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

"My lord! Surrender!"

"Let's lower it!"

The incessant pleas for surrender from the pro-surrender officials pierced Liu Zhang's heart like nails. Looking at the crowd, at the despair in the eyes of important officials like Huang Quan and Liu Ba, and at his own empty palms, he suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

He governed Yizhou for many years, working diligently, but lacked the ability to govern the country and the strategy to defend the territory. He listened to slander, let wolves into the house, broke his promises, and ultimately ended up being abandoned by his people and besieged in his isolated city.

He wanted to resist, but he had no soldiers; he wanted to hold his ground, but he had no food; he wanted to struggle, but he had no one to support him.

Huang Quan looked at Liu Zhang and watched the light in his eyes gradually fade away, knowing that the situation was hopeless.

He stepped forward, kowtowed to Liu Zhang, his forehead pounding against the ground, and sobbed, "My lord! I am incompetent and unable to turn the tide. However, the defenses of Chengdu can still hold out for another year. I am willing to live and die with the city!"

Liu Zhang watched as his trusted minister wept uncontrollably, tears finally streaming down his face. He waved his hand, his voice hoarse and almost broken, filled with endless weariness and helplessness: "So be it...so be it...I cannot let the people of Chengdu suffer because of me."

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over the officials below, over the murderous intent outside the city, over the fate of Chengdu, and finally turned into a long sigh as he slowly said, "Xu Jing, help me draft a letter of surrender. Send it to Liu Bei's army tonight... Tomorrow morning, open the city gates and surrender."

They surrendered the city.

These four words are as light as a feather, yet as heavy as Mount Tai.

These four words sealed Liu Zhang's fate.

Upon hearing this, Xu Jing and the others felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They immediately rose, bowed, and said, "Our lord is wise!"

Huang Quan, Liu Ba, and other pro-war officials wept uncontrollably, but were powerless to stop it. They knew this was not a wise decision, but a sign of despair.

The next morning, the East Gate of Chengdu slowly opened.

The city gates opened wide, the drawbridge was lowered, and the guards on the city walls disarmed themselves and lined up on both sides, their expressions grim.

Liu Zhang, dressed in plain clothes and supported by his personal guards, slowly walked out of the city gate. His hair was disheveled, his clothes were covered in dust, his face was pale, and his eyes were empty. He no longer had the majesty of a ruler of a province, only exhaustion and dejection remained.

Liu Bei, along with his core civil and military officials including Pang Tong, Fa Zheng, Gu Sulin, Huang Zhong, and Wei Yan, lined up outside the city gate, with armored soldiers behind them like a tide, their military bearing impeccable.

He looked at Liu Zhang walking slowly towards him, his expression calm, neither angry nor happy, yet exuding an aura of complete control.

Liu Zhang walked up to Liu Bei, stopped, bowed deeply to him, and said in a weak voice, "Liu Zhang... is willing to surrender."

Liu Bei stepped forward, reached out to support him, and said in a calm tone, yet with a hint of complexity, "Ji Yu, it's not that I'm heartless, but rather that I'm forced by circumstances."

Liu Zhang shook his head dejectedly: "Brother Zong is a man of great talent and strategy. I am far inferior to even a fraction of him. I beg you to treat the people of Shu well from now on. I have no other wish."

Liu Bei's gaze swept across Chengdu, and he slowly said, "Rest assured, not only the people of Shu, but I, your brother, swear that I will not harm your life, will treat your family well, and I will return my nephew to you. From now on, I will secure the foundation of Yizhou for you, and you can enjoy a peaceful life thereafter. There will be no more disputes among my brothers."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zhang gave a bitter smile, tears streaming down his face again, but he said nothing more. He knew that being able to survive and protect his family was the greatest respect Liu Bei could offer.

Standing behind Liu Bei, Gu Sulin saw Liu Zhang, the surrendered ruler, clearly for the second time. The man looked dejected, and although his clothes were neat, they could not hide the cowardice and gentleness between his brows. He had none of the majesty of a regional lord, and instead appeared to be a kind and honest elder who was more concerned with maintaining the status quo than with making any progress.

