Jiang Wei was directing minor officials to post the "House Arrest Order" in every corner of the imperial palace.
A large crowd of palace attendants was watching, and several eunuchs responsible for catering, carrying food baskets and chickens, also came to the edge of the crowd to peek.
They saw that the "House Arrest Order" stated: all officials in Shu were to be placed under house arrest in the palace to investigate the infiltration of the Great Wei's covert intelligence agency. The results were clear, and they were not allowed to leave the palace even half a step.
"This..."
Suddenly, one eunuch realized that the chickens in their hands and the vegetables in the baskets seemed insufficient!
Another older eunuch smacked his lips and murmured, "All officials in Shu... all of them... how much food will have to be prepared today!"
Palace attendants who could read were reading aloud to everyone, "...The case of infiltration by the Wei's covert intelligence agency concerns the survival of the Shu Han dynasty and is of great importance. Anyone among the officials and attendants in the palace who can provide clues will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and enfeoffed as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households... All matters in Shu will be temporarily entrusted to General Zhao Yun for overall coordination."
A palace maid asked doubtfully, "Didn't the Protector of the Army say yesterday that new grain would be sent to Fushui? Now that the officials are all locked up in the palace, who will transport this grain?"
"Is this our concern?" a eunuch next to her replied, "Just do our own jobs. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up."
A eunuch with a ruffian-like appearance said, "If providing clues can earn a thousand gold pieces and be enfeoffed as a Marquis of Ten Thousand Households, then clues... aren't they easy to come by? Couldn't we just fabricate one ourselves?"
The crowd burst into laughter: "Can clues be fabricated just by saying so?"
"Haha..." The ruffian-like eunuch laughed loudly, "Are the clues real or fake? Does it matter? Haven't you seen... among those confined this time, the ones with good treatment are all our Yizhou officials, and those with poor treatment... hehe..."
...
...
Zhuge Liang's head was wrapped in a sick kerchief, and he coughed in pain. Yang Yi tenderly offered him medicinal soup.
Zhuge Liang took a sip, and his coughing subsided slightly. Yang Yi comforted him, "Prime Minister, you are always skilled in sophistry. How could you not know that what Wang Lang recited was mere sophistry... sheer nonsense? Why would the Prime Minister take it to heart and become enraged?"
Zhuge Liang sighed, "How could Wang Lang have such eloquence? Such seamless, meticulously fatal words, each striking at my heart and leaving me unable to refute them? Besides Cao Ziyu, who is skilled in strategy and adept at attacking the heart, who else could it be?"
As he spoke, Zhuge Liang shook his head. "A commander knows the opportune moment, understands the terrain, and knows people's hearts. His words struck precisely at my weakness, making me feel my mental strength decline for the first time... feeling powerless."
Yang Yi said painfully, "For so many years, how many lords have fallen by the hands of this Cao Yu? He is skilled at this... losing in a debate to him is not your fault, Prime Minister. Perhaps it is... that the time is not yet right, that the situation has not yet turned."
"Opportune moment?" Zhuge Liang sighed, "The two words 'opportune moment' are what I dread hearing most now!" Just then...
The sound of Wei army taunts came from outside the gate, "Incompetent Shu Han, souls fly before battle; choose a commander, spit blood and lose helmets; from afar, Zhuge Liang looks like an old tortoise!"
Immediately followed by a burst of harsh laughter...
Yang Yi, unable to bear it, drew his sword and was about to go out. Zhuge Liang raised his eyes and sternly stopped him, "Stop!" Yang Yi said mournfully, "Prime Minister, Sima Yi is bullying us too much!"
Zhuge Liang tried his best to remain calm. "Do you still think the commander at Fushui Pass is Sima Yi? When has he ever taunted us?"
"Then..."
"Cao Yu is here!" Zhuge Liang sighed. "His most terrifying method of attacking the heart has also arrived!"
As the red sun set, a group of Wei soldiers kicked Zhuge Liang's four-wheeled carriage around playfully, shouting as they played, "All generals, listen to my command, charge straight at Zhuge Liang's four-wheeled carriage!"
After the shouting, the soldiers did not forget to curse at Fushui Pass, "Three Zhuge Liangs are no match for a single cobbler; open your mouth, and your legs tremble; shouted twice and a half, and now lying in a ditch, not moving! Hahahaha..."
These words, one by one, reached Wei Yan's ears on the city wall.
He had lost his last shred of patience and hope and angrily walked away with his spear.
...
...
Yinping Path.
Smoke and dust billowed in the mountains, and the majestic banners of the Great Wei were raised high, planted in every corner of the Yinping Path.
A force of fifty thousand men, led by Xiahou Yuan, was rushing towards Chengdu.
The flying black banners of the Great Wei, the imposing armor, the grayish robes, the galloping steeds, fifty thousand men... almost filling the entire Yinping Path.
"Faster, faster!"
"Five days, arrive at Chengdu in five days! Strike directly into Shu!"
Xiahou Yuan's voice was constantly heard, and his words... countless messengers relayed them.
