Luogu Road is also called Tangluo Road. Its south entrance is located at the mouth of Tangshui River in Yang County, Hanzhong County, and its north entrance is located in Xiluo Valley, Zhouzhi County. It stretches for more than 400 miles. Since it is closest to Taibai Peak, the main peak of Qinling Mountains, it is the most convenient among all ancient roads.

It is also the most steep valley road.

Cao Shuang and a group of his staff had studied the reason why they chose to march from Luogu Road. Ziwu Road was difficult and dangerous, and Baoxie Road and the Old Road were located to the west. It was very convenient for the Wei army to advance in a roundabout way, so they chose it.

Luogu Road.

One of the most important reasons is that the south entrance of Luo Valley Road, which is the exit in the direction of Hanzhong, is located in the Xingshi and Golden areas, less than a hundred miles away from Hanle City, the center of Hanzhong. If the Wei army leaves Tang Valley

, if all goes well, we will first control the two important strongholds of Xingshi and Huangjin, which is equivalent to mastering the commanding heights in the eastern part of Hanzhong, and then we can march westward and directly capture the two cities of Hanle.

Therefore, Cao Shuang had already chosen the Luogu Road when he was planning the march in Luoyang. After Xia Houxuan arrived in Chang'an, he officially launched the plan to conquer Shu. All the preparations of the Wei army were carried out around the Luogu Road.

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Xiahou Ba, the army guard against Shu, was entrusted with an important task by Cao Shuang this time and rushed to Luogukou first to make preliminary arrangements there.

The most difficult part of attacking Shu is not fighting, but marching. The towering Qinling Mountains are not only the border between Wei and Shu, but also the dividing line between the north and the south. The north of the Qinling Mountains is now thousands of miles of ice and cold.

The south of the Qinling Mountains is already full of spring and beautiful mountains and clear waters.

The rugged and steep mountain roads became the biggest problem for the Wei army in conquering Shu. For the Wei army who were accustomed to fighting in plain areas, this mysterious mountain was like an insurmountable barrier in front of them, which was daunting.

Therefore, Xiahouba rushed to Luogu first to make preliminary preparations for the march. There were almost all kinds of things that needed to be prepared, such as food and grass, baggage, carriages and horses, ordnance, weapons, tents, cooking utensils, medicine, etc.

various kinds.

This preparation work was not only complicated and trivial, but also required to be extremely meticulous, without any leakage. After Xiahou Ba took office, he worked conscientiously, forgot about food and sleep, and tried his best to do all this.

After all, the expenses for an army of 150,000 were extremely huge. Xiahou Ba did not dare to take it lightly and did everything well in every detail.

In real terms, this is the second time that the Wei State has raised troops to attack Shu. The last attack dates back to thirteen years ago. Emperor Wei Ming ordered Cao Zhen to lead the main force from Chang'an into the Ziwu Valley, and General Zuo Zhang came out of the Xie Valley.

Sima Yi followed the Han River from Jingzhou and left Xicheng, and divided his troops into three groups to attack Hanzhong.

However, this time the Wei State assembled an army of 200,000 to attack Shu, but it was a complete success. Before even fighting the Shu army, it encountered continuous heavy rains. It rained heavily for a month, flash floods broke out, and roads were damaged. The Wei army had to withdraw its troops without success.

return.

Compared with Shu State, Zhuge Liang frequently used troops and made repeated northern expeditions, Wei State has always been on the defensive on the western front, which undoubtedly caused many people to criticize it.

In terms of strength, it is an indisputable fact that the Wei State and Shu State are weak, but the weak Shu State continues to launch provocations, while the Wei State, which claims to be powerful, is passively beaten, forming a sharp contrast.

As a result, many people in the government and the public of the Wei State were deeply dissatisfied with this situation. They believed that the Wei State should do something on the western front battlefield and bring the war to the territory of the Shu Kingdom, instead of just covering up the water with the earth.

Attack is always the best defense. Defending the enemy outside the country is the highest level of defense. So this time, although Cao Shuang was strongly opposed by ministers like Sima Yi, many people still agreed with him and thought that he should be ruthless.

It's time to give Shu a hard counterattack.

Therefore, Cao Shuang's military action was actually very popular. People expected Cao Shuang to return triumphantly and teach the Shu Kingdom a lesson for not knowing how high the sky and the earth were. It would be best for Cao Shuang to lead his army directly into the capital of Shu.

Capturing the false emperor Liu Chan directly destroyed the Shu Han regime that claimed to be orthodox.

With a strong mass base, Cao Shuang became a little carried away, forgot about everything, and had some thoughts of underestimating the enemy.

However, based on the current strength comparison between Wei and Shu, Cao Shuang does have something to be proud of. The 150,000 troops led by Cao Shuang this time alone are already more than the total military strength of Shu. This battle will be

In such a crushing battle, Cao Shuang could almost imagine the scene where thousands of soldiers and civilians in Luoyang cheered when he returned in triumph.

Although it was Cao Shuang's first time to lead an army on an expedition, under the influence of his father Cao Zhen since he was a child, Cao Shuang was no stranger to marching and fighting, and he also knew the art of war and formations well, so he was full of confidence and believed that this expedition would be a success.

To be successful.

After arriving at the entrance of Luo Valley, Cao Shuang led his army to camp outside the valley. Soldiers and horses from all walks of life came in droves. Soon, 150,000 troops had gathered in Luo Valley, waiting for Cao Shuang's order.

The day after arriving at Luogukou, Cao Shuang raised his tent to discuss matters with the generals and discussed the advisability of marching.

Xiahou Ba and Guo Huai fought fiercely for the title of Pioneer. Although they had worked together in Yongliang for many years, their relationship was not harmonious and even full of conflicts. As a lower official, Xiahou Ba had repeatedly acted for

He was suppressed by Guo Huai, and this time he had people from the Cao family supporting him, so he was naturally confident and not afraid of Guo Huai at all. As a pioneer official, he could not argue.

Emotionally speaking, Cao Shuang naturally favors Xiahou Ba. However, considering that Guo Huai is the governor of Yongzhou, nearly half of the troops under his command are from Yongzhou. In this battle against Shu, there are other places where he relies heavily on Guo Huai.

There were many, so Cao Shuang adopted a compromise plan, with Guo Huai as the left vanguard and Xiahou Ba as the right vanguard, each leading five thousand troops and advancing in sequence.

Because the Luo Valley Road is narrow and difficult to navigate, most of the time it can only allow one person and one horse to pass, so Cao Shuang designated Guo Huai to go first and Xia Hou to dominate the rear. As for the battle after leaving the valley, the two fought separately and complemented each other.

Although this result cannot be said to be satisfactory to everyone, it is within the range that both people can accept. What's more, Cao Shuang has already decided the matter, and both of them are embarrassed to argue again. After all, Cao Shuang still has to give face.

Guo Huai and Xiahou Ba respectively took orders and went down to arrange the troops in their base camp, so that they would be ready to set off at any time.
Chapter completed!