Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1275: 3 Generals Submit to An Ding Chengdu

As soon as Liu Bei's entourage disappeared at the end of the road, Zhang Song concealed his previous grief, and the earnest plea for the people on his face vanished. Instead, he adopted a respectful posture, standing with his hands at his sides under the city gate, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Before long, the sound of the Xiliang army's iron hooves grew louder as they approached. Ma Chao, leading the charge, brought his generals toward the gates of Chengdu. Seeing the figure standing with bowed head at the city gate, he reined in his horse, scrutinized him for a moment, and then suddenly laughed loudly, "Yongnian? It's you!"

Zhang Song quickly bowed and said, "Your subordinate Zhang Song respectfully welcomes Your Majesty to Chengdu."

Ma Chao dismounted, quickly stepped forward to help him up, patted him on the shoulder and laughed, "It's been two years, Yongnian, you're still as dashing as ever! I've been thinking of you all the time."

Zhang Song looked up at Ma Chao and saw his sincere expression. The awkwardness he felt from playing along vanished instantly, replaced by a surge of enthusiasm. He said loudly, "Your Majesty flatters me. I have been unable to fight alongside Your Majesty and make many contributions to the conquest of Yizhou. I am already uneasy about this. How dare I accept the word 'missing'?"

"That's not right!" Ma Chao waved his hand, turned around and said loudly to the generals who had rushed over, "Everyone, come and see! If we're talking about the greatest contribution to entering Shu, it should be Zhang Yongnian!"

Fa Zheng, Zhang Ren, and others were acquainted with Zhang Song, and they all stepped forward to pay their respects. Fa Zheng waved his feather fan and laughed, "If it weren't for Brother Yongnian's map of the Western Sichuan terrain and detailed description of the passes' strengths and weaknesses, how could our army have successfully crossed Yinping and captured Jiange? Chengdu would probably have been half a year later before we even got close!"

Zhang Ren nodded in agreement: "Exactly! Brother Yongnian's contribution is even more important than killing generals and capturing flags on the battlefield."

The generals surrounded Zhang Song, chatting and laughing, their voices echoing at the city gate. Sunlight shone on them, creating a warm atmosphere reminiscent of a long-awaited reunion.

Who would have thought that Zhang Song, whom Liu Bei praised as a "true man" just half an hour ago, was now chatting and laughing with the generals of Xiliang? His staying in Chengdu was hardly a "chivalrous act"; it was clearly a pre-arranged plan, waiting for Chengdu to change hands. His earlier "plea to stay" before Liu Bei was merely a pretext to avoid an opportunity to escape, and he conveniently used the pretext of appeasing the people to remain in this city that was about to change hands.

If Liu Bei and his men were to turn around at this moment and see this scene, they would probably be speechless with astonishment. Their exclamation about the abundance of extraordinary talents in Shu would likely turn into a ridiculous and laughable situation.

Inside the city gate, Zhang Song led Ma Chao in, pointing out the layout of the streets and alleys while explaining the city's strengths and weaknesses, his words full of obsequiousness. The banners of the Xiliang army were slowly planted on the city tower, fluttering in the wind, announcing the arrival of Chengdu's new masters.

On the first day Ma Chao took control of Chengdu, he summoned his civil and military officials and solemnly ordered: "After entering the city, anyone who disturbs the people or takes their property without permission will be executed without mercy!" As soon as the order was given, the Xiliang cavalry, though their faces were weathered, all held their breath and kept their voices down. As they passed through the streets, the sound of their armor clashing was kept extremely low, and not a single person dared to make a sound.

That afternoon, dozens of public notices were posted throughout the streets and alleys of Chengdu. The notices were written in neat handwriting and stated that "all taxes and corvée labor will follow the old regulations, without adding harsh laws or disrupting the farming season." At the end, they were stamped with the bright red seal of the Xiliang Army. At first, the people peeked from behind their doors, but seeing that the soldiers were only guarding the street corners and not entering their homes, they gradually dared to approach and take a look.

What was even more reassuring was that the followers of the Celestial Masters sect, carrying talismanic water, walked along the streets, praying for the people while proclaiming that "General Ma Chao is the chosen one of Heaven, and he treats all people kindly." This sect already had deep roots in Yizhou, and many people had images of the Celestial Master in their homes. Hearing the sincere words of the followers, most of their fears dissipated. Some people mustered their courage and went out of their homes, only to see Xiliang soldiers helping an old man carry water buckets, and even stepping aside to let children pass. They were astonished—it turned out that this Ma Chao of Xiliang was not the blue-faced, fanged, and bloodthirsty figure of legend.

