Three Kingdoms: I, Yuan Shu, Loyal Officials of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 321 There is no way to heaven and no way to enter the earth

"I also wish to surrender to the Han; I was merely joking with you just now!"

Everyone: "???"

"General Wei, stop testing us. You are a close relative of the King of Qi, how could you surrender to the Han?"

"General Wei, are you joking? The King of Qi regards you as a confidant, entrusts you with important matters, and places great hopes on you. How could you possibly surrender to Han?"

"That's right. With General Wei as the military supervisor, how could he possibly surrender to the Han?"
Surrender or defend the city, we will all die. Kill or torture us as you please.

You cannot use empty words to mock and humiliate us!

Under the strange gazes of the crowd, he saw that because of his status, they readily believed his lies, but now that he was finally telling the truth, they refused to believe him.

Even Wei Xu, who could lie without batting an eye, showed a hint of shame and annoyance in his eyes, and sneered at the crowd, saying:

"Close relatives and trusted confidants?"

Ah, do you not know the character of the King of Qi?
He is ruthless and fickle, capable of killing even his adoptive father and benefactor. How much more so towards me?

He is favored today, but turns his back on you tomorrow; he is capricious, stubborn, and unreasonable.

Ultimately, he only cares about himself and regards us as worthless.

In that coastal battle, General Guigong, with a hundred cavalrymen, set up camp and defeated an army of twenty thousand, making me a laughingstock to the world.

But how could you know that before that battle, Xu had repeatedly advised Zhang Wenyuan not to act rashly, but he did not listen and, due to carelessness and underestimation of the enemy, insisted on raiding the camp at night, which led to a great defeat.

I reported the truth afterwards, but what did I get in return?

The King of Qi didn't care at all whether I had advised Zhang Liao against his reckless actions, or whether I had fought a desperate battle with the enemy when the hundred cavalry raided the camp.

Because of a major defeat, in an attempt to appease Zhang Liao, he punished me with military law. How could I possibly submit to that?

Wei Xu spoke slowly, recounting the past events one by one, and finally stared into the eyes of the generals, speaking softly.

"Gentlemen, do you not know what you just said?"
Even if the King of Han brings the entire army of the nation to attack, whether it has 830,000 or only 100,000 or 200,000, what difference does it make to us?

If Xiaopei couldn't hold out against 830,000 enemy troops, how could it possibly hold out against 200,000 or 100,000 enemy troops?

There is only one person among us who cannot understand!

It was Zhang Wenyuan!

Just like the battle where the hundred cavalry raided the camp, Zhang Wenyuan was extremely arrogant, always thinking that he was a hero like the Overlord or the God of War, capable of winning with fewer troops and defeating the strong with the weak.

With a force of less than one-tenth or even one-hundredth of the enemy's, they thought they could defeat countless enemy troops!
He can't see the situation clearly and is trying to fight a losing battle; are we all supposed to be buried with him?

After these words were spoken, the tent fell silent instantly.

The generals Wei Xu recruited this time were those who were terrified by the Han army's advance. He had just made an example of some of the hesitant ones by killing a few of them.

The current situation is clear. They did not intend to betray Qi and surrender to Han, but the pressure was too great when they saw the army covering the mountains and plains outside the city.

If the enemy force were tens of thousands, they could hold out with some effort, but judging from the current number of Han troops, it is at least several hundred thousand.

The enemy had over 100,000 troops, while our army had only 20,000. This disparity was so great that it made these officers and generals feel hopeless.

If it were because the King of Qi had always been kind to them, it would have been fine, but now was the time to put their lives to the test.

But as Wei Xu said, even his confidant, Lü Bu's close relatives, would be punished because of Lü Bu's unpredictable temper.

And what about them?
Especially now that Lu Bu's trusted cavalry had all been taken north by Lu Bu, most of those left to guard Xuzhou were local soldiers conscripted from Xuzhou.

Therefore, someone immediately couldn't help but speak out and said it out loud.

"Gentlemen, as General Wei said."

