The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 311 Being given the "good guy" card in chaotic times—isn't that a kind of tragedy? (Attached: Illustration of Cao Cao's invasion of Shu)
Yizhou, Guanghan Commandery.

Meanwhile, during Cao Cao's campaign to conquer Western Sichuan, he became careless due to his successive victories.

Thinking he could conquer the Shu region in one fell swoop, he didn't expect to fall into Deng Xian's trap of feigning surrender.

Not only did they suffer heavy losses, but they also lost their beloved son, Cao Chong.

The Wei state's campaign against Shu suffered a setback.

Overwhelmed with grief and indignation, Cao Cao withdrew his troops to Fushui Pass to rest and recuperate, while also sending people to offer sacrifices to Cao Chong.

Cao Cao was indeed heartbroken, but this was also a delaying tactic for him.

While sending men to Guanzhong to urge the delivery of grain, he also secretly dispatched Wei troops to cross the Fu River and attack Luocheng.

Zhang Ren was terrified when he saw the Wei army suddenly arrive.

Generals Wu Yi and Liu Gui hurriedly advised:

"Our military situation is extremely precarious. If we do not fight to the death now, how can we drive the Wei troops back?"

"But one can send someone back to Chengdu to report to the Lord in an urgent manner."

"Defend one side and use strategy to defeat the enemy."

After thinking it over and over, Zhang Ren said:
“Tomorrow, I will personally lead an army out of the city to challenge them to battle, and then feign defeat.”

“Lure the Wei troops to the north of the city, then you can attack from inside the city.”

"Block the middle route, so that Cao Cao cannot defend both ends, and we can win."

The three of them discussed and decided to set off the next day.

Zhang Ren led several thousand men, waving flags and shouting, out of the city to challenge them to battle.

When the two armies faced each other, Cao Cao shouted a message across the distance:
"Zhang Ren, you brat!"

"I crossed the Fu River overnight, and divine soldiers descended from the sky. How can I not dismount and surrender?"

Zhang Ren pointed his gun and said:

"You traitor Cao! How dare you invade my territory?"

"Come quickly to your death, and I will send you down to reunite with your father."

"Oh, so your eldest and youngest sons both died because of you."

"I wonder how you will face the ancestors of the Cao family after you die?"

Cao Cao was furious upon hearing this, and turned to his generals, saying:
"Who can capture this thief!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Cao Zhang charged forward with his spear, heading straight for Zhang Ren.

The two generals fought for less than ten rounds when Zhang Ren feigned defeat and fled around the city.

Taking advantage of the situation, Cao Cao led his troops in pursuit, but Wu Yi, as planned, attacked from the middle and cut off the Wei army's central route.

The Wei army was thrown into chaos and could not support each other.

Cao Cao remained calm in the face of danger and immediately ordered the gongs to sound and retreat.

Generals Li Dian and Yue Jin each led their own troops to cover the rear, fighting and retreating simultaneously.

Seeing this, Zhang Ren turned his horse around and joined forces with Wu Yi to pursue the enemy.

"My lord, we have a plan to defeat the enemy!"

At this critical moment, Cheng Yu suddenly had an idea and hurriedly offered it to Cao Cao:
"The rear guard can abandon more baggage to lure the enemy into looting."

Cao Cao understood and immediately ordered the rear guard to abandon their banners, drums, horns, and baggage.

The Shu army, which had been pursuing the enemy, saw the supplies and began to scramble for them, throwing their formation into chaos.

Because Liu Zhang had always been stingy with his soldiers' rewards, they couldn't resist the temptation when faced with such a huge sum of money.

Even the soldiers on horseback dismounted to rob the loot.

At this time, Cao Cao had already secretly ordered Cao Hong and Cao Zhen to each lead elite cavalry to lie in ambush in the mountains and forests on both sides.

Seeing that the Shu army had fallen into the trap, they immediately launched an attack.

Cao Hong went straight for Zhang Ren, while Cao Zhen attacked Wu Yi directly.

Caught off guard, the two generals were forced to split their forces to meet the enemy.

Cao Cao personally led his elite central army, using the "arrow formation" to directly penetrate the core of the enemy's formation.

The generals of each battalion charged out together, and were invincible.

