The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: The Competition in the Central Plains

Jinyong City has four walls and twelve gates. Although the gates were damaged, Shi Sheng still arranged some soldiers to guard them. Yin An and others came to Kaiyang Gate, the closest gate to Luoyang North Gate on the south wall. When several soldiers with knives saw dozens of people coming, they were as if they were facing a great enemy. A small leader asked, "Who is so bold to come here! Hurry up and tell us your name!"

"The four of us are generals guarding Luoyang from Han Zhao, and we are ready to surrender to King Zhao!" Yin An said. The small leader said, "Okay, go in!"

Shi Sheng and others just turned to the south wall, and saw dozens of people coming from the direction of Luoyang, so they came down from the wall. Before Liu Yao and Shi Le broke up, Shi Sheng had already known these generals under Liu Yao. When the four saw Shi Sheng coming down, they hurried forward to salute. Yin An said, "General, we are living in Luoyang with only a few meals a day, sometimes we have no food to eat. My soldiers are stationed at the west gate, General Song Shi's soldiers are stationed at the north gate, and Generals Song Shu and Zhao Shen are stationed at the east gate. Li Ju and Guo Mo, who were stationed at Nangong in Luoyang a few days ago, heard that the general was coming and led two thousand cavalry to leave Nangong."

Shi Sheng looked at the four surrendered generals with contempt. Behind Shi Sheng stood eight lieutenant generals and deputy generals. Shi Sheng said to Yin An and others, "Li Ju and Guo Mo escaped, they are sensible. Since you four want to surrender, you must listen to my arrangements. Bring the roster of your soldiers, and then check the roster and assign your soldiers to my deputy generals and lieutenant generals. Then train them together and guard Luoyang together."

When Yin An heard that Shi Sheng wanted to incorporate their troops, he was reluctant. Shi Sheng saw what the four people were thinking, so he said, "You must surrender sincerely, not insincerely. If you still lead the original troops, I will still supply you with food and other supplies. If one of you is not satisfied and regrets and runs away, will King Zhao forgive me?"

The four people looked at each other. Yin An pulled Song Shi, Song Shu, Zhao Shen and others aside. The four people whispered for a while, and Shi Sheng didn't know what they said. Yin An said, "General, it is understandable that you do this. It is a last resort. Then the four of us will go back to our respective garrisons, sort out the roster, and then lead the brothers to accept the reorganization."

"Okay, it's best if you can think this way! Go!" Shi Sheng said very straightforwardly.

The soldiers were cleaning the palaces of Jinyong City, and a separate courtyard near the southeast was used as Shi Sheng's temporary general tent. After returning to the general's tent and sitting down, Shi Sheng said to his generals: "Generals, this time as the governor of Sizhou of Zhao State, I led troops from Chaoge to Luoyang to receive the surrender of the four generals of Han Zhao and stationed in Luoyang. The responsibility is heavy. Song Shi's camp is at the north gate of Luoyang, which is relatively close to Jinyong City. It is almost noon now. After lunch, General Guo Quan will immediately lead a thousand cavalrymen to set up camp not far from the north gate to prevent accidents."

"Yes, sir!" Guo Quan bowed and said.

After lunch, Guo Quan and Shi Sheng and others said goodbye and led a thousand troops to the north gate of Luoyang to find a place to set up camp. Shi ShengHe and other generals patrolled around Jinyong City. The soldiers had already started training. He returned to the general's tent and sat down, waiting for Yin An and others to send the roster. After waiting for about an hour, the four people still did not send the roster.

"Did these four people change their minds?" Shi Sheng said. Before the other generals spoke, a personal soldier following Guo Quan came in from the door. The personal soldier came to the general's tent and saluted Shi Sheng, then said: "Sir, something bad has happened. Yin An and others are pretending to surrender!"

Looking at the nervous look of the soldier, Shi Sheng said: "Tell slowly, don't be anxious."

"Sir, Yin An and others have contacted Li Ju and requested to surrender. Li Ju has sent Guo Mo to lead 500 infantry to enter Luoyang from the south gate in advance. Li Ju's large group of troops will arrive soon. Please make a decision!" The soldier said breathlessly.

"I know, you go down to drink water and rest first!" Shi Sheng said. The soldier saluted Shi Sheng and went down. Shi Sheng felt the situation was serious, so he stood up and said to other generals: "Generals, it seems that things are not what we expected. If Yin An and others join forces with Li Ju, they will have more troops than us. At present, the only one we can control is Song Shi at the north gate. General Jiang Ying, you will lead a thousand troops to help Guo Quan immediately!"

"Yes!" Jiang Ying agreed and led a thousand troops to the north gate of Luoyang. When Jiang Ying arrived at the north gate, Guo Quan's one thousand cavalrymen were on the verge of a fight with Song Shi's eight hundred troops. Guo Quan was overjoyed when he saw Jiang Ying coming. The two nodded in understanding, and the two thousand cavalrymen surrounded Song Shi's eight hundred troops in the core. The cavalrymen inside all had bows and arrows in their hands, and the ones behind them had swords and spears. A conflict could happen at any time. Guo Quan and Jiang Ying came to the encirclement, and Guo Quan said to Song Shi: "General Song, it is easy to destroy your seven or eight hundred people. But we both have the virtue of loving life and do not want to kill people. Let your soldiers lay down their weapons. After I ask the governor, maybe I can give you a way out!"

Song Shi looked at the airtight encirclement, then looked at his soldiers, and said helplessly: "Okay! I hope you keep your word, we lay down our weapons and surrender!"

Song Shi was the first to put down his sword. When his soldiers saw it, they also put down their bows and arrows. Guo Quan said to Jiang Ying: "General Jiang, I will escort these people to Jinyong City first, and you will then pull these swords and guns and baggage to Jinyong City."

"Okay, General Guo! You take the prisoners first!" Jiang Ying said.

On the road from Luoyang North Gate to Jinyong City, Song Shi and his soldiers were escorted, followed by hundreds of Song Shi's soldiers' war horses. Dozens of carriages were also carrying food, swords, guns, armor, etc. The cavalry on both sides and in the back were all ready to go.

When they were almost at Jinyong City, dozens of cavalry under Guo Quan rushed to the front. The soldiers guarding Kaiyang Gate saw the large group of people coming back from Luoyang and hurriedly stood aside. Guo Quan and his soldiers guarded the captives and came to the outside of the general's tent. Jiang Ying and Song Shi came to the general's tent, and Jiang Ying said, "Sir,, General Guo, General Song and I are back!"

Song Shi stepped forward and knelt down and said, "I am willing to submit to you, sir. I hope you will not despise me. In fact, I am willing to submit to King Zhao, but I was deceived by Yin An."

"Okay, General Song, get up. I hope you are sincerely submitting to King Zhao!" Shi Sheng stood up and said. Jiang Ying asked, "Sir, what should we do next?"

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