Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 112 Entering the game personally
Outside Qi County, 20,000 Shu soldiers were leaving in formation, and the scene was somewhat chaotic.

A group of people slowly headed east, most of them remaining where they were, their faces filled with helplessness and confusion about the future.

"You may all go home and see your fathers, wives and children."

Zhang Yi, leading his horse, shouted to the Shu soldiers who had stopped in place. After speaking, he continued eastward without looking back, walking at the very back of the column.

Jiang Wei's surrender to Zhong Hui drew criticism from many in the Shu army, who saw it as a betrayal of their ideals. Of course, this was also a consequence of Liu Shan's surrender document. If the emperor of a nation had surrendered, what reason did the soldiers of that nation have to continue fighting?
Therefore, although these Shu soldiers would not go with Jiang Wei to see Zhong Hui, they did not blame him.

Many people felt resentful about surrendering to the Wei Kingdom, and some even stabbed the ground with weapons to vent their dissatisfaction.

However, the generals in the army seemed to know that Jiang Wei had ulterior motives, and most of them were willing to follow him.

Of the 20,000-strong army, more than 10,000 soldiers left in one fell swoop.

Only the core military personnel remained, which is somewhat good news.

If, given time, Jiang Wei can restore the sun and moon to their former glory, then with these core members, recruiting another 20,000 to 30,000 troops would be no problem at all.

Jiang Wei walked at the very front of the procession, his face expressionless, appearing very calm.

For him, this game has only just begun.

Before long, Zhang Yi rode up to the front of the group and reported back to Jiang Wei.

This current Shu army consists of loyal followers who cherish their past affections for the Shu Kingdom and are determined to serve it wholeheartedly. Although they number only a few thousand, far fewer than the previous force of 20,000, they have been streamlined and selected, seemingly cutting back on resources, but in reality, they have slimmed down.

It is said that those who are united in purpose will prevail.

With the entire army united and the weak-willed opportunists removed, their fighting strength may not have decreased much.

"General, the soldiers are very reluctant to part with us, but..."

Zhang Yi didn't say the rest of his sentence.

"Everyone has their own ambitions, let them be."

Jiang Wei didn't mind at all and was very understanding of the Shu soldiers who had deserted. After all, they knew nothing, while the Shu generals who knew Jiang Wei had his own plans all chose to stay.

Zhang Yi glanced at Jiang Wei, as if he still had something to say.

Jiang Wei waved his hand at him, indicating that he didn't need to say anything more.

Jiang Wei knew that Zhang Yi was probably thinking: How are you going to incite Zhong Hui and Deng Ai to fight? They are both generals in the Wei army!
However, such a scheme could not be discussed with others. Jiang Wei also found it inconvenient to tell Zhang Yi too many details.

Before things settle down, anything is possible. Even if you try to explain now, outsiders won't understand the true meaning, even if they don't inform on you.

That is the beauty of strategy.

Jiang Wei spent his entire life on the battlefield, killing countless enemies. He was a great general who commanded with composure and skill on the battlefield.

However, all his martial prowess, decades of battlefield experience, and military strategy were now useless.

Jiang Wei had no choice but to resort to the tactics often used by those cunning strategists, killing people with a soft knife.

It must be said that this is the tragedy of the Shu Kingdom's demise, and also the tragedy of the end of an era.

Jiang Wei couldn't help but sigh, composed himself, and prepared to put on a fearful and apprehensive expression before facing Zhong Hui.

He had already written to Zhong Hui, expressing his willingness to surrender with his troops. This was the start of his plan, a desperate act of fighting for survival.

There's no turning back now that the arrow has been released; we have to go for it even if it means gritting our teeth.

Before long, Liao Hua, the veteran general who had been cleaning up the mess in Qi County, caught up with the troops, carrying his spear. Jiang Wei saw him and asked, "General Liao, has the camp been cleared? What's the situation in Qi County?"

"Reporting to the General, five hundred soldiers were left to guard the city, to prevent those deserters from looting the villages. As for the rest, this humble general is powerless to do anything about it, I can only hope that they will not attack those close to them."

Liao Hua reported loudly, his voice booming like a bell.

"General Liao, you've worked hard. I feel really bad that you're always the one cleaning up the mess."

Jiang Wei remarked with emotion.

The veteran general Liao Hua fought almost the entire game for Shu Han, making great contributions and witnessing the rise and fall of the Shu Kingdom. His character and ability were impeccable, and even now in his old age, he still works tirelessly and without complaint.

"General, you are too kind. I, Liao, have risen from humble beginnings and have been deeply indebted to the state. As long as you do not intend to surrender to Wei and serve the state, I, Liao, am willing to serve you faithfully without hesitation!"

Liao Hua said excitedly.

……

Inside the Great Sword Pass, training continues.

In one of the military formations, someone became dissatisfied after standing for an hour, so he took advantage of the patrolling guards not paying attention and started rubbing his sore wrists and ankles.

Just as he was about to resume his standing posture, several members of his personal guard rushed into the army formation and dragged him out.

Without saying a word, Meng Guan pinned the man to the ground, and his personal guards, holding wooden sticks, slapped the man's buttocks three times.

"Form ranks! Any further movement will result in beheading!"

Meng Guan roared at him.

The soldier, in a panic, fled back to his original position in the army formation. Even though his buttocks were burning with pain, he didn't dare to utter a sound and stood as straight as a pine tree.

