binnovel Chapter 1301 Guo Huai's extraordinary talent defends Wancheng to the death
Chapter 1301 Guo Huai's extraordinary talent defends Wancheng to the death
The two brothers led their troops to Xinye under cover of darkness. As soon as they reached the city walls, they saw billowing dust in the distance. Zhang Fei's eighteen-foot spear gleamed coldly in the sunlight, and his cavalry surged forward like a black tide. Three miles from the city, they began to challenge them, their voices shaking the surrounding fields: "Zhu Ling, you scoundrel! Surrender the city at once! Or your grandfather will tear down your walls!"
On the other side, Zhao Yun's white horse and silver spear moved like a streak of light, and his infantry and cavalry were well-coordinated, forming a battle formation along the moat, clearly intending to launch a long siege.
Looking at the two fierce armies below the city, Zhu Ling felt a chill run down his spine. Forcing himself to remain calm, he said to Zhu Zan, "Third brother, you guard the east gate, I'll guard the west gate. Archers, prepare yourselves; fire when the enemy gets close!"
Zhu Zan nodded in agreement, but his hand gripping the hilt of his sword trembled slightly. He knew that although the walls of Xinye City were not low, they could not withstand a strong attack from fierce generals like Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, not to mention that the city's troop strength was far inferior to that of the enemy.
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, Zhang Fei led his troops to begin the attack on the city. Ladders were erected on the city walls, and the Shu soldiers swarmed up like ants. Zhang Fei personally beat the drums, and the sound of the drums made the city bricks tremble. Zhu Ling directed the defense from the city wall. He swung his sword and cut down a Shu soldier who had climbed up the wall, but when he saw more Shu soldiers surging up the ladders, his heart sank.
"Fire the arrows! Fire the arrows now!" he roared, his voice trembling.
Arrows rained down like locusts, but could not stop the Shu soldiers' offensive. Suddenly, a loud explosion came from the west gate, followed by Zhu Zan's exclamation: "Brother! Zhao Yun is attacking from the flank!"
Zhu Ling looked back and saw that Zhao Yun's cavalry had circled around to the west gate and were using battering rams to smash the city gate. The sound of breaking bricks was incessant, and the city gate was already showing signs of loosening.
On the walls of Xinye, brothers Zhu Ling and Zhu Zan were covered in blood, arrow fragments still embedded in the cracks of their armor. Wielding their long swords, they desperately hacked down the Jingzhou soldiers climbing the walls, the bricks beneath their feet slick and soaked with blood. From dawn till dusk, the two brothers, through sheer grit, managed to hold off the onslaught, but the remaining defenders on the walls numbered less than a thousand, all wounded and barely able to lift their swords.
Outside the city, Liu Bei's army had already formed ranks. In front of the central command tent, Zhuge Liang looked at the "Cao" banner fluttering on the city wall and said to Liu Bei, "My lord, although the Zhu brothers are stubborn, they are also loyal and righteous men. We can send someone to persuade them to surrender first, explaining the greater good to them."
Liu Bei nodded: "Approved."
The envoy, sent to persuade them to surrender, rode up to the city walls and shouted, "General Zhu, listen up! The King of Han is a descendant of Prince Jing of Zhongshan. Yuan Shang usurped the Han throne. We are only asking for passage through Nanyang to march north and attack Yuan Shang's usurper regime, not to oppose the Cao family! If you are willing to surrender the city, the King of Han will surely spare the lives of both of you generals!"
On the city wall, Zhu Zan roared in anger, "Enough talk! We have received favors from the Cao family, how can we betray our lord? As long as the city stands, we stand; if the city falls, we die!" With that, he shot down the messenger's banner with an arrow. "If he utters another word, he will be executed without mercy!"
After failing to persuade them to surrender, the tent fell silent. Pang Tong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "My lord, Xinye is a small city with thin walls. We should use fire to attack it; we can take the city in one night."
"No." Zhuge Liang immediately shook his head, pointing with his feather fan to the houses that were faintly visible in the city. "Xinye City has a large population. If we attack it with fire, everything will be destroyed. What have the people done to deserve this?"
Liu Bei also said in a deep voice, "The strategist is absolutely right. We raised an army to bring peace to the world. How can we sacrifice the people? Issue the order to launch a full-scale attack, kill only the stubborn soldiers, and do not harm the innocent civilians."
