Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 205 The Arrival of the Han Emperor
Han River.

The boats burned and capsized, and the wreckage floated downstream.

Thousands of Wu soldiers were tossed and turned in the water.

With the situation beyond saving, Liu Zan, in a state of great grief and helplessness, finally led his navy to retreat downstream.

The ship he led, consisting of more than thirty vessels of various sizes, was fully loaded.

The Wu people living in the water all climbed up and shouted.

Fearing the boat would capsize, the officers and soldiers on board used spears, halberds, oars, and other objects to strike it and prevent it from sinking.

"General, save me!"

"General, it's me! It's me!"

"Brother...please, please..."

A warship that could carry more than sixty people was now carrying more than a hundred Wu soldiers, yet the Wu soldiers in the water continued to climb onto the ship for help.

Although the Wu soldiers on the boat looked sorrowful, they remained unmoved and struggled to push their comrades who were climbing onto the boat into the water one by one. However, those who climbed onto the boat continued to come one after another.

The boat drifted and spun on the Han River, with the gunwale close to the upstream side, and more than a dozen pairs of hands, white from being soaked in water, clung tightly to the gunwale.

The boat rocked from side to side with the waves, and could capsize at any moment.

"—Whoosh!"

Finally, as yet another pair of hands, white from being soaked in water, climbed onto the gunwale, the entire boat capsized, splashing up a large spray of water.

All of the more than one hundred people on the boat fell into the water.

Cries, curses, pleas for help, and splashes of water erupted all at once.

The scene was chaotic.

Unlike on land, the risks faced by naval forces are far greater than those faced by cavalry and infantry. A single misstep could lead to certain death. Du Yu's grandfather, Du Ji, drowned when a strong wind capsized his warship during a test drive.

On that ship, dozens of Wu people, still wearing armor, sank directly into the water, disappearing without even a chance to thrash themselves.

Some people were trapped under the overturned boat.

Many people climbed back onto the bottom of the capsized boat, while others swam to other boats, starting another round of climbing and calling for help.

On the overcrowded boat, Wu's naval soldiers witnessed a ship capsizing. Terrified, they finally showed no mercy.

Anyone who tried to climb onto the boat was killed with a spear.

Or they might raise their bows and crossbows and fire arrows at the approaching swimmers.

Some even chopped off their hands with knives. Amidst the cries and screams of those climbing the ships, many warships were filled with severed fingers of Wu people, piled up in handfuls.

Corpses filled Hanchuan.

Blood filled Hanchuan.

"General, stop bringing in any more people!"

"General, our ship can't carry any more!"

"General Liu! If you bring any more men up, we'll both die here today!"

A large deck with exposed oars and sailors inside the cabin was being used by Liu Zan's officers and strategists who were shouting and trying to stop him from rescuing the people.

With a furious rage, Liu Zan helped a man onto the deck, ignoring the man kneeling on the ship, tears of gratitude streaming down his face. He then roared at the officers and strategists who were trying to persuade him:

"Our soldiers are at their wits' end; how can we abandon them?"

"If the ship capsizes, we will all perish!"

The captains and commanders were speechless for a moment.

The dozens of people who were rescued by Liu Zan and his personal guards and brought to the inn were all moved to tears and bowed in gratitude.

"General, something's wrong!" A moment later, the captain of the warship pointed south and shouted loudly.

Liu Zan continued his rescue efforts without pause, then turned his head to look upstream.

But then they saw dozens or even hundreds of Han army warships filling the river, coming downstream at breakneck speed.

"General, let's go!"

"If we don't leave now, none of us will be able to leave!"

On the boat, Wu Jun was extremely anxious and repeatedly tried to persuade him.

At this point, it was no longer a matter of low morale and chaos in the army. Many of the Wu soldiers on Liu Zan's ship had already abandoned their armor, fearing that the ship would capsize and they would fall into the water and die.

The Wu army's ships were already overloaded and moving slowly. If the Han army rammed them downstream, not to mention whether the ships would capsize, even if they didn't, the Wu army would have no chance to resist.

"General Liu... don't worry about us anymore, please go!" Just then, a soldier who had climbed up the rope cried out in tears.

After shouting, he let go and fell into the river.

Seeing this, the other climbers hesitated for a moment before letting go one by one.

"I will repay the general's kindness in the next life!" As the last person also crashed into the Han River, there were no more people climbing onto the large ship where Liu Zan was staying to try to survive.

The hundreds or thousands of Wu soldiers who were still struggling in the water had no one to come and ask for help. Seeing this, Liu Zan finally ordered the boatmen to row away.

Wu Jun on the ship finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Liao Hua, Fu Qian, Chen Hu and other generals originally intended to go downstream to find a place to land and intercept the Wu army's defeated soldiers on the narrow mountain road on the left flank. They did not expect that the Wu army's boats downstream had not all escaped.

The Wu soldiers who had already fallen into the water could no longer pose a threat to the Han ships, so generals Fu Qian, Liao Hua, and Chen Hu ordered the soldiers on board not to fight anymore.

However, it was absolutely impossible to pull these Wu people onto the boat. The current here was already very rapid, and the Han soldiers were wearing armor. If they were not careful, they would be pulled into the water by the Wu people and become fish.

