Chapter 350: You must stay alive first! The South Gate changes hands, I kneel to Liu Bei twice! If you don’t avenge me, I will destroy my entire clan!

Liyang, military headquarters.

The flickering firelight illuminated Yuan Tan's frowning face.

At this moment, he was repeatedly looking at the handwritten letter of surrender from Liu Bei in his hand, and he had read every word more than seven or eight times.

Guo Tu, who was standing aside, also had a frown on his face, full of thoughts.

Just half a day ago, Deng Zhi, on the orders of Liu Bei, entered Liyang and expressed Liu Bei's intention to appease the enemy.

At the same time, he also delivered this handwritten letter from Liu Bei to Yuan Tan.

According to Xiao Fang's prior analysis, Deng Zhi clearly pointed out Yuan Tan's predicament and explained the generous conditions offered by Liu Bei.

Yuan Tan was in a dilemma as to whether to surrender or not.

"My Lord, in my opinion, we should surrender Liu Bei."

Guo Tu, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke.

Yuan Tan was startled and suddenly looked up at Guo Tu, with shock and resentment clearly evident between his brows.

You know, when Liu Bei landed on the north bank that day, he originally wanted to abandon the city and flee.

It was Guo Tu who persuaded him to stay and urged him to hold on to Liyang and wait for reinforcements from Yuan Shang.

But just a few days later, Guo Tu suddenly changed his tone and actually advised him to surrender the city and submit to Liu Bei?

Aren't you cheating on me?
How could Yuan Tan not have resentment in his heart?

"My Lord, I miscalculated and overlooked the number of Chu's troops."

"I didn't expect that when Liu Bei surrounded Liyang, he could spare enough troops to capture Dangyin and stop Yuan Shang's army from coming south to rescue us."

"In this situation, with our current military strength and morale, as long as Liu Bei orders an attack from all sides, we can only hold out for a month at most, and Liyang City will surely fall."

"Once the city is breached, it will be impossible to surrender to Liu."

"Whether it's the eldest master or me, Guo Tu, we all have to die."

Guo Tu had a bitter face and spoke in a tone of self-blame and despair about the desperate situation they were facing.

Yuan Tan's body stiffened, and the shock on his face turned into horror in an instant.

He fell silent, obviously having been persuaded by Guo Tu.

"But have you ever thought that surrendering to Liu Bei now is completely different from what you said before."

"When I surrendered to Liu Bei before, I still had the initiative. I surrendered to Liu Bei in name only, but in reality I was using Liu Bei's hand to help me fight against Yuan Shang and regain the throne."

"Now that Liu Bei's army is surrounding Liyang, this surrender to Liu is not just a nominal surrender, but a real surrender to Liu!"

"I can only kneel down before Liu Bei. I am like a fish on the chopping board. My life or death depends on Liu Bei's mood."

"I will never have a chance to turn things around, and I will never have a chance to be king. I can only be a subject of Liu Bei for the rest of my life, and live in humiliation forever!"

Yuan Tan's face was twisted with grief and anger, revealing the unwillingness in his heart.

He clearly had the opportunity to become the King of Wei and be on equal footing with Liu Bei, the King of Chu.

In the future, he will even be able to defeat Liu Bei and Cao Cao, unify the world, and become the emperor who rules the world.

Now, all these grand plans have to say goodbye.

Not to mention that he couldn't become the King of Wei, he had to kneel at Liu Bei's feet in humiliation and be Liu Bei's subject, living in fear for the rest of his life.

He was unwilling to accept this humiliation and pain.

"My Lord, I've said it before, only by living can there be hope!"

"Although surrendering to Liu Bei now is different from the surrender mentioned in the previous diagram, it does not mean there is no chance of revival."

"Liu Bei intends to destroy our Wei and swallow up Hebei. So before he destroys Yuan Shang and takes over the four states of Hebei, he will definitely use the eldest son."

