My father-in-law Guan Yu, I persuaded Liu Bei to launch a surprise attack on Xiangyang at the beginn

Yang Huai slowly raised his head and saw Wei Yan's arrogant expression. His face instantly twisted and deformed, and his eyes burned with fury.

"Wei Yan, why have you betrayed your promise!"

He angrily questioned Wei Yan, his voice filled with resentment:

"You clearly only wanted to borrow a passage to attack Jiaozhou, so why do you want to seize my Shu Kingdom instead? Your behavior is no different from that of a bandit!"

Xiao He, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh when he heard this.

This Yang Huai, even in this predicament, still dares to accuse the villain first; he truly doesn't know his own limitations.

Who gave him the audacity to be so arrogant?
Therefore, Xiao He stepped forward and said righteously:

“My emperor and your lord Liu Zhang are of the same Liu clan. They should support each other and work together to restore the Han dynasty. However, your lord Liu Zhang attacked Yangping Pass first and became an enemy of my great Han!”

"What right does Liu Zhang have to question my emperor about his betrayal? The emperor is merely retaliating in kind!"

Xiao He's words were like sharp swords, piercing Yang Huai's heart.

Yang Huai was speechless for a moment, his lips trembling slightly. He wanted to refute, but couldn't find the right words.

Who told Liu Zhang to be the first to betray his promise to Liu Bei and commit such an unjust act?

Now, no matter how Lao Liu retaliates against him, in the eyes of others, it is perfectly justifiable and beyond reproach.

After all, Liu Zhang was in the wrong first, so he had no choice but to suffer the consequences!

"My lord..."

Yang Huai looked ashamed, his lips trembling slightly, and for a moment he was speechless.

"Yang Huai, listen carefully. The emperor is ordained by Heaven and is destined to unify this chaotic world and restore the Han Dynasty."

"Think of Liu Zhang, he was incompetent and foolish, and he had no ambition. He only knew how to be content with a corner of Shu. He was not worthy of possessing the great land of Shu."

"If we submit to the emperor now and obey the will of heaven, we can not only protect the people of this region, but also leave a good name of loyalty and righteousness in the history books and be admired by future generations."

"Yang Huai, stop being so stubborn and surrender."

A voice, full of temptation and admonition, rang out, its echoes reverberating through the air like an invisible force, piercing through Yang Huai's inner defenses.

The voice was incredibly familiar, like a bolt of lightning striking Yang Huai's mind.

Yang Huai was startled and suddenly raised his head, searching for the source of the sound.

"Zhang...Zhang Song?"

Yang Huai's voice was hoarse, and his eyes were full of disbelief.

He never expected that the person who advised him would be Zhang Song!

"Why is he still alive? How is that possible!"

Yang Huai was in turmoil, countless questions surging in his mind:
"Didn't Xiao He see through his plan? Logically, he should have been killed by now. Why is he still standing here unharmed, trying to persuade me to surrender?"

In an instant, a wave of astonishment surged through Yang Huai's mind, overwhelming him like a raging tide.

He stared wide-eyed at Zhang Song, trying to find the answer in his face.

"Yang Huai, in fact, from the very beginning, all of this was the Grand Marshal's plan."

Zhang Song's lips curled up slightly, revealing a hint of admiration, before he slowly unveiled the entire plan.

"I was only ordered to go to Baiguan City, deliberately revealing a weakness to lure you into attacking. In this way, General Wei was able to set up a trap in advance and wait for you to take the bait."

"Otherwise, with the strength of our army, how easy would it be to easily take the easily defensible Baiguan City and open the gateway to Sichuan?"

“From beginning to end, you were completely caught in the Grand Marshal’s scheme without even realizing it.”

Zhang Song's words struck Yang Huai's heart like a heavy hammer.

Yang Huai froze, standing rooted to the spot.

His lips twitched uncontrollably, and his eyes widened as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.

Finally, he understood.

It wasn't that Zhang Song's plan was exposed by Xiao He; rather, from the very beginning, this was a grand scheme orchestrated by Xiao He.

Zhang Song was merely a pawn in Xiao He's hands, used to complete this grand plan.

Yang Huai, on the other hand, was more like a clown, being completely fooled.

Shame, anger, despair, and countless other complex emotions were like sharp daggers, tearing at his heart piece by piece, causing him unbearable pain.

"Zhang Song, you scoundrel!"

Yang Huai could no longer contain his anger and roared, "I can't contain my anger any longer!"

"You shameless traitor! As a subject of Shu, you enjoyed the favor and generous rewards of the King of Shu, yet you dared to betray him! Where is your conscience? You are nothing but a beast!"

