My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 625 Tianxiong Changes Hands
When Han Qin arrived at the pass, Cao Cao's resistance was still ongoing, but the gates were wide open, and a steady stream of Left Guard troops were pouring into the pass to wipe out the remaining Cao Cao forces. At this time, only two or three hundred Cao Cao soldiers remained in the pass, still making a final stand by relying on corner towers, barracks, and other facilities.

Han Qin's face turned deathly pale. He only had a little over five hundred soldiers at his disposal. Let alone driving the Zuo Mu army out of the city, even protecting himself was a problem.

At this moment, Zhou Tai followed the large group of people into the pass and immediately saw Han Qin's troops in the distance.

He immediately made a decision, ordering his fierce general Zheng Qiang to lead his troops to drive away Han Qin's forces.

Zheng Qiang, a former river pirate who had followed Zhou Tai for many years, had now accumulated merits and risen to the rank of captain. He immediately accepted the order. However, the Cao army under Han Qin had lost their courage. After only a brief encounter, they collapsed and fled in all directions.

Even Han Qin himself was caught up in the fleeing soldiers, and no matter how hard he shouted, it was to no avail.

Cao Cao's army's morale had collapsed, and they were no longer capable of fighting.

As the saying goes, a defeated army collapses like a landslide. With Han Qin's troops crumbling, Cao Ding's personal guards following behind could not hold out any longer. The remaining troops who had been fighting desperately against Wang Ping were now in a state of utter despair.

If the battle hadn't been so bloody and intense that Cao Cao's army was afraid of being slaughtered by the Ba people after surrendering, they probably would have already knelt down and begged for surrender.

A quarter of an hour later, Cao's army was surrounded by the left-wing troops of Wang Ping and Zhou Tai within a range of less than 400 meters in the mountains.

This remnant of Cao Cao's army numbered only a little over a thousand, and they were fully equipped with weapons and armor, but their morale was low.

Zhou Tai and Wang Ping both withdrew their troops and sent envoys to persuade them to surrender.

With the war at this point, there was no need to continue the bloodshed. Moreover, the Left Army considered capturing prisoners as meritorious as taking heads, and in some cases, capturing prisoners was even more meritorious. Neither Zhou Tai nor Wang Ping had any intention of exterminating the enemy.

Because this part of Cao Cao's army was retreating slowly, they had not abandoned any of their weapons or armor. At the moment, they were only demoralized, not truly unable to fight back. If Cao Cao's army were truly pushed to the brink and fought to the death with the intention of mutual destruction, the Left Guard Army would probably pay a heavy price.

Faced with the envoys from Zhou Tai and Wang Ping who came to persuade him to surrender, Cao Ding hesitated for a long time, but finally decided to surrender to Zhou Tai.

Zhou Tai held the official rank of Brigade Commander, equivalent to a General of the Central Army, and was a trusted and loyal general who had followed Liu Feng for many years. He was a veteran and pillar of the state, far superior to Wang Ping, a mere newcomer. Moreover, Cao Cao's army had just engaged in a bloody battle with the Zong soldiers, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy. Surrendering now would only endanger their own safety.

Finally, and most importantly, Zhou Tai and Huo Du were Han Chinese, while Wang Ping was a Ba people. How could Cao Ding abandon the Han Chinese and surrender to the Ba people?

Cao Ding ultimately chose Zhou Tai, laid down his weapons, dispersed his formation, and welcomed Zhou Tai's soldiers into the territory to take over, handing over his weapons, armor, flags, and drums.

Zhou Tai was overjoyed upon receiving the report and personally came to welcome Cao Ding.

Cao Ding was Cao Ang's trusted younger brother and Cao Cao's own nephew, a position that no general of a different surname could match.

Now that Tianxiong Pass has fallen, Cao Cao's army in Shu is like a beast trapped in a cage, with no way to escape. If our lord then wishes to persuade Cao Ang to surrender, wouldn't Cao Ding be the perfect candidate?

