Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 436 The Envoy from Hanzhong: A Path to Chaos
August, Shanxi military camp.

Inside the large tent, Zhang Yu stood before the map, deep in thought, tasting a mulberry.

Upon being informed, Guo Jia entered the tent and bowed to Zhang Yu.

"My lord!"

Zhang Yu glanced at Guo Jia out of the corner of his eye and asked, "Is this the latest military intelligence from Youzhou?"

Although Gongsun Du had previously agreed to send troops to Yuan Shao, the coastal route was a low-lying area that became muddy and impassable in the summer, so Gongsun Du's deployment was delayed until July.

At this moment, Gongsun Du led tens of thousands of troops to invade Liaoxi Commandery from the coastal route. Xianyu Fu, who commanded the military power of Youzhou, immediately summoned troops to defend against him. The two armies faced off at Tuyin. Due to the great distance and the suddenness of the attack, Zhang Yu was still unaware of the outcome of the battle.

Guo Jia bowed and said, "It's not about the military situation in Youzhou, but about the military situation in Yuan Shao's camp. According to scouts, Yuan Shao died a few days ago, and his third son, Yuan Shang, is now in charge of the army."

"Yuan Shao is dead?"

Zhang Yu was stunned. He never expected that Yuan Shao, with whom he had fought for many years, would die of illness so suddenly. Moreover, he died quietly in the military camp. This both shocked and saddened Zhang Yu.

"The powerful enemy has fallen ill and died; congratulations to you, my lord."

Guo Jia laughed and said, "Yuan Shao was a hero of Hebei, renowned and highly respected by the people. Now that he has died in the army, my lord, you are free from a worry!"

Congratulations, Your Excellency!

Apart from Tian Feng, all the advisors in the tent showed expressions of joy.

Zhang Yu and Yuan Shao vied for supremacy in Hebei, regarding each other as enemies. While Yuan Shao's death does not mean that Qi can be conquered, it does mean that Qi will be powerless to reclaim Ji Province.

As for why Tian Feng felt sorrow, it was simply because Yuan Shao was his former master. Although he no longer served Yuan Shao, the past relationship between the two made Tian Feng sigh with emotion when he thought of it.

Zhang Yu looked away from the map and at the people in the tent, saying, "I have been fighting Yuan Shao for many years. I originally wanted to capture him to ask him about his affairs, but now he has suddenly fallen ill and died, leaving military and state affairs to his sons. Our army can take him now!"

"Military Advisor Guo, now that Yuan Shao has passed away, I wonder if there have been any changes in Yuan's camp?" Jia Xu asked.

"Around the time of Yuan Shao's death, Feng Ji served as Protector-General and was responsible for leading the army." Guo Jia truthfully stated, "Although Feng Ji was known for his debauchery, he was skilled in managing the army. Now, Yuan's camp is well-organized, the generals abide by the law, the morale is high, and there is no sign of frivolity."

"If we follow the military advisor's words, then wouldn't that mean Yuan's camp wouldn't be affected by Yuan Shao's death?" Jia Xu frowned and asked rhetorically.

Guo Jia pondered and said, "How could it have no impact? It's just that Feng Ji is strict in governing the army, and since Yuan Shang took command of the army, he has been bestowing official titles and ranks to win over the people."

“According to etiquette, Yuan Tan is Yuan Shao’s eldest son, and now Yuan Shang is the head of the Yuan family. Why is Yuan Tan not responding?” Xun You asked.

"There's no word from Yuan Tan yet!" Guo Jia said.

Zhang Yu looked at Tian Feng, who remained silent, and asked, "Mr. Tian, ​​you were once Yuan Shao's advisor. Do you know why Yuan Shao made Yuan Shang his heir?"

Tian Feng composed himself and said, "Your Excellency, Yuan Shao has always favored Yuan Shang, and perhaps that's why he made Yuan Shang his heir. But given the situation of the enemy state, which relies heavily on Qingzhou for supplies and troops, why is he choosing Yuan Shang over his former lord Yuan Tan as heir? I can hardly fathom Yuan Shao's intentions!"

"Although Yuan Tan lacked outstanding talent and strategy, he was respectful to the virtuous and wise, and many people in the past believed that Yuan Tan would succeed Yuan Shao!"

“If Yuan Shao were to depose Yuan Tan because he favors a mere child, he would be courting disaster!” Xun You said thoughtfully.

Recalling the historical drama of the two Yuans turning against each other after Yuan Shao's death, Zhang Yu jokingly said, "The reason why the two Yuans have not changed their ways now is probably because they are facing a formidable enemy and dare not act rashly. Instead, they want to force us to retreat first and then compete for the throne."

