The Duke of Shu Han began guarding Jingzhou in place of Guan Yu.

Chapter 46 Joining the Army and Going to Battle of Huarong

Liao Hua: "Mi Zhonglang, how did you determine that the Sun family divided their forces to attack Huarong?"

Inside Guan Yu's central command tent, the crowd was puzzled by Mi Wei's suggestion.

It should be noted that Guan Yu had already stationed sufficient supplies and personnel in Huarong County long before the Northern Expedition.

Because Huarong is located on the eastern border of Nanjun, it borders Jiangxia Commandery, which is occupied by Sun Quan.

It has always been an important stronghold for defending against Sun Quan.

but.

The two armies are now facing off around Gangneung.

The strategic value of Huarong has declined.

After all, whoever controls Jiangling controls Nanjun.

The city of Jiangling beneath their feet is the focus of contention between the two sides.

Small, outlying towns like Huarong are beyond our reach for the time being.

Besides the elk.

Because he remembered a Wu general named Sun Huan.

Just yesterday, while he was looking at the map.

Sun Huan was Sun Quan's nephew.

He couldn't remember whether it was his cousin or a distant relative.

The only thing I remember about this person is that he was known as "Yan Yuan of the Imperial Clan".

He is a talented young general of the Sun family of Jiangdong.

Historically, this man withstood the siege of Liu Bei's vanguard for nearly half a year during the Battle of Yiling.

This bought valuable time for Lu Xun's strategic counter-offensive.

He is a model of self-sacrifice for the benefit of others.

Although it is forced.

But in a sense, Lu Xun was a lucky general.

However, Sun Huan's battle that made him famous was the battle for Jingzhou before Yiling.

Just as Lü Meng launched a surprise attack on the two cities of Nan Commandery.

Sun Huan led a detachment to Huarong, successfully inducing the garrison to surrender and capturing the personnel and supplies left behind by Guan Yu.

Historical records state that "they acquired 5,000 men, along with a great number of oxen, horses, and weapons."

Of course, due to Miwei's actions, the course of this war has deviated from the original history.

At present, neither Jiangling nor Huarong has been lost.

Therefore, Mi Wei was unsure whether Sun Huan would go to Huarong again, or whether he could return with a full load as in history.

But it's always good to be prepared.

More importantly, he could use this as an excuse to temporarily leave Jiangling and avoid the limelight.

The old guys are such a braggart!
Just last night, Guan Xing couldn't help but send Guan Jiji to test his intentions, asking if he really planned to become the new master of Nanjun.

Mi Wei was speechless and unable to defend himself.

If you don't leave now, when will you wait?

sidewalk:

"My lord, Chief Clerk Liao, this is what I think."

"Huarong is, after all, a crucial point on the eastern border of Nanjun. Why not send General Guan with a force to inspect it?"

"The road to the east has been largely cleared, making marching relatively convenient."

"The lower-ranking official, having gained some insights, decided to accompany them to continue surveying the terrain."

Upon hearing that Mi Wei intended to continue with the previous work, both Guan Yu and Liao Hua's expressions softened.

But Miwei didn't stop there; there was one last blow:
"My lord! If we can also prepare the road to Huarong this time, it will be of great benefit, whether it is to prevent the enemy from attacking the city now, or to attack Xiangfan in the future!"

Yes, Huarong is not only a vital strategic point on the eastern border of Nanjun.

It is also an important stronghold guarding the Xia River passage.

As mentioned earlier, there are three main routes from north to south from Gangneung to the Hansu Valley.

among them:

The water conditions at the northernmost Yangshui-Zhaxi channel are unstable, so it can only be used for temporary emergencies and is not suitable as a stable grain route.

Although the southernmost section of the Yangtze River is very stable, it is a long journey and a large part of it is within Sun Quan's territory, making it unsafe.

Therefore, only the Xia Shui passage in the middle is relatively reliable.

If Guan Yu had any ambition to launch a second Northern Expedition, he would have been unlikely to neglect the maintenance of this route of advance.

It is impossible not to attach importance to Huarong, a key stronghold guarding this route.

As expected, upon hearing Mi Wei's last sentence, Guan Yu no longer hesitated and made the decision on the spot:
"Guan Ping, Mi Wei, step forward and obey my command!"

The two immediately stepped forward, overtaking the crowd.

