Chapter 48: The Situation in Liangping

My Lord, yesterday two soldiers from Dongzhou harassed the common people during the march, and I have already executed them in accordance with military law, Wu Yi reported, bowing to Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang nodded with a faint smile. He had already received the news yesterday. Wu Yi was performing his duties as the Provost Marshal admirably; in less than a month, he had effectively curbed the unruly behavior of the Dongzhou troops.

During this campaign to suppress the rebels in Bajun Commandery, there had been remarkably few instances of Dongzhou soldiers breaking the law or harassing the populace, all thanks to Wu Yi's dedicated efforts.

Approvingly, Liu Zhang spoke: "As it should be. In large-scale military operations, discipline comes first. Military discipline must be strict."

"Our purpose in coming here is to pacify the people. If we were to commit wrongdoings, pillaging and harming the populace along the way, how would we be any different from wandering bandits?"

Lifting his riding crop, he pointed into the distance toward the county seat of Liangping on the horizon and continued: "And how would we differ from the scoundrels cowering inside Liangping?"

"With Ziyuan acting as Provost Marshal, I no longer have to worry about military discipline," he praised Wu Yi.

Wu Yi bowed in gratitude and sighed, "My Lord's benevolence and virtue are unmatched in this world."

Lately, the way he looked at Liu Zhang had grown increasingly favorable. Liu Zhang was entirely unlike the rumors portrayed him—he was not weak or incapable of handling affairs; rather, he was resolute in his actions, possessed proper deportment, and carried a commanding dignity.

Conversely, whenever he thought of Liu Mao, his aversion to that incompetent brother-in-law, who only knew how to bully his own family, grew stronger by the day.

Wu Yi could not help silently complaining: It is truly exasperating. Why wasn't it Liu Zhang who followed Liu Yan into Shu back then? If Liu Zhang had married his sister, whose physiognomy indicated she was destined for supreme greatness, then Dong Fu's skill in face-reading would truly have been validated.

Liu Zhang smiled and waved his hand. He had been hearing a bit too much of such praise lately. Addressing the hundred or so knights surrounding him, he declared, "Let us ride a little further and observe more closely."

Today, he had come to reconnoiter the terrain of Liangping County. As a commander, failing to personally inspect the geography and terrain meant one was not a qualified general.

Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, was very fond of taking a dozen or so horsemen to observe enemy positions, and he especially loved riding up to the gates of enemy camps to provoke the foe. Once the enemy chased after him, he would gallop away, constantly turning back to loose arrows and kite the enemy.

Liu Zhang lacked that kind of daring skill. Although he had studied the classics and histories, practiced horseback riding, and archery since childhood, and possessed basic riding skills,

he certainly did not have the ability to emulate Li Shimin, relying on supreme martial prowess to act with utter arrogance right in front of enemy encampments.

He dared only to bring a hundred elite and fierce cavalrymen, while deploying outriders in all directions to scout. Under such conditions, he proceeded to investigate the geography and enemy positions.

Riding up a small hill, he began to observe the terrain surrounding Liangping County.

Although Liangping was situated in the mountainous region of eastern Sichuan, it possessed vast, broad flatlands. The terrain was both level and expansive, surrounded by three mountains and five ridges, undulating hills, and six outward-flowing rivers. Liangping could truly be described as a place where mountains, hills, and plains converged.

He then raised his gaze to look at Liangping County in the distance.

Encampments were scattered outside Liangping County. The rebels had not crammed themselves entirely inside Liangping—that would have been a foolish move—but had instead established camps outside the walls, forming a pincer formation with the county seat.

If Liu Zhang raised his forces to attack the city, the camps outside would sally forth to strike his rear; conversely, if he attacked the external camps, the city gates could be flung wide open, and the forces inside would likewise sally forth to strike his rear.

As expected of the Han dynasty, the martial spirit is quite robust; most scholars understand a bit of military strategy, Liu Zhang sighed to himself.

"This is indeed a fine place for a decisive battle, though I wonder if Liu He has the courage to sally forth," Liu Zhang said, gesturing toward the broad plains as he spoke to Huang Quan, Wu Yi, and Gan Ning.

Wu Yi nodded and laid out the potential development of the situation under these circumstances: "The rebellious bandits are already fearful. If they hold fast to their fortifications, I am afraid it will be difficult to pacify them quickly."

"That is unlikely to happen," Huang Quan chimed in, offering his perspective. "At present, Baidi and Kuimen are as secure as Mount Tai, and the forces of Jingzhou cannot advance westward."

"With no reinforcements from the outside and their provisions running somewhat short, sitting idly in an isolated city is merely waiting for death. If they make a desperate gamble and fight a decisive battle against our army, they might still find a glimmer of survival."

"Ever since Liu He entered Bajun and incited the commoners and the Qiang tribes, he has proved to be a cunning and deceitful person. Now that his retreat is cut off, he is bound to make a desperate struggle for life or death."

"What the Principal 主簿 says is entirely correct. Even a pig or a dog, when driven into a corner, will lunge forward in a desperate final struggle for a sliver of life—let alone a human being," Gan Ning said, expressing his strong agreement with Huang Quan's view and offering a vivid analogy.

"Well said," Liu Zhang praised Huang Quan's insight as well, and then issued his orders: "First, send outriders to clear away the scouts of Liangping County, blinding the rebellious bandits. Then bring the main army forward and force them into a decisive battle."

