Tiger Owl

Chapter 127 Huang Zhong's Grace
Five days later, an envoy arrived at Linxiang County with Liu Biao's official order, demanding that the garrison retreat back to Jiangling. In fact, Liu Xin had already received a message by pigeon and knew that Liu Cong had been captured. The two sides had reached an agreement to exchange Linxiang County for Liu Cong.

"General Huang, I never expected it to end like this," Liu Xin said to Huang Zhong with a bitter smile.

Huang Zhong was also helpless. No one could have expected that the second young master would be captured. He could only sigh and say, "It is the will of Heaven, Prefect. We have done our best."

Liu Xin hesitated for a moment and said, "There's something else I need to tell you. We're going to have a very difficult time when we go back this time."

"Why?" Huang Zhong was taken aback.

"The governor has concluded that the disastrous naval defeat was caused by our refusal to send troops to cooperate with the navy, and we must bear the main responsibility."

"This is utter nonsense! What does it have to do with us?"

“Military Advisor Cai has already impeached us, and I’m afraid I’ll be dismissed. As for the general, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Huang Zhong's heart sank into an abyss. If Liu Xin, the governor's nephew, was to be dismissed, then his own fate was even more unimaginable.

"Let's retreat first! The governor won't allow us to retreat together; we must retreat in two batches. I'll lead 15,000 brothers to retreat first, and tomorrow the general will lead 2,000 troops to retreat."

Huang Zhong asked, puzzled, "What's the difference between evacuating in two batches and evacuating in one batch?"

"I don't know either, it's the governor's order."

Huang Zhong was speechless. He had no choice but to nod and say, "This subordinate will have to leave tomorrow!"

That afternoon, Liu Xin led 15,000 troops and all his generals to retreat, leaving only Huang Zhong and 2,000 soldiers behind.

Huang Zhong stood on the city wall watching the large army depart into the distance. At that moment, one of Liu Xin's personal guards rode back on horseback and handed Huang Zhong a letter. "This is a letter from the prefect to General Huang!"

The guard saluted and left. Huang Zhong was completely bewildered. He opened the letter and looked at it carefully. Suddenly, his vision went black, and he almost fell over.

"Tell Brother Hansheng that our lord has been defeated and needs to find someone to take the blame. Although I am the commander-in-chief, I am, after all, the lord's nephew. I will not be implicated. At most, I will be relieved of my military post, and nothing else will happen to me."

However, Brother Hansheng is resented by Cai Mao, who will surely take advantage of his misfortune. Brother Hansheng may be in danger of losing his life. Gan Ning is a benevolent ruler, and without treacherous officials like Cai Mao and Zhang Yun by his side, staying in Changsha Commandery may not be a bad thing. These are my heartfelt words; I hope Brother Hansheng will think them over carefully.

Huang Zhong's mind went blank. After a long while, he was too weak to sit down. Although Liu Xin's letter was vague, he had a vague idea that he was going to become the scapegoat for this disastrous defeat of the naval forces.

How absurd! Because he refused to send troops, the navy was defeated. He absolved Liu Cong and Cai Yan of responsibility for their poor command and pinned the blame on himself. Only Cai Mao could have come up with such a thing, and Liu Biao actually agreed to it and wanted to punish him.

Everyone says that Liu Jingsheng was respectful to the virtuous and kind, but now this evaluation seems so hypocritical. In order to absolve his son of responsibility, he did not hesitate to use a general to take the blame. What am I in their eyes? Less than a dog! A watchdog works hard and gets a bone as a reward, but I, who guarded Linxiang County for him, was made to take the blame.

Huang Zhong gritted his teeth, his heart filled with boundless hatred. The injustices he had suffered over the past ten years and his resentment towards Liu Biao erupted completely at this moment.

Just then, a soldier came to report, "Reporting to General Huang, Xu Shu, the deputy military advisor of the Yuzhang Army, requests an audience!"

Huang Zhong suppressed his strong emotions and nodded, saying, "Please ask him to come here to see me!"

Xu Shu entered the city with two soldiers and was led to the city wall. He immediately saw the robust Huang Zhong, whose hair and beard were half white. Xu Shu couldn't help but secretly praise, "What a magnificent old general! No wonder our lord is so determined to have him!"

"I am Xu Yuanzhi from Yingchuan. I have just met the old general."

