Liu Zhang was shocked and angry when he heard this: "Zhang Ren... How dare you have second thoughts? How can this be possible!"
Pang Xi's betrayal dealt a heavy blow to Liu Zhang. He was extremely disappointed and felt uneasy about everyone he looked at.
Wang Lei hurriedly advised: "My lord, trust your people! The safety of Shu now depends entirely on General Zhang. As long as we can stop Liu Qi, Chengdu will be safe. Don't let anyone instigate you."
Zhang Song sneered, "The safety of Shu depends on Zhang Ren alone, so we must be more cautious. If he just stays here and doesn't go out, is he waiting to kill Liu Qi?"
Wang Lei added: "Huang Gongheng is also in the army. He will definitely help General Zhang defeat the enemy."
Zhang Song said: "If we continue like this, people will become confused, and the counties will rebel. Chengdu will be left alone. Isn't it just waiting to die? Yizhou is a land of abundance, with vast land and abundant resources, and talented people. Is there really no one available?"
Liu Zhang was weak in character to begin with, and became even more hesitant after hearing this. He looked at Zhang Song and said, "All the generals are out commanding troops, who else can be used?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a man came forward and said, "I am willing to lead the troops to resist the enemy."
When Liu Zhang saw that it was his eldest son Liu Xun, he was surprised and asked, "How dare my son lead the army?"
Liu Xun said in a clear voice: "Chengdu is in a state of emergency. Father is toiling over state affairs and cannot sleep at night. I should share his worries and show my filial piety to him."
Zhang Song praised: "It is really rare for the eldest son to have such filial piety."
Liu Zhang hesitated and said, "Although my son has good ambitions, he has never led an army before and I am afraid he will not be able to take on the task."
Zhang Song smiled and said, "In the past, Liu Qi was bedridden and had never led an army, but he also defeated Cao Cao in Nanyang. Your talent and strategy are not inferior to Liu Qi, and you will definitely be able to repel the enemy! I have a plan that can both control Zhang Ren and repel Liu Qi."
Liu Zhang hurriedly asked, "What's the plan?"
Zhang Song said: "You can order the eldest son to lead the troops to guard Luocheng and supervise Zhang Ren to go to the battle to see what he is willing to do. If he does not go out, then go to Mianzhu to meet the enemy in person. With Sima Huang as the military advisor, we will be able to defeat the enemy."
"This is a great plan. Even if Zhang Ren surrenders to the enemy, we can still defend Luocheng and protect Chengdu!" Liu Zhang was overjoyed and looked around at everyone: "Who can help the eldest son defend Luocheng?"
A general stepped out and said, "I am willing to go."
When Liu Zhang saw that it was Wu Yi, he paused for a moment and said with a smile: "It would be best if Xun'er could get help from your uncle. I would be at peace!"
Wu Yi was the brother-in-law of Liu Mao, the brother of Liu Zhang. When Liu Yan died, everyone wanted Liu Zhang to succeed him. They were worried that Wu Yi's brothers would be dissatisfied, so they gradually deprived him of his military power and only appointed him to an idle position in Chengdu.
Now that Liu Mao has passed away and is no longer a threat, Liu Zhang sees that there is really no one else available and has no choice but to appoint Wu Yi. After all, everyone in the Wu family has moved to Chengdu, so he will surely do his best.
Liu Xun took the order and went out. It was the first time for the young man to lead troops, and he was full of energy and enthusiasm. He felt his steps were light and he almost floated up.
Zhang Song hurriedly ran a few steps to catch up, clasped his fists and said, "Song wishes the eldest master a victory!"
Liu Xun turned around and saw that it was Zhang Song. He bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your kind words. They have opened my eyes. What Liu Qi can do, I can do as well."
Zhang Song said with a smile: "Young Master, if you can be loyal when you go to defeat the enemy, your reputation will surpass Zhang Ren's. Who in Shu will dare not obey you from now on?"
Liu Xun's face immediately flushed, and he bowed deeply to Zhang Song: "Some people have said that you secretly befriended Liu Qi before, but fortunately my father is wise and did not fall for the rumors. At this critical moment, everyone is in danger and trying to protect themselves, but you are the only one who is of the same mind as my father and I and has done your best to plan. I will remember this kindness in my heart."
Zhang Song bowed in return and sighed, "As a Han minister, I have witnessed the death of Han people. I should protect General Liu and restore the Han Dynasty. If my name can be recorded in history, what regrets will I have in my life? Such rumors are like rotten leaves under this tree and will disappear without a trace."
Liu Xun looked at the trees in the courtyard and said with emotion: "As the saying goes, the cold winter reveals the pines and cypresses, and the national crisis reveals the loyal ministers. Your good name will surely be passed down in history."
