Three Reconstructions of the Han Dynasty: I Helped Zhuge Liang Perfect the Longzhong Plan

The next day, just as dawn broke and the first light of day appeared in the east, before the morning mist had completely dissipated, the deafening sound of horns echoed across the plains outside Luocheng. Liu Bei's army broke camp, banners obscuring the sun, armor gleaming like a tide, infantry, cavalry, and siege weapons arrayed in perfect formation, advancing majestically towards Luocheng. The sound of horses' hooves pounding the ground was deep and powerful, like rolling thunder, causing the earth to tremble slightly.

The momentum from last night's great victory at Luofeng Slope ignited the fighting spirit of the entire army. Every soldier, clad in heavy armor and wielding weapon, wore expressions of unwavering determination, their eyes sharp as eagles, their steps steady and resolute. Dust churned up by the army mingled with the morning mist, creating the illusion of a lurking dragon slowly approaching Chengdu's last gateway.

Liu Bei, Pang Tong, Gu Sulin, Fa Zheng, and others stood on a high slope three miles outside Luocheng, followed by their personal guards, all looking towards Luocheng.

Built against the mountain, the city occupies a strategically important location. Its walls, several meters high, are thick and sturdy. The blue brick walls, worn smooth by time, still exude a cold and austere atmosphere. The walls are lined with crenellations, densely packed with Shu soldiers, each armed with bows, crossbows, and swords. Their expressions are tense yet resolute, as if ready to fight to the death. Stones, logs, and oil are neatly piled behind the crenellations. The city gates are tightly shut, their bolts heavy, a picture of impending doom.

"My lord, Luocheng, though formidable, is already at its last gasp." Pang Tong stroked his beard, his gaze sweeping over the city walls, his tone resolute. "The news of Zhang Ren's death must have already reached the city, and the morale of the defending troops must be crumbling. Liu Xun is merely a young nobleman, new to warfare; even with some spirit, he will find it difficult to stabilize the army's morale and coordinate the overall situation. Today, our army will launch a full-scale attack on the city. Relying on our high morale, we will surely break through the city in one fell swoop and advance straight towards Chengdu."

Fa Zheng nodded in agreement, pointing to the four gates of Luocheng, and slowly said, "My lord, among the four gates of Luocheng, the east gate has the flattest terrain and is the best breakthrough point for attacking the city; the west gate is backed by mountains and has a steep terrain, so the defending troops must be very strong; the south and north gates are relatively weak, so we can send a troop to launch a feint attack to tie down the enemy's forces and allow the offensive at the east and west gates to proceed smoothly."

Liu Bei nodded slightly, his gaze steady yet sharp as he swept over the army in front of him. He then gave a deep order: "Pass on my command: Huang Zhong will lead 10,000 elite soldiers to launch a main attack on the east gate, making sure to break through the city defenses and scale the city walls; Wei Yan will lead 4,000 soldiers to attack the west gate, launching a surprise attack on the enemy's main force; Li Yan and Wu Yi will lead 5,000 men to feign an attack on the north gate, creating a diversion, and are not allowed to linger in battle, their only purpose being to contain the enemy; the remaining troops will remain with me in the central command, ready to support the various armies at any time!"

"Here you go!"

The three armies responded in unison, their voices resounding through the heavens. They then mounted their horses and led their troops toward their designated positions. Moments later, the siege drums thundered, their booming sounds echoing across the land, as if announcing the official start of the siege.

Despite his advanced age, Huang Zhong, clad in heavy armor and wielding a broadsword, led ten thousand elite soldiers straight to the east gate. Soldiers, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, followed closely behind, surging towards the east gate of Luocheng. Shouts of battle, the clashing of weapons, and the beating of war drums mingled together, creating a scene of utter carnage.

