Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 50 Spectators
The Wei army arrayed themselves outside their camp and then proceeded at a snail's pace towards Yang'an Pass. Shi Shouxin estimated that at this speed, they would be lucky to reach Yang'an Pass before nightfall.

Shi Shouxin rode slowly behind the army, his mind racing as he pondered Hu Lie's troop deployment. To outsiders, he appeared to be lost in thought on horseback.

Hu Lie's military tactics may seem hasty, but they actually conceal a hidden strategy.

If the Wei army does not advance towards Yang'an Pass, then what excuse will Jiang Shu use to surrender and turn around to attack the city pass?
Clearly, only when the Wei army had already marched towards the city gates and was preparing to attack could Jiang Shu find an excuse to leave the city gates and fight!
Hu Lie's considerations were quite thorough.

Although Shi Shouxin had become sworn brothers with Hu Lie, he didn't actually think highly of the man's abilities.

Meeting him today, I realize I underestimated the heroes of the world. Even someone like Hu Lie, who doesn't read military books, has a well-organized command style in battle, and he considers many details very thoroughly.

Although he was on horseback, Shi Shouxin's vision was still obstructed, and he couldn't see what was ahead at all. Looking around, he could only see soldiers dressed in black uniforms, almost all of whom were only wearing half-body armor, slowly moving forward.

It was a dark mass, seemingly neat, but in reality it blocked the view, giving people a sense of chaotic obstruction.

This reminded Shi Shouxin of standing in the back line during Monday morning assemblies in elementary school. Back then, you could barely see anything; all you could see were rows of identical school uniforms, and you had no idea what was happening in front of you.

In such circumstances, individual force becomes a joke, with extremely limited effectiveness. The key lies in the soldiers' organization and coordination.

Thinking of this, Shi Shouxin's heroic ambition and passion for battle vanished without a trace. All that remained was boredom and dullness—yes, dullness.

The feeling of being a bored spectator when you win, and being swept up in the chaos when you lose, is extremely unpleasant. However, he is powerless to do anything about it and cannot change anything.

Shi Shouxin turned his head to look at Du Yu, who was also riding a horse and following the group. This battle had nothing to do with them; on the contrary, their haphazard command would be severely punished by military law afterward.

Du Yu, riding his horse, also looked listless. Perhaps this was the tedious and monotonous gilded age of the second-generation Celestial Dragons. Shi Shouxin didn't know what Du Yu was feeling at this moment, but he imagined it wasn't too good.

Because in his impression, Du Yu appeared unassuming on the surface, but in reality, he was a person who thought highly of himself.

On the other side, Hu Lie rode at the very front of the column, his eyes fixed straight ahead, waiting for news of his son Hu Yuan. Sweat had soaked his riding whip.

Hu Lie's nervousness was inevitable, because if he broke through Yang'an Pass today, it would be a great achievement, perhaps even the greatest achievement in the war against Shu.

Its impact is immeasurable.

Of course, whether they can succeed is one thing, and whether it's meaningful is another. Breaking through Yang'an Pass would be like a windfall!
A short while later, a scout rode up to the front of the formation and reported to Hu Lie, "General Hu, there is no movement at Yang'an Pass for the time being!"

"Go, explore further!"

Hu Lie gave the order loudly, his face calm, but his heart was growing increasingly anxious.

He felt that if Jiang Shu really wanted to surrender, he would definitely see that the Wei army had already come out of the camp to meet him, which would also give him the opportunity to lead his troops to attack.

Will Jiang Shu not come? Could this deputy general of Yang'an Pass be feigning surrender? Will the capture of Yang'an Pass be fraught with twists and turns? Should we report this to Zhong Hui?

In an instant, many thoughts raced through Hu Lie's mind. Although he remained calm on horseback, beads of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead, and his mind was in turmoil.

An hour passed, and the army had advanced about two miles.

Fortunately, the weather in late spring was not hot, and the soldiers marched slowly in formation, which was merely like a spring outing, and they only felt slightly tired. It was not to the point that their fighting strength was greatly reduced or that they were overwhelmed by the sun and suffered from heatstroke.

