Chapter 14: Flight of a Phoenix
Pang Tong was still imprisoned.
Ever since Chengdu fell, Pang Tong was trapped between the seized strongholds of Hanzhong and Chengdu. Due to the extremely violent nature of the Wei troops, Pang Tong and the few men he had were quickly overwhelmed. He was bound from head to toe and dragged all the way to Changan, where he was imprisoned.
The Shu army learned that the nation of Wu had lost its capital to the Wei forces, but the royal army under Zhu Ran united with the armies of Zhou Yu and Sun Shangxiang, and that the Marquis's sister, in order to maintain order, crowned herself Marquis in her brother's place. Of course, Zhou Yu sent foodstuffs to Kongming, who needed them due to the vast quantity of goods used during the recapture of Chengdu and Hanzhong. Kongming had heard that Pang Tong was imprisoned in the Wei stronghold, the former capital of the Han, and was quite willing to retake it in Shu's name.
Kongming planned to move into Changan and strike Luoyang shortly afterwards. Wei Yan suggested that he use the Xie Gu pass, but Kongming realized that they could not achieve this attack with the soldiers they had. They had to get reinforcements. At least thirty thousand troops had to get through the pass before the Wei forces could mobilize. Any smaller force would be destroyed by the Wei forces coming from Luoyang.
So, the Shu army decided to sneak troops through the pass. During the night, a few thousand soldiers would sneak through the pass and immediately set up a defensive camp. Shu merchants were sent to the Wei military camps to catch them off guard by sending them exotic goods from the Sichuan province, a place few northerners ever had a chance to visit.
Slowly, but surely, 35,000 soldiers were gathered at the north of the pass. They marched forward, met a camp of 4000 Wei troops, annihilated them, and continued on to besiege Changan. In three days, the Governor of Changan, Cao Shuang, forfeited his right to hold the city and fled towards the northern fortress of Feng Xiang, which was controlled by his brother Cao Xi. Cao Shuang was given his office mainly because his father, Cao Zhen, the previous Governor, was asked to assist Sima Yi in the taking of Jian Ye. Ironically, Cao Zhen was a mediocre warrior. When he was sent to the north to quell the Wu Huan tribes, he earned as many victories as the defeats he suffered in their hands, yet Minister Wang Sifu (1.), a good friend and mentor of Sima Yi, thought highly of him, so Sima Yi did too... But seeing how his son did so poorly, Kongming wondered why Wang Lang would rate the father of such an idiot so highly.
Cao Xi realized that the fall of Changan meant that Luo Yang, Han's former capital, would be lost, so he immediately sent a memorial to Emperor Cao Rui of Wei, stationed in Wei's capital of Xu Chang.
Cao Xi ordered his general, Dian Man, to join him, asking his tactician, Cheng Wu, son of Wei's critical strategist Cheng Yu, to watch over Cao Shuang in Feng Xiang. With advisor Wang Su, generals Dian Man and Wang Zhen, and 20,000 troops, Cao Xi was determined to do whatever it takes to protect Wei from the eager claws of Shu.
Zhuge Liang had heard that among Cao Zhen's sons, the only one to show any sense of real ability was Cao Xi, but Cao Xi was quiet, so his loud, brash older brother Shuang was given command of the city.
So when he heard that Xi was coming with a force two thirds the size of Kongming's, Zhuge Liang knew that he wasn't dealing with a pushover. Also, Xi had Dian Man, son of Dian Wei on his side, as well as Wang Su, the son of Wang Lang. He had two officers who had talents, but Kongming had Wei Yan, Jiang Wei, Yang Yi, and several generals and minor strategists who could easily take on Cao Xi's two trump cards. At best, Cao Xi could only buy Emperor Cao Rui a few weeks of preparation, if he only knew how to stall Kongming.
The two armies met the moment Kongming settled in Changan. The Prime Minister Shu had just unlocked Pang Tong's cell when boulders began to smash the various buildings of the city.
"Those Wei traitors are truly impatient. Fengchih, I'm glad you're here to help me get rid of them." Zhuge Liang smirked.
"Glad to see you too, Kongming. I heard that Wu's having trouble, and if we don't hold Changan, the Wei army's morale will skyrocket. We can't afford to give them something to celebrate." Pang Tong noded.