"The Han army is now besieging the city, and water surrounds the moat; our deaths are imminent!"

Another person said.

"Bu was utterly wicked and unrighteous. He claimed to be helping Han to attack Cao, but he betrayed his promise and assassinated the adopted son of the King of Han."

If he hadn't repeatedly switched sides, the Han army wouldn't have marched east, and we wouldn't be in this predicament.

"That's right. He clearly assassinated the adopted son of the King of Han, which brought this disaster upon himself. We, as good men, are born into this world with integrity and uprightness. Why should we be buried with a treacherous villain?"

Some even suggested:

"We are willing to follow Lord Wei."

"What if we abandon it and run away now?"

Wei Xu shook his head and smiled, saying:

"He is not a true man."

Zhang Wenyuan was ignorant of destiny, blindly arrogant, and stubbornly defied fate. He was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, going against the tide of history, and was only courting death.

Why not capture him and present him to the King of Han, thus achieving a monumental feat for us?

"If I can join the Han army in the future, I can then pursue wealth and status and have a foundation for myself."

Everyone exclaimed, "Excellent! If it weren't for Lord Wei, we would all have died with Zhang Wenyuan."

Someone said, "Zhang Liao must stay at home and be imprisoned tonight to prove his innocence. I will lead troops to surround and monitor him. If there is any disturbance, we will inform you immediately."

Another person said, "Zhang Liao's martial arts are extraordinary. He is the number one warrior in the army after the King of Qi, and we are no match for him."

I have a very close personal relationship with him. Tonight, I can pretend to be unable to bear seeing him under surveillance, and under the pretext of drinking with him to relieve his loneliness, I can get him drunk and steal his weapons.

Another person said, "Since you have stolen the gun, I will steal the horse, so that he will have no way to escape and will only be bound."

Two or three said, "There are also loyal and devoted men under Liao's command. We are responsible for leading the army in a night raid, catching them off guard, capturing and killing the loyal Liao generals and officers, so that they have no one to use."

Wei Xu nodded in satisfaction, "That's very good."

Then he arranged for those guarding the city gates that night to light fires as a signal to open the gates for the King of Han and welcome the royal army.

The group discussed and agreed that no one should leave the tent before the operation to avoid leaking information.

When taking action, they should work in groups of two or three, keeping an eye on each other and guarding against anyone who might tip them off.

Such actions are highly secretive.

That night, Wei Xu arranged for his trusted men to guard the city gates, waiting for the opportune moment to light the fire.

Several generals, each leading their own troops, sharpened their swords and peered at Zhang Liao's trusted generals, waiting for Wei Xu to light a signal so they could launch an immediate attack.

Someone secretly went to the horse stable and stole a bunch of horses, leaving Zhang Liao and his men without any horses to use.

The last person, who had a close personal relationship with Zhang Liao, went to Zhang Liao's residence and had a banquet with him, pouring him wine.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and the exchange of drinks, this person whispered to me:

"General, let's go!"

Zhang Liao was surprised and hurriedly asked him why.

The man replied:
"Although I am incompetent and useless, I am unwilling to die for the King of Qi."

General, you possess great talent and a brilliant mind. You will surely become famous throughout the world in the future. How can you bear to watch such a great hero die today due to the schemes of a villain?
Now that Wei Xu has rebelled and all the generals have surrendered, Xiaopei can no longer be defended.

General, pretend to be drunk and rest on the table for a while. Then, when I try to steal your weapon, get up, knock me down, and take the weapon away.

If we can break out of the gate and escape back to Xuzhou to reunite with Mr. Chen Deng and General Gao Shun, there may still be a way to survive.

Zhang Liao was moved! "Since you intend to surrender to Yuan, why not use Liao to perform a monumental service and risk extraordinary dangers to save me?"

"I only hope that when your name resounds throughout the world, you will not forget Qin Yilu, with whom I shared this drink today."

Zhang Liao was overwhelmed with mixed feelings. He was shocked that Wei Xu, as the supervisor of the army and a close relative of the King of Qi, was highly valued by him. How could he dare to betray him?