"First, he wants to use the eldest son's popularity among the people of Wei to win their hearts, and second, he wants to show his courtesy and magnanimity to the people of Wei."

"So I guess that Liu Bei will not only treat you with courtesy, but will also let you keep your troops."

"He would even send the eldest son to lead the army to capture cities and territories for him."

"As long as we can keep our troops, we can fish in troubled waters and use the battle between Liu Bei and Yuan Shang to our advantage."

"Once the time is right, the eldest son can completely abandon Liu Bei and turn against him!"

"Reclaim Hebei and survive from a desperate situation. There may not be no hope!"

Guo Tu talked incessantly, becoming more and more excited the more he spoke, and he gave Yuan Tan a great boost.

A glimmer of light suddenly appeared in Yuan Tan's gloomy eyes.

He stood up suddenly and paced in the hall. The handwritten letter from Liu Bei in his hand was tightened and tightened, and the expression on his face kept changing.

He was pondering over what Guo Tu said, weighing the pros and cons.

"My Lord, do not hesitate any longer. If you do not surrender to Liu Bei, you will die."

"If Liu Bei surrenders, there is still a glimmer of hope."

"We have to stay alive first!"

Seeing that Yuan Tan was still hesitating, Guo Tu tried to persuade him in an almost hoarse voice.

Yuan Tan's body trembled and he stopped abruptly. The hesitation in his eyes collapsed in an instant.

"First you have to live, first you have to live..."

"You're right. We have to survive first before we can have hope..."

After mumbling to himself for a long time, Yuan Tan gritted his teeth and waved his hand, saying:

"You're right. You have to stay alive first before you have a chance to turn the tables."

"Han Xin could endure the humiliation of being kicked in the crotch, Gou Jian could sleep on firewood and taste gall, why can't I, Yuan Tan, endure the humiliation?"

"Send Deng Zhi to see me!"

Guo Tu secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and his whole body felt as if he had fainted and almost couldn't stand.

It was obvious that Yuan Tan was moved by his words and had made up his mind to surrender to Liu Bei.

Guo Tu hurriedly ordered his personal guards to invite Deng Zhi over.

After a while.

The young envoy from the Great Chu State stood in front of Yuan Tan with a calm expression. "Envoy Deng, I want to confirm again whether the King of Chu is really magnanimous enough to forgive my past grudges and accept my surrender?"

Yuan Tan asked solemnly.

Deng Zhi heard that Yuan Tan was inclined to surrender, and he was secretly excited.

His face remained calm, and he said calmly:

"My master is a gentleman, and he always keeps his word. When he promised to let you, Master Yuan, live, has he ever broken his promise?"

"So, Master Yuan, you don't have to worry at all that my King Chu will break his promise."

"I'll say it again, my King of Chu will not only accept Master Yuan's surrender, but will also confer upon you the title of Marquis of Pingyuan, and grant you a life of luxury and wealth!"

After hearing Deng Zhi's assurance, Yuan Tan felt more confident and asked:
"What do you think of my subordinates, Guo Gongze, and the 15,000-plus troops in this city? What is the King of Chu's plan?"

This is what Yuan Tan cares about most and is the most important thing.

Deng Zhi smiled and said calmly:
"Mr. Yuan's subordinates will naturally still be under his command."

"In the future, Master Yuan will follow my king to defeat Yuan Shang and recover Hebei. If they have made contributions, they will naturally be rewarded according to their merits!"

The last big stone in Yuan Tan's heart fell to the ground, and he secretly looked at Guo Tu.

As Guo Tu had expected, Liu Bei agreed not to take away his troops and even to use him to attack Hebei.

This means that after he surrendered to Liu Bei, he was no longer alone and could still command these 15,000 troops.

As long as we have soldiers and horses, everything is possible.

Guo Tu was also very satisfied with Deng Zhi's agreement, so he raised the corners of his mouth slightly and nodded secretly to Yuan Tan.

