My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

On the upper reaches of the Mian River, a light mist lingered, and more than ten warships were scattered about, sailing slowly.

Of the 20,000 troops defending Nanzheng, only less than a thousand survived the fierce battle and managed to escape to the Mian River.

Inside the flagship's cabin, the flickering candlelight cast a somber and desolate atmosphere.

After a night of emergency treatment, Zhang Lu survived, but unfortunately lost an eye.

"Guan Yu, Xiao He, Ma Chao..."

He gritted his teeth, his voice filled with endless resentment and unwillingness:
"You treacherous villains have driven me, Zhang Lu, to such a desperate situation. This hatred and enmity is irreconcilable!"

"You wait, one day I will repay you tenfold!"

Inside the cabin, Zhang Lu's curses echoed incessantly.

Although his life was spared, this crushing defeat, coupled with the pain of losing an eye, caused Zhang Lu unprecedented physical and mental trauma.

Under the weight of these blows, his spirit seemed to be on the verge of collapse, revealing a hint of madness.

At this moment, he had completely lost the demeanor and composure he once possessed as the ruler of a nation.

Yan Pu stood to the side, his brows furrowed and his face shrouded in gloom.

Yang Song was even more nervous, his heart filled with anxiety, fearing that Zhang Lu would come to his senses and blame him.

After all, it was he who insisted on persuading Zhang Lu to retake the East Gate.

Otherwise, how could Zhang Lu have lost an eye?

Otherwise, how could the 20,000 troops have been completely wiped out?

"Bo Miao, tell me, what should I do now?"

Zhang Lu suddenly grabbed Yan Pu's arm and asked excitedly:

"Should I retreat to Yangping Pass, regroup, and then take revenge on the Han Kingdom to recover the lost territory?"

Yan Pu remained silent for a moment, then finally sighed and slowly spoke:
"Nanzheng has fallen. The only troops we can use now are five thousand soldiers from Yangping Pass and less than twenty thousand men from Xiegu."

"Once Nanzheng falls, all the counties in Hanzhong will surely surrender to the Han state without resistance. Even if we retreat to Yangping Pass, it will be nothing more than an isolated city that is difficult to defend."

"Once the Crown Prince of Han in Xiegu leads an army of 100,000 into Hanzhong, the enemy's forces will reach 150,000."

"How can we possibly withstand them with just Yangping Pass and 20,000 demoralized soldiers?"

Yan Pu's calm yet ruthless analysis sent a chill down Zhang Lu's spine, making him feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

His body stiffened, and a feeling of despair welled up from the bottom of his heart.

"Is it truly impossible for me to ever turn things around?"

Zhang Lu muttered to himself, tears streaming down his face as he looked into his single eye.

Just then, after much hesitation, Yan Pu finally gritted his teeth, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty, we have not yet reached the end of our rope."

"If Your Majesty wishes to save your life, there is still one way to go."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lu's spirits lifted, as if he had seen a ray of light in the darkness.

He gripped Yan Pu's arm tightly and asked urgently:

"What other path do I have to take? Bo Miao, tell me quickly!"

Yan Pu took a deep breath and said silently:

"Abandon resistance and, before the Han army breaches Yangping Pass, Your Majesty shall lead the remaining troops to surrender to the Emperor of Han."

Zhang Lu was startled and froze.

So this is what Yan Pu meant by the way out.

They actually wanted him to surrender to Liu Bei and become a ruler of a fallen kingdom.

"The restoration of the Han Dynasty is a foregone conclusion, and the unification of the world by the Han emperor is irreversible."

"The battle has come to this point, Your Majesty has done everything in your power. It is not that we surrendered without a fight, but that it is the will of Heaven."

"If that's the case, why doesn't Your Majesty follow the will of Heaven?"

"Moreover, Your Majesty is a subject of the Han Dynasty, and the Han emperor is the legitimate successor of the Han Dynasty, the one who has the mandate of heaven and the will of the people."

"Your Majesty's submission to the Han Emperor is not surrender; it is merely a return to the court. You may continue to serve as a Han official."

"In this way, although you can no longer be the ruler of Hanzhong, with the benevolence of the Han emperor, Your Majesty will surely be granted wealth and honor."

Yan Pu's eloquent speech paved the way for Zhang Lu's advancement.

Zhang Lu was neither angry nor upset, but fell into a long silence.

Clearly, he was persuaded by Yan Pu.

In truth, he had no ambition whatsoever; all he ever wanted in life was to live like a local tyrant behind closed doors, enjoying wealth and luxury.

Submitting to Liu Bei was a great humiliation in Cao Cao's eyes, but he did not consider it a humiliation.

"In that case, it seems that submitting to fate, returning to the court, and seeking a wealthy and prosperous life for the rest of my days might not be a bad way out..."

Zhang Lu muttered to himself.

Yang Song, standing to the side, felt a sudden jolt of fear, and his forehead broke out in a cold sweat.

As the King of Hanzhong, it was perfectly reasonable for Zhang Lu to surrender to Liu Bei.

He's not good enough.

As Yang Song's sycophant, he has committed countless evil deeds over the years, including persecuting loyal officials and abusing his power.

Liu Bei was a man who could not tolerate even a speck of dust, let alone a treacherous person like him.
Moreover, he had been suppressing Ma Chao and his brothers to the extreme. Now, Ma Chao was Liu Bei's number one contributor to the capture of Hanzhong. If they were to serve in the same court, would Ma Chao let him go?

Zhang Lu's surrender to the Han dynasty ensured his wealth and status.

Yan Pu surrendered to the Han Dynasty and rendered meritorious service to Liu Bei. Not only would he enjoy wealth and honor, but he might also be given an important position.

