xymnovel Chapter 128 Ancient Style
Chapter 128 Ancient Style
Chapter 128 A Timeless Elegance (Third Update, Requesting Monthly Tickets)
Upon hearing Jiang Wei's words, everyone was stunned, and then they recalled their miserable experience in Chengdu.
Huang Hao was in front, Qiao Zhou was behind, and Yan Yu was also vying with Jiang Wei for the position of Grand General.
It's all a mess, and I don't want to look back on the past.
However, Liu Chen, the Prince of Beidi, is clearly in a position of power. Let's hand Chengdu over to someone who can hold onto it. We just need to focus on military matters.
Immediately, they turned to look at Director Chen, their gazes becoming intense.
Tell me quickly. How did you kill He Sui back then?
That's truly gratifying!
What an honor! Director Chen's dark face lit up with pride as he bowed and said, "Yes."
Director Chen recounted in detail how he led his men to kill He Sui, without embellishment or deletion.
The matter was actually quite ordinary.
He simply boarded the ship in the dark of night and killed the man.
However, Jiang Wei and others, who had suffered greatly at the hands of Qiao Zhou and Huang Hao, listened with great interest and found it very satisfying.
After Director Chen finished speaking, Jiang Wei exclaimed, "The King of the North is decisive and courageous, capable of doing what others cannot. He is truly a hero."
He then said to Director Chen, "Brave Chen, you have rendered great service to the nation; you are truly a loyal minister. Let us have a good drink."
"Thank you, General." Director Chen immediately bowed and said excitedly. Being able to drink with General Jiang Wei was something he could brag about for a lifetime.
Jiang Wei was shocked, Jiang Wei was delighted, Jiang Wei was overjoyed.
Immediately afterwards, Jiang Wei led a portion of his troops into the city and drank with Chen Dao, Fu Qian, and others.
Most of the troops he brought back from Tazhong were stationed in the nearby valleys as reinforcements.
Because Yang'an Pass could not accommodate so many troops.
On a main road leading to Baoxie Road, more than a hundred people escorted more than ten prison vans toward Baoxie Road.
Although it was a prison van, the hundred or so people responsible for escorting the prisoners did not dare to neglect the people inside and took good care of them.
Because the person in charge inside the prison cart was Zhuge Xu.
The rest were either Zhuge Xu's relatives or his confidants.
Inside a prison van. Zhuge Xu was dressed in coarse linen clothes and wrapped in a blanket made of black bear fur; his face was ashen.
Qing cursed, "Zhong Hui, you brat, I will ruin your reputation!"
The Battle of Yinping Bridge.
He let Jiang Wei escape and refused to cooperate with Deng Ai. He led his troops to Hanzhong to join Zhong Hui, intending to find an opportunity to redeem himself.
As a result, Zhong Hui seized the opportunity to take away his military power and, on the pretext of "fear of the enemy," had him executed. He was sent back to the north in a prison cart.
The powerful clans were intertwined, and the Zhuge clan of Langya possessed considerable influence. He had a good relationship with Sima Zhao. He wasn't afraid of losing his life, but he felt utterly humiliated. To be dealt with by a junior and sent away in a prison cart was a disgrace worse than death.
The cold wind howled, but it couldn't drown out Zhuge Xu's curses. But no matter how much he cursed, it was all in vain.
Sima Zhao led four armies to attack Liu Han.
The Weixing County route was just there to make up the numbers.
He's out too.
Now only Deng and Zhong's armies remain, and Zhong's strength far surpasses Deng Ai's, with 160,000 to 170,000 cavalry and infantry.
The number of laborers and officials was countless.
When Zhong Hui learned that Jiang Wei was at Yang'an Pass, he led his main force to Yangping Pass.
Yangping Pass was a formidable fortress, but it was abandoned due to Jiang Wei's strategy. Wei soldiers repaired the walls of Yangping Pass and built granaries, armories, and other facilities.
Inside the study of Guan Ling's residence.
Zhong Hui looked smug and self-satisfied, as if he were on his wedding night, floating on air and oblivious to where he was.
