Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 104 A Man's Heart Remains Unwavering Until Death

Jiange is the gateway to Shu. Since it is a gateway, it also means that once you pass through Jiange, the journey to Chengdu is smooth sailing.

Jiang Wei did not stand on ceremony with Zhong Hui. After receiving the surrender edict from Liu Shan, Jiang Wei immediately worked on the mindset of the generals in the army and led his troops out of Jiange under cover of night, leaving the veteran general Liao Hua to guard Jiange and cover the rear.

He himself led more than 20,000 Shu troops to Qi County.

How long can Liao Hua hold out?
I don't know, it's hard to say. Anyway, Jiang Wei didn't expect him to be able to stop Sima Zhao. Buying a few more days would be good enough, since the situation had already deteriorated to this point, and Emperor Liu Shan had already surrendered.

What else can these soldiers who fought for their country do?
Long-term toil and constant tension left Jiang Wei feeling indescribably exhausted. Liu Shan's surrender edict was like a sharp pair of scissors, cutting the ropes binding him.

It made him relax.

Jiang Wei knew that the war could no longer be won through normal battlefield combat. He decided to try a different approach and think of other ways to save the country.

The warhorse lurched and bounced rhythmically, and Jiang Wei, exhausted and sleepy, actually fell asleep on its back.

……

"What do we do! What do we do! Wei Yan actually ran away! How dare he!"

The Wei army is coming! Sima Yi is coming! How can we retreat? We can't retreat!

In the midst of the army formation, Chief Secretary Yang Yi, dressed in a black official robe, was pacing anxiously in circles!
Scouts reported that the Wei army had caught up, and Wei Yan, who was supposed to cover the rear, refused to obey Yang Yi's orders and led his troops to retreat first via another route.

In short, Wei Yan only cared about escaping himself, abandoning the central army. Leaving behind the central army and a group of civil officials to deal with Sima Yi's pursuers alone, Yang Yi was instantly panicked and at a loss.

Wei Yan's main force was the elite of the Shu army and the main force covering the rear. It's hard to say whether his early withdrawal was for self-preservation or to settle personal scores, but who will fill the huge hole he left behind?
"Yang Yi! What are you panicking about! Our army has not suffered any defeat, why are you undermining morale?"

Jiang Wei, who was just over thirty years old, raised his sword and pointed it at Yang Yi, shouting loudly like a bell!

This loud roar stunned Yang Yi and the generals in the army.

They all looked at Jiang Wei, as if they had found their pillar of support.

"Sima Yi is knowledgeable in military affairs. He knows that the Prime Minister has passed away. He is here to take advantage of the situation. We cannot stop him!"
What do you suggest we do? What do you suggest we do?

Alas! Prime Minister! If you were still alive, how could you have allowed Sima Yi to succeed!
But the Prime Minister is no longer here!

Chief Clerk Yang Yi cried and cursed at the same time, which immediately drew the contempt of the Shu army generals nearby.

Damn it, it's one thing if you don't try to boost morale, but what kind of behavior is this, yelling and wailing like this?

However, Yang Yi held a high official position, and the generals in the central army dared not speak out against him, fearing that this military clerk would use this as an excuse to behead them.

Some people are usually quite capable and do everything in an orderly manner. But once they encounter unexpected events, they become completely lost and helpless, unable to perform even a fraction of their usual talent in a crisis.

"All generals, heed my command!"

Jiang Wei shouted, and all the Shu army's subordinate generals and commanders nearby perked up and listened intently. As for Yang Yi, he had been completely ignored by everyone at this moment.

"Beat the drums, prepare to charge!"

The flag bearer raised the charge flag; we will not only stand our ground, but also break through the Wei army's formation!
I'll lead the way, and you all follow behind!
Now is a matter of life and death. I am invincible, and there is no retreat!

Anyone who retreats will be executed on the spot!

