Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1258 Showing Weakness to the Enemy: Lei Tong Falls into the Trap

The garrisons of Luocheng and Chengdu stood ready, keeping a close watch on the movements in the direction of Mianzhu Pass day and night. However, ten days passed, and the overwhelming Xiliang army still hadn't arrived. Lei Tong couldn't contain his anxiety and sent out several scouts in succession, but the news they brought back only made him more worried—the Xiliang army was not in a hurry to advance. Instead, they divided their forces to attack various cities in Guangyang County. Now, except for Luocheng, which was still being defended by the main army, all the other county towns had fallen.

That day, scouts reported that two counties in the northeast of Guangyang Commandery were under fierce attack by the Xiliang army, and the defending soldiers were on the verge of collapse. After discussing with Xu Jing, Lei Tong dispatched Zhang Yi and Ma Zhong, each leading 6,000 troops, to provide reinforcements. When Zhang Yi led his army to Dongxian, he encountered Pang De's iron cavalry arrayed beneath the city walls, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Although the men of Sichuan fought bravely, they were no match for the Xiliang cavalry's charge. Zhang Yi led from the front, managing to hold off the enemy outside the city and save the county. Meanwhile, in Xixian, Ma Zhong encountered Zhang Xiu's Black Mountain army, and after a fierce battle, he also managed to defend the city.

But as soon as the reinforcements returned to Luocheng, the two counties were besieged again by the Xiliang army and fell in less than three days. Lei Tong stood on the city wall, looking at the smoke rising in the distance, feeling powerless—they were fighting a futile tug-of-war, holding onto one city but unable to stop the enemy from devouring the entire Guangyang Prefecture.

What's even more perplexing is the attitude of the Xiliang army towards the people. After capturing the county town, they neither massacred nor looted. Instead, they opened the granaries, took some grain as military pay, and distributed the rest to the people. The people of Guangyang County had benefited from the kindness of Liu Yan and his son Liu Zhang for generations. Although they had not experienced war for a long time, they had a deep-rooted sense of belonging to the Liu family. Faced with the Xiliang army's "preferential treatment," they merely accepted the grain with trepidation, retreated to their houses, and remained indoors, their eyes showing no gratitude, only indifference.

In the Xiliang army camp at Mianzhu Pass, Jia Xu frowned as he looked at the report brought back by his scouts. Pang De said gruffly, "These people are so stubborn. We offer them grain as a gesture of goodwill, but they act like they've seen wolves! In my opinion, we should be tougher and see if they'll surrender!"

Zhang Xiu shook his head: "Forcing our way in will only incite a popular uprising. Our food supplies are already tight, and if the people resist, it will only make things more complicated."

Jia Xu sighed: "It's not that we are unwilling to fight a quick battle, but that our supplies are running out. From Hanzhong to Yizhou, it's a long journey of thousands of miles, and the grain transport teams have been repeatedly harassed by mountain bandits. Now, the army's food reserves are only enough to last for a month. If we don't first stabilize Guangyang County and take over the granaries, I'm afraid the army will run out of food before we even reach Chengdu."

Just then, Yang Ren rushed into the tent: "Strategist, urgent report from Bazhou County! General Yan Yan is still holding off General Wei Yan at Jiange, while Pang Xi is personally leading elite troops and is heading towards Jiangyou City! General Gao Shun requests reinforcements!"

The generals inside the tent paled. Zhang Ren said, "Pang Xi is a veteran general of Bazhou, and his troops are elite and skilled in battle. If Jiangyou City falls, our army's retreat will be cut off!"

Jia Xu traced his finger across the map and said in a deep voice, "It seems Yan Yan deliberately allowed Pang Xi to seize Jiangyou, hoping to force our army to return to reinforce it. General Pang De, you must immediately lead 5,000 cavalry to reinforce Jiangyou and hold the city's defenses! General Zhang Xiu, continue to conquer the remaining counties of Guangyang County and replenish your supplies as soon as possible! General Zhang Ren, you will stay with me in Mianzhu and keep an eye on Lei Tong in Luocheng to prevent him from launching a counterattack!"

With the assignments finalized, Pang De immediately mustered his troops and set off. Jia Xu gazed at the sunlight outside his tent, knowing full well that the battle had shifted from a swift and decisive affair to a protracted stalemate. They had to contend with Luocheng and Chengdu ahead, guard against the troops from Bazhou in the rear, and appease the people of Guangyang County; every step was fraught with peril.

