Volume 5: Overlord of the Sea Chapter 620 Xiangyang
Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang were helped by Hao Zhao and entered Hanzhong, where they were able to settle down temporarily.
At this time, Hanzhong was under the control of Zhao Yun. After meeting Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang, Nanzheng held many banquets. However, when Guan Yu mentioned that he wanted to go to Chencang to meet Liu Bei, Zhao Yun did not agree immediately. Instead, he suggested that it would be better for someone to go and ask the King of Chu for permission first...
This is indeed a "reasonable request". After all, it is not like ten years ago when all the princes in the world were just local officials. It was common for them to raise a small white flag and surrender with their families the next day.
The princes at this time were all entrenched warlords... Surrender? Before their influence was completely wiped out, even if they surrendered, they could still rebel at any time!
As soon as Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang arrived in Chu, they immediately went to meet up with Liu Bei?
This might make people think too much. Even if the two men did not bring the army with them, but left more than 10,000 Qi troops in Hanzhong for recuperation, it would not be very appropriate.
Since someone had to go see the King of Chu, Zhuge Liang would naturally take the lead. After all, Guan Yu must be more eager to see Liu Bei than he was.
After all, Chencang doesn't have any wireless alert signal yet...
Moreover, Zhuge Liang knew that the person from Qi that Chu State wanted to guard against the most, besides Liu Bei, was himself, not Guan Yu!
"General Zhao's words make sense. We should indeed show courtesy. But Brother Guan and the Marquis of Qi have a deep brotherly relationship, and I'm afraid he can't wait. Would you mind if I make the trip?" Zhuge Liang took the initiative to say.
"Your Majesty has longed for Mr. Zhuge. When you were in Nanyang before, you regretted missing the opportunity to meet him. Your Majesty will surely be delighted when he sees you." Zhao Yun said it as if Zhuge Liang missed Bai Tu by coincidence.
"The King of Chu is a man of great learning, and he is kind and loves his people... Well, I am also looking forward to meeting him." Zhuge Liang could not help but sigh.
Unfortunately, in Zhuge Liang's view, Bai Tu's many advantages were actually "constraints" on his lost dream.
Although Zhuge Liang did not call Liu Bei "Lord" at this time, which was considered as his tacit acceptance of the demise of Qi, he still called Bai Tu "King of Chu", acting like a foreign minister.
Zhao Yun just ignored it...
Guan Yu and Zhuge Liang were really anxious. Early in the morning of the second day after bidding farewell to Zhao Yun, both of them took only a few personal soldiers, and one went north along Chencang Road, and the other went south along the Han River.
When he arrived at Chencang Road, Guan Yu discovered that there was another army there.
Although Guan Yu, who had not yet been desensitized, should not ask about the military secrets of the Chu State, he still asked the White Horse General who was leading the way, "Is this Chu army also going to Chencang? Is the situation in Guanzhong so critical?"
"To reply General Guan, General Sun is indeed leading his troops into Guanzhong. As for the battle situation in Guanzhong, I don't know." The White Horse general had followed Chen Dao and Zhao Yun when they were in Hebei. Although he was polite, he did not reveal anything.
Guan Yu also guessed that the so-called "General Sun" should be Sun Ce!
As one of the top 5 Chu military, he probably led more troops than Fa Zheng, and he actually entered Guanzhong at this time...
Is this a plan to completely wipe out the fake Han first, or... do you have any ideas about Longyou?
In fact, it should be considered that they all!
Whether to send troops to Longyou depends on Ma Chao's decision.
Zhuge Liang had not thought at this time that he had not yet arrived in Jinling, but had just come to Xiangyang along the Han River, and he had already seen Bai Tu - that's right, the King of Chu was already in charge of Jingxiang in person!
Three hundred miles north of Xiangyang is Wancheng, and four hundred miles northeast of Wancheng is Xu County...
It seems to be still far away from the front line , but... compared to Jinling, it is much closer, and more importantly, it is not bad!
From Xiangyang to Wancheng, and from Wancheng to Xu County, the road is basically flat, especially all the way to Wancheng, where you can take advantage of the railway. However, the railway from Wancheng to Xu County is still being laid.
If you want to start from Jinling, there are many mountains and waters! There is no direct railroad route...
Bai Tu now appeared in Xiangyang, and he was obviously ready to fight with Wei State. Otherwise, the distance from Wei State's old nest, Yecheng, to Guandu was only four or five hundred miles, and it was flat all the way...
If Bai Tu continued to stay in Jinling, it would be very convenient to communicate with the front line with the convenience of wireless reports, but if he wanted to mobilize troops, the distance was still a bit far.
Moreover, the battle between Wei and Chu will determine the future fate of the world, and Cao Cao and Bai Tu will definitely be present on the battlefield.
What was slightly beyond Zhuge Liang's expectations was that Bai Tu actually came to Xiangyang so early!
When Cao Cao and Yuan Shao fought at Bai Ma, it started with a small-scale confrontation, but it took more than a year before the formal decisive battle.
Logically speaking, it would be completely possible for Bai Tu to come to Xiangyang half a year later, and then officially send out troops from Xiangyang a year later, sit in the rear and slowly push northwards. It would be completely possible for him to have enough time!
Wouldn't it be a waste of military resources to prepare so far in advance?
Although the State of Chu is wealthy, it is not necessary to show off its wealth by wasting money, right?
However, Zhuge Liang did not think that this was some kind of mistake made by the State of Chu. Instead, he believed that... the State of Chu must have other plans and might have taken action "in advance" by relying on the fact that it was prepared for a war earlier than the State of Wei!
It is true that before Zhuge Liang entered Xiangyang City, he also discovered that many Chu troops had gathered around it. However, given Zhuge Liang's status, it was impossible for him to inquire and check everywhere, so he did not know the exact number.
Upon hearing that Zhuge Liang was coming west, Bai Tu, despite his busy schedule, immediately took time out to meet him.
“In the midst of busy life” is not just a show-off, but the State of Chu has indeed had a lot of things happening recently. Nearly 300,000 Chu troops are gradually gathering towards Xiangyang!
As for military supplies, they are transported by land and sea every day...
Bai Tu didn't know whether Cao Cao wanted to fight a big battle with the State of Chu before completely taking over Guanzhong, but Bai Tu was definitely prepared to go to war with Cao Cao in the next two months and to make Wei the main battlefield.
As for Nishikawa...
With Deng Ai's arrangements and Meng Da and others as internal support, the reason why Zhao Yun stayed in Hanzhong was also to be able to send troops to West Sichuan at any time.
Bai Tu was not prepared to invest additional manpower in other areas. It would be best if he could take them all. Even if he could not take Xichuan, Bai Tu would still have a big battle with the State of Wei!
The kind that aims to destroy a country...
Both Sima Yi and Cao Cao hoped that Bai Tu would go to the south and north with them - to give Wei time to digest Guanzhong as soon as possible, and Bai Tu could also take this opportunity to completely enter Shu and take over Xichuan.
However, Bai Tu obviously did not think so. Instead, he wanted to fully utilize the advantage of mobility to take the initiative against Wei State and completely disrupt the rhythm of Wei State.
The previous time when Cao Cao was suspected of falling ill had already exposed the chaos within Wei. At this time, Bai Tu was not going to give him the opportunity to use Guanzhong to catch his breath and adjust his rhythm!
