Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

The tent fell silent for a moment, broken only by the crackling of the candlelight. The generals all understood that a direct assault would only increase casualties, but taking a detour was impossible; Mianzhu Pass was the only passage to Chengdu, unless they could sprout wings and fly there.

Just then, Jia Xu coughed lightly, breaking the silence. He stroked his beard, his voice calm yet weighty: "Please be at ease, everyone. The scouts just reported that Chengdu has sent reinforcements. Judging from the banners and the size of the army, there are no fewer than thirty or forty thousand troops. Judging from the banners, the commander is Lei Tong."

"Reinforcements?" Pound's eyes narrowed. "They've arrived quickly!"

“This is the tricky part.” Jia Xu pointed to the location between Mianzhu Pass and Chengdu on the map. “If the reinforcements join Dong He, Mianzhu Pass will be reinforced, making it even more difficult to take down.”

Zhang Xiu said, "How about I lead a force to intercept and kill the reinforcements?"

Zhang Ren shook his head: "That's not a good idea. Lei Tong is also a famous general in Shu, and he is quite steady. Xu Jing is shrewd and calculating, and he will definitely guard against an ambush. Our army is blocked at Mianzhu Pass. Most of the ones who can sneak over are the brothers of the Black Mountain Army. The mountains are difficult to climb. It's already good enough that we can transport a hundred or so warhorses to serve as scouts. If we want the main force to get through, it will be as difficult as climbing to heaven."

Just as they were discussing, footsteps came from outside the tent. Yang Ren, a former general under Zhang Ren from Hanzhong, lifted the curtain and entered, looking hurried: "General, General Gao Shun from Jiangyou City has sent an urgent report by fast horse!"

He handed over the letter, which Pang De snatched and unfolded, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper: "Pang Xi and Yan Yan of Bazhou have sent troops, saying they are going to rescue Jiangyou. Fortunately, they were held back by General Wei Yan, and two battles prevented them from passing. Gao Shun asked whether we should send troops back to reinforce Jiangyou?"

"Return to reinforce?" Xu Huang laughed angrily. "We're trapped here at Mianzhu Pass, and Wei Yan is holding back the Ba army over there. If we split our forces again, will our small force even be enough to fill a gap in our teeth?"

Jia Xu fell into deep thought, and after a long while said, "Yan Yan and Pang Xi's mobilization of troops shows that they do not yet know that Jiangyou is already in our hands, but only that Jiange has been captured. It is good that Wei Yan is holding them back, at least for now, Bazhou County cannot cause any major trouble." He looked up at his generals, "The most urgent task is to take Mianzhu before the Chengdu reinforcements arrive. Otherwise, we will be attacked from both sides, and our army will be in danger."

Pound slammed his fist on the table: "Then let's go all out and attack again! I'll personally lead the team, I don't believe we can't break through this barrier!"

Zhang Ren said, "A direct assault is not the solution. Dong He's defense relies on the hearts of the people. The people in the city are united with the defenders against the common enemy. The more fiercely we attack, the more they will fight to the death."

Xu Huang paced anxiously back and forth in the tent, the clattering of armor plates revealing his restlessness: "This won't work, that won't work, are we just going to be trapped here at Mianzhu Pass, sighing at Chengdu City?" He suddenly stopped, placed his hands on the table, stared at the small pass on the map, his eyes bloodshot.

Jia Xu slowly shook his head, tapping the table lightly with his fingertips: "Gongming, please calm down. Fame and fortune are not something that can be achieved overnight. Shu has always had many famous generals. We fought our way from Jiange to Mianzhu with unstoppable momentum, which has already made Chengdu tremble with fear. It is only natural that they would send reinforcements at this time."

He raised his eyes and swept them over the generals in the tent, his voice suddenly turning deep: "Gentlemen, at this point, we truly have no choice but to launch a full-scale attack. But even a full-scale attack requires strategy, which can be divided into three steps—"

“Sir, please speak quickly!” Pound took half a step forward, the hilt of his knife already burning hot from gripping it.

"The first step is a daytime assault." Jia Xu traced the city wall on the map with his fingertips. "From dawn to noon, General Pang De will lead the heavy infantry to apply pressure from the front, repeatedly ramming the city gate with battering rams, while simultaneously suppressing the city wall with a rain of arrows, giving the defenders no time to catch their breath."

