The Three Kingdoms: The Oath of the Peach Garden, the Rise of the Han Dynasty

The tent fell silent instantly.

Everyone stared at the glaring blank spot on the map, a chill running down their spines.

"What do we do then?" Zhang Fei scratched his head. "We can't just stand by and watch them charge in from the middle, can we?"

"Of course not."

Li Chang smiled and drew a heavy line in the due north direction with his charcoal pencil:

"Since this is our weakness, then let's turn this weakness into their grave."

"My plan is... to lure the enemy into a trap, to draw them in deep!"

"A trap?" Everyone asked in unison, full of doubt.

"That's right."

Li Chang pointed to the map and broke down the tactics step by step:

"First, we will turn the tables and deliberately expose the emptiness in the due north direction to He Lian. This will make him think that we are short of troops and can only defend the east and west flanks, leaving the middle completely undefended."

Second, the first line of defense was set up in the old city of Dingxiang.

Send a general with three thousand men to guard the old Dingxiang. There's no need to hold out to the death; just hold off the main Xianbei force for several days and wear down their morale.

Third, Wujin City is the second line of defense. Hold out for another three days, continuing to wear down the enemy, and then, if necessary, feign a rout to lure the main force of Helian further into the hinterland along the Wucheng City line.

Those three routes were basically all routes with sufficient water sources along the way, and were frequently used by the Hu people to invade in large-scale southward migrations.

The countless narrow paths only allowed small groups of cavalry to pass through, and only a few camps and fortresses were needed to defend against them.

Li Chang used his charcoal pencil to draw a huge encirclement between the two defensive lines.

"The saying 'one effort, then decline, then exhaustion' perfectly describes our situation; here we are, annihilating the main force of the Xianbei!"

"When He Lian thought we had suffered a complete defeat, he led his main force in a desperate pursuit,"

He suddenly raised his head, a glint of light flashing in his eyes:

"The garrison troops on the east and west sides need to defeat the Xianbei forces in their respective directions, and then..."

"Surrounded from all sides!"

"None of our 100,000 Xianbei cavalry will escape!"

After he finished speaking, the tent fell silent.

Everyone was stunned by this incredibly audacious plan.

They originally thought that they would be lucky to have been able to defend the Great Wall.

Unexpectedly, Li Chang actually wanted to annihilate the 100,000-strong Xianbei army with only 40,000 men!

"Will this... will this work?" Han Hao was still a newcomer and hesitated.

"We have too few troops. What if we fail to encircle them and instead get surrounded ourselves?"

"Won't."

Jia Xu suddenly spoke:

"He Lian is eager for revenge and greedy for petty gains. His abilities are far inferior to those of his father, Tan Shihuai, and he cannot win the respect of the people."

First, it was impossible to unify the Xianbei in the early years; second, it was impossible to invade the south at the same time as the rebel army in Youzhou.

Seeing our repeated defeats, they will surely underestimate us and advance recklessly, wishing they could swallow us whole.

Moreover, the Xianbei people were all cavalry, highly mobile, but once they were surrounded in a narrow area, their cavalry advantage would be completely lost.

"We rely on our strong fortified camps, allowing us to wait in comfort and await the enemy's attack. Furthermore, we have the wooden oxen and flowing horses to ensure our supplies. Our chances of victory are at least 70%."

Liu Bei slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly:

"Alright! Let's do as Fourth Brother says! We'll lure them into a trap and annihilate the Xianbei!"

"promise!"

The generals responded in unison, their blood boiling and their eyes blazing with passion.

Li often filled the map with arrows and circles drawn with charcoal.

The plan has been finalized, but who will defend and who will attack has not yet been assigned.

"The old Dingxiang is the first line of defense." Li Chang tapped his finger lightly on the map:

"We don't need to hold out to the death, but we must hold off Helian. The longer we hold them off, the easier it will be to encircle them from the east and west flanks. Who should go?"

"I'll go and defend Dingxiang!" Zhang Fei was the first to jump out, patting his chest, his leopard eyes wide open.

"So what if I hold them off for three days? Don't even mention three days, even thirty days, I can keep that brat He Lian out of the city! Anyone who dares to try and take him from me, I'll give them a run for their money first!"

"Third brother, no!" Guan Yu immediately shook his head, stroking his long beard.

"The old city of Dingxiang is dilapidated and indefensible, so it needs a skilled defender. You are impatient, so it's better if I go."

"Second Brother, how could you steal my job!" Zhang Fei exclaimed in a panic.

Li Chang also smiled and shook his head:

"Third Brother, if you go, you might not be able to resist rushing out to kill He Lian, and then our entire plan will be ruined."

Just then, a voice rang out:

"This humble general is willing to go!"

Xu Rong stepped out of the ranks, the iron plates on his armor making a soft rustling sound with each step.

His face was still that unremarkable face; you wouldn't recognize him if you threw him into a crowd.

But Li Chang remembered very clearly that back in Longguan, it was this inconspicuous Xu Rong who used 3,000 men to create the illusion of an army of 30,000, driving Danghu to desperation.

After arriving in Bingzhou, he remained stationed north of Yanmen without complaint or regret!

"This humble general defended Pingcheng." Xu Rong clasped his hands in a fist salute, speaking as if it were a trivial matter:

"Dingxiang City isn't large, but its walls are thick enough. I only need three thousand men. More would be useless; the city is too small to hold them all!"

Li Chang did not answer immediately. He knew that if Xu said he could defend, then he truly could defend.

