Late Han Zhao Tang

With the decision to conquer Shu already on the agenda, the Tang Dynasty began preparations for the war, and Zhang Yu took the lead by secretly issuing an edict regarding the southern expedition.

The principal and deputy generals were Xu Huang and Man Chong. Xu Huang held the rank of General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Left, and was given the authority to command the Three Guards. Man Chong held the rank of General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Right, and was the deputy commander-in-chief, with the authority to act on behalf of the emperor.

Generals Gao Shun, Xu Chu, Ke Bi, Cheng Pu, Zhang Feng, and Ma Chao each led their elite troops to participate in the campaign, along with local troops from Yongzhou. The Privy Council appointed Tian Feng as the Central Army Advisor, Yan Pu as the Military Advisor, and Zhang Lu as the Pacification Commissioner of Bashu.

The three guards together had a strength of 90,000 men, the elite troops and fierce generals that Zhang Yu had accumulated during his campaigns to conquer all directions. This clearly demonstrates Zhang Yu's trust in generals Xu Huang and Man Chong, and his determination to conquer Ba and Shu.

The southern expedition of 90,000 troops was a massive undertaking. If the number of laborers transporting grain was included, the total number of soldiers and civilians could reach more than 200,000. Therefore, the southern expedition was not something that could be rushed.

Therefore, after Zhang Yu secretly issued the edict, in order to successfully launch a surprise attack on Baishui Pass, Xu Huang led a thousand cavalrymen to Hanzhong first, leaving Man Chong alone at Wuzhangyuan to wait for the gathering of troops from Guanzhong and Bingzhou.

When Tang was about to launch a surprise attack on Bashu, after several exchanges between the two families and the calculation of Sun Ren and Zhang Yu's birthdays, the two families agreed to send Sun Ren to Chang'an in February.

On the eleventh day of the second month, Sun Ren tearfully bid farewell to his family in Chengdu, accompanied by over a hundred maids, several hundred catties of gold and silver, and five hundred bolts of Shu brocade as dowry. With several hundred escorts, he headed north, intending to pass through Zitong and Jiameng, exit through Baishui Pass, and reach Hanzhong.

Baishui Pass is four or five hundred li away from Yangping Pass. According to what Sun Quan had said before, the Shu army escorted Sun Ren to Yangping Pass for handover, but Zhang Yu changed the destination to Baishui Pass to welcome Sun Ren as a bride.

On February 23, Guo Huai, the prefect of Hanzhong, led a thousand men to Baishui Pass to welcome the bride.

The city was built on the Bailong River, which flows eastward and meets the Jialing River at Jiameng, eventually flowing into the Yangtze River at Jiangzhou (now Chongqing).

Throughout history, the three passes of Yangping, Baishui, and Yufu have served as gateways to Sichuan and Chongqing. Yangping guarded Hanzhong, Baishui guarded Shuzhong, and Yufu guarded the three Ba ​​regions. Therefore, after the Sun family took control of Sichuan and Chongqing, since Hanzhong was in Zhang Yu's hands, they greatly repaired the passes along the Jinniu Road and stationed troops to guard and defend the area.

The troops at Baishui and Jiameng Passes each numbered several thousand. When Sun Ce marched north to Hanzhong, he passed through Jianmen Pass on the Jinniu Road. Because Jianmen Pass was located in a dangerous area with two walls facing each other, resembling a gate, a pass was built in the middle of the steep road. A guard post was set up there, and a beacon tower was also built.

With the three passes of Baishui, Jiameng, and Jianmen providing strong defenses, even if the Sun family lost Baishui, they could still hold out by relying on Jiameng and Jianmen. Even if the three passes along the Jinniu Road were to fall, if the Shu army still had the will to fight, holding out at Zitong and Langzhong at the Jinniu Road pass would not be out of the question!

While waiting for Sun Ren to leave the pass, Guo Huai dismounted and stopped on the hills outside the pass, constantly surveying the surrounding terrain, trying to find any loopholes in the pass.

"General!"

Lu Hao emerged from the forest and, through the servant's report, found Guo Huai on the hill.

"how?"

Upon seeing Lu Hao, who had been missing for several days, Guo Huai stepped forward to greet him and asked in a low voice, "Have you found out any useful military intelligence?"

