Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 87 In the name of father
Outside Mianzhu County, more than 20,000 Shu troops were arrayed in battle formation. If one did not know their background, the army would appear to be quite formidable on the surface.

In reality, most of them were recruited by Liu Shan from Chengdu on a temporary basis, and some were retainers of wealthy families in the city.

For example, the Guan family, the Zhang family, and so on.

So, while this army was certainly capable of fighting—it wasn't just a bunch of farmers in uniform—it was also unfit to fight, as it was no match for Jiang Wei's regular army.

Moreover, it's far inferior; it only looks good but can't fight major or fierce battles.

At this moment, Zhuge Zhan sat in a wheelchair, holding a feather fan in his hand, his eyes looking straight ahead. Dressed in a white scholar's robe, he appeared gentle and refined, like an immortal descending to earth.

Zhuge Zhan didn't like this attire, but it was the one that most resembled Zhuge Liang's. With this style, even if Zhuge Zhan did nothing, some people would be reminded of the time when Zhuge Liang was alive.

The morale of the troops will be greatly boosted!
"Lord Wuxiang, Deng Ai's troops are arrayed just five miles away. Should we attack them, or wait for them to attack us?"

Huang Chong leaned close to Zhuge Zhan, bent down, and asked in a low voice.

"Wait for Deng Ai to attack."

Zhuge Zhan said calmly, knowing all too well the capabilities of his army. To launch a preemptive attack would be tantamount to suicide!
Whether it was because he was wearing his father's "suit" and had an intelligence boost, Zhuge Zhan seemed to have gained some confidence.

"Father, your son is willing to guard the left wing!"

Zhuge Shang, who was beside Zhuge Zhan, asked him to lead the troops into battle.

"Your subordinate will go to the right flank to oversee the battle!"

Huang Chong also requested permission from Zhuge Zhan to lead the troops into battle.

It was clear that the command team that followed Zhuge Zhan was highly motivated to fight; no one suggested surrendering, and they all eagerly volunteered to go into battle.

"Zhuge Shang will command the left flank, and Huang Chong will command the right flank. Fight to the death and never retreat! There must be no mistakes!"

Zhuge Zhan gave the order, holding a feather fan in his left hand while clenching his fist in his right.

……

Five miles from Mianzhu County, in an open area, the Wei army had completed its formation and was arrayed in preparation for battle.

Deng Ai was at the very front of the battle formation, five li away, which was quite far, and there was a bamboo forest in between, so he couldn't see the Shu army's lines at all. However, based on the scouts' reports, he could sketch out the appearance of the Shu army's lines in his mind.

The army was roughly divided into three parts: left, center, and right, arranged horizontally in an inverted "品" shape, with three square formations in each part, and each square formation consisting of about three thousand people.

The central army is at the rear, with the left and right wings in front.

The key to victory in this battle is clear: it's not about attacking the central army directly, but about whoever breaks through the enemy's flanks first, and can then lead the routed troops to fight their way through!
If you attack the central army first, you will be surrounded by the enemy's flanks.

"Deng Zhong!"

Deng Ai shouted.

"The general is here!"

Deng Zhong rode out.

"Order our troops to attack the enemy's left flank."

Deng Ai calmly gave the order.

"Order!"

Deng Zhong accepted the order and left, with more than ten cavalrymen leading three thousand infantrymen to the left.

"Master's compilation! Tian's continuation!"

Deng Ai called out again.

"The general is here!"

Shi Zuan and Tian Xu stepped forward at the same time.

"Lead the troops to attack the right flank!"

Deng Ai gave the order.

"Order!"

Shi Zuan and Tian Xu also stepped forward to receive their military orders. Like Deng Zhong, they led their troops away from their main camp, but instead headed to the right.

Deng Ai waited quietly.

The Shu army was already large, so why didn't Deng Ai send his entire army to fight?
The reason is simple: he needs to personally lead the reserve force to deliver a decisive blow at the most critical moment of the battle! If the main army is sent out, then the strength will be exhausted, and there will be no room for maneuver.

He still has 5,000 elite troops at his disposal, ready to be used at a critical moment.

