Map of the Kingdom's Warfare.

Summary

Two hours after Xu Shiji's departure, 25,000 Tang soldiers abandoned their armor and marched swiftly out of the North Gate towards the northeast. Sima Liu Xin led 1,000 local troops to surrender at the South Gate, and 5,000 Zhou soldiers entered the city. Xu Shiji led 10,000 troops to enter the city, where he found Prince Chai Shao unconscious in a horse-drawn carriage. Xu Shiji decided to let Chai Shao return to Hanzhong. The Tang army, led by Li Shen Fu, marched towards Hanzhong, but they faced difficulties due to the treacherous Shu Road and lack of food. They received a small supply of food at Zitong County, but it was not enough, and they had to disband 5,000 soldiers to seize their rations. The army continued marching, but Li Shen Fu was worried about Wang Jun, who was lagging behind. Wang Jun had actually resolved the issue of the surrendered soldiers and turned back towards Chengdu, creating an opportunity to detach from Li Shen Fu's army. The Tang army camped in a basin, where they lit bonfires to keep warm, but Liu Lan Cheng, who was tasked with intercepting the Tang army, observed them from above and decided to attack. The Tang army was surrounded by the Zhou army, and Li Shen Fu realized that Xu Shiji had not kept his promise. Li Shen Fu tried to negotiate, but Liu Lan Cheng said that Xu Shiji had not agreed to allow the entire army to head north.

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