Liu Du in Xiangyang, Wuchang garrison for several years, with Xu Shu, Shi Guangyuan, Deng Zhi and others diligent repair of political affairs, water conservancy, fortunately caught up with the rice ripening year after year, the people are full, as long as they encounter the envoy to conscription, strive to be the first to do it early, so the application of military equipment, all are complete, the rice is full of warehouses, and the treasury is rich.

One day, someone suddenly reported: Jia Xu, a military advisor, died of illness. Liu Du mourned: "Wenhe abandoned me, and the Northern Expedition will be completed at some point!" ”

It turned out that Jia Xu had gone out with Liu Du with illness before, and after the merger of Chu and Shu, Jia Xu was soon sick in bed. Liu Du asked Jia Xu to go to Changsha to recuperate, but in the end he finally died. Liu Du sent a decree to Jia Xuzhi's son Jia Mu to attack his father, the Marquis of Shouxiang, and move to Guanghan Taishou.

Zhuge Liang sent news and submitted a letter on the Northern Expedition, asking Liu Du to send troops from Jingzhou, so that Wei could not take care of both sides. Liu Du was overjoyed, so he beat drums and gathered generals, taught all departments to light up military horses, and prepared for the Northern Expedition.

"Lü Meng and Chen-style water diversion armies will go up from the water, take Zhuyang and Yin counties, attack Nanxiang, and cut off the retreat of the Wei army in Shangyong and Fangling!" Liu Du issued an order to the generals, and the two generals were ordered to go.

"Meng Da, the general of Shangyong, rebelled against Han and defected to Wei, killing many soldiers of our army. Now Cao Rui has succeeded to the throne, Meng Da has fallen out of favor, and he has come to offer a table to beg for surrender, such repeated villains, I will punish him! Who would like to be a general, and ask for it for me? Liu Du looked around at the generals and asked.

"Although a certain person is not talented, I am willing to lead an army to share the worries for His Majesty!" Deng Zhi out of the class department, please say.

Liu Du glanced at Deng Zhi, who was dressed in Confucian temperament, and remembered that Deng Zhi in history seemed to be indeed a civil and military all-rounder, so he made Deng Zhi a general, Liao Hua a deputy general, and Zhang Wei a pioneer, leading 50,000 elite soldiers to take the top.

However, it was said that Meng Da heard that Liu Du did not accept his surrender, so he ordered Deng Zhi to lead the army to attack, and urgently summoned the generals to discuss.

Meng Da's nephew Deng Xian said: "Quickly send someone to General Zhang He for help, and send someone to ask Wei Xingtai to guard Shen Yi to lead the army to attack Deng Zhi." ”

Meng Da said with a smile: "Deng Zhi is a weak Confucian student, and Liu Du uses him to lead the troops, so he looks down on me." I should arrest myself, why should I fake the power of others. ”

Meng Da then delayed sending people to ask for reinforcements, and within three days, a military report came from the front: Deng Zhi broke through Fangling and captured Li Fu. Meng Da was shocked, only to know that he had committed a big taboo of underestimating the enemy.

Meng Da sighed: "I have a gap with Wei Xingtai Shou Shenyi, who can go to ask for help for me?" ”

Deng Xian stepped forward and said: "I have a personal relationship with Shen Yi, and I am willing to ask for it." ”

Meng Da ordered Deng Xian to go to Weixing and lead the army to stick to Shangyong.

Deng Zhi's army arrived at the camp twenty miles outside Shangyong City as early as possible, and ordered the soldiers to step up preparations for the siege of firearms. Not long after, Lu Meng sent someone to escort Deng Xian to see him.

It turned out that Lü Meng and Chen Shi blocked the reinforcements sent by Zhang He, and the sergeant captured Deng Xian on the small road. Lü Meng knew that this person would be of great use, so he sent someone to Deng Zhi's army.

Deng Zhi was tortured, and only then did he know that Deng Xian was going to ask Wei Xingtai to guard Shen Yi and send troops. Deng Zhi beheaded Deng Xian, and ordered Zhang Wei and Liao Hua to pretend to be Shen Yi and Shen Tan to reinforce the army.

The next day, Meng Da went to the city and looked at it, and Deng Zhi had surrounded Shangyong like an iron bucket. Meng Da was restless and undecided, and suddenly saw two soldiers coming from outside, with big books on the flags "Shen Tan" and "Shen Yi".

Meng Da thought that the rescue soldiers were coming, and hurriedly led the soldiers and horses of the headquarters to open the city gate and kill them. "Shen Tan" and "Shen Yi" suddenly shouted: "The anti-thief is gone!" Die early! ”

Meng Da fixed his eyes on the two of them, and then knew the plan, and hurriedly withdrew to the city. Unexpectedly, Deng Zhi had led 500 sergeants and waited here with arquebuses in hand. A round of fire passed, and a large number of sergeants under Meng Da were shot and fell to the ground.

Meng Da was frightened, Liao Hua rushed to kill from behind, Meng Da was caught off guard and was stabbed under the horse by Liao Hua. Liao Huaxiao took his head, and the rest of the army and horses all surrendered.

Deng Zhi's army marched into the city, and after pacifying the people and laboring troops, he ordered the sergeant to take Meng Da's head to Liu Du's army. Liu Du was overjoyed, rewarded Deng Zhi, Liao Hua, and Zhang Wei, ordered Zhang Zhi to stay in Shangyong, appointed Deng Zhi as the Central Supervision Army, General Yangwu, and the general Zhao Yun feinted to attack Wei Xingcheng, as a suspicious soldier to attract the main force of the Wei army led by Cao Zhen to come to the rescue, and Liu Du supervised the generals to lead the army to attack Zhang He.

