Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 72 The final stubbornness
In the past, Zhong Hui always served as an advisor, offering suggestions. Now that he is the commander-in-chief, he understands that the commander-in-chief and the advisor are different, even worlds apart.

The commander-in-chief needs to make decisive decisions and be responsible for the entire army, while strategists and staff do not.

A person who can be a top strategist may not necessarily be a competent commander-in-chief; there are countless examples of this in history books.

Now, Zhong Hui is also at a loss, facing the almost insurmountable Jian Ge.

"Grand Commander, you can decide on matters of war with a single word. I will not interfere in military affairs."

Wei Guan smiled and bowed to Zhong Hui, showing great courtesy.

Anyway, his mission is clear: combat? Zhong Hui can worry about that; he won't fall into that trap!

Zhong Hui nodded without saying anything. In fact, it was pointless to reason with an old nut like Wei Guan. Who knows, the other man might be smiling on the outside but secretly despising his incompetence.

"Qiu Jian, you lead three thousand troops to attack Jiange. Test the strength of the defenders."

Zhong Hui gave instructions to the burly general beside him. Shi Shouxin, who was watching from a distance, recognized the man as the one who had cut the copper lock with a single stroke. He was very strong and powerful!
Hearing this, Qiu Jian, who was standing to the side, was stunned. Although he was burly, he wasn't stupid!

Before us stood what seemed like Great Sword Mountain and Lesser Sword Mountain, along with a Jian Ge (Sword Pavilion) resembling a plank road—clearly a natural fortress. And on the other side, Jiang Wei was a seasoned strategist, commanding tens of thousands of Shu troops familiar with the terrain, waiting in ambush.

He should hit it with his head!

"Grand Commander, why don't we build siege equipment first? This Jianmen Pass is a strategically important place that cannot be overcome by manpower alone. To do a good job, one must first have the right tools!"

Qiu Jian suggested in a low voice, which was quite tactful. The other party had just told him to go ahead unprepared, which was simply outrageous.

Seeing his hesitation, Zhong Hui sighed inwardly and then nodded, saying, "Alright then, you go and make preparations."

Zhong Hui then ordered the entire army to set up camp in front of Xiaojian Mountain, and at the same time sent people to cut down trees in the surrounding area to make siege weapons.

"Supervisor Shi, I've heard that you previously served in the Imperial Household Department and have made considerable achievements in military equipment. Why don't you help General Qiu with the manufacture of equipment together?"

Zhong Hui looked at Shi Shouxin and asked, seemingly asking but actually giving an order.

"Please rest assured, Grand Commander, I, Shi, will definitely cooperate sincerely with General Qiu."

Shi Shouxin bowed to Zhong Hui and said.

Being manipulated like this, he naturally had his own thoughts. However, considering Zhong Hui's "final fate," Shi Shouxin decided not to bother arguing with him.

……

A day later, as night fell and the light on the horizon disappeared, drums thundered and shouts of battle filled the camp.

This commotion is truly unusual!
Shi Shouxin was still studying the map inside the military tent when he heard the commotion outside, so he immediately blew out the oil lamp. As for going out to check the situation... only someone with an IQ of 5 would do something so stupid.

Soon, Meng Guan also entered the tent, holding a large vertical shield and blocking Shi Shouxin's path. He drew his sword, as vigilant as a cheetah. At the same time, the two of them turned the table upside down to use as shields to protect their backs, cowering motionless in the center of the tent.

"Commander Shi, has Jiang Wei attacked the camp?"

Meng Guan lowered his voice and asked, the sounds of chaos outside growing closer, but he didn't know whether they were friend or foe.

Shi Shouxin sighed, "Jiange can actually be bypassed, and there is more than one way, but it is rugged and difficult to travel. Jiang Wei is giving Zhong Hui a warning. When Zhong Hui realizes what's happening tomorrow, he will send troops to guard those small passes, and Jiang Wei will have no chance to launch a night attack."

The Wei army suffered a loss tonight due to their unfamiliarity with the terrain of Jiange.

Mountain paths are a magical thing. Shi Shouxin remembers that when he was in college, the school campus was very large, with a mountain behind it. There were only two well-maintained mountain paths, but there were also some "wild paths" that could be walked on sunny days but were impassable on rainy days due to slippery conditions.

