The Three Kingdoms: Hindsight is 20/20, and the Three Revivals of the Han Dynasty

Time flies like an arrow.

After Yuan Shang, Yuan Xi, and Gao Gan were dispatched to Liaodong, the potential power of the nine commanderies and three kingdoms under Liu Bei's jurisdiction was once again intimidated. Even those who were dissatisfied had to restrain themselves and dared not openly complain.

Although the internal troubles have been temporarily quelled, external disturbances have never ceased.

First, Wang Yi, Cao Ren, and Han Hao repeatedly attacked Shangdang, Changshan, and Zhongshan counties, and their whereabouts were elusive. They never engaged in battle with the main forces of Zhao Yun, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. Cao's troops would leave as soon as reinforcements arrived and launch counterattacks elsewhere, specifically targeting the weak points in the defenses of Zhao Yun and other generals, intending to exhaust them.

Subsequently, Lu Qian, the Prefect of Pingyuan, crossed the river and launched a feigned attack on Nanpi to test Liu Bei's border defenses.

To avoid exposing the troop deployments in Bohai and Hejian, Huang Zhong joined forces with Qian Zhao. Huang Zhong defended the city and lured the enemy deep into their territory, while Qian Zhao launched a surprise attack on Lü Qian's supply lines from Lecheng, forcing Lü Qian to retreat.

Anping Chancellor Li Dian wanted to take advantage of the situation to seize Lecheng, but his surprise attack plan was seen through by Pang Tong. Pang Tong used the strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" and ordered Zhang Fei to launch a feigned attack on Xindu, forcing Li Dian to withdraw his troops.

Throughout the eighth year of Jian'an, there were no fewer than twenty such border skirmishes between Cao Cao and Liu Bei!

The reason why Cao Cao targeted Liu Bei in this way was out of sheer desperation.

Among the many heroes of the time, Ma Teng and Han Sui held Guanzhong, Zhang Lu and Liu Zhang held Yizhou, Liu Biao held Jingzhou, Sun Quan held Jiangdong, Gongsun Du controlled Liaodong, and Liu Bei held Youyan.

Having seized control of the Central Plains, a region embroiled in conflict on all sides, Cao Cao was bound to choose a primary direction to launch his attack.

Compared to the other factions, Liu Bei, while also defending his position, possessed the strongest ambition to advance.

Although the Ma and Han factions were powerful, they only sought to establish a secluded kingdom and had no ambition to conquer the Central Plains. Liu Bei, on the other hand, lay low and held his ground not because he lacked ambition, but precisely because he was ambitious yet his foundation was still weak, so he patiently waited for the right time.

Therefore, if Cao Cao were to launch a western expedition to Guanzhong and Yizhou, or a southern campaign against Jingzhou and Yangzhou, Liu Bei would surely lead troops to harass his rear. Conversely, if Cao Cao were to raise an army in Hebei, Ma Han, the two Lius, Sun Quan, and even Gongsun Du of Liaodong would all remain on the sidelines.

Therefore, while Cao Cao sent troops to suppress rebellions within his territory, he also quietly amassed a large number of troops, provisions, and weapons in Hedong, Henan, Weijun, and Pingyuan.

To consolidate his rule, Cao Cao re-established the Imperial Academy in Xuchang and widely recruited sons of prominent families to serve in the government: all officials of the rank of duke or minister, officials with a salary of 600 shi or above, and sons of generals and officers who served as court officials or attendants could enter the Imperial Academy and be taught by the doctors. Students who were proficient in one or more classics could be examined by the Grand Master of Ceremonies and granted official positions according to their rank.

Meanwhile, after a year of probing along the border, Cao Cao had gained a general understanding of Liu Bei's defensive deployments in Hebei.

the following year.

In February of the ninth year of Jian'an (204 AD), Cao Cao launched a five-pronged offensive with overwhelming force:
Eastern Route: Zang Ba was secretly ordered to lead the generals of Mount Tai into the State of Qi, join forces with Cao Chun and Zhang Liao, and launch a fierce attack on the southern counties of Bohai; Lu Qian, the Chancellor of Pingyuan, once again led his troops directly towards Nanpi, the capital of Bohai.

Western Route: Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang were secretly dispatched to lead troops into Anping Kingdom to attack the western counties of Hejian Kingdom; Anping Chancellor Li Dian successfully launched a second strong attack on the capital of Hejian. Central Route: Cao Hong was secretly ordered to rush north to Julu to assist Julu Prefect Cao Ren in leading troops to advance to the north of Julu to build fortifications and strengthen defenses, in order to prevent Zhang Fei, who was stationed in Zhongshan, from using the same old trick again, and to seize the opportunity to cut off Cao's army's rear or launch a surprise attack on its weak points.