He was also annoyed by the incompetence of his generals. He had clearly planned how to defend the city. If they were willing to listen to his arrangements, as long as the King of Han on the other side would not mind the casualties of his troops during the siege, then, regardless of the long term, Xiaopei could be defended for at least a month without any worries.

He was even more grateful to his friend Qin Yilu for risking his life to deliver the message.

He sighed again, realizing that even if he were to seize the weapons and try to break through the encirclement and escape through the gate tonight, he would likely face a nine-out-of-ten chance of death, with his fate uncertain.

In the end, all my words were poured out in one cup!
Zhang Liao seemed to be enjoying himself immensely with his friends, drinking the wine in his cup one after another. Soon he became quite drunk and fell asleep in his chair.

Qin Yilu pretended to test Zhang Liao by calling his name a few times, but Zhang Liao pretended not to wake up and let him do as he pleased.

Qin Yilu then dismissed his men and stole Zhang Liao's weapon. However, as he passed by Zhang Liao, Zhang Liao suddenly attacked.

Liao knew he couldn't be soft-hearted now; the more he injured Qin Yilu, the easier it would be for him to clear his name later. So he grabbed a wine pot from the table and smashed it hard on Qin Yilu's head.

Although Qin Yilu was somewhat prepared, he was still caught off guard by this sudden attack and felt an unbearable pain in the back of his head. He cursed Zhang Liao in his heart: I tried to save you out of kindness, how could you be so ruthless?
Before he could think any further, he closed his eyes and lost consciousness.

Those watching outside, seeing Zhang Liao drunk and unconscious, and Qin Yilu having taken his spear, knew the situation was settled and relaxed their vigilance.

Unexpectedly, at that moment, Zhang Liao swiftly seized the spear and charged out of the door.

Everyone was shocked and rushed to surround Zhang Liao, but as Zhang Liao charged out of the room, he urgently called for help from his men.

"Wei Xu is plotting a rebellion; all generals, please help me!"

This was, after all, Zhang Liao's residence. Although everyone wanted to harm him, in order to avoid alerting him, they only sent troops here to monitor him on Wei Xu's orders, and ultimately did not dare to directly fight in his residence.

Therefore, Zhang Liao's personal guards were still present, and they rushed to his aid upon hearing his call.

Furthermore, since Zhang Liao was the general in charge of the troops here, no one knew his soldiers better than him. With the help of his personal guards, he glanced around and immediately recognized the leader of the rebel army.

He immediately drew his gun and charged out, aiming straight for the head of the traitor. Knowing how formidable he was, the traitor dared not fight him to the death.

In their attempt to escape and dodge, they were routed by Zhang Liao's army.

Zhang Liao immediately led his personal guards to the horse stable, intending to seize the horses before the rebels could react, taking advantage of Wei Xu's unpreparedness.

He didn't expect that when he led his men to the horse stable, the stable was empty; not a single horse had been left for him.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Liao couldn't help but curse inwardly. No wonder he called himself a cowardly and incompetent man. He had already arranged for someone to steal the horse. Qin Yilu, why didn't you say so earlier? Did you only save half of my life?
However, things had already come to this point. With the news of Zhang Liao's attack from his residence, Wei Xu immediately lit a fire outside the city as a signal, and shouts of battle gradually rose within the city, plunging it into chaos.

Zhang Liao then gathered his troops in the city, intending to recruit loyal and righteous generals. However, after a long time, he couldn't find a single one of his own trusted men. Instead, wave after wave of rebel troops attacked like a tidal wave.

Zhang Liao, relying on his martial skills, charged through the city and managed to rescue a trusted officer covered in blood from among the fleeing soldiers.

All I heard was his sobbing:
"Comrades turned against each other and killed one another."

They came prepared, and we were caught off guard by this sneak attack, suffering heavy casualties.

