He originally intended to surrender to Wei, so why did he end up restoring Han?

Besides his malice towards Cao Cao, Chang Xi also valued brotherhood. Now that his brother Zang Ba needed his help, Chang Xi naturally did not hesitate to help.

So even though he himself had a good impression of Liu Bei, the first thing Chang Xi did upon arriving in Jiqiu was to strengthen the city's defenses and stockpile defensive equipment, in short, to prevent Liu Bei from advancing any further.

On Liu Bei's side, the specific deployment was also implemented. Liu Bei's five thousand men were stationed near Jiqiu, while Tian Yu's two thousand men were stationed on the west bank of the Yi River to prevent Zang Ba from escaping to his hometown of Taishan, and to serve as Liu Bei's reserve force on standby at any time.

In February of the second year of Jian'an, Liu Bei's army finally arrived at the city of Jiqiu.

Once Liu Bei had set up camp, he planned to take his men to talk to the city's garrison commander. It would be best if he could persuade Jiqiu City to open its gates without bloodshed, since Jiqiu City was also a native of Xuzhou and one of the sources of Liu Bei's future strength to restore the Han Dynasty.

"My lord's health is of utmost importance; how can he be moved lightly? Why don't I go and speak with General Chang?" Sun Qian disagreed with this approach and suggested that he go himself.

"I'll go instead. I met Changxi once when Tao Gong was still alive. Besides, I don't know how to enter the city; I can just shout a few words outside."

Sun Qian still felt it was too dangerous, but in the end, he couldn't fight back against the excavator. Liu Bei, with a small group of cavalry, arrived outside Jiqiu City.

"General Chang, would you be so kind as to come out for a chat?"

Chang Xi didn't bother to hide, and shouted directly from the city wall: "Liu Bei, why have you sent an army without a reason to invade my territory? If you, Liu Bei, have any shame, why not withdraw your troops now to avoid damaging the harmony between our two families!"

"General Chang, we are family. If we turn against each other, it will only hurt our own people and please our enemies! Why not open the city gates? I swear I will not hold you brothers responsible!"

"Enough, Liu Bei! Stop daydreaming! We can defend this city until we die!"

Before Liu Bei could say anything more, Chang Xi on the city wall gave an order, and a volley of arrows flew towards Liu Bei. Although the arrows were too far away and ended up stuck in the ground in front of Liu Bei, this action still enraged him.

"Chang Xi! I swear to kill you!"

Liu Bei didn't swallow his anger until he returned to camp. He gritted his teeth and said, "This Chang Xi is truly stubborn! I know Zang Ba wants to negotiate, and Zang Ba also knows I want to negotiate. What's the point of him stubbornly resisting here? Why doesn't he just surrender and resolve this quickly? How big is Jiqiu anyway? He dares to jump over such a small city wall."

Liu Bei slammed his fist on the table in anger: "That damned Chang Xi! I'll use his skull as a bowl!"

This was the first time Lu Wan had ever seen Liu Bei so irritable. Her thoughts drifted off to another level. Did the "fierceness" in Emperor Zhaolie's name refer to his fierce temper?

"My lord! I have a plan!" Lu Wan suddenly recalled Cao Cao's method of conquering Pi in history: "Why not cut off the Yi River and flood Jiqiu?"

Liu Bei never expected his strategist to launch such a powerful attack right off the bat. He quickly waved his hand and said, "No, no, no, Wen Yuan, I was just saying that in anger. You absolutely mustn't do that."

While a water attack might seem satisfying, it would be a major disaster for the local people. First, the water would leave behind large amounts of silt, causing soil degradation. Second, it would pollute drinking water sources, triggering epidemics and causing far more harm than other strategies. Finally, this strategy would take too long, and it was winter; the river's flow would take at least several months to reach the required level.

Lu Wan, whose first plan failed, came up with another: "My lord, our army can also dig tunnels to advance into the city. At the same time, we can build earthen mounds around the city and deploy archers on them to suppress the city. We can also hide the soil dug out during the tunnel digging."

On the one hand, digging tunnels takes a long time. Although it doesn't require the same amount of work as cutting off a river, it still requires a considerable amount of manpower. Over time, Chang Xi will inevitably notice something amiss. If the construction of earthen mounds during this process complements the tunnel digging, the chances of success will be much higher. On the other hand, building earthen mounds can also put psychological pressure on the city's defenders. Over time, some will inevitably succumb to the pressure and start looking for ways to cause trouble. If chaos ensues, the probability of the city falling will be much higher.

This plan was much more reasonable than the previous water attack. Liu Bei thought about it and saw no other downsides, so he nodded in agreement.

