Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 269 A Long March, Straight to Zigui

"Snapped!!!"

A deafening roar, louder than thunder, shook the heavens and the earth.

Huge waves rose up.

The river water, carrying floating corpses, severed arms, broken planks, oars, and other debris, surged several meters high.

However, faced with such a scene that resembled the collapse of the heavens, the warriors fighting on the river, whether from Han or Wu, no longer felt the shock and fear they had initially experienced.

This was not the first time that the iron chain across the river had been melted by the Han with fierce fire, and then sank into the river with a deafening roar.

No wonder.

Once the waves had calmed down, several large ships carrying oil cautiously moved downstream a few feet, with sailors on board waving flags to guide the surrounding ships to adjust their positions.

The last massive, dark cable, stretching across the river, was finally placed above the raging flames and thick smoke.

Once this last shackle breaks, the perilous Wuxia Gorge, stretching for three hundred miles, will fully open its arms to the mighty ships and warships of the Han Dynasty.

Downstream of Tiesuo Pass, there were originally many natural harbors that could accommodate small boats. There were over a hundred warships and over a thousand soldiers. This was originally a backup plan for the Wu army's navy to prevent the Han army's small boats from crossing the iron chains across the river and attacking downstream.

However, when Sun Jun had previously set up an ambush to encircle and annihilate the vanguard of the Han army in small boats and large rafts, all the boats and soldiers downstream were mobilized and sent upstream to join the battle.

The addition of this new force, along with Sun Jun's desperate struggle, plunged Chen Hu's vanguard navy into a bitter battle, leaving them stretched thin.

Unfortunately, the Han emperor's flagship "Yanwu" led other large warships such as "Fubo" and "Changjing" into the battle, and the balance of victory irreversibly tipped in favor of the Han army.

As the iron chains across the river, which the Wu people regarded as an insurmountable barrier and relied on to block the Yangtze River, collapsed one after another, leaving only the last line, which was in grave danger, many Wu soldiers knew that the situation was hopeless.

Taking advantage of the chaos, more and more junks, small boats, and medium-sized warships frantically crossed the gap between the suspended iron chains and the river surface, fleeing downstream in a desperate manner.

Three... five... ten...

The Han navy had already received strict orders from the emperor.

Smaller warships, also capable of traversing the iron chains, immediately separated into groups, like hounds and eagles, closely following the Wu people's fleeing ships in pursuit.

With oars flying, the Han navy relentlessly pursued the Wu ships that were trying to escape, raining down arrows as they were determined not to let them get away.

On the upstream battlefield, with the capture of General Zheng Zhou, the Wu army's warships responsible for blocking the main force of the Han army either raised their surrender flags or turned back to Wushan Port in panic.

Some fled back to Wuxian, while others abandoned their boats and went ashore, fleeing for their lives along the rugged riverbanks towards Zigui and Yiling downstream.

Although the two places are three or four hundred miles apart.

Downstream, before the giant cableway across the river, without the command of General Sun Jun, the dying struggle of the Wu navy had become sparse and feeble.

Their will and strength to resist were almost completely lost.

The so-called dying struggle is now reduced to nothing more than "dying".

There were also unexpected events.

On Sun Jun's flagship, the tower ship "Hengjiang," and more than ten large warships surrounding it, over a thousand of Sun Huan's former subordinates were still putting up a stubborn resistance.

Sun Quan's unique system of retainers involved succession by sons upon the death of their fathers and by brothers upon the death of their elder brothers.

These former subordinates of Sun Huan first followed Sun He in starting his business, then rose to power with Sun Huan, and now belong to Sun Jun. They have been through several generations and are either veterans who have fought for many years or the descendants of those veterans who fought on the battlefield.

Many of them had been very close to Zhaolie during the Battle of Yiling, and even had a brief encounter with him. They almost achieved the unparalleled feat of capturing the dragon. Their bones were engraved with a pride and bravery that were different from ordinary Wu people.

At this moment, these people were like trapped beasts, relying on the fortifications such as the high walls and parapets on the giant ship "Hengjiang" to put up a stubborn resistance and repel the tidal wave of attacks from the Han army that boarded the ship time and time again.

