My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 534 The Change of Flags in Shangyong
Not only did Er Zhou successfully block the reinforcements from the north of the city, but he also executed a brilliant coordinated attack, defeating the enemy vanguard head-on and chasing the Shen army back to their camp.

Two weeks have now successfully sealed off the military camp gates and are currently trying to persuade the troops to surrender. Regardless of whether the Shen army surrenders or not, they are certainly no longer able to come out to rescue other parts of the city.

Upon receiving the news, Xu Chu was overjoyed.

He has now freed up his resources, not only taking control of key locations but also capturing the Shen brothers, and now has spare troops.

Xu Chu immediately ordered that another 300 reinforcements be sent to Er Zhou. This time, the requirements were different: Er Zhou was ordered to annihilate the Shen army in the main camp.

After hearing Xu Chu's explanation, Pang Tong's expression visibly relaxed, while the two Shen's faces turned deathly pale, filled with despair. Now that even the Shen army in the northern military camp had been brought under control, the situation in Shangyong City was beyond repair.

Next, Xu Chu and Pang Tong discussed how to stabilize the people, take over the city's defenses, control Shangyong, deal with surrendered soldiers, and manage powerful clans.

Suddenly, a messenger entered from outside, loudly announcing the victory.

Upon seeing Xu Chu, the messenger shouted, "Reporting to the general, the Shen family's camp north of the city has been breached! The bandit general Li Xian has surrendered with his troops."

"oh!?"

Xu Chu stood up and turned to Pang Tong, who also looked pleasantly surprised. Neither of them had expected the Shen army in the north of the city to be defeated so quickly.

In fact, it was the three hundred armored soldiers that Xu Chu dispatched to reinforce the area that became the straw that brought the camel north.

Upon seeing Liu Fengjun's reinforcements arrive, the morale of Shen's army camp plummeted.

This was not only because the enemy had reinforcements, but more importantly, because the fact that the enemy was able to come to their aid at this moment indicated that most other parts of the city were likely in dire straits. In addition, they had already discovered that the north gate had been captured when they went out to reinforce earlier, so a chill naturally ran through them.

Just then, Zhou Jun and Zhou Fang ordered their soldiers to shout that Shen Dan and Shen Yi had been captured alive and that Shangyong City had fallen.

This caused an uproar in Shenjun's camp, with many soldiers kneeling down to surrender.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Li Xian, the commander of the camp, could not continue to resist even if he wanted to. He could only lead his personal guards and his troops to surrender.

Li Xian's surrender directly signaled the end of the war. Even the strongholds within the city that had not yet fallen surrendered one after another. Thus, the entire city of Shangyong was completely occupied by Liu Feng's army.

With the establishment of Shangyong City, the Shangyong Prefecture was essentially half-established.

However, the matter did not end there; there was still West City to be taken over.

Xicheng is the later Ankang. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, although Xicheng was not as important as Shangyong City, it was still an extremely important city in Shangyong Prefecture.

Shangyong County is quite interesting. It has five plains of varying sizes within its borders, two of which are located near Shangyong. Interestingly, the two plains near Shangyong combined are not even half the size of the Xicheng Plain, where Xicheng is located.

The grain output of the Xicheng Plain is almost five times that of Shangyong City, not to mention Fangling and Xicheng, whose plains are smaller than Shangyong City.

More importantly, to attack Hanzhong from Shangyong, one must pass through Xicheng, a crucial point that cannot be bypassed. From Xicheng westward to the vicinity of Shiquan, one can advance into Hanzhong using the Mian River as a support, or enter the Hanzhong Basin from the south of Raofeng Ridge.

Between Shangyong City and Xicheng City, there are two strategic passes: Zhuxi and Tongqian Pass.

Seeing that Shangyong City was secured, Pang Tong made a decisive move and suggested that Xu Chu first send a thousand men to take Zhuxi and seize Tongqian Pass.

Once we get these two places, things will be much easier in the west.

Xu Chu pondered for a moment and decided to adopt Pang Tong's suggestion.

The reinforcements had already set off and would arrive in Shangyong City within three or four days at the latest. Xu Chu was confident that his thousand-odd soldiers could easily defend Shangyong for several days.

Therefore, Xu Chu made a decisive decision, appointing Zhou Jun and Zhou Fang as generals, leading a thousand troops to set off, first breaking through Zhuxi, and then taking Tongqian Pass.

Zhuxi has 2,000 soldiers, and Tongqian Pass has 300 soldiers, totaling 2,300.

How could such a small force possibly withstand Liu Feng's ferocious army?
Moreover, they were the most elite personal guards.

When Liu Feng's personal guards arrived, Shen's troops in Zhuxi had not even received news of the fall of Shangyong City and were caught completely off guard by Liu Feng's army.

In just half an hour, the two thousand Zhuxi garrison troops were completely wiped out. Their combat strength was even inferior to that of the direct troops in Shangyong City. Moreover, they were caught off guard by a surprise attack. It was already a miracle that they were able to hold out for so long.

