gnovel Chapter 121 Dedicating One's Life to Great Things
Chapter 121 Dedicating One's Life to Great Things
Chapter 121 Taking on Great Tasks with Utmost Dedication (Sixth Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets)
in the afternoon.
The Wei armies led by Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu joined forces.
However, with a force of seventy to eighty thousand men, Yinping Bridge could not accommodate them all. Deng Aimo's elite troops set up camp on nearby hilltops and valleys.
Under the reward, there must be a brave man.
Sima Zhao once decreed that everyone would be credited with a contribution after the conquest of Shu.
Everyone knew the strength of General Jiang Wei of Han and his tens of thousands of elite troops. Deng Ai was in charge of the pursuit, while Zhuge Xu was in charge of the interception.
If both sides succeed, it will be a great achievement.
There will definitely be a generous reward.
Therefore, both armies fought with all their might, desperately trying to surround and kill Jiang Wei.
As a result, the cooked duck flew away.
Whether it was Deng Ai or Zhuge Xu's army, the soldiers were all dejected and listless.
Zhuge Xu was the commander-in-chief, and his elite troops dared not say much, only grumbling inwardly. Deng Ai's elite troops, however, had no such scruples, and the soldiers gossiped and complained.
"Zhuge Xu occupied the Yinping Bridgehead with an equal force to Jiang Wei. He was also well-rested and waiting for the enemy to tire themselves out, yet Jiang Wei still managed to pass through. He was truly utterly incompetent."
"What's even more speechless is that by the time Zhuge Xu returned to Yinping Bridge, Jiang Wei had already been there for a whole day. The two commanders' abilities were like a phoenix and a wild duck."
"We failed to successfully encircle and kill him; Zhuge Xu bears heavy responsibility."
There were all sorts of opinions, but no one spoke well of Zhuge Xu. An incompetent general should commit suicide to atone for his incompetence.
Deng Ai's troops, including Wang Qi, the prefect of Tianshui, Qian Hong, the prefect of Longxi, and Yang Xin, the prefect of Jincheng, were stationed together in a large valley.
Inside the camp.
The soldiers were disheartened and discouraged. There was no wind today, and even the banners were drooping, just like people who were dejected.
Inside Wang Qi's large tent.
The campfire was burning brightly, with a large iron pot on top.
The pot contained goat soup. Although it was only seasoned with salt and ginger, and although goat meat was quite gamey, a bite of goat meat was better than anything else during a march.
The mutton wasn't fully cooked yet, but the stomachs of the three prefects sitting around the iron pot were already rumbling.
"It's no wonder that Zhuge Liang was able to lead tens of thousands of elite troops a thousand miles without any problems. He was already a great commander."
Zhuge Liang led tens of thousands of elite troops to Yinping Bridge to confront Jiang Wei. He was also a capable commander. It's just that Jiang Wei was too strong." To alleviate the embarrassment of his rumbling stomach, Wang Gu changed the subject, praising Zhuge Xu.
"Yes. If we were in Zhuge Liang's position, we'd probably look even worse," Yang Xin nodded. She then added, "No, definitely worse."
"General Jiang Wei of Shu was truly a brilliant strategist. Only Guo Huai and General Deng could command a large army and stand against him. Just like when Zhuge Liang was the great general of Shu, only Sima Yi could rival him," Qian Hong said with a sigh. He knew his words were somewhat exaggerated.
Sima Yi once wrote a letter to Sima Fu, saying that Liang was ambitious but lacked strategic vision, resourceful but indecisive, and fond of military affairs but powerless. Even with 100,000 troops, he was already trapped in my scheme and would surely be defeated. In reality, this was just boasting.
Sima Yi had only one way to deal with Zhuge Liang: outlive him, because a living Zhuge Liang was too terrifying.
Jiang Wei was certainly no match for Zhuge Liang, but fortunately, Wei had people like Deng Ai and Guo Huai. Without them, Yong and Liang would have been surrendered long ago.
The three then recalled their battle with Jiang Wei in the valley. Had it not been for Deng Ai's presence, they would have been annihilated by Jiang Wei.
And they were all fierce generals of Yongliang.
Jiang Wei, in this way, outmaneuvered Zhuge Xu. It's perfectly reasonable. It's the soldiers who, on the other hand, are talking without any real understanding of the situation.
After the three men shared their thoughts, the mutton soup was ready. Yang Xin was the youngest, and there were no waiters in the tent. He took the initiative to serve the two senior men the mutton soup, and the three of them enjoyed it together.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the three of them were a little too tired to move, so they continued to sit and talk.
