao's trump card force and the strategic reserve of the entire Cao family group.

If any problems arise in any direction, this elite army stationed in Henan can rush to the rescue at any time. Moreover, Henan is located in Cao Cao's heartland and is the fastest region to reach the surrounding area. In addition, the remaining official roads make it quite convenient to move around. No matter which direction they go, they can reach the war zone in ten days to half a month.

The situation is tense right now, and troops have been severely depleted from various regions.

The Cao family had a total of over 200,000 troops, of which more than 100,000 were their direct descendants. They were roughly divided into three factions. One faction was the Cao family's retainers, which consisted of troops raised by generals from the Cao clan, such as Cao Cao, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, and Xiahou Yuan. This faction had the largest number of troops, approximately 100,000.

However, half of the troops were expanded after Cao Cao received the support of Liu Feng and his son in the fourth year of Jian'an, when his finances improved significantly. The main soldiers were defeated soldiers and refugees from various places, as well as brave and elite soldiers from other factions.

The second faction consisted of the million Yellow Turban rebels whom Cao Cao forced to surrender in eastern Yanzhou and southern Qingzhou, from whom he obtained 300,000 able-bodied men.

Afterwards, Cao Cao selected 40,000 men from these 300,000 able-bodied men to form an army known as the Qingzhou Army. The majority of the remainder were used for land reclamation and also served as supplementary troops for the Qingzhou Army, replenishing them as needed. Even after the finances improved, there was no further expansion. The third faction was the Yanzhou faction, which also numbered only about 40,000 men. They mainly consisted of troops inherited from Bao Xin's Taishan Army under Yu Jin, Cheng Yu's Jiyin Army, Li Zheng's Shanyang Army, Lü Qian's Rencheng Taishan Army, and the surrendered soldiers from Chenliu who were later incorporated into the army.

These three factions were all considered Cao Cao's core loyalists, and they received the most generous treatment. The first two factions, in particular, were Cao Cao's favorites, receiving top-tier supplies of military equipment and provisions.

Besides these 140,000 men, the rest were troops from the outer regions, including the Liangzhou army of Zhang Ji and his nephew Zhang Xiu, and the Jingzhou army of Liu Biao and Cai Mao, totaling about 50,000 men.

Although these soldiers swore allegiance to Cao Cao, their loyalty could not compare to that of his direct subordinates.

At the same time, Cao Cao was also worried about forcing them to rebel, so he only partially deployed and weakened these troops, and did not yet intend to disintegrate or assimilate them.

Originally, Cao Cao's defenses consisted of his direct descendants from Yanzhou guarding the province, with Zhang Xiu and his nephew Zhang Ji assisting Cao Ren and Cao Hong respectively in guarding Guanzhong and Nanyang. Liu Biao and Cai Mao's Jingzhou troops were also stationed in southern Yingchuan, Yuzhou, to assist Xiahou Yuan in defending against the Left Guard Army.

Cao Ang's troops were drawn from some of Cao Cao's elite troops in Henan, and combined with his own troops to form a southward army. This did not have a significant impact on the defense of various regions.

However, Cao Ren's 40,000 troops had a significant impact. He had drawn 10,000 troops from Yanzhou, Yuzhou, and Guanzhong respectively, which meant that he had transferred nearly half of the auxiliary forces from each defense zone, and at least a third of them.

If more are redeployed, each defense zone will only have the core of Cao Cao's army left.

Xiahou Dun, who was in charge of both military and political affairs, was well aware of these situations, which was why he was in such a predicament. The only solution now was to send Cao Cao, the governor of Henan, south to relieve the siege, but this was not a suggestion that Xiahou Dun should have made on his own initiative.

Although Xiahou Dun did not say it explicitly, Cao Cao could not possibly have failed to understand his meaning.

However, Cao Cao did not immediately express his opinion, but instead turned to Xun Yu and asked, "Wenruo, how are the military equipment and food supplies in the capital?"

Xun Yu was very familiar with these figures and quickly answered: "We have tens of thousands of long and short weapons in reserve, more than 800 sets of iron armor, all of which have been repaired and renewed, 2,200 sets of leather armor, which were newly made last year. We also have 1,600 bows, 700 crossbows, more than 123,300 arrows, and more than 4 million bushels of grain."

