Ants Gnaw an Elephant, Sparrows Battle

The Wei River rose from Bird-Rat Same-Burrow Mountain in Longxi, flowed through Liang Province and Yong Province before finally joining the Yellow River. It was one of the most important rivers in the northwest, and an essential part of the land that nurtured the Guanzhong Plain.

The fertile, level lands along both banks of the river sustained countless people throughout the Yong-Liang Region. Major cities were all built beside the river, and the official roads between them followed its course as well.

Xiahou Mao led his infantry and cavalry in a column stretching several li, slowly advancing westward toward Ji County.

Though he held an absolute advantage in troop numbers, Xiahou Mao remained extremely cautious in the face of the renowned Zhang Fei. Even with canal transport assisting the supply train, he still ordered the army to cover only thirty li a day, maintaining a deliberately slow marching pace.

After leaving Shanggui, by the afternoon of the second day, Xiahou Mao's army was less than five li from Wangyuan County.

Xiahou Mao sent scouts ahead to Wangyuan with word, ordering Wangyuan's defending commander, Zhao Yu, to prepare food to reward the troops.

"We're more than halfway through our advance, yet we haven't seen so much as half a horse of Zhang Fei's. Looks like this general was worrying too much. Of course, Liang Qian influenced me as well. Before we set out, that fellow kept warning me again and again, saying Zhang Fei was skilled at surprise attacks. Hmph, hmph. The more I think about it, the more laughable it is. A few thousand cavalrymen dare come provoke us? Tianshui's defenders were simply incompetent, that's all." Xiahou Mao sighed smugly to those around him.

Chief Clerk Han Shao analyzed, "The main issue was that Tianshui's defenders were too few. The