Three Kingdoms: Wolong's brother-in-law, tricking Liu Bei into seizing Jingzhou

Xiao Fang smiled and said self-deprecatingly:
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. I am not that far-sighted."

"There were quite a few family members of Liangzhou military commanders captured that year, and I ordered them to treat them well. In fact, it was just casting a wide net, and we'll take whatever we catch."

"It's just a coincidence that I just happened to get this one from Yan Xing."

Liu Bei was stunned at first, then he also laughed:
"What a wide net! I have to say, the Prime Minister cast the net just right."

"Okay, let's do as the Prime Minister said and quickly summon Yan Mao."

...

three days later.

The east gate of Lueyang.

Yan Xingzheng was wearing armor and holding a sword, inspecting the city wall.

Glancing at the Han camp outside the city, the trenches one after another, the earth walls one after another, and the three layers of surrounding camps inside and outside made him feel suffocated and oppressed.

"Do I, Yan Xing, really want to follow that idiot Yu Jin and be trapped to death in Lueyang City?"

Yan Xing muttered to himself, with a hint of unwillingness flowing between his brows.

Just when he was feeling depressed, the soldiers around him suddenly pointed outside the city and shouted:

"General, there is a Han cavalryman outside the city, riding alone and approaching the east gate!"

Yan Xing's thoughts returned to reality and he immediately became alert.

Looking into the distance, he saw a rider in the Han camp, breaking through the encirclement and heading towards the east gate.

"One man and one horse?"

There was a hint of doubt in Yan Xing's eyes, so he ordered the soldiers not to shoot arrows for the time being.

A moment.

The rider went straight to the city and shouted loudly:

"I am Yan Mao, the son of your general Yan Xing. Go and report immediately!"

Yan Xingben felt that the man looked familiar, and when the other party gave his name, a look of surprise suddenly appeared on his face.

That familiar face, that familiar voice, who else could it be but his eldest son Yan Mao?

"It's my son Yan Mao, hurry up and open the city gate!"

Yan Xing shouted hoarsely, turned around and ran towards the city.

The frozen city gate slowly opened, the drawbridge slowly dropped, and Yan Mao rode into the city alone.

"Zi Sheng, Zi Sheng!"

Yan Xing was overjoyed and rushed forward in two steps.

"Father!"

Tears welled up in Yan Mao's eyes. He dismounted his horse, rushed forward, and knelt down at Yan Xing's feet.

The father and son reunited in this lonely city and hugged each other and cried.

"Mao'er, I thought you died in the battle of Chang'an, but I didn't expect you to be alive!"

"By the way, why did you come out of the Han camp and ride alone to Lueyang?"

After crying with joy, Yan Xing gradually calmed down and noticed something was wrong.

Yan Mao did not answer, but asked Yan Xing to let him talk for a moment.

Yan Xing vaguely sensed something and immediately pulled his son back to the big tent.

"When Chang'an fell, I thought I would die in the chaos, but I didn't expect that the Han emperor didn't kill me, and even issued an order to treat me with courtesy."

"That's why I can live till now and come to see my father alive."

"I came here today on the orders of the Emperor of Han to deliver two letters to my father."

Yan Mao explained the reason, then took out two letters from his arms and gave one of them to Yan Xing first.

When Yan Xing heard that his son was treated well by Liu Bei, he felt grateful in his heart.

When he saw that the signature on the letter was actually written by the Emperor of Han, he was shocked.

After being stunned for a long while, Yan Xing took it tremblingly and started to speculate.

He guessed right. The letter was indeed a letter of persuasion to surrender.

In the letter, Liu Bei promised in the name of the emperor that as long as Yan Xing surrendered the city and submitted to the Han Dynasty, he would be a meritorious minister of the Han Dynasty.

After returning to Han, not only will he be forgiven for his crime of following Cao Cao, but he will also be promoted two levels in his current official position.

The soldiers from Liang Province who followed him back to Han were rewarded with gold and silk if they were willing to return home, while those who were willing to fight for the Han were incorporated into the Han army according to their original positions.

