Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 57 Dribbling Past an Opponent
If Shi Shouxin was simply out of options, then Jiang Wei, who was defending Tazhong, felt his scalp tingle as he watched the five Wei armies led by Deng Ai launch a coordinated attack!
They even felt they had no will to live.

Jiang Wei was surrounded and intercepted by various troops under Deng Ai's command, and finally managed to reach Yinping.

Before the army stood the Yinping Bridge, and on the opposite bank was a city gate tower, which is what people often call the "bridgehead."

There were barricades in front of the city gate, and well-formed Wei archers, crossbowmen, and swordsmen; they looked like a formidable opponent.

In the distance, Wei's reserve troops were waiting in full battle array on the city walls.

This looks like a complete disaster.

The banners atop the city walls bore two large characters: Zhuge!

"General, the Wei army has blocked the Yinping Bridge. What should we do now?"

The soldier Xiang Chong, his face filled with panic, looked at Jiang Wei and asked, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

At this moment, Jiang Wei was gazing at the city gate tower at Yinping Bridge, his face calm and silent. Compared to Xiang Chong, Jiang Wei was undoubtedly the pillar of stability.

Despite rushing all the way, he was still a step too late, and a wave of sorrow washed over him.

Long ago, Jiang Wei advised Liu Shan to send troops to reinforce Yinping Bridge and Yang'an Pass. However, there was no response.

Jiang Wei heard from many people that Huang Hao had misled Liu Shan, claiming that the divination was extremely auspicious and that nothing bad would happen. That's why he didn't mobilize troops.

However, this general of Shu knew that things could not be that simple.

After Zhuge Liang's death, the Shu Han state had lasted for several decades. If Liu Shan were truly that foolish, it would have been impossible for him to maintain the state for so long.

Liu Shan's true intention was for Jiang Wei to retreat from Tazhong, hold Yinping, and then send a portion of his troops to Yang'an Pass. In other words, Liu Shan wanted Jiang Wei to make a move, not for troops to be transferred from Chengdu!

This doesn't mean there was suspicion between the ruler and his ministers, but rather that the internal conflicts within Shu were becoming uncontrollable.

The wealthy families of Shu were already dissatisfied with Liu's rule, and they had absolutely no interest in the so-called "restoration of the Han Dynasty." Shu itself was an independent, self-sustaining economy, with no shortage of necessities such as salt, iron, grain, and timber.

Liu Shan's legitimacy lay in "restoring the Central Plains," not in acquiring resources from outside. This meant that the demands of the imperial court and the powerful families of Shu were inherently contradictory.

Therefore, Liu Shan dared not mobilize troops from Chengdu to support Jiang Wei, let alone "personally lead the expedition."

Jiang Wei was fully aware of this. In other words, he could only rely on himself to overcome this ordeal.

We can't count on reinforcements; they're too far away to help us in our immediate crisis.

"How many people are on the other side? Who is their commander?"

Jiang Wei, holding his horsewhip, pointed to the city gate tower at the Yinping Bridge and asked Xiang Chong a question.

"Reporting to the General, the scouts have reported that the enemy force numbers about 30,000, with Zhuge Xu as their commander. We do not know the number of others."

Xiang Chong whispered the message, afraid that his voice would be too loud and frighten the accompanying guards.

It should be noted that their Shu army numbered only a little over 20,000, which was less than the number of Wei troops under Zhuge Xu who were blocking the pass.

"So many people."

Jiang Wei's heart sank, and he knew something was wrong.

The Wei army has mobilized its entire force this time, making a huge show of force; it's no joke!

Jiang Wei was still being pursued by Deng Ai's troops, who were not far behind. The reason the Shu army was able to break away from Deng Ai's forces was simply because they were familiar with the terrain.

This short time difference cannot make up for the disparity in troop strength. It is estimated that Deng Ai's pursuing troops will reach Yinping Bridge in two or three days at most.

Then, together with Zhuge Xu's forces, they launched a pincer attack... The scene was so beautiful that Jiang Wei dared not look.

Jiang Wei hesitated for a moment on horseback, then decisively pointed northwest and said, "The whole army shall head north, take the Konghan Valley Pass, and outflank Zhuge Xu from behind!"

The mountain roads in Shu are rugged, and the main roads that can be traveled are all marked on the map. However, there are many smaller paths that are not marked on the map, and only generals familiar with the terrain know how to take them.

