The Three Kingdoms: Zhaolie, the strategist, and the rise of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 143: Shooting two arrows into the sky is a way to justify the salary
boom! !

Just as Qiao Rui opened his mouth wide and looked at the monsters below the city.

A huge rock came crashing down from the sky.

"General, hide!"

Seeing the huge rock rushing towards the wall, the soldiers shouted loudly and fell down under the wall one after another.

boom!
When the machine started, the sound shook the heaven and earth, and the mountains shook and collapsed.

The Ruyin city wall that was hit collapsed immediately, leaving a gap.

"Well, what a great catapult!"

Qiao Rui climbed back onto the wall, feeling afraid of the power of this new catapult, but also feeling that it was understandable.

After all, a boulder that is so heavy and thrown from such a distance must have a powerful impact when it hits you.

"Don't panic, repair the wall quickly!"

Qiao Rui hurriedly ordered the engineers to come and repair the city wall.

The catapults below the city continued to throw huge stones.

The head and tail came with lightning, and the sound was like thunder, shaking the whole city, destroying everything it hit.

Wherever the huge rocks passed, they were turned into powder.

The people in the city were in turmoil and everyone was in panic.

Guan Yu was overjoyed when he saw this and said to Lu Su:

"Mr. Li is truly a god!"

"With this stone-throwing cart, I am confident that we can reach Shouchun within 15 days!"

Although the catapult is very powerful, it takes too much time to assemble.

And it is necessary to mine stones nearby.

After all, it is impossible to transport the huge stones along the way.

The counterweight-type catapult improved by the military advisor used huge stones weighing usually over 100 or even 200 kilograms.

This kind of cost can only be used to attack a fortified city.

If it is used to attack camps and strongholds, it would be a waste of talent.

It would be more convenient to lure the enemy into battle directly.

boom!
There was another loud bang, and a huge gap was smashed in the wall of Ruyin city.

Upon seeing this, Guan Yu ordered his troops to rush into the city wall first.

All the officers and soldiers of the Xuzhou army fought bravely and their military morale was greatly boosted.

On the city walls, logs rolled like thunder and arrows and stones rained down.

The soldiers resisted the fierce attack, rushed to the city, broke through the gates and locked the city gates, and rushed in in large numbers.

Le Jiu and Qiao Rui mobilized all the soldiers in the city and used their flesh and blood to block the gap.

After a whole day of fighting, the moat had already turned bright red.

The corpses piled up like mountains, blocking the river and preventing it from flowing.

The Xuzhou army retreated temporarily.

That night, most of the soldiers defending Ruyin were wounded and covered in blood.

But they were not allowed to rest and had to repair the city wall overnight.

Qiao Rui's face was covered in dirt and his body was covered in blood.

With the sword stuck in the ground, he sat dejectedly under the ruins.

"I didn't expect the Xuzhou army to be so strong. We occupied the fortified city, but within five days, the enemy had breached the city wall."

"If this continues, the city will fall within three days!"

Qiao Rui felt extremely desperate.

The goal that Yuan Shu set for them at the beginning was to hold on for at least three months.

This goal is already quite loose, as siege warfare is extremely difficult.

Not to mention that Ruyin is a fortified city with a moat.

Therefore, Qiao Rui and Le Jue led their troops here with full confidence.

Unexpectedly, the Xuzhou army used a powerful siege weapon.

Everyone was caught off guard.

"In my opinion, it's time to ask Shouchun for help."

Qiao Rui sought advice from Le Jiu who was standing nearby.

Le Jue gritted his teeth and shook his head, "Oh, no!"

"Now the army of Xuzhou is invading, and we, as generals, can only defend Ruyin for five days."

"If we ask Shouchun for help so early, wouldn't it make us look incompetent?"

Qiao Rui's face changed. "If Ruyin is lost, we will all be sentenced to death. How can General Yuan let us go so easily?"

This reply immediately silenced Ling Le.

