Han Ji

Chapter 172 Jiangzhou Storm

Chapter 172 Jiangzhou Storm

The boy's name was Chen Qi, and he was from Mianzhu. His family had all died in the chaos of war. As he spoke, his eyes were fixed on the ground, and his hand clutched the hem of his tattered clothes.

"Why did you join the army?" Liu Bei asked him.

Chen Qi looked up, a fierce glint in his eyes.

"I want to eat," he said. "And I also want to... survive."

Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder.

"Follow me, and you'll have food to eat."

The fifth day, Jian Ge.

The mountain's slope suddenly becomes steep and precipitous here. The cliffs on both sides are sheer, almost closing in, leaving only a sliver of sky. The plank road is carved into the cliff face, so narrow that only two people can walk side by side. Below is a deep ravine, the roar of the water like muffled thunder.

The group was halfway through their journey when a loud bang suddenly came from overhead.

"Landslide!"

Someone was shouting ahead.

Liu Bei looked up.

A huge rock, covered in mud and gravel, collapsed from the upper right cliff face and crashed straight into the middle of the plank road. There was no time to dodge.

"Scatter! Stick to the cliff!"

The roar was drowned out by the loud noise.

A boulder crashed into the plank road.

Snap—Boom!

The sound of the wooden structure breaking was deafening. A section of the plank road, about two zhang long, collapsed; planks, rafters, and ropes crashed down into the deep ravine without even an echo. Dust billowed everywhere.

The team was split in two.

Liu Bei was in the first half. He turned around and saw dozens of soldiers trapped on the opposite side of the collapse, unable to move forward or backward. The leader was a young military officer, whose face turned pale.

"General! The bridge has collapsed!"

"Old man Lu!" Liu Bei called out as he turned around.

Old Man Lu squeezed his way up from the back of the line, glanced at the broken section, and then looked at the cliff walls on both sides.

"It can be repaired," he said hoarsely, "but it will take time and manpower."

"How long will it take?"

Before dark.

Liu Bei nodded: "You take the men and repair it. If you need anything, just ask Qian Zhao."

He then looked at the trapped soldiers opposite him, his gaze falling on the young military officer.

"Don't panic," he said, his voice rising above the broken road. "Stay where you are and wait for the road to be repaired."

The military commander swallowed hard and nodded.

Old Man Lu, along with carpenters and dozens of soldiers, began work. They felled trees, trimmed beams, and erected the frame. Liu Bei didn't interfere further, simply standing in a safe place and watching.

The light in the canyon dimmed quickly. By the end of the day, the new plank road was finally completed. Old Man Lu was the first to walk over and nodded to Liu Bei.

The team reconnected.

Liu Bei walked over to Old Man Lu and patted him on the shoulder: "You've worked hard."

Old Man Lu wiped the sweat and dust from his face: "General, this road... gets more and more difficult the further south we go. There are still a few dangerous places ahead, I know that."

"Lead the way," Liu Bei said. "Tell me what you need."

When they set up camp that night, the advance scouts slipped the copied nursery rhymes onto silk cloths in villages and post stations along the way. Some literate old men read them aloud to the villagers.

The children quickly learned a few phrases and ran along the field ridges shouting: "Liu Zhonglang, save Yizhou! Open the granaries and exempt us from taxes and rents!"

The sound was crisp and clear, echoing through the mountains and fields.

The group continued south.

The plank road seemed to have no end.

Guan Yu arrived at the city of Jiangzhou on the fifteenth of the third month, at noon.

The sun was blazing, making the city wall's blue bricks scorching hot. He reined in his horse on the hillside, squinting as he looked around. The city was situated at a bend in the Yangtze River, surrounded by water on three sides, with only its northern side connecting to the land. The walls were four zhang high, with neat crenellations and three-story watchtowers. The moat, fed by the Yangtze River, was five zhang wide, its water murky and flowing swiftly.

A dozen or so boats were moored at the south dock of the city. They weren't warships, but cargo ships, with deep drafts, and the cargo hadn't been fully unloaded yet. The flags on the city walls were a jumble of names: some were Zhao flags, some were Dacheng yellow flags, and there were several others that were unrecognizable, seemingly the private flags of powerful clansmen.

"How many troops are there?" he asked.

The scout reported back: "Zhao Zhi left behind two thousand, all of them surrendered soldiers from Jiangzhou. He himself took three thousand to Qu Sai and hasn't returned yet."

