Taiheiki

Chapter 271 Intertwined
"Property?" Nie Sheng walked to a cage, casually took out a gold wine cup. The surface and inside of the cup were decorated with ornate patterns, and the outside was inlaid with emeralds and white jade. He sighed, "Distribute the copper coins and gold and silver coins to the soldiers. Seal up the utensils and jewels for now, and deal with them after Marquis Wei arrives!"

"Yes, sir!" The officer withdrew, and Nie Sheng let out a long breath, put the golden cup back in the cage, plopped down on it, stretched his shoulders, and let out a painful groan.

"What happened? Are you hurt?"

Nie Sheng turned around and glanced at Lu Ping: "I got grazed on the shoulder by a gun barrel, but with my armor protecting me, it's nothing serious!"

"The armor Wei Lang gave you is certainly the best, but charging into battle personally like this is still very dangerous!" Lu Ping looked at the young man in front of him with a smile: "If you do it too often, something bad will happen sooner or later. You're not an ordinary officer anymore; you should let your subordinates handle these kinds of things in the future!"

Nie Sheng opened his mouth, unsure how to respond to the woman before him, and finally simply nodded.

"What are your plans for the future?" Lu Ping asked.

"Wait for the right moment. If Zhang Wen returns to reinforce, we'll try to ambush him!" Nie Sheng said.

“In my opinion, Zhang Wen isn’t that stupid!” Lu Ping clapped her hands and laughed. “After all, he only has so many troops at his disposal. If he goes back to reinforce Luoyang, Yique will definitely not be able to stop Wei Lang. Once Wei Lang’s more than 20,000 men reach the walls of Luoyang, everything will be over. Even if Dou Wu and Zhang Wen were gods descending to earth, they couldn’t stop them!”

"Then what do you mean?"

Let's go to Mengjin!

"Mengjin?"

"Dou Wu's only hope now is reinforcements from Hebei, and the shortest route for Hebei reinforcements to reach Luoyang is to cross the river at Mengjin. If you burn down the ferry and boats at Mengjin, then the Hebei reinforcements will have to travel downstream for a hundred miles to cross the river and then head west to Luoyang. This round trip will be very difficult and will take at least four or five days!"

Nie Sheng gave Lu Ping a deep look, then stood up: "Alright, let's set off immediately!"

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Thick smoke filled the southern sky. Columns of black smoke swirled and rose from hundreds of bonfires in the distance, their black fingers obscuring the stars. The defending troops set fire to everything outside the city walls—taverns and warehouses, houses and brothels—everything outside the walls was burned to the ground.

Even inside the city, the air was thick with the smell of ashes. Wang Qian struggled through the crowded refugees and returned to his lodgings, his face covered in dust and looking utterly disheveled. He threw the two rabbits on the ground and said to Shi Xie, "These two rabbits cost me three hundred coins. This is insane!"

"It's better than having nothing!" Shi Xie laughed as he picked up the rabbit. "You've seen what it's like outside. So many refugees are fleeing into the city. They all need to eat and drink. I bet the prices of food and other necessities will skyrocket!"

“Yes!” Wang Qian sighed, “It’s unimaginable. The Han army is attacking Luoyang. If someone had told me this a few months ago, I would have thought they were crazy!”

"Take it out, skin it, and wash it!" Shi Xie handed the rabbit to a servant and replied, "What can we do when we're born into such a world? By the way, I see thick smoke in the sky outside the city. Is Wei Cong's army setting fires and looting?"

“No!” Wang Qian shook his head: “It should be said that the vast majority of them are not. Wei Cong’s army only burned down the Dou family’s residence and manor. The thick smoke outside the city now is most likely from the garrison burning down various houses near the city wall to prevent them from becoming a barrier for the enemy during the defense of the city!”

"Dou Youping is truly incompetent!" Shi Xie sighed. "Does he really think he can defend Luoyang with the city walls? Isn't that a joke? Luoyang has a population of at least four or five hundred thousand, and most of the city is the imperial palace. The treasuries and granaries are all outside the city. If half of the people outside the city flee into the city, even if Wei Cong does nothing, within four or five days at most, the houses inside the city will be demolished for firewood! A bushel of rice will probably sell for 100,000 coins. Even if the city walls are a hundred ren high, how can they possibly hold it?"

“Yes!” Wang Qian sighed. “Compared to them, Wei Cong’s army is at least somewhat humane. At least they only attacked the Dou family’s residences and manors, and did not invade other houses and people.”

