The Operation
Nanyang Commandery, Wan County.
This was the place currently fixed in the sights of the armies of Zhang Fei and Jin Cheong as they advanced north.
In the council chamber of Wancheng, Cao Hong and his assembled generals were debating how best to stop the Shu forces.
Seated at the center of the chamber, Cao Hong kept snorting angrily through his nose.
"Those insolent Shu bandits have finally dared to invade our Great Wei! And already Xinye has fallen…!"
"Please calm yourself, General. We may have been caught by surprise, but if we carefully build a proper response from this moment on, we can drive them out. Besides, Xinye is a small city built on open plain—hardly an ideal place to meet an enemy. Better to draw them deeper in, surround them, and crush them completely. We can retake Xinye afterward."
Staff Officer Zhang Ji explained the matter in a calm, measured tone, soothing him. The furious flush gradually drained from Cao Hong’s face.
"Very well, Staff Officer Zhang. First, report the situation."
Zhang Ji traced the map as he spoke.
"Yes. The Shu forces currently advancing north are divided into four main columns. Of those, Liu Feng’s army on the Wan front and Zhao Lou’s army on the Jiangxia front have been confirmed as decoy forces—units deliberately exaggerating their strength."
"Exactly. Those bastards stole our attention and kept us from relieving Xinye in time."
They had been fooled by the decoys and delayed their response, yet Zhang Ji was already laying out a gradual counterattack.
"The enemy’s main forces, as we currently understand them, are the two armies under Generals Zhang Fei and Jin Cheong."
"Zhang Fei and Jin Cheong… Jin Cheong again."
Cao Hong’s brow furrowed once more. Zhang Fei alone was one of the realm’s foremost fierce generals, but Jin Cheong was an opponent who had already twice left him tasting bitter frustration—someone he particularly disliked facing.
What of it? Cao Xiu and Zhang Liao are here. In terms of strength we are in no way inferior.
Cao Xiu, commander of Wei’s elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.
Zhang Ji, the staff officer who had used cunning to force Sun Quan’s retreat at Hefei.
And Zhang Liao, the fierce general who had displayed peerless valor at that same Hefei.
With these men, Cao Hong believed they could not possibly lose this fight—until a sudden question rose in his mind.
"Zhang Fei and Jin Cheong are one thing. But where is Guan Yu? He is one of Jingzhou’s core strengths as well."
"According to our spies, he remains in Fancheng because of poor health. It seems the wounds and exhaustion from the recent Xiangfan campaign have taken their toll."
Cao Hong nodded in understanding at Zhang Ji’s words.
"True enough. Wounded, and after clashing with Zhang Liao as well. He’s an old man now—recovery will be slow, and he won’t take the field easily."
He spoke evenly, yet inwardly he breathed a sigh of relief.
If Guan Yu had joined them as well, this would have been far harder. This is fortunate.
Zhang Ji continued the council.
"As for reinforcements—"
"I heard General Zhu Ling is bringing one detachment. Any further support?"
"Unfortunately, additional reinforcements appear difficult for the time being."
"No further support?"
"Yes. We must also send aid against the Liu Bei forces that have invaded the Yong-Liang region, and more troops are required for Hefei, where Sun Quan’s great army is attacking. Moreover, the north… the Xianbei tribes in the north are also showing unusual movement, so we must remain on guard in that direction as well."
"This is…"
A bitter taste rose in Cao Hong’s throat. He had noticed why Zhang Ji had paused mid-sentence.
I heard rumors that Cao Zhi’s movements in Yecheng were suspicious… could it be because of that?
Even when he had been suddenly appointed commander of the Xiangfan relief force after being jolted awake last time, he had sensed an odd atmosphere. He had told himself it was nothing, yet the feeling only seemed to grow stronger.
At a time when we should be joining forces, what is this…
Still, the Xianbei truly were restless, so the need to watch the north was understandable. And the Jingzhou army invading this front was relatively small in number.
"Therefore we must set aside any hope of central reinforcements for now and stop the enemy with our own strength. However, there is one place with which we can still coordinate."
"Oh? Where is that?"
"Jiangxia."
"Jiangxia… yes. We still have Jiangxia."
Jiangxia was currently held by the renowned general Wen Ping, together with his subordinate officers Feng Hai, Yin Xu, and others.
"Since we have confirmed that Zhao Lou’s force is a decoy, we can request reinforcements from them. We cannot leave Jiangxia completely empty, of course, so Wen Ping will remain to hold the city while we ask him to detach some troops under Officer Feng Hai and send them here."
"Yes, that sounds good."
