novelSusiti Chapter 112 Jiang Wei's Predicament
Chapter 112 Jiang Wei's Predicament
Chapter 112 Jiang Wei's Predicament
Zangke Prefecture, Bie County.
This is a godforsaken place. Han Chinese and the Nanzhong people who are close to Han Chinese live in the city and in the river valleys outside the city.
The area is surrounded by mountains and forests on all sides.
Numerous tribes of the Nanzhong people dwell in the mountains and forests. These tribes each have their own customs, and some are close to each other, while others are enemies.
The people of Nanzhong fought each other, and they also fought each other with the Han people.
If it weren't for General Huo Yi of Annam suppressing the six prefectures, the southern region would have been in chaos long ago.
About a hundred miles south of Bie County, there is a valley.
In the valley lives a tribe called the White-Headed Tribe. This tribe did not exist originally; it is a new tribe formed in the last ten years or so due to the chaos of the Liu Han dynasty, when Han people fled and merged with local southern tribes.
As they were a tribe, they were naturally not subject to the control of the Liu Han court.
The tribe's leader, surnamed Bai, was a warrior from the southern regions. Chang Heng, the "Flipping River Dragon," was a Han Chinese from this tribe.
Chang Heng, the River-Turning Dragon, has a great reputation outside and is very powerful in the tribe, but outsiders do not know that he is the River-Turning Dragon.
The area south of the Yangtze River is warm all year round, making it suitable for growing crops in all seasons.
In the valley.
The Han Chinese and Nanzhong people of the Baitou tribe each cultivated their fields in an orderly manner.
The children gathered in small groups, playing wildly in the valley, oblivious to the hardships of life.
In the northwest direction of the valley, there is a large mansion.
The mansion was surrounded by very high walls, and inside the walls were large granaries and warehouses.
The mansion was heavily guarded, with soldiers stationed both inside and out.
This was the residence of the Chang brothers.
Inside the study.
He often knelt and read military books, and when he came across a particularly brilliant passage, he couldn't help but put down the bamboo slips and exclaim, "Sun Tzu is truly a divine man!"
It was Sun Tzu's Art of War that Liu Chen gave to him.
He used to study Confucianism, but later became a river pirate and abandoned it. As for fighting and leading troops, that was because of the chaos in the south, and he learned it on his own.
Over the years, he listened to Liu Chen's advice, focused on studying military strategy, and also rediscovered Confucianism.
Read the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Book of Han, and other classics.
Instead of resorting to violence, let's appreciate the classics.
I truly enjoyed a few years of comfortable life. And because I read so many books, I came to understand many principles.
This allowed his skills to extend beyond just using knives and guns.
Simply put, it means the general has learned a lot.
"Just as the King of the North said, how can a true man be complacent about being a river pirate? He should lead a strong army and roam the world freely," Chang Heng sighed.
Thinking of this, Chang Heng turned around, picked up a small box, opened it, and took out the silk inside to look through it.
Over the years, he and Liu Chen have corresponded frequently and had pleasant conversations.
He personally visited Liu Chen at the time, and after the meeting, he felt that Liu Chen was a remarkable person. The correspondence he maintained over the years further convinced him of this.
And through his observation.
The Liu Han dynasty was indeed doomed.
But its foundation is still very strong.
The blessings left by Liu Bei, the illustrious ruler, and his prime minister Zhuge Liang, are enough to ensure that the Liu Han dynasty will not perish after its demise.
Chaotic but not collapsing.
If this had happened in any other country, Liu Shan would have perished long ago.
Therefore, as long as the emperor is changed, even to one who is only of average or above-average ability, the country can quickly recover its former glory.
Liu Chen, the King of the North, was infamous and his notoriety shook the Han Dynasty. But in reality, he was wise and decisive.
He's a good person.
He was therefore eager to make a move.
"Brother. Your close friend has sent a letter." Chang Liang burst in, shouting as he tossed a sealed wooden box to Chang Heng.
"Sigh." Chang Heng sighed. He told the kid to read more books, broaden his horizons, and cultivate his shrewdness, but the kid just... read nothing.
