Chapter 114 This Time, Listen To Me

Only the second day had passed when Zuo Ci, Ge Xuan, and Yuan headed toward Zhuge Liang's northern expedition.

Although he was prepared to die, the Daoist, who looked to be only in his thirties, walked with a light and unhurried pace. Zuo Ci couldn't help but sigh and ask, "Since you intend to trade your life for his, how can you deceive Zhuge Liang with his intelligence? And given your relationship, how could he possibly accept?"

Yuan said, "I won't let him agree."

The Daoist pointed to his heart and said, "I'll give him my life. I don't need his agreement."

"Whether he agrees or not."

"This time, he must listen to me."

Zuo Ci was helpless.

The Daoist pondered for a moment and then said, "Besides, as long as you and I don't say anything, just let him think it's a normal Seven Stars Ritual. By the time the life extension is complete, it will be a *fait accompli*, and it will be too late for him to go back on his word."

Ge Xuan asked, "Then, what will you do, Daoist friend?"

"After extending his life, you'll only have one or two years left."

The Daoist paused and said softly, "At that time..."

"I'll go back to Nanyang and live there."

He smiled and said, "Then, you two can stay there for a year."

………………

This was the twelfth year of Jianxing. The entire world was focused on that man.

After stabilizing the situation in Ji Han and spending three years accumulating enough supplies again, Zhuge Liang, supporting his ailing body, marched out of Qishan, leaving the natural barriers of the Shu Road, and arrived in the Liang and Yong regions for the fifth time. On the plains within the territory of Wei, this army, far from its own country, forcibly fought against Cao Wei, whose resources and manpower were said to be ten times greater than those of Shu.

This incredible feat was something he had already done five times.

At that time, Sima Yi, who was also a famous general of the era, was certain that Zhuge Liang could not have enough food. He built a city with his back to the water, engaging in a war of attrition. Even when provoked, he refused to leave the city, abandoning his original fighting style of swift advances and retreats.

This was the accumulation of countless experiences. In this era, those who fought alongside Zhuge Liang in external battles either died or were maimed.

Sima Yi identified an area that Zhuge Liang absolutely could not get his hands on. Believing that if left unchecked, that area of Wei would be taken by Zhuge Liang, he dispatched the famous general Guo Huai to preemptively garrison troops there, occupying the place Zhuge Liang wanted to seize.

He himself, however, did not remove his armor in Liang and Yong, nor did he dismount from his saddle in the Central Plains, directly fighting the war of attrition to the very end.

Zhuge Liang stationed his troops at Wuzhang Plains, and had secretly reached an agreement with Dong Wu.

He hoped that Sun Wu could take advantage of the situation to launch a northern expedition against Wei.

If successful, it would form a strategic alignment, further pressuring the Wei state.

When Sun Quan saw that almost all of Wei's famous generals were on guard against Zhuge Liang, he immediately responded, personally leading an army of 100,000 men to attack Wei in the north. Lu Xun, Zhuge Jin, and others also led tens of thousands of troops into battle, echoing Ji Han.

Then…

In July, he was defeated by the twenty-nine-year-old Emperor Cao Rui of Wei, who personally led the army.

Holding the battle report, Zhuge Liang sighed in the end, not saying anything else, only speaking vaguely, "Zhou Yu has already passed away. Although Sun Quan is a fierce ruler, he lacks capable ministers. What can be done?"

Sima Yi also received the battle report. He breathed a long sigh of relief and said with a smile to those around him:

"Now I can rest assured."

"Zhuge Kongming originally intended to form a strategic alignment with Dong Wu, but unfortunately, that Zhongmou child is too useless. Zhuge Kongming, this time, you will also run out of food and retreat."

Immediately, a soldier rushed to report, saying, "General, something bad has happened."

Sima Yi frowned and said, "What is it?"

The soldier looked up and murmured, "Zhuge Kongming is garrisoning troops and farming in our Great Wei... It seems he has no intention of leaving."

Sima Yi's expression froze.

Zhuge Liang was directly garrisoning troops and farming here.

His soldiers lived together with the people of Wei, jointly garrisoning and farming.

The people of Wei were not in turmoil, and their hearts were at peace.

The Ji Han army was disciplined and did not commit the slightest offense.

This was the last remaining ray of light from the benevolent in such a dark era as the Three Kingdoms. Because of Zhuge Wuhou's four previous northern expeditions, the world was shaken, and the hearts of the people were at peace. It had already forged an infinitely sharp sword, ultimately enabling them to cultivate alongside the people of the enemy country and attack their country.

