Huo Jun, a general from Jingzhou, how did he defend Liu Bei's base with his own strength in a chaotic battlefield and achieve the legend of being undefeated? In the seventeenth year of Jian'an (212), how would this 31-year-old Zhonglang use hundreds of soldiers and horses to repel more than 10,000 enemy troops, and how could he win Liu Bei's attention, even surpassing Wei Yan?
Huo Jun, who is rarely mentioned in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is a tough guy from Nanjun County, Jingzhou, and his family is quite prestigious in the local area. The common people said that his family's prestige and wealth could raise hundreds of soldiers, which was not trivial at the time. Huo Jun's elder brother Huo Du initially led the family's subordinates to take refuge in Liu Biao, and after Liu Biao died of illness, Liu Bei began to expand his power in Jiangnan, and Huo Jun also took refuge in Liu Bei, starting his military career.
Liu Bei's identification and use of talents is notoriously discerning. In Liu Bei's eyes, Huo Jun is not only an ordinary general, but also an important chess piece who can take charge of himself. In that era of war and chaos, to be reused by a hero like Liu Bei, Huo Jun was naturally not an idle person. In fact, Liu Bei chose to let Huo Jun hold the key location of Jia Meng at the critical moment of attacking Yizhou, which is enough to show his trust and importance to Huo Jun.
Speaking of Jia Meng, the strategic location of this place is extremely important, and it is the only way for Liu Bei to march into Shu. The situation at that time was extremely unfavorable for Liu Bei, because his base camp Nanjun could not provide the necessary logistical support, so Liu Bei had to ensure the safety of the rear while maintaining the offensive. Huo Jun was appointed to guard Jia Meng, which can be described as a heavy responsibility.
Liu Zhang and Zhang Lu were both strong enemies that Huo Jun had to face at that time. In particular, Zhang Lu's proposal to jointly defend the city seems reasonable, but it is actually a typical political bait. Huo Jun's response, "The villain's head can be obtained, but the city cannot be obtained!" This bold remark shows his firm stand and outstanding military judgment that are absolutely not at the mercy of others.
What happened next proved Huo Jun's military talent. The generals sent by Liu Zhang and the more than 10,000 men and horses led by Xiang Cun originally thought that they could easily capture Jia Meng, but they did not expect to be successfully repelled by Huo Jun with fewer victories. This battle is not only a simple military confrontation, but also a contest of intelligence and courage. Huo Jun not only showed his tactical wisdom, but also strengthened Liu Bei's trust in him through this battle.
And this victory also laid a solid foundation for Liu Bei's follow-up strategy of unification of Shudi. It can be said that without Huo Jun's persistence, Liu Bei's great cause of Shu may have died.
Although Huo Jun's name was not as loud as Zhuge Liang and Guan Yu in the history of the Three Kingdoms, his military talent and loyalty were important factors in Liu Bei's ability to stabilize the rear and concentrate on dealing with the front line. Huo Jun single-handedly defended a key place, which was not only a military victory, but also a great psychological blow to the enemy.
In fact, Huo Jun's story also reminds us that history is often written by people who work quietly behind the scenes. Just like Huo Jun, although his name does not often appear in the glorious pages of history, his contribution is indelible.
In the battles that followed, Huo Jun continued to contribute countless victories to Liu Bei with his superb military command ability. His military career, although not much is documented, is a compliment every time he is mentioned.
In the era of heroes in the Three Kingdoms, although Huo Jun was only one of them, his story also inspired every one of us who struggled in modern society. Such a hero, how can his story not make people's blood boil? In the vast history of the Three Kingdoms, although a figure like Huo Jun is only one of the waves, his influence and inspiration are eternal.