Three Kingdoms: Madam, I am a decent person

Chapter 782 Pang Tong: Defending the Yangtze River
When Liu Bei saw Tian Yu, he looked very distressed, but he still managed a smile and looked down at Tian Yu, saying, "Guorang, it's been a long time!"

Upon hearing Liu Bei's shout, Tian Yu, whose eyes were already red from crying, couldn't help but shed tears again.

When Liu Bei saw Tian Yu's appearance, his heart skipped a beat.

Although it was Liu Ye's first time meeting Liu Bei.

But listening to the conversation, he guessed Liu Bei's identity.

Liu Ye handed a cloth bundle he was holding to a guard and gestured for the guard to prepare to go over.

The guards took the package.

Liu Ye then shouted loudly to Liu Bei on the city wall: "Lord Liu, I am Liu Ye, a descendant of Emperor Guangwu, and currently serve as Military Advisor General!"

Beside Liu Bei, Zhou Yu looked at Liu Bei with a strange gaze.

Liu Bei quickly returned Liu Ye's greeting and said, "Mr. Liu, I am honored to meet you! May I ask what brings you here today?"

Liu Ye pointed to the cloth bundle being held by his personal guard and said, "I have come here on my lord's orders to deliver Guan Yu's head."

The people on the city wall were in an uproar when they heard Liu Ye say that.

Liu Bei felt his head buzz for a moment.

In an instant, he lost all his voice.

His heart was pounding with pain.

He watched Liu Ye's mouth open and close, and quickly came to his senses.

As the sound gradually came to his ears, he heard Liu Ye say, "Zhang Fei's remains have been transported back to Fancheng."

“My Lord has instructed me to convey this message to Magistrate Liu.”

"After Lord Liu dies, he will fulfill his promise to General Tian Yu and allow General Tian Yu to take care of your families."

“My lord will not act unless they seek revenge.”

"If they seek revenge, please forgive them, Lord Liu."

"Finally, after Lord Liu dies, my lord will allow you three brothers to be buried together."

"Although we are enemies, my lord has always admired the integrity of Lord Liu and his ministers."

"Please forgive me, Lord Liu, for today's battle!"

Wen Ping quickly supported Liu Bei's right arm.

Liu Bei did not reply.

Liu Ye's words struck him like a series of heavy hammer blows.

He could only cover his abdomen with both hands and slowly squat down.

Seeing this, Tian Yu immediately dismounted, knelt on the ground, and pounded his head against the ground, crying, "Brother, I, Tian Yu, have failed you!"

Liu Bei squatted on the city wall for a long time before slowly getting up with Wen Ping's help.

Forced a smile that looked more like a grimace at Wen Ping beside him, Liu Bei pleaded in a trembling voice, "Could you open the city gate? I want to see my second brother's head."

Wenping's eyes stung a little.

This is his own lord.

He actually spoke to me in such a pleading tone.

Wen Ping hurriedly ordered his soldiers to open the city gates and lower the drawbridge.

Zhou Yu and Pang Tong watched this scene without saying a word.

The guards watched as the drawbridge was lowered before spurring their horses, carrying a cloth bundle, and slowly crossing the bridge into Maicheng.

Tian Yu also stopped kowtowing and looked at the city gate with teary eyes.

There, Liu Bei staggered out.

The guards met Liu Bei, dismounted, and respectfully handed him the cloth package.

Liu Bei carefully took it, unwrapped the cloth, and revealed Guan Yu's head inside.

The next moment, a loud wail, like that of an infant, echoed throughout Maicheng.

Liu Bei, who always firmly believed in "shedding blood but not tears," had his face covered in tears and snot.

As Liu Bei trembled, he stroked Guan Yu's face, crying his heart out.

On and around the city wall, many soldiers, hearing the cries, also shed tears.

Tian Yu crawled across the suspension bridge on his knees, then hugged Liu Bei's leg and burst into tears.

Liu Ye watched this scene, sighed, and murmured, "This is what they call war."

Liu Bei cried for a long time until his voice became hoarse before he finally knelt down.

Tian Yu, with red and swollen eyes, tried to stop her.

Liu Bei insisted on kowtowing several times before saying to Tian Yu, "Guorang, you have fought alongside us for over a decade."

"You know, I, Liu Bei, never ask for favors."

"This time, I beg you, after I die, to help take care of our family."

“Tell them that no one shall seek revenge.”

Looking at Guan Yu's severed head in his arms, Liu Bei said in a trembling voice, "Yun Chang and Yi De died for me one after another, so I can only fight to the very end."

“I promised them that as soon as they left, I would go to the underworld to meet them.”