Everyone knew that Zhuge's Northern Expeditions failed for only one reason.

Supplies.

Either there were not enough supplies, or the supply lines were cut off.

Even with the wooden oxen and flowing horses, transporting supplies from Shu was extremely difficult.

Now, Zhuge Wuhou's last weakness had been filled, and there were no more flaws. He could force Wei on his own. If this continued for a long time, Sima Yi would probably be the first to lose patience and would have to engage Zhuge Wuhou in a decisive battle outside.

At that time, almost no one doubted who would win or lose.

Therefore, Sima Yi stubbornly refused to come out.

He pretended to say that he already had a chance to win, stabilizing the morale of the army.

Then, he sent a message to the Wei Emperor, pushing the responsibility by saying that he hoped His Majesty would order an attack. If something went wrong in the army, it would not be because he did not send troops, but because His Majesty did not issue an order. This was a sign of loyalty to the ruler and love for the country. If you were to mutiny, would you be rebelling?

Unexpectedly, although Cao Rui was young, his heart was ruthless enough to suppress Sima Yi.

The Wei Emperor directly dispatched Wei Wei Xin Pi to control Sima Yi.

If you want an order, then I will give it to you!

The last chance for the Han Dynasty to be revived was at this moment.

As long as Zhuge Wuhou defeated Sima Yi, the two states of Liang and Yong would be in his hands. With his strong internal affairs, the people of these two states would naturally submit. At that time, Ji Han would directly set foot in the Central Plains. Whether it was mobilizing troops or transporting supplies, it would not be restricted by the natural barriers of Shu, and they could naturally drive straight in.

Sima Yi, Zhang He, and Guo Huai were no match for Zhuge.

Although there were many heroes in the world, how many could stop him?

This was the most critical battle to determine whether the world would ultimately fall into the hands of Cao Wei, or whether the Yan Han would rise again.

The last time there was such an opportunity was at Maicheng. If Dong Wu had not rebelled at that time...

This time, although Dong Wu still disappointed Zhuge.

However, Zhuge Liang relied on the strict military discipline of Ji Han and found a second path.

The flames of hope for the great revival of the Han Dynasty were just one logical battle away.

…………………

But time quickly came to August.

Zhuge Liang, who saw a glimmer of hope for the final restoration of the Han Dynasty in despair, finally fell ill.

Sima Yi saw the problem from Zhuge Liang's diet and tentatively attacked, actually winning.

"It seems that he finally couldn't hold on."

He couldn't help but laugh and say, "Rising early and sleeping late every day, eating little and being troubled by many things, if you don't die, who will?"

Zhuge Liang listened to the battle losses.

The former youth had long since had dim eyes and a head full of white hair. He was silent for a moment and said:

"Seal off the camp."

The young general beside him said, "Prime Minister?!"

Zhuge Liang raised his eyes and looked at the faintly visible Big Dipper in the night sky, and said softly:

"Bring me my staff."

"Today the camp will be strictly guarded, and no one will be allowed to enter."

The young man knew his teacher's plan, and silently brought the nine-section staff.

Zhuge Liang leaned on the nine-section staff and slowly got up.

In order to prevent Sima Yi from divining his own situation, he distorted his own heavenly secrets.

Then, he arranged the Seven Stars.

……………………

"Daoist Priest?! Please stop."

In front of the Ji Han army at Wuzhang Plains, two soldiers stopped the approaching Daoist.

They recognized the Daoist's identity, but when they heard that he wanted to enter, they still stopped him with difficulty and said, "Sorry, Daoist Priest, this is the Prime Minister's military order. The Prime Minister has always been strict in governing the army. Without the Prime Minister's warrant, if we let you in, this humble general will inevitably receive a beating."

Yuan said softly, "Where's Boyue?"

The military general replied, "The general is guarding outside the Prime Minister's camp, not allowing anyone to enter."

Yuan hesitated for a moment, but still divined once.

The conclusion he got was that although Ah Liang's body was slightly weaker, his life star was still shining brightly. With a gentle expression, he said, "It's okay, then I'll come again tomorrow. You don't need to make things difficult."

He carried the half gourd of monkey wine he had begged from Zuo Ci.

Standing outside the Wuzhang Plains military camp, he glanced at the brightly lit camp from afar.

'When we meet, I'll tell you about my experiences these years.'

'You haven't been back to Nanyang these years, have you?'

'Can you still play the *Feng Ya Song*?'

