My younger brother Zhuge Liang

Chapter 500: Cao Mengde is in a Difficult Position

When one's own side is under siege, it is not difficult to think of throwing a wooden sign with words engraved on it into the river and letting the wood float downstream to inform the friendly forces downstream.

Especially in large rivers like the Jialing River or the Yangtze River where the current is stable and the flow rate is fast enough, the reliability of this method is even higher - historically, 1,200 years later, when the Ming Dynasty was founded, Fu Youde and Tang He used this method of communication when they conquered the Mingxia regime in Shu, and the message could be received over a thousand miles away.

Now Wei Yan and the rear only have a river surface of 150 miles, and there are no tributaries, so it will be easier to achieve.

However, the farther a message in a bottle drifts, the higher its chance of drifting. Every time the river turns, it is possible for the wooden sign to be washed ashore and stranded.

If you want to send a message over a thousand miles, you have to put at least a few hundred wooden boards before one or two of them will be delivered. Even if it's over a hundred miles, you can only get one or two of them if you put ten.

To be on the safe side, Wei Yan threw a hundred wooden boards directly into the Jialing River, so that some of them would reach Zhuge Liang.

After the wooden sign was thrown down, Wei Yan ignored it and continued to strengthen the fortifications step by step every day, making Diaoyucheng increasingly difficult to attack head-on.

……

On the second day after Wei Yan dropped the wooden sign, Zhuge Liang had not yet received the news, but a scout cavalry team of Cao's army patrolling along the southwest bank of the Fujiang River picked up a wooden sign that had washed up on the riverside during a routine search.

The cavalry leader could not read, but he knew that this thing might be valuable. He was afraid it was a trick, so he searched along the river for an hour or so, completing the day's reconnaissance itinerary. As a result, he picked up another piece. After comparing them, he found that the words on the two pieces of wood were basically the same. He did not dare to be careless and decided to take them all back to the general for his decision.

There is no way around it. The location of Diaoyucheng is a fishhook-shaped peninsula. There are many whirlpools where three rivers converge, and the waterway is winding and twisting. The first few bends can damage some of the wooden signs.

There were at least a dozen pieces washed ashore, but Cao's patrol team only found two of them, which was considered a small number. The rest were probably stuck in the mud in some corners.

At nightfall, the scout team returned to the camp, reported the news up the chain of command, and the wooden sign soon reached Xiahou Yuan's hands.

Xiahou Yuan took a quick look and became alert, so he quickly asked someone to call Jia Xu over.

"Doctor Jia, look at what this wooden sign says. Could it be another trick that Zhuge Liang taught Wei Yan?"

Before inviting Jia Xu, Xiahou Yuan didn't even dare to think too much about the contents on the wooden sign, for fear of forming his own judgment based on preconceived ideas.

He had been frightened by Zhuge Liang recently, and always felt that this series of defeats were all caused by Zhuge Liang controlling Wei Yan from behind. Otherwise, how could Wei Yan, a young general under 25 years old, have so many endless tricks to lure the enemy?
Jia Xu also knew General Xiahou's mentality, so as soon as he picked up the wooden sign, he looked solemn and focused.

What was written on the wooden sign was indeed the victory report Wei Yan wrote to Zhuge Liang.

It recounted the recent results of the battles, and said that although they had been fighting for two months, the losses of troops were not great due to the strategic terrain.

Let the lord and military advisor not worry about the situation in Diaoyu City and do not rush to send reinforcements to the front.

Finally, Wei Yan said: There is still enough food in the city, and we can last at least until the end of February next year according to the most optimistic scenario of the original plan.

Therefore, my lord and the military advisor, please continue to hold your ground as planned and not fight, and just wear down Xiahou Yuan until February of next year. As long as the main force can launch a counterattack before the end of February and attack Xiahou Yuan's army from both inside and outside to relieve Diaoyu City, there is no need to worry about food shortages in the city.

After reading it, Jia Xu thought about it for a while: There was nothing to write about in this letter, either the victory report or the battle damage report. If there was any fraud, the only room for fraud would be the report on the remaining grain in Diaoyucheng.

In the current situation, both sides have basically made their cards clear.

Xiahou Yuan could not take Diaoyucheng by force, and he had exhausted all other means. He could only besiege the city and cut off its food supply.

Therefore, how much food there is in the city and how long the siege can last became the core of the dispute between the two sides and the most concerned issue.

If the stored food can only last for a short time, Cao's army will be able to boost morale and persist in the siege.

If there was still a lot of surplus food, or even if Liu Bei's army had a way to break through the encirclement and deliver food to the defenders, then all the efforts of Cao's army would be in vain, and the morale of the besieged would plummet.

How could Wei Yan dare to write down such important information as the remaining grain figures in the victory report? Just to tell Zhuge Liang and reassure him?
Xiahou Yuan watched Jia Xu in a daze for a while, and finally his eyes seemed to understand. He quickly grabbed Jia Xu's hand and asked: "What do you think, Wenhe? Wei Yan actually revealed his grain reserves. Is this a trick?"

Jia Xu nodded silently: "There must be a trick, but I can't see clearly at the moment. How exactly is he trying to trick us? Is it that the remaining food in the city is not enough to support us until February, but he insists that it can support us for that long, hoping to trick us into losing patience and giving up?
Or maybe the remaining food in the city could last much longer, so he deliberately reported less in order to trick us into wanting to hold on, thereby making our army more exhausted. By the time Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang really wanted to counterattack with all their might, our army would no longer be able to fight?

The time Wei Yan said was neither too long nor too short, and it seemed reasonable. This was what puzzled me the most. "Is Wei Yan showing weakness? Or is he bluffing?

