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

"Lord Xu, what's your opinion?" Guan Yu asked Xu Rong.

Ultimately, he was dealing with someone from a humble background. If he were a scholar or a scion of a prominent family, Guan Yu would not have asked him a single question!

Xu Rong pointed towards Longguan and proceeded to explain his plan point by point:

"General Guan, I suggest that we build three connected camps today, three miles away from the pass, dig three trenches, erect two rows of chevaux-de-frise, and connect the camps with passageways to create the appearance of a long-term siege."

Starting tomorrow, the attack will proceed in three waves: the first wave will charge with drums beating, retreating once they reach within a hundred paces; the second wave will feign firing from empty quivers; the third wave will wave flags and shout slogans, rotating every half hour, day and night without interruption.

He paused, then added:

"The most important thing is the scouts. I will send three hundred elite scouts, divided into ten teams, to block all the small roads leading north, with a sentry post every five li and a checkpoint every ten li."

Whether it's rebel scouts or informants from the Qiang people, intercept them all and leave no survivors. At night, each soldier carries two torches, and the campfires stretch for more than ten miles from the front of the pass all the way to Qian County, making the locals think we have an army of 30,000.

The smoke from the cooking fires rises six times a day, 30% more than usual, making quite a spectacle of it.

"Alright." Guan Yu nodded. "We'll do it your way. You'll be in charge of guarding the camp, setting up defenses, and scouting. I'll be in charge of charging into battle and yelling at everyone every day. We'll make sure the local lords can't even get a good night's sleep."

However, there is one more point: the spies in the north should not be completely blocked off; they should be completely blocked off, but some should be deliberately allowed to escape!

Xu Rong pondered for a moment, then suddenly realized!

"I've learned a great deal!"

Guan Yu's side moved very quickly, and the next day at dawn, the drums at Longguan Pass resounded.

Guan Yu, clad in green robes and golden armor, stood before the pass, his sword drawn. Behind him, three thousand soldiers were arranged in six square formations, their banners blotting out the sky, and the dust obscuring their figures.

Hundreds of people at the front started a war of words.

However, the general guarding the city wall was Danghu, a Qiang general under Beigong Boyu. He didn't speak Mandarin well and didn't understand!

Those who understand Chinese dare not translate it completely!

But he guessed it wasn't anything nice, and ordered, "They've sent some red-faced brute to challenge us! Archers, listen up, fire when he gets within a hundred paces!"

For three consecutive days, the Han army charged into battle every day and beat drums every night.

Guan Yu personally led his troops to the pass every day, but always reined in his horses a hundred paces away.

As he patrolled the camp at dusk, he came to within a hundred paces of the pass when a rebel archer on the city wall drew his bow and fired an arrow.

Guan Yu didn't even raise his eyes; with a flick of his wrist, he swung his Green Dragon Crescent Blade horizontally.

With a clang, the arrow was split in two and fell to the ground.

He reined in his horse, looked up at the city wall, and roared, "I am Guan Yu of Hedong! Who dares to come out of the city to fight!"

On the city wall, the archer who had fired the arrow suddenly dropped his bow.

No one dared to answer a word on the entire Longguan city wall.

Dang Hu gritted his teeth, but he remembered Bei Gong Boyu's instructions perfectly: "Don't leave the city easily!"

They had no choice but to grit their teeth and prepare for defense.

Xu Rong directed the work from behind, and the camp was built stronger and stronger, with scouts blocking the way completely. At night, campfires stretched for miles, and the smoke from the cooking fires illuminated Longguan Pass as if it were daytime.

Danghu was tormented for three days and three nights without sleep, and seeing the Han army below the pass as if the battle would never end, he finally panicked.

An urgent report was written overnight and sent to Ji County by express courier: "Liu Bei personally led tens of thousands of his main force in a fierce attack on Longguan. The offensive is fierce, and the defending troops have suffered heavy casualties. Ten thousand reinforcements must be sent immediately, otherwise Longguan will not be able to hold out!"

After reading the intercepted urgent report, Xu Rong was filled with admiration: "General Guan and his strategist's plan is better than a thousand troops. Danghu has already taken the bait and won't even glance north again."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and smiled, looking towards Jieting: "We're just waiting for good news from Fourth Brother."

Meanwhile, deep in the Longshan Mountains, the surprise attack army was advancing.

This road, which had been abandoned for a hundred years, was much more difficult to traverse than expected. Coupled with the scarcity of water along the way, many Northern Army soldiers suffered from cracked and bleeding lips and felt unsteady on their feet.

