My father, King Chu, was besieged at Gaixia

Chapter 127: Catching a Donkey in the Alley
The nest car is a huge car covered with tough fresh cowhide and shaped like a wooden house. It can hide hundreds of soldiers at a time. It has wheels underneath, which can withstand the arrows and spears of the defenders on the city wall and transport the soldiers safely to the city wall to launch an attack.

The chariot is a tower made of solid jujube wood of similar height to the city wall, and also has wheels underneath. When it is pushed to the front of the city wall, the soldiers can climb up and directly engage in battle with the defenders on the top of the city wall, making the tall and heavy city wall lose its geographical advantage.

As we all know, a battering ram is a device used to hit a closed city gate. A ladder is a long ladder used to climb a city wall.

Undoubtedly, the generals of the Northern Army did not expect Huang Jizhong to pull out so many siege weapons of such a wide variety at one time, especially since these siege weapons were extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive to build. Their Northern Army was the guardian of Jiangling City, and this old thief expanded his army and hid so many siege weapons, but he kept saying that he was loyal to the Linjiang Kingdom. It was simply ridiculous.

No wonder the old thief dared to attack Jiangling City, which was defended by 10,000 soldiers, with only 20,000 troops, and was full of confidence. Not only were the 10,000 defending soldiers weak and vulnerable, but also because he had these two trump cards.

Watching the siege equipment moving slowly towards the city wall under the push of many soldiers, the generals surrounding Huang Jizhong each had strange thoughts in their minds.

Huang Jizhong's close confidants like Luo Dian all looked relaxed, smiling and full of confidence, as if they had fully foreseen the outcome of this battle.

"General, I will bring two thousand men under my command to apply for participation in the battle. As long as you allow, I guarantee to be the first to reach the enemy and kill the general, and succeed in one fell swoop." Zhonglang General Xing Yue suddenly stepped into the formation with the gait of a dragon and a tiger, and asked for a fight without hesitation.

As soon as he finished speaking, the other generals could no longer wait and started to clamor, vying to attack the city first. Some threatened to capture Xiang Chang and Chu Licuo alive and present them to the general, some threatened to defeat the soldiers defending the city in one fell swoop to clear the way for the general to enter the city, and some directly demanded to sign a military order, not only to break through the city wall and enter the city, but also to rush into the palace in one go...

Seeing how well prepared the cunning Huang Jizhong was, the generals, who had been quite nervous before, became more confident. Like a group of vicious dogs, they started fighting over who would attack first.

Seeing the generals fighting fiercely with red faces, Huang Jizhong laughed leisurely, twirling his beard, and did not comment for a while.

At this moment, a long and majestic horn sounded from the top of Jiangling City.

Along with the sound of the trumpet, the tightly closed north gate was suddenly opened, and then four thousand cavalry and seven thousand infantry, in an orderly manner, with complete armor and bright weapons, rushed out quickly and lined up in front of the city.

——The intention is so clear!
Precisely because it was so vivid, the Northern Army generals were dumbfounded. They looked at each other with disbelief in their eyes.

After a long while, a general hesitated and muttered, "The Jiangling defenders are abandoning the advantage of the city wall and going straight out of the city to fight us in the field? Is Xiang Chang just a name for nothing, or is he just crazy?"

Huang Jizhong couldn't laugh anymore. He looked at the defenders in front of Jiangling City, and then at the siege equipment he had secretly prepared for several years and kept hidden from everyone. He was confused: It was eliminated as soon as it was unveiled, and it was completely useless?
Shusun Tong scratched his head, a little confused. In the battle the night before when Huang Jizhong ambushed Xiang Chang, he had seen how fierce Xiang Chang was and how powerful his 1,000 elite cavalry were. But no matter how fierce he was, he was still alone; no matter how powerful he was, he only had 1,000 cavalry. Now he was facing 25,000 elite soldiers from the Northern Army camp who were going all out. The gap between the two forces was huge, and even if Xiang Chang and his 1,000 elite cavalry were heavenly soldiers, they couldn't make up for it.

As for the 10,000 Jiangling City defenders, Shusun Tong could only say "Haha". He really thought that a group of sheep led by a lion could defeat a group of wolves? What else could he think of?
Shusun Tong sighed softly: "This young master Xiang Chang is so frightened that he has given up everything."

After thinking it over again and again, Shusun Tong could not think of any other possibility except this one.

