My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 669 Liu Zhang Abandons His Army
The only force they could rely on was Cao Gong's troops, who had gone to Fandunqiu to provide reinforcements but failed to arrive in time.

After realizing what was happening, Cao Ang immediately adopted Sima Yi's advice and issued a series of orders.

The first order was exactly what Sima Yi had just said: to order Cao Gong to hold the line and wait for reinforcements, and absolutely not to let the Left Guard Army break through Fandun Hill.

The second order was sent to the Shu army, requesting Liu Zhang to send strong troops to reinforce Cao Gong and maintain the communication channel between the two armies. At the same time, the Shu army was asked to prepare for a retreat, and if the subsequent battles were unfavorable, they could retreat to the main camp in Fancheng to hold their ground.

The third order was to mobilize Zhang Xiu's cavalry to urgently reinforce Cao Gong's forces, awaiting the arrival of Shu reinforcements.

The fourth order was to inform Cao Ren's troops on the right flank of their own forces of the news of the fall of Fandunqiu, and to ask them to prepare for the possibility that Cao Ren's troops would be needed to cover the rear if the allied forces had to retreat in case the situation turned bad.

After the order was given, Cao Ang was filled with remorse, regretting that he had not sent Zhang Xiu's troops to reinforce Fandunqiu.

In fact, Cao Ang and Sima Yi cannot be blamed for this. Zhang Xiu's troops were elite cavalry, so how could they be deployed to hand-to-hand combat in the camp?

This was a foolish move, and although Fandunqiu was at a disadvantage at the time, it showed no signs of falling. Not to mention Cao Ang, even Sima Yi would not have thought of using Zhang Xiu's cavalry to reinforce it.

But even now, thinking back on it, I still can't help but feel annoyed and regretful.

With Cao Ang's order issued, the three main generals received the message.

Upon receiving the news, Cao Ren, the commander of the right flank, turned pale with shock.

Although Cao Ren's military ability was not as good as Sima Yi's, it was better than Cao Ang's.

If Cao Ang understood this, then he certainly couldn't possibly be unaware of it.

"General, has something happened?"

Seeing the change in Cao Ren's expression, those around him couldn't help but ask.

Cao Ren shook his head without answering, and instead began issuing orders.

"Let Zhang Gongze continue his fierce attack without any slackening."

Cao Ren waved his hand, then changed the subject, saying, "Summon Gao Qian, Xu Shang, and Lü Sheng to see me."

Gao Qian, Xu Shang, and Lü Sheng are Cao Ren's trusted military commanders, each leading a battalion of a thousand men, and are currently stationed in the camp.

Soon, summoned by Cao Ren, the three handed over their troops to their deputy and led a few personal guards to rush towards Cao Ren's main camp.

Upon meeting them, Cao Ren stopped the three men from their formalities, summoned them to his side, and said in a low voice, "Fandunqiu has fallen, and the situation is not optimistic."

The five words, "Fan Dunqiu has fallen," struck Gao Qian and his companions like a thunderclap, nearly causing them to lose their composure.

Cao Ren gave the three men some time to process what was happening. Once they had recovered, he began to issue orders: "Zixiu has instructed me to prepare to cover the rear. You three will each lead your troops and retreat five li. Set up camp three li south of Fancheng and dig many trenches to shield the pursuing army during the retreat."

"Here!"

Gao Qian and the other two didn't dare to think it through and agreed immediately.

Cao Ren's expression softened slightly, and he reassured Gao Qian and the other two, urging them to take immediate action.

Cao Ren was methodically arranging his retreat, while Liu Zhang was in a much more difficult situation.

Without Cao Ang's notification, Liu Zhang had already witnessed the fall of Fandunqiu.

If Liu Zhang hadn't reacted quickly with his eyes and hands, he would have almost collapsed on the spot.

Although Liu Zhang himself launched quite a few wars, the rebellions instigated by Liu Biao and Zhao Wei alone were two significant wars. Subsequently, before Pang Xi's major defeat, he campaigned against Zhang Lu for several consecutive years.

Although Liu Zhang initiated most of these wars, he never actually participated in them.

In fact, Liu Zhang had two older brothers, both of whom were his own brothers from the same mother. Liu Yan's position was not in Liu Zhang's best interest.

Liu Zhang's elder brother, Liu Fan, had already been appointed as the Left General of the Central Army with a salary of 2,000 shi (a unit of grain) during the Chuping era, while his second elder brother, Liu Dan, was already a key figure in the central government with a salary of 600 shi (a unit of grain).

If they hadn't both died in the Changpingguan Incident, Liu Zhang would never have had a chance to rise to power.

Furthermore, when Liu Zhang entered Shu, Liu Yan's health was already quite poor. Within two years, upon hearing that his eldest and second sons had rebelled against Li Jue and been killed, he immediately fell ill and died, leaving him with very little time to teach Liu Zhang.

This resulted in Liu Zhang not only lacking prestige but also being ignorant of military strategy.

