Liu Fan suppressed his fear and smiled, "Lord Chen, aren't you bluffing me? Jiangyou Pass had less than three thousand defenders before, and Helian Heng transferred more than half of them to attack Hanzhong. At most, there were a thousand left. If you have three thousand defenders here, they must be conscripts you rounded up temporarily to serve as soldiers."
"Wh-what are you trying to say?" Chen Hun stammered, his deception exposed.
Liu Fan then reminded him, "Lord Chen, please don't forget that our army is the mighty army of Great Qian, sent to rescue the people of Xichuan who have been tormented by the Helian family and the Huichun Sect. The people of Xichuan have seen some newspapers and cannot be completely kept in the dark. Everyone is now eagerly awaiting the royal army. If our army attacks the city, what do you think the conscripts you've captured will do? Will they defect and offer your head as a welcome gift to our Marshal?"
Chen Hun's body began to tremble, "You-you mean the Marquis of An is outside the city?"
"Under heaven, who else can possess such unfathomable might to defeat the invincible Helian Heng and fight their way here?" Liu Fan asked with a smile.
Chen Hun opened his mouth, his lips still trembling, unable to reply.
Liu Fan then produced the document with Liang Xiao's official seal, which he had prepared in advance, and handed it to Chen Hun for inspection.
"Look closely. His Majesty and the Marquis of An have clearly instructed that Helian Heng, the main culprit, will be executed. Those who have committed lesser offenses, if they turn from darkness to light, will be spared the death penalty and may even receive rewards! Yue Yun surrendered with sixty thousand men to the Marshal, and the Marshal is already considering appointing Yue Yun as the General Who Guards the West. Do you think you should submit to the court, surrender the pass and earn merit, and protect your family, or should you collude with Helian Heng and await execution of your entire clan by the court?"
Chen Hun's hand holding the document trembled violently. After taking a deep breath, he looked at the young man before him, who remained calm and composed. He sighed for a moment and said, "After I surrender Jiangyou, even if I don't receive a reward, at least my family will be safe, right?"
Liu Fan stated decisively, "With the Marquis of An of Great Qian present, who would dare to trouble a loyal subject of Great Qian!"
Nan Jiyun, leading eight thousand men, was waiting anxiously outside the city.
"Why hasn't General Liu returned yet? Could he have been boiled in a cauldron?" a captain worried.
Nan Jiyun's heart sank, and he cursed, "Don't be a jinx!"
As soon as he spoke, the city gate opened wide. A dozen people surrounded Liu Fan and Chen Hun, leading them to the front lines to surrender the pass.
After Liu Fan's explanation, everyone was overjoyed!
"Where is the Marquis of An?" Chen Hun asked excitedly.
Liu Fan then smiled and said, "Now that it has come to this, Liu will not hide it from you. The Marquis of An is not here, but rest assured, the document is genuine!"
Chen Hun then realized he had been tricked by Liu Fan and nodded with a wry smile, "Actually, General Liu did not need to deceive me; I would have surrendered the pass regardless..."
"If one takes risks, there is always a chance of failure. Liu naturally had to do his utmost to ensure success," Liu Fan pursed his lips.
Chen Hun was impressed.
Jiangyou Pass was surrendered, and Nan Jiyun successfully captured it, announcing the release of the conscripted civilians!
The two thousand people who had been conscripted were both surprised and delighted upon hearing the news. They rushed to the city gate and knelt before Nan Jiyun.
"We are grateful for your high righteousness, General, and are willing to defend the city for you!"
Nan Jiyun was taken aback and looked at Liu Fan.
Liu Fan then whispered in his ear, "Jiangyou's grain supplies are not enough for our use for a month, and Fucheng must be captured as soon as possible. We will have a thousand Great Qian guards assist Lord Chen in defending Jiangyou, and we will lead our troops to capture Fucheng to achieve complete victory. These two thousand men are local youths, and if enemy forces attack, they can also assist in transport when necessary."
Nan Jiyun realized the situation and immediately dispatched a Great Qian Guard Captain, leading a thousand Great Qian Guards, under the guise of assistance, to guard Chen Hun and prevent him from betraying them a second time.
Meanwhile, Liang Xiao, who was encamped at Jiange, calculated the timing and finally made his next move.
