For Shu, Ba is like a shell, wrapping up Shu with the help of Daba Mountain and the Yangtze River.
Langzhong is a strategic location in Ba. It connects to Hanzhong to the north, goes directly to Jiangzhou along the river to the east, and enters the heart of Shu to the south.
The most important thing is that Langzhong can go around behind Jiange, making this natural barrier useless. When Jiang Wei was guarding Jiange and was sneaked through Yinping by Deng Ai, he retreated to Chengdu from Langzhong.
Liu Bei did not let Zhang Fei guard Hanzhong, but let him guard Langzhong. It was not because he did not trust Zhang Fei, but because he attached great importance to this place and felt at ease leaving it to his brother.
If Wei Yan guarding Hanzhong is compared to a watchdog, then Zhang Fei in Langzhong is a tiger guarding the house!
Even if the gate is lost, we can still guard the main yard and continue to output. But if the backyard catches fire, it will be completely over.
Langzhong takes into account all directions. Now that Liu Qi has taken this place, he can attack or defend. To enter Shu, he only needs to take a step forward. He doesn't have to worry about Jiange anymore, and he doesn't have to go through the dangerous Yinping Road.
Although Pang Xi's letter had been sent, the generals were already impatient, and Liu Qi also wanted to end the battle before winter, so he discussed with the three military advisors.
Xu Shu said: "Although the general has taken Hanzhong, Zhang Lu surrendered without a fight, and his troops are intact and their morale is high. Now Baxi and Jiangzhou have sufficient food and grass, and can be connected to Jiangling. We should take advantage of the victory to advance westward and recapture Shuzhong in one go."
Liu Qi frowned and said, "Pang Xi has already sent a letter to Chengdu, but he sent troops without receiving a reply. If Liu Zhang really wants to surrender, isn't this just adding fuel to the fire?"
Fa Zheng said: "Liu Zhang is a weak person. Although the border city was breached, he did not feel the danger was coming. I think that despite Pang Xi's advice, there must be people in Chengdu who oppose it. It's not that they don't want to surrender, but they are undecided and will hesitate. The general needs to prepare early!"
Pang Tong nodded and said, "Liu Jiyu is living in peace in the world, just like a sheep herding in the wild. Even if there are tigers and wolves patrolling, as long as they are not approaching, they will live in peace. We can take this opportunity to eliminate those who are ignorant of the times and stubborn and put an end to future troubles."
Liu Qi thought about the situation when Liu Bei entered Shu, and suddenly felt that Liu Zhang and Liu Chan were somewhat similar. They did not know how to employ people, delegated power to others, and muddled along without a sense of crisis.
It is said that Sima's usurpation of Cao Wei was retribution, and Liu Chan's giving up Chengdu was also a reincarnation of fate.
It seemed that he had to give Liu Zhang a warning, so he asked Fa Zhengdao, "Master, what good advice do you have?"
Fa Zheng suggested, "We can divide the troops into three routes to attack Chengdu: Jiangzhou troops can advance by land and sea, take Deyang and Guanghan by land, and go straight to Jianwei County from Jiangyang by water; one route from Langzhong can take Guanghan as a support, and the other route can focus on Jiange. After Jiange is captured, the Hanzhong troops can march straight to Mianzhu. Now that Liu Zhang is in imminent danger, even if there are people who oppose him, he will surrender."
Liu Qi agreed with this and ordered all the generals to come to the tent. He appointed Liu Pan as General Pingxi, Xu Shu as military advisor, and had Gan Ning lead the navy to Jiangzhou to lead the eastern troops to capture Jianwei.
Xu Shu was puzzled and said, "It's not that I don't want to go. Yide and Shiyuan came from Jiangling to lead the troops. They are familiar with the soldiers and it's more handy to lead the old troops. Changing the generals in the middle of a battle is a big taboo!"
Zhang Fei also clasped his fists and said, "My Lord, if I cannot capture Qianwei, I will bring my head to you."
Liu Qi waved his hand and smiled, "It's not that I don't trust Yide and the other two, but there are already Xingba, Zhang He, Yu Jin and several other powerful generals on the east road. If you go to be the commander, you will have to compete with them for merit in the battle. If you don't go to the battle, you can't control your temper. It's better for you to stay in Langzhong and be the vanguard. If you insist on going, it's not a bad idea. General Huang and Zilong can also lead the charge."
