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

Liu Bei's massive army pressed in, arraying itself just an arrow's throw from the city walls of Chengdu, a mere few dozen feet from the city towers. Shield carts stood in a forest of shields and spears, the grim atmosphere of the army pressing down on the city walls, completely sealing off the four gates of Chengdu.

Surrounded by his personal guards, Liu Zhang ascended the East Gate tower. Holding onto the crenellations, he looked down, his legs trembling uncontrollably. Below, Liu Bei's army stood in gleaming armor, their banners obscuring the sun. Every soldier held a spear, their silence exuding an overwhelming and invincible aura, a stark contrast to the fearful and disorganized defenders on the city walls.

Liu Bei sternly ordered: "Entire army, surround the city! Seal off all city gates and waterways of Chengdu, cut off all communication between the inside and outside, and forbid a single person or horse from entering or leaving!"

"Here you go!"

The generals all accepted the order, and tens of thousands of troops moved swiftly, setting up camps around Chengdu on all sides, digging deep trenches, building earthen platforms, and erecting arrow towers, completely surrounding the city of Chengdu so tightly that not even a bird could fly out.

On the city wall, Liu Zhang looked at the impenetrable encirclement outside the city and listened to the military orders coming from the distant camp. His face turned ashen. He wanted to respond, but his throat tightened, and he couldn't utter a single word.

Liu Bei, clad in heavy armor and with a sword at his waist, stood at the front of the battle, his face stern and devoid of any formality. He gestured for his personal guards to come forward, who then used megaphones to clearly transmit his words to the city tower, each word ringing with undeniable authority, so that everyone on and off the tower could hear them clearly.

"Liu Zhang! We are both relatives of the Han imperial family. Out of consideration for our shared kinship, I accepted your invitation to come to Sichuan to help you resist Zhang Lu. I have never wronged Yizhou in the slightest!"

Liu Bei spoke sharply, his gaze like a blade piercing Liu Zhang on the city wall. His tone was icy, devoid of any mercy: "But you are weak, untrustworthy, and harbor treacherous intentions. While feigning friendship with me, you secretly submitted a memorial to Cao Cao, plotting to betray our army and kill tens of thousands of my Jingzhou soldiers! You even sent Zhang Ren to ambush us, causing war between our armies and resulting in widespread suffering. All this calamity is due to your inhumanity, betrayal, and abandonment of your lord!"

He raised his hand and pointed towards Luocheng, his voice growing louder, making the soldiers guarding the city walls panic: "Now Luocheng has fallen, Zhang Ren has been beheaded, and Liu Xun has been captured—all your own fault! I spared his life out of consideration for our kinship; that is more than enough!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Bei pointed his sword at the entire city of Chengdu and shouted, "My army has now surrounded Chengdu, and the city will fall in no time! If I order a full-scale attack, Chengdu will become a living hell within a day, and all the people of the city will be buried with you for your incompetence!"

"Today I am not in a hurry to attack the city, but only to give you a way out: surrender immediately, seal the treasury, and hand over your military command. I can guarantee your life, the safety of your family, and the protection of the people of Chengdu from the carnage of war! If you insist on resisting and keep the city gates closed, when my army breaches the city, I will certainly hold you accountable for your treachery. By then, it will be too late for you to regret it!"

These words were fierce and decisive, each sentence hitting Liu Zhang's crimes and weaknesses. They not only made it clear that he had a legitimate reason for his attack, but also used military force to pressure and attack his mind. There was no politeness whatsoever, yet he was completely in the right.

A deathly silence fell over the city walls. Liu Zhang's face was ashen, his body trembling, unable to utter a single word. He felt as if that icy gaze were piercing right through him. The soldiers around him, hearing Liu Bei's rebuke and seeing the imposing military might below, began to waver in their resolve.

