Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 554 Leaving Yinping, Once Again Startling Shu
The Yinping Path was shrouded in mist from the rain.

Amidst the high mountains and deep valleys, the wind howled fiercely, rustling the trees that covered the hillsides. Thick clouds hung low in the sky, gloomy and overcast, and rain fell lightly.

A ragged Tang army trudged slowly along a rugged mountain path. The steep, winding mountain ridges cut the long column into several sections. Rain soaked their clothes, the soldiers were covered in dust, and both men and horses were exhausted.

"Watch out!"

Suddenly, someone shouted urgently, and then the horses carrying supplies lost their footing, tumbling down the slope with their riders, all the way to the deep valley below. Screams and the neighing of horses echoed through the valley, chilling everyone to the bone.

"General!"

Zhang Feng, leaning against the wet tree trunk, called out to Gao Shun.

Gao Shun, leaning on his wooden cane, helped Zhang Feng up and asked, "How are you?"

"Beside a deep ravine, the road is rugged, and people and horses are exhausted; many have fallen into the valley!"

Looking at the long, winding column ahead, Zhang Feng said with concern, "When we set out, we traveled 600 li, abandoning our baggage and traveling at full speed, thinking we could reach our destination in thirteen days. Now, after eighteen days of marching, we still haven't reached Jiangyou. Our rations are running low, and the morale of the soldiers is increasingly low. Some may even be considering quitting."

Gao Shun pointed forward with his wooden cane and said, "According to the scouts, after crossing the mountain ridge, we can see Jiangyou City thirty miles ahead. If the progress goes smoothly, we may be able to rest in Jiangyou tonight. If we can reach Jiangyou, we will be able to reach Deyang Pavilion the day after tomorrow. There are people along the way, and we can eat in the countryside and will not be troubled by the army's supplies!"

Although the Qiang people were leading the way, the treacherousness of the Yinping Road exceeded Gao Shun's expectations. The original plan was to march at least 60-70 li per day with only provisions. However, in reality, during the most difficult times of traversing the mountains and valleys, when it was necessary to build plank roads, they could only march 40 li in two days.

Having only been on the road for a little over ten days, Gao Shun, who was once a robust man, has lost weight due to the hardships of the journey and his worries about his subordinates. His cheekbones are now noticeably prominent.

As for the army's rations, they carried thirty days' worth before departure, but after calculating consumption and losses, only enough remained for the return journey. Therefore, with the future uncertain, the soldiers naturally began to consider retreating.

"It would be great if we could reach Jiangyou today!"

Zhang Feng's tired face brightened considerably as he asked, "But I don't know how many troops are in Jiangyou City. If there are several thousand strong soldiers holding the city, our army will likely have difficulty passing through."

"I have entrusted the task of breaching the city to Guo Huai!"

Gao Shun said, "Guo Huai is determined to make a name for himself. Since the expedition began, he has been a brave vanguard, carving through mountains and building bridges and pavilions, which has made great contributions. Now that a surprise force has emerged from Jiangyou, Guo Huai will surely fight bravely to help the army break through the city pass."

Zhang Feng was in high spirits and said, "I will inform the soldiers and officers of the news to boost their morale."

"good!"

Zhang Feng hurriedly ran after them to tell everyone that they were about to arrive in Jiangyou City.

As the news spread, without the need for officers to urge them on, the soldiers' morale soared, and they quickened their pace, unwilling to linger too long on the treacherous mountain paths.

By afternoon, Guo Huai's vanguard troops had gone through great hardships to climb the mountain and look down upon Jiangyou City.

Jiangyou was not really a city; it was merely a fortified camp built to defend against attacks from the Qiang and Di people, situated on the banks of the Fu River.

When Sun Ce launched his northern expedition against Hanzhong, in order to guard against the Tang army's subsequent invasion from Wudu, he specially fortified Jiangyou City and built another fort on the opposite bank of the original Jiangyou fortress, called the North and South Fortresses, which stood on either side of the river. The two fortresses were connected by the Mingyue Ferry, which was the only ferry crossing within a radius of dozens of miles.

Therefore, the two forts formed a defensive triangle, controlling the crossing and then blocking the Fu River. South of the southern fort was a flat valley that could be used for farming to supply the local military and civilians with food and drink.