Cao Xi gulped when he heard Wang Su's report: "So my brother had Pang Tong imprisoned, and allowed him to be rescued in order to save his own neck? I may not live to see another moonrise... Men, do not let your cowardice consume you! The very existance of our nation is threatened by these Shu warriors. Zhuge Liang is the genius of our time, and if we let him pass us today, your families shall be enslaved by Shu. Stand beside me and hold him off. Fight for Wei! Fight for your families! Fight for your homes! Fight for your Emperor! And, above all, show these Shu curs what honor is!" He tried to rally his forces.
They cheered, and Dian Man led the main vanguard towards the Shu lines.
"Remember, Wei Yan, defeating Dian Man will crush the Wei army's morale, as they already know that we both outnumber them and have superior officers to theirs. Dian Man is Dian Wei's son, so he's no pushover, but he's also no particularly talented officer either." Zhuge Liang told his subordinate.
Upon seeing Wei Yan, Dian Man gulped and the two men engaged each other in combat.
Unlike his father, Dian Man duel-wielded twin battle axes. However, these axes were sharp and small, to provide for swift mobility. Though Dian Man was muscular, he was still weak compared to his father.
Wei Yan knew that those Axes could hack off one of his limbs with ease, so, using his longspear, the sly warrior tried to strike Dian Man from afar.
Dian Man knew he was doomed. Wei Yan knew exactly how to attack him. Dian Man's axes weren't sharp enough to cut Wei Yan's spear, either that or Wei Yan wouldn't let Dian Man get close enough to do it, unless Dian Man wanted to be skewered.
From afar, Wang Su ordered the troops to strike the watching Shu lines, but they were quickly mowed down by archers who already had their weapons prepared.
"Did you think I'd fall for some stupid trick, son of Wang Lang? Your father was a traitorous, pompous git, and you are an idiot. Your line of the Wang clan is ruined." Kongming snickered.
Wang Su gasped, realizing that none of these treacherous tactics could work against Kongming.
Pang Tong decided not to strike yet, as the men of Shu had to keep their reputation of being virtuous. Dian Man, meanwhile, was disheartened seeing his ally's ploy fail, to say the least. Wei Yan laughed: "You are doomed. Surrender... Not... Smart... To... Die... Here..."
"My father died for Wei. If I have to, I will do the same!" Dian Man growled.
Wei Yan smiled: "Brave... But Stupid..."
Zhuge Liang shook his fan: "That seems to be the case." He nodded at Wei Yan's observation.
Pang Tong sighed. Kongming just couldn't stop saying obvious things, could he?
Cao Xi watched as Wei Yan eventually skewered Dian Man. As his best warrior fell, the Wei troops, knowing that they were outgunned, decided to run. Cao Xi, however, refused to flee with them. He ran forward with the few troops he had left. Cao Xi was quickly captured by the Shu army.
Wang Su also tried to run, but was taken into custody. Kongming stood over both men as they glared at him.
"Cao Xi, you are a brave leader. I look forward to seeing you in combat again. However, I would advise you to pick a better advisor." Zhuge Liang ordered the binds on Cao Xi to released, and the son of Cao Zhen thanked the Sleeping Dragon as he left.
Wang Su gulped as Kongming looked down at him. "Zhou Yu would thank me for killing you. You are the son of Wang Lang, the native of Wu who betrayed his hometown and allowed Sima Yi to destroy it. Furthermore, you are a coward, unworthy of a leader like Cao Xi. Goodbye, Wang Su."
"Wait, don't!..." The strategist was executed.
"Cao Xi will probably go to Luoyang and try to set up a defense there... The Wei Imperial Army has probably reached there already. Let us move on to Luoyang and win back Han's Capital!" Zhuge Liang cheered. The Shu army proudly marched beside him. Their greatest battle was yet to be fought. (2.)
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1. Some call him Wang Yingxing, and others call him Wang Sifu. He is Wang Lang. In the movie version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when Zhuge Liang argues with him, Zhuge Liang calls him Wang Sifu. So I call him Wang Sifu. If I'm wrong, then I'm sorry, but I will use what I'm familiar with.
2. I've always found it funny how defeating the officer during a Romance of the Three Kingdoms game duel caused morale to plummet like mad. That's why the Wei forces in this chapter were routed so quickly...