Cao Zhang also regrouped and attacked back from the flank.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Zhang Ren hurriedly ordered the gong to be sounded to retreat.

However, their retreat route had been blocked by archers whom Lü Qian had laid in ambush.

The Shu army was caught in a dilemma, suffering heavy casualties.

General Zhang, retreat immediately!

Liu Gui suddenly led fresh troops out of the city to provide support.

Seeing that the time was right, Cao Cao waved his command flag, and the engineers who had been lying in ambush along the moat immediately cut down the drawbridge.

Most of Liu Gui's army was trapped outside the city.

After a fierce battle, Wu Yi and Liu Gui were both captured by the Wei army.

Zhang Ren then retreated into the east gate.

After the army returned to the camp, Cao Cao ordered his men to bring Wu Yi and Liu Gui up to the camp.

"Will you surrender?" Cao Cao asked.

Wu Yi replied loudly:

"Now that I have been captured, how can I not surrender?"

Cao Cao was overjoyed and personally untied him.

It should be noted that Wu Yi was related to Liu Zhang by marriage.

However, he was not very loyal to Liu Zhang.

There are two main reasons, one of which is that Liu Zhang was weak and incompetent.

The Dongzhou faction, represented by Wu Yi, has always wanted to find a new master.

Secondly, and this is actually the most important reason.

That is, although Wu Yi was related to Liu Zhang by marriage, his sister did not marry Liu Zhang.

Instead, she married Liu Mao, Liu Zhang's older brother.

As mentioned before, Liu Yan specifically named Liu Mao as his successor.

That's why they arranged for him to marry Wu Yi's sister.

Because Wu Yi was one of Liu Yan's key followers when he entered Shu, he held a high position in the army.

This can be seen as paving the way for his son to succeed to the throne.

However, the powerful figures in Shu felt that Liu Zhang was weaker in character and easier to control.

Therefore, despite the opposition, they insisted on supporting Liu Zhang to ascend to the throne.

This also includes the Dongzhou faction.

However, Wu Yi, who was also from the Dongzhou faction, was harmed.

After all, he was a direct relative by marriage to Liu Mao, but his relationship with Liu Zhang was distant.

Ultimately, Wu Yi, unable to support the regime alone, could only watch helplessly as Liu Zhang ascended to the throne.

However, as Liu Zhang's control over Yizhou weakened, various factions began to fight amongst themselves.

Wu Yi also longed for a powerful ruler to enter the country, so that the interests of Shu could be redistributed.

And this person was Cao Cao!

Cao Cao immediately appointed Wu Yi as General Who Subdues Rebels to win over the hearts of the generals in Shu.

Then he asked Wu Yi for a plan:

"How many people are left in the city? How can I take Luocheng?"

Wu Yinai said:

"In the city also lies Liu Xun, son of Liu Jiyu, and Zhang Ren, the assistant general."

"This man is a local of Shu County. He is extremely brave and resourceful. We must not underestimate him."

Cao Cao stroked his beard and addressed his generals:

"It seems that we cannot take Luocheng without defeating Zhang Ren."

Therefore, he personally inspected the area outside Luocheng and found that there were still wheat fields remaining.

He then ordered his soldiers to seize it.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Ren hurriedly led his troops out to meet the enemy.

As soon as we entered the wheat field, shouts arose from all sides.

Cao Hong is on the left, and Cao Zhen is on the right; they are about to charge forward.

Zhang Ren realized he had fallen into a trap and hurriedly returned with his troops, only to find that the bridge had already been destroyed by the Wei army.

They wanted to head north, but saw Cao Zhang leading his troops in a line, blocking their way.

Zhang Ren had no choice but to go around the river and soon arrived at a place with dense reeds.

Cao Wei's army suddenly rose from the reeds, stabbing wildly with long spears and chopping at the horses' hooves with long swords.

In an instant, the entire cavalry fell and were all captured.

Zhang Ren suffered a major defeat and fled back to Chengdu with only a dozen or so horsemen.

Taking advantage of the situation, Cao Cao led his army to attack Luocheng. Upon reaching the city walls, he shouted:
"Open the gates and surrender as soon as possible, so that the people of this city will not suffer!"

Upon seeing this, Liu Xun hastily abandoned the city, escaped through the west gate, and headed towards Chengdu.