Once you cross the Zhuxi River, the Tongqian Pass becomes much less of a mystery.

Even for Sparta, it would have required the cooperation of over seven thousand Greek allied troops to hold the pass with only three hundred defenders. Despite the strategic importance of Tongqian Pass, three hundred men could not hold it, and the pass fell in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

On Xu Chu's side, the reinforcements that were originally expected to arrive in three or four days actually arrived on the second day.

Seeing Jia Bin looking travel-worn, Xu Chu finally felt relieved.

With the arrival of these four thousand reinforcements, there is no possibility of Shangyong City being retaken.

Immediately following Pang Tong's advice, Xu Chu sent Jia Bin with 3,000 troops to garrison Shangyong City, while he led the remaining 2,000 men to Zhuxi. After joining up with the remaining troops, they headed straight for Xicheng.

Despite having 5,000 soldiers in the west, Xu Chu didn't take them seriously.

Even with only his two thousand men, Xu Chu was absolutely confident that he could defeat the enemy in open battle.

If the enemy refuses to come out and defends the city to the death, then Xu Chu can simply seal the city gates and wait for reinforcements.

The western city is now a dead end, lacking both internal and external forces to aid it. There's no need to sacrifice our elite troops in a hasty attempt to breach the city. Even if we must attack, we can wait for reinforcements to arrive. For one thing, the six thousand-plus Shen family prisoners of war are excellent cannon fodder for the siege.

However, the situation did not develop as Xu Chu had expected.

West City actually voted directly.

Indeed, upon seeing Xu Chu and Liu Feng's personal guards stationed outside the city, Han Ran surrendered without hesitation.

Objectively speaking, Han Ran, as a powerful landlord, possessed a certain degree of independence. In essence, he was not much different from the Shen brothers; they both hoped to maintain their privileges and act arrogantly in the western part of the city.

However, there are still differences between people.

Both being minor warlords from powerful clans, the Shen brothers were completely opportunistic, siding with whoever offered them benefits and fighting tooth and nail for anyone who tried to undermine their power.

In the original timeline, when Sima Yi was dealing with Meng Da, Shen Yi desperately helped Sima Yi. However, after Meng Da's defeat and death, Shen Yi immediately sensed something was wrong. On one hand, she began actively preparing for a rebellion, and on the other hand, she tried to curry favor with Sima Yi to escape this calamity.

As a result, Sima Yi seized upon this personality trait, tricked him into going to Shangyong, and kidnapped him. As a result, the Shen family was wiped out, and more than 8,000 members of the family were exiled to Liaodong.

Han Ran was different from the Shen brothers. Although he also had the mentality of a minor warlord, he was pro-Han.

Historically, Cao Cao had already occupied Hanzhong, and the Shen brothers wanted to surrender immediately. However, Han Ran resolutely refused to surrender. Not only did he refuse to surrender himself, but he also rallied the Shen brothers to actively resist in Xicheng.

Cao Cao was busy with his own affairs and had to return to usurp the throne, so he had no time to waste with a small warlord.
As a result, Han Ran miraculously survived. Later, when Liu Feng and Meng Da invaded Shangyong, Han Ran transformed into a guide, helping Liu Bei to control Shangyong.

It's important to know that the Shen family's attitude at the time was quite subtle; they did not welcome the entry of Liu Bei's forces.

Moreover, according to the Records of the Three Kingdoms, when Liu Bei was promoted to King of Hanzhong, Han Ran represented Liu Bei as an envoy to deliver a letter to Cao Cao, which shows that Han Ran's political spectrum had a strong pro-Han bias.

Therefore, when Xu Chu's army approached Xicheng, Han Ran's first reaction was to welcome the royal army, rather than to gather troops to besiege the city.

Xu Chu was quite pleased with Han Ran's performance.

The fall of Xicheng signifies the complete success of Xu Chu's operation.

Taking Xicheng would allow them to defend the entire Shangyong Commandery, not only shielding and protecting the flanks of Xiangyang and Jingzhou, but also connecting Shangyong with Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Xiakou into a unified whole, forming a strategic defensive position that greatly enhances the overall defense of Jingzhou.

If they advance, they will threaten Hanzhong; if they are aggressive, they will have a base of operations to launch an attack on Hanzhong; if they are conservative, they will have a forward base to invade and harass Hanzhong.

As for Xicheng, that's really not important.

The essence of Shangyong lies in the three cities of Xicheng, Shangyong, and Fangling. Although Xicheng controls the transportation along the Mian River, the Mian River is too treacherous within Shangyong County, hindering its transport capacity, and thus the waterway itself is not a key location. If the waterway itself is not a key location, then the cities controlling it are naturally not considered important either.

Moreover, Shangyong City has already surrendered, and the Shen brothers are already prisoners. Where does Xicheng get the confidence to stand against Liu Feng alone?
Indeed, shortly after Xicheng opened its gates to welcome Xu Chu, Xicheng, upon learning that Shangyong, Xicheng, and Fangling had all switched sides, surrendered under the onslaught of Dong Xi's troops.