In fact, his military order was for ten days, but ten days was not challenging enough for him.
He was the father-in-law of the Great Wei Emperor, the Imperial Father-in-law. He wanted to prove to everyone that he, Xiahou Yuan, was worthy of this honor, and his current status was due to his own ability and military achievements, not his daughter!
Speaking of which, it was the first time many Wei soldiers had traversed the Yinping Path. Although the road had been repaired and opened, it was still not wide enough, and many places required climbing.
Fortunately, the Wei army was numerous and well-equipped, and with ample supplies along the way... a forced march was not a difficult task!
And the eyes of every Wei soldier were shining with anticipation.
Everyone realized that this would be the final battle for the unification of the land. Success... would lead to everlasting fame! At the very least, returning home afterward... would be enough to brag about for the rest of their lives.
Of course,
Such a vast military operation could not have escaped the spies in Shu. Urgent reports poured into the Shushangtai of Shu like rain.
But due to Zhao Yun, these urgent dispatches were all suppressed... the officials confined in the palace knew nothing! However, Zhao Yun...
Putting on a show, he spared no effort daily in investigating the case of infiltration by the Great Wei's covert intelligence agency.
Some Shu officials had already been tortured, and some had been taken out of the palace... and never returned. Now, the entire Shu Han officialdom was in a state of panic!
"General, we will reach Chengdu in another day!" a scout reported to Xiahou Yuan.
Xiahou Yuan quickly unfolded a map from his怀中, squinted, and fixed his gaze on the map. He pondered for a moment, then pointed to the map, not at Chengdu, but at... "Mianzhu Pass!"
Xiahou Yuan immediately ordered, "Bypass Chengdu and strike directly at Mianzhu Pass! Once this pass falls, the supply route of Fushui Pass will be cut off, and we will be attacked from both flanks! Zhuge Liang will have no escape!"
------
The autumn had passed, and Lu Yu stood before the military camp, gazing at Fushui Pass. The red sun slowly sank, and the vast land was about to be engulfed in darkness, inevitably adding a touch of sadness to the atmosphere.
Sima Yi walked to Lu Yu's side. "After Zhuge Liang was defeated in the debate, he indeed fell gravely ill. According to the Emperor's orders, our army has taunted them for several days, and Zhuge Liang has not come out to fight!"
Lu Yu nodded slightly. "It's not that he's unable to fight, it's that he's too weak to fight. Now... even if he wanted to, the people of Yizhou would not be willing to fight!"
This...
Sima Yi was slightly stunned, and Lu Yu explained briefly.
It turned out that the people of Shu had a unique character.
Since the Qin Dynasty, Bashu had been the largest granary in the world, and coupled with its strategic defensibility, it had cultivated a relatively comfortable character among the people of Shu, who rarely harbored ambitions of conquering the Central Plains like people elsewhere.
After Liu Bei entered Shu, he was determined to march north and restore the Han dynasty. The local Yizhou officials did not agree.
The Jingzhou faction, the veteran faction, and the Dongzhou faction agreed because these factions wanted to return to the Central Plains, to go home...
Historically, many people have criticized Zhuge Liang for his poor use of personnel, still using those brought from Jingzhou even during his six expeditions to Qishan, and not cultivating new talent...
This is actually closely related to geography. Jingzhou is a strategically vital region, and those born there, accustomed to the comings and goings of armies, aspired from childhood to achieve merit and pacify the Central Plains.
However, those born in Bashu, accustomed to comfort from childhood, were too lazy to bother with these matters... It's not that Zhuge Liang
Didn't know how to use people, but that Shu had no one to use.
Liu Xiu's conquest of Shu took less than two years; Liu Bei entered Sichuan in less than two years;
Zhong Hui and Deng Ai's expedition to Shu took five months;
Furthermore, Huan Wen's expedition to Shu took four months; during the Five Dynasties period, the Later Tang destroyed the Former Shu in seventy-four days;
Zhao Kuangyin conquered Shu in two months; the Ming Dynasty conquered Sichuan in five months; basically, all were taken in one fell swoop... Lu Yu recounted these personality factors formed by "geography" one by one.
Finally, he did not forget to recite a line from Lady Huairui of the Later Shu: "Fourteen thousand men surrendered their armor, yet not one was a true man!" Of course.
This is not to denigrate the people of Shu by saying they lack ambition.
In fact, the people of Shu are not warlike, but that does not mean they are incapable of fighting. The people of Shu simply want a comfortable life. When a Han Chinese regime from the Central Plains arrives, it is merely changing emperors and will not disrupt their original lives. But if a foreign race comes and changes customs and traditions, that is another story!
When the Mongols attacked the Song Dynasty, Sichuan resisted for fifty years;
When the Qing army entered the pass, Sichuan also resisted for more than ten years;
Not to mention when fighting the Japanese, Sichuan was the rear area, and more than 3 million people resisted the Japanese, with over 600,000 casualties! Dafeng Novel.
