My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 274 Cang has surrendered to Liu
Late August of the first year of Jian'an.

Guan Yu launched his troops from Yingyin in Yingchuan, marching south along the Yi River, his forces heading straight for Dingying.

Within two days of the troops' arrival, just as they reached the banks of the Ru River, Yan County surrendered without a fight.

This Yan County is the site of the great victory at Yancheng, where Yue Fei later led his troops north to recover lost territory, defeating the strong with the weak and the many with the few, and severely damaging Jin Wuzhu's cavalry and iron cavalry.

On that day, Guan Yu sent Guan Ping with two thousand men as the vanguard. They traveled twenty li at a rapid pace and arrived at Yan County before nightfall, successfully entering the city.

After the good news was sent back, Guan Yu arrived in Yan County the next day and ordered Guan Ping to be the vanguard to advance on Dingying.

Dingying is only a few dozen miles away from Yanxian, and infantry can reach the city in a day by marching at full speed.

Just as Guan Ping arrived at the city of Dingying and was preparing to set up camp for the night, the city gates of Dingying were opened wide, and the Yellow Turban army entrenched there actually surrendered.

A burly man was seen leading the way out of the city, carrying the seal of the magistrate of Dingying County in his hand.

Guan Ping saw that the big man was quite burly, and although he was not tall, he was exceptionally solid, so he did not dare to underestimate him.

After some questioning, it turned out that the big man was Zhou Cang, courtesy name Yuanfu, a chieftain under Liu Pi.

The Yellow Turban Army in Runan was even stronger than that in Yingchuan. Led by Liu Pi, it had a number of leaders under its command, including Zhou Cang, He Man, Pei Yuanshao, Liu Jiang, and Zhang Peng. They were stationed in various places, cultivating land and storing grain while protecting Gebei and Pingyu.

Among them, Zhou Cang led more than 20,000 people to Dingying, Pei Yuanshao led more than 20,000 people to Shangcai, He Man led more than 40,000 people to Xincai, Zhang Peng led more than 30,000 people to Tongyang, Liu Pi's younger brother Liu Jiang led more than 60,000 people to Gebei, and Liu Pi himself led 80,000 people to Pingyu.

The Yellow Turbans in Runan numbered over 200,000 and were even stronger than the Yellow Turbans in Yingchuan.

Most of their forces were clustered together in five or six cities centered around Gebei and Pingyu. They had no desire to expand outwards, but simply settled down in the local area to cultivate land and accumulate grain, acting as local tyrants.

Following Liu Feng's advice, Liu Bei's orders to Guan Yu explicitly instructed Guan Yu to prioritize stability, support the main force, and draw the attention of the Yellow Turban rebels at Gebei, ensuring they did not interfere with Liu Bei's main force's operations.

Regarding the Yellow Turbans at Gebei, it is hoped that Guan Yu can leverage the influence and connections of He Yi and Huang Shao to divide and weaken them, focusing on political offensives and supplementing them with military offensives, while avoiding a decisive battle.

Unfortunately, Guan Yu's total force was only 18,000, half of whom were surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers.

Initially, the number was even smaller, only 15,000 men. A month ago, Huang Shao finally surrendered and was willing to pledge allegiance to Liu Bei. As a result, Huang Shao's die-hard loyalists suddenly became reliable soldiers on Liu Bei's side, which increased Guan Yu's force by 3,000 men.

Zhou Cang's troops numbered over 20,000, of which 3,000 to 4,000 were elite and capable soldiers. However, Zhou Cang only selected half of them, 2,000, to be his own retainers.

In this surrender, Zhou Cang took all two thousand men out of the city and disarmed them to show his sincerity.

Guan Ping did not humiliate the other party. Although he cautiously did not return the weapons, he showed great respect to Zhou Cang and immediately sent a letter to Guan Yu, awaiting his orders.

After receiving the letter, Guan Yu immediately summoned He Yi and Huang Shao.

The two were greatly surprised to hear that Zhou Cang had surrendered the entire city without firing a single arrow.

"General, you may not know this, but Zhou Cang is one of the most capable warriors among the leaders of Runan. In every major battle, he always fights bravely. Therefore, he is a man from Guanzhong, but he has won the favor of Commander Liu and has been promoted to a regional leader."

He Yi shook his head in surprise: "I didn't expect him to surrender so readily."

Huang Shao paused for a moment and said, “Zhou Yuanfu is not a fellow Daoist and does not believe in the Yellow Heaven. The reason he joined us was only because he was forced by corrupt officials. Liu Shijun’s troops are strictly disciplined and do not harm the people. They can be called a benevolent army. In particular, they treat our Daoists equally and do not discriminate or mistreat them. Zhou Yuanfu probably has long intended to surrender.”

Huang Shaozhi was extremely tough at the beginning, preferring death to surrender.

