Updated: 2012-09-18

The warship slowly leaned towards the shore, and hundreds of Shu troops landed on the shore first. There was no defense of the Wei army in this important place in Xiakou, which was beyond Wang Ye's expectations. Shu general Wang Ye was ordered to come to capture Xiakou. He thought he would go through a hard battle, but who would have thought that there was no trace of the Wei navy in Jiangxia, and even this important town of Xiakou did not have a single Wei soldier.

The walls of Xiakou were towering and very strong. Only if thousands of Wei troops were guarded, it would cause great obstacles to the Shu army. The Wei army gave up such a strong defending place, and the entire army retreated into the inland and lured the enemy into depth. Wang Ye led 20,000 Shu troops to occupy Xiakou, and at the same time, the navy protected the river surface. The endless supply of materials and weapons were continuously transported to Xiakou from the direction of Chaisang.

Since the Wei army gave in, how could there be no reason to not accept it?

When Liu Chan led troops to rescue Xiangyang, he led 50,000 troops to serve as the front team, and Wang Ye led 50,000 troops to serve as the back team. There were not many generals who could command the 50,000 Shu army to fight. Wang Ye was naturally outstanding because of Liu Chan. The Wei army avoided the sharp edge of the Shu army and waited for the Shu army to enter, but Wang Ye was as stable as Mount Tai. After occupying Xiakou, he began to repair the city defense, constantly accumulating supplies, and rank troops near Xiakou, and was very stagnant.

At this time, the Shu army of all sides was in a strong position. Except for the constant war in Huyang/waters, there were relatively calm everywhere. This was the cautiousness of the Shu army, and the cautiousness of the Wei army. After three years of rest and recuperation, both Wei and Shu were aware of the strength of each other and did not dare to act rashly.

Thinking about the fall of famous generals in Wei State one after another, but at this time, Du Yu, Ma Long and Hu brothers could resist the Shu army. If Shu Han suffered such a loss of generals, there would be someone who succeeded? Shu generals knew in their hearts that no matter how good the policy was, there would always be a time course for how to use talents without any restrictions. In three years, middle and lower-level officials were much more fulfilled, but there were not many young generals with potential to be the one on their own.

For Wei, it is true that it is not inferior to Shu Han, but the gap in national strength is gradually emerging. The situation in the two countries is completely different. Wei's production has indeed recovered. However, as the extravagant atmosphere of the upper-level bureaucrats spread across the country, and the Jin company Ma Yan did not care about this and deliberately indulge it. The burden on the people is getting heavier and heavier. Even if they work hard, their lives are getting worse and worse.

The last time the Wei State was able to defeat Shu Han with Du Yuzhi's strategy, but what about this time? Even if the Shu army was repelled this time, what about the next time!?

The Shu army was stationed quietly in Xiakou. About 10,000 Shu army was stationed in the field near Xiakou, protecting various important transportation routes, exploring the intelligence in Jiangxia, and observing the movements of the Wei army. This Jiangxia City was the general of Wei, Wang Jun, guarding Zhang Guang. Needless to say, Wang Jun was a famous general of Wei. Zhang Guang was a local general of Jiangxia. He had an unusual courage. With a few troops, he tried to protect Jiangxia during the Battle of Xiangfan that year. He was also a tricky figure.

Jiangxia is only a county, but there are two famous generals. The intention of Wei State has long been seen through by Liu Chan. Wancheng is located at a critical moment, and Xinye is a key border defense center. Both are in the west of Jiangxia. The Shu army captured these two places. If the Wei army reinforces from Jiangxia, it will attack the flanks of Shu, making it difficult for the Shu army to dodge.

The Wei army retreated to the Shouchun line, connecting Runan, Xiaopei and Guangling to help, and their strength doubled. The Shu army advanced a hundred miles to Shouchun, and raised a large army to confront the Wei army. The Lujiang, Hefei and other places in the rear were all a hundred miles away. If Jiangxia divided the troops eastward, it would definitely cause a fire in the backyard of Shu Han.

Both Wang Jun and Zhang Guang can be used as reinforcements to mobilize troops at any time, and the left-behind people are enough to ensure that Jiangxia has no worries. This is the strategic consideration of the Wei army. It is necessary to suppress Jiangxia's Wei army, Huai Shangba and Wancheng, and then let go of the new field battlefield.

Ten days passed in a flash, and the Shu army set up countless camps, patrolled and investigated every day, accumulated military capital and weapons, without any intention of advancing. The people in Xiakou had long been moved to the inland areas by the Wei army, and even a single person could not be found in Shu Han. It can be seen that the Wei people's strategy of withdrawing troops must have been planned for a long time. If they were done hastily, how could the people migrate so cleanly?