In terms of national righteousness, the people of Shu have always been clear-headed and at the forefront.
However... these later events were too distant from this era, so Lu Yu did not explain them in detail to Sima Yi. "This..."
After hearing Lu Yu's words, Sima Yi fell into deep thought. "The people of Shu are not warlike... but if they don't come out of the pass? That would be troublesome! A direct assault... would result in heavy casualties!"
Lu Yu nodded. "Zhuge Liang is a wise man. He knows when to attack and when to defend. Holding ground at times is precisely the smartest offense, don't you think, Zhongda?"
Uh...
The topic suddenly shifted to Sima Yi, and he was startled. He then frowned, "Does His Majesty intend to wear him down?"
"Haha..." Lu Yu looked back at Sima Yi with a smiling gaze. "Originally, I didn't intend to force him out, but... if he doesn't come out, someone else will!"
As soon as he finished speaking...
"Your Majesty..." Dian Wei hurried over, holding several letters in his hand. "Many generals at Fushui Pass have secretly sent letters expressing their willingness to surrender to the Great Wei!"
Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!
Now Lu Yu's smile became even brighter. The effect had already appeared.
And Sima Yi subconsciously swallowed, cupped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty is brilliant. If this continues, Zhuge Kongming will probably become a... a..."
Sima Yi intended to say "a lonely man," but he felt the wording was not precise enough, so Lu Yu completed it for him: "Zhongda meant 'a commander without his troops,' right?"
A commander without his troops...
Sima Yi was stunned, and then he looked at Lu Yu. Hahaha... they both laughed knowingly!
...
...
"Prime Minister, recently... many soldiers in the army have been found to have secretly written to Cao Wei..." Yang Yi said with great concern as Zhuge Liang was drinking medicine.
Zhuge Liang put down the medicine, and in an instant, the fine wrinkles on his brow slowly gathered on his forehead. After a long silence, he finally uttered, "A good bird chooses its tree to roost in; this is not their fault!"
"Also..." Yang Yi continued, "The grain that was supposed to arrive from Shu has not arrived for two days. When people were sent to inquire, there was no news..."
"With Jiang Wan there, there won't be any major trouble!" Zhuge Liang still frowned, his gaze distant. "Prime Minister, don't you think the recent battlefield situation is very strange?" Yang Yi continued to ask.
This time, Zhuge Liang merely opened his mouth but made no sound. He simply picked up the bowl and finished the medicine.
After pondering for a while longer, he finally said, "What people remember most in their lives are favors and loyalty. Some people's favors are repaid, and they leave; some people's favors are never repaid, and they remain for a lifetime!"
Clearly,
Zhuge Liang's words had hidden meanings.
Yang Yi pursed his lips. He was suddenly filled with a sense of melancholy by Zhuge Liang's words.
"Today... I haven't heard the taunts of the Wei army outside the pass!" Zhuge Liang always felt that something was missing today; it turned out to be the taunts.
Just then.
"Reporting... Prime Minister! A Wei envoy with a box is requesting an audience!" "Wei envoy?" Zhuge Liang repeated.
"It's the Prime Minister's brother..."
"Jun Di?" Zhuge Liang's eyes narrowed further. He braced himself and stood up. "Since it's Jun Di, then let's meet him. The last meeting!"
Saying that... he walked out with Yang Yi's support.
At this moment, Zhuge Jun, accompanied by two envoys, was waiting in the hall, holding a large box. Zhuge Liang slowly entered.
Zhuge Jun saw him, and he also noticed Zhuge Jun. A hint of unusual color flashed in both their eyes, and then... their gazes returned to normal!
They were brothers, but they also served different masters! "Who is down there?" Zhuge Liang asked routinely.
Zhuge Jun calmly replied, "The Wei Emperor Cao Yu sends a letter to the Shu Han Prime Minister Zhuge Liang!"
Zhuge Jun unfolded the letter and read aloud: "Zhuge Kongming, as the Prime Minister of Shu Han and commander of the Shu-Han forces, does not seek to don armor and wield weapons to decide victory or defeat, but instead indulges in defending his territory and nests, carefully avoiding swords and arrows. What is the difference between him and a woman? Now, I send an envoy to present a headscarf and plain clothes. If you do not fight, you may bow again and accept them. If you still possess a shred of shame and the heart of a man, then come out and fight, and decide the fate of the world!"
As Zhuge Jun's voice echoed, all the civil and military officials in the hall turned ashen-faced and clenched their fists, trembling, but they dared not act rashly, all looking at Zhuge Liang!
Zhuge Liang's face was very grim.
It was bad enough to be insulted by the ruler of Great Wei, but it was even worse that it was delivered through his third brother. This made the anger in his heart surge rapidly, but he did not erupt. He forced himself to calm down and listened leisurely.
Gazing at the large box in Zhuge Jun's hand, he smiled faintly.
"The Wei Emperor sent me a woman's skirt, I suppose... it's in there?"
"Does Jun Di think your elder brother should accept this skirt, and should wear this skirt?"