"How many days can we hold on for? Hold on for as many days as possible?"
After repeating Lu Sun's words, Xiahou Xian still harbored doubts in his heart. He opened his mouth and asked Lu Sun, "So, do we still attack the White Water Pass?"
"We need to attack, but even more important is to defend here. And defending is more important than attacking." Lu Xun smiled and said.
"General Xiahou, why does the Emperor send you and me here?"
Xiahou Xian thought without hesitation: "It must be to have us sting the back of Zhuge Liang, accumulating a winning advantage for the Emperor's army in their battle against Zhuge Liang!"
"How to accumulate superiority?" Lu Xun murmured to himself and stepped out of the tent, gazing at the city walls of the White Water Pass in the distance: "Taking this White Water Pass, then attacking Jiangmeng and Jiange? Or just heading north along the Qinian Trail for 150 li, reaching enemy territory deep within to attack Yang'an Pass and put ourselves in an impossible situation?"
Xiahou Xian remained silent for a moment, then bowed and replied, "I would appreciate your guidance, General Lu."
Xiahou Xian's words of seeking guidance were indeed humble and eager to learn.
Lu Xun sighed, "The heavens have decreed it, and as subjects, we must do our utmost to serve the Emperor. But to better serve the Emperor, we cannot overlook more considerations."
"Zhuge Liang leads the troops to invade the Great Wei, doing so as a subject with the army of the entire nation under his command. Moreover, since the establishment of Shu, it has only been seven years, during which one emperor has died and the new emperor has not yet personally assumed governance. Although he collects taxes from the provinces and prefectures to support his northern campaign, there must be resentment within, which is only kept in check by the righteous cause of restoring the Han."
"Zhuge Liang consolidated power through the great cause of restoring the Han Dynasty. However, in doing so, he must also consider the 'Han Emperor' Liu Can, who is still in Chengdu."
Xiahou Xian spoke, "Our arrival at the White Water Pass is precisely to attack it, knowing that they will surely come to its rescue!"
"General Xiahou is exactly right!" Lu Xun chuckled: "As long as we are at the White Water Pass, Zhuge Liang will undoubtedly send a large army to save it, and he will send them with the belief and capability to defeat us."
"The White Water Pass is the key to Shu in the south. As the prime minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang must certainly not let it be left unattended."
Xiahou Xian pondered for a moment and replied, "Then this is to tie down troops. So General Lu is thinking about how to tie down more troops from Shu?"
Lu Xun is indeed a top strategist in his time, with a first-rate view of the big picture. At this moment, giving Xiahou Xian some explanations is like teaching him a lesson.
Lu Xun slowly said, "The so-called troops are just a manifestation of the combat strength of the Shu army."
"The Shu army's march from the Liangzhu Commandery to the Hanzhong Commandery, or their transportation of supplies to Hanzhong, must pass through the Qinian Trail, the White Water Pass, and our current camp location."
"We are here for three reasons: first, to cut off the benefits of transporting grain through the Jinniu Trail; second, to force Zhuge Liang to send a large army to rescue; and third, to hold our ground for a sufficiently long time and confront the incoming Shu troops."
"Even more importantly, we must also prepare a retreat for ourselves!" Lu Xun's expression became increasingly serious: "If we quickly attack and capture the White Water Pass, the Shu army will come from the north and we will still have to deal with them outside the pass, otherwise our retreat route will be blocked."
"Yes, General Lu is absolutely right!" Xiahou Xian nodded: "At this critical moment, it is of utmost importance for the Emperor to consolidate the allegiance of over a million Qiang people and accumulate national strength. As the Protector of the Qiangs, if General Lu were to be defeated or if there were too many casualties among the Qiangs, I fear that the situation in Longyou, which has recently improved, could become unstable in an instant."
"I have led the central army cavalry here, traveling from Luoyang to Longyou, then from Longyou to Wudu, and finally to the White Water Pass. The morale in the army is not as high as it was in Longyou days."
