binnovel Chapter 1118 Setting up camp in Xiakou, Huang Zu was terrified.
Chapter 1118 Setting up camp in Xiakou, Huang Zu was terrified.
Huang She shrank back in fright at his father's angry shout, and dared not say another word. He could only secretly look at the dark mass of Xiliang troops below the city. His unrealistic calculations had long since vanished in shock.
Huang Zu composed himself, leaned half his body out from the crenellations, and called out loudly to the people below the city: "Rest assured, King Liang! I will prepare the ships and sailors right away! I only ask that King Liang... treat my Jiangxia men well, and not... not make things difficult for them." His voice trembled uncontrollably, and even the fingers gripping the city bricks were shaking.
Seeing that he agreed readily, Ma Chao nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "As long as the boat is good and the people are familiar, I will not treat you unfairly. I want to see the boat dock in an hour." After saying that, he turned his horse around, his silver armor flashing coldly in the sunlight, and returned to the camp with his personal guards without looking back.
Huang Zu watched his departing figure, his tense back suddenly relaxing. He exhaled a long breath, his legs buckling, and he nearly collapsed on the city wall if his personal guards hadn't caught him in time. "Quick!" he roared, snapping back to reality. "Move out the best warships! Pick the most skilled sailors, and the oarsmen must be the strongest! Not a single mistake is allowed! Anyone who dares to slack off, I'll be the first to execute them!"
Below the city wall, Huang She watched his father's frantic command, still feeling somewhat resentful—those were over ten thousand Xiliang soldiers; if they could truly ambush them in the middle of the river, it would be an immense achievement—but then he remembered Ma Chao's fearsome reputation for crushing the Xianbei royal court, and couldn't help but shudder. He finally understood that, facing such a figure, let alone scheming, simply being able to send them away peacefully was already a blessing.
Two hours later, the mist on the riverbank gradually dissipated, and dozens of boats of various sizes indeed docked one after another. The sailors at the bow stood with their hands at their sides, their heads almost touching their chests, not daring to even breathe, their fingertips unconsciously twisting the hem of their clothes, clearly still quite frightened by the imposing array of Xiliang cavalry earlier.
The soldiers of Xiliang, usually fearsome and ruthless on horseback, now looked utterly distressed as they stepped onto the swaying deck. The deck beneath their feet swayed like a living fish, making them dizzy. Hands that usually wielded spears and swords with ease now gripped the gunwale tightly, their knuckles turning white. Many were pale, their throats bobbing, unable to even stand steadily. The fierce courage they possessed on land, the "die if you stand in my way" spirit, had vanished by more than half.
Xu Huang, gripping the side of the boat, frowned and said to Ma Chao with a bitter face, "Your Majesty, I've experienced this boat with you before. Once you get on, your feet don't touch the ground, and you can't exert any strength. You'll probably lose eight out of ten points of your fighting ability! If something really happens, we're afraid we won't even be able to hold our weapons properly, like tigers without claws or teeth."
Lu Su stood aside, gazing at the faint mist on the distant river, and said with a solemn expression, "Your Majesty, although Huang Zu fears our army's power and has prepared ships, most of our soldiers are landlubbers and cannot swim. If Huang Zu changes his mind halfway through the journey, or if Sun Quan sends his navy to intercept and kill us, we will be unable to move on the ships and will be at their mercy."
Upon hearing this, Ma Chao's brows furrowed instantly. He slammed his palm heavily on the deck, making a dull thud. The river wind whipped his cloak, making it flutter loudly. Gazing at his swaying reflection in the water, he said in a deep voice, "What you say makes sense."
Seeing this, Lu Su quickly suggested, "Why don't we set up camp here and send a few fast boats to Wu County? I will personally go and ask Zhou Yu to send his navy to meet us. With Zhou Yu's navy protecting us, we can be absolutely sure of our safety."
Xu Shu nodded in agreement: "Your Majesty, Lu Su is absolutely right. Waterways are treacherous, unlike land routes, so we must be cautious and take precautions."