Cao Cao entered the city, issued a proclamation to reassure the people, and then richly rewarded his generals.

They discussed the next steps for advancing troops.

Cheng Yu advised:

"Luocheng has fallen, Chengdu is now within reach."

"If there is any unrest in other prefectures and counties, we can order Liu Gui and Wu Yi to lead General Cao Hong out together."

“The prefectures under the jurisdiction of Shuijiangyang, Jianwei and other places outside Fuzhou.”

"Then the officials were appointed to govern and pacify the area, and then the troops were led back to Chengdu to attack and capture it."

Cheng Yu's intention was to first pacify all the prefectures and counties except Shu Prefecture.

He also specially sent Liu Gui and Wu Yi, who had surrendered from Shu, and ordered Cao Hong, a member of the Cao Wei imperial family, to supervise them.

That would be quite appropriate.

However, Cao Cao shook his head and rejected Cheng Yu's suggestion:

"The previous defeat caused our army to lose the initiative."

"Now that the army is about to reach Chengdu, we cannot afford any more mistakes."

"To be on the safe side, it would be best to join forces and attack Chengdu together."

Cao Cao, who had always preferred to use surrendered soldiers, was now unwilling to even adopt low-risk strategies.

Because as long as we proceed steadily and surely, Chengdu is a sure thing.

However, if we send troops to pacify other counties, and something goes wrong, the time to take Xichuan will be delayed again.

Cao Cao was racing against time with Liu Bei, and couldn't afford to waste a single moment.

Upon seeing this, the strategist Fu Xun also spoke up to dissuade Cao Cao:

"You are mistaken. Liu Zhang was weak, incompetent, and foolish."

"Now that we have captured Luocheng, our army will march straight to Chengdu. Liu Zhang will not be able to hold out for long."

"But if we don't first pacify Jianwei, Jiangyang, Bajun and other places, what if Liu Zhang escapes? Wouldn't all our previous efforts be in vain?"

Victory in war is generally divided into two types: strategic victory and war victory.

The former is far more important than the latter.

Take, for example, the Battle of Bowangpo in history. Although Luo Guanzhong focused on describing Liu Bei's minor victory amidst his major defeat, the historical event is still significant.

Strategically speaking, however, Cao Wei had already achieved its strategic objectives.

The purpose was to drive away Liu Bei, seize Jiangling, and then annex Jingzhou.

The same applies to the problems in Chengdu today.

Tactically speaking, Cao Cao wanted to take Chengdu as soon as possible so that Western Sichuan would nominally belong to him.

Strategically, however, Cao Cao had to control Liu Zhang and then pacify the remaining counties in Xichuan.

Otherwise, it will cause a lot of trouble for subsequent work.

Faced with this choice, Cao Cao ultimately opted for a cautious and steady approach.

Cao Cao wasn't unaware that Cheng Yu and Fu Xun's tactics were better; rather, he simply didn't have the luxury of taking risks at the moment.

Therefore, Cao Cao overruled the objections of others and insisted on joining forces to take Chengdu directly.

He then asked the surrendered Shu generals he had captured along the way, "On my way to Chengdu, what passes and fortifications are there?"

The surrendered generals of Shu all said:
“Mianzhu is heavily guarded. If we take Mianzhu, Chengdu will be within our grasp.”

Cao Cao then discussed the specifics of advancing the troops, and Wu Yi volunteered:

"With Luocheng fallen, Shu is in grave danger."

"Since Your Excellency wishes to annex all of Shu, you should first win over the people and refrain from advancing your troops."

“I wrote a book and presented it to Liu Jiyu, explaining the advantages and disadvantages, and Zhang naturally surrendered.”

There was another important reason why Cao Cao did not adopt Cheng Yu's strategy and chose to play it safe.

He knew that Chengdu had ample food supplies, well-equipped soldiers, and at least 20,000 to 30,000 troops.

Therefore, Cao Cao had already prepared for a protracted war.

Upon seeing Wu Yi's suggestion, he immediately followed it, aiming to minimize losses as much as possible.

He then ordered him to write a book and send someone directly to Chengdu.

Meanwhile, Liu Xun and Zhang Ren fled back to Chengdu and met with their father and lord, telling them that Luo City had fallen.

Liu Zhang hurriedly gathered his officials to discuss countermeasures.

