A rebellion had broken out in Yongliang.
The rebellion came swiftly. Within days, more than twenty tribes of the Qiang People had risen in revolt, mustering troops to wage war against Great Wei.
At that very same moment, Deng Ai's troops attacked the armies that had risen in rebellion.
They seemed to have been waiting there all along, waiting for them to take up arms.
Many tribes had barely given the order to muster their troops before Deng Ai's army attacked them.
The two sides clashed, but their strength was not remotely equal.
The Cao Army in Yongliang was already the finest of the Outer Army. Its troops had fought the Shu Kingdom for years, their numbers were considerable, their commanders were excellent, and Deng Ai himself was in command.
As warfare erupted in Yongliang, Zhuge Xu and Sima Wang rushed troops out to assist.
The two sides fought across the region, but the Qiang People were no match for them. Before Deng Ai, who had long since made his preparations, all they could do was contribute to his military merit.
Deng Ai's troops overran one tribe after another.
In the past, the Qiang People had always prepared in secret, then struck suddenly to bite off a chunk of flesh.
This time, however, the two sides had suddenly traded places. Great Wei had prepared in secret, then, after beheading their leaders, launched a sudden attack to swallow them whole.
The fighting progressed smoothly, far more smoothly even than Shi Bao had expected.
Deng Ai seemed to have wanted to do this for a very long time.
This was the first time Great Wei had taken the initiative to bring order to Yongliang.
The affair quickly sparked controversy everywhere, especially when news of the fighting reached the Imperial Court. The ministers