The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 436 What we gained was not ten thousand troops, but four hundred years of the righteous spirit of the Han Dynasty.

The last ridge of Motianling resembles the back of a giant dragon stretching across the sky.

The withered pine trees twisted into grotesque shapes in the biting mountain wind.

Jiang Wei reined in his warhorse, and the steed from Xiliang buckled in its front knees, foaming at the mouth as it knelt on the ground.

“下马步行！”

He gave a sharp shout, and his dark iron armor gleamed coldly in the setting sun.

Liu Yong staggered forward, leaning on his iron halberd. His brocade robe was already torn to shreds, revealing the scabs on his wounds underneath.

When he and the vanguard reached the summit, he saw the brave men who had cleared the way kneeling down, their sobs carried away by the wind.

Why are you all weeping?

姜维拨开人群，声音沙哑却仍带着威严。

The leading captain kowtowed to the ground:
"General... ahead are sheer cliffs as smooth as mirrors, where even birds cannot perch!"

He pointed into the depths of the clouds, his eyes red and swollen.

"The plank road that was dug in these twenty days... has all been wasted..."

Liu Yong leaned against the rock face and looked ahead, only to see the western side of Motianling Mountain in the twilight, as if it had been cleaved by an axe.

The dark blue rock face plunges thousands of feet, so high that even eagles hover in mid-air, afraid to descend.

His legs went weak, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

"More than seven hundred li..."

Jiang Wei suddenly burst into loud laughter, startling the birds roosting in the woods.

"Do you gentlemen remember the folk songs of Liangzhou?"

“过了摩天岭，江油米粮香！”

The soldiers stared blankly at their commander.

He untied the water pouch from his waist, drank it all in one gulp, and then hurled the empty pouch into the abyss.

"If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cubs?"

"In the past, Ban Chao pacified the Western Regions with only thirty-six men. Now, we should emulate General Huo Qubing and venture deep into the desert. It is the perfect time!"

Liu Yong interrupted in a trembling voice:

"Boyo! This cliff..."

"Your Highness!"

Jiang Wei turned around and pressed down on his shoulder, his gaze as bright as stars.

"You are also a well-versed scholar of military strategy, do you know the story of Han Xin's decisive battle with his back to the river?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Yong fell silent.

As dusk deepened, torches were lit one after another.

Jiang Wei stood atop the highest rock, his iron armor reflecting the flickering firelight:
"We have come to this perilous place together, for as the saying goes, fortune is found in danger!"

"If we can recapture Jiangyou, then from now on we will all share wealth and prosperity!"

As soon as he finished speaking, an old soldier with a face full of scars suddenly stepped out from the crowd:

"We people of Longxi know General Jiang best!"

"If you say go east, I will never go west!"

"I'm willing to follow the general!"

Shouts rose and fell, startling the night owls into flight.

Liu Yong lowered his head amidst the deafening shouts.

He saw the wild grass struggling to grow in the cracks of the rocks and suddenly remembered last winter solstice.

The emperor issued an edict reprimanding him for his excessive construction of the palace.

However, many other feudal lords also lived extravagant lives.

The emperor said that his younger brothers were too young to understand.

But in Liu Yong's view, it was clear that his father was getting old and favored the younger one more.

The humiliation of that moment was more suffocating than the sheer cliff face at that moment.

As the morning star rises, the army begins its final ascent.

The rope stretched taut like a bowstring on the rock face, and the crisp sound of the iron chisel striking the rock broke the dawn.

Liu Yong imitated the soldiers, inserting his dagger into the crevice of the rock and moving with difficulty.

My palms were already a bloody mess, and every inch upward felt like dancing on a knife's edge.

At noon, the first soldier to reach the summit suddenly let out a desperate wail.

Liu Yong struggled to the summit, and in that instant, his blood ran cold—

Before them lay a bottomless fault line, with the opposite cliff hundreds of feet away, and clouds churning in the valley like boiling water.