Zheng Du offered his advice:
"My lord, do not worry. Although Cao Cao is attacking cities and seizing land..."

"However, most of the troops remained in Guanzhong and the Central Plains to guard against Liu Bei."

"His troops in Shu were few, and not all his soldiers had submitted."

"The wild valley is our supplies; the army has no baggage."

"In my humble opinion, it would be better to drive all the people of Zitong in Brazil across to the west of the Fu River."

“Burn all the granaries and grains in the fields.”

"Then we will dig deep trenches and build high walls, and wait patiently."

"If they request to fight, we will not grant their request and will not engage them in battle."

"As time goes on, the Wei army will be depleted of supplies."

"I predict that within a hundred days, their troops will surely flee on their own."

"Then we will seize the opportunity to attack, and Cao Cao can be captured!"

Zheng Du presented his strategy in a fluent and detailed manner, and his analysis was incisive and to the point.

This immediately pointed out the weaknesses of the Wei army.

Unexpectedly, Liu Zhang flew into a rage upon hearing this and rebuked Zheng Du, saying:

"This statement is utterly wrong!"

"I have only heard of repelling the enemy to keep the people at peace, but I have never heard of mobilizing the people to prepare for the enemy."

"Is this a plan to ensure safety?"

After saying this, he ordered Zheng Du to be dismissed from his post.

Zheng Du was startled and sighed helplessly.

Then he removed his hat, laughed loudly, and left.

Liu Zhang was a good man, in his opinion.

We fight the enemy to protect the people.

To achieve victory by burning resources, destroying land, and relocating people is far too cruel for the people.

Therefore, it was not adopted.

Liu Zhang's decision not to adopt Zheng Du's suggestion demonstrates his benevolence and righteousness.

However, punishing the person who made the suggestion seems too abstract.

Otherwise, who will dare to give you advice in the future?

Even Luo Guanzhong felt that Liu Zhang's behavior was too abstract, so he changed it in the novel.

It only states that Liu Zhang did not adopt Zheng Du's suggestion, but does not state that Liu Zhang punished Zheng Du.

During the discussion, a letter from Wu Yi arrived.

Liu Zhang summoned him. He presented him with a letter, which he opened and read briefly:
"Your subject Yi bows deeply and respectfully presents this to Lord Ji Yu:"

"The north wind is biting, and I sit alone in the Luocheng government office, holding my pen as if it weighs a thousand pounds."

"I recall traveling with my lord along the Jinjiang River and discussing the state of the world; it feels like just yesterday."

"Now, as a defeated general, I dare to offer my humble words, hoping that Your Majesty will consider them."

"Cao Cao commanded a million troops, held the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords, and was one of the two heroes in the world, along with Liu Bei."

"Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, who possessed the advantages of strategic terrain and had accumulated ten years of strength, was still unable to withstand his attack."

"Although Xichuan is now a strategically important place, it has no more than 100,000 soldiers and only a few generals. How can it hold out for long?"

"According to my observation of the heavens and human affairs, none of them are in Shu."

"My younger sister, Wu, was fortunate enough to be accepted by the late emperor and served him."

“Whenever I recall the words of the late emperor entrusting his son to me, I cannot help but shed tears.”

"Your Majesty and I are related by marriage; how can we bear to turn against each other with weapons?"

“In the past, when I saw the soldiers’ robes stained with blood on the city wall and the people fleeing with their old and young, my heart was torn apart.”

"Now that Cao Cao has promised me, if my lord surrenders, I will protect the ancestral temples, preserve my life, and save the people of Shu from the calamity of war."

"Liu Bei of Xiapi is eager to conquer the Central Plains and has no time to look westward; he will certainly not be able to save us."

"May our lord make a decision soon, keeping the people in mind and the ancestral temple in mind."

"Those who understand the times are heroes, and those who know their destiny will enjoy lasting peace."

"If you insist on not surrendering, disaster will surely befall you."

To put it simply, Wu Yi meant, "Brother Zhang, you should stop making trouble."

Do you still expect your subordinates to be completely devoted to you and risk their lives for you?
You should vote now; it's good for you, for the ancestral temple, and for the people of Sichuan.

After reading it, Liu Zhang flew into a rage, tore the book to shreds, and began to hurl insults:
"Wu Yi, you treacherous bastard, betrayed your master for personal gain and is ungrateful!"

