I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 930 Zhang Lu's Death

The four armies of the imperial court were dispatched simultaneously, and Su Yao's offensive on Hanzhong was like a crushing force.

"No!"

"how so?!"

Zhang Lu stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the imperial troops rushing in from all directions, his face as pale as paper.

He could never have imagined that Hanzhong, which he had worked so hard to build, would collapse in just a few days.

"What should we do now, Master?"

"Withdraw! Quickly withdraw!"

Seeing the arrival of Lu Bu and Zhang Fei's army, Zhang Lu no longer dared to talk about defending the city, and hurriedly ordered an evacuation, hoping to escape before the army surrounded him.

But obviously, Zhang Fei and others would not let him get away easily:
"Want to run? It's not that easy!"

"Chase! Follow me and kill!"

"Don't let the thief go!"

Seeing Zhang Lu abandon the city and flee, Zhang Fei immediately led 800 light cavalry to chase and intercept him.

To be honest, Zhang Lu controlled an entire county, and with the supporters who followed him, even though they abandoned the city, he still had nearly 10,000 soldiers ready to fight.

Facing a mere 800 light cavalry, it is not difficult to escape unscathed as long as you "operate" well.

But unfortunately, Zhang Lu's troops had already lost their morale due to the continuous bad news and were like a frightened bird.

Zhang Fei's 800 light cavalry were like a tiger entering a flock of sheep. Wherever they went, the shouts of killing shook the earth.

"Master, hurry up and leave!" Yang Ren led his personal guards to fight to the death, but was pierced through the chest by Zhang Fei's spear.

Zhang Lu was so frightened at seeing this that he dared not look back. His army was also torn apart by Zhang Fei's pursuit. The soldiers were in a panic and trampled on each other, with countless casualties.

By the time Zhang Lu fled into the valley of Micang Road, only one in ten of his soldiers were left, leaving only a thousand brave warriors following him.

Looking at the horror on those people's faces, Zhang Lu finally couldn't help but burst into tears:
"Heaven has doomed me, Heaven has doomed me! The Five Pecks of Rice Sect's century-old foundation has been destroyed in my hands today!"

Yan Pu hurriedly tried to comfort him: "Master, don't worry. As long as we retreat to Bazhong and join forces with General Liu, we may be able to make a comeback!"

Yan Pu's words were of no use. Zhang Lu knew very well that his previous actions had obviously offended Liu Yan. The two of them were no longer as close as they used to be. Now he only had these few people left to join him, and it was very likely that he would get nothing.

But having said that, he couldn't just wait to die here, as the imperial army could catch up with him at any time. Zhang Lu gritted his teeth and without even taking a rest, he immediately ordered his men to cross the mountain road overnight and enter Bazhong first.

The Migang Ancient Road was first created in the late Qin Dynasty and flourished in the Han Dynasty. Compared with the Jinniu Road that goes through Baishui Pass and Yangping Pass to enter Sichuan, this is the closest passage from Hanzhong to Sichuan.

It starts from Hanzhong in the north, passes through Nanzheng and enters Nanjiang, crosses Migang Mountain, and reaches Bazhong in the south. In between, it goes to Chengdu in the west and Chongqing in the south. It has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times, and it was also the escape route that Zhang Lu had always carefully managed and strictly guarded.

He set up more than a dozen checkpoints and military stations along the way, with more than a thousand permanent guards.

"Something's wrong. Something seems to be wrong."

Zhang Lu suddenly stopped, feeling something was wrong.

"Where are the guards? Where are the people I arranged for to patrol? Why is there no one to respond?"

On the mountain path, Zhang Lu's nervous shouts echoed in the valley.

"Are you looking for someone?"

Suddenly, on the mountain road ahead, a muscular figure slowly emerged from the shadows. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the man, outlining his sharp outline. In his hand was a cold spear, with blood dripping down faintly, making him look even more majestic and murderous.

Zhang Lu's pupils suddenly shrank, and he asked in a trembling voice: "Who are you?"

