Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 280 Pan Zhang is slain beneath Yiling City, Sun Quan is shocked atop Jiangling City.

Meanwhile, Pan Zhang was surrounded by enemies on all sides. Like a cornered beast, he fought desperately and tried to break through the encirclement to the northeast at Linju.

Meanwhile, the troops under Fu Qian and Chen Hu remained unmoved, occupying the narrow terrain. As the saying goes, "one man can hold the pass against ten thousand," and Pan Zhang's so-called desperate struggle was rendered meaningless.

They then attempted to break through to the west.

The terrain on the western front was narrow, so Zhao Yun's troops did not advance in full. He only ordered his subordinates Cuan Xiong and Li Qiu to lead the Nanzhong barbarian soldiers, who were accustomed to mountain warfare, to raid, harass, and intercept, and capture and kill any stragglers among the Wu soldiers.

Pan Zhang found a weak point and sent a thousand-man force, but they were cut off by the Cuanxiong tribe in a narrow valley. The barbarian soldiers were fierce and brave, and the Wu soldiers, who were already terrified, were no match for them. Some surrendered, some were killed, and less than a hundred escaped back.

Repeated failed attempts to break through the encirclement left a deep sense of despair, like a miasma in the mountains, permeating the hearts of these Wu people who had once made "illustrious military achievements" for Sun Quan.

At night, groups of three to five soldiers began to abandon their armor and weapons and flee into the dark forest while Pan Zhang was off guard, each trying to find their own way to survive. Several hundred Wu soldiers, led by their officers, also defected to the Han army's controlled area.

Pan Zhang never expected that these soldiers who had fought alongside him in numerous battles would defect. He personally beheaded more than ten captured deserters and displayed their heads in public. However, this action not only failed to quell the discontent among the people, but also caused more and more Wu people to become disloyal to him.

What favors or kindnesses did he bestow upon the soldiers of Wu?
This fellow came from a poor family, but once he gained power, he became extravagant and greedy. Whenever he set up a camp, he would set up a military market to amass wealth. Even with a fortune of ten thousand, he still felt it was not enough. He would often rob and kill his soldiers to obtain their wealth. The soldiers were terrified of him, but Sun Quan, remembering his past contributions, did not investigate him further.

In this way, the reason why his subordinates followed him was that they sought wealth and honor in danger and wanted to follow this villain who was always victorious in battle to win riches. Now that this villain's luck has run out and he will be destroyed in an instant, what fool would still be willing to follow him?
"General... has escaped again." The lieutenant said cautiously, his voice low.

Pan Zhang immediately drew his sword, looked around blankly, and in the end could only grit his teeth in resentment:
"Okay, very good!"

"Everyone wants to leave, everyone's afraid of dying!"

After speaking, he suddenly looked up, his eyes were dim and cloudy, like a wolf or a jackal, and his fierce light was fully revealed.

"Give the order! Everyone who can still move, charge eastward one more time! Tell them that only by returning to Linju can they survive! Everyone who breaks through the Shu army will be rewarded! Anyone who retreats or refuses to advance will be executed!"

The deputy general hesitated, but ultimately went to relay the order.

Driven by their officers, Wu Jun's remaining troops launched another feeble attack on the pass guarded by Fu Qian and Chen Hu to the east.

The shouts of battle were sparse and intermittent.

Not long after, several hundred of the vanguard surrendered to Han.

Pan Zhang became increasingly furious and fearful upon seeing this. In the end, he personally took up his sword and led a hundred of his personal guards to supervise the battle. He killed dozens of retreating soldiers, but he could not stop the rout, nor could he stop the Wu army in front from surrendering to Han.

The battle lasted less than a quarter of an hour before the Wu army's offensive scattered like birds and beasts, leaving the narrow valley path littered with debris.

Instead of pressing their advantage and pursuing the enemy, Fu Qian and Zhang Gu ordered their troops to hold strategic points and fight a series of battles with periods of rest.