His surrender to the Han dynasty meant certain death!
Zhang Song's eyes darted around a few times, and he quickly said:
"If Your Majesty surrenders to the Han, you will be like meat on a chopping board, your life and death in the hands of Liu Bei."

"I believe that we may still have a chance to recover lost territory and turn the tide."

Zhang Lu's eyes lit up, and he suddenly looked up at Yang Song.

If he could refuse to surrender to the Han Dynasty and retain Hanzhong Commandery, continuing to be his local tyrant, he would naturally be more than happy.

"Boqing, what good plan do you have?"

Zhang Lu, forgetting Yang Song's earlier miscalculation, eagerly asked. Yang Song took a light breath, cupped his hands, and said:

"Your Majesty can retreat to Yangping Pass, send an envoy south to Chengdu to form an alliance with Liu Zhang, and lead the Shu troops north to help us recover our lost territory!"

The anticipation and surprise on Zhang Lu's face vanished instantly.

"Yang Song, what kind of outrageous idea is this!"

"Don't you know that I have a blood feud with that dog Liu Zhang for killing my mother?"

"You actually want me to beg that scoundrel for help? And you even invite that scoundrel into Hanzhong?"

"At that time, my fate will likely be ten thousand times more miserable than when I surrendered to Liu Bei!"

Zhang Lu refused without hesitation and gave Yang Song a severe dressing-down.

Yang Song remained silent, letting Zhang Lu accuse him relentlessly.

It seems he had anticipated that Zhang Lu would not adopt his suggestion.

The hatred for killing one's mother!
Back then, you, Zhang Lu, were originally a general under Liu Yan, but you occupied Hanzhong and established yourself as an independent ruler.

After Liu Zhang succeeded to the throne, he killed your mother in a fit of rage.

Your two families have been fighting each other for many years in this remote mountain village of Yizhou, forging a deep-seated hatred.

In this situation, how humiliating it would be for you to grovel and beg Liu Zhang for help.

Will Liu Zhang forgive and forget?
"His Majesty is tired and needs to rest. You may all leave!"

Yang Song suddenly stood up straight and shouted in a deep voice.

Yan Pu and the others were all taken aback.

Zhang Lu came first; when did you get the right to give orders?
Before anyone could react, the soldiers loyal to the Yang family forcibly drove Yan Pu and the others away.

"Yang Song, what are you trying to do?"

Zhang Lu became wary and struggled to get up from the bed.

Yang Song frowned and shouted to his left and right:
"Guards, tie the king to the bed so he can rest!"

His trusted confidants rushed forward, quickly bound Zhang Lu, and forcibly tied him to the bed.

"Yang Song, how dare you be so disrespectful to me!"

"What do you want to do?"

"Do you intend to kill your master?"

Zhang Lu, bound tightly to the bed, angrily and sorrowfully questioned Yang Song.

Yang Song waved his hand, and his trusted men tactfully withdrew.

Only the master and his minister remained in the cabin.

"Since there's no one else here, I might as well tell you what's on my mind."

“In fact, you should know in your heart that you, the King of Hanzhong, were brought up by my Yang family.”

"The reason you're able to hold onto that position is simply because you can protect our Yang family."

"What a pity that you are so incompetent, allowing Liu Bei to invade and seize our Han China."

"Now, you still want to surrender to Liu Bei so that I and my Yang clan will be wiped out?"

"Zhang Lu, do you think I, Yang Song, would let you do that?"

Yang Song stopped hiding his true intentions and simply dropped all pretense, bringing all those things he had been saying behind closed doors to the forefront.

These words, like a knife, mercilessly pierced Zhang Lu's heart.

His face gradually contorted, and tears of grief and indignation welled up in his eyes.

"However, considering our past relationship as ruler and subject, I won't go too far. Don't worry, I certainly won't kill you."

"You should stay behind the scenes and recover from your injuries. I will issue orders on your behalf and request Liu Zhang to send troops into Hanzhong to help us defeat Guan Yu and Xiao He and recover our lost territory."

"As for how Liu Zhang will deal with you after he takes Hanzhong, that depends on your fate."

"But that's none of my business anymore. Anyway, if Liu Zhang wants to secure his position in Hanzhong, he certainly won't treat our Yang family badly."

"My Yang family remains the uncrowned ruler of Hanzhong!"

Yang Song didn't bother to hide anything and revealed his next plan in its entirety.

"Yang Song, you despicable, shameless, disloyal, and treacherous villain!!"

"I must have been blind to have considered you my confidant!"

"Do you deserve the favor I have shown you, and the trust I have placed in you?"

Zhang Lu, filled with resentment and indignation, launched into a tirade of curses at Yang Song.

Yang Song, however, disdained to waste any more words on him and turned to leave.

"I, Zhang Lu, have fallen to such a state entirely of my own making!"

"I have only myself to blame, I have to suffer the consequences of my own actions—"

After his initial grief and anger subsided, Zhang Lu was filled with remorse.

Yang Song frowned and gave a look to his trusted aide at the door.

The trusted soldiers understood and went in to gag Zhang Lu.

Yang Song then pushed open the door and stepped out of the cabin.

Upon hearing Zhang Lu's shout, Yan Pu and the others felt uneasy.

Upon seeing Yang Song, Yan Pu hurriedly asked:
"Boqing, I just heard the king shout. What's wrong with the king?"

Yang Song ignored him, took a deep breath, and said sternly:

"The King has ordered that we immediately retreat to Yangping Pass and summon the troops from Xiegu to join us at Yangping Pass."

"Your Majesty has also issued an edict: immediately send an envoy to Chengdu to form an alliance with Liu Zhang, the King of Shu, and request the Shu army to march north and help us recover our lost territory!"

Yan Pu's expression changed drastically. (End of Chapter)