My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

“Shi Yuan is right. Bingzhou is not like Jizhou. It has the danger of the Taihang Mountains. If we cannot conquer it after a long siege, the situation will only be unfavorable to our army.”

"It seems that the strategy of attacking Bingzhou from three directions needs to be discussed more carefully. This battle must not turn into a stalemate as Cao Cao hopes."

Liu Bei acknowledged Pang Tong's concerns and looked at his ministers:
"What do you think of what Bowen, Kongming, and Shiyuan have said?"

Zhuge Liang stared at the sand table, lost in thought.

Xiao He looked down at the sand table, his fingers lightly touching his chin, also deep in thought and silent.

At this moment, his mind was racing, pondering the various successful cases of conquering Bingzhou over the past thousands of years.

After a long while, a glint flashed in his eyes, and a bold idea popped into his mind.

"Your Majesty, I am thinking that our three armies are all attacking Bingzhou from the east to the west, intending to join forces in Jinyang."

"However, there are more than just these three routes to Jinyang. Why are we stuck in this mindset and insist on launching an offensive from east to west?"

Xiao He pointed at the sand table and suddenly said in a meaningful tone.

Everyone's expression shifted, and their gazes turned to Xiao He in unison.

Zhuge Liang's eyes flickered first, as if he had grasped some of the hidden meaning in Xiao He's words.

"Bowen, I don't quite understand. If we don't attack Bingzhou from the east to the west, from where should we attack?"

Liu Bei looked confused.

Xiao He raised his hand and slowly pointed towards the southwest direction of the sand table:
"Your Majesty, I believe we can move from south to north, heading northeast from Hebei, and take Jinyang directly."

Hedong!

Liu Bei's gaze suddenly fell on the southwest corner of the sand table.

Hedong Commandery, bordering Jinyang to the north and Chang'an to the west, is the junction of Bingzhou and Guanzhong.

If Guanzhong is likened to the thigh and Bingzhou to the calf, then Hedong County is equivalent to the knee joint.

"Your Majesty, Bowen is absolutely right!"

"Attack Bingzhou from east to west, with the Taihang Mountains as a natural barrier, making it difficult to conquer."

"If we march north from Hebei to attack Bingzhou, the terrain there is relatively flat and open, which is conducive to the deployment of our large army and to leveraging our troop strength advantage."

"Furthermore, from the northeast of the Yellow River, there is the Fen River that flows directly to Jinyang, so our grain and fodder can be transported by water without being affected by muddy roads caused by rain."

"Taking Bingzhou from Hedong is indeed a 'shortcut'!"

Zhuge Liang, who was the first to grasp the secret, pointed to the sand table with his feather fan and began to describe it with delight.

Liu Bei suddenly realized something, and his vision cleared up. He looked at Xiao He with delighted surprise.

"What the Prime Minister says is exactly what I mean."

Xiao He nodded and smiled, then, without further preamble, pointed to the sand table and explained in detail:
"My strategy is to continue attacking Pingcheng, Jingxing and Huguan with three armies as originally planned, so that Cao Cao will believe that we are going to attack Bingzhou from the east to the west."

"Once the Wei army has been mobilized, a force of elite infantry and cavalry will travel westward along the Yellow River by day and night, landing southwest of Hanoi. They will then head straight for Jiguan Pass and defeat it by surprise!"

"Once Jiguan Pass is breached, our army can advance unimpeded and storm into Hedong County!"

"If we can take Hedong County before Cao Cao can react, we can sever the connection between Yongliang and Bingzhou in one fell swoop."

"At that time, we will seal off the ferry crossings such as Puban and Longmen, and the army will march north along the Fen River. We can then easily capture Jinyang and take over the entire Bingzhou!"

Xiao He revealed his entire plan.

The hall erupted in excitement, and everyone's eyes were drawn to the unassuming little pass, "Ji Pass".

This pass is located in the Wangwu Mountains and is a vital passage for the land route between Hedong and Hanoi prefectures.

