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

The urgent report of the defeat at Luocheng reached Chengdu on a gloomy, rainy afternoon.

Several blood-soaked, armor-tattered soldiers from Luocheng, with their last ounce of strength, rammed open the gates of Chengdu. They stumbled and fell to the cold ground of the Yizhou governor's mansion. The lead soldier, coughing up blood, cried out in a hoarse, almost broken voice, "My lord! Something terrible has happened! Luocheng… Luocheng has fallen! General Zhang Ren is dead, and the young master… the young master has been ambushed and captured!"

The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell into a deathly silence.

Liu Zhang was holding a teacup when he suddenly exerted force with his fingertips, shattering the celadon teacup. The scalding tea splashed onto his robes, but he was completely unaware. His eyes widened, his face turned deathly pale, and he leaned back against the chair, trembling uncontrollably.

"What did you say? Zhang Ren is dead? Xun'er... Xun'er has been arrested?" he asked in a trembling voice, his tone full of disbelief and even a sliver of hope that he had misheard.

"It's absolutely true, my lord! General Zhang Ren fought to the death at Luofeng Slope, ultimately dying from exhaustion; the young master, believing false information, led his army out of the city in pursuit, only to fall into Liu Bei's ambush, where his three thousand elite troops were wiped out and captured alive by Liu Bei! Now Liu Bei's army has captured Luocheng and is preparing for battle; soon they will be at the gates of Chengdu!" The soldier lay prostrate on the ground, his words dripping with tears, recounting the tragic events of the Battle of Luocheng.

The civil and military officials in the hall were all in uproar, frozen in place, their faces filled with shock and fear. Zhang Ren was the fiercest general in Shu and the last military pillar of Yizhou. Luocheng was the only gateway to Chengdu. Now that the pillar had collapsed and the gateway was wide open, Chengdu was no longer defensible and was completely exposed to Liu Bei's military might.

In an instant, panic gripped the hall, with whispers rising and falling. Some were pale, their hands trembling, their eyes filled with fear of war; others had furrowed brows and worried faces, knowing full well that the fate of Yizhou was sealed; and many officials had shifty eyes and wandering gazes, already calculating their own escape routes, no longer holding any resolve to remain loyal to Liu Zhang.

It took Liu Zhang a long time to recover from the immense shock. Tears welled up in his eyes instantly, and he slumped into the main seat, utterly dejected, completely lacking the dignity of a governor. He could only repeatedly murmur, "How could this happen... My father and I have painstakingly managed Yizhou for so many years, how could it have come to this... What will I do if something happens to Xun'er!"

He was naturally weak-willed and indecisive. Having suffered the triple blows of Zhang Ren's death, his beloved son's capture, and the fall of Luocheng, he was completely disoriented. He could only look at the officials below with panicked eyes, his voice trembling with tears: "Gentlemen, things have come to this. How should we respond? Does anyone have a plan to repel the enemy? Speak quickly!"

Silence fell over the hall; no one dared to speak. The pro-surrender officials bowed their heads in silence, while the pro-war officials also wore grave expressions. For a moment, not one of them could come up with a foolproof plan.

Just then, Huang Quan strode out of the ranks, bowed deeply, his expression resolute, and his voice strong and clear: "My lord, now is not the time for panic! Chengdu is a fortified city with high walls and deep moats, and its defenses are strong. There are still 20,000 troops defending the city, and our grain reserves are sufficient to sustain the entire city's military and civilians for more than a year! The most urgent task is to immediately order the four gates to be closed, reinforce the city's defenses, conscript able-bodied men from the city to assist in the defense, appease the people within the city, stabilize the morale of the army and the people, and defend Chengdu to the death!"

He paused, then continued, his eyes filled with a do-or-die determination: "Liu Bei's army has come from afar, and their supplies are scarce. Even if they capture Luocheng, they cannot hold out for long. My lord, you should immediately dispatch trusted messengers on horseback to various counties in Shu to issue proclamations to the local generals, ordering them to send troops to reinforce Chengdu. Once the reinforcements arrive, our army can attack from both inside and outside, and we may have a chance to turn the tide! We must not give up easily, and we must not bow down to Liu Bei!"

