In the tenth chapter, it is stated that one can achieve victory by laying traps in the various valleys, placing the enemy in a position where they face death before they can find a way to survive

One noon, I was hiding under the shade of a tree, munching on a melon, when suddenly Liu Rui came running over with his hair disheveled and his chest half-bare, his face full of joy. I asked him what had happened, and he replied: "I took a stroll nearby and discovered a dense forest to the south, with a pleasant breeze and refreshing air. I came to propose that we move our camp there."

The three of us analyzed for more than an hour, yet we could not arrive at any conclusion. Everyone knows that Jiang Wei, this unpredictable person, does not follow conventional military strategies; he may choose the safest path or the most dangerous one, and it is even possible that he might abandon both extremes to adopt a middle strategy. ... When dealing with an enemy who does not adhere to established principles, aside from praying to the heavens, there truly seems to be no other solution to consider ...

At the beginning of August, the autumn heat was still quite intense. At night, it was necessary to wrap oneself in a blanket to sleep, yet during the day, even if one stripped down, it was difficult to bear the sweltering heat. Shanggui County was quite generous, sending several loads of fruits and melons. I treated the soldiers equally, distributing a piece the size of a fist to each person, and as the commander, I kept only half a load for myself.

Qin Rui rode his horse and galloped right up to me, shouting as if the sky were about to collapse: "This is a death trap! Why move the camp here?!" "What do you mean by death trap?" Liu Rui asked, his face filled with confusion. Qin Rui pointed around with his whip: "The terrain here is low-lying, making it easy to attack and difficult to defend. There is only one way out, and it is a bottleneck. If the Shu bandits come, they only need to shoot a volley of arrows, and we will all become porcupines!"

Thus, I stationed the troops south of Xinxing City, and then, along with Qin Rui, led more than ten cavalrymen under the cover of night towards Wucheng to meet Deng Anxi. Deng Anxi was personally guarding Wucheng, with over twenty thousand troops under his command, including about a thousand soldiers from Nanan County that he had forcibly conscripted. I observed that the soldiers from Nanan were all emaciated and poorly equipped, cruelly assigned by Deng Anxi to the front lines of defense. Looking back at my own cavalry, they were all clad in uniform light leather armor, polished to a shine, not tall in stature, with their eyes rolled upward, and their arms not thick, yet they could easily show off a few muscles. Their quality was comparable to that of Deng Anxi's main forces, which made me feel a sense of pride—though I had to admit that these more than ten soldiers were carefully selected by Qin Rui and me, intended to protect the commander in times of crisis.

Qin and Liu both gasped in shock, nodding in agreement. They appeared to be individuals who were afraid of death. Although Qin Rui still wanted to save face, he deliberately explained, "The master is not afraid of death, but if one must die, it should be for a worthy cause"

The time for the master to achieve merit has arrived! Upon hearing this, Qin Rui's face lit up with joy, while I secretly muttered to myself: I haven't achieved any merit yet, when will it be your turn? Thus, I took Qin Rui, Liu Rui, and other generals, gathered three hundred cavalry and six hundred infantry, and hastened towards Shiying, simultaneously calling for Li Yue's troops to quickly come east to join me.

Deng Anxi's edict arrived in Xiangwu on the second day after the Shu rebels attacked Shiying. He assessed that Jiang Wei's forces were primarily concentrated along the Qishan front and seemed to be waiting for something, estimating that reinforcements were likely on the way, thus Longxi was temporarily safe. He ordered the Didao Commandant to immediately move the garrison from Lintao eastward towards Dongting to flank the Shu rebels.

Qin Rui and Liu Rui both looked up at me in confusion. I cleared my throat and began to explain while thinking, "Among the three roads, the most perilous is here. We will defend this position based on its danger, and I believe Jiang Wei will not be able to pass through..." "This is not a defensible position at all!" Looking at Qin Rui's expression, he seemed to doubt whether I had eaten something spoiled that had affected my mind. "Moreover, Jiang Wei can easily take a detour outside the valley; there is no need for him to come in..."

