I rode and slashed unparalleled in the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 955: Han Sui's Death, Liangzhou Surrenders (Combined Chapter)

August 30, the third year of Kaiyuan, at three o'clock in the morning.

Suddenly, a fire broke out at the west gate of Jincheng, and the gate slowly opened with a creaking sound.

The Han cavalry, who had already received the news and were lying in ambush outside the city, immediately rushed in like a tide when they saw the gate open, and the shouts of killing instantly resounded throughout the city.

"What's going on?! What happened outside?"

Han Sui woke up from his sleep, pushed away the beauty beside him, and rushed out of the bedroom barefoot.

I saw flames rising into the sky from the direction of West City, and shouts of killing coming from far away, which was extremely terrifying.

Soon, the soldiers sent to investigate brought back the news:
"No, General!"

"General Cheng has rebelled and led the Han army into the city!"

"what?!"

Han Sui, who had just put on his armor, shuddered, and the sword in his hand fell to the ground with a clang, and he felt dizzy.

"How dare you betray me, you bastard!"

Amidst the angry curses, Han Sui immediately ordered the beating of drums to assemble, summoning his personal soldiers and defenders to prepare for the final resistance.

But it was too late.

After entering the city, the Han army divided into three groups: Zhao Yun led his troops to attack the east gate directly to cut off the retreat, Xu Huang led his troops to capture the armory, and Su Yao personally led the elite troops and headed straight for the general's mansion.

On the streets of Jincheng, the Liangzhou soldiers were in chaos. Some fought stubbornly, some threw away their weapons, and many more were at a loss as to what to do.

The hasty attack made it impossible for them to form an effective organization. How could the scattered soldiers in the city be a match for Su Yao and other elite troops?

Not to mention that many of the Han troops entering the city were Yuzhong defenders who had surrendered before and Cheng Yin's subordinates. These people were wearing the uniforms of the Liangzhou Army, and they could not distinguish between friends and foes for a while.
Under the attack of Su Yao's army, the city was ablaze with flames and the sound of wailing was deafening.

Just like that, this impregnable golden city was breached in an instant.

"Despicable! Shameless!"

"Cheng Yin, you bastard, Su Yao, you two will not live happily ever after!"

Han Sui fought and retreated under the protection of his personal soldiers. He was so angry that he was shaking all over and kept muttering that he would take revenge someday.

Han Sui's luck tonight was pretty good, because he bravely rushed out and avoided Su Yao who was rushing towards the government office, so he was not beheaded directly.

But his luck ended there.

When Han Sui rushed to the north gate under the protection of his personal soldiers and wanted to take the opportunity to escape, he saw a large flag with the word "Cheng" already erected on the city wall.

The rebel general Cheng Yin stood at the city gate with his sword drawn, obviously he had been waiting here for a long time:
"Han Wenyue - you have no way to escape, why don't you surrender quickly!"

Han Sui was so angry that he shouted, "You traitor, where are you? Why are you at the north gate?"

Ma Wan was naturally the original guard of the north gate, and also one of the heroes of Liangzhou.

Could it be that he was dealt with by Cheng Yin so quickly?
Thinking of this, Han Sui felt a chill in his heart.

But that's it.
"General Han, the situation is hopeless, so stop struggling."

Han Sui looked up and saw the man on his horse standing quietly on the top of the city wall. There was no sign of a battle at all.
"Ma Wan?! Even you..." Han Sui's eyes were bloodshot and his teeth were almost broken.

Ma Wan sighed, "Mr. Han, a man who knows the current situation is a hero. The great general's power is unpredictable, why should we fight against the stone with an egg?"

"You asshole!" Han Sui laughed in anger: "You advised me to hold on to my position at noon, but you turned against me in the evening. You will die sooner or later for being so treacherous!"

Cheng Yin sneered, and without further ado, waved his hand and ordered, "Shoot!"

Arrows suddenly rained down from the city wall, and Han Sui's personal soldiers fell to the ground one after another. Cheng Yin also took the opportunity to lead his men to meet the attack.