As Yang Huai spoke, he became increasingly agitated, even lunging at Zhang Song with reckless abandon, wanting to kill this traitor with his own hands to vent his hatred.

The Han soldiers on his left and right were quick to grab him and pin him down. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't get up and could only roar in vain like a wild beast trapped in a cage.

Looking at Yang Huai's angry yet helpless expression, Zhang Song felt no pity. Instead, he vented all the resentment he had been holding back.

"In the past, the world was in chaos, and the warlords vied for supremacy. Might makes right. This was the law of survival in a chaotic world. Our Shu Kingdom was located in a remote area. If we wanted to gain a foothold in this chaotic world, we had to make a difference."

"Therefore I advised Liu Zhang not to be satisfied with the small territory of Shu, but to either lead his army north to compete with other warlords for control of the Central Plains and restore the Han Dynasty, or to lead his army east to expand his territory and strengthen his power."

"It's a pity that the opportunity was fleeting. With Liu Zhang's mediocre talent, he was simply unable to seize this fleeting opportunity and could only be trapped in Shu, waiting for his death."

“I also offered him a plan to make a living and advised him to submit to the emperor and follow the trend of the world. Who would have thought that he would not listen to my loyal advice and would insist on his own way? How can such an incompetent and foolish ruler be worthy of my loyalty?”

"If I do not betray Liu Zhang, it would be against all reason and justice!"

“I, Zhang Song, am also an ambitious man. How can I be content to live a mediocre life under this incompetent ruler?”

Zhang Song became increasingly angry as he spoke, and his voice grew louder and louder. Clearly, this resentment had been building up in his heart for a long time, and like a volcano, it finally erupted at this moment.

Yang Huai's eyes were wide open as if they were about to burst, and the veins on his face were bulging, but he couldn't refute Zhang Song's words.

Aside from anger, he found himself speechless and could only helplessly accept this cruel reality.

Deep down, he actually secretly agreed with some of Zhang Song's views.

Although he had always been loyal to Liu Zhang and had served him wholeheartedly for many years, he could not go against his conscience and deny the fatal flaws in Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang was a weak-willed and mediocre man, incapable of shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the Shu Kingdom and expanding its territory in this chaotic world.

"Yang Huai!"

Wei Yan stood at the front of the formation, his eyes blazing, his voice booming:
"Considering your past loyalty to Liu Zhang, I will give you a chance today. I will ask you one more time: will you surrender or not?"

Wei Yan's expression was dignified, and his tone carried an unquestionable resolve.

This was undoubtedly an ultimatum to Yang Huai.

Xiao He, standing to the side, knew very well that Yang Huai was a staunch supporter of Liu Zhang, and that it would be no easy task to make him surrender so easily.

As expected, upon hearing Wei Yan's words, Yang Huai abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with determination and anger. He stood tall and roared:
"Even if I, Yang Huai, die, I will never be a traitor! Wei Yan, if you have the guts, then kill me!"

Yang Huai not only showed no intention of surrendering, but also uttered such arrogant words, which enraged Wei Yan.

"You stubborn scoundrel! How dare you be so obstinate! Guards, drag this thief away and behead him!"

At Wei Yan's command, the soldiers on both sides rushed forward like wolves and tigers, grabbed Yang Huai, and dragged him down the city wall.

"King of Shu, it's all because of that treacherous Zhang Song! He misled you, which led to this situation!"

As Yang Huai was being dragged away, he cried out in grief, his voice filled with resentment and bitterness.

However, this lamentation did not last long before it abruptly stopped.

With a flash of light, Yang Huai's head fell to the ground, blood splattering everywhere.

"Hang this traitor's head below the city gate!"

Wei Yan stared at Yang Huai's corpse, a cold glint in his eyes, and waved his hand domineeringly, giving the order:
"Let those Shu people know that this is the consequence of stubborn resistance!"

Soon, Yang Huai's head was hung high below the Baiguan city gate.

Xiao He and Wei Yan exchanged a glance and led their large army into the city.

At this time, the five thousand Shu soldiers in Baiguan City had already been wiped out in the previous battle, and there was no resistance in the city. The Han army easily entered the city.

And so, the gates of eastern Shu were kicked open by this powerful Han army.

After entering the city, Xiao He and Wei Yan discussed the matter and decided that now was the perfect time to press their advantage. They proposed to immediately head west towards Jiangzhou.

They all knew that once they passed Jiangzhou, they would enter the Chengdu Plain.

The Chengdu Plain is flat and open, with no strategically important terrain to defend.

At that time, Liu Zhang will be like a turtle in a jar, with no defensible terrain and can only wait to die.

Wei Yan heeded their advice and immediately ordered some troops to rest and recuperate in the city to replenish their strength and supplies, while 30,000 elite troops marched westward along the Yangtze River.

