Chapter Thirty: Dasan Pass

Jiang Shu paced back and forth atop the walls of Hanzhong, his fingertips pale from clenching his hands too tightly. The messenger sent to Yangping Pass had been gone for an entire day, yet the news he brought back was cold as ice. He had not even been allowed to see Liu Chen; the pass commander, Deng Zhong, had stopped him outside the gate.

A city offered freely, and they actually refused it? What an absurd joke.

Jiang Shu did not think Liu Chen a fool. Once Hanzhong was occupied, Shu-Han would not merely have fully recovered its lost territory—the one hundred thousand troops under Zhong Hui would also be trapped in the rugged mountains of Bashu with no way out.

Jiang Shu halted abruptly. Sun Hui’s expression darkened as well. Then something suddenly occurred to him, and his heart leaped.

“This is bad!” he cried. “It is not that he refuses to come. He never intended to come to Hanzhong at all! His target is not Hanzhong, but the Guanzhong region.”

“Liu Chen intends to seize Guanzhong?” Sun Hui was equally horrified.

“Other than Guanzhong, I can think of no reason for Liu Chen’s actions. Zhong Hui, Deng Ai, and Zhuge Xu have brought three armies, a total of one hundred and sixty thousand men, to conquer Shu-Han. Their force is tremendous, but they have also stripped Yongzhou and Liangzhou of nearly all their troops. Guanzhong is undefended. With his tens of thousands of soldiers, Liu Chen can seize it with ease and restore Shu-Han to its former capital.”

Jiang Shu gave a bitter smile.

Putting himself in Liu Chen’s position, he would have made the same choice. With Yangping Pass in hand, Hanzhong would eventually return to Shu-Han. Guanzhong, however, was different.

If they failed to seize it now, they might never have another chance.

“If Guanzhong falls, Great Wei will have lost half its realm,” Sun Hui said, his face ashen.

“Send word to Zhong Hui at once. Tell him to abandon the main army and return immediately to Guanzhong to take charge of the situation,” Jiang Shu said in a low voice. “We must also prepare to withdraw.”

“Understood.” Sun Hui did not dare delay and hurriedly accepted the order.

Jiang Shu’s messenger rode day and night, finally catching up with Zhong Hui’s army at Jiameng Pass. Zhong Hui unfolded the secret letter, and his face turned deathly pale. The paper nearly tore in his grasp.

“How dare Liu Chen strike directly at Guanzhong?” Zhong Hui’s voice trembled with rage. “He intends to destroy my Great Wei!”

Wei Guan hurried forward. “General, if Guanzhong is lost, even if we make it back to Luoyang, neither of us will escape death!”

A vicious glint flashed through Zhong Hui’s eyes. He gritted his teeth.

“Order Pang Hui to take thirty thousand elite troops and cover the retreat. He must hold Jiang Wei back at all costs. The rest will march with me at full speed. We must reach Chang’an before Liu Chen!”

Wei Guan gave a bitter smile. Even if everything went smoothly along the way, by the time they reached Guanzhong, Chang’an would likely already have fallen into Liu Chen’s hands. There was simply not enough time.

“Send a fast rider to Luoyang. Ask the Duke of Jin to summon troops and send them to Tong Pass. Chang’an must be retaken.”

Zhong Hui quickly dispatched a messenger to urge Sima Zhao to mobilize his forces.

Du Yu strode forward and stopped Wei Guan, who was about to issue the order.

“Wait. Something about this is suspicious. If Liu Chen truly intends to seize Guanzhong, why choose this particular moment?”

Zhong Hui spun around, a cold light flashing in his eyes.

“Du Yuankai, what are you implying? Guanzhong is undefended now; this is precisely the opportunity he would want. It is only three days at most from Yangping Pass to Guanzhong.”

“General, think carefully,” Du Yu said gravely. “Shu-Han has been at war for years, and its national strength is depleted. Even if Guanzhong is undefended, can Liu Chen hold Chang’an after taking it? The Duke of Jin still has a hundred thousand troops in Luoyang and can counterattack at any time.”

Wei Guan frowned thoughtfully.

“You mean this is a feint?”

“Exactly!” Du Yu said decisively. “Liu Chen deliberately spread this rumor to throw the general into confusion. Our army is now retreating in haste, and Jiang Wei will certainly pursue us relentlessly with the Shu forces. If we make even one mistake in our haste, our army will be in grave danger!”