There are far more unpaved trails than the mountain trails built by the school.

The terrain around Jiange is similar, and only the locals know these paths by heart. There are some narrow paths that can be traversed on the cliffs of Xiaojian Mountain.

Of course, this kind of military operation that takes back roads requires risking one's life!
I don't know how much time passed, but the shouts of fighting and killing gradually subsided and faded into the distance.

It was pitch black outside the military tent. The Wei army had already reacted and were now observing "silence" according to military law, which meant they were holding their weapons and remaining motionless inside the tent.

Anyone who comes in will be killed, and anyone active outside will be considered a member of the Shu army! There are specialized, organized elite Wei troops to hunt them down, so there's no need for too many soldiers to roam around.

People who don't know how to follow the rules deserve to be killed by mistake!
They endured it all until dawn, when patrol teams finally appeared outside, searching one tent after another for the hidden Shu soldiers.

Although the number of Shu soldiers who remained was very small, there were indeed some unlucky ones who hadn't had time to evacuate the previous night and had hidden away to try their luck. After being caught, these men were all taken to Zhong Hui's command tent.

Soon, the tall and burly Qiu Jian led his troops into Shi Shouxin's camp, signaling that the danger had passed. Looking at the exhausted general, Shi Shouxin asked, "How was the situation?"

"Jiang Wei led his troops in a night raid last night, but fortunately he didn't bring many men, and the situation was resolved without serious harm."

Qiu Jian said with lingering fear, showing no joy of victory at all, but rather a sense of guilt.

"The Shu army still has the strength to raid the camp, and Jiange is not entirely on the defensive. The Grand Commander is in trouble now."

Shi Shouxin sighed, "As expected, Jiang Wei's strategy of constantly shrinking the battle lines to the rear is justified."

Although Jiange is the last line of defense in the eastern part of Shu, the road from Chengdu to Jiange is open! Transporting grain and fodder is not a problem at all.

The Wei army's provisions had to be transported from Guanzhong, passing through the Baoxie Road and a series of passes such as Baishui Pass and Hanshou. Most of these places were not suitable for water transport, making the cost of transporting provisions extremely high.

The Wei army had about 130,000 troops in front of Jiange. The amount of food consumed by the men and horses was astronomical every day.

At most, it can be delayed until next spring's planting season; if the Wei army delays any longer, it will be pointless.

Many thoughts raced through Shi Shouxin's mind, and he finally understood Jiang Wei's intentions. However, there was no point in saying it aloud, so he smiled at Qiu Jian and bowed respectfully.

"Supervisor Shi, I still have military duties to attend to. I will visit you later to inquire about the supervision of the construction of siege equipment."

Qiu Jian returned the greeting politely, and then left Shi Shouxin's military tent with his personal guards.

Qiu Jian arrived politely but left in a hurry, but it was clear he didn't tell Shi Shouxin the truth, or rather, he downplayed the impact of Jiang Wei's night raid on the Wei army camp. In reality, Jiang Wei's night raid was a resounding slap in the face to Zhong Hui and a great psychological shock to the Wei army.

Sure enough, around noon, the messenger arrived and informed Shi Shouxin of the new password. The messenger specifically reminded him that the password was only valid until midnight tonight, and would change when the shift changed at midnight.

Such caution even alerted Meng Guan to something amiss. He inquired about the matter with Shi Shouxin, but the latter refused to say anything, only repeatedly saying, "Let's wait and see."

At midnight, when the shift change took place, the messenger brought Shi Shouxin to Zhong Hui's command tent. There were only a few people there, besides Zhong Hui, including Li Fu, Wei Guan, Qiu Jian, and a handful of others.

"Supervisor Shi, please have General Li Fu review the document authorizing your appointment."

Zhong Hui gave Shi Shouxin his orders without any politeness. To put it bluntly, Zhong Hui still looked down on Shi Shouxin's background; even his name had two characters, which naturally made him feel inferior!
"General Li, please take a look."

Shi Shouxin didn't hesitate and handed the letter of appointment given to him by Sima Zhao to Li Fu for inspection.