“They are related to me by marriage, yet they are now helping outsiders.”

They then drove the messenger out of the city.

He immediately dispatched his brother-in-law, Fei Guan, with troops to guard Mianzhu.

Meanwhile, Cao Cao had halted his troops at Luocheng and was leading them towards Mianzhu. Wu Yi sent a servant to report:
"Liu Zhang refused to surrender, and his subordinate Zheng Du advised him to burn the wild grains and granaries in various places, and lead the people of Bazhou."

"They hid west of the Fu River, building deep trenches and high walls, and did not fight."

Cao Cao and his generals and advisors were all greatly alarmed upon hearing this.

Cao Cao sighed:
"If Liu Zhang were to use this strategy, Xichuan would not be mine."

In fact, this was exactly the problem that Cao Cao was most worried about from the beginning.

The reason why the Shu region was difficult to conquer was because the supply of food and provisions could not keep up.

Although Cao Cao gained control of Hanzhong, he still could not deploy a large number of troops and supplies to Shu at once.

Once Liu Zhang chooses to fortify his defenses and avoid fighting the Wei army.

So it's hard to say who will ultimately win or lose.

Wu Yi smiled and said:

"My lord, do not worry. Although this plan is vicious, I know Liu Zhang's character well."

“He would never use such a tactic for the sake of the people of Chengdu.”

Cao Cao nodded, stroked his beard, and smiled:
"Liu Jiyu is too weak-willed and unworthy to possess the land of abundance."

"The land of Shu shall belong to me."

It was only at this moment that Cao Cao realized he had overestimated Liu Zhang.

Given his personality, he would definitely choose to implement a scorched-earth policy.

Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to the natural barriers of Sichuan.

Therefore, the order was given:

"There is no time to lose; we should advance our troops and capture Mianzhu immediately."

"Once this place is conquered, Chengdu will be easy to take."

He then dispatched Cao Zhang and Cao Xiu to lead troops forward.

In the sweltering summer, the Sichuan and Chongqing region was experiencing continuous heavy rains.

Cao Cao's army's banners were soaked, and their armor was damp with sweat.

Cao Cao stood on a high hill and looked out over the city of Mianzhu. He saw that the defending troops were disorganized and their morale was low.

He then smiled at those around him and said:

"I have long heard that Liu Zhang treats his soldiers poorly and is stingy with rewards."

"Now that I see this city, I know that the world has not lied to me."

“Mianzhu is not difficult to obtain.”

Mianzhu is considered the wing of Chengdu, its last line of defense.

Even the morale of the garrison in this "satellite" city was so low that Cao Cao was even more confident of victory.

Therefore, he ordered a fierce attack on Mianzhu.

The garrison commander, Fei Guan, led 8,000 troops.

Seeing that the Wei army was attacking rapidly, he led his troops to defend.

The two armies fought all night, and then each side withdrew.

That night, Fei Guan thought to himself:
"Now that Cao Cao has also reached Mianzhu, it is only a matter of time before he takes Chengdu."

"If we continue to hold out, it will only be in vain."

"It would be better to surrender the entire city; perhaps then we can achieve great merit."

Fei Guan was actually a member of the Dongzhou faction, and he did not intend to fight to the death for Liu Zhang.

He only wanted to protect the troops under his command.

And so, dawn broke.

Just as Cao Cao was leading his troops to attack the city again, he suddenly saw a white flag flying high on the city wall.

When the city gates opened, Fei Guan, dressed in plain clothes, surrendered, and the soldiers behind him all laid down their armor and abandoned their weapons.

Cao Cao was overjoyed and went to greet him personally.

"General Fei is a man of great principle!"

Cao Cao took his hand and thanked him.

Fei Guan knelt down to beg for forgiveness:

"I am truly ashamed that I could not die for my lord!"

Before he could finish speaking, Cao Cao helped him up:

"General, you have saved the lives of all the people; this is a great merit!"

He immediately recommended Fei Guan to be appointed as a lieutenant general and appointed him as the governor of Ba Commandery. All the remaining troops were also generously rewarded.

It is worth mentioning that Fei Guan was also related to Liu Zhang by marriage.

Fei Guan's paternal aunt was Liu Zhang's mother.