“天绝我也！”

Liu Yong collapsed to his knees, tears mingling with blood streaming down his face.

"Twenty days of hardship... all for naught..."

The cries spread like a plague.

A young soldier untied a rope and was about to put it around his neck when Jiang Wei snatched it away.

"Look over there."

Jiang Wei pointed to the faint light at the bottom of the valley, "That's the smoke from the chimneys of Jiangyou City."

While everyone was stunned, he suddenly unsheathed his sword:

"Emperor Gaozu suffered several defeats at the hands of Xiang Yu, and the hardships he endured were no less than ours. What are you afraid of?"

Without waiting for a reply, he suddenly threw the sword into the abyss.

"The men threw down their weapons, then wrapped themselves in felt and descended!"

The crisp sound of sword blades clashing against rocks echoed through the valley.

Liu Yong grabbed Jiang Wei's arm guard in terror:

"Boyo has gone mad! He's sending us to our deaths!"

Jiang Wei grabbed his wrist with his other hand, the force almost crushing the bones:

"Has Your Highness forgotten the grand vows and oaths you made before setting out on the expedition?"

He turned and surveyed the soldiers, whose faces were ashen:

"Those with felt coats should wrap themselves up and roll down; those without felt coats should tie their waists with ropes!"

He grabbed the felt blanket that his personal guard was holding and said, "This general will go first!"

Liu Yong watched as Jiang Wei wrapped himself in felt like a cocoon and took a deep breath.

"Wait a minute!"

He grabbed Jiang Wei's felt corner, saying, "I will descend with you, General."

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, Liu Yong accepted the felt.

As his body was tightly wrapped, he heard Jiang Wei whisper in his ear:

"Your Highness should close your eyes and hold your breath, as if you were a fetus in your mother's womb."

The first figure that rolled down was like a pebble thrown into a deep pool.

Then came the second, the third...

悬崖上垂下无数绳索，士兵们像串珠般悬挂在绝壁。

As Liu Yong felt dizzy, he heard the howling wind, as if he had returned to the moment when he was pushed into Taiye Pond in his childhood.

He didn't know how much time had passed when the violent tremor nearly made him faint.

When he opened his eyes, he saw Jiang Wei taking off the blanket covering his body, and blood seeping from his forehead stained half of his face.

"Take a headcount." His voice remained steady.

幸存者陆续从各处爬出，个个衣衫褴褛，很多人拖着断肢。

The supply officer reported, limping:

“还剩两千一百余人……”

Liu Yong struggled to stand up, but found that his left leg was in excruciating pain.

Looking down, I could see that my shinbone was bent unnaturally.

He suddenly chuckled, his laughter growing more and more manic until tears streamed down his face.

"Where is Your Highness injured?" Jiang Wei strode over.

"It doesn't matter..."

Liu Yong wiped away his tears, "Compared to the cold treatment I received at the Eastern Palace, this leg injury feels much better."

As dusk fell, the survivors gathered at the bottom of the valley by the stream.

The medics were busy treating the wounded soldiers, while the supply officer led his men to collect the scattered weapons.

Liu Yong sat leaning against a pine tree, watching Jiang Wei personally feed water to the wounded soldiers.

The cold wind was like a knife.

After a brief rest, the Han army led by Jiang Wei...

So, dragging his weary body, he continued his arduous journey along the rugged mountain path.

将士们的铁甲上凝结着霜花，呵出的白气在朔风中瞬间消散。

"Report——"

"A large, empty stockade is ahead!"

The scouts' voices echoed through the valley.

Jiang Wei reined in his warhorse and looked around.

But at the perilous pass, the stockade walls were crumbling, the banners were broken, and only a few crows were cawing mournfully on the withered branches.

The two generals looked at each other in bewilderment, and the deputy general Liao Hua rode forward and said:

"This fortress is a strategic point in Yinping, and the Wei people have always heavily guarded it. Why is it so desolate today?"

As they were talking, the scout led several local elders over.

