usatvline Chapter 114 Duel of Two Heroes
Chapter 114 Duel of Two Heroes
Chapter 114 Duel of Two Heroes (Part Two)
Jiang Wei is taking a bath.
They took a hot bath in the tub.
When marching, one would not bring a bathtub.
But he had been stationed in Tazhong for many days, so he had a craftsman make a bath tub.
Steam rose from the bathtub. Jiang Wei had only his head above water, the rest of his body submerged. He was comfortably soaking in the bath with his eyes closed, oblivious to the noise outside the tent.
He already has a plan.
Moreover, a true man should remain calm and composed when faced with a major crisis.
Panic will only lead to disaster.
Jiang Wei felt comfortable after soaking in the water, so he opened his eyes and stood up. His personal guards immediately came up with a piece of hemp cloth to wipe his body, helped him put on clothes made of hemp cloth, and then helped him fasten his sword.
Jiang Wei clenched his wrists, left the back tent, came to the front tent, calmly knelt down, and placed his hands on his knees.
After he was seated, he looked up and said, "Let the military advisor and the others come in."
"Yes," the guard replied loudly.
Lai Zhong and the others outside the tent had been waiting for a long time. When they saw that Jiang Wei's personal guards had finally let them pass, they were overjoyed and immediately entered the tent.
"General..." Lai Zhong was the first to clasp his hands in greeting, wanting to speak.
Jiang Wei smiled and said, "Joining the army is unnecessary, I understand." After a pause, he touched his arm.
He looked up at his chest and said, "I haven't showered for three days, and I smelled terrible. I took a hot bath as a special treat."
Lai Zhong and the others were dumbfounded. At this critical moment, you're taking a bath and you don't even see us?
Some people were furious and immediately wanted to argue with Jiang Wei. Others reacted quickly and grabbed the person who wanted to argue with Jiang Wei.
Chaos erupted again inside the tent.
After everyone calmed down, they straightened their clothes, bowed to Jiang Wei, and sat down on either side.
"Very good." Jiang Wei smiled, then said with high spirits, "You all know what happened, how could I not know? Although the court did not send anyone to defend Yinping Bridge, and although the Wei army sent men to attack Gansong, trying to cut off all my escape routes, I still have a way to leave Tazhong and return to Hanzhong."
"As long as I return to Hanzhong and defend it according to the previous strategy, not only will Hanzhong not fall, but I will also slaughter tens of thousands of Wei soldiers, crippling them and laying the foundation for the Northern Expedition."
That's right.
Even at this point, Jiang Wei was still in complete control.
As long as Hanzhong doesn't collapse, as long as the imperial court can hold on.
He, Jiang Wei, is still the same Jiang Wei; even in dire straits, he can carve out a way to survive.
Even if it gets dark, we can fight until dawn. What is Deng Ai? He only managed to fight me so well because of his powerful country.
If the national strength of the two sides were swapped, Deng Ai would be nothing.
Jiang Wei's tone was resolute.
Jiang Wei's expression remained calm and composed.
Jiang Wei's sitting posture was like a javelin pointing straight to the sky, without bending in the slightest.
Jiang Wei's composure immediately reassured the strategists and officials in the tent. Then, led by Lai Zhong, they all bowed to Jiang Wei to express their admiration.
After putting his hands down, Lai Zhong respectfully said, "Please give the order, General."
"Please give the order, General," everyone echoed in unison.
Jiang Wei was still the same Jiang Wei; once he joined the army, he became a pillar of strength.
At his command, tens of thousands of soldiers swept through Cao Wei's Yong and Liang regions, fighting to the death with the Wei army, and had no regrets even if they died a hundred times.
Jiang Wei nodded, his face beaming, and said, "Sima Zhao's plan is to cut off my east and west routes. I will not consider the western route. I will have the garrison commander of Gansong urgently withdraw his troops to join me, and have the general of Tazhong also join me. After the troops are gathered, I will have Lu Qubing cover the rear, and I will be the vanguard. I will lead the troops straight to Yinping Bridge."
