Jinting Han people

Time flies, and before we knew it, the siege of Niyang has entered its second month.

After Qi Wannian prioritized Han craftsmen and employed the hook-and-cart tactic, he forced the defending Jin army into danger for the first time. He inflicted heavy casualties on the Jin army, even killing the commander, Suo Jing's beloved son, Suo Yu. This greatly encouraged the Hu besiegers, who believed that with just a few more days of fighting, using the hook-and-cart tactic to pull at the wooden sheds on the city walls, the Hu army could breach the city and slaughter the Jin army.

So in the next few days, the Hu people really used the same trick again, using people pushing a large number of hook carts to attack, but the result was completely opposite to the situation on the first day.

Whenever the hook of the cart hit the wooden shed, the Jin army had prepared a large number of ropes. Once the hook got stuck, they would use the ropes to loop around the long handle of the hook and then tie heavy objects such as stones and crossbars to the other end. This made it difficult for the Hu people under the hook to pull, but they found that the hook was much heavier than they had imagined. No matter how hard they pulled, they could not move the stuck hook at all.

When darkness fell, the Jin army would sit down again on the wooden baskets and cut off the sickle of the hook cart, leaving the Hu people completely helpless. After several rounds of negotiations, there was no new progress. In the end, to save arrows, the Jin army even bothered to shoot arrows at the city. After cutting off the sickle, neither side suffered a single casualty. It was a pure waste of time.

At this point, the Hu people were forced to abandon their hook-cart tactics and begin to consider other strategies. During this time, even the siege drums ceased. Silence fell throughout the city, both inside and outside, creating a sense of return to the conditions before the Hu siege. It also seemed as if the rebels' nearly month-long assault had yielded no substantial progress, leaving behind a heavy toll of casualties.

There were already some doubts about Qi Wannian in the army, mainly coming from the Zaohu tribes who were used as scapegoats. Now that they had suffered a series of setbacks, they could no longer suppress their anger.

They no longer questioned Qi Wannian's ability, because no one could say that the ability Qi Wannian had demonstrated so far was not good, but instead began to talk about destiny.

These people secretly spread the rumor that a monk from the Western Regions in Qinzhou used white and black ants to fight each other in a battle formation to predict the outcome. The white termites represented the Jin army, the black ants the rebels. The result was that all the black ants were killed, which was a very unfavorable outcome. This monk was said to be a ninety-year-old man with many supernatural powers, such as the ability to generate natural relics and predict good and bad luck. His predictions were always accurate, so he was a fervent believer among the Hu people.

This trend even infected the Tiele people. Qi Gui, a member of the tribe, once suggested to Qi Wannian whether they should withdraw the troops early and wait for a better opportunity to fight again.

Qi Wannian refused to listen. He said, "Victory is determined by heaven, but defeat is determined by oneself. The situation is favorable to me now. As long as I find the weakness, I can achieve victory. It is not time to escape yet. Trust my judgment."

Despite this, Qi Wannian also realized that if this trend continued to spread, it would have a very negative impact. He issued a military order stating that those who privately discussed superstitions had actually accepted bribes from the Jin people and were using this method to undermine military morale, so this practice was strictly prohibited. If anyone else discussed it, they would be treated as traitors and punished!

Qi Wannian was really decisive in his actions. The day after he issued the order, he immediately arrested seventeen people and executed them. Among them were leaders of small tribes, but he also decisively beheaded them in public.

The army remained silent about this, and the ban seemed to be very successful. But after a few days, rumors began to spread among the various troops. This time, it was not about destiny, but directly praising the Jin army officers defending the city:
"These two men guarding the city are truly extraordinary. It's said that one is known as the leader of the Five Dragons of Dunhuang, and the other is a descendant of the Han Dynasty!"

"Descendants of the Han Dynasty? What's so strange about that? Which county doesn't have someone with the surname Liu?"

"Well, of course he's not just any ordinary Han descendant. This Liu Taishou guarding the city is said to be a direct descendant of Liu Bei of Shu Han. He has quite the style of his ancestor!"

"Yes, it is said that he treated the Han and the Hu people equally. When he governed Xiayang, it prospered and became the most prosperous of all the counties. When he governed Beidi, the county suddenly became peaceful. He is a sage and capable man rarely seen in the world!"

"Ah, so he's a virtuous official who has won the hearts of the people! How could Your Majesty possibly conquer him?"

"You don't know, do you? Your Majesty once fell into Governor Liu's trap during the Battle of Liumo!"

