novelSusiti Chapter 68 Sima Yi Enters Chang'an—The Account Books Are All Red
Chapter 68 Sima Yi Enters Chang'an—The Account Books Are All Red
When Zhang He arrived in Mei County, it was just dawn.
Seven thousand riders. They ran all night. The horses were panting. Three collapsed at the city gate, their legs too weak to stand.
The city gates were open. No one was guarding them.
Zhang He reined in his horse and looked inside. The street was empty. All the shops were closed. The doors were nailed shut. There wasn't a soul in sight.
"Where is the county magistrate?"
The lieutenant shook his head. "They ran away. They left last night. The eight hundred garrison troops also dispersed."
Zhang He did not dismount. His gaze swept across the street and landed on the north side of the city.
There should be a granary there. A three-courtyard structure. A roof made of blue bricks. Capable of holding 20,000 shi (a unit of dry measure). The largest transshipment warehouse on the western route of Guanzhong.
He saw it.
The blue brick roof is gone.
All that remained was a charred, broken wall. A few roof beams leaned precariously among the rubble, still smoldering. Thin. White. Ashes were blown by the wind and drifted across the street.
Zhang He spurred his horse. The warhorse trotted forward slowly, step by step. Its horseshoes crunched on the charcoal dust. It stopped in front of the barn.
The lieutenant dismounted. He kicked aside a piece of broken tile, squatted down, and dug around in it.
It was all ash. Not a single grain of rice was left.
"General—"
Zhang He raised his hand. The deputy general shut up.
Zhang He sat on his horse, gazing at the ruins.
He remained silent for a while.
Seven thousand riders halted behind him. No one uttered a sound. The horses fell silent. They didn't even have the strength to snort.
"Return to Chang'an."
Three words. Mute.
The lieutenant opened his mouth slightly. His gaze swept westward—martial arts. Three hundred li. Seven thousand hungry horses.
He shut his mouth.
Zhang He turned his horse around.
Ashes settled on his shoulder armor. Grayish-white. Like snow.
-
Changan.
Sima Yi's main force numbered 50,000. They arrived at 1-3 PM. They marched rapidly from Hangu Pass in four days, one day faster than expected.
Sima Yi did not enter the city. His main camp was set up fifteen li east of Chang'an, on the north bank of the Wei River.
The command tent was set up. Sima Yi sat down. He hadn't removed his armor. He first asked for a bowl of water. After drinking it, he didn't put the bowl down.
"Western Front battle reports. All of them, please submit."
The soldier entered carrying bamboo slips. A stack. Six slips.
Sima Yi picked up the first letter. Zhang He set off. 20,000 cavalry. Normal. Set aside.
The second letter. Chencang is besieged. Set aside.
The third letter. The grain carts were intercepted. A white horse and a silver spear. Zhao Yun.
Sima Yi paused for a moment. He didn't put it down. He flipped it over and looked at it again before finally putting it down.
The fourth letter. The Beicang granary in Mei County was burned down.
The water in the bowl sloshed. Sima Yi's hand touched the rim of the bowl. He then withdrew it.
Fifth letter. Zhang He's seven thousand remaining cavalry. Retreat.
The sixth letter.
"Chencang garrison commander Hao Zhao. The city has been without water for five days. This morning, four hundred garrison soldiers scaled the wall and surrendered."
Six letters. They lay on the table, lined up in a row.
The tent remained quiet for ten breaths.
The soldier stood before the desk, too afraid to move.
Sima Yi read through the six battle reports again from beginning to end. Then he placed his hands on the table, interlacing his fingers.
"Zhao Yun. He's seventy years old. He dared to intercept a grain convoy of twenty thousand men with only two thousand cavalry."
The tone didn't sound like a question. He didn't dare answer, thinking he was joining the army.
"Mei County—five hundred men. Night raid. White Feather Soldiers. Chen Dao's men."
Sima Yi picked up the fourth letter and read it again. "They went in through the small path from the north?"
The soldier nodded. "The magistrate abandoned the city overnight. The eight hundred defenders scattered."
Sima Yi put down the battle report.
"On Wuzhang Plain, how many Shu soldiers were there?"
"Scouts report: Approximately ten thousand men. A mixed force of infantry and cavalry. The camp has three layers, complete with chevaux-de-frise and deer antlers."
"Where is the head coach?"
He paused for a moment after enlisting in the army.
"The Emperor's Flag".
Sima Yi looked up from the battle report.
The Emperor's Banner. Liu Shan himself was at Wuzhangyuan.
"When did he arrive?"
"Four days earlier than our army."