Li Fu was a veteran, having followed Sima Yi on his campaigns long ago; he was an old confidant and trusted member of the Sima family. Upon reading the document, he knew that Sima Zhao was playing a game of sowing discord.

Li Fu then looked at Shi Shouxin and nodded slightly in approval, without saying anything else.

"The Shu army attacked our camp last night and suffered heavy losses. General Li just arrived at the camp today and is not yet aware of last night's events. Would you like me to explain?"

Zhong Hui looked at Li Fu and asked, his question somewhat arrogant, but Li Fu didn't seem to mind. He bowed to Zhong Hui and said, "This humble general has already heard about this matter. Grand Commander, please just tell me the solution."

Upon hearing this, everyone, including Shi Shouxin, looked at Zhong Hui.

Waiting for the other party's reply.

……

"Jiang Boyue is coming with great force. Does anyone have any good ideas on how to deal with him?"

Zhong Hui didn't explain; instead, he asked.

The defeat of Zhong Hui in this battle was obvious, and he even began to treat Jiang Wei with more respect.

Inside the military tent, Li Fu, Wei Guan, and the others remained silent. Zhong Hui looked at Shi Shouxin, hoping he would offer some advice.

"Grand Commander, I believe that the reason Jiang Wei was able to break into the camp and cause losses last night was because some generals neglected their duties and lost command."

Now that we are prepared, Jiang Wei will never succeed again. As long as we order each unit in the army to perform its duties, we can prevent a night raid from happening again.

Shi Shouxin spoke with absolute certainty about the "proposal".

Zhong Hui frowned slightly. What the other party said was indeed correct nonsense, but he had already understood the implied meaning.

"Why is Hu Lie absent from such an important military meeting?"

Li Fu suddenly asked a question, his face full of suspicion.

Shi Shouxin didn't know whether he was asking a question he already knew the answer to, or if he was genuinely naive and innocent; he guessed it was probably the former.

Could anyone who followed Sima Yi be a fool?
"Grand Commander, Hu Lie and his men have indeed violated military law and should be executed according to the law."

However, with a formidable enemy at hand and the Shu army poised to strike, it would be unwise to execute a general before achieving victory.

Furthermore, our army's supply lines are too long; if something goes wrong, there is a risk of collapse.

"I wonder if the Grand Commander could allow Hu Lie and the others to atone for their crimes through meritorious service?"

Wei Guan finally raised the ultimate issue.

"Well, it's not impossible."

After a moment of hesitation, Zhong Hui finally relented.

There were at least a dozen generals, the lowest rank being Yamen General. If they were all killed at once, at least tens of thousands of Wei soldiers would be thrown into chaos.

Zhong Hui still needs these people to conquer Shu! Even if he knows these people have something to hide, he can't deal with them now.

"Supervisor Wei, then make a note of it here, and let them redeem themselves through meritorious service. If they violate military law again, they will be punished for all their crimes without exception!"

Zhong Hui slammed his fist on the table and said.

"In that case, let Hu Lie come here to discuss military affairs. The others should return to their respective ranks. The Grand Commander can send his personal guards to monitor their words and actions."

Wei Guan bowed to Zhong Hui and said.

Before long, Hu Lie was brought to the commander's tent by Zhong Hui's personal guards. He looked a bit disheveled, after all, he had been under house arrest for several days, had not washed, his hair was messy, and he smelled strangely sour.

But Hu Lie looked energetic at the moment and did not appear dejected at all.

"General Hu, do you know your crime?"

Wei Guan looked at Hu Lie and asked, subtly giving him a wink. Hu Lie wasn't stupid; he instantly understood.

finally come!

He immediately knelt down and pleaded, "This humble general deserves death, please forgive me, Grand Commander. This humble general is willing to atone for my sins by performing meritorious service, and I will gladly go into battle to kill the enemy."

"Get up. Remember this lesson. If you repeat this mistake, you will be executed without mercy!"

Zhong Hui said with a straight face. He felt disgusted when he saw Hu Lie, who was "guided by a master", but he couldn't show it, so he could only nod in agreement.

Shi Shouxin thought to himself: These people here are all pretentious. There is no such thing as love or hate without a reason in this world; everything arises from self-interest. I just wonder how things will develop after we enter Shu.

(End of this chapter)