The elderly man at the head of the group bowed tremblingly and said:
"General, you may not know this, but the Wei Kingdom originally stationed a thousand troops here."

"Recently, due to the sluggish sales of Shu brocade, the sugar frosting has been cut off."

"The Wei court's treasury is empty, and all the garrison troops in this stronghold were withdrawn a month ago."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wei clapped his hands and sighed deeply:
“果如丞相所料！”

He turned to the generals and said:
"When the Prime Minister was in Jiaozhou, he knew that the people of Wei had a sweet tooth."

"Therefore, after his relationship with Wei soured and he took control of the cabinet, he specifically ordered the cut-off of the supply of raw materials such as sugarcane."

"This led to the destruction of sugar mills in Sichuan and the unsaleability of Sichuan brocade."

"Now it seems that the plan has succeeded!"

As night fell, the Han army rested temporarily in the empty camp.

Jiang Wei sat alone on the ruins, gazing at the campfire in a daze.

The autumn night I first arrived in Longxi five years ago feels like yesterday; the Prime Minister's words still echo in my ears:

"Boyue, the way of economics can also defeat the enemy."

Back then, Li Yi taught this saying to Zhuge Liang.

Now, Zhuge Liang also passed on these words to Jiang Wei verbatim.

Why does the general sigh?

Liao Hua appeared behind him without him noticing.

Jiang Wei picked up a dry branch and poked at the campfire:

"I was thinking, the Prime Minister uses icing as a blade, and it is sharper than 100,000 elite soldiers."

"Look at this strategic pass; in the past, one man could hold it against ten thousand."

"But now, because of a mere icing, my army is allowed to pass freely."

Liao Hua pondered for a moment and said:
"...That is indeed the case."

"I have heard that the nobles of Wei have a sweet tooth, and after the supply of icing was cut off, the price on the black market skyrocketed a hundredfold."

"Even more extreme, some would trade a fine horse for a spoonful of icing sugar."

"Not only that."

李严之子李丰也在旁侧接话道。

"In order to alleviate the sugar shortage, the State of Wei forcibly requisitioned farmland from the people to grow sugarcane, which caused the price of grain to soar."

"Now, famine is rampant in Sichuan. With the situation deteriorating, this is truly a golden opportunity."

Jiang Wei suddenly stood up, his eyes blazing:
“传令全军，即刻开拔。”

"Jiangyou City ahead has ample food supplies. If we can capture this city, the unification of the country will be within reach!"

He surveyed the assembled generals, his voice booming:

"This advance is a one-way street with no possibility of retreat."

"Advance and you may live; retreat and you will die!"

Two thousand soldiers responded in unison, their voices echoing through the valley:
"I am willing to fight to the death with the general!"

The night was as dark as ink, and the Han army marched swiftly along the rugged mountain path, carrying torches.

Every soldier's face was filled with determination; they knew this might be their last battle.

at the same time,

A hundred miles away in Jiangyou City, the scene is quite different.

The city garrison commander, Ma Miao, had just finished his training and couldn't help but shiver as he removed his armor.

The guards hurriedly added charcoal to the brazier, saying cautiously:
"General, rumors have been circulating in the city lately, saying that the Han army is about to attack."

"Stop talking nonsense!"

Ma Miao rebuked, "With General Deng Ai stationed at Jiange, even if Zhuge Liang possesses extraordinary abilities, he cannot cross this natural barrier of Shu."

Even so, his hand trembled involuntarily.

Upon returning to his residence, his wife, Madam Li, had already prepared wine and dishes.

Seeing her husband's furrowed brows, Li said softly:
"I have heard that the situation at the border is urgent. General, you have been training late today. Is there something wrong?"

Ma Miao tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp, then chuckled and said:
"Why should a woman concern herself with military affairs? Deng Shizai will make the decisions on important matters."

Li said solemnly:
"...General, you are mistaken."

"As the garrison commander of Jiangyou, you have a responsibility to defend the territory."

“I have been walking around the city recently and have seen the people’s livelihood in ruins and the morale of the army in disarray. I am really worried.”

