If Wei were to march south into Shu, there were only four routes.
The first was Jinniu Pass.
This route began from Hanzhong, passed through Mian County, crossed the ancient Yangping Pass, then turned southwest, following the Jialing River south to Jian'ge, heading south to the Greater and Lesser Jian Mountains, which formed Jianmen Pass. After passing Jian Mountain, it veered southwest, traversing four prefectures, bypassing Qiqu Mountain to reach Ziyang, then circling Longquan Mountain, passing through Mianzhu, and finally arriving at Chengdu.
The second was Mi Cang Pass.
Mi Cang Pass, first constructed in the late Qin Dynasty, was named after its traversal of the Mi Cang Mountains, a branch of the Daba Mountains. It started from Hanzhong and led to the northern section of Mi Cang Pass. From there, it headed south, crossing Ba Ridge into the ancient Dilu of the Ba River. It then proceeded through Yuquan to Shangliang, continuing south along the valley path to Nanjiang County. Further south lay Bazhong, and to the southwest was Chengdu.
The third, Litchi Pass...
The Litchi Pass, it was said, was first built in the Tang Dynasty, serving as a postal route connecting Fuling and Guanzhong. Legend had it that Emperor Xuanzong, in order to elicit a smile from Consort Yang, ordered the construction of this vital relay route specifically for transporting litchis from Fuling to Chang'an.
During the late Han Dynasty, the Litchi Pass bore another famous name: its northern section was the renowned Ziwu Pass, the very route through which Wei Yan proposed his daring plan through Ziwu Valley.
To the south... there was also an extremely narrow path, and precisely because of its narrowness... it could be described as "one man guarding the pass, ten thousand men cannot get through."
Considering these three routes, the later verse by Li Bai, "Shu roads are as difficult as ascending to heaven," was by no means an exaggeration.
The roads to Shu were not for casual pleasantries... they were truly arduous!
At this moment, Lu Yu was sketching a topographical map of the Shu region before his assembled civil and military officials. The uppermost section depicted the commanderies of Longxi, Tianshui, Wugong, and Chang'an. Further down, one could see Qishan, Sanguan, Wujie, and Hanzhong. Below these, the routes of Yinping, Hanshui, Jinniu Pass, Mi Cang Pass, and Litchi Pass were laid out.
Lu Yu's meticulous drawing caused a stir of astonishment among all present.
For in this era, the creation of maps was a painstaking endeavor, often requiring numerous guides, local villagers, and common folk.
But with so many routes, how many people would be needed?
And among these people, were there any spies?
Were there any deliberately dispatched by Zhuge Liang or Liu Bei to spread false information and lure the enemy deep?
These were all significant questions.
However...
Lu Yu's current depiction, corroborated by various scattered maps, attested to its accuracy. It was too real.
The crucial point was...
Lu Yu completed the map in a single, flowing process, occasionally closing his eyes as if recalling something...
Then he continued drawing, his entire performance a marvel of skill.
Of course...
The assembled officials had grown accustomed to such miraculous feats from Lu Yu; it was considered standard operating procedure!
"This is the complete map from Longxi to Hanzhong and south to Bashu..."
Lu Yu pointed out each route with precision. He first provided detailed explanations of Jinniu Pass, Mi Cang Pass, and Litchi Pass, before finally drawing attention to Yinping Pass, his expression growing solemn.
"Does anyone know of this Yinping Pass?"
Lu Yu's question was met with silence throughout the great hall...
Many had never even heard of such a route as Yinping Pass. Even Xiahou Yuan, who was in charge of Hanzhong's defense, had to ponder for a long time before recalling that such a pass did exist.
But it was rarely traveled... with no sign of human habitation for hundreds of miles. Most importantly, Yinping Pass possessed a natural barrier – Mount Motian!
It connected to Mi Cang Mountain to the east, and Mi Cang Mountain, in turn, connected to the Daba Mountains, tightly encasing the Shu region. It was said that not even a bird could fly over it, let alone a person.
"Your Majesty... this Yinping Pass is impassable!" Xiahou Yuan's brow furrowed. "Some locals have mentioned Yinping Pass, but according to them, throughout history, no one has ever successfully traversed this route. This humble general has also sent men to attempt it, but after a full month, their provisions were depleted, and they still saw no end... only the distant, unattainable Mount Motian! Even if they reached the end, they could not cross Mount Motian!"
As Xiahou Yuan stated.
The Records of the Three Kingdoms described Yinping Pass, mentioning Deng Ai's crossing of Yinping...
— "Traversed uninhabited lands for over seven hundred li from Yinping Pass, carving through mountains to create passages and bridges. The mountains were high and the valleys deep, making it extremely perilous";
— "The soldiers all climbed trees and clung to cliffs, advancing in single file."
This passage clearly illustrates the treacherous nature of Yinping Pass.
Lu Yu was quite familiar with the geography here and knew that the difficulty of stealthily crossing Yinping to directly attack the Shu Han lay in first overcoming the seven hundred li of uninhabited territory.
