CH 515

“The Military Advisor’s plan is complete! Kill them!” Liu Bei shouted. It was as though he was young and vigorous like when he fought against the Yellow Turbans. He may have given one of his paired swords to Pang Tong but it did not affect his ability to dual wield swords effectively.

Liu Bei’s guards protected him from most of the arrows. The few arrows that got through could not pierce Liu Bei’s armor.

As Liu Bei pressed forward, he affected the Xiliang Cavalry as well. They did not charge forward simply because of Liu Bei’s orders. They simply thought that all the good things would be taken away by the Han if Liu Bei kept being in the lead.

“It’s the Xiliang Cavalry!” Zhang Gui muttered with wide eyes as he watched the Xiliang Cavalry. He finally understood why Liu Biao did not take the initiative to attack Zhang Xiu. This is because the Xiliang Cavalry was too formidable. Even if Liu Biao could win against Zhang Xiu, it would merely be a pyrrhic victory. They were still powerful even after changing Lords.

Under Zhang Gui’s commands, the soldiers did their best as they continued to shoot arrows down the walls. This is because they knew that once the Xiliang Cavalry broke into the city, both they and their families would be in trouble.

“Where are those three? Why are the gates still open?” Zhang Gui roared angrily. The Xiliang Cavalry was right in front of them but the gates were open and the drawbridge was lowered. “Tell them I will only meet their corpses!”

At this moment, one soldier staggered forward and wept. “General!”

Zhang Gui recognized this soldier as one of Liu Chuang’s guards.

“General! General Liu Chuang and the other are…!” The soldier wept as a few other soldiers dragged the corpses of Liu Chuang, Zhang Mao and Zhang Cheng over. Zhang Mao never expected to really meet their corpses.

“They are dead?” Zhang Gui was shocked. All three of them had been skilled and powerful warriors. Yet based on the state of their corpses, all three of them died in one strike each. Zhang Gui had cold sweat when he realized he would have to fight someone that powerful.

“Kill! Kill!” The Xiliang Cavalry shouted again, snapping Zhang Gui out from his stupor.

“Has the Xiliang Cavalry entered the city?” Zhang Gui asked loudly.

“No. It is that white clothed cavalry!” One soldier reported.

“They are killing their way in?” Zhang Gui was stunned. Why did they not wait for the Xiliang Cavalry?

Zhao Yun naturally charge in since he was not Liu Bei’s subordinate. It would be problematic if anyone found out the truth.

The White Horses acted according to Zhao Yun’s orders. They cut off the legs of their dead horses and also took the stirrups with them. As they all rode two horses each, they fortunately have enough space to take away all these extra stuff with them. The reason for this is because the stirrups and the horseshoe must not fall into the enemy’s hands.

As they were in Fancheng, they could not leave or they would run into the Xiliang Cavalry. So they could only choose to go through the city.

As the blood covered Zhao Yun moved, the defenders cowered. Zhao Yun was unlike other generals who rip their enemies apart. Zhao Yun’s kills were all clean and instant so his enemies feared him like a Death God.

“Bloody General! Don’t come over here!”  One of Fancheng’s defenders shouted in fear. Following the orders of their general, they had charged towards Zhao Yun. This particular one was a little slow so he managed to survive long enough to see all of his companions dead.

“Bloody General? How meaningful.” One of Zhao Yun’s subordinates said. “General. They are calling you the Blood General.” Zhao Yun was all bloody and his pike always meets its target.

“Whatever. Let’s go.” Zhao Yun did not care at all about nicknames. The only thing that was important was being Liu Mang’s blade.

“Understood.” The soldier also stopped smiling after hearing Zhao Yun’s words. Their mission was completed.

“Let’s go!” Zhao Yun and the other White Horses galloped into the city.

“Ah!” The defenders who were frightened of Zhao Yun all stepped backwards in fear. All those that had overestimated their own capabilities had either been killed by Zhao Yun or one of the White Horses while the ones that withdrew had a chance of surviving. They all stepped aside as though they were welcoming their own general.

Zhang Gui ordered the archers to keep shooting while he led the others to battle. As Zhao Yun had left, Zhang Gui and the others managed to block the city gate.

On the other hand, Liu Bei raised morale by promising a hundred gold to the first person that gets pass the city gates. One of the Xiliang Cavalry excitedly rushed forward and was the first person to get pass the gates. Those of Qiang ethnic did not care much for titles. Tangible rewards like gold were more meaningful to them. Unfortunately, the only reward this man received for his achievement was a spear through his body.  He had ridden too quickly and tripped over one of the corpses of the White Horses. He was then killed by the enemy as he fell of his horse.