The Sun family had left about two or three thousand troops in Jiangyou City. When the Tang army marched south from Jinniu and Micang, Sun Quan transferred more than a thousand strong men to Langzhong to defend against them. Now, there are only a thousand soldiers stationed there, and most of them are old and weak.

"Have you found a path down the mountain?" Guo Huai asked.

"According to the guide, there is a small path down the mountain, but it requires passing through Beizhai in Jiangyou." The attendant came quickly and said breathlessly, "If we take the small path down the mountain, we may be blocked by Beizhai, making it difficult to launch a surprise attack."

Guo Huai looked at the North Village at the foot of the mountain and saw a gentle slope not far away. From the slope, one could descend to the back of Jiangyou Village, with a height difference of about thirty paces. He pointed and said, "Make a long rope and climb down the slope. We can launch a surprise attack and seize the village while the enemy is unprepared!"

As he spoke, Guo Huai addressed his generals on either side and said in a deep voice, "Having traversed over six hundred li of mountains and valleys, enduring countless hardships and dangers, we have finally arrived at Jiangyou City. Now that the city is unprepared, our troops will launch a surprise attack and surely achieve victory. Once Jiangyou is breached, we can then traverse another hundred li of Zuodan Road, take Fucheng, penetrate deep into Bashu, and establish the merit of conquering Shu. Being ennobled and appointed as a general will be a given!"

"Yes, sir!" The officers and soldiers were in high spirits, and they all loudly accepted the order.

Within a short while, three thousand soldiers took off their clothes to make cloth, cut wood to weave strips, tied their clothes together to make ropes, and made three long ladders on the mountain.

Guo Huai carefully selected two hundred soldiers skilled in climbing, first lowering them down to the ground via long ladders. Seeing no abnormalities below, the soldiers reported back up. Only then did Guo Huai dare to send weapons and armor down the mountain, followed by a thousand, and eventually three thousand soldiers.

Guo Huai was shirtless, his clothes were braided into ropes, so he was only wearing armor. His arms were bare, and with his messy hair, he looked like a wild man from the deep mountains.

"Clang!" Guo Huai drew his Han sword and shouted, "The victory over Shu is within our grasp! Today we will celebrate with you all after we break through the city!"

"rush!"

As the Han sword was swung down, three thousand Tang soldiers emerged from the mountains and forests, first turning around the mountain ridge, and then surging towards the northern fortress of Jiangyou.

The number of soldiers in the Northern Fortress was only a few hundred. Because Jiangyou was usually peaceful, many soldiers were not on duty. They either tended the fields or went fishing to earn extra money!
When three thousand ragged Tang soldiers suddenly appeared outside the fortress, the Shu soldiers outside the city were the first to spot them. They abandoned their farming work and ran towards the fortress or fled to the mountain. Everyone was terrified.

When the old and weak soldiers on the city wall learned that the Tang army was attacking the city and found that their own general was not there, their first instinct was not to defend the city walls, but to abandon them, leaving the city gates empty, which were easily captured by the Tang army.

News of the fall of the North Fortress quickly reached the South Fortress, and the defending general, Xue Yan, was terrified.

"The Tang people descended like heaven, and the Northern Camp was suddenly captured by them. How can we resist now?"

Xue Yan panicked for a moment, then decisively said, "The Sun family has ruled Shu for three generations, yet they have no benevolence or virtue among their people. Today, their army is coming to kill us; how can we possibly defend ourselves?"

"Guards, present the seal and summon the heavenly army!"

"promise!"

Although Xue Yan was an unknown soldier, he knew that the current situation was dire. A few days ago, Han Chang suffered a major defeat, and Man Chong was victorious and pressing close to Langzhong. Therefore, in his mind, the demise of the Sun family had entered the countdown stage.

Therefore, rather than stubbornly resisting the Tang army that seemed to descend from the heavens, why not surrender and exchange it for wealth and glory? Besides, almost all of Jiangyou's elite troops had been transferred to Langzhong; how could the old and weak possibly stop the ferocious Tang army?

Xue Yan's smooth surrender saved the Tang army a lot of time. Guo Huai, who was prepared to fight and seize the city, was overjoyed. He led his troops across the Fu River, took control of the southern camp, and built a pontoon bridge to allow Gao Shun and Zhang Feng's follow-up troops to pass through.

