“Can a strategist not ascend the throne?”
Chapter 240: Inviting You to the Feast
But the retreat from Longting towards Chenggu was bound to be costly.
From the heavy crossbows on the city walls of Longting, bolts rained down upon the retreating troops, catching countless officers who had been hastily marching alongside Zhang Lu completely unprepared.
Only once they made it a thousand paces away from the city wall did the troop finally manage to form a semblance of a defensive line. As instructed by Zhang Lu, they set up a barrier of bow and arrows to obstruct the pursuing enemy.
However, as they traversed between Longting and Chenggu, an enemy force suddenly surged down from the northern hillside, charging straight at their rear!
The commander leading the charge was the picture of gallantry, a true tiger among warriors.
By the time Zhang Lu realized that the commander on the silver horse wielding a silver spear was no ordinary opponent, the enemy cavalry had already sliced through their ranks.
Even though Zhang Lu had initially believed his side had the upper hand in cavalry, this surprise attack left him with no chance to show off that advantage.
It seemed the enemy understood that catching them off guard was their best bet.
With six to seven hundred riders being encircled by a force nearly ten times their size, even the bravest general would find it tough to retreat unscathed.
After disrupting their formation, the enemy quickly turned back towards the rear troops to strike.
The front cavalry might have been able to engage the invaders, but the archers and shield soldiers at the back had absolutely no chance!
Especially not while they were trying to retreat!
Zhang Lu’s elite cavalry barely had time to pursue the enemy before their commander had decisively led his men in retreat, flowing like the wind towards the eastern Longting.
The disarrayed remnants of Zhang Lu’s rear force were utterly incapable of mounting any effective block, and soon the enemy vanished from sight.
“Damn it!” Zhang Lu cursed, looking back at the casualties caused by the sudden onslaught, feeling irritated.
The previous volley of crossbow bolts and this enemy attack had already cost his forces nearly a third of their numbers.
Zhang Xiu, who had been accompanying him, understood that in light of the situation, mocking him was not the way to go; instead, they ought to stabilize their footing and drive that formidable foe away. So, he kept silent.
As the instigator of this reinforcement to Longting, Zhang Lu also had to bear the blame for leading his troops into such a dire predicament.
In the midst of this frustration and loss, Zhang Lu paid no mind to the “Young Man from Badong” who had come to deliver a message; he was already missing from their ranks.
He simply assumed the guy had drawn the short straw in the casualties.
But in truth, that individual had returned to his original group during Zhao Yun’s earlier chaos.
This young man, after delivering the message, was still buzzing with excitement.
“General Zhao, Lord and Strategist Xun’s plan was simply divine. At this point, we’ve lost less than a hundred men, but Zhang Lu’s forces have taken nearly two thousand losses!”
Earlier, while traversing through Luogu Road to reach Hanzhong, this young man from Badong had been talking about the legends of Liu Xiu in Mangling with Qiao Yan and Xun You, and he had witnessed the drama of a viper willingly jumping into a hot pot.
For the somewhat superstitious people of Bashu, this was more than what the other soldiers considered a good omen; it was as if they were being aided by the gods!
Driven by this thought, when he heard that Qiao Yan wanted him to deliver a letter to Zhang Lu, he readily agreed.
Yang Ang, the garrison commander of Longting County, who respected Zhang Lu’s orders, kept a keen eye on movements from the Ziwudao direction—essentially east of Longting. Little did he expect that the enemy would silently appear at Chenggu without directly charging towards Nanzheng, but instead making their way to Longting.
The troops coming from the west of Longting had swiftly seized the city under the cover of night, sparking a plan to lure Zhang Lu into a trap.
Yang Ang met his demise during the siege, preventing Qiao Yan from making any attempt to recruit him, which was somewhat regrettable.
Yet, considering that he was Zhang Lu’s confidant and shared the faith of the Taishi Path, it’s likely she wouldn’t have been able to recruit him anyway, hence it didn’t derail her strategy.
After interrogating the captured bodyguards of Yang Ang and reviewing correspondences within the city, Qiao Yan imitated Yang Ang’s handwriting to draft a letter calling for aid.
Since she still had some unused skill points left, she utilized her skills to replicate the letter multiple times before applying her bonus.
To prevent any detectable flaws in this impersonation, she obscured certain parts.
Moreover, while Yang Ang may have been loyal to Zhang Lu, not every centurion and sergeant within the city was indifferent to the arrival of the Wang Shi, thus some of the Longting garrison insignia found their way to Qiao Yan’s hands.
This was what Zhang Lu encountered last.
Every detail Zhang Lu saw only deepened his impression that the message he received was genuine.
The messenger was a local from Bashu, and he had let slip a few words in a dialect while in a state of urgency.
The letter bore Yang Ang’s handwriting, accompanied by the garrison insignia.
The situation described was indeed something that could happen at that moment in Hanzhong.
How could he suspect that this letter had actually been forged by Qiao Yan, the commander of the Guanzhong Army?
Moreover, his opponent had planned to ensure that the messenger from Bashu wouldn’t turn against him by promising support.
