Wuxia: The Super Slave Master

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"Tell him to come into the city and bring him here," Liu Zhang said in a hoarse voice.

A short while later, a young general in a green robe and fine armor walked into the hall. He was unarmed, and the guards conducted a thorough search of him, but found nothing unusual.

"I am Yan Qing, the personal bodyguard of Prime Minister Luo," the green-robed general declared in a booming voice, tinged with disdain. No one noticed that Fa Zheng's expression subtly changed.

"What brings you here?" Liu Zhang asked.

"Prime Minister Luo asked me to convey this message: General Liu has surrendered the city. Prime Minister Luo guarantees that you and your descendants will be marquises for ten thousand generations and enjoy a peaceful life forever. All ministers will also receive their salaries according to their positions and may serve as officials in the court."

......... .. ...

Upon hearing this, there was no reaction in the hall; it remained deathly silent. None of the ministers responded; they were all secretly considering their options and observing Liu Zhang's attitude.

Finally, one of Huang Quan's disciples could no longer stand it: "Master Huang Quan's body is barely cold, and this traitor is already swaggering around in my hall! How can you gentlemen remain so silent! It's shameful!" He cursed loudly, then turned to Liu Zhang: "My lord, please execute this man to offer as a sacrifice to Master Huang Quan! Hold Chengdu firmly until the armies of Generals Zhang Ren and Yan Yan arrive!"

Yan Qing showed no fear: "Since I dared to come alone, I am not afraid of death! But if you kill me, none of you will escape. Prime Minister Luo will surely cut you into a thousand pieces!"

Upon hearing this, the court officials were quite shocked, and even Huang Quan's protégé showed fear on his face.

"Zhang Ren and Yan Yan's army? How laughable! I, General Xu Da, led 150,000 troops to launch a fierce attack on Jiange. Do you think Zhang Ren and Yan Yan can escape? It's utterly ridiculous! You're still waiting for them to come to your rescue? You're dreaming!" Yan Qing rebuked contemptuously.

The student wanted to speak again, but Liu Zhang waved his hand and said, "General, please go back. Let me think about it."

Yan Qing cupped his hands in a respectful bow: "General, please take care of yourself. If there is no news in two days, the Luo army may be about to attack the city..." With that, he strode out of the hall.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Chengdu

Zhang said, “My father and I have been in the prefecture for more than 20 years, yet we have shown no kindness to the people. The people have been fighting for three years, and their bodies are covered in weeds because of me. How can I be at peace?” He then opened the city gates and surrendered in the same carriage as Jian Yong. All his subordinates wept.

—Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 67

"Before Mr. Huang Quan set off, he told me that even if he died in battle, as long as we held Chengdu, we could win..." Liu Zhang said in a hoarse voice, "But the situation is so dire now... Zhang Ren and Yan Yan's rescue seems to be a long way off. What do you all think?"

No one answered; the hall was deathly silent, and the courtiers expressed their despair in this way.

"Everyone, say something!" Liu Zhang urged impatiently.

At this moment, a person slowly walked to the center of the hall; it was Fa Zheng. Fa Zheng said, "My lord has only two paths to take: fight or surrender. The choice is yours, but my lord must bear the possible consequences of his choice."

"How should we fight, and how should we surrender?" Liu Zhang asked.

"The riskier option is war. If we win, our lord will remain the ruler of Yizhou; if we lose, he may be killed. If we surrender, our lord might be able to live a normal life... I've heard that Luo Chen is quite benevolent and not easily killed." Fa Zheng said solemnly. "If we choose to fight, one option is to hold Chengdu and wait for reinforcements like Zhang Ren; the other is to abandon Chengdu and break out towards Jiange to rejoin the main army. Comparing the two methods, the former is more secure, while the latter is more risky. However, if successful, our lord will be safer."

Liu Zhang rubbed his head with both hands, extremely agitated. "Sir, if we go to war, what are the chances of victory?"

"I dare not make a judgment on such a weighty matter, nor do I dare to advise my lord on war or peace, for I truly cannot bear the consequences of such advice. Such a matter of life and death can only be decided by my lord himself; this is what I must do for my lord." Ignoring the somber and sorrowful atmosphere in the hall, Fa Zheng spoke these words with great coldness and deliberation.

