Chapter 229: The Sparrow Lurks Behind
Three hundred guards could not hold back the attack of three thousand men. Zhang Mao had already captured the Governor’s Mansion. Zhang Huan’s guards and attendants were all killed clean, but Zhang Huan’s whereabouts were not found. Finally, news was obtained from a maidservant that Zhang Huan was hiding in the cellar.
But the cellar’s iron door was locked from the inside and could not be opened from outside. Zhang Mao immediately ordered the cellar to be dug open. Hundreds of soldiers worked together to start excavating the cellar. The entire Governor’s Mansion was lit up brightly, with over two thousand soldiers holding torches surrounding the back courtyard, illuminating it as bright as day.
Over five hundred soldiers were vigorously digging. The soil had been cleared clean, revealing large boulders. Just as the soldiers were preparing to use ropes to pull up the boulders, a soldier suddenly ran up with an urgent report, “Report to the eldest son, this is bad—we have been surrounded!”
Zhang Mao was stunned. He suddenly jumped up and shouted, “Whole army retreat, withdraw to the barracks!”
Zhang Mao realized that this must be Zhang Huan’s reinforcements arriving. He only had three thousand men under him, and now he had been counter-surrounded.
Just as Zhang Mao finished speaking, a strange noise came from the sky—a buzzing sound like a swarm of bees. Everyone looked up and saw dense black dots appearing in the sky, swooping toward them.
“It’s arrow rain!” someone shouted loudly.
Everyone was immediately terrified out of their wits; it was too late to dodge.
Over ten thousand dense arrows rained into the crowd. The back courtyard was filled with screams as countless soldiers were hit by arrows and fell. Half or more of the three thousand soldiers were instantly shot dead.
Arrows were fired in three consecutive volleys, followed by over a thousand fire oil bottles thrown into the Governor’s Mansion. The entire Governor’s Mansion was set ablaze. Fierce flames burned from all directions, growing more intense, with thick smoke rolling and soaring flames everywhere.
Taishi Ci knew the enemy army had likely been mostly eliminated. He left five thousand soldiers to continue surrounding the Governor’s Mansion, while he led ten thousand troops to the West Great Camp. The West Great Camp’s ten thousand garrison troops were Zhang Mao’s army. Zhang Mao had taken three thousand to besiege the Governor’s Mansion, leaving seven thousand in the camp, which was soon surrounded by Taishi Ci’s army.
At this time, the East Great Camp was also surrounded by Zhao Yun leading fifteen thousand troops. The camp’s commander was named Wei Xian, a man of the eldest son Zhang Huan.
Wei Xian had actually known early on that Zhang Huan was surrounded by his brother and needed him to go rescue, but Wei Xian was hesitant. He was a local; he knew that leading his army out would inevitably stir up a bloodbath across the whole city. What about his parents, wife, and children inside the city, as well as his relatives and friends?
Just as Wei Xian was torn, he suddenly received news that an external army of about ten thousand or more had surrounded the Governor’s Mansion.
This news shocked Wei Xian greatly. On one hand, he sent soldiers to investigate the origins of this army; on the other, he ordered the whole army to assemble and prepare for battle at any time.
At that moment, Zhao Yun led fifteen thousand troops to surround the camp. Both sides confronted each other inside and outside the camp.
“General Wei, Chief Clerk Li has arrived!”
Wei Xian ordered men to bring Li Jin up and said coldly, “Has Chief Clerk Li come to discuss surrender?”
Li Jin shook his head, “I have not come to discuss surrender. I have come to save General’s life, and also to save the lives of General’s wife, children, and elderly family.”
“Hmph! Speak! I am listening.”
“General, the enemy is the Yuzhang Army, with thirty to forty thousand men, all already inside the city. General must have seen the fire at the Governor’s Mansion. Zhang Huan and Zhang Mao are both dead, the West Great Camp has fully surrendered, and now only General Wei’s ten thousand remain.
