Late Han Zhao Tang

After Chen Jun's army suffered a major defeat, the war was not completely over.

On the plains, the sounds of horses' hooves, howls, pleas for mercy, and shouts could be heard everywhere.

Squabs of Chen soldiers, unable to outrun the cavalry, abandoned their weapons and knelt in surrender, only to be captured by the Tang infantry. Other generals, realizing the situation was hopeless, led their troops to surrender. The faster-running routs reached the Honggou Canal, where they encountered the Xu brothers, who were blocking their path, leading to another scene of surrender.

"By order of the Tang Emperor, those who kneel shall be spared death!"

"By order of the Tang Emperor, those who kneel shall be spared death!"

Tang cavalry galloped across the plains, constantly discouraging the fleeing soldiers from their attempts to escape, and trying to recruit as many soldiers as possible.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xun, Ji Ling, Qiao Rui, Wen Pin, and others, in their retreat, continuously rallied the routed soldiers, attempting to preserve as much strength as possible. However, despite their considerable efforts, they ultimately proved futile under the onslaught of the Tang cavalry.

"Down!"

"Down!"

Under the relentless pursuit and interception of the Tang cavalry, a large number of Chen soldiers surrendered, many beyond counting. The plains were a sea of ​​heads, all of them Chen soldiers who had surrendered to the Tang. And if calculated carefully, the number of surrendered Chen soldiers might not have been less than the number of Tang soldiers.

Some generals, like Zhang Xun, escaped alone but surrendered to Tang soldiers due to their desperate situation; others, like Qiao Rui and Wen Ping, fled after their troops were overwhelmed and were surrounded by Tang cavalry, forcing them to surrender. A few generals, such as Ji Ling and Han Hao, deliberately fled to areas of chaos and managed to escape the encirclement.

At this moment, Zhang Yu had just finished the battle and, with the welcome of his civil and military officials, dismounted and rested on a small hill.

Looking at Zhang Yu, who had more than twenty arrows stuck in his body, Jia Xu, Xun You, Guo Tu and other advisors were both shocked and afraid. If Zhang Yu was seriously injured, it would be a small matter if they were criticized, but the current favorable situation of the world would be disrupted.

Zhang Yu sat on a stool, and his men rushed forward to check on him. They carefully removed his heavy armor, and about twenty arrows were taken off along with the armor. Now, three arrowheads were embedded in his body, distributed on his back, arm, and left leg, and there was bleeding.

Seeing that Zhang Yu had three arrows in his body, and remembering that Liu Bang had died from an arrow wound, Xun You looked uneasy and asked, "How is the king?"

The doctor examined each wound and said, "Although the arrowhead is embedded in the flesh, it is protected by a thick layer of armor and has not damaged the muscles. The arrowhead can now be pulled out directly, and it will heal with the application of wound medicine."

Although Zhang Yu often led the charge, the strength of his armor and the amount of protection he wore far exceeded those of ordinary generals. For example, his outer armor was made of plates forged from hundreds of layers of metal, his inner armor was chainmail attached to a thin cowhide, and his undergarments were lined with silk armor.

What is silk armor?
It wasn't simply wearing silk; they wrapped themselves in silk cloth, often up to ten layers. The silk was dense and sturdy, and the layers were enough to withstand the impact of arrows that had penetrated two layers of armor. Thus, Zhang Yu was struck by more than twenty arrows but was not seriously injured.

Seeing that Zhang Yu was unharmed, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"Your Majesty is of noble birth, and the safety of the world rests on your shoulders. We hope you will refrain from charging into battle in the future, lest you cause us worry," Guo Tu advised.

Zhang Yu gestured for the physician to remove the silk from his clothes, and said with a faint smile, "If fate is on my side, I will be fine. But now that we are facing a powerful enemy, if I do not charge into battle to encourage my soldiers, can we defeat them?"

Xun You's expression turned slightly serious as he said, "If the Mandate of Heaven were in the hands of one person, would Emperor Gaozu have died of illness? Would King Wen have passed away prematurely? Your Majesty is indeed virtuous, but under the Mandate of Heaven, how can one predict life and death? Confucius said, 'Respect the spirits and gods, but keep them at a distance.' This is what it means!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yu smiled and said, "With the Chen army defeated and surrendered, there are no strong enemies in the world. I can now safely command from my tent."

