Liu Bei's deep resentment toward high-speed rail did nothing to change the contents of the light screen.
[Lightscreen]
[Yangping Pass, backed by the Han River, was a classic stronghold that was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Liu Bei did not waste time talking and immediately sent Chen Shi with three thousand men to cross Zoumaling northwest of Yangping Pass, taking the Mamingge route to circle behind Xiahou Yuan.
Xiahou Yuan had waited at Yangping Pass for half a year, so of course he was not idle. Zhang He had long been stationed at Guangshi along the Mamingge route, and upon receiving news, Xu Huang was immediately dispatched as reinforcement.
Caught between two of the Five Elite Generals, Chen Shi was not killed and even managed to retreat with his remaining troops back to Liu Bei. That alone speaks to his capability.]
"Five Elite Generals?" Several officers immediately perked up.
Zhang Liao being ranked among the "Four Great Generals of the Han" was already enviable enough, and now another title had appeared.
Zhang Fei even looked expectantly at Liu Bei, his eyes practically saying everything.
Mi Zhu nudged Jian Yong and whispered, "Xianhe, do you think we could come up with something like Eight Great Merchants of the Han, or maybe Four Grand Financiers of the Restoration?"
Jian Yong gave him a warm, almost pitying look. "First time I've seen someone volunteer themselves as a target."
"Let me think about it."
Liu Bei, completely unaware of this exchange, instead felt proud of his subordinate.
Chen Shi had followed him loyally since Xuzhou. Though never achieving great feats, he was diligent and steady, rising from a simple squad leader to a commander of two hundred men.
He lacked the might of Guan Yu or the ferocity of Zhang Fei, yet the army was filled with men like him. Quiet, unassuming veterans who placed their trust in Liu Bei's promise of a future worth believing in.
At that moment, Liu Bei felt the weight of responsibility settle heavily upon him.
[Lightscreen]
[Since the northwest route failed, Liu Bei tried the southeast instead.
This time, he personally led the force, leaving Gao Xiang behind as a diversion. With Zhao Yun, Huang Zhong, and Fa Zheng, he first crossed the Han River, then moved south over Micang Mountain, entered Hanzhong at last, and climbed Mount Dingjun to establish camp.
Xiahou Yuan never expected that Liu Bei, nearly sixty years old, would execute a maneuver resembling an ironman triathlon and appear right behind him.]
"Where am I?" Zhang Fei looked completely confused. "Big Brother has already maneuvered behind the enemy. This is about to turn into a decisive battle. Where am I?"
"You are likely still holding down Xiabian and engaging the Cao forces," Zhuge Liang answered calmly. "The forces in Wudu must be contained. Otherwise, they could strike directly into the midsection of Jinniu Road, and our lord would be in grave danger."
Huang Zhong looked at his own aged body, then at the image of himself crossing rivers and climbing mountains repeatedly.
Was that really him? At that time, he must have already been seventy.
He had assumed he would be defending a pass and striking down Xiahou Yuan from a position of advantage, yet reality seemed far more demanding.
Guan Yu assessed the situation. "Xiahou Yuan must attack Mount Dingjun. Otherwise, morale will collapse."
"Yangping Pass is a choke point," Zhang Fei added. "But if Big Brother is left free to operate behind it, Cao Cao's supply lines will become a serious problem."
The light screen soon confirmed their analysis.
[Lightscreen]
[With Liu Bei entrenched atop Mount Dingjun, holding the advantage of elevation and initiative, Xiahou Yuan grew anxious and camped below with Zhang He.
Records state that they divided their forces, Zhang He holding the eastern side while Xiahou Yuan guarded the south, both constructing defensive barriers and preparing for a prolonged engagement.
At this point, Liu Bei revealed a rather rogue-like approach, sending small units down the mountain in rotation to set fires. If the Cao forces pursued, they retreated. If the Cao forces withdrew, they returned to harass them again.]
Liu Bei initially wanted to protest being called a rogue, as that was something from long ago, yet upon hearing the underlying principle, his mind suddenly cleared as if struck by a great bell.
This was how small-unit warfare should be fought.
The other generals were equally shaken.
Zhang Fei blurted out, "It sounds so simple… yet the essence of military strategy is all there!"
"I wonder how this person would evaluate large-scale battles like the Battle of Guandu?"
Guan Yu closed his eyes, mentally simulating the tactics. The insights alone were already invaluable.
"To be able to summarize warfare to this level, he must have unique views even on grand campaigns."
Then he hesitated slightly. "However… the future dynasty they speak of, with things like aircraft carriers and high-speed rail… perhaps warfare itself is entirely different."
A moving territory, they recalled. The phrase lingered in their minds:
"The pinnacle of human military power."
What kind of sight would that be?
Jian Yong and Mi Zhu looked at the others, completely lost.
Were they being excluded from something?
[Lightscreen]
[This shameless guerrilla tactic quickly revealed the truth: Zhang He's forces were far weaker than Xiahou Yuan's.
Thus, a large portion of the Shu forces descended from the mountain. Zhao Yun took command and struck directly at Zhang He, who was immediately thrown into a desperate struggle and instinctively called for aid.]
Guan Yu immediately recognized it. "Encircle the point to strike the reinforcements."
"Xiahou Yuan is doomed."
[Lightscreen]
[If Zhang He were defeated, Xiahou Yuan would be flanked from both sides, so he had no choice but to respond.
From the mountain, Fa Zheng spotted the opportunity and reported to Liu Bei. Huang Zhong, the oldest of the Five Tiger Generals at seventy-two, launched a fierce assault directly at Xiahou Yuan.
As the saying goes:
The treasured blade gleams like snow, guarding Shu's lands, Fear not white hair, for heroes do not fade, The old wolf still wears his golden armor, The dusk tiger charges through the forest with undiminished force.
Facing this dusk tiger, Xiahou Yuan was slain on the spot. Cao forces collapsed in morale, and Zhao Yong, the Governor of Yi Province appointed by Cao Wei, was also killed by Huang Zhong.
Upon hearing the news, Zhang He lost the will to fight and led a thousand men in a night breakout back to Yangping Pass. From this moment, the Hanzhong Campaign turned decisively.]
Huang Zhong could no longer suppress his smile. He clasped his hands toward his comrades repeatedly, then burst into laughter.
"Fear not white hair, for heroes do not fade, haha!"
Zhang Fei was full of envy. Achievements were one thing, but now there were even poems to go with them.
They got the glory and the verses, while he got nothing.
Still, thinking of his wife, Lady Xiahou, he quietly felt relieved. If someone had to be cut down, better Zhang He than Xiahou Yuan. That one, Zhang Fei did not even consider worth his blade.
Even Sun Qian, usually calm and reserved, solemnly bowed to Huang Zhong. "General, your courage surpasses the entire army."
Liu Bei patted Huang Zhong's shoulder. He understood the old general's lingering concerns. Just last month, he had sent inquiries to Nanyang to see if any of Huang Zhong's kin remained. News should be arriving soon.
Only Guan Yu continued analyzing the battlefield.
"Yangping Pass is now attacked from both front and rear. Zhang He is merely struggling like a trapped beast. But Cao Cao will never abandon Hanzhong so easily."