This Han army was in high spirits and moved with unstoppable momentum, like tigers descending a mountain.

They conquered cities and territories along the way, and wherever they went, the Han army's offensive was unstoppable. They encountered almost no decent resistance and were virtually invincible.

The Shu region was located in a remote area, far from the battlefields of the Central Plains.

Since Liu Zhang and his son ruled Shu, the region has hardly suffered from large-scale wars.

Therefore, the people of Shu have been spared the ravages of war for many years and have lived a relatively peaceful life.

Suddenly, slaughter descended upon them.

The news of the fall of Baiguan City spread like a thunderbolt throughout the counties of Sichuan.

The officials and civilians in each county were completely unprepared; they never imagined that the flames of war would spread so quickly to their vicinity.

Upon learning that Baiguan had fallen, officials in various regions were terrified. Knowing the strength of the Han army and that they were powerless to resist, they surrendered without resistance in an attempt to save themselves.

Wei Yan's Han army advanced with unstoppable momentum, capturing seven cities in succession. Their advance was invincible, and they were on the verge of reaching Heisong Pass.

Heisong Pass is an important barrier protecting Jiangzhou, a major town in eastern Shu. If this pass falls, the Han army can reach Jiangzhou city without any hindrance.

At this point, Wu Gaopei, the garrison commander of Jiangzhou, finally learned of Wei Yan's invasion.

He was well aware of Xiao He's prowess.

In a panic, Gao Pei immediately sent someone to Chengdu to request reinforcements.

On the other hand, he dared not delay for the slightest and immediately led his troops to Heisong Pass to reinforce its defenses.

At this moment, he could only pray silently that he could hold out until the reinforcements arrived, protect Black Pine Pass, and then protect Jiangzhou City.

Jiangzhou City was the most important town in the eastern part of the entire Shu Kingdom.

Being stationed in Jiangzhou City is undoubtedly an enviable and desirable job under normal circumstances.

At first, when Gao Pei learned that he had been assigned to Jiangzhou City, he was secretly delighted, thinking that he had found a good job.

Unexpectedly, before they could even settle in, urgent reports arrived like snowflakes, saying that Yang Huai had been killed, Baiguan City had fallen, and the Han army was advancing towards Jiangzhou City.

This sudden news struck Gao Pei like a bolt from the blue, leaving him terrified.

Gao Pei was well aware of the importance of Xiao He and Wei Yan.

Could the small Heisong Pass withstand the attack?
Gao Pei knew he had no way out and could only fight to the death.

Below the pass, many people from Sichuan are pouring into Heisong Pass.

They were all people from those lost villages and counties. Faced with the attack of the Han army, they were terrified and had no choice but to flee to the heart of Shu to escape the war.

Among the refugees pouring into Heisong Pass were many deserters who had fled from Baiguan City in a sorry state.

Gao Pei was extremely anxious. In order to find out the details of the battle at Baiguan City as soon as possible, he hurriedly found several defeated soldiers and asked them about the tragic battle at Baiguan City.

Upon asking this question, Gao Pei learned that Yang Huai had rashly led his troops to attack the Han camp at night.

Yang Huai originally wanted to catch the Han army off guard in order to salvage the situation, but he did not expect to fall into the ambush that the Han army had already set up. In the end, his entire army was wiped out, and the casualties were heavy.

"Strange, given Yang Huai's usually steady personality, he shouldn't be doing something so risky."

Upon hearing this, Gao Pei frowned deeply, a look of profound confusion appearing on his face.

He knew that Yang Huai was a cautious person who always acted steadily and cautiously, and would rarely make such a desperate and reckless move.

"Reporting to Prefect Gao, our general has fallen into Xiao He's trap."

A defeated soldier, his face contorted with grief, spoke in a trembling voice.

The other defeated soldiers nodded in agreement, and then, one after another, they recounted how Yang Huai had fallen into the trap and the news of Zhang Song's surrender to the Han, as if pouring out their bitterness.

"Zhang Song surrendered to Liu Bei?"

Gao Pei was filled with disbelief upon hearing the news.

That was the prime minister of the Shu Kingdom!
In the Shu Kingdom, he was second only to the emperor and above all others.

He held great power in the Shu Kingdom and was deeply trusted and valued by Liu Zhang.

How could such a high-ranking official betray Liu Zhang and secretly surrender to Liu Bei?

How could he do such a thing?

Gao Pei was secretly shocked:

Why did he betray the King of Shu? Didn't he know the immense disaster this would bring to the Shu Kingdom?

"Did Zhang Song get his head caught in a door? Has he gone mad?"

The lieutenants on both sides were also in an uproar upon hearing this news. (End of this chapter)