Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 722: Recovering Luoyang
Under the words of Zhuge Liang and in order to unify the world as soon as possible, Huo Jun issued an edict, pretending to be Liu Chan, giving the surname Liu to Cao Zhi, and ordering him to draft official documents for the Han Dynasty, persuading Man Chong to surrender Luoyang and the Han Dynasty.

Zhuge Liang also drafted a proposal on the restoration of the capital, with Huo Jun taking the lead and nearly a hundred officials, including Zhao Yun, Huo Du, Quan Cong, Pang Tong, Gao Xiang, Jiang Ji, Ma Liang, and Shi Ran, signing their names.

Ma Liang went south as an envoy and, on behalf of everyone, petitioned Liu Chan to move the capital back to Luoyang or Chang'an.

When Ma Liang was ordered to go south, Wang Kai, the cousin of Wang Can from Shanyang County, was sent to Luoyang by Huo Jun and Zhuge Liang to persuade Man Chong to surrender because he was from the same hometown as Man Chong.

Luoyang City, General Wei’s residence.

Cao Rui originally wanted to appoint Man Chong as General of Chariots and Cavalry, but considering that the two previous Generals of Chariots and Cavalry, Sun Quan and Wang Ling, had both suffered defeats, he changed Man Chong's appointment to General of Guards.

Man Chong was responsible for guarding the capital, but in order to prevent Man Chong from surrendering, Cao Rui selected Xiahou Mi as military supervisor to serve as a restraining force.

Wang Kai took a boat into the Yellow River and landed at Mengjin, asking to see Man Chong as a fellow townsman and friend of Man Chong.

Man Chong was troubled by the Southern Han army and did not want to see Wang Kai, but thinking that Wang Kai might be an envoy of the Han army, he invited Wang Kai into the palace to discuss matters.

Inside the hall, Man Chong was sitting on the couch with no one around him. Seeing Wang Kai's unfamiliar face, he became suspicious.

Wang Kai walked in, performed etiquette, and introduced himself, saying, "I am Wang Kai, the chief secretary of the Han Dynasty's Grand Marshal. I am here to pay a visit to the general on the orders of the Grand Marshal."

Man Chong's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "The two armies are at war, why are you here now, Your Majesty? Aren't you afraid of losing your life?"

Wang Kai said calmly, "For the general's survival, and for the safety of the people of Luoyang. If I can use my life to exchange for the safety of the people of Luoyang, Kai's death is not a pity!"

Seeing Wang Kai's courage, Man Chong slowed down his tone and said, "Does Wang Jun want to persuade me to surrender to the Grand Marshal?"

As he spoke, Man Chong's tone sank slightly, and he said, "I have been ordered by your majesty to guard the capital, but I am sorry that I cannot obey your order."

Seeing that Man Chong's tone was not so firm, Wang Kai smiled slightly and said, "The Grand Marshal often praises Mr. Man's superior military strategy. Why can't the general understand the situation?"

"Now Henan is almost occupied by Han, and the counties in Guanzhong have also been captured by our army. The western capital Chang'an has been recovered, and only Luoyang remains south of the Yellow River. The situation is on Han, not Wei. Even if the general is good at defending, I wonder how long he can hold on?"

Wang Kai sighed slightly and said, "The Grand Marshal wanted to take Luoyang by force, but Prime Minister Ge cared about the people and could not bear to see them suffer. Could it be that Lord Man could ignore the people of the capital and insist on defending Luoyang?"

"If Lord Man surrenders now, he will be granted the title of county marquis, and will be allowed to lead his former troops."

"Yongqiu Wang Zhi has surrendered to the Han Dynasty. He is worried about Luoyi, so I wrote this article here!"

Seeing that Man Chong's expression remained unchanged, Wang Kai decided to use his ultimate move, which was the surrender letter written by Liu Zhi.

Hearing this, Man Chong's expression changed slightly. He reached out to take the article and read it carefully.

Liu Zhi quoted classics on a piece of silk and urged Man Chong to surrender to the Han Dynasty.

As Liu Zhi said, Luoyang is no different from other cities. It was the capital of the Central Han Dynasty. It had ancestral temples of the Two Han Dynasties, tombs of the emperors of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the Luoyang Palace rebuilt by Cao Wei.

If Man Chong had defended Luoyang City, causing the ancestral temples of the Han Dynasty to be burned and the tombs of the Eastern Han emperors to be destroyed, then Man Chong would have been a sinner and his entire Manchu clan would have been implicated.

If he was loyal to Cao Wei, his death alone would not be a pity. But if the Man family was implicated and the reputation of the ancestors was damaged, it would be Man Chong's fault.

Moreover, Liu Zhi said that he could understand Man Chong's feelings. Cao Wei had done him a favor and he could not easily betray him. However, judging from the current situation, for the sake of Cao Wei, Man Chong should surrender to Han instead of being stubborn and refusing to surrender.

As for why Man Chong should surrender to Han for the sake of Cao Wei, Liu Zhi gave the answer that Han and Wei were politically in opposition, and judging from the current situation, the demise of Cao Wei was a high probability event.

If Wei was destroyed, given the relationship between Han and Wei, Cao would most likely be killed. If someone with the power of speech like Man Chong surrendered to Han, then with the joint efforts of everyone, the Han might pardon Cao in order to appease the people.

Liu Zhi used him as an example, saying that the reason he surrendered to the Han was not because he wanted to live in disgrace, but because he was worried that the Cao family would be extinct. Although he was forced to change his surname to Liu, he saved his family.

