“Why did you not surrender at first?” cried Zhang Fei, angrily grinding his teeth. “How dared you try to oppose me?”
“Because you are a lot of unrighteous and lawless invaders!” replied Yan Yan without the least sign of fear. “You may behead me as you will, but I will not surrender to you.”
Zhang Fei angrily gave the order for his execution.
“Strike, if you want to, fool; why so angry?” said Yan Yan.
This bold defiance was not lost upon Zhang Fei. Rising from his seat, he went down the steps, put aside the lictors, and began to loosen the prisoner's bonds. Then he dressed Yan Yan in new garments and led him to the high place.
When Yan Yan was seated, Zhang Fei made a low bow, saying, “I have always known you were a hero. Now I pray you not remember against me the roughness of my speech.”
A poet has also written concerning Zhang Fei:
Then Zhang Fei asked Yan Yan to suggest the means of overcoming the Western Land of Rivers.
Yan Yan replied, “I am but the defeated leader of a defeated force, indebted to the victor for my life. I have nothing but my humble services to offer, but I can tell you how to get possession of Chengdu without drawing a bow or shooting an arrow.”
The proposal will be unfolded in the next chapter.
As stated in the last chapter, Zhang Fei asked Yan Yan to tell him how he might conquer the whole of the Western Land of Rivers. This was the reply: “All the fortified posts between this and Luocheng are under my control, and the commanders of all the garrisons owe to me their commissions. The only way for me to prove my gratitude is to make them all yield, as I myself have done. Let me lead the advance, and I will summon them one by one to surrender.”
Zhang Fei thanked him again and again, and the march on this plan began. Whenever the army arrived at a post, Yan Yan summoned the commander, and there it ended. Occasionally, one would hesitate, when Yan Yan would say, “You see I have submitted; how much more ought you to do so?”
These bloodless victories followed each other day after day, supporters rallying to the invaders without question. They simply came.
In the meantime, Zhuge Liang was preparing. Having decided upon the date of departure, he wrote to inform Liu Bei and he made Luocheng the rendezvous for the various armies. On receipt of this letter, Liu Bei assembled his officers and explained to them its purport. He bade them be ready to march on the twenty-second day of the seventh month. Both river and land forces were to set out the same day.
But the fiery old man Huang Zhong was dissatisfied that there should be no local victory in the River Fu Pass.
He said, “Day after day the enemy has come to challenge us, and day after day we have refused. They must have grown lax, and I propose a night raid on their camp. We shall catch them unprepared and shall score a victory.”
Liu Bei agreed to try. He arranged for a night raid, Huang Zhong on the right, Wei Yan on the left, and the center force under his own command. They set out at the second watch and soon arrived. They found Zhang Ren's troops unprepared, rushed the camp, and set it on fire. The flames were very fierce, and the troops of Yiazhou fled in confusion and sought shelter in Luocheng. They were admitted. After pursuing them for some distance, Liu Bei made a camp.
Next day Liu Bei marched right up to the city to besiege it. Zhang Ren kept quiet within and made no attempt to beat off the besiegers. On the fourth day Liu Bei led an attack on the west gate, sending Huang Zhong and Wei Yan to attack the east. The south gate was left to give the besieged a chance to escape if they would.
