The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Chapter 305: Westward Journey to Wuguan (Part 2)

Chapter 305: Westward Journey to Wuguan (Part 2)

Chen Hui left the city, tidied his clothes, and walked towards Xiang Liang's army camp.

"Stop! Who are you coming?" the soldier at the gate of the garrison camp shouted loudly.

"I am Chen Hui, the servant of the county magistrate Lu Qi, and I have come here specifically to ask to see Xiang Gong." Chen Hui answered neither humbly nor arrogantly.

The soldiers looked at each other, then sent someone to report. A moment later, Xiang Zhuang came out.

"Chen Hui? What are you doing here?" Xiang Zhuang asked.

"I'm here to negotiate with Mr. Xiang on behalf of the county magistrate, Lord Lu Qi," said Chen Hui.

"Oh? Negotiate?" Xiang Zhuang sneered. "You've already been defeated. What's there to discuss?"

"General, you are wrong," Chen Hui said. "Although our army is currently at a disadvantage, it does not mean we have no chance. If our army fights to the death, your army will also suffer countless casualties. So why not discuss this matter?"

Xiang Zhuang looked at Chen Hui and couldn't help but feel a little surprised. This man could remain so calm in such a critical situation.

"Okay, I'll take you to see the general." said the general.

Chen Hui followed the general into Xiang Liang's tent.

"Are you Chen Hui?" Xiang Liang sat in the middle of the tent and asked Chen Hui.

"It's you." Chen Hui bowed and saluted.

"What are you doing here?" Xiang Liang asked.

"I'm here to negotiate with the general on behalf of Duke Lü Qi," Chen Hui said. "We hope to reach a settlement with the general to avoid further casualties."

"Reconciliation?" Xiang Liang sneered, "You are no longer qualified to discuss reconciliation with me."

Chen Hui showed no fear. He calmly clasped his fists and saluted Xiang Liang, saying loudly, "Your Majesty, please allow me to report. My lord originally wanted to hold on to Wancheng, but your army is too powerful, and we are truly unable to continue the resistance. However, Wancheng is a strategic military location with a large population and abundant wealth. If you, General, can show mercy and accept my lord's surrender, you will surely gain the manpower and material support of Wancheng. Doing so will not only demonstrate your reputation for benevolence, but also gain the support of others once word of this spreads!"

After hearing this, Xiang Liang's heart moved. He turned to look at the counselor Fan Zeng beside him, as if waiting for his opinion.

Fan Zeng nodded slightly, then lowered his voice and said, "That does make some sense! This approach will not only reduce our casualties, but also leverage the power of Wancheng to enhance our own capabilities. It's truly a win-win strategy!"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Liang burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Excellent, excellent! If Lü Qi truly wishes to surrender to me, I can guarantee that I will not harm any innocent civilians in the city, and I will grant him an official position commensurate with his abilities."

"Okay, on behalf of Duke Lu Qi, I agree to Mr. Xiang's conditions." Chen Hui said.

"Very good." Xiang Liang nodded. "Go back and tell Lü Qi to surrender as soon as possible."

"Yes, I will go back and report to the Duke of County." Chen Hui said.

Chen Hui walked out of Xiang Liang's tent, feeling relieved. He knew he had successfully completed his mission.

So Chen Hui took the order and returned to Wancheng, and conveyed Xiang Liang's conditions and sincerity to Lu Qi.

Lu Qi weighed the pros and cons and finally made up his mind to open the city gates and lead the soldiers and civilians out of the city to surrender.

When Xiang Liang saw the gates of Wancheng were wide open, he was overjoyed and immediately led his troops into the city.

After entering the city, the first thing he did was to comfort the frightened people in the city. At the same time, he began to reorganize the army in the city and integrate it into his own army.

After this battle, Xiang Liang's name became well-known and spread far and wide.

After successfully merging the soldiers of Wancheng, the army led by Xiang Liang's morale was greatly boosted and continued to march westward.

Just as Chen Hui had predicted before, since accepting Lu Qi's surrender, Xiang Liang's army was unstoppable along the way, and wherever they passed, people all came to join them.