While Liu Zhang could rely on his natural talent to learn as he went in politics, he was utterly incompetent in military strategy and tactics, and his decisions were utterly absurd.

It is truly a strange sight that the mighty Yizhou, a province, could not contain or subdue Zhang Lu, who only had Hanzhong County. Instead, it was at a disadvantage and Zhang Lu invaded Ba County and Guanghan.

Liu Zhang was indecisive by nature, outwardly fierce but inwardly weak.

The reason Liu Zhang was able to lead the troops into battle and personally go to the front line was not because he realized the importance of this battle. In his heart, it was because Fancheng was a small city with limited space, and he felt uneasy without the protection of the army.

Therefore, Liu Zhang went to war with the army and delegated command authority to Pang Xi and Zhang Ren.

Zhang Ren was currently commanding the Shu army on the front lines, with the Left Army launching a relentless offensive, leaving him no time to spare. Meanwhile, Pang Xi was stationed in the central army, continuously deploying troops to support Zhang Ren, leaving only Liu Zhang sitting calmly in the rear.

Upon receiving Cao Ang's report, Liu Zhang was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.

For Cao Ang, this was a advance notification to secure the Shu army's cooperation. However, for Liu Zhang, it was a misinterpretation that the situation had deteriorated to the point where a retreat was necessary.

When Liu Zhang came to his senses, his first instinct was to run away.

Pang Xi, Zhang Ren, Wu Yi, Wu Ban, and others around him were all on the front lines.

Their opponents along the way were fierce generals like Wei Yan and Huang Zhong, and they were commanded by renowned generals like Lu Xun, who had long been putting immense pressure on the Shu army.

Under immense pressure, the Shu army and the Dongzhou troops have come to the point of setting aside past grievances and working together. Generals such as Wu Yi, Wu Ban, Leng Bao, and Liu Gui have all personally gone to the front lines, which is why they have been able to persevere until now.

As a result, a vacuum appeared around Liu Zhang, who was in a safe position in the rear. Apart from Liu Zhang's close attendants, there were no generals serving him, only civil officials such as Wang Shang and Wang Lei.

Liu Zhang felt a chill run through his body. Looking into the distance, he saw that the Left Guard Army in Fandun Hill had already captured the entire camp, and Quan Cong's troops had begun to advance from the north gate, pressing towards Cao Gong's forces. At the same time, fierce fighting was raging on the Shu army's front lines. Shouts and neighing horses filled the air as the armored soldiers of both sides clashed, creating a scene of carnage and flying limbs.

Liu Zhang felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart tightly, as if it were about to burst, making it hard for him to breathe.

The next moment, a force seemed to spring from nowhere, allowing him to stand firmly and shout loudly.

"Prepare the horses, prepare the horses quickly."

Wang Shang, Wang Lei, and the others all changed their expressions drastically, looking at Liu Zhang in disbelief.

The attendants, unaware of the reason, simply obeyed Liu Zhang's orders, immediately saddled the horses, and led them to Liu Zhang. Liu Zhang was about to mount when Wang Lei suddenly lunged forward, grabbed the reins, and shouted, "My lord, the army is still fighting a bloody battle! How can you leave?!"

"open!"

Liu Zhang was so terrified that he lost all ability to make judgments. He had only one thought in his mind: to get out of this dangerous place as soon as possible.

Wang Lei, however, was a man of principle. Ignoring the murderous intent gleaming in Liu Zhang's eyes, he straightened his back and resolutely advised, "My lord! Although Fandunqiu has been lost, the foundation of our army remains intact, and the outcome is still uncertain! Now is the perfect time to personally lead the troops into battle, to beat the drum and inspire them. If the soldiers see your banner flying high, they will surely be moved to tears and willing to fight to the death! When that time comes, a thunderous strike will surely crush the traitor Liu!"

Wang Lei's honest advice was hard to hear, but Liu Zhang wouldn't listen to a word of it. Instead, he flew into a rage, drew his whip, and lashed it directly across Wang Lei's face, shouting angrily, "Do you want to kill your sovereign and father?"

Wang Lei's eyes were bloodshot, tears streaming down his face. His fingers were deeply embedded in the reins, drawing blood. He still cried out in anguish, "My lord! You must not retreat! If we move the capital back, tens of thousands of our soldiers who fought on the front lines will be abandoned! Where will the souls of those loyal ministers and generals who gave their lives for you go?! My lord—think carefully!"

"Unless I die here today, I would never dare to let the dragon steed return north!"

The reins in Wang Lei's hands clanged, and Liu Zhang's mount seemed to be moved by his tearful words of loyalty, lowering its head and resting in place.

"You scoundrel, how dare you!"

Liu Zhang was furious and lashed Wang Lei repeatedly with his whip. But the latter seemed determined, refusing to loosen his grip on the reins even with whip marks on his face and tattered clothes.

"Wan Sheng!"

Suddenly, a thunderous cheer erupted from the south.

