freenovelworld Chapter 1274 Taking Over Chengdu and Making Peace
Chapter 1274 Taking Over Chengdu and Making Peace
Holding the sheaf of wheat, Pang De, filled with doubt, made his way through layers of military tents to the central command tent. Inside, candlelight flickered, and Ma Chao, lost in thought while studying a map, looked up and asked upon Pang De's arrival, "What's the situation with Liu Bei?"
“Your Majesty,” Pang De handed over the ears of wheat, “Liu Bei has raised a white flag on the city wall and sent this down in a basket, saying that he wants to invite you to a chat on the battlefield.”
Ma Chao took the ear of wheat, his fingertips twirling the plump grains, the awns tickling his fingertips slightly. Gazing at this bundle of crops, still carrying the scent of earth, he suddenly recalled his ambition from many years ago: "To ensure that the people have land to cultivate and food to eat."
"Prepare the horses," Ma Chao said, putting down the wheat ears and standing up.
The wind whipped up sand and dust, making the banners flutter loudly. Liu Bei, along with his generals Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, stood on the city wall. Seeing Ma Chao riding out alone, he called out from afar, "Junior brother, it's been half a year since we parted, and we meet again here on the battlefield."
Ma Chao reined in his horse, cupped his hands, and said, "Senior brother, we have been fighting for months, with corpses strewn across the fields. Now that the white flag has been raised, what else is there to say?"
Liu Bei raised the wheat stalks in his hand, his voice carrying clearly through the wind to the front lines: "Junior brother, look at these wheat stalks. We have been fighting for months, and the people of Yizhou have not had a single day of peace. The wheat fields outside the city are ripe but no one is harvesting them. Fertile fields have become battlefields. Shu is known as the Land of Abundance. If this continues, I don't know how many people will be displaced and suffer from hunger."
Ma Chao remained silent, his grip on his spear tightening. Behind him, Pang De couldn't help but shout, "Liu Jingzhou, your words are sweet! Tens of thousands of our soldiers are besieged here; Chengdu could fall in a day or two. Why should we listen to your offer of peace?"
"You brat from Xiliang, stop your arrogant talk!" Zhang Fei roared from the city wall. "If it weren't for your master's sake, I would have killed you with a single spear thrust long ago! You've been besieging the city for months without being able to break through, and you still have the nerve to boast?"
"Yide, shut up." Liu Bei stopped him, his gaze still fixed on Ma Chao. "Junior brother, I know your ambition lies in Yizhou. Now you have Guanghan and Baxi counties, and only Chengdu remains in Shu County. If you are willing to cease hostilities and make peace, I am willing to hand over Chengdu. From then on, Guanghan, Baxi, and Shu County will all belong to you. Our two families will cease hostilities and let the people catch their breath. What do you say?"
A sharp glint flashed in Ma Chao's eyes: "Brother, can your words represent Liu Zhang?"
Liu Bei said frankly, "Junior brother, you may not know this, but Liu Zhang has already ceded the position of Governor of Yi Province to me. Now, I have the final say in the affairs of Yi Province."
A moment of silence fell over the battlefield, broken only by the rustling of wheat ears in the wind. Ma Chao gazed at the figure atop the city wall, clutching a sheaf of wheat, then at the tens of thousands of weary Xiliang soldiers behind him, a surge of emotion welling up within him. This battle had dragged on for far too long; the soldiers were already homesick. If Chengdu could be captured without a fight, wouldn't that be a good thing?
Pang De anxiously said from the side, "Your Majesty! Liu Bei is cunning and treacherous; he cannot be trusted!"
Liu Bei seemed not to hear him, but simply raised the ears of wheat in his hand high: "These ears of wheat are ripe, they should be stored in the granary; the war has been going on for too long, it should be quelled. Junior brother, you and I are both subjects of Han, why should we let the people suffer again?"
Sunlight bathed the golden wheat grains in a warm glow, creating a strange contrast with the clashing swords on the battlefield. Ma Chao's fingers traced the shaft of his spear, but he didn't answer immediately. He knew that Liu Bei's sheaf of wheat offered him not only a city, but also a choice that required him to weigh the pros and cons.
