Chapter 513: Battlefield Hulao

After sending Lu Bu off to the Western Regions to reign as a king,

Liu Bei gathered everyone to discuss matters.

"Gentlemen, Yuan Shao has dispatched two hundred thousand troops, Cao Cao one hundred and fifty thousand, and Sun Ce sixty thousand, totaling four hundred and ten thousand troops to crusade against us. Furthermore, Kebineng has also gathered one hundred thousand troops from various large and small tribes of the Xianbei and Wuhuan, advancing toward Yanmen Commandery."

"What do you all suggest we do?"

"Wenhe, you speak first."

Jia Xu looked at the map.

"My lord, Cao Cao is currently employing a strategy of vertical alliance, gathering a massive army to attack with the intent of crushing us. It can be said that this is a confrontation between the Central Plains and Guanzhong. Back when the Six States formed a vertical alliance to oppose the strong Qin, they fought several major battles at Hangu Pass, with victories and defeats on both sides."

"Our army has three potential battlefields. First, we could advance to Luoyang and rely on the fortified city of Luoyang and Hulao Pass to hold out against the Guandong warlords, just as Dong Zhuo did against the eighteen-route coalition."

Liu Bei shook his head.

"Luoyang is currently nothing but ruins. If we mobilize over two hundred thousand troops, the supply pressure will be immense. The coalition's main force is very close to Yuzhou and Jizhou; we may not necessarily win a war of attrition against them."

Jia Xu then pointed to Emperor Hongnong Commandery.

"My lord sent Lu Xun and Xu Sheng to garrison and farm near Emperor Hongnong County. That is the Hangu Pass of the Qin era. The Qin State relied on Hangu Pass to repel the coalition of the Six States several times; it can be called a natural barrier."

Those unfamiliar with the terrain all had their eyes light up.

Guo Jia, however, shook his head.

"The Hangu Pass of today has lost the terrain of a dangerous pass. Due to years of silt accumulation from the Yellow River, the riverbed has sunk. On the north side of Chousang Plain, a large area of shoals has appeared. The coalition can easily bypass Hangu Pass and enter Guanzhong."

"Under the erosion of muddy water, Chousang Plain is no longer steep either; a large army can easily cross the pass along the plateau."

Jia Xu pointed to a spot south of the bend in the Yellow River on the map,

"Finally, there is holding Tongguan. With the Loess Plateau as a screen, there is the Yellow River to the north, the Qinling Mountains to the south, the Tong River and Jin Gully to the west, and Yuanwang Gully to the east."

If the coalition wants to pass through Tongguan, there is only one narrow road, Huangxiangban, that they can take. Even a million-strong army would be unable to deploy."

Pang Tong interjected.

"Tongguan is four hundred li away from Luoyang, which greatly stretches the supply lines of the Guandong warlords. If our army sends troops to raid their grain routes, their troops will inevitably retreat after a long time."

Fa Zheng frowned.

"If our army holds Tongguan, we can certainly defend it, but Cao Cao and Yuan Shao could turn to attack Hedong Commandery, force a crossing at Pujin Ferry, and bypass Tongguan to attack Guanzhong."

Liu Bei nodded inwardly; this was the route Cao Cao historically took to attack the coalition of Ma Chao and Han Sui.

Everyone felt somewhat troubled; it seemed every location had its advantages and disadvantages. ===== CHAPTER 514 =====