On the lowest, wide deck, thirty or forty Wu soldiers formed a hedgehog-like circular formation.

Spears and halberds stood like a forest, and crossbows fired in rapid succession.

"Hold on! For General Jianwu!" A Wu officer with graying temples roared hoarsely.

Another officer swung his iron halberd, knocking a Han soldier who was trying to climb up into the river, and then roared:

"In the Battle of Ma'anshan back then, you and I almost captured Liu Bei alive alongside our late lord! How can we possibly be defeated by his son today?!"

The person's voice was choked with sobs, whether from resentment or despair.

The battle was exceptionally fierce.

The Han army launched repeated attacks, relying on its overwhelming advantage in troop strength and morale.

The large warships that boarded the Yokoe slammed their masts, sending wood chips flying everywhere. The warships surrounding the Yokoe unleashed a barrage of arrows from their crossbows, raining down upon it.

At the boarding point, soldiers from both sides engaged in close combat.

Wu soldiers kept falling from exhaustion, or being pierced by several spears at the same time.

Some men, exhausted and unable to fight any longer, gazed at the lower reaches of the river, murmured a few words, and then leaped into the surging waters.

Such scenes occurred one after another.

During the Battle of Yiling, Fu Tong, the Marquis of Zhongyong of Han, fought bravely and died a martyr for the emperor. Although the people of Wu were his enemies, they both hated and respected him.

How similar is the scene today?
However, the roles of offense and defense have reversed!
Seeing that the Wu people were fighting to the death and refusing to surrender, many Han generals and officers began to loudly urge them to surrender.
"Those who surrender will not be killed!"

"The Emperor of Han is benevolent and virtuous; he will certainly not harm us!"

"Resisting is futile! Don't waste your life!"

However, the only response to the Han soldiers' attempts to persuade them to surrender was the bewildered sight of swords and spears flashing and figures leaping into the river; very few actually surrendered.

Seeing this, the Han army intensified its attack.

At a stalemate.

The massive Han warship "Fubo" finally broke through the two escorting Wu warships with its enormous size and powerful momentum, and came to a resounding collision with the Wu warship "Hengjiang".

Captain Zheng Chuo and Prefect Yan Yu of Badong personally escorted General Sun Jun, whose hands were bound behind his back and whose mouth was gagged, to the most conspicuous spot on the bow of the ship "Fubo".

Yan Yu channeled his inner energy and rang out his voice, which was as loud as a bell, drowning out the clamor of the great river:

"Look carefully, all of you!"
"General Sun Jun of the Jianwu Army has been captured by our Great Han!"
"Surrender immediately! Continuing to resist will only lead to your death!"

On the Hengjiang warship and more than ten other large ships around it, Sun Huan's former subordinates, who were fighting fiercely, were suddenly struck by lightning when they saw their patriarch and commander captured. They were thrown into chaos.

Not all the people of Wu knew that Sun Jun had actually gone to assassinate the king.

Wu Jun's defenses and resistance finally crumbled completely at this moment, leading to utter chaos.

Upon seeing this, Yan Yu shouted loudly:
"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the Han people!"

"Within the entire realm, there is no one who is not a subject of the Han!"

"The Emperor of our Great Han Dynasty has decreed that those who surrender will be spared death!"
"We will not kill prisoners, nor will we force you to turn against your former master!"
"When the world is at peace and tranquility prevails, you may all return home to reunite with your parents, wives, and children! The Great Han will never mistreat those who sincerely submit!"

The words of persuasion to surrender were like heavy hammers and giant axes, shattering the already collapsing mental defenses of the Wu people.

Finally, many Wu soldiers, their faces filled with despair, surrendered under the leadership of their commanders, discarding their helmets and weapons.

Sun Jun witnessed this scene and his eyes widened in fury.

He struggled fiercely, making strange "hoarse" sounds in his throat, trying to stop his subordinates from surrendering, unwilling to let his elder brother Sun Huan's lifelong reputation be dishonored because of him.

But his mouth was gagged tightly, and no matter how much he struggled, he could only twist his body in vain.