Four days. Departing from Chengdu. Taking the Xiegu Road. Bypassing Mei County. Crossing the Wei River. Occupying Wuzhangyuan. Then—intercepting grain carts. Burning granaries. Besieging Chencang. Cutting off water supply.
Within four days, the western front of Guanzhong was riddled with holes.
The tent flap was lifted. Another urgent report arrived.
"An urgent message from Zhang He's subordinates. General Zhang's seven thousand cavalry will arrive in Chang'an tonight. Please provide provisions and support."
The soldier's voice held a hint of tension. "General, the grain reserves in Chang'an Prefecture—"
"How many."
The soldier took out an account book from his sleeve and opened it.
"The grain reserves are 40,000 shi. Based on the main force of 50,000, that's enough to feed them for 26 days. Add Zhang He's 7,000 cavalry—that's enough for 22 days."
Sima Yi took the account books and turned the pages one by one.
Every line is numbers. Grain. Hay. Horse feed. Salt. All consumption. No income.
The grain route on the western front of Guanzhong—Mei County—was burned. Chencang was besieged. The Qishan direction—Zhuge Liang's 30,000 troops were blocking the way.
Three grain transport routes. All cut off.
Sima Yi closed the account book and placed it on the table. He pressed his palm against the cover for a moment.
"Over there with Guo Huai."
"General Guo's 20,000 troops have entered Longyou. They will reach the flank of Qishan tomorrow."
What was Zhuge Liang's reaction?
"In the direction of Tianshui, the main force of the Shu army has not moved. But—"
"But what?"
"South of Qishan, a detachment of Shu troops, bearing the banner of 'King,' numbering approximately three thousand, is moving towards Longyou."
Wang Ping.
Sima Yi pushed the account book aside, stood up, walked to the tent entrance, and lifted the curtain.
Outside. Campfires blazed. A camp of fifty thousand men stretched out as far as the eye could see.
No matter how many campfires you have, they can't fill your stomach.
Twenty-two days.
Sima Yi turned his gaze away from the campfire and onto the back of his hand.
In all the years he'd clashed with Zhuge Liang, he'd never encountered such a quality in anyone else. His strategies were flawless; he always had the upper hand.
But he understood Zhuge Liang's strategy perfectly.
Liu Shan's—he hasn't even scratched the surface yet.
An emperor playing with crickets in Chengdu. An emperor dozing off during court. An emperor whom all his officials considered useless.
He accomplished five things in four days. Each one hit the nail on the head. He was faster than him at every step.
That's what made him uncomfortable.
The curtain fell. He returned to the desk and sat down.
"Go. Bring over all the topographical maps of the western front. Wuzhangyuan, Wei River, Xiegu, Chencang. All of them."
He went out to join the army. Then he came back in, carrying a rolled-up topographic map.
Sima Yi spread his hands, his fingers tracing a line from Chang'an to Wuzhangyuan.
Two hundred and forty li. The Wei River separates them.
His finger stopped on the south bank of the Wei River, at the location of Wuzhangyuan. He paused for five breaths.
"Issue the order. Tomorrow at dawn, I, the Grand Tutor, will lead 500 light cavalry south along the Wei River to survey the terrain of Wuzhangyuan."
He accepted the order to join the army. He took two steps.
"besides--"
He joined the army and then returned home.
Sima Yi's gaze remained fixed on the topographical map.
"While we're at it, let's see if that emperor who's playing with crickets really came in person."
-
Wuzhangyuan.
Central command tent.
Chen Dao's night report. Two letters.
First letter. "From Chang'an, Sima Yi's main force has set up camp on the north bank of the Wei River. The campfires stretch for fifteen miles."
The second letter reads: "Zhang He's remaining 7,000 cavalry are retreating towards Chang'an. They should arrive before noon tomorrow."
Liu Shan placed the silk strip under the paperweight.
Dong Yun's note was underneath. Zhou Fu acted as usual. Liu Shan didn't open it to read.
Pick up the third draft of the strategy. Turn to the last page.
Below the four characters "Wei River Confrontation" is a blank space.
Sima Yi has arrived. His main force numbers 50,000, plus Zhang He's remaining 7,000 troops. Nearly 60,000 men are crammed into Chang'an. They have 22 days' worth of provisions. All three supply lines have been cut off.
Liu Shan picked up his pen.
The pen tip landed on the blank space. Three words.
"Lead him across the river."
Sign off.
The wind outside the tent was picking up. The sound of water came from the direction of the Wei River. The spring floods were approaching.
Liu Shan lay down. A dagger was pressed under his pillow.
I thought of something before I closed my eyes.
Sima Yi had 60,000 men. They would eat for 22 days. After 22 days—either they would attack, or they would starve to death in Chang'an.
He will come.
[End of Chapter]