Huang Zhong nodded. "I know you. You are one of the Four Friends of Longzhong. General Gan's appointment of you as deputy military advisor is a good use of your talents!" "Thank you, General. I have two things to tell you today. First, we have taken over the entire Changsha Commandery. General Taishi Ci led his army to sweep across the southern part of Changsha Commandery, and Zhang Yi's troops in the south have also been wiped out."

Huang Zhong sighed and said, "General Gan, you are indeed remarkable. You actually exchanged Liu Cong for Linxiang County."

Xu Shu smiled slightly and said, "Actually, this was my plan. Would the old general like to know why?"

"Appreciate further details!"

Xu Shu said unhurriedly, "I know that Liu Jingsheng's two sons are vying for the throne, especially the second son Liu Cong, who married a woman from the Cai family. Therefore, the Cai family firmly supports Liu Cong's succession."

When Liu Cong was sent to Jiangling to oversee the situation, I knew it must have been Cai Mao's suggestion, with the aim of gaining Liu Cong military merit and prestige, thereby securing the support of the military.

But simply sitting in command doesn't earn military merit, so when the 30,000 naval reinforcements came out of Jiangling, I knew the commander-in-chief must be Liu Cong. I told General Gan, "Although we can't take Linxiang County, as long as we capture Liu Cong, Linxiang County will be ours."

Huang Zhong nodded. "Military Advisor Xu has a very clear understanding of the situation in Jingzhou and Xiangyang. Who do you think will succeed Liu Biao in the future?"

Xu Shu smiled slightly and said, "The news that Liu Biao sent the old general to take the blame has spread throughout Jingzhou, and the army knows it too. This time, the Jingzhou army suffered a crushing defeat because the old general harbored resentment and prevented Liu Xin from launching an attack, thus preventing the Jingzhou army from forming a pincer movement between the land and water to attack the Yuzhang army. This disrupted the army's established strategy and led to the navy's crushing defeat. His crime is unforgivable and he should be executed!"

Xu Shu took out a report from Liu Biao and handed it to Huang Zhong, saying, "General, please take a look!"

Huang Zhong read through the announcement, trembling with rage. He crumpled the announcement into a ball and gritted his teeth, saying, "How can the Governor of Jingzhou and General Zhennan spout such nonsense!"

"This is the answer the old general wanted to know. Liu Biao favored his second son, Liu Cong, which is why he went to great lengths to exonerate his second son from guilt, even going so far as to frame his own general."

Huang Zhong nodded. "Is Military Advisor Xu here to persuade me to surrender?"

"No!"

Xu Shu shook his head. "I've come to return the old general's family; they're just outside the city!"

"Ah!" Huang Zhong quickly looked out of the city and saw a passenger ship had entered the moat and was heading into the city.

Huang Zhong was both surprised and delighted. He apologized to Xu Shu and ran down the city wall.

The passenger ship entered through the water gate. Huang Zhong stood on the riverbank and, sure enough, saw his old wife and his adopted son Huang Kuan's family, including his daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter.

The family was reunited. Huang Zhong held his wife in one arm and his adopted son in the other, and tears finally streamed down his face.

After a while, Huang Zhong told his personal guards to take his family to rest.

He then stepped forward, puzzled, and asked, "What's going on? How did my wife and children end up in your hands?"

Xu Shu smiled slightly and said, "Our envoys were negotiating in Xiangyang when they learned that General Huang's wife and children had been imprisoned by Liu Biao. The envoys reported this to General Gan, and General Gan changed the second negotiation condition. Instead of Liu Biao having to acknowledge Changsha as General Gan's territory in exchange for the return of 10,000 surrendered soldiers, he changed it to exchanging General Huang's family members for 10,000 surrendered soldiers. We reached an agreement and brought General Huang's family back directly."

Huang Zhong was deeply moved. Xu Shu added fuel to the fire, saying, "General Gan is at a loss for what to do when attacking a city. He greatly admires and sympathizes with you. Liu Biao's lack of ambition has wasted ten years of your youth. If you wish to join the Yuzhang Army, we warmly welcome you. If you want to serve in Jiangdong or Yizhou, we will not stop you. We will only wish you a safe journey."

Huang Zhong looked up at the sky and sighed, then slowly said, "Everyone has a heart of flesh and blood. General Gan has treated me with such kindness. How can I, Huang Zhong, not repay such kindness? Please tell General Gan that since he has not abandoned me, I, Huang Zhong, am willing to serve him like a dog or a horse!"

(End of this chapter)