After being imprisoned by Guan Yu for several months, he gradually softened. The biggest reason for this was that Liu Bei's army treated the Yellow Turban rebels equally, without discriminating against or oppressing them because of their status, and without committing any atrocities of killing those who surrendered.

With He Yi's constant persuasion, Huang Shao finally lowered his head and surrendered.

Having gone through this psychological journey himself, Huang Shao had a better understanding of Zhou Cang's mindset.

Guan Yu sat in the head seat. After listening to He Yi and Huang Shao's guesses, he didn't say much. Instead, he stroked his long beard and gave the order: "Order the whole army to march quickly and reach Dingying today to rest."

"Yes, General!"

Huang Shao, He Yi, and the other generals responded in unison.

That evening, Guan Yu's main force arrived at Dingying, and Guan Ping, together with Zhou Cang, went out of the city to greet them.

Seeing that Guan Yu was safe and sound, Guan Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Guan Yu felt guilty about this unexpected son. He had also worried that Zhou Cang might be feigning surrender, so he was quite anxious on his way here.

Seeing that Guan Ping was unharmed, Guan Yu felt more relieved than happy about Zhou Cangzhen's surrender.

When Guan Ping and Zhou Cang saw Guan Yu, they both showed joy and came forward to greet him.

Guan Yu stopped his horse, dismounted, and stood in place, accompanied by his generals and officers including He Yi and Huang Shao, waiting for Guan Ping and Zhou Cang to come to his court.

"Ping and Cang respectfully welcome General Guan."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and nodded, his gaze sweeping over Guan Ping before settling on Zhou Cang.

Zhou Cang had a square face and a dignified air about him. His eyes were firm, and he didn't give an inch when he met Guan Yu's gaze. Guan Yu was quite pleased with his open-minded and confident demeanor.

"Are you Zhou Cang, Zhou Yuanfu?"

Zhou Cang replied generously, "Indeed! This humble general has long wished to serve Lord Liu, and today's encounter with General Guan is truly a blessing from heaven."

"Ah."

Guan Yu inwardly admired him, but outwardly he asked with a cold face, "I've heard that you are Liu Pi's trusted and beloved general, highly valued by him, and therefore responsible for guarding Dingying. Since you have received such a great favor from Liu Pi, why did you surrender so easily?"

Guan Yu's personality was like that; he rarely considered other people's feelings when he spoke. After all, apart from Liu Bei and Zhang Fei, there was no one else for whom he should restrain his temper.

Only someone with Guan Yu's personality would ask such a hurtful question.

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhou Cang abandoned the darkness and turned to the light, directly handing over the fortified city of Dingying. Inside the city were more than 20,000 surrendered Yellow Turban soldiers, as well as a large amount of grain, fodder, and weapons.

Did I send you such a generous gift just to hear your sarcastic remarks?

However, Zhou Cang was not angry. Instead, he said with righteous indignation, "Liu Pi has indeed been kind to me, but that was only because he admired my martial prowess. This is a small favor. Lord Liu's reputation for benevolence and righteousness is known throughout the Central Plains. Although I am a warrior from Guanzhong, I also know the meaning of benevolence and righteousness. I surrendered to you, General, to save the lives of 20,000 innocent Taoist priests in Dingying. This is a great favor."

"well said!"

Guan Yu raised his eyebrows high, his phoenix eyes widened, and the corners of his mouth turned up, revealing his appreciation for Zhou Cang. He praised, "Yuanfu understands righteousness and reason; he is truly a loyal and righteous man."

Guan Yu's character was just like that. He had just been mocking Zhou Cang for being treacherous and betraying his lord, but now that he liked him, he immediately addressed him by his courtesy name and praised Zhou Cang as a loyal and righteous man.

Zhou Cang knelt down and said, "I am not here for wealth and honor, but only for the lives of the 20,000 Taoist priests in the city. If you can treat me fairly, I am willing to serve as your vanguard."

"good!"

Guan Yu nodded: "Yuanfu, you can rest assured. My brother's army has never massacred surrendered soldiers or plundered civilians. If any soldier disrupts the discipline of my army, I will certainly execute him."

Zhou Cang said gratefully, "Thank you, General!"

"Yuanfu, come into the city with me."

Guan Yu called out to Zhou Cang and headed straight for the gate of Dingying City.

He Yi, Huang Shao, and others behind him couldn't help but look at Zhou Cang with envy.

Having spent some time with Guan Yu, they knew very well what kind of personality he had.

The fact that Guan Yu greeted Zhou Cang was enough to prove how much Guan Yu admired this burly man from Guanzhong.

Didn't you see that Guan Ping, his biological son, had been standing to the side waiting for a long time without receiving this treatment?

Zhou Cang was unaware of these things; he simply got up and followed Guan Yu.

Guan Yu's army set out from Yingchuan and captured two cities in three days, taking over 20,000 Yellow Turban rebels.