Cao Ding's surrender to Zhou Tai naturally infuriated the Ba soldiers, and some of the more ruthless ones even wanted to attack and kill Cao's soldiers.

Wang Ping remained calm and showed no sign of anger.

Wang Ping was well aware of why Cao Ding chose to surrender to Zhou Tai. Since Zhou Tai couldn't be blamed, he couldn't make things difficult for his ally.

Moreover, Zhou Tai's status, seniority, and merits are far beyond my reach. I have received great kindness from Liu Feng and been promoted beyond my rank. I have long vowed to repay him with my life. How can I compete with my ally for credit this time?
Under Wang Ping's suppression, the Zong soldiers not only did not act recklessly, but also retreated a mile to reassure the surrendered Cao army soldiers.

Sure enough, after seeing the Ba army retreat, the surrendered soldiers of Cao Cao's army calmed down a lot, and Zhou Tai nodded slightly after hearing the news.

"I learned from the lord's letter that there is a talented and beautiful man among the barbarians in Shu, and Tai Shang has his doubts."

Zhou Tai said to his attendants, "Having met him today, I know that what our lord said was true. This general has extraordinary magnanimity; we should befriend him."

Subsequently, Zhou Tai sent a messenger to Jiameng Pass, ordering the delivery of twenty fat pigs, forty sheep, over one hundred chickens and ducks, twenty jars of wine, eighty thousand zhu of cash, and four hundred bolts of cloth. These were to be sent to Wang Ping's camp first, and then Zhou Tai personally led his generals to visit and comfort him.

Regardless of the circumstances, Wang Ping has made a great contribution by capturing Tianxiong Pass and forcing Cao Ding's remaining troops to surrender.

Zhou Tai's goodwill successfully defused some of the Ba soldiers' anger. Seeing that they were provided with wine and meat and received rewards, most of the resentment in the Ba people's hearts naturally dissipated.

When Zhou Tai visited in person, Wang Ping, who had already retreated to the South Gate camp, hurriedly came out to greet him.

Zhou Tai was very enthusiastic towards Wang Ping and offered him the first merit, which Wang Ping naturally refused. After much back and forth, Zhou Tai decided to submit a truthful memorial and ask Liu Feng to make the final decision. Only then did Wang Ping agree.

Seeing Zhou Tai chatting and laughing with him as usual, Wang Ping breathed a sigh of relief. His biggest worry was that Zhou Tai would take advantage of his status and push his luck. If that happened, it would be an ordeal for him.

On one hand, there was Liu Feng's kindness in valuing and promoting her; on the other hand, there was the affection for her hometown, relatives, and friends.

Both sides were things that Wang Ping found difficult to give up easily.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Tai was so kind, which made everyone happy.

Both sides suffered heavy losses in this battle. Wang Ping's side suffered more than 1,200 casualties, including more than 400 dead. Moreover, it is foreseeable that many more seriously wounded soldiers may not survive.

Even though Zhou Tai brought a large number of military doctors and medicines to treat Wang Ping's soldiers, some of the seriously wounded were simply beyond saving. Even with Liu Feng's strong encouragement and support, which led to the development and improvement of medical standards, they could only do their best and leave the rest to fate.

The root cause of this outcome lies in the lack of defense. Although the Ba people had excellent leather armor, they could only make up for the difference in strength with their own flesh and blood when faced with Cao Ding's more than one hundred sets of iron armor.

The situation was not much better for Zhou Tai and Huo Du. More than 300 of their elite armored soldiers had been killed in action, all of them veterans who had fought for many years. Including the casualties of the auxiliary troops, the total number of casualties in the Jiameng Army reached more than 1,400, of which only more than 300 were auxiliary troops, and the rest were all soldiers of the Left Guard Army.

Such heavy casualties were one of the reasons why Zhou Tai persuaded Cao Ding to surrender. Seeing the old soldiers who had followed him for many years either wounded or killed, Zhou Tai felt heartbroken.