"From my personal observation, the Luo army captured Mianzhu and killed Huang Quan in one hour, annihilating 20,000 of our troops; their fighting prowess is something I, Fa Zheng, have never witnessed before. I wonder where Generals Zhang Ren and Yan Yan are now?"

"Alas," Liu Zhang sighed, "To be honest with you ministers, the battle report just sent from Jiange states that they were constantly harassed and ambushed by large armies as soon as they left Jiange, and had to retreat back into Jiange city several times..."

Upon hearing this, the courtiers finally broke their silence and began to discuss among themselves. Some even shouted, "What scoundrels! Our lord is in imminent danger, yet they returned to the city because of a raid! They have no regard for our lord's life! These people are selfish and deserve to die!"

Liu Zhang waved his hand, and the surroundings quieted down: "Everyone, there's no need to curse anymore. They explained that the Luo Army cavalry was too powerful, and if they went out of the city, they might be attacked and annihilated by a large-scale attack. They have already suffered heavy losses and had no choice but to retreat back into the city... They had no other choice."

The courtiers fell silent again, and the atmosphere grew even more desperate.

Fa Zheng's expression was grim: "If we hold Chengdu now, we may be able to hold out for a while, but we will eventually die because reinforcements cannot come. Chengdu will fall sooner or later. If we move towards the main army, I think that since the main army has been forced back by the Luo Jun cavalry, if we go out of the city, we will likely be wiped out..."

"So, is the current situation beyond saving?" Liu Zhang's voice sounded somewhat choked.

Fa Zheng didn't speak, but slowly shook his head and retreated.

There was a long silence; it seemed everyone had drifted off into thought.

"Let's call it a day, I'll think about it some more..." Liu Zhang said wearily.

The officials silently left. Fa Zheng lingered in the hall for a moment and said, "Those who rule the country must make decisive decisions. Hesitation and procrastination will likely lead to disaster." He then left.

A day passed, and the next day, the officials still gathered in the hall early. Liu Zhang seemed to have not slept all night; his face was haggard, and his hair had turned much whiter overnight.

"Where is Master Fazheng?" He looked down and found that Fazheng was not there. Everyone was quite surprised. Liu Zhang did not ask any more questions. Although it was a meeting, it was like a silent sitting. No one spoke, and Liu Zhang was repeatedly stroking the seal of the Governor of Yizhou.

Suddenly, a fierce drumbeat rang out outside the city, seemingly accompanied by shouts of battle.

Liu Zhang jumped up from his seat in shock: "What's going on? Where is the drumming coming from? Has the Luo army attacked the city ahead of schedule?" After a while, a soldier rushed in from outside: "Lord Fazheng has opened the west gate and welcomed the Luo army into the city!"

Liu Zhang turned pale and slumped into his chair, seemingly still struggling to understand the soldier's words.

"My lord, immediately assemble the Imperial Guards! Let's rush out and join the main army!" someone suggested. But another strategist knelt down with tears in his eyes: "I dare to suggest that we surrender! My lord, do not fantasize about any chance of escape... It is not too late to surrender now." He then kowtowed repeatedly.

Liu Zhang's eyes were lifeless, and tears streamed down his face. The deafening shouts of battle grew closer and closer. Suddenly, Liu Zhang seemed to awaken. He grabbed the governor's seal, the state's population register, and the state map from the table, stood up, and cried out in a shrill voice, "Surrender!"

Liu Zhang ordered his men to bind him with hemp ropes, and leading his officials, raising a white flag, he headed towards the west gate. In the distance, he saw the Luo army fiercely slaughtering the Shu troops, who scattered and fled. A Luo general on a tall horse brandished his halberd, killing as if no one were there. Seeing the white flag, he shouted joyfully, "Liu Zhang has surrendered!"

Liu Zhang has surrendered! This news spread rapidly across the battlefield, and the Shu army surrendered en masse, abandoning all resistance.

A moment later, a young general clad in fine armor rode up at full gallop, followed by the same Luo Army general from yesterday who had called himself Yan Qing. He knew that the young man leading the group must be Luo Chen.

