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

"impossible!"

After the initial shock subsided like a receding tide, Sima Yi instantly descended into a state of hysterical madness, roaring hoarsely:

"My plan is flawless. How could that country bumpkin possibly be so capable of seeing through it?"

Sima Yi's eyes were filled with resentment as he continued to question:

"Even if we take a step back and assume that he really has the extraordinary ability to see through my plan, how do you explain that our spies in Guanzhong did not send over a single piece of information about Xiao's reinforcements at Tongguan?"

"This is impossible!"

Sima Yi was unwilling to accept the cruel reality before him and clung to the last glimmer of hope, struggling desperately like a drowning man grasping at a straw.

Seeing this, Yan Pu couldn't help but let out a bitter sigh and asked in return:
"Sima Zhongda, with your intelligence, can't you figure out the key to this?"

"Who is Xiao He? How could he not have known that you had spies planted in Guanzhong? How could he be so foolish as to transfer troops from the front lines in Chang'an back to Tongguan, thus exposing his whereabouts?"

"The ambush troops at Tongguan were clearly secretly dispatched from Guandong. Their purpose was to avoid alerting the enemy and to keep you completely unaware."

Yan Pu's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over Sima Yi's head, instantly chilling him to the bone.

The chill spread from his head to his entire body, completely waking him up.

He swayed unsteadily, as if a gentle breeze could blow him over. He took two steps back and finally fell onto a nearby rock.

"Why is this happening? Why is this happening?"

"Every single one of my plans, no matter how ingenious, no matter how flawless and unpredictable, was seen through by that scoundrel Xiao?"

"Could he really be a nemesis sent down from heaven specifically to restrain me?"

"Why, why—"

Sima Yi's voice grew weaker and weaker, and he seemed to have lost his soul, falling into a daze.

At that moment, his remaining confidence, like fragile glass, was shattered mercilessly and scattered all over the ground.

"Sima Zhongda, I regret that I listened to your so-called brilliant plan. Now I've ended up in this state. What should I do now? Speak up!"

At this moment, Zhang Lu was like an enraged lion, grabbing Sima Yi by the collar and hysterically demanding an explanation.

The King of Hanzhong was now in complete disarray, having lost all his former dignity and authority. He had no respect for Sima Yi whatsoever, only resentment and hatred in his heart.

"My lord, my lord..."

Sima Yi's spirit was completely broken, and his mind was in chaos. He was like a walking corpse, and naturally, he was helpless and speechless in the face of Zhang Lu's questioning.

"Your Majesty, now is not the time to assign blame!"

Yan Pu was the first to calm down, and he cupped his hands in a solemn manner, saying:
"The only course of action now is for Your Majesty to leave half of your troops to guard Xingshi Mountain and absolutely not allow the main force of the Han army to enter Hanzhong, otherwise all will be lost!"

"Your Majesty should personally lead half of the troops back to Nanzheng at full speed, join forces with the garrison in the city to establish a scorched earth policy and defend the city."

"Although the Han army entered Hanzhong through the Ziwu Valley, their supply lines were blocked, and they could not obtain food locally. They must be eager to win a quick battle and dare not prolong the war."

"We will hold Nanzheng. If we can hold out for ten days or half a month, the Han army will run out of food and supplies, and their morale will inevitably fall into chaos. They will naturally retreat without a fight, and then Hanzhong can be saved."

Yan Pu's proposed solution was like a beacon of light for everyone present.

Upon hearing Yan Pu's words, Zhang Lu's spirits lifted, as if he had grasped a lifeline, and a glimmer of hope rekindled in his eyes.

Without thinking twice, he hurriedly shouted:

"By my order, immediately dispatch half of your troops to accompany me back to Nanzheng."

That very night, Zhang Lu personally led 20,000 elite troops from Hanzhong, traveling day and night from Xiegu southward to Nanzheng.

General Yang Ang took over the Xingshi camp and led the remaining 20,000 troops to continue resisting Liu Shan's 100,000 Han troops.

…North of Xingshi Mountain, Han Camp.

"Incompetent, useless!"

"Our Han army is the elite of the world, with strong soldiers and horses. You all boast that you are famous generals of our time. Our army is several times stronger than the enemy's, giving us a complete advantage. We should have swept through Xiegu like a hot knife through butter!"

"Why have you attacked for more than ten days, yet not a single soldier has been able to climb Xingshi Mountain? What is the reason for this?"

Inside the central command tent, Liu Shan was furious, lashing out at his generals with eyes full of disappointment.

Zhang Yan, Qian Zhao, Jia Kui, and other generals remained silent, their brows furrowed with a hint of helplessness.

"Your Highness, calm down."

"The generals were undoubtedly brave, and the soldiers were undoubtedly risking their lives. However, the terrain of this Xiegu Valley is narrow, and although our army has a large force, it cannot operate freely. Instead, it is as if we are stuck in a quagmire and cannot make full use of our advantages."

"Your Highness, the failure to capture the city after such a long siege is not the fault of the generals, but rather a limitation imposed by the terrain."

Man Chong had no choice but to stand up and defend everyone.

As one of the first Cao Cao's officials to be captured and surrender to Liu Bei during the Battle of Hanshui, Man Chong was the most senior among these northern surrendered officials.

Liu Shan held Man Chong, a veteran official, in high esteem.

Hearing Man Chong's words, his tone softened a bit, but he still said with a bitter face:

“Berning, I know everyone has done their best.”

"But before this battle, I boasted to the Grand Marshal and the others that we would reach the walls of Nanzheng within a month."

"But now the term is about to expire, and I can't even conquer this small Xingshi Mountain, let alone enter Hanzhong. How can I explain this to my father? Where is my face?"

Liu Shan poured out his grievances.

To put it bluntly, it's all about saving face.

Man Chong sighed and said:

"Your Highness, the dangers of the Qinling Mountains are known to all under heaven."

"Forgive me for speaking disrespectfully, but Your Highness's boast that you would pacify Hanzhong in a month was indeed arrogant."

"How could Hanzhong be so easily conquered?"

Liu Shan frowned; Man Chong's blunt words clearly sounded harsh to him.

His expression changed slightly, a hint of displeasure in his heart, but Liu Shan couldn't show it outwardly, so he simply waved his hand and said:
"Let's not dwell on the past. Now that things have come to this, you need to come up with a way to make amends. Otherwise, if this drags on, I will lose face, and you will lose a great opportunity to advance further."

Liu Shan's words implied that you, the surrendered officials of Cao Wei, should seize this opportunity to prove yourselves so that you can rise to power through this great achievement and have a chance to overthrow the suppression of you by the meritorious officials of Jingzhou and Xiangyang.

Man Chong pondered for a moment, then said:

"Given the current situation, a direct assault on Xiegu is no longer feasible. I believe it would be better to divide our forces..."

The words were left unsaid.

Xun Yun rushed in, his expression grave, and said:

"Your Highness, a victory report has just been sent from Guanzhong."

“Zhang Lu sent Zhang Wei with a large force out of the Ziwu Valley to launch a surprise attack on Tongguan, but the Grand Marshal saw through his plan and annihilated the enemy forces at Tongguan.”

"The Grand Marshal has now joined forces with the General and the General of Chariots and Cavalry, leading his army into Hanzhong through the Ziwu Valley, intending to besiege Nanzheng and annihilate Zhang Lu!"

Liu Shan's expression changed drastically in shock. (End of Chapter)