Cao Cao's army also suffered heavy casualties, with over 2,000 of its 3,500 troops killed or wounded, and the remaining 1,000 or so were all injured. Although it seemed that the Left Guard Army's total casualties exceeded those of Cao Cao's army, and those killed or wounded were all elite and capable soldiers, the true victor was ultimately the Left Guard Army.

The fall of Tianxiong Pass definitively declared that the allied forces were completely surrounded by the Left Army in Shu. With the support of the Jiameng garrison and the connection of the Xihan River, it was sufficient to supply the tens of thousands of troops along the Jiameng line.

**
News of the Battle of Tianxiong Pass spread rapidly in all directions.

Yang Huai of Jiameng County abandoned the county town and the camp on the opposite bank, and retreated directly back to Baishui Pass.

This wasn't entirely due to Yang Huai's cowardice; his current forces were indeed inadequate. If the Zuo Mu army found an opportunity to wipe him out, the forces at Baishui Pass would be utterly unable to withstand their northward advance. At that point, the already depleted Baima Pass and Nanzheng would be unable to withstand the ferocious Zuo Mu army, and Hanzhong would inevitably fall.

Therefore, if Yang Huai hadn't been worried about being held accountable by Zhang Lu, he would have even wanted to retreat all the way back to Baima Pass.

After retreating to Baishui Pass, Yang Huai immediately sent a message back to Nanzheng in Hanzhong to report to Zhang Lu. Cao Cao's army also sent the message back to Han Hao, the garrison commander of Huangjin in Hanzhong, Zao Zhi in Chang'an in Guanzhong, and even to Cao Cao in Luoyang.

When Zhang Lu heard that Tianxiong Pass had fallen, and that the Left Army had attacked from both sides and breached the city overnight, he was completely dumbfounded. He initially thought it was a joke. It wasn't until the messenger presented a tearful account that he realized it was actually true.

But after regaining his senses, Zhang Lu was even more confused about where the Ba soldiers from Pojian Pavilion, Jianmen Pass, and the southern pass of Tianxiong Pass had come from.

This wasn't just one or two, or even a hundred or two hundred, but a full three thousand Ba soldiers! How could such a large force of Ba soldiers have managed to secretly cross Zitong and reach Jiange?

Zhang Lu's lips trembled as he looked at Yang Song.

At this time, his younger brother Zhang Wei and strategist Yan Pu were both trapped in Shu, and Yang Song was the only useful person by his side.

"Registrar, what should we do now?"

What could Yang Song do at this point? He was so anxious that he was covered in sweat, beads of sweat forming on his fair forehead and occasionally sliding down his round chin.

"The most urgent task is to send reinforcements quickly to retake Tianxiong Pass and reopen the supply route."

Zhang Lu glared at the other person, annoyed. How could he not know these things?
He wanted concrete methods to retake Tianxiong Pass, not suggestions.

"My lord, you should immediately request reinforcements from the Grand General."

Yang Song's eyes darted around, and suddenly a brilliant idea struck him: "Cao Zixiu is the eldest son of the Grand General, and the Grand General would never abandon him."

Zhang Lu's expression changed. His thoughts differed from Yang Song's. Precisely because Cao Ang was so important, Zhang Lu was particularly worried that Cao Cao would cause him trouble.

After careful consideration, Zhang Lu could not find any other way to solve this problem, so he could only adopt Yang Song's suggestion and send him to Luoyang to ask for help.

Han Hao of Huangjin Garrison and Zao Zhi of Chang'an were also struck by lightning upon receiving the report, unable to believe it was true.

Although they both had considerable troops—Han Hao had over 10,000 men, and Zao Zhi had as many as 20,000—these forces could not be easily mobilized. Han Hao needed to keep an eye on Gao Shun in Shangyong County to the east. If he dared to make any rash moves and gave Gao Shun the opportunity to break into Hanzhong, the situation would be ten times more dangerous than losing Tianxiong Pass.