The next day, the Jingzhou troops launched another fierce attack, with siege ladders forming a forest and arrows raining down like a sieve. The Zhu brothers, Zhu Ling and Zhu Ling, urged the troops back and forth on the city walls, their blades dulled and their voices hoarse from shouting, yet they still held on tenaciously. The breaches in the city walls were repeatedly plugged and then torn open again, and the entire city was like a candle flame in a storm, teetering on the brink of destruction.
After nightfall, Zhuge Liang ordered his soldiers to attach letters to arrows and shoot them into the city. The letter read: "The King of Han has raised an army only to punish the rebels, not to slaughter them. If the people open the gates to surrender, they will surely be safe; if they help the army resist, they will inevitably be affected after the city falls. I hope you will think carefully."
As night deepened, the sounds of fighting on the city walls subsided slightly. The Zhu brothers leaned against the battlements, panting, and looked at the scattered lights within the city. Their hearts sank; they knew that the people's patience was probably nearing its limit.
Sure enough, as dawn approached, shouts of battle suddenly erupted throughout the city, followed by fires breaking out in several houses. Zhu Ling's heart tightened, and he was about to order a crackdown when he saw a group of civilians, armed with hoes and carrying poles, rushing towards the city gate, shouting, "Open the city gates and welcome the Prince of Han into the city!"
"Not good!" Zhu Zan's expression changed drastically. He drew his sword and was about to rush over, but Zhu Ling stopped him.
"Second brother, the situation is hopeless." Zhu Ling's voice was hoarse, her eyes filled with despair. "We can't hold out any longer. You must leave quickly and go to Qiao to ask the young master for help!"
"If my brother doesn't leave, how can I live alone?" Zhu Zan's eyes reddened. "If we're going, we'll go together!"
"There's no time!" Zhu Ling pushed Zhu Zan towards the city wall. "I'll cover the rear. You lead the remaining troops to break through and tell the young master that Liu Bei's army is powerful and they need reinforcements immediately!"
Before the words were even finished, a deafening roar came from the direction of the city gate, as the people had already smashed it open. Zhao Yun and Wen Ping led the Jingzhou soldiers in like a tidal wave, their shouts of battle echoing through the streets.
Zhu Zan watched the enemy soldiers rushing into the city, then looked at his brother who was determined to cover their retreat, and suddenly knelt down and kowtowed. He then drew his sword and led dozens of his personal guards toward the side gate. Zhu Ling, meanwhile, turned and climbed the city wall, brandishing his sword and roaring at the surging Shu soldiers: "Brave soldiers of Cao's camp, fight to the death with me!"
A flash of blade, blood splattered on the city wall. Zhu Ling fought valiantly, killing several Shu soldiers, but eventually, exhausted and surrounded, he committed suicide by cutting his throat on the city wall.
The morning light pierced through the clouds and shone on the open city gate. Liu Bei led his army into the city, looked at the kneeling people in the alley, and then at the corpse on the city wall that still stood upright. He sighed softly, "Give General Zhu Ling a proper burial."
Zhuge Liang walked to his side and said softly, "My lord, Xinye has been captured, and the next step is Nanyang County."
Liu Bei gazed northward, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Issue my order: rest for a day, then march on Nanyang."
The smoke of battle in Xinye City gradually dissipated, but new battle dust would soon rise on the road to Nanyang.
Inside the military tent in Qiao Commandery, Cao Pi was intently reading an urgent report from Nanyang, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his young face. His personal guards had just reported the dire situation in Xinye.
With a loud slam, Cao Pi slammed the bamboo slips onto the table, his knuckles turning white from the force: "Liu Bei's offensive is incredibly swift!" He took a deep breath, quickly regained his composure, and issued two orders to his subordinates: "Immediately issue two orders—first, order Guo Huai, the Prefect of Runan, to immediately lead 5,000 troops to reinforce Nanyang and defend Wancheng at all costs; second, order General Cao Hong to lead 10,000 elite troops to follow and block Liu Bei at Nanyang at all costs!"
The messenger departed with the order, and Cao Pi stared at the two characters "Wancheng" on the map, his brow furrowed. Wancheng was the capital of Nanyang Commandery, even more important than Xinye, and it absolutely could not be lost.
Three days later, Guo Huai led 5,000 Runan soldiers to Wancheng. As soon as they entered the city gate, they encountered Zhu Zan with several hundred remaining soldiers waiting below the city wall. Their armor was tattered, and their faces showed signs of shock.
"General Guo, you've finally arrived!" Zhu Zan's voice trembled as he saw Guo Huai. "Xinye... Xinye is gone, my brother..."
Guo Huai's heart sank, and he helped him up, urgently asking, "Tell me in detail, what is the state of Liu Bei's army?"