Looking at the sheaf of wheat atop the city wall, Ma Chao suddenly felt a pang of despondency. For over a year, he had led his Xiliang cavalry across Yizhou, conquering Guanghan, Baxi, and most of Shu Commandery. His blades were stained with blood, his soldiers exhausted, and all he sought was a foothold. Yet now, Liu Zhang, out of fear, had surrendered the entire Yizhou to Liu Bei—this senior brother had neither seized nor humiliated him, but had truly taken control of Yizhou in the name of "acceptance."
While the pressure of their approaching army was certainly a factor, if Liu Bei's reputation for benevolence and righteousness hadn't been so deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people, how could Liu Zhang and the civil and military officials of Shu have willingly submitted? He looked down at the ears of wheat in his hand, plump and full, carrying the scent of earth, much like the scene he had witnessed in the fields of Longyou during his youth. Back then, his ambition was simply to protect the people of that region, allowing them to grow such grains in peace, rather than turning fertile fields into battlefields like this.
"Fine." Ma Chao was silent for a moment, then raised his voice and said, "Give me three days. Within three days, the Xiliang army will not attack the city. After three days, I will give my senior brother an answer." After saying that, he turned his horse around and led his army back to camp.
Inside the central command tent, the generals were already unable to contain themselves. Pang De was the first to rise, gripping the hilt of his sword, and said, "Your Majesty! Liu Bei's move is clearly a delaying tactic! Chengdu is now a sitting duck. If we just put in a little more effort, we can wipe out Liu Bei and Liu Zhang together. At that time, the entire Yi Province will be ours, and the peace of the world will be just around the corner. How can we let the tiger return to the mountain?"
Zhang Xiu echoed, "General Pang is right! Liu Bei has always been ambitious. If we let him retreat to Bazhong, he will surely become a future threat. We should take this opportunity to seize Chengdu in one fell swoop!" Xu Huang, Zhang Ren, and the others nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with fighting spirit.
However, one person in the tent spoke up in opposition—it was Fa Zheng. He waved his feather fan, his tone calm: "You generals only know one side of the story. Chengdu's defenses are formidable, and Liu Bei's generals Zhao Yun, Zhang Fei, and Huang Zhong are all warriors capable of taking on ten thousand men. If we were to launch a desperate attack, our casualties would be heavy. Even if we breach the city, with the bravery of Zhao Yun and the others, protecting Liu Bei during his escape would be no problem at all. What use would it be if we only captured Liu Zhang?"
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the people in the tent: "Liu Bei has already received the concession from Liu Zhang, and most of the counties and prefectures in Yizhou are now loyal to him. Even if we take Chengdu, the other counties and prefectures will still follow his lead. At that time, it will just be a matter of confronting him in a different place. What difference will it make from being trapped under the city walls now?"
For a moment, everyone was speechless, and silence fell over the tent. Jia Xu remained silent, only leaning over and staring at the map on the table, his finger lightly tapping the location of Bazhong County, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he were calculating something.
Ma Chao sat in the main seat, listening to the debate, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the sheaf of wheat. Fa Zheng's words had awakened him: a direct assault on Chengdu, even if victorious, would be a Pyrrhic victory, and might not be enough to completely eliminate the threat; while accepting peace talks, though sparing Liu Bei's life, would allow him to gain Chengdu and the surrounding three counties without bloodshed, giving his weary soldiers a chance to rest and the people of Shu a much-needed respite.
The turning point came much faster than the people in the tent had anticipated.
On the morning of the third day, a fast horse broke through the morning mist and went straight into the Xiliang army camp, bringing a secret letter from Li Ru in Chang'an. The handwriting in the letter was messy, but it conveyed a sense of tension. There was commotion in Yecheng, Hebei. Generals Yan Liang and Wen Chou had been suddenly recalled from the front line. Li Ru predicted that "Yuan Shao may be in danger, and Hebei will be in chaos."
Ma Chao unfolded the secret letter, his fingertips repeatedly tracing the words "Yan Liang and Wen Chou return with their troops." Li Ru was a cunning and calculating fox, never speaking without a purpose. If Hebei fell into chaos, Cao Cao would surely seize the opportunity to march north, drastically altering the landscape of the world. If he remained trapped in Yizhou, locked in a life-or-death struggle with Liu Bei, he would only miss the crucial opportunity.
"I see." Ma Chao crumpled the secret letter, a resolute glint in his eyes. He looked out of the tent; the morning light had already bathed the camp, the day he had agreed to reply to Liu Bei.
