My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 644 Secret Discussion on Surrendering the City
In this way, Chengdu was opened to the public without bloodshed, which not only spared the common people from the ravages of war, but also allowed the powerful clans to preserve their families without taking risks.

Zhang Song, Fa Zheng, and Meng Da were naturally dissatisfied with Yang Hong and Qin Mi's conservatism, but in reality, they had no choice but to act in their place.

Leaving aside the importance of Qin Mi and Yang Hong, the connections the Qin and Yang families had in Chengdu were an indispensable asset for Zhang Song and his group.

In fact, Zhang Song, with his radical attitude, couldn't be persuaded, let alone Qin Mi and Yang Hong, or even his own elder brother.

After all, how many people would be willing to put in a lot of effort for something that can be won effortlessly?
If we add the premise of risking one's life to fight, then the number of people willing to do so would be even fewer.

However, if the situation truly changes and what Zhang Song said is not unfounded, then the situation will be different.

Seeing the wavering in everyone's eyes, Zhang Song continued, "After you return, you may send people to investigate on your own. However, you must be extremely careful. Cao Cao's men are very vigilant. If you alert him, we may face great disaster."

Seeing that Zhang Song had said so, Qin Mi, Yang Hong and the others believed him.

A sudden silence fell over the room. After choosing to believe Zhang Song, everyone began to consider how to proceed. Zhang Song, unusually, did not urge them on, but instead remained seated, quietly waiting for them to think.

It took a full meal for Yang Hong's voice to ring out again.

"Since Ziqiao was the first to notice this matter and summoned us here, it is clear that you have a plan in mind. Let us hear what Ziqiao has to say."

Qin Mi, Fa Zheng, and Meng Da all nodded in agreement.

Zhang Song felt a surge of excitement, but after forcing himself to calm down, he said in a resolute tone, "Now that things have come to this, there is no other way but to open the city gates and welcome the Zuo Mu army!"

Yang Hong slowly nodded and glanced at Qin Mi.

After a moment's hesitation, Qin Mi nodded emphatically.

“My family only has a few dozen retainers in the city, but the garrison commander in the east of the city is a former subordinate of my family, and he is capable of being used.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Hong also said, "There are many troubles in the city. Last year, my family recruited soldiers into the city. There are more than 300 people in the mansion, and another 200 people were secretly stationed in the southern ward of the city, for a total of 600 people. They are all equipped with swords, bows and arrows, but there is a shortage of armor and crossbows."

Meng Da immediately said, "My family also has a hundred capable followers and several hundred weapons of various lengths, which can contribute to this great undertaking."

Fa Zheng concluded, “I have a close friend who manages Liu Yizhou’s private treasury. He is a local from Chengdu and is unwilling to follow Liu Yizhou eastward, hence his many complaints. If we can win him over, the lack of military equipment can be replenished from the private treasury.”

When he saw that everyone finally relented and brought out the resources they had, Zhang Song was overjoyed.

After everyone's attention was focused on him, Zhang Song coughed and revealed his trump card: "I also have more than two hundred retainers in my mansion, and I also have a hidden storeroom where I have seized four hundred sets of leather armor, six hundred long and short weapons, and one hundred and twenty bows and crossbows from the armory."

Everyone was overjoyed, never expecting that Zhang Song had made so many preparations in secret.

Before Zhang Song could finish speaking, he continued, "I have a very close relationship with Yang Lu. In this operation, I can also bring him on board, which will at least add several hundred more skilled men."

Yang Lu was the son of Yang You, a famous swordsman in Chengdu.

Yang You was a native of Chengdu, Shu Commandery, in the mid-Eastern Han Dynasty. The "Biographies of Fangshu in the Book of the Later Han" records that he "studied the Book of Changes in his youth and was good at divination, but he did not like to pursue an official career and often distributed his wealth to help the poor and weak."

Although he was renowned for his magical arts, he disliked officialdom and instead spent many years traveling between Chengdu and the surrounding counties to resolve disputes for the people. He mediated clan feuds, sought justice for the poor, and even risked his life to stop local powerful families from seizing farmland.

Historical records state that he "never broke his promises; he always stood up for what was right when he saw injustice," and he was known among the people as "Yang Gongyi." His style of conduct combined the characteristics of a chivalrous knight-errant: keeping his promises and fighting against injustice.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Guangwu (Liu Xiu) greatly disliked wandering knights and issued an edict to "prohibit them." Therefore, throughout the Eastern Han Dynasty, the government's suppression of wandering knights was more stringent than that of the Western Han Dynasty.

However, it is still difficult to prohibit wandering knights from all over the world, especially in large cities such as Chengdu, Yingchuan, Nanyang, Luoyang, Chang'an, and Chenliu.

Taking Chengdu as an example, the "Chronicles of Huayang: Shu" records that in the mid-to-late Eastern Han Dynasty, Chengdu, as the capital of Yizhou, was prosperous in commerce and densely populated, which gave rise to a group of local heroes who "valued life over death".

