Chapter 92: Seizing Yi Province

Indeed, Liu Xie had always presented himself with humility in the past, often referring to himself simply as "I" before many. But now, he was beginning to change his mind. Many thought he was too easygoing, and yet he intended to restore the Han dynasty. Liu Xie believed that he should act as the rightful emperor of the Great Han. Therefore, from now on, he would address himself as the emperor. Naturally, as emperor, he would have his own capital city, though that was not urgent and would come in due time.

Hearing this, Zhang Lu hesitated. It was clear that if these matters were entrusted to him, he could not do better than Liu Xie. Zhang Lu kept his head lowered, silent. Liu Xie took a deep breath and looked at him.

"As long as you submit to me," he said, "I promise that once we take Yizhou, we will kill Liu Zhang and avenge you. What do you think?"

Liu Xie tried to calm his emotions. Zhang Lu hesitated a moment, then slowly raised his head to meet Liu Xie's gaze.

"Is what you say true?" he asked, disbelief in his voice.

Liu Xie nodded firmly once again.

"Yes, as long as you submit," he assured him. "Hanzhong will still be yours. I will not touch it. Because for me, as long as you surrender, it will spare me needless bloodshed."

"Zhang Gongqi," Liu Xie continued, "I want you to understand one thing. I could kill you right now and take Hanzhong for myself. But I want to give you a chance. Now it depends on whether you cherish it."

He looked at Zhang Lu with serious intent. After a long silence, Zhang Lu nodded firmly.

"Very well. If what you say is true, I am willing to submit to you."

Zhang Lu had made his decision. Liu Xie nodded in satisfaction and waved to Gao Shun. Gao Shun immediately withdrew the steel blade from Liu Xie's neck.

"Very good, Zhang Gongqi," Liu Xie said. "I hope you will immediately recall your troops stationed towards Yizhou, because our general offensive will soon begin. There may be friendly fire incidents, so be cautious."

"Understood, Zhang Lu," Zhang Lu responded swiftly, his demeanor now markedly more respectful.

With Zhang Lu's submission, the battle near the city gates, where Lü Bu was engaged, had also ended. Zhang Lu promptly dispatched swift riders to Yizhou, ordering all Hanzhong troops to withdraw.

"Master Zhang," Liu Xie suggested with a smile, "shall we go to Yizhou ourselves? I believe the fighting there will be concluded by the time we arrive."

With Zhang Lu now loyal, there was nothing he would refuse. Naturally, he would follow Liu Xie's command.

"I obey your majesty’s orders," Zhang Lu replied.

"Good. Then let us see how Yizhou fares."

And so, after resting for two days in Hanzhong, Liu Xie and Lü Bu resumed their march towards Yizhou. It was expected that Chen Gong had already mobilized the army for the general offensive there, and the battle was nearing its end.

As Liu Xie had foreseen, upon receiving news that Hanzhong had fallen, Chen Gong was stunned. He could never have imagined that the plan would succeed—it was simply unbelievable.

"Wenyuan, order the troops to advance! We must move out!" Chen Gong commanded at once.

As their 250,000-strong army set out, a sudden development occurred within the enemy camp. The Hanzhong soldiers, once allies of Yizhou, suddenly rebelled and attacked the Yizhou troops from within. Chen Gong's forces attacked from outside, creating a pincer movement. The Yizhou army was shattered in mere moments, utterly unprepared for the betrayal by their supposed comrades.

In truth, when Zhang Lu sent word for the Hanzhong troops to withdraw, Yang Ren, the general commanding the troops in Yizhou, refused to retreat. Instead, he chose to stay and strike a decisive blow against Yizhou forces at the right moment, thus preserving some face for Zhang Lu before Liu Xie.

By the time Liu Xie, Lü Bu, and Zhang Lu arrived with their army, Chen Gong had already entered Chengdu and taken control of all civil and military officials. The entire 250,000 troops had secured every city in Yizhou.

In the Yizhou Governor’s Mansion in Chengdu, Liu Xie strode in with Lü Bu and Zhang Lu.

"Your Majesty," Chen Gong reported, "we have fulfilled our mission and taken Yizhou. The Hanzhong general Yang Ren coordinated with us from within, greatly reducing our casualties."

Liu Xie was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Zhang Lu to have such capable generals under his command.

"You flatter me, Your Majesty," Zhang Lu said respectfully.