"Where are the city walls?"

"The north wall is the thickest and has a barbican. The west wall faces the river and is shorter, but there are boats patrolling the river. The east wall is next to the mountain, and there is a section that has collapsed and has been repaired with wooden palisades."

Guan Yu nodded.

He waved his hand, and two thousand men unfurled behind him. They were all elite soldiers, fully armored, having marched five days along the Micang Road; their shoes were worn thin, but their eyes shone brightly. Swords were drawn, bows were strung, and no one was breathing heavily.

"Li Hui," he called.

"exist."

"Take three hundred men and go to the south dock of the city," Guan Yu said, pointing to the cargo ships. "Burn the ships and cut off their waterway. But don't hurt the boatmen; they're all laborers."

"Understood."

"Zhang Wu."

"Here!" Zhang Wu stepped out from the personal guard. Liu Bei ordered him to follow Guan Yu and protect him.

"Take five hundred men and go to the east wall. It has collapsed there; launch a feigned attack, make a big show of it, and lure the defenders there."

"clear."

"The rest of you," Guan Yu said, pulling on the reins and letting his horse take two steps forward, "follow me to attack the north gate."

He paused, then added, "Before setting up the siege ladders, give a warning. Those who surrender will not be killed by the city's garrison. Civilians should keep their doors closed; any accidental injuries will not be compensated."

.

The order was given, and the teams sprang into action.

The garrison commander left behind by Zhao Zhi was surnamed Yan and named Yan Gang. He was originally the military commander of Jiangzhou County. When Zhao Zhi breached the city, he surrendered with five hundred men and was given the rank of lieutenant general. Now, standing on the arrow tower of the north gate, his palms were sweating profusely.

He saw the Han army.

The formation was disciplined, the banners were clear, and the movements were synchronized. This was no longer Ma Xiang's rabble. What alarmed him even more was the black smoke rising from the southern dock; the ships were burning. The waterway was cut off.

"General!" the lieutenant rushed up, "The east wall is under attack! The enemy is fiercely attacking, and the wooden palisade is about to break through!"

Yan Gang gritted his teeth: "Send three hundred men over there."

"That north gate..."

"I'll guard the north gate." Yan Gang pressed his hand to his sword. "Prime Minister Zhao said before he left that we should hold out for three days, and then reinforcements will arrive."

The deputy general hesitated to speak, but eventually ran down from the city wall.

Yan Gang turned around and roared at the defenders on the city wall: "Listen up! The Han army will break through the city and leave no one alive! If you want to live, hold your ground!"

The garrison, mostly local soldiers from Jiangzhou, exchanged bewildered glances. Someone whispered, "But those are imperial troops..."

"The imperial court?" Yan Gang sneered. "Emperor Ma is also the imperial court! Whoever wins now is the imperial court!"

He drew his knife and slashed at the edge of the barricade, sparks flying everywhere.

Anyone who tries to sow discord among the troops will be executed!

Below the city, Guan Yu saw that slash.

He narrowed his phoenix eyes and waved his hand.

The drums began to beat.

The first team, two hundred archers, advanced fifty paces. They crouched, drew their bows, and pointed their arrows at the city walls. The second team, three hundred swordsmen and shieldmen, protected ten siege ladders and pushed them forward. The ladders were made on the road, made of bundled bamboo, with the tops covered in wet cowhide.

The third team, consisting of five hundred spearmen, held the line.

There were no car crashes, no catapults. The mountain roads simply couldn't handle the transport.

Jian Yong rode over from the rear army to Guan Yu's side: "Yun Chang, are we really going to launch a full-scale attack? It would be better to wait for the main force to arrive so we can encircle them."

.

"We can't wait." Guan Yu stared at the city wall. "Zhao Zhi is in our hearts and can come back to our aid at any time. If we take Jiangzhou first and block the Yangtze River, he won't be able to come back."

He paused, then said, "Shout a message."

Jian Yong nodded, spurred his horse forward a few steps, and said in a deep voice, "Listen up, defenders on the city walls! General Liu, the Commander of the Southern Pacification Army, has been ordered to quell the rebellion and punish the false emperor, Ma Xiang! You are all subjects of the Han Dynasty, and it is understandable that you have been coerced by the rebels! Surrender now, and your past actions will be forgiven! If you remain obstinate, on the day the city falls, all the rebels will be executed!"

The sound echoed between the city walls.

A commotion broke out on the city wall.