If he were to travel west through Gansong, he could cross mountains and valleys to return to Chengdu. But that was not his plan.
He was going back to Yang'an Pass to lie in ambush like a tiger, watching the Wei army in Hanzhong, baring his teeth, ready to fight.
"Yes."
Lai Zhong and the others were greatly encouraged again. They bowed in unison and agreed, then dispersed to deliver Jiang Wei's military orders to the generals in Tazhong.
Jiang Wei did nothing, and Liu Han's army panicked.
When Jiang Wei issued his military order, the morale of Liu Han's army immediately rallied.
"The General has ordered us to immediately break camp and set up camp. We will go ahead and meet up with the General, and tomorrow we will send troops to Yinping Bridge."
"The General has given orders..."
"Upon receiving the order, the generals of each unit immediately issued military commands. Upon receiving the commands, the soldiers immediately dispelled their worries and anxieties and began working with great enthusiasm."
They worked diligently and efficiently, unloading bags of grain and pieces of military supplies onto the carts.
At the same time, many soldiers showed reluctance to leave this land. They had been stationed here for several months, cultivating the land, planting crops, and building irrigation canals. They had watched the barren fields turn into fertile soil, but now they had to leave.
Despite their reluctance, military orders were hard to obey. The soldiers sighed and left.
Generals, leading their troops and chariots, converged on Jiang Wei from all directions, like rivers flowing into the sea.
The next morning.
Jiang Wei didn't say anything, but simply issued a military order to send troops to Yinping Bridge.
Jiang Wei himself served as the vanguard, wearing heavy armor, with a lance hanging on his body, carrying a bow and arrows, and stepping on the stirrups. He mounted his horse with great skill and agility, showing no signs of his advanced age.
"Let's go," Jiang Wei commanded, raising his whip.
"Yes!" the messenger replied loudly, looking at Jiang Wei with admiration. He then turned his horse around and issued military orders to the various armies.
Jiang Wei led the vanguard, and the army marched along the main road toward Yinping Bridge in turn.
rear.
General Lu Qubing covered the rear.
He was from Badong and originally served under Jiang Wei. He was promoted for his martial prowess and became the commander of two thousand elite soldiers.
He was appointed General Li Feng.
After he joined the army, he handed over the baggage and provisions to the vanguard. However, he took some chariots with him to use as a means to block cavalry.
"Brave warriors. Covering the rear means risking your lives. Are you afraid?" Lu Qubing mounted his horse, took a spear from his personal guard, put it on, looked around at the elite troops in front and behind him, and asked with a loud laugh.
His laughter was highly infectious, soothing the soldiers' anxieties, unease, and fears caused by covering the rear.
"We're not afraid!" the soldiers shouted back.
"Good. You're worthy of being my soldiers."
"Hahahaha!" Lu Qubing responded loudly, then burst into laughter and ordered, "Let's go!"
"Yes, sir!" Seeing their general's imposing presence, the soldiers were energized, as if injected with adrenaline, and shouted their approval. Then, the infantrymen, heads held high and chests out, strode forward.
Cavalry and chariot troops as attendants.
Upon hearing that Jiang Wei had retreated, the three Wei commanderies urgently regrouped, abandoned their baggage wagons, and pursued Jiang Wei with a light force.
The two sides met at Jiangchuankou.
Front part.
Under the banner bearing the character "Jiang," Jiang Wei rode his steed, following the large contingent forward slowly.
Upon receiving the news, Jiang Wei immediately issued an order: "Although Jiangchuan Pass is relatively wide, our forces are too numerous to deploy effectively. I hereby order Generals Lu Qubing, Han Jin, Liu Yun, Li Shui, and Qian Shao to engage the Wei army. The rest of the troops will follow me along the side paths, circle back to Jiangchuan Pass, and attack the Wei army from the rear."
"Yes," the messenger replied loudly.
Liu Han's tens of thousands of elite troops could be deployed as Jiang Wei commanded.
Tigers have the desire to kill, and people also have the desire to eat tigers.
Jiang Wei wanted to devour this Wei army pursuing troops.