"They followed me their whole lives, but gained nothing."

“They are all fierce generals capable of defeating ten thousand men. If they were not following me but were generals, they would have made a name for themselves long ago.”

"I have no way to save them." "I can only do my best to preserve their offspring."

With his right arm around Tian Yu's neck, their foreheads touching, Liu Bei choked up and said, "This is my lifelong request to you, Guorang. You can grant it, right?"

Tian Yu nodded vigorously when he heard Liu Bei say this.

Liu Bei then released Tian Yu and slowly stood up.

After carefully wrapping Guan Yu's head again, Liu Bei hung the package around his neck and staggered into Maicheng.

The suspension bridge was then slowly raised.

The city gates were closed.

Meanwhile, more cavalrymen began to gather behind Liu Ye.

The long procession of civilians was led away from the outskirts of Maicheng by cavalry.

Liu Ye waited until eight thousand cavalrymen gathered before setting up camp three miles outside the city gate.

Zhang Sui also arrived with Zhao Yun, Shi A's Tiger Guards, and Zhao Qin's personal guards.

After that, Chen Zhen arrived with 30,000 Jingzhou soldiers.

Then, Kuai Yue arrived with Huang Yueying and all the craftsmen.

Huang Yueying and all the craftsmen arrived, and led by Liu Ye, they rallied tens of thousands of Jingzhou soldiers to begin building the trebuchets.

Both Liu Ye and Huang Yueying have extensive experience in building trebuchets.

These craftsmen from Jingzhou were all skilled workers.

Under the tutelage of Liu Ye and Huang Yueying, the craftsmen quickly learned the blueprints for the trebuchet and immediately began building it in front of the army.

Liu Bei, Wen Pin, Zhou Yu, Pang Tong, and others stood on the city wall, gazing out of the city.

Liu Bei's gaze was blank.

Wen Ping, Zhou Yu, and Pang Tong were all filled with anxiety.

They all guessed that Zhang Sui's army was building siege equipment.

They also implemented strict defensive measures.

However, they still felt uneasy.

Zhou Yu frowned and said, "I heard that when the General captured Shouchun, he used a siege weapon called a trebuchet."

"Its power is immense."

"Unfortunately, I have tried to find these blueprints many times but to no avail."

"Now, do you think it's going to be used on us?"

Upon hearing Zhou Yu's words, Pang Tong held a small fan, no bigger than a baby's palm, in his right hand, fanning himself as he fell into deep thought.

If that's the case.

That's just guarding the city; there's clearly nothing they can do.

A sneak attack won't work either.

Both he and Zhou Yu's 20,000 Jiangdong soldiers were naval forces.

How can we withstand eight thousand cavalry in a land battle?

In particular, there were heavy cavalry among them.

We had no choice but to retreat to the river.

Thinking of the Nan Commandery he had finally obtained, Pang Tong was so frustrated he felt like he was going to vomit blood.

Pulling Zhou Yu aside, Pang Tong whispered in his ear, "The enemy is definitely going to use trebuchets to attack the city."

"Judging from their formation, it looks like they're going to use a large number of trebuchets to attack the city."

"Even with walls as strong as those in Shouchun, it couldn't be defended."

"The walls of Maicheng are definitely not going to hold up."

Zhou Yu watched as thousands of craftsmen outside the city directed tens of thousands of soldiers to work busily, and nodded with lingering fear.

Pang Tong said, "Fighting on land is ultimately not a solution."

"We are all online trolls."

"Although we are unwilling, we have no choice but to retreat from Maicheng and defend the Yangtze River."

"On the great river, these cavalrymen are completely useless."

Zhou Yu nodded again.

After a slight hesitation, Zhou Yu approached Liu Bei and relayed Pang Tong's statement.

Liu Bei, who had been staring blankly, finally came to his senses and looked at Zhou Yu, saying, "General Zhou is right."

"However, Jiangdong is not under my jurisdiction, and I would never go to Jiangdong to seek refuge."

Zhou Yu said irritably, "As long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood! Uncle Liu, now is a crucial moment, don't act like a woman!"

Liu Bei didn't look at Zhou Yu again, but looked at Zhang Sui's army camp outside the city, and said in a hoarse voice: "General Wenping, after Brother Jingsheng died, you were able to put aside your prejudices and follow me. I am deeply grateful."

"However, just as General Zhou said, Maicheng will definitely not be able to withstand this wave of attacks from the Great General."

"You, take the soldiers who are willing to join Jiangdong and follow General Zhou south to Jiangdong!"

"I, Liu Bei, have no way to repay your kindness."

"I'll hold off the enemy's last advance!"

(End of this chapter)