My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 280 Forcing Sun Xiang to Surrender (Bonus Chapter, Please Vote!)
In Zhou Yu's view, it didn't matter if the news leaked out, as long as he could eliminate Sun Xiang and take Chengde County, the situation in Jiujiang would collapse.

Given Yuan Shu's personality, it's questionable whether he could even hold out in Shouchun, let alone gather troops to relieve the siege of Ruyin.

The distance from Hefei to Chengde is 120 li. At Zhou Yu's marching speed, it would take four to five days. Moreover, Zhou Yu could precisely control this time because he was at the forefront of the army.

After careful analysis and calculation, Zhou Yu sent a message back, agreeing to meet at noon five days later. Zhou Yu would enter Chengde City first, and then close the city gates when Sun Xiang arrived at the city, keeping her outside.

The next day, Zhou Yu controlled his speed and continued towards Chengde.

Although Zhou Yu's marching speed was not fast, Sun Xiang did not think there was a problem.

Firstly, Zhou Yu's speed was just not fast enough, but he still traveled thirty li a day. In addition, Zhou Yu's army had many large carts, so it is not difficult to understand the other side's situation.

Zhou Yu's message quickly reached Taishi Ci's troops on the east bank of the Yanjian River. After discussing the matter with Zhang Liao, Xu Huang, and Liu Ye, Taishi Ci decided to agree to Zhou Yu's plan.

On the third day, just as dawn broke, Taishi Ci's troops regrouped, with Zhang Liao as the vanguard. They crossed the Yanjian River, and thousands of soldiers and horses galloped toward Chengde.

On the morning of the fifth day after leaving Hefei, Zhou Yu's entire army crossed the Shishui River at Zhijin.

Shishuizhijin is a horizontal river that flows into the Feishui River below Chengde and then northwards into Wabu Lake. To the east, it meets the Yanjian River, which Taishici and his companions crossed earlier. To the north, it flows into Wabu Lake near Sihuting. To the south, it originates from the Feishui River in Chaohu Lake.

Once you cross this river, Chengde will be only about ten miles away.

Zhou Yu was a little nervous at this moment, because this river was not a large one.

If Sun Xiang gets impatient, she can simply bypass Zhou Yu's troops and cross the river directly from the side.

Fortunately, Sun Xiang wasn't in a hurry, and since his subordinates were all members of the Sun family, he didn't want them to have to wade through the river.

Although the weather in September wasn't cold, the river water was still quite icy.

Thus, Sun Xiang missed his last chance and stood there blankly behind Zhou Yu's troops until they crossed the river, regrouped, and continued their march toward Chengde County before handing over the boats to Sun Xiang's forces.

However, Sun Xiang's troops numbered only four thousand, and they were all well-trained soldiers. Their speed of action was much faster than that of Zhou Yu's miscellaneous troops and laborers.

In less than half an hour, the entire army had successfully crossed the river and was chasing after Zhou Yu.

It must be said that Sun Xiang was a qualified general. Even when marching in the heart of the country, he still sent out his only two hundred cavalrymen as a warning to the main army.

Within a radius of five li, if any alarm is raised, these cavalrymen will immediately notify their main army to prevent the army from being ambushed.

Unfortunately, Taishi Ci and his men were also very patient, and their ambush location was actually twenty miles away.

The scouts Zhou Yu had secretly planted only rushed to the ambush site of Taishi Ci and his men after seeing Sun Xiang and the others cross the river and chase after Zhou Yu.

Shishuizhijin is only a dozen miles away from Chengde County, and Sun Xiang soon saw the town of Chengde.

At this time, Zhou Yu's troops had all entered the city. After receiving the report from the scouts, Sun Xiang loudly encouraged the surrounding troops, saying, "Everyone, give it your all and get to Chengde County. We won't leave today, so you can all rest well in the city."

"Thank you, General!"

"It's all thanks to General Xiang's compassion for us!"

"May the general be victorious!"

Upon hearing this, Sun's retainers immediately erupted in cheers and gratitude towards Sun Xiang.

Sun Xiang laughed and scolded, "Stop flattering me. No matter how nice your words are, whether or not we have wine and meat today is up to the officials of Chengde County. I have no say in their affairs."

Sun Xiang looked up at the sky. It was a clear, sunny day with the sun high in the sky.

So he continued to urge his men, "Alright, stop joking around, let's hurry on our way so we can rest sooner once we get into the city."

The Sun family troops obeyed the order and soon arrived outside Chengde County.

What's going on up ahead?

Sun Xiang suddenly sensed something was wrong. The line in front of her was starting to become chaotic. Instead of entering the city, they were just crowding together noisily, even blocking the main road.

