Chapter 193: Blitzkrieg

The Hanzhong Army soldiers at Shangcheng Port all had their mouths twitching.

Especially the garrison commander of Shangcheng Port, Xiao Kang; as the number one fierce general under the Prince of Yong, he had not lasted three moves in the hands of Qin Zhangfeng before Qin Zhangfeng's long saber was pressed against his neck...

Friendly forces?

If you are friendly forces, why are you disarming us, and why are you pointing your weapons at us!

Jiang Xuan immediately stepped forward and said: "We are the Yinzhou Army, having received a request for aid to lift your siege of Hanzhong! I am Left General Jiang Xuan, taking full command of the defense of Shangcheng Port. In wartime, we must act with urgency and handle special matters with special methods. Everyone, my apologies!"

The Hanzhong Army took one look and saw these were fifty thousand Yinzhou troops.

The garrison at Shangcheng Port only numbered ten thousand.

They couldn't win this fight!

Furthermore...

This war had already lasted for two months, and these Hanzhong Army soldiers were all tired of fighting. They didn't care whether the Prince of Yong's interests were being harmed; as long as they didn't have to fight, it was fine by them.

Xiao Kang's eyes rolled, and he immediately cheered with joy: "Wonderful! The reinforcements have arrived!"

"Wonderful!"

"Finally, we don't have to fight anymore!"

"Quick, quick, quick, hand over Shangcheng Port to the friendly forces, hand it over to the friendly forces!"

The Hanzhong Army, having long since lost the will to fight, followed Xiao Kang in faking smiles.

The scene was truly awkward...

As the commander-in-chief for this operation, Liu Zheng knew that the battlefield changed in an instant once Shangcheng Port was taken, so there was no time to lose. Arriving at the military camp of Shangcheng Port, he looked at Xiao Kang, who still had a blade pressed to his neck, and chuckled: "Zhangfeng, General Xiao is one of our own, let him go."

Qin Zhangfeng nodded and withdrew his blade; Xiao Kang was so frightened he nearly wet his pants.

Liu Zheng looked at him and said: "General Xiao, we are unfamiliar with the terrain of Hanzhong. For this battle, we still need your help."

Xiao Kang wiped away cold sweat: "It is my duty, it is my duty. Protecting Hanzhong is something Xiao Kang cannot refuse!"

Liu Zheng nodded, decisively pointing at the sand table, and said: "Jiang Xuan, lead twenty thousand troops to launch a surprise attack on Tiger Port by boat. Qin Zhangfeng, take ten thousand troops to feign an attack on Guan Mountain Port. It would be best if Guan Mountain Port can be taken, but if not, focus the main attack on Tiger Port. Once Tiger Port is in hand, the Shu Army's encirclement will be half-broken."

"Yes!"

The two men received their orders.

"General Cheng, take ten thousand mobile troops and be responsible for besieging the point to strike the reinforcements. If Tiger Port is taken, you will be responsible for the main attack on Fengguan!"

"Yes!"

This General Cheng, named Cheng Yang, was originally from the Baiya Army and had been brought over by Du Biao, who then recommended him to Liu Zheng. This man was burly in appearance, skilled in combat, well-read in the classics, and deeply versed in the Art of War; he could be considered a qualified general.

Liu Zheng issued order after order without the slightest hesitation.

Xiao Kang, standing to the side, was dumbfounded.

Who was it that said just a moment ago that they were unfamiliar with Hanzhong?

Who was it that said they needed his help?

Yet the moment you appeared, you had a perfect grasp of the Hanzhong situation, and these main attack points were all the most critical locations! If they could be taken, there was still Zheng Yuxing's unit over there. If these places could truly be taken, it would completely reactivate Zheng Yuxing's trapped Yinzhou Army, which would be equivalent to directly lifting the siege of Hanzhong.

It was just that...

The Shu Army and the Hanzhong Army were in a stalemate, so no matter how many troops the Hanzhong Army sent out, they couldn't take these passes and ports, and they had nearly had their city gates breached because their manpower was spread too thin.

At this moment.

