Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 439 Regret
"what!"

Shi Yi exclaimed in amazement, "Your Majesty has entrusted me with such a great responsibility!"

"General, rescuing Hanzhong is no easy task!"

Chief Clerk Ren Wei cupped his hands and said, "Our army is two thousand li away from Hanzhong via the Qishan Road, and it is more than two thousand li away via Guanzhong. Not only are the roads treacherous, but Sun Ce also has a force of one hundred thousand. Unless Your Excellency personally leads a large army, it will be difficult to relieve the siege of Hanzhong!"

Ren Wei was originally a surrendered person from Longyou, and was appointed magistrate of Qingshui County by Zhang Yu. When Shi Yi was stationed in Longyou, Zhang Yu appreciated Ren Wei's martial prowess, so he transferred Ren Wei to Shi Yi and appointed him as the chief clerk and colonel of the Protector of the Qiang General.

Shi Yi showed no sign of worry and said, "In the past, when the mountains were blocked by heavy snow, I led my cavalry to cross the mountains and traverse the Hehuang region. Now that there is no heavy snow to hinder us, what is there to fear, even if the journey is long!"

"Besides, it's only a thousand or two miles, not a long journey of ten thousand miles, why can't we march?"

"As for the enemy force of 100,000?"

Shi Yi questioned, “Although I grew up in the land of barbarians, I am aware of the strengths and weaknesses of the various states. Ji Province is a populous province, yet it can only muster 100,000 troops. Now, half of Yi Province is inhabited by various barbarian tribes, and having 50,000 or 60,000 troops would already be considered a large army. Moreover, the Sun family has only recently conquered Ba and Shu, and their soldiers are not yet fully committed.”

Although Shi Yi was a Xianbei, he had followed Zhang Yu for over a decade and had long been Sinicized. Since descending from Guanzhong, Shi Yi's status had risen, and he had sought out Han scholars to teach him. Since taking command in Longyou, Shi Yi had the scholars read military books daily, learning military strategy and tactics from them. Now, upon learning that Zhang Yu had chosen him as a general, Shi Yi, who had been stationed in Longyou for three years, was already eager for battle.

"Our army has more than 4,000 infantry and cavalry. Now we are traveling a thousand miles to aid Hanzhong. I fear that not all of our soldiers will be able to arrive," Ren Wei said worriedly.

Shi Yi pointed to the map and said, "Borrow horses from the Qiang and Di tribes along the way. Let as many people as you can accompany us. The key now is to reach Chencang first, join up with the Zhongtiao army, and then travel along the Shu Road to Hanzhong."

"The Qishan Road requires passing through Yangping Pass, but now that Yangping Pass has been breached by Sun Ce, it is probably difficult to pass through."

"How many men does the Zhongtiao Army have, and who is its commander?" Ren Wei asked.

Shi Yi laughed and said, "Three hundred young men, the lord's carefully cultivated confidants."

Ren Wei didn't know whether they were trusted confidants or not, but when he heard that the Zhongtiao Army consisted of only three hundred men, and they were all young men, he couldn't help but complain, "With less than five thousand soldiers, they want to come to the aid of Hanzhong. General, I'm afraid you will have to adapt to the situation and wait for the reinforcements to arrive before you can fight them."

"I have my own plan!"

The military situation was urgent, and Shi Yi dared not waste any time. He selected 3,000 elite men from the 4,000 men and then traveled day and night.

Military strategy states that those who rush for profit from a distance of one hundred li will lose their general; those who rush for profit from a distance of fifty li will only have half their army arrive. The key to military operations lies in supply. If soldiers need to carry their own rations, the army's march will be limited by supply, and the average daily march will only be thirty or forty li. A forced march of fifty li will cause the army to become separated from its baggage train.

The route from Longyou to Hanzhong, and then detouring through Hanzhong, covered more than two thousand li. To avoid supply shortages, the prefectures along the way had already prepared rations for the rapidly marching Shiyi. Thus, with the support of these supplies, Shiyi traveled at an average of over one hundred li per day, striving to reach Hanzhong within half a month.

After eight or nine days of marching, Shi Yi led his troops to Chencang, where three hundred young men from the Zhongtiao Army were already waiting.

Three hundred men meant three hundred riders. All the riders were armored, with double quivers on their horses and bows at their waists. Each person also carried fur garments, either shawls or horse covers. Upon closer inspection, one could see that these furs were from wild beasts such as tigers, wolves, and bears, inspiring awe in all who beheld them.

