Chương 431: Arrival in Mianzhu County, Guanghan Prefecture

The army marched south.

Although the Shu Road was difficult, Liu Ce had already seized control of Hanzhong, and the post stations and plank roads along the way were all well-maintained.

Qi Jiguang was strict in disciplining his troops, and they did not commit any offenses during the march. The people were not afraid of the army and even offered them water and food.

The 60, 000-strong army marched smoothly, their banners blotting out the sky, and the sound of their horses' hooves echoing through the valleys.

With Zhang Fei absent, Gongsun Zan became the most talkative one on the road.

As he rode his horse, looking at the steep mountains on both sides, he couldn't help but sigh to Qu Yi beside him:

"This Shu Road—back when Emperor Gaozu was enfeoffed in Hanzhong, he used this road to fight his way out and conquer the world. Now we're doing the opposite, marching into Shu from Hanzhong and taking Yizhou. Hey, history really does come full circle."

Qu Yi grinned and said, "Who cares about any circles or anything like that? Let's just fight. Anyway, our lord said that everyone will be rewarded after we take Yizhou. I'm counting on that reward to buy my wife a nice hairpin."

Gongsun Zan laughed loudly, "You, a commander of the Vanguard Death Squad, do you really need that little bit of money?"

Qu Yi said in a serious tone, "General Gongsun, you don't understand. It's not that I'm short of money; it's that I'm short of sentiment! Do you understand what sentiment means?"

Gongsun Zan was taken aback, rolled his eyes, and remained silent.

Yu Jin, who was standing nearby, listened to the two bickering and added expressionlessly:

"General Qu, if you really mean it, why don't you give all the reward money to your wife and keep a small amount for yourself? That's how we do it in my family, and we never argue about it."

Qu Yi asked in shock, "General Yu, is your family really that badly off?"

Yu Jin: "This is called marital harmony."

Qu Yi: "... You call this harmony?"

Xu Huang listened from the side and laughed, but he was a composed person, so he didn't laugh out loud, just shrugged his shoulders.

They bickered all the way, and in less than half a month, the army arrived at the city of Mianzhu in Guanghan Prefecture.

The city walls of Mianzhu are tall, the moat is wide, and the city towers are adorned with fluttering flags.

But at that moment, the city gates were wide open, and Liu Yan, along with the civil and military officials of Yizhou, were already standing at the city gates waiting.

He wasn't wearing the official robes of a governor; he was only dressed in plain cloth. His hair was gray, and his back was hunched. Standing in the cold wind, he looked rather desolate.

He had none of the arrogance he once displayed as a local tyrant in Sichuan; instead, he resembled a retired gentry.

The people standing behind him, including Dong Fu, Zhao Wei, Liu Mao, Wu Yi, and Wu Ban, also looked utterly defeated.

They struggled for most of their lives, but in the end, they still had to bow down to Luoyang.

Qi Jiguang led his army to form ranks outside the city, dismounted, and, with Gongsun Zan and a few others, stepped forward. He bowed respectfully to Liu Yan, displaying impeccable manners, and said:

"Lord Liu, I am Qi Jiguang, and I have come to take over Yizhou on the orders of His Highness the Prince of Yan. I apologize for waiting here for you."

Liu Yan waved his hand, gave a bitter laugh, his voice carrying a mixture of relief and melancholy:

"General Qi, you are too kind. The world belongs to the Han Dynasty, and Yizhou is also Han territory. It is only right that His Highness the Prince of Yan sends a general to take over. I have already organized the city's household registration, treasury, seals, and troop registers, and I am just waiting for the general to come and hand them over."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two led their men into the city and headed straight for the governor's mansion.

The people of Mianzhu had long heard that the Han army was coming, and they crowded on both sides of the street to watch the excitement.

Some of the bolder children even ran to the side of the line, only to be quickly pulled back by the adults.

