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

Pang Tong continued, "My lord, although Yangping Pass is dangerous, it is not difficult to break through."

This pass is backed by the Qinling Mountains to the north. The Qinling Mountains are majestic and intact, with continuous walls, deep ravines and dangerous valleys, making them insurmountable.

However, on the opposite bank of the Mian River to the south lies the Micang Mountains, which are not as majestic as the Qinling Mountains. Although they are also steep, they are more fragmented, with many narrow passages and deep ravines, where woodcutters' paths must be available for winding through.

When our lord first led his army into Shu and was stationed at Jiameng Pass, he sent people to study the geography of the area. They learned that behind Yangping Pass, on the south bank of the Mian River, there were twelve peaks in a row, called "Dingjun Mountain".

This mountain stands high above the Mian River, overlooking Yangping Pass. There is a spring on the mountainside that flows year-round, making it ideal for a large army to encamp.

My lord, you can send scouts to investigate day and night. If our army can find a road leading to this mountain and circle around to the rear of Yangping Pass, we can cut off Zhang Wei's supply route. At that time, Yangping Pass will fall without a fight.

Before that, our army can feign weakness, sending only small groups of troops to launch feigned attacks each day, without engaging in a decisive battle. We can then divide our forces to harass the passes day and night, creating a diversionary tactic by beating drums, but never launching a full-scale assault. This will make Zhang Wei complacent and exhausted from his defenses, allowing us to find an opportunity to defeat him later.

Liu Bei was overjoyed and immediately agreed: "Excellent! This is a brilliant plan! We will follow the strategist's advice."

Everyone praised the strategist's brilliant insight, but Gu Sulin stood calmly in the classroom, though his heart was in turmoil.

He was originally from a later era and was well-versed in the history of the Three Kingdoms.

Pang Tong's previous handling of Ma Chao already demonstrated his foresight, and now he even knew about Dingjun Mountain in advance.

In his original understanding, the Battle of Hanzhong was extremely difficult—Liu Bei was stopped at Yangping and confronted Xiahou Yuan and Zhang He for more than a year, unable to advance or retreat.

It was thanks to Fa Zheng's arrival and timely decision-making that Xiahou Yuan was killed in the Battle of Dingjun Mountain. People also called Fa Zheng a wingman of the lord.

But seeing it today, I realize that the Phoenix Chick's familiarity with mountains and rivers is far beyond what I imagined.

Looking out from a high vantage point, one can distinguish the Qinling Mountains from the Micang Mountains; before even reaching the battlefield, one has already set up two defensive lines, the Jushui River and the Miandu River, to delay the enemy; before even attacking the strategic pass, one has already calculated Zhang Wei's strategy of being timid and using a surprise attack; without even leaving Sichuan, one has already learned of the advantageous terrain and terrain of Dingjun Mountain.

What natural barrier of Yangping, what insurmountable Qinling Mountains, what valiant Ma Chao...

In his words, it was like placing pieces on a chessboard, every move calculated.

Gu Sulin took a deep breath.

This is a true top-tier strategist.

He was not a tragic strategist in a historical novel, nor was he merely mentioned briefly in historical records. Rather, he possessed terrifying foresight, capable of seeing through the strategic landscape at a glance and determining the course of an entire battle with a single sentence.

Gu Sulin had originally intended to offer some advice about the Xunmi Cangshan trail, but now he understood—

There's no need to say more.

Pang Shiyuan already had a more accurate and complete map of the mountains and rivers in his mind than he did.

……

Following Pang Tong's advice, Liu Bei's army did not send a single soldier to launch a strong attack on the strategic pass for several days.

During the day, they would send small groups of soldiers, numbering only a few dozen or a hundred, to approach the city walls, waving flags and making noise, pretending to attack. Before the stones and logs could be rolled down from the pass, they would hastily retreat. After nightfall, they would send small cavalry squads to gallop back and forth across the open fields outside the pass, blowing horns and beating war drums to create the illusion of a night attack, disturbing the garrison on the pass and keeping them awake all night. However, they never saw the main army approaching.

Zhang Wei, the general guarding Yangping Pass, was initially on high alert after leading his troops to the pass. He personally inspected the pass day and night, instructing the guards to strictly guard the pass and prepare defensive equipment, fearing that Liu Bei would suddenly lead a large army to attack the pass.

