Chapter 107

The impregnable fortress, the gates of Chang’an, have opened.

Not from the outside. From within, they opened on their own.

As soon as I sensed the gates were about to open, I led the cavalry out. The well-maintained gates opened without a sound, revealing the scenery of Chang’an.

And behind them, the face of the one who opened the gates to welcome us.

“Who are you?”

“I am Rear General Hahu Mu…”

The real Hahu Mu? I closed and opened my eyes, scrutinizing his face.

Surprisingly, he looked decent. In fact, he was quite handsome.

Well, considering Cao Biao accepted him as his brother-in-law, he must be good-looking. Otherwise, Cao Biao wouldn’t have pushed for it.

I hid my disdain for Hahu Mu and smiled warmly.

“You’ve done well, Uncle. The great deed of opening the gates of Chang’an will surely earn you a fitting reward from His Majesty, the King of Hanzhong. I promise you that.”

Uncle. A term used for an older man, even if not related by blood.

Hearing that I would treat him as family, Hahu Mu seemed to relax. His face showed relief and a hint of expectation.

“The battle isn’t over yet, so I must go now. I’ll leave a unit with you, Uncle. Please soothe the hearts of the people of Chang’an with them. I will report this as a military achievement to His Majesty.”

“Y-yes, I will!”

“Bai Yue, I leave this to you.”

Kang Yu should be enough. Since he’s from Wei, he’ll handle it better than others.

“Once the infantry joins, have So Xian work under you to restore order in the city, and send Chong Dan to the inner city.”

“Understood. Are you heading to the central gate, General?”

Chang’an has three gates on each side: east, west, south, and north. We entered through the small east gate. We needed to open the south gate where the main force was besieging.

And if we could deal with He Xie as well, it would be the cherry on top.

“I leave the rear to you.”

After handing half the cavalry to Kang Yu, I rode to open the south gate.

So far, things have gone better than expected. Hahu Mu was the main target, but I didn’t expect him to actually defect.

No matter how incompetent and desperate he is, he’s still Cao Cao’s son-in-law.

My real plan was for He Xie to suspect Hahu Mu, disperse his forces, and cause chaos within the city.

Chang’an is in dire straits, and He Xie is no exception.

In some ways, He Xie’s situation is even tougher than Zhenchang. Zhenchang is a small city, so a few soldiers could hold it, and there was no need to worry about the interior.

But Chang’an is different. It’s huge. With only 10,000 soldiers, defending all sides is tough, and managing the people’s sentiment is even harder. There are just too many people in Chang’an.

The reason they’ve held out so far is because of He Xie’s exceptional leadership. If He Xie falters, the entire city will falter.

The large population of Chang’an becomes a liability. With so many people, it’s inevitable that some will want to surrender.

Once that happens, it’s over. Chang’an, with He Xie’s control weakened, will effectively be paralyzed.

Of course, it would be much more efficient and effective if Hahu Mu just surrendered outright.

That’s why I greeted him with a fake smile.

In short, this is an incredibly favorable situation.

If we can eliminate He Xie as well, there will be no more variables.

‘He Xie, just wait.’

§

“Are you He Xie?”

A mocking tone. A rough, menacing voice made He Xie turn around.

Across from him stood a burly man with a great saber on his shoulder. He Xie had never seen him before, but he knew who he was.

A physique unmatched even by He Xie, who never neglected training. He wasn’t wearing the ceremonial silk cloak worn by all members of the Lanling Army.

There was only one person like that.

Wei Yan.

The blade personally forged by Liu Bei.

He didn’t seem to want an answer. Wei Yan stepped forward, lifting his great saber.

“If you have any last words, say them now. Once I arrive, there won’t be time.”

“I have no words for the enemy.”

He Xie also drew his sword, ready for battle.

The outcome was decided. He knew he had failed in his duty. Yet, He Xie maintained his stance of never retreating.

“At least I’ll take you with me!!”

“Well, if you can.”

The contrast between the two was stark. He Xie, resolved to die, and Wei Yan, calmly breathing through his nose.

