Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 49 A Boring War

After the military meeting ended, Shi Shouxin returned to his tent and sat listlessly on a straw mat.

Jiang Shu's surrender is certainly genuine. However, whether or not to take action is a matter worth discussing.

Just as he was fiddling with the small wooden block in his hand, pondering a solution, Du Yu lifted the tent flap and walked in. Shi Shouxin immediately ordered his personal guards to stand watch outside the door, forbidding anyone from approaching.

"During the military meeting just now, I noticed you looked troubled. Do you feel that this matter is inappropriate?"

Du Yu asked in a deep voice.

It was Shi Shouxin who pulled him out of the Yellow River; he had saved his life.

Moreover, the other party is honest and reliable, and can be entrusted with important matters.

Du Yu didn't really trust Hu Lie, because he thought the man was brave but lacked strategy and knowledge. On the contrary, Shi Shouxin's opinions were often insightful, as demonstrated on several occasions during previous military campaigns.

They're not only one of us, but they're also smart! If you don't trust these people and don't stick together, how will you survive in the future?
"If we capture Yang'an Pass, this battle will become a dead end, with no way out."

Shi Shouxin sighed and shook his head helplessly.

He is no longer the reckless man he was two years ago, who dared to fight the world with a sword in hand.

Shi Shouxin now has a family, a wife, and a mistress. He can't possibly ignore their lives and only care about recklessness.

What is a dead end?

Du Yu's expression was grave; just hearing that word, he knew it was bad news.

"A dead end is a situation with no solution, in which all those involved will perish."

These things should have nothing to do with us; they are matters for Zhong Hui and his group.

But if the building is about to collapse, it will crush the flowers and plants below. How can someone as insignificant as me not worry?

"I don't quite understand what you're saying, but I'd love to hear your explanation. I hope you won't hesitate to teach me."

Du Yu bowed to Shi Shouxin and said.

Shi Shouxin looked around and, finding no one eavesdropping, leaned closer and whispered, "Yuan Kai, let me ask you, what is the purpose of this campaign against Shu? You are the General's brother-in-law, you shouldn't be shy about asking this, right?"

Du Yu nodded, then smiled wryly and said, "Naturally, it's for the General to accumulate prestige for the change of dynasty."

We're all friends now, and we're all in the same boat. It wouldn't be fun if we kept putting on airs.

"exactly."

Shi Shouxin nodded and continued, "If we take Yang'an Pass, then won't Jiange be right under the noses of the Wei army?"

"good."

Du Yu continued to nod.

"Jiange is indeed very dangerous, but it is the last line of defense. If the garrison commander is bribed, it will be a catastrophic disaster for the Shu Kingdom once it is breached."

Once our army occupies Yang'an Pass, we can rely on the local provisions and manpower of Hanzhong to conduct long-term light harassment of the Jiange line. If we can't take it today, we'll try tomorrow; if we can't take it this month, we'll try next month; if we can't take it this year, we'll try next year.

I've only ever heard of someone who steals for a thousand days, never someone who guards against thieves for a thousand days.

As the art of war says: "A prolonged defense will inevitably lead to defeat."

The Shu army is losing three men today and five more tomorrow. If this drags on, their morale and fighting spirit will inevitably collapse!

Therefore, if Yang'an Pass is captured, then Hanzhong will be captured. Once Hanzhong is captured, Shu cannot survive alone, and its fall is only a matter of time.

In other words, taking Yang'an Pass opens the door to the destruction of Shu. The General will have to destroy Shu no matter what!
The entire political landscape will change drastically then, and who could have imagined that all these changes would be triggered by tomorrow's battle?

Shi Shouxin said in a deep voice.

Du Yu was so frightened that his hair stood on end. Only those who understood Sima Zhao's situation could comprehend the perilous nature of the situation.

Sima Zhao only held the title of "Grand General".

