Han Ji

Early April. North of Fancheng.

Guan Yu's vanguard had been camped outside Fancheng for three days. He did not attack the city, but simply set up camp five li outside the north gate of Fancheng. The camp was well-constructed, with a moat dug ten feet wide, and rows of deer antlers planted in front of the moat.

Guan Yu sat on a large rock at the camp gate, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade resting across his lap. Every day, he sent a letter to Fancheng with only one sentence: "The Prime Minister is approaching; those who open the gates to surrender will be punished."

On the third day, the gates of Fancheng opened. The garrison commander opened the north gate, held the seal of office in his hands, and knelt by the roadside. When Guan Yu rode into the city, the garrison had already sheathed their swords and stood in two rows at the foot of the city wall, heads bowed, spears resting against the wall. Fancheng surrendered without a fight.

On the same day, Liu Bei's central army arrived north of Fancheng. Eighty thousand troops set up camp outside Fancheng, their encampments stretching from the north gate all the way to the Yu River, banners obscuring the sky. The people of Fancheng crowded at the city gate to watch the army pass by; some had seen soldiers before, but never so many.

Liu Bei stayed in Fancheng for a day. He ordered Jian Yong to take men to inventory the Fancheng treasury, registering the grain, fodder, and military equipment in the treasury. He also ordered Guan Yu to lead the vanguard across the Han River at the Fancheng ferry crossing, set up camp on the south bank of the Han River, and send it to Xiangyang.

On the morning of the fourth day, Liu Bei led his central army across the Han River at the Fancheng ferry. The ferries were brought from upstream by Gan Ning's navy, and large and small boats filled the ferry crossing. Soldiers boarded the boats in batches and crossed to the south bank.

Liu Bei stood at the bow of the boat, looking at Xiangyang across the Han River. The city walls of Xiangyang were high, built of blue bricks, and crowded with people—not soldiers, but civilians.

The common people crowded behind the battlements to watch Liu Bei's army cross the Han River. Some pointed, some waved. The Jingzhou army flags were still flying on the city walls, but the guards had already sheathed their swords.

The boat docked. Liu Bei disembarked and stepped onto the sandy south bank. The sand was soft and wet, and his feet sank halfway into the sand. He walked forward until he reached the north gate of Xiangyang.

The north gate opened wide, and the drawbridge was lowered. The iron chains of the drawbridge swayed a few times in the wind, and the bridge planks creaked when stepped on. The moat below the bridge was filled with water from the Han River, and its wide surface flowed slowly, shimmering with light.

A line of people stood at the city gate. Liu Cong stood at the very front, dressed in the robes of a governor, holding the official seal. Behind him, Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, Fu Xun, Han Song, and other civil and military officials of Jingzhou stood in two rows. Cai Mao's armor was polished exceptionally bright today, and the breastplate on his chest reflected a blinding light.

Kuai Yue was still wearing his dark Confucian robe, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his face expressionless. Fu Xun held a scroll of silk in his hand, probably a letter of surrender. Several clerks stood beside him, each holding a completed document.

The people knelt on both sides of the street. Some dared not look up, while others secretly peeked to see what Liu Bei looked like. A child squeezed out from between the adults' legs and stood in the middle of the street watching Liu Bei's horse, but his mother pulled him back and pressed him to the ground.

Liu Bei dismounted. He handed the reins to Zhang Wu and walked to Liu Cong. Liu Cong knelt down and held up the seal with both hands. The seal was cast in bronze, square, and the knob was a crouching beast.

"Prime Minister Liu Cong, Governor of Jingzhou, led the eight commanderies of Jingzhou to submit to the imperial court."

Liu Bei accepted the seal with both hands. He handed it to Jia Xu beside him, then bent down to help Liu Cong up. Liu Cong's arms were very thin; one could feel the bones through his robes.

Liu Bei said, "If Liu Jingzhou's spirit could see this scene today, he could rest in peace."

Liu Cong's tears fell.

Liu Bei turned to Kuai Yue and the others and said, "You are all pillars of Jingzhou. Today you submit to the court, your official positions will remain unchanged, and you will each stay in your posts."

Kuai Yue cupped his hands and bowed. Cai Mao also cupped his hands and bowed. Fu Xun, Han Song, and others followed suit. Cai Mao bowed so deeply that his helmet almost fell off.

The procession entered the city. The streets of Xiangyang were wide enough for four carriages to walk side by side. The shops on both sides of the street were all closed, with yellow paper pasted on the doors bearing the word "Welcome".