However, this tiny setback did not stop the Xiliang Cavalry’s momentum. Instead, it fuelled their bloodthirstiness as it means that they could still obtain the reward. As they charged, a hole formed in Fancheng’s defenses. The interior of Fancheng could be seen. It can be said that Fancheng would definitely fall.

“Brothers! Fight to the death! Remember that our family lies behind us! Do not forget what happened at Wancheng! Their survival depends on you!” Zhang Gui shouted, raising morale skillfully. Zhang Gui was referring to when Zhang Ji arrived. One of the victims of that incident also happened to be the Deng Family.

As there were a lot of people from Wancheng and Nanyang in Fancheng, they clearly understood Zhang Gui’s implication and fought even harder. They did not want that tragedy to repeat again. If it was not for that tragedy, who would want to leave their beloved homeland?

“Fight to the death!” The defenders shouted. They no longer retreated. Even the ones whose spirits were crushed by Zhao Yun had recovered as they all charged towards the enemy.

Zhang Gui smiled at this as it was the best thing he had heard all battle.

“Fight to the death!”1 Zhang Gui shouted as well.

“Who is this general?” Liu Bei asked with interest as he noticed Zhang Gui’s talent in raising morale. Liu Bei was currently near the back, stopping after the initial charge. He knew he was not a hero that could break through enemy lines. This risky task can be given to others.

“Milord. The Governor is Song Zhong!” Jian Yong replied.

“Song Zhong? Is it that person?”

“Milord. Do you know this person?” Jian Yong was surprised as Song Zhong was not a well known scholar outside of Jingzhou.

“Of course. I may even need to address him as teacher!” Liu Bei replied. Song Zhong and Liu Bei’s teacher, Lu Zhi, were friends. If it was not because of the war, both of them would be in Luoyang writing laws and decrees.

“He is friends with Master Lu?” Jian Yong felt a headache coming. Even if Liu Bei don’t show much importance in respecting teachers, he would still need to do it on the surface. Going against his teacher’s friend was akin to rebelling against his own teacher.

“There won’t be any harm.” Liu Bei laughed and shook his head. “Song Zhong may be a well-known scholar but he is not adept in the art of war. The one leading the soldiers is definitely not Song Zhong!” Liu Bei simply needed to capture Fancheng and then recommend Song Zhong to a superficial position. The Han Emperor would still give him that much face.

“In that case, the one leading the soldiers must be Zhang Gui Zhang Shuyan!” Jian Yong replied based on the information he had. Zhang Gui was the third son. He had two elder brothers. He was able to become a commander at Fancheng because the Zhang Family supported the Cai Family.

“Zhang Gui Zhang Shuyan!” Liu Bei repeated the name as he watched Fancheng’s defenses slowly crumble. Liu Bei believed that Zhang Gui could be considered a hero. Unfortunately, Zhang Gui was fated to come up short. He was feeling very proud of Pang Tong and believed that the Heavens granted Pang Tong to him.

“Once we gain control of the gates, capturing Fancheng is just a matter of time! Have Hu Che Er and Liao Hua act now!” Liu Bei ordered.

“Yes!” Jian Yong replied as he left to convey the order.

At that point in time, the Xiliang Cavalry were also suffering casualties. They would charge ahead and kill about three defenders before realizing that their horse could not go further. They would then get dragged off their horses and get killed. Corpses were littered around the city gates.

“Kill them all!” Zhang Gui did not care for the deaths of his men. To him, Fancheng was more important as his family’s foundation was there. If Fancheng fell, so would his family. If the soldiers were dead, he could always recruit more with money. Without money, there would be nothing.

The more people that died, the safer it will be for Fancheng. The corpses would become obstacles blocking the gates.

Zhang Gui’s plan to block up the gates with corpses could have worked. Unfortunately, Liu Bei was also making plans of his own.

“It is finally our turn!” Liao Hua stated.

“Hmph!” Hu Che Er showed an unhappy expression as he had almost died under Liao Hua’s hands. Liao Hua had taken over Chen Dao’s job after Chen Dao’s death. His job was to protect Liu Bei and charge into the enemy ranks. He was also given whats left of the White Eared Soldiers.