And soon after.

Wei Yan descended the city wall and cheerfully called out to the female general before him.

“Oh, Rear General!”

“Commander Wei?”

“Hahaha, you’re here! I thought you’d be further inside.”

“I sent Chong Dan to the inner city. But what’s that…?”

“Ah, this?”

As Chang-ran’s gaze fell on what Wei Yan was holding, he proudly declared.

“It’s He Xie’s head.”

“My, I was too late.”

“So you were after He Xie too, Rear General. Climbing the wall was worth it.”

Wei Yan had scaled Chang’an’s 10-meter-high walls before Chang-ran secured the south gate and opened it. It was an impressive feat, even if the Wei army couldn’t mount a proper counterattack.

“You’ve done a great deed. You’ll be the top contributor to the fall of Chang’an.”

“Haha, Rear General, you flatter me. How could I claim to be the top contributor over you? This is all part of your brilliant strategy.”

After the modest exchange, Wei Yan glanced at the captive kneeling behind Chang-ran. He wore armor similar to He Xie’s. He was no ordinary soldier but a general.

“It seems you’ve captured an enemy general as well, Rear General?”

“I caught Wei Ping.”

He Xie, Wei Ping, and Hahu Mu.

The three generals responsible for Chang’an’s defense have all fallen into Shu’s hands.

He Xie was killed, Wei Ping was captured, and Hahu Mu defected.

If Guo Huai, who trusted and entrusted them, heard this, he would lament, ‘I knew Hahu Mu was incompetent, but I didn’t know he was this shameless!’

But Guo Huai’s concerns were irrelevant. The Shu army, led by Chang-ran and Wei Yan, smoothly took control of Chang’an after dealing with the three enemy generals.

§

The inner city of Chang’an, once the imperial palace in the north, was taken by the Shu army as the sun began to set.

As the sun hung over the distant mountains of the Guanzhong plains, Chang-ran looked out over Chang’an from the tower of Mingguang Palace.

With looting forbidden and order prioritized, smoke from cooking fires rose throughout the city.

It was a peaceful scene, hard to believe a battle had just taken place.

‘It’s not over yet. There’s still much to do.’

After the soldiers recover, we need to establish a new order in Chang’an and then send reinforcements to Dongguan.

Zhao Yun’s forces are limited. To sneak past Wei’s eyes and advance through Wuguan, we can’t have too many.

We’ve held out so far, but the future is uncertain.

‘I’ll send Guo Yi. Zhao Yun is a seasoned veteran. I’ll entrust military authority to him, with Guo Yi as his assistant. It’s a good opportunity for him to gain experience. I’ll also need to handle O Yi. Should I send Wei Yan?’

Chang-ran shook her head. Wei Yan wasn’t the right choice.

Their ranks were too similar, and there might be conflicts over military authority. It would be better to leave Wei Yan in Chang’an and go myself.

‘Having the kind Bi Yi by my side will be safe. Despite Wei Yan’s temper, Bi Yi gets along with everyone.’

And it’s not just about the gates and passes. We need to tour Guanzhong, stabilize public sentiment, and integrate it into our territory.

‘Kang Yu and Bu Chuan can handle that. So, I’ll go alone to Wugong County? It’s been a while since I’ve gone without a deputy.’

Guo Yi to Dongguan, Wei Yan and Bi Yi to Chang’an. Kang Yu and Bu Chuan will tour Guanzhong, and I’ll go to Wugong County.

After roughly assigning roles, fatigue finally set in.

Physical fatigue was manageable, but the mental strain was heavy. This was no small matter.

Moreover, the pressure of taking charge of Chang’an, the core of the Northern Expedition, was immense.

Guanzhong was called the “Golden City of a Thousand Miles” by Zhang Liang. The entire region was like a fortress.

Taking such a place with relatively few troops was no small feat, and the mental burden was inevitable.

‘I’ll rest for a bit…’

And so, Chang-ran closed her eyes amidst her achievements.

But even as she rested, others were running at full speed.

The messengers heading in all directions.