Lu Xun sighed and said, "General Xiahou, do you know how much I am favored by the Emperor?"
Xiahou Xian could hardly not know this.
How could Xiahou Xian not know? Lu Xun was granted the title of County Marquis and appointed as the Protector of the Qiangs, although it fell short of his political treatment in Wu, but for a defected general, it was already extremely generous.
Just forget about the fact that the princess was married to Lu Xun!
After nodding slightly, Xiahou Xian didn't respond.
Continuing, Lu Xun said, "From Shanggu to Lin'tao, and then to Tangchang and Ta Zhong, I am increasingly aware of how difficult it is to achieve such a situation. We must maintain this hard-won situation!"
"If we are careless in our defense here, there is a risk of collapse! With a withdrawal of 20,000 troops, they may return another day. If we were not here, it might take much longer to subdue the Shu country."
Xiahou Xian sighed and agreed.
Whether out of public interest or personal motives, Lu Xun at this moment believed that capturing the White Water Pass was enough. To draw the Shu army back for reinforcement, thus relieving military pressure on the front lines, and at the same time, to cut off the Shu army's supply line.
Although Lu Xun was also traveling along the Yinping Trail, and compared to the original intention of the historical Deng Xie and Deng Shi Zai, who intended to attack Chengdu in a surprise attack, he was not as bold. This is not only a comparison of the capabilities and mentality of generals but also determined by the current situation.
At present, between the Great Wei and Shu Han, they have been fighting face-to-face for half a year. Although there is a difference in strength, it cannot be underestimated.
The Longyou region was already dilapidated, and the Qiang people had just been annexed. The White Water Pass lies deep in the interior, with a strong enemy still to the north.
In the original history, during the late Shu Han Dynasty, a total of 180,000 Wei troops were divided into three columns for a southward campaign.
Besides Deng Xie's 30,000 troops from Longyou, Zhong Hui and Zhuge Xu had nearly 150,000 troops. It was only with such numbers that they were able to capture the White Water Pass and still could not take the Jiange.
At that time, the Shu Han was a small country with a weak population, and there was a great gap in strength between it and the Wei.
At present, the Wei do not have such strength and the Shu Han is not as weak as it once was. Lu Xun's ability to tie down some of them is already a gain, how can he do more things?
…
Outside the White Water Pass, Lu Xun was conducting low-intensity siege operations while actively preparing defenses with Xiahou Xian and others.
After leaving behind 1,000 Central Army Cavalry and 1,000 Qiang Horse Cavalry at Dazhong, Lu and Xiahou had only 18,000 men here.
The Qiang people had just been annexed, and using them as light cavalry for reconnaissance was possible, but expecting the young and strong men of the group that was still grazing three months ago to storm the city was a pipe dream.
Therefore, Lu Xun could only force the Qiang people to construct camp defenses, dig ditches, and set up camp to prepare for a confrontation with the returning Shu troops.
From Wu Xing to Yang'an Pass is 100 li, and from Yang'an Pass to the White Water Pass is 150 li. It took the army led by Zhao Yun only four days to reach a distance of 250 li.
When Zhao Yun reached the northeast of the White Water Pass, it was noon on April 7th.
During the four days from Wu Xing to the White Water Pass that Zhao Yun spent, the situation between Hanzhong and Xi Ban had changed dramatically.
On the morning of April 3rd, Zhuge Liang received the news at the Great Camp of Chiling that there had been a change at the White Water Pass and that Zhao Yun was leading 8,000 soldiers south.
On the same day, Wei Yan led an army of 14,000 troops south.
On the fifth day, Zhuge Liang's main force retreated in defeat from Chiting, with Wu Yi leading the withdrawal.
On the sixth day, most of the Shu army retreated. Cao Zhen led the 10,000 newly arrived from Shouchuan's Zhongguo military horse troops and 20,000 foot soldiers to reinforce and pursue the Shu army retreating to the Wu Xing direction.
