Weird Three Kingdoms

Chapter 3816 Ye Cheng
The night was as dark as ink, quietly concealing the hustle and bustle and dust of the day.

Outside Ye City, on a solitary, high earthen platform far from the lights of the military camp, Pang Tong leaned alone against the railing. He was still wearing that inconspicuous gray-blue scholar's robe, the night wind ruffling his wide sleeves, yet unable to dispel the calm and profound aura surrounding him.

There were no attendants or guards on the stage, only him, facing the sparse stars and the desolate city.

Below the high platform, in the distance, on the northern wall of Ye City, a few scattered lights flickered on the city walls, the weary figures of night patrol soldiers, so faint as if they might be swallowed up by the thick darkness at any moment.

In Pang Tong's eyes, the northern city was like a walnut.

Thick-skinned, hard walnuts.

It is extremely difficult to open without the necessary tools.

Someone surnamed Huang said, "Who cares about all that? Just grab a hammer, go up there, and do it!"

Yes, the hammer struck, and the walnut cracked, but what about the kernel?

Pang Tong's gaze slowly swept across the northern city and then swept toward the Three Platforms.

The three platforms are built against the mountain and are one level higher than the earthen plateau.

It is magnificent, but because of this, the area it occupies is not very large.

Pang Tong was patient.

He didn't seem like a naive young man who would loosen his belt at the sight of a naked man; in fact, there was no trace of excitement or nervousness on his face as he prepared to launch the next offensive.

He just smiled.

It's like watching crabs being served and then slowly and deliberately opening the crab-eating tools.

This is neither mockery nor smugness; it is simply a strategist examining a nearly completed work, appreciating the exquisite details within it.

He could guess what was happening inside the city at that moment.

Chen Qun might be racking his brains under the lamp, trying to piece together Pang Tong's true intentions from scattered pieces of information; Cao Pi might be forcing himself to remain calm as he inspects the barracks, using empty words to encourage the hungry, thirsty, and resentful soldiers; the fragile alliance between the Ji Province and Yu Province factions, under the pressure of scarce resources and intense mental strain, is probably cracking again; and the ordinary soldiers and civilians, tormented by the constant cycle of hope and despair, are gradually exhausting their last bit of strength and faith...

"Cut off their supply lines, divide their noble families, exhaust their people, confuse their minds, and disrupt their defenses..."

Pang Tong silently reviewed each step of his plan, as if he were replaying a brilliant game of chess.

Each step, seemingly unhurried and even somewhat circuitous, precisely strikes the opponent's most vulnerable spot.

He did not pursue a swift and overwhelming victory, but rather, like the chill of an autumn night, he wanted to seep in little by little, to gradually disintegrate the fortress from within, causing it to weather, soften, and collapse.

He seemed to see the invisible aura of despair permeating the sky above the northern city.

The city walls still stand tall, but the hearts of those who defend the city are riddled with holes.

Chen Qun could defend against tangible swords and deduce the location of the tunnel, but he could not defend against this pervasive despondency and suspicion. Even if he guessed what Pang Tong was going to do, how could he possibly defend against it?

"The time is almost right..." Pang Tong muttered almost silently to himself, his gaze sweeping over the flickering lights of the northern city, as if he could penetrate the thick city walls and see the accelerating process of collapse within them.

He was like a hunter standing by a trap, not in a hurry to catch the prey, because he knew that the more the prey struggled in the trap, the more energy it would expend, and the more blood it shed would attract more unease and fear.

What he was waiting for was for his prey to exhaust its last bit of strength and expose its most vulnerable throat.

Timing is always more important than sheer strength.

A night breeze blew, and Pang Tong took a deep breath, feeling the chill of the northern autumn night.

He was waiting, waiting for dawn to arrive, or waiting for the taut string in the city to snap quietly at some unpredictable moment.

……

……

In the northern part of Ye City, Cao Pi, despite his exhaustion, carried out his daily routine of patrolling the camp and eating with his close advisors and guards.

However, this deliberately created facade of unity between superiors and subordinates is ultimately fake. Just like Cao Pi's previous slogans about caring for the people and treating them kindly, there was little real warmth behind them.

