Return to Jinyang

original: 還晉陽. While the heading mentions Jinyang—Li Keyong’s base—the following text details the campaign in the Sichuan region.

Gao Renhou arrived at Deyang. The rebel Yang Shili dispatched his general, Zheng Junxiong, to occupy Lutou Deer Head mountain pass to resist him. They fortified their defenses and refused to come out. Gao Renhou said: If we attack them, they will have the advantage and we will suffer casualties; if we surround them, they will be exhausted while we remain rested. He then deployed his camps to besiege them.

During the second watch of the night approximately 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM, Zheng Junxiong and his elite troops launched a surprise attack on the camp at the north of the city. The Deputy Envoy, Yang Maoyan, was unable to withstand the assault and led his troops in a retreat. Seeing this, the other camps also began to flee. When Gao Renhou heard of this, he ordered the camp gates to be thrown wide open and set torches to illuminate the area. He personally led his forces to lie in ambush as "wings" on the left and right sides of the road.

When the rebels arrived and saw the open gates, they did not dare to enter and began to retreat. Gao Renhou then launched his ambush, striking them from both sides. The troops from East Chuan the rebel forces fell into a great rout. Gao's forces pursued them to the city walls, beheading and capturing a great many.

Gao Renhou considered that since many of his own camps had fled, there were a great number of soldiers who deserved death under military law. He therefore summoned Zhang Shao, the Clerk of Public Records Kongmuguan: a high-level administrative officer in the military government, and instructed him, saying: "Go quickly and tell..." the soldiers...