Jiang Wei raised his arms and shouted, as if a giant had stood up!
Then he turned to Yang Yi and whispered, "Immediately bring out the wooden statue of the Prime Minister. When the Wei army charges, raise the flags and shout encouragement! Boost our morale! Once the Wei army has retreated, sound the retreat!"

Only then did Yang Yi come to his senses and recall the plan he had arranged the night before. Although the plan had been somewhat disrupted by Wei Yan's desertion, it still seemed quite appropriate to use it now.

Nothing wrong with that.

Jiang Wei didn't care whether Yang Yi agreed or not. He simply mounted his horse, raised his spear, and spurred it forward.

They didn't care how many Wei soldiers were chasing them!
If a thousand come, kill a thousand!
If ten thousand come, kill ten thousand!
Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump! Thump thump thump!
The drums of the Shu army's central command beat loudly and rapidly, the sound of their charge!

The standard-bearer carried the large flag used during the charge, closely following behind Jiang Wei. The Wei army, which was pursuing from behind and charging towards Jiang Wei, was caught off guard and their formation was unstable during the charge, so they were instantly scattered by Jiang Wei.

Like an icicle hanging from the eaves in winter, it was smashed by a hammer and fell to the ground, shattering into pieces!
Just then, many flags were erected on the hillside near the Shu army's central camp, almost covering the entire mountainside. A wooden statue of Zhuge Liang, sitting in a wheelchair, was pushed up the hillside, appearing from a distance as if he were observing the battle.

Seeing this, the Wei army collapsed like a house of cards in an instant, completely out of control. Forget about charging in to take advantage of the chaos; they were even at risk of being ambushed and killed.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Sima Yi quickly sounded the retreat. Jiang Wei, seeing the situation was unfavorable, also refrained from recklessly charging the Wei army that was setting up defenses. Upon hearing the retreat signal from the central camp, he led his troops back to the central camp without incident.

Jiang Wei was welcomed back like a hero, and everyone seemed to see the shadow of Zhuge Liang in him.

……

The warhorse suddenly jolted, startling Jiang Wei awake. He looked around and saw only silent Shu infantrymen moving slowly forward.

Jiang Wei touched his cheeks and found them covered in tears.

I dreamt of those days again.

He was very young then, and his body, mind, and spirit were at their peak.

It seems nothing can stop him.

What nonsense about Sima Yi, the Wei general, being profound and strategic? I, Jiang Boyue, can still charge into his army. I only wish I could smash that bastard's head in! At that time, he seemed to be afraid of nothing!
"Time flies, and in the end, we achieve nothing!"

Jiang Wei closed his eyes, and tears flowed down his face again, filled with resentment.

Since arriving in Shu Han, he has been working hard without stopping, but the state's situation has been deteriorating.

To this day, the emperor has surrendered, and the nation has perished. The country that Prime Minister Zhuge Liang built and protected with his life's blood has also vanished with the wind.

The bandits of today are still incredibly powerful, but the young heroes of yesteryear have grown old.

I have the will to kill the traitors, but I am powerless to reverse the situation. What can I do?
The emperor has already surrendered, and the Shu Kingdom is full of rebels. Even if he still wants to fight, who would be willing to follow him all the way to the end?

At this moment, Jiang Wei felt a chill in his heart. The road ahead seemed as endless as the long night.

To be fair, if he had surrendered to Cao Wei now and begged for mercy like a dog, he might have become the head of a prefecture in the future. Even with the reputation of the Jiang family of Tianshui, he might have been able to thrive in the powerful and influential state of Wei.

Even if he didn't become a dog, as long as he quietly returned to his hometown to live, he could still live a life free from want.

Is it really worth fighting to the last moment for a country whose emperor has surrendered?
Jiang Wei couldn't understand this principle. He was no longer sleepy and just sat on his horse, constantly thinking about countermeasures as the horse bounced around.