Yuan Tan's remaining worries were thus dispelled.

So he calmed himself down, took a few deep breaths, and bowed towards the Chu camp outside the city:
"Since the King of Chu is so magnanimous, how can I, Yuan Tan, not appreciate the courtesy?"

"Please ask Envoy Deng to report to the King of Chu that Yuan Tan is willing to lead my soldiers and surrender Liyang City to the King of Chu!"

Seeing that Yuan Tan had finally made up his mind, Deng Zhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Persuade Yuan Tan to surrender and capture Liyang, the southern gate of Hebei, and a great achievement will be achieved!

Deng Zhi then took Yuan Tan's reply and left.

...

The next day, when the morning light was rising.

Thousands of Chu army soldiers lined up in a solemn battle array south of Liyang City.

Countless pairs of excited eyes gathered on the city wall, staring at the flag with the word "Wei" on it.

The news that Yuan Shao's eldest son, Yuan Tan, the eldest son of the Yuan family, was going to surrender the city had already spread throughout the camp, and all the soldiers in the camp knew about it.

The Chu army soldiers were naturally delighted as they were able to capture the important town of Liyang without a bloody battle or any sacrifice.

Today, everyone opened their eyes wide, hoping to witness this moment.

at last.

When the first rays of dawn illuminated Liyang, the "Wei" flag on the south gate tower slowly lowered.

A moment later, a "Chu" flag slowly rose in the morning sun.

Thousands of Chu army soldiers were all excited.

Soon, the city gate opened, the drawbridge dropped, and tens of thousands of Wei troops, who had already laid down their weapons and armor, began to walk out of the south gate in an orderly manner, lying in wait for surrender.

Seeing this, everyone knew that Yuan Tan’s surrender was a fait accompli.

Thunderous cheers immediately broke out in the Chu army's formation.

"Yuan Tan really disregarded the Yuan family's foundation and surrendered without a fight!"

"Your ability to see into people's hearts and your way of conquering their hearts, throughout history, no one can match you, Jinglue!"

Liu Bei sighed with emotion and looked back at Xiao Fang with admiration.

Xiao Fang smiled faintly and pointed his feather fan forward:
"Liyang has changed its owner, and the southern gate of the pseudo-Wei has been owned by the king!"

"That young master Yuan must be waiting for an audience with the king. Let's go into the city!"

Liu Bei laughed and whipped his horse.

Half an hour later.

Flags with the word "Chu" on them have been raised above the four gates of Liyang.

Tens of thousands of Chu troops entered the city and completely took over this gateway to the Wei State.

In the mansion.

Liu Bei was already sitting high in the throne, meeting a group of civil and military officials who had surrendered, led by Yuan Tan.

"Tan...your humble servant...your humble servant pays homage to the king!"

After hesitating for a long time, the eldest son of the Yuan family knelt reluctantly at Liu Bei's feet with humiliation in his heart and shame on his face.

The moment his knees touched the ground, Yuan Tan felt mixed emotions and wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.

This was the second time he knelt at Liu Bei's feet.

The first time was when he was captured in the Battle of Xuzhou and became Liu Bei's prisoner, where he had to kneel.

After kneeling that time, he swore in his heart that he would capture Liu Bei alive sooner or later, and make Liu Bei kneel before him, begging for his life servilely, in order to wash away the shame of that kneeling.

But he never expected that less than two years later, he would kneel at Liu Bei's feet for the second time.

It was not Liu Bei who was servile and begging for life, but himself.

It's shame upon shame, a great humiliation!

"Liu Bei, I, Yuan Tan, swear to all the ancestors of the Yuan family!"

"I will make you pay tenfold for the shame of kneeling today!"

"If you break your oath, my entire Yuan family will be exterminated!"

Yuan Tan knelt on the ground, clenched his fists tightly, and swore a poisonous oath with gritted teeth.

(End of this chapter)