After a pause, he added, "But now is the time for spring plowing. If we mobilize laborers, it will not only affect this year's tax revenue, but also cause unease and resentment among the people."

After Xun Yu finished speaking, Xi Zhong also took the initiative to speak up and agreed, saying, "My lord, if possible, it would be best to negotiate peace with the Left General and exchange him for the Young General and the others."

Cao Cao nodded without expressing his opinion, as if he were pondering some issue.

After a moment, Cao Cao raised his head and looked at Jia Xu: "Wenhe, you have always been wise and resourceful. At this critical moment, can you offer me a plan?"

"You flatter me, my lord. I am but a humble man from Xiliang with little talent or learning. I am deeply grateful for your high regard and will do my utmost to repay you."

Upon hearing this, Jia Xu first humbly cupped his hands in greeting, then pretended to ponder for a moment before continuing, "What the Chief Advisor said earlier is indeed true. As the art of war says, a skillful warrior does not seek fame, and this is the principle at hand. If we can make peace with General Zuo, even if we have to pay a small price, it will be well worth it."

A thoughtful look flashed across Cao Cao's eyes. Both Xi Zhong and Jia Xu had suggested negotiating peace, which showed how dire the situation was. But Cao Cao also had his own difficulties. It wasn't that he didn't want to negotiate peace, but that he knew that this invasion of Shu might have crossed Liu Feng's bottom line, which was why the other side had gathered a large army, attempting to wipe out Cao Cao's detachment in Shu.

Now that the other side has established a stronghold and the situation is much more favorable, even if I were willing to swallow my pride and seek peace, I don't know how heavy the price I would have to pay.

Cao Cao once put himself in Liu Feng's shoes and thought that if he were in Liu Feng's position, he would at least ask for Hanzhong and Nanyang.
How could he possibly give that up?

Zhang Lu of Hanzhong and Liu Biao of Nanyang were both loyal ministers who had submitted to him and the court. If peace was sought at the cost of sacrificing them, who would dare to come to his side in the future?
Not to mention that Hanzhong is easy to defend and difficult to attack, making it a crucial military stronghold for containing Yizhou. Defending Hanzhong ensures the safety of Guanzhong, and the safety of Guanzhong ensures the peace of Luoyang. If Hanzhong is handed over to Liu Feng, Guanzhong will be completely exposed to the enemy's military might.

Hanzhong now has a population of four to five hundred thousand, enough to support an army of over fifty thousand to launch a northern expedition against Guanzhong. Given this, how many troops would I need to station in Guanzhong to feel secure?

Not to mention Nanyang, which is a strategic location that can be used to attack Guanzhong to the north and to advance eastward to Yingchuan.

"Is Your Excellency worried that the Left General will not agree?"

Jia Xu seemed to have seen through Cao Cao's hesitation and guessed the reason for it, so he took the initiative to speak up and defuse the situation.

Cao Cao stood up straight, flicked his wide sleeves, sighed deeply, and said with a bitter smile, "If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't have agreed so easily either."

Jia Xu gently advised, "Why don't you take a two-pronged approach, preparing for war on one hand and sending envoys to sue for peace on the other? If the Left General insists on not agreeing, you can devise another plan."

Cao Cao revealed a hint of satisfaction and continued to ask, "In Wenhe's opinion, what price would be necessary to sway the Left General's mind?"

Jia Xu paused for a moment, a hint of difficulty flashing across his face, but he ultimately replied truthfully, "I'm afraid Hanzhong and Nanyang are beyond our reach."

A hint of disappointment flashed through Cao Cao's mind. It wasn't that he was dissatisfied with Jia Xu's answer, but rather that Jia Xu's view was clearly exactly the same as his own, which meant that Liu Feng would likely offer the same price.

Cao Cao fell silent and paced back and forth in the hall.

The people in the hall fell silent, and for a moment, only the sound of Cao Cao's footsteps could be heard.

"Well, it seems that's the only way."

After a long while, Cao Cao finally stood still and immediately gave the order: "Yuan Rang."

Xiahou Dun immediately replied, "Your subordinate is here!"

“No more personnel should be transferred from Yanzhou, Henan, Guanzhong and other places.”

Cao Cao remained remarkably clear-headed. The earlier troop movements hadn't alerted other forces because they involved miscellaneous troops. For various warlords, relocating miscellaneous troops was commonplace and therefore unsurprising.

(End of this chapter)