Outsiders who come here see a road, but have no idea where it leads. Often, the road is blocked by mountains; you might walk for dozens of miles only to find a mountain blocking your way. This situation is very common in Sichuan.

Jiang Wei's only advantage over Zhuge Xu is his familiarity with the terrain of Shu, while Zhuge Xu is a complete novice who relies entirely on maps.

"Order!"

Xiang Chong accepted the order and left. Immediately afterwards, the Shu army headed north and entered Konghan Valley, where they quickly disappeared from sight.

At this moment, Zhuge Xu, who had been waiting on the city wall to see Jiang Wei put on a good show, was dumbfounded!
He knew that Jiang Wei's troops were the elite of the Shu army, and that his own detachment might have a numerical advantage, but their combat strength was probably about the same.

If the Shu army launches a strong attack on Yinping Bridge, the Wei army can take advantage of the terrain there, relying on the city walls and barricades to hold the Shu army firmly in Yinping!
In just a few days, Deng Ai will arrive with the main force of the Wei army from Longyou. Then, Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu will attack Jiang Wei from both sides; it seems like a decisive victory, and defeat is impossible!
As a result, Jiang Wei actually took a side path to the north!
"Where are the scouts? Which way does that path to the north lead?"

Zhuge Xu roared at his deputy in a fit of rage.

"General, that's the Konghan Valley Pass, which can bypass the Yinping Bridge. The valley is very deep, and we haven't explored any further areas!"

The lieutenant reported with a wronged expression.

"Oh, I see."

Zhuge Xu snorted coldly, secretly pondering a countermeasure.

Now he has three paths to choose from.

The first rule is for the tortoise to guard the Yinping Bridge and let Jiang Wei escape. Afterwards, it should only give a token chase to get by.

The second strategy is to divide the troops into two groups: one half will enter Kong Hangu Pass to block the enemy, and the other half will block the position at Yinping Bridge.

Simply put, it means wanting both.

Thirdly, the entire army should launch an attack, taking the valley path on their side of Yinping Bridge, and strike Jiang Wei head-on.

Each of these three paths has its own advantages and disadvantages.

If it was the first one, then there is a very high probability that Jiang Wei escaped afterwards, and Zhuge Xu himself would be held accountable.

If it's the second one, half the troops might not be able to stop Jiang Wei. After the army collapses like a house of cards, they might not even be able to hold Yinping Bridge. If it's the third one… Thinking this through, Zhuge Xu had already made his decision.

He rested for half a day first, letting Jiang Wei leave first, and then he led his troops into Kong Han Valley to intercept Jiang Wei.

In that case, Jiang Wei would definitely not have enough time to turn back, and he would be unable to advance and escape.

"Give the soldiers extra food, make sure they are well-fed, and we'll set off in three hours!"

Zhuge Xu gave instructions to his deputy.

He also had a "little secret" that he couldn't tell outsiders: Deng Ai might understand military affairs, but Zhuge Xu understood politics better than him!

Participating in war is not about brute force.

……

Shi Shouxin has actually returned! Wei Guan was so surprised that his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Upon learning that Shi Shouxin had entered Yang'an Pass, Wei Guan hurriedly went to greet him personally and brought him to his residence, fearing that Zhong Hui would take him away.

After the two sat down, Wei Guan looked Shi Shouxin up and down, trying to see if the other man was missing an arm or a leg.

"Has your letter arrived? Has the General sent any letters?"

After scrutinizing the other person for a long time, Wei Guan finally asked in a deep voice.

"Reporting to the military supervisor, the letter has been delivered, and the general has replied."

Shi Shouxin took off the bamboo tube from his waist and handed it to Wei Guan. The sealing wax on it was still intact.

"Ah."

Wei Guan suppressed his inner turmoil, scraped off the sealing wax, and took out the letter inside. He read it word by word, then burned the letter over the oil lamp.

This is a personal letter from Sima Zhao. It doesn't say much; it's just a bunch of polite words.

"The letter has been delivered, so why not bring the keepsake back?"

Wei Guan looked at Shi Shouxin and questioned him. That exquisite wooden box was the token. According to the rules, Shi Shouxin should put Sima Zhao's letter into that box and then take the box back with him to prove that he had indeed delivered the letter to Sima Zhao.

Wei Guan deliberately kept quiet before leaving, which was consistent with his old-fashioned approach.

