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

"It's just Dingjun Mountain, isn't it? Even if it's lost, why are you making such a fuss, as if the sky is about to fall?"

Liu Shan muttered to himself, but a look of bewilderment involuntarily appeared on his face.

Man Chong's expression was solemn, his brows furrowed, and he pointed to the map, saying:

"Your Highness, please take a closer look. This Dingjun Mountain is a strategic location, far superior to any ordinary mountain."

"Occupy this mountain and cross the Mian River to the north, and you can easily cut off our army's food supplies. At that time, our army will be in a predicament of running out of food and will collapse without a fight."

"If we move eastward, we can directly threaten our Nanzheng City. If Nanzheng City falls, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Yangping Pass is the throat of Hanzhong, and Dingjun Mountain is the throat of Yangping Pass!"

"Your Highness, this must be Sima Yi's scheme!"

"I told you long ago, we must not underestimate Sima Yi!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan involuntarily gasped, his body trembling slightly.

His face instantly turned embarrassed, as if his shameful secret had been exposed in public.

My previous arrogance was so ridiculous, like a blindly proud child who exposed his foolishness.

Originally, he thought that taking Yangping Pass would be as easy as taking candy from a baby.

Unexpectedly, at this crucial moment, they were outmaneuvered by Zhang Ren and Sima Yi.

The loss of Dingjun Mountain put him on the defensive, as if Zhang Ren had his Achilles' heel.

What a disgrace...

"That Sima Yi! You treacherous villain, you are truly cunning and deceitful, utterly hateful!!"

Enraged, Liu Shan gritted his teeth and cursed loudly.

After venting his anger, he scoffed dismissively.
"However, even if you seize Dingjun Mountain, so what? I'll just take it back!"

"Pass down the order: immediately dispatch a large army, at all costs, to retake Dingjun Mountain!"

Man Chong was taken aback.

Liu Shan's move was driven by anger, which is a major taboo in military strategy.

So he quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in a gesture of dissuasion, and said:
"Your Highness, please calm down. Zhang Ren's actions are clearly intended to lure us to Dingjun Mountain, and then use the terrain advantage of Dingjun Mountain to defeat our army in one fell swoop."

"Isn't Your Highness's move exactly what they wanted?"

"And if we rashly divide our forces to go to Dingjun Mountain, the main camp at Yangping Pass will be weakened. What should we do if the enemy takes advantage of the situation to attack?"

"Your Highness, please stay calm and consider this carefully."

Man Chong looked grave and tried his best to dissuade Liu Shan, attempting to calm him down and reassess the situation.

Liu Shan's expression changed drastically, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, instantly calming him down.

Just then, Xun Yun interjected:
"Now that Dingjun Mountain has been lost, if that scoundrel Pang De really does what you say, Bo Ning, and cuts off our grain supply line at Yangping Pass, or even heads east to take Nanzheng, wouldn't Hanzhong be lost again after we've gained it?"

"If Hanzhong is lost, Your Highness will not only have gained nothing, but will also have committed a serious offense. If His Majesty is enraged, it may even affect Your Highness's position as Crown Prince!"

Xun Yun's words were like a sharp sword, piercing Liu Shan's heart and making him tremble.

The attack on Hanzhong was a miscalculation, and it's likely that when the news reached Ye City, Liu Bei had already lost faith in him.

Xiao and those people may have secretly written letters to Liu Bei, speaking ill of him behind his back.

At this point, Liu Bei might have already begun to consider deposing him from his position as crown prince.

If this attack on Yangping Pass fails again, as Xun Yun said, his position as crown prince might truly be in jeopardy. Therefore, he absolutely cannot ignore Dingjun Mountain; even knowing that dividing his forces is unwise, he must still divide them.

Seeing this, Man Chong also fell silent.

He understood Liu Shan's predicament and knew that he could no longer dissuade him.

After a long pause, Man Chong sighed and said:
"If that's the case, it seems we have no choice but to divide our forces for a battle. But I wonder, Your Highness, how do you plan to recapture Dingjun Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Shan looked at Xun Yun and asked:

"In your opinion, how should I deploy troops to retake Dingjun Mountain?"

Xun Yun cleared his throat and said slowly:
"Your Highness, I believe that Your Highness could send a general to lead an army to recapture Dingjun Mountain. You could set up two camps, one on the east and one on the west, at the foot of the mountain."

"The purpose of the Eastern Camp is to prevent the enemy from descending the mountain and heading east to launch a surprise attack on Nanzheng."

"The purpose of our western camp is to guard against the Yizhou army crossing the Mian River and cutting off our supply lines from Nanzheng to our main camp at Yangping Pass..."

Xun Yun gestured with his fingers on the map, explaining his strategy for capturing the mountain in detail.

Liu Shan nodded slightly, seemingly lost in thought.

Xun Yun paused for a moment, then continued:
"Although Pang De occupied Dingjun Mountain, he came from a side road, so he must have not carried much food and fodder, enough for at most ten days."

"If we launch a strong attack on Dingshan, the mountain is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The enemy has a commanding position and a strategic advantage. Our army will inevitably suffer heavy casualties, which is exactly what Pang De wants."

"Therefore, I believe we do not need to attack blindly. We should simply surround Dingjun Mountain, besiege it without attacking, and wait for Pang De to run out of food and be forced to come down the mountain to fight. Then we can easily defeat him."

Xun Yun explained his plan in detail.

Liu Shan was greatly encouraged and praised:
"Very well, your plan is excellent, I will follow your strategy!"

Then, glancing at the generals, he asked:
"Which of you is willing to lead the army to retake Dingjun Mountain? This is a golden opportunity to make a name for yourselves, so I hope you will not miss it!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhang Yan stepped forward and said with a sigh:
"Your Highness, I am willing to lead the army to recapture Dingjun Mountain!"

As a member of the Black Mountain Army, Zhang Yan has been treated well by Emperor Liu Bei since surrendering to the Han Dynasty, and has now risen to the rank of General of Anbei.

However, he knew that he came from a humble background, and that after Liu Bei left, his descendants might not be able to maintain high positions and enjoy wealth and honor.

The only chance was to side with Liu Shan, the crown prince, and gain the merit of supporting him to the throne.

Fortunately, during this southern expedition, Liu Shan took the initiative to select generals and summoned him to his command.

Zhang Yan understood that this was a golden opportunity.

As long as one can make great contributions and gain Liu Shan's trust, one's status will be further elevated after Liu Shan ascends the throne, and one's descendants will enjoy continuous wealth and honor.

If we can recapture Dingjun Mountain in today's battle, it will be a great achievement for Liu Shan.

That's why he volunteered to fight and was willing to pay any price to retake Dingjun Mountain.

"Excellent! General Anbei is a veteran general of our Han Dynasty. With you in command, I can rest easy in this battle!"

Liu Shan was overjoyed and immediately shouted:
"I hereby order you to lead 40,000 troops straight to Dingjun Mountain. You must retake Dingjun Mountain without fail!"

Zhang Yan accepted the order and left.

Liu Shan stepped out of the tent and looked towards Dingjun Mountain.

He could almost see his army fighting bravely on Dingjun Mountain, routing the Yizhou soldiers and sending them fleeing in disarray.

"Sima Yi, Xiao He can treat you like a dog, and I, the Crown Prince, can treat you like a dog too!"

Liu Shan muttered to himself, a smug smile playing on his lips. (End of Chapter)