jdhmnovel Chapter 241 Abundant Fruits of Victory
Chapter 241 Abundant Fruits of Victory
dong dong dong...
Zhang Fei's actions were too brutal. Not only did he smash Zhang Bao's head to the ground, but he also slammed half of Zhang Bao's face into the blood-soaked mud, forcing Zhang Bao to swallow several mouthfuls of blood and mud.
Zhang Bao finally managed to lift his head, only to be horrified to find that his father was still not giving up and was about to continue pressing down. He quickly shouted, "Stop, stop, stop! Can't I call for help?"
After saying that, he spat out the blood and mud in his mouth, knelt down half a step forward, hugged Xiahou Ba's leg, and wailed, "Uncle, I missed you so much."
He realized that his uncle and father were determined to use him to win over Xiahou Ba, and if he didn't cooperate, he would definitely get beaten up.
How could a son not know how painful it is for his father to hit someone?
Forget it, I'll just admit defeat. A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle.
Seeing Zhang Bao clinging to his leg and crying, Xiahou Ba's gaze softened considerably. He stroked Zhang Bao's head and sighed, "Time flies so fast. In the blink of an eye, my little sister's child has grown up so much."
He had been separated from his sister, Xiahou, for too long. In his memory, Xiahou was still that little girl with a runny nose who followed him around and acted spoiled. Who would have thought that when they met again, his sister's son was already an adult? It was truly like a lifetime ago.
That damned Zhang Yide! You caused my siblings and me to be separated for decades! You're a real piece of work!
Xiahou Ba bent down and pulled Zhang Bao up, a relieved smile appearing on his face as he looked at his nephew, who was half a head taller than him.
This was, after all, his own nephew, with the blood of the Xiahou family flowing through his veins. He looked much more pleasing to the eye than Zhang Fei, that sly thief with the round eyes.
The rest was easy. Liu Bei sent Zhang Bao and his son to entertain Xiahou Ba, while he and Zhuge Liang continued to clean up the battlefield. At the same time, they announced the good news to the surrendered Wei soldiers that Zhang Bao and Xiahou Ba, uncle and nephew, had recognized each other.
See? Your General Xiahou is my nephew's uncle. We're family, so don't overthink it. Just accept the offer of amnesty.
Two days later, Wei Yan returned from Jieting, escorting Hao Zhao, Zhang Xiong, and several thousand surrendered Wei soldiers.
Upon receiving the news, Liu Bei personally went out of the camp to welcome Wei Yan, the greatest contributor to this Northern Expedition and the governor of Hanzhong.
If it weren't for Wei Yan's plan, who knows how long they would have had to fight Zhang He? It's no exaggeration to say that Wei Yan was the greatest contributor to the Northern Expedition.
Liu Bei led his generals to Wei Yan, wanting to give his beloved general a hug, but found that his arm was too sore to lift it.
I played the drums so hard that day that the aftereffects have flared up these past two days. My arm hurts like it's broken, and I need to be fed to eat.
Liu Bei struggled to lift his aching arm, grasped Wei Yan's hand, and smiled, "Wen Chang, it's so good that you're back safely. I was worried that you'd be stuck at Dazhen Pass and wouldn't be able to get back."
Wei Yan said regretfully, "The Third General ordered me to hold Dazhen Pass for fifteen days, but I received news of retreat in less than ten days. I was worried about the battle here, so I retreated without much hesitation. When I reached Jieting, I found that Your Majesty's side was doing exceptionally well. If I had known this, I would have stayed at Dazhen Pass and never returned. It is such a pity to give up Dazhen Pass."
With the recapture of Jieting, Dazhen Pass became Cao Wei's gateway to Guanzhong. In other words, Dazhen Pass was to Cao Cao what Jieting was to Liu Bei. As long as Dazhen Pass was held, Liu Bei would not be able to enter Guanzhong.
Conversely, if Liu Bei were to occupy Dazhen Pass, it would be equivalent to occupying the gate of Cao Cao's house. From then on, Liu Bei could come and go as he pleased in Cao Cao's house, which would be incredibly satisfying to imagine.
It's one thing to fail to capture such an important pass, but to take it and then abandon it is truly heartbreaking.
Liu Bei also felt sorry for Dazhen Pass, but he smiled and comforted him, "Don't worry about this. You must be tired from your journey. Go into the camp and rest for a while. We'll discuss matters in the main tent after I've finished my work here."
After saying that, he looked at Hao Zhao and smiled, "General Hao, I have long admired your name."