"In this case, I will send someone back to Shouchun to request reinforcements."

"...Hmmmm." Qiao Rui nodded repeatedly, "That's great. We must ask Shouchun to send more engineers to repair the city wall."

Le looked at the leaky city wall and sighed:

"This catapult is extremely powerful, but I don't know if we can hold out until reinforcements arrive."

Qiao Rui pondered for a while and analyzed:

"This catapult uses a huge amount of stone. I don't think Guan Yu can keep it going for long."

"In the next few days, the Xuzhou army's offensive will not be as strong as today."

"We just need to hold on until reinforcements arrive."

The crowd was filled with joy and the message was passed on to the soldiers guarding the city.

Let us hold on for a few more days. As long as we can hold on until the reinforcements from Shouchun arrive, we can overcome this difficulty.

The messenger traveled day and night on a Pegasus and rushed back to Shouchun.

Bei said that the battle in Ruyin was urgent and begged Yuan Shu to send troops to rescue.

Yuan Shu was furious when he heard this:
"It was only a few days after Guan Yu attacked Ruyin that Qiao Rui and Le Jiu asked me for help."

"It's not that Guan Yu is brave or the Xuzhou army is sharp, it's that Qiao and Le can't do their best!"

"When you return, tell these two to hold their ground and we'll discuss reinforcements later."

The messenger was stunned for a moment after hearing this, and asked in a daze:
"General, how long will it take after this?"

The soldiers defending Ruyin on the front line are all looking forward to this.

"That depends on the situation!"

Yuan Shu stroked his beard and said, "Ji Ling is guarding Xincai, Zhang Xun and Lu Bu are guarding Longkang, and neither of these two cities has asked for help. Why are Duqiao and Le asking for help?"

"If these two cities are in a critical situation, I will send troops to rescue them at the same time."

This……

The messenger was a little stunned. How could he go back and explain to Qiao Rui and Le Jue?
"General, since you won't send reinforcements, you should at least send some engineers, cattle and wine."

"First, to repair the city wall, and second, to entertain the soldiers and boost their morale."

Yuan Shu slammed the table and stood up, furious:

"The war has just started, and the enemy army has not retreated yet, so they want me to come and entertain the soldiers."

"If they come for another ten days, won't that mean I will give them promotions?"

"That's not allowed."

"As for the engineers, my Shouchun is currently repairing the palace and the sleeping halls, so there are no spare troops for the time being."

"You can ask Qiao Rui and Le Jiu to recruit local laborers to mine the raw materials."

"Wood, stone, bricks and tiles can be prepared in a few days. It won't take half a day to repair the city wall."

"Why do you want Shouchun?"

"You can leave quickly and tell these two to guard the city well."

"If Ruyin is lost, bring your head to me!"

This……

The messenger was frightened and wanted to say something else, hoping that Yuan Shu would give him some money.

But unexpectedly, Yuan Shu glared at him fiercely, as if to ask him to go faster.

The messenger had no choice but to respond and leave.

After the messenger left, Chief Clerk Yang Hong stepped forward and asked:

"Mingsir, Ruyin is an important town on the Yingshui River. We must not lose it."

"Now Qiao Rui and Le Ju are asking for help, why don't you send troops to rescue them?"

Yang Hong's words immediately expressed the thoughts of all the civil and military officials in the hall.

The war situation on the front line is tense. How can you just watch your subordinates die without helping them?

"otherwise!"

Yuan Shu waved his hand and expressed his opinion.

"Ruyin is a strong city, and the Ying River is used as a moat, so it is easy to defend but difficult to attack."

"I have stationed a large number of troops here before. The military strategy says that if the number of troops is ten, surround them; if the number of troops is five, attack them; if the number of troops is twice as many, fight them."

"Even if Guan Yu is Han Bai resurrected, it is impossible for him to capture Ruyin within ten days."

"This must be because these two generations are not doing their best and are lax and lazy. How can I tolerate this kind of behavior?"

