Liu Qi looked up and saw Pang Xi, who had been accompanying the army. He asked hurriedly, "Sir, are you acquainted with the governor of Mianzhu?"
Pang Xi nodded and said, "Mianzhu Governor Fei Guan is my disciple. If you explain the pros and cons to him, he will understand the situation."
Lei Tong frowned and said, "Sir, Fei Guan has been friends with the Liu family for generations. He is also the son-in-law of the Liu family and the brother-in-law of Liu Yizhou. I'm afraid it will be difficult to sway his heart."
Pang Xi stroked his beard and smiled, "Although the two of them are related by marriage, how can my disciple not know the current situation? Fei Guan has always had great ambitions and deep thoughts. If he meets a wise master, he will certainly come to surrender happily."
Liu Qi said, "I came to Yizhou this time just to gather troops and defeat Cao Cao as soon as possible, and try to avoid fighting. Sir, you may as well give it a try."
Pang Xi accepted the order. He knew clearly that Liu Qi brought him along as an advisor and guide not because he was afraid that he would stay in Langzhong and cause trouble, but to let him get to know his character, and naturally there was also the intention of testing him.
Along the way, we saw that Liu Qi was kind and loving to the people, and he deployed the troops very appropriately. He was indeed as heroic as the rumors said, and was about to reach Chengdu. If we didn't make an effort, it would be too late!
He then wrote a letter and sent it to Mianzhu, praising Liu Qi's extraordinary talent and his ambition to help the world, and advising Fei Guan to sacrifice his relatives for the sake of justice, and to turn from evil to good, so as to prevent the people from suffering.
Liu Qi reorganized the army and pacified the people in Fucheng, as evidenced by the captives and civilians he released. In addition, Xu Shu had previously sent people to spread rumors and publicize Jingzhou's policies, which had already won him the hearts of the people in the country.
…
At this time, Zhao Yun and Meng Da led their troops into Guanghan. When they arrived in Nanchong, it rained heavily for the next half month, delaying their journey.
Liu Zhang had already sent Generals Ling Bao and Zhang Yi to guard Guanghan and to gather information about Fucheng in the north and Deyang in the east. Suddenly, scouts came to report that the enemy was coming from the south.
When Ling Bao heard that there were only 3,000 troops, he laughed and said, "How dare Liu Qi, a small army that has penetrated deep into the enemy's territory, come to take Guanghan? Is he bullying us because there is no one in Shu?"
Just as he was about to lead his troops into battle, his deputy general Zhang Yi advised him, "Liu Qi is a master at using troops. He would never use people carelessly. Since he dares to lead his troops deep into the enemy's territory alone, the leader must be capable. General, do not underestimate the enemy."
Ling Bao sneered and said, "Among Liu Qi's troops, the only one who can fight is Zhang Fei. Now that Zhang Fei is heading north with the army, why should we be afraid of the other generals?"
Zhang Yi said, "Knowing yourself and your enemy, you can fight a hundred battles without danger. I heard that Liu Qi has many capable people under his command, but Cao Cao still can't win. I'm afraid it's not just Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. It's better to send more people to investigate."
Ling Bao said dissatisfiedly: "General, you are afraid before the battle. Are you trying to disrupt the morale of our army?"
Zhang Yi said: "I am not afraid of fighting, but I don't know the enemy's strength. It is a taboo to rush into battle. If the battle is not going well and the army is demoralized, I am afraid that I will not be able to defend the city."
Ling Bao was furious and said, "The enemy has entered our territory. If we don't repel them, aren't we just sitting there waiting to be killed? How can you command troops if you are so suspicious? No wonder you are only promoted to the rank of Cavalry Commander!"
Seeing that Ling Bao not only refused to listen to his advice but also ridiculed him, Zhang Yi could only clasp his fists and say, "Since the general wants to meet the enemy, I am willing to support him."
Ling Bao laughed loudly and said, "No matter who comes, I will capture him alive and let Liu Qi know the ability of my Sichuan general."
He then ordered his troops to go out to meet the enemy, with himself as the vanguard and Zhang Yi as the rear guard, and they formed up their battle array ten miles outside the city.
Not long after, a group of people and horses galloped over from the dusty valley in the distance. Ling Bao was furious and said, "How dare you act so arrogantly in my territory? This is too much."
He ordered his men to form a battle array, and he rode forward alone. When the enemy approached, he drew his sword and shouted, "Who are you?"
A general in a white robe rode up to him, lightly lifted the silk reins, and the white horse stood up, his battle robe fluttering: "I am Zhao Zilong from Changshan, and I am here to tell you my name!"
