Sima Zhi could not help but sigh that for Wu, the advantage of the river near Wuchang was like the eight passes of Luoyang, which was the best defense support. Sun Quan chose Wuchang as the capital because of its geographical advantage.
If you go east and downstream, you can reach Chaisang, Ruxu, and Jianye. If you go west and upstream, you can reach Jiangling and Xiling. If you go northwest along the Han River, Xiangyang does not seem out of reach.
It was already late May and the weather was gradually getting warmer.
Yongzhou, Chencang.
Zhang He led his troops out of Mei County and headed west. He first stayed in Chencang for one night, and then got up early the next morning and set out for Sanguan.
There are five roads connecting Hanzhong to Yongliang. Except for the westernmost Qishan Road leading to Tianshui, the remaining four roads all lead to Guanzhong.
Although the westernmost Chencang Road is long and circuitous and not as convenient as the Baoxiade Road, it is relatively flat and easy to travel, and there is also the water conservancy of the Jialing River.
When Zhang He was still in Luoyang, he had agreed with the emperor and Cao Zhen to rebuild Sanguan. Zhang He also went to Sanguan to inspect the construction of the pass.
Going 30 miles southwest from Chencang, you will gradually go deeper into the mountains. There are cliffs on both sides, the peaks are majestic, and the valleys in the north and south are steep. Looking further ahead, you can see a city gate standing in the valley.
When they were still a few hundred steps away from Sanguan Pass, Zhang He stopped his horse and carefully looked at the surrounding terrain. As he was sighing, a horseman was coming at high speed from the foot of Sanguan Pass.
Chen Shuang was a trusted lieutenant under Zhang He, who had been building the city at Sanguan for nearly three months. Chen Shuang dismounted, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and saluted, saying, "The commander-in-chief has come in person, and I was unable to come to greet him from afar. I beg the commander-in-chief to forgive me for not being able to do so."
Zhang He nodded, motioned for Chen Shuang to stand up, raised his right hand and pointed at Sanguan with his whip: "Such a strong pass is enough to stop 50,000 troops."
After Chen Shuang stood up, he walked in front of Zhang He and naturally pulled the reins of Zhang He's warhorse. As he led the horse forward, he said, "The governor is so famous, how could an army of 50,000 dare to attack? Unless they are desperate."
Zhang He glanced at Chen Shuang, smiled and shook his head. It was difficult for a man in the army to flatter his horse like this.
Zhang He asked, "Is the army safe?"
Chen Shuangying said: "To the governor, everything is fine. But if the governor does not come here today, I will send someone to inform the governor."
"Oh? What happened?" Zhang He looked at Chen Shuang while sitting on his horse.
Chen Shuang replied, "At the second watch last night, a man came from the south on horseback, holding a torch, and claimed to have something confidential to report to the governor."
"When I asked him, he refused to say anything. He only said he would not tell me until he saw the governor."
Zhang He frowned: "Who is he? How old is he?"
Chen Shuang thought for a moment and replied, "He has a Shu accent and is about 35 years old. I checked the things he brought with him and he seems to be a private trader of Shu brocade."
Shu brocade is a rare product produced in Shu, and the smuggling of Shu brocade has always been a practice that cannot be stopped. As the governor of Yongliang, Zhang He also knows a little about it.
The routes these merchants took were either from Yong to Nanyang or from Longyou. Zhang He was not aware of the smuggling of Shu brocade along the Chencang Road.
Zhang He asked, "Since he is a private trader of Shu brocade, which route does he usually take?"
Chen Shuang smiled bitterly and said, "This man refused to tell me anything. Whenever I asked him, he would talk about military secrets. I really couldn't help it."
Zhang He waved his whip and said, "Call him here later and I will ask him face to face. If he still can't answer, I will chop him off on the spot."
Chen Shuang nodded: "Let me lead the governor into the city first."
Zhang He and his party had arrived at the foot of Sanguan City. The city wall was about three meters high. Looking up from below, one could see birds flying in the sky and exposed rocks on the cliffs on both sides.
Zhang He said, "Take me to the tower first! I want to take a look at the terrain on the south side of Sanguan Pass."
"Follow the order."
The valley where Sanguan is located is roughly distributed from northeast to southwest. Zhang He stood on the top of the city wall and looked southwest. There were streams flowing between the rocky beaches in the valley, and some roads could be seen, but they were all in disrepair and overgrown with weeds and low shrubs.
Zhang He had actually been to this road many times.
In the 18th year of Jian'an, when Zhang He followed Xiahou Yuan westward, he led a small army out of Sanguan, attacked Wudu County, and suppressed the Di people who were entrenched in Wudu and were in rebellion.
In the 20th year of Jian'an, Cao Cao led his army from Chencang Road into Hanzhong to attack Zhang Lu. Zhang He personally led 5,000 infantry as the vanguard, going out of Sanguan and straight to Yangpingguan.
If we were to ask which of the current generals of Wei State is most familiar with Sanguan and Chencang Road, it would undoubtedly be Zhang He.
Nearly twenty years of experience in fighting in Guanxi and a comprehensive grasp of geography and military intelligence were the fundamental reasons why Cao Rui handed over all military affairs of Yongliang to Zhang He.
The wind in the valley blew on Zhang He's face. He heard voices coming from the steps of the city wall. Zhang He looked back and saw a man dressed as a merchant being carried up the city wall by two soldiers, one on each side.
The moment this person saw Zhang He, his eyes and demeanor seemed to change, and he was no longer as timid as before.