Before long, Liu Bei on the city wall received a response from the Xiliang army, agreeing to peace talks. The conditions were consistent with what Liu Bei had said: the Shu army would cede Chengdu, and Liu Bei could lead all the civil and military officials of Shu, as well as his family, to evacuate, and the Xiliang army would not be allowed to obstruct them.
When the news reached the city, the civil and military officials of Shu were first stunned, then burst into long-suppressed cheers. Their hands trembled as they packed their bags, a mixture of relief at escaping a deadly situation and sorrow at leaving their homes.
Liu Zhang, hiding in his residence, trembled with fear upon hearing the news. He felt that Ma Chao harbored a grudge against him and would surely take the opportunity to leave him behind for revenge. However, even as the migrating army was fully prepared to depart, Ma Chao made no mention of any arrangements for him, as if he, the former governor of Yi Province, was already an insignificant speck of dust.
The migrating procession stood ready at the city gate, with wagons stretching as far as the eye could see and armored soldiers standing at attention. But just as Liu Bei mounted his horse, a deafening cry suddenly erupted from the city—the people, having somehow received the news, rushed to the center of the street, supporting the old and carrying the young, and knelt before the road, desperately blocking the way.
"Liu Yuzhou, don't go!" The white-haired old man kowtowed, weeping blood. "If you leave, what will we do? If Ma Chao's troops come in, will we have any chance of survival?"
"Take us with you! Even if we have to work like cattle in Bazhong, it's better than waiting to die here!"
The cries and shouts rose and fell, mixed with the sobs of children, making one's heart tighten.
Liu Bei reined in his horse, his brow furrowed. He hadn't expected the people to react this way, but moving so many people would present challenges in terms of supplies and travel. More importantly, Ma Chao would never allow it; the Xiliang army wanted a stable Chengdu, how could they tolerate population loss?
"Fellow villagers," Liu Bei dismounted, cupped his hands to the crowd, and said in a hoarse voice, "it's not that I'm unwilling to lead you all, but the road ahead is treacherous, and Ma Chao will certainly not agree..."
Before he could finish speaking, the cries and screams from the crowd grew louder. In the midst of the stalemate, Zhang Song suddenly stepped out from the ranks, bowed to Liu Bei, and said, "My lord, I am willing to stay and appease the people."
Everyone was taken aback. Zhang Song was short and stocky, and although he was usually known for his wisdom, it was rare to see him act with such responsibility. Pang Tong stepped forward: "Yongnian, the city is now a place of great turmoil. You stay..."
“It’s alright.” Zhang Song interrupted him, his face showing a calm expression. “I am from Shu and I am familiar with my neighbors. If I stay and explain, they might listen. Besides, Ma Chao wants Chengdu, he might not make things difficult for a civil official.”
These words were so powerful that even Liu Zhang, who had been keeping his head down, couldn't help but look up, quickly step forward, and grab Zhang Song's hand, his eyes reddening: "Yongnian... In the past, you offered me a strategy to repel the enemy, but I rebuked you for being alarmist. Now, thinking back, I am truly ashamed!"
A surge of emotion welled up in Zhang Song's heart, but he forced a sorrowful expression onto his face and patted Liu Zhang's hand: "My lord, you flatter me. It's all for the sake of the people of Yizhou."
Just then, the bugle call of the Xiliang army sounded outside the city, clearly urging them on. Liu Bei knew he couldn't wait any longer, so he stepped forward and firmly grasped Zhang Song's hand: "Mr. Yongnian, back then, Yide was reckless and offended you. I apologize on his behalf. If you can escape safely in the future, you are welcome to come to Bazhong to find me. Liu Bei will certainly treat you as an honored guest to repay your kindness today!"
Zhang Song cupped his hands and smiled, "My lord, go in peace, take care!"
The city gates slowly opened, and Liu Bei led his troops out of the city. Even after walking a long distance, he frequently looked back. At the city gate, Zhang Song's figure appeared particularly desolate in the morning light, yet he still stood tall and waved to them.
"Many extraordinary men are found in Shu, and Zhang Yongnian is truly a hero." Liu Bei said to Pang Tong with deep emotion as he gazed at the figure.
Pang Tong nodded, but a complex look flashed in his eyes. Zhang Song was always opportunistic. Was his "righteous act" today really just for the sake of the people? He watched the Chengdu city gate gradually disappear into the distance and said nothing more.