Furthermore, Liu Zhang married his daughter to Fei Guan.

In other words, Fei Guan was also Liu Zhang's son-in-law.

Following Wu Yi, another in-law defected and surrendered.

This clearly demonstrates that Liu Zhang's policies in governing Shu were highly problematic.

Many senior staff members are already dissatisfied with him.

Having won over Fei Guan, Cao Cao consolidated his forces and officially marched on Chengdu.

Someone had already informed Liu Zhang, who was greatly alarmed and had no choice but to order the palace to remain closed.

The Wei army arrived and besieged Chengdu.

It was the height of summer, the sun blazing down on this day.

Below the city, Cao Cao's army's banners blotted out the sun, and their weapons and armor gleamed, making it difficult for people to open their eyes.

When Liu Zhang saw that Mianzhu had been lost and Cao Cao's army had arrived, he panicked and didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, Chengdu still has 30,000 armored soldiers, and enough provisions to last a year.

Therefore, Liu Zhang chose—

Give up!

Out of sight out of mind.

Liu Zhang locked himself in his room every day and neglected state affairs.

Over time, the city's residents lost their sense of belonging.

Xu Jing, courtesy name Wenxiu, was the governor of Shu Commandery at the time. He was originally a famous scholar from Runan, but he went to Shu to avoid the chaos caused by Dong Zhuo.

This man was renowned, but he was timid and cowardly. When he saw Cao Cao's army approaching the city, he had already decided to surrender.

At dusk that day, taking advantage of the reduced patrols and defenses on the city walls...

He even attempted to scale the city wall and escape to surrender to Cao Cao.

Just as Xu Jing was about to climb over, a patrol of soldiers walked by.

Upon seeing Xu Jing, they immediately captured him.

Upon questioning, it turned out he was the Prefect of Shu Commandery!
Everyone was shocked; the mayor of the capital was about to defect to the enemy.

This is incredible.

No one dared to act on their own, so they took it to Liu Zhang.

Xu Jing collapsed to the ground, sweat pouring down his face.

Wang Lei, Huang Quan, and the others all said:
"Xu Jing, as the governor of Shu Commandery, did not think of a strategy to repel the enemy, but instead joined us in our fight against the enemy."

"Now they have instead colluded with the enemy state; their entire clan should be exterminated!"

Xu Jing, disheveled and filthy, knelt prostrate in the hall, trembling like a leaf.

Everyone advised that Xu Jing be killed as a warning to others.

Only Liu Zhang sighed deeply:
"Now that Yizhou is on the verge of collapse, what good would it do to kill a renowned scholar?"

Xu Jing was then stripped of his official seal and imprisoned in a separate courtyard, with no further action taken against him.

Upon seeing this, Wang Lei, Huang Quan, and the others all sighed.

If the mayor of the capital city surrenders by scaling the wall, and is not used as an example to be executed, more people will follow suit in the future.

From then on, the people of Chengdu were even more uneasy.

At this time, the siege had lasted for nearly a month.

Grain prices in the city have soared, with a peck of rice costing a thousand coins.

Many soldiers starved to death, but Liu Zhang implemented strict supply controls and did not release large quantities of grain into the market.

At the third watch of the night, Zhu Shuxian, the inspector of Shu County, secretly gathered his servants and bundled up his valuables.

His wife, Lady Zhang, was tearfully remonstrated by Consort Zhao:

"Husband, have you not heard of the lesson of Xu Jing?"

Zhu Shuxian angrily rebuked, "Woman's ignorance! I am but a minor official with a salary of six hundred bushels of grain; how could I possibly guard against Liu Zhang?"

Ignoring Consort Zhang's advice, he took a hemp rope, tied it to the parapet, and attempted to lower himself down the city wall.

Unexpectedly, the night patrol general happened to be passing by with his troops and heard a rustling sound coming from the top of the wall.

He immediately ordered his soldiers to draw their bows and nock their arrows. A burst of fire suddenly appeared, illuminating Zhu Shuxian hanging in mid-air, looking as pathetic as a stray dog.

They were about to capture him and take him to Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang was furious upon hearing the report:
“I can still tolerate Xu Jing, a renowned scholar.”

"How dare Zhu, a mere lowly official, betray his master!"