Luo Chen pulled on the reins, jumped off his horse, and Yan Qing followed closely behind. He walked up to Liu Zhang and said, "General Liu is a man of great wisdom and understanding, truly a man who knows how to seize the moment." He then personally untied Liu Zhang's ropes. "When I return, I will certainly petition the Emperor to bestow upon you the title of Marquis of Hanxing… Chang'an is prosperous; General, you may return to Chang'an with me to reside." Liu Zhang dared not refuse, but repeatedly thanked him, presenting him with the state seal and maps. "All ministers of Yizhou, your salaries shall continue; follow General Liu to Chang'an," Luo Chen ordered.

As he spoke, he and Liu Zhang walked hand in hand around Yizhou. Seeing this, the Shu soldiers who were still resisting surrendered one after another. In less than an hour, Luo's army had completely occupied Chengdu. "General Liu is a benevolent man. Some people advised him to adopt a scorched-earth policy, which would have put our army at a disadvantage. But General Liu was unwilling to disturb the people… I was deeply moved when I heard about this…" Luo Chen spoke casually as he walked, seemingly oblivious to the battle unfolding before him.

"That Zhang Song? You've put him under house arrest?"

"Yes, I kept him under house arrest at his residence, but I didn't do anything to him," Liu Zhang hurriedly explained.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Return of Aid

Luo Chen summoned Zhang Song and Fa Zheng to Zhang Song's residence. It turned out that Yan Qing had conveyed Luo Chen's message to both Zhang Song and Fa Zheng; both felt that the future of Yizhou lay with Luo Chen and chose to serve him, though Fa Zheng was simply more discreet. Luo Chen immediately appointed the two as assistant governors of Yizhou, responsible for maintaining the province's administrative operations during this special period. While administrative power was entrusted to them, Luo Chen did not delegate military power in Chengdu. He kept Lü Bu in Chengdu, assigning him 10,000 elite guards and 30,000 surrendered soldiers, giving him control of the local military and allowing him to train the surrendered troops.

After the arrangements were made, Luo Chen, along with Yan Qing, led 10,000 light cavalry to the front line of Jiange overnight to take command.

Xu Da's assessment of the situation was extremely accurate. Upon receiving news that Luo Chen had appeared in Mianzhu, he immediately ordered his troops to intercept Zhang Ren and Yan Yan's forces as they returned to reinforce. Xu Da's most formidable force was his cavalry, which was on standby, ready to launch a flank attack on the enemy.

As expected, Yan Yan charged out first, followed by a small number of cavalry, and then a large number of infantry slowly emerged from the city. Yan Yan's troops were relatively disciplined and did not fall into disarray; the Shu army advanced in a wary battle formation. It is unknown whether Zhang Ren's troops chose to hold out in the city or cover their retreat… Xu Da, seeing from his vantage point that Yan Yan's troops had formed a winding, undulating line, calmly ordered: "The cavalry will cut the enemy in two from the middle! Coordinate with the infantry and chariots to advance! Encircle the first group and capture Yan Yan alive!"

The gleaming sabers that had left such a deep psychological scar on the Shu army were raised once more, and the cavalrymen with double stirrups slashed with ease from horseback. Tens of thousands of cavalrymen began to fiercely attack the central part of Yan Yan's troops. In the middle of the ranks were infantrymen from other prefectures and counties; seeing the gleaming sabers aimed at them, most were too late or didn't even realize they needed to dodge before being instantly killed. The infantrymen from the Yizhou mountains had never witnessed such formidable cavalry; their methods for dealing with Central Plains infantry and mountain bandits were clearly far from sufficient. Before long, these men were slaughtered in large numbers, the survivors scattering into the mountains on either side.

A large force of cavalry, infantry, and chariots, led by Ma Chao and Xiahou Yuan, outflanked Yan Yan's first column of troops. This first column of Shu troops numbered approximately 20,000 to 30,000, including Yan Yan's personal guard and troops transferred from the vicinity of Chengdu. Seeing the fleeing cavalry and chariots charging fiercely, many Shu soldiers tried to flee. Yan Yan shouted, "Those who retreat will be executed!" and slaughtered several fleeing men. The soldiers, clearly finding Yan Yan even more ferocious than the fleeing troops before them, slowly regained their footing. The Shu army also carried cavalry, but in the previous battle, the cavalry hadn't had a chance to fight. During the previous major defeat, Zhang Ren and others led the escape. The Shu cavalry weren't fools; relying on their horses, they quickly fled back into the city. Therefore, although the Shu army suffered heavy losses, the cavalry remained unscathed.

