Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1253 Fei Guan Falls into a Trap When He Tryes to Capture Mianzhu

Xu Huang screamed amidst the chaos of battle, and Wu Yi's eyes were filled with anguish. He saw his younger brother lying in a pool of blood, and then saw the head of She Yuan hanging high by Xu Huang. The last thread of his resolve snapped. "Heaven has forsaken Shu!" he roared, drawing his sword to slit his own throat.

"when!"

The longsword had barely touched his skin when it was firmly pressed down by a spear. Zhang Xiu had arrived on horseback at some point, the spear shaft held horizontally in front of Wu Yi's neck, its force as steady as a mountain. "Want to die? Not so easy." Zhang Xiu's voice was as cold as the wind from beyond the Great Wall. "Jiange has fallen, Chengdu will fall in a day or two. If you live, you might still be able to save your brother's life."

Wu Yi's body jolted, and he abruptly looked at the unconscious Wu Lan on the ground, his hand gripping the sword trembling slightly. Yes, Wu Lan was still alive! As long as he was alive, perhaps there was still a chance…

In that moment of distraction, Zhang Xiu flicked his wrist, and the spear shaft slid down the sword, striking Wu Yi's hand with a "snap." The longsword flew out of his hand and embedded itself in the earthen wall beside him, its hilt still trembling. Before Wu Yi could react, Zhang Xiu's personal guards swarmed forward, their chains clanking as they bound him tightly.

"Take him away!" Zhang Xiu sheathed his spear, his gaze sweeping over the mess on the ground before finally settling on Wu Lan. He told his personal guards, "Carry him away and find a military doctor to treat him."

Wei Yan walked over carrying the head of the archer and threw it in front of Wu Yi. "Look, this is what happens to those who don't surrender."

Wu Yi closed his eyes tightly, his teeth clenched so hard they pounded, but he ultimately gave up the struggle. He knew the situation was hopeless; resistance would only increase casualties. He just didn't know if his unconscious brother would survive this ordeal…

Sunlight pierced through the smoke of battle, illuminating the mottled city walls. Zhang Xiu gazed at Wu Yi being led away, then at the soldiers clearing the battlefield in the distance, and let out a soft sigh.

As the sounds of fighting in the city gradually subsided, Jia Xu was still sitting in a corner of the cooks' camp, his coarse cloth clothes stained with oil and covered with charcoal ash, and he was clutching a piece of burlap used for wiping pots in his hand, as if the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place had nothing to do with him.

After opening the south gate, Meng Hong immediately found this place. Seeing Jia Xu bent over, fiddling with the embers in the stove, he quickly bowed and said, "Sir, Jian Ge has fallen!"

Jia Xu slowly raised his head, his eyes showing no emotion, and said indifferently, "I understand." He put down the hemp cloth, dusted off his hands, and staggered as he stood up—after all, he had been living among the cooks for the past few days, eating coarse food that was not enough to fill his stomach, and he had mostly slept fully clothed at night.

Meng Hong quickly stepped forward to help him up, but he waved his hand to avoid it, saying, "No need."

At this moment, Pang De, Zhang Xiu, and Zhang Ren, having led their personal guards to clear out the remaining enemy forces within the city, rushed to the cooks' camp upon hearing the news. Pang De, being the most impatient, still reeked of blood when he lifted the curtain to enter. Seeing Jia Xu's appearance, he couldn't help but gasp, "Mr. Wenhe, you... you've suffered quite a grievance!"

Zhang Xiu also said, "If it weren't for your brilliant plan, we would never have been able to break through the pass so smoothly." Looking at the oil stains on Jia Xu's body, he recalled how the man had disguised himself as a cook and moved through the enemy camp these past few days, and couldn't help but feel admiration.

Zhang Ren stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Sir, you are truly a man of great talent, able to command the entire situation right under the enemy's nose. I admire you greatly."

Jia Xu smiled slightly and dusted off his clothes: "It's just going with the flow. If it weren't for the bravery of you generals, my theoretical knowledge of warfare would be nothing." He glanced at everyone, "Now that Jian'ge has fallen, the most urgent task is to take stock of the supplies, repair the passes, and send someone on horseback to inform the King of Liang, so that Chengdu can be caught off guard."

Pound nodded: "You're right, sir! I'll go and take inventory of the armory right away, and we can prepare our troops to march south tomorrow."

Zhang Xiu also said, "I'll have Wu Yi and Wu Lan brought here to see if we can find out about Chengdu's defenses."

