With Cao Cao by my side, what do I have to fear from the world?

Chapter 366, Giant Siege Ladder

The walls of Yangping Pass are tall and thick, built of huge stones, making them incredibly sturdy.

The city walls were covered with crenellations and watchtowers, allowing the defenders to observe the Han army's movements from all angles and deliver fatal blows.

The city gate was made of thick solid wood and covered with a layer of iron sheet, requiring several strong men to push it open.

After Liu Xie's army arrived at Yangping Pass, he sent troops to probe and attack several times, but none of them were very effective.

With their superior position, the enemy could not only detect the Han army's movements in advance, but also rely on the fortified city to launch timely counterattacks.

After arriving at Yangping Pass, Zhang Wei further strengthened its defenses. He built numerous camps around the pass, which supported each other, forming a tight defensive line. The camps were filled with deer antlers and traps, making it difficult for the Han army to advance.

The antlers, made of sharp wooden stakes, are densely packed on the hillside, like fangs waiting for prey.

After several attempts to probe, Liu Xie had no choice but to stop his attack.

Liu Xie then led his men on an inspection tour. Looking at the perilous pass, he frowned deeply. His generals surrounded him, their faces also grave as they pondered strategies to defeat the enemy.

However, faced with such a strong defense at Yangping Pass, everyone felt helpless for a time.

Yangping Pass was like a sleeping behemoth, exuding a chilling aura that caused Liu Xie's army to suffer repeated setbacks, making their hopes of conquering it increasingly slim.

Even top strategists like Fa Zheng, Pang Tong, and Sima Yi were helpless.

Upon spotting Liu Xie and his entourage below the city, Zhang Wei smugly provoked them. He laughed loudly, his gaze sweeping over the group, and asked in a loud voice, "I wonder which one of you is His Majesty?"

Liu Xie stepped forward, looking coldly at Zhang Wei, "I am the current emperor, who are you?"

Zhang Wei puffed out his chest, his face full of arrogance, "I am Zhang Wei, the garrison commander of Yangping Pass!"

Liu Xie pointed at him and said coldly, "I have never seen such an arrogant and domineering enemy general, daring to despise the court and disrespect the emperor."

Zhao Yun and the others were furious, but Zhang Wei looked disdainful and said, "No matter how much you say, it's no use. If you're so capable, take Yangping Pass. Otherwise, go back to where you came from."

Zhang Wei grew increasingly smug. Zhao Yun, unable to bear it any longer, swiftly drew his bow and arrow. Zhang Wei, seeing Zhao Yun's action, scoffed, "From this distance, I don't believe you can hit it."

Unexpectedly, Zhao Yun suddenly mounted his warhorse, flicked the reins, and the Jade Lion galloped straight towards Yangping Pass.

As they drew closer, Zhao Yun's horse swayed and bounced, but he held the bowstring firmly.

The garrison at Yangping Pass stared wide-eyed in curiosity. No one believed that Zhao Yun could hit the target. However, the warhorses kept approaching at lightning speed and were about to enter Zhao Yun's shooting range.

Before the defenders could react, Zhao Yun suddenly stood up on his horse, the bowstring was pulled taut, and the arrowhead locked onto Zhang Wei.

Zhang Wei finally realized something was wrong, and with a whoosh, the arrow flew from the bowstring and shot straight towards him.

Zhang Wei hurriedly dodged, narrowly avoiding a fatal blow. The arrow pierced his right arm, causing him to let out a scream of pain.

Feeling deeply humiliated, Zhang Wei immediately ordered, "Fire arrows! Shoot him dead!"

Zhao Yun flicked the reins and quickly turned around. Arrows rained down from behind, but none hit Zhao Yun.

Zhao Yun showed off his skills without any real danger, and Zhang Wei cried out in pain, but there was nothing he could do.

Liu Xie sneered, "Zhang Wei, you'd better wash your neck clean and wait for me to break through Yangping Pass, then I will definitely cut off your head."

"What should we do?" But gazing at the tall and sturdy Yangping Pass, Liu Xie fell into thought once again.

Others might not have a solution, but as a time traveler, Liu Xie had read many time travel novels and quickly came up with one.

For several days, Liu Xie remained inactive. Zhang Wei inspected the area every day, believing that the Han army had no way to deal with the situation and that they would eventually run out of supplies and retreat.

Faced with Zhang Wei's arrogant provocation at Yangping Pass, Liu Xie secretly planned a desperate counterattack.