Zhang Fei was stunned and waved his hands repeatedly: "Then I won't go!"
Gan Ning smiled and said, "Fortunately I'm going to bring the navy with me, otherwise it wouldn't be your turn to take action."
"No, no, no!" Zhang Fei thought about how it had happened along the way. Everyone had advised him, as a general, not to act rashly, and he shook his head like a rattle.
Everyone laughed, and Liu Qi said, "Most of the soldiers in Jiangzhou are trained by General Jin and General Gan. As long as they are in the army, there is no need to worry. It is hundreds of miles away, and the road is rough. Shi Yuan has been traveling for a long time, and Xiao Zhi is ill, so Yuan Zhi has to go for a trip."
Xu Shu clasped his fists and said with a smile: "In this case, I will just go to the martial arts world with my sword."
"My Lord, I am still strong... cough cough—"
Pang Tong was about to argue when Zhang Fei slapped him with a big palm like a palm-leaf fan, and he started coughing non-stop.
"No, drinking every day will make you tired!" Zhang Fei shook his head and sighed, "You should stay in Langzhong with me!"
Liu Qi said with a smile: "Although Du Kang is good, you should not drink too much. Shi Yuan, you should be more careful!"
Pang Tong's face turned red, and he complained: "Who can withstand your bear paw?"
Fa Zheng was standing nearby, seeing all the civil and military officials having so much fun, and he was filled with envy. Over the years, he and Meng Da had been living in a foreign land, being looked down upon, and because of his aloof personality, he had never experienced the joy of being together.
Looking at Liu Qi again, he was chatting and laughing with his subordinates. There was no trace of the majesty of a superior at all. He was friendly and courteous to others, which made people feel like spring breeze and they blended into the group unconsciously.
He listens to and asks many questions about everything. He seems to have no opinion, but he makes his own decisions at critical moments. He has an innate royal nobility that makes people unconsciously guard him.
After selecting the generals, Liu Qi instructed Liu Pan: "Yan Yan, the commander of Dianjiang, is a loyal and righteous man. You should treat him with courtesy. You can ask Han Sheng to persuade him. They are of similar age and are easier to talk to."
Fa Zheng also said: "Yan Yan has taught many officers and soldiers in Shu. If we can get his help, it will be much easier to enter Shu."
Liu Pan took the order and said goodbye to Huang Zhong and Gan Ning and left. Liu Qi also ordered his generals to prepare their troops and sent people to convey the order to Kou Feng and Liu Xian at Jiameng Pass, urging them to send troops to attack Jiange.
Although Yizhou was already in his pocket, Liu Qi still did not dare to be careless. Arrogant soldiers will eventually be defeated, and this is no joke.
Liu Qi was even more in awe of competing with the ancients in wits. Those who could leave their names in history were definitely not ordinary people. Even people like Xing Daorong and Pan Feng were the best in their local area.
For this reason, Liu Qi often secretly used Yuan Shao at Guandu, Cao Cao at Chibi, Sun Quan at Hefei, and Liu Bei at Yiling as examples to remind himself not to get carried away.
The reason for changing generals at the last minute was not really because he was afraid that Zhang Fei would compete for credit, but because he was worried that something might happen to him and Pang Tong. One was bellicosity and impulsive, and the other liked to take risks. If these two were partners, wouldn't they be able to rush into Sichuan in a hurry
Although Liu Zhang is weak, this is their home ground after all. They can wait for the enemy to tire themselves out and do not have to worry about logistical supplies. Moreover, generals such as Zhang Ren and Liu Gui have not yet shown up. If something unexpected happens with something that is 90% certain to be successful, he will have no place to cry.
Take Liu Bei's entry into Shu as an example. After the fallout, the first few battles were a mess. Zhang Ren alone suffered heavy losses in Fuxian, Mianzhu and Luocheng.
The siege of Luo City lasted for more than half a year, and Pang Tong even lost his life. If Zhuge Liang had not arrived in time, the city would have been capsized by the weak Liu Zhang and his reputation would have been ruined.
Therefore, the closer we get to the final moment, the more we must stay highly alert and take every step carefully. More haste makes waste. It is most practical to keep these two people by your side!