One also had to scale Mount Motian, pass through Tangjia River, Yinping Mountain, Mazhuan Pass, and Jingjun Mountain, to reach Jiange County's Jiangyou Pass!
Only after breaking through Jiangyou Pass would one reach the vast Chengdu Plain.
Mount Motian stood at over two thousand two hundred meters in altitude, and the passes in between... were even more perilous, with each being an "impenetrable fortress." Sneaking through from here would be practically impossible!
However...
Historically, Deng Ai was not the only one to achieve this.
Fu Youde, a renowned general under Zhu Yuanzhang, imitated Deng Ai, launching a surprise attack from Yinping Pass, crossing Mount Motian, and successfully pacifying the Shu region.
In modern times... during the liberation of Qingchuan, the Red Army also advanced through the ancient Yinping Pass.
This indicated... that although Yinping Pass appeared unreliable, it was by no means an insurmountable natural barrier.
"In the past, Emperor Gaozu of Han famously repaired the plank roads while secretly crossing Chencang, thus breaking through the formidable mountains surrounding Bashu and achieving a surprise victory. Similarly, General Xiahou believes Yinping is impassable, and so will Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang, leading them to let down their guard... If our army can indeed penetrate the Chengdu Plain from here, the blow to the morale of the Shu army and the people of Bashu will be devastating. This is a stratagem of pulling the rug out from under them!"
This was how the three historical infiltrations of Yinping Pass had occurred...
Lu Yu narrated this with fervor, raising his voice at particularly stirring points, as if the Chengdu Plain were already before his eyes.
Lu Yu's words were so audacious that had anyone else proposed such a plan, they would likely have been dismissed as foolish.
But with such a track record, when had Lu Yu's actions ever been anything less than bold?
"Does Your Majesty insist on taking Yinping Pass?" Xiahou Yuan finally confirmed.
Lu Yu nodded.
Xiahou Yuan immediately cupped his hands and said, "Then... this humble general volunteers to lead the Swift Strike Camp to brave the Yinping Pass and scale Mount Motian!"
Hmm...
To Lu Yu's surprise, Xiahou Yuan actually volunteered.
"This subject also wishes to lead the Dragon Might Camp through Yinping Pass!" Cao Xiu cupped his hands and volunteered.
"Don't forget your old brother!" Xiahou Dun also stood up...
"Everyone, while we may each have our strengths in commanding troops, for a surprise victory, let me, Zhang Wenyuan, go!" Zhang Liao appeared ready for battle.
Perhaps... they still harbored doubts about this operation, but what they believed in was Lu Yu!
Seeing this Yinping Pass, he was reminded of his past... when he campaigned against the Wuhuan, he had passed through Lulong Pass...
Traversed Shouyang Mountain, and marched along that rarely trodden path, and then... struck a decisive blow!
What a familiar feeling!
It seemed...
Originally, this highly improbable proposal of "infiltrating Yinping" was only so enthusiastically received because... it was Lu Yu who had proposed it, leading to the rush of volunteers!
Perhaps... they still had reservations about the operation, but they believed in Lu Yu!
The Hidden Dragon, who attacked the enemy's mind and devised flawless strategies, had never made a mistake!
...
...
In Xudu city, at the foot of Mount Rang.
"Heart and mind are in harmony, divine energy flows smoothly, observe the imperceptible… nourish the primal in stillness, and gather true intensity. When strong, gather; when diminishing, replenish; when scattered, converge; when united, take. This is the primal intensity!"
*Hu...*
With a long exhale,
Cao Cao, under Zhang Lu's tutelage, completed his day's cultivation.
Although termed cultivation, it was essentially meditation to refresh the mind and calm the spirit.
However, free from the burdens of worldly affairs, Cao Cao had not suffered from headaches for over half a month.
The sensation was marvelous… no longer did he have to be constantly anxious and irritable due to his severe headaches.
But precisely...
On this particular day, there was indeed a "trivial matter" that required his attention.
Xu Chu stood before Cao Cao. He had just handed Cao Cao a bamboo slip… and now Cao Cao's eyes were fixed intently on it.
"Yu'er intends to infiltrate Yinping?"
Cao Cao gazed at the map that had been sent along with the bamboo slip. He naturally noticed the deserted Yinping Pass, Mount Motian and Yinping Mountain beyond it, and… the Min River…
What kind of route and cultivation was this?
"It is somewhat risky," Cao Cao's eyes narrowed gradually. He murmured softly.
"General Xiahou Miaocai also mentioned the extreme dangers of this expedition, but… Your Majesty is determined to advance this way… no one can dissuade him," Xu Chu recounted the discussions in the Imperial Court to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao's expression became unpredictable…
More so than the "road" dangers mentioned by Xiahou Yuan, Cao Cao considered the broader implications. He even contemplated what might happen *after* the army reached the Chengdu Plain, assuming Yu'er's plan was successful.
Perhaps… Liu Bei and Zhuge Liang would be briefly thrown into disarray by this "divine descent."