"What do you know!"

Ma Miao slammed his cup to the ground, shouting, "Huang Hao is wielding power in the court and embezzling military pay!"

"Of the able-bodied men in the city, only one in ten survived; the old, weak, women, and children wept from hunger and cold."

"Is such a court worth dying for?"

Li stood up, her slender finger pointing directly at her husband's face:

“将军受国厚禄，当以死报之。”

"How can one speak of surrender before even engaging in battle? Such a man would be unworthy of the title of a great man."

Enraged, Ma Miao shoved his wife away.

"You stay secluded in your mansion all day long, unaware that outside the city, corpses of the starving are littering the fields?"

"Do you know that the garrison troops haven't received their pay for three months? Do you know that?"

He suddenly choked up, "Do you know that the fate of our Great Wei is coming to an end?"

With a sharp "slap," Li raised her hand and slapped her husband across the face.

You've completely disgraced the Ma family ancestors!

Tears streamed down her face. "Though I am a woman, I know the meaning of loyalty and righteousness."

"If the general insists on surrendering to the enemy, I have no choice but to die to prove my loyalty!"

Just as the couple was arguing, flames suddenly shot into the sky outside the city, and war drums thundered.

"Report! The Qi army has arrived at the city walls!"

Ma Miao's face turned ashen, and he staggered back two steps.

Li, however, remained calm and composed, straightening her clothes.
"If the general still cherishes the bond between husband and wife, please grant me a long sword."

"I would rather die in battle than live a life of dishonor!"

At this moment, outside Jiangyou City, Jiang Wei was observing the city's defenses.

But seeing that the city walls were damaged in many places and the garrison was sparse, he couldn't help but sigh:

“In the past, this city could not have been taken without 100,000 elite troops.”

"Now it seems that two thousand exhausted soldiers are enough."

Liao Hua said in a low voice:
"...General, you must not underestimate the enemy."

"Although Ma Miao was mediocre, he still managed to defend the city."

"otherwise."

Jiang Wei's eyes shone brightly. "Can you see the banners on the city wall are disheveled? And the defending soldiers are staggering?"

"The people of this city have fallen out of favor; it will be as easy as turning one's hand to take it over."

really,

Less than half an hour later, the city gates suddenly burst open.

Several elderly men walked out shakily and knelt down to surrender:
“将军明鉴，马邈已自缚于府中。

"The soldiers and civilians in the city are unwilling to fight any longer. We beg the general to have mercy on the people!"

Jiang Wei spurred his horse into the city, only to find the streets desolate and the people pale and sickly.

When they arrived at the government office, they saw Ma Miao kneeling on the ground, bound, while his wife, Li, stood on the steps with a sword in her hand.

"What do you mean, ma'am?"

Jiang Wei dismounted and asked.

Li raised his head and replied:

"Though I am a woman, I also know loyalty and righteousness."

“今既不能劝夫死节，唯求将军赐死！”

Jiang Wei was filled with respect and bowed deeply:
“夫人忠义，天地可鉴。”

"But today the world is in turmoil, and the people are suffering."

“维此番东来，非为屠戮，实欲解民倒悬。”

He turned to Ma Miao and said:
"If General Ma is willing to help me pacify the people, my whole family can be saved."

Ma Miao kowtowed repeatedly:

"I am willing to surrender! I am willing to surrender!"

That night, the banners on the walls of Jiangyou changed.

Jiang Wei sat in the government office, listening to the reports from various camps on the amount of grain and fodder they had captured, but his brows furrowed more and more.

"General, the grain reserves in the city are only enough for our army for ten days."

Liao Hua was deeply worried.

Liu Yong's face was full of worry:

"What's even more troublesome is that there are over ten thousand elderly and infirm people in the city, all of whom look hungry."

"If we open the granaries to provide relief, our army will run out of food supplies." "If we stand by and do nothing, we risk losing the hearts of the people."

