Chương 60: The Fall of Guangzong City and Post-War Affairs

After watching Zhang Ning and the others leave safely, Liu Ce mounted his horse, his face regaining its cold and ruthless expression.

He ordered Guan Yu beside him: "Yun Chang, send someone to tell Zilong to stop the feigned attack and attack through the north gate with all our might!"

You, along with Yide and Shubao, will each lead your own troops to help me clear out the stubborn enemy forces within the city and facilitate the entry of our troops through the other three gates!

"Yes!" Guan Yu clasped his hands in a fist salute and immediately gave orders.

Soon after, Zhao Yun, who had been waiting for a long time, learned of this and immediately led the remaining three thousand troops outside the city like tigers bursting from their cages, rushing into Guangzong City through the wide-open north gate!

"The north gate has fallen! Government troops have stormed in through the north gate!"

"Run! General Ren Gong is dead, and General Tian Gong is gone too!"

"We surrender! We surrender!"

The news that the north gate had been easily breached spread like wildfire among the Yellow Turban army defending the city.

The Yellow Turban Army, whose morale was already low due to the deaths of Zhang Jiao and Zhang Liang, was now completely thrown into chaos and panic.

Many soldiers dropped their weapons and fled in all directions, or simply knelt down and surrendered.

Zong Yuan, Guo Dian, Liu Bei, and others, who were fiercely attacking the city from the east, west, and south gates, soon noticed the significant weakening of the resistance from the defending troops on the city walls and the unrest inside the city.

Although they didn't understand why, they knew that an opportunity had arisen, and immediately ordered their subordinates to launch an even more ferocious attack on the city.

Beset by internal and external troubles and with morale completely collapsed, the three gates of Guangzong City were successively breached by the Han army's frenzied attack!

Large numbers of Han soldiers flooded into the city like a tidal wave.

The fighting within the city quickly transformed from a siege into street fighting and mopping-up operations.

Some fanatical Yellow Turban followers still put up sporadic resistance, but most Yellow Turban soldiers had lost their will to fight and surrendered to the Han army in groups.

The battle lasted from early morning until the afternoon, after which it was basically over.

Post-battle inventory revealed that approximately 20, 000 Yellow Turban soldiers who were still putting up a stubborn resistance were killed, and as many as 80, 000 were captured.

As for the Han army, since the north gate was easily breached and the main force of the Yellow Turban army collapsed quickly, their own casualties were not great, which can be described as a resounding victory.

The sounds of fighting within Guangzong City completely subsided, and the air was filled with the pungent smell of gunpowder and blood.

Upon returning to the Han army camp, Liu Ce's first task was to lock himself in and write a "work summary report."

He sat at his desk, scratching his head, focusing his energy on how to write the process in a way that was both thrilling and reasonable, and the result in a way that was both glorious and "tragic".

After a while, he wrote down, with swift and flowing strokes, the process of conquering Guangzong, according to a pre-conceived "script": How did they anticipate Zhang Liang's night attack, how did they set up an ambush and annihilate him, how did they receive a secret report from a spy that Zhang Jiao was critically ill, how did they launch a fierce attack from all four gates when Zhang Jiao's army was in disarray after his defeat, how did they endure a bloody battle to finally breach the city, and how did they rescue Zhang Jiao's "unrecognizable" body from the "fire"...

Finally, he attached a report on the battle's gains and the "significant" casualties suffered by his side, explaining that the "heads" of Zhang Liang and Zhang Jiao had been properly disposed of and sent to Luoyang along with the battle report.

After finally finishing this battle report, which was full of "artistic embellishment," he stamped it with his seal as the General of the Southern Army.

Liu Ce immediately summoned a fast messenger and instructed him to personally deliver the battle report and the two wooden boxes containing the "substitute heads" to Luoyang by express courier.

He knew in his heart that once this report arrived, his standing in the emperor's eyes would definitely rise dramatically.

After handling this most important official matter, Liu Ce immediately set about arranging for the large number of Yellow Turban prisoners.