Why should I say it? You didn't ask, did you?
"Is there such a thing as a token? You didn't mention it before, I forgot about it."

Shi Shouxin feigned annoyance, but Wei Guan dared not do anything to him.

Using his own spear against his own shield, Wei Guan was speechless for a moment!

Because Sima Zhao had already stated in his letter that Shi Shouxin was no longer under his command and was no longer under his direct control. Wei Guan would only have the authority to deal with Shi Shouxin if Shi Shouxin violated military law.

Wei Guan had a vague feeling that things might have changed, but he hadn't yet figured out what the change was.

"You must have had a long and arduous journey. The world is in turmoil these days. Did you encounter any bandits on your way to and from Chang'an?"

Wei Guan asked casually, and began pouring wine for Shi Shouxin.

“Shi is traveling on the main military supply route, who would dare to be a bandit? The military supervisor is really overthinking it.”

Shi Shouxin laughed heartily and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp. Wei Guan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but hesitated, and in the end said nothing, instead taking a sip of wine in silence.

He looked suspicious.

However, Shi Shouxin had already handed over the official documents of the conferment to Wei Guan, so the two had nothing else to discuss. After exchanging a few polite words, Shi Shouxin rose to take his leave.

He has already returned Sima Zhao's personal letter, so there's no need for further pleasantries with Wei Guan; the matter is now closed. As for Zhong Hui, that guilty conscience makes it impossible for him to see him.

Besides, many of those letters were badmouthing Zhong Hui. Shi Shouxin felt that the Grand Commander must have a lot of worries lately and wouldn't have time to pick a fight with him, a mere little karami.

After leaving Wei Guan's residence, Shi Shouxin inquired everywhere about the whereabouts of Liu Qin, the Prefect of Weixing. He finally learned from Du Yu that the Prefect of Weixing truly only had a little over two thousand soldiers!

This person doesn't even have the qualifications to live in Yang'an Pass; he's living in the outer camp... a very "outer" camp, hundreds of miles away from Yang'an Pass!
The houses inside Yang'an Pass are limited, the conditions are much better than in the wild, and it is extremely safe, so only the second generation of Celestial Dragons who come to gain prestige and high-ranking military officers are qualified to live there.

Liu Qin was merely the governor of a remote prefecture, not from a prominent family, and commanded a small number of troops who were not elite field soldiers, so his treatment was predictable.

He was sent out by Zhong Hui to do odd jobs and then kicked aside. This was the treatment people without status or background received in those days; Shi Shouxin's experience was not an isolated case.

During the time Shi Shouxin was traveling back and forth between Chang'an and Hanzhong to deliver the message, the situation in Hanzhong remained unchanged. Hu Lie led his troops westward and discovered that the Shu army had ambushed them in the valley, though their numbers were small. He defeated them and returned to Yang'an Pass.

In Hancheng and Lecheng, the Shu army remained steadfast and refused to surrender, but was surrounded by the Wei army, just as when Shi Shouxin left Hanzhong.

Shi Shouxin took a quick tour of Yang'an Pass and found that all the Wei army units, from top to bottom, were slacking off, and the soldiers were all lazy and indolent.

He suddenly felt a little sympathy for Liu Qin, this poor working-class man. It's the Celestial Dragons' country, after all; if your background isn't good, you're destined for a life of hardship.

Instead of acting rashly, Shi Shouxin found Hu Lie and inquired about the specific situation of Liu Qin's army.

It would have been better if I hadn't inquired; what I found out was astonishing. Liu Qin had actually been sent by Zhong Hui to attack "Huangjinwei," the easternmost stronghold in Hanzhong, and Huangjinwei hadn't been captured yet!

Huangjinwei was merely a garrison fortress, located on the north bank of the Han River, more than a hundred li from Yang'an Pass, which was quite far. It's astonishing that such a small stronghold, without any external support, was not captured.

This shows that either the Golden Guard is very strong.

Either Liu Qin is a complete waste of his life.

Either the Golden Enclosure stronghold is very fortified.

Anyway, after thinking it over, there are only a few reasons. Now that he has been assigned to Liu Qin's army and is no longer under Wei Guan's command, returning to his original position is the first priority for an official.

Shi Shouxin sighed helplessly, instructed Meng Guan to pack his belongings, and then rode eastward.

(End of this chapter)