Liu Xie knew that conventional siege methods would be ineffective in breaching the formidable Yangping Pass. Therefore, he secretly summoned skilled craftsmen and issued them a challenging yet hopeful task: to construct an unprecedentedly massive siege ladder!
In a secluded valley, the craftsmen worked day and night. They faced an enormous challenge: this ladder required connecting dozens, even hundreds, of ladders together. Its scale and complexity were beyond imagination; every component had to be meticulously designed, and every connection had to be absolutely sturdy.

Liu Xie visited the site multiple times and provided many useful suggestions, and Zhuge Liang also played a role.

The very idea of ​​this enormous cloud ladder piqued Zhuge Liang's interest.

Zhuge Liang had a wide range of interests and often studied novel matters with his wife, Huang Yueying. Liu Xie simply entrusted this task to him.

Liu Xie drew up the blueprints, and Zhuge Liang continuously improved them to ensure that the cloud ladder was sturdy and durable enough.

After a full month of hard work, the massive siege ladder finally began to take shape. It soared into the clouds, resembling a bridge to the heavens.

The ladder was constructed of sturdy wood and covered with a thick metal cladding to withstand enemy attacks. The rungs were wide and stable, allowing hundreds of soldiers to climb simultaneously.

However, transporting this enormous object to Yangping Pass presented a new challenge. Liu Xie thought of rolling logs and shared his idea with Zhuge Liang.

Zhuge Liang was incredibly intelligent; he understood immediately and carried it out right away.

Liu Xie then mobilized a large number of manpower and livestock, and the group carefully pushed the cloud ladder out of the valley.

During the march, Liu Xie was constantly on edge. He worried that the news would leak out and be discovered by Zhang Wei, and that the siege ladders would be damaged during transport, causing all their efforts to be in vain.

But the Han soldiers were in high spirits. They knew the importance of this operation and were all very careful to protect this ladder of hope.

Standing on the gate wall, Zhang Wei saw the Han army appear and remained as arrogant as ever.

"You'd be no match for me if you came!" His mocking voice echoed through the gate.

Liu Xie's face was solemn. He looked at the towering walls and secretly vowed, "Today, I will definitely break through this pass!"

With a command, the massive siege ladder was slowly pushed towards the city wall. Only then did Zhang Wei discover the Han army's secret weapon. Panic crossed his face, but he quickly regained his composure and directed his soldiers to prepare for defense.

The siege ladder moved slowly, but the oppressive feeling it created instilled fear in many Hanzhong soldiers. Their eyes widened in bewilderment, "What is this? We've never seen anything like it before."

Zhang He and Zhao Yun directed their soldiers to push the siege ladder forward rapidly, gradually bringing the massive ladder within the enemy's firing range.

The defenders began to fire arrows, raining down upon the enemy. Some arrows struck the ladders, while others fell to the ground.

Soon, the side of the siege ladder closest to the city wall was riddled with arrows.

The Han army did not suffer heavy casualties at first, and the soldiers on the flanks were occasionally affected, but the soldiers were fearless.

Zhao Yun loudly encouraged the enemy, "Everyone, give it your all! As long as we push the siege ladders to the city wall, the enemy's doom will be nigh."

"Go!" the crowd responded in unison, putting all their strength into pushing forward.

Because the logs had to be moved constantly, someone had to risk their life to do it. Every time the logs were moved forward, they would be subjected to fierce enemy fire, which increased the casualties of the Han army.

However, the soldiers were in high spirits and eagerly took on the task, with Norimitsu and Mashu also participating personally.

Before long, Dian Man was hit by an arrow, and he cursed angrily, "You just wait, you won't be so arrogant for long!"

The closer they got, the greater the casualties became. However, the enemy's fear was also rising. With such a behemoth approaching, even a fool would have a bad feeling.

"Quickly fire arrows to block them and prevent them from getting closer."

Zhang Wei went crazy, shouting at the top of his lungs over and over again.

Soldiers fell one by one beside Dianman, arrows came mercilessly, and every step forward resulted in heavy casualties.

But at this moment, no one was afraid, and no one backed down.

"Go! Give it your all!" Dian Man roared, putting in his strength once more.

With a whoosh, another arrow shot out and hit Dian Man in the back. Dian Man seemed unaware and gritted his teeth to place another log.

The situation grew increasingly tense, and Liu Xie watched anxiously from behind, his heart pounding in his chest.

Zhuge Liang, Fa Zheng, and the others watched intently as the ladder drew closer and closer. Finally, amidst everyone's anticipation, a deafening roar resounded as the massive siege ladder slammed against the walls of Yangping Pass.

Zhao Yun took the lead, grabbed his spear, and was the first to climb the siege ladder. He was followed by Zhang He, Ma Xiu, Ma Tie, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and others. Everyone was full of energy and charged up the ladder like madmen.