In the chaos of the army, Han Sui was defeated and almost lost his life.

At this moment, reinforcements suddenly came from behind. It turned out to be his son-in-law Yan Xing who came to join them.

Yan Xing charged forward with his spear, immediately stopped Cheng Yin, and shouted to Han Sui to go first:
"Father-in-law! Go to the east gate quickly, it is still in the hands of our army!"

Upon hearing this, Han Sui felt like he had grasped a life-saving straw. He did not dare to delay, and bid farewell to Yan Xing in tears. He led the remaining troops to break out through the east gate immediately.

Along the way, there were scattered remnants of soldiers and bodies of fallen friendly soldiers everywhere.

Han Sui felt bitter at the sight and staggered to the east gate, only to see a large flag with the word "Zhao" erected at the gate.

Zhao Zilong, in silver armor and white robe, was charging left and right in the crowd, killing the soldiers guarding the gate and making them throw away their weapons and armor, leaving him no chance to leave the city.

"God has doomed me, God has doomed me!"

Han Sui's face turned pale, he looked up to the sky and sighed, then drew his sword and was about to commit suicide.

At this moment, he suddenly heard a loud shout from behind him: "Father-in-law, wait a minute!"

Yan Xing was seen galloping over with dozens of horsemen, with a man tied horizontally on the horse's back - it was Cheng Yin!
"This traitor has been captured by my son-in-law!" Yan Xing threw the bruised Cheng Yin off his horse, "Please let my father-in-law decide his fate!"

Cheng Yin was defeated, obviously he underestimated Yan Xing's martial arts.

Although this guy is young, his marksmanship is truly extraordinary.

Just now, Yan Xing took advantage of Cheng Yin's underestimation of the enemy and his eagerness to make a contribution, and pretended to be defeated to lure the enemy, leading Cheng Yin and dozens of cavalry to chase him, and then he made a surprise attack and knocked him off his horse.

If Ma Wan had not been still defending the city wall, his dozens of men would not have been able to seize the city gate so easily. He might have really run away just now.

"Good son-in-law!"

Han Sui showed surprise on his face, and without further ado, he stabbed Cheng Yin in the heart and said to Yan Xing:
"Quick, help me break through!"

Zhao Yun's troops had just reached the north gate and were still involved in the melee.

With the help of their good son-in-law Yan Xing, they could attack from behind and might be able to escape.

Yan Xing did not move, but dismounted and knelt: "Father-in-law, the situation is hopeless, surrender."

"You?!" Han Sui's eyes widened and his hand holding the sword trembled violently.

Yan Xing raised his head, tears in his eyes: "My son-in-law has reached an agreement with Governor Wei. As long as my father-in-law surrenders, he is willing to come forward as a guarantor and plead with the general to save our little life."

How dare you?" Han Sui was so angry that he was shaking all over, with the tip of his sword pointing directly at Yan Xing's throat.

Yan Xing did not dodge, but kowtowed: "Father-in-law, there is no way out in Liangzhou. Look around, how many people are willing to die for you? Even if we abandon our homes and property and run away, where can we escape to? Are we going to seek refuge with those barbarians in the Western Regions?"

Han Sui looked around, and saw that the defeated soldiers all looked pale as death. Where was the fighting spirit left in them?
At this moment, on the official road not far away, a large flag with the word "Su" on it was rolling over.

Han Sui's face changed, and he said with a wry smile: "At this time, do you think that old villain can still save our lives?"

It has to be said that Han Sui felt deep regret in his heart at this time.

If I had made the decision earlier, whether to surrender or leave, I would have obviously had many opportunities.

But now, that damn general came too fast, and because of a little hesitation and waiting, he completely ruined his chance.

Finally, Han Sui glanced at Cheng Yin, who was already dead on the ground, and a trace of relief flashed in his eyes. He calmly took off the seal from his waist and slapped it heavily in Yan Xing's hand:
"Here, this is for you. You will lead everyone to surrender to Su Yao later."

