Jiang Wei's tiger-like frame trembled. He had spent no short time in the Mianyang farming settlement; Deng Ai's tens of thousands of settlers could toss aside their hoes and take up blades at any moment, and would indeed not be easily bullied by outsiders. Yi Province possessed such vast strategic depth that even if it were driven to the end of the road and confined to one corner, it could still maintain a regime within Shu.
At that moment, Jiang Wei thought of Liu Zhang. If Liu Zhang had not taken the initiative to invite Liu Bei into Shu back then, perhaps someone else would now be contending with Cao Wei and Sun Wu for the realm?
Glancing at Pang Tong and Ma Chao beside him, Jiang Wei completely discarded that thought. Liu Zhang possessed neither grand ambition nor great talent. Now, having lived under Lan Tian's rule in Lingling for ten years, he was both enjoying his later years in peace and preserving his descendants. Had he truly fought the powerful for the realm, his end might well have been much like Tao Qian's or Liu Biao's.
Seeing Jiang Wei lower his head in thought, Liang Qian cupped his fists and offered a proposal. "My elder brother currently serves as Tianshui's Registrar of Merit. If you generals intend to attack Ji County, I am willing to find a way to contact him and arrange for him to serve as our man on the inside."
"General Liang, there is no need to rush. We will call upon you when we have use for you. For now, holding Shanggui is enough. Longyou can be taken bit by bit in time. You and Boyue must also remain hidden. Rashly contacting your relatives in Ji County may instead bring harm upon your families,"