Chapter 7, Infighting within the Wei Army

The term "village man" is not exclusively a derogatory name for Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Xu was born in Langya County, and his family was also a prominent clan in the local area, yet they held little influence in the court.

At Yang'an Pass, Zhong Hui finally encountered a worthy opponent. The defending general, Fu Qian, was a key leader among the Shu army. Fu Qian was a rare talent in the later period of Shu Han. His father, Fu Rong, died in battle while following Liu Bei in the campaign against Eastern Wu. Historically, Fu Qian fought until the very last moment.

In mid-August, the Wei army led by Zhong Hui advanced from Luogu and Xiegu into Hanzhong. With the cooperation of defected generals such as Ju An from the guiding party, their momentum was unstoppable along the way

Swift resolution

During the Ganlu and Jingyuan years of the Cao Wei dynasty, Zhong Hui held significant power and frequently devised extraordinary strategies. His close friend was Sima Shi, the elder brother of Sima Zhao, with whom he thwarted the coup d'état of Emperor Cao Mao and quelled Zhuge Dan. These achievements led Zhong Hui to look down upon his other colleagues, and perhaps it was this very disposition that ultimately instilled in him the desire for independence

However, it was during this conflict against Wu that the rivalry between Zhong Hui and Deng Ai erupted fiercely. Zhuge Xu, as the pawn caught between Zhong and Deng, did not leave a favorable impression on Zhong Hui.

During this campaign against Shu from three fronts, Zhong Hui was officially appointed as the General Who Pacifies the West, with the title of Acting General and Commander of Military Affairs in Guanzhong, and was entrusted by Sima Zhao to oversee the operations against Shu. In other words, Zhong Hui was the true commander of the various divisions of the Wei army, while Deng Ai and Zhuge Xu were merely subordinate forces.

Compared to the seasoned and astute Deng Ai, the Governor of Yongzhou, Zhuge Xu, who lacks sufficient seniority and support in the court, appears much more inexperienced

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"As a subject of Shu, I shall die as a ghost of Shu!" Fu Qian cried out at the moment of his death, perishing in the heat of battle, a process that was profoundly heroic. The Fu family, spanning two generations, were loyal and valiant men, having shed their last drop of blood for the Shu Han.

Deng Zhong's whip wounds had not yet healed, and Deng Ai also lacked reliable and capable commanders to lead the charge. In desperation, Deng Ai could only tend to the injured soldiers while coordinating the transport of supplies and urging the follow-up troops to catch up and fill the gaps.

When the troops led by Zhong Huijun launched their attack, the Shu army stationed in the Hanzhong area numbered only ten thousand, making it impossible to block all the mountain passes. In desperation, generals such as Wang Han, Liu Yin, and Jiang Bin had no choice but to adopt the strategy of "consolidating their forces and gathering provisions," retreating to the cities of Han and Le for self-preservation

Deng Ai whipped his son Deng Zhong, causing the atmosphere of arrogance among the Wei army to suddenly become solemn

When Zhong Hui was scolding the *Tushu*, he did not avoid anyone at all, directly doing so in front of the supervising general Wei Guan and many Wei generals, making the situation quite embarrassing

In the Hanzhong region, the defense system of Shu Han had long since collapsed, and the strategy of Wei Yan and Wang Ping to defend against the enemy at the valley entrance had been abandoned by Liu Shan after Jiang Wei's escape from disaster.

Zhuge Xu, Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Dan are all related by family; however, from the perspective of Zhong Hui at this time, Zhuge Xu's letting Jiang Wei escape is tantamount to aiding the enemy

Emperor Wei Yuan, Cao Huan, changed the era name, replacing the fourth year of Jingyuan with the first year of Xianxi. At the same time, Emperor Huai of Shu, Liu Shan, also did not want to fall behind, using the first year of Yanxing to replace the fifth year of Jingyao

As beneficiaries of the Shu Han regime, the civil officials felt powerless in the face of the deteriorating livelihood of the people. On Liu Shan's side, Zhuge Zhan and others found themselves at a loss, while on Jiang Wei's side, it was much easier to detain soldiers, military provisions, and equipment.

Fu Qian was extremely prudent in military affairs. At the time when Zhuge Dan raised an army in Huainan, Jiang Wei launched five campaigns against the Central Plains, while Fu Qian killed the Wei general Li Peng and captured Wang Zhen alive. During the seventh campaign against the Central Plains, Fu Qian led two thousand troops to surrender to the Wei army under the pretense of providing support, luring Deng Ai into the Tan Mountain Valley. Deng Ai fell into the trap and launched an attack, only to be defeated by Fu Qian.

