The total number of troops of Shu Han was eighty thousand. To be more precise, there were about seventy-five thousand left at that time.
The General in charge of the central army, Wu Yi, is currently the most troublesome individual among all the officers of Shu Han.
On the sixth day, Wu Yi arrived at the city of Shuangfu to prepare the encirclement. After ten days of threats and inducements, Guo Hu did not surrender and even went out of the city several times, winning minor battles outside the city.
Today is the 18th of December. If there is no progress today, by the time Marshal Zhuge personally arrives tomorrow morning, it will be troublesome for Wu Yi.
On the west, south, and east sides of Shuangguan City, there were attacks from the Shu Han army. At this moment, Wu Yi was riding his horse and standing to the south of the Wei River, looking far off at the offensive of the three armies.
Military advisor Lai Min, seeing Wu Yi's worried expression, asked: "General, are you worried about the arrival of Marshal Zhuge tomorrow?"
There's no one else here; the personal guards by Wu Yi's side are all old men who have been with him since the time of Liu Yan. And Lai Min has also been an old friend of Wu Yi for decades.
Without turning his head, Wu Yi continued to gaze northward towards Shuangguan City on the Wei River's north bank, muttering softly: "The western army has taken Ji County and Nan'an Prefecture, and now they are encircling Xiongwu County in Liangxi Province."
"The eastern army held off Zhang He in Lueyang, with one win and one loss, but that's not a big deal. Now only my central army has not broken the deadlock."
As he spoke, Wu Yi bit his teeth and swung the horsewhip again through the air: "Guo Hu is truly detestable!"
Guo Hu is an enemy, not a friend, and he is simply doing his job as a guard of the city. It is not fair to blame him for being 'detestable'.
It can be said that Wu Yi has a hint of casting stones in other people's fields at the moment.
Lai Min observed Wu Yi's reaction, glanced left and right, and then leaned in to say, "General, taking the central army's position, which is arduous and unappreciated, was bound to result in some criticism."
Wu Yi sighed heavily, supported his head with both hands, and reflected: "Although it's not enough to punish me, the delay in Shuangguan will certainly reduce my merits."
Both Lai Min and Wu Yi were old officials of Liu Jiong, who only joined Lu Bu in the Sichuan area after his entry.
Wu Yi is a standard member of the imperial clan of the Great Han, his sister Wu being Empress Liu, the queen consort of Liu Bei. As such, Wu Yi became Liu Bei's elder brother-in-law. Moreover, Empress Wu, who should now be referred to as Empress Dowager Wu, was previously the sister-in-law of Liu Zhang.
Moreover, Wu Yi's uncle, who is also the father of Wu Ban, the army commander who opposes the northern army, was an official of the Great General He Jin and had served under him. He had also accompanied Yuan Shu in entering the northern palace in Luoyang and was therefore a colleague of Liu Yan.
Lai Min's background is equally profound. According to seniority, he is the uncle of Liu Zhang.
Lai Min's brother-in-law was the former Governor of Yu Province, Huang Wan. This Huang Wan had not only issued a warrant for the arrest of Cao Cao, who was forced to flee to his hometown after Dong Zhuo occupied Luoyang, but also compelled Cao Cao to seek help from Wei Zhi, the father of Wei Zhen, in Chenliu to raise troops. Furthermore, Huang Wan ordered the execution of Cao Shao, who was raising troops for Cao Cao while in office. This Cao Shao is the father of the current Great General of the Great Wei, Cao Zhen.
Wu Yi and Lai Min are both standard officials of Liu Zhang, and Wu Yi is somewhat suspected of being an imperial concubine.
In assigning the troops of the three routes, Marshal Zhuge gave the responsibility of commanding the eastern army to military advisor Ma Su and Viceroy Zhaorong of the eastern army. Both Zhaorong and Wei Yan are old officers of Liu Bei.
The western army is essentially a flanking force; it doesn't matter who leads it.
The central army, tasked with tackling the tough challenge of Shuangguan City, was handed to Wu Yi to command. At the same time, Zhuge Liang also made it clear that the central army is personally led by him, the Chancellor of the Great Han.
If Wu Yi fights well, the greatest share of the credit would certainly go to the Chancellor himself. If Wu Yi takes a beating, he would also not escape punishment.
At this point in time, Zhuge Liang is only conducting his first Northern Expedition from Qiy Mountain.
When stabilizing Nanzhong, Zhuge Liang only led two thousand soldiers. Compared to the current total of eighty thousand troops, most officers still need to work closely with Zhuge Liang.
To be fair, Zhuge Liang's distribution of the three armies was largely based on his personal judgment.
Zhao Yun has served the Lord for nearly thirty years, and Wei Yan joined the army in New Wu as a volunteer. He has been serving Liu Zhang for twenty years. Both of their combat power and loyalty have been tested over a long period of time.
To control the entire situation, including blocking the route to the west and preventing the Weiyun army from advancing, Zhuge Liang naturally entrusts this important task to the most trusted general.
Wu Yi and Lai Min are overestimating Zhuge Liang's mind. Even someone as insightful as Zhuge Liang still needs a process of gradually being recognized by others.
But regardless of how the two men privately discussed matters, the difficulty of capturing Shuangguan City has become an unchangeable fact.
From the city walls of Shuangguan, one could see countless troops of Shu Han emerging from the camp in the east, west, and south. With nearly a hundred ladders and well platforms for siege warfare, they were surging towards the city.
Different from the previous days of grappling and probing, today Wu Yi was truly in a hurry. When Wu Yi became anxious, it was even more uncomfortable for Guo Hu within the city.
Shuangguan City has a moat. However, in the winter when the water level is low, the moat is not useful at all. The Wei River itself is narrower as well. Even if the water doesn't completely dry up, it won't be effective during the winter weather.
