Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 560 A Marriage Alliance? (13)
August, Jiangling.

The weather was clear and cloudless, with the allied forces' camps stretching as far as the eye could see, and their troops arrayed in a vast and imposing formation.

As the bugle sounded, soldiers pushed the ramps forward. Archers from both sides fired simultaneously, arrows flying and crisscrossing in the air.

"Clap!"

The ladder was pushed against the wall, and the Han soldiers pulled hard on it, the hook at the top of the ladder firmly gripping the top of the wall.

A series of kicking sounds came from the siege ladder, followed by heavy breathing. A helmet appeared on the city wall, and before the fierce face could react, a long spear pierced down from the battlement, striking the Han soldier in the throat. Blood splattered in the air, and the soldier fell straight to the ground.

As the spears were extended, the Han soldiers following behind took two steps at a time, holding shields and swords, and climbed onto the city wall.

As soon as he appeared, an axeman swung his sword at him, and the Han soldiers raised their shields to defend themselves.

"boom!"

The wooden shield shattered, and the Han soldier lost his footing. He swayed on the parapet, cried out, and fell towards the city wall.

Another Tang soldier extended his spear from the parapet and pierced the chest of a Han soldier who was climbing. The soldier screamed and fell heavily to the ground.

The Tang soldiers on the city wall were well-trained, working in groups of three, with each group guarding two sections of the city wall, and taking turns killing Han soldiers who attempted to climb over and breach the city.

In addition to siege ladders, the Han army also deployed Lü Gong chariots near the city walls, with the ladders laid flat against the walls. As Han soldiers charged fiercely towards the top of the walls, a brief but intense battle ensued!

Seeing the fierce attack of the Han army, Wen Ping strode to the foot of the drum tower and shouted, "Bring out the golden juice to blunt the enemy's morale!"

"promise!"

Amidst the fluttering yellow flags, on the blazing bonfires, the elderly and weak poured large urns filled with molten gold down the waterway. The foul-smelling liquid flowed along the narrow waterway out of the city, drenching the Han soldiers climbing the ladders.

Jiangling is located in Jingchu, a region known for its rainy climate. To prevent rainwater from accumulating and damaging the city walls, waterways were often dug on the city towers to drain the rainwater. When Wen Ping took charge of Jiangling, he modified the waterways to allow gold-infused water to flow into them in order to defend against the Han army's attack across the river.

"what!"

The scalding, foul-smelling golden liquid was poured onto the Han soldiers, scalding them head-on. Although their armor provided some protection, the liquid seeped into it, causing their skin to crack. The pain was excruciating, and the soldiers eventually fell to the bottom of the siege ladder.

Some soldiers might try to shield themselves from the liquid, but they were hit by wolf-tooth maces thrown from the city wall, falling to the ground clutching their hands and groaning in pain.

The wolf-tooth sledgehammer was made of large timber with sharp spearheads nailed into its exterior. It was controlled by ropes woven from leather and hemp at both ends. It was thrown down from the city wall, pulled back by the ropes, and then retrieved again, repeatedly thrown and smashed to assist soldiers in defending the city.

Therefore, under Wen Ping's design, Jiangling was well-equipped for defense, surrounded by rivers and fortified by high walls, making it as solid as a rock!

Therefore, Cao Cao and Liu Bei besieged Jiangling from April to April for four months, but were unable to break through the city. They could only make various siege weapons to attack the city!
Looking down from the sky today, Jiangling resembles a belt encircling the city, with two armies attacking each other around it. It's just like the battle of attack and defense that Mozi and Lu Ban practiced six hundred years ago. No matter how many schemes Lu Ban devised or how many siege weapons he used, he could never break through Mozi's defenses.

While the sounds of battle shook the city of Jiangling, not far from the city, wrecked boats, broken flags, and severed soldiers floated down the Yangtze River for miles, obscuring the water's surface, astonishing all who saw them.

Occasionally, Han soldiers left behind at the camp would retrieve objects from the water and then rush them to Cao Cao and Liu Bei.

Under the great banner, Cao Cao looked at the Shu army's "Sun" flag that had been delivered to him, his expression revealing a solemn look.

"Prime Minister, boats, banners, and weapons are floating down the river, stretching for several miles. Could it be that the Shu army suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Tang army?" Cao Ren asked in surprise.

