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

As General Zhang Ren disappeared into the dusty escape route, the Shu soldiers who had been barely maintaining their formation instantly scattered like a flock of startled birds and fled at the first sign of trouble.

Their eyes were filled with despair, their steps were chaotic, and they were only concerned with desperately escaping the battlefield that was about to be engulfed by war.

At this time, the Han army had not even rushed into the breach in the city wall that had already been blasted open, but the Shu soldiers along the city line had already fled completely, leaving only an empty city wall and a mess on the ground.

Broken arrows, shattered halberds, and tattered flags lay scattered haphazardly on the ground.

Immediately afterwards, the Han army surged into Miancheng City like a raging tide from the collapsed city wall.

Their shouts of battle and the sound of war drums mingled together, echoing through the sky.

On the half-collapsed city gate tower, a large flag embroidered with the character "Han" slowly rose in the breeze.

The brightly colored flags stood out prominently in the setting sun.

The flags fluttered in the wind, making a "whooshing" sound.

As the sun sets in the west, the clouds on the horizon are dyed a brilliant red.

Wei Yan slowly stepped into Miancheng City.

Climbing the city tower and gazing into the distance, the entire city of Mian, which once served as a barrier for Chengdu, comes into view.

The continuous city walls, the scattered houses, and the bustling streets all lay quietly at their feet, as if waiting for the arrival of a new ruler.

"Grand Marshal, Miancheng has fallen. What is the next step in our military strategy?"

Wei Yan turned slightly to the side, stroked his thick beard, looked at Xiao He, and asked softly.

Xiao He narrowed his eyes slightly, gazed into the distance, pondered for a moment, and then decisively said:

"Divide the troops into two groups!"

"We marched north and captured Jiange, then took the northern pass."

"Continue south and head straight for Chengdu, the capital of Shu. If we can capture it, we can completely break the Shu army's will to resist and achieve our strategic goal for this expedition."

After listening, Wei Yan nodded slightly and gladly adopted Xiao He's strategy.

So the army rested for two nights in Miancheng.

These two nights, the Han soldiers rested and replenished their supplies, preparing for the upcoming battle.

...

News of the fall of Miancheng spread like wildfire throughout the cities.

Upon hearing this news, the counties along the route surrendered without resistance.

The Han army was powerful, and the Shu army was powerless to resist. Rather than putting up a stubborn resistance, it would be better to surrender early and perhaps still be able to keep their peace.

At this moment, the people of Chengdu were plunged into deep fear.

They were like headless flies, bumping around aimlessly, not knowing what to do.

The streets were bustling with people, but the usual hustle and bustle was gone, replaced by chaos and fear.

Some people wanted to flee south in search of a way to survive.

However, they were unaware that Guan Ping's southern route Han army had already cut off Chengdu's southward advance.

Meanwhile, to the north, the main force of the Han army, personally commanded by Wei Yan, was slowly approaching Chengdu like a surging torrent.

Inside the government office, people's hearts were in turmoil.

With a look of remorse, Zhang Ren slowly knelt before the hall, burying his head deep in the ground, not daring to look directly into Liu Zhang's angry gaze.

He reported the war situation to Liu Zhang with trembling hands, every word seemingly filled with endless regret.

Liu Zhang sat on the high seat, his fists clenched, his teeth clenched, and his eyes burning with fury.

"Zhang Ren, why did you choose to fight?!"

His voice, like a thunderclap, echoed throughout the mansion.

"Have you forgotten Yang Huai's lesson?"

Liu Zhang gritted his teeth and rebuked, the scene of Yang Huai's crushing defeat due to underestimating the enemy flashing through his mind.

He had repeatedly warned Zhang Ren to defend Miancheng to the death and not to launch an attack lightly.

But Zhang Ren stubbornly refused to listen to advice and insisted on leading his troops into battle.

He was furious; the anger in his heart was like a volcano about to erupt, impossible to suppress.

He had clearly made meticulous plans. As long as Zhang Ren held Miancheng to the death according to his plan, even if the Han army bombarded and collapsed the city walls, Wei Yan might not be able to capture Miancheng.

But now, tens of thousands of soldiers have been wiped out, and Miancheng has easily fallen into the hands of the Han army. How could he not be furious?
"It was this old minister who fell for Xiao He's trick!"

Zhang Ren raised his head, his eyes filled with regret and self-reproach:
"Gao Pei has come to challenge me, and this old minister hates him for betraying the King of Shu, so I have come out of the city to fight..."

His voice grew softer and softer, as if he were defending himself, or as if he were confessing to Liu Zhang.

