My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 643 Zhang Song Observes the Strange
The casualties on the left side of the army were even heavier. Zhou Bin's army suffered more than 400 casualties. In terms of the exchange ratio, he actually made a small profit. However, he failed to stop Cao Chun's reinforcements, which almost ruined the encirclement and annihilation of Li Zheng. He can be called the biggest culprit in this battle.

Zhou Yu, on the south side, also suffered over a thousand casualties, all due to his fierce attack on Fucheng.

The heaviest casualties were suffered by He Qi's Yue army, totaling more than 5,000 men, representing a high casualty rate of over 50%.

If we take into account that Yao Hong's two thousand troops did not participate in the battle, the casualty rate of He Qishan's Vietnamese army was almost as high as 60%.

The high casualties were due to two main reasons. First, Li Zheng's troops were indeed elite and highly capable, giving them a natural defensive advantage. Second, the Yue soldiers were overly brave; in the heat of battle, they often acted impulsively and recklessly, disregarding their own lives.

Fortunately, the number of wounded was over four thousand, and the number of those killed on the spot was only seven or eight hundred. Even considering the seriously wounded who could not be cured afterward, as well as the disabled who could not return to the army, the permanent loss should be around 1,500, not as exaggerated as five thousand.

Considering the enthusiasm of the Yue people for joining the army, although the battle was not fought well, after such a bloody battle, the Yue army was like tempered iron, beginning to transform into steel.

This is at least some comforting good news.

In Guangdu City, Liu Feng suddenly received news that Sima Lang, as an imperial envoy, was on his way to the Left General's headquarters and was already on a ship bound for Guangdu.

Upon receiving the news, Liu Feng pondered for a moment and immediately understood Sima Lang's purpose in coming.

It seems that Cao Cao was well aware that escaping the siege would be extremely difficult, and that Cao Cao was trying to bow down to him in hopes of redeeming his son.

It is clear that Cao Cao regarded Cao Ang with special regard.

Cao Cao did not hesitate to make Cao Ang his heir, intending for him to inherit his family business.

In contrast, Cao Pi struggled to win against rivals like Cao Zhi, and was only made heir apparent by Cao Cao at the last minute. Even after Cao Cao's death, he faced a challenge from Cao Zhang's military remonstrance.

This shows just how important Cao Ang was to Cao Cao.

Now that Cao Ang is trapped in Shu, Cao Cao's decision to send Sima Lang to negotiate clearly indicates that he intends to admit defeat.

If his requests were reasonable, Liu Feng estimated that Cao Cao would agree, but the relationship between the two sides would inevitably break down.

Once Cao Ang and the elite Cao army in Shu are redeemed, Cao Cao's relationship with his own family will inevitably break down completely. At that time, the Cao family will likely begin to play both sides between Liu Bei and Yuan Shao, and seize the opportunity to regain the lost benefits.

Cao Cao was extremely vengeful; to put it nicely, he was quick to settle scores, but to put it bluntly, he was extremely vindictive. Moreover, Liu Feng had already made up his mind to cripple the Cao family in one battle, and he would not be soft-hearted and give the enemy a chance to breathe, otherwise he would lose the initiative.

Two days later, Sima Lang successfully arrived in Guangdu.

Liu Feng, accompanied by Lu Xun, Xu Shu, Gu Shao, and a group of generals, went to the dock to welcome them, amidst a great commotion of gongs and drums.

Leading the way were two hundred elite Tiger Warriors, all clad in gleaming armor, with ring-pommel swords at their waists, their faces covered in iron, revealing only their sharp, hawk-like eyes. They wielded eighteen-foot-long spears, their blades gleaming coldly in the sunlight, the iron ferrules at the hilts striking the ground with a thunderous thud.

Even Sima Lang, with his deep-seated cunning, couldn't help but slightly change his expression. He understood that Liu Feng was showing off his military strength, with the aim of suppressing the Cao family's momentum.

However, Sima Lang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He mistakenly believed that Liu Feng's actions were to gain more benefits, thus misjudging Liu Feng's true attitude.

That evening, Liu Feng hosted a banquet for Sima Lang and expressed his concern and longing for the emperor. Sima Lang naturally praised Liu Feng's loyalty and said that the emperor in Luoyang also missed Liu Feng and his son.

The atmosphere at the banquet was very harmonious.

Unfortunately, compared to the atmosphere of the banquet, the atmosphere at the negotiating table was extremely cold.

Before arriving, Sima Lang had carefully considered various scenarios, and he had deeply considered Liu Feng's ambition and greed. Even so, Sima Lang still hadn't expected Liu Feng's appetite to be so great.

After Sima Lang clearly stated his desire to redeem Cao Ang and the Shu-Zhong coalition, Liu Feng made an outrageous demand, asking for four commanderies and kingdoms, not including the current Shu Commandery, Guanghan Commandery, and Guanghan Subordinate Kingdom.