Although he did not give Xun You a direct answer, Zhang Yu's actions were tantamount to admitting his mistake.

During the conversation between the emperor and his minister, the physician had already removed Zhang Yu's heavy brocade robe. As he had said, the arrowhead had only injured the surface muscles, and the treatment was completed after applying wound medicine.

The attendant handed him clothes, which Zhang Yu quickly changed into, and put on his outer armor in case of any accidents.

"Your Majesty, this is a joyous occasion!"

Suddenly, Zhao Zi came running over, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

"What makes you so happy?" Zhang Yu asked.

"General Xu Chu sent someone to report that Yuan Shu has been captured!" Zhao Zi said.

Zhang Yu was taken aback at first, then suppressed his joy and asked, "Is it fake?"

"Truly true!"

Zhao Zi said, "The surrendered soldiers of Chen all call that person His Majesty, and judging from his demeanor and speech, he is definitely not an ordinary person."

Do you have a mole on the corner of your mouth?

"He has a mole and is over seven feet tall."

Seeing that he matched Yuan Shu's characteristics, Zhang Yu threw his head back and laughed loudly, saying to his men, "If we capture Yuan Shu in one battle, all troubles in the Central Plains will be quelled!"

Although he ordered Xu Chu to surround the defeated army and sent Ma Chao and Zhao Yun to pursue Yuan Shu, Zhang Yu did not have much hope of capturing Yuan Shu.

After all, Yuan Shu was the emperor, with many followers, so escaping would normally be very easy. However, Xu Chu's capture of Yuan Shu greatly surprised Zhang Yu.

Of course, it wasn't just a surprise; Zhang Yu's joy was beyond words.

At that moment, Zhang Yu felt as if the unification of the world was very close to him, and the throne seemed within reach.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

"The mighty king!"

Those around him were overjoyed and praised Zhang Yu from the bottom of their hearts. In everyone's eyes, with Yuan Shu captured, the provinces of Yu and Jing could be easily taken, the Central Plains would soon be pacified, and the world would be within reach.

Zhang Yu composed himself and smiled, "I haven't seen Yuan Shu for many years. I'll have Xu Chu bring Yuan Shu here immediately." "Yes, sir!"

A short while later, Yuan Shu dismounted from his horse, soaking wet, and walked with a limp, his former swagger gone. He saw Zhang Yu in the distance and felt a pang of shame, lowering his head to avoid eye contact.

Perhaps Yuan Shu never imagined that one day he would be defeated by Zhang Yu, and even become Zhang Yu's prisoner.

Yuan Shu shuffled forward, while Zhang Yu sat on a stool waiting. The two men spontaneously formed two lines, puffing out their chests and displaying pride.

Zhang Yu first sized up Yuan Shu, noticing that he was no longer as dashing as he had been in Luoyang, but instead looked ashamed and dejected. He smiled slightly and said, "It has been more than ten years since we parted in Luoyang. How have you been?"

Yuan Shu looked up at Zhang Yu, licked his dry lips, and asked with his hands clasped, "Do you have any honey water?"

Zhang Yu shook his head and said, "There is only water, but no honey water."

"I need some water!"

"allow!"

Yuan Shu was somewhat disappointed because there was no honey water, but he still asked for water to quench his thirst.

After drinking the water, Yuan Shu's spirits lifted slightly, and he said, "It has been many years since we parted in Luoyang. I am very happy to see an old friend again, but it is a pity that I have been captured by you."

Zhang Yu's face darkened slightly as he asked, "My original intention in conquering Qi and Yan was to target Qi and Yuan, which had nothing to do with you. However, you brought a large army and suffered a crushing defeat at my hands. What do you have to say now?"

Yuan Shu turned his head and sighed, saying, "Qi and Yuan are of the same lineage as me. If Qi and Yuan are in danger, how can I not come to their aid? Now that I have been defeated by you, there is no need for me to go far away to take them."

After a pause, Yuan Shu glanced at his injured leg and said, "I cannot stand for long now. I wonder if you could provide me with a bed?"

Zhang Yu said with amusement, "If your head is cut off, why would you need a bed?"

Upon sensing Zhang Yu's murderous intent, Yuan Shu's expression changed drastically, and he said in fear, "Does Your Majesty disregard past friendship? Do you have no intention of conquering the Central Plains?"