He held an important position because of his brother Zhang Lu's confidant status, and had never experienced a real hard battle in his life. His volunteering to guard the pass was just a show of bravado in front of Zhang Lu, relying on the natural defenses of Yangping Pass. He had the ability to defend the pass, but lacked the courage to fight a decisive battle.

The subordinate generals Yang Ren and Yang Ang were both from powerful and influential families in Hanzhong. They had received great favors from Zhang Lu and were his trusted confidants, known for their unwavering loyalty. Having been in Hanzhong for a long time, they knew the dangers of Yangping Pass and thus inevitably developed a sense of arrogance.

For the first few days, Zhang Wei remained on high alert, patrolling the pass with Yang Ren and Yang Ang. The three generals worked together, strictly ordering the garrison to prepare sufficient rolling stones, logs, arrows, and provisions. Soldiers took turns on duty, and sentries in the arrow tower kept a close watch on the outside of the pass day and night, making the defenses extremely tight and watertight.

The defenders at the pass were harassed day and night by the Shu army. Although they were exhausted, they dared not relax. Everyone held a knife and a bow by the trenches and behind the battlements, and dared not be negligent in the slightest.

However, five or six days passed, and the Shu army only harassed without attacking, and did not even launch a proper feint attack.

Not to mention the main force of the army arrayed to attack the pass, even siege ladders and battering rams did not move forward an inch.

Zhang Wei and the others observed this and, seeing that Liu Bei's army was hesitant to attack the pass, they became even more convinced that what they had said earlier was true—Yangping Pass was nestled against the mountains and by the water, with formidable defenses. Even if Liu Bei had 50,000 troops, he could only look at the pass with envy and dare not attack it easily.

Zhang Wei's vigilance gradually dissipated, so he simply set up a banquet on the city tower inside the pass, inviting Yang Ren and Yang Ang to drink together, completely abandoning his previous caution.

Yang Ang slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter: "General! I told you long ago that Liu Bei was all talk and no action. He led a motley crew from Shu to attack Hanzhong, but seeing the natural defenses of Yangping, he didn't dare to confront us head-on. He only dared to resort to these sneaky harassment tactics. He's nothing to be afraid of!"

Although Yang Ren was not as arrogant as Yang Ang, he stroked his beard and nodded, looking at the Shu army camp outside the pass with a hint of disdain: "The Shu army is wasting its efforts like this."

Yangping Pass is bordered by the Qinling Mountains to the north and the Mian River to the south. It boasts ample supplies and a well-prepared defense; even if it takes a year or two, he won't be able to advance an inch. However… we must be wary of a possible flanking attack by the Shu army.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wei waved his hand dismissively, holding his wine bowl, and scoffed, "General Yang is overthinking it! To the north, the Qinling Mountains are an insurmountable barrier, and to the south, the Micang Mountains are a difficult and desolate path. Even if Liu Bei possesses extraordinary abilities, where can he possibly find a way to bypass them? We only need to hold our positions and let the Shu army harass us. Once their supplies are exhausted, they will surely retreat without a fight!"

He finished his wine and became increasingly arrogant: "You two are the lord's trusted confidants, guarding the western gate of Hanzhong. Simply holding your positions firmly is a great achievement. Why bother yourselves with trouble and contend with small groups of Shu troops harassing us!"

Yang Ang echoed Zhang Wei's words, and Yang Ren also felt that Zhang Wei's words made sense. In addition, they had already concluded that the Shu army would have difficulty breaking through the natural barrier, and the last bit of vigilance in their hearts gradually dissipated, so they no longer mentioned the need for strict defense. The three generals drank and made merry on the city tower, completely ignoring the harassment from the Shu army outside the pass.

During the day, Zhang Wei no longer patrolled the pass. Instead, he held banquets inside the pass, drinking and making merry with his trusted generals, completely ignoring the harassment from the Shu army outside the pass. When he heard the sound of drums and horns outside the pass at night, he would only casually order his soldiers to hold their ground, and then go to sleep, not taking it to heart at all.

Seeing their commander so lax, the garrison troops also relaxed their guard. The soldiers on night duty huddled behind the battlements and dozed off, while the patrols during the day were sluggish and didn't even bother to properly inspect the defensive equipment. The defenses of Yangping Pass were no longer as formidable as they once were.