As dusk approached, Gao Shun and Zhang Fengshun descended the mountain via a small path and, greeted by Guo Huai, led their troops into Jiangyou.

When Gao Shun descended to Jiangyou, in order to boost the morale of his soldiers, he ordered that all wine and meat be provided to reward them. He also summoned his generals to the Guanzhong government office to discuss subsequent strategies.

Inside the mansion, the generals were filled with laughter and joy, celebrating their escape from Yinping and the capture of Jiangyou.

“General, Commander Man defeated the Shu army a few days ago. According to Xue Yan, his troops are now advancing towards Langzhong.” Zhang Feng asked with a smile, “Our army has also captured Jiangyou. Doesn’t that leave Shu vulnerable and make Sun Quan fearful and want to surrender?”

Gao Shun remained calm and said, "The people of Shu have not yet surrendered, so we should not underestimate them. Although Jiangyou has been captured by our army, Fucheng has not yet been taken. Therefore, we should first discuss attacking Fucheng, and then consider conquering Shu and forcing Sun Quan to surrender."

As he spoke, Gao Shun emphasized, "South of Jiangyou, there is a treacherous road of over a hundred li, known as the Zuodan Road. Only after exiting the Zuodan Road can one reach Deyang Pavilion, and then Fucheng. Fucheng is a crucial city connecting Jiange and Langzhong to Sichuan. If the people of Sichuan know that our troops have arrived in Fucheng, they will surely raise an army to seize it. Our army will likely face a fierce battle before we can force the people of Sichuan to surrender!"

After Gao Shun's reminder, everyone realized that after sneaking across Yinping, there was still a series of battles waiting for them. They immediately focused their attention and listened attentively to Gao Shun's instructions.

"What are your thoughts, General?" Guo Huai asked.

Gao Shun pondered for a moment and said, "We will rest in Jiangyou for one night, and tomorrow, guided by the Shu people, our troops will march towards Fucheng. Let's see if we can seize strategic locations before the Shu reinforcements arrive, and use these locations to attack the enemy. If the Shu army seizes the passes, our army may suffer setbacks!"

Historically, when Shu Han learned that Deng Ai had entered Jiangyou, it sent Zhuge Zhan to lead troops north to resist him. At that time, Huang Chong advised Zhuge Zhan to march quickly and seize strategic locations, hoping that Zhuge Zhan would seize Zuodan Road and use the terrain to block Deng Ai's army that had just entered Yinping Road.

Zhuge Zhan disagreed, believing that occupying Fucheng would be enough to defeat Deng Ai. Little did he know that those who venture deep into enemy territory without reinforcements are like trapped beasts, bound to unleash astonishing fighting power.

Therefore, Gao Shun, who had explored the terrain of Shu, knew that if his troops did not leave Zuodan Road, they would be limited by the terrain and would not be able to achieve the surprise attack at Yinping, which would cause panic in Shu.

"Don't lead your troops as the vanguard, clearing paths through mountains and building bridges over rivers. Now I am willing to accept the order to first traverse the dangerous path, seize the strategic points, and welcome the main army!" Guo Huai said with high morale, eager to achieve merit once again.

After considering for a moment, Gao Shun said, “Since the start of the campaign, Bo Ji has been the vanguard and has made many contributions. However, in the past twenty days, Bo Ji’s troops have been exhausted. If he is to be the vanguard again, I am afraid I would be heartless.”

After a pause, Gao Shun looked at Zhang Feng and said, "Since the start of the campaign, your troops have been carrying supplies at the rear, and their morale is high. The soldiers are full of energy. Why don't you lead the troops ahead to seize strategic locations for our army?"

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Feng replied eagerly.

Gao Shun had two considerations in replacing the vanguard. First, as he said, Guo Huai's troops were exhausted, and if they were to be the vanguard again, they might suffer setbacks due to lack of energy if they encountered the enemy. Second, Gao Shun intended to let Zhang Feng achieve merit in order to balance the military achievements and prevent any officers from accusing him of unfairness.

"good!"

In June of the second year of Shenwu, Gao Shun, under the orders of Xu Huang, secretly took the Yinping Trail, surrendered Xue Yan, the garrison commander of Jiangyou Pass, and his troops advanced on Fucheng. At that time, the troops in Jiange and Langzhong were terrified and their morale was in disarray!

(End of this chapter)