My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 630 Yi's Perilous Plan
Yang Xiu chuckled and listed the rewards one by one, saying, "First, my commander-in-chief requests the Grand General to petition the court to appoint Pang Gong as General Who Pacifies the South, and to organize the Dongzhou troops into a separate army, still under Pang Xi's command, with the court providing provisions and pay. Second, in recognition of your long tenure in Yizhou and your military achievements in quelling the Ba rebellion, you will be further enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingyin, with a fief of one thousand households. Third, five thousand mu of fertile land around Luoyang will be selected and bestowed upon Pang Gong. I wonder if Pang Gong is satisfied with these three compensations?"

Pang Xi's eyes widened as Yang Xiu spoke, filled with a mixture of elation, trepidation, and a hint of doubt and suspicion.

Pang Xi was not only satisfied with the three compensations offered by Yang Xiu, but was even somewhat apprehensive.

The Han dynasty placed great importance on military merit. During the Former Han dynasty, no one could be granted a title without military merit. This ironclad rule is still in effect today. Moreover, in the original timeline, the title of general had become commonplace, but the title of noble still remained precious. This is even more true now that Liu Feng has altered the timeline.

The current peerage is more valuable than in the original timeline, and the title of general still retains its value. Either of these would be a great temptation for scholars in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Especially the Marquis of Pingyin. Pang Xi was from Luoyang, Henan. Pingyin is less than fifteen li northwest of Luoyang. Using Pingyin as a title was practically the same as using Luoyang as a reward. However, since Luoyang was the capital, it was impossible to actually bestow the title there, so Pingyin was used instead.

For Pang Xi, this was a great display of his status as the recipient of the title, and it brought him and his family immense glory; it was a truly genuine honor.

Moreover, Pingyin is an important ferry crossing on the Yellow River, with a large number of merchants coming and going. The territory is prosperous and the economy is developed. It is also very close to Luoyang, only a dozen miles away. It can be said to be a first-class fiefdom in the world. To be able to receive a fiefdom of a thousand households here is not only extremely honorable, but also brings considerable political and economic benefits.

If Yang Xiu's account is true, then Pang Xi's losses in Shu were indeed compensated, and moreover, doubled. With such a high political position, what wealth couldn't he acquire?
Pang Xiyou asked with some disbelief, "Is this really true?"

Yang Xiu solemnly affirmed in a resolute tone: "I am unworthy, but I dare to endorse this with the reputation of my family and the name of my ancestors."

Sima Yi also timely guaranteed the reputation of his family.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, scholars held deep affection for their families, and all Han people placed great importance on their ancestors. The saying that the Han Dynasty governed the country with loyalty and filial piety was no joke. Filial piety could indeed lead to official positions, and the reputation of one's family determined the future of its descendants.

Filial piety was the foremost moral principle and the core ethic of governance during the Han Dynasty. Most people dared not dishonor their ancestors, as doing so would come at the cost of social and economic ruin.

Yang Xiu and Sima Yi dared to vouch for their family reputation and ancestors, so Pang Xi had no choice but to believe them.

Having believed it, Pang Xi was inevitably tempted.

Returning home in glory is a triumphant and glorious experience.
Being granted titles and ranks signifies great achievements and fame on the battlefield;
Revitalizing the family is a continuation of the bloodline and a bridge between the past and the future;

To reside in the high halls of power is the aspiration of renowned scholars who rise to high positions in government and military.

Each one of them was an irresistible temptation for Pang Xi, let alone all four of them.

Sima Yi and Yang Xiu worked together, using a series of interconnected steps to lure Pang Xi into their trap. They successfully persuaded Pang Xi to support the withdrawal of troops and to agree to go to the prefecture to persuade Liu Zhang.

Pang Xi's approval would act like a domino effect, becoming a crucial link in the chain. Upon receiving reports from Sima Yi and Yang Xiu, Cao Ang was extremely pleased, feeling that the matter was settled.

As expected, events unfolded exactly as Cao Ang, Sima Yi, Yang Xiu, and others had predicted. After Pang Xi explicitly expressed his support for the eastward retreat, Liu Zhang became even more inclined to accept Cao Ang's suggestion.

However, Sima Yi and Yang Xiu overlooked one crucial point: strong opposition from the local faction.

The local faction, led by Zhang Song, Qin Mi, Yang Hong, and Huang Quan, along with other famous generals from Shu such as Zhang Ren, Liu Gui, and Leng Bao, strongly opposed Cao Ang's plan to retreat eastward.

Zhang Song and his men, needless to say, believed that with the strength of the Shu army and the conscription of able-bodied men from Chengdu, they could at least hold out for a while. Moreover, the city's food supplies could last for at least six months. Chengdu was a high and deep city with strong walls; even counterweight catapults could not breach its walls.