After entering the city, Zhou Cang volunteered, saying, "General, I have a very close relationship with Pei Yuanshao of Xia Cai, like brothers. Moreover, Pei Yuanshao has praised Liu Shijun and the General of the Cavalry many times, and has long admired them. I am not talented, but I am willing to persuade Pei Yuanshao to surrender on your behalf."

"Oh?"

Guan Yu looked at Zhou Cang, his tone tinged with concern, and asked, "Are you confident?"

"I dare not deceive the general."

Zhou Cang replied, "I'm about 70-80% sure."

Guan Yu pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "In that case, you must be careful and prioritize your own safety. If Pei Yuanshao is ignorant of the situation and resists stubbornly, I will capture him alive."

"Yes, General!" Zhou Cang responded loudly.

The next day, after entrusting all matters to his deputy, Zhou Cang left Dingying with a few personal guards and headed straight for Shangcai.

Dingying is strategically located, not only at the confluence of the Ru and Shui rivers, but also adjacent to the Heihejian Gorge, which almost completely blocks the passage between Yingchuan and Runan, making it a must-have location for military strategists.

Although Shangcai's location is not as important as Dingying's, it is still a key point on the Ru River, and it also shields Pingyu in the northwest, providing security for the latter.

Once Shangcai is captured, Guan Yu's army can proceed without hesitation along the Yi River to Pingyu City, set up camp on both sides of the river, and even if the Yellow Turbans of Gebei come to their aid, they will not pose a fatal threat to Guan Yu's army.

However, if Shangcai is not captured, the Yellow Turban army in Shangcai can launch a counterattack against Dingying, or cross the Yi River to cut off Guan Yu's army's retreat. Guan Yu would then be in danger.

Therefore, the enemy in Shangcai must be eliminated, otherwise we cannot advance even half a step towards Pingyu.

Dingying was not far from Shangcai, and Zhou Cang and his men rode horses. Just past noon, they had already arrived outside Shangcai city.

At this time, Shangcai City had already begun to impose martial law, with most of the city gates closed, leaving only the south gate open for people to enter and exit, but the defenses had also been strengthened.

However, the garrison was very familiar with Zhou Cang and opened the north gate to let him in.

When Pei Yuanshao heard that Zhou Cang had arrived, he hurriedly came out to greet him.

Seeing that Zhou Cang was safe and sound, Pei Yuanshao said with delight, "I heard that Guan Yu's army has taken Yan County. Why are you here instead of guarding Dingying?"

Zhou Cang did not speak, but instead pulled Pei Yuanshao into the small hall.

Pei Yuanshao was puzzled and was about to ask the other party when he heard Zhou Cang say, "I have already surrendered."

"what?"

Pei Yuanshao was almost breathless, staring at Zhou Cang in shock.

"The reputation of Lord Liu for benevolence is widely known throughout the land, and the discipline of his cavalry is unparalleled."

Zhou Cang began to persuade him, "Moreover, the strength of their troops is no less than their discipline. More than 20,000 men marched south and pacified Yingchuan in less than a month. Our Yingchuan Daoist followers could not even withstand a fraction of their strength. Yuan Shao, do you really think you can stop them?"

Pei Yuanshao's original name was Pei Yi, and his courtesy name was Yuanshao.

He also came from a powerful family and participated in the Yellow Turban Rebellion, but his faith in the Yellow Turbans was not firm.

Therefore, he had a good relationship with Zhou Cang, who came from a background of wandering knights in the Kansai region, and they were quite close.

Sure enough, after hearing Zhou Cang's words, Pei Yi hesitated for a moment and then asked, "What about Commander Liu?"

Zhou Cang had already made plans: "I intend to go to Pingyu in person to persuade Commander Liu."

"Aren't you afraid of death?"

Pei Yi's eyes widened as he looked at Zhou Cang in disbelief: "Commander Liu will kill you."

Zhou Cang said firmly, "My life was given to me by Commander Liu. At worst, I'll just return it to Commander Liu."

Pei Yi stared at Zhou Cang and said, "Are you crazy?"

Zhou Cang shook his head seriously: "I'm not crazy. Actually, Commander Liu isn't as extreme as you think. In fact, he knew long ago that Huang Tian's path was doomed. It's just that in all these years, who around us is worth serving?"

Pei Yi thought about it for a moment and was somewhat persuaded.

He remembered something: two years ago, Commander Liu did indeed send someone to Yuan Shu to surrender, expressing his willingness to obey the other's orders.

Yuan Shu agreed at the time and even gave Liu Shuai the title of Commandant of Runan.

But what followed was endless exploitation. Yuan Shu wanted money, grain, weapons, and cloth. He demanded anything usable, and the taxes he levied were even more severe than those levied by the Han Dynasty.

This became unbearable for Liu Shuai, who simply refused to pay taxes.