Just as Hu Lie was about to order the army to return to camp, a rider galloped in from afar, holding a white flag, as sharp as an arrow.

The man wore a simple half-body lamellar armor, with his trousers exposed. A white flag was tucked under his arm, his helmet had been removed, and he carried no weapons, appearing completely harmless.

"General Hu, I am Jiang Shu's son, and I have come to the army as a hostage. My father has already brought his troops here and is now leading the vanguard to clear the way for you, General."

"Please lead your troops and follow my men into Yang'an Pass shortly!"

"Guards! Take him to Du Yu's troops and keep him under close guard!"

Hu Lie gave the order to his personal guards.

Just then, Hu Yuan also sent his personal guards to report.

"General Hu, we have already made contact with Jiang Shu's troops."

Jiang Shu has now turned his troops around and is leading the vanguard to attack Yang'an Pass. The young general sent his subordinate to inform the general that he has already led his troops to Yang'an Pass with Jiang Shu, and requests the general to lead troops to meet him.

"Go ahead, I'll be there shortly!"

Hu Lie suppressed his excitement, pointed ahead with his riding whip, and spoke to the scout.

After Hu Yuan's personal guards left, Hu Lie instructed his deputy general, "Beat the drums and speed up the march. When the army reaches the Yang'an Pass city gate, there's no need to rest; sound the horns and charge!"

After saying this, he instructed his deputy to hold the line while he moved to the right side of the formation to observe and direct the battle.

When leading an army, the general stands at the forefront to observe the route, simply to gather intelligence as quickly as possible. However, once the situation is largely clear, they no longer need to be at the front to withstand arrows. If a stray arrow were to kill the commander, wouldn't the battle be lost?

Hu Liegou went to the side to observe the battle situation and had his deputy lead the way.

After speeding up their march, Yang'an Pass, which was only a few miles away, soon came into view. The city gates were already open, and Wei soldiers in black uniforms were fighting fiercely against Shu soldiers in red uniforms at the gates of Yang'an Pass. The battle was extremely intense.

Woo! Woo! Woo!
Woo! Woo! Woo!
As Hu Lie's army sounded the bugle, the cavalry on both sides of the column dispersed and searched for the scattered Shu soldiers, while the infantry in the army had already formed ranks and charged towards the Yang'an Pass gate.

Like a tiger descending the mountain!

Du Yu, who was positioned behind the battle line, did not order a charge. Instead, he ordered the entire army to halt and form defensive formations on the spot.

He had absolutely no intention of leading his troops into Yang'an Pass to gain merit in battle!
"Why doesn't Yuan Kai order a coordinated attack on the city?"

Shi Shouxin rode forward and asked in confusion.

"Hu Lie ordered me to supervise the battle from behind, and I must not disobey military orders."

Du Yu spoke in a measured tone. Shi Shouxin knew that the other party wasn't refusing to advance for that reason, but rather that they simply disdained following Hu Lie to gain military merit!
However, Shi Shouxin did not reveal the truth, but simply rode on his horse and gazed at Yang'an Pass not far away.

The Wei army had already surged into the city like a tidal wave. They did not set fires, but their shouts and cries of battle carried far and could be faintly heard here.

As for the situation inside the pass, it goes without saying that the Shu troops who were still resisting would be killed one by one, with none spared.

The outcome of this battle is already decided!

"The Shu Kingdom has been established for decades, but now people's hearts are yearning for change, and even the mighty passes are as fragile as paper."

It seems the fall of the Shu Kingdom is imminent.

Shi Shouxin couldn't help but sigh.

In reality, the State of Wei was already a mere shell of its former self. The tripartite balance of power was now nearing its end. The process of unifying the world was accelerating—a call of the times! This was the inevitable trend of the world! No one could stop it!
"Yes, that's right. The world is constantly changing, with heroes emerging in great numbers."

Du Yu, mounted on his horse, gazed calmly at Yang'an Pass and nodded. Only now did he regain his composure; before, he had been half-dead.

"Each has dominated the scene for hundreds of years."