These people were mostly from humble backgrounds. "They formed a gang of thousands, plundered and dug up graves, and robbed the rich to help the poor." Although some of their actions violated the law, they were quite popular among the lower classes because of their "helping the poor" deeds.

For example, during the reign of Emperor Shun, Xi Jian, the governor of Yizhou, levied exorbitant taxes and levies, causing widespread disturbance and rumors, making him a rare and corrupt official.

In Chengdu, there was once a group of hundreds of chivalrous heroes who intercepted the embezzled funds being transported by corrupt officials and distributed them to displaced people. This event was known as the "Chengdu Robbery." Although no specific names were recorded, it reflects the activity of the chivalrous community in Chengdu at that time.

Yang Lu, son of Yang You, benefited from his father's influence and had extensive connections in Chengdu, earning him the respect of many chivalrous figures. If he were willing to lend a hand, he could certainly recruit hundreds of wandering knights. In fact, if Cao Cao's army hadn't conscripted most of the able-bodied men in Chengdu to transport supplies, Yang Lu could have even rallied a force of over a thousand.

These heroes may not have many suits of armor, but they will likely have a considerable number of long and short weapons, as well as bows and crossbows, which would definitely be a great help to them.

Chatting amongst themselves, the crowd quickly amassed over a thousand soldiers. If they could also gain the support of the East Gate garrison commander, a coordinated attack from within and without would make surrendering the city—a matter of life and death—seem remarkably easy.

Suddenly, Meng Da asked, "Should someone be sent to inform Huang Gongheng?"

Huang Quan is currently leading troops to garrison Xindu, which is northeast of Chengdu, only a few miles away.

If we can bring Huang Quan in as well, it will definitely be twice as effective with half the effort.

Before anyone else could react, Fa Zheng shook his head, rejecting Meng Da's suggestion first: "Inappropriate."

"Why?"

Meng Da's question was not at all displeased; he simply wanted to know why Fa Zheng thought his suggestion was inappropriate.

Meng Da's curiosity also reflects that of Qin Mi, Yang Hong, Zhang Song, and others. For them, it would obviously be more beneficial to their actions if they could win over Huang Quan, a powerful figure.

Seeing the doubts on everyone's faces, Fa Zheng clapped his hands and laughed, "Gentlemen, you are all close friends with Huang Gongheng. How could you not know his character? Gongheng is a man of fiery temper and steel-like bones. He is extremely loyal and unwavering. Ever since Cao Zixiu explained that the Duke moved the capital east, he has repeatedly risked his life to remonstrate with the Duke, always referring to him as 'wise Duke,' and all his plans were for the benefit of the people. Unfortunately, Liu Zhang was weak and incompetent, and he grew tired of his words, so he did not hesitate to exile him from the new capital, causing his pearl to be covered in dust and his precious sword to be sheathed."

"Even so, Huang Gongheng never complained, willingly accepting his post and making Xindu a bulwark for Chengdu." At this point, Fa Zheng suddenly became serious: "If we rashly invite such men of integrity, we would be placing them in a dilemma between loyalty and righteousness. If they follow us, they will betray their former master; if they uphold their integrity, they will harm their old friends. Even the finest jade from Jing Mountain will be shattered in Bian He's hands; even the sharpest sword will ultimately break in the heart of a loyal minister."

He looked around at the crowd and said, “What we are plotting is a great undertaking to restore order to Sichuan and save the people. Have you not heard the Book of Changes which says, ‘If a ruler is not discreet, he will lose his ministers; if a minister is not discreet, he will lose his life?’ Those who accomplish great things should emulate the wisdom of enduring hardship and biding their time. How can we let petty righteousness ruin our grand plan?”

A spring breeze suddenly arose outside the hall, stirring the robes of the Dharma Master.

“Those who plan great things should be like a deep pool and a towering mountain, keeping their intentions hidden. Rather than putting Gongheng in a difficult position, it is better to set it aside for the time being and reveal our true intentions later. In this way, we will neither damage his reputation for loyalty and righteousness nor delay our opportunity to advance.”

As he spoke, Fa Zheng turned his gaze to the distance outside the hall, as if he could see the banners on the city walls of Chengdu. He pondered for a moment and said, "When the situation is favorable, we will welcome Gong Heng to join us in this grand event. In this way, we will neither damage his loyalty nor betray our sworn brotherhood."

"Xiaozhi is truly a righteous man!"

Zhang Song exclaimed in admiration, "When Zidu mentioned Gongheng earlier, I felt something was amiss, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Xiaozhi's words have truly resonated with me."

Everyone in the hall nodded slowly. They all knew Huang Gongheng's personality. Just as Fa Zheng said, it would be the best of both worlds to wait until after the fact to recruit him.

Next, everyone began to discuss the detailed aspects.

There are three main difficulties: first, contacting the Left Army to agree on when to open the city gates; second, gathering manpower and setting a time to launch the attack; and third, how to command the troops.

After discussion, everyone agreed to gather all the troops together and hand them over to Meng Da for command.