"This is nothing but Wei Cong's trick. He's trying to tell everyone that his only enemy is the Dou family, not anyone else, so as to avoid making too many enemies!" Shi Xie said with a wry smile, "He was just like this back in Jiaozhou. I know this man better than anyone!"

"Oh right, I almost forgot you're from Jiaozhou, Brother Shi!" Wang Qian laughed. "You're right, but that also shows that Wei Cong's orders are strictly enforced. Otherwise, with wealth everywhere outside Luoyang, even if he didn't want to make too many enemies, his soldiers might not have obeyed his orders!"

“That’s true!” Shi Xie nodded. “However, it’s also possible that the Dou family’s manor is overflowing with wealth. Taking over the Dou family’s manor would be enough to feed Wei Cong’s soldiers!”

Wang Qian burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Brother Shi, you're going a bit too far. No matter how much wealth the Dou family has, can anyone have such a large appetite? If it were anyone else, they wouldn't even have enough to fill their own pockets, let alone give to their soldiers. Haven't we seen countless instances where generals' servants are dressed in fine clothes while their soldiers are dressed in rags? Putting aside Wei Cong's other character traits, he has at least done a good job in caring for his soldiers. Otherwise, how could he have risen from an unknown figure to where he is today in just two or three years? In the end, isn't it all because his soldiers fight with their lives, making them invincible in every battle?"

Shi Xie was speechless after Wang Qian's words. Just then, a shout and a pleading voice came from outside. The two men exchanged a glance, quickly stood up, and Wang Qian said in a deep voice, "What happened!"

"My lord, the government has sent people to search for runaway slaves!" "Searching for runaway slaves at this time?" Wang Qian and Shi Xie exchanged a glance, both seeing doubt in each other's eyes. Wei Cong's army was already at the city gates, and they were barely able to defend the city. What noble person in the city had the ability to get the government to arrest runaway slaves for him?

"Gentlemen!" Wang Qian stepped outside, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers outside who were reprimanding his servants. He immediately recognized them as soldiers from the Five Schools of the Northern Army. At this time, there were only a handful of nobles in Luoyang City who could mobilize the Northern Army to hunt down runaway slaves for him—you could count them on one hand. He suppressed his doubts and cupped his hands in greeting to the newcomers: "I am Wang Qian from Shanyang. My father was Wang Chang, the Imperial Censor during the reign of the late Emperor. May I ask who you are looking for?"

The leader opposite was a man in his thirties named Du Bo. Upon hearing Wang Qian introduce himself, he quickly bowed and said, "I apologize for disturbing you, young master. I am merely following orders. I need to find a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a Hejian accent!"

"A thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy? With a Hejian accent?" Wang Qian shook his head: "I don't have any here, come in and see for yourselves!"

The Earl apologized and ordered his men to search. Just as they were searching, Wang Qian casually asked, "At a time like this, who would still allow you to apprehend runaway slaves?"

"Yes!" Uncle Du gave a wry smile. "I heard that a beloved servant of the Marquis of Weiyang escaped from his household, which is why they're making such a fuss. He's the Empress Dowager's own brother, what can we do?"

"The Marquis of Weiyang?" Shi Xie frowned. "It probably won't be easy to find him now. With so many refugees in the city, he could easily blend in and be found anywhere!"

"Yes!" Uncle Du nodded. "Let's do our best and leave the rest to fate! But I heard that the runaway slave brought several people with him. He's used to a life of luxury, so he probably won't be mixed up with those refugees, right?"

By this time, the soldiers who had been searching had finished, but they had not found the boy. Du Bo apologized to Wang Qian and Shi Xie and then left. Wang Qian frowned and said, "Brother Shi, don't you find this very strange? At this point, even if the Marquis of Weiyang didn't know the gravity of the situation, surely the General and his men didn't know either?"

“Yes! Unless that wanted boy isn’t a runaway slave, but has some other identity that can’t be publicly revealed!” Shi Xie’s eyes lit up as he said this: “Brother, as far as I know, the Emperor is also about this age, and he’s also from Hejian!”

"That's right, before the current emperor ascended the throne, he was the Marquis of Jiedu, from the Hejian Kingdom!" Wang Qian also realized: "Could it be that the emperor has already escaped the general's control, and now they are arresting the emperor?"

Both men were intelligent and immediately grasped the key point: The Dou family's greatest advantage at present was their control of the legitimate cause. Despite Wei Cong's current string of victories, ultimately, it was Empress Dowager Dou and General Dou who represented the court and the Han Dynasty. If pushed too far, Empress Dowager Dou could force the Emperor to personally lead the army, displaying the imperial carriage and banners before the battle lines. Would Wei Cong really order his troops to fire arrows at the Emperor's carriage?

