Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 101 A single thought of surrender brings a sudden sense of vastness.
Boom!

There was lightning and thunder outside.

The Shu Han imperial palace, located within Chengdu, was shrouded in torrential rain.

The pattering of raindrops was a distracting and unsettling sound.

Inside the imperial study, Liu Shan looked at Qiao Zhou kneeling before him, feeling both disgusted and helpless.

Qiao Zhou had just explained to him why he had surrendered to the Wei army led by Deng Ai. Liu Shan listened expressionlessly, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

Qiao Zhou was a representative of the "pro-surrender faction" in the court. His rise to power was not accidental, nor was it solely due to his "eloquent writing".

The isolation of Shu, the inconvenience of transportation, and the self-sufficiency of its economy meant that when the separatist regimes of Shu expanded outwards, the benefits they extracted from external sources were difficult to reinvest in the wealth of the local powerful families.

To put it simply, even if a lot of things were looted from abroad, the cost of transporting them back to Sichuan would likely exceed the value of the goods themselves.

Therefore, if the war against foreign powers goes poorly, local surrender factions will quickly rise up, shouting for a life of seclusion behind closed doors!
“Yunnan (Qiao Zhou’s courtesy name), go to Luocheng and ask Deng Ai to surrender on my behalf.”

Liu Shan said softly.

His words were not surprising, but the Imperial Son-in-Law Deng Liang and the Attendant-in-Ordinary Zhang Shao objected. They also knelt on the ground and refused to get up.

Liu Shan summoned the three of them here today for this very reason: to have them go to Deng Ai's army and surrender.

"I have made up my mind, no need to say more."

After saying this, Liu Shan stepped forward and helped the three of them up.

Qiao Zhou's suggestion to surrender was only for Deng Liang and Zhang Shao's ears, not for Liu Shan's. In fact, if Liu Shan did not want to surrender, no matter who tried to persuade him or what they said, it would be useless.

Qiao Zhou's role was merely to give Liu Shan a way out.

"If Deng Ai is willing to cherish the people of Shu, then I will hand over my seal of office. If he is not willing, then I will risk my life to fight him."

"Take the imperial seal and the letter of surrender, and once the rain stops, go to Luo City."

Liu Shan handed the imperial seal and the surrender document he had prepared to Qiao Zhou, sighed deeply, and said no more.

Seeing Liu Shan's posture, Qiao Zhou, Deng Liang, and Zhang Shao knew that the situation was hopeless and that the emperor had no intention of continuing the struggle.

They bowed respectfully to Liu Shan, then filed out without exchanging a word, leaving under their umbrellas and disappearing into the heavy rain.

Liu Shan raised his head, looking at the raindrops falling like a curtain under the eaves, and recalled the ordinary days he had spent living in the Chengdu palace.

For a moment, Liu Shan couldn't recall any significant events worth praising or commemorating.

There was no dramatic passion, nor any bloodshed or brutality.

Time flies, like a fleeting moment. Liu Shan realized he had lived a mediocre life for decades, and then... it was time to surrender.

He couldn't even recall any major achievements he had made over the years!
Being an emperor... is truly tasteless.

"That's it, that's it."

Liu Shan sighed, rose, and headed towards his bedchamber. He was tired and didn't want to cause any more trouble. Now he would go and enjoy his last moments of tenderness with the Empress and concubines in the harem.

Whether these concubines will still be his women when the Wei army arrives in Chengdu is another matter entirely.

……

On a certain day, the Yang'an Pass warehouse caught fire. Because the fire was not put out in time, all the military equipment and uniforms stored inside were burned to ashes.

The next day, Xu Yi wrote a letter and sent it by fast horse to Hanshou to report to Zhong Hui that Shu spies had infiltrated Yang'an Pass and burned down the treasury. He then accused the Wei army in Hanshou of being negligent in their defenses, allowing Shu spies from Jiange to operate freely in the rear.

Logically speaking, given Zhong Hui's temper, upon hearing such a statement, he would either tear Xu Yi to pieces or write his own name backwards.

However, what is puzzling is that after receiving the letter, Zhong Hui did not punish Xu Yi, nor did he send anyone to Yang'an Pass to verify the aftermath of the fire. He simply ordered Hu Lie and others to strengthen patrols and prevent Shu scouts from breaking through the defense line.