But now the cavalry had to charge straight ahead to clear a path. Yan Yan cracked his whip and ordered, "Cavalry, go that way!" The main force of the Luo army hadn't arrived at the gap yet; only a small number of infantry and cavalry remained. Several thousand Shu cavalry charged forward, spears in hand. Xu Da, seeing this clearly from his vantage point, quickly ordered Xiahou Yuan to lead his cavalry to block the gap. Xiahou Yuan, who had been overseeing the battle from the rear, rushed forward with his sword drawn, only to encounter the Shu cavalry and Yan Yan behind them. The Shu cavalry enjoyed higher status and treatment; compared to the infantry, they were more mobile and capable of fierce charges, naturally making them arrogant. Seeing the Luo army's smaller numbers, they were not afraid and charged forward. Xiahou Yuan swiftly swung his sword, cutting down several men. The Shu army was shocked and somewhat hesitant. The Luo cavalry quickly arrived and blocked the gap. Now it was finally time for the two armies' cavalry to clash head-on. Compared to the Shu cavalry, the Luo cavalry, besides having better training and horses, had a fundamental difference: they were equipped with double stirrups. Under Lin Chong's leadership, a large number of stirrups were manufactured and fully equipped for the cavalry in this southern expedition. The fallen cavalrymen, with their feet firmly in the stirrups, could easily maintain their balance while on horseback. This allowed them to execute a range of combat maneuvers, including slashing and dodging.

This duel finally revealed the superiority of their skills. The fallen soldiers easily and swiftly swung their swords, the Shu cavalry finding it difficult to dodge. The blades flashed, and Shu cavalrymen fell one after another, blood flowing like a river, their screams echoing endlessly. Hearing these cries, the last vestiges of the Shu infantry's morale crumbled. Some scattered in all directions, attempting to escape into the mountains, while others surrendered outright, a move Yan Yan could not prevent.

Because Xu Da ordered the troops to concentrate their forces, the rear guard of the Shu army was not attacked. They were taken aback by the situation ahead and were about to rush to the rescue when they were slaughtered by Ma Chao's cavalry. They then fled back into the city. However, they were driven back again. After a while, Deng Xian rushed out of the city and led more than 10,000 infantry and cavalry in a fierce attack on the fallen army, trying to relieve the siege of the troops in front.

Seeing the fierce attack of the Shu army, Xu Da ordered the Luo army on the front of the city to attack, hoping to draw the remaining Shu troops inside and prevent them from coming out to relieve the city. He ordered Ma Chao's infantry, cavalry, and chariots to resolutely block the attack. Originally, the Luo army and chariots formed a line, creating obstacles, with the Luo soldiers desperately resisting from behind, preventing the Shu army from advancing an inch. Ma Chao, originally from Xiliang, was not accustomed to this Central Plains phalanx tactic. He ordered his cavalry to mount their horses and draw their swords, and his chariots to dismantle the obstacles in front. Ma Chao took the lead, switching from defense to offense, and charged towards the Shu army, who were caught off guard. Ma Chao rode alone into the Shu army's ranks, indiscriminately killing and slaughtering, leaving a trail of death and injury in his wake. Seeing Deng Xian directing the attack, Ma Chao quickly rushed over. Deng Xian was greatly alarmed; this man had killed Ling Bao with a single spear thrust. He steeled himself and raised his spear to meet the attack, but after two rounds he was unable to parry. Ma Chao's iron spear was heavy, yet agile; Deng Xian was caught off guard and stabbed in the thigh. Enduring the pain, Deng Xian parried the blow and quickly fled back to the city. Seeing their commander flee, the Shu soldiers lost all will to fight, abandoning many corpses as they followed suit and fled back to the city.

Seeing the reinforcements' defeat, Yan Yan realized the situation was hopeless and decided to break out back into the city to regroup. He charged straight at Xiahou Yuan, and the two, both wielding broadswords, fought for twenty rounds without a clear victor. Yan Yan, not wanting to prolong the battle, swiftly drew his bow and fired a feint, which Xiahou Yuan swiftly dodged. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Yan Yan killed several cavalrymen and broke through the encirclement, heading straight for the city. Most of his soldiers, aside from those killed in action, surrendered, and a small number fled into the mountains.

