Wei Xiaobao's Three Kingdoms Adventure

Chapter 148: Pacification of Chaisang
After capturing Yanzhou, Zhuge Liang suggested that the two cities of Chenliu and Puyang be handed over to Zhou Tai, Ling Cao and others for garrison, and sent Chen Deng to be the governor of Xuzhou, responsible for providing food and fodder for the garrison in Yanzhou.

At this point, Xuzhou and Yanzhou were unified. Under Liu Bei's governance, the Central Plains region finally ushered in long-awaited peace and tranquility.

In this attack on Yanzhou, Liu Bei's army won the victory at the cost of only 3,000 casualties and three months. After Zhao Yun and Wei Xiaobao returned to Xuchang, they were respectively conferred the title of Tinghou.

Although Tinghou was the lowest rank among the marquises, it was still a title. Guan Yu was in charge of military affairs, but he was only granted the title of Xianghou, which was only one level higher than Tinghou.

Other soldiers who had made military achievements were also rewarded. Among the elite troops who followed Zhao Yun into the city and engaged in street fighting in the Battle of Puyang alone, more than a hundred people were awarded the title of captain.

It is said that wealth and power are abundant. After Liu Bei took over Yanzhou, Xuzhou, the entire Yuzhou, and Nanyang and Jiangxia in Jingzhou, he did not hesitate to reward his soldiers and promote them to higher positions.

In contrast, after Sun Quan retreated to Chaisang, he almost exhausted the entire county's financial resources and was only able to build ten tower ships.

Zhou Yu worried day and night about Zhuge Liang's attack on Jiujiang Port again. He was exhausted and soon fell ill.

Liu Ye's spies sent news of Zhou Yu's illness to Xuchang, and Zhuge Liang decided to take the opportunity to attack Jiujiang.

After receiving the order, Guan Yu sent Ling Cao's son Ling Tong as the vanguard to attack Jiujiang.

Ling Tong, having inherited his father Ling Cao's experience in naval warfare, led five tower ships and twenty barques to launch a surprise attack on Zhou Yu's navy at Jiujiang Harbor.

Although Zhou Yu had prepared a response in advance, Ling Tong intended to harass him, so he retreated immediately once the two sides got entangled.

After Zhou Yu's navy relaxed their vigilance, they launched another surprise attack.

After this happened repeatedly, the Jiujiang navy was exhausted, to the point where even fishing boats were mistaken for Liu Bei's warships.

Seeing that the time was ripe, Guan Yu personally led his army out of Xiakou Port and headed straight for Jiujiang Port.

The armies of both sides launched a fierce battle in the waters of Jiujiang Port without regard for casualties.

Zhou Yu dragged his sick body to command the troops on the battlefield. Although he severely damaged Guan Yu's navy and sank more than 20 tower ships and nearly 100 chariot ships, more than ten of his own tower ships also sank to the bottom of the river. He fled back to Jiujiang with only less than ten chariot ships left in his navy.

Shortly after returning to Jiujiang, Zhou Yu's condition worsened and he passed away.

After Zhou Yu's death, Sun Quan appointed Lu Xun, a descendant of the Lu family and Lu Kang's nephew, as the commander-in-chief of the navy in accordance with Zhou Yu's will, and continued to fight against Guan Yu with the assistance of Lu Su.

After Guan Yu retreated to Jiangxia to rest, he learned that Zhou Yu had passed away. He urgently ordered the navy to attack Jiujiang Port from Xiakou Port and Wanjiang Port at the same time.

Although Lu Xun's wisdom and military strategy were not inferior to Zhou Yu's, Sun Quan's navy had already been depleted. He could only hold out in the harbor for more than ten days before he had to abandon the harbor and flee back to Chaisang.

Guan Yu took advantage of the situation and landed with Zhang Fei, Zhang Liao and others, quickly surrounding Chaisang City.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Sun Quan sent envoys out of the city to surrender.

In the military tent, Lu Su stood in front of Guan Yu with a calm expression, neither humble nor arrogant.