Clever schemes? In fact, I have no clever schemes at all. Moreover, since the thieves do not come, why should I trouble myself to think of any clever schemes? This is all just an excuse, merely to ensure that Qin Rui stops his nonsense. A dead end? Although I have not read many military texts, I have gone through "The Thirteen Chapters of Sun Tzu" two or three times; do I not know that this is a dead end?

"Is there a valley here?" I asked Qin Rui as I looked up. Qin Rui nodded: "Yes, the master once went to Tianshui on an errand and passed through there; the terrain is indeed peculiar." "Is it perilous?" A sudden thought struck me, and I pressed him further. Qin Rui scratched his head: "I wouldn't say it's perilous... There are many trees, the paths are a bit narrow, the slopes are a bit steep, but it is quite accessible..."

However, his words reminded Liu Rui. "I see, what a clever plan!" Liu Jiming couldn't help but express his delight and admiration, "Indeed, we are firmly in control. If Jiang Wei does not come, it is fate, not our disobedience to the orders..." I glanced at him and smiled, saying, "Jiming, do not say such things. I am actually afraid that Jiang Wei will not come. If he does come, I will ensure that he returns with no horse, hehehe."

Upon realizing this, I signaled the entire army to rise from the grass. This was not a trivial matter; the retreating Shu soldiers suddenly shouted and turned around, brandishing their long spears as they continued to retreat. The former moved backward while the latter advanced, and in the blink of an eye, chaos ensued. I quickly aimed at the enemy general closest to me, drew my bow, and shot an arrow at him.

Deng Anxi smiled faintly and nodded to indicate that I was correct. He did not seem angry or frustrated at having his train of thought interrupted, likely because he was already accustomed to such situations. "Expensive, expensive, expensive..." Next, he pretended to take a sip of water to mask his stutter, making every effort to finish his sentence, "Your department does not have many people, there is no need to come to Wucheng Mountain to increase, increase, increase... um, do you understand? You all head east, I estimate that Jiang, Jiang, Jiang... the next target of the Shu bandits is probably to go, go, go..."

His speculation is quite reasonable, but I thought to myself: "Deng Jiebai treating Biejun as a discarded pawn is certainly better than you, my friend, always treating your own subordinates as discarded pawns." Dividing troops to guard the perilous areas? Even if it costs me my life, I would not do it, as that would significantly reduce my chances of survival—"Let us analyze, if the Shu bandits were to surge eastward, which route might they take?"

However, my judgment still had a slight miscalculation. The Shu bandits were not merely coming to fetch water from the valley; they gradually all set off into the valley, drawing ever closer. As I slightly poked my head out, I could already see the banners filling the valley. "This is a dead end," I prayed silently to the heavens, "Jiang Wei cannot be unaware of this; his tens of thousands of troops cannot hide here. Why come in? Do not come in, do not come in..."

At first, I didn't take it seriously: "Ah, the Shu bandits have indeed taken a long route. What, have they already reached outside the valley?" "No, no," the scout replied, panting heavily, "the Shu bandit army has already begun to enter the valley one after another"

As soon as Deng Anxi saw me, he asked, "Where are the soldiers of Didao?" I quickly and respectfully replied, "I have ordered them to travel east at full speed; they should arrive at Dongting in about two days." "First, first, first don't go to Dong, Dongting," Deng Anxi shook his head, "Tell them to head west, west, west of Wucheng, to investigate, investigate, investigate, and gather information..." Although I knew it was quite impolite, I couldn't help but interject, asking, "You mean to investigate the suspicious troops, right?" "Tell them to head west, west, west of Wucheng, to investigate, investigate, investigate, and gather information..." Although I knew it was quite impolite, I couldn't help but interject, asking, "You mean to investigate the suspicious troops, right?"

At dusk, Qin Rui rode back on horseback—this fellow cannot sit still and often takes a few soldiers out hunting. In fact, I also quite enjoy hunting; however, the sun is too harsh during the day, and there are few birds nearby. Under such circumstances, what is the point of going hunting? The beasts often linger all day, and one can only catch one or two wild rabbits. I do not understand what he finds enjoyable about it.