Pan Zhang's remaining troops retreated back to the valley. After counting their numbers, they found that there were less than 1,200 able-bodied soldiers left, almost all of them wounded and with expressions of despair.

When the few remaining captains met Pan Zhang's gaze, they either lowered their heads to avoid it or looked away with some inexplicable meaning, which was at least in Pan Zhang's eyes, and Pan Zhang was terrified.

That night.

Greater unrest broke out in the camp.

Nearly five hundred men, led by two commanders, made a commotion under cover of night, intending to capture Pan Zhang and defect to the Han army. Although they were suppressed by Pan Zhang, who was prepared, and his trusted men and close associates led troops, the leaders were killed on the spot and their heads were displayed to the public. However, the morale of the army had completely collapsed.

After the rebellion was quelled, Pan Zhang returned to where his general's flag was. He glanced at the tattered flag, ordered his deputy to take it down from the pole and put it away, and then stared at the leaping campfire, looking dazed.

After this defection, he led more than 6,000 men into the mountains to intercept and kill Zhao Yun, but only about 1,000 remained. He had no idea whether these last 1,000 men would capture and kill him while he was asleep and surrender to the Han.

At this thought, he suddenly recalled his dream of being bitten on the foot by a wild boar, and also the disgusting behavior of Guan Yu and his son Guan Ping. He gulped down a mouthful of warm wine, but could not dispel the bone-chilling cold.

"The people of Shu must think I'm at my wit's end and want to head northeast to Linju!" He stared at the campfire, his face revealing a cunning and ruthless mix of shrewdness and desperation. "I won't!"

He summoned his deputy general and a dozen or so of his closest confidants.

These people were all promoted by him, received his great favors, and some were even his blood relatives or fellow villagers. Their loyalty was far beyond that of ordinary soldiers.

"Listen," Pan Zhang said in a low voice.

"Tomorrow morning, I will order the remaining troops to make a final, high-profile breakout to the northeast to attract the attention of the Shu people!"
“You are all my trusted brothers.”

"Tomorrow, travel light and follow me to the northwest to find an opening to break through!"

"The Northwest?" The trusted confidants exchanged bewildered glances.

"Yes, the Northwest!"
"The people of Shu are focused on the northeast and southeast, so they will inevitably be less vigilant in the northwest, specifically in the Hanzhong direction."

"We are few in number, but if we trek through the forest and cross the mountains, avoiding the river, there is bound to be a glimmer of hope!"
"As long as we can break out of the encirclement and sneak back to Jiangling, we will surely be able to make a comeback one day. Liu Shan... Zhao Yun... I, Pan Zhang, swear to kill these people!"

The following morning, Pan Zhang indeed gathered his remaining troops, delivered a passionate speech, promised them a large reward, explained the advantages and disadvantages, and ordered them to launch a desperate charge towards the northeast.

Fueled by the fear and despair instilled by Pan Zhang, the remaining Wu soldiers unleashed their last strength, roaring as they charged toward Fu Qian's position.

Just as the battle cries shook the heavens and the earth, Pan Zhang and a dozen or so trusted men took off their conspicuous official armor, put on leather armor and uniforms, and quietly broke away from the main force.

Taking advantage of the morning mist and the cover of the mountains and forests, they ventured into the dense southwestern forest, specifically choosing the most difficult animal trails and treacherous slopes, clearing a path with knives and axes.

After a day of arduous and miserable trekking, I was exhausted.

The next morning, Pan Zhang, who was starving, cold and exhausted, led more than ten people to a valley in the northwest to catch their breath and make a fire to keep warm.

"We've broken out of the encirclement, the Shu people won't be able to catch us!" Pan Zhang wolfed down the roasted fish in his hand, spitting out a few fish bones.

Before Pan Zhang could even finish speaking, a clamor that sent chills down the spines of all the Wu people present, causing them to jump up and look around, rang out from not far to the northwest.

A deafening battle cry followed closely behind.

"kill!"

"kill!!"

"kill!!!"