"The Shu people have built a pass behind Jianmen Pass and stationed several thousand soldiers there. According to the Shu soldiers, Zitong is several hundred miles away from Jianmen Pass and six hundred miles away from Baishui Pass. If our army launches a surprise attack on Baishui Pass, no large army will come to our aid in the short term."

Lu Hao said, "But Jiameng and Jiange will be on guard, and we may need a large army to break through the pass."

Guo Huai pondered for a moment and said, "Jiameng and Jiange are beyond our reach right now. The key issue is how to seize Baishui Pass."

Lu Hao gazed at the distant Baishui Pass and said, "Baishui Pass is backed by the river and connects to Jiameng in the southeast. With its high mountains, deep waters, and precipitous passes, it is the throat of Sichuan. If we want to take Baishui now, we may need to take advantage of the wedding procession."

As he spoke, Lu Hao looked at Guo Huai and asked, "May I ask, General, do you have a plan to break through Baishui Pass?"

Guo Huai beckoned, and Lu Hao leaned in and started chattering away, making Lu Hao's face light up with delight.

"General, your wisdom and strategy are truly admirable!" Lu Hao said with a look of respect, cupping his hands in greeting.

Guo Huai patted Lu Hao on the shoulder and said, "You've been on a long and arduous expedition. Rest and recuperate now, for you will be of great use to me later."

"promise!"

As Lu Hao took his leave, Guo Huai watched his retreating figure, a look of admiration flashing in his eyes.

The young soldiers of the Zhongtiao Army, having been trained over several years, immediately gained the appreciation and favor of their officers due to their outstanding military skills upon entering the army. In particular, the three hundred young men were trained by the emperor, and as his protégés, their future prospects were limitless once they rose to prominence.

Lu Hao performed exceptionally well in the battle to relieve Hanzhong and was personally received by Zhang Yu. According to his own wishes, he went to Hanzhong to serve as a military officer. At that time, Guo Huai was appointed as the governor of Hanzhong. Because he had no trusted confidants and because of Lu Hao's outstanding abilities, he often entrusted him with important tasks.

A short while later, the gates of Baishuiguan opened, and hundreds of male and female servants escorted a magnificent carriage with canopies, accompanied by officers and soldiers.

Guo Huai walked straight ahead with his hand on his sword, while a hundred maids stood by, swords in hand, staring at him intently, which made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Upon seeing this, Guo Huai frowned slightly, but quickly regained his composure, stopped in front of the carriage, and cupped his hands in greeting.

"Prefect Guo Huai of Hanzhong pays respects to the Lady!"

Sun Ren lifted the carriage curtain and, seeing Guo Huai's exceptional courage, nodded in satisfaction. He then said casually, "Thank you for welcoming me, Lord Guo!"

Then, he looked at Li Yi, the garrison commander beside him, and said, "Thank you for your escort, General. We can now return to the city!"

"promise!"

Li Yi took out a document from his bosom and handed it to Guo Huai, saying, "The lady's dowry is here. Please check it, Lord Guo."

Guo Huai took the documents and personally checked them one by one on the carriage, seemingly afraid that the amount of dowry might not have been correct.

After waiting for a while, Sun Ren saw that it was getting late and dark clouds were approaching, so he said impatiently, "It's getting late. If we don't set off soon, it might rain."

Guo Huai hesitated for a long time before waving his hand to signal the carriage to set off.

Guo Huai led the way on horseback, with a thousand soldiers following alongside. Sun Ren rode in the middle of the carriage, accompanied by male and female servants on either side.

After walking for about an hour, the sky was covered by dark clouds. A rumbling sound came from the sky, and rain began to fall in a light drizzle.

"General, it's raining!"

Lu Hao rode forward on his horse and said.

Guo Huai wiped the rain off his face and said, "Inform Guo Xu to proceed according to the plan!"

"promise!"

At Lu Hao's urging, a fast horse galloped off and quickly disappeared into the rain.

The rain had been falling for a while, soaking the maids' clothes, ruining their hair and makeup, and slowing their pace. So they had no choice but to go find Sun Ren.

"My dear, the rain is too heavy!"

