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

Inside the Shu army camp, Huang Zhong had just returned to the camp with the main force when he removed his armor and strode into the central command tent, his tone full of resentment: "My lord, Yangping Pass is about to be breached, why did you suddenly sound the retreat?"

Ma Chao is left with only a remnant of his army. If we fight him for a few dozen more rounds, I will surely defeat him and capture the pass in one fell swoop!

Liu Bei quickly stepped forward, put his hand on Huang Zhong's shoulder, and comforted him, saying, "How could I not know of General Huang's bravery?"

However, Ma Chao was fierce and brave, leading his iron cavalry in a sudden attack. The garrison commander inside the pass also led his troops in a counterattack. Our army was attacked from both sides, which made it easy for unforeseen changes to occur.

It's not that I don't want the old general to achieve merit, nor am I afraid of Ma Chao; I'm simply worried that the old general might suffer a loss.

Upon hearing this, Huang Zhong, though feeling resentful, could only bow and thank his lord for his concern: "I am deeply grateful for your kindness, my lord. However, although Ma Chao is brave, he may not be my match! Next time we fight, I will definitely fight Ma Chao to the death!"

Liu Bei laughed and said, "Good, good! We'll fight again another day, and I'll let the old general show his skills to the fullest." Huang Zhong thanked him and stepped aside.

Once things had settled inside the tent, a scout rushed in: "My lord! Pang De, leading the rear army of Hanzhong, arrived at Ju County yesterday!"

Liu Bei nodded upon hearing this. After the scouts withdrew, he looked at Pang Tong and asked seriously, "Shiyuan, Ma Chao is now holding a defensive position, and Pang De is bringing reinforcements. What should our army do? Should we send another force to block them?"

Pang Tong waved his hand and laughed, "My lord's words are profound in the essence of military strategy. It will take 30,000 troops seven or eight days to travel from Ju County back to Yangping Pass. Our army has plenty of time to intercept them again... However, it is better not to block them now. These 30,000 troops will still be of great use."

Liu Bei agreed wholeheartedly and replied, "Yes, that's what I thought too, but I have some concerns."

These 30,000 men are all native soldiers of Hanzhong. If we intercept them outside, they will soon run out of supplies and collapse, at which point the people of Hanzhong will surely harbor resentment, which will be extremely detrimental to our conquest of Hanzhong. By keeping them here, we are winning the hearts and minds of the people of Hanzhong.”

Pang Tong gently waved his feather fan and stroked his beard, saying, "What my lord says is absolutely right."

Furthermore, although Pang De's troops are Zhang Lu's army, they are still the elite forces of Hanzhong. If our army intercepts and engages them in battle, even if we win, we will inevitably suffer heavy losses.

These 30,000 troops are the future available force. When we launch a northern expedition, manpower will be the most precious resource, so there is no need to weaken our own strength.

Moreover, these troops were originally lent to Ma Chao by Zhang Lu. Once they retreated to Yangping Pass, military power would no longer be entirely in Ma Chao's hands, and Yang Ren, Yang Ang, and others would inevitably intervene and restrain him.

Ma Chao was nominally the commander-in-chief, but in reality, he was constrained at every turn, plagued by internal and external suspicions and conflicts. His 30,000 troops were of no help and naturally posed no threat.

Pang Tong changed the subject, first mentioning the immediate priority: "My lord, Wen Chang led his army in a surprise attack on Dingjun Mountain without any supplies or provisions. If we stay there for too long, we will surely be trapped."

The most important task at hand is to clear the supply route along the Mian River, dispatch light troops to escort provisions and weapons to Dingjun Mountain, help Wen Chang secure his camp, control the vital passage within the pass, and allow him to coordinate with our main force at any time, thus containing Ma Chao's forces.

He then went on to explain the core strategy: "As for Ma Chao, he has a blood feud with Cao Cao, and his defection to Zhang Lu was merely a temporary measure. Although he has returned to Yangping to provide reinforcements, he is only a guest general. His Xiliang troops have been almost completely wiped out, and he is at the mercy of others. He and his native loyalists, such as Yang Ren and Yang Ang, are already suspicious of each other and do not trust each other."

Even if Pang De's army arrives, Zhang Lu, being suspicious, will certainly not entrust all military power to him, and sooner or later, discord will arise within the pass.

