contend

Chapter 517 Ambition
On the last day of Ganlu's four years, Zhong Hui had just received a letter from Sima Zhao asking for help.

"Xiangguo retreated to Linjin, Yang bandits chased after him, the governor should send troops to rescue!" Xun Kai said anxiously.

Zhong Hui walked a few steps with his hands behind his back, with an inexplicable expression on the corner of his mouth all the time, half a smile, half a smile, half contempt and regret.

It has been more than four months since entering Hanzhong. After conquering Yang'an Pass, Hanzhong and Yinping were separated.

After getting the food and supplies from Yang'an Pass, the army is not in a hurry.

There is also some food imported from Shangyong one after another. Although there is not much food due to the barrier of mountain roads, it is better than the long flow of water.

Nanyang's food is much safer than going around the dangerous Guanzhong.

No matter how steep the Shangyong Mountain Road is, it is not as steep as the Shu Road.

"If Xiangguo and Yang Xingyun resist each other in Baishui, they will be defeated no matter what. If they go out to fight rashly and are affected by the wind and snow, they are afraid that the 16 troops will not return. Oh, why is Zishang so reckless, so that the opportunity to dominate the world is here. Lost." Zhong Hui drew inferences from one instance, and immediately judged that Sima Zhao must be defeated.

The last sentence is still Xiangguo, and the next sentence is Zishang, which already indicates that a certain change has taken place in Zhong Hui's heart.

Xun Kai didn't hear it, "If it wasn't for the military emergency, the Prime Minister would not ask for help."

Zhong Hui shook his head, "Hanzhong is thousands of miles away from Suyi, and the mountains are covered by heavy snow. How can we rescue them? Even if we return to the army, the distant water cannot save the nearby fire."

Xun Kai was stunned, "Does the governor want to disobey orders?"

A cold light suddenly flashed across Zhong Hui's eyes, and he stared at Xun Kai with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Xun Kai suddenly realized his slip of the tongue, it was a subordinate questioning Shangguan.

What's more, Zhong Hui can be regarded as Xun Kai's maternal aunt.

There is a difference in seniority.

So this sentence is quite offensive to Zhonghui.

"This subordinate has made a mistake, I hope the governor will forgive me!" Xun Kai hurriedly bowed down, with cold sweat breaking out on his face.

Sandwiched between Sima Zhao and Zhong Hui, this errand is not easy.

Especially now, Sima Zhao has a tendency to be unable to suppress Yang Thief.

The fact that the Sima family was able to conquer the world was ultimately due to Sima Yi's illustrious military might and Sima Division's decisiveness in killing.

Therefore, all the enemies of the Sima family wiped out the three clans.

But now, Sima Zhao has actually retreated...

So what would the Central Plains gentry think?
Before Luoshui's oath, everyone had a bottom line. The end of the Han Dynasty was a mess, and there were still ministers who were loyal to the great man. It took decades for Wei Wu, a talented and bold man, to take a crucial step.

After Luoshui's oath, the bottom line no longer exists, and everyone can do whatever they want.

Since the Sima family can do it, why can't other gentry families?

This is the test Sima Zhao is about to face.

Wei Wu's defeat in Chibi also suffered heavy casualties, but Wei Wu's control over the army was absolute.

The gentry at that time were far less powerful than they are now.

"Why is Uncle Mao like this? Zhong and Xun are originally a family." Zhong Hui let go of the hilt of Yitian sword, and did not go to help Xun Kai, but with a sad face, "I will not accept the fate of the king outside, and now I have rushed back to Feng Yi It's too late, if what someone expected is right, Xiangguo has already been defeated! Alas, this army is in turmoil, and I don't know the safety of Xiangguo!"

Xun Kai's whole body was shocked, if Sima Zhao had three strengths and two weaknesses, the world of Cao Wei...

Zhong Hui rubbed his forehead as if he was having a headache, "Since Xiangguo retreated, all the south of the Wei River will be under Yang Xingyun's army. At this time, Chang'an has fallen, and our army is trapped in Hanzhong!"

Only then did Xun Kai realize the seriousness of the problem.

There is Yang Zheng in the north and Jiang Wei in the south, and he has been caught in the middle.

Hanzhong can't afford to support an army of 12, not to mention that the two cities of Han and Le are still in the hands of the Shu army.

"The only one who can save the crisis is the governor!" Xun Kai cupped his hands.

