Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 197 So Silly, So Naive

Qiao Rui stood motionless inside the tent, unlike Le Jiu who vented his emotions unrestrainedly.

But you could tell from his clenched fists that his heart was also in turmoil.

Why did he and Yue come to Wucheng? Wasn't it because they were attracted by Wu Jing's invincible and overwhelming military power, thinking that Jiangdong was just Yuan's possession, which could be obtained easily?

Little did they know it was all a deception! Wu Jing, that swindler, lured them and Le Jiu here, then ran off, leaving the two of them to die.

Thinking of the terrible ordeal that was about to unfold, Qiao Rui couldn't help but shudder and quickly grabbed Le Jiu: "Anzhi, this is a deadly place for soldiers, we can't stay here any longer, we should leave immediately!"

Yue sheathed his sword and gradually calmed down: "In your opinion, where should we retreat to?"

Qiao Rui pondered for a moment and said, "Mingling is the closest to here, and we can reach it in one night. If our army enters the territory of Mingling, we can advance and wait for an opportunity to move, or retreat into the heart of Danyang. Let's go to Mingling first."

Le Jiu deeply agreed, noting that there were currently three routes available for withdrawing troops from Wucheng.

One option was to head to the Yanguan and Haiyan areas, where the enemy's defenses were weak, and escape by boat. However, Qiantang Bay was under the control of the Qiantang Navy, so it was almost certain that the boat would capsize as soon as they boarded.

The second option was to take advantage of Han Youjun's main force being away to retreat to Yong'an, and then from Yong'an to Huai'an and Guangde. However, this route was a long march, taking at least five or six days, and the risks were unpredictable.

In comparison, the Ming Tombs, which are only 25 miles away from Wucheng, naturally became the most tempting route.

If Wu Jing can go, why can't they?
After discussing the matter, the two generals immediately gathered their troops, leaving two thousand old and weak soldiers to guard the stronghold, and then led six thousand troops to quietly retreat towards the Ming Tombs.

The withdrawal went exceptionally smoothly. At dawn the next day, just as the sky began to lighten, Qiao Rui and Le Jiu led their troops to the walls of the Ming Mausoleum.

"I am Yue Jiu, the Tiger-like Colonel, and behind me is Qiao Gong, the General of Jianwei. You all, open the city gates immediately!"

Looking at the slightly dilapidated city walls, Le finally relaxed after a night of tension, spurred his horse forward, and shouted with a crack of his whip.

Behind him, thousands of soldiers were scattered haphazardly like cut stalks of wheat, some limping, some slumped on the ground, all exhausted.

Having traveled all night with hearts pounding, everyone was eager to fly into Mingling City, have a hearty meal, and then get a good night's sleep.

However, this small wish has become an unattainable luxury.

Suddenly, rows of dark figures appeared on the city walls, which were originally sparsely guarded, each with a bow drawn and an arrow nocked, filling the walls on both sides of the gate tower.

A tall, imposing figure stood atop the battlements, shouting down towards the city walls: "I am Zhou Yu of Kuaiji, and I have been waiting here for some time! Fire!"

Whizzing!

Before the people below the city could react, a dense rain of arrows poured down from the city walls.

Le and his horse were instantly riddled with arrows!
Even though he was clad in heavy armor, he was only clinging to his last breath before his burly body collapsed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably.

The soldiers around him fell in droves in an instant.

Dozens of soldiers stepped forward with shields, risking their lives to rescue Le Jiu and bring him back to their own lines.

The soldiers who had been slumped on the ground stood up in shock, looked around blankly, and those who were slow to react hadn't even figured out what was happening yet, while the quick-witted ones took off running.

Upon witnessing Le Jiu's tragic state, Qiao Rui was filled with shock and rage. He yanked the reins and roared to the sky, "Wu Jing, you traitorous dog! If I don't die today, I'll make you pay! Order the entire army to quickly assemble and break out west of the Ming Tombs!"

He and Le were completely ruined this time, having been tricked so badly they were left with nothing.

Without a doubt, Wu Jing has abandoned the city and fled!
As for why this guy didn't send someone to inform him, only Wu Jing himself and God know the reason.