Therefore, he ordered the extermination of Zhu Shuxian's entire clan.

Logically speaking, there is nothing wrong with executing traitors.

However, Liu Zhang's next order contradicted his usual image of benevolence and righteousness.

Liu Zhang issued the order:
"Zhu's wife, Consort Zhang, shall be exiled to the army!"

The implication couldn't be more obvious.

This reveals that Liu Zhang, this seemingly harmless little rabbit, is actually quite ruthless at heart.

In Liu Zhang's eyes, what was Zhu Shuxian anyway, daring to betray me?
Killing him wouldn't be enough to vent my anger; I had to kill his whole family to truly vent my fury.

The following day at noon, all twenty-seven members of the Zhu family were killed in the marketplace.

When his wife, Consort Zhang, was exiled to the army camp, she wore mourning clothes, bowed three times to the north, and wept blood, saying:
"To kill my husband and force me to marry him, is this not the lifelong wish of both husband and wife?"

After saying this, he snatched the guard's sword, cut his own throat, and died, his blood splattering more than ten feet away.

The soldiers who witnessed the scene all covered their faces and wept.

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Ren rushed to the central command tent to speak:

"The morale of the army is wavering; it is advisable to give Zhang a grand funeral to appease the troops..."

Liu Zhang retorted angrily, "Does the general also intend to rebel?"

Zhang Ren withdrew silently and burned incense alone at the camp gate in the middle of the night to pay his respects.

Upon receiving the report outside the city, Cao Cao sighed and said to his generals:
"Liu Zhang killed minor officials but pardoned famous scholars; this is a path to chaos."

He then ordered his officers to shoot the letter of surrender into the city, which detailed the tragic state of the Zhu family.

When the soldiers of Shu found the letter, they often gathered to read it and wept.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Cao Cao once again sent someone to persuade Liu Zhang to surrender.

Even a discerning person could see that Chengdu's fate was sealed and it was impossible to hold on any longer.

When Liu Zhang reached the top of the city wall and saw the Wei army stretching like a mountain below, his face turned ashen, and he sighed:
"My ignorance is too late for regrets!"

"It would be better to open the gates and surrender to save the people of the city."

Those around him all advised:
"There are still 30,000 elite troops in the city, and the grain and silk can last for a year. The officials and people are all eager to fight to the death."

"Why does my lord surrender now?"

Liu Zhang looked up to the sky and sighed:

“My father and I have been in Shu for more than 20 years, but we have not shown any kindness or virtue to the people.”

"If we continue the war, only to have our blood and flesh wasted in the wilderness, is that not my fault?"

"How can I find peace of mind? I'd rather surrender and bring peace to the people."

After speaking, he wept bitterly and ordered the city to be opened and surrendered.

The soldiers on both sides wept bitterly.

Cao Cao led his army into the city and posted notices to reassure the people.

Having learned from his previous experience of accepting Zhang Xiu's surrender, Cao Cao did not treat Liu Zhang with the same disrespect this time when he entered the city.

Instead, he personally untied his bonds, took his hand, and said:
"Ji Yu protects the territory and ensures the safety of the people; now he is acting in accordance with Heaven's will and the people's wishes—truly the heart of a benevolent person!"

He immediately ordered his men to bring the purple ribbon and gold seal, and on the spot recommended Liu Zhang as General Zhenwei, allowing him to continue living in his old residence in Chengdu.

He also ordered that all of his family's property be returned to Liu Zhang, not a single penny of it.

All officials at all levels in the city were promoted one rank in an attempt to win over the hearts of the people.

Xu Jing, who had previously attempted to surrender by climbing over the wall, was the only one whom Cao Cao did not promote.

Because Cao Cao despised such spineless people from the bottom of his heart.

In fact, not only Cao Cao, but also Liu Bei in history looked down on Xu Jing, believing that he betrayed his lord in battle and was not a person worth using.

Fu Xun advised Cao Cao, saying:
“There are those in the world who have gained empty praise but no real substance, and Xu Jing is one of them.”

"Now that our lord has entered Shu and intends to establish a great enterprise, we cannot persuade everyone in the world. We must win the hearts and minds of the people."

"Jing's reputation spread far and wide."

"If he is disrespectful, the people of the world will consider him a contemptible and virtuous man."