The lead maid said in a disheveled manner, "Could we seek shelter from the rain first and continue our journey once the rain has stopped? If we force ourselves to continue, I fear that while it's a minor matter if my maid catches a cold, it would be a much bigger problem if the dowry brocade is destroyed!"

"Summon Guo Huai here!"

"promise!"

After a short while, Guo Huai was summoned to the carriage for questioning.

"Madam, what are your instructions?" Guo Huai asked.

Sun Ren lifted the carriage curtain and said in an unquestionable tone, "The rain is getting heavier now, General. Why don't you stop and rest? It's not too late to continue your journey after the rain stops a bit."

Guo Huai said respectfully, "Madam, there are tents set up by me about a mile ahead. You may rest there now!"

Sun Ren raised an eyebrow and said with displeasure, "Does the general not understand what I am saying?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Huai was stunned. He hadn't expected Sun Ren to have such a temper. She truly lived up to her reputation as the daughter of the fierce tiger Sun Jian!

Not one to back down now, Sun Ren threatened, "I'm not afraid of the Shu brocade getting wet and my dowry being ruined. General, you may do as you please!"

As he spoke, Sun Ren ignored Guo Huai and lowered the carriage curtain.

Guo Huai's expression was not good; he was somewhat worried that Sun Ren would ruin his plans. However, after some consideration, seeing that it would not affect the overall situation, he arranged for the carriage to stop and for people to take shelter from the rain in the trees on the mountain ridge.

The rain lasted for more than an hour, during which Guo Huai took shelter from the rain under the shade of a tree, wearing a raincoat.

After a moment, Lu Hao approached Guo Huai again and whispered, "General, Guo Xu's men have arrived."

"it is good!"

After a pause, Lu Hao asked, "I have heard that Lady Sun has a fiery temper and commands the general as if he were her subordinate. I wonder if this will affect the plan to capture the city?"

Guo Huai pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "If Madam is already so presumptuous towards you and me, how domineering will she be towards her subordinates? Therefore, if we can make good use of her, she may be able to help us seize Baishui Pass."

"Using the lady?"

Lu Hao pondered for a moment and asked, "The lady is His Majesty's concubine. If His Majesty knew about this, would he blame him?"

Guo Huai said solemnly, "Your Majesty is a wise ruler. How could you not know the principle that military affairs should come first? Last month, Your Majesty wrote a letter instructing us to seize the passes first, and to take other matters as secondary."

"promise!"

Seeing that the rain had stopped, Guo Huai went to find Sun Ren.

"General Guo, what brings you here?" Sun Ren asked casually from inside the carriage, seeing that it was Guo Huai who had come to pay his respects.

"Madam, according to the soldiers' report just now, the plank road ahead has been washed away by mud and water due to the heavy rain. It will probably take one or two days to repair the plank road," Guo Huai said helplessly.

Sun Ren frowned deeply and said, "Although the rain is heavy today, it won't be enough to destroy the plank road."

"Madam, you are unaware of this!"

Guo Huai explained, “Since Hanzhong and Shu have been cut off from each other for several years, the plank roads have been in disrepair for many years and are inevitably decaying from wind and sun. It is not impossible that they would be destroyed suddenly by rainwater carrying mud from the mountains. I was ordered to escort the lady to Chang'an, how could I dare to conceal this from her!”

Seeing Guo Huai's sincere words, Sun Ren said with a troubled expression, "Now that the plank road has been destroyed, what do you think we should do, General?"

Guo Huai pretended to ponder for a moment and said, "Our grain and water are all in the camp, but the plank road is cut off from our return route. For your safety, we should ask you to return to Baishui Pass to rest. Once I have repaired the plank road, I will go to Baishui Pass to fetch you."

Sun Ren glanced at the weather and considered the relationship between the two families. He wanted to invite Guo Huai to rest at Baishui Pass, but he was also worried that the Tang people would take the opportunity to seize the pass. So he said, "The rain caused a sudden change, and it must have been difficult for you, General. I will return to Baishui first. It is inconvenient for you to rest outside. You can first prepare a detailed list of supplies for me, and I will have Li Yi send someone to supervise the work."

"Madam Xie is kind and benevolent!"

"Easy to do!"