"If they rebel, they might be held back by the people of Chengdu before they even enter the city."

Jiang Wei strolled to the window and gazed at the lights dotting the city.

Suddenly turned around and said:

"Open the granaries and distribute the grain immediately! Also, issue my order to gather all able-bodied men in the city tomorrow."

"Rebuild the city defenses and provide food according to the work done."

The generals were stunned.

廖化急道：

"General, please reconsider! Our army's food supplies are already insufficient."

Have you not heard that he who wins the hearts of the people wins the world?

Jiang Wei interrupted, "Back when Prime Minister Li was conquering Liaodong, he also faced difficulties with food supplies."

"But we still persisted in providing work relief, and Liaodong remains our northern flank. Is this not thanks to the Prime Minister?"

"Now that Wei has lost the hearts of the people, it is the right time for Qi and Han to take it over."

"If you treat the common people like dirt, how are you any different from the traitor Wei?"

The next morning, a long line formed in front of the soup kitchen.

When the starving people received the hot porridge, they were all moved to tears.

An elderly man even knelt down and shouted:
"General Jiang is truly a benevolent and righteous leader!"

Han flags fluttered in the wind above Jiangyou city.

虽已克城，姜维却无半点喜色。

He stood alone on the city tower, gazing at the wisps of smoke rising from the city, his brow furrowed as deeply as the towering mountains of Longxi.

"General, the grain officer reports that there are only three thousand bushels of grain left in the city."

Li Feng, a soldier, said in a trembling voice, "If we follow the amount of grain distributed today, it will only last for seven days."

Jiang Wei remained silent, his fingers gently tracing the mottled city wall.

"Continue to open the granaries and distribute grain."

Jiang Wei's words were resounding and powerful.

"General, please reconsider!"

Liao Hua strode forward, “Our army has come through danger, soldiers…”

"It is precisely because our soldiers have shed their blood and sacrificed their lives that we should understand even more why we are fighting!"

Jiang Wei turned around, his gaze sharp as lightning, "If you treat the common people like dirt, how are you any different from the traitors of Wei?"

The day the granary was opened, the whole city was filled with sorrow.

An elderly woman with white hair knelt down, holding a bowl of hot porridge, and wept, saying:
"My three sons all died in battle in Hanzhong. Now that I have this porridge from the general, I have no regrets even if I die!"

A figure quietly approached from the crowd.

“Boyo…”

Liu Yong lowered his voice, "You distributed all the grain to the people, but did you ever consider how these two thousand exhausted soldiers would be able to take Chengdu?"

Jiang Wei helped the old woman up, brushed the dust off her clothes, and then answered:

"Your Majesty, I will now proceed with the next round of gambling."

"What are you gambling?"

"I bet the Prime Minister's economic war has succeeded, I bet the Wei people have lost the hearts of the people of Shu, and I bet the general guarding Fucheng will surrender without a fight when he sees our army arrive."

Liu Yong was stunned, and after a long while, he sighed:
"I hope your prediction is correct, and that your gamble will be successful."

That night, the long-lost aroma of meat filled the military camp.

Jiang Wei took out all the remaining reserves and generously rewarded the three armies.

The cooks carried out a steamed sheep and brought over wine jars.

A young soldier stared at the piece of meat in his hand, then suddenly burst into tears:
“阿母……阿母临终前，就想尝口肉味……”

The camp was silent, except for the sound of sobbing.

Jiang Wei picked up the bowl and stood up, his voice echoing across the surrounding area:
"Gentlemen! Today's meat is to comfort the souls of the departed!"

“明日之战，关乎能否一统两川！饮胜！”

"Cheers!"

The roar of two thousand men startled countless crows into flight.

In the midst of the banquet, Jiang Wei suddenly threw his bowl to the ground and shouted sternly:
“传令！三更造饭，四更出发，兵发涪城！”

The generals were stunned.

李丰踉跄出列：

"General! Our army has come through danger and is exhausted."

"Even if we are to advance, we should rest for several days..."

