My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 672 Done
This batch of oil was actually prepared by Liu Feng for the construction of Chengdu.

Even with powerful weapons like counterweight catapults and ballistae, Liu Feng still felt that a fortified city like Chengdu wasn't secure enough. That's why he went to great lengths to collect oil, intending to use it to burn down Chengdu's city gates if necessary, thus gaining entry into the city.

Unexpectedly, Liu Zhang and Cao Ang later ceded Chengdu and wanted to go to Fucheng instead.

In this way, oil is saved.

This stuff is not easy to store and doesn't really serve any purpose. It produces a lot of smoke when burned, and its heating effect is far inferior to that of charcoal.

Therefore, during the Battle of Fancheng, Liu Feng simply used this surprise tactic on Fandunqiu, which proved to be very effective. It helped Lu Xun's attacking troops break through the defenses of Fandunqiu more easily and enter the camp to fight.

However, this oil was ultimately intended for Chengdu, and a mere Fandunqiu wouldn't consume much of it. Even after the war, a large amount remained unused.

Many supplies have now been sent to Lu Xun's camp. Lu Xun did not use them before, firstly to lull Cao Cao's army into a false sense of security, and secondly to kill them in one blow.

Sure enough, flames roared up and spread into the camp along with the advancing catapults.

The fire was fierce and spread rapidly, throwing Cao Cao's camp into chaos.

Originally, Cao's army had just suffered a major defeat, and their morale was extremely low. It was only through the efforts of Cao Ren, Niu Jin, Chang Diao, and others that they were able to regroup and regain some fighting strength.

If Lu Xun had launched a fierce attack from the beginning, Cao Cao's army might have collapsed under the pressure, but it might also have survived under the pressure and become stronger with each battle.

However, Lu Xun made a lot of noise but made little movement, and did not launch a real attack for a long time.

Cao's army had been fighting all day and was extremely exhausted. They also had to be on guard against Lu Xun turning a feint into a surprise attack on their camp. Their morale was already at a critical point.

It can be said that although there was no physical battle in the first half of the night, the mental battle was no less intense.

Now that the fire has started, the nerves of Cao's army, which had been stretched to the limit, have snapped instantly. Their morale has completely collapsed, and it is not surprising that chaos erupted in the camp.

"How could this fire burn so fast and so big?"

Cao Ren's face was deathly pale. He braced himself against the wooden railing to support his swaying body. His attendants rushed forward to help him up, but none of the dozen or so people around him answered Cao Ren.

Cao Ren, his face contorted with pain, asked those around him in disbelief, "Could it be that Heaven intends to destroy me?"

Niu Jin, who was standing next to him, was also pale-faced. He gritted his teeth and stepped forward, saying, "My lord, we can still walk. I am willing to protect you with my life and help you break through the encirclement."

"I do not go!"

Cao Ren suddenly flew into a rage, shaking off his attendants' support, and said with a ferocious expression, "The Grand General entrusted me with a heavy responsibility, and now the army has suffered a crushing defeat and the troops have scattered. What face do I have to see the Grand General? To see the officials of the court?!"

As the fire below grew larger and larger, Cao's soldiers were running around in disarray everywhere, and the front line was in complete chaos. Even if Sun Wu were to be resurrected, it would be of no use.

Niu Jin gritted his teeth and immediately waved his hand: "Our lord is tired. You all take him to rest."

Everyone around understood that Niu Jin was going to act first and ask for permission later, and they all secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

With Niu Jin stepping in, the others no longer had to wait to die here, and Niu Jin would take responsibility afterwards, so everyone was naturally happy.

So the servants rushed up and dragged Cao Ren down the high building.

"I'm not leaving! What are you all doing? Are you trying to rebel?!"

Cao Ren was dragged away while shouting loudly.

By this time, the camp was in complete chaos, and no one paid any attention to Cao Ren's shouts.