Xu Yi was not punished, and he was not even mentioned in the military order.

Meanwhile, Ma Long, one of Shi Shouxin's subordinates, also delivered grain and fodder from Baocheng to Hanshou, greatly alleviating the food shortage in Hanshou. Along with the grain and fodder came a secret letter addressed to Zhong Hui.

Inside the central command tent, Zhong Hui sat on a cushion, silently reading a letter, while Ma Long waited quietly beside him.

Zhong Hui had only Qiu Jian by his side to serve him and protect his safety. All other irrelevant people were not allowed to approach within ten paces of the military tent.

"Go and urge Hu Lie to send someone to Yinping Road to inquire about Deng Ai's army."

Zhong Hui looked at Qiu Jian and gave him instructions, subtly sending him away.

"Yes, sir. I will make the trip immediately."

Qiu Jian accepted the order and left. He wasn't stupid; Zhong Hui was clearly planning a secret meeting with this general named Ma Long, the contents of which were not convenient for him to hear.

After Qiu Jian left, Zhong Hui put away the letters on the table and looked at Ma Long, asking, "Who are those wealthy families in Hanzhong that Shi Shouxin mentioned?"

"Reporting to the Grand Commander, he is someone who hopes to serve us."

On our way to Bao City to transport grain, the soldiers led by Supervisor Shi stopped us, offering to donate their own grain and supplies to the army, and volunteering to join the main force in the campaign against Shu.

Malone gave a concise explanation. As for the details of those matters, there was no need to discuss them with Zhong Hui.

Zhong Hui nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The letter in his hand was written by Shi Shouxin. The content was not complicated, mainly about two things.

The first thing Shi Shouxin did was report on the situation of transporting grain to Baocheng. After all, he had led his troops out of the defense zone, so there had to be an explanation.

It seems like a serious problem, but it's not. Since the grain has already arrived and the problem of feeding the front lines has been solved, even if things aren't done according to procedure, it's not a major issue. If Zhong Hui punishes Shi Shouxin, who will be willing to rush to transport military supplies in the future?

In the military, everything is about results and performance; everything is for the sake of winning.

Another matter was that Shi Shouxin also explained to Zhong Hui the situation of the local tyrants in Hanzhong "competing to submit" to him, and asked Zhong Hui to give him a military designation and some armor so that these people could form an independent army and obey the orders of the Grand Commander.

Shi Shouxin further explained that many generals in the Wei army have their own agendas. After entering Shu, they may not obey the Grand Commander's orders. The local gentry of Hanzhong are unlikely to unite with those Wei generals. If this force can be utilized, it might have a game-changing effect at a crucial moment.

In short, he wanted to show his loyalty, ask for his unit number, and ask for armor!
Showing loyalty means being willing to follow orders; asking for a unit designation means having the right to enter Sichuan as a "regular army"; asking for armor means wanting to enhance combat effectiveness. In a crucial moment of battle, they won't collapse like tofu.

Zhong Hui did not explain anything to Ma Long, but instead secretly weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

The reason Zhong Hui didn't punish Xu Yi regarding the Yang'an Pass incident was, to some extent, because he needed a "powerful" enemy. He led over 100,000 troops to Hanshou, where he was blocked by Jiang Wei at the entrance to Jiange Pass.

This is a sign of incompetence, or at least mediocrity!
Therefore, the stronger and more invincible Jiang Wei's Shu army was, the less face Zhong Hui lost.

Look, even Shu spies can go to Yang'an Pass, which is far from the front line, and burn down the granary with fire dragons. So, is it understandable that I can't get into Jiange?
Zhong Hui's personal interests were not always entirely aligned with the interests of the Wei army that was attacking Shu, and they were even more different from those of Sima Zhao.

If Shi Shouxin had suggested creating a new unit designation to Sima Zhao, it would have been suicidal. The Wei army was already stretched thin; adding another army would only result in Sima Zhao offering an extra reward after the war.
The wealthy and powerful in Hanzhong were already on the menu; Shi Shouxin had put them on the table. How could Sima Zhao be happy about that?