The man saluted and said, "My name is Zhang Ding, the head of the Military Affairs Office. I have some confidential military information to report to you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Ding held a token in both hands and handed it forward.
Captain Chen Shuang took the token, walked a few steps forward and handed it to Zhang He. Zhang He took a quick look at it and it seemed to match the pattern in his memory.
Zhang He asked in a deep voice: "What military intelligence do you want to report? Tell me quickly."
Zhang Ding glanced around and said, "Please ask the commander to dismiss the guards. This matter is extremely confidential." Zhang He frowned and said, "These are all my trusted soldiers. There is nothing I can't tell you."
Zhang Ding was straightforward: "Report to the governor, the Prime Minister of Shu, Zhuge Liang, has led his army to Nanzheng."
"Zhuge Liang has arrived in Nanzheng? How many troops did he bring?" Zhang He raised his eyebrows and his voice rose a degree.
Zhang Ding replied: "Commander-in-chief, I don't know the exact number, and I dare not spy on the side of the army. But judging from various signs, it is at least more than 10,000 people."
Zhang He didn't say anything and just kept thinking.
It is also reasonable for the police to investigate military affairs. Most of them have another identity to cover up, just like Zhang Ding claimed to be a merchant.
"You said you were a traveling merchant? What do you sell?" Zhang He asked.
Zhang Ding calmly replied, "I usually sell Shu brocade, and I use this profession as a cover to gather intelligence."
"How did we know that 10,000 Shu troops were coming to Hanzhong?" Zhang He asked.
Zhang Ding said, "Reporting to the governor, I was transporting Shu brocade as usual in late March, and was returning to Chengdu from Hanzhong along the Jinniu Road. When I just arrived at Jiange, I was asked by the local officials to go to the side of the city to let the army pass first."
"Although they are under guard, the flags coming and going can still be seen. In addition, when I talked with the local officials, I learned that there must be more than 10,000 people."
"After that, I returned to Hanzhong and found that many places from Mianyang to Nanzheng were forbidden for people to pass through."
Zhang He said in a deep voice, "You are Zhang Ding, the governor of the school affairs office, right? I have already written down your name."
"This governor will report this matter to the court and record your merit."
Zhang Ding smiled slightly, and said, "This is just my duty. I hope the governor will take precautions early."
"Since I have already reported this to the governor, please return the token to me. I will find a way to return to Hanzhong right away."
After Zhang Ding left, Zhang He looked around inside and outside Sanguan City and was satisfied with the construction of the city.
In just two hours, Zhang He was ready to return to Chencang.
Before leaving, Zhang He patted Chen Shuang on the shoulder and said, "Stay here for another month! At the end of June, I will send someone to take over your place."
Chen Shuang grinned and said, "Don't worry, Commander! I will not make any mistakes if you leave this to me."
When Zhang He set out, he asked Chen Shuang for two knights, rode quickly to Chang'an, and summoned Guo Huai, the governor of Yongzhou, to Mei County.
Zhuge Liang’s entry into Nanzheng is a matter of great importance and we must be cautious.
Although it was necessary to report to the court, Zhang He, as the commander-in-chief, still had to make his own response before reporting.
The purpose of the imperial court setting up governors in Yongliang, Yangzhou and Jingzhou was to be able to respond to incidents in advance.
If we report everything to Luoyang before making any arrangements, it will be too late!
Although Zhang He was sixty years old, he still practiced what he preached and had the same demeanor as when he followed Xiahou Yuan in the Guanyou area and marched 500 miles in three days and 1,000 miles in six days.
In other words, as the vanguard and capable deputy of Xiahou Yuan, it was often Zhang He himself who fought so swiftly.
Zhang He arrived at Chencang City late at night. After staying there for one night, he set out to return to Mei County the next morning.
In the evening, after Zhang He arrived at the military camp in Mei County, the first thing he did was to call Chen Ping, a military officer from the Left General's Mansion.
Zhang He asked in a deep voice, "Didn't the governor send three teams of soldiers to destroy the plank roads at Baoxia Road, Tangluo Road, and Ziwu Road? Have you received any news?"
Chen Ping replied, "Reporting to the governor, there is no news from these three teams yet. But counting the days, except for the Ziwu Road which is too far, the two teams from the Baoxia Road and Tangluo Road should have arrived at the destination."
Zhang He shook his head slightly. "This is inappropriate. Pass on the order of this commander-in-chief. Keep in touch with these three teams every three days. Don't stop! I want to know the situation on these three roads at all times."
Chen Ping bowed and replied, "I understand. I will send someone to deliver the message tomorrow morning."
Zhang He instructed: "Go as soon as it's light tomorrow morning!"
"Yes, as you command." Chen Ping replied.
Three days later, Guo Huai finally arrived in Mei County.
In fact, the speed of communication in this era was basically the speed of a fast horse. The distance between us was huge, so we had to take the time of communication into consideration when doing anything.
Guo Huai was not born a military man, but he had been in Guanxi for many years and had always been good at military affairs, so he was trusted by Zhang He.
Guo Huai was born in the Taiyuan Guo family, a standard family of hereditary officials. Guo Huai's grandfather Guo Quan was the Minister of Agriculture, one of the Nine Ministers, and his father Guo Yu was the governor of Yanmen.
Guo Huai's official career officially started when Cao Pi was the General of the Five Officials. He entered Cao Pi's mansion as a thief and was Cao Pi's confidant. (End of this chapter)
