Han Khan

Chapter 55: Conquering Izhou

"Your commander, Lord Chen Yundeburke, actually gave up the opportunity to surrender to me. He answered on your behalf. He will stubbornly resist me!
In that case, next, I will lead the brave troops behind me and these prisoners of war you see before your eyes to attack Yizhou City together!
The one thousand cavalry and one thousand infantry who went out of the city to fight were all defeated by me. Now I don’t know how long you can hold on, but as long as I lead the army to break through Yizhou City, everyone in the city will pay the price of their lives because of their stubborn resistance!

However, the Supreme God has always been compassionate and tolerant, so He signaled me to advise you once again: surrender as soon as possible!
If you open the city gate at this moment and let us enter the city smoothly, then you only need to kneel on the ground to show your willingness to surrender. In this way, you will not face the risk of being slaughtered. I can guarantee in the name of God that this is absolutely true and reliable.

This is the last thing I want to say. Now, I will give you one hour to make a decision! Once this time limit is exceeded, you will no longer have any chance!

Zhang Sheng was seen riding a tall and mighty yellow and black horse, holding an iron loudspeaker. Under the close protection of the guards holding shields, he was shouting loudly at the people who were standing on the top of the Yizhou city wall and watching.

In order to prevent them from not being able to hear or hear clearly, many prisoners of war who were threatened by the Jin Han warriors and were closer to the city wall shouted to the people on the city wall, repeating every word Zhang Sheng said at the top of their lungs, for fear of missing anything.

Their voices echoed in the empty space, as if they could penetrate the thick city walls and reach everyone's ears.

The captives shouted with all their might, hoping that their voices could be heard by people on the city wall or even inside the city.

Although he was ready for battle, Zhang Sheng did not attack Yizhou City immediately.

He knew that at this moment, the enemy could not escape from the city of Izhou, which was being besieged by his troops. Therefore, he could easily use a painful method to influence the worries and hopes of the people in the city.

The purpose of this tactic is simple and often the same: to intimidate the enemy into surrender before the actual battle begins.

Previously, the Jinhan cavalry plundered the surrounding villages and tribes, released many captives and fled into Yizhou. These escaped captives not only filled the city, but also greatly intensified the atmosphere of fear in the city.

When the people in Izhou learned that the surrounding country residents were suffocated by cavalry and a night-like dust, fear and panic gripped them, and worry and fear prevailed.

Zhang Sheng began by giving the people two choices, preparing to launch a psychological offensive against a city.

He offered generous terms of surrender to the people outside the city. As long as they accepted, they could join the benevolent Jinhan people. Whoever submitted to him would be safe and away from the harsh terror and shame.

For those prisoners who refused to accept the harsh terms, when the city was captured, they would be placed in front of the army in the next attack and serve as cannon fodder in the war.

This strategy caused great panic among some tribal leaders and their guards in Yizhou City.

One person said, "It is impossible for the army of Yiduhu to arrive outside the city to rescue us before the enemy breaks through Yizhou."

Another person said: "Today, the total number of our guards is only four or five hundred elite cavalrymen, and there are four or five thousand cavalrymen besieging the city. There is no way to escape."

Someone else said, "The enemy has cut off the Blackwater River. There is no water in the ditches in the city. Now a large number of people and livestock are gathered in Yizhou! How can we survive without water?"

Someone else said, "I am neither a Uighur nor a Tang person. I am a Sai person. They are not targeting me. Those captured heavy infantrymen, as well as the serfs and herdsmen captured by the enemy today, are still alive and have not been killed. I don't want to die! However, if the enemy attacks the city by force, we will all die without a burial place!"

Chen Yunque was not killed by Zhang Sheng. After returning to Yizhou City, he informed Chen Yunde of the negotiation situation and the news of the breakdown of the negotiations.

At that time, many tribal leaders were also present. The Hu chiefs and leaders who could understand the Tang language also knew that the people outside the city were not the Guiyi Army, but the princes of the Zhang family who had broken away from the Guiyi Army.

These Hu people did not feel ashamed for surrendering to anyone, but the Tang people were different. Over hundreds of years, the Tang people had conquered the tribes and cities in the Western Regions.

The proud Tang people considered it ashamed to surrender to the Hu people and foreigners. Of course, it was normal for the Chen family in Yizhou to refuse to surrender in order to protect their wealth and status.

But Yizhou does not belong entirely to the Chen family. If you don’t surrender, you have to let me go out and surrender myself. I want to stay alive, and I can’t possibly “contribute” us Hu people to your Chen family’s status and wealth.

In the eyes of the Hu people, this was a foolish act. With so many elite cavalrymen, when else would the Zhang family surrender?

Beiting and Gaochang are more than a thousand miles away from here. Even if we force a march, it will take four or five days. With the powerful forces outside the city and the four or five hundred troops in Yizhou, we will capture the city today.

The prince of the Zhang family outside the city obviously wants to seize everything in Yizhou, but he is not here to kill people. Didn’t you see those captives outside the city? Although they were captured, aren’t they alive and well?