"What you say makes sense, my lord!"

Guo Jia, considering the military situation, said, "Yuan Tan was formerly the lord of Qingzhou. Now Yuan Shao has deposed the eldest son and installed the younger one in his place, and Yuan Shang has usurped the throne. How could Yuan Tan be willing to accept this? In the current situation, if we attack quickly, the two Yuans will work together; if we attack slowly, the two Yuans will inevitably clash. Now that Yuan Shao is not in power, how could Gao Gan, Yuan Xi, and Yuan Tan be willing to obey Yuan Shang's orders?"

Zhang Yu turned to look at Guo Jia and said, "Fengxiao, do you mean to persuade me to withdraw my troops?"

Guo Jia bowed deeply and said, "Yuan Shu has sent Ji Ling with his army north, and with Zhang Miao's assistance, General Li may find it difficult to achieve his goal. Therefore, in my humble opinion, Your Excellency should withdraw your troops, retreat north to Liaodong, head east to Bohai, and aid Lü Bu in the south. We should wait for the dramatic changes between the Yuan brothers, and then, when the two Yuans are exhausted, lead your army to attack them. This way, you will achieve twice the result with half the effort!"

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment, looked at the map on the tent wall, and said, "If the two Yuans can fight each other, those who are desperate will come to me. Therefore, the two Yuans are not a cause for concern, and the rest can be easily dealt with."

Then, Zhang Yu looked at Xun You, Jia Xu, and Tian Feng in turn and asked, "What are your opinions, gentlemen?"

Tian Feng said, "Your Excellency has foresight. If the two Yuans were to start a war, they would become mortal enemies. Gao Gan should be lured away from them. If the people's hearts cannot be united, it will be difficult for Your Excellency to cause trouble."

The current situation is complex. Gongsun Du is attacking Youzhou from the north, Ji Ling and Zhang Miao are providing reinforcements from the south, and Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan are united in their efforts, effectively putting us on three fronts. Therefore, without utilizing rested troops, the subsequent battles will be extremely difficult. It would be better to withdraw our troops in time and observe the infighting between the two Yuan brothers.

After all, Qingzhou's resources were not abundant. When Yuan Shao was alive, he was able to integrate the resources of Qing and Xu provinces and, with the support of Yuan Shu, barely resist Zhang Yu's attack. If the two Yuans were to go to war, it would not only deplete Qingzhou's resources internally but also alienate the high-ranking officials. Since the Yuans could not unite, they would pose no great threat to Zhang Yu; on the contrary, it would be easier for Zhang Yu to easily take over Qingzhou later. Therefore, it is better to relax now than to tighten the grip; the current withdrawal is for a better offensive.

Xun You said, "If the two Yuans are not a major threat, then you, my lord, can look south. Yuan Shu's territory spans four provinces, and he dominates the Central Plains. If you, my lord, destroy him, then the world will be at peace!"

Jia Xu stroked his beard and pondered, then said, “Yuan Shao is dead, and his sons are fighting amongst themselves. Your Excellency has subdued the Central Plains. Why not return to your capital, recruit the surrendered members of the Yuan family, pacify Lü Bu in the south, and conquer Liangzhou in Xi’an? With the armies rewarded and able to rest, it will not be too late to launch a campaign against the Central Plains next year.”

Then, Jia Xu asked, "Does Your Excellency know the current situation in Liangzhou?"

"Lao Wen and Xi Yan!"

Jia Xu said, "Powerful local lords are rising up in various counties of Liangzhou, and the Lushui Hu are also causing trouble, which Wei Duan is unable to control. Why don't you take advantage of the situation and recruit Wei Duan, and send his son Wei Kang and other capable generals to the west? Liangzhou will surely be pacified!"

Although Wei Duan was the governor of Liangzhou, he was unable to control the various counties of Liangzhou. On the eve of the battle between Yuan Shao and Zhang Yu, Wei Duan sent Pang Yu to befriend Zhang Yu. Now that Yuan Shao had been defeated and the Han dynasty had fallen, Zhang Yu, now free to act, was able to send troops to Liangzhou to pacify the counties controlled by powerful local lords and replace the aging Wei Duan with Wei Kang, with the aim of gaining control of Liangzhou.

Zhang Yu nodded, paced back and forth for a long time, and said, "Since that's the case, then appoint Hao Zhao as the governor of Pingyuan Commandery, and have him and Zhang Yan lead troops to garrison Pingyuan. Xu Shu will also have 5,000 troops stationed at Qinghe, then Yuan Tan will not dare to invade the north. Let Man Chong lead his troops back and garrison them at Yangxin, cutting off Juhu's connection with Qingzhou, and order Zhang Liao to quickly take Nanpi. Meng Ningzhi will be appointed as the governor of Dongjun Commandery and stationed at Puyang."