Zhao Yun, despite his illness, led his troops southward to reach the White Water Pass. Before he had even set up camp, he was made aware of the news by scouts dispatched by Lu Xun.
The news of the Wei cavalry's incursion into the White Water Pass had been known for a long time. With Zhao Yun's caution, how could he not be prepared? Facing the attacking Wei cavalry and Qiang cavalry, Zhao Yun faced them with a firm formation, using bows and crossbows and long spears to withstand the Wei army's repeated attacks, and calmly retreated to set up camp eight li northeast of the White Water Pass.
"Zhao Yun's military affairs are still so cautious, considering failure first and then seeking victory!" Lu Xun sighed lightly upon hearing the situation from scouts in the camp.
"General Xiahou, how many troops does Zhao Yun have today?" Lu Xun asked.
"It's hard to say," Xiahou Xian replied gravely, "When I observed Zhao Yun setting up his formation, he showed no sign of panic or retreat. Instead, he stood firm against our cavalry. Only after I was ordered to withdraw did Zhao Yun retreat calmly."
"Seems like..."
Lu Xun frowned, "What is it?"
"It seems as if he were acting with confidence," Xiahou Xian speculated.
"A sense of security without fear."
How could Zhao Yun still be secure without fear? There must be reinforcements behind him!
"Pass my order!" Lu Xun instructed his personal guards. "Have Zhiliang Dai lead 4,000 Qiang horsemen to retreat thirty miles and set up a camp that can accommodate the entire army at a strategically important location to the northwest of the White Water Pass! The rest of the Qiang horsemen will follow me!"
"Yes, your servant will carry out the order." The personal guards immediately left the tent to spread the order.
Lu Xun turned to Xiahou Xian and began communicating: "General Xiahou, under the current circumstances, it's up to us and the Shu troops to see how we hold out against each other."
"Please assign General Fei to join me in defending the camp, and General Xiahou should retreat together with General Cheng to four miles northeast."
Xiahou Xian thought for a moment, then asked, "General Lu, are you planning to lure the Shu army to attack our camp and have our mounted troops engage them outside?"
"That's right," Lu Xun nodded, "Since Zhao Yun has arrived and is acting with such confidence, it's likely that the Shu army will continue to reinforce!"
"Simple defense of the camp does not show the advantage of the Great Wei cavalry."
"General Fei and I will command 4,000 people to defend the camp. The remaining 5,000 Qiang people will assist in guarding the camp. At the same time, General Xiahou and General Cheng will provide support outside, and we should be able to withstand the Shu army for a while!"
Xiahou Xian's brows and eyes were filled with concern: "General Lu's allocation is certainly correct, but I'm not sure how long we can hold out."
Lu Xun still repeated the words from the past two days: "General Xiahou, don't worry about these unanswered questions. Just hold on for as many days as we can!"
Zhao Yun set up camp outside the White Water Pass facing the Wei army, waiting for Wei Yan's reinforcements behind him. At the same time, Zhao Yun's condition had further deteriorated.
The life hung on the thread.
By the afternoon of the seventh day, the Shu army had set up camp. By the evening of the eighth day, Wei Yan led a force of 14,000 soldiers in a forced march to a location near Zhao Yun's camp.
Wei Yan almost didn't stop, upon hearing from messengers sent out by Zhao Yun's army that Zhao Yun's condition was dire, he immediately led his guards and marched into the camp at a gallop.
"It's Wen Chang," Zhao Yun said, lying on the bed. When he saw Wei Yan coming, a slight smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"How is it that you, General Zhao, are in such a condition!" Wei Yan hurried forward and knelt in front of Zhao Yun, looking at his pale and visibly aged face, and could not help but sigh aloud.
Looking at Wei Yan's increasingly melancholic expression, Zhao Yun said calmly, "I knew the Prime Minister would send Wen Chang to aid me, and today I have indeed seen you." (Chapter ended)
