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

Yan Pu was slightly taken aback upon hearing Sima Yi's words.

Am I wrong?
Otherwise, why would you suddenly burst into laughter without any warning?
Sima Yi's sudden action really baffled him.

Sima Yi's lips curled up in a mocking smile as he slowly spoke:

“Zhong Miao is located in Hanzhong. Logically speaking, he should be more aware of the changes in the weather in Hanzhong than I, Sima Yi.”

After saying this, Sima Yi finally put away his unrestrained smile and instead said in a sarcastic tone:
"Although the spring rain has fallen, everything in the world has its own laws. There will always be a time when the rain stops, the clouds disperse, and the sky clears up. How can the rain keep falling indefinitely?"

"Since our army intends to march out of the Ziwu Valley, we should patiently wait for the rain to stop before launching our attack. At that time, even if the roads are still a little muddy, what is there to fear?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Pu was speechless and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Upon closer examination, what Sima Yi said was not entirely without merit.

Hanzhong is different from the south, which is humid and rainy all year round. Although spring rains occasionally fall, they are mostly not continuous and incessant.

If they have enough patience and wait quietly, they will eventually be able to get through the rain.

When that time comes, the army will no longer need to worry about the muddy and difficult roads when it passes through the Ziwu Valley.

Seeing that Yan Pu remained silent, Sima Yi seemed to feel that he had not yet had enough and continued:
"As for the second problem you are worried about, Zhongmiao, it is completely unfounded and a case of needless worry."

"At present, the land east of Guanzhong has fallen into the hands of the Han state, and the main force of my Hanzhong army is currently in a stalemate with Liu Shan's 100,000-strong army at Xingshi Mountain."

"Under these circumstances, Tongguan was undoubtedly the rear base of the Han army. So why would Liu Shan still deploy heavy troops in Tongguan? This is clearly illogical."

Sima Yi spoke with a cold laugh, and at the same time, he completely refuted Yan Pu's second concern with a rhetorical question.

Yan Pu was once again rendered speechless by Sima Yi's words and could only stand silently to the side, lost in thought.

After a moment of silence, Yan Pu seemed to suddenly think of something, his eyes lit up, and he spoke again:

"Zhongda, you must not forget that although Liu Shan is currently confronting our army, the main camp of the Han army in Chang'an is under the command of Xiao He."

"You, Zhongda, must be well aware of this man's brilliant strategies. If he sees through your plan and sends reinforcements to the Tongguan line ahead of time, how should we deal with it?"

This statement came out.

Zhang Lu immediately became alert, his gaze quickly shifting to Sima Yi, a hint of worry in his eyes.

Clearly, when he and Sima Yi were planning this operation, they overlooked Xiao He, a crucial factor.

After all, Xiao He was rumored to be an immortal descended to earth.

With such a person stationed in the Han army in Guanzhong, how could they dare to so easily ignore Xiao He's existence?
Upon hearing Yan Pu's words, Sima Yi gave a cold smile, then respectfully bowed to Zhang Lu.

“Your Majesty, Zhong Miao is right. Xiao He is indeed a man of great wisdom and cunning. He may indeed see through my plan.”

"However, how could I have been so careless about this?"

“If that traitor Xiao sees through my plan, he will surely withdraw troops from the main camp in Chang’an and return to reinforce Tongguan.” “However, even if the Han army marches in secrecy, how could such a large-scale troop movement be done silently and without leaving a trace?”

"Therefore, I humbly request Your Majesty to dispatch spies extensively to closely monitor all movements along the line from Chang'an to Tongguan. If any signs of a large-scale mobilization of the Han army are discovered, our army will be able to detect it immediately."

"In this way, even if my plan to launch a surprise attack on the Ziwu Valley fails, our army will not suffer any substantial losses."

After hearing Sima Yi's analysis, Zhang Lu's worries dissipated considerably, and he nodded with a sigh of relief.
"It turns out that Zhongda had anticipated this all along and had already come up with such a comprehensive countermeasure. He is truly farsighted. I feel much more at ease now."

After saying this, Zhang Lu turned to Yan Pu and asked with a smile:

"Zhongda's plan has taken into account Xiao He's existence; it's flawless. Zhong Miao, what else do you have to worry about?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Pu pondered silently for a moment, but ultimately shook his head helplessly and remained silent.

Because he really couldn't find any fault with it anymore.

Sima Yi couldn't help but smile smugly when he saw that Yan Pu had been successfully persuaded.

Immediately, he bowed respectfully to Zhang Lu once again:

"This spring rain has been falling for several days. I predict that it will stop in a few days and the sky will clear. At that time, it will be the best time for our army to march out of the Ziwu Valley."

"In my opinion, it is time to decide who will lead this surprise force."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lu nodded in deep agreement, his gaze immediately turning to Zhang Wei.

After all, in Zhang Lu's mind, brothers fight tigers together, and fathers and sons go to war together.

Such a crucial battle naturally needs to be commanded by the person he trusts most, so that he can feel at ease.

Zhang Wei was his own younger brother and the undisputed number one general in Han China, so such an important task was naturally his only choice.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the army out of the Ziwu Valley and capture Tongguan for Your Majesty!"

Zhang Wei did not disappoint Zhang Lu. With just a glance, he immediately understood his brother's intentions and volunteered without hesitation.

Upon hearing Zhang Wei's request, Zhang Lu was greatly pleased, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. He immediately granted his request and praised him highly.
"I believe that with my brother on the mission, he will surely live up to expectations and successfully capture Tongguan!"

"Since Your Majesty has decided to launch a surprise attack on the Ziwu Valley, I naturally dare not have any further objections."

Seeing that the situation was settled, Yan Pu dared not object, but he had to offer a reminder:

"However, I believe that on this trip to Tongguan, we should have a military general who is familiar with the terrain of Guanzhong accompany General Zhang. Only in this way can we ensure that nothing goes wrong."

Zhang Lu nodded slightly, indicating his approval of Yan Pu's suggestion.

His eyes darted around a few times, and after a moment's consideration, he readily agreed:
"I will heed your advice and appoint Ma Chao as my deputy general to lead my brother's troops out of the Ziwu Valley and launch a surprise attack on Tongguan."

"Ma Chao was once one of the Ten Generals of Guanzhong, and even clashed with the Wei ruler at Tongguan Pass. He must know the terrain of Guanzhong like the back of his hand. I believe that with his assistance, my brother's journey will be without fail." (End of Chapter)