A large number of trebuchets were pushed to within five li of Jiange. The Qingtian Guards, along with elite archers and crossbowmen, displayed their might below the pass.
"Surrender and be spared, those who contribute will be rewarded, and those who resist will be slain!"
The earth-shattering shouts in unison made Helian Heng on the ramparts furious and anxious.
"I've held on for so long, am I afraid of you attacking now?" Helian Heng finally lost his composure.
"Bazhong is in distress. If Liang Xiao breaks through this pass, the Great Qian army will enter unimpeded, and Jincheng will be completely undefended!" Master Longyue reminded him.
Helian Heng understood and issued an order to his army: "Those who speak of surrender will be beheaded, and their families will be executed!"
The Jiange defenders, who had been wavering somewhat, no longer dared to discuss surrender.
Liang Xiao, of course, did not attack immediately but increased the pressure, using the display to cover for Nan Jiyun.
According to his calculations, Nan Jiyun, familiar with the Yinping trail, should reach Jiangyou within twenty days.
The endurance and resilience of the Great Qian Guards, their sense of belonging to the nation, could not be lower than that of Deng Ai's troops who crossed Yinping during the Three Kingdoms period. Furthermore, they were better equipped and more prepared. Nan Jiyun, accustomed to the Yinping trail, was certainly more familiar with the terrain than Deng Ai.
Coupled with the fact that Chen Hun, the defender of Jiangyou, was a straightforward person, and with Liu Fan assisting Nan Jiyun, the probability of surrender was quite high.
Therefore, Fucheng should be in distress within half a month.
When Helian Heng draws troops to support Fucheng, it will be the perfect time to capture Jiange!
For this battle, Liang Xiao brought a total of one hundred thousand catties of gunpowder barrels, determined to break through Jiange.
Rescuing the people of Xichuan was the immediate priority, more so than eliminating the Xianbei.
If it weren't for the difficulty of transporting the gunpowder barrels, Liang Xiao would have even planned to bring his remaining inventory.
Nan Jiyun, taking seven thousand Great Qian Guards, after a hasty rest, rushed towards Fucheng.
The Great Qian Guards were a new generation of elite soldiers selected based on the standard of carrying one hundred catties and marching a hundred li a day. They had also undergone rigorous training similar to the Qingtian Guards, ensuring that Nan Jiyun could command them as he pleased.
Jiangyou was less than a hundred li from Fucheng. With the speed of the Great Qian Guards, they would certainly reach it within two days of forced march!
At this time, Fucheng was still rounding up conscripts. Any male between the ages of fifteen and sixty in the city who could not afford the two taels of silver "exemption fee" was sent to the barracks for emergency training, to be used to reinforce Bazhong and Banan.
The streets and alleys of Fucheng were filled with the cries of the people, and every household was in deep grief.
In the barracks, two new recruits stood out.
Pei Gan, the Prefect of Fucheng, seeing their serious expressions and agile movements, was greatly pleased and said, "Chang Feng, Ye Xiao, what rewards do you two desire?"
"We wish to follow the Prefect to achieve merit and will go through fire and water for you!" the two stated sequentially.
Pei Gan glanced back at his daughter, who was secretly sending them flirtatious glances, and nodded with a smile, "Sending you to Bazhong would be a waste of your talents. You will be my personal guards. Work hard, and I am in need of a son-in-law!"
Ye Xiao and Chang Feng happily accepted the personal guard tokens.
"Which one do you like?" Pei Gan looked at his daughter.
"Chang Feng is more handsome, and Ye Xiao is more mature. I like both..." the Pei family's daughter said with a blush.
"How can one woman serve two husbands?" Pei Gan said, his eyes turning. He looked at the two new recruits, "You two will compete, but do not kill each other over jealousy. Even if you cannot become my son-in-law, you can become my adopted son in the future!"
Upon hearing this, the two men clenched their fists, and sparks seemed to fly between their gazes.
Pei Gan gained two capable and skilled subordinates and held a grand banquet at home, with everyone congratulating him.
As the cups clinked, Pei Gan was about to begin his praise when an urgent report came from outside.
"Reporting to the Prefect, an elite army of several thousand men has suddenly appeared outside the city, flying the banners of the Marquis of An and Grand General of Cavalry of Great Qian!!"