Three Kingdoms: Wolong's brother-in-law, tricking Liu Bei into seizing Jingzhou

In the next instant, it seemed as if the heavens and earth were about to collapse, and a tremendous change suddenly occurred.

The Yuezhi people, witnessing this breathtaking scene, were all stunned, their mouths agape.

They never expected that the seemingly ordinary catapult used by the Easterners could unleash such astonishing power.

Huge stones hurtled down on the walls of Gaochang like meteors, each impact accompanied by a deafening roar, as if from hell itself.

Even the usually calm and collected Empress Vinu, who had seen countless grand occasions, was now filled with shock.

Her once calm eyes were now filled with disbelief and amazement as she stared intently at the Gaochang city walls ravaged by catapults.

Finally, the bombardment gradually ended, and the dust that had been swirling in the air slowly settled.

At this moment, everyone present couldn't help but widen their eyes.

Looking at the walls of Gaochang again, they were already riddled with holes and devastated.

The once sturdy city wall now resembles a weathered, scarred old man, teetering on the verge of collapse.

The eastern city wall was blasted open, leaving a huge gaping hole, like the gaping maw of a giant beast waiting to devour everything.

A confident and smug smile appeared on Sima Yi's face as he slowly said:

"Your Majesty, does the power of Yi's thunderbolt chariot meet your approval?"

His tone was full of pride and boasting.

Empress Pinu tilted her head slightly, looking at Cao Rui with approval, and sincerely praised him:
"Your Majesty, your Prime Minister is truly remarkable. He has come up with such an ingenious weapon and created such a powerful trebuchet."

Cao Rui smiled and pointed to Gaochang City, his eyes gleaming with excitement:

"Your Majesty, now that the city has been breached, it is the perfect opportunity to storm in. We must not miss it."

A murderous glint suddenly ignited in Empress Pinu's eyes. She abruptly waved her hand and shouted:

"Pass down the order: all troops, attack!"

In the Yuezhi army, horns blared into the sky.

The Yuezhi army, like a surging tide, crashed through the enemy lines and swept wildly towards the collapsed city of Gaochang.

They shouted and waved their weapons, their eyes filled with greed and ferocity.

Inside the city of Gaochang, Ma Su struggled to his feet from the ruins.

He looked at the horrific scene before him; most of the city wall had collapsed, and countless Han soldiers had fallen forever on this land under the fierce bombardment.

A sharp pain shot through his heart.

"The power of this thunder cannon is simply too great!"

Ma Su gritted his teeth, his eyes burning with anger as he spoke.

Just then, the Yuezhi soldiers swarmed in like a tide, about to rush to the collapsed breach.

Seeing this, Fu Jian suddenly raised the long sword in his hand and shouted sharply:

"General Zhenxi, you must abandon the city and break out immediately! I will hold off the enemy!"

Ma Su shook his head and said resolutely:

"Let's break through together!"

He didn't want to abandon his comrades and escape alone.

Fu Jian resolutely shook his head and said:

"It's too late! If you make a mistake on this battlefield, the consequences will be unimaginable."

General Zhenxi, please prioritize the overall situation and break through the encirclement as soon as possible!

Ma Su was caught in a dilemma. He wanted to fight alongside his comrades, but he also knew that he bore a greater responsibility.

Seeing Ma Su hesitate and tears welling in his eyes, Fu Jian said in a sobbing voice:

"The Han Dynasty cannot do without you! We implore General Zhenxi to prioritize the Han Dynasty!"

Ma Su gritted his teeth, and finally steeled himself to walk down the city wall.

Every step he took seemed so heavy, as if he were carrying a thousand-pound burden.

Seeing Ma Su leave first, Fu Jian felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders. He brandished his long sword:
"Hail, soldiers of the Han Dynasty! Today we will fight the Yuezhi to the bitter end and never retreat!"

"Fight to the bitter end!"

The soldiers roared in unison, their voices so powerful that the city walls trembled slightly.

They gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes filled with fearlessness, ready to face the impending bloody battle. Countless Yuezhi soldiers surged towards the collapsed breach like a black tide.

Fu Jian charged forward on his horse, brandishing his long sword. The blade flashed, and blood splattered everywhere.

...

Meanwhile, in Luoyang, the capital of the Han Dynasty.

After ascending the throne in Xudu, Liu Bei, with foresight, moved the capital from Xudu to Luoyang.

Luoyang, this ancient city located in the heart of the world, has been a chosen capital since ancient times, bearing countless histories and glories.

The morning court session is underway in the Golden Hall of the Northern Palace.

The civil and military officials stood in neat rows in the hall, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

"Your Majesty, this autumn all the provinces have had a bumper harvest, and the grain and fodder are plentiful enough to supply a million-strong army!"

A minister stepped forward and respectfully reported.

"Your Majesty, tens of thousands of troops have been assembled in Chang'an, and their morale is high. They are ready to set out at any time."

Another general also spoke loudly.

Civil and military officials, including Xiao Fang, reported various state affairs to Liu Bei. Liu Bei, seated on the dragon throne, nodded slightly and gently waved his hand, saying:

"Once the provisions and troops are assembled, we request that Prime Minister Xiao personally lead the expedition to Xizhou, wipe out the Yuezhi, and restore peace to the borders of our Han Dynasty!"

Xiao Fang readily accepted the order.

At this moment, Pang Tong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Majesty is determined to reclaim Xizhou. Now, food supplies and troops are no longer a problem."

However, the grain transport route is too long, making transportation extremely inconvenient; this will likely become a major problem.

The ministers all nodded in agreement.

Given the current transport capacity of the Han Dynasty, the delivery of grain can only reach Gaochang at most.

Now that Xiao Fang is going to personally lead an expedition to Xizhou to wipe out the Yuezhi people, such a long grain route far exceeds the current transport capacity of the Han Dynasty.

Moreover, the grain and fodder had to be supplied to hundreds of thousands of troops, and the difficulties involved were unimaginable.

Liu Bei looked at Xiao Fang.

Xiao Fang smiled slightly and said:

“I know you will be worried about this issue.”

He paused, then said loudly:

"Someone, bring up the wooden ox and flowing horse."

"Wooden ox and flowing horse?"

The ministers looked on blankly, exchanging bewildered glances.

They had never heard of this strange name before and were filled with curiosity.

Before long, a wooden ox and flowing horse were driven into the main hall.

The wooden ox and flowing horse are uniquely shaped and lifelike, just like real oxen and horses.

The hall was immediately filled with astonishment. The officials rushed forward and circled the wooden ox and flowing horse, carefully examining this novel object.

Some of them reached out to touch the wooden ox and flowing horse's body, while others gently tapped its legs, their eyes filled with amazement and curiosity.

Xiao Fang said with a smile, "This item was secretly crafted by me not long ago."

This device can easily handle any terrain, whether it's traversing mountains or deserts.

If we use this to transport grain, why would we hesitate to travel thousands of miles?

Upon hearing this, the ministers were pleasantly surprised and immediately understood, showing expressions of admiration.

Pang Tong breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed in admiration:

"I never expected that Prime Minister Xiao could create such a divine artifact. It is truly astonishing."

With this, our supply lines are secure, and we can march into Xizhou without worrying about our rear!

The ministers unanimously agreed to send troops.

They seemed to see the magnificent scene of the Han army sweeping across the Yuezhi people on the land of Xizhou.

Liu Bei had no more worries, and he slammed his hand on the table:
"Since there are no objections, the Prime Minister shall immediately dispatch troops to the Western Regions to quell the Yuezhi and uphold the prestige of our Great Han!" (End of Chapter)