Liu Zhi gave Man Chong a way out, and he used the generosity of Huo Jun and Zhuge Liang as examples, saying that he surrendered to the Southern Han Dynasty because he was favored by Huo Jun, and he would definitely be honored and favored in politics. Moreover, Man Chong's surrender would mean that the world would be unified soon, so he had made great contributions to the unification of the world.

As Man Chong read the article written by Liu Zhi, his already unsteady belief became even more shaken.

Putting down the towel, Man Chong said calmly: "Although the current situation is favorable to the Han Dynasty, Luoyang is not a place that the Grand Marshal can easily control."

Wang Kai's heart sank a little, and he asked, "General, do you want to hold on to Luoyang and fight against our Han army of 200,000?"

Man Chong did not give a reply, but said: "The situation is complicated now. Can you allow me to think for a few days and then reply to the Grand Marshal?" "When can I expect a reply?" Wang Kai asked.

Man Chong hesitated for a moment and said, "It could be as short as ten days or as long as a month."

"Mr. Man, it's been a bit too long!" Wang Kai said with a frown.

Man Chong said vaguely: "It will take many months to repair the siege equipment. Let me think about it for a month, what's wrong with that?"

Seeing that Man Chong had little intention of surrendering, Wang Kai had no choice but to bow and leave, and then tell Huo Jun about the talks.

It was obvious that Man Chong was full of confidence in the Luoyang defense line he had built. He was unwilling to surrender so quickly, and even more unwilling to easily betray his promise to Cao Rui.

After all, Cao Rui asked him to hold on for at least half a year, but he can't even hold on for a month. Doesn't this show that he is incompetent and even more heartless and ungrateful?

Of course, Man Chong might be thinking of selling himself at a higher price. As long as he can demonstrate his value, Southern Han might offer a higher price.

Or maybe Man Chong really believed that holding on to Luoyang would change the situation. After all, when Cao Cao went south to Jingzhou, he was about to unify the country, but he was defeated in the end. If they could hold on to Luoyang and force the Han army to retreat, the Wei Dynasty would be able to prolong its life and recover the states of Henan.

That night, Wang Kai was escorted out of the city by Man Chongli, and sailed down the Yellow River by boat to tell Huo Jun the news.

On the bank of the Ji River, Huo Jun was taking a walk after dinner. He frowned as he listened to what Wang Kai said.

"It seems that Man Chong has little intention of surrendering!" Huo Jun sighed.

Wang Kai pondered for a moment and said, "From what I have seen from Man Chong, I can see that he has no intention of defending to the death, but he has not given a clear time for surrendering. His meaning is ambiguous. We cannot believe it, but we cannot disbelieve it either!"

Huo Jun looked at the hundreds of boats on the Ji River and asked, "What do you think, Zi Tong?"

Jiang Ji stroked his beard and chanted, saying, "Sun Tzu said, 'To conquer the enemy without fighting is the best of all.' Now that we have discussed surrender with Man Chong, we should not give up halfway. But in case Man Chong is trying to delay the war, the governor should be on guard against this."

"Judging from Man Chong's attitude, I'm afraid we have no choice but to fight!"

Huo Jun sighed slightly and said, "But Man Chong is willing to surrender again. It would be the best plan if we can recapture Luoyang without bloodshed."

"Man Chong's attitude is ambiguous. I wonder what the governor intends?" Jiang Ji asked.

Huo Jun paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, thinking about the current situation.

After a little consideration, Huo Jun said, "Let each unit repair their equipment and prepare for the siege."

"The governor has no intention of persuading Man Chong to surrender?" Jiang Ji asked.

"No!"

Huo Jun stopped and sneered, "The reason why Man Chong is so ambiguous is because he is overconfident about the safety of Hulao Pass. First, we should break through the eight passes in Luoyang to give Man Chong a surprise. Then we can send someone to contact him. By then, it will be clear whether Man Chong will surrender or fight!"

In Huo Jun's eyes, Man Chong was not unwilling to surrender, but he was hesitant about surrendering, or even couldn't get over the hurdle in his heart. In this case, it would be better to let him help, first break through the pass outside Luoyang, and line up the troops under the city of Luoyang, so that Man Chong had no choice but to face reality.

"The governor's plan is brilliant!"

Jiang Ji nodded and agreed, saying, "Man Chong may be willing to surrender, but he thinks he can hold Luoyang, so he is unwilling to express his position in a hurry. Breaking through the eight passes first can not only show the power of our army, but also make Man Chong express his attitude as soon as possible, making it difficult for him to delay the war."

After a pause, Jiang Ji said, "But in order to prevent Man Chong from being frightened by not knowing the details, it is better to send someone to set a deadline. If you do not make your position clear after a certain number of days, do not blame our army for breaking into the city."

"good!"

Huo Jun stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the river. His tone was heavy as he said, "Order all the generals to repair the siege equipment. In about ten days, all the troops will mobilize to attack the pass. Also, select the navy to enter the Yellow River, block the river crossing, and prohibit the money and grain in Henei County from flowing into Luoyang."

"Send someone else to tell Man Chong that if he doesn't send someone to surrender before August 20th, don't blame me for the army breaking through the pass. I will meet him at the foot of Luoyang City!"

"promise!"

Huo Jun smiled and said to his attendants, "I have the upper hand now, how can I allow Man Chong to say more!"

(End of this chapter)