"From the enemy’s perspective, Jiangxia sits on their flank and rear. If the Jiangxia reinforcements arrive in time, we can threaten the enemy’s side and rear as well."
"An excellent idea."
Cao Hong slapped his knee in approval, and Zhang Ji, heartened, added further points.
"There is one matter we must watch carefully, however. The enemy may try to disrupt coordination between Wan and Jiangxia. They might even use a small force to intercept or harass the Jiangxia reinforcements. Therefore we must give the messengers detailed instructions: if they encounter a small enemy force on the way, they are to ignore it and come straight to Wan."
"But what if the enemy is properly prepared and blocks the reinforcements?"
"Jiangxia still holds considerable strength. To intercept its reinforcements, the enemy would have to detach a sizable force of their own. That would thin their numbers here, allowing us to sortie and defeat them in detail. In any case, Zhang Fei’s and Jin Cheong’s armies are not so large that they can afford to split off enough troops for a true interception. At most it would be harassment."
"Good. Zhang Ji, send the messengers at once. Specify the exact date and place, and order them to arrive on schedule. If they only arrive in time, we can catch the enemy in a pincer."
"Yes, General! Leave it to me. And as a precaution, I will select several parties of messengers and send them by different routes."
"Do so. And Cao Xiu! Zhang Liao!"
"Yes!"
Cao Xiu and Zhang Liao, standing to either side, answered.
"Inspect the troops’ equipment and morale, then go outside the city and establish camps. Be ready to sortie at any moment! When the Jiangxia army arrives, we will join forces and smash the enemy!"
"Yes! Understood!"
"Yes! This time we will certainly crush those Shu bandits!"
The generals’ confident shouts restored Cao Hong’s own confidence.
He had reliable generals, a reliable staff officer, and elite soldiers. In particular, he considered Zhang Ji’s plan flawless.
This time he would surely win glory.
Zhang Liao, for his part, said little, yet inwardly his fighting spirit burned hot. He had brought with him the direct assault unit that had shared his fame at Hefei.
Zhang Fei or Jin Cheong—come at me as you please. From here on you will not take a single step farther.
Jiangxia Castle.
The place on which Cao Hong had placed such high hopes was held by the renowned Wei general Wen Ping.
For years he had defended Jiangxia like iron, yet of late his worries had been piling up one after another.
"Part of the wall collapsed in the recent heavy rains."
"The Shu general Zhao Lou’s forces are approaching Jiangxia."
"Sun Quan of Wu is once again leading a great army against Hefei."
"Zhang Fei and Jin Cheong of Shu have occupied Xinye and are advancing on Wan."
Repairing the walls was a headache, but it was something that only needed to be finished before the enemy arrived.
The greater problem was the large-scale northern advances of both Shu and Wu.
I expected they would invade someday, but this is faster than I anticipated.
Though somewhat startled, Wen Ping calmly assessed the situation. First he determined the true nature of Zhao Lou’s army, the closest threat.
"The Zhao Lou force fretting about outside Jiangxia is all bluster and no advance—clearly a decoy. If we strike them by surprise, they will turn tail and run."
Accompanied by Feng Hai and Yin Xu, Wen Ping rode out of the city and smashed into Zhao Lou’s army.
Just as expected, Zhao Lou’s men panicked at the sudden attack and fled in disorder.
"We have driven Zhao Lou off, but what now, General?"
At Officer Feng Hai’s question, Wen Ping fell into thought.
Zhao Lou’s force is only a small decoy and need not concern us greatly, but Wan is worrying.
The army led by Zhang Fei and Jin Cheong was a presence one could not ignore even if one wished to. Yet he could not leave Jiangxia—with one wall already collapsed—and move his entire force. Wen Ping made his decision.
"Feng Hai, take five thousand men at once and head for Wan. Once you arrive, place yourself under General Cao Hong’s command. I will remain with Yin Xu and hold Jiangxia."
"Yes, General!"
Zhang Ji’s message had not yet arrived, yet Wen Ping’s judgment matched the plan Zhang Ji had proposed almost exactly—as if they had arranged it beforehand. It was the decision of a true famous general.
Feng Hai was an ordinary officer, but Wan already held formidable commanders such as Cao Hong, Zhang Liao, and Cao Xiu. As long as he simply added his troops, they would fight well enough on their own—that was the thinking.
In the meantime Wen Ping intended to finish repairing Jiangxia’s walls, complete his grasp of the overall situation, and only then move.
Objectively speaking, it was not a bad judgment—a solid one, even.
Except for one single factor that had never entered the calculations.