Hearing this, the generals suddenly burst into laughter. Abandoning the advantages of the city walls and running out to play a field battle, relying on the weak quality of the Jiangling City defenders? Isn't this just courting death? - No, this is rushing to send credit! At this moment, the competition with Huang Jizhong for who will go into battle first became more intense.

In front of the north gate of Jiangling City, Xiang Chang rode a big black horse, holding a shiny halberd, and looked at Huang Jizhong's northern army from afar. They were quite majestic, much stronger than the city gate guards and palace guards. His eyes were bright, and he murmured, "Mine! All mine!"

That’s right. From the beginning to the end, he regarded the 50,000 elite soldiers of the Linjiang Kingdom as something in his pocket.

As soon as the 11,000 defenders had formed their array, Xiang Chang spurred his mount and began to review the army.

What surprised all the defending soldiers was that even though they had already lined up, the city gate behind them was still not closed and was wide open.

"My Great Chu Army has never had the practice of defending a city! We never ask how many enemies there are or how powerful they are. We only ask - where are they?! Today is no exception! We will confront them head-on and defeat, crush and destroy the rebels!"

Xiang Chang wielded the halberd, and the sound was like thunder, filling the ears of every soldier.

After Xiang Chang entered the Kingdom of Linjiang, he had always been focused on the future battle with the Han camp, not just the current battle. Therefore, he wanted to build the Jiangling garrison into a mighty army that was no different from the Chu army in Gaixia City, fearless of any powerful enemy, and fierce and domineering. If he could not achieve this goal in this battle, even if he won the battle in the end, he would have completely lost this trip.

This was the reason why he ordered to abandon the advantage of the city wall and go out of the city to fight the rebels in the field. If they chose to be cunning and cowardly from the beginning, then this army would be fixed and would never become a strong army like the Great Chu Army!
"In today's battle, we must advance and not retreat. We will not stop until we defeat the rebel army. Those who fight bravely and strive to be the first will be rewarded according to their merits. Those who retreat in fear and cowardice will be killed immediately. Look behind you. The city gates are no longer closed. Your wives, children and elders are in the city. Will you fight hard and win meritorious service and receive honors, or will you live in disgrace and watch the rebel army rush into the city, burn, kill, loot, and massacre your loved ones? - Tell me loudly!"

As Xiang Chang roared, all the generals, officers and soldiers stretched their necks, their veins throbbing, and roared: "Kill! Kill! Kill!"

The sound wave was like thunder, rolling across the empty and gloomy sky and spreading far away.

I have to say that Xiang Chang did a lot of cool things.

Even though they used money, land and military positions to arouse the strong morale and high fighting spirit of the defending soldiers, they were still not at ease. After all, the defenders of Jiangling City were too weak and the quality of the soldiers was too worrying. They were afraid that a large number of them were essentially cowards who only wanted to live in obscurity and did not care about money, land and military positions at all.

If the two armies were to engage in battle, and if these soldiers turned around and ran back, it would greatly damage the morale of the army and might even cause chaos. However, these soldiers could not be accurately identified, and even if they were identified, could they still be replaced? The troops were already insufficient, wouldn't that make things even more difficult?

Xiang Chang thought about it again and again and came up with this cool move. The inspiration came from Han Xin's "Fight with One's Back to the City" - he called it "Fight with One's Back to the City"!
No matter how timid and cowardly a guy is, he has things to protect, such as his wife, children and the elderly. When faced with the possibility that his wife, children and the elderly may be harmed or slaughtered, he will become more ferocious than tigers and wolves.

In this way, with the inducements of land, money, and military positions in front and the threat of harm to their wives and children in the back, with a two-pronged approach, blocking both ends, there is no fear that these soldiers will not fight with all their might.

"Oh, the screams are quite loud, even louder than the woman on the couch."

"Haha, when two armies fight, it's a real fight without any fancy moves, not this kind of shouting."

"Knowing that you will lose, you are afraid, so it's good to howl a few times to give yourself courage."

"No wonder Xiang Chang chose to fight outside the city. He knew he was doomed to fail and was ready to flee."

"That's right, that's right. This kid is not a good person. He hid in the city and was surrounded by our Northern Army on all sides. He had nowhere to escape. And now? As soon as he saw that the situation was not going well, he ran away. Even a rabbit could not catch up with him."

……

Hearing the majestic and high-pitched roar coming from the defenders in front of Jiangling City, the Northern Army generals made faces, spoke in a sarcastic tone, and kept on making fun of them.

