noveltune Chapter 126 I'll use your weapon against you, aren't you angry?
Chapter 126 I'll use your weapon against you, aren't you angry?
Sun Ce reined in his horse outside Langya City, looking at the scene before him.
The moat had been filled with the diverted Yu River, its surface wide and its waters murky. A drawbridge hung high. Banners adorned the city walls, and the guards stood in rows, creating an atmosphere of grim solemnity.
His heart tightened. The formation was more organized than he had anticipated.
"Who is the commander guarding the city? Sun Ce is here. Do you dare to answer?" he shouted.
A moment later, a banner bearing the character "Zhao" was raised on the city wall. Zhao Yun, clad in silver armor and a white robe, appeared, his hand on his sword, his gaze calmly looking down.
"So it's Sun Taotie." Zhao Yun's voice rang out clearly, not loud, but loud enough for the soldiers on the front lines to hear. "I heard that Taotie disappeared after his defeat in Huainan. I didn't expect to meet him here, and even change his banner. Did you find refuge with Lü Wenhou?"
Sun Ce's face darkened.
It's Zhao Yun!
Back in Huainan, it was he who nearly brought the Jiangdong troops to a standstill.
However, I also slashed him hard at the time.
I didn't expect the recovery to be so fast.
Zhao Yun continued:
"But I wonder, for whom are we fighting this campaign against the rebels? Are they for the Jiangdong youths who died unjustly in Huainan? Or for the Qiao sisters, whose whereabouts remain unknown?"
He paused, his tone still steady, yet each word sharp and piercing.
"Or perhaps... for my future, which involves siding with a traitor and living under someone else's roof?"
"Zhao Yun! How dare you!"
Sun Ce was furious, his blood rushed to his head, and he almost blacked out.
The defeat at Huainan, the disappearance of Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao, the humiliation of surrendering to Lü Bu... these were the deepest thorns in his heart, which were now being bloodily provoked by Zhao Yun in public.
"Fill the river! Attack the city! Today we will surely break through this city and take Zhao Yun's head!"
Sun Ce pointed his ancient sword forward and roared.
"My lord! Beware of the enemy's tricks!" Cheng Pu urged urgently.
"Fill the river! Anyone who disobeys will be executed!" Sun Ce was no longer willing to listen to any advice.
……
The vanguard, carrying sandbags and planks, surged toward the moat.
Just as the first group of soldiers approached the riverbank, the ground beneath their feet suddenly collapsed!
Amid screams, the person fell into a pit filled with sharp logs.
Immediately afterwards, the tripwire sprang up, the bow was fired, and a group of people were swept down from the side.
"Trap! Spread out!" the officer shouted.
But orders are difficult to convey in the chaos.
More people entered the trap zone, and casualties increased rapidly.
Just then, a dull thud came from the city wall.
call--!
Dozens of huge stones, trailing a whistling sound, were hurled from the trebuchets on the city wall, arcing through the air and crashing into the chaotic Lu Bu army formation that was filling in the river!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Stones landed, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.
Screams, the sound of bones breaking, and terrified cries mingled together.
The already chaotic formation completely collapsed, and the soldiers dropped sandbags and planks, desperately fleeing backward.
Sun Ce watched helplessly as his vanguard was routed by the double attack of traps and a rain of stones, his eyes wide with fury.
He looked up at the city wall, where Zhao Yun's figure remained upright, calmly overlooking the carnage below.
The enemy's trebuchets were more numerous than he had anticipated, and their range and accuracy far exceeded his expectations.
In this first encounter, he lost, and lost decisively.
"Sound the retreat! Withdraw!"
Sun Ce forced out the order through gritted teeth.
……
Night, Sun Ce's camp.
"More than 300 brothers who tried to fill the river were killed and 500 were wounded. The traps were too dense, and the trebuchets on the city walls fired with great force and accuracy."
Cheng Pu reported, his face grave.
Sun Ce slammed his fist on the table: "Zhao Zilong... was prepared."
Cheng Pu also closed his eyes and pondered.
The plan was to have them work without putting in any real effort under Lü Bu's command from the very beginning.
But if the loss is too humiliating, it's too embarrassing to face anyone.
After all, in this era, heroes are judged by their martial prowess.
If you don't have any impressive achievements to show for yourself, then it will truly be time to raise your voice and rally others.
Who would respect you then?