Yan Yu glanced at him coldly and waved to the guards around him.

The military commander immediately stepped forward and rudely tore the cloth strip from Sun Jun's mouth.

Sun Jun immediately roared, "No surrender! We, the sons of Jiangdong..."

“Sun Jianwu!” Yan Yu suddenly interrupted him, his voice icy cold.

"The outcome is already decided; why should we let loyal and brave men die in vain for Sun Quan?!"
"Let me tell you, all the outposts and beacon towers within a hundred miles downstream have now been captured by our Han army!"
"Your petitions for aid and news of the crushing defeat at Wuxian will never reach Zigui or Yiling, let alone Sun Quan, who is far away in Wuchang!"

Sun Jun's furious expression vanished abruptly, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Yan Yu continued speaking, his tone calm, yet every word was piercing:
"Our army's eastern expedition is aimed at far more than just Wuxian County."
"Yiling, Jiangling, and the area west of the Xiang River! Our great Han Dynasty is determined to conquer them!"
"The Cao Wei in the north is eyeing your Sun Wu with covetous intent. Once they know that our Han Dynasty has broken through the Yangtze River Gorge and is approaching Jiangling, how could they possibly let go of this god-given opportunity to march south and divide the Jiangnan region?!"

"Could a coward like Sun Quan possibly hold out?"
"Jingzhou is no longer owned by Wu!"
"The Sun family's legacy is nearing its end."

Sun Jun looked completely bewildered, his face ashen.

A moment later, he suddenly remembered a piece of intelligence, and his blank expression vanished instantly. Then, as if struck by lightning, he swayed precariously.

"Downstream... all outposts within a hundred miles have been lost?"

"Those two thousand ambushes in the mountains of Jiangnan... were they just a smokescreen? You... you have another surprise force?!"

Yan Yu remained calm: "Smart."

clever?

Sun Jun seemed to have all his strength drained away, collapsing to the ground with a vacant stare.

Yan Yu stopped looking at him and gave a wink to Zheng Chuo, the captain of the warships.

Zheng Chuo understood and called out to the "Hengjiang" ship, his voice even louder:
"Sun Jun has no objections. If you don't surrender now, when will you?!"

Hesitation, struggle, and despair spread on the Yokoe.

The more people surrender, the more people will surrender.

However, the offensive launched by the Han army, which had already defected, did not stop despite the attempts to persuade them to surrender.

On the battlefield, swords and spears have no eyes.

Just as Wu Jun's mind wavered and his defenses opened up.

A Han army commander, covered in blood and looking like a fierce tiger, seized the opportunity and roared as he led more than ten of his elite troops into the Wu army's formation!
He was extremely brave and ruthless with his sword. He cut down several Wu soldiers who tried to stop him, and finally fought his way through a bloody path, heading straight for the towering Fei Lu of Hengjiang.

On Feilu, there were still more than ten of Sun Jun's personal guards and Sun Huan's old troops stubbornly resisting.

The Han army commander showed no fear and led his men to charge at them.

The blade flashed, and screams rose one after another.

The Wu people who flew to Feilu were all killed in an instant.

The military commander pushed aside his men, rushed forward, grabbed Sun Jun's banner which was riddled with arrows, roared, and with all his might pulled the banner up.

"The one who seized the flag was none other than Liu Tao, the first to climb the mountain!"

With everyone watching intently, he suddenly exerted force again, hurling the Wu general's banner from his arms onto the deck below.

"boom!"

The deck was smashed to pieces.

The man then raised his sword to the sky, his voice echoing across the battlefield.

Almost simultaneously, General Chen Hu, the commander of the warship, also led his elite troops and successfully boarded the deck of the "Hengjiang" from the other side.

A flag bearing the character "Chen" was quickly raised at the "Hengjiang" flying cabin, fluttering in the river breeze.

The banner has been changed, and the commander has been captured.

The remaining Wu soldiers completely lost their will to fight.

"Dang Cang..."

A Wu soldier threw down the broken knife in his hand.

Like an avalanche, more and more weapons fell onto the deck, and cries for surrender were heard everywhere.