Perhaps it was because of the conflict between the Sun and Yuan families over the ownership of the cities in Danyang; perhaps it was because Wu Jing wanted to use him and Yue Jiu to draw enemy troops and buy himself a chance to escape; perhaps it was because he and Yue Jiu had offended Wu Jing in the past; perhaps it was...
Many thoughts flashed through Qiao Rui's mind. She hated Wu Jing to the extreme, but now was not the time to dwell on these things. Escaping was the priority!

Under his leadership, thousands of soldiers did not retreat but advanced, swarming towards the west side of the Ming Mausoleum, attempting to break into the Danyang County territory.

However, once caught in the trap, how can one escape?
As the west and south gates of the Ming Mausoleum slowly opened, cavalry and infantry units filed out and launched a merciless massacre against Qiao Rui's army on the vast plains.

"Qiao Rui, don't run! Xu Sheng is here!"

"Zhou Ang is here."

"Chen Gan is here."

These shouts were like a death knell for Qiao Rui. When all the noise subsided, Qiao Rui's army had been completely wiped out, with only a few hundred fleeing soldiers managing to escape to various parts of Danyang.

"Young Master, Yue Jiu is dead, and Qiao Rui has been captured!"

Zhao Cuo rode up at full speed, looking up at the tall figure in front of him, which seemed to radiate boundless light under the morning glow.

Yan Yi glanced at the blood-stained earth and said calmly, "Order all units to rest for two hours and then march on Guzhang!"

"Here!"

An hour later, news of the defeat of Qiao and Le's armies reached Wucheng.

The entire city of Wucheng erupted in cheers, and many people wept with joy.

Yan Baihu strode back to the Yan residence, and just like twenty years ago, he lifted Xu Ying, who was walking towards him, off the ground and spun her around.

"What are you doing! There are so many people watching, put me down right now!" Xu Ying exclaimed.

"Reporting to Commander Zong, Prefect Xu and Battalion Commander Xu have sent people to inquire about how the spoils captured at the front should be distributed."

"Let the two of them divide it themselves, and give my share to Brother Xu Zhao!" Yan Baihu waved his hand generously and said.

On the front lines of Wucheng, Xu Gong, unusually dressed in a suit of armor, rode his horse through the enemy camps with the air of a victor.

The camp was in a mess, with unused food and supplies scattered everywhere.

Although he had seized a great deal, his heart was filled with gloom, and the dark cloud on his face was so thick it seemed to drip water.

"Wu Jing, Qiao Rui, and Le Jiu! Three good-for-nothings! Even if there were more than ten thousand pigs, it would be impossible for them to be slaughtered in just three days!"

Xu Gong cursed through gritted teeth. The sudden defeat of Wu Jing and the other two meant that all the glory of the Battle of Wucheng was focused on Yan Yi, while he, the dignified lord of Wu County, had been reduced to a mere supporting character after fighting in Wucheng for more than a month.

The contrast was something he found hard to accept.

The rumors that Yan Yi was preparing to become Sheng Xian's apprentice made him hate him to the extreme.

Sheng Xian was his mortal enemy whom he had ordered to be hunted down. Yan Yi's decision to become Sheng Xian's disciple clearly showed that he did not take him seriously.

"It seems the Yan family cannot be allowed to live!"

Xu Gong lowered his eyelids and gripped the knife handle tightly with his right hand.

drive!
Unlike Xu Gong, who was inspecting the camp, Xu Zhao immediately rode to Mingling after learning of Wu Jing and his two companions' defeat, wanting to congratulate Yan Yi in person.

Throughout the journey, the smile on his face never faded; he felt incredibly fortunate to have made the decision to ally with Yan Yi.

That was a brilliant move!

Unexpectedly, even the arrogant Wu Jing was defeated by Yan Yi. It's easy to imagine that this young man will be able to command respect and influence in Jiangdong in the future. My future and wealth for the rest of my life are now firmly tied to this young man.

This trip to the Ming Mausoleum is not only to offer congratulations, but also to properly recount his efforts over the past month.

"Go and inform them immediately that Xu Zhao, the commander of the Yuhang Battalion, has come to offer his congratulations."

Xu Zhao reined in his horse at the foot of Mingling City and shouted loudly to the gatekeeper.