As for Zao Zhi, he needs to be wary of Ma Teng and Han Sui with his 20,000 troops.

These two Liangzhou warlords, no longer displaying the respect and obedience they had shown after Cao Cao's sweeping victory over Li Jue and Guo Si two years prior, began to constantly probe the strength and limits of Cao Cao's army in Guanzhong. If they were to withdraw their troops now, Guanzhong would be in grave danger.

Left with no other choice, the two, like Zhang Lu, sent an urgent plea to Luoyang, requesting Cao Cao to send reinforcements.

If the Cao family's side is like the sky falling, then Liu Feng's side is like a flood of announcements.

He Qi, stationed outside Zitong City, was the first to receive the good news. The recapture of Jiange and Tianxiong Pass was undoubtedly a tremendous boon for He Qi. After all, Wang Ping was nominally under He Qi's command, and He Qi could share in the glory of Wang Ping's achievements.

Then He Qi sent people to travel along the Zitong River and then the Fu River to spread the good news all the way to Guanghan and Jiangzhou.

Zhuge Liang and Xu Chu were overjoyed. Wang Ping had successfully captured Jiange and, together with Zhou Tai and Huo Du, recaptured Tianxiong Pass. This meant that Liu Feng's plan had been fully realized.

Zhuge Liang dared not delay and immediately dispatched new men and new ships to Guangdu. Each ship carried twenty-four people, divided into two shifts, and they traveled day and night to reach Guangdu.

Ten days later, the messenger arrived in Guangdu City and informed Liu Feng of the news.

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng was overjoyed. With Tianxiong Pass in his possession, Cao Ang would be indulging in a pipe dream if he wanted to escape unscathed.

After receiving confirmation, Liu Feng began to adjust his deployment. Since the beginning of spring, the Left Guard Army had received considerable reinforcements. In addition to military supplies from Wuyang and Jianwei, they also obtained several hundred warhorses from Yizhou Commandery. Although these southwestern warhorses could not be fully armored, they were still quite reliable as light cavalry, expanding Sun Ce's cavalry to over 3,700 riders. Several hundred more riders were scattered among Liu Feng's personal guards and scouts in various camps.

After cutting off Cao Ang's retreat, the mission of the Guangdu Left Army has changed dramatically. It is no longer about attracting the allied forces, but about delaying and blocking them, preventing them from having a safe retreat and the opportunity to divide their forces to clear their retreat route.

Based on the discussions between Liu Feng and Lu Xun, Liu Feng and his generals believed that Cao Ang was very likely to retreat to Luocheng, and while holding Luocheng, send troops to relieve the siege of Zitong, then follow Wang Ping's route to recapture Jianmen Pass and Tianxiong Pass, and reopen the supply lines and retreat routes.

Only Lu Xun had a different opinion. He believed that Cao Ang was unlikely to retreat to Luocheng, but would instead continue to hold out in Chengdu and divide his troops to advance eastward. His subsequent actions were consistent with everyone's guess.

"My lord, in the battle of Guangcheng, the allied forces suffered losses of about 10,000 men. The allied forces now have only about 60,000 men available. If we were to send troops to rescue Zitong, we would need at least 20,000 to 30,000 men. Any fewer would be of no use. Only with this number can we quickly defeat General He's troops and then capture Jiange, Tianxiong and other places."

Lu Xun analyzed, "Cao Cao's army currently has at most a little over 30,000 soldiers capable of fighting. Even if we take the minimum of 20,000, no more than 10,000 can remain to defend Luo City. Judging from the Battle of Chengdu, does Cao Cao's army still have the confidence to stop our army's eastward advance with only 10,000 men?"

Liu Feng suddenly realized: "Boyan, do you mean that instead of defending Luocheng alone, we should stay and join forces with Liu Zhang's army to defend Chengdu?"

(End of this chapter)