Cao Shuang coughed slightly and said: "Well, it has been concluded before. The responsibility does not lie with General Sima and Governor Guo. Therefore, General Sima and Governor Guo are not at fault, so there is no question of pursuing them. The matter is revealed.

It’s passed, and no one is allowed to mention it again.”

Xiahou Ba glanced at Sima Zhao angrily and sneered: "Is General Sima well aware of whether he really tried his best?"

Sima Zhao said angrily: "What do you mean by the Xiahou Guards Army? Could it be that the two of us are collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country?"

Xiahou Ba snorted heavily and said, "I didn't say that. If General Sima admits it himself, that's fine."

Sima Zhao's expression suddenly changed, and he shouted in a deep voice: "Xiahou Ba, you are spitting blood!"

Xia Hou said domineeringly: "The facts are all there, why have we ever slandered you? If Dingjun Mountain had not been lost, why would we be in today's situation?"

Guo Huai said leisurely: "Yes, we are at fault for losing Dingjun Mountain, but we are not the only ones who are also at fault. If your father had not lost Dingjun Mountain, why would Hanzhong fall into the hands of Shu? Your father is deeply saddened by this loss.

Dingjun Mountain not only has no faults, but has merits. Aren't the Xiahou Guards now attacking my father? According to the Xiahou Guards, not only should your father not be posthumously granted the title, but he should be pulled out and whipped to death."

When Xiahou Ba heard that Guo Huai had insulted his late father, his eyes were about to burst. He stepped forward and grabbed Guo Huai, and they wrestled him together.

The banquet suddenly became chaotic. Everyone pulled Xiahou Ba and Guo Huai away from each other. The two of them started to criticize each other. Cao Shuang turned pale and walked away. The banquet ended unhappy.

Cao Liang didn't expect Xiahou Ba to be so angry. He would fight with Guo Huai as soon as they disagreed. It was indeed out of character.

However, Xiahou Ba didn't care. They usually had a bad relationship and just made some sarcastic remarks. Today, Guo Huai actually insulted Xiahou Yuan.

After leaving the banquet, Xia Houxuan complained: "Second uncle, you are too impulsive. Why do you take action when you disagree? It is beneath your status."

Xiahou Ba had drunk a lot of wine. When he came outside, the cold wind blew and he was mostly awake. However, he obviously did not regret his previous behavior and said proudly: "That bastard Guo Huai bullied others too much. He dared to insult my late father."

, I can’t wait to twist off his head!”

Xia Houxuan said: "Second uncle, you are making things difficult for the general. Originally the general was on your side, but now we are at a loss."

Xiahouba said domineeringly: "Whatever responsibility there is, I will bear it. If the general wants to punish you, I will bear it alone!"

However, the matter was settled in the end. Cao Shuang neither held Xiahou Ba accountable nor held Sima Zhao and Guo Huai accountable for their negligence.

After Xiahou Ba's army returned to the main army, there were two different voices as to whether the Wei army was advancing or retreating. Even Cao Shuang was hesitant for a while.

Xia Houxuan and others advocated withdrawing their troops. After all, the Wei army suffered a lot in the Battle of Hanzhong. Now that reinforcements from the Shu army have arrived, the Wei army may not have much chance. There is no need to retreat as early as possible to minimize losses.

However, Ding Mi, Li Sheng and others firmly disagreed with the withdrawal. They believed that the previous defeat of the Wei army was due to the lengthening of the battle line. Now the combined number of Wei army's troops is not inferior to that of the Shu army, and the Shu army is currently

Occupying Xingshi Mountain, you can enter Hanzhong at any time.

Ding Mi believes that if the army retreats at this moment, it will be equivalent to wasting all the previous efforts. The army has paid so much price but gained nothing. It is a pity. It is better to seize the opportunity to enter the Hanzhong Plain at any time and constantly harass the Shu army.

, look for its flaws, maybe there will be a chance to win Hanzhong again.

Cao Shuang was naturally inclined to the latter opinion. The purpose of his attack on Shu this time was very clear, which was to conquer cities and territories, make achievements, and use a great victory to eliminate people's doubts.

Who said Cao Shuang could not lead troops? With this remarkable record in front of them, who would dare to refute it?

Unfortunately, things went against expectations, and what was supposed to be a vigorous victory ended in disgrace. I am afraid that from now on, the world will despise Cao Shuang even more, and his prestige has dropped to the freezing point.

Therefore, even if there was still a little hope, Cao Shuang was unwilling to evacuate on his own initiative. Ding Mi had always been an advocate for Cao Shuang's army to attack Shu, and Cao Shuang still trusted him far more than anyone else.

Ding Mi was good at observing words and emotions, and knew Cao Shuang very well, so he could often do what he wanted. Since Cao Shuang was unwilling to withdraw his troops deep down, Ding Mi took the initiative to magnify Cao Shuang's inner world, and naturally won Cao Shuang's favor.

of trust.

However, although Ding Mi was able to observe people's emotions, he knew nothing about the military field, so even though Ding Mi's suggestions had the same intentions as Cao Shuang's, they were difficult to meet the current situation faced by the Wei army.

Fei's army also entered the Hanzhong Plain as scheduled. Now the Shu army's strength in Hanzhong has reached more than 100,000. The total strength of the two sides is roughly the same.

However, in terms of momentum, the Shu army is obviously superior to the Wei army. Now the Shu army occupies almost all the fortresses in Hanzhong, waiting for work. If the Wei army does not want to withdraw, it can only march towards these fortified cities. Previously, the Shu army had few soldiers.

They were able to resist at that time, but now that the army is so powerful, the Wei army has no chance at all.

The battle situation between the two sides has gone from ups and downs to a relatively stable stalemate. The battle line has been stable in the Xingshi Mountain area. Although there have been constant small-scale conflicts, a real decisive battle has never occurred again.

Obviously after experiencing the Hanzhong War, both sides were much more cautious in the use of troops. The Shu army was heavily fortified in the Hanle Second City area and blocked many roads. The Wei army had no chance to take advantage of it, and there was no chance to sneak in.

.

Xia Houxuan and others were not optimistic about this war and urged Cao Shuang to retreat as soon as possible. However, Cao Shuang seemed determined to win a win-win result and insisted on his own opinion.

Everyone had no choice but to obey the general's orders, perform their duties, and try their best to deal with the Shu army.

The battle between the two sides continued like this. The Wei army tightly guarded Jushi Mountain, and the Shu army had no chance to take advantage of it.

The Wei army sent troops into the Hanzhong Plain several times, but due to weak attacks and insufficient backup, they could only withdraw back one after another, making it difficult to achieve the desired results.
Chapter completed!