It is said that Yuan Shu was once furious and wanted to send troops to attack them, but nothing came of it, and as time went by, the matter was forgotten.

If Zhou Cang didn't bring it up, Pei Yi couldn't recall it for a moment.

Pei Yi probed, "You mean Commander Liu too..."

Zhou Cang shook his head: "I didn't say that. I just felt that I had a good chance of persuading Commander Liu."

After listening, Pei Yi spun around a few times and made up his mind.

"Alright, I'll go with you to see Commander Liu!"

Pei Yi still felt he couldn't watch his good brother go to his death, so he decided, "I'll go with you. If anything happens, I can try to persuade him from the side."

Pei Yi hasn't surrendered yet, so he'll go with him. If Commander Liu is willing to surrender, that would be even better, since we're all still family.

If Liu Shuai refuses to surrender, he can at least protect Zhou Cang.

Although we may not be able to save it, at least we tried our best.

Zhou Cang looked at Pei Yi, and after a moment nodded emphatically: "Alright, let's go together."

Zhou Cang sent someone back to Dingying to inform Guan Yu that he should not take action against Shangcai for the time being.

Pei Yi then instructed his deputies on various matters concerning Shangcai City and ordered them to hold the city and not leave.

Subsequently, Pei Yi and Zhou Cang, accompanied by more than a dozen personal guards, rode directly towards Pingyu.

Shangcai is farther from Pingyu than Dingying, and it also requires crossing the Yi River, so we didn't arrive at Pingyu city until the next morning.

At this time, Pingyu City had also received news from the front that Liu Bei's Guan Yu army had marched south and occupied Yan County.

While ordering a citywide curfew, Liu Pi also sent letters to cities such as Dingying, Shangcai, Tongyang, and Xincai, instructing them to strengthen their defenses, not to be careless, and not to engage in open battle outside the city.

The Xuzhou army under Liu Bei's command should now be called the Flying Cavalry Army. Their field battle strength is too terrifying. According to the old brothers who escaped from Yingchuan, Yingchuan only fought two field battles, and the enemy completely swept through and won two great victories.

Liu Pi decided to learn from his mistake and remain in the city.

If you're going to attack a city, you'll have to grind it down one by one. Let's see how many troops you have to fill this meat grinder.

Liu Pi was a relatively stable person who disliked taking risks, which was the fundamental reason why he tended to serve under other feudal lords rather than start his own business.

Zhang Yan from the north was far more ambitious than him, single-handedly creating the renowned Black Mountain Army, which even became so powerful that it became a dominant force on the Hebei chessboard.

Unfortunately, he encountered Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, and in the end, Yuan Shao and Cao Cao joined forces to kick him onto the chessboard, where he obediently returned to being a chess piece.

At this time, Zhang Yan should still be working with Gongsun Zan to resist Yuan Shikai and struggling to survive.

On the contrary, Liu Pi was living quite comfortably in Runan, which was almost a no-man's-land. Cao Cao's forces had not yet moved south, Yuan Shu was afraid of Cao Cao and dared not go north, and Liu Biao was still dealing with the no-man's-land of Nanyang and the Xiliang warlords who came out of Wuguan to seize grain.

There were almost no powerful enemies around, let alone the Yellow Turban Army fellow Daoists in neighboring Yingchuan.

And so, a few years ago, Liu Pi had a moment of madness and went to join Yuan Shu.

Fortunately, Zhou Cang and He Man persuaded him not to go to Shouchun.

Otherwise, Yuan Shu might not have been able to let him go, since Liu Pi was a member of the Yellow Turban Rebellion, not a local strongman, pirate, or bandit.

Just as Liu Pi was pondering how to deal with Guan Yu, a servant suddenly reported that Zhou Cang and Pei Yi had arrived.

Liu Pi was both surprised and delighted. He was surprised that these two people had come to Pingyu, but delighted that he could finally talk to them about how to deal with the current situation.

Liu Pi personally went out of the mansion to greet Zhou Cang and Pei Yi outside.

In his joyful mood, he didn't notice that Zhou Cang and Pei Yi both had rather serious expressions.

After returning to the hall, Liu Pi, Zhou Cang, and Pei Yi each took their seats.

After the tea was served, Liu Pi dismissed the attendants and then asked Zhou Cang and Pei Yi, "Why are you two here? What's the situation in Dingying and Shangcai now? I've heard that Guan Yu has already captured Yancheng and is about to besiege Dingying. Yuanfu, have you come to ask for reinforcements?"

In Liu Pi's view, Zhou Cang was brave, strong, and loyal; he could not possibly be the kind of person who would desert in the face of battle. He was more inclined to believe that Zhou Cang had encountered difficulties and had come to him for help.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Cang's words shocked him.

"General Liu, Cang has already surrendered to you."

(End of this chapter)