All of this is beyond redemption; the fall of Miancheng is an unchangeable fact.

Liu Zhang suddenly roared, his voice sharp and stern:

"Enough! All of you shut up! A defeat is a defeat, there's no need for further explanation!"

"I trusted you so much, entrusting you with all the elite forces of my Shu, and this is how you repay me? You have truly disappointed and disheartened me!"

Zhang Ren was so ashamed that his face turned red, and he lowered his head so low that it almost touched the ground. He didn't dare to breathe or make a sound.

Liu Zhang was extremely anxious, pacing back and forth in the hall, muttering to himself:

"What should we do? Lianmian City has fallen now, which is an extremely important strategic location in our Shu region!"

"Is there really no one who can withstand the offensive of Wei Yan and Xiao He? Am I really going to die here, and have this vast Shu land just surrendered to others like this?"

Thinking of this, Liu Zhang felt a deep despair wash over him like a tidal wave, as if he were in an endless abyss of darkness, with no glimmer of hope in sight.

Just when Liu Zhang was filled with despair, Huang Quan stepped forward, respectfully bowed, and offered words of comfort:
"King of Shu, calm down. Although the current situation is extremely unfavorable to us, Chengdu is still firmly in our hands. As long as Chengdu is there, we still have hope and a chance to turn the tide."

"I hope that the King of Shu will prioritize the overall situation in Shu and not lose confidence because of temporary setbacks. As long as we are united and work together, we may be able to turn this crisis around."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhang gave a bitter smile and slowly said:

"Confidence? At this point, where do I have any confidence left? If I hadn't listened to your advice and sent Zhang Ren to defend Miancheng, how could we have ended up in this predicament?" "Now that our main force and elite troops have been almost entirely lost, tell me, with this mess, how can we possibly turn the tide? What can we possibly use to turn the tide?"

Huang Quan was rendered speechless by Liu Zhang's questioning and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

At this time, the military situation in Chengdu was far from optimistic; at most, there were only tens of thousands of soldiers left in Chengdu.

Moreover, after this series of crushing defeats, the morale of the soldiers in Shu was at its lowest point.

With such low morale, could the Shu soldiers still have the confidence to don their armor and fight to the death against the enemy?
Huang Quan frowned, racking his brains, but he really couldn't come up with any effective way to turn the tide.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Liu Zhang grew increasingly anxious and looked at the ministers before him:

"You are all pillars of Shu, and now we have reached this critical moment of life and death. Do you have any good strategies to turn the tide and save the day? Speak freely, and I am willing to try as long as there is a glimmer of hope."

Upon hearing this, everyone lowered their heads and remained silent, plunging the entire hall into a deathly silence.

The despair in Liu Zhang's heart spread rapidly like a raging fire, completely consuming his last remaining hope.

After a moment, Liu Zhang suppressed the surging worry and despair in his heart and fixed his gaze on Huang Quan:

"Gongheng, you have always been resourceful. At this critical moment, do you have any good ideas? Tell us quickly, don't keep it to yourself any longer."

Huang Quan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and then slowly said:

"If the King of Shu wishes to break this predicament, in my opinion there is only one way."

Liu Zhang's previously dull eyes instantly lit up, as if he had seen a glimmer of light in the darkness. His spirits lifted, and he quickly asked:
"Which path? Tell me, I will do everything in my power as long as there is even the slightest possibility."

Huang Quan hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said:

"We surrender to the Han emperor!"

This statement came out.

The ministers whispered amongst themselves, their faces filled with disbelief.

Liu Zhang's eyes instantly turned to astonishment, and the slight expectation he had shown earlier became completely stiff.

He had thought that Huang Quan would come up with some brilliant plan to turn the tide after some thought, but he was surprised to hear such words instead.

Huang Quan was actually trying to persuade him to surrender to Liu Bei?
In his opinion, this was hardly a brilliant plan!
This is practically driving him to the brink of despair, making him bear eternal infamy!
Upon realizing this, Liu Zhang was instantly enraged and slammed his fist on the table in front of him:

"Huang Quan! How dare you! As my subject, you actually advise me to surrender to others!"

"Could it be that you also want to emulate that treacherous Meng Da, harboring wicked intentions, and trying to persuade me to surrender to Liu Bei, so that you can curry favor with Liu Bei and seek your own wealth and glory!"

Liu Zhang had now completely abandoned all pretense of civility, and he rebuked Huang Quan without any mercy, his words filled with anger and contempt.