...

Huyang/The waters fought fiercely for many days. After all, the Wei army had limited power. After losing, they retreated to the shore and retreated to the land, and completely handed over the control of the Yangtze River to Shu Han. When the Shu army won the first victory, they reported the victory to Liu Chan, who was in Xiangyang, while preparing to land on the battlefield.

The Wei army gave up control of the Yangtze River waters, which does not mean that the next battle between Shu army will be flat. The one guarding Xinye and Huyang is the general of Wei, Ma Long! Ma Long was just a captain in the palace back then, but now he has grown into a majestic guard!

Du Yu had a keen eye to recognize talents and vigorously promoted Ma Long, and Ma Long did not disappoint Du Yu. Ma Long specialized in tactics and strategies, and was very ingenious and good at using weapons and elite soldiers. It is rumored that he had three thousand fighters under his command, and he simply pulled out from the 50,000 Wei troops. The process of simple drawing was very strict, and the strength, skills, and reflection speed were almost impossible to choose Ma Long.

With such high standards and strict requirements, the combat power of the three thousand fighters under Ma Long cannot be underestimated.

The city closest to the river bank is naturally Huyang City, which is only fifteen miles away. Huyang City has more than 2,000 households living in and around the world. After Ma Long took over the defense here, the number of people has surged to 5,000 households after three years!

Logically speaking, Huyang is a frontier and important place. When the war between Wei and Shu began, Huyang was the first to suffer. This was not a suitable place to live. However, during the three years under Ma Long's rule, the Wei soldiers not only did not harm the people, but also treated the people well in their daily lives, which was helpful. They also had a lot of levies and taxes, and various corvee labor was much less than other cities and counties.

After knowing that Ma Long wanted to expand Huyang City and build a defense line, thousands of households took the initiative to request to migrate to Huyang to live in order to repay Ma Long.

The military and civilians were united, and the Huyang defense line was very exciting. Ma Long knew that the warships of Shu Han could land in most areas without having to break into Huyang. Therefore, Ma Long deliberately dug soil and piled up mountains along the coast and built beacon towers, but also built mountain villages based on the terrain and left troops to defend them.

When ordinary camps are placed on high places, it will inevitably be difficult to transport grain and get water. However, the mountain villages built by Ma Long are adapted to local conditions and are skillfully transformed. The waterways are smooth and the grain and grass are accumulated in the camps. Each camp can be as large as 700 and at least 300, spread all over the shore, echoing the beacon towers to prevent and resist the division of troops in Shu Han to land and raid.

Although there are only hundreds of people left behind in each place, the terrain is high, and the artificially built fortifications and roads limit the roads and spaces of the enemy's attack camps, and exhaust the terrain to limit the enemy's combat power to the greatest extent. Moreover, when one side is in trouble, all directions will support them. These villages and beacon towers are connected, and the total number of troops has reached more than 20,000, but most of them are rural soldiers and the elderly, weak, sick and disabled.

The military farming and the defense are carried out together to ensure production, and to reduce the consumption of its own troops.

No matter how the Shu army attacked, the ultimate goal was Huyang. After Ma Long's expansion, Huyang City was even stronger. There were countless low walls built around it, and dozens of hills were piled up. The catapult cart designed by Ma Long was fixed on the hillside. Each place was left with a lieutenant in charge, commanding 150 soldiers, under which were ten catapult carts and ten crossbow carts!

After these earthen mountains were piled up and formed, the catapults and crossbows were transported to the mountain, and the hills were arranged one by one, blocking Huyang City tightly behind the mountain. After Ma Long made three months of arrangements on the location, throwing distance, and where the stones fell, as long as the Shu army entered the attack range, they would be subjected to uninterrupted and large-scale throwing attacks without interruption!

Whether forward or left or right, the Shu army was within the range of dense attacks of catapults, and had no other way except retreating.

The fatal weakness of the catapult cart is that the stones are limited, and the iron arrows and wooden cones shot by the crossbow cart are also limited. This is a common problem of siege equipment, but it is not impossible to solve. As long as there is time, the Wei soldiers who are specifically responsible for each mountain, in addition to strengthening the mountain, have been constantly accumulating stones, iron arrows, wooden cones and other objects in their respective areas for three years.

How amazing is the three-year reserve? Although there are times when it is used up, Ma Long didn't mind at all, because Shu Han must have paid a price beyond his imagination at that time!
Chapter completed!