The people knelt on the street, no one daring to utter a sound. The clatter of horses' hooves echoed on the stone pavement, the sound reverberating between the walls on either side. Xiangyang was captured without firing a single arrow.

Liu Bei sat down in the main hall of the governor's mansion in Xiangyang. He sat in the same chair that Liu Biao had sat in before his death; the chair was made of sandalwood, and the armrests were polished to a shine.

A dark blue blanket, worn and frayed at the edges, was draped over the back of the chair, having once been used by Liu Biao. His guards tried to take it away, but Liu Bei waved them off and simply remained seated.

The hall was filled with people. On the left were Liu Bei's men: Jia Xu, Jian Yong, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei. On the right were the surrendered officials from Jingzhou: Cai Mao, Kuai Yue, Zhang Yun, Fu Xun, and Han Song.

Liu Bei first inquired about the treasury. Jian Yong opened the account books and reported the figures: 300,000 shi of grain, 300 million coins, 100,000 bolts of cloth, and 20,000 sets of military equipment in Xiangyang Prefecture.

The navy had over 300 warships, including 12 large warships, 20 large barges, and several smaller boats. The infantry was registered at 30,000, but an actual count revealed 23,000 men present. Jian Yong said the actual number was nearly 7,000 fewer than the registered number; the difference was the amount of money that had been used to pay salaries to no one in recent years.

Cai Mao's face stiffened for a moment, but he didn't say anything.

Liu Bei did not pursue the matter of receiving salaries without actually working. He only said that old grievances would not be reopened, and from this day forward, the Jingzhou troops would be re-registered, with actual soldiers and salaries paid. Jian Yong made a note of this in the register.

Next came the matter of the navy. Cai Mao was the naval commander, and Zhang Yun was the deputy commander. The two had been in charge of the Jingzhou navy for many years. Liu Bei allowed Cai Mao to continue holding the title of naval commander, but promoted him to General Who Guards the South and stationed him in Xiangyang.

This was a nominal position. Gan Ning was then appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, effectively giving him command of the navy. Zhang Yun was transferred to be the Prefect of Jiangling, also a nominal position. Upon hearing this, Cai Mao's face twitched, but he still clasped his hands in acceptance of the orders.

Then came the local officials. Kuai Yue remained the Prefect of Nan Commandery, Fu Xun became the Assistant Governor of Jingzhou, and Han Song became the Chief Administrator. When Kuai Yue heard his appointment, he didn't react much, only cupping his hands and saying, "Thank you, Prime Minister." Fu Xun cupped his hands and said, "I am willing to serve the Prime Minister."

Next was Liu Cong. Liu Bei appointed Liu Cong as the Governor of Qingzhou, a nominal position. This was a largely honorary title, as Qingzhou was in Cao Cao's hands, and Liu Cong couldn't actually go there. Liu Cong's hand trembled as he accepted the seal. Liu Bei told him, "You're still young. Give you a few years to gain experience and experience before assigning you a real post." Liu Cong agreed.

Finally, there was the matter of pacifying the people. Liu Bei instructed Jian Yong to post notices at the gates of Xiangyang: the people should continue their work as usual, shops should remain open, and taxes would be reduced by 10% compared to when Liu Biao was in power. A soup kitchen was also set up at the entrance of the governor's mansion to provide relief to the city's poor.

That night, shops in Xiangyang gradually opened their doors. Some shops opened tentatively, with the door half-open and the shopkeeper peeking out to look at the street for a long time to make sure that no soldiers were looting before fully opening the door.

The next day, the streets were filled with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares. Fishmongers carried their loads from the banks of the Han River into the city, vegetable vendors squatted by the roadside and called out their wares, and cloth vendors hung their fabrics at their doors to dry in the sun until they were scorching hot.

On the third day, Liu Bei received the county magistrates of Jingzhou in the main hall of the governor's mansion. The magistrates had come from various counties; some rode donkeys, some rode oxcarts, and some had traveled all night, their boots covered in mud.

Liu Bei asked them one by one: How many households and how much land does your county have? How much grain did you harvest last year? How much did you sow this spring? Some answered clearly, while others answered vaguely. Liu Bei did not reprimand those who answered vaguely, but simply told them to go back and investigate and report back.

The magistrate of Dangyang County answered most clearly. He said that Dangyang had 3,100 registered households, but actually 2,800. Last autumn's grain harvest was 60,000 shi (a unit of dry measure), and 80% of this spring's planting had already been completed. Liu Bei glanced at him and made a note of him.