Just then, Zhang Ren suddenly leaped out from the crowd, knelt on one knee, and said with a passionate expression:

"King of Shu, Huang Quan must have secretly surrendered to Liu Bei. This traitor who sells out his master for personal gain cannot be allowed to live. Please kill this traitor to uphold military law!"

Seeing this, Liu Chan also stood up angrily, his face full of rage, and said:

“Father, Huang Quan has surrendered to the rebels and betrayed Sichuan. Such a disloyal and unjust person should be killed as a warning to others!”

Upon hearing this, the strategists and generals in the hall were immediately filled with righteous indignation and demanded that Huang Quan be killed. In an instant, shouts of killing filled the hall.

Huang Quan stood in the hall, feeling a chill run from his feet to his head. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead like broken beads, soaking his clothes.

He took a deep breath to calm himself, and then shouted:

"You all keep saying that I secretly colluded with Liu Bei and betrayed Shu. Then I want to ask you, who among you has the ability to devise a plan to defend Chengdu?"

"If anyone can come up with a good plan to protect Chengdu and prevent Wei Yan and Xiao He from setting foot in Chengdu, I, Huang Quan, am willing to die to atone for my sins!"

After speaking, Huang Quan turned to face the generals, his eyes full of provocation.

All the ministers remained silent, heads bowed, not daring to meet Huang Quan's gaze. The hall fell silent once again.

Seeing that everyone was speechless, Huang Quan's gaze fell on Zhang Ren:
"And you, Zhang Ren! I was the one who recommended you to defend Miancheng. I thought you were brave and skilled in battle and would be able to hold it."

"But what about you? You fell into Xiao He's trap, losing not only 30,000 troops but also Miancheng, plunging Shu into such a critical situation!"

"What face do you have to stand here so passionately, shouting that you want to kill me? Tell me, what do you have to defend Chengdu and repel Wei Yan's attack?"

Zhang Ren was already filled with remorse and shame because of the defeat at Miancheng. Now, being publicly humiliated by Huang Quan, he was instantly enraged. His face turned bright red, and he roared:
"Huang Quan! You treacherous and cunning villain! How dare you slander me like this! I will kill you now to uphold military law!"

Having said that, Zhang Ren roared and suddenly stood up. His movements were as swift as a tiger. He drew the sword from his waist and thrust it fiercely at Huang Quan, as if he wanted to kill Huang Quan with one sword to vent his hatred.

Seeing this, Huang Quan was not afraid at all. He quickly reached out and grabbed the hilt of the sword at his waist. With a "whoosh", the sword was drawn. He also assumed a fighting stance, confronting Zhang Ren head-on without backing down.

Seeing this, the atmosphere in the hall instantly became tense, and a fierce battle was about to break out.

At this critical moment, Liu Zhang could no longer contain his anger and slammed his fist on the table in front of him.

With a loud bang, the items on the table were shaken and flew everywhere.

His eyes widened in anger, and he shouted sternly:

"Stop! All of you, stop right now! What are you doing? Do you intend to kill yourselves in this very hall and become a laughingstock for the enemy?"

Upon hearing Liu Zhang's angry shout, Zhang Ren swayed violently, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, instantly sobering him up.

He then realized how rude he had been, that his impulsive and reckless behavior in front of the king was an unforgivable sin.

So he quickly and slowly sheathed his sword, then cupped his hands in a gesture of defense:

"Your Majesty, this humble general... this humble general acted impulsively and begs Your Majesty's forgiveness. However, Huang Quan is truly despicable, daring to slander this humble general at this time. This humble general is simply outraged."

Liu Zhang looked at Zhang Ren, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment, and he snorted coldly:
"That's enough! Huang Quan is right. If you hadn't lost Miancheng and so many soldiers, how could I have ended up in this precarious situation of being surrounded by enemies on all sides?"

"Given the current situation, I have to wonder whether it was Huang Quan who secretly surrendered to Liu Bei, or whether it was you, Zhang Ren, who secretly colluded with Liu Bei and deliberately sacrificed my Shu army to pave the way for Liu Bei?"

Liu Zhang was furious at this series of unexpected events. He never expected that two of his important ministers would have such a big conflict at such a critical moment, and even draw their swords against each other in public.

Faced with Liu Zhang's harsh accusations, Zhang Ren stared wide-eyed at his king, as if he could not believe his ears.

He felt a chill rise from the bottom of his heart and instantly spread throughout his body.

In an instant, Zhang Ren's heart was filled with chill. He never expected that after risking his life for Shu and making countless contributions, he would end up being met with such suspicion and accusations from the king.

He slowly lowered his head, not daring to meet Liu Zhang's gaze again. (End of Chapter)