Occasionally, the sounds of Wu soldiers throwing themselves into the river could be heard, and a few fleeting waves would rise on the surface, swallowing the last stubborn resisters.

Chen Hu watched this scene expressionlessly, simply waving his hand to order his men to quickly control the surrendered soldiers, count the warships, and extinguish the remaining fires.

Just now.

"Snapped!!!"

A deafening roar resounded.

The last iron chain across the river finally snapped completely under the continuous scorching heat of the flames and black smoke.

The massive iron chains crashed into the river, creating a final, enormous wave. At that moment, Wu Jun's defenses along the Wuxia Gorge completely collapsed.

It's only for one day.

...

Jiangbei.

The majestic pass, built against the mountain cliffs and connected by iron chains across the river, casts a huge, distorted shadow onto the great river in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The final massive cable across the river snapped and plunged into the river, creating towering waves and a deafening roar that finally removed the last backbone of this pass.

On the gate wall, the once dense Wu army flags were now sparse and scattered. The Wu people looked uneasily at the path leading to Wu County inside the gate, and the air was filled with an atmosphere of almost solidified despair.

Meanwhile, the Han army's offensive at the pass was infused with new vitality by the giant waves and the deafening roar.

Commander-in-Chief Fu Qian stood firm in the midst of the battle.

The banner bearing the character "傅" fluttered behind him.

"The people of Wu are terrified!" Fu Qian exclaimed.

"First to charge! Charge!"

"The moment to seize the pass and capture the flag is now!"

"Roar!" The response he received was the frenzied battle cry of nearly a hundred daredevils behind him.

Simple bamboo and wooden ladders, or even makeshift climbing structures carved with knives and axes, were frantically erected by the Han army's vanguard daredevils.

Braving the sparse, scattered arrows, they fearlessly climbed the wall.

Even with the walls closed, sporadic resistance still exists.

Arrows occasionally fell.

Logs and stones were pushed down from time to time.

Such resistance is pale and futile.

Inside the building.

Pan Jun's face was ashen, and his gaze was unfocused.

A huge, cold sense of regret and helplessness washed over him and seized him.

General Sun Xiu, the bandit-suppressing general, paced back and forth in the not-so-spacious gate tower like an ant on a hot pan.

The Tiger Tally of the Western Garrison, clutched tightly in his hand, was like his only lifeline, yet also like a hot potato, burning him with anxiety and restlessness. Sun Jun had given him the Tiger Tally to take command of the army should Pan Jun make any moves, but now… now the navy was utterly destroyed, and the Shu army outside the pass was surging like a tide. What good would it do him to take command?!

Stick to it?

retreat?!
He was torn between his conscience and his own will.

Liao stood beside Pan Jun, his hand on his sword, his expression equally grim.

After staring at the distraught Pan Jun and the bewildered Sun Xiu for a long time, the man finally couldn't help but lower his voice and say to Pan Jun:
"Too long! We can't hesitate any longer!"

"The wall could be breached by the Shu people at any moment!"
"Our morale has plummeted and our will to fight has been shattered. If the Shu people flood into the city, we fear we will be completely annihilated here!"

Pan Jun, who prided himself on being both learned and skilled in martial arts, suddenly trembled, as if waking from a dream.

He slowly raised his head, his expression one of pain and struggle:

"Order the enemy to abandon this pass!"

"All troops shall immediately retreat to Wuxian and defend the city!"

Inside the gate tower, all the Wu generals, including Sun Xiu, secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At least there's someone in charge.

Fortunately, he hadn't completely lost his mind.

"Retreat immediately!" General Sun Xiu resolutely raised the tiger tally in his hand and shouted the order.

"All units will provide cover while retreating to Wuxian!"

The order was passed on quickly.

The morale of Wu's army was already on the verge of collapse. Upon hearing the order to withdraw, they felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and their last bit of will to resist dissipated.

The officer shouted himself hoarse, trying to maintain order.

But in the end, the retreat turned into a rout.

The Wu people rushed down the city wall in a panic, some abandoning their helmets and armor, others pushing and trampling each other, fleeing in disarray toward the isolated city of Wuxian.