At this point, the entire Shangyong Commandery was completely transformed and brought under Liu Feng's control.

Liu Feng sent Xu Chu to attack Shangyong, indeed to give Xu Chu military merits.

Xu Chu diligently followed Liu Feng, protecting him closely. He was always conscientious and meticulous, even sleeping with one eye open.

Liu Feng is not made of stone, and his emotions are richer than those of ordinary people. Human hearts are made of flesh and blood, so how could he not consider Xu Chu's feelings?

It is important to know that the ironclad rule of the Han Dynasty was that no one could be ennobled without military merit.

This was to pave the way for Xu Chu to be granted a marquisate.

Now that Shangyong has been secured, Liu Feng's next task is to consider the selection of the governor of Shangyong.

This person must be proficient in both civil and military affairs. In civil affairs, he must be able to govern the region, stabilize the people, encourage agriculture and sericulture, reward farming and weaving, suppress powerful clans, and win over the hearts of the people. In military affairs, he must be able to train soldiers well, subdue powerful clans, and systematically nibble away at Hanzhong.

Liu Feng now has a wealth of talent under his command, and he quickly selected one person.

This person is Du Xi.

In the original timeline, Du Xi rose to prominence due to his outstanding performance in Xi'e County. He gained the favor of two top figures from the Henan faction, Zhong Yao and Xun Yu. First, Zhong Yao, who was then serving as the Commandant of the Capital Region, recommended him to serve as a military advisor. Later, Xun Yu, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, recommended him to serve as the Military Advisor to the Chancellor.

The position of Military Advisor to the Chancellor was extremely important. He was Cao Cao's close advisor and a key figure who could delve into the important affairs of Cao Cao's Chancellor's office.

From then on, Du Xi became Cao Cao's confidant, rising rapidly in rank to become a court attendant, accompanying Cao Cao at his side, which even aroused the jealousy of Wang Can.

The reason why Du Xi is considered the most suitable candidate is precisely because when he was in Xi'e County, he governed the area very well and bestowed favors upon the people, who were willing to die for him.

Liu Biao once sent 10,000 infantry and cavalry to attack Xi'e, but Du Xi, with only a few dozen trusted men, commanded several hundred able-bodied men and held out for a long time in the county town. Du Xi even killed and wounded several hundred of Liu Biao's soldiers and managed to break through the siege with the officials and civilians in the town.

This shows that Du Xi was a man of both literary and military talent, and was quite suitable for Shangyong at this time.

If they were to actually attack Hanzhong, they wouldn't be able to appoint the Prefect of Shangyong as their commander. In the event of a large-scale military operation, Liu Feng would naturally appoint another general.

Therefore, Liu Feng issued an order to recommend Du Xi as the Prefect of Shangyong, to take office immediately. Du Xi was removed from his position as a clerk in the Ministry of Agriculture and replaced by Deng Xian, a renowned scholar from Jingzhou.

On this day, Xu Chu was about to return to his army. At this time, the western city had been taken over by Zu Lang. Xu Chu's personal guards were out to earn military merits, so they naturally could not stay outside and not return.

Now that the war is over, he is about to return to Liu Feng's side.

When they reached Tongqian Pass, they ran into a group of barbarian-looking youths. The leader of them, though not tall, was very sturdy and heavy, with a square face and a wide mouth. His eyes were fixed on Xu Chu with burning passion.

Upon seeing Xu Chu, He Ping led a group of young Ba people behind him to kneel by the roadside and shouted loudly to Xu Chu, "I, He Ping, am willing to serve under the general."

"Your name is He Ping?"

A flash of shock crossed Xu Chu's eyes, but no one else noticed. Before coming out this time, Liu Feng had specifically mentioned someone to him, a person named He Ping.

Upon hearing Xu Chu's question, He Ping respectfully replied, "It is indeed I, your humble servant."

Looking at the serious-looking young man before him, Xu Chu pressed on, "Judging from your attire, you don't seem to be a Han Chinese?"

He Ping remained respectful, answering each question with a simple, "I am a Ba people."

Xu Chu thought to himself, "As expected, He Ping, whom Liu Feng mentioned, is also a Ba people."

Along the way, Xu Chu devoted a lot of energy to inquiring about He Ping among the surrounding Ba people.

He Ping's original surname was Wang, not He. His ancestors were powerful chieftains among the Ba people, but their family fell into decline and they had to temporarily seek refuge with his uncle's family, changing his surname to He after his uncle.

Indeed, this man would become a pillar of the Shu Kingdom in the future. In the early period, he followed Zhuge Liang on the Northern Expeditions and made many contributions. In the later period, he was stationed in Hanzhong, where he overcame all opposition and independently defeated the 100,000-strong army of General Cao Shuang.

Wang Ping's performance during the first expedition to Qishan was not much to say, but his performance in Hanzhong was highly appreciated by Liu Feng.

While he was at Jieting, he demonstrated the abilities of an excellent general; however, during the Battle of Hanzhong, he displayed the courage, boldness, and competence of an outstanding commander.

(End of this chapter)