Regarding the appointment and removal of officials, Ma Chao listened to Zhang Song's advice without question. Zhang Song had already secretly been keeping an eye on the talents in the city, and now presented a list. Among them were scholars from humble backgrounds who had been neglected by Liu Zhang, capable ministers who came from minor official positions but were well-versed in finance and grain, and even a few former officials who had been dismissed for speaking frankly. "My lord," Zhang Song said, pointing to the list, "these people, though of humble origins, all have a sincere heart for the people and can be used."

Ma Chao took the list and looked at it one by one. He saw that Zhang Song had written down each person's special skills next to their name—some were good at financial management, some were knowledgeable in water conservancy, and some were knowledgeable in criminal law. He immediately decided: "I will follow your recommendation. Starting tomorrow, everyone will perform their duties."

The next morning, those who had previously been frustrated and unsuccessful received their appointment letters, filled with both surprise and joy. An old official, once sidelined for contradicting Liu Zhang, held the document appointing him as a Registrar of Household Affairs and bowed deeply towards Ma Chao's residence. Several scholars from humble backgrounds were assigned to teach at the academy, their voices trembling with excitement as they stood on the platform. This policy of "recruiting talent without being bound by convention" quickly spread throughout the city, with even ordinary people remarking, "General Ma has a good eye for people."

As for the remaining aristocratic families, they had expected to face retribution, but Ma Chao only sent messengers with "three rules": first, they must not abuse their power to bully the people; second, their family libraries must be open to students regularly; and third, they must pay taxes according to the amount of land they own and must not conceal them. Although these conditions were restrictive, they were far less harsh than they had anticipated. Some aristocratic families tentatively opened their libraries, and seeing that no one bothered them, they gradually relaxed and even voluntarily delivered this year's taxes to the government office.

In just six or seven days, Chengdu had transformed into a completely different place. The sounds of vendors hawking their wares gradually returned to the streets and alleys; on the ridges of the fields, farmers carried their hoes to the fields and could even nod and greet the patrolling Xiliang soldiers with composure; the sound of children reading aloud came from the schools, mingling with the distant bugle calls from the military camp, creating a sense of tranquility.

Standing atop the city wall, Zhang Song gazed down at the orderly marketplace below and smiled at Ma Chao beside him, saying, "Our lord's benevolent rule has won the hearts of the people of Chengdu."

Ma Chao gazed at the Xiliang banner fluttering in the wind, then at the people passing by on the street, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes. In his early years in Liangzhou, he had always dealt with the powerful clans with an iron fist, but this often provoked a backlash; now in Chengdu, he had merely toned down his arrogance, and had gained such peace. Perhaps, governing the world, in the end, cannot rely solely on swords and spears.

After the fall of Jiange and their capture, the brothers Wu Lan and Wu Yi were prepared to die. However, the Xiliang army only placed them under house arrest, providing them with normal food and drink every day without any mistreatment. On this day, they heard that Chengdu had changed hands and Liu Zhang had fled to Bazhong with Liu Bei, but their Wu family was not included in the list of those who followed. The two brothers remained silent—it turned out that in the eyes of their former master, they had long been dispensable.

Li Yan of Luocheng was in a similar situation. He had defended Luocheng for months, but was eventually captured after exhausting his strength, harboring a deep resentment. Hearing that Liu Zhang had abandoned the city and fled, without even considering the safety of his Li family, he became even more disheartened. In recent days, he had been observing the movements of the Xiliang army with a cold eye. Seeing that they had not committed any offenses after entering the city, completely different from the rumored "slaughtering nature," his heart had begun to soften.

On this day, Zhang Ren and Fa Zheng personally came to the courtyard where they were being held under house arrest, followed by Zhang Song.

“Ji Ran (Li Yan’s courtesy name), Ji Xu (Wu Lan’s courtesy name),” Zhang Ren said bluntly, “Now that Chengdu has been pacified, Lord Ma Chao treats the people well and recruits talented people. You are both good generals of Yizhou, so why are you trapped in prison?”

Wu Yi retorted, "We are Liu Zhang's former subordinates, how can we betray our lord?"

"Betrayal?" Fa Zheng chuckled. "When Liu Zhang abandoned the people of Chengdu and fled with his family, did he ever think of you soldiers who fought for him? He could even hand over his own territory to others, so how could he have ever cared about you?"