Ma Chao gazed at the waterbirds skimming across the river, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded: "Then we shall do as you say. Let us set up camp first, and Zijing shall take a fast boat to Wu County to seek reinforcements."
Huang Zu and his son looked out over the river from the watchtower of the fortress. Seeing that Ma Chao and the others had boarded the boat one after another, Huang Zu breathed a sigh of relief and stroked his beard, saying, "Finally, we're going to get rid of this plague god..." Before he could finish speaking, he saw the Xiliang soldiers on the boat retreat one after another. The entire army set up camp on the shore, with tents stretching like stars and banners fluttering like fire, showing no intention of moving.
Huang Zu's expression changed drastically. He turned sharply to glare at Huang She beside him, his voice trembling: "You unfilial son! Did you tamper with the ship? Why did they retreat? Did they discover something?"
Huang She hurriedly waved his hands, cold sweat pouring down his forehead and running down his cheeks: "Father, you are wise! How could your son dare disobey your orders? The boats and supplies have been prepared perfectly according to your wishes, not even a single nail has been missing!" He looked at the dark mass of tents on the opposite bank, feeling uneasy, "Could it be... could it be that they think the boats aren't stable enough?"
The father and son were filled with anxiety. Seeing that there was no movement from the camp on the opposite bank except for the rising smoke from the cooking fires, Huang Zu became even more uneasy. He could only grit his teeth and say, "Go and take some fine wine, pigs, and sheep. Find out what they are up to! Remember, be careful with your words and actions. Don't say a single unnecessary word. Don't cause any more trouble!"
Huang She accepted the order and set off with gifts, his heart heavy with trepidation. He had barely reached the camp when he was stopped by Xiliang soldiers, their spears crossed in front of them, their eyes sharp as knives. He explained his purpose with a forced smile and was led to the central command tent. There, he saw Ma Chao seated in the main seat, head bowed, polishing a silver spear. Xu Huang, Lu Su, and others sat on either side, none of them looking up at him. The only sound in the tent was the soft scraping of spear tassels, a sound so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
Lu Su raised his eyes and explained in a calm tone: "Our army has been on a long march and the soldiers are exhausted. It is good for them to rest here for a few days. We already feel bad for troubling you to prepare the boats, so we will not bother you any further. We have already sent someone to Wu County to ask Zhou Yu to send a navy to meet us. It will not be too late to set off then."
Huang She's heart pounded, and he barely managed to reply with "Yes, yes, yes," barely daring to breathe before hurriedly taking his leave and returning to the water village.
"Father! They say they're waiting for Zhou Yu to bring his navy!" Huang She rushed into the tent, his voice trembling with sobs. "This isn't waiting for reinforcements! They clearly want Zhou Yu to bring his troops to take our base! Xiakou only has so few troops; how can they withstand a pincer attack?"
Upon hearing this, Huang Zu's vision blurred, and he staggered, grabbing the table for support before managing to steady himself: "Damn it! They're going to take advantage of this to seize Xiakou! Quick! Quickly summon all the capable troops from Jiangxia, get the archers and catapults ready! Also, send a trusted confidant on horseback to Xiangyang to beg our lord (Liu Biao) to send reinforcements immediately! Delay could lead to unforeseen circumstances!"
Chaos erupted instantly inside the tent. Messengers galloped out on horseback, their hooves pounding the ground. Huang Zu gazed at the lights of the camp in the distance and felt a chill run down his spine, as if ice water were flowing down his back—this plague god hadn't left; instead, he was bringing even stronger help. This time, he was likely to get burned.
Grandfather Huang and his son had stayed up on the city wall for two days and two nights. Their eyes were swollen as if inflated, and their under-eyes were dark with bruises; they looked like two exhausted rabbits. Ma Chao's camp was quiet. Smoke rose from the chimneys on time, carrying the aroma of food. The sounds of soldiers training could be faintly heard, orderly and uniform, but there was no sign of an attack. This tranquility was like an invisible net, tightening more and more, making it hard for the father and son to breathe.
