Chapter 55: Yangping Pass

Outside Yangping Pass.

"This rice thief, how much longer does he expect us to wait?" Pang Le paced back and forth inside the main military tent, complaining angrily to Li Yi.

Following the command of Liu Zhang, the two of them had led their troops to Hanzhong to relieve Zhang Lu and take over the garrison there.

They had assumed it would be an effortless task. To their surprise, however, after their arrival, Zhang Wei, the commander guarding Yangping Pass, made the excuse that Zhang Lu had not yet arrived and that the military camps inside the pass had not yet been established. He ordered them to set up camp outside Yangping Pass for the time being, promising that once Zhang Lu arrived and the interior camps were completed, they would be allowed to enter.

"Yet it has already been seven or eight days." Pang Le grew increasingly restless. What did entering Yangping Pass have to do with Zhang Lu anyway? Furthermore, if there were no ready-made camps inside the pass, surely some empty houses could have been cleared out for them to lodge in.

Three or four days ago, word had come from Yangping Pass that Zhang Lu had finally arrived, but because the camps within the pass were still unfinished, the two of them were once again left with no choice but to keep their troops stationed outside the city walls.

He began to suspect: "Could Zhang Lu be plotting something? Otherwise, why would he still not allow the two of us to enter the pass?"

Unlike the agitated Pang Le, Li Yi appeared rather calm, soothing him with an air of unconcern: "Brother Pang, do not be impatient."

"I am certain that rice thief Zhang Lu wouldn't dare pull any tricks. His aged mother and young younger brother are both held as hostages in Chengdu."

"The two of us need only sit back and wait. Whenever Zhang Lu comes to his senses, we can naturally enter Yangping Pass."

"That is true." Pang Le conceded Li Yi's point. Although Liu Yan, the former Governor of Yizhou, had valued Zhang Lu and appointed him to hold Hanzhong, he had kept a card up his sleeve against the heterodox-preaching Zhang Lu, leaving his mother, younger brother, and other family members in Chengdu as hostages.

When a major general was stationed far away in the frontier, it was customary to keep his family as hostages in the capital to guard against any contingencies. Thus, Governor Liu Yan's method of controlling his subordinates was effortless and masterful, eliminating any fear of Zhang Lu harboring secondary motives.

Pang Le thought for a moment, then resumed his complaints: "Even so, Colonel Zhao specifically instructed the two of us to take possession of Hanzhong at the earliest possible date."

He recalled the exhortations Zhao Wei had given them before their departure from Chengdu—to replace Zhang Lu as swiftly as possible, secure Hanzhong, and then await Zhao Wei's further commands.

Yet the current situation did not align with Zhao Wei's intentions. The two of them were unable to take control of Hanzhong, wasting precious days in idle attrition outside Yangping Pass.

Li Yi nodded. Zhao Wei had told them at the time that capturing Hanzhong was the first step toward achieving great ambitions, and it needed to be accomplished swiftly; they could no longer afford to drag things out like this.

He proposed an idea: "Then we shall send a sharp and perceptive man to urge Zhang Lu. Drop a hint about his mother and brother, and I warrant he will fling open the city gates and welcome the two of us into Yangping Pass."

Just then, a messenger reported that Yan Pu, a merit officer under Zhang Lu, had brought wine and meat to comfort the army.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi smiled. That settled it; there was no need to send anyone to the pass now, as a ready-made messenger had delivered himself right to their doorstep.

He gave instructions to summon Yan Pu into the tent for a conversation.

Before long, Merit Officer Yan Pu walked into the main military tent. As soon as he entered, he offered a tactful and apologetic bow: "Please forgive the two colonels. Our Imperial Sima was previously inspecting the Ziwu Valley road, so messages could not be transmitted back and forth in time. It was only after rushing day and night these past few days that he finally arrived at Yangping Pass."

"Although the Sima has arrived, tents and grain provisions within Yangping Pass have not yet been fully prepared, making it difficult to welcome the main army into the garrison. It grieves us that the two colonels have been forced to camp outside the city."

Pang Le spoke first, his tone somewhat unkind: "We naturally brought our own tents, and our provisions are ample. We merely require Sima Zhang to fling wide the gates of Yangping Pass."

"How can that be? The two colonels have come from afar as guests in Hanzhong; is there any reason guests should provide their own food and drink?" Yan Pu wore a look of astonishment, pushing his hands forward in polite refusal.

"Besides, the city is cramped and overflowing with people. We still need to clear a specific area before we can accommodate your forces."

He then offered a compromise: "Although the camp for the main army has not yet been built, the residences for the two colonels have already been cleared. You may take up quarters there at any time."

"If it is convenient for the two colonels, you may accompany me into the pass today to take up residence. There is no shortage of wine, meat, and fine women in the city; it is certainly far superior to camping out here in the wilderness."

At the mention of wine, meat, and women, Pang Le's eyes lit up. Feeling somewhat tempted, he was about to speak.

"There is no need. As a colonel, how could I go into the city to indulge in sensual pleasures while abandoning my men to camp out in the wilderness?" A look of disdain crossed Li Yi's face. He quickly composed his expression, waved his hand at Yan Pu, and cut in before Pang Le could speak, offering a series of polite refusals.