Chang Heng reached out and took the wooden box, immediately opened it, and took out the silk inside to examine it. After reading it quickly, a strange expression appeared on Chang Heng's face.
Although he thought Liu Chen was capable, at crucial moments...
If he loses, it doesn't matter if he dies. But his clansmen and relatives will be left lying dead everywhere.
But after thinking for a while, he made up his mind, looked up at Chang Liang and said, "Brother, immediately gather some men and take our local specialties to Shu County to trade."
Chang Liang was taken aback for a moment, then overjoyed and said, "Yes." He turned around and ran off excitedly. He had been itching to get out of the house for a long time. Whether he was a merchant or a pirate, being able to go out was just so great.
"I've staked everything on this." Chang Heng stood up and turned to look at the mountain of bamboo slips piled up in the study.
The smell of bamboo, the smell of ink.
The power of knowledge.
Three days later, in the morning.
As dawn broke, the valley was filled with a thin mist.
Chang Heng stood in front of his house, gathering eight hundred men, all from the Bai Tou tribe. There were Han Chinese and people from the Nanzhong region.
Because they followed him in his river pirate activities, every household became incredibly wealthy.
They live well, eat well, and dress well. They don't have to work; they only need to practice.
Every autumn and winter, he would also lead his men on a military hunt in the mountains.
This soldier is a good soldier, and this is also his strength.
With this army as his foundation, as long as he holds an official position, he has the power to recruit strong and capable soldiers.
They could quickly recruit 10,000 people, reorganize them, and form a certain fighting force.
To become the governor of ten thousand men.
Chang Heng stood upright on a rock, hands on his hips, chest out and belly protruding, staring at the eight hundred men. After taking a deep breath, he waved and said, "Let's go."
There was no pre-war mobilization, nor any other explanation.
"Yes." The eight hundred soldiers responded without hesitation.
Immediately, Chang Heng mounted his horse and led eight hundred men out of the valley. After traveling four or five miles along the mountain road, they arrived at a ferry crossing.
Dozens of large ships were moored at the ferry crossing.
The large ship was loaded with goods from the South, including oxen, gems, ox horns, rhinoceros horns, ivory, and leather.
This time, Chang Heng is a merchant, so he can legitimately sail his boat to Sichuan to do business.
As for the weapons such as knives, guns, and bows that one carries, they are nothing special. As long as one does not have armor or heavy crossbows, it does not count as treason.
At Chang Heng's command, the eight hundred soldiers boarded the large ship in an orderly fashion.
Soon after, dozens of large ships set sail and headed towards the Yangtze River along the waterway.
north.
night.
Inside Deng Ai's camp.
The camp was built to be extremely tall and sturdy, with multiple layers of defense both inside and out. Elite soldiers stood guard on the camp's walls, and patrolled the interior with equally elite troops.
They were all in high spirits and ready for battle.
Inside the large tent, the lights were dim.
Deng Ai removed his armor and sat cross-legged in the main seat to examine the terrain map.
His son, Deng Zhong, dressed in armor, sat motionless on the left, like a statue.
Deng Ai said, "Jiang Wei is shrewd. He must know that our army has so openly marched straight into Tazhong."
"Issue the order. Have Wang Qi, the governor of Tianshui, lead his 5,000 elite troops to attack Jiang Wei's camp."
"Let Qian Hong, the governor of Longxi, attack Jiang Wei's vanguard."
"Let Yang Xin, the governor of Jincheng, attack Gansong."
Gansong is a place name, located west of Tazhong. It is a strategic location, and controlling Gansong could cut off Jiang Wei's retreat route to the west.
Jiang Wei could only retreat to the Yinping Bridge.
There, Zhuge Xu led tens of thousands of elite troops to block their way.
Zhuge Xu was in front, and he was behind, sandwiched between two loaves of bread.
Jiang Wei is doomed.
A fierce glint flashed in Deng Ai's eyes, his old face filled with murderous intent. He felt a pang of pity for Jiang Wei; a good general had met a mediocre ruler. But the long-standing rivalry between Deng and Jiang should indeed come to an end.
"Yes," Deng Zhong replied loudly, stood up with great spirit, and turned to leave.
Jiang Wei.
The head of this pillar of Sichuan is something to look forward to.