My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 647 Fire in Shaocheng
After receiving Cao Xiong's report, Sima Yi's face darkened. After a moment, he said, "Send down the order: all fire points should be set ahead of schedule. After the fires are set, all troops should assemble at the north gate of Cheng. I request General Shi to take full command."

"The chief priest!?"

Cao Xiong suddenly raised his head, his face full of disbelief. They had just wiped out the rebels, so why were they about to withdraw?
Sima Yi coldly retorted, "Did Sima Cao not hear my order clearly?"

Cao Xiong was startled and quickly lowered his head to show his obedience: "This subordinate understands clearly, this subordinate will go and do it right away."

As Cao Xiong's figure receded into the distance, Sima Yi's gloomy expression almost solidified into a grimace.

Cao Xiong had just annihilated the rebel army that attacked the prefecture and killed Yang Lu and Qian Xiang, making great contributions. Naturally, he was a little arrogant, but Sima Yi was not.

Sima Yi's gaze shifted from Cao Xiong's retreating figure, then coldly swept over the two bloodied heads of Yang Lu and Qian Xiang, his unease growing rapidly.

He immediately realized that these two idiots, who were nothing but heads, were likely a smokescreen put up by the real enemy. Since the other side had made a move, there was no way their actions would be so trivial. Besides, Cao Xiong had interrogated the surrendered soldiers and extracted a lot of information from them, including intelligence on Meng Da and his group.

According to the surrendered soldiers, Meng Da came with them to attack the prefecture, but he did not enter the prefecture. Instead, he stayed outside under the pretext of guarding the rear and blocking reinforcements for Yang Lu, Qian Xiang and others.

Sima Yi immediately decided to act ahead of schedule and evacuate. In his view, Meng Da and Yang Lu's forces posed no threat whatsoever, which meant that the real threat came from elsewhere.

If nothing unexpected happens, it's certain that one of the city gates has been bribed.

However, the situation has arisen so hastily that Sima Yi no longer has time to find and eliminate the internal threat. Moreover, it is foreseeable that the Left Army has already taken action and may have even reached the outskirts of Chengdu, not far from entering the city.

Therefore, it is not difficult to understand why Sima Yi, knowing that the situation was beyond saving, launched an early attack and withdrew his troops ahead of schedule.

In fact, Sima Yi's guess and judgment were extremely correct. At this time, Ma Qiu was looking out of the city from the Dongshun Gate in the east of the city.

"Marshal Ma, there is no need to be anxious. General Zuo is known for his integrity. He will arrive on time even in a storm, let alone tonight when the wind and moon are gentle and bright, as if divinely inspired."

The speaker was Fa Zheng, who was assigned to assist Ma Qiu after returning to the city and was also the de facto supervisor.

Zhang Song and his men gathered a force of nearly a thousand men. They selected four hundred elite soldiers to serve under Meng Da, while the remaining four hundred were stationed inside the Dongshun Gate to ensure that the gate could be opened in a timely manner.

Ma Qiu was a military officer in the Shu army. According to the established system, there should have been 500 men. However, the Shu army was short-staffed at this time, and his unit only had about 300 men left. They were assigned to take turns guarding the Dongshun Gate.

Such a major event as a mutiny could not be made public. Ma Qiu only consulted with his two most trusted platoon leaders and three squad leaders, and determined that the participating troops would only be less than a hundred men from the two platoons.

Even with this group of a hundred people, Fa Zheng advised Polo not to tell everyone, but to select the twenty or so most reliable and loyal people to ensure that the information would not be leaked.

Then these twenty-odd men were placed at the city gate and inside the city tower that night, in preparation for opening the city gate at a critical moment. As for the other troops in the city, they were to be persuaded after the operation was launched, under the guidance of reliable officers.

Finally, there were four hundred powerful retainers stationed in the residential houses inside the East Gate. These retainers served as the last line of defense and would risk attacking the city gate in the event of an accident.

The remaining two hundred pieces were gathered at Zhang Song's house to protect everyone's families and relatives.

"Yes, yes, I was a little too hasty."

Polo wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Although it was springtime, the nighttime temperature wasn't high. Yet, Polo felt as if he were in the sweltering heat of summer, his forehead dripping with sweat.

Fa Zheng was quite understanding and did not criticize Ma Qiu for being cowardly. Instead, he continued to comfort him, saying, "Marshal Ma, one should remain calm in the face of great events. We are not acting for personal gain, but for the sake of all the people in the city."

Upon hearing this, Polo nodded repeatedly: "Mr. Fa is right."

Just then, a torch suddenly appeared outside the city, flickered three times, went out, and after a short while, it lit up again, repeating this cycle three times.

Fa Zheng and Ma Qiu were overjoyed.

"The Left Army has arrived; the great undertaking is complete!"

