The Three Kingdoms: I asked you to save Guan Yu, not to destroy Sun Quan.

Chapter 781 Liu Bei's First Meeting with Shen Yi

In a war between two armies, it is impossible to launch a decisive battle right away. They must first lure and probe, win over and subvert the enemy, weaken the enemy by any means necessary, and then gradually advance deeper into the fray before finally launching a decisive battle to determine the victor.

Just like playing cards, you play the smaller cards first and then the bigger ones. Nobody's stupid enough to throw out their royal flush right away.

The situation is similar now. The main forces of Han and Wei are facing each other across the Han River. Without absolute certainty, neither side dares to launch a general offensive. They can only launch regional offensives from the periphery to gradually gain an advantage.

Moreover, with the return of Jiangxia, the Han army has already surrounded the right flank of the Wei army and gained a geographical advantage. If this advantage is used well, it has a high probability of turning into a victory.

Therefore, Guan Xing set his sights on the Xia Road in Fangcheng and several passes leading to Luoyang.

Furthermore, Zhuge Liang is still the spirited and ambitious Sleeping Dragon now, not the cautious and timid Prime Minister Zhuge who launched six expeditions to Qishan in history, so naturally he would not object.

Guan Xing said, "Send Shen Yi there. He's the only one we can use right now. Also, transfer Jiang Wei's Wudang Flying Army to him."

Zhuge Liang pondered, "That's fine, but then we'll have to change the governor of Jiangxia. Otherwise, Shen Yi is too busy with so many positions. Also, the new governor of Jiangxia needs to be able to handle the dangerous situation in Jiangxia and also maintain a good relationship with the Third General's hot temper. It seems like it's hard to find such a person!"

"I've got it. I'll send Zong Yu to replace Shen Yi as the governor of Jiangxia, and let Shen Yi be in full charge of the Tongbai Mountain campaign."

Guan Xing nodded and said, "That's fine. Zong Yu served as the chief clerk in Uncle San's army when Uncle San entered Shu. He has a good relationship with Uncle San, so there's no need to worry about them falling out. Shen Yi is also mild-mannered and won't have any major conflicts with someone like Zong Yu."

Zhuge Liang nodded and said, "Then let's recall Shen Yi first. This matter needs to be carefully considered and all preparations made."

They decided that the two of them would first report to Liu Bei and, after obtaining Liu Bei's approval, immediately send a messenger to summon Shen Yi back, and at the same time summon Zong Yu to explain the situation.

Zong Yu is currently the chief clerk of the Prime Minister's office, working right next to Zhuge Liang. He can come whenever he is called.

Upon learning that he had been transferred to Jiangxia as governor, Zong was initially surprised but then overjoyed. Jiangxia was the front line, and the front line meant more opportunities to make meritorious contributions. He would naturally not give up such a good opportunity. After bidding farewell to Zhuge Liang, he began to make preparations.

Five days later, Shen Yi was ordered to return.

Upon hearing the news, Liu Bei personally went out of his residence to greet him. Since the Battle of Xiangfan, General Shen Yi had repeatedly rendered meritorious service to him, yet he had never met him in person.

When Shen Yi was summoned back to camp, Liu Bei naturally wanted to meet this beloved general whom he had never met before.

Soon, two armored generals came into Liu Bei's view. The one in the lead was Guan Xing, followed by a young general who looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. There was no one else but Shen Yi.

Upon seeing Shen Yi, Liu Bei instinctively turned to exchange a glance with Guan Yu, and exclaimed in surprise, "Shen Yi is so young?"

This was also the first time Guan Yu had met Shen Yi. Although he knew Shen Yi's age beforehand, he was still quite shocked when he saw him in person. He was so young!

Shen Yi has achieved so much at such a young age; his future is limitless.

While Liu Bei and Guan Yu were still in shock, Guan Xing brought Shen Yi before them and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, General, General Shen Yi has returned."

After speaking, he stepped aside to give his place to Shen Yi, who stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your subject Shen Yi greets Your Majesty and the General."

Liu Bei reached out to help him up and said excitedly, "Good, good, good! Let me see my ever-victorious general. He is truly a dragon among men!"

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Liu Bei pulled Shen Yi into the main hall and ordered people to serve wine and dishes to reward the general.

During the meal, Liu Bei didn't discuss serious matters. Instead, he simply asked Shen Yi about interesting stories from his time as a minor official in Jianye, as well as his experiences and feelings about fighting. Finally, he asked Shen Yi for his views on the current situation. Shen Yi answered fluently, which greatly pleased Liu Bei.