The four commanderies and kingdoms that Liu Feng demanded were Hanzhong Commandery, Jingzhao Yin Commandery, Nanyang Commandery, and Yingchuan Commandery.

This cost Cao Cao almost a quarter of his territory and population. Not only did he have to give up Nanyang Commandery, which he had previously obtained from Liu Feng, but he also had to lose three commanderies: Jingzhao Yin, Yingchuan Commandery, and Hanzhong Commandery.

Before coming, Cao Cao was prepared to make a significant sacrifice, and in his secret talks with Sima Lang, he presented his conditions: either Hanzhong or Nanyang, plus all the territories currently controlled by the Cao family and the Zhang family in Hanzhong within Shu.

Cao Cao felt that this condition was already quite sufficient, and even regretted that he should not have been too greedy. Having gained Longxi, he wanted Shu. If he stopped at Hanzhong, although all the counties in Shu would be under Liu Feng's command, the Qinling Mountains would be a barrier between the two of them, which would not be a bad thing.

At that time, he would not only gain the populous Hanzhong Commandery for free, but also not increase the defensive pressure too much. At the same time, Guanzhong would receive more economic, population, material and military support...

Cao Cao sighed deeply and regretted it. But in order to redeem Cao Ang and his elite troops, he made a painful decision and even gave the bottom line of giving both counties. He hoped that Sima Lang would try his best to keep one county, and that either Hanzhong or Nanyang would be counted as military merit for the Sima family.

Don't underestimate the term "military merit." In the Han Dynasty, only military merit could lead to a noble title.

This is tantamount to Cao Cao implying to Sima Lang that if he performs well enough, the reward this time will not only be the position of Chief Clerk of the General's Mansion, but also a title of nobility.

"General Zuo, your request is really a bit excessive."

Sima Lang's expression was complex, a mixture of helplessness, shock, shame, and anger, which clearly showed his attitude.

“I know that General Zuo still harbors resentment about the Jingzhou matter, just as he did with only Nanyang County back then.”

Sima Lang argued forcefully, "How can General Zuo now demand the land of four commanderies? Not to mention Guanzhong, even Yingchuan has long been under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. How can we make a deal with it? General Zuo's proposal is too frivolous."

"How is this being too frivolous?"

Liu Feng disagreed, explaining, "Two years ago in Jingzhou, the General merely offered a brief reassurance before taking Nanyang under his control. Now, Cao Ang and the General's elite force of 60,000 to 70,000 men are trapped in Shu. If we include the Hanzhong army and the Shu army, the total force exceeds 100,000. How can this be compared to the events of the past?"

Liu Feng's words were reasonable and well-founded, and he mercilessly pointed out the crux of the matter. This undisguised attitude made Sima Lang feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Sima Lang even had a moment of doubt, wondering whether Liu Feng was truly sincere in negotiating.

However, Sima Lang then rejected his idea.

The land is currently divided into three kingdoms: Yuan, Liu, and Cao. Even though the Liu family is powerful now, they are not powerful enough to fight against the other two. In fact, many gentry believe that the Yuan family is the most powerful warlord in the land.

Although Liu Feng was young, he had been on the battlefield for ten years, fought dozens of battles, and managed seven provinces. He could not be regarded as an ordinary youth, and the youthful spirit could not possibly appear in Liu Feng.

In other words, Liu Feng really wanted the territory of four counties.

hiss……

Sima Lang felt a chill run down his spine; this guy's appetite was just too big!

Sima Lang suppressed his shock and continued to ponder whether Cao Cao would agree. His answer was that it would be difficult.

Guanzhong and Yingchuan are far more important than Hanzhong and Nanyang.

In times of peace, Nanyang, the number one prefecture in the land, would naturally carry immense weight, even surpassing Chang'an, the western capital.

However, Nanyang is now in ruins and is no longer the prosperous place it once was. It only has some geographical advantages, being able to shield the flanks of Guanzhong and Yingchuan, which gives it considerable value.

Hanzhong is even less important. If it weren't for the fact that Hanzhong is now considered a fertile land, its geographical advantages alone would make it insignificant.

Hanzhong's importance to Guanzhong was far less than that of Shu.

Why did Hanzhong always fall under the jurisdiction of Guanzhong throughout history?

There is no other reason than that Yizhou was safe when it gained Hanzhong, and perished when it lost Hanzhong.

Looking at Zhuge Liang's five Northern Expeditions in later generations, all of them started from Hanzhong. Although they posed a great threat to Guanzhong, they were never able to take it. That's why Cao Cao was willing to offer Hanzhong and Nanyang in exchange, but never mentioned Yingchuan and Guanzhong.