Zhang Song stepped forward and took out a list: "Look, this is the list of those who fled to Bazhong with Liu Bei and Liu Zhang. No one from the Wu or Li families is on it. Since your former masters have abandoned you, why do you still cling to your blind loyalty?"

Wu Lan took the roster, her fingertips tracing the familiar names of prominent families, but the Wu family was conspicuously absent, and her face gradually paled. Li Yan looked at the roster, recalling the tragic battle he had fought to the death in Luocheng, and felt a chill run down his spine.

Just then, Ma Chao arrived in person. He was not wearing armor, only a plain robe. He met the three men and said, "I know you are all loyal and brave men. You served your respective masters before, which is understandable. Now that Yizhou has been pacified, we need generals like you who are good at fighting to protect the people. If you are willing to surrender, I will entrust you with important responsibilities and will treat you well."

Looking into Ma Chao's open and honest eyes, and recalling the strict discipline of the Xiliang army these past few days, Wu Lan and Wu Yi, in contrast to Liu Zhang's cowardice and ingratitude, finally felt their last line of defense crumble. Li Yan sighed deeply and bowed to Ma Chao, saying, "My lord is benevolent, far surpassing my former lord. I, Yan, am willing to surrender!"

Wu Lan and Wu Yi exchanged a glance and then knelt down on one knee in unison: "We are willing to serve you like dogs and horses!"

The news of the three generals' surrender spread, and the morale of the army in Xichuan was completely stabilized. Ma Chao looked at the map in the Chengdu government office, his fingertips tracing the boundaries of the four commanderies of Shu, Guanghan, Baxi, and Hanzhong. He finally breathed a sigh of relief—the matter of Chengdu was finally settled.

He summoned his generals and began to deploy the defenses of Xichuan. "General Zhang Ren," Ma Chao said solemnly to the steady and skilled veteran general, "I hereby appoint you as the Grand Commander of Xichuan, in charge of the military and political affairs of the four commanderies of Shu, Guanghan, Baxi, and Hanzhong. You must guard this land of abundance well."

Zhang Ren rose, cupped his hands in greeting, and said in a booming voice, "This humble general obeys! I will certainly not fail my lord's trust!"

“Mr. Fazheng,” Ma Chao then looked at the strategist beside him who was gently waving a feather fan, “I will trouble you to serve as the Prefect of Xichuan, in charge of civil administration, finances and grain, and to work with General Zhang, one civil and one military, to jointly govern Xichuan.”

Fa Zheng bowed and replied, "Your subordinate will certainly work together with General Zhang to pacify the local area and replenish the treasury."

Then, Ma Chao made the following appointments: "Wei Yan is exceptionally brave and skilled in martial arts. He is familiar with the local customs and conditions in Shu. He is hereby appointed as the Prefect of Shu Commandery and stationed in Chengdu to ensure the stability of the central government."

Wei Yan stepped forward, his hand on his sword, and declared loudly, "This humble general will defend Chengdu well!"

"Wu Yi," Ma Chao said, looking at the general who had fought fiercely at Jiange, "I hereby appoint you as the Prefect of Bazhou, to guard Langzhong, connect Shuzhou with Hanzhong, and secure the rear."

Wu Yi bowed and accepted the order: "Thank you for your trust, my lord!"

“Meng Da,” Ma Chao turned his gaze to the strategist beside him, “Guanghan County is located in a strategic position. I appoint you as its governor. You are responsible for pacifying the displaced people, restoring agriculture and sericulture, and providing provisions for the army.”

Meng Da cupped his hands and said, "Your subordinate will do his best to govern and live up to your trust."

Then, Ma Chao instructed Wu Lan: "You will remain stationed at Jiange. This is the gateway to Xichuan. One man can hold the pass against ten thousand. You must defend it strictly and not allow it to fall."

Wu Lan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general will remember this!"

Finally, he looked at Jiang Xu, who had been guarding Hanzhong: "General Jiang Xu has guarded Hanzhong for many days and has made great contributions. Today, I promote you to the position of Prefect of Hanzhong, to be the shield of Xichuan."

Jiang Xu stood up to express his gratitude, his eyes filled with excitement.

With everything arranged, the military and political framework of Xichuan was clear: Zhang Ren and Fa Zheng were in overall command, Wei Yan was in charge of the central government, Wu Yi and Meng Da were responsible for key counties, Wu Lan guarded Jiange, and Jiang Xu protected Hanzhong. With one civil official and one military officer working together, the offensive and defensive layout was comprehensive.