Although he was not able to completely conquer Hanzhong and occupy the entire prefecture.
Although Jiang Wei has now reached Yang'an Pass, the struggle will continue indefinitely.
However, he did occupy most of Hanzhong and also seized Zhuge Xu's military power.
He had already submitted a memorial to Sima Zhao, stating that he had "actually occupied Hanzhong." He estimated that Sima Zhao would accept the title of Duke of Jin, following the same path as Cao Cao.
Of course, he was more concerned about annexing Zhuge Xu's troops. The power he now controlled was already unbelievably vast.
Power is like poison, constantly eroding his heart and causing him to have some unpleasant thoughts.
"Hoo." Zhong Hui took a deep breath, cleared his mind of all distractions, picked up a piece of silk and spread it out, dipped his brush in the ink on the inkstone, wrote a letter, and prepared to send it to Jiang Wei.
He was very good at handwriting and could imitate the handwriting of many people. He had previously written to Jiang Bin, hoping to persuade Jiang Bin to surrender, but he was unsuccessful.
Although the attempt was unsuccessful, Jiang Bin replied. Now he and Jiang Bin occasionally correspond and have become good pen pals.
He also wanted to correspond with outstanding figures like Jiang Wei.
After writing the letter, Zhong Hui, filled with anticipation, called in his trusted confidant and sent someone on horseback to deliver it to Yang'an Pass at top speed.
But the ending will disappoint Zhong.
Ten days passed, and Jiang Wei still hadn't replied.
Just as Zhong Hui had predicted.
Sima Zhao in Luoyang was overjoyed.
"Ha ha ha ha!!!!!"
Inside the study of the General's Mansion in Luoyang.
The attendants on either side, all smiles, bowed and said, "Congratulations, General." Sima Zhao knelt on the main seat, laughing wildly.
Zhong Hui has indeed taken Hanzhong.
Cao Cao was promoted to King of Wei because he conquered Hanzhong and accepted Zhang Lu's surrender.
There are precedents to follow.
He can now be called a duke.
With Hanzhong already in our hands, isn't Bashu (Sichuan and Chongqing) right before our eyes?
They've gained Long, but they still crave Shu.
Previously, after Cao Cao conquered Hanzhong, he did not take the opportunity to attack Bashu due to internal problems. This time, he is different; he wants to conquer another city.
They conquered and destroyed Yong and Shu.
Sima Zhao stopped laughing, but the smile on his face remained, and the fire of ambition burned fiercely in his eyes.
After thinking for a while, Sima Zhao sent someone to find his trusted confidants, important members of the Sima clan who were in Luoyang.
A total of thirty-two people, including close associates of the emperor, came to discuss the matter.
The contents of the secret meeting were unknown to outsiders.
Then a grand drama unfolded in the imperial court.
First, the Emperor of Wei sent an envoy with imperial credentials to confer upon Sima Zhao the title of Duke of Jin, but Sima Zhao declined. Sima Zhao's ally, Zheng Chong, the Minister of Works of Cao Wei, then persuaded Sima Zhao to accept the offer.
Sima Zhao reluctantly agreed and accepted the seal of office from the Duke of Jin with trepidation.
At this time, Sima Zhao's titles and official positions had reached the level that Cao Cao had achieved when he was called a duke.
The title is Jin Gong.
Grand General, Chancellor. These are official titles.
He was in charge of all military affairs, both domestic and foreign. This was military power.
Recording the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat. This is the power of the prime minister.
Although Sima Zhao reluctantly accepted the title of Duke of Jin, he was honest afterwards and held a grand banquet, feasting with his confidants and ministers for a whole day.
The next day.
Sima Zhao had a headache after getting up; it was the feeling of a hangover. He was a disciplined person and didn't get drunk often, so he hadn't felt this way in a long time.
But he was in a good mood. After washing up, changing clothes, and having breakfast, he returned to his bedroom and sat down.
He lowered his head, deep in thought. "Now that I have the title of Duke of Jin, the next step is to establish the State of Jin and become the King of Jin."
