Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 645 Smooth Surrender
In October, Wang Ping and Zhao Ang, following Lu Xun's orders, led 10,000 people with light equipment to attack Baishui Road, and then went out of Niutou Mountain, passed through Qucheng and Shiying, turned east from Luomenju under the jurisdiction of Xiangwu, went down along the Weishui River, and captured Jicheng.

Because Ma Chao was attacking Guo Huai from afar, the cities along the way were able to see Wang Ping and Zhao Ang leading their troops down to Long. They were surprised at first, but then, under Zhao Ang's persuasion, fearing the strength of the troops, they surrendered to the Han army one after another.

In order to prevent Ma Dai and Gao Gang from hearing the news and returning for help, Wang Ping and Zhao Ang did not dare to delay. They took some food and supplies, and marched at a forced pace. Finally, they raided Ji City and tried to persuade the defending general Pang Rou to surrender.

In Ji City, Ma Chao appointed Pang Rou as the prefect of Tianshui. When he saw that the Han army had broken the alliance and suddenly attacked Ji City, he was shocked and angry.

In the hall, Ma Chao's youngest son Ma Qiu was sitting there at a loss, while Pang Rou stood beside the couch holding a knife. The messenger ordered by Zhao Ang was ordered to persuade Ma Qiu and Pang Rou to surrender.

The envoy saluted Ma Qiu and Pang Rou and said, "The King of Liang has betrayed the alliance, and the Emperor of Han has issued an edict to attack Liang. Lu Piqi is leading an army of 100,000 and the vanguard has already arrived at the city. I hope that the Crown Prince of Liang and Pang Tianshui can judge the situation and surrender the city to the Han Dynasty!"

"If the Crown Prince of Liang surrenders, Your Majesty will grant him a large share of territory and treat him well. Even if the King of Liang surrenders to Han, Your Majesty will forgive the past grudges."

As he spoke, the messenger tempted him, "Pang Tianshui's brother, Pang Jun Lingming, is a general in our Han Empire. If Pang Jun surrenders, not only will he be rewarded by your majesty, but he will also be able to meet you, so why not?"

Although Ma Qiu was the crown prince, he was only eleven or twelve years old and did not know the real situation. He could only look to Pang Rou. Although Pang Rou had received money and grain from the Southern Han, he was quite pro-Han in his attitude. But being pro-Han did not mean selling out one's country. Pang Rou was extremely angry that the Southern Han had once again betrayed the Liang Kingdom.

Pang Rou tightly gripped the hilt of his knife and shouted angrily, "In the past, my king made an alliance with the Han Dynasty. Lu Xun led his troops to attack our two counties in Longnan, and then we signed the treaty under the city. Now that my lord is on an expedition to Hexi, Lu Xun dares to lead his troops to seize the city again. Even the Qiang people know what loyalty and trust are. I have never seen such a shameless villain!"

The messenger's face was burning with anger after being insulted by Pang Rou. Lu Xun took the initiative to break the alliance and then stabbed Ma Chao in the back. He was really wrong!
The envoy said, "All the land in the world belongs to Han. Now the King of Liang has seized my warhorse. Can Han An take back Longyou?"

Then, the messenger lost his temper and said, "There are few soldiers and little food in the city, and my army of 100,000 will arrive in Longyou soon. If you two don't surrender quickly, don't blame the sword for being blind!"

"hehe!"

Pang Rou sneered a few times and said, "I have tens of thousands of elite cavalrymen in Liang State. How can I be afraid of your tens of thousands of troops? When my lord gathers troops from all directions, your army will be defeated and flee."

"Pang Tianshui~"

Before the messenger could say anything more, Pang Rou interrupted him and said, "Come here, capture this thief and use his head as a sacrifice to the flag first!"

"Pang Rouan dares to do this?"

The messenger's face changed in shock, and he threatened: "If you kill me, the three Pang clans will be in danger!"

"I'm afraid you won't be able to see it again!" Pang Rou said cruelly.

"Pang Rou~"

The messenger's mouth was blocked and he was dragged away.

Ma Qiu looked worried and said, "Mr. Pang, there are only about 2,000 soldiers in the city, and there are more than 10,000 soldiers outside the city. What should we do?"

Pang Rou bowed to Ma Qiu and said, "Please rest assured, Prince. We have 2,000 soldiers in Qishan and 5,000 soldiers in Longshan. We will send all the men in the city to defend the city. When Generals Ma and Gao come to help, the siege of Jicheng will be lifted."

"If the king knew that Lu Xun had betrayed the alliance, he would lead his troops back to help. With your courage and strategy, you will be able to defeat Lu Xun and secure the territory of our Liang Kingdom."

Ma Qiu nodded quickly and said, "I'll trouble you now, Mr. Pang. You can take care of the affairs in the city yourself!"

"promise!"