I held a brush in my hand, circling and drawing on the map. Sometimes I made a mark, and other times it was merely a spontaneous act of contemplation. Before long, the map was utterly defaced, rendered unrecognizable with random scribbles of turtles in the east and donkey heads in the west. In a moment of distraction, when I turned my gaze back, I found that I could hardly locate Shanggui. In the place where I believed Shanggui City should be marked, I instead discovered a place name called "Duangu." Rubbing my eyes, I looked closely again and realized that Duangu is located thirty miles southeast of Shanggui, situated along the middle of the three routes, with the one that loops around passing through here. In a moment of distraction, when I turned my gaze back, I found that I could hardly locate Shanggui. In the place where I believed Shanggui City should be marked, I instead discovered a place name called "Duangu." Rubbing my eyes, I looked closely again and realized that Duangu is located thirty miles southeast of Shanggui, situated along the middle of the three routes, with the one that loops around passing through here

At this moment, Deng Anxi's troops have engaged with the Shu bandits, who are retreating while fighting, gradually entering a dead end. Most of them are facing away from us, and we are lying in the grass, completely unnoticed by them. However, I know this situation cannot last long; Jiang Wei will inevitably launch a counterattack, and he will certainly establish his main camp in the very place where I am currently hiding—how cool and shaded this place is—perhaps even setting up a stool right beside me. In this critical moment, I felt a surge of courage and steeled my heart: "If I can kill a few soldiers, it would not be in vain even if I were captured. Moreover, perhaps General Jiang appreciates talent and will treat me well? Surrendering without a fight would only invite contempt from everyone..."

I lazily glanced over at him, and indeed it was a beautiful place, with high slopes on both sides and a stream on one side. The banks of the stream were densely covered with vegetation, and the morning sunlight could not shine directly, making it very cool. In the afternoon, between the hours of Shen and You, the setting sun would cast a warm glow, making one feel drowsy. "Indeed, it is a naturally blessed land!" I couldn't help but clap my hands in admiration, and then I ordered the entire army to pack up and move to this location.

I suddenly jumped up from the ground, terrified to the point of losing my senses, and in a flurry, I was at a loss, only able to run in circles. Fortunately, Qin Rui had slept in that day and did not go hunting. He shouted loudly in my ear: "Immediately relocate, leave this dead place!" This brought me back from my stupor. "Wait a moment..." I pondered for a moment and replied, "Relocate? What kind of joke is that! The Shu bandits have already entered the valley; is it still possible for us to relocate? Do not panic; I suspect they are only coming into the valley to fetch water and will not go deeper. Let us lower our flags and cease our activities, hiding in the forest; they may not be able to discover us."

However, heaven did not favor them; in a moment of confusion, Jiang Wei truly charged into the death trap! It was only afterward that it became clear he had done this intentionally, plunging himself into peril to lure Deng Anxi into a decisive battle. His reasoning was sound; the Shu rebels were quite resilient in prolonged combat. In such a narrow terrain, when the two sides clashed, the brave would surely prevail. If Deng Anxi dared to pursue, our army would be in grave danger. Moreover, it is said that he had also set another piece on the side of the valley... His reasoning was sound; the Shu rebels were quite resilient in prolonged combat. In such a narrow terrain, when the two sides clashed, the brave would surely prevail. If Deng Anxi dared to pursue, our army would be in grave danger. Moreover, it is said that he had also set another piece on the side of the valley...

I stared intently at the map, my eyes nearly blurring. "Why don't we just go to Shanggui directly?" Liu Rui suggested, "We can defend Shanggui and wait for the rescue from Deng Anxi." "No, no," I calculated with my fingers, dismissing this foolish talk, "After years of warfare, most of the counties in Longshang are devastated, and the garrison in Shanggui is even smaller. With our fewer than 1,000 men, we would be utterly ineffective. If the Shu bandits really went to Shanggui, they could take it down in just one morning, and that would put us in a passive position... However, being in a passive position is minor; dying in that little broken city would be truly unjust!"