Xiahou Yuan listened to Jia Xu's chatter for a long time, and he just listed various possibilities, and felt quite annoyed for a moment.

Why won't this old fox give me a definite answer? He is too cautious and self-protective!
But Xiahou Yuan had no choice. He tried to force Jia Xu to draw a conclusion, but Jia Xu's face was filled with sorrow:
"If it was an ordinary enemy, I could certainly give you a definitive answer, but since we are facing Zhuge Liang, I dare not make a definitive answer. Please forgive me, General! In my opinion, regardless of whether Wei Yan is showing weakness or strength, our army should keep the troops relaxed in the next few months, with only the minimum number of alert patrols, to prevent any accidents.

Let the soldiers preserve their energy and morale as much as possible, and don't let them get tired and paralyzed because of the long siege. Everything should be delayed until February of next year, so that they can wait for Liu Bei to attack. In any case, preserving strength is always right.

In addition, since preparations have been made for a long-term siege, the general should also try to take advantage of the last opportunity before the heavy snow blocks the Qinling Mountains to report the situation in Bashu to Sikong so that Sikong can have a clear idea.

Firstly, it is impossible to enter the hinterland of Ba County this year, let alone the plain of Shu County, so the Minister of Works must adjust the court's attitude in time. Secondly, the Minister of Works can also prepare to organize reinforcements to enter Sichuan through Chencang Road after the snow melts in the spring of next year to fight Liu Bei.

As for the next few months, we must not increase our troops, otherwise there will be too many mouths to feed in Badi during the winter, and the food and grass will be even less. Even in this situation, we should find ways to raise food and grass, otherwise if something happens to Wei Yan or Zhuge Liang, we will be short of food and the army will be in danger. "

As Jia Xu and Xiahou Yuan were talking, they were also lost in thought, wondering whether Wei Yan was showing weakness or strength, and they didn't even think of the third possibility. But it couldn't be blamed on him, because his opponent was Zhuge Liang.

After Xiahou Yuan sorted out these precautions, he finally stopped worrying about it.

Indeed, you can temporarily stop thinking about things you don’t understand. But some measures must be taken.

Xiahou Yuan made up his mind that day and wrote a letter to Cao Cao, emphasizing that "it is absolutely impossible to enter the hinterland of Ba County this year. Liu Bei's army has found several very dangerous and solid throats in Ba County, and they will hold them without fighting." He then asked the court to adjust the overall strategy according to the situation.

Cao Cao had been looking forward to making significant progress in the Bashu region, so that a series of political operations he had previously arranged, such as promoting Ma Teng and letting Ma Teng persuade him to ascend the throne, could be carried out.

Now that the affairs of Bashu have not been fully accomplished, political propaganda and campaigning must also be adjusted accordingly.

……

Xiahou Yuan's express horse messengers could still travel two to three hundred miles a day even in the mountainous area of Bashu.

It took eight days to cross the Qinling Mountains and enter Guanzhong before the heavy winter snow completely closed the mountains. It then took another four or five days to rush all the way to Luoyang and then to Xudu.

When they finally arrived in Xudu, it was already the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month of the tenth year of Jian'an.

Cao Cao had also been concerned about the war on the front lines in Bashu in the past few months. However, he knew that the logistics supply in Shu was difficult, so he did not dare to increase the number of troops, fearing that there would be trouble if there was not enough food.

When Cao Cao heard from his attendant that Xiahou Yuan had delivered the latest battle report from the front line, he of course took it very seriously. Regardless of the fact that it was already late at night, he immediately asked to take a closer look.

"Hurry up and present Miaocai's battle report to me! I want to read it carefully overnight!"

The attendant quickly handed the letter over. Cao Cao checked and found the wax seal was intact. He did not use a knife to open it, but simply tore it open and read it carefully word by word.

"Dianjiang is a small county, but it actually has such a dangerous terrain. Wei Yan built a new city on the Jiangnan Mountain on the opposite bank, but the army besieged it for two or three months and failed to take it? Shang'er and Lu Zhao were also killed? Gao Zuo and Yang Ang were also killed in the battle? Zhang Xiu was injured by an arrow?

Why are there so many good generals under Liu Bei's command! Yun Chang and Zi Long are already difficult to defeat, Zhang Fei, Gan Ning, Taishi Ci, Zhang Liao, Gao Shun and Zhou Yu are also good at their own things, and now there is another Wei Yan!
Zhuge Liang was really cunning. He must have calculated that Wei Yan was not well-known, so he let Wei Yan guard Diaoyucheng, so that Miaocai could underestimate the enemy and attack fiercely, killing and injuring so many elite soldiers of the court. Hateful!"

Cao Cao was so angry that he jumped out of bed without caring about the cold weather or putting on his outer robe. He paced back and forth in the room, his eyes almost spitting fire, like a wild beast waiting to devour its prey.

The attendants were so frightened that they rushed over to him, fearing that he would catch a cold. One of them put a robe on him, while another fanned the charcoal brazier to keep him warm.

Cao Cao reached into his sleeves and anxiously waved away the attendant who was getting dressed: "Don't be busy! It's already late, go and invite Wen Ruo, Gong Da and Feng Xiao to discuss the matter!"

The attendant was hit by the sleeve of his robe, but he did not dare to cry out in pain and quickly retreated silently.

About a quarter of an hour later, Xun Yu, Xun You and Guo Jia were called to the Sikong Mansion one after another, and Sima Lang, Mao Jie and several other Sikong Mansion officials also came.

"Look, everyone. Miaocai is not making good progress in Ba County. He has stopped his troops at Diaoyu City and has been attacking fiercely for several months, but he has lost tens of thousands of soldiers! What can we do now?"

(End of this chapter)