Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

Several days later, Liu Bei's army, after a long and arduous journey, passed through the Jinniu Pass and landed at Yangping Pass, where they set up camp on the north bank of the Mian River, five miles in front of the pass.

Liu Bei led his generals to a high place to look into the distance. All of them had solemn expressions on their faces. Yangping Pass in front of them was a natural and impregnable fortress, which made them feel powerless and helpless.

The pass is backed by the Qinling Mountains on the left and guards the surging Mian River on the right. The pass walls are built of huge stones and carved into the mountain, forming a seamless whole that soars into the clouds. It is surrounded by sheer cliffs on both sides, and the mountain path is narrow and cramped, with jagged rocks and deep forests. Even climbing it is as difficult as ascending to heaven for ordinary soldiers.

Above the gate tower, arrow towers, rolling stones, and logs were densely packed, and the guards were in bright armor, heavily guarded. In front of the gate, there were crisscrossing moats and hidden traps with bamboo stakes, leaving no opportunity to take advantage.

The Mian River is swift and turbulent, separating the north and south banks. The flat land in front of the pass is narrow, and the Jinniu Road Gorge lies behind the army. Faced with this advantageous terrain, the 50,000-strong army is compressed into a single line, making it impossible for them to launch a strong attack.

The entire pass resembled a lurking ferocious beast, tightly locking the vital passage into Hanzhong. Everywhere it exuded an unbreakable, chilling aura, making one's heart sink.

Gu Sulin took a deep breath and sighed inwardly.

This is Yangping Pass—the vital gateway that locks the throat of Hanzhong.

Throughout the chaotic period at the end of the Han Dynasty, every general involved in the struggle for Hanzhong suffered greatly at this strategic pass.

In the past, after Cao Cao pacified Liangzhou, he marched south to seize Hanzhong. He commanded the elite troops of the Central Plains, had a gathering of famous generals, and had ample supplies, yet he still found himself unable to advance an inch at Yangping Pass. Cao Cao's army launched fierce attacks for days, but with little success and heavy losses. Supplies were also running low, leading Cao Cao to consider withdrawing his troops at one point.

Unexpectedly, the vanguard lost their way in the darkness and stumbled into Zhang Wei's outer camp. The enemy camp was thrown into chaos and panic, and Cao Cao seized the opportunity to lead his army forward, thus managing to break through the pass by sheer luck.

Cao Cao himself later said, "Others are more measured, but rarely do they meet one's expectations."

The translation is: "Who said it was easy to beat? You've been fooled; it's not even humanly possible to beat them."

Later, when Liu Bei marched into Hanzhong, he also had to face this pass first. Liu Bei knew that Yangping Pass could not be attacked head-on, and his attempts to probe with light troops all failed. So he decided to abandon the frontal assault, cross the Mian River to the south, seize Dingjun Mountain, and thus broke the deadlock through a roundabout approach.

Those who come later and wish to take this pass will find it impossible to succeed without ingenious and circuitous strategies. They may rely on an inside man to open the city gates, or they may rely on the strength of their nation to fight a desperate battle and achieve a Pyrrhic victory. There is absolutely no reason for it to be taken easily.

In conclusion, looking at the whole country, this level of difficulty must be firmly among the top three.

Looking at this formidable natural barrier, Liu Bei frowned and asked in a deep voice to the men around him, "Yangping Pass is completely blocked by mountains, passes, and waterways; it's truly as difficult as ascending to heaven. How should our army break through this predicament?"

Just as Gu Sulin was about to speak, she saw someone step forward.

Pang Tong stroked his beard and slowly said, "My lord, this pass is naturally fortified and cannot be breached by human force. A direct assault will only increase casualties."

But my lord, rest assured, I have already sent people to investigate. The general guarding this pass is Zhang Wei, the younger brother of Zhang Lu. He is of average ability and relies on this natural barrier to stay safe.

While natural defenses are easy to hold, morale is difficult to maintain. Zhang Weisheng is inherently timid in the face of danger, and his soldiers lack the will to fight to the death. If we can find a weakness, we can break through his defenses.

He immediately devised a plan, his tone resolute:

Earlier, a scout reported that a military order had been issued from Yangping Pass and had gone to Qishan Road. This must be Zhang Lu urgently summoning Ma Chao back to reinforce the area.

"My lord, you may first send a detachment to guard the Qishan Road, cutting off Ma Chao's return route and delaying his reinforcements, before gradually advancing on Yangping Pass."

Liu Bei readily agreed, turned to his generals, and asked loudly, "Who is willing to lead troops to intercept Ma Chao?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a valiant general stepped forward steadily, bowed, and volunteered. It was Wu Yi: "This humble general is willing to go!"

Liu Bei was pleased and immediately ordered Wu Yi to lead a detachment of 5,000 troops to set up camp on the Qishan Road.

Just as Wu Yi was about to accept the order, Pang Tong suddenly called out to stop him: "General, please wait."

Upon hearing that our army had entered Hanzhong, Ma Chao must have already rushed back to reinforce the city. According to our calculations, he should be near Wudu Xiabian by now.