"Hey, father-in-law, what about you?" Yan Xing took the seal woodenly, looking confused.

"Me? Naturally, I'm the only one who will die." Before he finished speaking, Han Sui suddenly raised the sword in his hand, dug it fiercely into his heart, and then pulled it out violently.

Suddenly, blood gushed out, splashing all over Yan Xing's face.

"Father-in-law?!" Yan Xing rushed over, only to see blood gushing out of Han Sui's mouth, his life force fading rapidly: "You, why are you doing this!"

Han Sui did not explain further, but pressed his shoulders firmly, trembling as he handed the blood-stained blade to Yan Xing, and said:

"Cut off my head later and ask Su Yao for credit."

"If you can survive, please treat my daughter well in the future."

“This is the last thing I can do.”

Before he could finish his words, Han Sui had already lost his last chance of survival in a pool of blood.

This hero who had been active in Liangzhou for more than 20 years finally ended his own life, bringing an end to his military career.

"Captain Yan, the general is coming, hurry up and act."

Seeing Yan Xing holding Han Sui's cold body in a daze, his subordinates hurriedly urged him.

He raised his bloodstained sword tremblingly, but was unable to make the move. Seeing this, the remaining soldiers around him knelt down and cried bitterly.

It has to be said that although Han Sui was a rebel, he was indeed a good commander of the army. He had been famous in Xiliang more than ten years ago and was personally received by General He Jin.

Initially, in 184 AD, the Qiang people Beigong Boyu and Li Wenhou rebelled, proclaimed themselves generals, killed Ling Zheng, the Protector of the Qiang, and then respected Han Sui's name. They kidnapped Han Sui and his fellow county commander Bian Zhang and elected them as leaders, commanded the local military and political affairs, and rebelled together in Longyou.

From then on, Han Sui held the military and political power. In the name of killing the eunuchs, he raised an army of 100,000 in rebellion. He successively fought against famous generals such as Huangfu Song, Zhang Wen, Dong Zhuo, and Sun Jian, causing unrest in the country and forcing the court to recruit and deal with him.

Now, those who are willing to follow him and fight to the death are all his loyal confidants. How could they bear to take his head to ask for credit?
Yan Xing was ultimately unable to do it.

While he was hesitating, the battle situation before him was constantly advancing.

Not only did Zhao Yun lead his troops to clear out the remaining enemies at the East Gate, but wherever his silver spear pointed, the soldiers from Liang Province threw down their weapons and surrendered. Su Yao himself rode a white horse, leading the way and charging right in front of them.

"Han Wenyue died?"

Su Yao's voice was exceptionally calm.

Although his nameplate did not show the name of the dead person on the ground, at his age he could still make so many people kneel around him and cry. There was no doubt that Han Sui was the only one here.

Yan Xing took a deep breath, walked forward holding Han Sui's official seal, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed heavily:

"The guilty general Yan Xing, on behalf of our Xiliang army, asks the general for surrender! General Han has committed suicide to apologize for his crime!"

"General, this is Han Sui himself."

The person who spoke was Wei Duan, the governor of Liangzhou.

After Han Sui escaped, Yan Xing released him. When Su Yao rushed to the government office, he had dressed up and surrendered with his men. Then Su Yao took him with him and chased Han Sui all the way in the city.

Su Yao took the blood-stained seal and sneered: "Han Sui is a smart man, but you..."

His eyes swept over the Liangzhou soldiers kneeling on the ground. Before he could say anything, Wei Duan quickly approached Su Yao and introduced him in a low voice.

"This Yan Xing is the son-in-law of Han Sui that I just told you about."

Wei Duan’s words made Yan Xing’s heart suddenly skip a beat.

Han Sui's son-in-law. He knew very well what this label meant.

It was for this reason that Han Sui finally committed suicide and asked him to offer his head in order to sever the relationship between the two.