Perhaps feeling that she had won the approval of her future husband's subordinates, Sun Ren couldn't help but feel a little pleased and good at herself.

As they returned, it was getting late. By evening, the Tang soldiers escorted the imperial carriage back to the walls of Baishui Pass.

Upon learning that the carriage had returned, Li Yi was greatly surprised and went to the city tower to find out what had happened.

The city tower was brightly lit, and Li Yi was talking to people below.

"Why did the carriage return?" Li Yi asked.

Guo Huai complained, “The plank road has been in disrepair for years, and the heavy rains and mudslides have washed it away, forcing us to turn back. Repairing the plank road will take one or two days. My lady is a precious woman, and I fear that she will suffer in the wilderness. Therefore, I would like to ask her to rest at Baishui Pass for the time being. I wonder if General Li would be willing?”

Li Yi, still harboring doubts, asked, "Where is the lady? Could you please bring out her carriage so I can see her?"

Guo Huai responded, then deliberately altered his words, instructing someone to tell Sun Ren that, fearing Sun Ren's identity might be false, Li Yi wanted everyone to enter the city on foot. This change in wording greatly angered Sun Ren, who ordered a carriage to be driven to the city walls.

"General Li, the lady has ordered you to go out of the city to greet her, or you will not be allowed to enter!" the attendant replied.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi exclaimed to those around him, "This is truly a treasure!"

In Shu, none was more temperamental or domineering than Sun Ren. As the eldest daughter of the emperor, she was deeply favored by the three fathers, Sun Jian, Sun Ce, and Sun Quan. Therefore, she was accompanied by a hundred maids when she went out, each carrying a sword. Ministers would greet her with utmost respect whenever they encountered her.

Li Yi once met Sun Ren. At that time, Sun Ce was still alive. Because someone bumped into Sun Ren's carriage, he executed that person, which made Li Yi sigh at Sun Ren's dignity.

Therefore, when Sun Ren spoke, Li Yi, unaware of anything amiss, opened the door to personally welcome Sun Ren.

With the gates of Baishui Pass open, and under Guo Huai's deliberate arrangement, the carts carrying Shu brocade, gold, and silver dowry items entered the city first. His reason was quite convincing: the dowry items might be damaged if left outside, so it was more appropriate to leave them in the city.

Because the vehicles had left the city during the day, the people of Shu did not suspect their authenticity and allowed them to enter directly. However, no one noticed that the vehicles returning to the city at night were significantly heavier than those that had left during the day.

Seeing the vehicles entering one by one without being subject to strict checks, Guo Huai breathed a sigh of relief.

"My name is Li Yi, and I pay my respects to Your Highness!"

Li Yi led several attendants outside the city and greeted Sun Ren in the carriage.

Seeing Li Yi personally come out to greet him, Sun Ren's expression softened slightly, and he said coldly, "I thought that because I married into the Tang Dynasty, I was no longer worthy of the general's attention!"

"I dare not accept such a price!"

Li Yi said with a smile, "I have prepared delicacies and hot water in the city for you, my lady, to stay and rest."

"Enter the city!"

Li Yi waved his hand, signaling the driver to drive the carriage into the city.

While Sun Ren's carriage entered, Guo Huai approached Li Yi and thanked him, saying, "The plank road delayed our journey; thank you for your trouble, General Li!"

Seeing Guo Huai's disheveled appearance and recalling the peaceful handover that morning, Li Yi had no suspicions and said, "Now that our two families are related by marriage, we are one family. Besides, your wife is my daughter!"

"good!"

After exchanging pleasantries, the two bid each other farewell. Glancing at the chaotic scene around him, Guo Huai gestured to those around him, then secretly took out a dagger from his robes and lunged at Li Yi, who was returning to the city.

Caught off guard, Li Yi felt a chill on his neck, followed by a sharp pain, before Guo Huai tackled him to the ground. Unaware of what was happening, he cried out in alarm.

"Enemy attack!"

"Enemy attack!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Li Yi's attendants rushed to Guo Huai's aid to rescue their general.

At the same time, elite Tang soldiers, several dozen paces away, unleashed a volley of arrows, which accurately struck Li Yi's entourage. Dozens of arrows riddled the four entourage with arrows, and they screamed in agony before dying on the spot.