General, your mission is solely to inflict damage on Ma Chao's troops, not to annihilate the enemy. Ma Chao is exceptionally brave, and his iron cavalry is equally formidable. If you cannot hold them off, prioritize preserving your forces and remember not to fight to the death.

To reach Qishan Road, one must first travel north along the Mian River, then turn west into the Ju River Road to reach Xiabian.

The general needs to set up two lines of defense: first, lock Ma Chao in the narrow valley of the Ju River to use the terrain to block him and exhaust his troops; second, lock Ma Chao at the ferry crossing and shallows on the upper reaches of the Mian River to delay his return to reinforce.

The Jushui River is a narrow mountain pass; one man holding it can hold off a thousand. General, you can order your main force to destroy the road, build fortified camps, and defend layer upon layer. Ma Chao's supply lines are cut off, and he is eager to return to reinforce, unable to rest; he will surely launch a fierce, bloody attack. This is the first layer of delaying tactics.

The upper section of the Mian River is shallow and narrow with many shoals. Although it is impossible to hold out for long across the water, it is possible to control key points and shallows, causing the enemy's men and horses to trample each other, thus delaying Ma Chao's advance.

With the Jushui Pass lost, the general retreated to the opposite bank of the Mian River to defend it. This served two purposes: firstly, it could still hinder Ma Chao, and secondly, it ensured the general's safe retreat without any mishaps.

"General, your mission is not to stop Ma Chao, but simply to delay his advance, exhaust his troops, and cause them heavy losses so that they cannot return to reinforce him in full force. That would be a great achievement."

"Yes, strategist, I will remember it."

Wu Yi accepted the order and left. Seeing how familiar Pang Tong was with the mountains and rivers, Liu Bei couldn't help but secretly admire him.

He then asked out of curiosity, "Why did the strategist instruct Ziyuan to delay Ma Chao, yet allow Ma Chao to return to reinforce? If you feel that Ziyuan's forces are insufficient, I can send another general to assist him."

"If Ma Chao were to return to reinforce our forces while we are besieging the pass, wouldn't we be caught in a pincer attack?"

Pang Tong smiled and said, "My lord, you can rest assured."

Intelligence reconnaissance revealed that Ma Chao was leading his remaining 3,000 Xiliang cavalry and 30,000 Hanzhong troops borrowed from Zhang Lu. His return to reinforce would likely involve the cavalry leading the way, followed by the main army, resulting in a dispersed force.

The Jushui River is narrow, and General Wu's expedition has already cut off Hanzhong's food supplies. If Ma Chao does not charge forward, he will be blocked outside the valley until his food supplies run out.

If Ma Chao were to force his way through, even the most valiant Xiliang cavalry would be repeatedly thwarted and suffer heavy losses. At that point, only a remnant force would return to reinforce Yangping Pass, which is not worth considering.

However, Ma Chao's father and brothers both died at the hands of Cao Cao, and he had an irreconcilable hatred for the traitor Cao. His ambition was pitiful, and his courage was commendable.

We can simply hinder their progress and dampen their spirits; there's no need to exterminate them completely.

"Leave him to guard Yangping Pass, preserve his troops and prestige, and he will surely surrender in the future—this man is of great use to our army."

A thought struck Gu Sulin, and he asked, "Does the strategist intend to use him to suppress the Qiang and Hu tribes of Longyou?"

"Does Zimao also have this idea?"

Pang Tong was surprised, then laughed and said, "That's right."

The Ma family has always been highly respected in Xiliang. Ma Teng's father married a Qiang woman and had Ma Teng, and Ma Teng married a Qiang woman and had Ma Chao. With blood ties, the Qiang and Hu people had long regarded the Ma family as their own.

Furthermore, the Ma family had protected the Qiang and Hu tribes against the Central Plains for decades, and the western tribes even called Ma Chao "the Divine General of Heavenly Might" and obeyed his every word.

Therefore, if Ma Chao is killed, the Qiang and Hu tribes in Longyou will be leaderless and inevitably descend into chaos. This will add countless variables to our army's future plans to conquer Longyou and launch a northern expedition. However, if he is spared and allowed to surrender, he will be a great asset in pacifying Longyou and appeasing the Qiang and Hu tribes, saving our army countless troops.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei exclaimed in genuine amazement: "Strategist, you are truly a brilliant strategist! Back in Longzhong, Kongming once said that if I were to launch a northern expedition, I would need to 'pacify the western barbarians and subdue the southern Yi and Yue tribes.' Now, after hearing your words, I realize that you also possess such foresight. I deeply admire you!"

Pang Tong quickly bowed and declined, saying, "My lord is too kind. I am unworthy of such praise. This was a move based on a clear understanding of the situation and a careful weighing of the pros and cons. Kongming and Zimao both had this idea, and it is not the wisdom of just one person like me."

Returning to the formidable pass before them, Liu Bei faced another dilemma, asking, "The matter of Ma Chao has been settled, but how should we proceed with Yangping Pass? Does the strategist have a good plan?"