They could simply sit back and watch the outcome unfold in Chengdu. If all else failed, even surrendering to General Zuo would be better than leaving their homes.

Once the Shu army retreats east with Cao Cao's army and leaves Chengdu, their value will be greatly reduced.

Despite the significant resistance, Cao Ang, Sima Yi, and others remained quite optimistic, as Liu Zhang, persuaded by Pang Xi and under the strong threat of the Left Guard Army outside the city, was increasingly inclined to retreat eastward.

As long as Liu Zhang is determined to retreat eastward, at least generals like Zhang Ren, Liu Gui, and Leng Bao will most likely obey orders.

With Pang Xi's support, Zhang Ren and his men had no choice but to back down. At least 20,000 of the 30,000 Shu troops in Chengdu could be evacuated. Even if Huang Quan refused to leave, the loss would only be a few thousand men, which would not affect the overall situation.

Just as Cao Ang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the situation was finally under control, another piece of bad news arrived.

Luocheng fell.

Faced with this devastating news, Cao Ang, Sima Yi, and others did not panic; their expressions, however, turned grim. Luocheng held approximately 20% of Cao's army's supplies, Fucheng held 50%, Zitong held 20%, and Mianzhu held 10%.

The fall of Luocheng was undoubtedly a huge blow to Cao Cao's army. Even if it was not as severe as the fall of Tianxiong and Jiange, it was still more devastating than the previous defeats in open battle.

In fact, Cao Ang and others had already begun discussing splitting their forces to head to Luocheng first.

However, the great battle had just ended, and the allied forces had suffered considerable casualties. In addition, Cao Ang was persuading Liu Zhang to abandon Chengdu and retreat eastward. A hasty eastward division of troops would likely arouse unnecessary suspicion from Liu Zhang and the Shu army.

Secondly, Liu Feng acted too quickly. It was only the fourth day since they received news of the fall of Tianxiong and Jiange, which shows that the other side had already begun mobilizing troops and setting off to launch a surprise attack on Luocheng before they even received the news.

Finally, Cao Cao's army had a higher assessment of the field strength of the Left Guard Army and was somewhat hesitant to divide its forces.

There was a concern that if our forces were to split up at Luocheng, and Liu Zhang did not agree to retreat eastward, the Left Guard Army might take the opportunity to ambush Cao Cao's army on their way back east. In that case, splitting up the forces would inevitably increase the risk considerably.

These are the reasons why Cao Ang, Sima Yi, Cao Ren and others wanted to observe for a few days and try to persuade Liu Zhang to retreat as soon as possible, so that they would not have to risk dividing their troops.

It can be said that one wrong move leads to falling behind at every step.

Now that Luocheng has been lost, although it's not like Jiange or Tianxiong where the retreat route has been cut off, we can no longer retreat eastward via Jinniu Road.

"General, we can't wait any longer."

Sima Yi spoke first, his tone extremely resolute, demonstrating his firm determination: "We must persuade Liu Jiyu to retreat eastward within three days." Cao Ang also frowned, and upon hearing this, he couldn't help but ask: "Now that Luocheng has fallen, how should we retreat eastward?"

Sima Yi was clearly prepared. He immediately got up, walked to the map, and gestured, saying, "With Luocheng lost, the Jinniu Road is no longer an option. The Left Army is stationed in Guangdu, so the Longquan Road is also no longer an option."

Longquan Road is a road located at the foot of the Longquan Mountains, and its scale is much smaller than that of Jinniu Road.

Although the Jinniu Road was not a standardized strategic passage in the Central Plains, the section from Chengdu to Mianzhu was quite spacious. Because this section was entirely flat, the road was constructed entirely of earth and stone. Most of the road was built with rammed earth, while key sections such as bridges and ferries were paved with stone slabs and pebbles. This section of the road was five to six meters wide, allowing four horses or two oxcarts to travel abreast.

Longquan Road is far inferior to Jinniu Road. This mountain path, which runs north along the Longquan Mountains, is only two meters wide and can only accommodate small vehicles such as handcarts and wheelbarrows, or a single animal, in one direction.

However, these two roads are the two roads with the best traffic conditions near Chengdu.

Sima Yi then said, "The only course of action now is to take the path of 'mianchi' (a strategy of yielding to the enemy).

"Mianchi Dao?"

Yang Xiu asked in great surprise, "Zhongda, but this road leads to the Qiang region in the northwest. It is sparsely populated and lacks resources, making it difficult for my army to stay there."

"Dezu, please be patient."