Cao Pi walked through a crowded camp, trying to make his steps appear steady.

He imitated his father, occasionally stopping to pat a sallow-faced, emaciated soldier on the shoulder and say a few words of "hard work, soldiers," as well as the usual three questions asked during his visit to the countryside.

Because it's all clichés, the responses are either pre-arranged, monotonous monologues or blank, insincere bows and evasive glances.

After Cao Pi and his entourage had gone far away, the old soldier who had been patted on the shoulder and given a long, rambling speech straightened up, spat on the ground, and muttered a curse, "Damn it! After all these years, you still haven't learned to change your ways!"

A younger soldier leaned over and whispered, "Brother Wang, keep your voice down... But do you think the prince... really eats the same things as us? He's been in the rear camp's mess hall these past few days..."

A hint of mockery flashed in the old soldier's cloudy eyes. "Still the same... Heh, smell it!"

"What are you smelling?" the young soldier asked.

"Does it smell nice?" the veteran asked.

The young soldier sniffed, "It really does smell like that! What... what is that scent?"

The old soldier sneered, "Your nose should be fed to the dogs! Tell me, where would you find such a pleasant smell around here?"

"Huh? Where did you come from?" the young soldier asked, bewildered.

"Heh..." the old soldier waved his hand, "Go think about it yourself..."

……

……

Inside the North City camp

In a relatively spacious open space, Cao Pi, following custom, ate with his soldiers.

In front of him was a bowl of thin porridge so thin you could almost see your reflection, and a coarse rye cake mixed with a lot of bran and even sand.

Cao Pi forced a smile, mentally rehearsing the situation countless times. He then flicked his sleeve, raised his hand, wrist higher than his fingers, and pinched the black cake as if grasping some object. Then, as if completing a difficult task, he chewed it in small, laborious bites. Even though he still managed a forced smile, his brows twitched involuntarily from the rough texture, which felt like it was tearing his throat. This caused Cao Pi to frown slightly and straighten his neck...

Moreover, the musty smell filled his nasal cavity, forcing Cao Pi to fight against his nausea with every swallow.

The soldiers below silently drank their thin porridge, their heads bowed, but their eyes would occasionally steal glances at Cao Pi above.

One of the team leaders noticed that although Cao Pi was holding a wheat cake, he was swallowing very slowly, and the bowl of porridge in front of him was barely touched.

Even more noticeable was the eunuch standing behind Cao Pi, whose eyes were constantly fixed on his master with a tense gaze, clutching a clean silk handkerchief in his hand, as if ready to step forward and serve him at any moment.

"See that?" The team leader nudged his companion with his elbow, his voice barely audible, chuckling softly by the bowl of porridge. "That prince's pancake, he probably won't even finish a bite in ages... We're starving, practically licking the bowls clean, and he's just spitting it out after a couple of bites... Heh heh, it's painful to watch..."

Another team leader, head bowed, scoffed, "This act? It only fools those new idiots. If they were really going to eat together, why not go to the dirtiest and most chaotic place? Why choose this relatively tidy spot? It's just the young master putting on a show for us, to appease us. When we actually get back to the Prime Minister's residence tonight, I doubt there will be any rice or noodles left."

……

……

In the dead of night, several familiar junior military academy students huddled together in a sheltered corner.

"That guy was patrolling the camp again today... the same old lines... the pancakes are still so hard to swallow... damn it, who knows how long this will last..." a bearded military officer sneered. "I have a hothead under me... a complete idiot, he actually believed it, yelling that he'd swear to serve me to the death... I'm planning to transfer him to the city wall tomorrow, let him go and do his duty..."

"Why don't the cavalry attack the city?" another officer muttered. "Hey, what's that? Didn't they take the south city in no time?"

"You're so stubborn, even when I call you stupid..." A military academy student nearby chuckled twice. "Don't you understand?"

"You understand, so tell me!"

"Tch, I can't be bothered to talk to you..."

How am I supposed to understand if you don't tell me?

"hehe."

"you……"

"Alright!" the bearded man said, slightly raising his head to gesture, "Didn't you notice? The entire area around the granary and armory is swarming with Yuzhou soldiers?"