This scene unfolded in full view of everyone, and many people saw it clearly. Just then, a personal guard ran up to Meng Guan and whispered in his ear, "General Meng, the drill training is over. Next is lunch."

"Leave in order! Dinner will be served in one incense stick's time!"

Meng Guan shouted, and the gong on the city tower clanged loudly.

The teams filed out of the training ground in an orderly fashion.

Meng Guan breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this kind of training was even more tiring than fighting a war!

Previously, even when Shi Shouxin was in the military, he was in normal management and never took charge of troop training.

Why is this so?
Because no matter how well they are trained, those troops belong to the Sima family!

The rotten fish and shrimp belong to the Sima family, and so do the elite troops! Since that's the case, as long as they can be used, why should I train them properly?
But things are different now. Most of these people are hereditary soldiers under Shi Shouxin, his personal guards.

Therefore, whether these troops could fight directly determined how strong Shi Shouxin himself was, because his troops were an amplification and extension of the power of the leader!

They'll definitely have to train like crazy!
Meng Guan also treated this army as his own family's business, because his status in the Wei army was merely that of Shi Shouxin's personal guard. To put it simply, without Shi Shouxin, he was nothing.

When the war against Shu ends, Meng Guan can choose to return to Wei Guan's military guard as a lowly soldier without any official position, or he can follow Shi Shouxin and become a "private army general".

Meng Guan had long since figured out whether to eat the Sima family's food or accept the salary from Shi Shouxin.

Before long, the food was ready on the drill ground. It was all cooked in large pots, but enough to fill you up. There were wheat cakes, pickles, and meat soup.

Inside Dajian Pass, there were stone mills and mortars for processing military rations, so the food was better than when camping in the open. Moreover, some donkeys and horses in the grain transport convoys were too tired to walk, so Shi Shouxin used them to feed his own troops. This was one of the advantages of controlling the grain depot.

The changes in the way officers and soldiers ate together were already becoming apparent. Meng Guan secretly observed that the atmosphere during meals was quite relaxed.

He immediately felt a sense of admiration for Shi Shouxin.

Having generals eat with their soldiers helps them understand what their troops are thinking and what's circulating in the army. This allows commanders to stay informed about their subordinates' thoughts and nip potential problems in the bud.

Meng Guan arrived at the signing room on the city wall and asked Shi Shouxin to have a meal on the drill ground. Although this was just a formality, it helped to show the presence of the commander.

Unexpectedly, upon entering, I saw Shi Shouxin holding a letter, his brow furrowed, and I wondered what had happened.

"Commander Shi, has something serious happened?"

Meng Guan asked with a puzzled look on his face.

"See for yourself."

Shi Shouxin handed the silk scroll to Meng Guan, who gasped in shock upon reading it.

Zhong Ran sent Shi Shouxin to lead troops to Fucheng to participate in the army's "military exercise" to demonstrate military might and intimidate Jiang Wei and his Shu army.

Since it's a military exercise, the more troops the better.

Therefore, Shi Shouxin's main force also needs to come to Fucheng, which is 200 miles away, to participate in the martial arts exercise. They must set off immediately without delay!
It looks very abrupt.

"Is it because of Jiang Wei, Military Supervisor Shi?"

Meng Guan asked in a low voice.

With Jiang Wei arriving, Zhong Hui will likely have to send troops to Chengdu. Conducting military exercises and demonstrating military might before setting out is indeed... quite logical.

Shi Shouxin nodded and said:
"I originally planned to hold back Deng Ai's letter a little longer to buy him some time, but I didn't expect Zhong Hui to act so quickly."

It seems I must lead my troops to Fucheng today and deliver that letter as well.”

Meng Guan fell silent. He desperately wished the troops of Jiange could train for a few more days. But reality is often like this; changes often come suddenly, catching people off guard.

"Okay, you get ready, we'll set off when it gets dark."

Shi Shouxin patted Meng Guan on the shoulder, signaling him to go about his business.

Meng Guan tried to speak several times, but then hesitated and stopped.

After Meng Guan left, Shi Shouxin spread out a large sheet of paper, preparing to write a letter to Yang Hu.

Once Zhong Hui led his troops into Chengdu, the area would become a dangerous place, so Shi Shouxin needed to leave himself an extra layer of protection.

Yang Hu has 10,000 troops stationed on the Baoxie Road, responsible for the transport and maintenance of supplies. They are not actually far from Jiange, and if anything happens, with inside help in Jiange, reinforcements can arrive quickly.

This also gave Sima Zhao a reason to exonerate himself when he investigated the matter afterward, and even make him a "hero" in suppressing the rebellion.

Shi Shouxin carefully considered each word and spent a full hour writing the letter. He read it over several times before nodding in satisfaction, folding the letter and placing it in a bamboo tube.

This time, after leaving Jiange, the next time we return should be after the curtain falls and the army returns to Luoyang.

Shi Shouxin felt a sense of unease, much like when he took the college entrance examination years ago.

The college entrance exam is just about getting a high score, but going to Chengdu is about risking your life. How could you not be nervous?

"Well, what's meant to be will be, and what's meant to be will be."

Shi Shouxin muttered something, then ordered his personal guard to summon Meng Guan. He handed Meng Guan the bamboo tube in his hand and said, "Go to Baoxie Road and deliver this letter to Yang Hu. Go quickly and come back quickly!"

Meng Guan was taken aback, but seeing the serious expression on Shi Shouxin's face, he nodded. He seemed to have also realized the seriousness of the matter.

(End of this chapter)