However, most of the Wu people were good swimmers, and some were able to swim to the shore on their own, waiting to be captured by the Han army.

In the mountain path.

Sun Gong watched as the Great Wu navy sailed downstream, completely disregarding the lives of his infantry. He was filled with shock and anger, and cursed loudly at the ships that passed by.

However, the soldiers on the ship seemed not to see him at all. Not only did they ignore him, they also sped up their escape.

He cursed and realized that it must be the Han navy pursuing him from behind, so he quickly abandoned his armor and weapons and fled.

Having not slept all night, and after several hours of fighting and fleeing, he found it increasingly difficult to move and walked slower and slower.

Just when he was almost in despair, Liu Zan's large open-air ship finally arrived, and he immediately jumped up and shouted, "Liu Zhengming! Liu Zhengming! It's me, come and take me aboard!"

Liu Zan frowned slightly.

Most of the Wu soldiers who fled on the mountain road were upstream, but Sun Gong appeared here, which clearly means that he had abandoned his army and fled long ago.

But... now even he has become a deserter, abandoning the defeated and routed troops on land. What can be said about Sun Gong?

Sun Gong and a dozen or so personal guards boarded the ship, making the open-air dock even more crowded.

Not long after drifting downstream, they encountered a sharp turn of almost ninety degrees.

Due to the extremely rapid current, the boats were difficult to control and nearly crashed into the mountainside. Dozens of Wu soldiers lost their footing and fell into the water, and the boats were in danger of capsizing.

Liu Zan wanted to save the person, but Sun Gong stopped him.

"Liu Zhengming, our outrigger ship is already cumbersome and slow, and the Shu bandits will catch up soon! Do you want to get us killed?!"

As the two were talking, the boatman rowed vigorously and sped away.

Liu Zan gripped the gunwale tightly with all his might, helplessly watching the person falling into the water grow smaller and smaller as he drifted further away.

Before long, the fleet led by Liao Hua, Fu Qian, and Chen Hu arrived at the great bend of the Han River. Dozens of Wu people who had fallen into the water clung to the grass and trees growing on the mountainside, shivering.

Fu Qian ordered his men to sail the warship over, bring the dozens of Wu people aboard, and tie them up in the cabin.

"General Zhengbei, shall we continue the pursuit? We are only sixty li from Xunkou now; traveling swiftly downstream, we will arrive in less than an hour. The Wu navy under Pan Zhang and Ma Zhong is probably not far off."

They had received definite information from the surrendered generals of Wu's army that Pan Zhang was currently estimated to be about 20 or 30 miles downstream.

If Wu Jun had been given another day, the battle situation probably wouldn't have been as smooth as it is today.

The captain of the warships, Chen Hu, was not afraid of the Wu army. He frowned and asked:
"Fu, we're riding the wave of victory! What do we have to fear from him?"

Fu Qian looked around at the soldiers, then gazed downstream into the distance, and said:
"We have drifted downstream for fifty or sixty miles, and we have pursued the enemy too deeply. Yang Qun and Yan Zhi will probably not be able to catch up to us until tomorrow."

"It is easy to pursue the enemy with the current, but difficult and arduous to retreat against the current."

"If we are blocked by Pan Zhang and unable to advance or retreat, our soldiers will be exhausted and may not be a match for Wu's navy."

After fighting for a long time, the Han soldiers were indeed starting to tire.

At this moment, morale still seems high, but in reality, it is nearing its limit, only kept up by the excitement of the recent great victory.

If we encounter a formidable enemy and cannot defeat them quickly, we will lose our fighting spirit.

Liao Hua also saw this point, and after pondering for a moment, he made a decision: "Let's chase them all the way here. Let's spare the lives of those two cowards, Pan Zhang and Ma Zhong, for now. There will surely be a day when we can avenge Lord Yun Chang!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Hu said nothing more.

Guan Yu recruited Liao Hua as his chief clerk, and was Liao Hua's benefactor. Now, even Liao Hua is not taking advantage of the victory to kill Pan Zhang and Ma Zhong to avenge Guan Yu, but can only consider the overall situation.

Before long, the Han army brought all their ships ashore on a flat area downstream.

Liao Hua and Fu Qian ordered the soldiers to rest on the spot, and they began to return an hour later. Some of them pulled the boat along the lush mountain path, while others were responsible for steering and rowing.

More than 30 li downstream.

Pan Zhang led 7,000 infantry and naval troops and more than 10,000 laborers, advancing by land and water for half a day. He thought that even if the Han army started the war, Bu Zhi, Zhuge Jin and others would have no problem holding out until the next day.

Unexpectedly, he learned from the defeated soldiers that the Wu army had been utterly defeated in just one or two hours. He was shocked and didn't know whether to advance or retreat.

Before long, they finally encountered Liu Zan's boat.

"Where is General Zuo?!"

"Where is the Right General?!"

Upon learning that Liu Zan was now alone, Pan Zhang panicked and became flustered. After a moment, he recounted the events that had occurred at Xunkou to the others with a look of indignation and hatred on his face.

Generals Liu Zan and Sun Gong all turned pale.

