Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 79 Showing Sincerity
There's a really bad spot on Yinping Trail.

To capture Fucheng, troops must take the Yinping Trail directly to Jiangyou Pass. This pass is naturally fortified, surrounded by mountains and with the Fu River flowing through it, making it a typical example of a mountain-and-water location.

The pass of Jiangyou Pass is flanked by steep cliffs that rise straight into the sky, with the river flowing swiftly and churning with turbid waves below. The only way to enter Sichuan from here is to travel south along the Fu River.

To reach Jiangyou Pass directly, one must pass through Motianling.

The north-western slope of the ridge is relatively gentle, while the south side is a sheer cliff with no path. In other words, when Deng Ai led his troops from the relatively flat northern slope to Motianling, they found that there was no way forward.

Of course, it's not that there's really "no way out," but rather that it's a path that no one walks on, which the apes should still be able to get down.

Having already arrived at this point, should we turn back?

Deng Ai stared blankly at the cliff on the south side of Motianling, speechless for a moment.

We've been traveling for almost two months, and this is all we get?

"General Deng, look at this Motianling... we can't get down there."

Shi Zuan offered some advice, sounding somewhat nervous.

That crazy old man Deng Ai has completely lost his mind. Along the way, many soldiers who built bridges and roads died, and many others fell to their deaths while crossing dangerous terrain. It wasn't just a few or dozens, but hundreds or even thousands of people who died!
Among them, there were many who accidentally fell off cliffs, were hit by falling rocks while walking, or fell into valleys while climbing. Their remains were left unburied!

The troops have now suffered significant losses, and many have been injured in falls.

But Deng Ai remained true to his original aspiration. He was already over sixty years old and didn't care about losing or not; he only wanted to win.

Even if he lost, it would only mean death. What difference would it make if he died a few days earlier? Deng Ai didn't consider any way out.

He's willing to pay any price to win.

But Deng Ai's fearlessness didn't mean his soldiers were fearless. Shi Zuan, for example, was terrified of death, especially of dying while secretly crossing Yinping!

However, Deng Ai pointed to the winding river below Motianling and said, "Let's go down the mountain. General Shi, look, that's the Fu River! Jiangyou Pass is not far away!"

"Go down the mountain? How do we get down from Motianling?"

Shi Zuan pointed to the cliffs to the south and asked, feeling utterly distraught.

He's a human being, not a monkey!

"Just wrap yourself in felt and roll down the cliff like that."

Deng Ai said without changing his expression.

"If you want to get out, then get out. I'm not leaving."

Shi Zuan chuckled coldly.

"Anyone who doesn't come down the mountain will face military law!"

Deng Ai drew his sword, glaring menacingly at Shi Zuan! He looked ready to fight at the slightest provocation.

The guards standing by were dumbfounded, unsure of who to help.

"General Deng, please don't be impulsive. We can talk things over, we can talk things over."

Shi Zuan retreated repeatedly, raising his hands and waving them to signal Deng Ai not to get agitated. This old man has a terrible temper; he draws his sword at the drop of a hat—he's awful!

At this moment, Shi Zuan was filled with grievances.

Rolling down the mountain isn't out of the question... but who should roll first?

Shi Zuan looked at Deng Ai, wanting to speak but then tightly shut his mouth.

We can't just let him leave first, can we?

"Deng Zhong, you go first!"

Deng Ai pointed to his eldest son and said, "Like father, like son. In critical moments, the only one you can trust is your son!"

"Father, this is a bit high."

Deng Zhong glanced at the steep slope on the south side of Motianling, a hint of fear appearing on his face, but he forced himself to remain calm and asked.

His face was full of bitterness; he wanted to say "no" but dared not speak.

"If you don't roll down wrapped in a felt blanket, I'll kill you first, then wrap your corpse in a felt blanket and roll down!"

Deng Ai still held his sword in his hand, and spoke with a murderous aura.

Shi Zuan, standing to the side, was now convinced.

Damn it, he's ruthless to his colleagues and ruthless to his own son. Deng Ai really has no fear of killing!

This old man has truly gone mad!

"Listen up, soldiers! Fame and fortune are just down the mountain, waiting for us to claim them!"

Now, Deng has instructed his eldest son to wrap himself in a blanket and descend the mountain first. If he comes down safely, then you can continue down!
Anyone who disobeys military orders will be executed on the spot!

Deng Ai shouted to his personal guards and deputy generals. Upon hearing his words, everyone's face turned pale, but no one dared to argue.

Whoever argues will die!

Often, the commander's resolve is the soldiers' courage. Since Deng Ai has already gone all out, anyone who stands up to oppose him at this moment will be executed by Deng Ai as a warning to others!

"Father, I'm going."