Before long, Zhou Xin personally came out of the city to greet him, and said with a smile, "Lord Xu, you are a step too late. The young lord has already led his troops to Guzhang."

Xu Zhao was slightly taken aback, his spirits dampened, and he returned dejectedly. Four hours later, when the stars and moon filled the sky, Yan Yi led his army to surround Guzhang once again.

In the battle against Wu Jing, his troops suffered 3,000 casualties, and in the battles against Qiao Rui and Yue Jiu, they suffered several hundred casualties. After selecting some surrendered soldiers to reinforce the army, the total number of soldiers, including the wounded, reached 11,000.

The decision to include surrendered soldiers as an important supplement to the army was made by Yan Yi after the Battle of Qiantang.

Regarding the resettlement of surrendered soldiers, he drew upon numerous regulations he had learned in his previous life and, combined with practical experience, developed a comprehensive strategy.

For example, establishing authority and demonstrating credibility.

For example, they were treated equally, with surrendered soldiers receiving the same military rank and treatment.

For example, the surrendered soldiers were scattered and incorporated into various surrendered soldier camps. After undergoing some "ideological education," they were then incorporated into various garrisons. Two garrison commanders were appointed in each garrison, and the soldiers were brainwashed with slogans such as "to stabilize the chaotic world and create a peaceful and prosperous world where the people are not hungry or cold, the widowed, orphaned, and lonely are all cared for, and everyone has land to cultivate."

After implementation, it was found to be very effective, and it gradually began to become a regular practice.

The implementation of this measure enabled Yan Yijun to achieve the gratifying situation of increasing troop strength for the first time since the great war, bringing great surprise to the commanders of each unit.

However, the integration of surrendered soldiers takes time, and Yan Yi dared not send them to the battlefield in the short term.

In addition, the entire army needed to rest and recuperate after the great battle, so he did not immediately launch an attack on Guzhang, but instead ordered a siege.

This time, it was a true siege, and all four gates of Guzhang were completely surrounded.

Yan Yi handed over many military affairs, and just after having dinner in the commander's tent, Han You came over eagerly to pay his respects.

His attitude had changed significantly compared to two days ago. Not only was he wearing a fawning smile, but he also walked with a lighter step. As soon as he entered the command tent, he began to boast about his achievements.

"Young Lord defeated three bandits in a single battle, shocking all the prefectures. He truly swept away the bandits with thunder!"

"I have successfully completed my mission, twice intercepting and killing the enemy who were trying to leave the city. I killed two enemy generals in battle and pierced three enemy flags with my spear! The enemy in Zhang has lost all courage and has fled back into the city, daring not to leave again!"

Yan Yi chuckled inwardly but didn't expose his nonsense. He said thoughtfully, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Han. After we conquer Guzhang City, I will present you with another generous gift."

Upon hearing the words "generous gift," Han You's smile widened: "I wonder when the young lord plans to attack the city tomorrow? I will make arrangements in advance to assist the young lord in capturing this city."

Therefore, the fall of Zhang was a foregone conclusion, and he became even more eager.

Since news of Wu Jing's defeat reached Guzhang, the city's garrison has been thrown into chaos, with signs of infighting even emerging.

Yesterday, Li Li, a general under Qiao Rui, secretly led a thousand soldiers out of the north gate and never returned.

The generals in the city who were under Wu Jing's command were helpless in this situation. To avoid fighting among themselves, they could only watch helplessly as Li Li left.

With the addition of other deserters who took advantage of the chaos, the city's garrison now numbers only four thousand.

Han You was already eager to lead his army to attack the city and seize his 70% of the profits.

Yan Yi looked at his impatient appearance and sneered inwardly. He said calmly, "Our army has just gone through a major battle. The soldiers are exhausted and need a day to rest. Let's set the attack time for the day after tomorrow at Chenshi (7-9 AM)."

Since he had spoken, Han You dared not refute him and left in silence.

The following morning, Yan Yi led three thousand troops to the old city of Zhang and set up camp.

After three drumbeats, twenty ballistae and thirty trebuchets were pushed to the front of the battle line by the soldiers of the siege weapon battalion.

Wang Quan, the supervisor of the workshops, along with several assistant clerks, carefully inspected each of the equipment rooms.