"Deng Zhi escaped?!"

"Ma Zhong is dead?!"

Liu Zan and the other generals looked at each other in disbelief: "Deng Zhi has escaped, so how could the Right General and the Left General have returned to Wu?!"

All the way, he kept thinking that the Han army broke the alliance with Wu and went to war, but it was only for the sake of the three eastern commanderies, so that Hanzhong would not be threatened by Wu.

After all, the Cao Wei state was still powerful.

Even if the Han and Wu kingdoms went to war, they would most likely compromise because of Cao Wei, their formidable enemy.

Just like after the Battle of Yiling, the states of Wu and Shu eventually formed an alliance because of Cao Wei, even if it was a false alliance.

Zhao Yun was a man of principle. Knowing that Bu Zhi was a high-ranking official of Wu and a relative of the emperor, he would never kill Bu Zhi like Ma Zhong killed Guan Yu.

As long as Deng Zhi is in hand, they will definitely be able to get Bu Zhi back.

Now... Deng Zhi escaped, and Ma Zhong is dead?

Liu Zan exclaimed in astonishment, "Guan's son? So, from the day Deng Zhi left Hanzhong, they had already planned everything?"

...

Generals Gao Xiang, Yang Qun, and Yan Zhi led their troops in the south.

Generals Liao Hua, Fu Qian, and Chen Hu led the army in the north.

Wu's nearly 20,000 infantrymen and laborers were caught in the middle, unable to advance or retreat, and all of them surrendered to the Han.

Three days passed.

The Han army besieged the western city.

Liu Shan, along with Zhao Guang, Jiang Wei, Mi Wei, and other young generals, arrived late.

Zhang Yi's provisions have been delivered, and he will return soon.

Liu Shan instructed:
"I have seen Zhang Jun's illness on the old men in the palace."

The imperial physician said it was "White Tiger Joint Syndrome".

"From now on, do not eat animal liver, oysters, shrimp, or crabs."

"Meat consumption should also be reduced, no more than four ounces a day."

"Abstain from alcohol and drink plenty of water."

"If so, the pain may be slightly reduced."

"I have already summoned the imperial physicians from Chengdu to Guanghan. By the time Zhang Jun returns to Guanghan, the imperial physicians should have arrived as well."

Zhang Yi had been suffering from illness for a long time. Because he did not accumulate private wealth, he could not afford medical treatment and had to walk in pain every day.

Unexpectedly… this young emperor was so attentive to him that he was speechless for a moment, and could only bow deeply:
"Thank you for your great kindness and favor, Your Majesty. This humble general... this humble general has only one death to repay you!"

In just a few days, Zhang Yi, the Commandant of Guanghan, had already gained a deeper understanding of this emperor who was on horseback.

If you treat me as a national hero, I will repay you as a national hero. What merit do I, a mere captain, have to deserve such favor from the emperor?
The only way is to devote oneself wholeheartedly to serving the emperor as his henchman and lackey.

Liu Shan stepped forward, helped Zhang Yi up, and said something to him.

Zhao Yun stood at a distance, watching this scene, stroking his beard and smiling, feeling greatly gratified.

“Your Majesty… is indeed very different from the Your Majesty I remember.” Gao Xiang stared blankly, his expression unfocused.

Today is the first time Gao Xiang has seen the emperor outside the palace.

This was also the first time he had seen the emperor after the emperor's personal victory in the campaign.

"If I remember correctly, the last time Boyi saw His Majesty was three years ago at the grand court assembly on New Year's Day, right?" Zhao Yun asked with a smile.

Gao Xiang still seemed somewhat dazed.

"Yes, three years ago, His Majesty was still a child who was unwilling to meet us foreign generals."

"Now he can condescend to lower himself and open his heart to his generals, win their loyalty with sincerity, and act with sincerity. He has won their lives and the lives of his men. This is truly the style of the Han emperor. It makes people feel deeply moved."

Three years ago, at the grand court assembly on New Year's Day, all the officials stood solemnly. Gao Xiang, as an outside general, could only steal glances at the young emperor, who had just turned eighteen, from afar, across the sea of ​​heads and tablets.

If I remember correctly, at that time he seemed to want to see if he could see any resemblance to the late emperor in that emperor.

But alas, no.

The emperor at that time was still immature and had none of the heroic and capable demeanor he possesses today.

It is said that he is not particularly fond of reading, but rather enjoys sensual pleasures, fine women and clothes.

At that time, how could he have imagined that the young emperor who had disappointed him so much would rise from the ashes like a phoenix and soar like a dragon in the sky just three years later, accomplishing such a great feat that even the late emperor could not achieve?
In a daze, the tall and majestic figure of the late emperor suddenly appeared before Gao Xiang's eyes, and then slowly overlapped with the young emperor who was solemnly holding hands with Zhang Yi.

As the son of the late emperor, how could he not possess the bearing of the late emperor?

"General Zilong, are you well?"

"General Boyi, it has been three years since I last saw you. You are as vigorous as ever, even more so than before!"

The emperor strode in, his smile warm and friendly, leaving Gao Xiang momentarily at a loss.

(End of this chapter)