Even before the days of probing and grappling, the moat's trench had already been filled with numerous pathways. Furthermore, the deer antlers and low fences that were laid outside the city had been mostly destroyed.
On the west wall, the battle was in a deadlock. Guo Hu loudly ordered: "Withdraw the archers first, and then shoot once the Shu dogs get closer. Without arrows, take long spears and go to the southwest corner!"
The Shu Han army is rare in today's battle, they have first climbed the city walls and then the second batch.
However, until the evening when the gong was sounded for retreat, they were repelled by Guo Hu, Luo An, and Hu Zun's forces.
In the city, Guo Hu also had a rare chance to catch his breath. After calling Luo An and Hu Zun over, he began reviewing today's military situation.
Luo An's expression was quite despondent: "Calculating, there are less than three thousand soldiers left in the city who can fight. The Shu Han army is attacking in such great numbers, and the civilian population assisting in the war is also suffering greatly."
"The Shu Han army is strong, and it is likely that Shuangguan City will not hold much longer."
Hu Zun did not show any signs of depression. He asked: "What do you think the imperial troops will arrive at now? General Zuo is stuck in Lueyang. What about General Qian, the Western and Right General of Han? And the imperial central army?"
Guo Hu was silent for a moment, then sat down by the oil lamp and picked at the wick, saying: "The road from Luoyang to Shuangguan is distant, stretching for one thousand eight hundred miles. Even if General Zuo and Qian Zhenxi send the urgent news to Luoyang quickly, it will take about a month for the central army to reach Long Right."
A month... If the government in Luoyang received the news on December 5th or 6th, it would take at least another twenty days for the central army to arrive here.
Twenty days? Can Shuangguan City hold out for twenty days?
The light of the oil lamp flickered in the room, and the wood in the stove crackled as it burned. Guo Hu, Luo An, and Hu Zun were both physically and mentally exhausted. Therefore, after Guo Hu spoke, the three men in the room fell into silence once again.
After a long silence, Hu Zun raised his head and whispered to Guo Hu: "Has Your Lordship ever met the current emperor? I heard from people in the Anning Commandery that the emperor is wise and decisive, and he is very good at using troops and fighting battles. He seems very much like Emperor Wu."
Guo Hu pursed his lips: "No, I have never met him. Since the emperor ascended to the throne, I have been in Chang'an. The emperor also hasn't called any of the governors back to Luo. However, I have heard a lot about the emperor's deeds from General Zuo."
Luo An also shifted his buttocks a bit closer to Guo Hu, trying to hear more clearly.
Hu Zun said: "Please tell us."
Guo Hu thought for a moment and then slowly said: "I heard from General Zuo that last November 30th, at the same time when the Shu Han troops were attacking the border of Chongqing, the emperor called him back to court."
"That evening, the emperor was hosting a banquet with his relatives and commanders in the palace. Upon learning that General Zuo had arrived, he added a table next to his own, and that night, he entrusted the provinces of Yong and Liang to General Zuo."
"You may have heard of Xiahou Jun, who is a capable general," Guo Hu said, looking at Luo Pan and then Hu Zun. "The emperor is known for his wisdom in choosing people and is not afraid to give power to generals from other families."
Luo An and Hu Zun listened carefully and nodded in agreement. Luo An was forty-something, and Hu Zhen was only thirty-five, the prime age for pursuing career advancement.
Guo Hu continued, "When the emperor toured the south at the end of last year and then suddenly announced his intention to launch a southern campaign, I was quite puzzled in Chang'an. The former emperor fought against Wu three times but achieved little. The emperor had only been on the throne for half a year when he decided to use such a large force in battle. What if there were mistakes and how would he handle it?"
"Unexpectedly, news of the Great Han's victory over the Wu tribes came as early as February," Guo Hu said with a laugh. "Do you know how I felt when I saw the official documents of Lu Xun and Lu Bin Yan in Chang'an?"
Guo Hu was making fun of Lu Xun, and Hu Zun also joined in the laughter.
Luo An laughed for a moment but then seemed to recall something, and he said aloud, "When the rebellion was quelled in Xiping Commandery, I spent two days with Lu Xun. His actions were quite stable."
However, Guo Hu didn't respond: "I am the governor of an entire commandery. From everything I've seen since the current emperor took the throne, he is truly a rare wise and enlightened ruler!"
Now it was time to make the point, and Guo Hu, who was trying to cheer Luo An and Hu Zun up, spoke seriously: "The emperor will definitely not abandon Long Right; he will definitely not underestimate the invading troops!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, if the current offensive continues for another five days, it is likely that Shuangguan City will not be able to hold out. I intend to lead an army out tonight to launch a surprise night attack, set fires, and take away the courage of the Shu Han army!"
Luo Pan replied with a bow: "Such things can be done by Cao Zixiao and Zhang Wenyuan, why should it be difficult for us? How many troops does Your Lordship want to lead?"
"If it's just to set fires, two hundred men will suffice!" Guo Hu's eyes revealed determination: "With more troops, it would be even more difficult for them to move back and forth between the city and the camp."
Hu Zun thought for a moment and then suggested, "Why don't Your Lordship lead the attack on the west side of the city, and I will lead two hundred men to attack the east? Luo General can provide support inside the city."
"If both sides are attacking at the same time, the Shu Han army might become more frightened."
Guo Hu said with a slight sense of melancholy: "It seems that Bocheng also has courage! Then, you and I will both leave the city at the first stroke of the second watch tonight."
"Remember, if things turn sour, come back quickly! Do not act recklessly!"
Hu Zun nodded heavily. (Chapter Complete)