"Your Majesty, the Grand Marshal's plan is truly ingenious and achieves a decisive victory!" Pang Tong's eyes lit up as he excitedly pointed at the sand table.
"The Wei forces are limited and can only use their troops where they are most needed. Most of the troops stationed in Bingzhou will be deployed along the Jingxing Pass, Huguan Pass, and Pingcheng line."

"Their limited mobile forces should also be deployed along the Sanfu line, with the main focus on preventing our army from launching a feint attack on Bingzhou while actually attacking Guanzhong."

“Small passes like Ji Pass, which are not on our army’s attack route, will certainly not have many troops stationed there.”

"If we can launch a surprise attack on Jiguan, I believe we have at least a 70 to 80% chance of winning and taking Jiguan!"

Lu Xun also pointed to the location of Hedong and added:
“From the north of the river, the terrain is much flatter and more open than the Taihang Mountains, and there is also the advantage of the Fen River for water transport. We will definitely be able to take Jinyang quickly.”

"With the fall of Jinyang, Bingzhou will be pacified!"

"Your Majesty, the Grand Marshal's plan is a stroke of genius—avoiding the strong and attacking the weak, deceiving the heavens and crossing the sea!"

Everyone expressed their opinions and agreed with Xiao He's plan.

The cloud over Liu Bei's face cleared, and he laughed heartily, saying with delight:
"Excellent, excellent, excellent plan to cross the sea and avoid the strong and attack the weak."

"Very well, I will use Bowen's plan to launch a surprise attack on Jiguan Pass, seize Hedong, and then attack Jinyang from the south to the north!"

The strategy to conquer Bingzhou was thus finalized.

The next question is who will lead this surprise attack on Jiguan Pass.

As the emperor, Liu Bei naturally could not remain inactive, otherwise he would inevitably arouse Cao Cao's vigilance.

This battle is of great importance and can only be led by a general who has won every battle.

Looking at all the officials of the Han Dynasty, the one who dared to claim victory in every battle was none other than Xiao He.

Liu Bei then decided to adjust his strategy, appointing Zhao Yun and Lu Xun to lead the northern army to attack Pingcheng from Shanggu.

Xiao He then remained in Yecheng, waiting for the opportune moment to lead his elite infantry and cavalry in a swift attack on Jiguan Pass.

"Your Majesty, I believe this arrangement is inappropriate."

"Everyone in the world knows that the Grand Marshal is invincible, and His Majesty always has the Grand Marshal involved in every battle, either accompanying the army to offer advice and strategies or personally leading the army to conquer cities and seize territories."

"If, during this campaign against Wei, the Grand Marshal were to remain in Ye City instead of participating in the battle, it would inevitably arouse the vigilance of Cao Cao."

Pang Tong was the first to point out the flaw in Liu Bei's plan.

Liu Bei suddenly understood, nodded slightly, and frowned.

This gets a little tricky.

Let's not use Xiao He; no one can guarantee a sure victory if we use anyone else.

Using Xiao He would easily arouse Cao Cao's suspicion, and he might very well figure out Xiao He's plan.

For a moment, Liu Bei was stuck here.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan that would allow me to lead the army in a surprise attack on Jiguan Pass without alerting Cao Cao."

Ma Su, who had been keeping quiet while the audience leaders spoke and dared not speak up on his own, suddenly spoke cautiously.

All eyes turned to Ma Su.

Liu Bei's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked:
"Youchang, do you have a perfect solution?"

Ma Su then raised his hand and pointed outside the hall, calmly saying:
"Recently, rumors have been circulating in Ye City that the Grand Marshal's achievements have overshadowed the Emperor, and His Majesty has become suspicious of him, fearing that the Grand Marshal might use his troops to plot a rebellion."

"I surmise that this must be a scheme by Cao Cao to sow discord. He is afraid of the Grand Marshal and wants to use this plan to make Your Majesty suspicious of the Grand Marshal and dare not let the Grand Marshal lead the army."

"Since that's the case, why don't we turn the tables on them?" (End of Chapter)