"Strategist, the scouts ahead report that there's a mountain spring thirty li ahead, and the brothers' water bags are almost empty." Zhao Yun rode back, his face grave.

Just then, a black crow swooped down from the sky and pecked a crooked X into his palm.

"Don't go any further," Li Chang ordered immediately. "That mountain spring is dry. Go south for two miles, there's a hidden mountain stream with water."

Everyone was taken aback.

Some captains in the Northern Army were unaware of Li Chang's abilities and only thought that the black crow was an auspicious omen.

So he asked, "How did you know, strategist? Our scouts didn't even go that far."

"My eyes can see a hundred miles away." Li Chang smiled and didn't explain further. "Zilong, take a hundred cavalrymen to scout ahead. Once it's safe, the main army will go over in batches to replenish water."

Half an hour later, Zhao Yun sent someone to report that a mountain stream had indeed been found two miles to the south, and the spring water was clean and sweet.

The entire army cheered, and they looked at Li Chang with more awe.

After drinking the water, the army continued on its way.

The army marched day and night for five days. Under Xuan Ya's leadership, they were not short of water and were able to spot enemy scouts from time to time.

……

Beneath the walls of Ji County, at the rebel camp.

Bei Gong Boyu sat in the main seat, drinking wine from a large bowl and eating meat in large bites.

The campfire inside the tent was burning brightly.

"An urgent report from Danghu." Han Sui pushed the bamboo slips in front of him. "The Han army is launching a fierce attack on Longguan. The camps in front of the pass stretch for more than ten miles, with smoke rising from the cooking fires six times a day. The force is no less than 30,000."

Bei Gong Boyu scoffed:

"Thirty thousand? Liu Bei only had twenty thousand men in total, where did the thirty thousand come from? The head of the household was terrified."

He waved his hand, "Let him guard it with peace of mind! Longguan is sandwiched between the Longshan Mountains, and six thousand guards are enough to counter his twenty thousand men!"

Liu Bei wants a direct assault? Let's fight for three months, wipe out all 20,000 men at the city walls. By then, Ji County will be long gone, and Liangzhou will be ours!

"Order all households to defend Longguan Pass to the death. Do not engage in battle, and do not allow a single Han soldier to cross the pass!"

He tilted his head back and gulped down the last mouthful of wine in the bowl, then slammed the bowl down on the table.

"As for Liu Bei... once Ji County falls, I'll see where he can run to."

Han Sui's gaze moved north from Longguan, finally settling on Jieting.

"General Beigong, over at Jieting..."

"With Qiequ leading three thousand men to guard Jieting, what could possibly happen?"

Bei Gong Boyu waved his hand dismissively.

"Going that way over the mountains is all mountain trails, no water, no food, it'll take at least five or six days. Who has that kind of ability? If Liu Bei really dares to go, we won't even need to fight him, he'll starve to death!"

Han Sui was silent for a moment, then nodded: "The general is right."

As he walked out of the tent, he glanced back one last time. The map was still spread out on the table, the candlelight flickering, casting a shadow that perfectly obscured the street pavilion.

……

Zhao Yun and his scouts had reached the high ground and were lying behind a rock to confirm their presence.

Jieting is just ahead, with a stockade wall blocking the way. The guards are armed with the flag of the Northern Palace, and there are at least three thousand men.

The entire army is on edge; their condition is terrible! The northern foothills of the Longshan Mountains are a difficult route to traverse!

Even though everyone and everything is exhausted, there are still people guarding the place!

Zhang Fei keenly sensed that the morale was wrong! He refrained from using the method of whipping his soldiers to boost morale.

Carrying his eighteen-foot spear, he stepped forward, his leopard eyes wide open:

"What are you afraid of! He has three thousand men, we have fourteen thousand! I can take down that Qiequ with a single spear! Brother, give the order, charge straight in and catch him off guard!"

Li Chang looked at Zhang Fei, suddenly smiled, and added, "This Qiequ is very likely a local. He actually knew to set up camp on the roadside instead of stationing himself on the mountaintop."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei instantly understood Li Chang's meaning and smiled in return:

"If he camps on the mountaintop, we only need to besiege them for a few days, and they will be defeated due to lack of water!"

If the rebel army had such incompetent generals, how could they not be defeated?

After he finished speaking, everyone laughed, and the tense atmosphere dissipated instantly.