Soldiers inside Jiange City attempted to break out, resulting in the loss of approximately 50,000 men in this battle. A large portion of them were Zhili soldiers.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Conflict

Yan Yan returned to the city looking disheveled and furious. Seeing Zhang Ren looking so carefree, he was enraged: "Our lord is in grave danger, yet you're lounging in Jian Ge, only caring about your own safety!"

Zhang Ren retorted sharply, "General, you are indeed loyal and valiant, but as soon as you left the city, tens of thousands of your brothers died... How do you explain this? If this continues, not only will we fail to save our lord, but we will all be wiped out!"

Yan Yan was speechless for a moment. Thinking of the tens of thousands of troops lost as soon as they left the city, and that his lord could not save them in time, he was overcome with grief. He stopped arguing and went to sit on the city wall alone.

Deng Xian, supported by others, limped over. He had been stabbed by Ma Chao, but luckily, he was quick-witted and spurred his horse to gallop into the city. Unfortunately, he tumbled off his horse and was half-dead from the fall. Now, after being bandaged, he slowly went to report to Zhang Ren. Zhang Ren lay lazily: "Deng Xian! You abandoned your soldiers and fled in disarray. How can you be a general!" Deng Xian didn't answer, but just sat silently. "My Shu army almost broke through the siege, only Yan Yan's troops managed to break through, but you couldn't hold on, resulting in the annihilation of tens of thousands of soldiers!" Zhang Ren was quite displeased and berated him sternly.

Deng Xian, who was not one to argue, couldn't help but get angry at this moment: "General Yang, General Yan and I almost lost our lives, tens of thousands of soldiers fought to the death, and you are comfortable in the city, yet you still have the nerve to lecture people!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Renyi was as if stung, and jumped up in a rage: "Come on! Drag Deng Xian out and behead him!" The surrounding generals were all stunned, speechless, and even Deng Xian himself was taken aback. He, Deng Xian, was a high-ranking general of the court, a deputy general personally appointed by Liu Zhang; how could he be executed simply because he was displeased! Although military law held the power of life and death over the commander-in-chief, a deputy general personally appointed by the lord held a very stable position, and even the commander-in-chief had to show him respect. Seeing this situation, the surrounding generals rushed to smooth things over, kneeling and saying, "General Deng fought bravely and was loyal to the enemy, as everyone has witnessed… He just didn't know how to speak properly; he got a little angry today. General, please don't take it to heart…" Another general hurriedly advised Deng Xian, "General Deng, quickly apologize to the General and make amends…" Yet another general, realizing his words carried little weight, quickly went to the city wall to fetch Yan Yan.

Zhang Ren, however, refused to listen and insisted on teaching Deng Xian a lesson. He angrily rebuked his surrounding generals, saying, "Desertion in the face of battle is punishable by death! Furthermore, this man is lawless and disruptive to morale; how can he not be executed!" The generals, left with no other option, resorted to their ultimate tactic: "Deng Xian is the deputy general personally appointed by our lord; it would be difficult to explain if we executed him..." Hearing this, Zhang Ren, though furious, was also helpless. He said sternly, "Fine! For the sake of our lord and the generals, I'll spare your life! But while you may escape death, you won't escape punishment. Come here, drag him out and give him fifty lashes!"

Poor Deng Xian had just been stabbed and then fallen from his galloping horse; his body was already weak, how could he withstand the beating? After only a dozen or so strokes, he was already struggling to hold on. Yan Yan, upon hearing of this, rushed over and, seeing Deng Xian on the verge of death, was furious: "Stop it! You scoundrel!" Yan Yan went to Deng Xian's side and saw that his skin was torn and his breath was weak; he hurriedly ordered someone to carry him away to be cared for. He pointed at Zhang Ren and cursed: "You scoundrel! When fighting the Luo army, you cowered in the city and dared not come out, yet you are so arrogant when attacking your own general! How can you be a commander! You have seen Ma Chao's methods; who can withstand him? General Deng fought to the death; what wrong has he done!"

