My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 670 Collapse of the Allied Forces
The collapse of the Yizhou army was so rapid and fierce that it directly brought down the entire battlefield of the allied forces.

The first to bear the brunt was Cao Gong's troops, which stood between Cao Ang's central route and Yizhou County's left route, blocking the way in front of Fandun Hill.

Cao Gong's troops were composed of a somewhat complex group. Five hundred of them were Cao Ang's elite personal guards, another five hundred were five hundred cavalrymen drawn from Zhang Xiu, and the remaining one thousand were Dongzhou soldiers who had previously been transferred to the central army. The avalanche of the Yizhou army immediately terrified Cao Gong's one thousand Dongzhou soldiers.

Cao Gong tried his best to calm the situation and maintain control, awaiting Cao Ang's further orders.

However, the Left Army wouldn't even give him that much time. Quan Cong led his troops out of Fandunqiu first, while Fu Tong's troops didn't even enter the camp. They bypassed Fandunqiu and headed north to meet up with Quan Cong north of Fandunqiu.

Wen Ping's troops suffered heavy casualties, but Lü Meng intentionally arranged for them to stay in the camp to rest and recuperate.

Under other circumstances, Wenpin would have agreed.

But now the Yizhou army has collapsed as a whole, and the left and right wings of the Left Army are already pursuing the fleeing enemy. Undoubtedly, this is the easiest time to gain military merit. If Lü Meng still keeps Wen Ping in the camp, that would not be showing consideration, but rather suppressing him.

Left with no other choice, Lü Meng and Wen Ping agreed that each of them would leave three hundred men in the camp to take care of the wounded, while Wen Ping would lead the remaining twelve hundred men to join Lü Meng in the campaign.

In fact, Wen Ping played some tricks here; the three hundred men he left behind could all be considered lightly wounded.

In the previous battles, Wen Ping's troops suffered more than 900 casualties, including more than 200 killed in action and more than 200 seriously wounded.

Wen Ping simply left all the lightly wounded soldiers behind to serve as guards. Most of those left behind had leg injuries that affected their mobility. He even took away those with minor injuries to their shoulders, backs, arms, and limbs.

With Lü Meng's attack, Cao Gong could no longer appease his Dongzhou soldiers. The Dongzhou soldier commander, a member of the Wu family and a cousin of Wu Yi and Wu Ban, disregarded Cao Gong's threats and fled with his troops.

The defection of the Dongzhou soldiers not only reduced Cao Gong's forces by half, but also made Zhang Xiu's five hundred cavalrymen restless.

The saying "a defeated army collapses like a mountain" perfectly describes this situation.

Seeing that even Cao Gong's own troops and Cao Ang's personal guards were staring at him with fear and a will to survive, Cao Gong knew that he only had one path left to take.

"Withdraw."

Cao Gong managed to utter those two words, and Cao's troops immediately breathed a sigh of relief, turning around to retreat.

Looking at his men's behavior, Cao Gong smiled bitterly to himself. Even if he didn't retreat, with only five hundred men left, they wouldn't be able to stop a wave of attacks from the Left Army.

Seeing that Quan Cong and his men had already reached the foot of the hill, Cao Gong knew he shouldn't delay any longer. He turned his horse around and led over a thousand Cao soldiers away.

The avalanche of the Yizhou army on the right flank was like a boulder crashing into a lake, creating huge waves that continued to expand in all directions.

Liu Feng, who was personally in charge of the central army, also noticed the changes on the right flank. In particular, when he saw the Left Army on Fandun Hill opening the city gates and pouring out in an endless stream, Liu Feng keenly realized that a major change had taken place on the right flank battlefield.

However, given the large-scale operation, it's impossible to act rashly due to this unforeseen accident; we can only wait for further news.

Sure enough, soon several riders came galloping toward them, shouting as they ran: "Great victory on the right wing! Great victory on the right wing! Liu Jiyu has fled in panic! The Yizhou army has collapsed! The Shu generals Zhang Ren, Liu Gui, and Pang Nuan have been killed in battle!"

Liu Fengteng stood up abruptly and, under the protection of his attendants and armored soldiers, walked to the edge of the camp.

The messenger riders drew closer, and their shouts grew clearer.

Liu Feng's hands clenched into fists beneath his cloak, his calm expression masking a hidden elation. His attendants and armored soldiers were already beaming with excitement; had Liu Feng not been there, they would likely have been whispering and celebrating their victory.

"Congratulations, my lord!"

Sun Quan, being the most astute, was the first to step forward, bowing deeply and proclaiming in a booming voice, "The urgent message from the right flank is truly a sign of destiny. Lu Boyan is a master strategist, a divine commander, whose battle formations are as ever-changing as the wind and clouds, and whose attacks on the enemy are as powerful as thunder. He has caused the deaths of Zhang Ren and other famous generals of Xichuan on the battlefield, and has ultimately lived up to the trust placed in him by our lord."