Jia Xu shook his head: "Wu Yi is fierce and Wu Lan is seriously injured. It's unlikely we'll get any results from interrogating them now. It would be better to keep them under guard for now and bring them with us when the army sets off. They might be useful in the future."

Everyone agreed. Zhang Ren looked at the unwashed iron pot on the stove and suddenly laughed, "Sir, you probably haven't had a decent meal these past few days at the cook's camp. I'll have someone prepare some wine and meat; it'll be a welcome feast for you."

Jia Xu laughed heartily: "That is indeed my wish, but I dare not ask." Although he seemed calm, there was a hint of relief in his eyes. From sneaking across Yinping to cleverly capturing Jiange, every step was fraught with danger, but now the dust had finally settled.

The smoke from the cooks' camp had long since died down, replaced by smoke rising from within the pass. Jia Xu followed the others out of the camp gate, gazing at the Xiliang banners fluttering atop the city walls, then at the mist-shrouded mountains to the south, and gently stroked his beard.

The stench of blood from Jiange Pass had not yet dissipated, yet new candles were already lit in the central command tent. Pang De downed a bowl of strong liquor in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "One day of rest is enough! Tomorrow morning, we can break camp and head to Jiangyou!"

Zhang Xiu was inspecting the captured weapons when he heard this and nodded: "Wei Yan is stationed at Jiange, which is enough to deal with the movements of Bazhou County. We must meet up with Gao Shun and Meng Da in Jiangyou as soon as possible, lest things get complicated."

Jia Xu sat at his desk, pointing to the location of Jiangyou on the map: "Jiangyou is a vital link between Jiange and Mianzhu. Gao Shun and Meng Da have been guarding it for some time now, and they must have stabilized their position. Our purpose in going there is twofold: first, to reunite our forces, and second, to take a route north and head straight for Chengdu."

Zhang Ren added, "I have already sent people to scout ahead. Although the mountain road from Jiangyou to Mianzhu is dangerous, there are no Shu troops deployed there yet, so we can take advantage of the situation to invade."

After discussing and agreeing on the plan, everyone returned to their respective camps to prepare. The next day, just as dawn was breaking, bugle calls resounded throughout the pass. Except for Wei Yan leading 5,000 cavalry and 5,000 elite troops to guard Jiange—to guard against a possible counterattack by Pang Yi, the governor of Bazhou County—the rest of the army was fully prepared to set off.

Wei Yan stood on the north city tower, watching the army's retreating figures, the long sword at his waist gleaming coldly in the morning light. "Send down the order to strengthen the city's defenses, send more scouts to investigate the direction of Bazhou, and report back immediately if there is any unusual activity!" he ordered in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on the mountain road to the south like a hawk's—that was the key to protecting the rear of Jian Ge.

Meanwhile, the main force led by Pang De, Zhang Xiu, and Zhang Ren had already embarked on their journey to Jiangyou. The Black Mountain Army soldiers, skilled in mountain marching, led the way; the Trapped Camp, clad in gleaming armor, formed a square formation to protect the central army; Jia Xu and Zhang Ren rode side by side, occasionally discussing their next strategy in hushed tones.

The mountain road was rugged, and the morning mist clung to the horses' hooves, but it couldn't slow the army's advance. Zhang Yan reined in his horse, looked at the misty mountain pass ahead, and laughed, "Once we pass Mingyue Gorge, we'll be in Jiangyou territory. That old rascal Gao Shun must be getting impatient."

Zhang Xiu glanced back in the direction of Jiange and, seeing that the smoke of war remained unchanged, felt relieved: "Wei Yan is guarding the city, we just need to charge forward. Liu Zhang in Chengdu doesn't know that his defenses have been breached yet."

After marching for more than ten days, the army arrived at Jiangyou, where the city had already returned to order. During this time, Meng Da and Gao Shun sent men to thoroughly investigate the situation at Mianzhu Pass. Although the garrison commander Fei Guan was cautious, he lacked the talent of a great general, and the deputy commander Peng Yang was ambitious and eager for glory. Only the strategist Dong He was meticulous and the most difficult to deal with.

Inside the central command tent, Pang De gripped the hilt of his sword and said in a deep voice, "Jiange has fallen, and Mianzhu Pass is Chengdu's last line of defense. I am willing to lead five thousand elite troops, and we will surely break through the pass within three days!"

Zhang Xiu also said, "I will lead the Black Mountain Army as the vanguard, launching a day and night raid, and we will surely catch them off guard!"

