Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

The distance from Fuxian to Mianzhu is only about a hundred miles. This area can be considered to be deep within enemy territory.

Although Guo Huai led 15,000 infantrymen as the vanguard, he seemed to have been infected by the cautious habits of the various armies attacking Shu, advancing only 30 li each day, proceeding step by step and slowly.

This is the best option when the army has the advantage. As long as they don't lose their composure or become careless, they will eventually make a name for themselves before His Majesty.

On the afternoon of the 20th, Guo Huai's troops finally reached the opposite bank of the Mian River, northeast of Mianzhu City.

Guo Huai led a hundred cavalrymen, accompanied by Lieutenant General You Yi, to the banks of the Mian River to scout. When the cavalry reached the riverbank, Guo Huai personally dismounted and observed the river for a long time before gazing towards Mianzhu City on the opposite bank.

“It is February now, and the Mian River is not flowing much. There are shallows everywhere, and you can cross the river on foot.” Guo Huai stroked his beard and smiled calmly. “This city will surely be captured by me!”

You Yi, a long-time lieutenant in Guo Huai's army, knew Guo Huai's wishes well in the past. At this moment, he smiled and agreed, saying, "From here southwards, only the three cities of Mianzhu, Luocheng, and Xindu can be considered obstacles. Didn't you tell me about the military situation yesterday, General? Ma Zhong, the garrison commander of Jiangyang, has surrendered, and Yang Yi surrendered a few days ago as well. Yang Yi is even going to persuade Wang Ping of Jiange to surrender. It is clear that the Shu army is mostly unwilling to hold their ground. In my opinion, General, you may be able to reach Chengdu within a month!"

"General, you will be the governor of Qin and Yi provinces. With this merit, it will not be difficult for you to be ennobled as a duke."

Guo Huai shook his head: "All the armies are around Fuxian. Why does His Majesty choose me as the vanguard instead of the Left Army of the Martial Guard, the Right Army of the Martial Guard, and the other armies of the Eastern Route Army? It's obvious that His Majesty wants to share the credit with me. The Eastern Route Army, under the command of Duke Man, has already made great contributions by advancing straight into Shu. Now it's time to balance things out. Balance is balance, but I am already extremely grateful that I was chosen instead of the central army."

"Your Majesty is a true sage ruler!"

You Yi nodded repeatedly, cupping his hands towards the north: "General, you are absolutely right! His Majesty is a true sage ruler!"

The two men stood on the riverbank gazing at the opposite bank for a long time. Then they ordered their cavalrymen to lead their horses into the river to investigate the water conditions. After selecting a crossing area that was thirty paces wide, they mounted their horses and prepared to leave.

Just as the cavalry was about to return, the scouts spotted a rider crossing the river towards Guo Huai's location. Guo Huai personally inquired and learned that it was a member of the family of Lü Yi, the governor of Guanghan, who wanted to open the city gates and surrender the city. Guo Huai then decisively ordered his men to stop setting up camp, quickly cross the Mian River at a selected location, and head towards the city of Mianzhu.

As expected, Lü Yi was a man of his word. The moment Guo Huai's troops besieged the city, the western gate was opened in full view of everyone. Wei infantry surged in, catching the panicked Shu army inside completely off guard. Within half an hour, Guo Huai's forces had stabilized the situation within the city, and Guo Huai himself entered the city to see Lü Yi.

Lu Yi's surrender was genuine. He didn't experience any stalemate or defeat; he made a clean and decisive contact and opened the city gates. This maximized his contribution and was the most comfortable form of surrender for the attacking side.

"Prefect Lü has rendered a great service by abandoning darkness and embracing the light." Guo Huai smiled and cupped his hands towards Lü Yi. "I will submit a memorial to the Emperor first thing tomorrow morning to request Prefect Lü's reward and honor!"

Lu Yi returned the greeting and said, "It is my duty to defend Guanghan. The Emperor of Wei has personally led a large army into Shu. This is an unprecedented event in the history of Shu. It is already destined that Wei will unify the country. So the land I, the governor, am guarding will eventually belong to Wei. Therefore, it is best to surrender the city as soon as possible. If we resist, we will only be wasting the lives of the people."