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

Chief Clerk Yan Xiang stepped out and said:
"Mingsir, the messenger just said that the Xuzhou army used a new type of catapult."

"Its power is so great that it destroys everything it strikes, and can penetrate seven feet into the ground."

"If this catapult is indeed so powerful, then the defense of Ruyin City is indeed under great threat."

"Your Excellency may wish to send an army to support, first to help Ruyin defend itself, and second to check the enemy situation and prepare for defense."

As soon as this statement was made, all the ministers came out to second the proposal.

This suggestion is quite pertinent.

However, Yuan Shu had his own opinion.

"If we save one city, those who come after us will only hope for rescue and will not fight to the death."

"Such unhealthy trends must not be encouraged, and there is no need for you to discuss this further."

Everyone looked at each other, kept silent, and no longer gave any advice to Yuan Shu.

The news that Shouchun refused to send troops to rescue soon spread back to Ruyin.

Qiao Rui and Le Ju were shocked when they heard this:

"Mr. Yuan refuses to rescue us, and wants to sit back and watch us die here?"

During the days when we were waiting for reinforcements, we fought to the death relying almost entirely on the belief that support would come.

As a result, they were suddenly told that Shouchun would not send reinforcements, and everyone's mentality collapsed.

Especially the two main generals defending the city, Qiao Rui and Le Jiu.

"Mr. Yuan is unwilling to send troops to rescue us. With the current offensive of the Xuzhou army, it will be difficult for Ruyin to defend."

"What can we do about it?"

Le discussed the matter with Qiao Rui with a helpless look on his face.

Qiao Rui also frowned, thinking about countermeasures.

After a long time, he pulled Le to an empty corner and whispered:

"Since Shouchun is unwilling to come to our rescue, Ruyin cannot be defended."

"Why don't we find an opportunity to abandon the city?"

Le was surprised when he heard this:
"General Yuan will definitely blame us if we go this way, so he won't let us wait."

"Besides, Ruyin is not yet undefendable. If we leave now, what will happen if something unexpected happens in Xuzhou?"

Qiao Rui said seriously:
"The world is so big, is there no place for us to stay?" "Instead of praying for changes in Xuzhou, it is better to seize the opportunity in our own hands."

Le Jue was still a little hesitant, after all, they were generals under Yuan Shu.

If we just abandon the city and leave, won't we just become bandits?

The gap between the two is quite huge.

"…I'm afraid this is not the way to be a general."

"...hiss." Qiao Rui was anxious, "Yuan Shu is unkind, how can he blame us for being unjust?"

"Besides, we have been holding out for several days in the face of the Xuzhou army's overwhelming attack, so we have done our best for Yuan Shu."

In Qiao Rui's opinion, considering the Skeleton King's character.

Even if they just shot two arrows into the sky, it would be considered as doing him justice.

What's more, they have held on for so many days.

"A real man should not hesitate when faced with a situation. If I don't leave today, I will be captured by Guan Yu."

"Even if you become a bandit, you are still a king, which is better than being a prisoner."

Qiao Rui spoke up to persuade him again.

The reason why he tried so hard to bring Le Jue along was because he was a city defending general of the same rank as himself.

Only by taking him and his followers with him could Qiao Rui leave with peace of mind.

Le was silent for a while, then he calmed down and said,

"I would like to follow your advice!"

Qiao Rui was overjoyed, and he succeeded in grabbing Le, and kept saying good things.

Le then asked when he could leave.
Qiao Rui replied:

"We must not walk too fast, or Guan Yu will catch up with us."

"You can first send someone to inform the soldiers defending the city that the reinforcements from Shouchun will arrive in three days."

"Hearing this, the soldiers will be greatly encouraged and will work hard to defend the city and buy time for us."

"Then we each took our own troops and took advantage of the opportunity to escape."

Le readily agreed and immediately ordered his trusted men to pass the message to the soldiers guarding the city.