A lean military academy officer chimed in, "Isn't that right? Magistrate Chen kept saying that water and food were running out, and he was determined to perish with the entire city. But the other day, I was ordered to hand over a batch of supplies for the city's defenses to the Prime Minister's treasury. Guess what I saw? Several carts of things were being carried in through the side gate, all tightly sealed… I took advantage of a moment when no one was looking and peeked through… Guess what I saw?! Top-quality millet! And cured meat!"

"suck……"

Everyone gasped, their mouths watering. "This...this...is it really true?!"

"Absolutely true!" the gaunt military officer gritted his teeth. "They make us dig wells and guard the underground canals on empty stomachs, while they're hiding good stuff in their own vaults! What a load of rubbish about sharing weal and woe! They're just trying to keep us quiet now to prevent a mutiny. When the time comes, see if they'll open the city gates and run away, or... use our lives to save their own lives!"

The bearded military officer slammed his fist against the earthen wall beside him, sending dust and dirt falling. "This battle is frustrating! We're surrounded by powerful enemies, and internally… ugh! We're here starving and freezing, risking our lives to defend the city, while they're busy putting on an act, hoarding their own supplies! Do you even know what kerosene is… never mind, it's no use saying it…"

"People's hearts have long since turned cold..." the gaunt military officer sighed softly. "From the moment they allowed the people of Yuzhou to bully us people of Jizhou, from the moment they would turn on their own people for a little water, this city... was already doomed. Now it's just a matter of holding on, seeing who will give in first."

"Then...then," the previously confused military academy officer still couldn't understand, "why didn't the cavalry attack the city?"

The bearded military officer clicked his tongue, "Disperse, disperse!"

Everyone quickly moved away from the corner.

The eccentric military academy officer grabbed the last, thin man to leave, "Hey buddy, what's wrong? I just wanted to ask..."

"What the hell are you asking..." The skinny man tried to break free but couldn't. "Let go! Let go... Fine, let me tell you, what's the most important thing in this northern city? It's food supplies! You idiot! Let go!"

Taking advantage of the confused military academy student's inattention, the thin man struggled for a moment and then hurriedly left.

The confused military academy student was still scratching his head, "Huh? What does supplies... have to do with attacking the city...? Ah, don't go..."

……

……

In stark contrast to the lifeless and resentful atmosphere in the north of Ye City, an area near the city wall in the south of Ye City was bustling with activity in a tense yet orderly manner.

There were no high-minded clerks here, nor military academies wielding sticks and whips; only the cavalry soldiers and the assisting civilians of the southern city, working hard under the cover of night and simple fortifications for a clear objective, sweating profusely.

Several large torches were stuck in the ground, and the leaping flames illuminated a deliberately cleared area of ​​ground.

This is a residential house near the northern part of the city.

In the courtyard, several lightly armored cavalry engineers, carrying surveying tools, were gathered around a rough sketch spread on the ground, exchanging hushed and rapid conversation. They constantly compared and contrasted the sketch with the actual site, finally deciding to draw a thick mark on a house at a certain location on the sketch.

"It's decided, this is the place!"

"Okay! Mark it clearly! Start digging!"

The commands are concise and clear.

As soon as the order was given, the troops, a mix of cavalry soldiers and civilians from the southern city, who had been waiting nearby, immediately sprang into action.

They divided into groups and took turns.

The soldiers were mainly responsible for the most strenuous and technically demanding core excavation. They used heavy picks and shovels to dig through the hard soil, their movements steady and rhythmic.

The villagers were responsible for loading the excavated soil and stones into wicker baskets and wooden boxes, which were then carried away by the next group of people.

The whole process was like the operation of a sophisticated machine. Although everyone was drenched in sweat, not a single complaint could be heard. There were only the sounds of tools clashing, the heavy breathing of laborers, and the occasional low-voiced commands from the commanding officers.

The people of the southern city were mostly thin and dark-skinned, their bodies and faces covered in grayish-yellow mud. But their faces were not silent and numb as usual; instead, they wore somewhat honest and excited smiles.

They don't need grand promises from superiors, nor do they need any performance of sharing joys and sorrows.