The 5,000 Liangzhou soldiers who were incorporated into the Han army were still commanded by Yan Xing.

Looking at the emperor's handwriting in his hand, Yan Xing was so excited that his hands were shaking, and his eyes were filled with deep surprise.

"Now the Han army of 300,000 is approaching Longxi, Cao Cao's plot to attack Chencang has been thwarted, and the Qin Dynasty's loss of Longxi and Liangzhou is a foregone conclusion."

"Cao Cao's escape to Yizhou is a foregone conclusion, and Liangzhou's return to the Han Dynasty is also a foregone conclusion."

"As Liangzhou people, how can we follow Cao Cao and flee to Yizhou to become wandering ghosts?"

"Following the general trend and submitting to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty is the wisest choice."

Yan Mao spoke out what was in Yan Xing’s heart.

For the vast majority, their loyalty lies with whoever occupies their homeland.

After all, the hometown is permanent, but the master is transient...

If you, Cao Cao, lose the battle, you can run to Yizhou and continue to be the emperor of the Great Qin.

Why should we, the people of Liangzhou, follow you and leave our hometown, flee to Yizhou, live under someone else's roof and have to look after the people of Yizhou?

Naturally, if you, Cao Cao, occupy Liangzhou, we will work for you. If Liu Bei seizes Liangzhou, we will switch to work for the new master.

Not only the people of Liangzhou, but most of the indigenous powerful people in the thirteen states of the world did this.

Now that the fall of Liangzhou is a foregone conclusion, as a Liangzhou native, shouldn't it be natural for you, Yan Xing, to defect to Liu Bei, the new master?
What's more, it's not you who wants to surrender, but the Emperor of the Han Dynasty who condescends to persuade you to surrender!

This is a huge honor and it gives you so much face!

Why don't you take advantage of the situation and return to Han? What are you still hesitating about?
"The Emperor of the Han Dynasty is a benevolent and wise ruler, and the recovery of Liangzhou is just around the corner. It is only natural for my father to submit to the Emperor of the Han Dynasty."

Yan Xing nodded slightly, but he looked worried:
"It's just that when Ma Meng rebelled against Qin, my father took part in the attack on his rear, causing him to be defeated and flee."

"That Ma Mengqi, I think, has hatred towards his father."

"I heard that he has made many outstanding achievements in the Han Kingdom and was highly appreciated by the Han Emperor. He now holds a high position in the Han Kingdom."

"I am worried that if I return to Han, Ma Chao will want to take revenge on me because of the old grudge. I am worried that I will not be able to resist him as I am a surrendered general."

With a bitter look on his face, Yan Xing told his son his difficulties.

Yan Mao smiled and took out another letter and handed it over.

Yan Xing was blank for a moment.

When I looked down at the letter, I saw that it was signed by Ma Chao!

"Mao'er, this——"

Yan Xing looked up, a look of surprise and confusion.

"Father's concerns will be dispelled after reading this letter."

Yan Mao smiled with a playful look in his eyes.

Yan Xing didn't know what to do, so he could only open the letter with suspicion.

As he watched, all the worries and suspicions on his face disappeared, turned into endless surprise.

"Ma Mengqi said that his father was deceived by Cheng Gongying and mistakenly believed that he wanted to kill all of Han Sui's former subordinates, so he had to raise an army to fight back in order to protect himself."

"He swore to heaven that he did not bear any grudge against his father, and would not seek revenge on him after his father surrendered to the Han."

"He was afraid that his father would not believe him, so he wrote this handwritten letter and asked his son to bring it to his father."

Yan Mao explained the contents and reasons of the letter one by one.

Yan Xingteng stood up and looked at the two letters in his hands. He became increasingly excited, and the hesitation and worry in his eyes gradually faded away.

After weighing the pros and cons for a long time, Yan Xingmeng turned around and looked at his son, with determination in his eyes.

"In this case, what else does your father have to worry about?"

"I, your father, will listen to your advice and submit to the Han Dynasty!" (End of this chapter)