Excluding the two failed rebellions in the early years of Huangchu during which Xiping Commandery did not gain momentum, as well as the rebellion by the Huns in the four commanderies of Hexi, the region to the west of Long River has not experienced large-scale battles since Cao Cao and Liu Bei met in Hanzhong.
It can also be considered a long period of peace.
From the beginning of Jian'an twenty-four years to the end of Taiping Yuan year, it had nearly been eight whole years.
Although the officials and people in the five commanderies of Longxi had long known that the southern Shu was an enemy state, the presence of Wudu Commandery, which had effectively become a no-man's land, had long relaxed their vigilance in the five commanderies to the west of Long River.
Even though the officials in the capital had repeatedly urged and issued stern orders for the five commanderies of Longxi to prepare battle plans, by the time of war, it could only be said that they were somewhat better prepared than completely unprepared, but still not by much.
Without a clear and certain crisis to face, no matter how tightly the court holds the invisible whip, it is impossible to wake people up.
With the outbreak of war, the region of Longxi was shaken, and only then did the various commanderies, from the highest to the lowest levels, suddenly become solemn.
After all, the enemy's army is really approaching.
On the evening of November 27, General Lu Pan, the commander of an auxiliary general post in Hai County, reported to Guo Hui in Linjin, Anning Commandery, and Zhang He in Chenyang, Fufeng Commandery.
On the evening of November 30, Left General Zhang He and Right General Guo Hui had just learned about the news of the Shu army's incursion.
At midnight on December 1, Zhang He led 2,000 horsemen and 8,000 foot soldiers along the Long Mountain Path to advance towards the region of Longxi.
At this time, Qian Zhaofei in Chang'an and Cao Rui in Luoyang were still unaware of the dire situation facing Longxi.
The entire region of Longxi, or the entire Yongliang, were under the prompting of the governors, prefects, and military commanders, instinctively responding to and preparing for the enemy's assault.
Everything seems to have little to do with Luoyang, but in fact, everyone in Longxi and Gansu is waiting for orders from the palace north of Luoyang.
And do their part until they receive instructions.
Each drink and bite has its cause and effect.
Since the transition from spring to summer, Zeng He, the military commander of Yongliang Commanderies, in accordance with the plans of the court and Emperor Cao himself, had blocked all four roads connecting Han Middle Commandery to Gansu Commandery.
He repaired San Pass in the northern section of the Chen Cang Road and tried his best to block or destroy the Baoye and Tangluo Roads, as well as the Ziwu Road.
All of these indeed stopped Zhuge Liang's intention to advance north into Gansu Commandery.
Military affairs are nothing but offense, defense, and peace. Since Wei's military arrangement in Gansu Commandery was clearly to play the role of a turtle pulling its head in, why did Zhuge Liang still want to go against this hard shell?
Why not lead the entire army to attack Longxi directly!
Even if they don't touch Gansu Commandery, Longxi and the Western Regions could obtain such vast territories, a half-province, more than enough to restore the prestige of the Han!
Zhuge Liang thought this way, and he acted accordingly.
This time, Zhuge Liang led an army of no less than 80,000 men, accounting for two-thirds of the total military strength of Shu Han.
By the end of December, it was the coldest time of the year in Longxi, and in the past twenty years, the winter climate had become increasingly severe.
The cold weather not only slowed down military operations in the winter, but also brought a host of problems from logistics, health, and countless other issues.
"I am leading this campaign against the natural order of things!"
Standing outside the large camp of the Shu army at Xicheng, Zhuge Liang sighed and reflected on the constant falling of fine snowflakes in the sky and the soldiers busy constructing fortifications within and outside the camp.
Zhang Xianláng, the Master of Records, consoled him: "Chancellor should not be too worried about the weather. In winter, it's cold not only for our Han troops but also for the Wei troops."
"It's almost the end of the year. The Wei troops in the five commanderies of Longxi must not be well-prepared. Fighting with our Han army in such cold weather is likely to further dampen their morale and resolve."
Snowflakes kept falling onto Zhuge Liang's shoulders and on his cap. The white steam exhaled from his mouth was clearly visible to the naked eye. The sky was getting darker and darker, and the soldiers patrolling the camp were starting to change shifts.
This time out, the army was gathered in Wudu Commandery and almost did not stop during the northward march. Now, the army has been assembled and rested for two or three days in Xicheng.
Zhuge Liang asked softly, "With the time counted, should Gao Xiang be nearly reaching Ji County by now?"
Zhang Xianláng replied, "Yes, Your Excellency. General Gao Xiang is leading two thousand cavalry. He separated from the main body of our army at Beiyé five days ago. According to military orders, after reaching Luomen to the north, he is to lead one thousand cavalry eastward to Ji County in Gansu Commandery and one thousand cavalry westward to Nanning Commandery."
"Based on the distance calculation, General Gao Xiang should arrive in Ji County by tonight."
Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "Order all the generals to gather at the main camp. I will summon tomorrow's battle plan!"
"Yes, Your Excellency." Zhang Xianláng bowed and responded.
About half an hour later, all the generals stationed near Xicheng, as well as the officials from the Chancellor's Mansion, had gathered in the main camp tent.
Despite the continuous march from Hanzhong for nearly twenty days, the generals in the army and the officials from the Chancellor's Mansion still showed high spirits and did not show any signs of fatigue.
The revival of the Han Dynasty, the annihilation of the Wei rebels.
This slogan, passed down from Liu Bei's reign as the King of Hanzhong, has been deeply engraved in the hearts of every general of Shu Han. At this moment, as they are on the march, their hearts are filled with passion, grand ambitions, and excitement for the impending great battle.