Just as everyone was about to agree, Jia Xu raised his hand and pressed it on the table, slowly saying, "Although Mianzhu Pass is not as precipitous as Jiange Pass, it is guarded by Dong He. This man is good at defense and is extremely suspicious. If we launch a strong attack, we may suffer heavy losses."

Zhang Ren frowned: "What brilliant plan do you have, sir?"

Jia Xu pointed his finger at the area between Jiangyou and Mianzhu on the map: "Let General Meng Da put on a show." He turned to Meng Da and said, "Send your trusted confidant to Mianzhu Pass to ask for help. Tell him that Jiangyou is under heavy attack by our army and the city's defenses are about to be breached. Please ask Fei Guan to send reinforcements immediately."

Meng Da was taken aback: "But we have already occupied Jiangyou, how could we be 'attacked fiercely'?"

“That’s exactly the flaw we’re looking for.” Jia Xu’s eyes flashed with a sharp light. “Dong He is suspicious, and he will definitely be suspicious when he sees you asking for help. But Fei Guan and Peng Yang are ambitious and eager for glory. If they see Jiangyou in a ‘crisis,’ they will definitely want to take the opportunity to reclaim the lost territory and will strongly advocate sending troops. Dong He will not be able to persuade them and will have to send troops to rescue it. At that time, the troops at Mianzhu Pass will be weak, and we can take the opportunity to capture the pass.”

He paused, then added, "You only need to send a small number of men outside the city to pretend to attack it, and have the old, weak, women and children inside the city pretend to flee, making it look convincing. Once the reinforcements from Mianzhu arrive, immediately send someone to inform us, and we will personally lead the main force to raid Mianzhu overnight, coordinating with the men you left inside the pass."

Gao Shun cupped his hands and said, "This plan is sound. This humble general is willing to stay and guard Jiangyou to stabilize the rear."

Pang De and Zhang Xiu exchanged a glance and both said, "We will follow your plan, sir!"

Meng Da clapped his hands and laughed, "Acting? That's my specialty!" He immediately summoned his personal guards, whispered a few instructions, and the guards left to carry out the order.

The next morning, the sounds of battle were indeed deafening outside Jiangyou City. Hundreds of Xiliang soldiers, dressed in the uniforms of Meng Da's former troops, set up ladders outside the city and shouted as they climbed the city walls; inside the city, dozens of civilians were released, crying and fleeing towards Mianzhu Pass, shouting "Jiangyou is going to fall!" and "Please save us!"

Meng Da's confidants mingled among the fleeing civilians, stumbling and rushing to the foot of Mianzhu Pass, pleading with Fei Guan to send troops to rescue them.

At the top of Mianzhu Pass, Fei Guan looked at the pitiful state of the fleeing civilians, and heard his deputy general Peng Yang urging him from the side: "General, if Jiangyou is lost, we will be guilty of a great crime! Why not send 10,000 troops? We can not only recapture Jiangyou, but also achieve a great feat!"

Dong He frowned deeply: "This matter is strange. Jiange has not been lost, so how could Jiangyou be 'about to fall' so easily? It may be a trap to lure the enemy."

Fei Guan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately could not resist the temptation of merit: "Mr. Dong is overthinking it. Meng Da is not a capable general, and he may really not be able to hold the position. Send eight thousand men, and I will personally oversee the situation. If there is any unusual activity, we will return immediately!"

Dong He was about to persuade him further when Peng Yang preemptively said, "General, you are wise! This humble general is willing to lead the army there!"

Fei Guan nodded in agreement and immediately mustered 8,000 troops, led by Peng Yang, to head towards Jiangyou, leaving 7,000 men to guard Mianzhu Pass for Dong He.

Upon receiving the news in Jiangyou, Meng Da immediately dispatched a messenger on horseback to inform Jia Xu. Inside the central command tent, Jia Xu stood up: "The time has come. General Pang De will lead the Trapped Camp on the left flank, General Zhang Xiu will lead the Black Mountain Army on the right flank, and General Zhang Ren will accompany me in the center. We will depart tonight and launch a surprise attack on Mianzhu Pass!"

As night deepened, the main force of the Xiliang army silently left Jiangyou City, speeding towards Mianzhu Pass. Meng Da stood atop the city wall, watching the army disappear into the night, a smile playing on his lips—this charade had only just begun. Meanwhile, Dong He, inside Mianzhu Pass, though still uneasy, was unaware that a thunderous offensive against the pass had quietly begun in the darkness.