Liao Hua ordered his men to attack and immediately rushed out. He did not care about Hu Che Er. Liao Hua was only being loyal to Liu Bei. Previously, Liao Hua’s actions was done for the sake of self-preservation but now both he and Hu Che Er were simply officials. He saw no need to curry favor with Hu Che Er.

Hu Che Er soon followed Liao Hua, not wanting to be left behind. Liao Hua had the strength of a Second Grade warrior while Hu Che Er wasn’t hindered as much with only one hand. The only difference was that Hu Che Er could no longer use a bow. The two of them were like sharp knives piercing through Fancheng’s defenders.

“Zhang Cheng! Zhang Mao! Stop these two!” Zhang Gui shouted when he saw the enemy general approach but he did not receive a reply. One of his subordinates soon reminded him that Zhang Cheng and Zhang Mao had long been killed together with Liu Chuang.

“What?” Zhang Gui was struck dumb. How was he going to stop these two generals now? Altogether, there were five generals in Fancheng. Three were dead while the other two were guarding the other walls. Even if he were to call them over right now, it would be too late.

“Guards! Follow me out to battle!” Zhang Gui was left with no other choice but to personally join the battle. However, by the time he could charge out, he was already too late. The cavalry’s charge was too powerful. While most of the soldiers seemed uninjured, they suffered from internal injuries. Hu Che Er and Liao Hua also easily tore through them. If Zhang Gui were to set out now, all he would do is give merits to the enemy.

***

Zhang Gui was unable to defend Fancheng. The battle was determined from the moment Fancheng was unable to close the gates.

Liu Bei walked into Fancheng with a smile. He now had provisions and could threaten Liu Biao. All the losses he had to obtain Fancheng was worth it.

“Milord. There are three hundred and twenty thousand stones worth of provisions in Fancheng!” Jian Yong informed.

Liu Bei’s eyes lit up. “Three hundred and twenty thousand! Why is there so much?” Liu Bei was happy that he could expand his army but he only expected two hundred thousand from Pang Tong’s letter.

“Milord. These are not the Military Advisor’s provisions.” Jian Yong shook his head. “These are the provisions for the defenders in this city.”

“Three hundred and twenty thousand provisions for an army of thirty thousand?” Liu Bei was in disbelief.

Jian Yong then explained that these provisions were sent here because Zhang Xiu wanted to surrender to Cao Cao. At that time, Fancheng had a lot of soldiers. The large amount of provisions here was for a battle of attrition. He never expected the two to have a falling out instead.

“If the army have already dispersed, why did they still keep the provisions here?” Liu Bei could not understand why the soldiers did not take the provisions back with them.

Jian Yong explained that at that time, they had to use all of Jingzhou’s ships just to bring the provisions over. The trade routes were completely blocked. To prevent this from happening again, they decided to just leave the provisions here.

In fact, Liu Biao had actually five hundred thousand stones worth of provisions behind but a large portion had been embezzled by the Zhang Family.

Liu Bei took a deep breath. He now truly knew how prosperous Jingzhou was. This was one reason why Sun Ce did not go after the Central Plains and kept attacking Jingzhou. Liu Bei thanked Pang Tong again for the stratagem. The three hundred thousand provisions could last for several years even if they had to feed the citizens as well.

It was a strategic position desired by many. In fact, Shu could have come out on top had Guan Yu not lost Jingzhou.

Liu Mang had to work so hard for Liu Biao to promise him five hundred thousand stones worth of provisions. This would be delivered in batches. Meanwhile, his ally Liu Qi was being suppressed by the Cai Family. On the other hand, Liu Bei immediately got almost the same amount immediately while the Zhang Family was rich. Liu Bei truly had good luck. After capturing Fancheng, Liu Bei had the urge to attack Jingzhou. Fortunately, Liu Bei still had enough self control to not bite off more than he can chew. His army did not have the strength to attack Jingzhou right now and it would also cause Liu Biao to want to struggle to the death.

“Let go of me! I can walk by myself!”

“Milord. We have brought Zhang Gui!” Hu Che Er and Liao Hua arrived, bringing Zhang Gui with them.

“Zhang Gui!” Liu Bei’s eyes shone. The Zhang Family was wealthy and Liu Bei also knew that Zhang Gui could have stopped him if he had generals.

“Hmph!” Zhang Gui harrumphed. Now that Fancheng has fallen, the Zhang Family is finished. Even his brother in the capital, Zhang Yun, would be punished by Liu Biao. How could he not resent Liu Bei?

