binnovel Chapter 1153 Deception Leads to the Fall of Shucheng
Chapter 1153 Deception Leads to the Fall of Shucheng
After three days of continuous travel, the surrendered soldiers were so exhausted they could barely stand, their feet blistered and oozing pus, each step feeling like walking on knives. Yet the Xiliang cavalry in the ranks remained as upright as pines, their horses' hooves pounding the official road with steady, powerful strides—they were born on horseback, three-day raids were nothing new to them. Gan Ning's navy, also granted special permission by Ma Chao, took turns riding spare warhorses. These men, accustomed to rowing, were initially hesitant, but quickly found their footing on horseback, causing the surrendered soldiers on foot to grit their teeth inwardly, swallowing their resentment.
On the flank of the formation, Lü Dai was closely watched by Pang De's personal guards, his hands bound behind his back, barely able to lift his head. He stole glances at Ma Chao's back, his heart pounding—this King of Liang had deliberately brought him out, clearly with ill intentions, but he was chained up, unable to even exchange a glance, completely at their mercy.
After nightfall, the troops camped in a mountain valley ten miles from Shuxian. Ma Chao summoned Gan Ning, Pang De, and Taishi Ci, and spread out a map by the campfire: "Tomorrow morning, we will proceed according to plan." He pointed to the east gate of Shuxian, "Lü Dai is currently stationed in Moling. Let him go and knock on the gate, pretending that reinforcements have come from Moling. Lü Meng will surely believe him."
Pang De cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I have already had someone teach Lü Dai his words. If he dares to play any tricks, I will chop him down with one stroke."
"Once the city gates open, Gan Ning, you lead the navy to mingle among the surrendered soldiers, rush in first to control the city gates, disrupt the surrendered soldiers' organization, and make them follow our people—in the midst of chaos, they won't be able to muster any momentum to rebel."
Gan Ning licked his lips: "Understood."
“Taishi Ci,” Ma Chao turned to him, “you take 20,000 surrendered soldiers and ambush them in the dense forest north of the city. If Lü Meng is defeated, he will definitely flee towards Shouchun, which is his only route. Don’t rush to kill him, first wear down his morale, and then we will surround him when I personally lead my iron cavalry to catch up.”
Taishi Ci said in a deep voice, "I understand. I will make sure he can't escape."
Ma Chao finally looked at the city of Shuxian on the map: "Go and inform Zhou Lang in advance. We will open the gate when he is attacking the city most fiercely. Only by coordinating from the inside and outside can we catch Lü Meng off guard. Remember, once the city gate is opened, don't worry about the lives of the surrendered soldiers. Hold the barbican tightly and wait for Zhou Lang's men to come in and join us."
Everyone accepted the order in unison and went to make their own arrangements. When Lü Dai was brought before Ma Chao, he was still trembling: "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, spare my life! I really don't know anything..."
"Enough nonsense." Ma Chao tossed him a complete set of armor. "Wear this tomorrow to knock on the door. Remember, you're Zhang Zhao's reinforcement. If you succeed, I'll spare your life; if not," he drew his sword, the blade gleaming coldly in the firelight, "you'll use your head as a knock. Don't try anything funny. Pang De will be mixed in with the personal guards, watching you the whole time."
Lu Dai was so frightened that he kowtowed repeatedly, his hand gripping the armor trembling like a leaf.
As dawn broke, with dew still clinging to the grass in the valley, Lü Dai was roughly dragged up by Pang De's personal guards. The armor in his arms was digging painfully into his ribs; he hadn't slept all night, his eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a piece of firewood soaked in water, as if a gust of wind would cause him to fall apart.
“Remember this,” Pound’s voice whispered in his ear, carrying the chill of a scabbard, “When we get to the city gate, speak loudly and don’t tremble. If you give yourself away, you’ll be the first to die.”
Lü Dai nodded vigorously, his chattering voice particularly clear in the cold morning wind. He rode forward on his horse, followed closely by Pang De in his personal guard uniform, along with other new recruits who were also skilled under Pang De's command, and ten thousand surrendered soldiers mixed with Gan Ning's elite naval forces.
