Chapter 127: Winning Over Huang Zhong With Favor
Five days later, an envoy arrived at Linxiang County with Liu Biao’s formal order demanding that the garrison withdraw back to Jiangling. In reality, Liu Xin had already received the carrier pigeon letter in advance and knew that Liu Cong had been captured, and both sides had reached an agreement to exchange Linxiang County for Liu Cong.
“General Huang, I never expected it would end like this,” Liu Xin said with a bitter smile to Huang Zhong.
Huang Zhong was also helpless. The Second Young Master had actually been captured, which no one could have anticipated. He could only sigh, “This is Heaven’s Will, Prefect. We have done our best.”
Liu Xin hesitated for a moment and said, “There’s one more thing I have to tell you. Our days will be very difficult after we return this time.”
“Why?” Huang Zhong was stunned.
“The Governor has already determined that the naval battle’s disastrous defeat was caused by our refusal to send troops to coordinate with the navy. We will bear the main responsibility.”
“This is simply nonsense. What does it have to do with us?”
“Military Advisor Cai has already impeached us. I’m afraid I will be dismissed from office, and as for the General, I am powerless.”
Huang Zhong’s heart sank into the abyss. If Liu Xin, the Governor’s nephew, was to be dismissed, then his own fate was even more unimaginable.
“Withdraw the army first! The Governor does not allow us to withdraw together; we must withdraw in two batches. I will lead fifteen thousand brothers to withdraw first, and tomorrow the General will lead two thousand troops to withdraw.”
Huang Zhong asked puzzledly, “What’s the difference between withdrawing in two batches like this and withdrawing all at once?”
“I don’t know either. This is the Governor’s order.”
Huang Zhong was speechless and truly helpless, so he could only nod. “This subordinate will have to leave tomorrow!”
That afternoon, Liu Xin led fifteen thousand troops and all the generals to withdraw, leaving only Huang Zhong and two thousand soldiers.
Huang Zhong stood on the city wall watching the large group depart into the distance. At this moment, one of Liu Xin’s personal guards came galloping back on cavalry and handed a letter to Huang Zhong. “This is a letter from the Prefect to General Huang!”
The personal guard saluted and left. Huang Zhong was baffled. He opened the letter and read it carefully, his vision going black as he nearly fell over.
‘To Brother Hansheng: Our Lord was defeated in battle and needs someone to bear the blame. Although I am the commander, I am after all the Lord’s nephew, so the punishment will not extend to me. At most, I will be relieved of my military position, with no other harm.
But Brother Hansheng is resented by Cai Mao. This time, Cai Mao will surely kick him while he is down. Brother Hansheng may face danger to his life. Gan Ning is a benevolent lord without villains like Cai Mao and Zhang Yun around him. Staying in Changsha Commandery may not be a bad thing. These are my sincere words; I hope Brother Hansheng thinks thrice.’
Huang Zhong’s mind went blank. After a long while, he sat down weakly. Although Liu Xin’s letter was vague, he had faintly guessed that he was to become the scapegoat for this naval army’s disastrous defeat.
How absurd: because he refused to send troops, the navy was defeated, shifting the blame away from Liu Cong and Cai Yan’s poor command and placing it on his head. Only Cai Mao could think of this, and Liu Biao actually approved it, intending to punish him.
They all say Liu Jingsheng treats the wise with courtesy and is magnanimous and benevolent. How hypocritical that evaluation seems now. To clear his son’s responsibility, he does not hesitate to use a great general to take the blame. What am I in their hearts? Worse than a dog! A watchdog works hard and can still get a bone as a reward, but I guarded Linxiang County for him, yet he uses me to take the blame.
Huang Zhong clenched his teeth, his heart filled with overwhelming hatred. The injustices he had suffered over the past decade and his resentment toward Liu Biao completely erupted at this moment.
At that moment, a soldier came to report, “Reporting to General Huang, Deputy Strategist Xu Shu of the Yuzhang Army requests an audience!”
Huang Zhong restrained his intense emotions and nodded. “Invite him here to see me!”
Xu Shu entered the city with two soldiers and was brought to the city wall. Seeing the robust Huang Zhong with half-white hair and beard, Xu Shu secretly praised, “What a robust old general. No wonder our Lord is determined to get him!”
“I am Xu Yuanzhi of Yingchuan. I have come to see the old general.”