"I'm afraid it's more than that!"

Cheng Yu frowned and said, "Above Jingzhou are cities along the river such as Zigui, Wuxian, Baidi, and Jiangzhou. Now, weapons and armor block the river for several miles, which means that the Tang army has already reached Jiangzhou. Jiangzhou is the heart of Yizhou. If Jiangzhou falls, Chengdu may have already fallen!"

Cao Cao gazed at Jiangling and sighed, "The Shu people possess the natural defenses of towering mountains and deep valleys. If they raise an army to defend the passes and hold the enemy, why worry about their inability to hold out for long? However, if we send troops in the spring, we can conquer them in the autumn. The Tang army is on the move..."

Cao Cao originally intended to comment on the weakness of the Shu people, but considering that his own army had been defeated at the city, he changed his words and said: "The Tang soldiers are strong. To deal with the Tang people, we must play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses. The reason why we could not break through Jiangling in this battle was because Wen Ping was meticulous and we had Li Song as our external support. Moreover, land warfare is not our army's forte."

Cheng Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "Prime Minister, we have lost all contact with the people of Shu, and Yizhou may have nearly fallen. Rescue efforts are futile, and our troops have been bogged down under the city walls for too long. We should make plans as soon as possible!"

"Zhongde is right!"

Cao Hong said, “Prime Minister, if the Tang people surrender to Shu, they will have the advantage of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and will surely cut off our army’s retreat if they go down the river. Wen Ping is deeply popular and is proficient in the art of defending cities. Our army has not been able to break through for countless months. Therefore, in my opinion, Prime Minister, it would be better to lift the siege of Jiangling.”

With his hands behind his back and his waist folded, Cao Cao asked, "Now that we have lifted the siege of Jiangling, what are the subsequent strategies?"

The vast majority of civil and military officials stammered and could not answer Cao Cao's questions.

Lu Su, who was deep in thought, cupped his hands and said, "Your Excellency, we cannot take Jiangling now. Why not take advantage of the situation and advance westward to see if we can seize the strategic pass of Bazhong?"

“It is feasible to advance westward while the situation is favorable, but Liu Bei is based in Jingchu, and I fear that Liu Bei may take advantage of the proximity to launch an attack!” Liu Ye said.

Cao Cao narrowed his eyes, his mind racing for a long time. He gradually came to an answer and said, "My lords, please step back and order the attacking troops to withdraw. Zhou Yu, please stay. I have other matters to discuss with the navy."

"promise!"

Everyone stole glances at Zhou Yu, wondering what Cao Cao wanted to discuss with him, and why he had to block out those around him.

"Prime Minister!"

After everyone had left, Zhou Yu cupped his hands and said, "Now Shu has fallen, and Jiangling has not yet been captured. I wonder what your opinion is?"

Zhou Yu said in a deep voice, "Li Song's army is outside, and Shu has surrendered to Tang. Therefore, I share the same opinion as you all: we should withdraw from Jiangling. However, the Tang army is in the north and will share the danger of the Yangtze River with our army. According to the previous strategy, I think we should first try to capture Liu Bei."

"At that time, Liu Bei was annexed, and his troops were divided to advance westward against the current, capturing strategic passes such as Yiling and Baidi. The Prime Minister, with his command of Jing and Yang provinces and a victorious army of over 100,000, will be able to resist the Tang army by relying on the natural defenses of the river and the advantages of the navy!"

On the eve of his campaign, Cao Cao had already considered annexing Liu Bei, but he had to temporarily refrain from doing so due to the situation of jointly attacking the Tang Dynasty. However, now that the Shu people had been destroyed, Cao Cao's mind became more active in order to better defend against the Tang Dynasty, so he consulted Zhou Yu on military matters.

Just as Cao Cao was about to inquire about the troops, a servant suddenly rushed up to report.

"Prime Minister, Liu Bei is outside requesting an audience!"

"Oh?"

Cao Cao's face showed a playful expression, and he exchanged a glance with Zhou Yu.

"Prime Minister, Liu Bei's visit this time is likely to inquire about military affairs in Shu and Jiangling," Zhou Yu reminded him.

"Ok!"

Cao Cao beckoned and said, "Please invite Liu Bei to meet me!"

A short while later, Liu Bei arrived, wearing a brocade robe over armor and strode with the speed of a tiger.

"Prime Minister!"