"The second step is a follow-up attack in the afternoon." He turned to Zhang Xiu, "From noon to dusk, the Black Mountain Army will take over. You are familiar with mountain warfare, so focus on attacking the western wall. The terrain there is slightly gentler, so you can set up more ladders and use rockets to disrupt the enemy, making it difficult for Dong He to defend both ends."

"The third step is the night raid to finish the job." Finally, his gaze fell on Zhang Ren. "After nightfall, General Zhang Ren will lead elite cavalry, carrying sulfur and oil, to launch a surprise attack on the east gate while the defenders are exhausted. Fire will be used as a secondary attack to disrupt their formation."

He paused, then emphasized, "Tomorrow, we must take Mianzhu Pass! We'll wear them down during the day, shake their defenses in the afternoon, and then breach the city tonight! If we wait for reinforcements from Chengdu to arrive, we'll be trapped and killed in a pincer attack!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Huang's anxiety subsided slightly, and his clenched fist slowly relaxed: "Sir, although your method is risky, it is a desperate measure to survive! I am willing to lead a squad of personal guards to accompany General Pang De in the main attack on the city gate!"

Pang De clapped his hands and said, "Good! I will go and prepare the troops now. Tomorrow at dawn, we will launch a full-scale attack!"

Zhang Xiu also said, "The Black Mountain Army's siege ladders are already prepared, and the western city wall is the breach point!"

Zhang Ren cupped his hands and said, "Regarding the night raid, I will send scouts in advance to find out the defenses of the East Gate. I will certainly not fail in my mission."

The oppressive atmosphere in the tent vanished, and the generals' eyes rekindled with fighting spirit. Jia Xu watched their hurried departure, then looked out at the deep night, and sighed softly. These next two days were destined to be a torment of blood and fire. But he knew that there was no room for hesitation. Beyond the gates of Mianzhu Pass lay the final threshold to Chengdu. Cross it, and Yizhou would be in their grasp; fail to cross it, and utter destruction awaited them.

The night wind blew through the tent flaps, carrying the chill of the borderlands, but it could not dispel the resolute killing intent within.

Before dawn, the thunderous drumbeats of Mianzhu Pass resounded. Pang De, clad in heavy armor and wielding a battering ram, roared, "Charge!" Dozens of strong soldiers pushed the massive log, slamming it against the city gate. With a deafening crash, the gate trembled, and a hail of arrows rained down from the walls. Pang De parried with his shield, which was instantly riddled with arrows, but he didn't retreat an inch, repeatedly shouting, "Charge again!"

On the west city wall, Zhang Xiu led his Black Mountain Army to erect siege ladders. Soldiers had barely climbed halfway when they were struck down by rolling stones, their screams echoing throughout the city. Zhang Xiu, his eyes bloodshot, grabbed a shield and held it above his head, personally leading the charge: "Hold on tight! Those who make it to the top will be rewarded with fifty taels of silver!" He groaned as a stone struck his shoulder, but continued to roar as he charged forward.

On the city wall, Dong He stood leaning on his sword, his battle robe already soaked in blood. He would sometimes direct his soldiers to push down the siege ladders, and sometimes bend down to pick up arrows and fire back. His voice was hoarse but still powerful: "Hold on! Hold on for another hour, and the reinforcements will arrive!" But when he caught a glimpse of the mountains of corpses below the city and the dwindling number of soldiers on the city wall, the little hope in his heart sank little by little.

The daytime assault continued into the afternoon, with blood flowing like a river beneath the pass. Though the city gates remained standing, cracks had appeared. Zhang Xiu's Black Mountain Army finally managed to tear a small opening in the western wall. Just as two soldiers charged forward, Dong He personally beheaded them. He stood there, sword in hand, blood dripping from the blade, his eyes blazing: "If you want to pass, you'll have to step over my dead body first!"

As night fell, Zhang Ren's fire attack arrived as planned. Fire arrows streaked across the night sky, landing on the city walls and quickly igniting a raging inferno. The guards at the east gate were forced back by the flames, and Zhang Ren personally led his elite cavalry to scale the walls amidst the chaos. The shouts of battle instantly drowned out the flames.

"General! The east gate has fallen!" A bloodied soldier rushed to Dong He's side.

Dong He gazed at the spreading flames and the surging enemy troops, finally closing his eyes. When he opened them again, only resolute determination remained. He turned to the remaining civilians and roared, "You go! Escape through the back mountain path! Don't worry about me!" The civilians cried and refused to leave. He drew his sword and pointed it behind him: "If you don't leave now, you'll all die here! I'll stay here to cover your retreat!"