For Liu Bei's army, this was a large-scale training exercise that honed their earthwork construction skills. Presumably, these people would later become excellent civil engineers after retiring from the army.

Liu Bei's army is no longer the same as it was a few months ago. The Xuzhou army has undergone reorganization and training, and has been well-nourished. In addition, Liu Bei led them to a great victory, and the Xuzhou army has gained morale and fighting spirit. Although it cannot be considered an elite force yet, it has already taken on the appearance of the first echelon of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The generals of Mount Tai, as the opposing forces, were well aware that seeing the overwhelming momentum of the enemy, their own soldiers were already three points weaker in morale before the battle even began.

"General, what are you thinking? Why did you shoot an arrow at Lord Liu?" The lieutenant couldn't understand his general's thought process and asked.

Chang Xi sighed, "I don't want it to be like this either, but if I don't put pressure on him, the boss will be at a disadvantage in the negotiations. If we provoke Liu Bei here to make him attack, as long as we can hold him off and dampen his spirits, he will naturally retreat after a long time."

"But General, have you considered what to do next? Will Liu Bei just stand by and watch us retreat to Kaiyang?"

Chang Xi put his hands behind his back and said, "I never intended to break out, nor will I surrender. Langya is not big, and Kaiyang is right behind us. Zang Ba and I have been brothers for many years, and I cannot do such a thing as betraying a friend for personal gain."

Upon hearing this, his deputy pointed his finger at Chang Xi's nose and said anxiously, "But Liu Bei has five thousand vanguard troops right now. Can you hold Jiqiu City?"

"I don't care! The city is down to its last brick and tile, it can be defended! The army is down to its last soldier, it can be fought! Let Liu Bei come and attack the city if he wants. Let's see how many men he has to throw here."

As he spoke, Chang Xi reassured his deputy, "It's alright. As long as the boss and Liu Bei reach an agreement, I'll open the city gates immediately. I won't disregard the lives of my brothers."

Kaiyang County, Langya

Zang Ba's negotiation team has been assembled. In fact, this battle was never going to happen in the first place, but Zang Ba's demands were too high, so Liu Bei decided to use his strength to negotiate a lower price.

"Boss, if you want us to negotiate, you should at least give us some background information," Sun Guan said to Zang Ba with a headache.

Negotiation is one thing, but you need to tell us your bottom line first. What if we reach an agreement but you're still not satisfied?

Seeing that Zang Ba remained silent for a long time, Sun Guan spoke frankly: "General, I only have one question: are you still going to defend Jiqiu?"

"I think... if we hold on firmly, there's a way."

Sun Guan wasn't stupid; he naturally knew what Zang Ba was planning. He simply nodded to indicate that he understood and slowly moved away.

Zang Ba made a decision in his mind. His idea was to sacrifice Chang Xi as a litmus test to see the strength of Liu Bei's army. In this way, it wouldn't be shameful to surrender even if they lost. He would be able to get a good position because of his merits in protecting the borders and people over the years. If they won, Zang Ba would also join Liu Bei, but in that case, he would have to keep his private army.

Zang Ba was not afraid of Liu Bei killing him. Firstly, Liu Bei's personality determined that he would not lay a hand on someone who surrendered. Secondly, Zang Ba had never had a direct conflict with Liu Bei, so it would be easier to handle things since he had no blood on his hands. Thirdly, Zang Ba and his group had a very strong influence in Taishan County. If Liu Bei wanted to conquer Taishan County, Zang Ba and his Taishan heroes would be essential.

Outside Kaiyang City, Sun Guan watched Zang Ba in the farewell procession, his lips twitching a few times, but ultimately he said nothing. Zang Ba, meanwhile, watched the departing negotiation team with a sense of loss until their figures disappeared on the horizon. Zang Ba then returned to his administrative office and continued to stare at the map.

--------

When the news reached the rear, Mi Zhu, who was now in charge of logistics, immediately mobilized a large number of laborers to begin logistical transportation.

With Qingzhou as a source of reinforcements, Xuzhou's war potential is also recovering. Although the land reclamation has consumed a lot of resources, at least some can still be allocated to the front lines.

With logistical support, Liu Bei's soldiers moved with incredible speed. In just a few days, the earthen mound had taken initial shape.

The garrison inside the city immediately felt the pressure from Liu Bei's army. Qiu City was just an ordinary county town, and its city walls were no more than five meters high. A small mound of earth would easily exceed the height of the city walls.

Standing atop the earthen hill, the situation inside the city was crystal clear. Now, Liu Bei's soldiers on the hill could see which of the city's garrison soldiers relieved themselves anywhere. This feeling of being spied on in everything they did was extremely demoralizing.

