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

For a moment, the valley was completely silent.

The Shu soldiers stood with their heads bowed, their weapons planted firmly on the ground.

With their own armor blocking their path ahead and Han troops closing in from behind, neither advancing nor retreating was a dead end, so they remained silent.

Seeing that the soldiers remained silent rather than mutiniing, Lü Kai secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense back relaxed slightly.

He took a deep breath and said loudly:

"I swear on my life that I would never betray the Great Shu. My temporary allegiance to the Southern Barbarians is merely a temporary expedient!"

"One day, I will lead you to avenge the late king and avenge the crown prince!"

"You have the blood of Shu flowing in your veins, you will always be soldiers of Great Shu, and you will never become the lackeys of the Southern Barbarians!"

"Please trust me!"

Lu Kai raised his hand to his chest, his gaze sweeping over every face.

The crowd slowly raised their heads, their fear and resistance quietly dissipating.

A sergeant was the first to throw away his broken spear and proclaimed loudly:
"Very well, we will follow Lord Lü to the Southern Barbarians!"

Immediately afterwards, a series of responses exploded within the valley.

"I am willing to follow Lord Lü!"

"Obey your orders, sir!"

Lu Kai exchanged a glance with Li Yi beside him, and immediately shouted:

"Quickly move the armor and baggage blocking the road!"

The soldiers seemed to awaken from a dream, and they all bent down to move the piles of armor and weapons.

The previously blocked gap in the valley was gradually cleared.

Finally, the road ahead reappeared before our eyes.

The soldiers, who had been suppressing their emotions for many days, suddenly released their pent-up feelings and burst into cheers.

Lu Kai mounted his horse, pulled on the reins, and charged out of the gap, with the remaining soldiers following closely behind, fleeing in panic towards the southern barbarian territory.

...

Three days later, in Nanli City.

Meng Quan sat high on the throne, his fingertips tapping impatiently on the armrest.

In the previous battle, the once-proud rattan armor army was completely wiped out, and the several cities that had been painstakingly recaptured were lost one after another and all were taken back by the Han army.

This defeat dealt another heavy blow to his reputation among the southern barbarian tribes, and the morale of his soldiers was low, with their hearts in turmoil.

What worried him even more was that scouts kept reporting that Wei Yan had personally led a large army to rush towards Nanli City, and that the enemy's advance was too fierce for the defending troops along the way to resist.

The shadow of the Southern Barbarians' destruction looms over the capital like a dark cloud.

Meng Quan frowned and said in a deep voice:

"Do any of you gentlemen have a plan to break this deadlock?"

The advisors in the hall looked at each other, heads bowed, speechless, at a loss for what to do about the current predicament.

"Your Majesty, it seems that Nanli City cannot be defended. Why not abandon the city and retreat south to Ming City?"

General Yu Hu reluctantly offered his advice.

Meng Quan glared at him and said angrily:

"What a terrible idea! Nanli City is the capital, with high and thick walls and sufficient food supplies. Yet it is still difficult to resist the Han army!"

"Mingcheng is merely a secondary capital, with weak defenses and scarce food supplies. Can we really hold it by retreating to Mingcheng?"

Yu Hu felt a chill run down his spine and lowered his head in silence.

The hall fell silent once more. Meng Quan's resentment intensified. He glanced at the assembled officials, feeling utterly powerless.

Just then, a guard burst into the hall and loudly reported:
"Your Majesty, General Lü Kai of Shu has come to surrender with three thousand remnants of the Shu army, claiming that the Crown Prince of Shu, Liu Xun, has been killed by the Han army and that he is willing to lead his troops to submit to Your Majesty!"

Meng Quan's eyes suddenly lit up.

Is Liu Xun dead?

But Lü Kai is still alive?

He had long heard that Lü Kai was exceptionally intelligent and a rare strategist in Shu Han.

Now that their advisors are at a loss, perhaps recruiting Lü Kai could offer a way out of this predicament. Thinking of this, Meng Quan's despair was instantly replaced by hope, and he roared:
"Quickly, invite Lü Kai into the hall immediately!"

In a short while, Lü Kai, dressed in plain clothes and with a hemp rope tied around his waist, stepped into the hall.

Meng Quan was stunned when he saw this.

There has been no death on our side yet, so what is the purpose of Lü Kai wearing mourning clothes?

Was he deliberately trying to humiliate himself?
"Lu Kai, why are you dressed like this?"