But now, it is clear that his hesitation has failed Han Sui's last efforts.
Thinking of this, Yan Xing gritted his teeth and kowtowed:
"I am willing to die as an apology for my crime! I only ask the general to spare the people and soldiers in the city!"

Su Yao threw the seal to Xu Huang behind him and walked forward slowly. With every step he took, the kneeling Liangzhou soldiers trembled a little, and some even wet their pants out of fear.

"Raise your head." Su Yao lifted Yan Xing's chin with the tip of the knife.

Yan Xing was forced to look up and met Su Yao's bottomless eyes.

He expected to see anger or contempt, but instead saw only calm—like a hunter sizing up a trapped rabbit.

"Yan Xing." Su Yao suddenly asked, "I heard that you fought with Ma Mengqi and almost took his life?"

"Yes, it is."

Yan Xing swallowed his saliva. He didn't expect Su Yao to ask about this.

The battle with Ma Chao took place earlier.

At that time, the heroes of Liangzhou gathered to discuss Su Yao's western expedition. Ma Chao, as the General of Wudu, was naturally among them.

However, Ma Chao's attitude was a little subtle at the meeting. Afterwards, Han Sui thought more and more that Ma Chao was unreliable. Keeping this boy might turn him into a disaster, so he ordered Yan Xing to lead his troops to hunt him down.

What follows is naturally a thrilling chase.

Although Ma Chao did not attend the meeting alone, he was surrounded by no more than a hundred personal soldiers.

Yan Xing was ordered to lead 800 elite cavalrymen in pursuit, and Ma Chao and others were forced to flee in panic.

However, Ma Chao is a famous general who will make Cao Cao cut off his beard and robe to fight him in the future. Although he is just a young version now, he will never be killed so easily.

So in the end, in order to get rid of these pursuers who were like leeches behind him, Ma Chao, who was familiar with the terrain of Liangzhou, decided to launch a decisive counterattack in a canyon section of the Longxi Valley to completely repel Yan Xing.

That location was extremely good. The road was narrow, and at its narrowest point only two horses could pass side by side. Although Yan Xing's party had a large number of people and strong power, they found it difficult to maneuver here, and the battle could only be conducted one-on-one.

At that time, the two armies met on a narrow road. Ma Chao personally covered the rear. Suddenly, he turned back and killed the vanguard of Yan Xing's army, causing chaos in their formation. At that moment, more than a dozen people fell into the valley and died directly.

At the critical moment, Yan Xing stepped forward and fought against Ma Chao, and the two engaged in a desperate cavalry battle.

The two men fought back and forth in the canyon for dozens of rounds but no one was victorious.

In the end, Ma Chao was the smartest one. He found the right moment and took advantage of Yan Xing's eagerness to win. When Yan Xing tried to stab him, he broke his spear.

Losing your weapon in a duel in such a dangerous place is a fatal danger.

Ma Chao almost saw the result of his next blow which would pierce Yan Xing's heart.

But who would have thought that Yan Xing was like a madman. He did not care even though his spear was broken. Instead, he hit Ma Chao's neck with the broken spear, almost killing him on the spot.

However, luck was obviously more on Ma Chao's side.

The terrain of the canyon was low in the north and high in the south. Although Yan Xing attacked with all his might, the broken spear was not powerful enough to only leave a bloody mark on Ma Chao's neck, but failed to cut his throat.

However, both of them broke out in cold sweats this time, knowing that the other party was difficult to deal with, and they kept their distance from each other.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Ma Chao immediately turned his horse and fled far away.

Yan Xing, whose spear was broken, almost exhausted his strength in that final blow. He gave up the pursuit and no longer chased after Ma Chao, but just coldly watched Ma Chao's receding back.

It was also in this battle that, although Yan Xing failed to capture and kill Ma Chao, he also demonstrated his amazing martial arts and courage.

Afterwards, Han Sui valued him even more and immediately betrothed his daughter to him as his son-in-law.

Their thrilling battle at the top of the canyon soon spread throughout Liangzhou, and was talked about by the locals with great relish.
(End of this chapter)