"Unstoppable!" Zhu Zan shook his head and smiled bitterly. "Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun are like tigers and wolves, and the soldiers of Jingzhou are all fierce and brave. The walls of Xinye cannot stop them at all... Nanyang County was once owned by Liu Bei. The people were grateful for Liu Bei's benevolence and righteousness, so they secretly opened the city gates to welcome Liu Bei into the city. If it weren't for my brother's resistance to the death, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to come back."
Guo Huai was deeply shaken upon hearing this and immediately climbed the city wall to investigate. Wancheng was different from Xinye; its city walls were towering, its crenellations neatly arranged, and the city wall was already swarming with archers. Rolling logs and stones were piled up at the corners of the walls, clearly indicating that it had undergone multiple reinforcements. Back when Zhang Xiu was stationed here, he used Wancheng as his base. Later, Liu Biao and Liu Bei successively took over, and the city's defenses became even more robust, making it arguably the most formidable city in Nanyang.
"Fortunately, Wancheng is strong enough." Guo Huai breathed a slight sigh of relief and said to Zhu Zan, "You take the remaining troops to rest first, and I will set up defenses immediately."
On one hand, he ordered his men to reinforce the city's defenses and demolish all the houses outside the city to clear the field of fire; on the other hand, he sent a fast horse to Qiao County to request reinforcements, pleading earnestly for their swift arrival. In just two days, Wancheng was fortified with strong defenses both inside and outside the city.
Two days later, Liu Bei's army arrived at Wancheng. Zhuge Liang stood on the high platform, looking at the "Cao" flag fluttering on the city wall, and said to Liu Bei: "My lord, please look, Guo Huai has defended Wancheng like an impregnable fortress, much more difficult to attack than Xinye."
Liu Bei reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping over the towering city walls. He nodded and said, "Wancheng has always been a battleground, and through generations of development, its defenses are formidable. Guo Huai's ability to deploy defenses here in just a few days shows he is indeed a capable general."
Zhang Fei, unable to contain himself any longer, roared, "What does it matter what city it is! I, Zhang Fei, will lead my army to attack it, and we will surely take it down within three days!"
Zhao Yun shook his head and said, "General, please calm down. The city walls of Wancheng are more than ten feet higher than those of Xinye, and the moat is wide. If we forcefully attack the city, the casualties will be heavy."
Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan: "General Zhao Yun is absolutely right. Guo Huai intends to hold out in the fortified city until Cao Hong's reinforcements arrive. We must fight a swift battle and not give them a chance to catch their breath."
Liu Bei looked up at the city wall and saw Guo Huai standing on the crenellations, his eyes sharp as an eagle's, clearly having come prepared. He said in a deep voice, "Send down the order to set up camp and rest first, and we'll make further plans tomorrow."
The Jingzhou troops set up camp ten miles outside the city, forming a stalemate with Wancheng. As night fell, Guo Huai stood on the city wall, gazing at the lights of the Shu camp in the distance, still feeling lingering fear. Could Wancheng really withstand Liu Bei's fierce army? He gripped the sword at his waist, with only one thought: hold the city to the death and wait for Cao Hong's reinforcements to arrive.
"Issue my order!" Guo Huai's voice echoed through the empty streets, carrying an unquestionable authority. "From this day forward, all citizens are to stay home and are forbidden from leaving their homes. A curfew will also be in effect during the day, and any loiterers found on the streets will be killed without exception!"
The soldiers behind him responded in unison, their voices so loud that the lanterns under the eaves swayed slightly.
"Furthermore," Guo Huai turned to the household officials, his tone even colder, "one able-bodied man from each household will be conscripted into the labor camp to assist in moving rolling stones and logs, and repairing the city defenses. Anyone who disobeys will be punished as a traitor!"
At the command, low sobs and sighs immediately filled the city. Laborers were driven by soldiers to the city walls, carrying heavy boulders back and forth; any delay was met with whipping. Zhu Zan, watching this scene, felt a pang of pity and whispered to Guo Huai, "General, isn't this too harsh? What if the people become resentful…?"
“Resentment?” Guo Huai turned around abruptly, a ruthless glint in his eyes. “Xinye is a cautionary tale! If we don’t strictly control it, when Liu Bei’s army arrives, the people will open the gates and surrender the city again. You and I will become the second General Zhu Ling!” He pointed to the mountain of defensive supplies piled up on the city wall. “I will turn Wancheng into an iron fortress, with iron walls, iron gates, and even the mouths of the people will be sealed!”