Meng Quanqiang suppressed his displeasure and asked in a deep voice.

Lu Kai immediately knelt down and wept bitterly:

“Your Majesty, my heir Liu Xun was killed by the Han army and his body is not yet cold. As a subject of the Great Shu, I have received great kindness from the heir and should wear mourning clothes for him to fulfill my duty as a subject.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Quan suddenly realized what was happening, and his displeasure vanished instantly.

Even after Liu Xun's death, Lü Kai remained mindful of his lord's kindness, holding a funeral and wearing mourning clothes for him. Such loyalty is rare in this world. What ruler wouldn't admire such a devoted person?
"Lü Kai is a loyal minister!"

Meng Quan praised it highly.

Lü Kai slowly rose and bowed deeply to Meng Quan:
"My lord has passed away, and the fate of Shu Han is coming to an end. I, Lü Kai, am willing to lead my troops to serve under Your Majesty and offer my services. I hope Your Majesty will not abandon me!"

Meng Quan was overjoyed, thinking to himself that with the help of such a loyal minister, there was no reason not to break through the current predicament.

He maintained a scrutinizing expression and said in a deep voice:

"Since you are a loyal subject of Shu Han, why do you turn around and want to serve under me?"

Lu Kai remained calm and slowly raised his head, his expression stern:

"Although I was once a subject of Shu, the kingdom of Shu has been destroyed. As the heir apparent, I, a wise bird, choose a tree to perch on, and a virtuous minister chooses a lord to serve. To whom I serve is entirely just and honorable."

He paused, his gaze growing even more resolute:
"I am willing to assist Your Majesty in achieving your goal, firstly because I am grateful for Your Majesty's kindness in not abandoning me, and secondly because I hope Your Majesty can help me avenge my former master."

“In this way, I have fulfilled my duty as a subject and have not failed in my act of seeking refuge. I have a clear conscience.”

Lü Kai's words were frank and straightforward, without any concealment.

He had already figured out Meng Quan's straightforward and blunt nature.

The King of Nanyi dislikes scheming; only by being honest and sincere can one win his trust and appreciation.

really.

Upon hearing this, the doubt on Meng Quan's face vanished instantly, and he nodded repeatedly in approval.
"Good, Lü Kai, you are indeed a loyal minister and an upright gentleman!"

"I was right about you!"

Having said that, he rose from the throne and personally helped Lü Kai up.

Receiving such praise from Meng Quan, Lü Kai felt a slight weight lifted from his shoulders. A hint of pride flickered across his lips, but he quickly concealed it and resumed his respectful demeanor.

Meng Quan immediately announced that he would accept the surrender of Lü Kai and the remnants of the Shu army, and then they stayed in the palace to discuss matters.

Lu Kai breathed a sigh of relief and walked to stand next to Yu Hu.

Yu Hu understood perfectly.

Meng Quan's appreciation for Lü Kai was evident. He had no way to break the deadlock, and if he didn't take the initiative to back down now, he would only be disliked.

He immediately stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to Meng Quan, and said:

“Your Majesty, Mr. Lü is exceptionally wise, far surpassing us. Now is the time when we need capable people. I am willing to hand over the position of General Advisor to Mr. Lü so that he can assist Your Majesty in overcoming this difficult time.”

Meng Quanzheng had the same idea and readily agreed.

Thus, this strategist, originally from Shu Han, instantly became the military advisor of the Southern Barbarians, rising to become Meng Quan's most trusted strategist.

Having just secured his position as strategist, Meng Quan couldn't wait to ask:
"Now that the rattan armor army has been wiped out, Wei Yan is personally leading his army to attack Nanli City. His military strength is at its peak. What is your strategy?"

Lu Kai's eyes flickered slightly, and he had already made up his mind. He immediately cupped his hands and said:

"Your Majesty, I believe that Nanli City is indefensible. We should abandon the city immediately and withdraw the entire army to Ming City."

"what?"

Meng Quan frowned immediately, his tone slightly disappointed:

"Mingcheng's defenses are far weaker than Nanlicheng's, and its food supplies are also scarce. If we retreat to Mingcheng, how can we withstand Wei Yan's army?"

Upon hearing this, all the generals in the hall turned their gazes to Lü Kai.

Meng Quan had just criticized the idea of ​​abandoning the city, and now that Lü Kai had brought it up again, everyone wanted to see what arguments he could use to persuade Meng Quan. (End of Chapter)