Wrapped tightly in a felt blanket, Deng Zhong looked at Deng Ai with a resentful expression and said...

"You deserve a commendation!"

Deng Ai looked at Deng Zhong, his face filled with only sternness, devoid of any kindness.

In the army, there are no fathers and sons; victory or defeat is determined on the battlefield.

Everything else is nonsense!

Warfare is an activity that places extreme emphasis on performance; winning is the most important thing. Under this premise, anyone can be sacrificed, including the commander-in-chief.

Gurgling, gurgling.

Deng Zhong, wrapped in a felt blanket, rolled around on the hillside like a log.

Whether it was Deng Ai, Shi Zuan, or the deputy generals, detachments, and yamen generals in the army, they all stared at Deng Zhong as he walked further and further away, waiting for him to arrive safely.

Then find a tree branch, hang a flag on it, and wave it for the people on the mountaintop to see.

If a flag is waving, it means the method is feasible.

If not, then it simply means that Deng Ai lost a son, nothing more.

At this moment, Deng Ai was also very nervous, his eyes fixed on the foot of the mountain, but unfortunately Deng Zhong had already rolled away and disappeared.

A quarter of an hour passed, then half an hour, and there was still no movement from the foot of the mountain.

A question arose in everyone's mind: Could it be that Deng Ai's eldest son, Deng Zhong, died from a fall?

They glanced at Deng Ai every now and then, secretly wondering what he was thinking. An eerie silence filled the room; no one dared to speak to Deng Ai.

Even breathing was done with caution.

Just then, the sharp-eyed Shi Zuan seemed to have spotted something. He pointed down the mountain and shouted, "Quick, look! What's that!"

A bright red flag was waving. Even though it was just a tiny dot in the eye, it was still recognizable as the flag that Deng Zhong was holding in his arms.

The person is not dead!
This road is passable!

At this moment, Deng Ai also saw it, and a slight smile finally appeared on his tense face.

"Pass on my order: descend the mountain in batches!"

Deng Ai roared, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins on his neck bulged!
Fame and fortune are within reach!
The guards drew their swords, lined up neatly, and made way for the gap. Despite past successes, most soldiers arrived here with fear and anxiety written all over their faces. But no one indulged them. The guards wrapped each soldier in a felt blanket and then pushed them off the cliff like logs. Those in front went down, and those behind followed.

Some men, faced with imminent danger, trembled with fear and had no desire to go down the cliff. Seeing this, Deng Ai stepped forward and kicked the soldier wrapped in a felt blanket off the cliff.

One wave after another, looking around, there seemed to be many "logs" lying there motionless at the bottom of the cliff. It seemed that the people inside had hit the boulders when they rolled down and were killed instantly!
Shi Zuan felt uneasy looking at the cliffs of Motianling, and his legs began to feel weak.

"General Shi, this way please."

When there were only a few people left on the cliff, Deng Ai smiled and gestured to Shi Zuan to invite him to join them.

Shi Zuan glanced at the personal guards beside Deng Ai, who had already drawn their swords, and swallowed hard.

……

Shu has three passes: Yangping, Jiangguan, and Baishui.

Yangping is Yang'an Pass, and Baishui is Baishui Pass. There is a river here called "Baishui", also known as Bailong River.

Baishui Pass got its name from this. The Baishui River flows into a lake called "Bailong Lake," which has beautiful scenery.

This place is bordered by Yinping to the west, Yang'an Pass to the east, and Hanshou to the south, making it a crucial point for entering Sichuan.

When Shi Shouxin brought Meng Guan to Baishui Pass, Liu Qin and his troops from Weixing County had not yet arrived, but Du Yu's men had already arrived from Yang'an Pass and had been waiting there for a long time.

Because of the chaotic "shareholding" within the Wei army that was attacking Shu, there were frequent changes in the troop deployments and the reassignment of generals, and undercurrents were surging in private.

After setting up the "command center" on the Baishuiguan city tower, Shi Shouxin summoned Ma Long to the signing room on the city tower.

After the two sat down, Shi Shouxin casually picked up a bamboo stick stuck in a bamboo tube on the table and wrote the words "Yang Qian" and "Yang Kang" on it.

He handed the bamboo slips to Malone and asked, "Do you know them?"

A hint of surprise appeared on Ma Long's face, then he nodded and said, "I used to be Yang Kang's advisor, and as for his daughter... I have naturally met her, but alas!"

He didn't know what to say. Yang Kang had once been a loyal supporter of Linghu Yu, but after Linghu Yu died suddenly from illness, Yang Kang immediately switched sides. In the end, it was Ma Long who arranged the funeral.

Because of this incident, he and Yang Kang have severed all ties.