Meanwhile, Lei Tong of Luocheng also noticed the predicament of the Xiliang army. Xu Jing said, "They have divided their troops into two groups and are short of supplies, which is our opportunity. Why don't we send someone to Bazhou County to contact Yan Yan and Pang Xi and agree to launch a simultaneous attack from both sides? Perhaps we can break the deadlock in one fell swoop."

Lei Tong nodded, immediately wrote a secret letter, and sent assassins to sneak out of Luocheng and head towards Bazhou County. The wind on the city wall was still biting, but this time, there was a glimmer of hope in Lei Tong's eyes. This stalemate might be about to reach a turning point.

Lei Tong's assassins had barely infiltrated the territory of Mianzhu Pass when they were intercepted by the sentries laid down by Jia Xu. The secret letter was quickly delivered to the central command tent. Jia Xu unfolded the letter, exchanged a glance with Fa Zheng beside him, and a smile flashed in both of their eyes at the same time.

“Lei Tong is indeed impatient.” Fa Zheng stroked his beard, his fingertip pointing to the words “ambush” on the letter. “He wants to join forces with Yan Yan and Pang Xi to cut off my retreat, but he’s too naive.”

Jia Xu held the letter close to the candlelight, watching the flame lick the paper, and slowly said, "I was just worried about not finding an opportunity to lure him out, but he delivered himself to my door. Order Gao Shun to immediately reduce the defenses of Jiangyou City, halve the number of soldiers on the city walls, and remove most of the flags, so that it looks to outsiders that it is about to collapse."

“If Gao Shun shows weakness, Lei Tong will definitely become suspicious,” Fa Zheng added. “It would be better to have Pang De suffer a few more ‘defeats’ on the outskirts of Guanghan County, and deliberately let a few Shu soldiers escape back to report that Jiangyou is running out of food and Gao Shun is about to be unable to hold out, and our army urgently needs to reinforce Jiangyou.”

Jia Xu nodded: "Let's follow this plan. Also, let the garrison at Mianzhu Pass also shrink their defenses, leaving only a small number of troops to patrol in front of the pass, creating the illusion that the main force has been transferred to support Jiangyou."

Within three days, the Shu soldiers who had fled back to Luocheng indeed brought back news of an emergency at Jiangyou, embellishing the story with exaggerated details of how the Xiliang army was frantically mobilizing troops and how Gao Shun was in a state of utter panic. Lei Tong summoned his generals for a meeting, and Xu Jing stroked his beard in deep thought: "If the Xiliang army really sends its main force back to reinforce Jiangyou, Mianzhu Pass will be vulnerable. But could this be a trap to lure the enemy?"

Zhang Yi replied, "General Yan Yan is holding Wei Yan back at Jiange, and Pang Xi is attacking Jiangyou. The Xiliang army's rear is under threat, so it's perfectly reasonable for them to call in reinforcements. They're already short of supplies; if their retreat is cut off, they'll be doomed. How could they not be anxious?"

Lei Tong gazed outside the tent, his doubts gradually replaced by a sliver of hope. His scouts reported that the patrols at Mianzhu Pass were indeed reduced by more than half, the city walls were sparsely defended, and even many flags had been removed. "It seems it's true!" he slammed his hand on the table. "They must be afraid of being cut off from their rear, so they've concentrated their forces to defend Mianzhu Pass, trying to secure their retreat!"

To test the waters, Lei Tong sent a small team of a thousand men to launch a feigned attack on the east side of Mianzhu Pass. Unexpectedly, they were forced back by a hail of arrows as soon as they reached the pass. Although the Xiliang army had the advantage, they did not pursue, but simply kept the gates tightly shut.

"They're definitely feeling guilty!" Lei Tong's eyes blazed with fighting spirit. "They're afraid we'll take the opportunity to seize the pass and cut off their way back to Mianzhu!"

Xu Jing was still uneasy: "General, the Xiliang army has always been fierce and brave, but today they are retreating like this. I'm afraid..."

“The strategist is overthinking it,” Lei Tong interrupted him. “They have fought all the way from Hanzhong and are already exhausted. They are also tied down by Bazhou County. How can they have the strength to continue fighting? If we do not take advantage of this opportunity to recapture a few cities, Luocheng will be in even greater danger once they stabilize Jiangyou and come to their senses!”

He immediately ordered: "Zhang Yi will lead 5,000 troops to reinforce Dong County; Ma Zhong will lead 5,000 men to reinforce Guangnan County! We must hold these two places and cut off their arm in attacking Guangyang County!"