He recalled that when he served as General Who Conquers the West under Zhuge Liang, he had asked the latter this question:
The Shu Kingdom was weak, while the Wei Kingdom was powerful. If there were ten people in the world, the Wei Kingdom would occupy five or six tenths of them, and the Shu Kingdom's national strength was far inferior to that of the Wei Kingdom.

The odds of winning against a stronger opponent are slim; how can one possibly win? If victory is impossible, then what is the point of the fight?

Zhuge Liang replied with only five words: "The Han and the traitors cannot coexist!"
The Shu Kingdom was named Han, so Cao Wei was a traitor. Since it was the Han dynasty's rule, the traitors had to be punished.

Otherwise, why didn't the people and soldiers of Shu surrender directly to Cao Cao? Why did they choose to serve the Liu family as their masters?

Thinking of this, Jiang Wei sighed deeply and muttered to himself, "Everyone in the world can surrender to Cao Cao, but I, Jiang Boyue, cannot. If I join the rebels, wouldn't my life of fighting for the Han Dynasty be a waste of time? How can I face the person I was back then, the one who was highly regarded by the Prime Minister?"

At this moment, the more than 20,000 Shu soldiers had traveled an unknown distance. In the distance, the rising sun slowly ascended, and the sky was already bright, turning half of the sky red.

Just then, a scout rushed over. Upon seeing Jiang Wei, he immediately rode forward and reported, "General, last night I went out to scout and found that the walls of Fucheng were covered with Wei army flags. Should we send troops to attack the city?"

The army is not very close to Fucheng yet, but it is not surprising that it was captured by the Wei army.

"I have my own plans to investigate further."

Jiang Wei gave the order loudly, his face ashen, seemingly lost in thought.

Soon after, Zhang Yi, having received the news, rode over and asked Jiang Wei, "General, now that we've captured Fucheng, we have a place to stay. Perhaps..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Wei interrupted him, saying, "By bypassing Fucheng, go directly to Qi County."

Hearing this, Zhang Yi wanted to speak several times, but he held back in the end.

Seeing that he seemed to have doubts, Jiang Wei sighed:
"The Prime Minister promoted me from humble beginnings, and His Majesty has shown me great kindness. Although the country is now in ruins, I, Jiang Boyue, have not given up hope."

If you trust me, then come with me and see how I, Jiang Boyue, repay the kindness of the Prime Minister and His Majesty.

If you don't believe me, you can go to Jiange and ask Zhong Hui to surrender. Or you can go directly to Chengdu to find Deng Ai.

I won't blame you.

At this moment, Jiang Wei had figured everything out.

A man's heart is as firm as iron until death; he has made up his mind to walk every step of his life with unparalleled courage and will.

"General, I am willing to follow you, please do not hesitate!"

Zhang Yi clasped his hands in a fist and shouted, his face resolute.

"Good! Come with me to Qi County. I have a plan that can restore the Han Dynasty from exile!"

Jiang Wei extended his right hand, clenched his fist tightly, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

……

Boom!Boom!Boom!
Boom!Boom!Boom!
Early in the morning, the drums beat loudly on the Baishuiguan city tower.

The drumming was played at a moderate pace, with a good rhythm. Those listening nearby could clearly count the drumbeats, making it easy to discern exactly how many times it was struck.

The main camp inside Baishui Pass was in complete chaos. The new recruits from Hanzhong were frantically putting on their armor, helmets, and searching for their weapons.

Standing on the city wall, Shi Shouxin looked at the bewildered state of the new recruits below and sighed inwardly.

Small fry are just small fry. Without training, they can't be disciplined even if they rob and plunder.

The faces of Xi Zuo, Li Liang, Zhao Lun, and the others beside him were extremely grim. Xi Zuo had already placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, wishing he could rush down and chop someone down right now.

"Whoever's soldiers violate military law later, they can take them back and deal with it themselves."

If orders are still not obeyed tomorrow, don't blame me for being ruthless in military affairs.

Shi Shouxin glanced at them and said in a cold voice.

(End of this chapter)