Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 88 I was careless and didn't dodge.
The place where the Xi family lived was called Xi Family Village, a very simple and straightforward name.

A small river flows in front of the village, two large locust trees stand at the village entrance, and in the distance, a fortified village is visible with torches lit on its walls, appearing and disappearing in the darkness.

Shi Shouxin and his thousand-strong force were resting at the village entrance, awaiting only the order to attack the Xi family manor. Each of them carried a small bamboo tube with lit incense sticks, using the red glow of the incense as a guide.

The outer perimeter of Xijia Village consisted of self-cultivating farmers and tenants who were dependent on the Xi family. Further inside were the thatched huts where their retainers lived. Only in the center of the village was a wooden stockade, each more than ten zhang long and wide.

Surrounding it are the brick and stone houses where distant branches of the Xi family lived.

The granaries and warehouses are all located very close to the village, but none of them are inside the village itself.

This is actually quite understandable. Living near a granary isn't a pleasant experience; being bothered by rats is a nuisance. The Xi family members are just ordinary people; they have no reason to make things difficult for themselves.

If wealth cannot bring you convenience and enjoyment in life, then what's the point of having it?

Shi Shouxin had also become a small landlord in the past two years and was well aware of similar matters.

The core members of the Xi family, along with their personal servants, should reside in the village. There can't be too many people, because too many people would make living uncomfortable. If everyone lived there, and the servants caused trouble, it would create an uncontrollable situation.

Moreover, the eating, drinking, and sanitation needs of a group of people require careful and scientific allocation without the aid of modern technology; otherwise, even going to the toilet can be a problem.

This was clearly not something that a local tycoon like the Xi family from Hanzhong could solve.

Although he did not personally go to the wooden village to investigate, Shi Shouxin speculated based on what he had seen and heard that there should not be many people in the wooden village, but there were quite a few people in the outer houses, including the descendants and families of the Xi family who had branched out from the village.

Not to mention the staggering number of tenant farmers in the surrounding area.

Of course, the so-called wooden stockade was just something Shi Shouxin mentioned casually. Such mansions had certain defensive features, with gate towers at the main entrance, outer walls large enough for people to stand on, and arrow towers at the four corners.

He had never seen such grand mansions in Luoyang, but he had seen them several times in Hedong.

Shi Shouxin secretly calculated in his heart that the key to winning this battle was one word: speed!

If we act quickly enough, those on the outside won't have a chance to enter the wooden fortress, and there won't be any problem of it being difficult to conquer.

"Commander Shi, shall we charge?"

Meng Guan walked over and asked in a low voice, "We've rested for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." All the soldiers had already changed their incense sticks in the bamboo tubes and lit them.

Now is the time to take action!
"Take three hundred men and flank them from the left. Drive everyone to the front of the wooden stockade, where they will squat down and put their heads in their hands."

Shi Shouxin gave the instructions in a low voice.

"Order!"

Meng Guan accepted the order and left, quickly departing with a group of people.

“You take three hundred men and flank them from the right wing, driving the crowd to the front of the wooden stockade to squat down and cover their heads.”

Shi Shouxin gave instructions to Ma Long beside him.

"Yes, sir! I will act immediately!"

Malone accepted the order and left.

After they left, Shi Shouxin instructed Ma Long's deputy, an officer surnamed Wang whose name he couldn't recall: "Take your men and arrest them. Gather everyone outside the wooden stockade in the open space in front of the gate, make them squat on the ground with their hands behind their heads, and beat anyone who moves with sticks!"

"Order!"

The officer accepted the order and left.

Snap, snap, snap.

The barely perceptible footsteps gradually approached the distant wooden village.

Shi Shouxin sighed softly. Behind him was a squad of personal guards, only a few dozen men, who sat on flatbed carts carrying grain and watched the battle in the distance.

As for personally leading the charge... don't be foolish, you'd be in big trouble if you got headshot by an arrow from a clay bow! It's just plundering rich people, there's absolutely no need for the commander to charge into battle!

Soon, cries, curses, and the slapping sounds of sticks striking flesh filled the air. The area around the wooden village seemed like a sleeping frog that had fallen into a boiling pot of oil, instantly beginning to struggle and thrash about.

"Playing like this seems a bit like bullying people."

Shi Shouxin muttered to himself.

Torches were already lit atop the wooden fortress walls, illuminating the surroundings. Unfortunately, seeing them was of little use, as the wooden gates had already been opened, and Meng Guan had led a squad of elite troops inside, attacking anyone they encountered.

Fortified settlements can serve as a defense against surprise attacks most of the time. However, if the defenders lose the initiative when they are unprepared, it is too late to react.

In other words, any resistance can only be effective if people are organized. If most of the people in the wooden village are asleep, it will be difficult for them to gather together and form a united force in a short period of time, even if they wake up.

Most likely, they would just be slaughtered and wiped out by the attacking side.

Similar battles are all too common in history; the "tactic of deceiving a city" during the Three Kingdoms period was based on this principle.

Shi Shouxin's tactics were even more underhanded than those of the city raider; he actually used standard night raid tactics, designed for regular armies, to launch a surprise attack on a wealthy man's fortified village.

This tactic is just like a burly man ambushing a kindergarten child who is walking home alone at night.

Simply lacking in martial ethics.

"General Shi, aren't we being too unfair to those people? Launching a surprise attack without lighting torches, let alone these people, even the Shu army wouldn't be able to withstand it."

One of the guards leaned over and asked in a low voice.

At this moment, more and more members of the Xi family, or their tenants, were gathered in front of the wooden village gate and squatted on the ground, not allowed to move.