Therefore, Sun Xiang decided to send his personal guards to investigate.

Before he could even send out his personal guards, the officers in front sent men over.

"Reporting to the general, the city gates of Chengde County are tightly guarded, and there is no one on the walls. We have been knocking on the gates but no one has answered. We are truly unable to enter the city."

Upon hearing this, Sun Xiang's heart sank: "Where is Commandant Zhou?"

The soldier replied, "We can't find him anywhere, and no one answers even if we shout until we're hoarse."

Sun Xiang felt something was wrong. Cold sweat broke out on her forehead, and her heart pounded like a drum being struck by a hammer.

The sound of her heartbeat grew louder and louder, like thunder. Sun Xiang felt overwhelmed by the sound and even felt dizzy.

Just then, Sun Xiang suddenly heard a shout.

"Enemy attack!"

Suddenly, the heart-wrenching cries of the guard cavalry came from afar, but before he could shout a second time, an arrow shot from a distance, hitting the cavalryman squarely in the back of the heart.

Once the cavalryman died, the horse stopped.

Sun Xiang saw chaos all around her, and everyone's face was filled with fear.

Sun Xiang then realized that the rumbling sound was not her own heartbeat, but the earth-shaking sound caused by a large cavalry force marching in the distance.

The thunderous hoofbeats of the cavalry were like the sound of war drums, shaking the entire earth.

Sun Xiang's face instantly lost all color, turning as pale as a sheet of paper.

"Enemy attack!!!"

Sun Xiang shouted loudly, while trying to straighten his body on horseback so that as many people as possible could see him.

"Move closer to me and form ranks! Halberdiers and spearmen, take your positions!"

At this moment, the figures of Liu Fengjun's iron cavalry were becoming increasingly clear on the horizon.

The rolling iron cavalry surged forward like waves approaching from afar, a truly terrifying sight.

Even though Sun Xiangjun's army was very elite, they were quite embarrassed when they had to set up their formation in a hurry.

After all, the entire army had just been marching, and the 4,000-strong force had been stretched out for ten miles. Sun Xiang was in the front middle of the army, so how could the soldiers in the rear have time to come over and form ranks?

At the same time, these soldiers also need to quickly retrieve their armor from the logistics vehicles and proceed to their designated positions in the formation according to orders.

This became an almost impossible task.

When Liu Feng's cavalry charged close, Sun Xiang's troops had already been cut into four small positions, and the deployment was rather hasty and careless, but at least they were not completely left to roam freely.

Sun's army was experienced, and a large number of veteran soldiers were organized into several adjacent positions, each led by a mid-level military officer such as a military commander.

These positions were backed by the Fei River, with Shishuizhijin on the right, Chengde Fortress on the left, and thousands of iron cavalry rolling in directly in front.

Even though Sun Jian's army had fought many fierce battles, including a bloody battle with the Xiliang army when they followed Sun Jian north to Luoyang, they were now filled with despair. Everyone was pale, and some could barely hold their weapons.

The more experience one has, the clearer one understands that they are almost in a desperate situation.

The only way out is for Zhou Yu to open the city gates of Chengde County and quickly let them into the city.

Even so, only Sun Xiangjun's central and forward troops, which were close to Chengde, were able to escape unscathed.

There is no hope left for the rear.

But will Zhou Yu open the city gates?
This is obviously impossible.

At this time, with the cooperation of Zhu Zheng and other inside agents, Zhou Yu was taking control of the entire Chengde City. At the same time, he had also ambushed a force of several hundred archers at the foot of the city wall on the south side of the city, waiting for a signal to go up the city wall to fight.

Zhou Yu delayed issuing the order precisely because he was waiting for Taishi Ci's army to arrive.

In addition, Zhou Yu specially ordered his more than one hundred cavalrymen to leave from the west gate of Chengde, cross the Fei River, and head to the west bank of the Fei River to prevent Sun Xiang's soldiers from swimming across the Fei River to escape. It was a meticulous plan.

Similarly, only about 5,000 men from Taishi Ci's army arrived at the battlefield. Apart from those who had fallen behind, another 500 men were sent by Taishi Ci to the opposite bank of Shishui Zhijin to outflank Sun Xiang's army. At the same time, 200 of these 500 men would cross Feishui again, in order to ensure that no one from Sun Xiang's army escaped.

"Order the entire army to rest, recuperate, and prepare for subsequent battles."

Taishi Ci, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang all simultaneously ordered a rest to conserve their strength.