Guan Yu said, "Go back and tell Sun Quan that if he wants to save the lives of the civil and military officials and the people in Chaisang City, he must commit suicide and apologize!"

Lu Su said, "Although the Sun clan of Jiangdong has been defeated, we cannot allow General Guan to humiliate us like this. If our lord must suffer such a fate, I'm afraid the entire army and the people in the city will swear to follow him to the death."

Guan Yu said, "Last time you surrendered, my elder brother and military advisor tried their best to save your lives, but what happened? If I trust you again this time, won't the world laugh at me, Guan?"

Lu Su also understood that there was no other way out at this point, so he could only leave in disappointment and return to Chaisang to report.

Sun Quan surrendered this time because he still had the idea of ​​making a comeback in the future. After receiving Guan Yu's reply, he was in a dilemma for a while.

Guan Yu didn't really want to massacre the city, so he could only besiege it without attacking, waiting for Sun Quan to end the situation on his own. After a stalemate of over a month, Guan Yu suddenly retreated more than ten miles, leaving Sun Quan, Lu Xun and others in the city bewildered.

As a result, by the evening of that day, Sun Quan and others had already understood Guan Yu's intention.

It was already the middle of winter and Chaisang City had been out of food for several days, but Guan Yu set up dozens of large pots on the northeast side outside the city and stewed beef and mutton.

It was not easy to eat beef during the Han Dynasty, not to mention that there was no food in Chaisang City.

The aroma of meat was blown into the city by the northwest wind, and that night some soldiers secretly left the city to surrender to the enemy.

Guan Yu did this for several days in a row.

At first, the soldiers who secretly ran out of Chaisang City to surrender were only scattered, but later there was even a case where a captain and his troops surrendered as a whole.

Sun Quan could only order strict defense, but he did not expect that two consecutive city gate officers would run to the other side.

Seeing the people and soldiers in the city suffering from hunger, Sun Quan finally decided to leave the city and committed suicide at the foot of the city in front of all the people and civil and military officials.

After entering the city, Guan Yu kept his previous promise and did not attack the people and officials again.

Guan Yu naturally accepted those generals and soldiers under Sun Quan who were willing to surrender, and sent those who were unwilling to surrender back home.

Moved by Guan Yu's loyalty and trustworthiness, Lu Xun gave up the idea of ​​living in seclusion in Lujiang and decided to stay in Chaisang to assist Guan Yu.

Lu Su felt guilty towards the Sun family, so he not only did not surrender but also did not return home. Instead, he hanged himself in his house when Guan Yu entered the city.

Wei Xiaobao, who followed Guan Yu into the city, also saw a familiar face among the surrendered generals. It was the young man he met in Shouchun City that day.

However, the boy at this time was no longer old enough to tie his hair, and he was wearing armor and a helmet, and his appearance had changed a lot.

Although Wei Xiaobao abandoned him on the street in the city that day, he had never forgotten his appearance, so he recognized him at a glance.

However, when Wei Xiaobao learned the man's name, he couldn't help but feel regretful.

This person is Lu Meng!

Wei Xiaobao certainly remembered that in the teahouse story, Guan Yu was killed after being defeated by Lu Meng.

Although what happened in the past few years was no longer the same as the story in the teahouse, Wei Xiaobao was still worried that his admired Guan Erge would not be able to escape such a fate.

That night, Wei Xiaobao came to Guan Yu's tent and suggested that Guan Yu execute Lu Meng.

Guan Yu asked in confusion, "Bozhi, why are you so concerned about a young general?"

Wei Xiaobao couldn't explain, so he could only say, "Second brother, don't ask so many questions. Just listen to me, this person must not be allowed to stay."

Guan Yu said, "Since I have already promised to spare the lives of these Jiangdong officials, how can I go back on my word, let alone wanting to kill such an unknown person without authorization?"

Wei Xiaobao's persuasion was in vain and he could only pray in his heart that the thing he was worried about would not happen.

After the Battle of Chaisang, Guan Yu accepted the surrender of more than 60 people, which completely solved the problem of lack of strategic generals in the army and also made full preparations for the future pacification of the four counties in southern Jing.

(End of this chapter)