Chapter 199: Garrison Commander Surrenders
Cheng Yu returned to Xiangyang and immediately summoned Cai Mao. Cai Mao was very obsequious in front of Cheng Yu. He knew very well that Cheng Yu was Cao Cao’s top strategist, and a single word from Cheng Yu in front of Cao Cao could decide his fate.
Cheng Yu pushed a piece of paper in front of Cai Mao. There were three names on the paper. “Does General Cai know these three men?”
The three generals were Chen Zhi, the commander of Wuyang Pass; Han Jing, the commander of Pingjing Pass; and Zhang Qiong, the commander of Jiuli Pass.
This was Cheng Yu’s brilliance: he planned meticulously before acting. He had long been considering the Northern Three Passes and had even obtained the names of the three garrison commanders.
Cai Mao nodded. “I know all three. They are all surrendered generals of the Jingzhou Army.”
“I want to know which of these three can be bought off?”
“I need to investigate. I’ll give Strategist Cheng an answer within three days.”
Cheng Yu shook his head. “I need the answer this afternoon!”
That afternoon, Cai Mao found Cheng Yu and handed him a report. “This is information on Han Jing, the garrison commander of Pingjing Pass. He is from Deng County, and his wife, children, and parents are all in Deng County. Because his parents are old, they did not go to Jiangxia Commandery. He was originally a colonel and was demoted in Jingzhou for embezzling military grain.”
“Demoted for embezzling, why did Gan Ning still use him?”
“He has a very good personal friendship with Fu Tong. It should be Fu Tong who covered up his past scandal for him.”
At this point, Cai Mao smiled again and said, “He surrendered to Gan Ning as a commandant and is still a commandant. He has neither been promoted nor made wealthy, and he is not entirely loyal to Gan Ning. Moreover, he has a criminal record. Now his wife, children, and parents are in our hands. Isn’t it easy to buy him off?”
Cheng Yu nodded. “I want to send someone he knows. Is there such a person?”
“Yes! He has a cousin who is currently a minor official in Xiangyang County.”
Cheng Yu immediately met with Han Jing’s cousin Han Qu, promoted him to grain officer of Xiangyang, and Han Qu was tearfully grateful. He immediately guaranteed that he would persuade his brother to surrender.
That evening, Cao Ren led thirty thousand troops out of Nanyang Commandery and hurried toward Runan Commandery.
The Northern Three Passes of Jiangxia are the Yiyang Three Passes. They are the three passages south of Xinyang through the Dabie Mountains, with three passes built on these passages: Wuyang Pass in the center, Pingjing Pass to the west, and Jiuli Pass to the east. The passes are dozens of li apart from each other and are actually three independent passes. Each pass and each passage connects the Central Plains and Jingzhou.
Precisely because of this, every passage is a strategic military route, and every pass is a strategic stronghold.
All three passes are currently controlled by troops under Fu Tong, with one thousand soldiers stationed at each pass.
All three passes are dangerous strongholds, extremely difficult to attack. Under normal circumstances, one thousand soldiers are enough to hold a pass.
Pingjing Pass is the western pass among the Northern Three Passes. Pingjing Pass is also called Merchant Pass, meaning merchants like to take this passage. After crossing the Dabie Mountains, it is not far from Sui County. Merchants can rest in Sui County, then either go directly to Nan Commandery or rent a small boat to go straight along the Wei River to the Yangtze River.
Han Jing, the commander of Pingjing Pass, was in his early thirties, tall and large, with a long face. A cunning gleam often shone from beneath his heavy eyelids.
Guarding Pingjing Pass was a lucrative position. Endless caravans passed through Pingjing Pass every day to go to Jiangxia Commandery and Nan Commandery, bringing in large amounts of toll money. Han Jing used his personal friendship with Fu Tong to obtain this lucrative position.
In appointing Han Jing, Fu Tong actually violated Gan Ning’s principles. Gan Ning had issued a regulation that if the family of a surrendered soldier had not migrated to the territory of the Yuzhang Army, that soldier could not guard a dangerous stronghold.
Han Jing also repeatedly assured Fu Tong that his parents, wife, and children would soon migrate to Jiangxia Commandery, but in reality, his parents were attached to their hometown and too old, so they never came to Jiangxia Commandery. His wife had to care for the two elders and also did not come to Jiangxia Commandery.
In Han Jing’s words, his parents, wife, and children were about to set off, but a year passed, and they still had not come to Jiangxia Commandery.
This issue could only be said to be Fu Tong’s negligence. He had urged Han Jing, but later he thought Han Jing’s parents, wife, and children had already come to Jiangxia, so he no longer kept it in mind.
That afternoon, a soldier came to report to Han Jing, “Report to the commandant, a scholar has come, saying he is your elder brother, named Han Qu!”
Han Jing was overjoyed. His cousin had come. He hurried out to greet him. It had been two years since he had seen his elder brother Han Qu, who was smiling at him.
“Elder brother, what favorable wind has blown you here?”
Han Qu smiled slightly. “I have naturally come to bring you wealth and honor!”
In the private tent, Han Qu handed him Cheng Yu’s letter. “This is a letter from Strategist Cheng to you. Read it carefully!”
Han Jing opened the letter and read it carefully. Cheng Yu knew his pragmatism well. After a few simple compliments, he got straight to the point, promising to appoint him as a colonel in the Cao Army and let him reside long-term in Deng County to take good care of his parents, wife, and children.
Han Jing sighed inwardly. Cheng Yu had actually mentioned his parents, wife, and children in Deng County in the letter. This silent threat left him no choice at all.
“Does Strategist Cheng want Pingjing Pass?”
Han Jing was no fool. Cheng Yu was wooing him like this, so it must be for Pingjing Pass. His only capital was Pingjing Pass.
“Exactly right. General Cao Ren will lead the army to arrive at Pingjing Pass tomorrow evening. If you can offer up the pass, General Cao Ren will reward you on the spot.”
Han Jing nodded silently. He felt that he had unknowingly climbed to the sky, and looking back, the ladder was gone. Cao Ren’s army would arrive tomorrow, and he had no chance even to request aid.
Han Jing sighed deeply in his heart. This was fate! Since his parents, wife, and children had not come to Jiangxia, it was destined to lead to this day.
The next evening, Cao Ren led thirty thousand troops to arrive at Pingjing Pass. Under normal circumstances, if any of the three passes encountered an enemy army raid, it would light a beacon fire to notify the other two passes, and the beacon towers along the way would quickly transmit the alert to Jiangxia Commandery.
Cheng Yu of course also knew Jiangxia Commandery’s defense system, so he did not use sneak attack or strong assault methods, but instead used bribery. As long as one pass could be persuaded to surrender, the entire Jiangxia defense system would be broken. Surrender was the biggest loophole in this system, and Cheng Yu had seized it.
The city gate of Pingjing Pass opened, and garrison commander Han Jing led his troops out to surrender. These one thousand men were all his subordinates and very loyal to him. This was the second time Fu Tong had violated Gan Ning’s military system: a dangerous stronghold could not be completely controlled by one great general; the deputy general and at least half the army must be independent. But Fu Tong had clearly chosen personal friendship over military regulations. All one thousand garrison troops were Han Jing’s subordinates.
Cao Ren was overjoyed. He immediately comforted Han Jing with a few words and promoted him on the spot to colonel, appointing him as the commander stationed in Deng County of Nanyang Commandery, commanding three thousand troops.
Cao Ren took Pingjing Pass without bloodshed. He appointed his subordinate general Hou Cheng to lead two thousand men to guard Pingjing Pass, while Cao Ren led the army through the Dabie Mountains passage toward Anlu County.