Suddenly the crowd became chaotic, accusing Chen of being tyrannical and greedy.

Seeing this, Chen Yunde frowned and said in a deep voice: "Shut up, you short-sighted people, didn't you hear what my brother said?

What the enemy wants is the entire Yizhou, not just my Chen family. You are also in Yizhou now. Don’t you want your own wealth?
Yidu Hu has hundreds of thousands of soldiers under his command, and can easily defeat the enemies outside the city. As long as he arrives, no matter whether it is the prince of Zhang or the governor of Cao, who can resist the elite soldiers of the Great Uighur Kingdom? "

"Chen Yunde, what qualifications do you have to teach me? I am from Sai and have lived in Yizhou for generations. Many of the heavy infantrymen who went out of the city to fight are from my clan.

In order to protect Yizhou, countless of them have died in the battle. Has your Chen family sent any soldiers out of the city to fight?
You are a Tang Chinese, but you call yourself a Uighur for the sake of your status and wealth in Yizhou and the Uighur Kingdom. You actually said such shameful words. If I were a Tang Chinese, I would definitely kill you, a shameless person! "The quarrel among the crowd became more and more serious, and gradually escalated to physical action.

It seems that Zhang Sheng's strategy really worked.

Just as everyone was arguing, a soldier came hurriedly and reported that the enemy was approaching the city.

Chen Yunde's face changed drastically, and he realized that the situation was imminent. He shouted to everyone and ordered the soldiers guarding the city to prepare to resist the foreign enemies.

At this time, Zhang Sheng was standing outside the city, looking at the chaotic situation in the city, feeling secretly proud.

He knew that his psychological warfare tactics had worked and the people in the city had begun to waver. As long as he worked harder, Yizhou City would be within his grasp.

"Use the captives to move forward and tell them that if anyone is still alive after the siege, he will no longer be a captive slave and will be free!" Zhang Sheng said to the guards and centurions in front of him.

Then, with Zhang Sheng's order, the Jin Han warriors forced the captives forward and blocked the arrows, stones and hot oil coming down from the city.

The ladders hastily made by temporary blacksmiths were placed on the walls of Yizhou one by one.

The ladders slowly approached the city wall, and the Jinhan soldiers also forced the captives to block the way in front. Relying on the captives' blocking, they bravely climbed up from behind. Although the defenders in the city began to resist, their hearts were already occupied by fear and panic.

Chen Yunde led the Chen family's children and private soldiers and fought fearlessly.

"Shoot arrows, don't stop, dog slaves..., the enemy will come in and rob and kill you all, don't relax, hurry up, have people carry kerosene and stones, and fall down."

He knew in his heart that Yizhou City not only contained the wealth of his Chen family, but was also the home run by generations of the Chen family. If they lost this place, the Chen family would be left with nothing, so he had to hold on to the end.

But with their limited military strength, they can only guard a few city gates.

Each Jin Han soldier was blocked by ten prisoners in front of him, so except for the heavy casualties among the prisoners, there were not many casualties among the Jin Han people.

Just as the fierce battle was in full swing, the gate of Yizhou slowly opened, and even the captives who were climbing the ladders and the Jinhan soldiers were stunned.

About two hundred Hu people rushed out on horseback and sprinted quickly towards the gap in the siege of the Jin Han people. They were not trying to surrender, but to take the opportunity to escape.

They abandoned the city and their armor and fled like birds and beasts, which fell into Zhang Sheng's trap. He had already been stationed outside waiting for these possible deserters, but at this moment some of them really rushed out and prepared to escape.

The Jinhan cavalry on horseback immediately tightened the encirclement, shooting at them indiscriminately and throwing out lassoes. The deserters were dragged off their horses one by one, and then they were calmly executed one by one.

Why not capture them? I'm busy, so I don't have time to manage these prisoners.

The opened city gate was never closed again, and Chen Yunde, who was on the city wall, sat down on the ground.

"It's over. It's all over..."

The remaining chiefs and civilians in Yizhou City surrendered. They knelt at the door and looked inside. Many people were kneeling on the ground.

After carefully examining the overall situation at the time, Zhang Sheng made a bold decision - to ride into the city!
"Continue attacking the city wall, Guards follow me into the city!" Zhang Sheng ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness!" After receiving the order, everyone either continued to climb the ladders and fight with Chen's private soldiers on the city wall who had lost their fighting spirit but had not given up resistance; or they rode their horses to follow Zhang Sheng and gallop towards the city gate.

After entering Yizhou City, Zhang Sheng turned around and said to the guards beside him:

"Everyone, do not harm the captives who kneel down and surrender, unless they are ready to resist, then kill them without mercy!

Yin Shanxiong and Zhang Xibao, you two lead the guards to the city wall, and deal with those who are resisting from the inside. After you take control of the city wall, bring all the members of the Chen family to me."

"As you command, Your Highness!"

……

The Jin Han people successfully captured Yizhou!
The Han people and the Tang people came back and returned to this vast western land.

(End of this chapter)