The knight rode forward and sneered, "I am Ma Mengqi from Xiliang, and I have been waiting for Master Zhang here for a long time on the orders of the general."

"It's Ma Chao again!" Yan Pu, who was standing beside Zhang Lu, turned pale and dropped the bamboo slips in his hand to the ground. "How could he have expected us to take the Micang Road?!"

Ma Chao raised a sneer and said, "Master Zhang, you may have forgotten that Yang Song, one of your father's officers, has informed our army long ago. All the checkpoints on the Micang Road were removed last night."

Before he finished speaking, bursts of clapper sounds suddenly rang out on both sides of the mountain path, and countless Qiang knights emerged from behind the woods and rocks like ghosts.

They did not give Zhang Lu any time to react. Arrows rained down like locusts, covering the sky and the earth, and the remaining troops of Zhang Lu were immediately thrown into chaos.

Ma Chao swung his spear and led his cavalry into the enemy camp like a tiger descending from a mountain. Zhang Lu was terrified and turned his horse around, trying to find another way out, but found that his retreat had also been cut off.

"Thief, where are you running?"

Behind them were Zhang Fei's murderous pursuers.

In front of him is Ma Chao's unstoppable iron hoof.

Zhang Lu, who was attacked from both sides, watched the soldiers around him fall one by one, feeling extremely desperate. He knew that he could not escape today.

In the chaos of the army, Zhang Lu kept shouting:

"Down, down, down!"

"Stop fighting! We surrender!"

Zhang Lu's cry of surrender echoed through the valley, but Ma Chao and Zhang Fei's armies did not immediately stop their offensive.

Amid the rain of arrows and shouts of killing, the remnants of Zhang Lu's troops were like a candle in the wind, being ruthlessly strangled and bleeding continuously.

As night fell, the battlefield gradually calmed down, the smoke dissipated, and Zhang Lu was tied up and brought before Ma Chao and Zhang Fei.

Zhang Lu knelt on the ground and trembled. Ma Chao looked down at him and said coldly, "Master Zhang, if you had known this would happen, why did you do this in the first place?"

Zhang Lu looked ashen, and muttered to himself: "I have worked hard to manage Hanzhong and protect the people, but God does not bless me..."

"Humph! You still say you want to protect the country and the people? You cut off the tribute route, killed the envoys, and attempted to establish your own regime against the imperial court. This is what will happen to you!" Zhang Fei's eyes widened as he shouted angrily, "Quickly gather your men and horses, follow us back to Hanzhong, and wait for your punishment!"

late at night.

When Zhang Lu was escorted back to Hanzhong City, he saw the city gates wide open, the lights were on, and teams of soldiers in distinctive armor were lined up on the city walls. The once prosperous Nanzheng was now filled with a grim atmosphere. The people closed their doors and windows and only dared to peek at the majestic imperial army through the cracks.

"General Lu!" Zhang Fei saw the tall figure on the tower from afar and shouted, "This guy has been captured alive by me!"

Lu Bu stood with his sword in hand. He glanced at Zhang Lu, who was covered in dust, and laughed:
"The rice thieves have been wreaking havoc in Hanzhong for a long time, and today they have finally been brought to justice."

"Come here, take the traitor to the prison, and I will report to the court for punishment!"

That night, the Hanzhong prefectural government's mansion was brightly lit. Lu Bu summoned all the generals to discuss matters. Ma Chao, Zhang Fei, Gao Shun and others were all present.

"The general has given orders!"

Lu Bu unfolded the military order and said in a deep voice:

"Now that Hanzhong has been pacified, we must act quickly. We must quickly organize our troops and march south to attack Liu Yan: Ma Chao will lead his troops as the vanguard, taking the Jinniu Road to attack Baishui Pass; Zhang Fei will lead his troops out of the Micang Road and directly attack Ba County; I will personally lead the troops to attack Jiameng Pass. The three armies will march together and must capture the villain Liu Yan before three months!"

(End of this chapter)