Fa Zheng exclaimed with delight, "General, please open the city gates immediately to welcome the Left Army!"

Polo was extremely excited at this moment. Although he was still covered in sweat, he could not hide the joy on his face. He quickly replied, "Please wait a moment, sir. I will go to Kaicheng right away."

After saying this, Ma Qiu instructed his personal guard leader to lower the drawbridge inside the city tower, while he himself led three or four guards down the tower and headed straight for the city gate.

Soon, the drawbridge, creaking heavily in the night, slowly lowered. At the same time, the city gates opened slowly under the moonlight.

Outside the city, crowds thronged, and figures moved about.

As soon as the drawbridge was lowered, Zuo Mu soldiers rushed into the city.

The leader was none other than Wei Yan, a rising star general of the Left Guard Army.

The first to notice the anomaly were naturally the Shu soldiers of Ma Qiu's unit. Just as everyone was filled with doubt and uncertainty, Ma Qiu stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Gentlemen, do not panic. Liu Jiyu is acting against the will of Heaven, and Cao Zixiu wants to burn down Chengdu. Today, the Left Army is entering the city to rescue us. As long as you cooperate, you will be safe."

Polo's force numbered only three hundred, with over a hundred of them being his trusted confidants, who naturally surrendered immediately upon hearing the news. With this group leading the way, the other two hundred men, lacking a leader, quickly followed suit and knelt down to beg for surrender.

After entering the city, Wei Yan directed his soldiers to take over the defense while inquiring about the specific situation of Ma Qiu and Fa Zheng in the city.

After Wei Yan entered the city, Fa Zheng took the initiative to come down from the city tower and explained the military situation in the city in detail.

Upon learning that there were no Cao troops stationed in Dacheng, a hint of disappointment flashed across Wei Yan's face. Clearly, for Wei Yan, the Cao army was the real prey, and the Shu army's achievements were far inferior to those of an equal number of Cao troops.

However, Wei Yan quickly suppressed his disappointment. After a moment of contemplation, he instructed Fa Zheng and Ma Qiu: "I request that Mr. Fa Zheng and General Ma cooperate with our army to guard this gate and receive the rest of our troops into the city. I intend to lead my troops ahead to see if we can cooperate with Mr. Meng to break through the prefecture and capture Sima Zhongda alive."

Fa Zheng and Ma Qiu immediately agreed.

Wei Yan didn't delay and led his 1,500 men towards Shaocheng, leaving only 500 men to guard Dongshun Gate.

Less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea after Wei Yan left, another contingent of Left Guard troops entered the city, carrying yellow banners. It was the troops of Huang Zhong, the general of the Left Guard.

Just like Wei Yan, after hearing the details, Huang Zhong also left behind 500 men and then led his own troops to chase after Wei Yan.

The third wave to enter the city was Wen Ping. Just as he was inquiring about the situation, and Fa Zheng and Ma Qiu both thought that he would follow in the footsteps of the previous two, a sudden change occurred.

Thick smoke suddenly billowed up from the direction of Shaocheng, and flames shot into the sky. Fazheng and Maqiu were both shocked, and Wenping was also greatly surprised.

"What...what's going on?"

Wenping asked Fazheng and Maqiu in surprise.

Fa Zheng's face was ashen, while Ma Qiu's face was deathly pale.

Finally, Fa Zheng gritted his teeth and said, "Cao Cao's army is worse than beasts. They have long intended to burn the city. We rose up in rebellion to welcome General Zuo into the city because we wanted to save the people of Chengdu from this calamity. We never expected that Cao Cao's army would be so willful."

At this point, Fa Zheng immediately bowed deeply to Wen Ping: "General, you are a trusted and beloved general of the Left General. I implore you to have pity on the people of the city and go to Shaocheng to put out the fire as soon as possible."

Wen Ping's face was grim. Taking Chengdu would certainly be a great achievement, but if Chengdu were burned to the ground, it would be more than just a matter of losing his merit.

Considering Liu Feng's consistent style of doing things, Wen Ping's heart stirred slightly, and he immediately agreed: "Mr. Fa, do not worry. Now that I have entered the city, I have no choice but to take on this responsibility. However, our army is new to Chengdu and does not know the geography. I hope that you can allocate a few guides to help our army get to the fire as soon as possible."

Fa Zheng had already prepared several guides. Previously, Wei Yan and Huang Zhong's troops each led away several people, leaving him with three people.

Fa Zheng didn't say much, and immediately pointed out the most reliable person to Wen Ping: "General, this man is a wandering knight in the city. He has traveled all over the two cities of Chengdu. If you have any questions, you can ask him directly."

Wen Ping was overjoyed and immediately set off with the man, speeding towards Shaocheng.

This time, no troops were left to assist in defending the city.

