"The Han River... the supply route?" The generals all sharply caught the key point hidden in those words.
They might not be able to sum it up with a modern phrase like war is all about logistics, but any general who had seen enough battles knew the ultimate cheat code for winning. Always cut off the enemy's food supply!
"Those Cao thieves moved too fast. That means they traveled light. The only way to haul huge piles of heavy supplies is by water!" Guan Yu jabbed a finger in the air, tracing the route. "All their grain and gear leaves Chang'an. Floats down the Bao River. Hits the mouth of the Han River. Then gets pushed upstream straight to Hanzhong."
Huang Zhong squinted hard at the map and tapped one spot dead on. "If that is true, then the fight goes down right here at the Yangjia River. Mountains on one side, water on the other. It is the only path they can take. Catch them there and it will be easier than grabbing something out of your own sleeve."
[Lightscreen]
[Liu Bei was stuck with no good way to counter Cao Cao's turtle style defense. So he decided to split his forces and go straight for the supply line instead. Zhao Yun took charge with Huang Zhong joining him. The unit moved through the mountains and set up camp on North Mountain, right on the east bank of the Yangjia River, about ten kilometers east of Dingjun Mountain.]
"Just as Hansheng predicted." Guan Yu did not try to hide his respect for Huang Zhong one bit.
Huang Zhong's face flushed a little with pride, but worry crept in fast right after. "Those Cao thieves won the Battle of Guandu by burning Yuan Shao's supplies at Wuchao. They are the best in the whole land at cutting someone's food line. That means they will guard their own supply route twice as hard."
A different thought niggled at him too.
The light screen never said what became of me after I cut down Xiahou Yuan. Could it be...
[Lightscreen]
[Zhao Yun and Huang Zhong waited by the Yangjia River and soon spotted Cao Cao's huge grain convoy. They had no idea how many enemy troops were guarding it. But Huang Zhong stepped up right away and volunteered to go first. Zhao Yun agreed only after they set a firm time limit. If Huang Zhong did not return by the agreed time, Zhao Yun would send troops to rescue him.
Huang Zhong did not expect Boss Cao to be so ridiculously rich and resourceful. The escort team was massive and chased the old general all over the mountain, quickly pushing him past the agreed time limit. Out of worry, Zhao Yun led a few dozen light cavalry out of the camp to check the situation, ordering Zhang Yi to guard the base.]
"Sending troops blindly without checking the enemy's strength?" The generals discussed it among themselves, mostly disapproving of the move.
Zhang Fei had the exact opposite take. "Big Brother led the main army out from Chengdu. He split his forces once before Yangping Pass and again at Dingjun Mountain. Zilong and Hansheng barely have any men left under their command right now!"
"When you are outnumbered this bad, the only play is to hit them again and again. Harass them day and night so they have to chase you all up and down the riverbanks and through every mountain valley. Once they split their forces to search for you, that is when you hit their supply line with everything you have. That is the only plan that actually works!"
You really had to give it to Zhang Fei. Everyone else just saw a reckless move that needed more thought. Zhang Fei had already mapped out the whole battle in his head.
"We will just have to see what Zilong decides," Guan Yu said, narrowing his phoenix eyes. He was genuinely curious about how this would play out.
Lightscreen]
[Because Huang Zhong startled the snake by beating the grass, the Cao army's grain escort split off a cavalry unit to scout. The two sides clashed. Zhao Yun and his men got tangled up with the cavalry, and soon the rest of the Cao army's reinforcements piled on.
Facing a massive disadvantage in numbers, Zhao Yun used his masterful riding skills to weave in and out of the Cao army's lines repeatedly. He eventually led his men to break out and retreat toward the main camp.
However, his subordinate Zhang Zhu and others got injured during the breakout and fell behind, getting surrounded by the Cao army once again.
Seeing this, Zhao Yun turned his horse around, charged back into the Cao army, and rescued Zhang Zhu.
Blood soaked his battle robes until even the armor beneath ran red.
Seven charges, seven breakouts, who could rival him?
Even though Zilong was not screaming and slaughtering alongside Liu Shan this time, his war god aura was even stronger than before!]
"Is this actually real?!" That was the very first thought blasting through every single mind in the room. But then it hit them all at once. Oh wait, that is Zhao Zilong. Well, that is just normal for him.
After all, this guy had already put on a show at Changban Slope.
Zhang Fei scratched his head completely baffled. He gave Zhao Yun a solid thump on the shoulder and blurted out. "Zilong, are you literally the opposite of Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, or what?"
"Huh?" Zhao Yun's brain failed to process the question for a second.
"Think about it like this," Zhang Fei said, leaning in like he just cracked the biggest puzzle ever. "Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, always wanted more men, the better. The bigger his army, the harder he fought. But you, Zilong? You charged straight into the whole enemy line all by yourself both times! If someone handed you a hundred thousand troops and told you to go smash Cao Cao like the Marquis, would you actually fight worse with more people around?"
