Three Kingdoms: I rely on system loopholes to survive

In Chengdu, Yizhou, Liu Zhang, upon hearing of the mobilization of troops from Jiaozhou, hastily summoned his ministers for a consultation. Zhang Su, also aware of the gravity of the situation and knowing that he bore the responsibility for the envoy's death, could only step forward first to offer his advice when meeting Liu Zhang's gaze. He said, "My lord, Liu Bei is ambitious and is feigning an alliance to seize Yizhou. You should quickly defend the passes and keep the enemy at bay. Jianmeng and Jiameng are both natural fortresses. If we lead our troops to defend these two places, I believe Liu Bei will not be able to advance."

Liu Zhang nodded slightly, unusually not looking weary: "I will follow Junjiao's suggestion. However, I have many misunderstandings with Lord Xuande. Junjiao should think of another way. If we can clarify the reasons and re-establish the alliance, that would be the best course of action."

Zhang Su frowned inwardly, thinking that things had already escalated to this point, and no matter how benevolent Liu Bei was, the two sides couldn't possibly avoid fighting... Thinking this, and considering Liu Zhang's temperament, he feared that if they lost this battle, he might be pushed out as the scapegoat. So, he suddenly had the idea of ​​voluntarily surrendering to Liu Bei.

However, he was ultimately swayed by a sense of luck, thinking that if he defended himself closely, he might not necessarily suffer a crushing defeat. Besides, he couldn't bear to give up his position and wealth under Liu Zhang, so he could only bite the bullet and say, "Don't worry, my lord, Su is in charge of the mansion. He will not allow Liu Bei to find out the slightest thing!"

Liu Zhang showed some dissatisfaction, but did not say much, only saying, "Then this matter will be left to you, and everyone should just follow your instructions."

He then dismissed everyone and slowly returned to the inner room to take his medicine, supported by his maid's arm. He then sat on the couch, leaning against a table to rest.

Zhang Su was adept at reading Liu Zhang's emotions. He immediately knew that Liu Zhang harbored resentment towards him. With a gloomy face, he looked around at everyone in the hall. He thought that if it weren't for those clans opposing him and stirring up trouble, how could news of Du Heng's death have spread out of Chengdu so quickly?

He harbored deep resentment. Now that he had the power to command, and knowing that if Liu Bei had an inside accomplice, there would be endless trouble, he used the pretext of "rectifying military discipline and guarding against spies" to carry out a large-scale purge of the prefectures and counties. The first to be targeted were "suspicious" people such as Fa Zheng and Zhang Song.

Fa Zheng was astute and feigned illness to stay at home; Zhang Song was strong-willed and unwilling to be humiliated, and argued with Zhang Su in court several times, almost getting himself imprisoned.

For a time, the atmosphere was tense, and surprisingly, the prefecture was calmed down. No one dared to question Zhang Su anymore. Zhang Su knew that this was only a temporary measure and that it would cause trouble in the long run. However, Liu Bei's army had already arrived outside Baishui Pass, and he had no choice but to devise another plan.

Seeing that Zhang Su's actions were effective, Liu Zhang ignored the written explanations that had been painstakingly presented to him, pretending not to have seen them, and continued to let Zhang Su do as he pleased.

While reviewing military reports in his residence, Zhang Su found the situation extremely troublesome. He successively ordered General Yan Yan to guard Baidi Pass and Wu Yi to garrison Fucheng, intending to rely on the strategic terrain to hold the city. He also sent envoys to Jingzhou, partly to ask Liu Qi for help in making peace, and partly to request reinforcements.

In Jiaozhou, military supplies were gradually being completed. Sun Qian inspected the grain and fodder again and confirmed that it could last for three months. He then ordered craftsmen to rush to make bows, crossbows, and siege ladders.

On the eve of the campaign, Liu Bei summoned his generals again and set a date: three days later, Zhang Fei would lead the army to set off first, Wei Yan would follow the next day, and Li Meng would depart last. The three armies would move together, heading straight for Chengdu.

Inside the central command tent, Wei Yan unfolded a map, frowning in deep thought: "Jiange and Jiameng are tough nut to crack, and a direct assault would be difficult... Although Liu Jiyu is weak and incompetent, Zhang Su's will to defend is still firm, and we also have the advantage of the terrain. We need to use a clever plan to disrupt their minds and divide their forces in order to find a weakness."

