My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 587 Two Memorials
Zhang Wei waited in Jiameng County for two days before Yan Pu's main force, carrying provisions and supplies, arrived at the battlefield. Upon learning that the Shu reinforcements from Jiameng Pass had arrived in time and had decisively defeated Zhang Cheng's vanguard outside the pass, Yan Pu was both shocked and furious.

After learning about Zhang Cheng's defeat, Yan Pu sensed something was very wrong.

"Does the clerk believe that the reinforcements are not from Shu?"

Zhang Wei was full of surprise and doubt: "But the enemy's uniforms are all in the style of the Han people, and the flags they are carrying are also Han characters flags and Liu characters flags. Besides, if the enemy is not the Shu army, where else could they be an army?"

Yan Pu's expression was initially hesitant, and the doubt on his face had gradually eased as he listened to Zhang Wei's words. However, when Zhang Wei was halfway through speaking, he suddenly seemed to remember something, and his expression turned extremely ugly.

"Clerk, what's wrong with you?"

Zhang Wei immediately noticed Yan Pu's change in expression and felt a little uneasy.

Yan Pu said with difficulty, "I think I can guess where this force came from."

Zhang Wei's heart skipped a beat: "Where is that?"

"Jingzhou!"

Yan Pu managed to utter two words: "General Zuo has probably already entered Shu."

Zhang Wei jumped to his feet: "How is this possible? Could Zhao Wei really be so unwise as to invite a wolf into the house?"

Yan Pu shook his head with a wry smile: "I also hope that Zhao Wei is not so unwise, but Liu Jiyu has always been weak and incompetent. Among his troops, only the Dongzhou soldiers and Huang Quan's troops are quite strong. When has he ever had a captain surnamed Huo?"

Zhang Wei was speechless.

After all, the rank of Colonel was already that of a top-tier general in Shu. It should be noted that Zhao Wei was only a Lieutenant General, and Zhang Ren and Yan Yan were only Colonels.

Hanzhong and Shu had been at war for years, their enemies locked in a bitter struggle. It was no surprise that they knew which generals were on the opposing side. However, Zhang Wei and Yan Pu had never heard of a captain surnamed Huo, let alone heard of the enemy's elite troops, whose equipment was considered luxurious.

Let alone Zhang Lu, even Liu Zhang probably couldn't field a force with such a high rate of armored soldiers.

Of the five hundred men, two hundred were equipped with iron armor, one hundred large crossbows, and one hundred powerful bows. Such weaponry and equipment could probably only have been possessed by the imperial guards of the Han Dynasty.

"If Zhao Wei really did invite a wolf into the house, what should we do now?"

Zhang Wei frowned and asked Yan Pu, "Could it be that you've abandoned Jiameng County and retreated to Baishui Pass?"

Baishui Pass is more strategically important to the north than Jiameng Pass, but far less so to the south. Its only advantage is its large area, large enough to garrison tens of thousands of troops, though this would be extremely logistically challenging and costly for the people and resources.

"No."

Yan Pu immediately shook his head and rejected Zhang Wei's idea: "Transporting grain and supplies from Hanzhong to Baishui is all overland, and it's more than two hundred miles long. How can Nanzheng support it? If Jiameng is abandoned, Baishui will definitely not be able to support itself."

Zhang Lu's reason for launching a large-scale southward campaign was that Jiameng was a must-capture location. Once Jiameng was taken, Tianxiong would be difficult to defend alone. In this way, the grain produced from the three military settlements of Baishui, Jiameng, and Tianxiong would be enough to supply thousands of soldiers.

With the strategic importance of Jiameng Pass, a few thousand elite soldiers were enough to hold off tens of thousands of Shu troops.

If they could take advantage of the emptiness of Jiange Pass, capture Jianmen Pass, and break out of Zitong, then the plains of Sichuan would be completely open to Zhang Lu's army. Moreover, they would be immediately exposed to the most fertile Chengdu Plain in Sichuan, which would be sufficient to support the strategy of supplying the enemy with provisions.

By then, it wouldn't just be a simple pass like Jiameng Pass; it would be a matter of Zhang Lu vying for control of Shu and replacing Liu Zhang.

Zhang Wei tentatively asked, "Shall we try attacking the city again tomorrow?"

Yan Pu nodded emphatically: "No matter what, they only have a few hundred men, while the general has tens of thousands of elite troops. Even if it costs us lives, we will take Jiameng Pass."

Yan Pu's words were cruel, but they greatly emboldened Zhang Wei.

"Alright, we'll do as the clerk says!"

The next morning, Zhang Wei deployed his own troops as the central army, leaving only 1,000 soldiers to guard Jiameng County and the main camp, while the remaining 10,000 troops went out to battle.

However, this attack, though large in number, only had two battering rams and dozens of simple siege ladders; not even a single siege tower was available. If given time, the Hanzhong army could have built not only siege towers, but also siege ladders, Lu Gong chariots, zigzag chariots, and even catapults. But what the Hanzhong army lacked was time.