But three thousand men against fifty thousand Xianbei cavalry, even with city walls, meant that each crenellation would face dozens of times more troops. This was a battle destined to be fought with lives on the line!

"Three thousand men, is that enough?" Liu Bei was clearly thinking the same thing.

"That's enough." Xu Rong paused. "This general doesn't need elite troops, just infantrymen willing to fight to the death."

Li Chang finally nodded in agreement: "Alright! In addition, I will transfer Han Hao to be your deputy general. He is a steady commander and can share the responsibility of city defense deployment."

Han Hao stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting. He was relatively inexperienced and rarely spoke at military meetings.

When Zao Zhi and Ren Jun were highly valued, they were only stationed on the western front.

I never expected that a great war would break out, yet I would be able to take him to the battlefield! And that he would be so highly valued!

"Approved." Liu Bei finally made the decision: "Xu Rong will be the commander-in-chief of the first line of defense in the old Dingxiang, and Han Hao will be the deputy commander, leading three thousand infantrymen to hold out for five days."

"Not a single Xianbei will be allowed to pass through within five days," Xu Rong said calmly.

It's like making a promise about what to have for dinner tonight.

"The second line of defense, Wujin City."

Li Chang continued pointing downwards:

"Wujin City is smaller than Dingxiang, but its location is more crucial. It is situated on the only road from Dingxiang to Wucheng. Those who defend Wujin cannot simply be those who blindly hold their ground."

If necessary, you must fight and retreat simultaneously, gradually leading the Xianbei into Wucheng. You must make them feel they are about to win, but not actually win. Finding the right balance is more difficult than simply holding your ground.

Zhang Fei spoke first: "I can't do this job!"

The generals laughed.

At this moment, Gao Shun looked up:

"Please lead your elite troops to garrison Wujin!"

Li Chang asked, "Gao Shun, your Trapped Camp has been training for several months, and you're adding four thousand soldiers to defend Wujin. This time it's not an attack, it's a defense. But in addition to defending, you also need to retreat at the right time. Can you do that?"

Gao Shun raised his head and said frankly, "This humble general can defend. But when to retreat, where to retreat, and how fast to retreat, need to be decided in advance by the strategist."

Li Chang nodded: "The battlefield is ever-changing. We can only estimate that we can retreat in five days. There is only one retreat route: the official road from Wujin City to Wucheng."

It is best to set up barricades and traps every five miles along the way, and use the barricades to block the road while retreating, thus slowing down the Xianbei cavalry.

The longer the better, but we can't afford to get caught up. Once the Xianbei cavalry get on our heels, the infantry can't outrun them in the open field, and the entire army will be wiped out.

Gao Shun was silent for a moment: "This humble general still needs cavalry support."

"Pound." Li Chang called out the name:

"You lead two thousand light cavalry and garrison on the post road between Wujin City and Wucheng."

When Gao Shun retreats, you are responsible for covering his retreat. Remember, only cover his retreat, do not engage in prolonged battles.

Your mission is to bring Gao Shun's men back safely, not to kill more Xianbei. If even one person fails to return, I will hold you responsible.

Pang De clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys the order."

Li Chang continued to assign duties on the eastern front:

Guan Yu led 4,000 infantrymen to garrison Qiangyin, blocking the eastern gate of the Canhejing Pass. Zhang Liao led 2,000 cavalry to guard Gaoliu Road, forming a pincer movement to jointly deal with the eastern flank of the Xianbei army.

The mission is not to hold the line, but to launch an offensive and repel the flanking force on the eastern front!

Guan Yu stroked his beard and uttered only four words: "Victory will be achieved within seven days!"

Western Front: Zhang Fei led 4,000 men to garrison Yunzhong and guard the Baidao Pass between Yinshan Mountains.

Huang Zhong and Xu Huang each led 3,000 infantrymen to guard the Shaling area and garrison the eastern gateway of the Hetao region!

Qian Zhao led 3,000 garrison troops to Chengle, serving as a mobile force to support various locations at any time.

Zhao Yun led 3,000 cavalry as the army's general reserve force and stationed them near Jiling.

The mission is to lead cavalry to reinforce the eastern and western fronts immediately should any unforeseen circumstances arise. If the main force of the Helian army breaks through the Wujin City defenses ahead of schedule, Zhao Yun must use his cavalry to hold off the Xianbei in open battle, buying time for an encirclement.

"Zilong," Li Chang said, looking at Zhao Yun, "your cavalry will be the most exhausted this time. They might be fighting in the east today, and tomorrow they'll have to rush to the central region to fight."

Use the horses freely, don't conserve their strength. If a warhorse dies, I'll replace it with double the amount after the battle.

Zhao Yun clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This subordinate understands."

Finally, Liu Bei personally led 9,000 central troops to guard Wucheng!

After all the generals had been assigned, Han Hao suddenly had some doubts and asked, "What if the main Xianbei force didn't go through the central region?"

Li Changwang looked north:

"There are no generals who are guaranteed to win on the battlefield. As long as the chance of winning is 50%, it is worth taking a gamble!"

If the Xianbei do not focus their attack on the central line, it will only make it more difficult for them to attack and for us to encircle them.

At that point, we had already completed half of our mission to protect the people!

"promise!"

"Been taught a lesson!"

Each of them received their orders and left the tent, while Li Chang secretly slipped a brocade pouch into each of their hands.

Only Liu Bei, Li Chang, and Jia Xu remained in the main tent. Jia Xu held a teacup, gazing thoughtfully at the dense array of arrows on the map.