Huang Quan's words acted as a reassurance, calming Liu Zhang's panicked heart somewhat. At this point, he had no other choice but to grasp at this last straw. He immediately wiped away his tears, forced himself to rise, and ordered in a trembling voice, "As Lord Huang says! Issue my order: immediately close the four gates of Chengdu, strictly prohibiting soldiers and civilians from entering or leaving at will. Order the soldiers guarding the city to stand guard day and night without slackening! Also, dispatch ten teams of messengers to Ba Commandery, Jianwei Commandery, Guanghan Commandery, and other commanderies, ordering the local generals to immediately lead troops to reinforce Chengdu!"

"Yes, sir!" The attendant beside him quickly acknowledged the order and stepped back to relay it.

But as soon as Liu Zhang gave the order, dissenting voices immediately arose in the hall.

Xu Jing, the Prefect of Shu Commandery, slowly stepped forward, bowed to Liu Zhang, and spoke calmly, yet every word struck at Liu Zhang's weak spot: "My lord, Lord Huang's words, though loyal, are perhaps too idealistic. Now that Zhang Ren is dead, the prince is captured, and the elite of the Shu army has been lost, the generals in various regions are already restless and may not be willing to send troops to defend the emperor. Liu Bei is a member of the Han imperial family, and his reputation for benevolence and virtue is known throughout the land. His military strength is currently at its peak and unstoppable. Even if our army defends Chengdu to the death, it will only be a desperate struggle."

He looked up at Liu Zhang and continued to persuade him: "Furthermore, once war breaks out, the people of Chengdu will be plunged into the flames of war, and countless lives will be lost. How can you bear to do that, my lord? In our opinion, it is better to make plans early and follow the will of Heaven and the people. Only in this way can we protect ourselves and spare the people from the suffering of war."

Xu Jing's words instantly ignited a dispute in the court. The pro-surrender officials echoed his sentiments, each arguing the drawbacks of holding out and urging Liu Zhang to give up resistance; while the pro-war faction, including Liu Ba, angrily refuted him, denouncing the pro-surrender faction as cowardly and urging Liu Zhang to hold the city and await reinforcements.

For a moment, the hall was filled with a heated argument, with the pro-war faction and the pro-surrender faction locked in a fierce battle, neither willing to give in.

Sitting in the main seat, Liu Zhang looked at the arguing officials and felt a splitting headache, his heart filled with inner turmoil. He was unwilling to give up his Yizhou base, yet he feared the flames of war and worried about the safety of his beloved son, Liu Xun. He was caught in an endless dilemma.

The undercurrents beneath the surface were far more turbulent than the surface arguments. Many local powerful officials from Yizhou had already been secretly exchanging information with Liu Bei's forces, and now they feigned silence, coldly observing the disputes in the government offices; some of the generals defending the city were also feeling apprehensive, gossiping amongst themselves, and had no will to fight to the death; the people in the city were filled with panic upon hearing the news of Luocheng's fall, rumors spread like wildfire in the streets and alleys, shops closed one after another, and people stayed indoors, shrouding the entire city of Chengdu in an atmosphere of oppression and fear.

Huang Quan looked at the chaotic government hall and Liu Zhang's hesitant expression, feeling extremely anxious yet helpless. He knew that Liu Zhang's hesitation, the disloyalty of the officials, and the unease of the people were gradually eroding Chengdu's last remaining strength of resistance. Even so, he was unwilling to give up and could only repeatedly plead with Liu Zhang to hold firm to the end and hope that reinforcements from all over the country would arrive as soon as possible.

As night fell, Chengdu was sparsely lit, and a deathly silence pervaded the city. Liu Zhang returned to his inner chamber, unable to eat or drink, and simply gazed at the gloomy rain outside the window, his heart filled with sorrow and unease.