Sima Yi smiled and comforted Yang Xiu, then explained, "Since entering Chengdu, I have thoroughly studied the geography of Yizhou. Although the Mianchi Road leads to the southern Qiang region, we only need to turn east at Guancheng, at the foot of the Qionglai Mountains, cross the Tuo River, and head northeast to reach Fancheng County. From there, heading southeast, we can reach Luocheng; if heading northeast, we can turn onto the Jinniu Road five li east of Mianzhu. If Mianzhu has not fallen, we can retreat with the garrison and supplies. If Mianzhu has already fallen, we can retreat directly to Fucheng."

Cao Ren couldn't help but praise him: "Zhongda truly understands military strategy."

After Sima Yi entered Chengdu, he actually thought of reading Chengdu geography magazines to learn about the roads in various places. For this alone, it is no exaggeration for Cao Ren to praise him as knowledgeable in military affairs.

Cao Ang also breathed a sigh of relief, his complexion improved considerably, and he even smiled, praising Sima Yi as well.

Sima Yi, however, was very modest. He then said, "Li Zheng of Fucheng is known for his courage and resourcefulness. I expect that after learning of the fall of Luocheng, he will strengthen the defense of Mianzhu and transfer supplies. However, my lord should still issue orders to him as soon as possible to relieve him of any worries."

"good!"

Cao Ang readily accepted the good advice and immediately signed the order, commanding the messenger to depart for Fucheng at once.

Immediately afterwards, Cao Ang, along with Sima Yi and Yang Xiu, went to find Pang Xi, and then joined forces with Pang Xi to put pressure on Liu Zhang.

Upon learning of the fall of Luocheng, Pang Xi panicked. Although Chengdu was not yet completely besieged, with the Jinniu Road cut off, it would be several times more difficult for Chengdu to obtain supplies.

Therefore, Pang Xi did not hesitate any longer and followed Cao Ang directly to the prefectural capital.

Just like Pang Xi, Liu Zhang was also greatly alarmed when he learned of the fall of Luocheng.

Next, Pang Xi, Sima Yi, Yang Xiu and others took turns persuading Liu Zhang, who was already wavering even more. At this moment, Cao Ang added the final piece of the bargaining chip.

“If Your Excellency is attached to Chengdu and unable to see the situation clearly, we will not sit here and watch the situation deteriorate. We should leave the city and retreat eastward the day after tomorrow.”

Cao Ang, revealing his true intentions, threatened, "At that time, according to the imperial court and the Grand General's decree, General Pang will leave with us. Please do not obstruct us."

Liu Zhang could no longer sit idly by. Pang Xi's troops still numbered over 14,000, equivalent to half of the army in Chengdu. If even he left, then there was no point in defending Chengdu; he might as well just open the city gates and surrender to the Left General.

Liu Zhang finally made a concession and agreed to the plan to retreat eastward.

After Liu Zhang agreed to the retreat, Sima Yi immediately finalized the plan.

There were still more than one million shi of grain in Chengdu, and the families of the powerful clans and ordinary people also had a lot of grain.

The war in Shu has lasted for a year and a half. The powerful clans and wealthy families are well aware of the importance of grain and are trying every means to hoard it. The common people are doing the same; anyone with some savings will try their best to exchange it for grain.

The common people's wealth was naturally incomparable to that of the gentry and powerful families. On average, each household was lucky to have enough grain to last for ten days or half a month. However, there were at least 100,000 people in Chengdu. With such a large population, if all the grain held by these people were collected, it would be a considerable amount.

Sima Yi estimated that this portion of grain should amount to several hundred thousand jin. However, this grain is not easy to collect, at least not now.

Therefore, in Sima Yi's plan, he first needed to recruit young men in Chengdu, at least 20,000, and then organize them to transport grain.

In this way, they could take the able-bodied men of Chengdu with them to strengthen their own forces and capabilities, while leaving the burdensome elderly, women, and children in Chengdu, thus creating a huge burden for the Left Army.

Therefore, during the evacuation, Cao Ren's troops were the primary force to first secure Pixian, Guandi, and Fanxian, and transport the grain out. After the grain was transported, the main army would then follow and retreat.

The retreat order was Cao Ren first, followed by the Shu army, then the Dongzhou troops, while Cao Ang personally brought up the rear. All the cavalry generals were transferred to Cao Ang's troops for his unified command and control.

Such a large-scale mobilization naturally did not escape the notice of the Left Guard Army, but Sima Yi was still confident of success for three reasons.

The first reason is that this entire route is backed by the Minjiang River on the left and bordered by the Tuojiang River on the right, meaning it is surrounded by water on two sides and is completely safe from attacks by the Left Army, which can greatly improve the efficiency and speed of transportation.

This is also the most important objective condition upon which Sima Yi's plan was based.

Without such terrain with a road running between two rivers, it would be suicidal to mobilize more than 20,000 laborers to transport goods for nearly 200 miles under the noses of tens of thousands of elite Left Guard troops.

(End of this chapter)