Our army only needs to hold firm without fighting, safeguard the supply lines, send out troops to conduct light harassment, and then secretly send people to infiltrate Nanzheng to spread rumors, befriend Zhang Lu's confidants, and sow discord between him and Ma Chao.

Now, Yangping Pass is under immense pressure, with Ma Chao unable to advance and with nowhere to retreat. This is a time when morale is wavering. When the time is right, knowing he has no way out, he will naturally surrender. Once Ma Chao surrenders, Yangping Pass will fall without a fight.

Since there is no need to attack, there is no need to worry about Pang De leading his troops to cut off my retreat.

"Leaving these 30,000 troops here serves four purposes: preserving military strength, reassuring the people, creating internal strife within the enemy ranks, and recruiting Ma Chao. Why bother blocking the way?"

After he finished speaking, everyone in the tent praised the strategist's brilliant insight and admired him greatly.

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's eyes suddenly brightened, and he clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Shiyuan's plan is the most foolproof one!"

"As you said, we will open up the supply route to Dingjun Mountain, establish a stalemate, and then secretly lay out our plans according to your strategy, awaiting Ma Chao's surrender!"

Pang Tong cupped his hands and smiled, "My lord is kind and benevolent to his men. Ma Chao is a man of reason and understanding of the situation. The day he surrenders is not far off."

All the generals in the tent accepted the order, and the Shu army immediately divided its forces to escort the grain and open up the Mian River supply route. They stood in a stalemate with Yangping Pass from afar, with no intention of launching a strong attack. They were waiting for the situation to change inside the pass and for Ma Chao to surrender.

……

Within three days, rumors spread throughout Nanzheng City, with everyone saying that Ma Chao had already secretly contacted Liu Bei and that once Pang De led 30,000 Hanzhong troops to Yangping Pass, they would coordinate an attack from within and without, surrender the pass, defeat Zhang Lu, and divide up the Hanzhong region.

The rumors intensified, each one pointing directly to Ma Chao's ulterior motives, causing widespread panic throughout Nanzheng.

At the same time, Liu Bei listened to Pang Tong's advice and ordered people to prepare gold, silver, jewels, silks and satins, which were secretly sent to Nanzheng to befriend Yang Bai, a close confidant of Zhang Lu.

The messenger privately conveyed a message, stating that as long as Yang Bai could frame Ma Chao in front of Zhang Lu, he would be rewarded with high-ranking official positions and generous honors once Liu Bei took Hanzhong.

Yang Bai was already jealous of Ma Chao's appointment by Zhang Lu, and coveted the great benefits promised by Liu Bei. He immediately agreed, waiting for an opportunity to slander Ma Chao.

Five days later, Pang De led 30,000 Hanzhong infantrymen, after a long and arduous journey, finally emerging from the Jushui River and heading straight for Yangping Pass.

Scouts quickly reported to Liu Bei's camp, and the generals under his command all volunteered to fight, wanting to intercept and kill this army halfway. However, Liu Bei waved his hand to stop them, strictly ordering the entire army to guard the camp and not to send troops to block them, allowing Pang De to lead his army straight in and enter Yangping Pass.

This laissez-faire attitude quickly reached Nanzheng. Zhang Lu, who was already unsettled by the rumors, became even more suspicious when he heard that Liu Bei had not stopped Pang De's 30,000 troops. He felt even more strongly that the rumors of Ma Chao's collusion with the enemy were not unfounded.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Yang Bai immediately asked to see Zhang Lu, knelt down and kowtowed, and earnestly advised: "Master, now the whole city is saying that Ma Chao is secretly communicating with Liu Bei. You must not trust him again!"

This man was fickle by nature. Even though his father, Ma Teng, lived in Ye City and received rewards from the court, he still disregarded the lives of his relatives and recklessly raised an army to rebel against Cao!

If they can abandon even their closest relatives, how can they truly be loyal to their master?

Now that Liu Bei is pressing on the border but not attacking, and is letting Pang De's army enter the pass, it is clear that the two have a secret agreement, waiting for the right time to betray their lord and surrender the pass!

In my opinion, it would be better to immediately recall Ma Chao to Nanzheng and execute him on the spot to prevent future troubles!

Zhang Lu was already suspicious, and upon hearing these words, he turned pale with fright and was at a loss for what to do. He hurriedly looked to Yan Pu, the chief priest, for advice.