"Xuande, what brings you here?"

Liu Bei slightly bowed and said, "The weapons and wooden boats of Shu are blocking the river downstream. I wonder if the Prime Minister is aware of this?"

"How could I not know?"

Cao Cao asked, "I am very worried about this matter. I wonder what brilliant idea Xuande has?"

Liu Bei said, "The current situation is complicated. Wen Ping's military strategy is meticulous and thorough, while Li Song is observing from the sidelines. Together with Jiangling, they form a pincer movement, so it will be difficult for our army to break through Jiangling!"

"Although Jiangling is difficult to conquer, the Tang people have taken over Sichuan. Now, the prefectures of Sichuan are in turmoil, and the passes of the Three Gorges can be taken at any time. In my opinion, I want to lead my troops westward and capture the strategic passes of Baidi, Wuxian, and Yiling in succession to hold off the enemy on the upper reaches of the river."

Cao Cao, quick-witted as ever, asked, "I wholeheartedly agree with what you say, Xuande. But since you are a strategist, what do you seek from me now?"

Liu Bei hesitated for a moment, then said, "If I lead my troops westward, I fear the Tang army will cross the river and attack me. I wonder if the Prime Minister could leave troops to assist me? If I am fortunate enough to conquer Shu, I am willing to give half of Yizhou to the Prime Minister."

Upon hearing this, Cao Cao sneered inwardly, quite disdainful of Liu Bei's actions. He should have just said he wanted to borrow troops for free; now he was offering half of Yizhou as payment—it was probably just empty promises.

Cao Cao pondered for a long time, then suddenly laughed and said, "I have heard that Lady Xuande has recently passed away. Is this true?"

"It's true!"

Not knowing why Cao Cao changed the subject, Liu Bei asked in confusion, "I wonder what the Prime Minister means?"

Cao Cao said, "Losing one's wife in middle age is a misfortune. Xuande is a member of the imperial family, and now that there is no female head of the household, there are many inconveniences. I happen to have a daughter, who is virtuous and kind. If our two families can form a marriage alliance, the Tang people will not dare to underestimate the southeast. You and I can also communicate on military matters. Not to mention lending troops, I am willing to assist Xuande in his western expedition against Ba and Shu."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bei was quite tempted and said, "I am nearly forty years old, while the Prime Minister's daughter is in her prime. I'm afraid we are not a good match!"

Zhou Yu seized the opportunity to say, "Although the Prime Minister's beloved daughter is a woman, she admires heroes. Your Excellency is renowned throughout the land. As the saying goes, a beauty is matched with a hero. How could she possibly dislike you because of the age difference? Moreover, the Prime Minister admires Your Excellency and now wishes to take you as his son-in-law!"

Liu Bei bowed to Cao Cao and said, "I will never forget your kindness, Prime Minister. However, my wife passed away just last year, and her body is still warm. Could you allow me a day to think about this?"

Cao Cao helped Liu Bei up and said with a smile, "The only people in the world who can be Zhang Yu's trusted confidants and enemies are you and me. If we can become related by marriage, the Han Dynasty will surely prosper."

"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister!"

Faced with the sudden marriage proposal, Liu Bei instantly forgot about borrowing troops, nodded repeatedly in agreement, and planned to return to his camp first to discuss it with his men.

Liu Bei left in a daze, while Cao Cao stroked his beard and sneered. Zhang Yu, under the pretense of a wedding procession, seized Baishui Pass. Why couldn't he have used the marriage alliance to lure Liu Bei to Jiangdong and imprison him? With the emperor in hand, why worry about the soldiers of Jingchu not obeying orders?

Zhou Yu said, "Prime Minister, discussing marriage is no small matter. I believe we should send a trusted and friendly person to consult with Liu Bei and persuade him to come to Jiangdong to welcome the bride."

Cao Cao pondered for a moment and said, "Lu Zijing is kind, benevolent, and loyal to public affairs. What do you think of appointing him as envoy?"

Zhou Yu said, "I have heard that General Xiahou's niece is Zhang Yide's wife. Why don't we have General Xiahou Yuan act as matchmaker?"

"I fear that this brilliant talent is crude and vulgar!"

Zhou Yu laughed and said, "A crude person has crude methods. If a strategist were to step in, it would only backfire!"

"rational!"

(End of this chapter)