Generals Guan Xing and Zhang Gu, each bearing the banners of "Guan" and "Zhang," led over a hundred Tiger Warriors and a hundred White Feather Warriors towards Pan Zhang.

Pan Zhang's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at the banners bearing the characters "Guan" and "Zhang".

"Guan Yu...Zhang Fei?" Sun Quan's beloved general, who had the deepest grudge against the Han Dynasty, naturally didn't think of Guan Xing or the even lesser-known Zhang Gu first, but rather the two generals under Liu Bei, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who were known by countless people as "enemies of ten thousand men".

A moment later, he realized that Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were definitely dead and there was no way they could be here.

A moment later, Sun Quan's beloved general, his eyes filled with despair and ferocity, fixed his gaze on the blue-robed Han general beneath the banner bearing the character "关" (Guan). He grinned, forcing a twisted, grotesque smile, and roared:

"You are Guan Yu's son?!"

Hahaha! You've come at the perfect time!

"Do you know how desolate and miserable Guan Yu was when he was defeated at Maicheng?!"
"What a mighty general who shook China! What a hero who could defeat ten thousand men! He was nothing but a defeated general, a stray dog, a dead dog under my blade!"

He paused deliberately, smiled, and seemed to be enjoying the sudden crimson eyes of the young general in the green robe under the banner of the character "Guan".

Not satisfied, he continued to provoke them with every vile and insulting word he could think of at that moment.

Guan Xing was already trembling with excitement upon encountering Pan Zhang. Now, provoked by his father's killer, his hands trembled violently, his eyes turned bloodshot, and with a roar, he lunged forward with his long sword in hand.

Zhang Nan's son, Zhang Gu, was also furious. He drew his sword and followed closely behind, shouting angrily, "You dog thief, how dare you insult my Marquis Guan of the Great Han!"

Just as the two generals abandoned their troops and charged forward, and Pan Zhang, his face contorted with rage, was about to draw his sword and fight like a cornered beast, a sudden change occurred.

The deputy general who had been silently following behind him, his trusted and beloved general, suddenly raised his broadsword high without warning and slashed it hard at Pan Zhang's right arm, which was tightly gripping the hilt.

Caught off guard, Pan Zhang let out a miserable scream. His weapon fell from his hand, and he staggered backward. After regaining his footing, he turned his head sharply and stared at his trusted and beloved general in disbelief.

The lieutenant's face remained expressionless; he didn't even glance at Pan Zhang again, simply tossing his blood-dripping broadsword to the ground before stepping forward.

He knelt before Guan Xing and Zhang Gu, bowing his head and trembling in his voice: "This sinful general begs to surrender! Whether I live or die is entirely up to Generals Guan and Zhang!"

This scene happened so suddenly that not only was Pan Zhang completely shocked and enraged, but even his dozen or so trusted confidants were all stunned and at a loss for what to do.

Before long, the sound of clashing swords filled the air. The remaining Wu soldiers threw down their weapons, knelt on the ground, and surrendered in unison.

Guan Xing and Zhang Gu suppressed their murderous intent and led their men forward quickly.

Looking at Pan Zhang, who was curled up on the ground in pain and bleeding, like a defeated dog, Zhang Gu felt a surge of hatred and raised his knife to cut off his head.

"Wait!" Guan Xing grabbed Zhang Gu's wrist, which was holding the knife, his eyes still bloodshot, his voice cold and angry:
"This villain is extremely wicked. To kill him like this is too lenient! He should be captured and brought before His Majesty, and then publicly executed in front of the three armies to boost morale and comfort the countless heroic souls of our Han Dynasty who died in battle!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gu glared fiercely at Pan Zhang, finally angrily sheathing his sword, spitting at the defeated dog on the ground, and kicking him several times.

...

When Zhao Yun, Fu Qian, Chen Hu and other generals finally wiped out and subdued the remnants of the Wu army, Guan Xing and Zhang Gu also led their troops to join the other armies.

Before long, Zhao Yun, Fu Qian, Chen Hu and other generals saw Pan Zhang, whose body was covered with bruises and wounds. Although he had been simply bandaged, he was still unconscious like a dead dog due to excessive blood loss.