However, Liu Feng seems to be very determined and shows no sign of backing down.

Despite Sima Lang's various efforts, there was no effect whatsoever. He was so anxious that his face turned red, but his heart was ice-cold.

Ultimately, the two sides failed to reach an agreement.

Liu Feng demanded four commanderies, but Sima Lang had no such authorization, so how could he dare to agree?

Realizing he could not persuade Liu Feng, Sima Lang took the initiative to bid farewell the next day and requested to leave.

Liu Feng immediately agreed and sent people to escort him along the way.

Sima Lang's entourage was all present. Although the hospitality was excellent, with plenty of wine and meat, they were strictly forbidden from going out, let alone leaving Guangdu.

After Sima Lang took his leave, he was escorted onto the ship by men sent by Liu Feng, with not a single gap to slip through. From beginning to end, he was under the surveillance of the Left Guard Army. Let alone going to Chengdu to see Cao Ang, even sending a message would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.

Sima Lang's doubts grew stronger each day, but he had no choice but to return to Hanzhong first. After finding Cao Cao, he would report the situation to him and then make a decision.

When Sima Lang visited, the city of Chengdu was shrouded in dark clouds.

Zhang Song secretly invited Qin Mi, Yang Hong, Fa Zheng, Meng Da, and others to the meeting.

In these tense times, although these people came at the invitation, they were mostly dissatisfied with Zhang Song.

Yang Hong, with his straightforward temperament, entered the Zhang residence through a side gate and began to complain as soon as he saw Zhang Song: "Ziqiao, the situation in the city is tense now, with Cao soldiers everywhere. How can you act like this?"

Zhang Song ignored the complaints and anxiously pulled Yang Hong's sleeve, leading him into the secret room.

Zhang Song's attitude aroused Yang Hong's suspicion. His previous displeasure vanished instantly, replaced by a solemn expression.

Soon, the others also quietly entered the Zhang residence and were invited into a secret room.

Upon seeing Zhang Song, before anyone could ask a question, Zhang Song spoke up, saying, "Gentlemen, Chengdu is on the verge of collapse."

Everyone present was an outstanding individual, possessing both vision and wisdom, yet they were still taken aback by Zhang Song's words.

The four looked at each other in silence for a moment before Yang Hong asked first, "What do you mean by that, Ziqiao?"

Zhang Song didn't mince words and stated directly, "Cao Cao's army may intend to burn the city."

"What!?"

"Is this serious?"

"How dare that traitor Cao Cao do such a thing!?"

Upon hearing Zhang Song's words, everyone present changed their expressions drastically, their faces showing shock, anger, and resentment, but also a hint of suspicion.

Although they had a deep friendship with Zhang Song, the news that Zhang Song had leaked this time was so shocking that they couldn't believe it for a moment.

Zhang Song, however, retorted, "How could I speak nonsense about something so important?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Mi and the others all fell silent.

Just as Zhang Song said, such an important matter would not be made up.

After a moment of silence, Fa Zheng was the first to speak, asking, "Brother Ziqiao, may I ask where you obtained this information?"

Zhang Song replied solemnly, "Cao's troops have recently been mobilizing firewood and demolishing houses around the warehouse. I was very surprised when I received the news, so I sent a trusted confidant to investigate, which led to what happened next."

Qin Mi and the others exchanged glances, all agreeing that Zhang Song's words made sense. If Cao Cao's army truly intended to burn the city, then they could not stand idly by.

The various families present here own numerous properties in Chengdu; even Meng Da has purchased over a dozen shops in the city. If they were all burned down, the losses for their own families alone would be staggering, not to mention the safety of tens of thousands of people in Chengdu.

"If that's the case..."

Qin Mi's gaze swept over the crowd, and she slowly uttered the second half of her sentence: "We can no longer hesitate; we must make a decision immediately."

Although Qin Mi's words were somewhat vague, everyone present understood them perfectly and was very clear about the hidden meaning in Qin Mi's words.

“What Zichi said is correct.”

Yang Hong nodded in support, saying, "Now is the time when we cannot delay, and we should make a decision quickly."

Fa Zheng and Meng Da immediately straightened up and said, "We will follow the wishes of Brothers Qin and Yang."

In fact, Fa Zheng and Meng Da were already staunch supporters of Liu Bei's faction. If they were in charge, their actions would likely be even more radical. After returning from Guangdu, Fa Zheng and Meng Da had repeatedly urged Zhang Song, Qin Mi, and Yang Hong to seize an opportunity to start a rebellion.

Zhang Song strongly supported this, but Qin Mi and Yang Hong hesitated. They felt that since Liu Zhang had already agreed to the Cao family's withdrawal to the east, Chengdu could open its gates to welcome the Left General without bloodshed once Liu Zhang and the Cao family's army left.

(End of this chapter)