Some people weren't even wearing clothes on their upper bodies.

As for resistance, don't be ridiculous. Being spared on the spot is the greatest mercy. At this point, resistance is tantamount to courting death!
Before Shi Shouxin gave the order to start the massacre, the Xi family members would not resist.

"If we had done it at a different time and in a different way, even if we had committed all our forces, we might not have been able to take down this wooden fortress in front of us. Do you believe me?"

Shi Shouxin countered with a question.

The guard fell silent.

They launched a night raid, stealthily creeping up to the wall—a blatant display of martial ethics. They scaled the wall barehanded, entered the village, and opened the gate as if taking a leisurely stroll.

The poorly defended village had absolutely no time to respond. If they were to actually fight them in broad daylight, it wouldn't be so easy! Even if they could win, it would definitely be a very difficult and costly battle.

Seeing that the battle was turning against him, Shi Shouxin simply leaned against a flatbed cart and closed his eyes to rest.

About an hour later, a soldier came over with a big smile, bowed to Shi Shouxin and said, "General Shi, everything has been taken care of, and all the people have been brought under control. Not a single one has escaped. We are just waiting for you to open the gates of the treasury and granary!"

"Yes, very good! Let's go take a look now!"

Shi Shouxin nodded with satisfaction, stood up, and followed the soldier toward the wooden stockade.

Meng Guan and Ma Long were very sensible. They knew that the warehouse containing valuables could not be opened without permission, otherwise it would be difficult to explain what might be lost or missing.

This kind of thing can only be handled personally by General Shi Shouxin, so that there are no hidden dangers.

It's also a form of subtle flattery.

Shi Shouxin recalled scenes from Hong Kong gangster movies; similar situations were quite common. After discovering the vault, the underlings would pretend they couldn't open the lock and have the boss unlock it himself, thus avoiding suspicion of embezzlement.

He suddenly realized that many rules, both ancient and modern, have not changed with the passage of time; they have only changed their appearance.

Although their outward manifestations are different, their core essence is the same.

Shi Shouxin walked up to the wooden stockade, not bothering to look at the densely packed crowd squatting on the ground, and went straight to Meng Guan.

"Commander Shi, this way please."

Meng Guan, a smile on his face, led the way, followed by several bodyguards, all wearing smiles of having successfully gotten something for free. Shi Shouxin greeted them casually, the atmosphere relaxed and joyful.

Soon, a storeroom built of stones came into view. A brass lock hung on the door.

"Hehe, today I'll show Military Supervisor Shi my swordsmanship!"

Meng Guan held a ring-pommel sword in his hand, gripped it tightly with both hands, and swung it out suddenly, breaking the copper lock on the warehouse with a snap.

Taking advantage of everyone's joyful mood, the personal guards quickly flattered, "General Meng, your martial arts are truly superb!"

"Not worth mentioning, not worth mentioning."

Meng Guan laughed heartily and stepped forward to open the warehouse door.

Then, his smile froze on his face.

Sensing something was amiss, Shi Shouxin stepped forward and saw that the once pitch-black warehouse now appeared completely empty under the torchlight.

It was a scene so grand that even a mouse would cry its eyes out.

"No way……"

Shi Shouxin muttered to himself.

"Have you found out? Is this really a warehouse?"

Meng Guan looked at the guard beside him, grabbed his collar with a furious expression, and questioned him.

"I asked, I asked them, and they all said it was a warehouse."

The bodyguard stammered, knowing that if he didn't explain himself properly today, he would definitely be beaten to death in the army!
"This joke has gone too far."

Looking at the empty warehouse, Shi Shouxin's heart sank to the bottom.

……

Five miles north of Mianzhu County, Wei general Deng Ai, his face ashen, looked at Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan, who had fled back in defeat, his chest churning with rage!

The three generals launched an attack; two were defeated and fled back, while the fate of the third was unknown.

This outcome was something Deng Ai had not anticipated.

"How did you manage to escape back here?!"

Deng Ai drew his sword, pointed it at Deng Zhong, and asked in a chilling tone that was icy to the bone.

"Father……"

Deng Zhong had barely uttered two words when Deng Ai interrupted him, saying, "On the battlefield, there are no fathers and sons. Call me General Deng!"

This time he was truly enraged!
"General Deng, the Shu army is unshakeable. When Shi Zuan and I charged into the enemy lines, we were both repelled."

Deng Zhong argued that what he said was true, but whether Deng Ai would listen to him was another matter.

"General Deng, the Shu army is fierce and invincible. Why don't we retreat to Fucheng and make further plans?"

Master Zuan also earnestly requested.

"Guards! Execute these two cowardly cowards!"

Deng Ai roared.

isn't it?
Deng Ai's personal guards were dumbfounded. Leaving aside Shi Zuan, killing him was no big deal.

But Deng Zhong was Deng Ai's eldest son, so why was he really killed?
How could you do that?

The guards stood still, not moving. What if they killed Deng Zhong and Deng Ai regretted it half an hour later?
It's easy to cut off a head, but difficult to put it back on!
"What are you all standing there for? Don't you understand military orders?"

Deng Ai looked around and asked.

Upon hearing this, several guards rushed forward, grabbed Deng Zhong and Shi Zuan, and prepared to drag them aside to behead them.

"General Deng, please give me another chance to charge!"

Shi Zuan immediately knelt down, his will to survive surging.

Deng Zhong also knelt down and remained kneeling for a long time, waiting for Deng Ai's reply.

(End of this chapter)