Zhao Yun glanced indifferently at Pan Zhang, his mottled beard trembling slightly. He looked up at the sky, as if trying to find something among the countless stars.

Later in the night.

Everything is settled.

Zhao Yun, Guan Xing, Chen Hu and other generals gathered on the temporarily cleared open space, lit a bonfire in the middle and placed turbid wine on it.

As the wine in the helmet warmed and steam rose, Zhao Yun gazed at the rising aroma, his thoughts drifting back decades. Before his eyes appeared scenes of his first meeting with the late emperor, his two sworn brothers Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, their battles together, their separation, their reunion, their separation again, their reunion again, and finally, their deaths.

He removed the wine from the fire, but instead of drinking it first, he slowly poured the turbid wine from his helmet onto the ground as a libation to the spirits of the dead.

I looked up at the sky.

The direction in which the Milky Way stretches across the sky is the course of the Han River.

Looking eastward along the direction of the Milky Way and the Han River, one would find the direction from which the Han Dynasty was leading its army to quell the rebellion.

"May the spirits of the fallen soldiers of the Han Dynasty rest in peace." Zhao Yun's voice was calm and powerful.

"Since Your Majesty committed suicide to recover Guanzhong and returned to the capital Xijing, you first crushed the Wu bandits in Xicheng, and then spent half a year building up your strength in Baidi."

"In less than a month since the eastern expedition, the great Han army has swiftly and decisively conquered Wuxian and Zigui, achieving victory after victory."

"Now, it is time to avenge the loss of Jingzhou and wipe away the hatred of Yiling for the sake of the Han Dynasty and for the heroic souls who died in Jingzhou and Yiling."

He paused and continued:

"Ma Zhong lay dead and was beheaded; Pan Zhang's defeated army awaited execution... The spirits of the late emperor and my elder brother in heaven can now find some solace."

"May the spirits of the late emperor, my elder brother, and the countless heroes of the Han Dynasty bless our Han Dynasty to victory in the eastern expedition and may Your Majesty be safe and sound. If my wish is fulfilled, all the pent-up emotions in my heart will be released, and even if I die on the spot, I will have no regrets."

Upon hearing these words, Fu Qian, Guan Xing, Zhang Gu, Chen Hu, and other generals all stood solemnly and poured the wine in their hands on the ground to mourn the heroic souls.

The following day, Zhao Yun, along with several dozen surrendered officers under Pan Zhang, led his troops eastward, where they split up to act separately from generals Guan Xing and Chen Hu.

Pan Zhang had previously led his troops nearly a hundred li ahead of Linju, where he built a pass and checkpoint at Juyuan, the end of the Ju River, to monitor the Battle of Fangling between the Han and Wei dynasties.

At present, Wu's army in Juyuan should not have received news of Pan Zhang's defeat.

Zhao Yun, leading generals Yang Qun, Cuan Xiong, and Li Qiu, along with Deng Zhi's troops who came from the south of Fangling, rushed towards Linju, attempting to capture it before the Wei and Wu armies could react. If they could capture Linju, they could then march south directly to Yiling, forming a line with the Han army besieging Yiling and creating a pincer movement.

As for the required military rations, according to Deputy General Pan Zhang, there are still more than 60,000 shi of grain in Juyuan and Linju. If these can be secured, it will save a lot of trouble in transporting the grain.

The second advantage is that if the Northern Cao Wei has designs on the Han Wu forces fighting at Yiling and Jiangling, the Han has more than 20,000 soldiers from Fangling and Linju, which can make Cao Wei wary and dare not venture too far.

After losing Xicheng and Shangyong in succession, Fangling, the last of the three eastern commanderies, had become a burden for Cao Wei.

It's something that's tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away.

The reason they were unwilling to give up easily was simply that they did not want to lose to the Han again, which would only cause more uproar in public opinion.