As a result, pessimism continued to spread among the various tribes of the Hu people. Yang Jian once again requested an order to stop these rumors, but Qi Wannian was unconcerned. He said, "If it's just a matter of who is stronger and who is weaker, these words are easy to refute. Let him see whether Liu Huai Chong has more solutions or I have more solutions."

At this time, he was preparing to apply Yang Jiantou's method of tunnel construction. He hired some Han craftsmen to dig the ground in the south of the city, intending to dig 18 tunnels at the same time. There were infantry and cavalry patrols above to provide protection, while the earthen hills in the south of the city began to attack the city again. Soldiers from inside and outside the city gathered here and fought repeatedly.

A few days later, one morning, the Hu people below the city were preparing to attack the city. Unexpectedly, before the drums of war were even sounded, a messenger suddenly popped his head out from the city and shouted to the Hu people:

"Hey, is there anyone here who can take charge? Our Lord Liu wants to tell you something."

This was the first time the Jin army defending the city had anything to discuss with the Hu people. The Hu people below the city had long been tired of the siege, and hearing this, it seemed that the other side was inclined to surrender, so they immediately laid down their weapons and went looking for people. Not long after, Peng Dangzhong, who was in charge of the siege that day, rode up to the foot of the earthen hill with several followers and shouted to the tall buildings on the hill:
"I'm Peng Dangzhong. If you have anything to say, please tell me, Lord Liu!"

After a while, a head popped out from the upper floor and said loudly to the people below the city wall: "Brother Peng, long time no see!"

Peng Dangzhong had heard Liu Xian's voice before. He looked up and vaguely recognized the man. He laughed and said, "Brother Liu, are you ready to surrender by shouting now?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a burst of laughter from above. Liu Xianhui, standing on the city wall, said, "Brother Peng, why are you joking? Did I ask you to surrender?" "If you don't surrender, then why are you calling me?" Peng Dangzhong was a little annoyed. The casualties of the past few days had made him feel exhausted, and he just wanted to end the war as soon as possible.

Liu Xian solemnly replied, "I do have a proposal. Our armies have been locked in battle for over a month, and thousands have died in the city walls and beyond. They say fallen leaves return to their roots. Regardless of what you and I fought for, these dead cannot be resurrected. They deserve to be returned to their families for burial."

"So I hope we can cease fire for a day, clean up the battlefield, and return the bodies of the dead. Don't wait until the bodies are completely decomposed and unrecognizable before collecting the remains. I believe this is something the deceased would not want to see. This way, the families of the deceased can rest in peace, and it will be easier for us to fight again. What do you think?"

After hearing these words, Peng Dangzhong was stunned. He looked around and suddenly remembered that the battlefield was littered with the corpses of his compatriots. Their mutilated limbs were covered on the earthen hills. Because of the trampling of later generations, many of the white bones had merged with the earthen hills.

He had never even considered collecting the remains of his compatriots! Thinking of this, Peng Dangzhong felt a surge of shame. The surrounding Hu soldiers, once eager to fight to the death, were now demoralized. They watched the casualties on the battlefield with great concern, mourning the loss of their own support.

But a one-day ceasefire was not something he could decide, so Peng Dangzhong said embarrassedly, "Brother Liu, wait a moment. I'll ask His Majesty for instructions and get back to you!"

When he said this, Peng Dangzhong felt even more ashamed. Without waiting for Liu Xian to speak, he fled the battlefield and reported the matter to Qi Wannian.

Qi Wannian was eating at the time. Upon hearing what Peng Dangzhong said, he put down his chopsticks and remained silent for a long time before he sighed, "What a powerful psychological strategy! I didn't expect this move. He got there first!"

He immediately agreed, saying, "Tell him I agree to the one-day ceasefire. You must do it openly and honestly. The bodies we bring back must be properly buried. These people are soldiers and heroes. We must erect a monument for them!"

After Peng Dangzhong left, Qi Wannian immediately called Yang Jian over and asked, "How's the situation with the tunnel going?"

Yang Jian nodded and replied, "Your Majesty, the progress is remarkable. An hour ago, I measured the length of the tunnels with ropes. At least six tunnels have reached the city wall. The craftsmen are now reinforcing the tunnels with beams and pillars. They should reach the city tonight."

"Great!" Qi Wannian was delighted and encouraged, "As long as you succeed in digging it out, we'll take action tomorrow and catch him by surprise!"