But in reality, the smooth progress of the Guanzhong Army along Luogu Road, the divine omen of the viper hopping into the pot, Qiao Yan’s successes and her position, along with everything this messenger had observed in Chang’an, assured that there wouldn’t be a wrong choice made in this confrontation.
Even without that assurance, Qiao Yan would have sent Zhao Yun to cut through Zhang Lu’s forces, targeting those archers!
Breaking Zhang Lu’s ranged assault unit would make it even more challenging for him to mount an effective counterattack during the next strike.
Her forces brought to Hanzhong couldn’t be classified as a “large army”; every single person carried great value.
Only by inflicting such casualties could Liu Yan, the host of Yizhou, truly feel the fear!
Oblivious to the blind spot in his understanding, Zhang Lu hadn’t realized that he was the “chicken” in the “killing the chicken to warn the monkey” scenario.
As he caught sight of the Chenggu city walls and the signaling flags, he sighed with relief.
As the city gates slowly opened at his command amidst the night, with shouts of “Please let the commander enter the city,” he recalled having seen Lady Lu’s silhouette on the walls when they passed Chenggu. Zhang Lu’s guard was at an all-time low.
After the front lines entered the city, Zhang Lu swiftly followed suit.
However, just as the main forces were entering, a sudden gong sounded from atop the walls.
At the streets leading into the city and the rear walls, more than a hundred arrows flew out following the command!
Zhang Lu’s soldiers believed they were entering a safe zone where they could rest, eager to settle down in the city.
But instead of food and beds, what awaited them was a thunderous strike.
Zhang Lu stood stunned, unable to comprehend.
Amid the chaos of arrows raining down, he heard his soldiers falling one by one; even torches were hurled from the walls, landing beneath the hooves of the cavalry, inciting further disorder.
If the enemy had chosen to strike after they’d all entered, perhaps they could have fought for their lives within the city given their numbers.
But the assault began the instant half of their troop was inside.
The last time they’d been cut down the middle had been by Zhao Yun’s cavalry.
Now, the cutting of their ranks came from the city gates of Chenggu.
The defenders on the upper walls, high above, completed the shift of enemy and ally, their impact increased tenfold due to the cover of night and the scarcity of archers on Zhang Lu’s side.
Zhang Lu couldn’t understand why, in such a short period, he hadn’t just lost Longting, but both Longting and Chenggu.
Unfortunately, amidst the turmoil of his troops and the enemy’s relentless pursuit, he had no time to ponder this question.
He was also unable to consider that the brothers and mother he had here in the city were in grave danger…
“What kind of situation is this, really?”
Clearly, he couldn’t just kick the guards out of the city; escaping this den of dragons and tigers was his best bet.
Thank goodness he wasn’t at the front of the line when the attack started; he hadn’t foolishly ventured too deeply into the city.
Even better, his loyal followers still believed in the Taishi Path, determined to escort their master out of the city at all costs, and miraculously, they carved a bloody path out.
As he bolted out of the city with an arrow in his side, he heard the city guards bellowing, “The Son of Heaven has commanded the Grand Marshal of Bingzhou and the Grand General of Yizhou to hunt in Hanzhong, eradicate the rice thief Zhang Lu!”
Before the shout faded, the sounds of battle erupted again within the city.
When Zhang Lu glanced back at his remnants, he saw a group charging out after him, looking dead set on cutting off his escape!
With no time to worry about his men, he yanked the reins and galloped as fast as his horse could take him towards Nanzheng in the west.
But amidst his frenzied ride, he couldn’t help but mumble about the guards’ shouting.
The implications in that statement were simply overwhelming.
So the governor of Bingzhou had jumped from cavalry general to Grand Marshal; what was this nonsense about—
“The Grand Marshal and the Grand General hunting in Hanzhong to eliminate me, Zhang Lu?”
That casual tone sent shivers down Zhang Lu’s spine.
While he had some knack for politics, he couldn’t discern in such a brief moment what Qiao Yan’s intentions were for putting Liu Yan above him, nor could he understand why he had been made a target after being treated like a bullseye in Wudu County.
You can’t just pick the soft targets like that!
At that moment, he vaguely sensed that this chain reaction of assassination attempts wouldn’t have escalated to this level without Liu Yan’s backing and support!
His thoughts were no different from those of his subordinates.
By the time dawn broke, they were free of their pursuers.
But after enduring such suffering, when they exchanged glances, it was hard not to see the mixture of rage and despair on each other’s faces.
Even those who successfully broke out of Chengu County were mostly wounded.
As Zhang Lu scanned the area, he realized that Zhang Xiu, who had been in their ranks, was nowhere to be found. After asking his men, he discovered Zhang Xiu had actually been outside the city when they entered the night before.
Logically, that would have been the easiest spot for an escape, but he hadn’t been able to avoid the arrow fired from the city wall.
That arrow had taken Zhang Xiu’s life on the spot.
For losing this rival from the Taishi Path, Zhang Lu had mixed feelings.
But he knew this could be a blessing in disguise.
With Zhang Xiu dead, Zhang Lu could seize his power and unify the soldiers from Nanzheng and Mianyang under his command. This was undoubtedly more advantageous than splitting them into two camps, especially against the incoming enemy.