Liu Rui smiled and curled his lips: "I thought you were talking about feng shui, about life and death grounds. Are you saying that this place is advantageous for offense but not for defense? Anyway, the Shu bandits won't come, so we can just hide here in the shade, what's wrong with that?" Qin Rui was furious: "Hiding in the shade, what nonsense!" I quickly waved my hand to stop his insults: "Does Shouchang not know the principle of 'placing one in a life-or-death situation to ensure survival'? I have my own clever plan, so you need not say more."

We were hiding in the depths of Duangu, a place devoid of human presence... On August 9, after four days of defense, a scout suddenly came to report an urgent military situation. It is important to note that I was not merely passively defending; I often sent out scouts to gather intelligence on the enemy. At the very least, when the Shu bandits captured Shanggui and Deng Anxi hurriedly came to reinforce, I needed to be able to exit the valley in time to meet him for safety's sake. The scout was flustered, and I initially thought Shanggui had already fallen. To my surprise, he opened his mouth and said: "The Shu bandits, the Shu bandits are coming!" I was not merely passively defending; I often sent out scouts to gather intelligence on the enemy. At the very least, when the Shu bandits captured Shanggui and Deng Anxi hurriedly came to reinforce, I needed to be able to exit the valley in time to meet him for safety's sake. The scout was flustered, and I initially thought Shanggui had already fallen. To my surprise, he opened his mouth and said: "The Shu bandits, the Shu bandits are coming!"

Deng Anxi patted my shoulder with satisfaction. However, while he was pleased, I was left in a state of confusion. Upon returning to Xinxing, I discussed with Qin Rui and Liu Rui: "There are a total of three roads from Dongting to Shanggui, and with our fewer than 1,000 men, how can we possibly defend it?" Qin Rui slammed the table and exclaimed: "Damn it, what that fellow means is clearly to have us split our forces to guard the dangerous points, using us as pawns to scout the way. As long as he can timely learn about the movements of the Shu bandits, he doesn't care whether we can hold our ground or about our lives!"

In the face of a formidable enemy, there is no time to delay. It is at such moments that the qualities of a commander in adapting to circumstances become evident. At my command, within less than the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, all the soldiers complied and lay hidden in the grass. A few, fearing that their plumes would be discovered by the Shu bandits, even removed their helmets. My own pace was slightly slower, as I needed to hastily don my armor to guard against unforeseen events.

At that moment, even if I were to be killed, I would never have thought that the Shu bandits would specifically take the path through Duangu. Indeed, the more foolish people are, the more foolish tactics they employ; even if you want to evade them, it is impossible to escape!

Looking at Qin Rui's gaze, it clearly conveys: "Panic? The one panicking is you." Such a look is nothing short of an insult to Shangguan. How could I possibly be the least bit flustered? Just take a look at Liu Rui; he has already climbed up the tree in the blink of an eye—monkeys are not necessarily this agile.

He pointed to the map and indicated Shanggui. I hurriedly nodded: "Are the bandits planning to launch a surprise attack on Shanggui? Does the general want us to hold the key routes to prevent their advance to the east?"

However, I had just arrived in Xinxing County, less than a hundred miles from Dongting, when I heard that the battlefield had shifted north to Wucheng Mountain. Wucheng Mountain has a perilous terrain, located to the north of Dongting. It is estimated that Jiang Wei would not be able to capture Shiying, so he would circle northward, intending to launch a surprise attack on Wucheng from behind Dongting. In terms of military strategy, this plan is not entirely poor. However, considering the cautious nature of Deng Jiebai, would he really leave such a crucial stronghold behind without sending troops to guard it?

Seeing the puzzled expressions on Liu Rui and me, he took the brush from my hand and searched for a blank space on the edge of the map for a while, hastily sketching a picture: "The original valley is divided into two by a stream, the depth of the valley is no more than one hundred feet, and there is an exit to the east, south, west, and north..." "A great place!" Before he could finish drawing, I slapped my thigh and said, "Let’s station our troops there!"