That being said, digging a tunnel is very hard work.

To expedite the excavation, the tunnels were low enough for a person to crawl forward on their hands and knees. To rest, they could only curl up on the ground with their heads lowered. Furthermore, they had to perform the work of digging, lighting, and moving earth. The Hu people in each tunnel took turns digging and resting. They were completely covered in dirt, even their eyelashes were caked with dust, making their faces difficult to distinguish. Some of them collapsed and fell ill from the difficulty breathing.

That evening, after midnight, the Hu people in one of the tunnels were still digging. Two men were digging in the front, their pickaxes digging at the same time when they felt something strange: the previously hard loess in front suddenly became brittle, crumbling the moment the pickaxes touched it. Suddenly, several bright lights shone down from the front, making it difficult for the eyes to adjust, and they instinctively closed their eyes.

The men in the tunnel heard a commotion ahead. Before they could distinguish friend from foe, several long poles with hooks suddenly emerged from the collapsed cavern. They snatched the clothes and flesh of the nearby Hu men and dragged them out. Two Hu men screamed as they were dragged to the cave entrance. Then, they were grabbed by rough hands and dragged out of the tunnel. Outside, the lights were bright, and a chaotic crowd surrounded them. Before the two unarmed Hu men could even grasp where they were, they were frantically pinned to the ground and beheaded.

After several more men were killed, the people at the back finally realized what had happened. Someone shouted, "The Jin people have dug trenches in the city. Retreat!" As the shouts were being made, a whirring barrage of crossbow bolts, along with the fresh, cold wind from outside, rushed in. The Hu people abandoned their dead and wounded companions and scrambled back in panic.

Suddenly, they heard the muffled roars of wild beasts behind them. It was the Jin hunting dogs that had emerged from the cave and were chasing them. They quickly seized those who had fallen behind and began to bite them. Those who had managed to crawl ahead, hearing the screams from behind, were terrified and desperately tried to crawl back. Some of the timid young men wet their pants as they crawled, without even noticing.

That night, several tunnels were dug into the Jin trench. This was a deep trench that Liu Xian had dug long ago, running along the base of the city wall, to prevent tunnels from entering the city. The trench was patrolled by soldiers and even had hunting dogs. Any Hu diggers who broke through and exposed their heads were instantly captured and killed. The Hu diggers were unarmed and cramped in their tunnels, making them unable to resist.

The Hu people urgently ordered the excavation to cease, and Yang Jian rushed to meet Qi Wannian that night. Qi Wannian had already fallen asleep, but the news still startled him awake. The weather was hot and humid, and he had been directing the battle, exhausted and sleepless. His head was swollen and painful, as if the tent was too confined, making him feel suffocated. He immediately ordered the tent door opened, and after feeling the cool summer breeze, his health improved.

After listening to Yang Jiantou's report, he was silent for a moment, muttering to himself, "The Jin people actually anticipated this move? Was it Suo Jing? No, he's an old man. It must have been Liu Xian who thought of it!"

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. Since he started the rebellion, he had never encountered such a formidable opponent. If he carefully considered it, not only during the Niyang offensive and defensive battles, but also during the previous siege of Chang'an and even earlier, almost every one of his moves had been perfectly countered by this man. Since he started the rebellion, he had thought himself invincible, but against this man, he had never won a single battle. Could it be that Liu Xian was truly his nemesis?
Judging from the casualty ratio, Qi Wannian's siege of Niyang had already incurred more losses than necessary and should not have continued. However, from a strategic perspective, if he failed to capture both Chang'an and Niyang, this would undoubtedly significantly undermine his prestige. Could the long-term war with the Jin Dynasty continue?
Taking these factors into consideration, Qi Wannian began to waver for the first time, because he could not accurately tell which was the better option, withdrawing troops or attacking.

But a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: Liu Xian in the city is not an easy target, this may be his best chance to eliminate him. If he gives up at this point, he may never be able to eliminate him from then on, and may end up being eliminated by him instead.

This thought prompted Qi Wannian to make up his mind to continue the siege. He gave the order:
"Call Chi Nu Kou over! I'll send the Red Crow Army to him! Tomorrow night, we'll coordinate our efforts and launch another attack using the tunnels!"

The messenger rushed out, and the breeze continued to blow through the curtains, through which the moon and stars could be seen in the sky. Under the night sky, Niyang City seemed to merge with the earth and mountains, still unshakable. (End of this chapter)