Upon seeing this, Huang Quan immediately stepped forward, gripped the sword at his waist, and sternly rebuked the people below the city: "Liu Bei, stop your clever words! You entered Sichuan with ulterior motives, plotting to seize the foundation of Yizhou. My lord's actions to protect himself are not wrong at all! Chengdu is a fortified city with deep moats and ample provisions. Our soldiers are determined to defend the city to the death. If you dare to attack, you will pay a heavy price!"

Liu Bei glanced coldly at the city wall, a sneer playing on his lips. Without another word, he raised his hand and issued the military order.

"All generals, listen to my command! If Chengdu falls, all goods from the treasury will be distributed as rewards to the army!"

"Attack the city!"

"Waaaah—!"

"kill!!"

The bugle call soared into the sky, followed by the thunderous drums that shook the ground. Liu Bei's soldiers roared in unison, their battle cries reaching the heavens.

The roar swept across the city walls, and many of the defenders were so frightened that they almost dropped their weapons. Liu Zhang's body went limp, and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Looking at the menacing army below the city, and then at the officials around him, Liu Zhang saw that the pro-war Huang Quan and Liu Ba were ashen-faced, yet their anxiety was barely concealed; the pro-surrender Xu Jing and others were already filled with fear, frequently glancing at Liu Zhang with eyes full of urging him to surrender. The last shred of resistance in his heart was completely shattered by Liu Bei's stern words and military might.

Huang Quan followed closely behind, still unwilling to give up, and urgently advised, "My lord! Liu Bei is merely bluffing. If we hold the city and wait for reinforcements from all directions, things will surely turn around!"

But at this moment, Liu Zhang had already been crushed by Liu Bei's stern words and military might, his mind and spirit shattered. He simply waved his hand, remained silent, and fell into a deathly despair.

Outside Chengdu, the encirclement and fierce attack have lasted for three days.

Inside the mansion, Liu Zhang stared blankly at the empty hall below. The messengers he had sent out over the past few days had all gone unanswered, and the last glimmer of hope in his heart had long been swallowed up by despair.

Just then, a scout stumbled into the hall, covered in dust, and knelt on the ground. His voice was choked with sobs, yet strangely trembling: "My lord! Ba Commandery... Ba Commandery's Yan Yan, leading over 20,000 troops from Jiangzhou, has reached the northern outskirts of Chengdu! But... but he hasn't offered assistance. Instead, he sent an envoy to Liu Bei, declaring his willingness to submit to Liu Bei!"

"What?"

Liu Zhang abruptly stood up from his chair, his vision blurred, and he nearly collapsed. He steadied himself on the table, his knuckles white, almost unable to believe his ears. His voice trembled as he pressed on, a last vestige of hope in his voice, "Yan Yan… Yan Yan, he… he didn't come to support the emperor? He… he rebelled?"

The scout dared not raise his head, but could only prostrate himself on the ground, choking back tears: "It is... General Yan's proclamation has reached all the cities of Ba Commandery, claiming that our lord has broken his promise and colluded with Cao Cao to harm Xuande, resulting in Zhang Ren's death in battle and the fall of Luo City. The people of Yizhou have suffered under oppression and weakness for too long. General Yan said he is willing to surrender to Liu Bei to secure Yizhou and end the war. Now his army has arrived and will join forces with Liu Bei's army to besiege Chengdu!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the room fell into a deathly silence.

Huang Quan, Liu Ba, and other pro-war officials, their faces ashen, collapsed to their knees in despair.

Yan Yan!

This veteran general, who had guarded Ba Commandery for many years, commanded respect throughout Shu, and was even feared by Cao Cao, turned out to be the first true "external aid," but instead, he defected and besieged the city, effectively sealing Liu Zhang's fate.

The news reached the city walls, the streets and alleys, and the ears of every soldier and civilian in Chengdu.

The defending forces completely collapsed.

The soldiers, who had been barely holding on, heard the words "Yan Yan has surrendered," and their weapons clattered to the ground. Some collapsed to the ground, some covered their faces and wept, and some silently removed their armor and put down their weapons—they knew that even the most capable and loyal veteran had abandoned Liu Zhang, and their continued defense would only be a futile sacrifice.