The Yinzhou Army had arrived.

Although there were only fifty thousand, they were a Surprise Unit.

Looking at these ghost-like troops, their morale was high, and they obeyed orders strictly.

The two Warships soon headed toward their respective targets amidst the wind and rain.

Xiao Kang took a deep breath; this world-renowned Prefect Liu fought with such refreshing efficiency. He was an old general, and having lived in comfort in Hanzhong for these years, he was very resistant to war. In fact, not just him, but the entire Hanzhong held a passive attitude toward the war.

Yet at this moment.

He felt as if his inner fighting spirit had been ignited by this Liu Zheng.

"Young Master Liu..."

Xiao Kang hesitated to speak.

Liu Zheng was studying the sand table and, hearing him call, patted his forehead and asked with a smile: "General Xiao, do you still have the strength for one more battle?"

Xiao Kang was instantly incensed by the question—what kind of talk was that!

Did this Yinzhou Army look down on the Hanzhong Army that much? He shouted: "I am still capable of battle!"

Liu Zheng smiled: "Good. Shangcheng Port will be taken over by the Yinzhou Army. You take ten thousand Hanzhong troops and five thousand Yinzhou troops, and from here, strike directly at the Shu Army's main camp!"

"What?"

Xiao Kang's expression changed drastically.

He glared at the Young Master Liu before him, his anger surging.

That Shu Army main camp held an army of two hundred thousand; although they had suffered significant attrition over the past two months, there were still seventeen or eighteen thousand at this time.

Asking him to take ten thousand men to fight eighteen thousand?

Wasn't that sending him to his death?

Liu Zheng saw his misgivings and chuckled: "General Xiao, the Shu Army has long had the intention to retreat. If two ports are lost, the Shu Army will have no reason to hold on. Once the Shu Army is in rout, what is there to fear?"

Xiao Kang widened his eyes: "How does the Young Master know the Shu Army will retreat?"

These days, the Shu Army's siege had still been very fierce; several times, they had nearly breached the city gates. Where was the logic in them retreating?

Liu Zheng laughed: "If the Prince of Shu does not retreat, he will have to spit out all the advantages he gained in Wudu."

"That old fox, would he ever do a losing business?"

"General Xiao, do you trust me, Liu Zheng?"

Xiao Kang shuddered, his heart filled with a complex mix of emotions.

However...

When he saw the confidence and excitement filling Liu Zheng's eyes, he also clenched his fists: "Fine, Xiao Kang will trust Young Master Liu once!"

The Hanzhong Army immediately organized their ranks and distributed weapons.

Liu Zheng allocated another five thousand Yinzhou Army soldiers.

A force of fifteen thousand would launch a surprise attack on the Shu Army camp!

Xiao Kang knew that the Hanzhong Army could not compare to these tiger-and-wolf-like Yinzhou Army soldiers, so he did not tell the troops that their destination was the Shu Army camp. If he had really done that, he feared these men would have all been scared away.

He looked at his own side—the soldiers with lax discipline, full of complaints, and acting sluggish.

Yet, looking at those five thousand Yinzhou Army soldiers, their massive formation was neat and orderly, not making a single sound.

The gap...

This was the gap!

He finally understood why the Prince of Yong was so wary of this Yinzhou Army.

"Hurry, hurry, hurry! Everyone keep up with me!"

"Did you not eat?"

Soon, he discovered that the Yinzhou Army's marching speed was surprisingly fast. His own ten thousand men could barely keep up if they didn't run.

The Prince of Yong's face was ashen.

"Warships?"

"Warships? Where would they in Yinzhou get warships!"

He was about to vomit blood.

He had calculated everything, but he hadn't calculated that Yinzhou would actually have warships.

A group of subordinates looked at each other in dismay.

Who would know that?

The Prince of Yong jumped up: "Where have they reached!"

"They have already reached Shangcheng Port..."

"Damn it!"

The Prince of Yong made a prompt decision, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Open the city gates, counterattack!"

"What?"

"Your Highness, why go to such lengths!"

"Your Highness, absolutely not!"

"Your Highness, the Shu Army is strong..."