It is evident how enormous the real loss Zhang Cheng suffered in his defeat a few days ago was.

At the beginning of the war, although the Hanzhong army was poorly equipped, it displayed remarkable combat power.

Under Zhang Wei's command, the army was divided into three divisions and nine formations, taking turns to attack the north gate of Jiameng Pass and the left and right city walls. The continuous and fierce attacks put great pressure on the defending army.

If only Xiang Cun's three hundred Shu soldiers were defending the city, it would probably collapse before noon.

Huo Du, however, was quite at ease. He even divided his troops into three groups, taking turns to defend the city walls against the Hanzhong army's attack, while the other two groups rested and replenished their food and water inside the city.

Zhang Wei launched a fierce attack for a full day, inflicting over fifty casualties on the city, more than twenty of whom were former Shu soldiers from Jiameng. In contrast, the Hanzhong army suffered over six hundred casualties, half of whom were Zhang Wei's personal guards.

Before the battle, Zhang Wei planned to launch a night attack, giving the defending troops no chance to catch their breath.

Faced with such heavy casualties and a despairing casualty ratio, even Yan Pu did not approve of continuing the night attack.

The next morning, Zhang Wei invited Yan Pu over to discuss how to continue the attack on Jiameng. However, their discussion was short-lived, as news from the front rendered their agreement meaningless. The reason was simple: Zhou Tai's main force had arrived, and the Jialing River, stretching for four or five miles, was filled with boats of all sizes bearing the name Liu.

Zhou Tai's 5,000 troops arrived just in time, forcing Zhang Wei's Hanzhong army to switch from offense to defense.

Zhou Tai's army disregarded the Hanzhong army and bypassed Jiameng Pass, landing at Jubai Ferry north of Jiameng Pass.

This place is about two or three miles from Jiameng Pass, and it is only about ten miles away from Jiameng County across the Bailong River. It can almost be said that they landed openly in front of the Hanzhong army.

Zhang Wei was furious at Zhou Taijun's actions, but he also knew he was powerless to cross the river and fight back.

Putting everything else aside, the sheer number of online trolls on the other side is enough to give me a run for my money.

At Yan Pu's suggestion, Zhang Wei divided his army into two: two thousand Nanzheng soldiers were stationed in Jiameng County north of Bailong River, while the main force of four thousand Dao soldiers, plus the remaining four thousand Nanzheng soldiers, were stationed in the main camp south of Bailong River.

Meanwhile, a messenger was dispatched to report the military situation to Nanzheng, requesting Zhang Lu to make a decision. Zhou Tai had brought 5,000 men, but only 3,000 actually landed. The remaining 2,000 men left behind 400 warships, while the rest returned downstream.

Firstly, the Jialing River is narrow, making passage difficult, let alone accommodating so many ships. Secondly, ships were needed to transport provisions and military equipment.

After Zhou Tai's three thousand soldiers landed, they directly took control of Jiameng Pass.

Although Jiameng Pass is not as magnificent as Baishui Pass, it is still easy to garrison several thousand people.

Subsequently, Zhou Tai, with Xiang Cun and Huo Du as his vanguard, led 1,500 men out of the south gate of Jiameng Pass and captured Tianxiong Pass as well.

In this way, Zhou Tai appointed Huo Du as the main general, leading 1,500 men to garrison Tianxiong Pass. He himself led 2,000 men to garrison Jiameng Pass, supporting each other. At the same time, Zhou Tai also quickly relayed the intelligence about the encounter with the Hanzhong army to Liu Feng in Jiangzhou.

Jiameng is much closer to Hanzhong than Jiangzhou, but to get to Hanzhong you have to take a land route, mostly along plank roads, while to get to Jiangzhou you can take the Jialing River by water, going straight downstream.

Therefore, although the Hanzhong army sent the message earlier, Zhang Lu and Liu Feng actually received the intelligence around the same time.

Zhang Lu was taken aback by this sudden turn of events, while Liu Feng remained calm.

This was not only because Liu Feng was far more shrewd than Zhang Lu, but also because Liu Feng had anticipated the potential threat from Hanzhong and had written to Zhou Tai to warn him. Zhang Lu, on the other hand, was unaware of Liu Feng's entry into Shu. Naturally, he was extremely shocked and terrified by the formidable fighting power of Liu Feng's army, so his panic was understandable.

Since Yan Pu had already gone to the Jiameng front with Zhang Wei, Zhang Lu could only hurriedly seek out Yang Song to discuss countermeasures.

Yang Song was shocked after reading the battle report, especially since Zhang Wei had not concealed the casualty ratio at all. Such an exaggerated number made Yang Song's heart pound.

After reading the battle report, Yang Song remained silent for a long time.

Zhang Lu, who was sitting at the head of the table, was already burning with anxiety. He couldn't help but urge, "Has the chief clerk finished reading the report? Does the chief clerk have any insightful opinions that he can share with me?"

Yang Song then came to his senses and begged for mercy, saying, "My lord, please don't be hasty, allow me to think for a moment."

Zhang Lu nodded repeatedly; he was truly terrified by the Battle of Jiameng.