With this thought, Zhang Lu hastily tended to his wounds and set off back to Nanzheng.
His original idea in rushing to Longting was to gather supplies, but he never imagined he’d end up in this relentless chaos; during his escape, those supply carts also got left behind, and by the time he reached the gates of Nanzheng, he was absolutely ravenous.
Since taking over the Taishi Path, when had Zhang Lu ever found himself in such a miserable situation? Looking back at the meager force he had originally brought towards Longting, now barely a few hundred remained, and he couldn’t help but feel bitter.
Luckily, the defending troops on Nanzheng’s walls looked just as he remembered when he left, all familiar faces—no enemy replacements.
He was welcomed into the city and finally got to have a mouthful of hot food.
But before the bowls and chopsticks were even removed from the table, he received some gut-wrenching news.
No, scratch that, it was two pieces of news.
First, additional troops were being sent from Wudu County towards Mianyang.
Second, between the rice warehouse mountains south of Nanzheng, a troop was getting closer.
Zhang Lu jumped up in alarm.
His subordinate reported that the approaching unit from Rice Warehouse Mountain was sporting the garb of the Yizhou army.
And don’t even mention it! After Qiao Yan captured Chengu and Longting, they must have taken plenty of Yizhou military clothes.
Those people couldn’t possibly have been prepped by Qiao Yan over there.
Because of the hunting chatter, Zhang Lu suspected at first glance that this was likely Liu Yan’s attack force coming for him.
To the west of Mianyang was Wudu County with Xu Shu’s troops, to the east were Chengu and Longting led by Qiao Yan from Chang’an, north was the Qinling Mountains, which horizontally separated the region, and to the south was that ruthless extermination team sent out by Liu Yan.
With danger closing in from all sides, Zhang Lu felt the comfort of Nanzheng County quickly fading.
Even if he managed to hold this place for now, he’d just be boxed in.
So this city couldn’t be held!
He had to find another way out!
What’s a place he could take refuge for now, hold some position of power, and not be overly reliant on Liu Yan’s support?
In that flash of insight, an answer popped into his mind.
The Guanhan Dependency!
That was a county in the northwestern corner of Yizhou, linked to Wudu County via Yinping Road. It was actually the route Zhang Lu had taken when he first entered Wudu County.
To get there, all he had to do was withdraw southwest before those troops from Xu Shu coming from the west and Liu Yan coming from the south united in Nanzheng.
The reason he thought it wouldn’t rely too much on Liu Yan’s support was because the terrain in the Guanhan Dependency was quite harsh, and Yinping Road had the infamous reputation of “mountains that scrape the clouds, even the dark cranes are timid to fly.”
When he was spreading the Taishi Path in Wudu County, he’d let some of the repentant choose to toil on the road’s construction as part of their penance, which inadvertently helped him establish a connection with the people of the Guanhan Dependency. Now, it also turned out to be his top choice for refuge.
Zhang Lu, for the moment, didn’t know if this was a blessing or a curse for him, but he decisively made up his mind—
Remove the garrison from Nanzheng and Mianyang and head off to the Guanhan Dependency!
He definitely couldn’t remain here and be a sitting duck!
But what he didn’t see was that soon after his getaway, Yao Chang, coming from Rice Warehouse Mountain, took over Nanzheng and Mianyang with her Qiang troops, uniting with Xu Shu’s forces and then sent military reports to Qiao Yan who was still in Longting.
“Looks like Zhang Lu’s luck is still holding strong,” Qiao Yan remarked.
Throughout all these attacks, she hadn’t intentionally gone easy on Zhang Lu, and had followed the normal three-wave ambush plan.
Even if such a religious company might wish to protect their leader, battles are full of surprises; there’s no guarantee Zhang Lu wouldn’t be taken out by a stray arrow.
While her original intention was to push Zhang Lu towards the Guanhan Dependency, hearing that the goal had been achieved, Qiao Yan couldn’t help but smile.
She wanted to scatter the Taishi Path’s influence in Hanzhong, not root it out completely.
If Zhang Lu died, she’d have to consider promoting Lady Lu to take over as the new leader of the Taishi Path.
Now, this situation saved her a lot of trouble.
Good luck…
Good luck to witness the coming performances!
She instructed Zhao Yun, “Send someone to deliver the news; it’s time to inform Liu Yan about this hunt.”
This order was relayed by Zhao Yun to Chu Yan stationed between Rice Warehouse Mountain and Daba Mountain, and from there, it was delivered south to Chengdu with the imperial decree.
When this decree landed in front of Liu Yan, he almost thought he had misheard.
He assumed it was going to require him to surrender to the capital, but unexpectedly, it was about hunting in Hanzhong with the newly appointed Grand Marshal Qiao Yan.
The messenger neatly folded the decree and added, “When my lord passed through Hanzhong, he efficiently took all four counties—Mianyang, Nanzheng, Chengu, and Longting. Zhang Xiu has been captured, Zhang Lu has fled; if the Grand General hurries, he can probably—”
He cast a meaningful glance at Liu Yan, reading out the lines Qiao Yan had prepared for him.
“Probably still make it in time for a celebratory feast.”