After seeing Cao Ren off, Niu Jin immediately gave orders. He first instructed his attendants to escort Cao Ren to the West Gate, where they would meet up with Cao Ren and Cao Ang's personal guards, numbering over two thousand. He and Chang Diao would then lead the remaining troops they could muster to join them at the West Gate.

Cao's army camp was located south of Fancheng, and to the west was Guandi, where there were no soldiers left to fight, and they had most likely already fallen into the hands of the Left Army, so it was naturally not a place to go.

The best course of action now is to go to Fucheng.

Niu Jin planned to abandon the camp at the west gate, then head north, bypassing Fancheng north of the camp, and escape through a detour to Fucheng. Although there were no main roads, there were country lanes, and there were several hundred remnants of Shu troops in the camp, among whom a few guides could be found.

While burning oil is indeed very effective, it would still take some time to burn through an entire row of wooden palisades and the fortifications inside.

Although Lu Xun was completely unaware of this, he took other measures to deal with it.

After Cao Cao's army was thrown into chaos by the fire, he decisively ordered Quan Cong and Fu Tong's troops to stop waiting on the front and instead turn to attack from the flanks.

At this moment, although the fire was the primary cause of the Cao army's morale collapsing again and even collapsing, it also served to prevent the Left Guard army from pursuing them.

Therefore, Lu Xun decisively divided his troops into two wings, and did not stick to the main battlefield.

As Lu Xun had predicted, after the Cao army was thrown into chaos, although the fortifications on both flanks remained intact, they were no longer guarded by any soldiers.

Quan Cong and Fu Tong's troops easily filled in the trenches and stormed into the camp, where they ran right into Lu Xun who was coming from the opposite direction.

The three men immediately joined forces and began sweeping through Cao Cao's camp.

At this point, Niu Jin and Chang Diao were powerless to resist. They could only lead more than a thousand men out of the west gate, join Cao Ren's troops, and then flee north.

Lu Xun's troops seized the opportunity to pursue Cao Ren for three or four miles, but Cao Ren still managed to escape.

After withdrawing his troops, Lu Xun continued to cooperate with the Left Army, which set off after dawn, to besiege the Yizhou army's camp.

Pang Xi, Leng Bao, and others were unable to fight any longer and surrendered.

Around noon, apart from Liu Zhang in Fancheng County and his more than a thousand personal troops, all the other allied forces outside the camp surrendered, and a huge amount of supplies fell into the hands of the Left Army.

That afternoon, after Pang Xi entered the city to persuade him, Liu Zhang finally opened the city gates and surrendered.

Thus, the Battle of Fancheng came to a complete end. The Left Army won a great victory, killing and capturing more than 60,000 allied troops, with only a few thousand remnants of Cao Cao's army escaping.

**
In the aftermath of the Battle of Fancheng, though the air was thick with the stench of blood and exhaustion, there was also a palpable sense of triumph, a feeling of having survived a calamity and that great things were about to be accomplished. Black banners stretched endlessly atop the city walls, fluttering in the breeze. The victorious soldiers, though weary on the face, had exceptionally bright eyes. Inside the central command tent, the atmosphere was both solemn and fervent.

General Liu Feng, seated at the head of the table, still clad in black armor, exuded even greater majesty.

His gaze swept over the assembled civil and military officials under his tent, his face filled with barely suppressed joy and satisfaction.

This battle was crucial in establishing Yizhou's dominance, completely crushing the allied forces of Liu Zhang and Cao Ang, annihilating most of them, and capturing Liu Zhang, the governor of Yizhou.

From this moment on, Liu Feng was the true master of Yizhou.

"Gentlemen!"

Liu Feng's loud voice echoed throughout the tent: "In the Battle of Fancheng, thanks to the bravery of our soldiers and the unity of our civil and military officials, our Left Army was able to decisively defeat the 70,000-strong allied army. Liu Jiyu surrendered the city, and Cao Zixiu fled in terror. The credit for this battle does not belong to me alone, but to all of you in this tent, and to the tens of thousands of brave men who fought valiantly outside the camp!"