Finally, Guan Xing escorted him back to the camp to rest, and at dawn he took Shen Yi to see Zhuge Liang.

Upon arriving at Zhuge Liang's residence, they found Zong Yu there as well. After exchanging greetings, Zhuge Liang smiled and asked, "General Shen, has Anguo told you about this mission?"

Shen Yi shook his head and said, "Not yet. Marquis Shence told me to rest well and we'll discuss the specifics when I see the Prime Minister."

"Then let me explain," Zhuge Liang said with a smile, pulling him to the sand table. "General, please take a look..."

After recounting his plan with Guan Xing, Zhuge Liang asked, "What does the general think?"

Shen Yi looked at the sand table and then at the map on the wall. After thinking for a long time, he said, "According to the Prime Minister and Marquis Shence, there are three possible outcomes for this mission. The best outcome is naturally to defend Fangcheng Xia Road and completely block Cao Pi in the Nanyang Basin."

"If we cannot hold Fangcheng and Xiadao, we will seize the four passes, block Cao Pi's way back to the capital, and force Cao Pi to Xudu. If we cannot recapture the four passes, we will harass them, creating the illusion that our army is attacking the four passes, which will throw Cao Pi into a panic and allow us to mobilize the Wei army to create an opportunity for our army to fight."

Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "That's right, that's exactly what I mean. Do you think it's feasible?"

Shen Yi said, "Yes, but I need 20,000 troops, and they must be elite soldiers skilled in traversing mountains and valleys."

Zhuge Liang laughed and said, "Of course, no problem. I will transfer the Wudang Flying Army to you, and I will also transfer three thousand cavalrymen from General Guan Ping's command for you to use. As for the rest, you can transfer whoever you want."

Shen Yi was overjoyed and said, "Prime Minister, rest assured, this humble general will certainly not fail in his mission."

The best outcome of this mission is to recapture Fangcheng and Xiadao and surround Cao Pi, while the worst outcome is to harass the four passes and mobilize the Wei army. There is a large margin of error between the best and worst outcomes, which means that Shen Yi does not need to care too much about the result and can play freely.

Guan Xing laughed and said, "This time, it's not just the troops; Li Gousheng, Cheng Xian, and other special forces members who have been lurking in Nanyang and Yuzhou will also be under your command. You can mobilize them at will."

"That's all for today. Go back and rest first. Take your time to process this mission and make sure you have a clear understanding before taking any action. Also, Zhang Yi will be back soon. You will also be in charge of the three thousand Wudang Flying Army under Zhang Yi's command. Whether you summon them to Jiangxia for a unified operation or have them continue to stay on the Qinling flank to provide support is up to you."

Shen Yi bowed and said, "Yes..."

After the discussion, everyone dispersed. Guan Xing went to meet Zhang Yi. Although Zhang Yi was closer than Shen Yi, he was active in the Qinling Mountains, so he was not easy to find. The messenger had a lot of trouble to find Zhang Yi and deliver the order, so Zhang Yi returned later than Shen Yi.

Guan Xing met Zhang Yi and Liu Laosan outside the camp. After exchanging pleasantries, he asked, "How is the battle going in the Qinling Mountains?"

Zhang Yi replied, "There are quite a few troops stationed at Wuguan. I couldn't find an opportunity to attack, so I went to Yaoguan to take a look. I found that there weren't many troops stationed at Yaoguan, and there was a chance to take it by surprise. I was thinking about whether to take Yaoguan and then contact General Wei Yan to attack Guanzhong. Before I could take action, I received His Majesty's summons."

Guan Xing was speechless. Zhang Yi had only been released for a few days and he was already thinking of contacting Wei Yan to plot against Guanzhong. No wonder he was one of the Five Tiger Generals of Shu Han.

Guan Xing laughed and said, "You really dare to think that way. Although Guanzhong is currently empty, General Wei Yan also has no troops at his disposal. I'm afraid he's willing but unable to do so."

Currently, the main forces of both Han and Wei are on both sides of the Han River, leaving Guanzhong and Hanzhong vulnerable. It will not be easy to launch a surprise attack on Guanzhong while the Wei army is all in Nanyang.

Guan Xing put his arm around his neck and laughed, "Let's go. His Majesty summoned you back for another important task. Come with me to see your new superior, General Shen Yi."