Meanwhile, Liao Hua simultaneously opened the bamboo slips to record military orders.

"General Guan Ping will lead the army, with Attendant Gentleman Mi Wei as military advisor, commanding 300 cavalry, 5 infantry units, and 5 auxiliary units, totaling 1,300 men, with enough provisions for half a month. They will march east from Huarong!" "If the enemy attacks, they will be attacked!"

"If there is no enemy activity, then level the road along the way in preparation for the future!"

The two bowed and accepted the order, with Guan Ping stepping forward to receive the troop deployment warrant.

Mi Wei breathed a long sigh of relief.

Finally, I can get away from those old geezers in Jiangling!
……

The following day, the two assembled the troops at sunrise (5-7 AM), and after the entire army had breakfast, they officially set off.

The march was tedious.

But this was, after all, Miwei's first official military campaign.

He had previously learned a great deal about military strategy from Pan Jun.

But apart from the experience gained in logistics scheduling, everything else was still just theoretical.

This is a good time to practice.

For four consecutive days, Miwei learned as he went, and gained a lot.

It turns out that in ancient times, armies did not simply march in formation.

Instead, it should be divided into three parts: front, middle, and back, and proceed in a certain order.

There should be flank protection on both the left and right sides.

Scouts should also be sent out to investigate.

The group leading the way is called the "Guide Army" or "Road Army".

As the name suggests, it is to identify the road and guide the direction in front of the army.

After all, there was no mobile phone navigation in ancient times.

To avoid getting lost, taking detours, or accidentally entering dangerous areas, you can only rely on someone familiar with the terrain to guide you.

The pioneers who "opened roads through mountains and built bridges over rivers" as described by later generations refer to the "leading army".

Following the lead troops, most of the central army did indeed march in formation.

There were also drum carts between the queues to send messages and coordinate the various units at any time.

In addition, regular marches are divided into two modes: "light march" and "heavy march".

The term "light march" refers to soldiers placing their heavy armor and long weapons on supply wagons, allowing them to walk more easily.

This is the fastest way to march, covering fifty li a day on flat ground.

However, the cost is that once the enemy is encountered, soldiers have to spend time putting on their gear and cannot immediately engage in combat.

This eastward expedition from Huarong was essentially an armed reconnaissance operation.

We need to be on guard against enemy attacks at all times.

Therefore, Guan Ping adopted the method of "re-running".

This means ensuring that soldiers are properly dressed and ready for battle at any time.

With such a heavy burden, the soldiers could only travel about thirty li a day.

The straight-line distance from Jiangling to Huarong is over a hundred li.

We still had another twenty or thirty miles to go along the winding Xia River channel.

So after four days of marching, they were only half a day's journey away from Huarong.

……

That afternoon, Mi Wei was leading Pan Mi and a group of auxiliary soldiers to survey the nearby Xia River channel.
Suddenly, a scout came to report.

An army of about two or three thousand men, bearing the banner of "Sun", is attacking Huarong County.

The enemy general was none other than Sun Huan, the Martial Guard Commandant under Sun Quan.

Upon hearing the news, Guan Ping immediately went to find Mi Wei and was astonished:
"Could it be that you, Lord Deer, are a divine being? You actually guessed it correctly!"

Mi Wei was also somewhat surprised.

But they were not surprised that Sun Huanzhen had come to Huarong.

Rather, it means that since history has changed and the battle situation is different.

At this critical juncture, even if Sun Quan dared not fight Jiangling with all his might;
At the very least, they should try to leverage their naval strengths and sail up the Yangtze River to intercept Liu Bei's reinforcements from Yizhou.
Why did they instead divide their forces to raid a small, outlying town?
Isn't that a bit too short-sighted?
Although he always cursed the Jiangdong rats in his heart.

But that's a contempt for their character.

This will not lead to underestimating the enemy's capabilities.

However, the enemy situation was dire, leaving him no time to think.

Guan Ping quickly made a decision.

He personally led his cavalry ahead to Huarong to provide relief.

Mi Wei temporarily took charge of the drums and flags, sending messengers to Jiangling to deliver the message while supervising the infantry to follow and ensure they could reunite before nightfall.

Mi Wei immediately suppressed his extraneous thoughts.

There's going to be a war!

(End of this chapter)