Northern Route: Command the valiant generals Yue Jin and Gao Lan to lead troops into the Zhao Kingdom, and cooperate with Zhao's prime minister Han Hao to jointly advance on the Changshan Kingdom.

Southern Route: Xiahou Dun, the general stationed in Ye City, led his troops westward with Zhang He to block the vital passage from Huguan City to Wei County.

Cao Cao himself was stationed in the central city of Ye, personally in charge of the overall situation.

Since dividing Hebei, Cao Cao's military strength has expanded to an unprecedented level. This time, each of the five armies has 10,000 infantry and cavalry.

Cao Cao, who was stationed in Ye City, also had 6,000 personal infantry and cavalry troops who could rush to the aid of all sides at any time.

In comparison, Liu Bei's military strength appeared to be in dire straits:
Shangdang Commandery, relying on its geographical advantage, has the fewest troops; Changshan State, the commandery with the largest actual population, can barely deploy about 10,000 infantry and cavalry; Zhongshan Commandery, a strategic location, has 5,000 infantry and cavalry stationed there; the Bohai and Hejian directions are even weaker, with Huang Zhong and Qian Zhao's troops totaling less than 3,000 infantry and cavalry; the only relatively mobile force is the reserve force of about 6,000 infantry and cavalry in Zhuo Commandery.

The troops of Tian Chou, Tian Yu, and Xianyu Fu were busy stabilizing the local area and pacifying the Hu people, and it would be difficult for them to spare time to provide assistance.

Fortunately, Zhuge Liang's previous domestic policies had been very effective, and now the treasury was full and there was no need to worry about a shortage of money and food when fighting against Cao Cao.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Bei couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate: "It is truly a stroke of luck that we did not hastily attack Gongsun Du in Liaodong! Otherwise, with my army still far beyond the pass and unable to return, Hebei would probably have already fallen into Cao Cao's hands!"

Despite being at a significant military disadvantage, Liu Bei was not afraid of Cao Cao's attack. He then ordered Tian Feng to lead 2,000 elite troops to reinforce Hejian State and help Qian Zhao resist the advance of Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang. Ju Shou was ordered to rush to Bohai State to cooperate with Huang Zhong in defending against the three routes of Zang Ba, Cao Chun, and Zhang Liao. Xu Shu was then ordered to lead 2,000 troops into Bohai to support the garrisons in Leping and Nanpi, making them mutually supportive.

“Cao Cao is attacking from five directions. With the current troops, it will be very difficult to completely defend all the places. Does the strategist have any good strategies to teach me?” Liu Bei stared at the map and rubbed his aching temples.

Even with a swift response, Liu Bei deeply felt the pain of insufficient military strength. Compared to Cao Cao, Liu Bei's foundation was ultimately too weak.

If the disparity in troop strength were not significant, Liu Bei would not have needed to defend his positions, but would have directly led his troops to Ye City to fight Cao Cao to the death.

Zhuge Liang intently studied the map, his eyes sharp as he quickly analyzed the enemy's deployment and advance route: "My lord, you are wise. At present, battle reports have come from Changshan, Zhongshan, Hejian, and Bohai, and war is about to break out. The only one that has not yet made a move is Shangdang. In my deduction, Cao Cao must have set up a heavy ambush at the key point between Changshan and Wei County to prevent our army from reinforcing Shangdang or flanking our rear, thus cutting off our army's southward route."

Liu Bei's heart skipped a beat, and his breathing quickened: "Cao Cao is using the full strength of his kingdom to try and destroy me in one battle! If any one of Changshan, Zhongshan, Hejian, or Bohai is breached, the other three will immediately be attacked from both sides and will inevitably collapse. With Yunchang, Yide, Shiyuan, and many troops in Changshan and Zhongshan, those two places should be safe. However, Hejian and Bohai are difficult to defend. I suppose last year's conflict was Cao Cao testing my troop deployment, which is why he is using a large force to contain Changshan and Zhongshan, while sending a large force to attack Hejian and Bohai."

Zhuge Liang also agreed with Liu Bei's assertion, saying, "My lord, do not worry. It is not easy for Cao Cao to win in one battle. We should quickly send Tian Yu, the prefect of Dai Commandery, to lead troops south, and then order Tian Chou, the prefect of Youbeiping, to lead the Wuhuan cavalry to Zhuo County. The Wuhuan cavalry have been training in Liaoxi for a long time, and it is time for them to show their strength on the battlefield in Hebei. Xianyu Fu will be responsible for guarding Yuyang to prevent the Wuhuan from causing trouble."

Then, Zhuge Liang pointed to Liaodong and said, "Since Gongsun Du has allied with our lord and Cao Cao has seized the counties of Donglai, we can send another messenger to Gongsun Du quickly, saying that Cao Cao's main force is already deeply entrenched in Hebei, and if we want to recapture the counties of Donglai, we should advance our troops immediately." (End of this chapter)