As for taking back Shangyong and Xicheng while Han and Wu are at war, it will not have any positive impact on the current situation of Cao Wei. If the Han army takes the opportunity to capture Jiangling, then it will be a piece of cake for the Han army to retake these three eastern counties.

...

Yiling.

Grand Commander Chen Dao and Prefect Yan Yu of Badong led over ten thousand Han soldiers to build a siege outside the city.

Twenty miles upstream.

At the end of the Three Gorges lies Yilingkou.

Liu Shan remained aboard his flagship, the Yanwu.

Generals Guan Xing, Zhang Gu, Fu Qian, and Chen Hu, along with Pan Zhang, who had lost an arm, arrived beneath the "Yanwu" dragon banner, bringing news of their victory in the mountains.

Guan Xing stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said in a deep voice, "Your Majesty, we have fortunately fulfilled our mission and, together with Zhao, the cavalry commander, have captured this scoundrel!"

After Guan Xing finished speaking, the deck fell silent.

Liu Shan's gaze fell on the Wu general with the missing arm. He was calm, without anger or the exhilaration of avenging a great enemy.

He looked for a few moments, then slowly shifted his gaze to the direction of Yiling.

"They were loaded onto a cage cart."

"They were escorted to the outskirts of Yiling City and paraded through the camps to show the troops and the people, in order to appease the three armies."

The command was executed swiftly.

Pan Zhang, who had lost an arm, was stuffed into a cage.

When the prison cart, escorted by Long Xianglang, appeared at the Han army camp outside Yiling City, an old soldier immediately recognized this enemy who had once made the people of Jingzhou tremble with fear.

"Pan Zhang!"

"It's that old dog Pan Zhang!"

"Pan Zhang?!"

"That damned Wu dog!"

"You have today too!"

"Avenge my brother!"

"Father! Look from heaven! Pan Zhang has finally been captured by His Majesty!"

At first, it was just spitting and cursing; spittle rained down through the wooden fence and landed on Pan Zhang's face and body.

Soon, stones, clods of dirt, and rotten vegetable scraps were thrown at the prison van.

The escorting Ryushorou held onto their sword hilts.

The emperor had already given them clear instructions: as long as no one died and Pan Zhang's death was not too swift, the soldiers could leave it to their own devices.

Therefore, the group of Long Xianglangs merely maintained basic order to prevent the crowd from completely overturning the prison cart, and only pretended to stop those who threw filth and reached in to tear things apart.

Pan Zhang instinctively curled up, tried to hide, groaned, and cursed in the prison cart, but his voice grew weaker and weaker.

After only half a day of patrolling the camp, this fellow was completely unrecognizable. His body was filthy and injured everywhere, his eyes were unfocused, and he could only utter meaningless groans.

When Liu Shan saw him again, the man was neither human nor ghost.

As a private individual, Liu Shan would have been willing to have Pan Zhang torn apart by five horses and cut into a thousand pieces to avenge past grievances.

However, given the grand scale of the Han Dynasty, it could not be made too petty, at least not outwardly, lest it leave the world with the image of a tyrannical and wicked ruler.

After the prison cart had finished its patrol of the camp, news of Pan Zhang's crimes and disgraceful behavior had spread throughout the three armies, and the morale of the troops besieging Yiling had reached its peak.

Liu Shan finally issued a formal decree.

"Pan Zhang's crimes are heinous and too numerous to recount."

"On the banks of the great river, we will build an altar to offer sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, to comfort the spirits of the late Emperor, Guan Yu, and all the heroic souls of the soldiers who died in Jingzhou and Yiling!"

Once the order was given, the Han army acted with great efficiency, quickly selecting a spacious riverside location outside Yiling City to build a platform over ten feet high.

An incense table and banners were set up on the platform, creating a solemn and imposing atmosphere.

Another day, the sky was dark and the river wind was howling.

Tens of thousands of Han soldiers stood in orderly ranks before, behind, to the left and right of the altar, their armor clearly visible, their spears and halberds like a forest, all in complete silence.

Only a chilling atmosphere permeated the sky and covered the surrounding fields.