Liu Zhang, Wang Shang, and the others were all startled. Upon closer listening, they discovered that Wei Yan, a brave general of the Left Guard Army, had killed Liu Gui, a general of the Shu army, and the vanguard of the Shu army began to collapse.

At this moment, although the Shu army was at a disadvantage, it was not yet on the verge of collapse.

But for Liu Zhang, this was undoubtedly adding insult to injury, becoming the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Before Wang Shang and the others could react, Liu Zhang threw away his riding whip, drew his sword from his waist, glared fiercely at Wang Lei, and spat out a few words through gritted teeth: "You actually won't let me go!"

"Don't let it go!"

Wang Lei immediately replied, "I would rather die than let you go!"

"Good, good, good!"

Liu Zhang nodded fiercely: "Since you seek death—I will preserve your reputation for loyalty!"

After saying this, Liu Zhang suddenly raised his hand and stabbed, piercing Wang Shang's heart amidst the exclamations of Wang Shang and the others.

The next moment, everyone, including Liu Zhang, froze on the ground, watching Wang Lei lose all his strength and collapse to the ground.

Even so, he did not loosen his grip on the reins with his left hand, and his eyes remained open until his death.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Zhang suddenly loosened his right hand, and the sword fell to the ground, startling everyone awake.

Before Wang Shang and the others could say anything, Liu Zhang took the initiative to act.

He bent down, picked up the sword, walked to his mount, and with a swift motion, severed the reins that Wang Lei was tightly gripping. Immediately, Liu Zhang tossed aside the sword, took two steps forward, led his horse around the fallen Wang Lei, mounted, and galloped off towards Fancheng with his personal guards and his banner.

The abandoned Wang Shang and the others looked on in despair, and could only watch helplessly as Liu Zhang ran away.

Soon, news of Liu Zhang's escape spread, and the Shu army, which was still fighting bloody battles on the front lines and desperately resisting the Left Army's offensive, was thrown into chaos. From officers to soldiers, everyone couldn't help but turn around to look at Liu Zhang's banner behind them.

The scene that followed did not dispel their astonishment; instead, it dealt them a heavy blow. The banner in Liu Zhang's rear guard had vanished without a trace, along with Liu Zhang himself and the entire rear guard.

The two thousand personal guards who were originally stationed in the rear to protect Liu Zhang's safety have also disappeared, and now only a few people, including Wang Shang, remain in the entire rear.

This discovery immediately plunged the morale of the Shu army to rock bottom, and some of the troops even mutinied.

Although the Zuo Mu army, which was launching a fierce attack, did not know exactly what had happened, they could clearly feel that the morale of the Shu army in front of them had become lower and their will to resist was waning. They were completely different from before.

Lu Xun keenly seized this opportunity and unleashed all his reserves, especially Sun Ce's three thousand cavalry, who, like tigers released from their cages, made a beautiful diagonal cut and directly pierced through the Shu army's formation, successfully breaking through the enemy lines. This move undoubtedly extinguished the morale of the Shu army.

Despite the best efforts of Pang Xi, Zhang Ren, and others to salvage the situation, the Yizhou army began to slowly disintegrate. Including the Dongzhou soldiers, the entire Yizhou army formation began to fall apart, with soldiers constantly fleeing in all directions.

Generals such as Wei Yan and Huang Zhong were overjoyed, knowing that the time to reap the rewards of their victory had arrived, and they urged their soldiers to pursue and kill the Yizhou army.

With Wei Yan and Huang Zhong's bravery and skill in battle, they had only advanced a little over a hundred meters after a fierce attack that lasted for nearly two hours. But now, in just the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they had already chased after them for more than half a mile. Their kills and captures not only exceeded their previous gains, but more than doubled.

After nearly two hours of bloody fighting, only a thousand or so soldiers of Yizhou had been killed or wounded. But in the short span of time it takes to drink a cup of tea, more than three thousand prisoners had already been captured. The officers and soldiers under Lu Xun, Wei Yan, Huang Zhong, Sun Ce and others were so excited that their eyes were red.

During this period, there were generals who wanted to organize the Yizhou army to resist or retreat in an organized manner, but Sun Ce kept a close eye on the movements of the Yizhou army. He usually controlled the speed and attacked from the side to drive them away, but once he found that the Yizhou army officers and soldiers were gathering, he would immediately send out appropriate troops to disperse them.

In this matter, Sun Ce did not need Lu Xun to remind him; with his military capabilities, he would naturally be able to execute such tactics.

With the relentless pursuit of the Left Guard Army and Sun Ce's constant flanking attacks, the Yizhou army's formation began to collapse completely, with large numbers of soldiers scattering and fleeing like rotting flesh being thrown off corpses.

Lu Xun ignored the soldiers who were scattering and fleeing, and focused on the main force of the Yizhou army in pursuit.

Good news kept reaching the rear. Shu generals and officers were being beheaded or captured one after another. When the news of Zhang Ren being killed in battle by Huang Zhong spread, the Yizhou army completely lost its fighting spirit, abandoned their armor and weapons, and fled in panic, not even daring to look back.

(End of this chapter)