The Han army's elite vanguard swarmed into the pass, quickly taking control of the walls and opening the gates.

……

Jiangnan.

At this time, Guan Xing, Zhao Guang, Zhang Gu and other generals had brought four eight-ox crossbows to the front of the Iron Chain Pass, ready to fire them in actual combat.

Zhao Guang whispered orders to the soldiers to load the giant arrows onto the crossbow's hinge.

After a day of arduous fighting, Zhang Gu stood with his hand on his sword, his eyes scanning the movement on the gate wall, urging his soldiers to prepare for another assault.

The elite troops, whose primary mission was field warfare rather than attacking fortified cities, were now like coiled dragons and crouching tigers, poised to strike.

Tiger-like General Guan Xing personally came to a crossbow, his gaze passing through the watchtower and aiming at the banner with the character "Sun" on it.

He swung the massive hammer, seemingly about to smash it into the crossbow's overhead blade.

The Iron Chain Pass, built to protect the Hengjiang Iron Chain, became obsolete with that final, deafening roar and the towering wave.

The mist stirred up by the river waves was blown by the river winds and mountain winds onto the city gate.

Wu Jun was plunged into chaos and despair.

With the river defenses breached and the navy annihilated, how can this isolated iron chain pass in the south of the Yangtze River be defended?
General Sun Shao, the General Who Guards the West, spoke in shock and anger:

"Although the river defenses have been breached, the fortress still stands!"

"Hold this pass to the death and await reinforcements from Zigui!"

Fu Shiren's son, Fu Yi, was as pale as paper, hiding tightly behind the rammed earth wall. Upon hearing this, he echoed in a trembling voice:
"Zhenxi is absolutely right!"

Don't panic!
"The people of Shu are already at their last gasp; reinforcements from Zigui will surely arrive within half a month!"

"Whoosh!" Before Fu Yi's voice had even finished, a terrifying roar ripped through the air and drowned out all the noise on the city wall.

At that moment, the Wu people on the pass were all startled, and only then did they realize that a dark shadow, of unknown origin, had just flashed before their eyes.

At the same time, Fu Shiren's son, Fu Yi, flew backward with tremendous speed and crashed heavily onto the rammed earth ramparts.

"--boom!!!"

Yellow dust flew from the city walls!

A thin cloud of dust rose into the air!
The Wu people stared intently and saw an object that resembled a spear... or rather, something that was a spear, which had pinned Fu Yi directly to the rammed earth city wall!
The thick spear shaft that had pierced through Fu Yi was still trembling violently, emitting a heart-stopping buzzing sound.

The blood, like spilled ink, instantly stained the wall behind Fu Yi red, and then flowed down the rammed earth city wall.

Fu Yi, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now had his head drooping limply, his eyes still wide open, retaining the horror and bewilderment he felt before his death.

Time seemed to stand still on the entire wall.

All the howls, grievances, shouts, and commands ceased abruptly at that moment.

The Wu soldiers' faces were instantly seized by boundless fear. They stared dumbfounded at Fu Yi, who was nailed to the wall, and at the terrifying giant arrow that was still trembling.

"What's this?"

"Where...where did this come from?!"

A profound sense of bewilderment and terror instantly overwhelmed almost all the Wu officers and soldiers.

Sun Shao was only five steps away from Fu Yi. He could even recall the terrifying sound of the crossbow bolt cutting through the wind and smell the thick stench of blood as Fu Yi was hit.

A splash of warm liquid landed on his face.

He subconsciously raised his hand to wipe it away, and his palm was covered in a glaringly bright red stain.

He suddenly turned his head to look at the corpse nailed to the wall, and then abruptly looked down at the several tanks crouching like giant beasts...
The bone-chilling cold had never been so clearly felt, creeping up my spine from the soles of my feet.

His scalp was numb.

"What...what is that?!" For the first time, the man's voice trembled uncontrollably.

None of the guards or officers around could answer.

Almost every Wu person turned ashen-faced and trembled uncontrollably; some were even so frightened that they urinated.

After a brief period of deathly silence, an even more intense and uncontrollable panic and commotion quickly spread through the gate.

"Magic!"

"It's the sorcery of the Shu people!"