Jicheng was built on the bank of the Wei River, with the Wei River as a moat and an urn city. Pang Rou was confident that he could hold on to Jicheng in a short period of time. When Ma Dai and Gao Gang joined forces to help, the critical situation would be temporarily alleviated.

Just as Pang Rou confidently declared that he would defend Jicheng, Jiang Wei, who had stayed in the city due to illness, was gathering his troops at home.

Inside the Jiang Mansion, Jiang Wei was putting on armor with the help of his attendants.

Upon hearing the news, Jiang's mother rushed over from the inner house. Seeing Jiang Wei wearing armor, she asked, "Why did Bo Yue mobilize his troops today?"

Jiang Wei held the long spear and said in a deep voice: "Mother, my father and I have returned to the Han Dynasty. When the army approaches the city, I will lead the troops to welcome the king's army!"

Mother Jiang was shocked to hear such a secret news. She said, "Are the hundreds of acres of fertile land in our home not enough to make you and your son rich and powerful?"

Tianshui Jiang family is a famous surname in Longyou. Their ancestors were chieftains of the Shuqiang tribe and later became Han Chinese. But even though they became Han Chinese, because they are located in Longyou area, Jiang family still retains the old traditions of Qiang people.

After generations of management by Jiang's ancestors, the Jiang family had long become a large family in Tianshui, with more than 100 hectares of land and many clansmen. Jiang Jiong's lineage was the main branch, and had always supported his own troops and clansmen, with no less than 200 to 300 private soldiers.

Jiang's mother was a descendant of the Tianshui Yang family, and was a distant relative of Yang Fu, but she preferred to be a safe person, and did not want to see her father and son living on the edge of a knife all year round. Now that she knew that Jiang Wei and his son had surrendered to the Han Dynasty long ago, she was even more nervous and worried.

Jiang Wei knelt on the ground, kowtowed to his mother, and said, "Even if my family has thousands of acres of land, a man's ambition should be like an eagle, soaring into the sky, rather than being like an ox or a horse plowing in the fields."

As he spoke, Jiang Wei saw his mother crying and assured her, "I have already made preparations and started a rebellion with my uncle Jiang Xu. If this is accomplished, my Jiang family will be honored!"

Jiang Xu, courtesy name Boyi, was once General of the Pacification of the Barbarians, with more than a thousand soldiers under his command. After Ma Chao conquered Tianshui, he retained Jiang Xu's original position. Now Jiang Xu is stationed in Shanggui, waiting for Ji County to be conquered, then he will change his flag and surrender to the Han Dynasty.

Mother Jiang wiped her tears and said, "I just hope your father is safe with you!"

Jiang Wei kowtowed three times, then picked up the spear on the ground and walked out without turning his head.

Outside the hall, Jiang Wei, his followers, and his clansmen looked at each other and said in a deep voice, "If we win today, I will repay you generously for saving my life."

"We are willing to follow the young general!" More than two hundred people responded loudly.

"Open the door and head to South City!"

Jiang Wei jumped on his horse and said in a deep voice.

"promise!"

In an instant, Jiang Wei led dozens of cavalry and more than a hundred infantrymen to charge towards the south gate of Jicheng. Outside the south city, Wang Ping had led elite soldiers to wait for the signal, ready to open the south gate at any time.

"嘘嘚~"

Jiang Wei led his troops to the south gate but was blocked by Liang soldiers holding spears.

"Who is coming?"

Jiang Wei held the reins and shouted, "I am here to deliver a letter under the order of Lord Pang. Open the city gates immediately!"

The person guarding the South Gate was Li Jun, who had a good relationship with Jiang Jiong and Jiang Xu, and was also trusted by Pang Rou. Seeing Jiang Wei coming, Li Jun asked in confusion, "Bo Yue, do you have the order from Governor Pang?"

"At this!"

Jiang Wei got off the horse, reached into his arms, and walked towards Li Jun.

Li Jun did not doubt him and took the initiative to walk towards Jiang Wei.

"Where's the warrant?"

"Here's the warrant!"

Jiang Wei suddenly jumped up and took out a dagger from his arms. The sharp dagger pierced through the armor and went straight to Li Jun's abdominal flesh. Just a little force was enough to send Li Jun to the west.

Li Jun was caught off guard and was controlled by Jiang Wei on the spot. Li Jun's attendants drew their ring-handled swords and faced Jiang Wei.

"Boyue, what's going on?" Li Jun asked in horror.

Jiang Wei looked around and said, "Tell the people to retreat and not make any noise!"

"Quick, retreat!" Under the threat of death, Li Jun ordered his men to put away their swords and retreat.

"Thank you Uncle Li for giving the order to open the door!" Jiang Wei said in a deep voice.

"Boyue, why is this?"

Li Jun swallowed his saliva, tried to maintain a gentle tone, and said: "The Han army is outside now, and opening the south gate will definitely let them enter the city!"