But it wouldn't take long for Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei to formulate countermeasures…
To put it kindly, it was a divine descent.
But to put it bluntly, it was a deep incursion by a lone army, and a lone incursion with absolutely no retreat.
Cao Cao pondered that Zhuge Liang would have a hundred ways to deal with such an isolated force.
"What exactly is Yu'er thinking?"
Cao Cao muttered to himself.
Xu Chu scratched his head and added, "I don't understand what His Majesty is thinking either, but later, I thought about it carefully… what if Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei were to leave? From Hanzhong south, there isn't just Yinping Pass… what if Your Majesty also sent troops down Jinniu Pass, Litchi Pass, and Mi Cang Pass? How could Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei sit in Chengdu city… considering this, the only one who could be stationed in Chengdu seems to be…"
Though Xu Chu's words were crude, the logic was sound.
In an instant, Cao Cao's eyes widened dramatically. He looked at Xu Chu in astonishment, his eyes gradually opening, widening…
Because he had thought of a major matter, a matter he had almost forgotten…
If based on this matter… then infiltrating Yinping to directly seize Shu would be a "masterstroke"!
Indeed…
As Cao Cao mused.
Historically, Wei Yan's proposal of the Ziwu Valley surprise attack and Deng Ai's infiltration of Yinping to directly attack Shu were both rather unreliable.
They even shared a common characteristic – immense risk and extremely low probability of success!
In other words, even if Wei Yan's Ziwu Valley plan truly managed to break through the thorn-ridden Ziwu Valley, given the capabilities of the Cao Wei generals guarding Guanzhong and the speed of Cao Wei's troop reinforcements and deployment, Wei Yan's chances of capturing Chang'an, let alone Tong Pass, were extremely slim.
Infiltrating Yinping… would face similar problems.
That is, even if you reached the Chengdu Plain, there was still Mianzhu Pass before Chengdu! How would you get past it?
After hacking through thorns and scaling three to five hundred li of uninhabited mountain regions… the Wei army would already be an exhausted force. How could they be a match for the Shu army?
But the success of historical Yinping infiltrations lay in the fact that the people of Shu Han were already alienated from the regime, their spirits having long since rebelled against Shu Han.
When Deng Ai led a group of ragged soldiers into Shu Han territory, many Shu Han generals chose not to resist, but to surrender without a fight.
The only ones who ultimately stood up for Shu Han were those few individuals with a special attachment to Shu Han, such as Zhuge Liang's son, Zhuge Zhan, and Zhang Fei's grandson, Zhang Zun, and others…
However, these individuals were too few, and Deng Ai easily defeated them. After the successive deaths of Zhuge Zhan and others, Liu Shan had already eagerly opened the city gates. At this point, Jiang Wei's army was still blocking Zhong Hui at Jian'ge!
Lu Yu understood this perfectly…
If it were merely an infiltration of Yinping, it would surely end in failure. It must be combined with psychological warfare…
Deng Ai exploited the disunity among the people of Bashu, while he would exploit… an inside-outside cooperation!
It was upon realizing this that Cao Cao's lips curved into a knowing smile.
"Heh heh…"
Cao Cao chuckled and recited, "Well done, infiltrating Yinping to directly take Shu Han!"
Chengdu, the Royal Palace Hall.
Liu Bei was consulting with his officials on the Northern Expedition.
In the past…
The boast Liu Bei had made when he declared himself Emperor, of a "Northern Expedition" five years later, still lingered.
If he did not embark on a Northern Expedition soon… then the slogans of "no coexistence between the Han and the rebels" and "the imperial enterprise cannot be confined to a corner" would become mere empty words!
But… Zhuge Liang disagreed with Liu Bei's Northern Expedition!
Zhuge Liang, with a bandage around his head and looking haggard, also participated in the discussions. He appeared emaciated, making it difficult to imagine… that at just thirty years of age, his complexion was so pale, full of sickness.
Yet, he still tried to stand upright and reported, "Your Majesty, Cao Wei has relocated the followers and common folk of the Five Pecks of Rice sect in Hanzhong to the interior, and has promoted land reclamation for grain storage in the entire Hanzhong region. Over the past five years, they have accumulated a large amount of grain and provisions. Once the five-year armistice expires, they will inevitably march south to conquer Bashu. Bashu, with its single province against the twelve provinces of the realm, does not possess the favor of heaven or the support of the people… The pressing matter is to await the enemy at ease and defend all the passes!
One must absolutely not speak lightly of a Northern Expedition… and one must never abandon the advantage of terrain!
Zhuge Liang's words fell silent…
In the past, his words would undoubtedly have been met with unanimous support, and Liu Bei would have followed them implicitly.
But this time… everything had changed, completely changed.
Liu Bei's eyes revealed a thoughtful glint.
Immediately after, Li Yan, who had always been extremely deferential to Zhuge Liang, stepped forward and said, "I dare to ask the Chancellor, until when does the Chancellor intend for Bashu and His Majesty to defend?"
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