Meanwhile, several cavalry units of two to three hundred men each were positioned ahead to guard against any gaps in the lines between Sun Xiang's troops.

Once Sun Xiang's troops show any signs of converging, these cavalry will immediately launch an attack. Maneuvering against cavalry is extremely difficult; a single misstep can result in being sent to their deaths.

Moreover, the distance between Sun Xiangjun and his men was not short, with the closest distance being five or six hundred meters. Left with no other choice, Sun Xiangjun had to give up on closing in and fight on their own.

Sun Xiang finally understood: Zhou Yu had betrayed them!
No, it's more likely that the entire Chengde and Yinling counties have rebelled.

Otherwise, how could Liu Bei's army of several thousand cavalry have silently crossed three hundred miles of territory and arrived at the gates of Chengde City?

Sun Xiang gritted her teeth until they broke, but there was nothing she could do. Right now, forget about quelling the rebellion; even protecting herself was probably wishful thinking.

As expected, Taishi Ci quickly sent cavalry to persuade them to surrender and also delivered a letter.

Sun Xiang looked around at the troops, and even the most valiant veterans were pale-faced.

Helpless, he opened the letter and started reading.

Taishi Ci first praised Sun Jian's loyalty and dedication to the Han Dynasty, and then emphasized Sun Jian's outstanding performance in the campaign against Dong Zhuo.

At that time, even the Yuan brothers, who had a deep-seated hatred for the extermination of their clan, were just going through the motions. Cao Cao, the only one in the north who was serious, suffered a crushing defeat in one battle. He not only lost his first angel investor, Wei Zi, but he also escaped only because Cao Hong gave him a horse and then he had to be escorted on foot.

Only Sun Jian's southern route was victorious in every battle. Although he suffered occasional setbacks, he defeated Li Jue, Guo Si, and Dong Zhuo head-on and successfully restored Luodu.

After saying some nice things, he changed the subject and said that Yuan Shu had been stripped of his titles of General of the Left and Marquis of Yangdi by the emperor and had been designated as a traitor. Sun Polu was loyal, brave and resolute, and was highly regarded by the emperor. How could he be a traitor?

If we do not surrender today, not only will there be widespread suffering and the army be wiped out, but we will also be condemned as rebels and traitors even after death.

If Sun Polu knew this in the afterlife, how would General Sun have the face to meet him?
Sun Xiang remained silent for a long time after reading the letter.

To be fair, Sun Xiang was loyal to Yuan Shu.

He followed his cousin Sun Jian out and fought many battles, but few people truly repaid them.

Among these people, Yuan Shu was actually the most generous, and he rewarded them the most.

Sun Xiang was able to support a retinue of 5,000 men, which was inseparable from the supplies and provisions provided to him by Yuan Shu.

Sun Xiang's own family wealth alone could not possibly support so many people.

Therefore, the Sun family also did their utmost to serve Yuan Shu.

As is well known, when Yuan Shu first arrived in Jianghuai, he was surrounded by a group of defeated soldiers who had almost been utterly defeated by Cao Cao.

He could only rely on Sun's army, which had arrived in Jianghuai earlier, to first capture Yinling, providing Yuan Shu with a foothold.

Don't underestimate Yinling; in fact, Yinling was the seat of Jiujiang Prefecture.

Subsequently, Sun's army besieged Shouchun again, which frightened Chen Yu into fleeing back to Xiapi, allowing Yuan Shu to capture Shouchun.

It is no exaggeration to say that the entire Jianghuai region and Danyang in Jiangdong were all captured by Sun's army.

Having left Sun Quan's army, Yuan Shu is probably still trapped in a corner of Jiujiang at this time.

It's a pity that the Sun family and the Yuan family don't share the same surname. No wonder Yuan Shu would lament that if he had a son like Sun Lang, he would die without regret.

Just as Sun Xiang was feeling anxious and unable to make a decision.

Suddenly, gongs and drums blared from the city wall of Chengde County, and a row of archers climbed onto the wall, their cold, menacing arrows aimed directly at Sun Xiangjun below.

Sun Xiangjun's vanguard was almost entirely gathered outside the city gate of Chengde County.

When they were attacked by Liu Feng's iron cavalry, they had no time to get away from Chengde and were forced to set up their formation at the city gate.

Now look what's happened; they're all about to become victims of Zhou Yu's arrows.

Almost every soldier in Sun Xiangjun's vanguard looked on with despair.

Sun Xiang sighed deeply, "What's the point of fighting now?"
Even if Sun Xiang was determined to fight to the death, he would only be sending his men to their deaths in vain.

It's estimated that it won't even be able to harm a single hair on the other side.