When Xiang Liang led his troops to Danshui, local people spontaneously poured into the streets to welcome them, holding their own carefully brewed rice wine.

The rich aroma of wine filled the air, as if adding an intoxicating fragrance to this victory.

At this time, Qi Wei, Marquis of Gaowu, and Wang Ling, Marquis of Xiang, who were far south of the Dan River, also expressed their submission to Xiang Liang in Xiling.

This undoubtedly further expanded Xiang Liang's sphere of influence and made his prestige even greater than before.

Afterwards, Xiang Liang decisively gave orders, turning his troops back and heading east, aiming directly at Huyang.

During the march, Xiang Liang's troops unexpectedly met Wu Rui's general Mei Xuan.

The two sides hit it off and decided to join forces to launch a joint operation. With their close cooperation, Xi County and Li County quickly surrendered.

At this point, the only solid barrier left on the road to Guanzhong before Xiang Liang was Wugu Pass.

Now, the main forces of Qin were firmly tied down in Jiyuan and Xiaoguan areas, and had no time to take care of the defense of Wuguan.

Therefore, at this moment, the defenders of Wuguan seemed extremely weak and their defense was extremely fragile.

On Xiang Liang's side, as he continued to fight, the number of troops under his command continued to increase. Through a series of fierce battles, their number had rapidly grown to 50,000.

It can be said that they have strong soldiers and horses and sufficient food and grass.

Xiang Liang looked at the tall walls of Wuguan, frowned, and was in a dilemma for a moment.

Just as they were at a loss of what to do, Fan Zeng stepped forward and said, "Brother Xiang, although Wuguan Pass seems difficult to break through, the defenses are weak. We can send a large force to feign an attack on the city to draw out their full defense. Then, our elite troops can circle around to the side of the mountain, where the defenses are less severe. We can then find an opportunity to climb up and storm the city."

When Xiang Liang heard this, his eyes lit up and he said, "Brother Fan, this is a brilliant plan! Let's do as you say."

Afterwards, Xiang Liang arranged for Xiang Zhuang and Xiang Tuo to take charge.

Xiang Liang said to Xiang Tuo, "Xiang Tuo, this feint attack is now yours. You must lead this group of soldiers and feign a powerful attack to attract the defenders' attention."

Xiang Tuo bowed and said, "I will obey your command!"

Then, Xiang Tuo and Lu Chen led a large army to challenge the enemy at the foot of the city.

"Listen up, defenders of Wuguan! We are the Xiang army, and we will capture your city today!"

Seeing this, the Wuguan defenders quickly concentrated their forces to defend the city walls. They nervously watched the enemy troops below and continuously fired arrows.

At the same time, Xiang Liang arranged for Xiang Zhuang to lead the elite troops to quietly bypass the side of the mountain wall.

That night, Xiang Zhuang led his soldiers forward cautiously under the cover of darkness, trying not to make any noise to avoid being discovered by the enemy.

When Xiang Zhuang led his men to the foot of the mountain wall, they found that the defense was indeed lax, with only a few sentries.

Xiang Zhuang whispered to the soldiers around him, "Be quiet. Don't alert the enemy."

The soldiers nodded and quietly approached the sentry post.

The guards on the sentry post were dozing off and had no idea that danger was approaching.

Xiang Zhuang's soldiers acted quickly and easily took care of the sentry.

Then, the soldiers climbed up the mountain wall with difficulty.

The mountain wall was so steep that everyone could only use their hands and feet to climb up step by step.

When Xiang Zhuang and his men finally climbed up the city wall, the soldiers guarding the city finally reacted and were horrified.

"Not good! There are enemies!"

Xiang Zhuang's soldiers rushed towards the defenders in the city with shouts. Under the pincer attack from both sides, the defenders of Wuguan were in chaos.

Soon, Xiang Liang successfully captured Wuguan, and the gate to Guanzhong was wide open.

After entering Wuguan, Xiang Liang did not allow his soldiers to plunder, but instead enforced strict military discipline.

When the news spread, everyone was shocked. Xiang Liang reorganized his troops and prepared to march straight to Xianyang.