From a fair historical perspective, Liu Zhang was by no means a tyrannical ruler. Liu Yan and his son Liu Zhang governed Yizhou for decades and were not without merit. Liu Yan entered Shu to quell rebellions, establish governorships, and stabilize order in Shu, building a safe haven for Yizhou during a time of chaos. Liu Zhang inherited the legacy, and although he lacked great talent and strategy, he was able to reduce taxes and levies and appease the people, allowing Shu to preserve its population, maintain its granaries, and ensure the people's well-being during a time of widespread chaos, thus avoiding the catastrophe that ravaged the Central Plains.

In chaotic times, kindness and tolerance alone are ultimately insufficient to sustain a separatist regime. He was inherently weak-willed, lacking the ability to recognize and utilize talent, the strategy to counterbalance powerful figures, and the ambition to expand his territory and strengthen himself. His constant appeasement and indulgence led to lax internal governance and a demoralized army. Despite possessing the fertile land of Yizhou, he lacked the courage and strategy to protect his empire. Father and son, guarding the rich resources of Yizhou, ultimately became prey to the warlords of the chaotic world. Their defeat was less due to Liu Bei and more due to their own character and the ruthless, survival-of-the-fittest rules of the time.

The fertile land of Yizhou was a safe haven in the hands of the father and son, but it was always confined to a corner and unable to achieve great things. In the end, it needed a more powerful and enlightened ruler to unleash its true power in the chaotic world. This is the most helpless fate of a ruler who maintains the status quo in a chaotic world.

Liu Bei raised his hand and ordered his generals behind him: "Enter the city! Do not disturb the people; those who disobey will be punished according to military law!"

"Here you go!"

The army responded in unison and marched into Chengdu in an orderly fashion.

The gates of Chengdu were wide open, and Liu Bei led his army into the city, issuing strict orders and committing no offenses against the people.

In the streets and alleys of Chengdu, the people stood behind their doors, silently watching the large army, the down-on-his-luck governor, and the Han imperial relative who controlled the overall situation. There was no cheering, no resistance, only a deathly silence.

The soldiers strictly adhered to military discipline, did not disturb the city or plunder the people's property, and the government offices, large and small, were taken over in an orderly manner. The once chaotic and fearful capital of Chengdu was brought back to peace in just one day.

Liu Zhang, accompanied by his imperial relatives and former officials from Shu, dressed in plain clothes, personally went to the main hall of the prefectural government to kneel and hand over the official seal.

The golden seal of the Governor of Yizhou, with its purple ribbon hanging down, was held up by Liu Zhang with both hands. His fingertips trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with the sorrow of handing over half a lifetime's worth of wealth to someone else.

"The entire territory of Yizhou, including household registration, finances, county maps, and treasury keys, is all here. From now on, the land of Shu will be under the rule of my elder brother, and I will have no more desire for an inch of land."

Having finished speaking, he lowered his head, showing no trace of the arrogance of a state ruler.

Liu Bei personally helped Liu Zhang up, his expression calm and composed, neither arrogant nor impatient. He took the seals and documents and properly handed them over to his subordinates for safekeeping. He then gently comforted Liu Zhang's family and returned Liu Xun to his home, providing him with a residence, food, and clothing to preserve the dignity of his clan. He then arranged for Liu Xun to spend the rest of his life in Gong'an, Jingzhou.

With the overall situation settled, officials of all ranks in Sichuan came to pay their respects and surrendered one after another.

Xu Jing, Dong He, Yan Yan, and other civil and military officials lined up, bowing their heads to obey orders. Only the senior officials of the two prefectures remained behind closed doors, refusing to see any guests.

One was Huang Gongheng, and the other was Liu Zichu.

Both men were key figures in the upright officials of Yizhou, renowned for their talent in Western Shu. Ashamed of the unjust change of ruler, they locked themselves in their homes after the city fell, refusing all contact, neither attending court, offering congratulations, nor paying homage to the new ruler, expressing their unyielding will through silence.

The officials in Shu were all watching this closely, and people's hearts were unsettled. Many former officials were also hesitant and unwilling to truly submit, only paying lip service while secretly disobeying orders.