As the saying goes, what is said without malice may be taken to heart by the listener. When Zhang Ren heard Yan Yan insult him, saying he was unworthy to be a commander-in-chief, he felt as if he had been pricked by a needle: "Yan Yan! I am unworthy to be a commander-in-chief, but you are! I think you are just coveting my position!"

Yan Yan was both shocked and furious, repeatedly exclaiming, "Absurd! Utterly absurd! How could I, Yan Yan, be like you, a vulgar person obsessed with fame and fortune! I raised an army for Yizhou and for my lord, how could I possibly do this for the so-called position of commander-in-chief!"

Zhang Ren ignored all explanations, stood up, and coldly said, "I am the Grand General personally appointed by the Lord, not you, Yan Yan! You must obey my orders and not question them!" With that, he turned and left.

The conflict between Yan Yan and Zhang Ren escalated as a result. Zhang Ren also had a personal guard, while Yan Yan had a faction of followers. Yan Yan went out of the city several times, hoping to break through the Luo army's encirclement and interception with light cavalry to reach Chengdu and meet Liu Zhang, but he was repelled by the Luo army each time, suffering heavy losses.

A few days later, after Deng Xian had recovered somewhat, Zhang Ren, at Yan Yan's insistence, convened a meeting of the generals to discuss countermeasures. As they were debating how to send troops to provide support, a swift horse galloped for days, arriving directly at Jiange City, shouting: "Liu Zhang has surrendered! Our lord Liu Zhang orders your troops to surrender!"

The generals present were shocked, and Yan Yan lost his composure: "Impossible! How could it be so fast! It could have held out for at least a month! How could Chengdu have fallen in just a few days!" He grabbed the reporting soldier by the neck: "Are you lying?!" The soldier trembled and stammered: "It's...it's absolutely true! Mr. Huang Quan died in battle at Mianzhu, and Fa Zheng and Zhang Song acted as Luo Chen's inside agents!...Fa Zheng opened the city gates, and our lord had no choice but to surrender!"

"Alas!" Yan Yan stamped his foot and sighed deeply, drawing his sword and cleaving the table in two with a "crack." The messenger, thinking he was about to be killed, was terrified. "I knew Zhang Song was no good! This treacherous Fa Zheng is truly cunning and treacherous!"

"Report! The enemy is shouting outside the city!" another soldier reported. Everyone climbed the city wall together and saw Xu Da with a small number of cavalry below. Xu Da's voice was steady and powerful: "Soldiers of Shu inside the city, listen up! Your lord Liu Zhang has surrendered, and Yizhou has surrendered. He orders you to leave the city immediately and accept reorganization! This is a letter from your lord himself." As he spoke, an arrow shot up the city wall, carrying a letter from Liu Zhang ordering them to surrender.

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment. Zhang Ren was panicked, Yan Yan gritted his teeth, but Deng Xian seemed indifferent.

"Given the current situation, the only option is for the entire army to fight our way back to Chengdu and rescue our lord! If we cannot stay in Chengdu, we can temporarily take refuge in Bazhong. Bazhong is strategically important, located in the heart of Yizhou, and has a large population and abundant resources in the surrounding area. We can hope to make a comeback here!" Yan Yan said.

“Are you crazy? You’re talking nonsense! How could we possibly take back Chengdu? We can’t even leave the city!” Zhang Ren said.

"Then we can only hold out at Jian Ge until we die in battle!" Yan Yan said through gritted teeth.

Zhang Ren shook his head repeatedly, the generals remained silent, and Deng Xian's attitude was indifferent; the meeting ended unhappily.

Chapter Twenty-Eight Deng Xian

It is said that Luo Chen led 10,000 light cavalry, galloping day and night, and soon arrived at Jiange.

Deng Xian paced back and forth on the city wall. In the distance, he saw dust billowing and the overwhelming sound of horses' hooves approaching, circling the city. Upon closer inspection, Deng Xian could vaguely make out a blue canopy in the dust, beneath which seemed to be a young general, surrounded by guards, galloping on horseback.