In September

At that time, it will be just as Yang Xiu described, a chicken rib

Upon hearing about Zhuge Xu's audacious maneuver at Yinping Bridge that allowed Jiang Wei to escape, Zhong Hui, who already harbored a grudge against Zhuge Xu, was filled with rage and exclaimed: "Zhuge the Villager, the crime of colluding with the enemy is unforgivable"

Among them, more than 1,000 elite soldiers of Deng Zhong were killed or injured, and the Tuoba Xianbei suffered even more devastating losses. Not only did their leader Shujineng die in battle, but the warriors of the tribe were also scattered, becoming cannon fodder for the Wei army's offensive

It is unclear what these two ineffectual figures, historically known as the useless emperors, were thinking. It is likely that the situation with Cao Huan was not of his own design, while Liu Shan, lacking restraint, completely let himself go.

Zhong Hui felt displeased, and the surveillance by the military supervisor Wei Guan further made him feel threatened. Sima Zhao is clearly not at ease! If Sima Shi were here, with their mutual understanding, there would be no need to send someone to guard against him.

Zhong Hui, styled Shiji, was born into a prestigious family. His father was the Grand Tutor Zhong Yao. He excelled in both calligraphy and strategy, serving as a defender of Chang'an for many years under the Cao Wei regime, where he achieved remarkable military accomplishments. Zhong Hui himself was also exceptionally talented, having made achievements in military affairs, literature, and even metaphysics.

Faced with the advance of Zhong Hui's army of 100,000, Fu Qian sent out a call for reinforcements while resolutely defending his position. Zhong Hui's forces were stalled here for several days without making any progress. Historically, if it were not for the betrayal of the supervisor Wu Xing and Jiang Shu, as well as the enemy's scheming, Fu Qian might have truly accomplished the remarkable feat of holding off 100,000 troops at Yang'an Pass.

It is truly incredible that Zhuge Xu's army, which was supposed to engage with General Jiang Wei's main force, was manipulated like a fool by Jiang Wei

Deng Ai led his troops back to Tazhong, assigning Qian Hong, the governor of Longxi, to guard the bridgehead, Wang Qi, the governor of Tianshui, to defend Didao, and Yang Xin, the governor of Jincheng, along with Yao Ke of the Shaodang Qiang, to protect Yinping.

The reason is nothing else

If it were not for the weakness of the Shu Han's strength, Fu Qian could indeed bear heavy responsibilities

In the fierce battle at Ta Zhong, the Western Route Wei army led by Deng Ai experienced significant losses compared to historical accounts where troop losses were minimal. This time, due to Zhao Guang's outstanding performance, the Wei army, which started from Didao with approximately 30,000 troops, saw its numbers drop to less than 20,000 after enduring a grueling fight

The costs are too high; in the small region of the Hanzhong Valley, it is simply unsustainable to support the stationed Shu Han army. The fundamental reason why Zhuge Zhan and others opposed Jiang Wei's northern expedition lies precisely in this.

This action not only left generals such as Yang Xin, Wang Qi, and Qian Hong speechless, but also allowed Deng Ai to temporarily evade the criticism from Zhong Hui

On the battlefield

According to the records in the "Records of the Three Kingdoms": "Upon hearing that the road to Yongzhou had been blocked and that troops were stationed at the bridgehead, they entered the northern route from Konghangu, intending to exit Yongzhou from the rear. Zhuge Xu learned of this and retreated thirty li. After entering the northern route for more than thirty li, he heard that Xu's army had retreated, and soon returned, passing through the bridgehead. Xu aimed to intercept Wei, but was unable to do so within a day. Wei then proceeded eastward and returned to defend Jian'ge, while Zhong Hui's attack on Wei was unsuccessful."

There is nothing much to say about the loss of authority. The military supervisor Wei Guan was dispatched by Zhong Hui to Wudu, and Zhuge Xu was dismissed on the spot, losing command over the central Wei army. Fortunately, Zhong Hui was unable to strip him of the position of governor of Yongzhou.

The transportation of grain and supplies from Guanzhong to Hanzhong is extremely inconvenient; if the time is prolonged, Zhong Hui's army will find itself in the same difficulties that Cao Cao faced in his time

After Zhong Hui led his troops into the Hanzhong Plain, he did not linger much around these two cities. Instead, he dispatched Li Fu with 10,000 men to besiege Wang Han at Lecheng, and sent Xun Kai with another 10,000 men to encircle Jiang Bin at Hancheng, while the main force of the Wei army advanced directly towards Yang'an Pass

The front line of Wei and Shu

Neither can one advance nor retreat

The intervention of Zhao Guang in this variable has caused the Wei army's western and central routes to progress unsatisfactorily, increasing the pressure on Zhong Hui, who is in charge of the campaign against Shu, which has also made his temper increasingly irritable

The Shu Han could not afford to sustain itself, and the Cao Wei was actually in the same situation

Based on past experiences, Zhuge Xu is not a novice on the battlefield. He has previously served as the Governor of Mount Tai and participated in the campaign to thwart the Northern Expedition of Sun Jun from Eastern Wu. In this conflict between Wei and Wu, Zhuge Xu performed exceptionally well, inflicting a significant defeat on the Wu army