Zhong Hui has had a bad reputation these years, and when he went out to fight, some people said that he would rebel against him, and he was not allowed to lead the army.

Sima Shi also confessed to Sima Zhao in the same way back then.

But now, only Zhong Hui can get out of the crisis.

His talents and wisdom are all over the world, and they are the best for a while.

Zhong Hui put his hands behind his back and chuckled, "Uncle Mao, the situation is not as it should be, there is still a chance!"

"Opportunity?" Xun Kai's heart moved, what Zhong Hui said was not that Cao Wei had a chance, but that he still had a chance...

"That's right, you lead five thousand soldiers into Chencang now, and if you keep Chencang, you will protect our army's way of retreat!"

When Hao Zhao was in Chencang, 1000 men blocked Zhuge Liang's tens of thousands of troops, and [-] soldiers were enough.

"This subordinate takes orders!" Xun Kai had no doubts about him.

Zhong Hui's eyes flashed, "After you went to Chencang, you spread banners and straw men on the city, beat drums all day long, and bluffed."

After Xun Kai left, Zhong Hui sat alone in the hall, lost in thought.

Even if Yang Zheng could defeat Sima Zhao's 16 army, he would suffer both sides.

In other words, Zhong Hui is actually the most powerful player on the west chessboard!

Thinking of this, the corner of Zhong Hui's mouth curled up into a smile unconsciously...

The sword pavilion.

Jiang Wei was losing his temper in a rare way, "Winter is coming, why haven't the soldiers' winter clothes been distributed yet?"

The second year of Jingyao (the fourth year of Wei Ganlu) was the coldest year in Shu.

Forty thousand Shu troops gathered on the front line of Jiange, but there was a problem with logistics supplies.

There is a shortage of food, and there is not enough hemp, straw, dry firewood, and bedding for the winter.

The soldiers huddled in the camp, so cold that they couldn't even hold their weapons.

In Liangzhou there are furs to keep warm, and in the middle of Sichuan, it was not bad at first. People picked catkins and reed catkins in spring and autumn to fill them into linen robes, which are called 纩衣.

But now none of those things are available.

Freezing three feet is not a day's cold.

In the past few years, the Shu brocade and tea business has boomed. Whether it is the government, the gentry, the powerful, or the common people, they are all competing to plant tea and mulberry for the profit of business and trade.

So much so that the food is a bit stretched, not to mention the clothes and straw.

There are also consumables such as crossbow arrows and caltrops, which are also insufficient in the army.

Fortunately, Zhong Hui had no plans to attack Jiange by force, otherwise Jiang Wei really didn't know how to defend it.

"Central Shu was originally poor. The generals gathered their troops and gathered in the valley. Chengdu's supplies were all sent to Yang'an, Han, and Le. Now [-] troops have gathered in a hurry, and Chengdu is already empty!" Dare to speak up.

And the spearhead was vaguely directed at Jiang Wei.

If there is no gathering of troops to gather in the valley, there will be no Zhonghui going south, Yang'an Pass will not be lost, and Shu will not face the current predicament!
Moreover, Fu Qian and Jiang Shu who defended Yang'an Pass are all Jiang Wei's cronies!

Right now, all the property in Chengdu is sent to Jiange, which is still a drop in the bucket.

Of course, the huge Chengdu has more than these possessions, but they are not in the treasury of the Shu Kingdom.

Zhang Yi used to be Liu Bei's secretary. Like Liao Hua, he is a veteran in his 70s and [-]s. There is a saying in Shu: "Before there were Wang and Ju, and after that there were Zhang and Liao."

The king is Wang Ping, and the sentence is sentence help.

Zhang is Zhang Yi.

He was highly respected in the army, and Jiang Wei could not argue with him.

And behind Zhang Yi represents the Yizhou faction.

"The Wei army has held on for more than four months. The soldiers are lax and morale is low. Zhonghui thinks that taking Yang'an Pass is safe. This is the time for our army to counterattack. You can send people back to Chengdu to ask His Majesty for winter clothes, armor, and crossbows. , spears and other things." Jiang Wei expressed his kindness to Zhang Yi.

If Yang'an Pass is not recovered, the two cities of Han and Le will sit empty, and sooner or later they will fall.

Even if you can't fight, you have to show it to the Hanzhong defenders.

(End of this chapter)