Huang Zhong nodded. “I know you. You are one of the Four Friends of Longzhong. General Gan using you as Deputy Strategist is making full use of talent!”
“Thank you, old general. I have come today to tell the old general two things. First, we have already taken the entire Changsha Commandery. General Taishi Ci led troops to sweep through southern Changsha Commandery, and Zhang Yi’s forces in the south have also been annihilated.”
Huang Zhong sighed. “Your General Gan is indeed formidable. He actually used Liu Cong to exchange for Linxiang County.”
Xu Shu smiled faintly. “Actually, this was my strategy. Does the old general want to know why?”
“I wish to hear the details!”
Xu Shu said unhurriedly, “I know that Liu Jingsheng’s two sons are competing for the succession, especially the second son Liu Cong, who married the daughter of Cai Shi, so the Cai Family firmly supports Liu Cong taking the position.
This time Liu Cong was sent to station in Jiangling, so I knew this must have been Cai Mao’s suggestion, with the aim of letting Liu Cong gain military merit and prestige to obtain military support.
But merely stationed there yields no military merit, so when the thirty thousand navy reinforcements set out from Jiangling, I knew the commander must be Liu Cong. I told General Gan that although we could not take Linxiang County, as long as we captured Liu Cong, Linxiang County would be ours.”
Huang Zhong nodded. “Strategist Xu sees the Jingxiang situation very clearly. In the strategist’s view, who will inherit Liu Biao’s position in the future?”
Xu Shu smiled faintly. “Liu Biao using the old general to take the blame has spread throughout Jingzhou, and the army knows it too. This Jingzhou Army’s disastrous defeat was because the old general harbored resentment and prevented Liu Xin from attacking, making it impossible for the Jingzhou Army to form a water-land pincer against the Yuzhang Army, disrupting the army’s established strategy and leading to the navy’s defeat—a crime deserving the extreme penalty!”
Xu Shu took out a bulletin from Liu Biao and handed it to Huang Zhong. “Old general, please read!”
Huang Zhong read the bulletin once, trembling with anger, crumpled it into a ball, and gnashed his teeth. “How can the Governor of Jingzhou and General Who Pacifies the South spout such nonsense!”
“This is the answer to what the old general wanted to know. Liu Biao favors the second son Liu Cong more, so he goes to great lengths to absolve his second son of blame, even at the cost of framing his own great general.”
Huang Zhong nodded. “Has Strategist Xu come to persuade me to surrender?”
“No!”
Xu Shu shook his head. “I have come to return the old general’s family. They are just outside the city!”
“Ah!” Huang Zhong hurriedly looked outside the city and saw a passenger ship that had already entered the moat, heading toward inside the city.
Huang Zhong was both shocked and delighted. He apologized to Xu Shu and ran down from the city wall.
The passenger ship entered through the water gate. Huang Zhong stood by the riverbank and indeed saw his old wife and adopted son Huang Kuan’s family, with his daughter-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters all there.
The family reunited. Huang Zhong held his old wife in one arm and his adopted son in the other, tears finally streaming uncontrollably down his face.
After a good while, Huang Zhong had his personal guards take his family to rest.
He then stepped forward and asked puzzledly, “What is going on? How are my wife and children in your hands?”
Xu Shu smiled faintly. “Our envoy was negotiating in Xiangyang and learned that the general’s wife and children had been imprisoned by Liu Biao. The envoy reported it to General Gan, who then changed the second negotiation condition. Originally, it was Liu Biao acknowledging Changsha Commandery as General Gan’s base in exchange for repatriating ten thousand surrendered soldiers. It was changed to exchanging the general’s family for ten thousand surrendered soldiers. We reached the agreement and directly brought General Huang’s family back.”
Huang Zhong was deeply moved. Xu Shu added fuel to the fire. “General Gan was at a loss for attacking the city for the first time. He greatly admires the old general and sympathizes with him. Liu Biao’s lack of aggressive strategy wasted ten years of the old general’s youth. If the old general is willing to join the Yuzhang Army, we warmly welcome him. If the old general wishes to go to Jiangdong or Yizhou, we will absolutely not stop him and will only wish the old general a safe journey.”
Huang Zhong sighed toward the sky and slowly said, “Hearts are made of flesh. With General Gan’s such kindness toward me, how could I, Huang Zhong, fail to repay it? Please convey to General Gan that, honored by his acceptance, I, Huang Zhong, am willing to serve with utmost effort!”