Upon seeing the three hundred burly riders, exuding a murderous aura, Ren Wei was startled. These cavalrymen were no young men; they were bloodthirsty beasts.

When the Zhongtiao cavalry saw Shi Yi, they concealed their murderous aura and instead showed a look of joy, clearly indicating that many people still remembered the days when Shi Yi taught archery.

Under Shi Yi's command, the three hundred Zhongtiao cavalry obeyed orders and marched from the Qinling Mountains through the Baoxie Road into Hanzhong. The Baoxie Road was eight or nine hundred li long; a forced march of one hundred li per day would have taken ten days to reach Hanzhong. However, due to the lack of supplies along the way, soldiers and civilians from Guanzhong were conscripted to escort Shi Yi's provisions, thus slowing his progress. While Shi Yi was on his way, many within Nanzheng were filled with anxiety.

Inside the mansion, Zhang Lu looked haggard and said, "Sun Ce has besieged Nanzheng for more than sixty days. Now there are no reinforcements from outside, and the people inside are uneasy. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Master!"

Yi Hui bowed and said, “Sun Ce has captured Yangping and all his armies have entered Hanzhong. The situation in Hanzhong is now critical. In my opinion, it would be better to surrender to Sun Ce. In this way, Hanzhong can be freed from the threat of war, and you, my lord, can enjoy peace and not be burdened by official documents.”

"shut up!"

Zhang Wei abruptly stood up from his seat and said in a deep voice, "There are still more than 20,000 soldiers in the city, and enough money, silk and food to last a year. How can we surrender the city!"

Yi Hui retorted, "If the general hadn't lost Yangping Pass, how could the situation in Hanzhong have become so critical!"

Zhang Wei said angrily, "It was not my defeat that caused the loss of Yangping, but rather that Sun Ce sought a shortcut and took advantage of my unpreparedness to sneak across with his troops and attack. When he saw that Yangping could not be defended, I retreated to Nanzheng."

Yi Hui disagreed, saying, "The general swore he could defend Yangping, but now he cannot. How can it not be the general's fault!"

"You~"

"quiet!"

Zhang Lu interrupted their argument and asked, "What are your thoughts, Zimiao?"

If it were the Zhang Lu of the past, he might have killed Yi Hui. However, after Sun Ce's several campaigns in Hanzhong, Zhang Lu no longer held Sun Ce in contempt and was much more lenient towards Yi Hui, who was inclined to surrender.

Yan Pu pondered for a long time before saying, "Master, Hanzhong is far from Guanzhong and Longxi. Judging by the distance, our messengers have already reached Anyi. However, the reason why we have not seen reinforcements is probably because of the long journey. Master, why don't we hold the city and wait for the Shanxi reinforcements to arrive? Sun Ce will surely withdraw his troops then."

Yi Hui snorted and said, "We have waited for more than sixty days. Who knows how much longer we will have to wait? If we do not surrender now, I fear that Nanzheng will be plundered after Sun Ce breaks through the city."

Yan Pu glanced at Yi Hui and said indifferently, "If Sun Ce had the ability to conquer cities, he would have taken them long ago. Why wait until now?"

"Zhang Yu controls Hebei; how can Sun Ce compare? If you join Sun Ce now, you will only gain wealth and honor, and you will be bound by him for life. But if you join Zhang Yu, it will be different. Not only will you receive abundant money and provisions, but you will also be granted a fiefdom."

Yi Hui said, "Your idea is good, but don't forget that Zhang Yu's army is in Hebei. They have not arrived yet, so I'm afraid Zhang Yu has no intention of sending troops to rescue us!"

Yan Pu ignored Yi Hui and instead cupped his hands to Zhang Lu, saying, "Master, when I was sent as an envoy to Zhang Yu, Zhang Yu inquired a lot about the situation in Shu, which shows that Zhang Yu intends to seize Ba and Shu. Hanzhong is the gateway to Ba and Shu. If Sun Ce occupies it, Guanzhong and Longxi will be in danger. Since Zhang Yu has his sights set on Yizhou, how could he willingly let Sun Ce occupy Hanzhong? His troops will surely come!"

Zhang Lu sighed deeply and said, "I regret that I did not heed Zimiao's advice sooner, and now I have suffered this defeat."

"Please hold Nanzheng, Master. Reinforcements may be on their way!" Yan Pu comforted him.

P.S.: I had some writer's block in this chapter, so it's only about 2000 words for now.

(End of this chapter)