The ladder was large enough to accommodate hundreds of people launching an attack at the same time.

The first group of soldiers braved a hail of arrows from the enemy and climbed the ladder with great courage.

The enemy troops at Yangping Pass continuously hurled stones and logs in an attempt to halt the Han army's advance. But the Han soldiers did not flinch and charged forward wave after wave.

The battle on the siege ladders was fierce, the ladders stained crimson with blood. But more and more Han soldiers scaled the walls, engaging the enemy in a desperate struggle. Swords clashed, and the shouts of battle were deafening.

Liu Xie waited anxiously behind, his heart rising and falling with the situation on the battlefield. Finally, he saw the dawn of victory; more and more Han soldiers rushed up the pass walls and gradually gained the upper hand.

Under the fierce attack of the Han army, Zhang Wei's defenses began to crumble. He watched in horror as his soldiers fell one after another, his heart filled with despair. "How could this be? This is impossible!" His voice was filled with resentment.

Zhao Yun leaped forward, becoming the first to reach the city wall of Yangping Pass. His spear moved like a dragon, instantly felling several enemy soldiers and clearing a foothold for the soldiers following behind. The enemy soldiers stared in terror at this brave and fearless general, momentarily hesitant to advance.

Guan Yu followed closely behind, his phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, his silkworm eyebrows raised, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade swung like the wind. Each swing brought a storm of blood, and enemy soldiers fell one after another under his fierce onslaught.

Guan Yu's roar echoed across the battlefield: "I am Guan Yu, those who stand in my way shall die!" His power terrified the enemy.

The Ma brothers, Matthew and Ma Tie, were equally formidable. Matthew wielded a longsword, each strike deadly. Ma Tie, on the other hand, brandished a spear, his eyes bloodshot with rage. The two brothers worked in perfect harmony, carving a bloody path through the city walls.

Seeing this, the Han soldiers' morale soared, and they surged up the city walls using the siege ladders. In an instant, the walls resounded with battle cries and the glint of swords.

The enemy soldiers initially resisted stubbornly, relying on the advantage of the city walls, but gradually fell into panic under the fierce attack of the Han army.

Their formation began to crumble, with soldiers pushing and shoving each other, completely bewildered. Some enemy soldiers were even so frightened that they abandoned their armor and weapons and turned to flee.

The enemy generals tried to regroup their troops, shouting at their panicked soldiers, but to no avail. They were horrified to discover that the Han army's offensive was like a raging flood, utterly unstoppable.

Zhang Wei, the once arrogant enemy general, was now completely terrified. His eyes widened as he watched the situation on the city wall spiral out of control, cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

"How is this possible? How is this possible!" he muttered to himself, his voice filled with fear and despair.

Zhang Wei shouted desperately, "Hold on! Hold on!" However, his voice sounded so pale and powerless in the chaotic battlefield. His personal guards also suffered heavy casualties under the onslaught of the Han army.

Zhao Yun moved through the enemy ranks as if they were nothing; wherever his spear pointed, enemy soldiers fell one after another. His figure darted through the enemy ranks like lightning, making him impossible for them to catch. An enemy general attempted to block Zhao Yun's path, but Zhao Yun flicked him away with his spear, killing him instantly.

Guan Yu was even more imposing, his Green Dragon Crescent Blade seemingly possessing immense power in his hands. Each swing of his blade was accompanied by the screams of enemy soldiers and the splatter of blood. He charged forward, cutting his way to Zhang Wei's location.

The brothers Ma Xiu and Ma Tie were not to be outdone; they fought bravely, defeating the enemy soldiers one by one. The brothers' valiant performance further boosted the morale of the Han army soldiers.

Seeing Guan Yu approaching, Zhang Wei was terrified. He tried to turn and run, but his path was blocked by panicked soldiers. There were people everywhere, making escape difficult.

"Protect the general!" his personal guards shouted, but under the powerful offensive of the Han army, even these guards could not protect themselves.

Guan Yu finally reached Zhang Wei and roared, "Zhang Wei, today is your death day!"

Zhang Wei was terrified, his face ashen. He raised his weapon to try and defend himself, but his resistance was futile against Guan Yu's overwhelming strength. With a single strike, Guan Yu knocked Zhang Wei's weapon away, and he collapsed to the ground.

By this time, the Han army had gained an absolute advantage on the city walls. The enemy soldiers were either killed or surrendered, and could no longer organize any effective resistance.

Zhao Yun looked at the battlefield and shouted, "Those who surrender will not be killed!"

This shout caused many hesitant enemy soldiers to lay down their weapons.

(End of this chapter)