These ballistae consist of a crossbow arm, a crossbow string, a winch, and a bed frame. They are over ten feet long and are usually pulled by horses and deer carts, making them a kind of 'field artillery' in the Three Kingdoms period.

The trebuchet was a heavy siege weapon that used leverage to launch stone projectiles. It consisted of a launching arm, a frame, a winch, and a triggering device. It was larger than a ballista and was equivalent to a 'heavy artillery' in the Three Kingdoms period.

However, Yan Yijun's trebuchets were all small to medium-sized trebuchets salvaged from warships, with a power of only about half or a third that of the large trebuchets. Of course, they were also more convenient to carry.

Yan Yi's actions today are to test these new siege weapons that he has been eagerly anticipating.

"Upper String!"

Lu Yuan, the commander of the siege equipment battalion, personally waved the command flag.

Under Yan Yi's watchful gaze, eight soldiers nervously approached a single-bow crossbow and simultaneously turned on the winch.

The iron-clad wooden axle emitted a teeth-grinding creak as the three-finger-thick ox-tendon crossbow string was slowly pulled back and finally engaged with the bronze suspended knife mechanism.

One of the burly soldiers picked up an iron spear, as thick as a child's arm, from the ground and placed it on the bowstring.

"emission!"

Lu Yuan waved the command flag again.

A soldier raised a hammer high and slammed it down on the trigger.

Boom!
The moment the bowstring snapped, the entire elm wood base of the ballista lurched backward, and the iron spear shot out like a black line. Before the whistling sound of the arrow shaft cutting through the air had even faded, a loud 'boom' came from the city gate: the oak door panel was deeply embedded in the iron spear, and the spiderweb-like wood grain was slowly cracking along the point where the spear had penetrated.

Yan Yi withdrew his gaze from the city gate and nodded slightly: "Change to a double-bow crossbow!"

As iron spears were fired, the city gate resounded with loud noises, and soon the massive gate was riddled with holes.

A series of banging sounds began to come from behind the city gate, clearly indicating that the garrison was reinforcing the gate with thick wooden planks.

Yan Yi was very satisfied with the power of the ballista. He figured that if he fired a few dozen arrows at the city gate with it and then rammed it a few times with a battering ram, the entire city gate would probably collapse.

After testing the ballista, he was still not satisfied and ordered the siege engine battalion to test the trebuchet.

Using the trebuchet requires a large number of boulders, or other heavy objects that can replace them. However, the area around Guzhang is all plains, and there are hardly any large stones to be found, let alone boulders.

Yan Yi took a different approach and ordered that the bodies of Wu Jingjun's fallen soldiers be used instead of the boulders.

In the army, his words were considered divine will; although some people showed reluctance, no one dared to oppose him.

Soon, dozens of Wu Jingjun soldiers' corpses were carried over and placed into ammunition pouches.

"emission!"

Lu Yuan waved the command flag, his voice trembling slightly.

boom!
The counterweight stone box, weighing over a thousand pounds, suddenly fell, causing the three-zhang-long projectile arm to rise violently, and the corpse in the ammunition bag was sent into the air with a whooshing sound under the centrifugal force.

Amid the terrified screams of the defenders, dozens of corpses flew into the city.

This action triggered unprecedented panic within the ancient city of Zhang, with cries and wails filling the air. This was precisely Yan Yi's purpose in using corpses as 'stone projectiles'.

The next morning, at 4:45 AM, Yan Yi's 7,000 soldiers stood solemnly in neat rows at the north and east gates of Guzhang.

"Siege!"

As command flags waved and war drums sounded, ballistae began firing iron spears, battering rams surged towards the city gate, and several siege towers approached the city walls.
Behind these siege weapons came a tidal wave of attacking soldiers.

In just a quarter of an hour, the riddled-with-holes east gate of Guzhang was breached, and at that time, the poor soldiers of Han You's army had only just climbed to the top of the wall.

Han Youxin's long-cherished 70% profit is destined to remain unattainable.

When he learned that Yan Yijun had breached the East Gate in just fifteen minutes, he was completely stunned.

"How foolish and naive I was to believe his nonsense about those who entered the city first getting 70% of the spoils."

(End of this chapter)