Seeing Yuan Shu's expression, Zhang Yu couldn't help but smile slightly and said, "It was just a joke, don't worry about it!"

Zhang Yu beckoned to his left and right to sit down, saying, "I am a man of compassion, and not a bloodthirsty bunch. If you surrender, I am willing to treat you and your people well."

"The world has been in turmoil for a long time. You have established your own territory and enjoyed the imperial throne. I suppose your wishes have been fulfilled. Now, you submit to be my subject, persuade the people to surrender, and enjoy your old age in peace. Is that not a joy?"

Yuan Shu let out a long sigh and said, "How dare I refuse a prisoner like myself? I only know how to persuade my tribe to surrender. How will you treat me then?"

“Zhang Lu, Liu He, and Lü Bu surrendered to me, and I granted them all the titles of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households. You are like them, and you will also enjoy a fief of ten thousand households,” Zhang Yu said.

Upon hearing this, Yuan Shu was displeased and said in a muffled voice, "I am an emperor. If I were to abdicate now, I would still be a duke. How can I be honored alongside such despicable people?"

Zhang Yu remained silent, only staring at Yuan Shu.

Yuan Shu felt uneasy under Zhang Yu's gaze and knew he couldn't negotiate with him, so he stammered, "I hope you can offer one more household than the other three."

After saying this, seeing that Zhang Yu still hadn't spoken, Yuan Shu weakly said, "Ten thousand households it is, but we shall respect the King of Tang."

To be honest, Yuan Shu's territory and population are both larger than the three mentioned above, so surrendering now would bring Zhang Yu greater benefits. However, given the circumstances, if Yuan Shu wanted to be enfeoffed as a duke, he would have to surrender without a fight. Now that he has been defeated and captured, the fact that he can still be enfeoffed as a marquis with ten thousand households is because Zhang Yu values ​​the political influence that Yuan Shu brings.

"good!"

Zhang Yu's expression softened, and he said, "Later, I will trouble you to go to Yongqiu and persuade Zhang Chao to surrender the city. Also, send a letter to Wancheng and persuade the people there to surrender the city. I will reward each and every one of them."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Yuan Shu rose from his stool and awkwardly bowed to Zhang Yu.

Seeing that Yuan Shu's wound was swollen, Zhang Yu bluntly said, "You may step back and heal your wounds, and get some rest. Do not worry about your life. I swear by the Qu River that if you do not harbor any disloyal thoughts, I will guarantee you lifelong wealth and honor."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Seeing Zhang Yu's repeated promises, Yuan Shu felt somewhat relieved and repeatedly thanked him.

With Li Yuan's killing of Dou Jiande serving as a negative example in history, Zhang Yu would not do the same to Yuan Shu. After all, no matter how bad Yuan Shu was, he had cultivated his influence in Jing and Yu provinces for many years and had many subordinates who had benefited from his kindness. Therefore, killing him would be of no benefit, while keeping him alive would be of great benefit. In order to ensure the rapid peace of the Central Plains, Zhang Yu needed to let Yuan Shu live peacefully.

After Yuan Shu was taken away by his attendants, Zhang Yu looked at Xu Chu and said with a smile, "Zhongkang has made great contributions, and I shall enfeoff you as a county marquis. I shall grant you an additional two thousand households as your fief, which shall be shared with the sons of Yuan Shu who were captured."

"Your Majesty, I thank you!"

Xu Chu couldn't hide his smile as he bowed to Zhang Yu.

Zhang Yu helped Xu Chu up and said, "Many people have surrendered now. I trouble you to lead your troops to reorganize them."

"promise!"

According to the tally, of the more than 80,000 troops brought by Yuan Shu, more than 5,000 were beheaded and more than 50,000 were captured. The elite troops were almost wiped out.

The strategists and over ten thousand elderly and weak soldiers who remained at the main camp, upon learning of the defeat at the front and failing to see Yuan Shu for a long time, led their troops in a retreat. Later, under pursuit by Zhao Yun, they were forced to abandon their baggage train and flee with over ten thousand cartloads of supplies.

In this battle, Zhang Yu annihilated the armies of Chen and Yuan, capturing Yuan Shu and over fifty civil and military officials of Chen, taking more than 50,000 prisoners, and seizing over 20,000 sets of armor and tens of thousands of cartloads of supplies. The results were comparable to those of defeating Yuan Shao, but the political impact was far more profound. (End of Chapter)