The city gates of Shuxian were tightly shut. The guards on the city tower, clearly having slept poorly, yawned and poked their heads out, demanding, "Who goes down below the city?"
Lü Dai took a deep breath and shouted with all his might, "It's me! Lü Dai! I'm from Moling. Lord Zhang Zhao sent me to reinforce Shuxian."
A moment of silence fell over the city wall. Lü Dai's heart was in his throat, cold sweat trickling down the back of his neck and soaking his collar. He saw the guards peer over for a long time, then shout something behind them before slowly lowering the drawbridge.
The suspension bridge creaked and groaned as it descended. Lü Dai was somewhat dazed when Pang De leaned in from behind and nudged him subtly. Lü Dai quickly roused himself.
Lu Dai spurred his horse onto the drawbridge and angrily cursed at the soldiers guarding the entrance: "Stop dawdling! Why are you so slow!"
The soldier who looked like a captain quickly stepped forward, his face beaming with smiles: "We were just on our way to report to General Lü..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lü Meng had already rushed over from the city and asked Lü Dai, "Gongshan, why have you come at this time?"
Lu Dai replied with the words he had prepared the day before: "It's all because Mr. Zhang Zhao was worried about the situation in the city, so he specially asked me to lead troops to reinforce the city and make sure to keep Ma Chao and Zhou Yu out of Shu County."
Lu Meng, unsuspecting, breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Your arrival is just in time; the pressure of defending the city can finally be relieved a bit." His gaze fell on Pang De behind Lu Dai, his brows furrowing slightly. "Why does this personal guard of yours look somewhat unfamiliar?"
Lu Dai's expression immediately became somewhat unnatural, and he chuckled dryly twice: "This... he was just transferred from Yuzhang County. I saw that he was quite skilled in martial arts, so I took him in as a personal guard."
Before Lü Meng could ask any more questions, a shout suddenly came from the city wall: "The rebels are attacking the city again!"
Lu Meng immediately stopped asking questions and said urgently, "Gongshan, it's just in time that you've arrived. The army should quickly enter the city and set up defenses!" After saying that, he hurriedly rushed towards the south gate.
As Lü Dai watched his retreating figure, a cold sweat instantly broke out on his back. Pang De followed closely behind, the silent oppressive aura making him stiffen—he had considered taking the opportunity to warn Lü Meng, but Pang De's martial arts were too superior, leaving him no room to resist.
Upon entering the city, Lü Dai tried to distance himself from Lü Meng amidst the chaos, hoping to find an opportunity to relay a message. However, Pang De followed closely behind like a shadow, and his personal guards were subtly forming an encirclement. He was firmly trapped in the middle, finding even raising his hand difficult. He could only suppress his anxiety and obediently follow the group forward, not daring to reveal the slightest abnormality.
As the army successfully entered the city, Lü Dai followed closely behind Lü Meng towards the south gate. The fighting raged on the city walls; Zhou Yu's forces were launching an even fiercer offensive than usual, raining down arrows and battering rams that made the city gate thud loudly. Seeing Lü Dai arrive with ten thousand reinforcements, Lü Meng's heart leaped with excitement. He immediately transferred all the soldiers guarding the south gate to the city walls, leaving only a few sentries near the gate—completely unaware that the expressions on the faces of Pang De and the others behind Lü Dai had already changed.
Just as Lü Dai reached the inner side of the south gate, before he could even catch his breath, Pang De suddenly gave him a signal. Several burly men pounced on him, pinning his arms down and disarming him in the blink of an eye. Lü Dai struggled and growled, "What are you doing?!" Pang De sneered, drew his sword from his waist, and slashed down hard at the gate bolt. The crisp sound of the iron lock shattering, mixed with shouts from outside the gate, instantly pierced the tense defenses of the city.
Lu Meng, on the city wall, was slashing down an enemy soldier who had climbed the battlements when he caught a glimpse of the city gate creaking open. A chill ran down his spine. "We've fallen for their trap! Seize the gate!" he roared, shoving aside the enemy soldiers beside him. He turned to jump down the ladder, but just as he stepped halfway up the ladder, a loud crack echoed – Pang De and his men had cut the chains of the drawbridge, and the heavy planks crashed onto the frozen surface of the moat, sending up a spray of ice.