After Zhong Hui captured Hanzhong, he was going to promote a number of generals, including Zhong Hui himself, and some of them might even surpass Sima Zhao in rank.

At that time, should Sima Zhao bow and salute to those people? Or should Sima Zhao sit at the children's table during the banquet?

Of course, this is still manageable. Sima Zhao can gradually diminish his military achievements in capturing Hanzhong over time, which will take at most one or two years.

But if the loss of Yang'an Pass leads to a series of chain reactions, such as the loss of Jiange Pass, leaving Shu wide open, then shouldn't Sima Zhao grant Zhong Hui a kingship for this achievement of conquering a kingdom?

Should we bestow titles and appointments upon all the generals who conquered Shu?

If a large group of people had a higher rank than Sima Zhao back then, the scene would have been quite spectacular, wouldn't it?

Shi Shouxin continued:

"If we don't break through Yang'an Pass, the Grand General will be enfeoffed as the Duke of Jin, and Zhong Hui will raise bandits to enhance his own power. He will be sent to guard Hanzhong, and perhaps we can still live in peace."

If Yang'an Pass is breached, Zhong Hui may face certain death.
However, if the Wei army breaks through Jian Ge, Zhong Hui will surely die!

"Many people might die along with it!"

Shi Shouxin's words were alarmist and exaggerated, yet Du Yu raised no objection whatsoever. To become the son-in-law of the Sima family, Du Yu clearly possessed considerable talent.

Du Yu shook his head and sighed, "If Zhong Hui had stopped now and only seized Hanzhong, then this battle could have ended perfectly, and the general would have been overjoyed."

But General Hu has already decided to send troops tomorrow, and what will happen next is not something that can be discussed openly.

These words were truly enlightening.

Jiang Shu's surrender may seem insignificant, but it actually has a significant impact on the overall situation. However, these two men are neither military commanders nor Sima Zhao, who is stationed in the rear. What can they do? Should they sabotage Jiang Shu's surrender and instead help the Shu Kingdom?
“Yuan Kai, Shi suddenly thought of a riddle.”

What exactly is this item that you see but don't know how to buy, buy but don't know how to use, and use but don't understand?

Shi Shouxin's expression twisted as if he had thought of something ridiculous.

"Items that you see but don't know how to buy, items that you buy but don't know how to use, and items that you don't understand after using them."

"Well... isn't that just a coffin?"

Du Yu chuckled awkwardly, but suddenly his smile froze, and he stood there stunned.

This answer seems a bit ominous.

A coffin is for the dead!
"How about we go and talk to General Hu and tell him not to cooperate with Jiang Shu tomorrow?"

Du Yu suggested in a low voice.

Shi Shouxin shook his head and said, "Zhong Hui has spies in the army. If this matter comes to light, he might come and demand an explanation. Let it be, like the saying goes."

Yes, let it be. After thinking it over, Du Yu decided to abandon his previous idea.

If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up! It's not their turn to shelter from the wind and rain!

"As long as Zhong Hui leads his troops into Shu, the general will suspect that Zhong Hui wants to occupy Shu and establish himself, and Zhong Hui will also suspect that the general will suspect him, so he will take the initiative to rebel."

The intricate calculations and schemes involved cannot be explained in a few words. If we truly do join the army in Sichuan, we must advance and retreat together no matter what.

Shi Shouxin said meaningfully.

Du Yu nodded cautiously, without saying much. Well, the real threat was obvious. At that time, military law and official rank would be useless. It would all come down to who could command the army, who had the most resources, and who could seize the initiative decisively.

When things get chaotic, the only people you can trust are "your own people"!
……

This is a sleepless night.

If a person knows they might die tomorrow, can they sleep tonight?
Hard to say.

Hu Lie slept soundly, but the inexperienced Shi Shouxin and Du Yu couldn't sleep.

Firstly, a battle might break out tomorrow; secondly, there is concern about the upcoming campaign against Shu.

They weren't that carefree; they spent the whole night filled with worries and couldn't sleep.

