West of Shanggui City.
Zhuge Liang looked at the camp, which had been burned down by a quarter, with a cold face, and asked in a deep voice: "Is it such a coincidence? I came today and you failed to prevent Guo Huai in the middle of the night?"
Liao Hua lowered his head and remained silent. Wu Yi explained awkwardly, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, last night the Wei army sent people to attack and set fire to the east and west of the city. The east side of the city was defended, but the west side of the city lost some barracks due to the wind direction last night, but the soldiers were not seriously injured."
Zhuge Liang said expressionlessly: "The Wei army is trying to take away your momentum!"
"I have come here in person and brought you reinforcements. Today is the 19th, General Wu, how many days do you have left to capture Shanggui?"
Zhuge Liang's face was stern, and Wu Yi began to panic. He quickly bowed and said, "Please give me ten days, Prime Minister. I will definitely take Shanggui within ten days!"
"Ten days?" Zhuge Liang glanced at Wu Yi and said, "That's too many. I'll only give you five days!"
After that, Zhuge Liang issued an order in the open space: "Pass my order, let Zhang Yi of Ji County lead his 5,000 troops to attack Xianqin and Chengji counties. Now Anding County is empty, go around Chengji to attack Anding!"
"Where are Liao Hua and Zong Yu?"
Generals Liao Hua and Zong Yu bowed and stepped forward.
Zhuge Liang still gave orders expressionlessly: "General Liao, your camp was burned down last night. You should learn from your shame and work harder to attack the city!"
"General Zong, lead your troops to set off in the afternoon and attack Linwei with me!"
Liao Hua and Zong Yu agreed one after another, but Wu Yi was sweating profusely on his forehead.
There was no other reason. It was because they could not capture Shanggui City after a long siege, and they withdrew again without attacking Linwei City. Now Zhuge Liang personally led the troops to attack. Although he did not say it explicitly, Wu Yi still felt a little ashamed at this moment.
……
Not to mention how Wu Yi secretly made up his mind and urged his subordinates to attack Shanggui, at this moment, the Wei Emperor Cao Rui was getting closer and closer to Lueyang.
On the morning of the 14th, Cao Rui personally led 16,000 elite cavalry from Chang'an. At the speed of 120 miles a day, they had already traveled 600 miles.
The distance from Chang'an to Lueyang is 880 li, and Cao Rui is less than three days away from Lueyang. At such a close distance, the news from outside Lueyang has become clearer and clearer.
Thanks to the assignment of military officer Chen Ping, Zhang He's envoy successfully took a detour and contacted the subsequent Qianzhao Department, and the news of Lueyang City was also able to reach the ears of the emperor.
Zhang He caught a cold and had a high fever and was in bed. Chen Ping dared not conceal the general's health information. But apart from Zhang He himself, Lueyang was well defended. Zhang He and the Shu army fought several battles outside the city. Although the troops were inevitably damaged, they did not suffer any major losses overall.
But the situation is still not optimistic.
Xin Pi was left in Chang'an to be in charge of Guanzhong affairs and logistics and food supplies. The Minister of the Interior Yang Fu took over the mission originally assigned to Xin Pi to gather military intelligence.
Yang Fu rode behind the emperor and said slowly, "Your Majesty, according to Zhang He's information five days ago, there is still enough food and grass in Lueyang City, so it can last for more than a month."
"But the food and grass in Qianzhao's camp is only enough for five days, and the general's troops are only enough for three days."
"When will the subsequent military rations be delivered?" Cao Rui asked with a frown.
Yang Fu thought for a few moments and said, "Your Majesty, before Qian Zhao sent out his troops, he had already notified Chencang and Yongxian to transport grain northward along the Longshan Road."
"It will take another three days to transport the grain and grass from Yumi and Yongxian to Lueyang. Qian Zhao's troops have 15,000 men, the general has 8,000 cavalry, plus your majesty's 16,000 cavalry... I think the first batch of grain and grass will only be enough for the army."
"If the follow-up food and grass are not lacking, we can barely meet the demand."
Cao Rui asked, "Who is the grain supervisor in Chencang?"
Yang Fu replied, "They are Deng Ai and Deng Shizai, whom Your Majesty personally promoted in the office of the Minister of Agriculture."
"I was able to learn from the military report that the grain transport team from Chencang set out on the sixth day, and it was led by Deng Ai himself."
If it was someone else, Cao Rui might still be a little worried. But if Deng Ai was personally supervising the grain, he would definitely know the pros and cons.
Cao Rui turned around and ordered, "Tell Deng Ai the date you just mentioned in the military report! With Deng Ai supervising the grain, I believe it will not be overdue."
"I understand." Yang Fu responded, "Zhu Gai sent a letter from Chencang to ask Your Majesty to fight."
Cao Rui asked with a puzzled look: "Zhu Gai wants to fight? Where does he want to fight?"
Yang Fu explained: "Your Majesty, Zhu Gai wants to advance along the Chencang Road, attack the Shu army from behind, and try to attack Wudu County."
Cao Rui turned his head and looked at Sima Yi: "What do you think about this matter, Sikong?"
Sima Yi spoke directly: "In my opinion, Your Majesty should let Zhu Gai stay quiet! Now that the Lueyang army is confronting each other, they need food and grass. Where can we get extra food and grass for him to march? Even if we have food and grass, we don't have livestock and manpower!"