Next, Ling Tong, Zhang Nan, Feng Xi, Lü Dai and other troops arrived one after another. Seeing the fire in Shaocheng, they were all extremely anxious and rushed to the fire scene to help at Fa Zheng's request.

When Liu Feng entered the city at dawn, the fire had already been brought under control.

Seeing the fire in Shaocheng, Liu Feng was both shocked and anxious, and despite Fa Zheng's advice, he led his personal guards straight to Shaocheng.

Seeing that he could not persuade Liu Feng, Fa Zheng hurriedly went to Zhang Song's residence to inform him.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Song, Qin Mi, Yang Hong, and others hurriedly left the mansion and, together with Fa Zheng and under Meng Da's protection, headed towards Shaocheng.

When they arrived at Shaocheng, Liu Feng was already directing the Left Guard Army to put out the fire, under the protection of a group of Left Guard Army generals.

At this point, the fire had been contained within the warehouse, and was much smaller than Sima Yi had originally planned.

While the hasty launch certainly played a role, the efforts of Wen Ping and Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, and others who arrived earlier also contributed significantly.

After Wei Yan and Huang Zhong entered the city, they moved extremely quickly and immediately rushed towards the Shaocheng Prefecture.

On their way, they encountered Meng Da, learned the true state of the prefecture, and their confidence soared. They wanted to break through the prefecture in one fell swoop and capture Sima Yi alive.

But who could have imagined that by the time they arrived at the prefectural capital, Sima Yi had already vanished without a trace.

Wei Yan was immediately enraged and chased after the other man toward the north gate.

As a result, they were ambushed by Cao Cao's army halfway there.

Fortunately, the guides under Wei Yan's command were very useful. They led Wei Yan through a small alley to the enemy's flank, which not only relieved the troops trapped on the front but also forced Cao Cao's army to retreat repeatedly.

Just as the Left Army's morale was high and they were ready to press on, they discovered that flames suddenly shot into the sky south of Shaocheng, almost illuminating half of the night sky.

Generals Wei Yan and Huang Zhong were furious, but there was nothing they could do.

The two knew that with Liu Feng's temperament, if he were greedy for merit and allowed the fire to spread, he would be severely punished even if he had made a contribution. Not to mention that although Cao's army had suffered a minor defeat, its formation was still intact, and there must be a large force waiting at the north gate. Even if they chased after them, they might not be able to stop them.

Left with no other choice, Wei Yan and Huang Zhong met briefly, then withdrew their troops and headed south, breaking off contact with Cao Cao's army, to rush to the south of Shaocheng to put out the fire.

It was thanks to the timely arrival of Wei Yan and Huang Zhong, along with the continuous reinforcements from Wen Ping and other tribes, that the fire was contained south of Shaocheng and prevented from spreading.

By morning, the fire was finally extinguished. Only small embers or reignited embers remained in the fire area, but with careful searching, there was no major damage.

After arriving at the scene, Liu Feng listened to the reports from his generals.

After the fire subsided, the generals dispatched some troops to the city gates and the west of the city to take over the various city gates.

The Cao army had already withdrawn from these places like city gates, leaving the gates empty. The Shu army guarding the gates was completely unaware of this and even looked bewildered when they saw the Left Guard Army appear.

Fortunately, with the help of Zhang Song and others, these Shu soldiers quickly surrendered and were then gathered together to participate in the firefighting efforts. In addition, Zhang Song, in his capacity as the Prefect of Yizhou, issued an order to mobilize the people of the city to help fight the fire.

This is why the fire was already under control when Liu Feng entered the city.

Although the fire in Shaocheng did not result in many casualties, a significant amount of the remaining supplies in the government warehouse were burned. In particular, straw and other fodder were completely destroyed.

Don't underestimate these things; they are second only to grains in quality. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, cotton was not only not widely promoted, but also, due to the nature of cotton seeds, it was impossible to make cotton clothing.

Therefore, during the winter, most people in the Eastern Han Dynasty relied on layers of clothing and fires to keep warm. At night, they used soft straw to keep warm while sleeping.

At the same time, straw and stalks are combustible materials that can be burned for warmth and cooking.

Finally, this is still an essential ration for livestock and horses in winter, making it a very important resource.

If these two supplies hadn't been so bulky and difficult to transport, and hadn't been less valuable than other supplies, Cao Ang and Sima Yi would never have stayed in Chengdu.

Just because it can't be transported away doesn't mean it will be left to the Left Army. Moreover, as mentioned before, straw and stalks are excellent flammable materials, naturally becoming fuel for the fire.

It was precisely because Zhang Song and his men acted in time that they disrupted Sima Yi's plans, forcing him to act hastily. Otherwise, if Sima Yi's plan had proceeded as scheduled, even if the Left Guard Army had entered the city, the fire would have been impossible to extinguish.

(End of this chapter)