Speaking of cavalry, Liu Zhang could not help but sigh inwardly. Among the generals he had recently recruited, none possessed the ability to command a cavalry force.

In classical warfare, cavalry could determine the outcome of a major battle and was indispensable; it was high time for him to scout for such a commander.

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Inside Liangping County.

Liu He, the Imperial Inspector 別駕 of Jingzhou, sat high in the seat of honor. The heads of the Xie, Bai, and Yang clans were all present.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the main hall was dead silent and exceedingly eerie, much like a mourning vigil.

Liu He looked at the three clan heads. The Bai clan had retreated after failing to take Dianjiang; the Xie clan had their inside agents captured in Linjiang County and had likewise fallen back.

Yang Ping, head of the Yang clan, was the most incompetent of all. Liu He had entrusted him with elite troops and ordered him to attack Jiangzhou, the commandery seat of Bajun and a place of utmost strategic importance.

To Liu He's astonishment, the moment Yang Ping saw that the city defender was Gao Pei, a renowned general of Shu, he did not even attempt an assault. Frightened out of his wits, he retreated to Liangping, babbling about prioritizing safety and gathering in Liangping to re-evaluate their plans.

Yet how could they possibly secure safety now, and where was the time left to deliberate? Liu Zhang had long since prepared defenses against this uprising of theirs, and now they found themselves constrained at every turn.

Furthermore, what caught them completely off guard was that the cowardly Liu Zhang actually dared to lead troops here in person.

Scouts had reported that morning that Liu Zhang's main army had arrived near Liangping and had dispatched outriders to relentlessly hunt down the scouts sent out from the county seat.

Now, they only knew the situation in the immediate vicinity of Liangping; anything further away remained unknown. Their eyes and ears had been blocked by Liu Zhang, leaving them as deaf and blind as corpses.

"Imperial Inspector Liu, when will the Jingzhou troops advance westward?" Yang Ping asked, his tone rather desolate, sounding like a drowning man grasping at a final straw.

Liu He's expression darkened. How could he possibly know the news from the outside? The last contact with the Jingzhou front had brought word that the troops in Jingzhou showed no signs of mobilization yet.

He offered an evasive reply: "Soon, soon."

Afterward, he felt that he should not adopt such a tone; if even he, the mastermind, lost confidence, how could the men beneath him summon the courage to fight?

Taking a deep breath, he recovered his usual firm and resounding voice: "Governor Liu will arrive shortly. We should steady our troops, resist Liu Zhang, and seize any opening to crush him while we await Governor Liu."

With that, Liu He looked down, but not a single person met his gaze, nor did anyone voice agreement.

A murderous glint flashed across his brow. Then, a non-Han voice from the hall chimed in: "The Imperial Inspector's insight is brilliant. It should indeed be so."

It was Pu Chang who spoke up. The Qiang people loved valor and contention; fighting was to them as natural as eating and drinking. With war imminent, he only felt his blood stirring with excitement.

Liu He nodded slightly, though Pu Chang alone and his thousand-man contingent could not accomplish any major feats.

His mind raced as he analyzed the current situation from every angle. A moment later, employing the persuasive eloquence of Zhang Yi and Su秦, he began: "My three clan heads, at present defenses have been erected everywhere in Bajun. If we sit cooped up in an isolated city, and any of you wish to surrender to Liu Zhang, I shall gladly escort you out."

"However, for the sake of you all, I have words straight from my heart that must be spoken."

Hearing this, the heads of the Xie, Bai, and Yang clans all turned to look at the Jingzhou Imperial Inspector who had led them into this desperate trap, eager to hear what he had to say.

"Back when Liu Yan was in power, Wang Xian the Administrator of Bajun and the great Li clan committed no crimes. Yet because Liu Yan wished to display his majesty, Wang Xian met a violent end and the Li clan suffered extermination."

"Now that our rebellious intentions have been laid bare, even if you gentlemen were to carry bundles of thorns on your backs and beg forgiveness from that puny Liu Zhang, I fear you would still suffer the annihilation of your clans." Liu He wore the expression of someone deeply agonizing on behalf of the three clan heads.

His words were no exaggeration. Administrator Wang Xian and the great Li clan had been slaughtered despite their innocence a mere two or three years ago, and that scene was still fresh in the minds of the clan heads. Consequently, hesitation and fear washed over their faces.

Seeing their reaction, Liu He knew there was still hope. He bared his soul and earnestly exhorted them: "The one leading troops here today is that puny Liu Zhang. It is well known that Liu Zhang cannot command the loyalty of high-ranking ministers, which is why he did not dispatch Central Langjiang Zhao Wei. Otherwise, had Central Langjiang Zhao Wei come, we could have joined forces with him."

"Now that Zhao Wei has not come and Liu Zhang has arrived in person, it is not necessarily a bad thing. We have never heard of Liu Zhang studying military strategy or commanding armies in battle."

"If we sit trapped in an isolated city, to surrender is death, and to fight is death. Why not make one desperate gamble? If we can slay Liu Zhang in battle, I shall divide Bashu equally with you all."

As he reached the end, Liu He's words grew exceptionally fierce and stirring—truly a passionate and eloquent speech endowed with a mesmerizing, demagogic power.

The heads of the Xie, Bai, and Yang clans exchanged glances, their expressions hardening. Gritting their teeth, they said to Liu He, "Things have come to this; we place ourselves entirely at the Imperial Inspector's command."