"Besides, even if he leads his troops to attack Wudu, what can he do? Can he break through Hanzhong? The opportunity for war is not elsewhere, but only in Shanggui and Lueyang! I hope Your Majesty will explain the pros and cons to Zhu Gai." Cao Rui sighed softly, "This is why I let Qian Zhao lead the army and Zhu Gai be the deputy."
"Zhu Gai is sitting in Chencang, I understand that he wants to fight. But from the overall situation, he is not even a little bit inferior to Qian Zhao."
"Mr. Yang," Cao Rui pulled the reins, stopped at the side of the road and said to Yang Fu, "Draft a letter for me to Zhu Gai."
Yang Fu also stopped, dismounted, and took out a small writing table and a brush and ink from the bag on the side of the saddle. He then looked at the emperor and asked, "What do you want to say, Your Majesty?"
Cao Rui said, "In my name, I will say that I have great use for Zhu Gai's troops. Let him stay here to watch Chencang for me and conserve his energy. When the situation in Longyou improves, I will personally transfer him to Longyou to fight."
Sima Yi heard this and raised his eyebrows slightly to look at the emperor. He thought the emperor would issue an edict to reprimand Zhu Gai, but he didn't expect that he would use an edict to appease him.
"Your Majesty loves and cherishes your generals so much. It seems that you are quite like Emperor Wu." Sima Yi thought to himself.
Yang Fu quickly drafted the decree, showed it to Cao Rui and got his nod, then stamped it with the seal and issued it immediately.
At this time, there were nearly fifty Imperial College students who had not yet been appointed as officials in the army.
Of the first batch of students from the Imperial Academy of the Great Wei who enrolled in September last year and graduated in August this year, half are following the emperor's army, and the other half are following Xu Chu's 16,000 infantrymen behind.
It had been nearly half a month since they set out from Luoyang. Although every scholar of that era could ride a horse, this long-distance cavalry march was a great drain on the weak imperial students, both physically and mentally.
However, the students who could graduate from the first term of the Great Wei Imperial College were not ordinary people. These 300-stone Imperial College students knew that this march was also a rare test for them.
The emperor was personally marching in front of the troops, so which student would dare to fall behind and complain? Even if their thighs were rubbed raw, they had to endure it. If they could not sit steadily, they had to be tied to the horse and follow the army.
If I really fall behind, I will probably have no chance of becoming an official. I don't know how long I will have to waste my time at the current rank of Taixuelang with an official salary of 300 stones.
Because Jiang Wei was the oldest and was from Tianshui County in Longyou, and because of his talent, knowledge and bearing, he became the leader of the Imperial Academy doctors after this march.
After comforting those colleagues who were tied to their horses and in the worst condition, Jiang Wei rode back to the front of the team and started a conversation with Fu Gu.
After Xun Can was exiled to Liangzhou, the usually cheerful Fu Gu gradually became silent in the Imperial College. However, after this march, perhaps because he left Luoyang and his mood became more open, he became more and more talkative recently.
Fu Gu, who was born in Beidi County, was much younger than Jiang Wei, but he was also an excellent rider, so he could chat and laugh with Jiang Wei on horseback.
"Brother Boyue, in your opinion, is the battle in Longyou easy to fight?" Fu Gu asked.
After all, he is a scholar. No matter how "prodigy" he is, he still has a process of learning military strategies.
Jiang Wei said calmly, "Lan Shi, did you see those eunuchs whose legs were worn out?"
Fu Gu nodded.
Jiang Wei continued, "Your Majesty is a great man, and you personally led 16,000 cavalrymen to march westward, only one day behind the general."
"Tell me, if the situation wasn't so critical, why would Your Majesty lead the troops separately from the general?"
Fu Gu responded: "Brother Boyue's words make sense. Then the current situation in Brother Boyue's county should not be optimistic, right?"
"Tianshui County?" Jiang Wei sighed. "It's said in the army that the Shu army may have 70,000 or 80,000 soldiers. How can Tianshui County resist them? I'm afraid it has already fallen into the hands of the enemy."
Fu Gu realized that he had made a mistake and immediately added, "Then Ji County must be the county seat, and there must be soldiers guarding it."
No one had informed the Imperial College students of the details of the military situation on the front line. Jiang Wei, relying on his understanding of the county, analyzed: "If we talk about Tianshui County, the most important places are only Xi County, Ji County, and Shanggui."
"Since Zhuge Liang has an army of 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers and Xi County is on the route that must be passed, there is no hope of saving it."
"Ji County is located too far to the west. From a global perspective, Shanggui City is much more important than Ji County. If Tianshui County is to be defended, it will definitely be Shanggui, not Ji County."
Fu Gu was even more embarrassed at this time, and regretted mentioning this matter in front of Jiang Wei. He could only casually say: "When the imperial army arrives this time, they will definitely defeat the Shu army."
Jiang Wei nodded and responded, "It all depends on how the clan will find a way to preserve it. I hope they can still remain loyal to the Wei Dynasty."
Fu Gu thought of something and sighed, "Brother Boyue, do you know Fu Xie and Fu Nanrong? Lord Nanrong is my great uncle."
Jiang Wei said sternly, "How could I not know Fu Nanrong's name? When Wang Guo and Han Sui rebelled, Fu Nanrong held Ji County and refused to retreat. He died in battle before leaving the city. How could I, a native of Ji County, not know him?"
"Lan Shi, why don't we wait for the imperial army to recapture Ji County, and then you and I can go and pay tribute to Lord Nan Rong together!"
Fu Gu nodded: "I will definitely go with Brother Bo Yue!" (End of this chapter)