"presumptuous!"

Jiang Wei's expression changed drastically. "Speed ​​is of the essence in war! How dare you disrupt the morale of my army?"

"This humble general dares not! It's just..."

“左右何在？”

Jiang Wei shouted, "Bring Li Feng out and behead him!"

Chaos erupted immediately inside the tent.

Liao Hua, Tian Xu, and others knelt down one after another:

"General! Although Li Feng's words were inappropriate, they were truly out of loyalty!"

Liu Yong also advised:
"Boyue, if you kill a general in the heat of battle, I fear it will dampen the spirits of the soldiers."

Jiang Wei's gaze swept over the generals, and seeing Li Feng's pale face, he finally sighed:
"Enough! Remember this offense and make amends through meritorious service."

He then said solemnly, "Gentlemen, you should know that the Prime Minister's army is currently locked in a stalemate with the main force of the Wei army at Jiange."

"If the Wei army manages to encircle us, our army will be in grave danger!"

The following morning, Jiang Wei summoned Ma Miao.

General Ma,

Jiang Wei said gently, "Li Tu, the garrison commander of Fucheng, is your classmate."

"If you can persuade them to surrender, the greatest credit in this battle will undoubtedly go to you."

Ma Miao's expression shifted, and suddenly he gritted his teeth:
"Now that I have returned to Han, I am willing to serve with my life!"

“某愿亲率本部三千人马，为前部先锋！”

消息传出，刘永急入姜维大帐：

“Boyue! Ma Miao has just surrendered; his intentions are difficult to fathom.”

"His forces number three thousand, more than ours. What if they defect in the face of battle..."

Jiang Wei was wiping his sword when he heard this and chuckled:

"Does Your Highness know how the Wei law deals with traitorous generals?"

不待回答，他续道：

“叛将诛三族，部曲尽坑之。”

"Now that Ma Miao has surrendered, there is no way out."

“If his subordinates do not do their best, even if he returns to Wei, he will face certain death.”

He sheathed his sword, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

“Using surrendered generals is like taming a wild horse; you must utilize their courage, but also guard against their stumbling.”

"I have already made arrangements, Your Highness, please do not worry."

That night, Jiang Wei secretly summoned Liao Hua.

"You shall lead five hundred elite troops, with many banners, drums, and horns, and lie in ambush in the dense forest southeast of Fucheng."

Jiang Wei pointed to the map and said, "When the city is ablaze, beat the drums and shout to make a show of force."

He then summoned Li Feng:

"You will lead two hundred elite soldiers, disguised as a caravan, to infiltrate the city."

“I’ve heard that the price of grain in Fucheng has risen to a thousand coins per dou of rice. Take this money and use it to buy grain and help the poor.”

Li Feng was stunned:

"Isn't this aiding the enemy?"

Jiang Wei smiled:

"We must let Li Tu know that even before our army arrives, the people's hearts have already changed."

Finally, Ma Miao was summoned, and he removed the jade pendant from his waist:

"Seeing this jade is like seeing my face."

“告诉李途，降汉后，涪城仍由他镇守。”

Ma Miao was filled with doubt and uncertainty:

"This……"

"Don't doubt people who are suspicious of you, don't doubt those who are employed."

姜维摆手，“去吧。”

Li Tu, the garrison commander of Fucheng, has been unable to eat or sleep properly these days.

First, the icing ran out, and the nobles complained bitterly.

Then grain prices soared, and the people besieged the government office.

While he was troubled that day, he was suddenly informed that Ma Miao was requesting an audience.

"Where have you come from, my dear brother?"

Li Tuqiang remained calm.

Ma Miao took out the jade pendant and stated his purpose directly:

"General Jiang took Jiangyou without bloodshed, and now he is leading 30,000 elite troops here."

"I have been specially ordered to come and bestow upon you a life of wealth and honor."