Tell everyone to defend the city with peace of mind, reinforcements from Shouchun will arrive in three days.

At the same time, he secretly sent his troops out of the city, looking for an opportunity to abandon the city.

Not stated.

……

Just when Guan Yu's attack on Ruyin was going smoothly.

Liu Bei's main force was approaching the important town of Longkang on the Wo River.

Liu Bei ordered Tian Yu and Taishi Ci to be the vanguard and lead the way.

He personally led 24,000 men, falsely claiming to have an army of 200,000.

Following the Woshui River, we headed straight for Longkang.

Longkang is located in the southern part of Pei State, blocking the Woshui River. It is the only way for the Woshui River to lead to the Huaishui River.

The city defense here is naturally also Yuan Shu's focus.

Especially the city wall, which has a circumference of sixteen miles, is thirty feet high, more than sixty feet wide, and the top is more than one to three feet wide.

The walls are built with rammed earth, and the outside is covered with bricks, with layers of tapering, and high stones serving as the foundation of the outer wall.

It is as solid as a rock and as strong as iron.

In particular, a vortex water was specially diverted outside the city to surround the city wall, forming a moat more than ten feet wide.

This fortress was second only to Shouchun, and Yuan Shu had high hopes for it.

Not only did he send General Zhang Xun to lead 10,000 men to hold the city, he also ordered Lu Bu, who had defected to the city, to lead his subordinates to help defend the city.

In addition, Yuan Shu also settled 5,000 young and strong laborers in the city.

If these civilians were to fight in a field battle, they would certainly be easily defeated by the Xuzhou army.

But if it comes to a city defense war, it will be different, they will be the manpower supplement for the regular army.

At the same time, they served as logistics soldiers, transporting military equipment and supplies and repairing city walls.

Yuan Shu knew that Longkang was the main battlefield for the confrontation with Xuzhou, so he held such a grand welcome ceremony.

Specifically designed to guard against the attack of the Xuzhou army.

Simultaneously,

The hostages sent by Sun Ce, Wu Jing and Sun Ben, had also arrived in Shouchun with their troops.

Yuan Shu suddenly received an additional 10,000 reinforcements, which greatly increased his confidence.

I am more confident that I can win the battle to defend Huainan.

Soon, Liu Bei's army also arrived at Longkang.

Liu Bei saw that Longkang City was high and the moat was deep, making it extremely difficult to capture, and a forceful attack would inevitably cause heavy losses.

So he adopted the suggestions of Li Yi and Xun You and surrounded Longkang tightly.

Then they set up camp outside the city and built engineering equipment on a large scale.

He also sent out a small team of elite troops to explore the nearby area for stone materials, which were mined and transported to the camp for use in the subsequent siege.

The general defending the city was Zhang Xun, assisted by Lu Bu.

Lu Bu himself was actually not willing to come to Longkang to help Yuan Shu defend the city.

Because Yuan Shu had been accused of rebellion, Liu Bei was now following the imperial edict to suppress the rebel.

He, Lu Bu, was the Marquis of Wen of the Han Dynasty and the General of Pingnan, who was personally appointed by Emperor Liu Xie.

How can we help the enemy defend the city?
But people under the eaves have to bow their heads.

The land where he rested and raised his troops was given to him by Yuan Shu. Since it was on someone else's territory, he could not refuse.

In order to prevent Lu Bu from disobeying, Yuan Shu specially sent Zhang Xun to control him.

Under Chen Gong's persuasion, Lu Bu finally came to Longkang.

"…Alas, this shouldn't have been the case."

Lu Bu stood on the wall, looking at the Xuzhou soldiers who were surrounding him in a tight circle, and his heart was filled with excitement.

"How did I, Lu Bu, end up where I am today?"

Lu Bu recalled his days in Chang'an, when he had just eliminated bandits for the country and was a meritorious official of the Han Dynasty.

Although the time was short, it was undoubtedly glorious.

As a result, over the past few years, I have been wandering around and have no idea what I am doing.