Back then, Cao Cao first established a vast Wei Kingdom on the territory of the Han emperor, and then gradually replaced the Han Dynasty.
Sima Zhao only needs to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.
Suddenly, the chief clerk rushed in from outside, looking strange, and said, "Your Majesty, Deng Ai has submitted a memorial."
Sima Zhao was slightly taken aback, and immediately realized that the situation was not good. He quickly reached out, took the box, opened it, and took out the silk inside to look at it.
After reading it, Sima Zhao frowned deeply.
This is Deng Ai's last letter.
He wanted to illegally cross the border into Yinping...
"This is too risky," Sima Zhao began to feel uneasy. This was something he hadn't anticipated at all.
The young and ambitious Zhong Hui wanted to establish a stable and pragmatic agricultural base in Hanzhong. But Deng Ai, nearing seventy, was surprisingly adventurous and radical.
After much deliberation, Sima Zhao became optimistic again.
Deng Ai has been advising Yong and Liang for many years, which shows his talent; he was confident in his abilities, which is why he was able to do so.
Deng Ai was on the front lines and had a hundred times better understanding of the battlefield situation than him.
Indeed, the Shu Kingdom had no one to rely on.
"If my mighty army were to descend from the heavens, and the Shu ruler Liu Shan were as stupid as pigs and dogs, and as weak as eunuchs, he would probably surrender." Thinking of this, Sima Zhao's mouth went dry and his heart pounded with excitement.
Luck is also a form of ability.
The Sima clan had been very lucky, and their power had been steadily increasing. Although Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu failed to trap Jiang Wei, Zhong Hui captured Hanzhong.
Deng Ai had a sudden inspiration and secretly crossed the border into Yinping.
When things are going uphill, the probability of success is high no matter what you do.
Sima Zhao seemed to see the throne of Jin, the imperial throne, beckoning him. He first destroyed Shu, then Wu.
Then he proclaimed himself emperor.
"Hahahaha." Sima Zhao finally couldn't hold back and burst into unrestrained laughter. The servants turned to look at him.
The general has been somewhat out of control lately.
Northwest, the entrance to the Yinping Ancient Road.
In a valley.
.
Deng Ai ordered his entire army to assemble, totaling 30,000 men. The soldiers brought some of their own food and armor, discarding anything less essential.
The light army advances.
When encountering mountains, they cut through them; when encountering rivers, they build bridges.
If you encounter a cliff, then fly over it.
We had to travel hundreds of miles of mountain roads to reach Jiangyou Pass.
He entrusted all logistics to civil officials and laborers.
burn one's boats.
To outsiders, Deng Ai seemed insane.
"It's already beyond our control." Standing in front of Deng Ai, Wang Gu, the prefect of Tianshui, Qian Hong, the prefect of Longxi, and Yang Xin, the prefect of Jincheng, looked at each other and saw a mixture of fear and excitement in each other's eyes.
They had known for a long time that Deng Ai had a plan.
Now they realized that Deng Ai's plan was actually this.
Head straight to Chengdu.
Of course it's dangerous.
Deng Ai is the commander-in-chief, and the order has already been issued. If they don't go, they will be disobeying military orders.
Therefore, it was already beyond stopping.
But what if it succeeds?
High risk, but high reward.
If successful, it would be a feat of destroying a nation. Moreover, it would mean destroying the Shu Kingdom before Zhong Hui.
Deng Ai only had 30,000 elite troops.
The number of attendees was as high as 160,000 to 170,000.
This is where the difference becomes apparent.
The general's rewards are always generous; success means immense wealth and honor.
All the generals were parched, filled with anticipation and fear. They were excited yet somewhat afraid.
But it couldn't be stopped.
"Proceed! Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed without mercy!" Clad in heavy armor, General Deng Ai, who was over sixty but approaching seventy, had a fire burning brighter than that of a young man. With a wave of his hand, he issued the order to march on Chengdu.
burn one's boats.
If you don't win, you'll perish.