However, the traps under Langya City are really annoying. I didn't expect these bandits from Mount Tai to be so troublesome.
These traps alone have caused our regular troops immense suffering.
With so many traps beneath the city walls, all the soldiers had to be extremely careful.
However, under this rain of arrows, once the speed slows down, one becomes an easy target.
Even with a shield, they would be smashed into mincemeat by the enemy's trebuchets.
After much deliberation, Cheng Pu finally came up with another plan:
"My lord, if a daytime assault fails, we should take advantage of the night. Send assassins to sneak in under cover of darkness, fill in the traps near the city, and at least clear a path."
A fierce glint flashed in Sun Ce's eyes:
"Alright! Tonight it is! Select those willing to die, and we'll move at midnight!"
At midnight, hundreds of carefully selected soldiers, gagged and with cloth wrapped around their horses' hooves, stealthily made their way towards the walls of Langya.
They had just approached the outer edge of the moat—
Whoosh!Whoosh!Whoosh!
Dozens of rockets suddenly shot from the city walls into the night sky, not aimed at people, but at several piles of firewood and poles with oil-soaked rags hanging outside the city.
The flames ignited, illuminating nearly a hundred paces in front of the city wall as bright as day!
The assassins who had launched the night raid were instantly exposed to the light and froze in place.
The sound of alarm gongs and shouts from the city walls rang out.
More torches were lit.
"withdraw!"
The captain in charge felt a chill run down his spine and hurriedly gave the order.
The night raid plan failed before it even began.
In the distance, in Sun Ce's camp, Sun Ce and Cheng Pu gazed at the illuminated area below Langya City, remaining silent to each other.
"Not a single leak." Cheng Pu sighed. "This Zhao Zilong is a master of defense. It seems we can only wait for General Wei Xu's main force and his trebuchets."
……
The next day, Sun Ce arrived at Wei Xu's camp.
"This humble general's attack on the city was thwarted. Zhao Yun's defenses were formidable, with a wide moat, numerous traps, and many trebuchets on the city walls with extremely long range. A daytime assault resulted in heavy casualties; a nighttime raid was also thwarted by his firepower."
Sun Ce reported the truth, his face grim.
Wei Xu sat in the main seat, tapping his fingers on the armrest: "It seems that Langya is a tough nut to crack. Zhao Zilong's reputation is well-deserved."
He looked at Sun Ce, "What do you think we should do?"
Sun Ce said in a deep voice:
"Ordinary swarms are no longer feasible. To break through Langya, we must use trebuchets against trebuchets. Concentrate our trebuchets, first bombarding the weak points of their city walls, then suppressing their defenders on the city walls, while simultaneously bombarding and filling in the traps near the city. Once the city walls are damaged and the traps are somewhat cleared, we can then send our elite troops to take advantage of the situation and scale the walls. Only then will we have a chance of victory."
Wei Xu pondered for a moment, then nodded:
"Very well. I will allocate all five trebuchets I brought to you for your use. However, you must use them sparingly, as the stone projectiles are not easy to manufacture and transport."
He paused, a slight smile appearing on his face.
"I have good news for you. Xiapi has successfully replicated the trebuchet. Although its range is not as good as the original Qingzhou version, its power is considerable. Marquis Wen has ordered production to be accelerated, and more will be sent over later."
Sun Ce cupped his hands in greeting:
"General Xie! With such a powerful weapon, there is hope of breaching the city."
"However," Wei Xu changed the subject, "Gan Ning's navy is still patrolling nearby, posing a threat to our supply lines. Cao Xing!"
"Your subordinate is here!" Cao Xing stepped forward.
"You will lead 10,000 troops to patrol along the Lai River, ensuring the supply lines remain open. If you encounter the Qingzhou navy, attack them as you see fit. In case of any incident, coordinate with General Song Xian."
"This subordinate obeys!"
Sun Ce withdrew from the main tent.
He knew that Wei Xu had given the Thunderbolt Cart to him in the hope that he would turn the tide, but also to guard against him.
Cao Xing's 10,000 troops were not only there to protect the grain, but also to monitor the flanks and guard against Sun Ce.
Back at his camp, Sun Ce gazed at the walls of Langya.
Next up is a clash of trebuchets. I'll use your weapons against you, how about that?
Hmph! Zhao Yun, let's see how long you can hold out?