"General Guo, Shifang is southwest of Mianzhu, but it's a small city and not worth worrying about. The real key point is Luoxian, which is eighty li directly south of Mianzhu. However, General Guo, do not fret. Magistrate Du Xiong of Luoxian has already agreed to surrender the city to the Great Wei. You can lead your troops south directly!"

Guo Huai laughed even more heartily: "Prefect Lü has made great contributions! Putting aside everything else, I, as the General Who Conquers Shu, guarantee that you will be ennobled!"

Lü Yi nodded slowly: "Thank you, General!" Just as Guo Huai had surrounded Mianzhu, Yang Yi also arrived at Jian Ge.

Several days prior, news of Yang Yi's defection had not spread widely. Only Wang Ping in the Jiange Army knew about it through a secret report; no one else was aware of it, in order to prevent any unrest within the army. Therefore, when the Jiange troops saw Yang Yi arrive, they did not find anything unusual.

Only Wang Ping was filled with mixed emotions.

"Does Lord Yang also think I should surrender?" After listening to Yang Yi's words, Wang Ping sighed and said, "But I betrayed the Cao family when the late emperor was conquering Hanzhong. How can they accept me now? Lord Yang was a scholar in Xiangyang before, while I am a warrior who fights on the battlefield. How can I compare to Lord Yang?"

Yang Yi laughed and said, "Why not?"

"His Majesty has already given me an oral decree that if you lead your entire army to surrender, you will be granted the title of General with a miscellaneous title and the title of Marquis of a Township with seven hundred households, and all the previous matters will be disregarded."

"Only a general with a miscellaneous title?" Wang Ping's face shifted between light and shadow. "Lord Yang, I am already the General Who Guards the North and the Governor of Baishui here. Yet in the State of Wei, I am only a general with a miscellaneous title and a household of seven hundred. Isn't this an insult to me?"

Yang Yi retorted, "It is true that you are the General Who Guards the North, but I am still the Military Advisor General! But are the Shu Han and the Great Wei the same thing? It is already a blessing for me, the Military Advisor General, to be able to serve as one of the Nine Ministers without military power in the Great Wei. You fought against the Han, and if you do not surrender, how can you expect to survive?"

"You yourself said that Jiange is like a natural barrier from north to south, but if the Great Wei army attacks from south to north, how many days can you hold out in Jiange?"

Wang Ping sighed softly, "That makes sense, but the rank of general is too low, and I feel uneasy about it."

Yang Yi continued to persuade: "The Great Wei is not what it used to be. The title of general is very precious now. The General Who Conquers the South has passed away. The only generals who can barely be considered as having a title are General Who Guards the West Wang Chang, General Who Guards the South Huan Fan, and General Who Guards the Rear Fei Yao. Generals of Anping and Pingdeng are not much different from miscellaneous titles. Even the generals of the central army have miscellaneous titles. Are you still not satisfied with a miscellaneous title as a general?"

"Don't overthink it. The tide is sweeping everything in its path. It's already a miracle that we can protect ourselves in this torrent. How can we ask for more?"

Wang Ping stood silently for a long time: "Alright, as Yang Gong said, I am willing to submit to the Great Wei. It is already late, and I will open the gates early tomorrow morning to welcome the Northern Army south."

Yang Yi patted Wang Ping's arm, but also sighed, "Zijun, don't think too much about it. If you've surrendered, you've surrendered. People have to look forward."

Wang Ping tilted his head slightly, his eyes seemingly glistening with tears: "If I hadn't been trapped in a desperate situation with no other choice, why would I have surrendered? But you say that His Majesty went south to Chengdu, abandoning us, and that Lord Fei is holding fast in Fuxian, ignoring everything. What can a general like me do?"

"If the Prime Minister were still alive, we wouldn't be in such an embarrassing situation."

Yang Yi was also moved for a moment, lowering his head and murmuring, "If the Prime Minister were still alive, why would I have surrendered? I simply did not want to put my life in the hands of Fei Yi and Jiang Wan!" (End of this chapter)