Everyone inside the tent held their breath, waiting for the main event to begin.

Liu Feng first looked at the head of the military officer rank on the right and said loudly, "Lu Xun, listen to my command!"

Lu Xun, with his refined and scholarly air yet undeniable sharpness, stepped forward in response and bowed, saying, "Your subordinate is here!"

"The battle on the right flank was the key to victory in this campaign! Your decisive action, using a smaller force to defeat a larger one, first broke Liu Gui's army, then crushed the enemy's morale, ultimately causing Liu Zhang to abandon his troops and the entire Yizhou army to collapse. You deserve the greatest credit for this battle!"

Liu Feng's tone was full of admiration and joy: "I hereby promote you to General Yangwu, and reward you with a thousand yi of gold and six hundred bolts of brocade."

However, Lu Xun did not immediately express his gratitude. Instead, he bowed deeply again, his voice steady yet tinged with guilt as he pleaded for forgiveness: "My lord's generous reward is undeserved. The victory on the right flank truly relied on the soldiers' bravery and the army's utmost effort, and even more so on my lord's strategic planning. The allied forces were caught in a dilemma, trapped in their predicament, which led to today's unstoppable momentum. Although I have contributed somewhat, last night when pursuing Cao Ren's remnants to his camp, I failed to attack effectively, allowing him to escape with his personal guards. This is my fault, and I humbly beg my lord to punish me!"

Upon hearing this, some of the generals in the tent who knew the situation nodded slightly, while those who were unaware were somewhat surprised. Last night, Lu Xun had indeed led his troops in a fierce attack on Cao Ren's remaining camp, and it was said that he would capture it in one battle, but unexpectedly, he failed to achieve a complete victory and let Cao Ren escape.

Upon hearing this, Liu Feng not only did not blame him, but burst into laughter, his voice shaking the roof tiles: "Boyan, how humble you are! Cao Zixiao is a veteran of the battlefield. How can a cornered beast fight so easily? You were able to break through the enemy's camp in one battle and force them to abandon their troops and flee. This is already a great achievement."

He stood up, walked over to Lu Xun, helped him up personally, and then glanced around the room before dropping an exciting piece of news: "Besides, who said Cao Ren escaped?"

Lu Xun looked up, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

The generals inside the tent also pricked up their ears.

Liu Feng smiled knowingly and said loudly, "I knew that if Cao Ren was defeated, he would flee eastward toward Fucheng. Therefore, I secretly ordered Generals Sun Ce and Huang Quan to each lead elite troops to lie in ambush in the mountains on both sides of Luojiapo, thirty miles east of Fancheng."

His voice rose, filled with exhilarating joy: "The good news arrived this afternoon. As expected, after Cao Ren's remnants broke through the encirclement last night, they headed straight for Luojiapo, where they fell into our ambush. Generals Sun and Huang unleashed their hidden troops, raining arrows and stones upon them. Cao's army was caught off guard and thrown into chaos in an instant. Bo Fu led his elite cavalry in a charge, killing Cao Ren's valiant general Niu Jin on the spot. Cao Ren himself was also seriously wounded by an arrow and fell from his horse. He, along with his deputy Chang Diao and Zhang Wei, who had retreated with him, were all captured! Of the more than three thousand remaining bandits, almost none escaped."

The news was like a boulder thrown into calm water; the tent fell silent for a moment, then erupted in gasps and cheers.

It turned out that the lord had already laid a contingency plan, and completely wiped out Cao Ren's most stubborn remnant army.

Upon hearing this, Lu Xun was not only shocked but also completely convinced, sincerely saying, "My lord's strategy is brilliant and far-sighted, far surpassing my own. In this way, the main force of Cao's army inside and outside Fancheng has been wiped out."