After much deliberation, Deng Xian abandoned his stroll, went downstairs to tidy himself up, mounted his horse, and rode alone towards the city gate. "Who goes there!" a guard on the city wall asked. "Deng Xian, the General has sent me out to inspect the military situation; this needs to be kept secret," Deng Xian replied calmly. The soldiers on the city wall, though suspicious, could not stop him and could only say, "General, return as soon as possible, and be careful..." They then opened the gate. Deng Xian, alone, rode off towards the main cavalry force.

From afar, Deng Xian saw the young general dismount before the camp gate, where a group of high-ranking officers of the fallen army were waiting to greet him. He couldn't resist cracking his whip and galloping over. The surrounding fallen soldiers quickly noticed a lone rider heading towards the camp. A hundred cavalrymen mounted and surrounded him. Deng Xian ignored them, continuing on his way, as the hundred cavalrymen closed in, surrounding him. The leading officer shouted, "Isn't this the Shu army general? What do you mean by coming alone?"

Deng Xian pulled on the reins, stopping the horse, and said, "I surrender." 947

“Oh,” the general seemed very interested, “come with me to see the lord.” With that, he led the way, galloping towards the camp.

Led by his general, Deng Xian arrived at the central command tent, where his sword was removed. Accompanied by guards on the left and right, he entered the tent. "My lord, Shu general Deng Xian has come to surrender," a soldier reported.

Luo Chen looked up and nodded slightly: "General, you have come to surrender voluntarily, which shows your great righteousness." Xu Da whispered a few words in Luo Chen's ear, and Luo Chen smiled slightly: "General Deng, please sit down."

"I've heard that Zhang Ren is extremely arrogant, suspicious, and jealous of the virtuous. He's not well-liked," Luo Chen said casually. "Yes, he even beat me up without cause a few days ago. If it weren't for General Yan Yan's protection, I might have been killed," Deng Xian said, clearly furious. "Now that our lord has surrendered, there's no point in resisting any longer. My surrender isn't disloyalty. Besides, staying with Zhang Ren will only lead to my death sooner or later."

“Yes, yes,” Luo Chen nodded with a smile, “I heard that General Yan Yan and Zhang Ren are quite at odds.”

"Yes, Zhang Ren is very suspicious. General Yan Yan is highly respected and his words carry weight, so he naturally has a group of followers. Zhang Ren thinks that Yan Yan is forming a faction to deal with him. Zhang Ren is a general and he also has a group of confidants. Although the two sides are at peace on the surface, they do not trust each other. They have divided the leadership of the army, with one group listening only to Yan Yan and another group listening only to Zhang Ren."

"Good, good!" Luo Chen nodded in satisfaction.

"Is it possible for General Yan Yan to be of use to me?" Luo Chen asked again.

“This…” Deng Xian looked troubled. “As we all know, General Yan Yan is extremely loyal and almost stubborn. I’m afraid he will fight to the death.”

“I really want Yan Yan to work for me… then I can only use a counter-espionage scheme. Deng Xian, you need to cooperate,” Luo Chen said.

"Please give your instructions, Prime Minister, and I will certainly comply."

Luo Chen instructed Deng Xian to write a personal letter, the gist of which was: General Yan Yan: Prime Minister Luo has agreed to cooperate from within and without in three days to seize Jian Ge and kill the traitor Zhang Ren. At that time, you will be appointed as the Supreme General and command the troops of Shu.

Meanwhile, on Zhang Ren's side, the soldier saw Deng Xian seemingly rush into the Luojun camp and hadn't returned for a long time, so he had to report to the command center. Zhang Ren was furious: "That Deng Xian, harboring resentment, must have betrayed us and surrendered!" Saying this, he drew his sword and slammed it hard on the table, "If only I had killed him then and there!" Yan Yan didn't say anything, but only sighed: "The people's hearts are falling apart, defeat is not far off... The general beat him half to death for no reason, how can he not be disheartened..." Zhang Ren was quite unhappy to hear this: "Is it my fault that he went to surrender? It's clearly his own cowardice!" The two sides couldn't reach an agreement and each went back to their residences in a huff.

At this time, Luo Chen dispatched soldiers to the east gate under cover of night. The east gate was guarded by Zhang Ren's troops. The soldiers, speaking with a northern accent, shouted up the tower, "Are you General Yan Yan's confidant?" The officer at the east gate, about to fire an arrow and curse, changed his mind and immediately shouted, "Yes!" An arrow whistled up from below. The northern soldier shouted, "General Deng Xian has now been appointed as a Lieutenant General by Prime Minister Luo! Deliver General Deng Xian's letter to General Yan Yan! Remember to keep it a secret!" With that, he rode away.