“Step forward and kneel!” Noticing Zhang Gui’s slow movement, Hu Che Er pushed Zhang Gui forward and forcefully made him kneel.

“Sigh. Che Er. Don’t be rude.” Liu Bei purposefully stopped Hu Che Er only after he saw Zhang Gui kneel.

“You must be General Zhang Gui.” Liu Bei said with a smile, showing off how good natured he is. If Zhang Gui did not know that this man attacked his city, he would think that Liu Bei was inviting him for a meal.

“General Zhang Gui is a man among men! You could still pull strongly in that desperate situation!” Liu Bei praised generously.

Hearing this, Zhang Gui also replied, “I am just a defeated general.”

“General Zhang. Victory and defeat is common in war.”

“Haha. A defeat is a defeat. Kill me, plunder the city! Do what you will!”

“How dare you act this way when Milord is treating you so kindly!” Liao Hua said unhappily. “You simply got plotted against by the Military Advisor!”

“Military Advisor?” Zhang Gui was stunned.

“General Zhang Gui is defeated because of our Military Advisor’s strategy.” Liu Bei explained.

“Pang Tong Pang Shiyuan?” Zhang Gui did not know much about Pang Tong other than the fact that he had lost miserably to Liu Mang. He even got an embarrassing nickname to go with it. He initially treated this as a joke but now he was defeated. It seems that he was schemed against from the start. Why else would only one beacon be lit?

“You are the ones that captured the city gates?” Zhang Gui asked. Liu Bei nodded in reply. Having such a good strategist was his good fortune. Liu Bei simply hoped he could have met Pang Tong earlier.

“To disguise themselves as the White Horses and then gain my subordinates trust. Then take out our sentries. No wonder!” Zhang Gui laughed bitterly, accepting his defeat.

“Disguise themselves as the White Horses?” Liu Bei was distracted for a moment but believed that this must be Pang Tong’s strategy.

“General Zhang. Now that Fancheng has fallen, you cannot return to Jingzhou. How about…” Liu Bei did not want Zhang Gui for his ability but his status. Having Zhang Gui surrender here meant getting the support of the Zhang Family. It can also show the nobles in Jingzhou that he meant the nobles no harm.

“You want me to surrender? You must be dreaming! Just kill me!” Zhang Gui replied. This was not because Zhang Gui had moral integrity. He was unable to surrender as it would place his brother Zhang Yun in danger. He would end up bringing his brother down. As long as his brother was still in Jingzhou, his brother could still turn things around for the Zhang Family.

“You want to die? I will help you!” Liao Hua was unhappy with Zhang Gui’s attitude and took out his sword. His sword was still full of blood.

Liu Bei did not immediately stop Liao Hua. He simply watched Zhang Gui close his eyes to await his death. Only after that did Liu Bei shout. “Yuan Jian! Stop!”

“Hmph! Count yourself lucky!” Liao Hua said after stopping himself. Zhang Gui also sighed in relief. If he had the chance to live, why would he want to die?

“Come! Untie General Zhang Gui!” Liu Bei said with a smile instead of getting angry. One must have a certain skill if they were able to make Liu Bei act this way.

“Milord?” Hu Che Er and Liao Hua were confused. At the end of the day, Zhang Gui was an enemy general. Why would you release him? What if somebody got hurt?

“Untie General Zhang Gui!” Liu Bei repeated himself without minding the two’s reactions. Hu Che Er, Liao Hua and Liu Bei’s guards were all here. On top of that, Liu Bei himself was quite capable of fighting. How could Zhang Gui even do anything?

“Yes.” Liao Hua helplessly obeyed.

“Imperial Uncle Liu! Don’t think I will surrender to you just because you untied my restrains!”

“Since you are unwilling to surrender, I will not force it!” Liu Bei said with a smile.

“Then what do you want? Do you want to kill me? Come then! I give my neck to you!”

“If I wanted to kill you, I would have already ordered my men to take you away! I don’t need to kill you personally!”

Zhang Gui thought about it and realized that Liu Bei was right. There was no need to go through so much trouble to kill him.

“Then what do you want?”

“I am letting you go free!” Liu Bei’s words surprised the others.

______

There is an additional “inspiring sentence” here. “Fancheng is here as long as we are here. Fancheng will fall if we fall.” I left it out since it is the same kind of intelligent sentence as “People die when they are killed”.