Generals Guan Xing, Zhang Gu, and others who had a blood feud with Pan Zhang were all dressed in plain clothes and stood in front of the formation, staring intently at the figure being dragged onto the altar.

Pan Zhang was already on the verge of death, and was being supported by two Tiger Guards, barely kneeling in the center of the altar.

The official in charge of ceremonies stood before the platform, holding a proclamation. His voice boomed like a bell as he recounted the numerous crimes committed by Sun Quan, Lü Meng, Pan Zhang, and other treacherous officials, including betraying their alliances, attacking and killing Guan Yu, and wreaking havoc in Jingzhou. Every word was filled with sorrow and every sentence was shocking.

"...According to the laws of the Han Dynasty, this crime is unforgivable!"

"Now we present the captives before the spirits of the fallen heroes, to clearly demonstrate their punishment and serve as a warning to others!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Guan Xing walked up to the altar and raised the ring-pommel sword in his hand.

A cold light flashed.

Pan Zhang was not dead; he let out a shrill, inhuman scream.

A cold glint flashed again.

Unfortunately, the knife was too dull, and after several blows, Pan Zhang finally died at Guan Xing's hands.

Liu Shan did not personally attend the sacrificial ceremony.

After listening to Xi Zheng's report, he remained silent for a moment before issuing another order.

“Send Pan Zhang’s head to Yiling.”

"only!"

Upon receiving the order, Longxiang Lang Sima Jiba Chi took the still-dripping head, personally led an elite team, and rushed to a place beyond the reach of crossbows and arrows at Yiling City, where he forcefully threw the head down to the foot of the Wu city wall.

The Wu army on the city wall stirred up a commotion.

Soon, Zhu Ran, Pan Ping, and other Wu generals appeared at the top of the battlements.

When Pan Zhang's disheveled head, with its eyes wide open, appeared before everyone, Right Commander Zhu Ran's face turned deathly pale. He staggered back a step and had to grab the battlements to steady himself.

"Father!" Pan Zhang's son, Pan Pingfa, let out a shrill, inhuman scream, his eyes wide with horror. He then coughed up a mouthful of blood, fell straight backward, and fainted on the ground.

The walls of Yiling.

Wu Jun was plunged into a deathly silence and panic.

Beneath the walls of Yiling City.

Within the Han army ranks, roars shook the heavens, war drums beat wildly, their sound echoing through Yiling and halting the flow of the river.

Pan Zhang was dead.

Liu Shan summoned his generals and issued military orders.

He first ordered General Fu Kuang of Andong to lead the troops in charge of the siege.

Then he issued an order, commanding Grand Commander Chen Dao to lead Guan Xing, Zhao Guang, Chen Hu, and other generals with naval and infantry forces to the southeast of Yiling.

There are two mountains there.

The mountain north of the river is called Tiger Tooth.

The mountain south of the Yangtze River is called Jingmen.

Two mountains flanking a river create a perilous situation.

By simply holding these two treacherous mountains and blocking the river, this place would become the site of the fierce battle between the Han and Wu dynasties.

The plain at the foot of Tiger Tooth Mountain is called "Xiaoting".

...

The walls of Jiangling.

The emperor of Wu had already learned of the military report that Zigui had fallen, so he abandoned his army and came here first, climbing the city wall and looking north in panic.

A red-horse-drawn boat cuts through the waves.

The soldiers on the boat scrambled to the top of the city wall and immediately knelt down upon seeing Sun Quan.

"His Majesty!"

“Pan…Pan Pingbei…”

"He...died for his country!"

Sun Quan was startled by the sound and, in a daze, somehow found himself at the dock.

The belly of a light boat.

The mutilated body was hastily collected; the neck was jaggedly severed, the right arm was missing at the elbow, and the torso was covered in mud and blood scabs.

Only from the scar on his abdomen could one finally barely recognize that this was indeed Pan Zhang.

Sun Quan's vision went black, and he swayed. If his attendants hadn't caught him quickly, he would have fallen into the river on the spot.

(End of this chapter)