Gu Shao also smiled and said, "Lu Boyan has always been humble and cautious, keeping a low profile. No one knows that he has extraordinary talent. It is all thanks to our lord's discerning eye that he was entrusted with such an important task. Boyan's great victory over the Shu army this time not only demonstrates his command ability, but also shows our lord's wisdom in recognizing and appointing people!"

Xu Shu's words were sarcastic, but his target wasn't Lu Xun; rather, it was Liu Zhang (Liu Jiyu), who had abandoned his army and fled: "That Liu Jiyu, ostensibly the governor of a province, is nothing more than a dog guarding a gate. Yet he dares to try and stop a chariot, General. Even with loyal ministers like Zhang Ren, he couldn't escape the inevitable collapse. Now I hear he's abandoned his armor and dragged his troops away, fleeing like a dog with its tail between its legs. Isn't that absurd!"

Xu Shu was still young at this time, and his chivalrous and competitive spirit was strong, so he looked down on Liu Zhang, who had betrayed his followers.

Finally, everyone shouted in unison, "With this victory, the situation in Yizhou is now settled, and the pacification of Bashu is just around the corner. We, your humble servants, offer our congratulations to our lord!"

"well."

Liu Feng nodded repeatedly, and then gave the order: "Send this urgent message to the central and left routes, informing our troops that the enemy has been defeated and we are about to break through. I hope you will all exert your remaining strength to eliminate the evil completely."

News of the battle situation on the right flank and Liu Feng's orders quickly spread throughout the entire Left Army, and even the opposing Cao army vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

Cao Ang, Sima Yi, Yang Xiu, and others learned of the outcome of the eastern battlefield earlier than Liu Feng. They were completely stunned by Liu Zhang's killing of his close aide Wang Lei and his subsequent abandonment of the army and flight.

For a moment, even Sima Yi felt his mind go blank, completely unable to think.

What should we do now?

Yang Xiu uttered a sentence in a daze, which startled Sima Yi.

He immediately stepped forward, grabbed Cao Ang's wrist, and urged, "My lord, Liu Zhang has abandoned his army and fled, and the right flank has collapsed. There is no chance of winning this battle. We should make preparations as soon as possible."

Cao Ang woke up with a start, his mind still a mess, not knowing what to do.

Cao Ang felt a bitter taste in his mouth, shook his head and sighed, "My mind is in turmoil, and I really don't know how to deal with this."

"My lord, as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn."

Sima Yi continued to persuade him, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. For now, my lord, you should first go to a safe place before discussing anything else."

"Leave?! No way!"

Cao Ang shook his head repeatedly, refusing, "Liu Jiyu has already abandoned his army and fled. If I leave now, where will I leave the soldiers? Moreover, if I leave, the front line will surely collapse. When the nest is overturned, how can the eggs remain intact?" Sima Yi, however, had clear eyes and heard Cao Ang's concerns.

Cao Ang clearly didn't want to run away, but he was worried that if the army collapsed, what good would it do him to run away?

We're in a situation where we can run away but not escape our fate. Rather than being caught by Liu Feng like a rabbit, we might as well show our last bit of backbone.

"Your Excellency is mistaken."

Sima Yi immediately addressed these two points: "Our army still has 20,000 elite soldiers in Fucheng, and with the strong city as a support, why should our lord worry about not having a place to settle? Moreover, as long as our lord is safe and sound, the Grand General can act freely. Even if the situation in Shu deteriorates, the Grand General still has time to turn the tide."

Upon hearing this, Cao Ang's eyes began to flicker.

Cao Ang naturally understood Sima Yi's meaning: as long as he wasn't captured, the others couldn't be used by Liu Feng to blackmail Cao Cao. Even though the war was going poorly, as long as Cao Ang wasn't captured, they could continue to buy time. Furthermore, Sima Yi suggested that Cao Ang's destination wasn't Fancheng, but Fucheng.

"But, if I leave, what will happen to the soldiers here? Moreover, if I leave, the army will surely collapse and become uncontrollable. Even if I leave then, I may not be able to reach Fucheng."

Cao Ang was clearly tempted at this point, but he still couldn't let go of his tens of thousands of troops.

Although Cao Ang is just one person, he is the last pillar in the current situation.

The Yizhou army on the left flank of the allied forces has already collapsed, which will inevitably affect the central and even right flanks.

However, as long as Cao Ang was still alive, Cao's army had a backbone, and thus had the possibility of fighting and retreating, and retreating to protect Fancheng.

Even with the greatest losses, there is always a glimmer of hope.

But if Cao Ang escapes, these tens of thousands of Cao soldiers might surrender without a fight, and they would not even be able to play their role of holding back the left army.

Sima Yi had clearly anticipated this, and explained to Cao Ang, "My lord, you must not leave in a grand manner. You can first remove your armor from your attendants, and then keep the banner in place, pretending to rescue the right flank, while you lead your own cavalry to provide assistance."