Deng Ai had fought Jiang Wei for a long time and had extremely rich combat experience. His composure in the face of the enemy was something that no novice could ever imitate.

He remained seated on his horse, patiently waiting.

Meanwhile, the troops of Deng Zhong, Shi Zuan, Tian Xu, and others had already clashed with the Shu army.

The battle escalated immediately upon contact!
Zhuge Shang, son of Zhuge Zhan, did not inherit the wisdom of his grandfather Zhuge Liang, but was somewhat similar to Zhang Fei, one of the Five Tiger Generals. He wielded his long spear with great skill and flair.

Zhuge Shang led a small detachment of elite cavalry, accompanied by a small number of his own infantry, and charged into Deng Zhong's Wei army, as unstoppable as a tiger among sheep.

Zhuge Shang was very clever. He targeted the edge of the battle formation and, in the blink of an eye, half of the Wei army's battle formation collapsed from the edge.

It's like someone cutting a large chunk of flesh off a person's arm.

As Deng Zhong charged forward, he turned around and discovered that a section of his ranks was missing from the edge, clearly indicating that the enemy general had led a counter-charge. His heart sank, and the hairs on his forehead stood on end.

Deng Zhong didn't care about charging forward. Without saying a word, he turned his horse around and charged towards Zhuge Shang, his spear thrusting straight at Zhuge Shang's face like a dragon!

Deng Zhong ran too fast and too hastily, forgetting that the Wei army's horses had already been lost in Yinping. The warhorses he now rode were all captured from Jiangyou Pass, totaling only a few dozen, of which he had only received a dozen or so.

The infantry simply couldn't keep up with Deng Zhong's speed, to the point that the infantry and cavalry had become separated and were trapped in the encirclement of the Shu army.

The Shu army has a much larger number of cavalry than the Wei army!
Zhuge Shang skillfully dodged Deng Zhong's thrust and countered with a spear thrust, knocking his opponent off his horse. However, Deng Zhong, with one foot in the stirrup, used the recoil to remount, rein in his horse, and turned it to gallop away.

When Deng Zhong's Wei troops saw that their commander had fled, they quickly retreated and formed a defensive formation.

During the retreat, many people were killed by Zhuge Shang, their bodies lying scattered on the ground, trampled by the pursuing soldiers.

The scene looked grotesque and cruel.

The opportune moment to defeat the enemy had arrived, and Zhuge Shang was about to lead his troops in a fierce charge when he glanced back and found nothing. It turned out that he had only led a small elite force forward, while the main force behind him had shown no sign of cooperation and was not coordinating with him at all.

Whether out of cowardice or because they had received some unspeakable instructions, the Shu soldiers stood in neat formation at the rear, waiting like spectators as Zhuge Shang performed in front of them!

Zhuge Shang was startled. He recalled certain rumors and his heart sank!
He reined in his warhorse and led his elite troops back to their main camp, his face flushed with anger, wishing he could chop off dozens of disobedient scoundrels on the spot.

However, Zhuge Shang thought again that this army had become so corrupt that if military law were to be enforced, it would probably scatter immediately!
Shortly after, Zhuge Zhan sent someone to deliver a military order, commanding Zhuge Shang to reorganize the troops and shrink the battle lines. Seeing that the promising situation had ended in a stalemate, Zhuge Shang sighed deeply, a bad premonition creeping into his heart.

Deng Zhong failed to achieve his goal, and Shi Zuan and Tian Xu were also locked in a fierce battle.

On the right flank of the Shu army, Huang Chong drew his sword and, with his personal guards, killed five Shu soldiers who had fled, thus stabilizing the front line.

"Anyone who retreats will be killed without mercy!"

Huang Chong was covered in the blood of deserters, and holding his sword, he looked like a demon.

Tian Xu had already charged into the Shu army's formation and opened a small gap, but Huang Chong and his personal guards blocked it. The fleeing Shu soldiers also returned to the front lines one after another.

As for Shi Zuan, he was surrounded and attacked by a group of Shu cavalry. The dozen or so Wei cavalrymen around him had long been killed, and he had no energy to support Tian Xu.