His tragedy lies in the fact that, as a general with powerful military force, he never realized that the world has long entered an era where anyone with a gun can become a king.

After killing Dong Zhuo, Lu Bu didn't even know that his actual power had long surpassed Wang Yun.

After escaping from Chang'an, Lu Bu did not realize that he had become a local lord.

He never thought about unifying the world, nor did he think about establishing his own regime.

Even though he is now living under Yuan Shu's command, it is only to gain some living space for himself.

Lu Bu often said, "When hungry, use them; when full, send them away."

This also proves once again that although Lu Bu is capable, he is extremely lacking in political goals and only wants to get by.

He and his troops were like mercenaries, running back and forth among the heroes of the Central Plains.

Of course, Lu Bu's bad reputation was due to his personal character.

But the fundamental reason is that he is profit-driven due to his confusion and capricious due to his blindness.

boom! !

Suddenly there was a loud noise.

Lu Bu staggered and almost fell.

"what happened?"

Lu Bu quickly picked up his halberd and rushed over to inquire.

"Marquis Wen, Liu Bei has begun attacking the city!"

Upon seeing this, Lu Bu hurriedly looked down at the city.

As soon as Fang stuck his head out, he saw a huge rock coming towards him, blocking out the sky.

Lu Bu was frightened so much that he tilted his body and quickly dodged.

boom!
The huge rocks hit the city wall with a sound like thunder and like a mountain collapsing.

"What a powerful catapult!"

Lu Bu exclaimed in amazement. He had fought for many years, but had never seen a catapult of such power.

Zhang Xun also came to guard the wall and said to everyone:

"A letter came from Shouchun the day before yesterday, saying that the Xuzhou Army had developed a new weapon."

"When the machine is fired, the sound shakes heaven and earth, and everything it strikes is destroyed, penetrating seven feet into the ground."

“Isn’t this exactly what it is?”

Chen Gong was also amazed. He put his hand between his eyebrows and looked into the distance.

Catapults were throwing huge stones at the city walls.

"This thing makes a sound like thunder and has great power."

"Even though the walls of Longkang are very strong, they can't hold out for long."

Chen Gong stroked his beard and frowned. This disrupted Yuan Jun's plan to defend the city.

"Can we also use a catapult to destroy it?"

Chen Gong asked.

Lu Bu shook his head and rejected it:

"It's too far away to hit."

Zhang Xun drew his sword and snorted:
"Are you afraid?"

"there is always a solution to a problem."

"My Longkang City is strong. I want to see if Liu Bei can break my city wall after he uses up all the nearby stones!"

Longkang housed more than 5,000 laborers, and there were also large quantities of stone and wood in the city.

Even if there was a hole in the city wall, they would be able to repair it in time.

Next, it depends on who can hold on to the end.

The Xuzhou army surrounded Longkang tightly and was not in a hurry to attack.

Every day they only focus on mining stones and then bombarding them with stone-throwing wheels.

Whenever a breach was created, Zhang Xun would lead the defenders to repair it immediately.

The battle lasted for three days.

Longkang City was repaired and patched up, and although there are still some gaps, it can still be held.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei ordered that after another breach was blasted the next day, Xu Chu would be the vanguard to seize the top of the city wall.

The next day, catapults came out of the city wall and blasted a gap.

Upon seeing this, Liu Bei drew his sword and ordered his soldiers to charge and seize the city.

"Hu Ben Wei clan, follow me to attack the city!"

Xu Chu, wearing heavy armor, holding a big sword, and leading a group of tiger guards, took the lead in attacking the city wall.

When they rushed to the foot of the city, arrows and stones rained down from the top of the city walls.

Xu Chu raised his shield to block, his eyes were bloodshot, and he let out bursts of roars.

Finally they rushed to the gap, and saw countless Yuan troops pouring out of the gap in an instant.

With fangs bared and claws in hand, he rushed towards Xu Chu!

……

(End of this chapter)