Sima Yi's plan was quite timely and excellent.

In this way, the banner "Cao Ang" would still be in place, preventing the Cao army's morale from collapsing immediately, while also allowing them to legitimately leave with their cavalry under the pretense of rescuing the right flank.

Cao Ang was completely persuaded by Sima Yi, but he was still a little too proud to admit it.

Sima Yi saw this and immediately pressed, "My lord, whether to fight or retreat, we must decide quickly, for we have no time left."

Cao Ang sighed deeply and agreed to Sima Yi's request.

Sima Yi was overjoyed and immediately arranged for a guard of similar build to Cao Ang to change Cao Ang's armor. Then he sent someone to Cao Ren on the right flank to inform him of the situation and grant him the authority to oversee all affairs of Fancheng.

Finally, before Liu Feng launched a full-scale attack, Cao Ang, now in full armor, left the central camp under the protection of Sima Yi, Yang Xiu, and others, accompanied by Zhang Xiu and his personal guards, making it appear as if he were rescuing the right flank.

The troop movement naturally attracted the attention of Cao Cao's army, whose morale was already wavering. However, when they found that "Cao Ang" was still in the same place and the banner was still unmoved, they assumed that these troops were going to pick up the retreating soldiers on the right flank. In addition, the attack of the left flank army became more and more fierce, like a surging tide, so they did not have much energy to spare to look at the rear.

Cao Ang fled in multiple directions, taking in over a thousand men from Cao Gong's forces along the way. He bypassed the large number of routed soldiers from Yizhou and charged straight out from the north.

Not only was the Left Guard Army caught off guard, but even the various armies under Cao Ang's command had not anticipated this.

However, the number of troops capable of calmly escorting Cao Ang's retreat was not large. There were only 500 cavalrymen under Zhang Xiu, 1,000 elite cavalrymen from the Shu army, 500 personal guards of Cao Ang, and 500 personal soldiers under Cao Gong, totaling less than 3,000 men.

Upon receiving the news, Cao Ren on the right flank was initially furious, but his anger quickly turned into a stiff expression, and after a long while, it finally turned into a long sigh.

Subsequently, Cao Ren began the withdrawal of his troops, assigning his deputy to oversee the entire retreat on the right flank and to provide support for the fleeing soldiers within the main camp. He himself, along with two hundred personal guards, headed to the central command to direct the central retreat.

Cao Ren had no idea how many people could be evacuated, but saving even one more person would be better.

If he doesn't go, it would be tantamount to giving away the entire 20,000-strong army in the central route to the Left Army.

The idea was good, but reality was cruel.

When Cao Ren arrived at the central army, he found that the situation in the middle was already quite dire. The left-wing army's central army had already broken through two lines and was not far from the main line. The situation was even worse for the Dongzhou soldiers, who had been pushed to the front of the main line. If it weren't for Cao Ang's personal guards stepping forward to hold them off, they would probably have been broken through by the left-wing army.

Worse still, the retreating Yizhou army on the left flank was surging towards this side, while the flank of the central route was beginning to be exposed to the right flank of the Zuo Mu army.

Seeing this situation, Cao Ren knew that trying to withdraw his troops was simply wishful thinking.

The only solution now is for a brave man to make a painful but necessary decision.

Cao Ren immediately ordered his personal guards, who were supporting the Dongzhou troops, to turn back. He also sent orders to the Cao army troops under Niu Jin and Chang Diao, instructing them to retreat immediately. Afterward, he fled with his two hundred personal guards and Cao Ang's five hundred personal guards.

Liu Feng, who was on high ground, saw it clearly and immediately ordered his soldiers to shout that Cao Ang had fled.

The morale of Cao's army immediately wavered, and many people turned to look at the main formation, just in time to see Cao Ren's retreating figure.

This caused complete chaos even in the central part of the allied forces. More and more allied soldiers noticed the change in the main formation, and their morale collapsed completely. The Cao army and Dongzhou soldiers, who had been holding on, completely broke down and began to flee and surrender on a large scale.

The resistance to the Left Army's attack vanished without a trace. The previous fierce attacks had come within a hair's breadth of a breakthrough, but now, that hair's breadth was easily breached.

Gan Ning's troops advanced bravely, and Liao Hua and Xi Zhen also rallied their forces, wanting to redeem themselves. In addition, with the two thousand personal guards sent by Liu Feng, good news kept coming from the front lines.

Within a mere quarter of an hour of the collapse of Cao Cao's central army, Liu Feng had already received reports of the killing of thirteen officers of the rank of military commander or above, four military officers, and the capture of General Yin Shu and Jia Xin.

The brothers Wu Yi and Wu Ban immediately defected, raised their troops and surrendered, which conveniently blocked the escape route of Yin Shu and Jia Xin's forces, allowing Gan Ning to wipe them out in one fell swoop.

(End of this chapter)