All they needed to know was that every cubic meter of soil they dug and every stone they pried, once verified by the clerk in charge of recording, would become a real "merit" recorded in the military merit book.

These achievements mean that they can be exchanged for food, money, or even land in the future!

This achievement is not just empty boasting or for show; it is a real and tangible accomplishment!

Because someone has already fulfilled their promise...

Furthermore, they would secretly inquire with the cavalrymen whether those achievements were actually valid.

The cavalrymen's answers were largely the same, and their voices all carried a resolute confidence: "Every drop of sweat we shed, every inch of earth we dig here today, the sooner we can take Ye City! Once the city falls, according to the rules, those who first distinguish themselves will have priority in choosing their resettlement place and will receive a larger share of the spoils! This isn't just empty promises from above; it's written in black and white into military law! We're not risking our lives for anyone else; we're fighting for ourselves, for our parents and wives back home!"

Outside the excavation area, behind a simple wooden table, sat two clerks from the Imperial Cavalry.

Unlike the civil officials of the northern city who were aloof and high-ranking, they sat by the roadside, unperturbed by the earthy and sweaty smells of the soldiers and civilians passing by.

One person was responsible for verifying the workload reported by each team, while the other person carefully recorded the merit points of each team, and even individual outstanding individuals, in a thick booklet according to the established conversion standards.

The process is recorded publicly and the parties involved are allowed to access the records.

Even if these parties involved may not be literate, they may not understand what is written in the booklet.

When it was time to finish work, the civil clerk of the Flying Cavalry Army would announce the statistics and write them on a proclamation.

In most cases, there is no controversy and no dissatisfaction.

At this time of year, all the soldiers and civilians working there feel a sense of security, knowing that these numbers will become their livelihood in the future.

……

……

As night deepened, a special group silently marched along the official road.

This is the gunpowder transport team of the Flying Cavalry.

Twenty specially made oxcarts, with their wheels wrapped in thick layers of hemp cloth and rope to reduce vibrations and collisions during travel.

Each vehicle carried several sealed wooden crates filled with straw and sawdust for protection, and gunpowder cakes were carefully placed inside.

The box was also covered with tarpaulin to prevent moisture.

All of these are extremely afraid of fire.

Even the smallest spark, or the spontaneous combustion caused by the collision and friction of gunpowder, can become a huge disaster!

There were no torches, no lanterns.

The entire procession moved forward under the faint starlight and moonlight, with only a long white banner held high at the head of the procession.

The soldiers relied entirely on their night vision honed through daily practice and their familiarity with the roads to slowly follow the oxcart, their steps uneven.

"Stay calm! Watch your step!"

The escort officer's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night, "Watch the vehicle! Follow the lead!"

These cavalrymen were all tense, their hands gripping the carriage shafts tightly, trying to keep the vehicle as smooth as possible on the bumpy road.

The dilapidated official road in Jizhou caused them a lot of trouble.

The mission was urgent, and the military order was absolute.

But the thing they were transporting happened to be the most urgent and unpredictable "King of Hell".

A single spark or a violent collision could instantly reduce the entire team, along with everything around them, to dust.

The night wind carried the chill of late autumn.

No one spoke in the procession; only the occasional brief instructions, the sound of oxen's hooves and breathing, and the creaking of the oxcarts as they moved through the air.

This is a journey of racing against an invisible crisis, where every breath feels exceptionally long.

After an unknown amount of time, the thick, inky blackness on the eastern horizon finally began to fade, revealing a faint, pale white glow.

At the very front of the line, the escort officer squinted, straining to see into the distance.

As the first faint rays of dawn pierced the darkness, outlining the blurry silhouette of the sprawling camps on the horizon, a trace of relief finally appeared on his face, which had been tense the entire way.

He waved his long banner and gave the order, signaling the troops to slow down slightly.

As dawn broke, the campsite became increasingly clear.

The gate, the watchtower, rows of neat tents...

In the center of this camp, which seemed to gradually brighten and awaken with the dawn, a huge tricolor flag was fluttering firmly and powerfully against the biting morning wind.

The banner instantly dispelled the soldiers' fatigue and chill, causing smiles to appear on everyone's faces. "We're here! We've arrived! We've finally arrived!"