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

Chapter 87 Northern Cavalry Trail
Guan Ping personally investigated, so it must be true.

But... why so little?

It can't be that General Cao Ren was incompetent and General Lü Chang lacked wisdom, can it?

Even if both of them have lost their minds.

Don't we still have General Xu Huang and General Man Chong?

Of these four, only Cao Ren's performance was somewhat inconsistent.

The other three are all capable ministers and fierce generals who have stood the test of history.

In his previous life, Guan Yu suffered a crushing defeat at Xiangfan, precisely because of the combined efforts of these four men.

to be frank.

At this moment, a certain thought that Mi Wei had suppressed suddenly resurfaced.

However, if a large-scale evacuation of that scale were to actually occur...

There should have been absolutely no prior information.

Since late spring, scouts have been dispatched towards Xiangfan without stopping!
He dreams about those two cities now!
However, that very afternoon, another messenger arrived from Guan Ping.

In addition to transmitting military orders for transporting supplies.

Another piece of additional information has been added:

It turns out that when Cao Ren was suppressing bandits in the summer, he had drawn a large number of soldiers and laborers from various cities.

The original plan was to repatriate them to their place of origin before the autumn harvest.

It just so happens that Guan Yu was pointing his sword at the upper reaches of the Ju River.

Neither side anticipated that Guan Ping's detachment and Mi Wei's detachment within a detachment would advance so quickly that they would arrive just in time for the Yicheng garrison to return.

That's why we've ended up in this bizarre situation.

If that's the case, then there's nothing more to say.

This is an opportunity not to be missed! Attack the city!
……

On a high slope in the western suburbs of Yicheng.

Fei Yi spurred his horse forward with all his might.

Soon Guan Ping came into view.

The latter was gazing absently at the city on the southern outskirts of Xiangyang, surrounded by water.

They only turned back when they heard the sound of horses' hooves.

Fei Yi: "What are you worried about, General?"

"No worries," Guan Ping said with a faint smile.

"It was just a recollection of some past events,"

Fei Yi: "Are you recalling the strategy for capturing this city during last year's Northern Expedition?"

Guan Ping nodded, but quickly shook his head slightly and said:

"Last year, tens of thousands of elite troops marched forward in a mighty force, their swords aimed at Xiangfan. This city will surely be captured."

"Today's mission is merely to move north to contain the enemy; whether or not we will attack the city is still uncertain."

He paused slightly, then continued:

"But I remember that at this time last year, Yicheng not only had a sufficient garrison, but the surrounding villages and towns were also filled with the smoke of cooking fires."

"And if we think back further, back when Liu Zhennan (Liu Biao) was still governing Xiangyang, I often rode my horse to hunt in the suburbs of various cities. At that time, there was more than just smoke rising from chimneys everywhere."

"Vendors from all over the country practically wait for the morning drum to arrive at the market and pack up their stalls as the golden bells ring out."

"But now, they're all gone."

Fei Yi's throat bobbed, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Let's not talk about these discouraging things."

Guan Ping's smile vanished, and he said:
"Have the arrangements been made with Commandant Mi?"

When military affairs were discussed, Fei Yi immediately became serious:
"The Commandant of Midu ordered Xi Hong, a Gentleman Attendant, to lead a troop of soldiers to garrison Ruo County."

"Then they led the Juwei tribe westward into the Yi River to support our army in crossing the river to attack the city."

"Their navy continued north along the Han River, bypassing the Zhuhu Weir and Chouchi Lake upstream, and then turned east into Yicheng by waterway!"

Guan Ping nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Then, recalling that both Liu Bei and Mi Wei had praised the man before them, they suddenly said:
"Do you know why the main force of the Mi Commandery did not enter through the Yi River, but instead went around to the lake upstream?"

Fei Yi pondered for a moment, then cautiously said:
"I have only been in the army for a short time and dare not claim to know anything about military affairs, but I do recall something I heard in Jiangling earlier."

"Last winter, the enemy troops secretly crossed the river northward in the eastern suburbs of Jiangling, almost blocking the army's return route."

"At that time, Commander Mi climbed the tower to observe the terrain of Jiangling, spotted the enemy camp's weakness, and turned defeat into victory in one fell swoop."

"And the key to this is the elevation of the terrain."

"Perhaps it will be the same today?"

Upon hearing this, Guan Ping nodded in agreement and sighed with admiration:
It is said that there are no fixed formations in warfare, just as water has no fixed shape.

"But how many people in the world who are well-versed in military strategy can truly grasp the essence of military tactics like Commander Mi, upon first commanding troops?"

Fei Yi nodded repeatedly upon hearing this.

But before he could speak again, a strange cloud of dust suddenly rose from the north.

……

"I'm just a theorist."

Mi Wei pointed to the map in front of him and said to his subordinates, "Fortunately, Ju Wei is a knowledgeable Yicheng native. He reminded me that the water from the stinking pond can flow into the northeast corner of Yicheng. Attacking from there would be much more effective!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the group varied.