"Heavenly punishment! This is heavenly punishment!"

"Run!"

The Wu soldiers' psychological defenses crumbled completely at this moment, accompanied by the terrifying scene of Fu Yi being instantly killed.

However, the nightmare for the people of Wu had only just begun.

The enormous black shadow reappeared, slamming into the barrier wall with a speed that was impossible to catch or react to!
"Boom boom boom!!!"

Three loud bangs echoed behind the gate wall, deafeningly loud.

Before Sun Shao could even turn around and look back, his pupils trembled violently.

A dark figure had just brushed past him, and before he could even blink, another person was gone from his side in an instant.

The Wu soldiers on the gate all looked back.

But then they saw that the personal guards responsible for protecting Sun Shao were nailed to the wall like Fu Yi, and died before they could even let out a wail or scream.

Upon seeing that spear-like object, all the Wu people, including Sun Shao himself, were terrified, terrified, and unable to control themselves.

"What is this?!"

"Where did this come from?!"

Behind the locked wall, desperate cries rose and fell, but no one offered an answer.

Close it.

In the Han army formation.

All four crossbows fired simultaneously.

The sounds of arrows piercing the wind and tearing through the air, and the thunderous crashes of arrows hitting walls, all rose up at once.

The immense recoil kicked up dust, and Guan Xing, shrouded in yellow dust, frowned slightly. He said to Zhao Guang beside him, "This crossbow is quite powerful, but unfortunately, if you want to shoot the enemy's banner directly, it all depends on luck."

Zhao Guang was almost amused by Guan Xing's words. At a distance of more than two hundred paces, let alone the poorly aimed crossbow, even if Guan Xing were given a powerful bow, it would be almost impossible for him to hit the enemy's banner.
At the Iron Chain Pass, the people of Wu were thrown into chaos.

Tens of breaths later.

The massive crossbow bolts were once again placed in their positions.

"Fire!" Guan Xing commanded, waving his flag with an air of artillery command.

A deafening roar echoed once again over the fortress.

After several rounds of bombardment, several large crossbows with poor aim were deeply embedded in the rammed earth city wall below the pass, with the arrow shafts mostly buried, becoming steps that the Han army could use to climb up first.

The Wu people on the upper part of this section of the city wall had long been terrified by these rounds of terrifying bombardment and were fleeing in panic, no longer caring about defense.

Zhang Gu, Lei Bu, and Zhao Guang, who had been keeping a close watch on the situation, all spotted an opportunity, and the urgent war drums finally began to beat!
Wei Qi, a soldier of the Fubing, and Gao Ling, a group of fierce soldiers who had been holding back their energy, charged out like tigers released from their cages!
"Eagle-wing soldiers, follow me!" Wei Qi roared, leaping up first and landing precisely on the shaft of the giant crossbow bolt.

He grabbed another arrow shaft and used it to propel himself upwards once more.

The valiant Tiger Warrior followed closely behind, his movements equally agile, like a monkey.

Most of the Wu soldiers on the city wall were still immersed in the repeated terrifying blows and extreme panic, watching helplessly as two Han soldiers appeared on the city wall as if they were divine soldiers descending from the sky.

"The Shu people are coming up! They're over there!" The piercing alarm finally sounded, but it was too late.

Wei Qi and Gao Ang, one after the other, had already steadily stepped onto the wall and pressed forward. Almost instantly, several more Han soldiers who had climbed the ladder appeared.

"Die!" Wei Qi lunged forward, his iron blade flashing in an arc, and a Wu soldier who had just reacted and tried to thrust his spear at him fell to the ground.

On the other side, Hu Ben Gao Ao charged straight into the stunned Wu crowd on the other side, displaying unparalleled ferocity and instantly cleaving two people in two, forcibly carving out a small foothold.

"Wei Qi, the garrison commander, is here!"

"The mighty Tiger Warriors stand tall here!"

The two men's roars were like thunderclaps, exploding on the chaotic walls.

More elite Han soldiers climbed the wooden ladders and scaled the giant crossbows, surging up the pass and rapidly widening the breach.