Yang Xin said lazily, "The general's tactic was to starve Jiang Wei out, but now Jiang Wei has escaped. The Battle of Hanzhong is in trouble."
Wang Qi squinted, yawned, and nodded, saying, "Although Zhong Hui is talented, I think he is not as good as Deng Gong."
Lacking sufficient prestige, it would be extremely difficult for him to defeat Jiang Wei.
Qian Hong nodded, then pondered for a moment before saying to the two, "It seems that Lord Deng has a secret plan?"
"A secret plan?!?" Wang Qi and his companion immediately perked up and sat up straight. It was better to trust Deng Ai than Zhong Hui.
Now that Jiang Wei has fled, the Shu Kingdom probably won't fall. If the Shu Kingdom is destined to fall, it will certainly be thanks to Deng Ai.
Secret plan. What a great phrase.
Qian Hong chuckled and said, "They say it's a secret plan. I've only heard a little bit about it, and I don't know what kind of secret plan it is."
Wang and Gu were immediately speechless. You don't even know what the secret strategy is, what are you talking about? But Qian Hong's words still made them remember them and made them eager to try it.
What exactly is this secret strategy?
Could Deng Ai really have destroyed the Shu Kingdom even after Jiang Wei escaped?
If successful, Deng Ai will undoubtedly have made a great contribution, and they will also get a share of the spoils. Those who should be ennobled will be ennobled, and those who have already been ennobled will have their fiefdoms increased by a thousand households.
Isn't it beautiful?
The three of them looked at each other, all with lofty ambitions and parched throats.
Yinping Bridgehead.
Zhuge Xu's main camp.
The soldiers in the camp were dejected, but their vigilance did not slacken, and their basic skills remained intact.
Inside the central command tent.
Zhuge Xu and Deng Ai were cutting roasted mutton and drinking wine.
Deng Ai needed Zhuge Xu's help, so he patiently spoke with Zhuge Xu and comforted him.
Jiang Wei led troops for many years, and his soldiers were obedient.
How long have you been leading troops? Your soldiers aren't very obedient. That's why your marching speed is a whole day slower.
Deng Ai said all the right things, it wasn't your fault, it wasn't that Jiang Wei was too strong, it was just that you hadn't been the commander-in-chief for long enough.
Zhuge Xu, however, was immersed in his own world, his face stiff, his brows furrowed with frustration, and his heart filled with unease and tension.
It was he who let Jiang Wei escape.
How should he explain this to Sima Zhao?
Deng Ai spoke for a long time, but Zhuge Xu didn't respond. He had no choice but to give up, and then revealed his true intentions: "General Zhuge, although Jiang Wei has left, I have a plan that can destroy Shu. However, my forces are limited, and I need your cooperation."
Zhuge Xu, as if a dying man had grasped at a straw, quickly rallied, looked up at Deng Ai with piercing eyes, and asked urgently, "General Deng, please tell me."
Deng Ai was quite satisfied; he was only dizzy from Jiang Wei's antics, not terrified, which was good. He was prepared, and took out a silk map from his bosom, stood up and hung it on the screen, saying, "This is the Yinping Ancient Road. We can bypass the many passes of Shu, go straight to Jiangyou and Fucheng, then capture Mianzhu and advance on Chengdu."
After a pause, Deng Ai's face lit up with excitement, his eyes sharp, as if Bashu were nothing but paper. He gripped the hilt of his sword and said, "Shu has enjoyed peace for many years and is unprepared. As long as we launch a surprise attack on Jiangyou Pass, the garrison commander in Guanzhong, and the cities behind Fucheng..."
Officials in Mianzhu and other areas of Sichuan will surely abandon their cities and flee. We can reach the outskirts of Chengdu without bloodshed.
"The ruler of Shu is incompetent, cowardly, and weak. He will surely be terrified at the sight of our army. Just as Liu Zhang surrendered without a fight when he saw Ma Chao."
17
"A monumental achievement is within reach. General, are you interested?!"
Deng Ai lowered his head, his eyes filled with anticipation, and looked at Zhuge Xu, who was sitting down.
He was actually confident of going it alone, but with Zhuge Xu's troops, his chances of success would be even greater.
Seventy thousand elite soldiers descended from the heavens; wouldn't the Shu ruler be terrified?
The Shu Kingdom can be defeated in one battle.