Shi Shouxin added a sentence.

Du Yu was taken aback by these words, then burst into laughter: "Well said, each reigns supreme for hundreds of years!"

The two men stood outside Yang'an Pass like spectators, watching Hu Lie lead his troops into the city, as if enjoying a grand historical drama. The outcome of this battle was irrelevant to them, at least not in terms of military merit.

This feeling is quite subtle.

Just then, dust rose from the west, and a troop of light cavalry galloped swiftly from behind! Du Yu immediately ordered the army to form a circular formation, with crossbowmen taking their positions at the front of the formation, ready to fire.

When the light cavalry came within an arrow's distance, Shi Shouxin could see clearly that it was Wei army light cavalry, and the leader was none other than Yang Xiu, whom he had met once before!

Where is Hu Lie?

Yang Xiu dismounted and strode forward, her tone unfriendly.

At this moment, Du Yu and Shi Shouxin had already dismounted (otherwise they would have been used as targets to shoot), and hurriedly went forward to greet Yang Xiu.

"Stop talking nonsense, where is Hu Lie!"

Yang Xiu asked in exasperation.

"General Hu is leading his troops to attack Yang'an Pass. We are stationed here as a supervisory team, responsible for capturing deserters."

Du Yu stepped forward, bowed, and greeted Yang Xiu.

"Who ordered him to attack the city! The Grand Commander didn't give the order! This is a crime of disrupting the army!"

Yang Xiu roared, her eyes wide, her dissatisfaction evident in her words. Du Yu and Shi Shouxin exchanged a glance, both showing expressions of "I knew it."

In this campaign against Shu, it would be best not to breach Yang'an Pass. If it is breached, it would be best if Zhong Hui personally led the troops to breach it!
Otherwise, it wouldn't be a perfect ending.

Upon hearing that Hu Lie had led his troops out of the camp to attack the city, Zhong Hui was furious and immediately sent Yang Xiu to inquire.

"General Yang, in fact, Jiang Shu, the deputy general of Yang'an Pass, intends to surrender. It's a rare opportunity, and General Hu didn't have time to report it."

To say it was the fault of a mutinous army is an exaggeration.

Shi Shouxin stepped in to smooth things over.

"Hmph, I'll go ask Hu Lie myself!"

Yang Xiu was not an unreasonable person. Knowing that he wouldn't get anything out of Shi Shouxin and his men, he snorted coldly, mounted his horse, and rode off towards Yang'an Pass without hesitation. Only after Yang Xiu left did Shi Shouxin sigh.

Sure enough, the internal strife started from here.

It's sure to get even more exciting from now on! The more they fight, the more thrilling it gets!
"I dare say that after this battle, the gates of Shu will be wide open."

Why don't you ask Hu Lie to write you a letter saying that you are unwell and unable to go to Shu, and should return to Luoyang to recuperate?

Du Yu kindly offered his advice.

"Someone recommended me to join the army this time. If I were to sneak back to Luoyang, it would be inappropriate. Besides... never mind, let's not talk about it."

Shi Shouxin shook his head helplessly. He had already come all the way to Hanzhong, so there was no reason for him to go back.

Not only did he betray Yang Huiyu's trust, but he also disappointed his wife, Li Wan.

He is no longer the solitary man he was two years ago; he now considers his family in everything he does.

Upon hearing this, Du Yu stopped trying to persuade him. He actually had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't tell Shi Shouxin directly.

After all, he was Sima Zhao's brother-in-law, and he knew far more than Shi Shouxin.

An hour later, Hu Lie's son, Hu Yuan, rode up to Du Yu's army and laughed heartily, "General Du, Supervisor Shi, we have already captured Yang'an Pass. Come with me into the pass. There will be a banquet tonight, so relax and enjoy yourselves."

His face beamed with a smile, a hint of smugness in it.

Shi Shouxin and Du Yu exchanged a glance and then nodded. Du Yu ordered his more than a thousand men to set up camp outside the pass, while he and Shi Shouxin followed Hu Yuan into Yang'an Pass.

(End of this chapter)