After the army entered the city, they did not commit any offenses, not even touching the doors of the people's homes. The people, who had been worried and fearful, were immediately relieved.

The handover went smoothly over the next few days.

Liu Yan didn't cause any trouble and clearly explained all the assets of Yizhou, item by item.

The household registration books filled an entire desk, the government treasury ledgers were stacked half a person high, and the military deployment map hung on an entire wall.

The officials in charge of grain and fodder counted the supplies one stone at a time, and the officials in charge of military equipment checked them item by item. If they matched, they would sign off; if they didn't, they would ask questions.

Liu Yan's men smiled obsequiously and explained everything in detail, not daring to be ambiguous in the slightest.

On the day the handover was completed, Liu Yan, along with his family, clansmen, and a group of former subordinates including Dong Fu and Zhao Wei, boarded a carriage bound for Luoyang.

Before leaving, he stood at the city gate of Mianzhu and looked back at the city where he had lived for several years.

The crenellations on the city wall were still reinforced by his orders, and the stone-paved road at the city gate was still repaired by his orders.

But all of this, from today onwards, no longer belongs to him.

He sighed deeply; his dream of becoming a local tyrant, which he had pursued for most of his life, had finally shattered.

Dong Fu comforted him from the side, "My lord, once you go to Luoyang, His Highness the Prince of Yan will not mistreat you. Isn't Liu Yu doing quite well in Luoyang? He drinks tea and walks his birds every day, living a comfortable life."

Liu Yan shook his head with a wry smile and said, "It's not that I'm afraid of being mistreated. I'm just... unwilling to accept it."

Dong Fu also sighed and didn't say anything more.

The carriage slowly drove out of Mianzhu City and headed north.

Liu Yan lifted the carriage curtain and took one last look at the mountains and rivers of Yizhou, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

I'm afraid I'll never be able to come back in this lifetime.

...

After seeing Liu Yan off, Qi Jiguang immediately divided his troops according to the previously agreed strategy: He led his 20, 000 Qi Family Army troops to Mianzhu, took over the entire Guanghan County, pacified the people, and stabilized the rear.

Gongsun Zan led 10, 000 iron cavalry straight to Ba Commandery.

Xu Huang led 10, 000 infantrymen to Shu Commandery.

Yu Jin led his army to the vassal state of Guanghan.

Qu Yi then led his vanguard of assassins to the subordinate state of Shu Commandery.

Five groups of people advanced simultaneously; the scene was simply a case of overwhelming force.

...

Gongsun Zan's journey.

He led 10, 000 cavalrymen from Mianzhu eastward.

The terrain of Ba Commandery is undulating, making it less smooth for cavalry to run than on flat land. However, Gongsun Zan's White Horse Cavalry is renowned for its fighting prowess and can easily traverse mountains and valleys.

In the towns along the way, the sight of this menacing cavalry made them afraid to even close their city gates, lest they be smashed open and lose face.

When they arrived at the city of Ba, the spectacle stunned the people at the city gate.

Ten thousand iron cavalry... banners blotted out the sky, and the sound of horses' hooves shook the ground.

The prefect quickly led his civil and military officials, carrying the official seal, out of the city to surrender.

He didn't dare utter a single harsh word. He had long heard of the White Horse Cavalry's reputation and knew that Liu Yan had already surrendered. His own resources were not even enough to withstand a single charge from their cavalry.

Gongsun Zan, riding a white horse, looked down at the kneeling officials and sneered, "Get up. Do a good job from now on, and His Highness the Prince of Yan will not mistreat you."

The prefect felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and quickly got up and jogged ahead to lead the way.

She was even more attentive than when serving her own father.

Upon entering the city, Gongsun Zan's first task was to inventory the treasury and household registers.

Although he was a military general, he had followed Liu Ce for so many years and knew everything he needed to know.

He flipped through the ledgers and, finding no major problems, nodded in satisfaction.

The treasury, household registration, and military personnel were all handed over perfectly.