"kill!"

After the arrow was fired, a hundred armored soldiers rushed forward and charged toward the wide-open gates of Baishui Pass.

Not only that, the carriages carrying the dowry that had entered the city earlier suddenly came to life, and about twenty Tang soldiers broke out from the pile of Shu brocade, catching the soldiers in the city off guard.

Lu Hao jumped off the cart, slashed down the Shu soldier holding a spear with a single stroke, and shouted, "Li Yi is dead! Those who surrender will not be killed!"

"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

Taking advantage of the Shu soldiers' unpreparedness, the burly Tang soldiers unleashed a massacre, almost invincible. Because they were unprepared, only a few Shu soldiers were armored, and under the assault of Lu Hao and his twenty-odd armored warriors, the gatekeepers scattered and fled.

After defeating the Shu soldiers, Lu Hao did not pursue them but instead opened the city gates wide, inviting the Tang soldiers to flood in, hoping to capture Baishui Pass as soon as possible.

At this moment, Guo Huai had stabbed Li Yi in the neck seven or eight times, and his bright red blood was flowing out. He was no longer breathing from his mouth and nose and was dead beyond any doubt!

Guo Huai drew his sword and said sternly, "If we break through the city today, the reward will be doubled!"

"kill!"

At the city gate, the Tang army surged into Baishui Pass, while Sun Ren's carriage stood alone amidst the crowd, surrounded only by a few dozen terrified maids. After all, how could playful sword-wielding maids compare to soldiers wielding real knives? Thus, upon witnessing the real battlefield, they were all quite frightened.

Noticing something amiss outside the car, Sun Ren peered out and saw what appeared to be fighting. He asked urgently, "What's going on?"

"My lady, Guo Huai assassinated Li Yi, and now the Tang army is taking advantage of the situation to attack the city!" the maid said fearfully.

"what!"

Sun Ren was shocked; she never expected the Tang army to dare to attack the city!

"Summon Guo Huai!"

Sun Ren disregarded etiquette, stepped out of the carriage, stood on the driver's seat, and directed his men to call Guo Huai!
Unlike the other maids, Sun Ren was exceptionally brave. Even as Tang soldiers surged past her carriage and arrows were shot from the city tower, she remained fearless.

With Lu Hao's successful capture of the gate, a large number of Tang soldiers poured into the city, signifying the breach of Baishui Pass. Only then did Guo Huai find time to visit Sun Ren.

Upon seeing Guo Huai, Sun Ren's face was filled with anger, and he demanded, "The Sun and Zhang families are all allied by marriage, how dare you break the alliance and seize the city?"

Guo Huai, frank and fearless, said, "In war, all's fair in deception. When the lady is related to someone by marriage, that is when the people of Shu are relaxed and unprepared."

With that, Guo Huai cupped his hands to Sun Ren and said in a deep voice, "The military situation is urgent. I will go ahead first. Please ask Madam to rest outside the city to avoid the merciless swords."

Regardless of Sun Ren's reaction, Guo Huai, worried about the military situation in the city, led his men back into the city to direct the various units in battle.

Seeing that Guo Huai not only seized the city in front of her, but also dared to slap her in public, Sun Ren was so angry that her face turned ashen. She secretly vowed that after arriving in Chang'an, she would definitely tell Zhang Yu to kill Guo Huai.

"Evacuate three miles from the city!"

"promise!"

Fearing being caught up in the war, Sun Ren had no choice but to return to his carriage, leaving his men a little further away from the city.

The strategy of using Sun Ren to seize the city, comparable to the "Trojan Horse" tactic of the Tang Dynasty, originated from Zhang Yu's tacit approval. In Zhang Yu's view, how could a beauty he had never met compare to the more than ten prefectures and millions of people in Bashu? By capturing Baishui Pass, he could send his army straight to Jiameng and Jiange. If he broke through these two passes, he could march directly to Chengdu.

Soon, as Guo Xu led thousands of Tang soldiers into the city, Bai Shui Pass, despite having several thousand Shu soldiers, was captured by the Tang army in less than an hour due to the death of its commander Li Yi, the lack of leadership, and the lack of preparedness.

P.S.: 5k words combined (End of this chapter)