Li Tu slammed his fist on the table in anger:
“汝降齐贼，还敢来此惑乱军心？”

Suddenly, the sounds of battle erupted outside the city, and a personal guard rushed in to report:

"General! The main force of the Han-Qi army has appeared in the southeast, their banners obscuring the sun!"

Simultaneously,

Fires broke out in many parts of the city, and starving people gathered in front of the government building, shouting:
"We want to see General Jiang!"

Li Tu's face turned ashen, and he staggered and collapsed.

Suddenly, his elderly mother, supported by a maid, emerged and said in a trembling voice:

"My son, do you remember how your father died?"

Li Tu trembled violently—

His father was demoted after his failed northern expedition with Sima Yi and died in despair.

"My ancestors also received official salaries..."

老母垂泪，“今若降汉，乃认祖归宗之举，我儿不可一误再误。”

At this moment, Ma Miao said softly:

General Jiang asked me to pass on a message: If you, my old friend, surrender to the Han army, I will guarantee you a life of wealth and honor for the rest of your life.

Li Tu sighed deeply, finally letting out a helpless sigh:
"Send the order! Open the city gates and surrender!"

After Jiang Wei cleverly captured Fucheng, he looked southwest from the city tower.

As dusk settled, he gently stroked the mottled bricks of the parapet. Liao Hua, carrying the grain register, strode over, his voice filled with a long-lost excitement:
"The city has enough grain to last for half a year, 50,000 arrows in the armory, and more than 4,000 surrendered soldiers!"

Because Fucheng was an important and strategic pass, its grain reserves far exceeded those of other cities.

But now the Han army has obtained it without lifting a finger.

Suddenly, a commotion arose below the city walls. It turned out that the magistrate of Zitong County, who was nearby, was kneeling and begging for surrender, carrying a register of household registrations...

As dawn broke, the area in front of the Fucheng granary was crowded with people waiting to receive their grain.

Several elderly men, holding fresh millet, wept tears of joy as they repeatedly kowtowed before the Han flag.

When Jiang Wei arrived at this point on his inspection tour, he saw the chief clerk holding bamboo slips and reporting in a trembling voice:
"As per the general's order, a thousand bushels have been distributed in the three days since the granaries were opened, but..."

He glanced at Jiang Wei's expression.

"At this rate, even the largest food reserves won't last long."

"Don't worry."

姜维抓起把金灿灿的粟米任其从指缝流泻。

“Look at this grain, rotting in the granaries of the Wei people, but reborn in the bowls of the common people.”

Suddenly, a rider appeared in a cloud of dust, and the rider immediately knelt down from his saddle.
"Report! Wang Xu, the magistrate of Zitong County, requests an audience with the entire county's household registration records!"

Everyone was shocked.

A scholar in a green robe walked out of the city gate, holding up a household register with both hands, followed by more than ten elders.

The scribe knelt down and shouted:
"Now that the heavenly army has arrived, the 30,000 people of Zitong are willing to offer 100,000 shi of grain and 5,000 able-bodied men!"

姜维急步上前扶起，却见那县丞泪流满面：

"Last year, the Wei dynasty forcibly requisitioned Shu brocade, and the women in the county wove it day and night, resulting in more than thirty people going blind..."

"Seeing the Han flag today is like seeing a timely rain!"

It turns out that the Han Dynasty intensified its economic blockade of the Shu region.

The quality of life for the people of Sichuan is declining day by day. Not only ordinary people, but also many high-ranking officials can no longer make ends meet.

Upon hearing that a Han army had descended from the heavens, officials from many surrounding counties came to join them.

Only now does Jiang Wei realize this.

What does it mean that those who follow the Way receive much help, while those who stray from the Way receive little help?

Jiang Wei himself admitted that his success in smuggling was due to his courage, wisdom, boldness, and leadership.

However, after successfully crossing the border, they were able to take down the two important Shu-Wei passes of Jiangyou and Fucheng.

That was truly a blessing from heaven for Jiang Wei.

At this time, Cao Wei was already extremely corrupt, and the facts were already established and could not be rewritten.