When Pang De and Zhang Xiu led their troops to storm the city walls, only Dong He remained standing alone amidst the firelight. Leaning on his long sword, he bore dozens of wounds, yet he still stood tall. Seeing the enemy troops closing in, he smiled instead: "Come on."

Pang De sheathed his sword and said in a deep voice, "General Dong, you have done your best. Why must we perish together? My lord is eager for talent. Why not surrender and work together to achieve great things?"

Zhang Xiu also said, "General, your loyalty and bravery are admirable. Surrender and you will not lose your title of marquis."

Dong He slowly shook his head, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth: "I was born a subject of Shu, and I will die a ghost of Shu. Kill me if you must, say no more." He suddenly straightened up, pointing his sword at Pang De: "Attack!"

Pang De and Zhang Xiu exchanged a glance and both sighed. A flash of light, and the firelight on the city wall illuminated the indomitable figure as he slowly fell. The night wind whipped up his blood-stained battle robe, like a tattered flag.

The city gates had fallen, but gazing at that upright corpse, the joy of victory was tinged with a heavy sense of respect.

The night was deep outside the city. Fleeing civilians, guided by the moonlight, fled towards Chengdu, their footsteps and sobs mingling across the open fields. Jia Xu stood atop the city wall, watching the moving shadows, and said to his generals, "The fleeing civilians will surely report the fall of Mianzhu Pass to the reinforcements. If we don't pursue them, Lei Tong's thirty to forty thousand troops will be even more vigilant, and our ambush plan will likely fail. Send the order: dispatch light cavalry in pursuit—"

"Strategist, wait!" Pang De stepped forward, his voice heavy with somber emotion. "Since the start of the war, Leng Bao of Yangping Pass refused to surrender, his blood staining the city walls; the reinforcements at Jiange, though lacking strategy and beheaded while fleeing, never knelt; Wu Yi and Wu Lan fought to exhaustion and were captured, yet remain in their camp without a trace of surrender; Ren Kui of Jiangyou City died in battle; Fei Guan and Peng Yang fought valiantly to their deaths in the ambush; and now Dong He has held out until the very last man, bravely facing death..."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the corpses below the city walls, his voice growing heavier: "Although they were on the opposing side, how can we not admire their loyalty, their courage, and their heart for protecting the people? Weren't they risking their lives to protect these fleeing civilians? Now that the pass has been breached, why continue to slaughter innocent people?"

The generals under the command fell silent for a moment. Meng Da and Zhang Ren lowered their eyes, their faces flushed with shame. Although they had submitted to Xiliang because of Liu Zhang's incompetence, seeing the courage and spirit of the Shu soldiers still made their hearts ache. Perhaps those men were not guarding a foolish lord, but the land where they were born and raised, and the elders and fellow villagers behind them.

Zhang Xiu also spoke up, saying, "Strategist, Pang De is right. Our lord has always made it clear that wherever our troops are deployed, they will not harm the common people. These people are lucky to have escaped with their lives; to pursue and kill them is not the act of a true man."

Zhang Ren nodded silently, his stance clear even without speaking.

Jia Xu looked at the three generals before him, all of whom remained resolute, and couldn't help but sigh. He was well aware that pursuing and killing civilians was against morality, but the situation on the battlefield was constantly changing. If Lei Tong's army became alert because of this, the battles to come would only become more difficult. However, the generals' minds were already made up, especially Pang De, Zhang Xiu, and Zhang Ren, who were all core members of the army. Forcing them to give orders would only demoralize the troops.

"That's enough." Jia Xu waved his hand, his tone tinged with helplessness. "Since everyone says so, we won't pursue it any further."

As night fell, the fleeing people gradually disappeared into the distance, vanishing at the edge of the mountains. The wind on the city wall carried the stench of blood. The generals remained silent. This victory had come at a terrible cost, and the figures that had fallen inside and outside the pass, as well as the fleeing people, were all silently proclaiming that this land had never lacked those who would sacrifice their lives for righteousness.

Pound gazed toward Chengdu and said in a low voice, "I hope these people can arrive safely, and I also hope... Lei Tong will back down when faced with difficulties."

But he knew in his heart that this was nothing but wishful thinking. Mianzhu Pass had fallen, Chengdu was within reach, and the battles to come would only be bloodier and more difficult. And the civilians he spared tonight might soon become witnesses to the next carnage.