But Zhong Hui had a different idea.

He knew very well that as the Grand Commander, he didn't have much influence or prestige within the existing Wei army. Those troops weren't his own elite forces.

Normally they're fine, but in critical moments these troops are unreliable!

Of course, the private armies of those local tyrants in Hanzhong were not his men, but they were not Sima Zhao's men either! Between two evils, choose the lesser; relatively speaking, these local tyrants in Hanzhong were people who could be won over.

Adding an "outsider" army increases the forces that can be won over, thus increasing the chances of victory.

Zhong Hui made his decision after a moment's thought.

He had no authority to grant Shi Shouxin a new official position, but he did have the power to establish a new army unit and to grant Shi Shouxin the corresponding military rank. He could act first and report later.

Otherwise, the position of Grand Commander would be too useless.

"Here's what I'll do. I'll now submit a memorial to the court, appointing Shi Shouxin as a lieutenant general, temporarily granting him command of a full army of five thousand men. We'll formally confirm this after the imperial edict is issued."

As for the military equipment and armor needed to form an army, they will be transferred from Yang Xiu's army. Since the conquest of Shu, Yang Xiu has been perfunctory in carrying out military affairs, so I think his army's armor is better off not being used.

"Stay in Hanshou for one day. Once these matters are settled, take all the armor from Yang Xiu's army back tomorrow."

Zhong Hui smiled gently, his attitude very amiable. He was almost always willing to grant Shi Shouxin's requests.

An army with armor and an army without armor are completely different in terms of combat effectiveness.

Yang Xiu was clearly a troublemaker who opposed Zhong Hui, so Zhong Hui took the opportunity to exploit Yang Xiu!

In any case, this person is unusable by him, so weakening his troops is just right.

Zhong Hui was not someone to be trifled with; when he schemed against others, he was full of wicked ideas and his methods were extremely insidious.

"This humble general thanks the Grand Commander."

Ma Long bowed to Zhong Hui, but inwardly he thought to himself: This Zhong Hui is far too easy to talk to; he's not like the rumors suggest.

Just then, Qiu Jian disregarded Zhong Hui's orders and barged into the military tent alone.

He hurriedly walked to Zhong Hui's side, disregarding everything, and whispered something in the other's ear for a long time before stepping aside to wait quietly.

Upon hearing Qiu Jian's account, Zhong Hui abruptly stood up, disregarding his image, his face beaming with delight! He was so excited he couldn't contain himself!

Malone watched this scene unfold, feeling an itch in his heart, yet unable to ask, and feeling uneasy all over.

It's obvious that something big has happened, and it's a really good thing!

"Let's do this: let Hu Lie also give some armor to Shi Shouxin, so that this army can be fully equipped!"
I will now write a military order to prioritize supplies for this army.

Once the reorganization is complete, have Shi Shouxin lead his troops to Hanshou as soon as possible and serve under me!
This matter cannot be delayed; you must lead your troops back to Baishui Pass today! The sooner the better!

Zhong Hui said excitedly, not wanting to waste a moment, and immediately wrote a military order and handed it to Ma Long.

What happened?

Malone, who was standing to the side, was still in shock when Zhong Hui's attitude changed so drastically.

However, this wasn't a bad thing for him. After receiving the military order, Ma Long left the command tent to find the quartermaster. He also wanted to return to Baishui Pass as soon as possible to report the matter to Shi Shouxin.

Of course, the person involved would be extremely unhappy about having armor transferred from someone else's army.

However, none of these people could defy Zhong Hui's military orders.

After Ma Long left, Zhong Hui turned to Qiu Jian and asked, "Has Deng Ai really taken Fucheng? And defeated Zhuge Zhan?"

He looked incredulous. How could Deng Ai, with so few troops, accomplish something like this?
"Yes, Grand Commander. Deng Ai's messenger is waiting outside the tent. Why don't we let him in to report to the Grand Commander in person?"

Qiu Jian spoke calmly, trying to suppress his inner joy.

"Very well, then let him in."

Even if Jiang Wei had three heads and six arms, he would have to retreat if his rear was lost!

Zhong Hui said with mixed feelings of joy and disappointment.

(End of this chapter)