Zhang Song coughed dryly and said hurriedly, "The military situation is urgent. You can first order someone to urge Zhang Ren to go to battle. When he fails, you can turn the tide and boost morale!"
"Liu Qi has Crouching Dragon and Phoenix, and I also have the master's plan, so why should we worry about not achieving great things?"
Liu Xun was overjoyed and thanked Zhang Song. He first sent someone to convey the order to Zhang Ren, urging him to go to war. He and Wu Yi selected 20,000 troops and horses to march towards Luocheng.
Before they knew it, half a month had passed and rumors were rife in Mianzhu and Guanzhong on the front line. It was said that Zhang Ren intended to surrender to the enemy, was passive and unwilling to fight, and was just waiting for another group of troops to arrive in Chengdu so that he could surrender to Liu Qi.
Although Zhang Ren did not take it seriously, Huang Quan was worried. If this continued, the defenders would lose their fighting spirit and would secretly wait for the moment of surrender, and their morale would become increasingly low.
On this day, an order suddenly came from Chengdu, in which Liu Zhang appointed his eldest son Liu Xun as the general and led the troops to help in the battle. The scouts had already sent a message urging him to go into battle.
Zhang Ren received the letter but did not move his troops. Huang Quan could not help but persuade him: "Although the eldest son said he was here to help, he was actually here to supervise the battle. The lord must have heard rumors and became suspicious. Why did the general disobey the order?"
Zhang Ren said calmly, "Haven't you heard that when a general is on the battlefield, he may not obey the orders of the king! This must be Liu Qi's plan. Sending troops at this time is exactly what he wants, isn't it?"
Huang Quan sighed, "But the general disobeyed orders and refused to fight, which also fell into Liu Qi's trap!"
Zhang Ren looked out the door with his hands behind his back and said slowly, "I am loyal to my master, and heaven and earth can bear witness to that. I only need to do my duty to protect the territory, so why should I be afraid of rumors?"
When Liu Xun's troops arrived at Luo City, they learned that Zhang Ren had disobeyed orders and refused to fight. He became furious and sent his personal soldiers to urge him to fight, ordering him to capture Liu Qi's camp within three days.
Three days later, scouts reported that Zhang Ren still did not move his troops. Liu Xun was furious: "Zhang Ren is so proud of his achievements that he openly disobeyed orders and treated my orders as nothing. How can this be possible!"
The first time he led the troops, he was repeatedly disobeyed by the generals. No one could tolerate this, so he ordered Zhang Ren to be brought in for questioning and beheaded.
Wu Yi said, "General Zhang is guarding Mianzhu Pass, and his responsibility is heavy. If we arrest him hastily, it will shake the morale of the army and may force him to surrender to the enemy. Now is the time for you to kill the enemy and make meritorious deeds. Why don't you go to the army and ask questions in person?"
Liu Xun left half of his troops to guard the city and personally led his troops to Mianzhu Pass. Zhang Ren and Huang Quan came out to greet him. Liu Xun's face was as gloomy as water, and he walked straight into the city with a wave of his sleeves.
Zhang Ren knew why Liu Xun came, and reported: "The enemy is at the gates of the city, it is difficult to resist, the only way is to hold on and wait for changes. The soldiers of Jingzhou cannot transport food and grass in time, so they will retreat."
Liu Xun turned a deaf ear and only asked Huang Quan about the military situation. Huang Quan reported the war truthfully and also said a few good words for Zhang Ren. He said that Zhang Fei and Chen Dao were both highly skilled in martial arts, and they had Pang Tong as their advisor, so they were indeed not easy to defeat.
Liu Xunyan asked: "As a military officer, why didn't Huang Zhubu offer any advice on how to defeat the enemy?"
Huang Quan then told Zhang Ren about the three strategies he had offered, all of which were rejected by Zhang Ren. Liu Xun snorted slightly and ordered his men to rest and march out to meet the enemy tomorrow.
Seeing that Liu Xun had not spoken to him from beginning to end, Zhang Ren left the camp with a long sigh and went to inspect the pass alone. Although he was suspected by Liu Zhang and his son, he felt that he had a clear conscience and just needed to perform his duties conscientiously.
Before he knew it, it was deep winter, the north wind was howling, and Zhang Ren was in a gloomy mood. Seeing that Yizhou was in danger and he himself was being suspected, the sadness in his heart was far greater than the coldness in his body.
At this moment, a man on horseback suddenly came galloping under the moonlight. The defenders hurriedly beat the drum, and after only two beats, they saw the man shoot an arrow at the key point and then left.
The soldier took the arrow and saw a letter wrapped around it with the word "Ren" written on it. He opened it and dropped it in shock. He gritted his teeth and said, "Liu Qi, you little bastard, what a vicious plan!"