Liu Xun, clad in heavy armor and wielding a long sword, personally guarded the east gate tower. His eyes were bloodshot, and his face bore the weariness of a sleepless night, yet he remained ramrod straight, his expression resolute. Last night, he had suppressed the news of Zhang Ren's death, but rumors inevitably circulated within the army, and the morale of the defenders had begun to waver. He could only personally oversee the most dangerous east gate, repeatedly inspecting the city's defenses, reassuring the soldiers, and assigning all ten thousand of his remaining troops to the four gates. Soldiers were stationed at every crenellation, and even the old, weak, and disabled were sent to the city walls, vowing to live and die with Luo City.

"The enemy is coming! Prepare to meet them!" Liu Xun shouted sharply, his voice hoarse but exceptionally powerful, instantly rousing the defenders on the city wall.

Seeing Huang Zhong's army approaching the east gate, siege ladders were quickly erected on the city walls, and battering rams slammed into the gate with deafening roars. The gate shook violently, as if it would be breached at any moment. Liu Xun remained calm and shouted again, "Fire arrows! Fire arrows now! Roll stones and logs down! We must not let the enemy scale the walls!"

At the command, the Shu soldiers on the city walls drew their bows, unleashing a dense rain of arrows like locusts, the arrows whistling through the air as they hurtled towards Liu Bei's attacking troops. The soldiers below raised their shields to defend themselves, but many were still struck and fell in pools of blood, their screams echoing across the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the soldiers behind the crenellations struggled to push the rolling stones and logs. Huge stones rolled down the city wall, smashing onto the siege ladders. The ladders instantly snapped, and the soldiers on them fell one after another. Some were crushed to pieces, while others were trampled by the soldiers following behind. The scene was extremely horrific. The battering rams were also badly damaged by the rolling stones; their wheels broke, and their bodies tilted, making them no longer able to ram the city gate.

Under Huang Zhong's leadership, Liu Bei's soldiers were even more motivated. They bravely climbed the city walls, braving arrows and rolling stones. They reached the top of the ladders time and time again, only to be repelled by the defenders each time. Yet, not one of them ever retreated.

On the west side, Wei Yan led four thousand soldiers to launch a diversionary attack. He personally led several hundred soldiers to patrol back and forth, only ordering archers to fire upwards from a distance to suppress the defenders on the city wall. He also occasionally directed his soldiers to set up ladders and climb towards the west gate city wall. After a few people climbed up, they would immediately retreat. Although the attack seemed very urgent, it did not actually harm the main force.

From the north gate, Li Yan and Wu Yi led 5,000 men, setting up many banners and making a show of force. They beat drums and shouted continuously, adopting a posture of fierce attack, but they never really approached the city gate. They only shot arrows and threw stones from a distance. It seemed like the most exciting route of the three-sided siege, but in reality, the casualties were very few.

The army attacked for three days, but still failed to capture Luocheng.

Gu Sulin stood beside Liu Bei, watching the fierce siege below the city, his mind churning: This was Luocheng, which had been besieged for a year in history. Now, our army's morale was at its peak, and Zhang Ren was dead; in theory, Luocheng should be within our grasp. Yet Liu Xun, knowing the tide had turned, still stubbornly refused to surrender, managing to maintain morale and inspire the defenders to fight to the death. Such resilience truly exceeded expectations.

This battle is unlikely to be as easy as it appears; a direct assault will inevitably result in heavy casualties.

He exchanged a glance with Pang Tong, only to find that the latter shared the same idea. Pang Tong whispered to Liu Bei, "My lord, although Liu Xun is young, he is quite resilient. The defenders' will to fight to the death far exceeds expectations. Such a direct assault will result in too many casualties, which will not be conducive to the subsequent pacification of Yizhou. It would be better to temporarily withdraw the troops, rest for a while, and then look for a way to break through the city."

Looking at the carnage on the battlefield below the city, Liu Bei's expression gradually turned serious. He too recognized the drawbacks of a direct assault and nodded, saying, "Shiyuan is absolutely right. Luocheng is indeed easy to defend and difficult to attack. Sound the gong." He then asked Fazheng, "Xiaozhi, are there any parts of Luocheng that are easy to attack?"

Fa Zheng frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the city wall, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, Luocheng is the northern gateway to Chengdu and is not easy to attack. However, Liu Xun is still young. I have a plan that can break through the city in one fell swoop."