At the same time, Han Xuan stationed at Chaohukou, claiming to have 100,000 people, and personally led troops to attack Hefei New Town, and Han Xuan let Chen Wu, Zhuge Jin, and Zhang Cheng enter Huai and advance to Guangling and Huaiyin.

Luoyang, the capital of Wei State, Cao Rui listened to the front-line military report, and was anxious and angry: "Han Xuan and Liu Duxing are coming, and you Aiqing should retreat from the enemy with me!" ”

Before the words were finished, suddenly an urgent report came from the border officer: Zhuge Liang led an army of 80,000 to leave Hanzhong, and ordered Ma Chao to be the vanguard of the front and lead troops into the country.

"Liu Du led an army of 150,000 to attack, Shu should be empty, why not come back with an army of 80,000?" Cao Rui was shocked and asked the ministers: "Who can be the general to retreat the Shu soldiers?" ”

Suddenly, His Royal Highness came out in response: "The minister is willing to lead the fierce generals of the headquarters, and beg His Majesty to give the soldiers of Guanxi, go to Poshu, and never give up!" ”

Everyone saw that the person was Xiahou Nan, the son of Xiahou Xuan, who married Princess Qinghe, the daughter of Cao Cao, so he was admired by the court. Although Xiahou Nan was in charge of the army, he was never in battle.

At that time, he invited himself to go on the expedition, and Cao Rui immediately ordered Xiahou Nan to be the governor of the capital, and transferred the troops and horses of the Guanxi Zhulu to meet the enemy.

Situ Wang Lang admonished: "No. Xiahou has never fought before, and it is not appropriate to pay a big task today. Moreover, Zhuge Liang is resourceful, deep and strategic, and cannot be underestimated. ”

Xiahou Nan said: "Situ is not connected with Zhuge Liang, and wants to be the inner response? I learned strategy from my father since I was a child, and I am well versed in the art of war. Why do you deceive me when I am young? If I don't capture Zhuge Liang alive, I vow not to see the Son of Heaven back! ”

Wang Lang and the others didn't dare to persuade again. Xiahou Nan resigned from Cao Rui, went to Chang'an in the starry night, transferred more than 100,000 troops and horses from the Guanxi Zhulu, and came to the enemy Zhuge Liang.

Han Xuan was very anxious to attack Hefei New Town, and Man Chong suggested to Cao Rui, hoping to give up Hefei New City and lure Han Xuan's army to Shouchun.

Cao Rui disagreed with Man Chong's suggestion, and ordered: "I surrounded Hefei in the east, Nanyang in the south, and Qishan in the west. This time, even if Han Xuanqin led a large army to besiege Xincheng, Xincheng would never fall into the hands of the enemy. The generals of the city will fight together, and I will personally supervise the division to meet Han Xuanjun. Maybe by the time I lead the army to the new city, Han Xuan has already withdrawn! ”

Cao Rui urgently ordered Cao Zhen and Xu Huang to assist Zhang He to block Liu Du, and at the same time the whole army prepared to drive the expedition in person. However, just when Cao Rui's army was marching, the north suddenly came to report: Cao Zhang, the king of Rencheng, died of illness, and Xianbei was about to move.

"Fangjin country is at the time of employing people, why doesn't Your Majesty levy Sima Yi to return to the dynasty, and order the festival to go to Rencheng to take over the soldiers and horses of Rencheng King." Jia Kui hurriedly admonished.

However, he said that Sima Yi was idle in Wancheng, and when he heard that the Wei soldiers were tired of being defeated by Liu Du, he looked up to the sky and sighed again and again. Sima Yi's eldest son, Sima Shi, the character Ziyuan. The second son, Sima Zhao, is still the word. The two are known for their great ambitions and are well versed in military books.

Standing beside Sima Yi that day, he saw Sima Yi sighing, so he asked, "What is my father's sigh?" ”

Sima Yi shook his head and said, "How do you know the big things? ”

Sima Shi tried to ask: "Could it be that Lord Wei doesn't care?" ”

Sima Zhao on the side sneered: "Sooner or later, I will come to summon my father." ”

Before Sima Zhao's words fell, he suddenly reported that the Lord of Wei had sent someone to hold the festival. After Sima Yi listened to the edict, he immediately set off to Rencheng to take over the military horses left by Cao Zhang.

Han Xuan led the army to storm Hefei New Town for twelve days, and Zhang Ying, the defender of the new city, frequently sent people to complain to Manchu Favor.

Man Chong summoned the generals to discuss: "I want to lead the army to rescue Zhang Ying, the defender of the new city, what do the generals think?" ”

Hu Zhen objected: "Xincheng is more than self-defending, if there are reinforcements coming, I am afraid that Han Xuan will come to annex the reinforcements." ”

Full of favors on the table, please call on the Chinese army and recall all the Tuntian troops, gather to resist.

However, Liu Shao, a member of Guangping, a free-rider, disagreed with the opinion of Man Chong, and personally went to Cao Rui and said: "Man Pet should defend himself and avoid his sharpness; The Chinese army first sent 5,000 infantry and 3,000 elite cavalry to set off, disperse the ranks in an arrangement, and add more flags and drums. ”

Cao Rui listened to Liu Shao's strategy, sent the front team to set off first, and vetoed the opinion of the Manchu reinforcements, and Cao Rui himself personally led the sailors eastward on the seventh day of Renyin.