Zhuge Liang looked around and asked with satisfaction: "Since our troops arrived in Wudu Commandery, the advance and rear units have been separated by two or three days. Today afternoon, our troops have finally assembled at Xicheng."????"Xicheng commands a strategic location. To the north lies Ji County, to the northeast is Gansu Commandery, Linshui Commandery; to the northwest lies Nanning Commandery and Longxi Commandery."
"The army will be divided into three groups, and I will command from the central camp here in Xicheng."
Zhuge Liang looked at Ma Suo and said, "Youn Chang, explain the strategic purpose of this campaign to the generals."
"Yes, Your Excellency." Ma Suo bowed and then stood straight and proud, standing to the side of Zhuge Liang and loudly declared: "Now that our troops have reached Gansu Commandery, the most important task from a strategic standpoint is to cut off the path between Longxi Commandery and Gansu Commandery. The second priority is to capture the counties and cities of Longxi Commandery."
"This time, the western force is responsible for forcing the surrender and capturing Longxi Commandery and Nanning Commandery."
"The central force is responsible for conquering Ji County and Linshui Commandery, and then attacking Luiwei Commandery to cut off the waterway, blocking Wei forces from coming to the aid of this area."
"The eastern force is responsible for bypassing Linshui Commandery and then heading north, blocking the Long Mountain Path and preventing most of the Wei army from coming to aid, and capturing Anning Commandery."
After saying this, Ma Suo turned around and bowed to Zhuge Liang, "Reporting to Chancellor, the explanation is complete."
Zhuge Liang rubbed his beard and nodded, asking, "Is there any confusion among the generals?"
The generals in the tent all declared that they had no doubts.
And indeed, there was nothing to question.
This time the Shu Han mobilized eighty thousand troops to attack Longxi Commandery, with the strategic objective of carving out Longxi Commandery and the Western Regions to enrich the Han Dynasty.
To achieve this strategic objective, there are two key goals that must be accomplished:
Firstly, it is essential to do our best to block the Wei forces from coming to assist Gansu Commandery and to defeat them if they come, which is the most important task of this campaign and must be accomplished as quickly as possible.
Secondly, we must quickly capture the counties and cities of Longxi Commandery to concentrate our forces for battle with the Wei troops who come to assist.
Zhuge Liang's recent military strategies have been entirely in line with this plan.
Qi Mountain Pass is easy to defend but hard to attack.
Then leave 3,000 troops to camp outside of Qi Mountain Pass. Twice the amount of troops is sufficient to prevent the troops inside Qi Mountain Pass from disrupting the supply lines and rendering them ineffective.
Xicheng is not easy to conquer in the short term.
Then build large camps outside the city, encircling it completely. Zhuge Liang himself will take Xicheng as the command center. Whether the city is conquered or surrendered willingly, subduing Xicheng will be no more than a matter of course.
Seeing that all generals had no doubts, Zhuge Liang stood up from his seat, with a serious look and a firm belief in his eyes. He immediately began to assign generals.
"Where is General Yuan Nian, Commander of the Zhenwei Army, and Zhaowu Junior Marshal Hu Ji, and Governor Zhang Yi of Guanghan?" Zhuge Liang asked loudly.
"I am here!" The three generals bowed and stepped forward.
"General Yuan Nian, in command of the Western Route army, will lead 12,000 troops to attack Longxi and Nanning Commanderies." Zhuge Liang declared in front of the generals.
"Respectfully comply with Chancellor's command!" The three generals answered in unison.
"Zhuge Liang's demeanor remained serious, and he continued to assign generals:" Commandant of the Northern Expedition Wu Yi, Yinping Prefect Liao Huan, Commander Huang Chi, and Commander Zong Yu are present!"
"I am here!" The four generals bowed and stepped forward.
Zhuge Liang said solemnly, "You four are to form the central force, each leading your own detachment, totaling 30,000 troops, responsible for capturing Ji County and Shanggu City in Gansu Commandery."
"The central force is the closest to Xicheng, and I will personally command it. Once we capture one of Ji County or Shanggu City, I will go to the front line to take command."
"Respectfully comply with Chancellor's command!" Generals Wu Yi and the others also replied in unison.
As early as half a year ago, when Zhuge Liang first arrived in Hanzhong, he had gradually distributed the army gathered from various commanderies throughout the entire Yizhou according to the allocation of leaders.
Therefore, when it comes to battle, the generals have long since accustomed to giving orders directly to their subordinate generals, battalions, and colonels.
Shu Han had 80,000 troops. Three thousand troops were left at Qi Mountain Pass for garrison, and Gao Xiang led 2,000 cavalry in the advance northward. Zhuge Liang also kept about three thousand troops here to watch over Xicheng.
After sending the remaining over 40,000 troops to the western and central forces, the strength of the eastern force was already evident, which was a full 30,000 troops.
At this time, there are still many generals who have not been mentioned by Zhuge Liang in the tent.
Zhendong General Zhaoyun, Zhobei General Wei Yan, Xinyi General Wu Ban, Yingyang General Chen Shi, Yangwu General Deng Zhi, and Jianwu Junior Marshal Wang Ping...
This can be said to be a gathering of talent.
At this time, Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister, was still worried about which general to send, rather than having no one available.
Although Zhuge Liang had a name on the tip of his tongue, he looked around at the generals and officials in the tent who had hopeful expressions in their eyes as they looked at him, and hesitated for a moment.
This was the moment to assign the generals, and Zhuge Liang's hesitation in the tent actually allowed many of those standing below to catch a glimpse of the situation.
Seeing Zhuge Liang remained silent, Wei Yan glanced around twice before walking out with his head held high and bowing to Zhuge Liang in the tent, saying:
"Reporting to Chancellor! I wish to lead the Eastern Route army for Chancellor!" (Chapter End)
