Chapter 69: Urgent News from Nanyang

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On the drawbridge before the city gate.

At the forefront stood Governor Guo Yong, accompanied by over a dozen civil and military officials from Nan Commandery. Their faces were ashen, each with dark circles beneath their eyes. Clearly, Liu Xie's relentless assault throughout the night had completely shattered their psychological defenses.

Liu Xie took a deep breath, dismounted, and walked onto the drawbridge, standing before Guo Yong and the others. To be honest, their surrender had come as a surprise to him. He had expected a fierce battle before he could storm the city, but unexpectedly, they had capitulated on their own. With this turn of events, Liu Xie could spare himself further effort.

"Young Lord Liu, we surrender," Guo Yong declared. "I beg you to treat the people within the city kindly. This is my sole request of you."

Guo Yong understood all too well that any further resistance would yield nothing but ruin for Nan Commandery. Surrender was their only sensible choice.

Liu Xie took a deep breath and accepted the governor’s seal from Guo Yong.

"Rest assured, Lord Guo," he replied. "Once you know who I truly am, you will realize that your surrender was not in vain. I may not be a wise ruler, but neither am I a foolish one."

With this firm assurance, he commanded, "Enter the city!"

At his order, a vast army of one hundred thousand marched in grand formation through the gates. By now, dawn had broken—the battle was over. Even Liu Xie was taken aback; it was only his first night here, and already Nan Commandery was his. The speed of it all was truly astonishing.

"Young Lord Liu," Guo Yong spoke again, "now that I have submitted to your command, there are matters I believe you ought to know."

He spoke with hands clasped, his expression weary and resigned. It was plain to see that Guo Yong’s surrender had not been his preference—only Liu Xie’s relentless onslaught had left him no choice. Guo Yong had no particular feelings toward Liu Xie either, but Liu Xie, perceiving this, said nothing more. He believed that one day, he would win Guo Yong’s loyalty.

"Oh?" Liu Xie inquired softly. "What would Lord Guo like to say?"

"To report to you, my lord," Guo Yong replied, "Liu Biao of Xiangyang has already called upon all the regional lords for aid, urging them to unite against you. Cao Cao has diverted his forces to threaten Wancheng, while Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, Liu Yan of Yizhou, Liu Yao of Yangzhou, and Sun Ce of Jiangdong have all agreed to send troops against Nanyang from various directions."

He recounted the situation in detail. Though he was loath to have surrendered, now that he had, it was his duty to share what he knew.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xie's expression darkened. He had not anticipated this. When he first moved against Jingzhou and Jiangxia, he had not expected Liu Biao to call for reinforcements. Had it been only Jingzhou, he would have felt confident. But with so many warlords joining forces—and with their territories encircling Nanyang and Wancheng—they could quickly surround and threaten his position.

Though Liu Xie still held twenty-five thousand troops in Nanyang, he lacked experienced generals besides Zhang Xiu. It was a precarious situation.

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Should Cao Cao, Sun Ce, and the others truly advance, both Wancheng and Nanyang would be in serious peril.

"I did not expect Liu Biao to play such a hand," Liu Xie said gravely.

Guo Yong sighed heavily. "So, young lord, this is a problem that demands your attention." It was apparent that Guo Yong was fully informed. Most likely, Xiangyang had ordered him to hold Nan Commandery at all costs until the other warlords arrived. But Liu Xie's swift advance had made resistance impossible. Surrender had been his only option.

For Liu Xie, this was of little concern. He now controlled both Nan Commandery and Jiangxia—the two most crucial territories—which meant Xiangyang was half-encircled. Yet, the enemy seemed poised to return the favor, threatening to completely encircle Nanyang.

Thus, neither side enjoyed a particularly favorable position.

"So, my lord, how do you intend to respond?" Guo Yong asked once more. In truth, he was testing Liu Xie—eager to see if this new master possessed any true strategic talent.

Liu Xie smiled faintly. "Let us first observe how the situation develops. Someone, go and contact Lord Zhang of Nanyang and General Hu. I need a full assessment of the surroundings."

Originally, Liu Xie had intended to rest, exhausted after the night’s bitter fighting—his troops and he himself were utterly spent. But before he could reach out to Nanyang, a messenger arrived with urgent intelligence.

"Reporting!"

"Lord Zhang of Nanyang sends word: Cao Cao has dispatched his general Cao Hong to march on Wancheng. Sun Ce and Liu Yao are advancing on the eastern flank of Nanyang. Zhang Lu of Hanzhong is approaching from the west. Liu Yan of Yizhou is reinforcing Cai Mao at Xinye. In total, six warlords, including Jizhou, are sending a combined force of two hundred thousand against Nanyang. Adding the one hundred fifty thousand already stationed at Xinye, the enemy numbers three hundred fifty thousand strong. Nanyang is in dire peril!"

With these words, Liu Xie’s heart surged with anger. He had not expected these warlords to truly assemble such overwhelming forces—three hundred fifty thousand men in all.

Nanyang had nearly seven hundred thousand troops, and after sending one hundred thousand into Jingzhou, almost six hundred thousand remained. But most were raw recruits with no experience in battle. Though their numbers were greater, the enemy’s troops were seasoned and converging from all sides.

"Vile lot," Liu Xie muttered. "I will settle accounts with the likes of Zhang Lu, Liu Yao, and Sun Ce in due time."

Zhang Lu and Liu Yao’s domains flanked Nanyang; they were neighbors, and Liu Xie had not intended to provoke them, nor Sun Ce, who was busy building his own power in Jiangdong. Yet now, these men had forced his hand—he would not forget this.

Guo Yong shook his head with concern. "Young lord, what should we do now? If the enemy converges and launches a full assault on Nanyang, we are in grave danger."

Liu Xie inhaled deeply, falling silent in thought.

"Send orders to Nanyang. Command Lord Zhang at Wancheng to dispatch thirty thousand troops to Xinye. Draw fifty thousand from each of the left and right wings to Xinye as well. Have them combine forces with General Hu and Lord Zhang."

"Young lord!" Guo Yong protested at once. "Both the flanks and the northern front of Nanyang are already threatened by heavy attack. Why would you strip them of troops now? If Cao Cao, Zhang Lu, Sun Ce, and Liu Yao advance, we will be finished!"

Guo Yong seemed even more anxious than Liu Xie. With disaster looming, he believed they should be consolidating their defenses, not concentrating forces at Xinye and exposing themselves further.

Liu Xie understood his worry—Guo Yong doubted his judgment.

But Liu Xie only smiled calmly. "Lord Guo, since you have chosen to serve under me, I ask for your trust. In time, you will understand my intentions."

Guo Yong fell silent, but his disappointment was plain—he thought Liu Xie’s plan was sheer folly.

"My decision is made," Liu Xie declared. "Also, gather every available soldier in Jiangxia and Nan Commandery. In three days, we march!"

With that, he turned and left. None knew his intentions, but Liu Xie was resolved, and no one dared object. Xinye already held two hundred fifty thousand troops, and now Liu Xie was sending another one hundred thirty thousand—thirty-eight thousand soldiers amassed in a single county.

For the next three days, Liu Xie did almost nothing but order his troops to rest—to eat and sleep, day after day. From Jiangxia and Nan Commandery, he gathered all the forces he could muster, totaling more than fifty thousand. Supplies and equipment were readied.

For three days, the soldiers slept. On the morning of the fourth day, Liu Xie summoned all the officials of Nan Commandery.

"Lord Guo Yong," he said solemnly, "I will be leading the army away for a time. While I am gone, I ask you to safeguard Nan Commandery for me."

With these words, he entrusted the city to Guo Yong before his departure.