A fierce hand-to-hand combat unfolded on the gate wall.

The Han army's pent-up resentment, anger, and courage, accumulated over the course of the day, erupted completely, while the Wu people were utterly terrified and lost all their courage.

Although there was still sporadic resistance, it was no longer a coherent force and collapsed at the slightest touch.

Sun Shao snapped out of his shock, but his fear turned to rage. He became like a mad tiger, drew his sword and charged toward the gap, making a final stand.

"General! No! The situation is hopeless! Run!" The commander of the personal guards held him tightly, his voice filled with sobs and panic.

"As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood to burn! General, follow me through the south gate into the mountains! There's still a glimmer of hope!"

Sun Shao struggled and roared, his gaze sweeping over the banner bearing the character "Sun," over the soldiers fleeing like headless flies, and over the ever-growing Han army surging up the walls like wolves and tigers.

It’s over.

It's all over.

In a daze, he was forcibly dragged down the gate wall by his personal guards.

In the midst of extreme chaos, the group pushed past the fleeing soldiers, rushed towards the south gate, and eventually disappeared into the vast mountains and dense forests.

On the great river.

The fully armored Han emperor stood atop the flagship of the Yanwu, quietly overlooking the entire battlefield.

Seeing that the situation was under control and the iron chains had been broken, he immediately issued an order: "Summon General Chen Hu of the Warships and Colonel Zheng Chuo of the Warships."

Before long, the two arrived at the "Yanwu" flying pavilion in a light boat.

Liu Shan looked at the two men, and spoke swiftly and clearly:
"Ruhui, Wenyue, you two shall immediately lead the 'Fubo' and 'Changjing' ships, along with three large warships and all fast-moving fighting ships and junks, to form an advance fleet and sail eastward downstream."

"Within a hundred miles downstream, Liu Xiuran and Fa Hanzhuo have already intercepted the river and are waiting."

"We must capture and kill all Wu army ships and defeated soldiers fleeing eastward downstream, and prevent anyone or any ship from delivering news of the defeat to Zigui."

"Furthermore, be extremely careful that the Wu people do not seize our Han ships and disguise themselves to travel incognito!"

Seeing that the emperor would not issue any further orders, Chen Hu and Zheng Chuo both bowed their heads and clasped their hands, saying, "Your subjects Hu and Chuo obey the command!"

Without delay, the two returned to their respective ships, quickly gathered their vessels, and sped off like arrows, cleaving through the gradually calming river surface, heading towards the deep and secluded Wuxia Gorge downstream.

Liu Shan then summoned Yan Yu, the governor of Badong:
"Lord Yama, the remaining navy will be divided into two parts."

"One unit continued to clear the river surface, subdue the remaining enemy, extinguish the flames of war, and treat the wounded."

"The other unit, immediately prepare all available transport ships. Tomorrow morning, your naval force will carry 3,000 infantrymen from the rear guard, closely following the vanguard fleet, and march towards Zigui!"

"Your subject Yu obeys the decree!" Yan Yu bowed and accepted the order, then quickly left to make arrangements.

"Is there anything wrong with my arrangements?" Liu Shan asked Zhang Biao after Yan Yu left.

Zhang Song's son bowed his head and replied, "There is no mistake!"

Liu Shan remained silent.

In this battle, there was no prime minister, no old general Zhao, and Chen Dao was also in Jiangnan, commanding Guan Xing and Zhao Guang in the battle to seize the pass.

He suddenly lost the person he could entrust with important matters.

For the first time, he finally made some arrangements that were unlikely to go wrong, relying entirely on himself. He could probably be considered a minor general now.
The sky grew increasingly dark.

Night is coming.

Liu Shan took a deep breath and looked towards the north bank of the river.

At the Iron Chain Pass north of the Yangtze River, the Wu people who had been guarding the pass had already followed Pan Jun in abandoning the pass and fleeing back to Wu County, where they were trapped in the isolated city.

"Wu County." Liu Shan smiled faintly and instructed Zhang Biao behind him, "Boda, send someone to inform the Grand Commander that if Pan Jun cannot be loyal to Sun Quan to the death, then let him live."

(End of this chapter)