However, if they guessed correctly and the emperor had already escaped the control of the Dou family, that would be a different matter. As long as the emperor could escape to Wei Cong's army, even if reinforcements from Hebei arrived and the city of Luoyang remained intact, the Dou family would only face extermination. The difference between this outcome and the outcome would be enormous.

"If that's the case, then the Dou family is truly finished!" Wang Qian sighed. "The General is no ordinary man, how could he make such a crucial mistake? This could lead to the extermination of the entire clan!"

"Yes!" Shi Xie's feelings were much more complicated at this moment: "By the way, if Wei Cong really wins like this, how do you think the emperor will reward him?"

"No merit is greater than saving the emperor. If this succeeds, a title of nobility is certain. If one enters the court as an official, becoming one of the Nine Ministers is the minimum, and within five years, one will surely become one of the Three Dukes!" Wang Qian paused slightly. "Brother Shi, I remember you are a scholar from Jiaozhou. You fled to the capital because you offended him. Given the situation, it's best to make plans as soon as possible!"

Shi Xie nodded. He had fled Jiaozhou with the sole purpose of appealing to the court and expelling Wei Cong from Jiaozhou. Unexpectedly, several years had passed, and not only had he failed to drive Wei Cong out of Jiaozhou, but Wei Cong's army had even reached Luoyang. Fortunately, his younger brother was doing well under Wei Cong, and the Shi family's business and status in Jiaozhou hadn't been affected by him—a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. If Wei Cong truly succeeded this time, even if he returned to Jiaozhou, he could only live a secluded life studying, with no hope of a career in government.

"Brother Shi, Brother Shi!" Wang Qian called out to Shi Xie twice, but found him still lost in thought. Knowing that something was on his mind, he gently patted Shi Xie's shoulder twice: "Brother Shi, the trend of the world is like a surging river, unstoppable and beyond human control. I don't know what grudge you and Wei Cong had back then, but times have changed. How can the Wei Cong of today be compared to the Wei Cong of the past? Even the Empress Dowager and the Grand General would probably have to bow down to him, let alone you and me. Some things, once missed, are extremely difficult to get back!"

"Thank you for your guidance, Brother Wang!" Shi Xie nodded, his hands clenched into fists hidden in his sleeves.

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Yique Pass.

Han army flags fluttered atop the broken battlements, almost indistinguishable from those flying in the valley below and on the water. Catapults launched grease-filled earthenware jars atop the walls, igniting flames and eliciting screams from soldiers. Archers rained arrows up the ramparts, and long ladders with iron hooks were used to reach the top. Shielded soldiers filed up, and fierce hand-to-hand combat erupted. Corpses fell constantly, but for every one fallen, ten more took their place, maintaining constant pressure on the ramparts.

"General, General, reinforcements! We need reinforcements from the city walls!" the messenger practically shouted to Zhang Wen.

"Take three hundred men and climb the city walls!" Zhang Wen ordered his captain of the guard. His expression was grim, not because of the envoy's attitude—he had no time to worry about that now. Anyone who wasn't blind could see the immense pressure the defenders on the city walls were under. The speed at which the Wei army manufactured various weapons far exceeded everyone's expectations. The first two days of attacks were alright, just repeated probing and filling in the moat.

From the third day onward, the Wei army's attacks became swift and methodical. First came the catapults, capable of easily launching 20-kilogram stones, oil bombs, or shrapnel from 200 paces away. These projectiles were not only deadly but could also easily destroy the city walls' parapets, wooden huts, and barricades. After two days, the city walls were completely bare, leaving the defenders exposed and forced to risk being hit by arrows and stones. Then, the Wei army deployed hundreds of bamboo and wooden rafts to the city walls, propping them up with wooden posts to create makeshift arrow shelters. Wei crossbowmen could then hide behind these shelters and shoot down any defenders who dared to peek out from the walls. Next came the long ladders and infantry used for scaling the walls. By this point, the battle had become a brutal war of attrition, and the attrition ratio remained extremely unfavorable for the defenders.

Before each assault, the Wei army would use crossbows and catapults to fire arrows, stones, and various incendiary devices at the city walls and the area behind them, and then use long ladders to climb the walls. If the assault failed, they would launch another attack on the defenders on the walls during the retreat. Many of the defenders, exhausted from the hand-to-hand combat, would fall to the stones and arrows in confusion.

(End of this chapter)