Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

As the sun sank completely behind the western mountains, twilight, as dark as ink, slowly enveloped every inch of Luocheng. The sounds of battle below the city had long since subsided, leaving only the mournful whistling of the evening wind carrying away the corpses and the weary panting of the defenders on the city walls. The sound of Liu Bei's army sounding the retreat seemed to still echo in their ears. The soldiers, dragging broken ladders and carrying wounded men, slowly retreated towards the distant camp, leaving behind a mess of debris and dried bloodstains, gleaming a glaring dark red in the twilight.

The Shu soldiers on the city wall finally relaxed after a long day of tension, slumping down by the crenellations and panting heavily against the brick walls.

Liu Xun, leaning on his blood-stained longsword, slowly straightened up. The young man's back remained upright, though his armor was covered in dust and bloodstains, his cheeks were streaked with sweat and dirt, and his eyes were bloodshot, revealing an undeniable weariness. He gazed at the retreating Liu Bei army camp below the city, exhaling a heavy breath. The tension that had gripped him all day finally eased slightly. After several days of fierce fighting, they had defended Luo City, the last gateway to Yizhou, fulfilling his father Liu Zhang's trust and the loyal spirit of General Zhang Ren.

"Pass down the order!" Liu Xun commanded in a hoarse voice, his voice barely audible after a day of shouting, yet still carrying an undeniable authority. "Immediately take stock of the casualties of each unit. Wounded soldiers must be sent to the city's medical clinic immediately, and medics must be arranged to treat them with all their might. Unharmed soldiers must be divided into three shifts to guard the four gates. Each shift must be extra vigilant, with arrows nocked and swords drawn, without the slightest slackening, to guard against a night attack by Liu Bei's army!"

The adjutant beside him bowed and accepted the order, then turned to relay it. Liu Xun then stepped down from the city wall and slowly surveyed the area. At each stop, he paused, his gaze falling on the weary soldiers, his tone earnest and resolute: "Brothers, you have all worked hard. Although General Zhang Ren has died for his country, his loyal spirit remains, watching over us as we protect Yizhou. Today, we have defended Luocheng, and thus, we have defended hope. As long as we unite as one and fight to the death, we will surely defeat Liu Bei, protect our homeland, and safeguard our lord's empire!"

As he spoke, he reached out and patted the shoulder of a wounded soldier beside him, his eyes full of admiration: "You are all heroes of Shu, the backbone of Yizhou. I will report today's merits to my father truthfully, and you will be richly rewarded in the future."

The Shu army, initially demoralized and shaken by Zhang Ren's death, found their despair alleviated and replaced by a renewed fighting spirit after Liu Xun's words of comfort and encouragement. Looking at the young yet resolute young master, covered in blood yet steadfast in his post, they were filled with admiration. They straightened their backs and shouted in unison, "We are willing to follow you to the death to defend Luo City, to live and die with the city!"

Hearing the soldiers' shouts, Liu Xun felt a little more at ease. He knew that as long as the army's morale remained high, there was still hope for Luocheng. After inspecting the four gates and confirming that the city's defenses were in place, he dragged his weary body back to his residence in the city. The servants rushed forward, wanting to remove his armor and prepare a meal for him, but Liu Xun waved his hand and refused: "No need, there's no need to remove the armor, and the meal can wait. Defending Luocheng is the most important thing."

He walked into the hall, leaned against the table, and sat down. His eyes were slightly closed as he repeatedly recalled the recent siege and the news of General Zhang Ren's death, his heart filled with grief and anxiety. Zhang Ren was dead; Luocheng had lost its most capable commander. Although the defending troops were still fighting, they were mostly remnants of the previous forces, and their supplies and weapons were dwindling. If Liu Bei's army continued their fierce attack tomorrow, he wasn't entirely confident that Luocheng could hold out.

As midnight approached, all was quiet, and Luocheng was shrouded in darkness, save for the flickering torches atop the city walls that illuminated the vigilant figures of the garrison. Liu Xun leaned against his desk and gradually drifted into a light sleep, but even in his dreams, his brow was furrowed and his expression tense, as if he were still worried about the commotion outside the city.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps approached, accompanied by a guard's urgent shout: "Young master! Young master! Urgent intelligence!"

Liu Xun snapped out of his daze, abruptly standing up. The sword at his waist clinked softly. His expression hardened, and he demanded sharply, "What's the panic? What happened?"

A guard rushed in, panting, carrying an arrow covered in mud and grass clippings. A sealed letter was tightly bound to the shaft. His face was full of urgency: "Young master, an arrow was just shot in from outside the city and got stuck in a pillar of the east gate tower. There's a secret message on the shaft, and I didn't dare delay, so I brought it to you immediately!"

Liu Xun's heart tightened. He quickly stepped forward, snatched the arrow, and carefully untied the secret letter attached to the shaft, tore off the wax seal, and unfolded the letter. In the dim lamplight, the handwriting was hasty yet clearly legible; each word struck Liu Xun's heart like a thunderbolt:

"Liu Gui, having been rescued by a trusted confidant, has escaped from prison in Mianzhu. He has now gathered over three thousand of his former troops and is lying in ambush behind Liu Bei's army. Observing that their siege of the city has been unsuccessful for days, their soldiers are exhausted, and their morale has collapsed, I will lead my troops to launch a surprise attack on their main camp at dawn tomorrow, cutting off their retreat and disrupting their morale. You, my lord, can take advantage of the chaos and hasty retreat of Liu Bei's army to personally lead your elite troops out of the city to pursue them. With you and I attacking from both sides, we will surely defeat Liu Bei, kill the traitors Pang Tong and Fa Zheng, lift the siege of Luocheng, and restore the prestige of Yizhou!"

At the end of the letter was a faded but recognizable seal, the very general's seal that Liu Gui had used during his lifetime. Liu Gui was a veteran general of Shu, who had followed Liu Zhang for many years, achieving numerous military exploits and commanding a large number of his former troops. He held immense prestige in the army. He had previously been defeated and captured, and imprisoned in Mianzhu. Most of the garrison in the city were his former subordinates, and their morale would surely be greatly boosted upon learning of his safe return.

Liu Xun clutched the letter, his fingertips trembling slightly, his breathing becoming rapid, and his eyes instantly gleaming with surprise. The repression, worry, and despair of the past few days vanished in that moment, replaced by an overwhelming excitement and hope.

After Zhang Ren's death in battle, he was isolated and helpless. Faced with Liu Bei's fierce attack, he could only passively defend. Now that Liu Gui has escaped and returned with three thousand of his old troops, he wants to join forces with Liu Bei to attack from both sides. This is a golden opportunity and a lifeline for Yizhou!

He examined the letter several times, confirming the handwriting and seal were correct, and was already seven or eight parts convinced. The adjutant beside him leaned forward, and after reading the letter, a look of surprise appeared on his face, but then he frowned and hesitated, saying, "My lord, isn't this too much of a coincidence? General Liu Gui is imprisoned in Mianzhu, heavily guarded. How could he be so easily rescued by his trusted confidant? Moreover, Liu Bei's army is full of cunning; could this be a trap they set, deliberately forging a secret letter to lure us out of the city?"