This outcome is not surprising.

Qin Mi was a great Confucian scholar in Shu, with students and former officials all over the region. He was talented and eloquent, but military strategy was not his forte. Zhang Song was a man of great strategic ability and political skills, but he had no experience in commanding troops. Yang Hong came from a top-tier powerful family in Shu, which operated salt and iron businesses and had a large retinue of soldiers. He had indeed studied military strategy extensively, but his strengths lay in military deployment, resource allocation, and strategic planning, while frontline combat was not his forte.

As for Fa Zheng, he comes from a family of great Confucian scholars. Although he is outstanding in strategy, he has never been on the battlefield, and his family has very few retainers. Naturally, he cannot serve as a temporary commander.

Only Meng Da's father had served as the governor of Liangzhou, a rather special position that required someone to work themselves to the bone to make money.

The phrase "working oneself to the death to make money" here truly means working oneself to the death to make money; it implies that one must risk one's life while simultaneously making money.

Liangzhou was an extremely turbulent region. Not to mention the ethnic minority tribes under the Han court's rule, even the local gentry and powerful families in Liangzhou rebelled every few days.

However, once war breaks out, it becomes much easier to manipulate accounts and settle debts, which is extremely beneficial for governors and prefects to line their own pockets. In fact, at least 30% of the reason why Liangzhou was so turbulent during the Eastern Han Dynasty was because the governors and prefects of Liangzhou were too greedy and too daring to be greedy.

Meng Da's father served as the governor of Liangzhou for several years, during which he not only amassed a great deal of wealth but also maintained a large retinue to protect himself and his fortune.

When Meng Da traveled south to Sichuan, he brought with him a large amount of wealth and hundreds of followers. Currently, only about a hundred followers remain in Chengdu, as the rest are needed to protect Meng Da's caravans. Meng Da himself is fond of military affairs and has previously led his troops to quell bandits who had robbed his own caravans, possessing genuine combat experience.

Therefore, after discussing it, everyone agreed that only Meng Da was capable of undertaking this important task.

Meng Da was filled with excitement, but he forced himself to remain calm. Getting this job was undoubtedly a great thing for him.

Once this matter is accomplished, Meng Da will stand out in front of General Zuo, not only gaining military merit but also demonstrating his talent in military strategy, which will surely make General Zuo look at him differently.

"I am deeply grateful for your kind words and the great responsibility entrusted to me. I will certainly live up to your trust and work with you to restore order!"

In addition to appointing Meng Da as the front-line commander, he also invited Fa Zheng, who was known for his quick wit and intelligence, to be Meng Da's deputy and military advisor.

Then, Yang Hong was arranged to take Zhang Song's letter to contact Yang You's son, Yang Lu. With Zhang Song's connection, and given Yang Lu's extreme dissatisfaction and resentment towards Liu Zhang and Cao Ang for conscripting Chengdu's people into service, it would be no problem to get him to join the uprising.

As for Zhang Song, he had to stay close to Liu Zhang. He realized that the atmosphere had become increasingly tense recently, and it was very likely that Cao Ang would take Liu Zhang away from Chengdu. Therefore, he had to follow Liu Zhang closely during this period in order to obtain first-hand information in a timely manner.

Finally, Qin Mi wasn't idle either. As a great Confucian scholar from Shu, he was responsible for making connections with the powerful and influential families in Chengdu.

Of course, the matter of surrendering the city could not be discussed. This matter could only be known to the few people in the hall, at most including Yang Lu and Ma Qiu, the garrison commander of the East City. It could not be revealed to anyone else.

Qin Mi's mission was to contact the powerful clans and gentry in Chengdu, find out their thoughts, gather information, and persuade them to actively oppose Liu Zhang leaving Chengdu with Cao Ang.

Of course, Zhang Song and the others didn't really want to keep Liu Zhang there; they just hoped to buy time until after the major event was launched. Otherwise, once Liu Zhang set off, although Chengdu would be vulnerable, Sima Yi could easily burn the city down at any moment.

Once the agreement was reached, everyone quietly left through the hidden door and went home.

**
The day after seeing Sima Lang off, Lu Xun suddenly requested an audience.

Liu Feng was having a meal at the time, and upon hearing this, he immediately invited Lu Xun in.

"Has Boyan had lunch yet?"

Seeing Lu Xun enter the hall, Liu Feng asked with concern, "Alright, whether you've used it before or not, come and have some with me."

Lu Xun smiled and said, "My lord, an old friend requests an audience and asked me to introduce him."

"Oh? Who is it?"

Liu Feng's curiosity was piqued, and he asked in surprise, "Why didn't Boyan bring the person directly?"

Lu Xun replied with a smile, "Just as my lord said, the person is right behind me."

Liu Feng looked up in surprise and carefully examined the doorway. He discovered that Lu Xun was being followed by a person. After Liu Feng looked closely, he realized that the person was none other than Fa Zheng, Fa Xiaozhi.

(End of this chapter)