The general opened the letter and was terrified. He rushed to Zhang Ren's residence with several soldiers. "General! It's terrible! Yan Yan and Deng Xian are colluding to take your life!" Zhang Ren took the letter and recognized it immediately as Deng Xian's handwriting, having worked with him for many years. He was both shocked and furious. "I never imagined Yan Yan would harbor such malicious intentions! He joined the Jiangchen army solely for the position of General of Shu!"

Zhang Ren was a meticulous man. He thought for a moment, then said, "Wait a minute, Deng Xian knows that my trusted men are stationed in the East District, so why would he send a message to the East Gate?" "Ah, General, it's like this. The messenger said that Deng Xian has already been appointed as a Lieutenant General by Luo Chen. Deng Xian himself didn't come; he only sent a soldier. I could tell the soldier had a northern accent and was completely unfamiliar with our defenses… He even foolishly asked us if we were Yan Yan's confidants…"

“I see…” Zhang Ren paced back and forth in the mansion, deep in thought. “General, time is of the essence. If we don’t act now, we’ll be killed! If Luo Chen or Yan Yan discovers that we have information, they will surely act sooner rather than later,” the general said anxiously. “Please, General, immediately order our troops to capture Yan Yan and eliminate the spies.”

“Hmm…” Zhang Ren seemed to have made up his mind. “Capture is necessary, but it must be done cleverly. Otherwise, if the two factions fight each other, Luo Chen will take advantage of the situation and Jian Ge will inevitably fall. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll arrange a banquet and invite Yan Yan and his generals to the feast. During the banquet, I’ll capture them all and then incorporate their forces into my army…”

"General, your strategies are far-sighted and profound, beyond my capabilities. I shall take my leave now," the officer said, taking his leave.

The next day, Zhang Ren's confidant came: "General Yan, morale has been low lately, and people are considering leaving. To revitalize the ranks, the General has invited all officers to a banquet. General Yan will certainly attend..." Yan Yan didn't think much of it and readily agreed. However, that night, Yan Yan discussed matters with his confidants and casually mentioned this. One of his officers said with a serious expression, "General Yan absolutely cannot go!"

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Sowing Discord

Upon hearing the invitation to the banquet, Yan Yan's confidant immediately expressed his strong opposition, saying, "There are many strange and unreasonable aspects to this banquet. First, the conflict between the General and Zhang Ren has become public, and the two sides have argued repeatedly. Why has Zhang Ren's attitude changed so drastically? Second, Zhang Ren invited almost all the officers of the General's faction, even the frontline city defense officers? That's really strange! Zhang Ren is ruthless and quite treacherous. The General must be wary."

Upon hearing this, Yan Yan hesitated for a moment: "Your analysis seems to make some sense... But now that Deng Xian has surrendered, and I am fighting with Zhang Ren, people's hearts are wavering, which is indeed dangerous. We need to unite the people's hearts... If I don't go, it would seem very irresponsible. Besides, I am as brave as ten thousand men and as sharp as an arrow shot from a hundred paces away. How could I be afraid of Zhang Ren!" Having said this, he ignored the advice and insisted on going to the banquet.

Seeing that he couldn't dissuade him, the general had no choice but to suggest that his trusted troops be placed on high alert and that fast horses be prepared to support General Yan at any time. At the same time, both Yan and Yan's factions began preparations for war.

Soon the day of the banquet arrived. Surrounded by more than twenty officers from Yan Yan's faction, Yan Yan strode into Zhang Ren's residence. He was clad in military armor, with white hair and a youthful face, exuding an imposing aura. Zhang Ren, however, was dressed in civilian clothes. Upon seeing Yan Yan, he greeted him warmly: "The defense of Jiange and the recovery of Yizhou all depend on you, General!" he flattered. Seeing that there were few soldiers in Zhang Ren's residence and only a few dozen officers attending the banquet, and that Zhang Ren was so humble, Yan Yan lowered his guard and felt quite pleased with himself.