The Daoist flicked his Daoist robe and finally turned to leave.

He was away from the Wuzhang Plains military camp.

One step.

………………

Extending life with the Seven Star Lamps.

For the young strategist of the past, this was not a difficult thing to do.

But this time, the entanglement was too great. What was wrapped around him was the possibility that this land of Shenzhou would ultimately belong to Wei or Han. It was not cutting off the possibility, but reversing fate. He stepped into it, holding the nine-section staff in his hand, and the seven lamps lit up one by one.

It was late at night.

His Daoist cultivation was still able to withstand it.

However, his body itself could no longer support it.

The strategist's face slowly turned pale. He reached out and leaned on the nine-section staff, using this divine weapon to forcibly stabilize himself. The past flashed before his eyes: a young aristocratic family, witnessing the massacre at the age of twelve, living in seclusion in Jingzhou, studying in Yingchuan, and finally, after that great dream in Nanyang, he entered the world, never sleeping so well again.

Never had such a good dream...

No, that's not right.

The no-longer-young strategist closed his eyes.

Hadn't what he had been doing for decades been a great dream of fighting against fate?

"Fate, why can't it be defied?"

He leaned on the nine-section staff and slowly stood up.

His eyes opened, as if burning with flames, as if as long as this great ambition still existed, he was still the youth who calmly left the thatched cottage in Nanyang, still standing with those people, Liu Xuande beside him, supporting his arm as in the past.

The sound of cracking was suddenly harsh.

Zhuge Liang's body tilted, and he regained his senses from the trance.

He lowered his head and looked at the blood in his hands.

The nine-section staff broke.

Jiang Wei heard the movement and suddenly turned to enter, but saw the Prime Minister sitting there, the nine-section staff already broken in half. Only one of the Seven Star Lamps was still struggling to support it. The divine weapon that had once severed fate could not support the second master in reversing fate after all. The light on it slowly dimmed and extinguished.

Zhuge Liang had no regrets in the end. He just stared blankly at the nine-section staff. After a long time, he smiled and said, "It must have been Yuan hitting me too hard..."

He finally finished explaining the affairs behind him.

Then he looked up at the stars and murmured:

"In the past, when I left, the willows were swaying."

"Now, when I think of returning, the rain and snow are falling."

"When will I wake up from this dream, when will I return to Nanyang again..."

He slowly closed his eyes, vaguely seeing that afternoon when he was sleeping soundly, the sun shining on his face, not having to think about anything. The young Daoist in a Daoist robe was there flipping through books, and there was also the scent of herbs, just wanting people to keep going, not having to think about anything, just sleeping like this...

The old man's hand fell.

The last Seven Star Lamp,

Extinguished.

……………………

Yuan, Zuo Ci, and Ge Xuan lived in the thatched huts of the surrounding Wei people.

Yuan was meditating and sleeping today. His Daoist cultivation was very high, and his heart had no distracting thoughts.

But suddenly, he seemed to hear a knock on the door.

He opened his eyes. The surroundings were clearly just the thatched hut in Nanyang, but for some reason, he did not notice the problem. Zhuge Jun was still reading, and next to him was a gentle and beautiful girl. There was a knock on the door.

The Daoist opened the door.

Outside the door stood a youth with bright eyes, just like he was in the past.

"Yuan, I'm back."

ps: Today's first update... Thank you Shui Wang's generous reward

Why is Wuzhang Plains so regrettable... For two thousand years, countless people have sighed because it was only a little bit away. Zhuge Wuhou without any worries about food, the Wuhou in his prime, was never revealed to the world.

Yi told people: "Zhuge Kongming eats little and is troubled by many things, how can he last long!"

*Records of the Three Kingdoms, Volume 35, Biography of Zhuge Liang of Shu*: In the spring of the twelfth year, Liang led the masses out of Xie Valley, using flowing horses to transport, and occupied the Wugong Wuzhang Plains, confronting Sima Xuanwang to the south of the Wei River. Liang was always worried about the lack of food, so that his ambition could not be expressed, so he divided his troops to cultivate the fields, as a basis for long-term stationing.

The farmers were mixed among the residents of the Wei River, and the people lived in peace, and the army had no selfishness.

Yes, Zhuge was on the border of Wei, farming with the people of Wei, and then planting wheat to attack Wei.

Zhuge Liang launched six expeditions to Qishan and the Northern Expedition, so the main battlefield was not the difficult Shu Road.

He was fighting against Wei, which had far more resources and troops than himself, on the plains within the territory of Wei.