“Yang Qian was my concubine. She died of a plague last year.”

Shi Shouxin sighed. To be honest, he didn't like Yang Qian very much; he thought she was very snobbish.

But after all, the other party had given birth to a daughter for her.

"Ugh!"

Malone didn't say a word, only sighed softly, feeling regretful.

Seeing that the groundwork had been laid, Shi Shouxin suddenly asked, "Did Du Yuankai (Du Yu) tell you anything before he left?"

"It only means that we will follow the command of Supervisor Shi in everything, nothing else."

Malone said in a deep voice.

“You are his confidant, aren’t you? If not, he wouldn’t have kept you around to look after the bigger picture.”

Shi Shouxin frowned slightly. Since Ma Long refused to express his opinion, he had no choice but to make his point clear.

"If Inspector Shi thinks that way, then that's one way to put it."

Malone hinted subtly.

Shi Shouxin nodded. The person before him was cautious and prudent; he was usable!
It seems that Du Yu has entrusted me with important matters, and this trust is truly rare.

"Take a look at this letter."

Shi Shouxin handed the letter left by Du Yu to Ma Long. After reading it from beginning to end, Ma Long immediately bowed and said, "I will follow Supervisor Shi's orders without hesitation!"

Their attitude became much warmer, and they were no longer as guarded as before.

In fact, as instructed by Malone, he had no dealings with Shi Shouxin and dared not fully trust him either.

Shi Shouxin and he were like a stick fighting a wolf, both afraid of each other.

"The current situation is somewhat dangerous, and I have taken over Du Yuankai's important duties."

Do you understand what to do after entering Sichuan?

Shi Shouxin asked calmly, his eyes meeting Ma Long's.

"Reporting to Supervisor Shi, this humble general only obeys your orders, nothing more, and does not need to know what to do."

"This humble general is merely a sword, therefore I have no need to understand military orders."

Malone answered in a deep voice.

Sure enough, those who had experienced the Huainan Rebellion were exceptionally intelligent; no wonder Du Yu recommended this man to him. Shi Shouxin understood perfectly; Du Yu was repaying the life-saving grace from the past with all his heart.

"So good."

Shi Shouxin leaned close to Ma Long's ear and whispered, "If we can enter Chengdu, the Shu army there is quite large. Don't think that Zhong Hui is without means."

This!
Malone's pupils suddenly contracted.

This statement was completely unexpected for him.

If the goal is simply to deal with Zhong Hui, then securing the loyalty of his troops is sufficient. Ma Long is certain that every single member of his unit is a staunch supporter of the Sima family; otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted the leadership to Du Yu, the Sima family's son-in-law.

However, if the Shu army gets involved, the situation becomes somewhat delicate. Loyalty alone isn't enough; they also need to be able to win!
"Let's prepare for battle! If nothing unexpected happens, Deng Ai will win, and we will easily enter Chengdu. That will be the beginning of the decisive battle."

Shi Shouxin patted Ma Long on the shoulder and took out a handkerchief from his waist, handing it to him and gesturing for Ma Long to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

"Supervisor Shi, how many Shu troops will Zhong Hui be able to control at that time?"

Malone asked somewhat guiltily.

He had only a little over a thousand men under his command. They were not soldiers who fought on the battlefield, but rather soldiers who were more like special forces, suitable for small-scale combat, and responsible for tasks such as capturing and killing military generals and searching for officials in the city.

If they were to encounter tens of thousands of elite Shu troops arrayed in formation, they would have no chance of winning.

"If it's a lot, it could be twenty or thirty thousand; if it's a little, maybe none at all."

Shi Shouxin shook his head. He didn't know how many Shu soldiers Jiang Wei could control after surrendering, or how many of them would be willing to follow him in causing trouble.

“Supervisor Shi, this situation is different from what Du Yuankai said.”

Malone smiled wryly.

Du Yu's instruction was simply to have them obey Shi Shou's signal and, at a crucial moment, storm the central command tent and arrest Zhong Hui and a series of his subordinate generals.

If an attack is launched under these circumstances, the Wei army will not resist, and even Zhong Hui's personal guards will likely surrender.

But if Jiang Wei and his Shu army were involved, the situation would be very different!

"A true man achieves great things without ever complaining about the enemy! If everything is prepared, what use are you?"
"Glory is only measured by a three-foot sword, are you afraid?"

Shi Shouxin countered with a question.

"Of course I'm afraid, but there's no use being afraid."

Malone sighed, his previous calm and composure completely gone. His previous composure stemmed from his confidence; he was certain he could control his troops and therefore remained calm.

He can't possibly stay calm now.

"Don't worry, we're not fighting alone."

Shi Shouxin chuckled, looking confident.

(End of this chapter)