Just then, Tian Xu heard a great drumbeat from within the Shu army ahead. A fresh force charged out from the central army, led by General Li Qiu.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Tian Xu didn't hesitate. He threw down his spear, turned his horse around, and galloped away. Unfortunately, an arrow flew from afar and struck the horse's rump.

After the warhorse had run a few feet, it knelt on the ground and threw Tian Xu out, sending him sprawling face-first into the mud!
The Shu soldiers swarmed forward, pinned Tian Xu down, and quickly bound him like a dumpling before escorting him to the Shu army's central camp.

Shi Zuan watched helplessly as Tian Xu was struck by an arrow and fell from his horse, losing all will to fight. Shi Zuan then performed exceptionally well, breaking through the encirclement of dozens of Shu cavalrymen amidst the clanging and clashing of weapons.

Shi Zuan's lamellar armor was pierced in several places, and blood was seeping out. But his will to survive was extremely strong, and he endured the excruciating pain, leading the remaining troops back to the Wei army's main camp.

As for his soldiers, most of them were lost, and those who returned were all wounded, making their situation even worse than Deng Zhong's.

……

The night was pitch black, without a trace of moonlight, and the stars were all obscured by clouds. It would certainly be an exaggeration to describe it as pitch black, but the fact that there was no light was undeniable.

A troop was marching quietly on the official road in Hanzhong. Each soldier carried a small bamboo tube with a stick of incense burning inside.

The faint red glow of the incense sticks was so striking in the pitch-black night, like the scarlet eyes of little monsters, carrying an indescribable mystery and ferocity.

Shi Shouxin walked at the head of the column, with Ma Long beside him, carrying a red lantern to guide the army's advance and keeping a close watch on the surroundings.

"General Shi, we have indeed been overly cautious. Even if we were to raid the Xi clan, let alone the Xi camp, there would be no problem at all."

Malone said in a low voice.

In the past, during night raids, due to poor communication, it was common for soldiers to fall behind. They would actually be marching with torches halfway through, otherwise the troops would probably have already separated by the time they reached the enemy camp.

Now, everyone in their team is equipped with "bamboo incense sticks," and they soak their feet every night before bed during the march, maintaining their fighting capacity very well. The soldiers do not feel the kind of fatigue that makes them unable to walk.

About half an hour later, the group stopped at a fork in the road.

The marching guide returned from a distance and came to Ma Long's red lantern. He saluted Ma Long and Shi Shouxin and said, "The Xi family manor is completely undefended inside. The only problem is the village in the very center of the manor. But even if we can't break in, we can still surround the village first. The granary isn't inside the village; we can starve them all to death in three days!"

The guide was very thorough in his reconnaissance; after all, he was a professional scout in the army, and if he didn't have this level of skill, he wouldn't be doing the job.

"General Shi, how is it now?"

Malone asked in a deep voice.

"We've come this far, what else can we do but charge in!"

Shi Shouxin made a throat-slitting gesture.

"Order!"

Malone accepted the order and left.

Although they had removed the spearheads from the spears this time, they did not say that killing was forbidden!
The Xi family was no ordinary nouveau riche; they were a family with a structure similar to a hereditary military system. They were originally from the mountains and barbarians, but after being Sinicized, they transformed themselves into Han Chinese nouveau riche.

Although their appearance is now indistinguishable from that of Han Chinese, the raw, untamed spirit within them has not completely faded.

Reasoning with them is probably difficult; it's much more satisfying to debate them with a knife! If you're afraid to kill, then you have no deterrent effect. If they're not afraid of you, how can you extract money from them?

This is actually a dialectical issue. Killing is done in order to avoid killing, but not killing will eventually lead to the inability to accomplish anything, resulting in a collapse, mass killing, or even the extermination of the entire clan.

Shi Shouxin felt somewhat uneasy. This was the first time he had taken the initiative to lead troops into battle, and his opponent was nothing more than a local tyrant from Hanzhong.

But the tension and excitement made his blood boil, and he couldn't calm down at all!
(End of this chapter)