The evidence is that Jiangyou and Fucheng were captured by the Han army without bloodshed.

As a result, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse for Cao Wei.

The fall of Fucheng turned the city into Jiang Wei's supply base.

姜维部队从死地中恢复。

We can advance and capture Chengdu, or retreat and hold Jianmen Pass.

The capture of Fucheng can be said to have signaled that Jiang Wei's strategy was half accomplished.

Jiang Wei's ability to capture Fucheng without bloodshed undeniably involved a great deal of luck.

However, his subjective role is the decisive factor, which is "strangeness".

It is conceivable that Ma Miao had been hearing about the large Han army advancing south from the northern front.

After the fall of Hanzhong, Deng Ai was defeated at Tazhong and retreated to Jiange.

The Cao Wei dynasty was on the verge of collapse.
At that time, any local official in Shu or Wei knew that the Wei government was already quite corrupt.

Cao Rui did not lack the desire to address the corruption within the Wei court.

However, the historical problems left by our ancestors are far too serious.

Cao Cao's rule was illegitimate; he gained power through compromises with powerful clans in Shu.

While the Shu brocade and sugar mills under the rule of Cao Pi and Sima Yi once brought massive wealth to the Wei Kingdom.

But it is a false prosperity.

Now, Cao Rui's reign is forced to pay the price for the mistakes of his fathers.

Even more critically, with Sima Yi and Deng Ai's frequent northern expeditions...

This resulted in the deaths and loss of many talented individuals in the Wei Kingdom.

Even though Cao Rui wanted to change the situation, he really didn't have a good helper.

So he simply gave up and resigned himself to fate.

As the saying goes, if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be crooked.

If the ruling class felt this way, one can imagine how uneasy the local officials in Shu must have felt.

尤其此时，汉军像从天上掉下来一样出现在自己面前，那么马邈肯定得慌神。

也许他是在慌乱中不明不白的投降了姜维的“先登”。

Perhaps he believed that the Cao Wei regime was doomed and decided to protect himself.

又或者他在慌乱中觉得是汉军早就打败了剑阁的主力，直接攻到了涪城，所以只有投降。

But regardless of the method, the key to easy victory lies in the element of "uniqueness".

Just as Prime Minister Li often said:

"Attack where they are unprepared, strike when they least expect it."

The Wei state didn't have many troops here at all.

However, the State of Wei has not yet been destroyed.

It still has the entire Chengdu Division, so it is fully capable of fighting.

但是姜维也明白，自己是没有退路的。

He must forge ahead.

In the days that followed, good news poured in like snowflakes:
"Report! The garrison commander of Wucheng Pass has opened the gates and surrendered!"

"Report! A powerful family in Deyang has donated 10,000 shi of grain!"

"Report! Righteous people of Luo County have captured Wei Guan and brought him to surrender!"

而姜维的汉军部队，也从原来的两千疲敝之师，渐渐壮大成为了万人之师。

As the autumn sun rose, tens of thousands of people stood solemnly in formation, like a forest.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wei leaped onto his warhorse, and the entire army of ten thousand men fell silent instantly.

But his sword pointed north, and his voice shook the heavens:

"Order the troops to march on Chengdu!"

The autumn wind whips up the blue dragon cloak, fluttering like a black bird spreading its wings.

Someone started singing "The Song of the Great Wind," and gradually thousands joined in, the sound startling all the birds on the mountain into flight.
"A strong wind rises, and the clouds fly high—"

"My might extends throughout the land, yet I return to my homeland—"

"Where can I find brave warriors to guard the four corners of the land?"

Amidst the thunderous singing, Jiang Wei reined in his horse and looked back at the winding, dragon-like marching army.

He whispered to Liu Yong beside him:

"Does Your Highness understand now? What we have gained is not ten thousand troops, but the righteous spirit of the Han Dynasty for four hundred years."

"The place we are going to is not a battlefield, but the unfinished 'Longzhong Plan' between Prime Minister Li and His Majesty."

……

(End of this chapter)