“They should be treated with great respect to impress those near and far, just as King Zhao of Yan treated Guo Wei in the past.”

Cheng Yu also advised:
"Xu Jing is a renowned scholar from Sichuan, and he is highly respected. We must not let him slip through our fingers."

"By borrowing its name to awe the world, the land of Shu can be at peace."

Cao Cao agreed and appointed Xu Jing as his chief secretary.

He then assumed the post of Governor of Yizhou and generously rewarded his soldiers.

For the next period of time, Cao Cao did not immediately launch an attack.

Instead, they chose to reward the soldiers and civilians to win their hearts and minds.

Because he wasn't coming to plunder like he did when conquering Xuzhou, but rather to establish a permanent presence there and gradually assimilate the resources.

After a month, the people of Sichuan gradually calmed down.

At the banquet that day, Cheng Yu suddenly feigned drunkenness, walked up to Cao Cao, and reminded him:
"Has Your Excellency forgotten a crucial matter?"

Cao Cao's lips curled up slightly:

"How could I have forgotten?"

Cheng Yu then asked, "What is it?"

Cao Cao smiled and said, "The land of Shu has not yet been fully annexed, and Liu Zhang is still alive..."

Cheng Yu smiled as well, "I was just afraid that Lord Wei would forget."

Liu Zhang was renowned in Shu, while the other counties of Yizhou remained intact.

Therefore, he is a potential threat.

Although he had no ambition, once an opportunist took advantage of Liu Zhang, he fled to other prefectures and counties in Yizhou.

Liu Zhang might then have the opportunity to "restore the monarchy" and make a comeback.

Historically, after the Eastern Wu successfully launched a surprise attack on Jingzhou, Liu Zhang fell into the hands of Sun Quan.

At that time, Sun Quan wanted to support Liu Zhang as the ruler of Shu and use him as a pawn.

However, Liu Zhang happened to die of illness that year, and the Eastern Wu's plan failed.

However, Cao Cao had not yet fully annexed Shu. After stabilizing the people's hearts, Liu Zhang no longer had any political value to him.

Or rather, his existence does more harm than good.

"This matter is entrusted to you. Make sure you do it cleanly."

"clear."

Cheng Yu excused himself from the banquet, claiming he was drunk.

Despite all the precautions, a loyal soldier of Liu Zhang, upon learning of the matter, hurriedly reported it to Zhang Ren.

Upon hearing the news, Zhang Ren was greatly alarmed and angrily cursed Cao Cao, saying:

"That treacherous Cao Cao! Now that he has taken over Shu, does he still intend to harm my lord?"

So he rushed to the post station that very night to see Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang was in his room pouring out his heart to his son Liu Xun when he suddenly heard a noise outside the door.

So Liu Xun got up to open the door, and as soon as he opened it, he saw Zhang Ren stumble and fall in.

"Lord Ji Yu! Lord Ji Yu!"

Zhang Ren looked anxious and stepped forward to grab Liu Zhang's hand.

Liu Zhang asked in surprise:
"General Zhang, what brings you in such a hurry?"

"Harmful!"

Zhang Ren said anxiously, "Lord Ji, Cao Cao intends to send troops to harm you!"

"You...you're still in the dark!"

"Chengdu is a place of trouble now, leave here quickly!"

what?
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhang and his son were both horrified.

"How did Lord Mengde deceive me? How did he deceive me?"

Liu Zhang was on the verge of tears, feeling utterly helpless.

Zhang Ren hurriedly said:

“Lord Ji Yu, now is not the time to weep.”

"If we don't leave quickly, we will surely be harmed by that traitor Cao!"

"Although Cao Cao has taken away my military power, I still have a hundred loyal soldiers under my command."

"Let's leave tonight, we still have time!"

Seeing that Liu Zhang had no intention of leaving, Liu Xun became anxious and hurriedly advised him:
“Father! General Zhang is right.”

"It's not too late to leave now, but if you wait too long, you won't be able to leave at all!"

Liu Zhang waved his hand dejectedly:
"Cao Cao is stationed in Chengdu, and I have already handed over the imperial seal."

"The prefectures of Yizhou have also been pacified by proclamation."

Where else can I go?

……

(This is a map depicting Cao Cao's invasion of Shu.)
(End of this chapter)