The Marquis of Chu has a strict order: any soldiers and generals who slaughter citizens will be executed without mercy. If General resists and harms innocent citizens, then not a single soldier in the whole army will survive. Even if surrendering, they will be executed, General naturally will not live, and his family will perish with him. If General feels surrender is a loss of face, then General can disband the army; the enemy will not make things difficult for him, and General can live peacefully. But if General chooses to surrender, he will be appointed Commandant and continue leading troops to maintain order in Cangwu Commandery.
In truth, General has only three paths, entirely up to General to choose. I am only here to tell General the consequences of each path, but I do not advise General.”
Wei Xian said after a moment, “Let me discuss with my subordinates first!”
“Very well, General has one hour to consider. I will take my leave first.”
Li Jin gave a salute and turned to leave.
The moment Li Jin walked out of the camp, he knew Wei Xian had wavered and would surely surrender in the end. The reason was simple: if Wei Xian were a die-hard, he would never have been allowed to leave the camp.
As expected, all the officers and soldiers demanded surrender. The enemy had thirty to forty thousand; they only had ten thousand and would surely die.
Half an hour later, the camp gates opened wide. Wei Xian led his ten thousand troops to lay down their weapons and armor, raise the white flag, and march out to surrender.
At the same time, the seven thousand troops at the West Great Camp also surrendered to Taishi Ci. Lord Zhang Jin had died of illness, and the two brothers were mediocre men who fought each other to the death over succession rights, disheartening all the officers and soldiers, leaving morale completely shattered.
The next day at noon, the great fire at the Governor’s Mansion finally extinguished. Everyone inside the Governor’s Mansion had died, with no survivors. Corpses were carried out one by one and placed on carts to be transported outside the city for burial. Many bodies were burned to charcoal, making identities hard to discern. Zhang Mao’s body was also found; though burned to charcoal, he was the only one wearing iron armor, with a gold tablet at his waist.
Soon, Western Chu Army soldiers found Zhang Huan’s body inside the underground stone cellar. He had suffocated to death because all the vents were blocked.
Western Chu Army soldiers also carried out large amounts of gold and silver from the underground stone cellar. This was because Jiaozhou produced abundant gold and silver, leading Zhang Jin to hoard vast wealth, including both state wealth and his private wealth. By convention, Zhang Jin’s private wealth belonged to Lord Gan Ning.
Bu Zhi promptly received Li Jin. “According to our intelligence, Zhang Jin should have thirty thousand troops. Why were there only twenty thousand at Guangxin County? Where is the other ten thousand?”
Li Jin clasped his fists and smiled, “The other ten thousand are deployed in Nanhai Commandery and Hepu Commandery, five thousand each, controlled by the Prefects. However, Nanhai Commandery’s Prefect Wang Chuan is my old subordinate—honest and treats the people like his own children. If I write him a carrier pigeon letter, he should surrender. But Hepu Commandery is troublesome.”
“Why is Hepu Commandery troublesome?” Bu Zhi asked puzzled.
“Hepu Commandery’s Prefect Qian Yi is Shi Xie’s son-in-law, the result of the alliance between Zhang Jin and Shi Xie the year before last. He also controls five thousand troops. They have liaison offices in Guangxin County. With Zhang Jin dead, I estimate Shi Xie’s army has already entered Hepu Commandery.”
Bu Zhi pondered for a moment and asked again, “Is Jiaozhi connected to Hepu Commandery by land?”
“Not by land—blocked by great mountains—but by sea route. Shi Xie has several hundred warships and can go entirely by sea.”
Bu Zhi was startled. Shi Xie had several hundred warships? He had not known this intelligence beforehand; it was indeed troublesome.
However, it was not a big problem. Bu Zhi thought and said, “I want to hear Chief Clerk Li’s opinion: should we first take Hepu Commandery or first attack Wu Ju of Yulin Commandery?”
Li Jin smiled faintly, “I suggest first securing Nanhai Commandery. While awaiting news from Nanhai Commandery, directly send troops to Yulin Commandery, and deal with Shi Xie last.”
Bu Zhi nodded; the correct order was indeed so.
Bu Zhi said gladly, “Then please trouble Chief Clerk Li to write a carrier pigeon letter to Nanhai Commandery’s Prefect.”