Zhan Sifu stood beside Mi Wei, holding his sword, looking bewildered but also fearless.

Pan Mi carefully examined the faint scratches on the map and dismissed the person's self-evaluation.

Xi Hong, upon hearing the first sentence, was inexplicably excited.

Yang Yi was the only one who was fighting alongside Mi Wei for the first time and had little experience to draw upon.

He then subconsciously began to show off:

"Speaking of the stinky pond in the eastern suburbs of Yicheng, one cannot help but mention the Battle of Yan, in which Qin general Bai Qi conquered the city."

"The terrain of the cities in Jingzhou, Xiangyang, Mianyang and Youzhou is high in the west and low in the east, and Yicheng is no exception."

"This city was called Yan in the pre-Qin period, and it was a secondary capital of the State of Chu."

"Bai Qi attacked Yan and diverted the waters of the Western Mountains to flood the city."

"The floodwaters flowed westward and eastward, eventually breaching at the northeast corner of present-day Yicheng, where they accumulated to form a deep pool."

"Countless people in the city drowned in the east of the city as the water flowed, so much so that the stench lingered for years, hence the name 'Stinky Pond'."

At this point, Yang Yi said to Mi Wei:

"While bypassing the stinking pond would make it easier to take advantage of the navy, the low-lying terrain makes it vulnerable to arrows from the defenders."

"Why don't you use the warships as the vanguard to cover the smaller boats, and then launch a full-scale attack after we've taken the city walls?"

“Master Yang’s suggestion is sound; let’s do it this way!” Mi Wei immediately agreed.

Yang Yi immediately smiled.

Everyone says that Commandant Mi is humble and virtuous.

But most of those so-called humble and modest people are just seeking fame and fortune.

Deep down, he's actually quite arrogant.

This Commandant Deer is truly humble and receptive to advice!

That is to say, the other party's official rank at this time was only above two thousand shi, and he was just a border commander.

Otherwise, Yang Yi would have wanted to join his school directly.

It is truly rare to find someone who listens to advice, makes decisive decisions, and shows exceptional respect for their commander!
The following day, the entire army ate breakfast in batches and prepared to depart.

But, just as Miwei boarded the ship...

A scout from across the Han River reports:
Guan Ping's scouts encountered a large number of Xu Huang's scouts heading south in the north of Yicheng.

Guan Ping suspected that Xu Huang was heading south to reinforce Yicheng.

To guard against unforeseen circumstances, halt the siege and prepare for a withdrawal!

……

How did Guan Dangkou determine that they were Xu Huang's cavalry?

At the county temple in Ruoxian, Yang Yi held the transfer order, his face clearly showing resentment.

The others also looked surprised and suspicious, and began to discuss among themselves.

But there was more surprise than doubt.

After all, the advantages of northern cavalry were well-known, even if one hadn't seen them in person.

The only one who was suspicious of everything was Miwei.

At this moment, the boots landed, and a complete calm descended from the inside out.

He first gestured for everyone to calm down, and then said:
"General Guan not only had an old acquaintance with Xu Huang, but also fought against him for a long time at Fancheng last year, so he must be familiar with his tactics."

"It is said that Xu Huang is always cautious and prudent in his military campaigns, and often sends scouts out far away."

"We will only strike suddenly when we see an opportunity to engage in combat."

"This is exactly what the art of war says: 'At first, be like a virgin; later, be like a fleeing rabbit.'"

"Our army's capture of Yicheng was precisely to take advantage of the enemy's unpreparedness."

"If Yicheng has reinforcements, then it should not have any more delusions."

Upon hearing this, Yang Yi was immediately disheartened.

In fact, he understood Xu Huang's difficulty better than anyone else present.

To put it another way...

In the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208 AD), when Cao Cao launched his southern campaign against Jingzhou, Xu Huang helped Cao Cao conquer cities and territories around Xiangyang.

At that time, Yang Yi had not yet left his home in Xiangyang, so how could he not know?
To put it simply...

Two years ago, when they were fighting for Hanzhong, Xu Huang used a detachment to defeat General Chen Shi's ten battalions, which delayed Liu Bei's plan to cut off Hanzhong from the outside world.

This is precisely the power of cavalry raids over long distances.

If we were to say what the advantage of Cao Wei's cavalry was, five-tenths of it would be attributed to Cao Cao, the hegemon of the north.

The remaining five points were divided among Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Zhang He, a group of top-tier cavalry generals of the time.

Unless Guan Yu personally leads a large army here, who can withstand his might?
It's possible that the scene of our defeat in Dangyang twelve years ago will repeat itself!

However, just as the arrogant Yang Yi began to resign himself to his fate.

Miwei suddenly gave an unusual order:

The withdrawal of troops was postponed for one day, and additional scouts were dispatched north to Xiangfan!
(End of this chapter)