His 5,000 Daoist soldiers, upon whom he relied, had already suffered heavy losses, with more than 20% wiped out in just two battles. And that was only against 500 of Liu Feng's troops; now another 3,000 were coming. How many more days could his forces sustain him?
Yang Song didn't really have many options. After thinking it over, he could only come to one conclusion.

"My lord, the most urgent task is to request reinforcements immediately."

Zhang Lu's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "Where will the aid come from?"

Without hesitation, Yang Song pointed north: "Reinforcements are coming from the north."

"The registrar means...?"

Zhang Lu hesitated and said, "But the north is not benevolent either. Although I have bowed my head and submitted, I am only obedient to orders, not proclamations. If Cao Cao's army is allowed to enter Hanzhong this time, it will be hard to say whether Hanzhong will belong to Zhang or Cao in the future."

Yang Song advised, "My lord, Cao Cao controls the court and has the emperor and the greater good at his hands. Even if Hanzhong is lost, you will still retain your title of duke. But if the south gains Hanzhong, you will have nothing left."

Zhang Lu was taken aback. Although he found Yang Song's words quite harsh, upon closer listening, he realized that the other party had some merit.

Torn between his options, Zhang Lu hesitated and said, "Let me think it over."

Yang Song, however, tried to persuade him from a different angle: "My lord, the request for reinforcements is from the front lines of Jiameng. If we take charge and plan accordingly, we might be able to use Cao Cao's army as a trap and launch a battle against Shu."

"You mean...?"

Zhang Lu's eyes lit up. If he really followed Yang Song's suggestion and asked Cao Cao's army for reinforcements to be sent to the Jiameng front, that would be a good idea.

"Exactly."

Yang Song nodded without hesitation and said, "My lord, if you think that our sect can keep Liu Feng out of Hanzhong by its own strength, then there is no need to think too much about it. But if we are alone and can't hold out, and we will have to ask for help sooner or later, I think it is better to ask for help sooner rather than later."

Seeing Zhang Lu hesitate again, Yang Song made a bold statement: "My lord, don't forget that even if we ask for help, the court and Cao Cao may not be willing to provide it. Meanwhile, General Zuo's troops have already reached Jiameng, which is only about 300 li away from Hanzhong. They are practically at our doorstep."

Zhang Lu realized that, just as Yang Song had said, Cao Cao and Liu Feng had a rather harmonious relationship. If he waited until Liu Feng's army entered Hanzhong before seeking help, Cao Cao probably wouldn't risk his life for him.

Zhang Lu immediately made a firm decision: "Who can be the envoy?"

Yang Song pretended to think for a moment before replying, "My younger brother, Yang Bai, is suitable to be the envoy."

********
Liu Feng was genuinely surprised when he received the news.

Although Liu Feng wrote a letter to remind Zhou Tai and made some corresponding arrangements, he really did not expect Zhang Lu to be so bold as to launch a large-scale southward attack to seize cities and territories. He also did not expect that Zhang Lu had even breached Baishui Pass.

Judging from the report, if Zhou Tai hadn't sent Huo Du ahead in a light boat, even Jiameng Pass and Tianxiong Pass might have already fallen into the hands of the Hanzhong army. Zhou Tai, who was traveling north via the Jialing River, would have lost his foothold, and with only five or six thousand men, it would have been impossible for him to recapture Jiameng Pass and Tianxiong Pass against the defense of ten thousand men.

As a result, Zhou Tai could only retreat to Langzhong. Even if Liu Feng sent troops north, crossed the Fu River, and then turned into the Zitong River within Guanghan territory to reinforce Zitong, it would be too late. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as Zhang Wei's troops broke through Jiange and approached Zitong.

If the Hanzhong army were to occupy the line of Zitong, Jiange, Tianxiong, Jiameng and Baishui, Zhang Lu's influence would truly extend deep into the Chengdu Plain. Such a significant change would inevitably cause drastic changes in the war in Shu, thus bringing Liu Feng a great sense of loss of control.

Zitong is located northeast of Fucheng, only seventy or eighty li away, and is connected by an official road, making travel very convenient.

Therefore, the Hanzhong army only needs to station several thousand troops in Zitong to threaten Zhao Wei's rear base, Fucheng, which will inevitably affect the battle under Chengdu.

If this were to cause chaos in Zhao Wei's army, Liu Zhang in Chengdu would gain a great advantage.

When Liu Zhang mobilizes all his forces and launches a decisive battle while Zhao Wei's army is in a state of panic and lacks the will to fight, Zhao Wei will probably not even be able to withdraw his troops.

The swift resolution of the conflict between Liu Zhang and Zhao Wei was certainly not a good thing for Liu Feng.

Liu Feng didn't want Zhang Lu to get involved in the chaos in Shu. Fortunately, Zhou Tai and Huo Du performed meritorious service, successfully stopping the enemy north of Jiameng Pass. However, judging from the enemy's formation, they didn't seem to have any intention of retreating.

This made Liu Feng chuckle.

(End of this chapter)