Ling Bao cursed: "Liu Qi is disloyal and has invaded my prefecture. You are willing to be his lackeys. Do you know the word shame? I, Ling Bao, will capture you and bring you to Chengdu for questioning today."
Zhao Yun was furious and charged towards Ling Bao with his spear. Ling Bao brandished his sword to meet him. The two horses engaged in a fight and after only ten rounds, Ling Bao's face changed drastically.
The opponent's spear moves were not only sharp, but also as fast as lightning. He was dazzled and didn't know how to defend himself. Knowing he was no match for him, he turned his horse and ran away.
"Where are you going?" Zhao Yun rode his horse and came over.
Ling Bao urged his mount hard, but Sichuan horses were relatively short and could not compare to Zhao Yun's great horse. In just two leaps, the horse had caught up with him. Ling Bao was so scared that he threw out his sword, trying to force the opponent back.
Zhao Yun raised his spear and swept away the weapons. The head of the White Dragon Horse had already surpassed Ling Bao's mount. He reached out and grabbed the robe belt, dragged the panicked Ling Bao over the horse, and threw him behind him: "Tied him up!"
Meng Dazheng led his troops to the scene and reminded Zhao Yun that Ling Bao was a famous general in Shu and he should be more careful. But when he got closer, he saw that Ling Bao had been thrown to the ground. He was shocked and ordered his soldiers to go forward and tie him up.
When the Sichuan soldiers saw Ling Bao being captured, they immediately became chaotic. Zhao Yun took advantage of the situation to chase them. How could they dare to resist and they fled in all directions.
Zhang Yi was watching the battle from the rear, ready to provide support at any time. When he saw the troops in chaos, he knew the situation was not good. He ordered a retreat without further ado and led his troops hastily back into the city.
Zhao Yun followed closely behind and had already crossed the suspension bridge. Fortunately, the defenders reacted in time and struggled to close the city gate. Arrows were shot down from the city, and the cavalry was unable to attack the city and was forced to retreat.
Meng Da arrived shortly afterwards, surrounded the city from a distance, and then moved forward to engage in battle, but Zhang Yi simply defended his position and refused to come out.
Zhao Yun returned to the army, ordered the camp to be set up, and brought Ling Bao to him, saying, "The eldest master has ordered that we enter Shu only to integrate our forces and work together to eliminate the bandits. Otherwise, I would have killed you on horseback. Are you willing to surrender?"
Ling Bao sighed, "Since the general has shown mercy, how can I not surrender?"
Zhao Yun ordered his men to untie the ropes and asked, "How many soldiers are there in the city? Who is leading them?"
Ling Bao said: "Zhang Yi in the city is my deputy general. I have just surrendered and have not done anything. If the general lets me go back to the city, I can order him to open the city and surrender. We can enter the city later and there is no need to set up camp."
"That's the best!" Zhao Yun was overjoyed and ordered his men to retrieve Ling Bao's armor and mount and let him return to Guanghan to surrender.
Meng Da hurriedly advised: "This man must not be let go."
Zhao Yun asked, "Why do you think so?"
Meng Da said, "Liu Zhang has four great generals under his command. Zhang Ren is the most skilled in martial arts, followed by Ling Bao. They are all Liu's confidants. They were against the eldest son coming to help in the war and strongly advocated fighting. I'm afraid they won't surrender easily."
Zhao Yun frowned slightly, and after a moment's silence, he said, "The eldest master ordered us not to kill the generals unless it is absolutely necessary, so as to avoid discord among the troops in the future. I will treat him with sincerity now. Even if Ling Bao changes his mind, the rest of the Shu army will know our righteousness."
Meng Da sighed, "I'm afraid Ling Bao will never come back, which will only add to my troubles."
Zhao Yun chuckled and said, "To defeat the enemy without fighting is the best of all good things. I am using this opportunity to promote the benevolence and righteousness of the eldest prince. What is the point of talking about a small city like Guanghan?"
So he ordered the soldiers not to set up camp for the time being and to rest on the spot. After waiting for more than an hour, the sun was setting and there was still no movement on the city wall.
Meng Da smiled bitterly and said, "Just as I expected."
Zhao Yun's face was as gloomy as water. He took up his spear and mounted his horse. He looked at Guanghan City and said slowly: "Ling Bao is greedy for life and afraid of death. He is untrustworthy. He is not one of us. I will kill him!"
Meng Da said, "Ling Bao knows he is no match for the general, so he may not dare to leave the city again. I will go and test his strength first."