The Prince of Yong was anxious and shouted: "Mandarin says counterattack, give Mandarin a counterattack, counterattack! Once the Yinzhou Army arrives, the Shu Army will surely retreat. Our Hanzhong Army is equal in numbers, what is there to fear?"

He knew.

Since Liu Zheng had come after all, this matter could no longer be avoided. At this time, his Hanzhong must produce some decent battle results.

Otherwise, when the time comes...

If he really let that Liu Zheng occupy the primary merit and stand on the moral high ground, he didn't know how much profit he would have to pay out!

"The Prince of Yong has ordered a counterattack!"

No one dared to defy the Prince of Yong's order.

But at this moment, the Hanzhong Army's passive attitude toward this war immediately surfaced. As soon as the soldiers heard they were to counterattack, their moods were all off, and they dragged their feet.

An hour had passed, and they still hadn't finished organizing.

"Prince of Yong, the Yinzhou Army has already taken Tiger Port!"

"What?"

The Prince of Yong felt like vomiting blood upon hearing this.

What kind of speed is this?

"Prince of Yong, the Yinzhou Army has already taken Guan Mountain Port!"

"Prince of Yong, the Yinzhou Army has already taken Fengguan and successfully joined forces with General Zheng's Liangzhou Army."

The Prince of Yong took a look at the over one hundred thousand Hanzhong Army soldiers still organizing their ranks; he only felt the world go black before his eyes, and he nearly fainted.

It's over!

Even if the Shu Army retreats, his Hanzhong will still be carved up and eaten like a cake by others.

Too fast.

The Yinzhou Army's marching speed was simply too fast.

Those warships were too fast.

The garrisons at these few ports and checkpoints of the Shu Army hadn't even received the news before they were met with a heavy blow from the Yinzhou Army.

Galleons.

They demonstrated this Lightning War on the water to the fullest.

One hour.

Merely one hour.

Jiang Xuan occupied Tiger Port; although Qin Zhangfeng was only feigning an attack, how could this fellow honestly feign an attack? Since the order was given, he had to take Guan Mountain Port regardless.

The effect of the Lightning War immediately emerged.

These two ports were actually on the same line, so Jiang Xuan's twenty thousand men immediately joined forces with Cheng Yang's ten thousand troops to begin a large-scale attack on Fengguan.

At this moment.

It was already too late for the Shu Army to come to the rescue.

At this time.

The King of Shu in the Shu Army camp looked at these military reports one after another, and he felt like vomiting blood.

This Prefect Liu!

He was being too underhanded!

He was about to retreat, yet he had devoured so many of his soldiers?

Did he have no shame left!

"This is outrageous, this is outrageous..."

The King of Shu's temper flared up again, and he roared: "Ready the troops and horses, fight the Yinzhou Army!"

His advisors all became anxious.

"Your Highness, you absolutely must not!"

"Your Highness, the Great Trend cannot be reversed. If we abandon the siege now, the Hanzhong Army will surely strike back! And there is still Zheng Yuxing's Liangzhou Army over there; we cannot hold them off!"

"Your Highness, think thrice!"

The King of Shu was furious and exasperated: "Could it be that I am to let that Yinzhou brat have the final advantage?"

The group of people dared not say anything.

It was you who went with the flow and wanted to fight this battle.

But it was also you who failed to take Hanzhong City.

At this point, things had already reached this stage; if we don't retreat, what are we waiting for?

In reality, the King of Shu was simply too confident in his own Shu Army. He had not expected that the Prince of Yong, who had always been cowardly, would actually display a level of wisdom in this war that was extremely inconsistent with his usual persona, holding off the Shu Army for a full two months.

Therefore...

The situation the King of Shu had dreamed of—"meeting," "clashing," and "negotiating" with that Prefect Liu inside Hanzhong City—did not happen.

In the end...

The one who gained the greatest benefit turned out to be that Yinzhou!

Prefect Liu of Yinzhou!

The King of Shu shouted a few times in anger, and finally gritted his teeth: "Retreat, retreat the troops!"

"Yes!"