Inside Pingchang City, there were now several thousand reinforcements from Dengzhou, along with one Great Chief, Wang Zhen, two leaders, Meng Ghost-Eater and Chang Fu, and one guest adviser, Xie Minghe... Bai Yousi, meanwhile, had just gone straight to Chessboard Camp near Ban County with Ma Ping'er to meet Zhang Xing. They had left less than a Half an Hour ago.
In fact, Wu Jingfeng had already left Bean Ridge, and Wei Xuanding had also come out of Ban County's county seat to gather there.
They were preparing to discuss strategy for the next stage of the war in light of the latest developments on both the eastern and western fronts.
Just then, outside Pingchang City, a government force that had arrived on the heels of the reinforcements suddenly sent an envoy into the city to request surrender. Whatever the reaction elsewhere, everyone inside was naturally astonished.
"Is it a feigned surrender?!" As the only Great Chief present, but also the commander of reinforcements newly arrived from Dengzhou, Wang Zhen almost instinctively voiced the suspicion anyone would have. "It's already evening. Are they coming in to open the gates from within?"
"Not necessarily," Chang Fu blurted out. "Who sends an Army-Supervising Sima, leading a Gentleman of the Palace General and holding a commandery governor hostage, with an entire army, to fake a surrender? That's far too much capital to stake! The commanderies here in Hebei are all large ones. A commandery governor is the equivalent of a Great Chief."
"It isn't a feigned surrender!" After quickly reading the letter the messenger had brought, Xie Minghe immediately gave his assurance. "I know Chen Bin. We're old acquaintances from Jiangdong. I was previously ordered to persuade him to surrender. He hasn't come without cause... I'm willing to vouch for him."
Wang Zhen