Liu Feng patted Lu Xun on the shoulder and encouraged him, "Boyan, there is no need to be so modest. It is your achievement to defeat the enemy head-on, and the work of Generals Sun and Huang is to wipe out the remaining enemy. All the generals have given full play to their abilities and devoted themselves to public service, which is why we were able to achieve this great success. You are worthy of the title of General Yangwu, and you can accept it with peace of mind."

At this point, Lu Xun no longer declined and solemnly bowed, saying, "Xun thanks you for your kindness, my lord! I will do my utmost to repay your kindness!"

The atmosphere inside the tent grew increasingly enthusiastic, with everyone in high spirits and full of admiration for Liu Feng's foresight and clear distinction between rewards and punishments.

Previously, everyone felt that the battle was not entirely successful because Cao Ang had fled first and Cao Ren had broken through the encirclement. Now, hearing that Cao Ren had been captured and all the officers and soldiers had surrendered, it was undoubtedly the icing on the cake for this great victory.

"Gan Ning, obey my command!"

"The general is here!"

Gan Ning's voice was like a booming bell. He stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and his armor clanged loudly.

Looking at his trusted and beloved general, Liu Feng smiled and said, "When the central army broke through, your unit bravely took the lead, killing generals and capturing flags, crushing the enemy's core forces in one fell swoop, and even forcing Wu Yi and Wu Ban to surrender, and capturing Yin Shu and Jia Xin. Your achievements are outstanding! You are promoted to General of the Vanguard and awarded 800 yi of gold and 500 bolts of brocade!"

"Thank you, my lord!"

Gan Ning laughed heartily and volunteered with great enthusiasm: "I will be the vanguard and take Hanzhong again for my lord!"

Liu Feng smiled and nodded, then encouraged Gan Ning before dismissing him. He continued calling out names: "Lu Meng, Quan Cong, Fu Tong, and Wen Ping, listen to my command!"

The four men stepped forward in unison: "Your subordinate is here!"

"Your attack on Fandunqiu and your timely counterattack, combined with the right flank offensive, caused Liu Zhang to abandon his army and flee, and Cao Ang's reinforcements to the right to retreat, thus accelerating the collapse of the enemy's central force. Lü Meng is promoted to Lieutenant General, and Quan Cong, Fu Tong, and Wen Ping are all promoted to General of the Household, each awarded 500 yi of gold and 200 bolts of brocade!"

"Thank you, Lord!"

The four of them responded in unison.

Although Wen Ping was still recovering from his injuries, he remained mature and composed. Upon hearing of Liu Feng's generous reward, he remained calm and collected. Lü Meng, Quan Cong, and Fu Tong were also humble, considerate, and loyal. Although they were grateful, they did not say much.

Thus, when faced with Liu Feng's generous reward, the four men, though overjoyed, could only offer a simple thank you.

Everyone was somewhat surprised, and even Wen Pin, Lü Meng, and the other three noticed something amiss.

Just as Wen Ping and the others were about to make amends, Liu Feng waved his hand to stop them, clapped his hands and laughed, and said in a gentle voice like a bell: "Gentlemen, you are all men who are slow to speak but quick to act, like swords hidden in their sheaths, not revealing their sharpness. I have such good generals, like fish in water, how could I possibly blame you?"

He rose and descended the steps, personally taking the arms of the four men, his eyes burning brightly, and his words resounding: "Let us lay down our armor and rest. Tomorrow, there will be a grand feast in the army, where we will drink three hundred cups of wine together and get drunk on the battlefield!"

Lu Meng and the others felt that Liu Feng's words had struck a chord with them, and their eyes filled with tears. They felt that they had met such a wise ruler in their lives, and they would not hesitate to die for him even if it meant dying for him right now.

Liu Feng turned his gaze to Huang Quan and saw that although Huang Quan's face was covered in dust, his eyes were bright.

Liu Feng called out softly, "Where is Gongheng?"

(End of this chapter)