The generals have scattered, their fates unknown; only I survived, and by sheer luck, I have come to deliver a message to the general.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Liao thought to himself, "This is truly a bitter situation!"
He must have seen a ghost. This Wei Xu, during the previous battle where a hundred cavalry raided the camp and fought against General Guigong, only knew how to flee and save his life.

Faced with the Han army's advance, they surrendered immediately to save their lives.

He's a complete coward who's incapable of fighting and lacks courage in combat. How come he's now turning on his own people with such unexpected and ingenious moves?

They used every means at their disposal: surveillance, drugging, stealing soldiers and horses, recruiting accomplices, and assassinating loyal and righteous men.

With just this one move, not to mention himself, even if General Lü were here, he would fall down.

If you really have that ability, what are you afraid of?
With Zhang's abilities and your schemes, if we work together, it won't be difficult to stop the Han army. Why cause internal strife at the wall?

While Zhang Liao was desperately holding out in the city, seeking a breakout, Wei Xu, whom he longed to see, was already on the city wall, issuing a command to his men:
"Light the fire!"
Welcome Han!!!

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole city lit up with fire, like scattered stars, flickering with the faint light of fireflies in the night.

Among the Han troops outside the city, they saw that tonight, someone in Xiaopei City had actually lit a fire as a signal to surrender the city.

Lu Su was genuinely impressed and exclaimed:

"Your Majesty's wisdom and foresight surpass even Su's."

Yuan Shu nodded and smiled as he said to his generals:

"Where is my son, Bo Fu?"

Sun Ce stepped forward and said, "Father above, your son is here."

“You shall lead your troops into the south gate, block the gate and trap Zhang Liao, preventing him from escaping.”

"Your son obeys!"

Where is General Huang?

"The end will be here."

"Han Sheng once said during the day that he had no chance to make any contribution."

"I now order you to lead your troops through the east gate. Zhang Liao must not escape. If you capture him, it will be a merit for you."

Huang Zhong was overjoyed and bowed, saying, "Yes, sir."

"Where is my Tiger Fool?"

"Chu is here."

“If you lead your troops through the north gate and let Zhang Liao escape, I will hold you accountable.”

"I will certainly live up to the King of Han's expectations."

As the three generals led their troops away, upon reaching Xiaopei, Wei Xu arranged for people to meet them and let them into the city to take over the city gates.

Yuan Shu smiled and looked at Ji Ling, saying:
"My peerless general, how about you wait with me at the West Gate?"

Ji Ling hurriedly accepted the order and said:

"With this subordinate here, we will ensure that the chaotic troops do not cause the slightest disturbance to Your Majesty."

Yuan Shu then led his army to the west gate of Xiaopei.

As the imperial banner drew near, Wei Xu hurriedly opened the city gates and led his troops to pay homage, saying:
"We respectfully welcome the King of Han and joyfully welcome the royal army."

When the King of Han arrived, peace and prosperity followed.

As he spoke, he hurriedly invited Yuan Shu into the city.

Yuan Shu simply looked at him, smiling without saying a word.

Entering the city is impossible. A noble son should not sit under a dangerous roof. The city is in chaos now, with shouts of killing filling the air. How can we be sure that this is not a trick by Zhang Liao?

With Zhang Babai's record of defeating Sun's 100,000, Yuan Shu would not be careless.

At this time, one must guard against the possibility that Zhang Liao has seen through one's plan and deliberately had Wei Xu light a fire as a signal to feign surrender, just to lure one into the city, so that he could kill the King of Han in a desperate last stand and thus eliminate the threat once and for all.

Anyway, Sun Ce, Huang Zhong, and Xu Chu have already stormed in through the other three gates. Now all we need to do is sit here and wait for Zhang Liao to be captured. After the chaos in the city is quelled, we can then enter the city.

Even if you, Zhang Babai, are invincible and your power is unmatched, you may still be a force to be reckoned with.

Right now, Sun Ce, Huang Zhong, and Xu Chu are blocking your way and killing you, leaving you with nowhere to go but to the heavens and nowhere to the earth.

(End of this chapter)