Huang Jizhong couldn't help but frowned. As a general of the kingdom, he keenly heard something different in the roar.

That is the powerful momentum of unity from top to bottom and unity of purpose to move mountains.

"It's only been three short days. Is that Xiang Chang really a god, who can make the weak and sissy defenders burst out with such high morale?" Huang Jizhong's face turned pale as he thought hard. For a moment, even the wound on his shoulder from Xiang Chang's arrow seemed to hurt even more.

Shusun Tong's heart tightened for some reason. He turned his head and took a look. He saw that the guards and disciples were all wearing armor and holding weapons, guarding the mound where he stood with a loyal look on their faces. He felt relieved and laughed:
"It seems that Xiang Chang is quite capable. It is said that when Gaixia City was captured, this kid promoted the Qin system of conferring titles based on military merit to boost morale, and it is obvious that he is still doing this now. Haha, if the Qin system of conferring titles based on military merit was really that useful, the Qin Dynasty would not have collapsed in the second generation. Houses, beautiful women and fields are certainly tempting, but one must have a life to enjoy them, right? The defenders in the city are weak. How can such crude means change them drastically in just three or two days? It's just a show. As long as our Northern Army's offensive momentum is strong enough, and we poke, prod and smash them hard, and see that we cannot defeat them, their cowardly nature will be exposed immediately, and then there will be a good show of self-collapse." Hearing Shusun Tong's highly inflammatory words, the sarcastic and indifferent generals became more relaxed, responded repeatedly, slapped their thighs and said yes.

Huang Jizhong's expression also softened greatly and he nodded slightly.

Just when the generals were feeling triumphant and felt victory was assured, there was a sudden and unusual noise from the top of Jiangling City.

"Niu'er, my great Niu'er, I am your mother. You unfilial son, why are you following that rebellious old villain Huang Jizhong? Come home quickly."

"Xiao Xizi, I am your sister-in-law. Don't follow that rebellious old villain Huang Jizhong. Come here quickly and join the defense of Jiangling City."

"Shuanzhuer, I am your biological father. The king has ordered that the families of rebels are guilty of the same crime as the rebels themselves. You beast, quickly flee from the rebels and join the light, otherwise I will whip you."

"My dear son Li Ji..."

"Brother, please don't..."

……

The most beautiful sound in the world is the call from one's family. The calls from the top of the city wall, which were long and full of hometown sentiment, were like heavy hammers hitting the hearts of the 25,000 Union soldiers.

The Northern Army soldiers became agitated and their ranks became disorderly for a moment.

It has to be said that Xiang Chang's trick is like a sow wearing a bra, one set after another, and the condoms are never the same. Most of the 25,000 soldiers of the Northern Army are soldiers from Jiangling City who are on a nearby expedition. The King of Linjiang originally thought that if they encounter an external enemy attack, the soldiers will definitely fight to the death because their homes are behind them.

Who would have thought that the relatives of the rebels in the city had suddenly become hostages and were captured by Xiang Chang, who in turn threatened them.

And that's not the end.

Then, from the top of the city wall, a rough voice was heard, a large cowhide trumpet was blown, and after the relatives' anxious cries, it was followed by:

"Brothers of the Northern Army, we are implementing the Qin military merit system in our city. As long as you chop off the head of an officer or general and bring it to us, you will replace his military position and be rewarded with a hundred acres of land. Don't miss the opportunity, take action when the time is right, and try your best. From a lowly person to a noble!"

"Dear Northern Army brothers, do you want to be a noble lord? Do you want to have a beautiful wife and concubines and enjoy music every night? Do you want to own a hundred acres of land and live a wealthy family? Just come here with the head of your superior officer or general, and all will come true."

"Good news! Good news! Military merit rewards are huge, and there are endless discounts! Three taels of gold per head, three heads will be promoted by two levels, and five heads will make you an officer. The rewards are huge, the more you work, the more you get. Brothers of the Northern Army, what are you waiting for?"

……

Hearing the continuous howling sounds, the restlessness of the Northern Army soldiers gradually began to turn into chaos.

The officers and generals quickly lost their complacency and arrogance. They used to oppress their soldiers as much as they wanted, and insulting, beating and punishing them were commonplace. With the strong encouragement of the defenders on the city wall, they were naturally frightened. They looked around and saw the soldiers who were as obedient as sheep and could be killed at will without saying a word. They felt a little guilty for some reason, and always felt that some unruly people wanted to harm them. Sweat broke out on their foreheads.