He once again adopted the method he had become familiar with in Changshe and Xiaquyang: He ordered the prisoners to identify each other, and to publicly execute the scoundrels and stubborn leaders who had committed numerous atrocities and had killed innocent people, as a warning to others and also to give the local people an explanation.

The remaining prisoners were initially screened; those who were physically strong and had relatively clean backgrounds were dispersed and added to their own troops.

The remaining elderly, women, children, and able-bodied men who were unfit for military service were all registered and a reliable force was dispatched to escort them to his base of operations—Zhuojun—to be settled and registered under the care of Lao Zhao and others.

To him, these people were a more valuable asset than gold and silver.

In the evening, the Han army camp held another victory celebration banquet.

The campfire blazed brightly in the camp, the aroma of wine and meat filled the air, and the atmosphere was even more lively than last time.

Deputy General Zong Yuan, Prefect Guo Dian, and other generals gathered around Liu Ce, uttering words of admiration and flattery, and constantly toasting him.

"General Liu's military strategy is divine, his plans flawless; I admire him greatly!"

"General, you are truly a celestial being descended from heaven! We are incredibly fortunate to be able to follow you!"

"If it weren't for the general, how could we be enjoying this drink here? It's all thanks to the general!"

"It is all thanks to your strategic planning, General, that we have been able to achieve this unparalleled feat! This humble general raises another cup to you, General!"

"Even a formidable bandit like Zhang Jiao has fallen to your hands, General. From now on, who in the world does not know you?"

Liu Ce initially responded with a few polite words and downed his drink, but as the flattery became more monotonous, Looking at the group of generals below, their faces flushed from drinking, arms around each other, and boasting, he gradually began to feel a little bored.

With another matter on his mind, and after dealing with several rounds of toasts, Liu Ce made an excuse, claiming that he was tired from working for several days and needed to rest early, and got up to leave the noisy main tent.

Seeing him leave, the atmosphere inside the tent became even more relaxed and enthusiastic. The generals, less restrained, toasted each other, played drinking games, and freely expressed their joy at the victory.

Liu Ce stepped out of the tent, and the night breeze made him feel much better.

He thought for a moment, then instead of returning to his own tent, he walked out of the camp.

Guan Yu caught up: "Brother, where are you going?"

"Go check on Zhang Ning and the others," Liu Ce said.

"She's practically my fiancée now, I can't just leave her like this."

The two rode out of the main camp and arrived at a secluded spot nearby. Zhou Cang set up a temporary camp there to house Zhang Ning and the two thousand Yellow Turban warriors.

Upon arrival, the Yellow Turban warriors guarding him recognized him and immediately let him pass.

Liu Ce met Zhang Ning, who was dressed in plain clothes and whose expression still carried sorrow and aloofness.

He walked up to her and said in a calm tone:

"Miss Zhang, the matter in Guangzong is basically settled."

In a couple of days, after I finish dealing with the urgent military affairs at hand, I will accompany you to Xiaquyang.

Bury your father's coffin with his two brothers, so that the three brothers can be reunited in the afterlife.

Zhang Ning raised her eyes, glanced at Liu Ce with a complex expression, and finally nodded slightly, saying in a low voice:

"Thank you for your trouble, General." The voice remained calm.

Another silence followed.

Liu Ce felt the atmosphere was too oppressive, and he wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say.

In the end, all I could say was, "Well... I'll head back now. You all get some rest."

Zhang Ning nodded again.

Liu Ce mounted his horse and rode away. On the way back, Guan Yu said:

"Brother, this Miss Zhang... seems rather aloof."

"His father just died, how enthusiastic can he be?"

Liu Ce sighed, "Besides, we killed her second and third uncles, it's already a miracle she didn't try to stab me with a knife."

Guan Yu thought about it and agreed.

Liu Ce was extremely busy for the next few days.

He needed to handle a large amount of post-conquest matters left behind: To appease the remaining civilians within the city, to inventory the spoils seized from the treasury, and to reorganize the Yellow Turban surrendered soldiers who were temporarily under their care after surrendering.

Coordinate the deployment of various armies and prepare for the imperial court's likely imminent rewards and further instructions.