Huang She's fingers, gripping the city bricks, turned white, his knuckles almost digging into the cracks. He murmured, "Father, what exactly do they want? If they want to attack, they should attack; if they want to defend, they should defend. This silence is more painful than killing me..."
Huang Zu's Adam's apple bobbed as he gazed at the distant outline of the camp. His voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded: "Stay calm... The calmer it is, the more we must remain composed. Perhaps... perhaps they are just really resting." Despite his words, the sweat on his palms soaked his clothes. Every few moments, he would peek out towards the road leading to Xiangyang, his eyes filled with longing, hoping that a messenger would arrive with news of reinforcements.
But the road remained deserted, with hardly a bird in sight. Huang Zu knew perfectly well that Liu Biao was currently in dire straits himself, and Xiangyang was likely already in chaos. How could he possibly care about the fate of Xiakou? His so-called plea for help was nothing more than a way to cling to hope.
As night fell, a cool breeze blew into the city tower. Huang She pulled his cloak tighter around himself, suddenly clasped his hands together towards the night sky, and said in a trembling voice, "May all the gods protect us! Please, let this evil spirit hurry up and head to Jiangdong. Xiakou's resources are too fragile to withstand any more turmoil..."
Upon hearing this, Huang Zu did not rebuke him. Instead, he silently took out a worn jade pendant from his robes. It was a gift from Liu Biao when Liu Biao had just become the governor of Jingzhou in his youth. He stroked the faded patterns on the pendant, his eyes blank—fighting meant no chance of victory; retreating meant no way out; waiting meant no news. This stalemate was strikingly similar to the predicament in Xiangyang, where even prayer seemed futile.
The lights of the distant camps lit up one after another, their soft glow reflecting on the river like shimmering golden scales. What was clearly a warm scene felt only chilling to the eyes of the Huang family. They didn't know if this calm was the calm before a storm or just a normal rest. They could only endure one sleepless night after another, filled with endless speculation and prayer.
For several days, the camp and its surroundings were unusually quiet. Ma Chao remained inactive, spending his days training his troops and inspecting the river defenses. Although Huang Zu and his son were still uneasy, they gradually relaxed their tense nerves, only sending people to keep an eye on the movements on the opposite bank every day, as if guarding a powder keg that could explode at any moment.
That morning, a thin mist still lingered on the river, like a layer of milk covering it. Suddenly, the soldier on lookout duty pointed at the river and exclaimed, "General! Look! There are boats on the river! Many boats!"
Grandfather Huang and his son suddenly stood up and peered over the crenellations—they could see countless boats breaking through the morning mist and cleaving through the blue waves on the river, heading towards Xiakou. Flags were faintly visible on the bows of the boats, appearing and disappearing in the mist.
"Is...is it reinforcements?" Huang She's voice trembled, filled with both anticipation and nervousness, his fingers gripping the brick seams of the crenellations tightly.
Huang Zu narrowed his eyes, his hand on the hilt of his sword at his waist, his knuckles white, his brows furrowed: "Not necessarily. Judging from the speed of the ships and their formation, they are not like Liu Biao's troops... more like the banners of Jiangdong."
As soon as he finished speaking, the lead ships drew closer, their "Zhou" flags fluttering clearly in the wind. Huang Zu's heart skipped a beat; he thought to himself, "This is bad: Zhou Yu's navy! What are they doing here?"
Huang She's face turned pale, and his lips trembled as he said, "Father, could they be here to help Ma Chao? Then... wouldn't we be trapped like turtles in a jar?"
Huang Zu took a deep breath and forced himself to remain calm: "What's the panic! Close the city gates tightly and strengthen defenses! Pass on my order: archers, take your positions, and draw your bows. No one is allowed to fire an arrow without my command!"