Hao Zhao was no Xiahou Ba, and he didn't dare to put on airs in front of Liu Bei. He quickly bowed and said, "Your subject Hao Zhao greets the King of Hanzhong."
Liu Bei smiled and offered a few words of comfort, then pulled Hao Zhao into the camp and handed him over to Zhuge Liang for placement.
Half an hour later, all the generals gathered in the command tent to discuss matters.
Liu Bei sat at the head of the table, looking at the generals on both sides who were all wounded but alive, and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction: "The Longxi campaign is temporarily over. Strategist, tell us about the spoils of this battle so that everyone can be happy."
Zhuge Liang waved his feather fan and smiled broadly, saying, "After two days of hard work, we have finally tallied the spoils of war. Our army has won a great victory in this battle, killing more than 5,000 Wei soldiers and capturing more than 38,000 prisoners. Among them, fewer than 3,000 were seriously wounded. After removing the wounded and disabled, at least 30,000 surrendered soldiers can be incorporated into our army. This is equivalent to adding 30,000 elite troops to our ranks."
"In addition, we also seized 130,000 arrows and countless weapons and armor. These scrap metals will be handed over to the craftsmen to be remade and will soon be turned into weapons for our use."
"In addition, 5,743 warhorses were captured. After selection, 4,200 of them were usable, which can be described as a great harvest."
"More importantly, after this battle, the area west of Longshan will be completely recovered, and all eight counties of Liangzhou, except for Anding and Beidi in Longdong, will belong to Your Majesty."
"Liangzhou has been a horse-breeding area since ancient times. Once we take over the Shandan Military Horse Farm in Zhangye County, we will never lack warhorses again."
Upon hearing the words "Shandan Military Horse Farm," everyone in the tent had their eyes light up. Liu Bei, in particular, trembled with excitement, wishing he could immediately ride off to the Qilian Mountains.
It should be noted that this was the military horse farm built by Marquis Huo Qubing, the champion, and it was also the largest military horse farm in the Han Dynasty. It produced high-quality military horses. It is no exaggeration to say that the military horse farm could instantly fill the gap of the Shu Han Dynasty's lack of cavalry.
All the generals were excited about the victory, but Wei Yan was still thinking about Dazhen Pass. He said with a pained expression, "It's a pity about Dazhen Pass. Strategist, now that the Wei army has been defeated, Guanzhong is vulnerable. Should we lead our troops eastward and take Chang'an directly?"
Although Liangzhou is desirable, Chang'an offers better value for money. Taking Chang'an would mean that half the battle in restoring the Han Dynasty has been won.
Zhuge Liang shook his head and said, "Guanzhong is no longer vulnerable. While you were launching a surprise attack on Dazhen Pass, Zhang Ji was definitely also drawing troops to support Guanzhong. At this moment, let alone reinforcements, Cao Cao is probably already on his way to Chang'an. We have already missed the best opportunity to attack Guanzhong, so don't worry about it."
"Moreover, we have suffered considerable losses in this battle and urgently need to recuperate and prevent a counterattack from the Wei army. After all, we also need time to digest the spoils of war."
The results of this battle were too great. In just a few months, the entire Longxi region, which even Zhuge Liang failed to conquer during his six expeditions to Qishan, was captured. How could such a great victory be achieved without sufficient time to digest it?
Liu Bei continued, "Besides sharing the joy of victory, there's another matter I've discussed with everyone today: how to defend against Cao Cao's counterattack. Strategist, please tell me."
Zhuge Liang said, "Cao Cao is certainly unwilling to accept defeat and will launch a counterattack against us soon. However, with Jieting in our hands, it won't be so easy for Cao Cao to invade Longxi."
"Furthermore, according to the spies, Cao Cao has been seriously ill recently and his health has been poor. If he is hit by the news of Zhang He's defeat, he will surely die soon. Cao Cao will not live for many more days."
"In other words, Cao Cao can no longer afford to fight a war of attrition with us. His illness can't sustain it. Even if he launches a counterattack, he will definitely make it quick and decisive. So I guess Cao Cao will definitely take a desperate gamble and lead his army to attack Hanzhong with all his might."
"I say Cao Cao's reason for attacking Hanzhong is very simple: only by taking Hanzhong can we cut Bashu and Longxi in two, preventing us from connecting head and tail. This way, Cao Cao can free up his hands to calmly recover Longxi."
"So our next focus of defense is Hanzhong. As long as we hold Hanzhong and thwart Cao Cao's intention to divide us, Your Majesty will be able to completely control Longxi and keep an eye on Guanzhong. So keep it up, our biggest challenge is coming."