"Beat the drums! Suppress those mournful howls. Xiahou Du, you take command of the entire army. The rest of the generals, lead their respective armies, press forward on all fronts, and attack with all your might, and we must succeed in one fell swoop. The little Xiang Chang resorted to these shameless little tricks, but in essence it is because the defenders are weak and fearful. As long as we don't lose our composure and go all out, we will surely win the final victory." Huang Jizhong was furious and shouted loudly.

Xiahou Du and other generals all thought it made sense and were greatly encouraged. They bid farewell to Huang Jizhong and went to the front line to reorganize and supervise their troops.

"Su Yin, you and Luo Dian will each lead two thousand elite cavalrymen under your command. Get ready at the side of the formation and follow my command to launch a fatal attack on the defenders of Jiangling City."

The two Lieutenant Generals Luo Dian and Su Yin also bowed and said goodbye, and left in a hurry.

Xiang Chang's bras made Huang Jizhong infatuated. He did not dare to be careless at all. He sent all 25,000 troops forward, starting with a sprint and a decisive battle, in an attempt to achieve victory in one battle.

Huang Jizhong sat on his horse, looked at the wound on his shoulder, and said bitterly: "It's a pity that I was hit by Xiang Chang's hidden arrow. This time I can't lead the army to charge! - Rucheng, you lead fifty warriors, according to the pre-arranged ambush in the army, and surprise attack Xiang Chang. If you can't kill him, you don't have to come back."

Zhonglang Jiang Rucheng clasped his fists vigorously and saluted, then pulled his horse around and left.

"The general's military deployment is careful and proper, and it will be foolproof. Our men are capable of defeating the enemy. The only thing we have to worry about is not letting Xiang Chang run away again." Shusun Tong praised and flattered Huang Jizhong, providing him with sufficient emotional value in a timely manner.

"It doesn't matter. If this trap specially set for him still can't kill him, then I will personally lead my family's private army to hunt him down and make sure he is captured and killed." The strong hatred in Huang Jizhong's words was like a surging river.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The dull and deafening drumbeats in the military camp really suppressed the howling from the top of the city. In addition, the generals were on the front line, strictly enforcing military discipline and making promises, which finally suppressed the unrest in the military camp and stabilized the scattered front line.

Everything seemed to be back to normal.

However, Shusun Tong was secretly clear in his mind: if the upcoming battle really went as expected and easily destroyed the defense line of Jiangling City, it would be fine; but if the attack failed and a stalemate occurred, these soldiers would be afraid of unexpected actions. - Don't underestimate the howling from the top of the city just now, the seeds of sin have already been planted in the hearts of the soldiers, just waiting for the right time to sprout.

Amid the earth-shaking drumbeats, 20,000 Northern Army infantrymen abandoned their siege equipment and rushed towards Jiangling City like a torrent. The night before, they lost a lot of cavalry in the battle with Xiang Chang in the east of Jiangling City. Now, only 4,000 cavalrymen were left out of the 25,000 Northern Army, with Luo Dian and Su Yin each leading 2,000 as mobile troops in case of emergency.

Of course, Xiang Chang had only 3,000 cavalry among his 11,000 defenders, and he also handed them over to Xiang Xi to lead as a reserve.

Xiang Chang also gave an order, and the defenders of Jiangling City brandished their weapons. The formation was as strict and neat as if it was chopped by swords and axes, and as hard and unshakable as reefs and rocks, they howled and rushed forward.

"Boom——"

The two armies met, like the collision of mountains and seas, shouts, roars, and the sound of weapons chopping echoed across the plains. The storm that was stirred up spread in all directions, even dispersing the thick clouds in the sky.

The defenders were at an absolute disadvantage in terms of numbers, and their foundation was weak and the quality of their soldiers was poor. However, to everyone's surprise, their attack power was incredibly strong, and they actually managed to block the attack from an enemy that was nearly three times stronger than them.

Not only did they block it, but all the generals and officers of the Northern Army went to the front line and led the charge, launching wave after wave of attacks in an attempt to defeat the 8,000 defenders in one fell swoop. But the 8,000 defenders remained motionless, like a reef hit by the tide, submerged again and again, and when the waves weakened and retreated, they immediately emerged tenaciously, safe and sound.

(End of this chapter)