Chang Xi had considered leaving the city to destroy the earthen hill, but he had no cavalry, only infantry. It would be easy to break out, but difficult to come back.

Chang Xi, inside the city, looked much more haggard. The feeling of knowing exactly what tricks Liu Bei's army was up to, yet being powerless to stop them, was terrible. Despite this, he stubbornly refused to surrender under pressure, unaware that his soldiers were beginning to look at him with growing hostility.

Divine gold! The people of Langya are originally part of Xuzhou. Only a madman would think of fighting to the death with his fellow townsmen.

In corners where Changxi couldn't see, countless people began to whisper among themselves, their eyes growing brighter as they looked at Changxi.

Meanwhile, Zang Ba's negotiation team also arrived at Liu Bei's camp.

"I didn't expect it to be Prefect Sun. It's a pleasure to meet you." The person in charge of liaising with Sun Guan was Sun Qian, one of Liu Bei's subordinates.

Sun Qian warmly welcomed Sun Guan and the other negotiators. After a hearty meal, the first round of exchanges began: "Before the formal negotiations, I have something to inform General Sun. Our army is ready to attack Jiqiu City. This round of negotiations will not include General Chang, who is inside Jiqiu City."

Sun Guan was somewhat surprised upon hearing this: "This...you haven't even started the attack yet, have you? Why can't you call a halt to the attack?"

"General Chang, as a general of Xuzhou, has a history of disobeying orders, which is one thing, but now he is openly rebelling against our army. Such behavior must be dealt with seriously!"

After discussion, Liu Bei's side unanimously agreed to use Chang Xi as a typical example to deal with. The saying goes, "Don't punish the diligent, don't punish the lazy, just punish the blind." This refers to people like Chang Xi.

Sun Guan still wanted to help his brother: "I request that you withdraw your attack order..."

Sun Qian still wore a warm smile, but said firmly, "This is war! Not child's play. It can't be started and stopped at will! Let's not discuss this issue anymore!"

"Then... how many days does your army plan to take to capture Jiqiu?" Seeing that direct persuasion was not working, Sun Guan prepared to take a roundabout approach, emphasizing the difficulty of the attack, hoping to make Liu Bei's army retreat in the face of difficulties.

"Three days."

"Forgive my bluntness, but even if it takes thirty days, let alone three, your army will not be able to break through the city." Although he was still provoking the other party with his words, Sun Guan was already thinking about how to help Chang Xi get away with his crime. Now that Liu Bei's side was determined to deal with Chang Xi, all he could do was exaggerate Chang Xi's abilities and try to get his brother a lenient treatment.

"If we can't win in thirty days, we'll fight for three months. If three months isn't enough, we'll fight for three years. We have time."

The first negotiation between Zang Ba and Liu Bei ended unhappily.

That night in Jiqiu City, after a series of soft rustling sounds on the ground, a large pit suddenly appeared. Several grayish figures poked their heads out of it. After confirming that they hadn't dug the wrong pit, they shouted into it, and a large group of people followed them out.

The once dormant city of Jiqiu immediately came to life. Liu Bei's soldiers searched everywhere, eager to find a few men, cut off their heads, and collect a reward to buy a new curved plow for their families. They finally found a few, but these men were even more excited than Liu Bei's own troops upon seeing the Changxi army soldiers.

We've been waiting for the royal army to arrive!

The soldiers of Changxi's army had no desire to fight; they were just waiting for someone to deliver a message or something, to arrange a time, and then open the city gates. Later, Changxi began to strengthen control over this aspect, which finally made these people give up.

Now that Liu Bei's soldiers have entered the city, what are we waiting for? Lead the way!

Along the way, these people led Liu Bei's army toward Chang Xi's residence, and many others followed to join them, wanting to explain the advantages and disadvantages to their general.

You bastard! If this guy hadn't kept staring and refusing to surrender, we brothers would have been eating Liu Bei's food long ago.

Even before the war began, Liu Bei's army had already started to treat its soldiers well. Not only were they provided with plenty of food and drink, but they also received pay and were issued Jian'an tax stamps, which were very useful. The soldiers of Langya County were already green with envy.

Some Jian'an tax stamps did circulate during trade, and were quickly bought up and hoarded by wealthy households. However, some smaller denominations still circulated in the market. Before long, everyone knew that this piece of paper was both convenient and secure. Not only did powerful families like it, but even ordinary people loved to collect it. If someone used it in a transaction, the merchant would even be willing to give them more.

Such good stuff, you can get it every month if you serve under Liu Bei, it's much better than serving under Zang Ba. Now that I finally have the chance to serve under Liu Bei, of course I have to seize the opportunity!