Jiang Wei did not hide it and said in a low voice: "My father, my uncle Jiang Xu, and Qishan General Gao Gang have all surrendered to the Han Dynasty. If we open the South Gate to welcome the royal army, all of Longyou will belong to the Han Dynasty. If Uncle Li can join me in the rebellion, he will surely be appreciated by the emperor!"

"Liang Wang Ma Chao was personally driven out by Lu Xun, and Ma Chao lost Jixian and Shanggui. All his family members in the army are in the hands of the Han. His troops will certainly be shaken. Now Longyou will soon become Han territory. I wonder if Li Shu is willing to serve the Han Dynasty or die with Ma Chao?"

Upon hearing the secret, Li Jun's eyes widened instantly, his expression changed several times, and he said: "Liang was a vassal of the Han Dynasty, and now the Han Dynasty has a legitimate reason to take Long land. I have been friends with you for many years, and we are sworn brothers. Since you have served the Han Dynasty, I should follow you!"

As he spoke, Li Jun complained, "You and your sons have all returned to Han, why didn't you discuss this with me?"

In the face of death and the general trend, Li Jun only has the Han Dynasty in his heart!
Ma Chao, King of Liang?

Just a traitor!

Jiang Wei was stunned. He thought he would have to waste more time talking, but he didn't expect his uncle Li to surrender to the Han Dynasty so smoothly!

In order to avoid any eventuality, Jiang Wei stayed with Li Jun and asked him to give the order to open the door.

"Open the door!"

Li Jun descended smoothly and yelled, "We need Pang Tianshui's order to open the South Gate!"

"promise!"

With a creaking sound, the south gate of Ji County was opened, and Jiang Wei's troops took over the city gate.

Then Li Jun shouted: "Now Jiang Wei and I have returned to Han. The Han army is entering the city. You are not allowed to fight with swords and spears!"

"promise!"

Seeing the South Gate wide open, Wang Ping ordered the cavalry to rush into the city gate first, and then he led the infantry to guard the rear. As the South Gate was opened, the Han army swarmed in, and the hasty sound of gongs and drums rang out in the city, indicating that the Han army was attacking the city.

After a while, Wang Ping was seen riding a war horse and leading most of the infantry into the city.

Without waiting for Jiang Wei to respond, Li Jun ran up first, bowed to Wang Ping, and said, "South Gate Commander Li Jun greets the general. Jiang Wei and I will open the gate to welcome the general."

Seeing Li Jun being so smooth, Jiang Wei couldn't help rolling his eyes. He felt like he was being persuaded by Li Jun to surrender to Han.

Wang Ping dismounted and comforted Li Jun and Jiang Wei in a friendly manner, asking, "Where is Pang Rou now? Where are Ma Chao's family?"

"General, Pang Rou is now in the government office preparing military rations. You can quickly go to the government office and capture Pang Rou."

Li Jun was afraid that Jiang Wei would take away his credit, so he poured out all his thoughts and said, "Ma Chao's youngest sons, Ma Qiu and Ma Cheng, are in the inner city. Although the inner city is strong and difficult to take, all the soldiers guarding the city are deployed on the city wall. General, you can follow Jun to capture them!"

"it is good!"

Wang Ping was very satisfied with Li Jun's performance and said, "Li Jun will follow me to capture Ma Chao's family, and Bo Yue will lead his elite soldiers to capture and kill Pang Rou."

"promise!"

With Li Jun's surrender and leading the way, Ji County, which lacked preparations for defending the city, fell too quickly. With the support of the troops, Zhao Ang entered from the west gate and was responsible for clearing out the remnants of the city.

Pang Rou, who had intended to fight to the end, was so angry when he heard that Li Jun had surrendered to the Han that he did not care about counting food and grass in the government office. He wanted to escape to the east city and join Ma Dai who was stationed in Longshan.

At this time, Jiang Wei led his troops and more than a hundred Han cavalrymen to the government office, but did not find Pang Rou, so they rushed to the east gate.

The speed of running was very fast, and Jiang Wei was only fifty steps away from catching up with Pang Rou.

When Pang Rou saw that it was Jiang Wei who was chasing him, he started to curse and said, "The King of Liang treated you and Jiang Jiong well, why did you surrender to Han and betray Liang?"

"Father and son are villains, treacherous, and will not have a good death in the future!"

"what!"

Jiang Wei was furious and cursed: "Ma Chao is a treacherous villain, comparable to a slave of three surnames. My father and I were officials of the Han Dynasty. How could we betray the Liang Dynasty?"

As he spoke, Jiang Wei abandoned his spear and used his bow, chasing after him relentlessly.

After finding a suitable angle, Jiang Wei drew his bow and aimed at Pang Rou's back. With a whoosh, the sharp arrow pierced Pang Rou's back, causing him to fall off his horse in pain, allowing Jiang Wei to catch up and capture him!
(End of this chapter)