The whole room burst out laughing so hard they could barely breathe.
Even the servants loitering outside stopped what they were doing and leaned in. What in the world is going on in there? It sounds like Lord Liu is celebrating another feast before the new year.
"But could the light screen be mistaken?" Jian Yong asked with a puzzled look. "A-Dou was only a few months old at Changban Slope. How could he possibly be screaming and slaughtering alongside Zilong?"
Zhang Fei's brain spun the fastest. He explained it like a patient teacher. "Xianhe, you just do not get it. What can a baby of a few months do? He can only scream and cry his lungs out. And what was Zilong doing at Changban Slope? He was slaughtering everyone the entire time. So if Zilong is holding A-Dou while doing that, are they not technically screaming and slaughtering together?"
Jian Yong was left completely speechless. Can you even explain it like that?
Sun Qian noticed Liu Bei looking a bit gloomy and tried to comfort him. "My lord, the dead cannot be brought back to life."
Liu Bei shook his head. "She married me for only a few years. She suffered through constant running and hiding, and was even captured by the Cao dogs. She only returned because my second brother saved her. We barely had a few peaceful years before the Cao army chased us again. In the end, she threw herself into a well, separating us forever..."
Thinking of his sister who died at Changban Slope, Mi Zhu's face also turned pale with grief.
Seeing this, Zhao Yun quickly stood up to ask for punishment, but Liu Bei held him back. "What crime have you committed, Zilong! Thinking about it now, it would have been better to save Mi Zhen and abandon A-Dou!"
None of the civil and military officials dared to say a single word in response. They just let the words go in one ear and out the other, making sure this specific sentence never left the hall.
[Lightscreen]
[Zhao Yun got his men back safe and returned to camp. But the Cao army was right on his heels the whole way.
They reached the camp and saw the walls were strong. For a moment they slowed down, unsure.
Zhao Yun knew his numbers were way too small. Even if they locked the gates and fought to the death, they would still get overrun eventually.
So he gave a wild order. Throw the camp gates wide open! Hide every single flag and drum inside so not a sound can be heard! Some people say the famous Empty Fort Strategy that later novels gave to Zhuge Liang actually got its real inspiration from this very moment.]
Everyone in the hall traded looks, none of them quite sure what to say about this move.
Zhang Fei let out a long breath and sighed. "Zilong, you are truly not afraid of death at all!"
Zhuge Liang frowned. So the novel version just made up achievements and stuck them on me? Was it trying to borrow my name to take credit for something I never did?
[Lightscreen]
[Faced with something that made zero sense, the Cao army hesitated again and again. Eventually they started pulling back slow and careful. The moment Zhao Yun saw them turn, he gave the order straight away from inside the camp. Light all torches! Beat every drum! Chase them down!
The camp, which had been as still as a ghost city just a moment ago, instantly lit up with blazing lights and deafening drum beats.
The Cao army's formation fell into total chaos.
Then Zhao Yun charged out and cut through them like a storm. So many Cao soldiers got trampled to death by their own men. Even more got pushed and tumbled straight into the Han River and drowned.]
Good heavens...! Both Guan Yu and Huang Zhong thought the exact same thing. That is incredibly impressive, but taking that big of a risk? That is not how I fight at all.
Huang Zhong also felt a twinge of guilt. If I had not shaken the grass and startled the snake, Zilong would never have been forced to pull something this wild.
Zhang Fei, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with excitement. Hahaha, now Old Zhang just learned a brand new trick! And even better, Zilong has not even used this one yet!
Guan Yu patted Zhao Yun gently on the shoulder and let out a long breath. "So, tell me, Zilong. Could Yide actually be right? Does leading more men actually box you in and stop you from fighting at your full strength?"
Zhao Yun: "..."
[Lightscreen]
[It was also because of this exact battle that Cao Cao decided to completely withdraw from Hanzhong.
Oh right, in the novel, this is when Yang Xiu guessed Cao Cao was retreating because the camp password was chicken rib, and Cao Cao chopped his head off to make an example for the troops.
We talked about the internal conflicts of Cao Wei before.
In reality, Yang Xiu got killed because he meddled in the succession struggle between Cao Zhi and Cao Pi. But Cao Cao was still strong enough to swing his sword back then, so he executed Yang Xiu to warn the others.
It was also a massive warning shot to the Ru-Ying faction.
Whether in the novel or the official history, Yang Xiu was basically the sacrificial chicken used to scare the monkeys.
It is quite a tragic end.
The Battle of Hanzhong officially ended with Liu Bei's victory here. Liu Bei took control of Hanzhong and truly gained the qualification to fight for the entire world.
Wow, I did not expect this episode to be this long.
So next episode, we can naturally move on to the Battle of Xiangfan.
That was the closest Shu Han ever got to unifying the land. But that best opportunity was wiped out by the joint efforts of Liu Bei's own relatives. It is pretty ironic when you think about it.]