Cold sweat appeared on Zhong Hui’s temples, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on his riding crop.

He had intended, at the critical moment, to abandon the main force and lead a small contingent from Xicheng back to Guanzhong, where he would organize an army to resist Liu Chen’s attack and avoid blame from Sima Zhao.

Zhong Hui drew a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He looked toward Du Yu.

“Yuankai’s words are reasonable. But if Liu Chen truly attacks Guanzhong and we remain where we are, would we not simply be watching half of Great Wei fall into enemy hands?”

Du Yu cupped his hands.

“The general should first send scouts on swift horses to investigate the situation in Guanzhong. At the same time, order Pang Hui to strengthen his defenses against a surprise attack by Jiang Wei. If Liu Chen is truly in Guanzhong, we can hasten our march then.”

Wei Guan frowned. “But if we delay too long, I fear…”

“Ask the Duke of Jin to dispatch troops to reinforce Guanzhong first,” Du Yu added.

Zhong Hui looked at the hundred thousand soldiers behind him and could do nothing but let out a deep sigh before accepting Du Yu’s proposal.

At the same time, the five thousand elite troops led by Liu Chen were quietly closing in on Dasan Pass. The night was black as ink, and mountain winds howled around them. The soldiers wrapped their cloaks tightly about themselves as they struggled along the rugged mountain road.

“My lord, Dasan Pass lies ahead.” Zhuge Chong lowered his voice. “The commander, Qian Heng, is Qian Zhao’s illegitimate son. He joined Qian Hong on this campaign, but Zhong Hui stationed him at Dasan Pass to oversee his father’s provisions.”

Liu Chen narrowed his eyes as he gazed at the faint outline of the pass in the darkness.

“Then tonight, Dasan Pass shall be ours.”

Zhuge Chong nodded and led several hundred soldiers toward the foot of the pass.

“Who commands the pass? By order of the Inspector of Yongzhou, we have come to hasten the delivery of provisions!”

Zhuge Chong’s shout rang out with startling clarity through the silent night.

Above the gate tower, Qian Heng had been yawning as he made his rounds. The moment he heard the call, his spirits lifted. He had already been displeased that his elder brother, Qian Hong, had been sent to the front while he was left behind to guard the rear. Now, realizing that these men had come to demand supplies, he leaned over the wall and cursed angrily.

“Demanding provisions in the middle of the night? Do you have the proper credentials? Wait—Changmao!”

By the light of the torches, he recognized the man below as Zhuge Chong, and the anger on his face instantly melted into a smile.

“Brother Qian, open the gates and let your brothers inside to rest awhile.”

Zhuge Chong’s expression remained calm as he shouted loudly.

“Wait there!”

Qian Heng suspected nothing and hurriedly ordered the gates opened. The heavy crossbar was slowly lifted, and the wooden doors groaned harshly as they swung apart.

As the gates opened, Zhuge Chong led several hundred soldiers inside. The moment they had entered Dasan Pass, he suddenly drew his sword and shouted,

“Strike!”

He himself dashed toward Qian Heng.

The Shu soldiers behind him surged toward the gates like a rising tide. Qian Heng was utterly stunned. Before he could react, Zhuge Chong’s blade was already pointed at his throat.

“You… how dare you…” Qian Heng’s face went pale, and his voice trembled.

“Brother Qian, forgive me.” A trace of reluctance flickered in Zhuge Chong’s eyes, but the sword in his hand did not waver. He spoke evenly. “The Prince of Beidi has already taken Yangping Pass, and Zhong Hui’s hundred thousand troops are trapped in the mountains and forests of Bashu. Shu-Han is destined to rise again. Brother Qian, a wise man recognizes the tide of events.”

At the same time, Liu Chen led the main force into Guanzhong. The defenders were caught completely off guard and were soon brought under control. In less than half an hour, Dasan Pass had fallen into the hands of the Shu army.

Standing atop the city tower, Liu Chen gazed at the towering mountains in the distance.

“Changmao, take the cavalry and ride to Chencang. Kill any stragglers heading there. I will follow shortly.”

“Yes, my lord!”

Zhuge Chong did not dare delay. He quickly gathered his personal guards, seized the horses within the pass, and galloped toward Chencang.