He turned his head to look at the young man beside him: "I wonder who came up with this plan? And who went to Chengdu to contact Zhang Song and Fa Zheng? I heard that Zhang Song is Zhang Su's brother... Are these two really usable?"

"The best strategy lies there, not with me." The young man's eyes were clear, and he held a feather fan that Wei Yan found puzzling. His voice was not loud, but clear and distinct. "In Chengdu, Fa Xiaozhi and Zhang Yongnian are like golden fish trapped in cages, desperately awaiting the winds of change. With Zhang Su's purge, the two are in grave danger. To find a glimmer of hope, they have already risked their lives to offer up the map of Yizhou. They are trustworthy people."

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yan frowned, a sense of disbelief creeping over him: "How do we know if his map is real or fake? What if it's a ruse? Wouldn't that be a pointless sacrifice of our army? You flatterer, you must have gotten into the army through connections, right? How could the Lord trust you?!" "If it's about connections..." Zhuge Liang smiled, cunning as a fox, "I certainly have connections, General, but these two are worth using, not because I've misled them."

He then took another map from his bosom and placed it on the table.

Wei Yan stared intently at the map and was immediately horrified. The winding paths, mountains, forests, and soil were all depicted in detail, as if they were standing on a piece of paper: "This is the map that the two men presented? Such technique is truly extraordinary. If it can be used in the army, it will be of great benefit to us. Just for this technique, these two should be recruited into the lord's ranks."

“However…” Wei Yan’s tone shifted, “Even though we can verify the authenticity of the map while marching, the route we take is ultimately limited. If those two tamper with other key points, we will have no way of knowing and do not know how to prevent it.”

Zhuge Liang immediately knew that Wei Yan's words were intended to test him, but...

"General, do not worry." He waved his feather fan lightly, appearing confident and composed. "Yizhou is strategically located in the southwest, surrounded by natural barriers. It is fortified on all sides by mountains and rivers. To the north are the Qinling and Micang Mountains, with their layered peaks reaching the clouds; to the south are the Wumeng and Dalou Mountains, forming a natural barrier; to the east, it guards the Kuimen Pass and is flanked by the Wushan Mountains, with the Yangtze River flowing like a rope; to the west, it is protected by the Qionglai and Hengmin Mountains, with treacherous mountain passes stretching to the sky."

“The terrain of mountains and rivers cannot be changed in less than a hundred years. When this map arrived in Jiaozhou, Liang and his fellow disciples consulted the local customs, waterways, and historical records to confirm that the mountains, rivers, and rugged paths on the map were all the same.”

"Then they inquired about the routes taken by the general and his soldiers in Shu, as well as the routes taken by the two envoys, and drew detailed maps to find the corresponding maps. The general strives for caution, and since the start of the expedition, he has always sent out detachments to scout ahead. Now that the maps are in hand, how can he not be sure of their authenticity?"

Wei Yan then calmed down, cupped his hands in respect, and said, "Sir, you have a well-thought-out plan and know my desire to achieve merit. Do you have any good strategies to teach me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhuge Liang smiled and calmly waved his feather fan, pointing at the map: "The three generals will lead the vanguard to attack Jiange, creating a great disturbance that will surely attract Liu Zhang to send a large army to deal with them. Few in the world can match the bravery of the three generals! Zhang Su, considering the clan conflict, will surely send Yan Yan, the garrison commander of Fucheng, to reinforce Jiameng."

"Fucheng is the northern gateway to Chengdu and a crucial passage into Sichuan. If General Yan leaves the city, Fucheng will be vulnerable. You can secretly cross the Chencang pass and launch a surprise attack to seize it! Once Fucheng falls, Chengdu will lose all its defenses, and the rear routes of Jiange and Jiameng will be cut off. How can the morale of the army not collapse?"

Wei Yan clapped his hands in approval and decided on this plan.

After only three days of encampment, Wei Yan heard from scouts about the situation at Jiange and knew that the time was right. He then quietly led his troops into the mountains and followed the map. Sure enough, the march went smoothly without encountering any obstacles.

The soldiers halted, and Wei Yan looked down from the slope. He saw that the city gates were all barricades, with no one coming or going. Banners fluttered on the city walls, and the soldiers stood in orderly ranks, though with little rotation. He felt more confident and whispered his orders: "You will follow me stealthily, not to kill the enemy, but to breach the city. When you see a fire, rush in with all your might, without delay!"

(End of this chapter)