"That violates the principles of military leadership. The two of us must share the weal and woe with our rank-and-file soldiers."

Hearing this, both Yan Pu and Pang Le felt a sense of disappointment.

Unlike Pang Le, who openly wore a disappointed expression for a prolonged moment, Yan Pu's disappointment vanished in a flash. He offered praise: "Colonel Li truly possesses the style of Wu Qi in governing an army, sharing toil and hardship with his men. Doubtless, the soldiers under your command are willing to lay down their lives for you."

"The merit officer flatters me," Li Yi replied perfunctorily, before turning to the matter at hand: "We hope the merit officer will return and urge your subordinates to expedite the construction of the camps. We were sent here on orders, yet are indefinitely delayed from entering the pass. Failing to fulfill the Governor's commission for so long makes us feel truly derelict in our duties, leaving us anxious and fearful day after day."

"Furthermore, I have a message to be conveyed to Sima Zhang: his aged mother in Chengdu misses him day and night, and hopes he will return to Chengdu soon so that mother and son may be reunited."

Having delivered these veiled threats, Li Yi set a firm deadline: "In three days, regardless of whether the camps are finished, both of us will enter the pass."

Yan Pu readily agreed: "I have taken the colonel's words to heart. Within three days, the two of you shall enter the pass, and my lord will likewise be able to return to Chengdu for a family reunion."

Having accepted Li Yi's terms, Yan Pu stated the original purpose of his visit: "Today, I have specially brought some wine and meat to reward the two colonels and their soldiers, as a slight token of our apologies."

Having said all that needed to be said, and after exchanging a few more courteous pleasantries, Yan Pu cupped his hands in farewell and departed.

Not long after, having ridden back to Yangping Pass, Yan Pu reported Li Yi's words and his observations within the camp to Zhang Lu.

Truly lacking any originality. Zhang Lu wore a look of contempt. Earlier, the envoy Zhang Shu, who had passed through Hanzhong, had used his aged mother to threaten him and force him into submission; today, Li Yi was employing the exact same tactic of threatening him with his mother to compel him to surrender Hanzhong.

"Let Pang Le and Li Yi act arrogant for another day or two. I have just received word that Du Huo, Pu Hu, and Yuan Yue are already nearing Yangping Pass."

"With the assistance of Du Huo, Pu Hu, and Yuan Yue, within three days, those two fiends will undoubtedly be executed."

Yan Pu pondered for a moment, yet still offered a word of caution: "Master, given that your honorable wife is currently held hostage in Chengdu, if we attack and kill Pang Le and Li Yi, I fear it will place your honorable wife in grave danger."

Zhang Lu, however, remained completely unconcerned and waved a hand dismissively: "It is of no consequence. The greater the uproar we raise in Hanzhong, the safer my mother will be in Chengdu."

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At the Liangping County Office.

Liu Zhang was the first to rise, casting his gaze upon Zhang Ren and Gan Ning, who were sleeping on either side of him—the two generals who had distinguished themselves most prominently on the battlefield.

Zhang Ren was thoroughly skilled in archery and horsemanship, wielding a great spear that faced not a single match.

Gan Ning excelled in infantry combat, wielding a sword and shield with few rivals under heaven across the realm.

A somewhat mischievous thought drifted into his mind, echoing a concept popular on the internet in his past life: *Lü Bu mounted, Dian Wei unmounted; Dian Wei is invincible in foot combat, while Lü Bu is invincible on horseback. If Lü Bu were to ride upon Dian Wei, wouldn't he be invincible throughout the world?*

*Yet how could a man and a horse be compared?* He shook his head; the idea was far too absurd.

After rising with minimal movement, Liu Zhang instructed his attendants not to disturb the rest of Zhang Ren and Gan Ning, letting the heavily intoxicated pair sleep until they woke naturally.

Afterwards, he washed up, ate a light bite, and proceeded to the council chamber of the county office.

Huang Quan and Zhang Shu had already been waiting for a long time. Seeing Liu Zhang arrive, they stood up and cupped their hands in greeting.

Acknowledging them with a nod, Liu Zhang walked to the seat of honor, sat down, and motioned for Huang Quan and Zhang Shu to take their seats as well.

He then laid out his strategic plans: "Gongheng, Junjiao, I intend to lead an army of ten thousand to Baidi and Kuimen to inspect the defenses of Yizhou's eastern gates and see if there are any flaws or omissions."

Zhang Shu looked somewhat startled. Liu Zhang leading troops to Baidi at this particular juncture was surely not as simple as a mere inspection. He inquired aloud: "My Lord, could it be that you harbor the intention of moving east to seize Jingzhou?"

"Not at all. I harbor no intention of moving east," Liu Zhang replied with a smile and a shake of his head, before continuing in an unkind tone: "It is simply that Governor Liu dispatched his Chief Clerk to sow chaos in Bashu. In return for such profound hospitality, I ought to show some form of gratitude."

"By the way, Junjiao, for this expedition, I require your younger brother Ziqiao to accompany me. There is a vital matter that cannot be accomplished without him."