The generals obeyed and departed. Lei Tong stood on the city wall, watching the direction the troops had gone, and felt the frustration in his chest dissipate considerably. Little did he know that in the central command tent at Mianzhu Pass, Jia Xu was sneering at the map: "The fish is finally about to take the bait."

Fa Zheng said from the side, "Lei Tong has divided his forces, leaving Luocheng vulnerable. If we send an elite force to launch a surprise attack now..."

"No rush." ​​Jia Xu waved his hand. "Let him taste some success first, and then we'll catch him in one fell swoop once he's spread his troops out further."

The wind outside the tent whipped up sand and dust, obscuring the outline of Mianzhu Pass. Meanwhile, Lei Tong of Luocheng was still immersed in the excitement of "discovering the enemy's predicament," completely unaware that an even larger net had quietly been cast upon him.

Lei Tong led his army forward for days, and as expected, the Xiliang army retreated step by step wherever they went. The towns and villages that had been occupied were recaptured one after another, greatly boosting the morale of the soldiers. He reined in his horse on a high slope, looking at the disciplined troops behind him, and said to Xu Jing beside him, "You see, I told you the Xiliang army was at its last gasp. For days they've fled at the mere sight of us, offering no real resistance. Clearly, they have no will to fight and only want to retreat towards Mianzhu Pass."

Xu Jing stroked his beard, but his brow remained furrowed: "General, this matter is strange. The Xiliang army has always been fierce and brave, especially the troops under Pang De and Zhang Xiu. When did they become so cowardly? They retreated all the way in such a consistent direction. Could it be that they are intentionally leading our army to Mianzhu Pass?"

"Sir, you are overthinking it." Lei Tong waved his hand, his tone tinged with smugness. "They must have heard that our lord has already deployed a large force to garrison Chengdu, and they know that the situation is hopeless. Moreover, Jiangyou City is besieged by the army of Bazhou. If they cannot hold Jiangyou City, then Guanghan County will be the burial ground for their Xiliang army. Bazhou County has locked down Jiangyou, and when Chengdu and Luocheng join forces, no matter how fierce their Xiliang army is, they will be like turtles in a jar. Mianzhu Pass is strategically important. They want to defend it, but they don't know that our army is at its peak. We can take this pass in one fell swoop and cut off their retreat!"

The subordinate generals beside him echoed his sentiments, all saying that the Xiliang army was already like frightened birds, and if they didn't press their advantage now, when would they? Although Xu Jing still had doubts, seeing the generals' high spirits, he didn't want to dampen their enthusiasm, so he could only instruct them: "If we really want to advance on Mianzhu Pass, we still need to send troops to scout ahead and be wary of ambushes."

Although Lei Tong replied with "I understand," he didn't take it seriously. He led his army to continue advancing, and as expected, they encountered no more tough battles along the way. The Xiliang army retreated more and more hastily, sometimes even leaving behind some food and weapons, which made Lei Tong even more convinced that the enemy was completely routed.

Several days later, the army arrived at Mianzhu Pass. The pass was indeed treacherous, with steep cliffs on both sides and a narrow pass in the middle. The banners of the Xiliang army fluttered on the gate tower, but there were not many guards, making it seem somewhat deserted.

"Look, they can't even muster enough troops to guard the pass," Lei Tong said to Xu Jing with a smile, pointing to the gate tower. "Pass down the order: we must take Mianzhu Pass today!"

On the city wall of Mianzhu Pass, Zhang Ren stood with his hand on his sword, his armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Below the pass, Lei Tong reined in his horse before the enemy lines, gazing at the familiar face on the city wall, and couldn't help but sneer: "Zhang Ren, you were once a famous general of Shu, yet you willingly serve as a lackey of the Xiliang army. Do you deserve this land of Shu?"

Zhang Ren frowned slightly, his voice coming from across the pass, carrying a hint of coldness: "General Lei, why say so much? A wise bird chooses its tree to perch on. Liu Zhang is incompetent, and Yizhou should have changed hands long ago. If you know what's good for you, retreat your troops quickly, and you may still save your life."

"Bullshit!" Lei Tong roared, pointing his spear straight at the city wall. "My lord is kind and generous, and the people of Yizhou live in peace and prosperity. Who are you, a traitor, to have the audacity to interfere? Today I will break through this barrier, capture you, and take you back to Chengdu, so that the people can see the fate of a traitor!"

Zhang Ren's face darkened, and he waved his hand, shouting, "Release the arrows!"