Outside the city, a black flag suddenly rose in Zhou Yu's camp. Xu Huang and Zhang Xiu led the Xiliang cavalry like a thunderbolt, leaping out over the wreckage of the drawbridge, their iron hooves roaring as they charged toward the city gate. Pang De, holding a blood-dripping sword, stood like a boulder on the inside of the south gate, blocking the city's counterattack.
Lu Meng, in a fit of rage, roared at Xu Sheng and Pan Zhang, "You two hold the city wall! Don't let the enemy take advantage of the chaos to climb up!" With that, he grabbed Pan Zhang and slid down the battlement. When they landed, they stumbled a couple of steps, their eyes fixed on Lu Dai, who was being held down to the side. Their voices trembled with anger: "Lu Dai! How dare you betray us and defect to Zhou Yu? You tore open the city gates and let the wolf into the house!"
Lu Dai's face turned deathly pale as he struggled to defend himself: "Ziming! I was coerced! It was Pang De and his men..."
"Shut up." Pang De was too lazy to listen to his nonsense. His blade flashed coldly as he cleanly and decisively sliced Lü Dai down, sparks flying from the ground. "Enough talk, prepare to die!"
Lu Meng watched helplessly as Lu Dai fell, his eyes instantly burning with rage. He swung his sword at Pang De, shouting, "I'll kill you!" The two swords clashed together, sparks flying. At that moment, the Xiliang cavalry surged through the city gate like a tidal wave, their thunderous hooves shaking the city walls. The south gate had become a chaotic furnace of battle.
Lu Meng's blade clashed violently with the enemy's broadsword, sparks flying onto his sweat-drenched cheeks. As he turned around, panting heavily, he saw Pan Zhang being entangled by two enemy soldiers, a deep, bone-revealing wound now visible on his shoulder.
"Ziming! Run!" Pan Zhang roared, wielding his sword to force back the enemy. Blood seeped from the gaps in his armor, forming small puddles on the blue bricks. "The city defenses have been breached, we can't hold it any longer!"
Lu Meng swung his sword and chopped down the enemy soldier in front of him. His chest felt like it was stuffed with a ball of hot cotton. He gritted his teeth and swallowed it down. Suddenly, he heard a heavy thud behind him—it was Pan Zhang who had been hit by an enemy halberd and slammed heavily onto the stone steps.
"Pan Zhang!" Lu Meng's eyes widened in fury. He turned to help him, but was forced back by several spears. The roars of the enemy, the clang of clashing weapons, and the cries of the people mingled together, like countless needles piercing his eardrums.
"General! We can still leave through the north gate!" The guard grabbed his arm and dragged him backward. "If we don't leave now, it will be too late!"
Lu Meng staggered back and saw Pan Zhang struggling to get up. He suddenly shook off the guard's hand, drew his sword and was about to rush back, but was held down firmly.
"As long as we live, we can go back alive and avenge our fallen comrades..." The guard's voice choked with emotion. "General! We must return alive to take our revenge!"
Xu Sheng drew his sword and slashed down the enemy soldier who approached him, blood beads rolling down the spine of the blade and splattering onto his dust-covered armor. He rushed to Lü Meng's side, and amidst the crisp sound of blades clashing, his voice was hoarse, as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper: "General Lü! Where is Pan Zhang?"
Lu Meng had just parried a spear aimed at his throat when he heard this, his movements abruptly halting, his eyes instantly turning bloodshot. He swung his sword back and plunged it into the chest of an enemy soldier, his roar choked with sobs: "Pan Zhang... Pan Zhang is gone!"
"What?" Xu Sheng was struck dumb. His sword swing was a beat slower, and a deep wound was immediately slashed across his shoulder. Blood flowed down his arm, dripping onto the bluestone slab and spreading out in dark patterns. He looked up sharply and saw that in the enemy ranks not far away, the familiar "Pan" banner had been trampled under the hooves of horses, its surface soaked in blood and tattered like a butterfly's wing.
"Go! Escape through the north gate!" Lü Meng grabbed Xu Sheng's arm, the blade flashing coldly as it cleaved a bloody path in front of them. "If we delay any longer, we'll all die here!"