As dawn broke, the sound of drums resounded throughout the camp.

"Oh no, they're mustering the troops!"

Du Yu's expression changed drastically. Whether he and Shi Shouxin were discussing matters or just chatting, they had stayed up all night. Unexpectedly, just as dawn broke, the camp suddenly began its troop mobilization!

If the drums sound three hundred times and the enemy doesn't reach the commander's tent, it's considered slow-moving, and that's punishable by beheading!
Du Yu hurriedly left the military tent and ran towards his own. Shi Shouxin, who only had a hundred soldiers under his command, calmly ordered his troops to assemble.

The time for the troop mobilization and departure seemed to be earlier than agreed.

Shi Shouxin felt something was strange, but he had never participated in ancient wars before, and in the past two years he had only inquired about some past battles indirectly, so he planned to observe quietly why this situation was happening.

The battles between armies in this era were quite different from those depicted in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." For example, the so-called "duels between generals" rarely occurred in this period.

For example, when Guan Yu beheaded Yan Liang, it wasn't a one-on-one battle; he took Yan Liang's head amidst the chaos of battle. In a large-scale battle, if the forces are outnumbered and morale is low, even a general with three heads and six arms is useless.

Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom! Boom, boom, boom!
The drumbeats in the camp grew increasingly rapid.

Shi Shouxin straightened his clothes and walked into the commander's tent at a leisurely pace. He saw Hu Lie already sitting in the main seat, with the generals of the army lined up on both sides. One after another, many generals came from all parts of the camp to this place.

He walked straight to the position near the entrance of the military tent, stood there, lowered his head and remained silent, waiting for Hu Lie's command.

After the drums stopped, several axemen stood outside the military tent with their swords. If any late generals arrived, they would be taken down without a word!

"Hu Yuan, when troops emerge from Yang'an Pass, lead your troops to meet them. If the enemy vanguard clears the way with a white flag, make way for them and let them in."

Hu Lie gave instructions to his eldest son, Hu Yuan.

Upon receiving his order, all the generals immediately straightened their backs and obeyed without daring to slacken their efforts. Like father, like son; Hu Lie's decision to have his son lead the charge was a well-thought-out strategy, and no officer in the army dared to object.

Shi Shouxin observed secretly from the side, feeling that he had learned another trick. Even though Hu Lie was only described as a "brute" by Du Yu, his methods of managing troops were quite sophisticated.

It's not that he was ignorant because he had little education; he was extremely skilled in deploying troops.

"The rest of the generals followed me in the central army to hold the line."

Du Yu will lead his troops to cover the rear, with Supervisor Shi accompanying him. Any deserters will be dealt with according to military law.

Hu Lie issued another order, which was concise and clear. Du Yu was Sima Zhao's brother-in-law and not skilled in battle; how could he possibly be sent into battle?
As for Shi Shouxin, the military supervisor, let's not even mention him. These two men and their troops were essentially acting as a "war squad" behind the main army! No matter what, they couldn't possibly be sent charging into battle!

The generals all accepted the order and filed out.

Hu Lie walked over to Shi Shouxin and Du Yu, patted them on the shoulders and said, "You two just wait behind the main army, help hold the line, capture any stragglers and fleeing soldiers from the Shu army. With Jiang Shu as an inside man, this battle should be relatively safe, but we can't rule out any unforeseen circumstances. If our army collapses, don't think about providing support; just lead your troops back to camp and hold your ground."

For Hu Lie, Shi Shouxin and Du Yu absolutely had to be on the battlefield; otherwise, it would be suspected of unfair treatment. However, he couldn't actually let them charge into battle with swords. So, how to arrange things was a delicate matter.

It must be said that Hu Lie was quite skilled at commanding on the battlefield, and he was also very adept at navigating interpersonal relationships.

"Order!"

Shi Shouxin and Du Yu bowed and left to receive their orders.

(End of this chapter)