Liu Xie smiled lightly and took his seat at the main position.

"Bring Liu Zhang to me!" he ordered loudly.

Shortly after, Liu Zhang and several soldiers arrived under guard.

"Your Majesty," Liu Zhang began, trembling, "I am also of the Han royal clan. Spare me, Your Majesty!"

Seeing Liu Xie seated solemnly on his throne, Liu Zhang begged for mercy, hoping to survive as Liu Biao had by similar means. But Liu Xie had no such intentions. Liu Zhang was not like Liu Biao.

"Han royal clan?" Liu Xie questioned coldly. "Liu Zhang, as a member of the Han family, you led troops to attack me? As a Han kin, you killed my mother?"

Liu Zhang was left speechless by the barrage of accusations.

"Hmph, I have no need for such kin," Liu Xie declared.

"Guards, take them away and execute them!" he commanded sharply.

With a swift stroke, Liu Zhang and his confidants were all put to death without exception.

Afterward, Liu Xie turned to Zhang Lu.

"Gongqi, I always keep my promises. I said I would kill Liu Zhang, and I have. Your great grievance for your mother has been avenged."

Zhang Lu hurriedly bowed deeply.

"I am deeply grateful to Your Majesty for slaying my enemy," he said.

Liu Xie helped him to his feet and resumed his seat.

"Listen well, everyone," he proclaimed. "From this moment on, Hanzhong shall no longer be a territory divided by warlords. It will be merged into Yizhou. Zhang Gongqi, you shall govern Yizhou henceforth."

Zhang Lu was taken aback, looking up at Liu Xie in surprise.

"Your Majesty... you?" he stammered, unable to fathom that Liu Xie would entrust him with the entire Yizhou.

"Do not be surprised," Liu Xie said calmly. "I have seen how well you have governed Hanzhong. As long as you remain loyal and honest, I will treat you well. I believe you will manage Yizhou admirably."

Liu Xu was moved almost to tears. Words like "grateful beyond measure" hardly captured his feelings.

"Your Majesty," Zhang Lu bowed again, "I thank you profoundly. From now on, I will give my life to repay your great kindness."

To Zhang Lu, this immense trust from Liu Xie was a tremendous blessing. He had only surrendered less than five days prior, yet now he was given such a great responsibility. What else could he say?

"You flatter me, Gongqi," Liu Xie replied. "If you govern Yizhou well, that will be the greatest reward to me. Of course, we have some new policies for Jingzhou as well, which I will have sent to you. Also, after this, I will not wage war for some time. I must build the imperial palace. I will reclaim my throne!"

Liu Xie spread his arms wide, radiating the aura of a ruler destined to command the world.

All present knelt in unison.

"Long live the Emperor! Long live! Long live forever!"

From that moment, Liu Xie's true path as emperor began. Though the realm was vast and many lands remained unconquered, he now held both Jing and Yi provinces, commanding an army of a million. Once Yizhou was fully developed, his power would grow even stronger.

Moreover, with many strategists and generals at his side, now was the perfect time to reclaim the throne. This act would greatly boost the morale of his followers, making future campaigns to unite other territories somewhat easier.

Of course, Liu Xie understood that even if easier, it would never be simple, for others were also growing stronger.

For example, Cao Cao and Sun Ce of Jiangdong had not been idle. Since expelling Lü Bu from Xuzhou, Cao Cao had taken control of the region and grown immensely powerful. He then moved to conquer Qingzhou successfully.

At present, Cao Cao's forces rivaled Liu Xie's, if not surpassed them considerably.

Yuan Shao controlled Youzhou, Bingzhou, and Jizhou. In the west, Han Sui and Ma Teng held Liangzhou. Sun Ce, after Cao Cao took Xuzhou, advanced into Yangzhou and had even seized part of Jiaozhou.

The major warlords' spheres of influence had largely solidified. Smaller lords like Zhang Xiu had mostly been absorbed.

The next moves of these warlords would be significant. If Liu Xie guessed correctly, Cao Cao was likely preparing for the Battle of Guandu, which he was bound to win.

However, Liu Xie would not let him claim victory so easily.

In the following period, Liu Xie did not rush back but left Lü Bu to temporarily command the army in Jingzhou while he and Chen Gong remained in Yizhou. The province was vast, and managing it alone would be a challenge for Zhang Lu.