"What about Youzhou?" Xu Chu asked.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "Zhongkang is leading his army north, carrying my great banner. When Gongsun Du sees my banner arrive, he will surely suspect that we have already defeated Yuan Shao. In his fear, Gongsun Du will flee!"

"Your Excellency is wise!" Xu Chu said with delight, bowing as he accepted the plan.

"The rest of my troops will follow me westward to observe the movements of Ji Ling's army!" Zhang Yu said.

"As ordered!"

On that day, Zhang Yu abandoned the 'Pingyuan' city he had painstakingly built, and ordered Hao Zhao to lead his troops to retreat to the plains on the north bank to garrison, where they would join forces with Zhang Yan, the governor of Qingzhou, to defend against Yuan Shang. For the next three days, Zhang Yu led his army towards Dongjun.

Seeing Zhang Yu lead his troops in retreat, Yuan Shang led his army in pursuit, but was defeated by the forces of Zhang Yan and Hao Zhao who remained behind. Fearing that Yuan Tan would benefit from the retreat, Yuan Shang, on Feng Ji's advice, led his army in a temporary retreat, intending to seize Linzi first.

On August 15th, Zhang Yu marched along the Yellow River, his army of tens of thousands stretching for ten miles, a sight to behold.

A scout rode swiftly from the west, covered in dust, heading straight for the central army's banner. Seeing that the canopy was not far away, the scout slowed down and, after being informed by his left and right, finally spotted Zhang Yu.

"My lord, an urgent report from Anyi!"

The scout dismounted and bowed, saying, "An envoy from Hanzhong has arrived in Anyi, saying that Sun Ce has raised an army of 100,000 to launch a northern expedition. He first broke through Yangping Pass, and now Sun Ce has broken through the pass and entered Hanzhong, besieging Nanzheng City again. Zhang Lu specially requests that you, my lord, send troops to relieve the siege."

When did this happen?

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu's expression changed drastically while on horseback.

While Sun Jian's occupation of Bashu was alarming, it didn't deter Zhang Yu, mainly because Hanzhong, the gateway to Yizhou, was in Zhang Lu's hands. However, if Sun Ce were to occupy Hanzhong now, his next move would undoubtedly be to set his sights on Longyou or Guanzhong.

If Sun Ce were to use Hanzhong as a base for a northern expedition, Zhang Yu, though not afraid, would have a significant amount of his troops tied up due to Sun Ce's campaign. Therefore, if Sun Ce were to capture Hanzhong, Zhang Yu would likely change his strategy, conquering Ba and Shu first to eliminate Yuan Shu without any worries about his rear.

“Sun Ce launched a northern expedition in May, broke through Yangping Pass in July, and is now besieging Nanzheng,” the scout said.

"My lord, Hanzhong is the throat of Bashu. If Sun Ce gets it, he can have a view of Guanzhong and Longxi. We must not let Sun Ce get his way!" Xun You stepped forward and said hurriedly. "We need to urgently send troops to rescue Hanzhong. If Hanzhong is lost, Guanzhong and Longxi will be in turmoil."

Xun You pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Liao is besieging Nanpi, Li Song is stationed in Yanzhou, and Man Chong is the governor of Bohai. If we wish to relieve Hanzhong, only Xu Huang can lead the troops!"

Jia Xu said worriedly, "Although Xu Huang can lead an army, he is in Hebei. If he gathers his troops and then leads them to Hanzhong, it will take two months. By then, Hanzhong may have already been captured by Sun Ce. Speed ​​is of the essence in war. We need nearby troops to come to our aid first before sending a large army into Hanzhong."

"Shi Yi!"

Zhang Yu pointed his whip at his cavalry and said in a deep voice, "Send an order to Zhong Yao to send the Zhongtiao Army to Chencang. Then send another order to Shi Yi to lead the Qiang and Hu troops south to join the Zhongtiao Army and advance westward together, in order to contain part of Sun Ce's forces."

"Order Xu Huang to urgently summon his troops and rush to Hanzhong. Afterwards, he will lead the Shiyi Army to relieve the siege of Hanzhong together. If the troops are too few, proceed slowly, as reinforcements will arrive soon."

"promise!"

Several cavalrymen received orders and galloped off in various directions.

After issuing a series of urgent orders, Zhang Yu said to his men, "Sun Ce has foresight and understands the importance of Hanzhong. If it weren't for my long-standing friendship with Zhang Lu, Sun Ce would already have taken Hanzhong!"

(End of this chapter)