Sun Xiang didn't want to waste the lives of his men, some of whom were old subordinates who had followed him for over ten years. How could he bear to watch them die meaninglessly?

"We are willing to surrender."

Sun Xiang finally bowed her head and agreed to surrender.

If he were truly willing to die for Yuan Shu, he wouldn't have secretly sent his son to Jiangdong to follow Sun Ce.

Besides, he thought he had done right by Yuan Shu. You were blind to let Zhou Yu, a traitor, accompany you.

Currently, he is surrounded by the enemy, with water on two sides and a city on the other. He is facing five or six thousand iron cavalry on flat ground, and his own forces are divided into four parts, the largest of which is still within the range of Zhou Yu's archers on the city wall.

How can we fight this war?!

Sun Xiang felt that she was already incredibly fortunate to have inflicted a hundred casualties on the enemy.

Are your subordinates really that worthless?

Sun Xiang ordered a surrender, and his troops offered almost no objections.

Those present were all former subordinates of the Sun family, and all were veterans. Even the lowest-ranking soldiers could tell whether they were still capable of fighting.

Who would risk their life for Yuan Shu?
Upon hearing that Sun Xiang was willing to surrender, Taishi Ci was overjoyed and immediately ordered Zhang Liao to step forward and accept the surrender.

Zhang Liao led about a hundred personal guards directly into Sun Xiang's main position and accepted his surrender.

Immediately, Sun Xiang's troops began to disarm, gathering their weapons, armor, and banners at the front of the battle.

The Sun family's troops were all veterans, and their efficiency was unmatched by new recruits.

In just a quarter of an hour, Sun's 4,000 troops had completely disarmed themselves and placed their weapons, armor, and banners where Liu Bei's army could see them.

Subsequently, a large number of cavalrymen stepped forward and began to carry away the weapons, armor, and banners. They then ordered the soldiers to sit down on the spot and not to stand without permission.

Only mid- to high-ranking officers, such as Sun Xiang, were taken away from the position and sent to Taishi Ci's side.

At this point, Sun Xiangjun had completely lost the ability to resist, and even if she wanted to back out, she couldn't.

Sun Xiang was brought before Taishi Ci, and with a face full of shame, he bowed deeply and said, "The surrendered general Sun Xiang pays his respects to the general."

"General Sun, please rise."

Taishi Ci stepped forward and helped the man up, saying, "General, your surrender is an act of abandoning darkness for light, turning away from treacherous ministers and joining the court. I know your courage, but in my opinion, this is not a disgrace, but an honor. In the future, when our lord reports to the court and informs the Emperor, he will record your merits."

"Thank you for your kindness, General. I am deeply grateful."

Taishi Ci's words were far too flattering, making Sun Xiang's surrender sound like a last-minute betrayal.

Sun Xiang was very grateful, but he was also worried about his subordinates, so he asked, "My troops number four thousand. What are your plans, General?"

Taishi Ci considered for a moment and said, "Let's settle them in Chengde City. After this battle is over, I will report to my lord and ask him to make a decision."

Sun Xiang breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, saying, "In that case, thank you very much, General."

Taishi Ci nodded, about to say something, when he saw the gates of Chengde City wide open in the distance, and Zhou Yu leading his personal guards out of the city, rushing toward the location where Taishi Ci and the others were.

Liu Bei's army already knew that Zhou Yu was an ally, so they did not stop him.

They kept letting Zhou Yu go all the way to the main camp where Taishi Ci was before they were stopped.

After walking about twenty paces, Zhou Yu dismounted, removed his sword, and walked alone toward Taishi Ci.

Taishi Ci did not neglect his opponent and dismounted to greet him.

"I am Zhou Yu from Shucheng, paying my respects to General Taishi."

When the two were only three or four steps apart, Zhou Yu took the lead, cupped his hands, knelt on one knee, and performed a grand military salute to Taishi Ci.

Taishi Ci dared not presume to act rashly and quickly stepped forward to help the other man up: "Gongjin has made the greatest contribution in this battle, why do you humble yourself like this? My lord and the young master both say that Gongjin is a talent of the world and have instructed us to treat him with respect. Gongjin, you cannot cause me to disobey the lord's orders, how am I supposed to explain it in the future?"

Taishi Ci's words were quite skillful. He attributed the credit to Zhou Yu, clearly stated Liu Bei and Liu Feng's attitudes toward Zhou Yu, and added a touch of humor at the end, making it a flawless statement.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yu secretly praised Liu Bei for having so many talented and extraordinary people under his command, and at the same time, he stopped underestimating Taishi Ci.

(End of this chapter)