Jinting Han people

Chapter 230: The Mist of Goodness (4k)

"What a thick fog!"

When Liu Xian got up early to inspect the camp, he couldn't help but be dazed when he saw the thick fog in the sky that seemed to be unable to condense.

As a native of Luoyang, Liu Xian had certainly witnessed many heavy fogs. From autumn to spring, the moisture from the Luo River and the river would intertwine and linger between the Funiu, Xiong'er, and Mang Mountains, forming a thick fog that seemed to transform those trapped within it into gas. However, after entering the Shanhai Pass, perhaps due to the much less humid environment, this type of fog became rare.

Unexpectedly, on the way to the rebels this time, we saw such thick fog again.

"It must be because the mountains converge here and the snow is melting, which is why such a thick fog has formed."

Li Sheng was standing next to Liu Xian at this time, with his hands in his sleeves, still shivering.

After receiving his official appointment, Liu Xian recommended Xi'an as the magistrate of Xiayang County and recruited Li Sheng, Sun Xi, Xue Xing, Zhang Gu, and the entire Xiayang County army to the Northern Division. Adding Zhang Guang, Fu Chang, Liu Yi, Zhu Qiu, Liang Yan, and others already in the Northern Division, Liu Xian's corps of talented individuals finally reached a respectable level. Unfortunately for Liu Xian, Li Ju was recalled to the central army by Sima Rong and could not join him in the battle.

The current situation is that the Jin army has recaptured Chiyang and Huangqiu, and then the army crossed the Jing River and recaptured the three counties of Shiping, Huaili and Weicheng in Shiping County. The Hu people guarding the city almost all fled at the sight of the enemy and collapsed at the first touch.

This seemed to prove that the Hu people were afraid of fighting with the Jin army, and the morale of the entire army gradually increased.

But everyone also knows that this is far from a real battle. The rebels are just shrinking their forces, just like a person putting away his fist. It does not mean he admits defeat or surrenders, but it is for the purpose of swinging his fist better next time.

With the recovery of Shiping County, the distance between the two armies was less than sixty miles.

According to intelligence gathered by scouts, the rebels had 8,000 troops stationed in Haozhi County, 10,000 in Liumo Village, more than 20,000 in Rufeng Village, 20,000 in Linping Village, and another 10,000 in Meiyang Village. The 70,000-strong army was backed by the Longban Mountains, lined up in a line, stretching for 80 miles.

The rebels' formation has little room to shrink. If the Jin army moves forward any further, the chance of a battle will increase significantly.

Therefore, the Jin army paused for a while in Shiping County and carefully considered where to attack next.

Liu Xian is now leading an army and is waiting for the next order from the commander.

But what no one expected was that at this time, a rare heavy fog rose in Guanzhong.

You know, spring fog is hazy, soft and veiled, and only the fog that is barely visible is spring fog. But the fog now is so thick that you can't even see your hand in front of you.

"How long will this fog last?"

Liu Xian muttered to himself, and he suddenly had a premonition: this heavy fog might have a huge impact on this war. Whoever can make good use of the fog can greatly increase the chances of winning.

While Liu Xian was daydreaming, he suddenly heard the sound of horse hooves in the thick fog, followed by a voice shouting in the fog:

"Hey, has anyone seen the Lord here? King Liang has issued an order!"

Liu Xian recognized the voice of Zhang Guang, the Northern Commander, and quickly replied, "Brother Jingwu, I'm here!"

As the sound of horse hooves approached, a shadow gradually emerged from the mist, and then color took shape. Zhang Guang reined in his horse and said to Liu Xian:

"Huai Chong, the military order from King Liang has arrived."

"Is it about the next main attack direction?"

"Yes, but there seems to be something else."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian immediately stepped into his main tent.

The person who delivered the military order surprised Liu Xian. It was actually General Jianwei Zhou Chu. He was still the same person Liu Xian had met in Chang'an. When they met, he just snorted coldly, as if Liu Xian had done something very wrong.

Seeing Liu Xian come in, he opened the map and pointed to a spot without further ado, saying, "After the military meeting last night, His Royal Highness Prince Liang decided to focus the main attack on Haozhi County."

It's Haozhi County! Liu Xian looked at the map and thought, facing the rebels' long snake formation, the so-called weakest points must be the enemy's left and right ends. Haozhi County is such a place. It is located at the easternmost end of the enemy army and the terrain is not difficult.

As the location for the first battle, this place was clearly very suitable. It could test the enemy's current combat strength, and it could also withdraw from the battle at any time to make new adjustments. Once the attack was taken, Haozhi County, as a city, would also be an ideal defensive stronghold.

Liu Xian asked, "Who will be the main attacker? Who will be the supporting attacker?"

Zhou Chu replied in a deep voice, "I will be in charge of the main attack in the south, you will be in charge of the auxiliary attack in the east, and Suo Jing will be in charge of the auxiliary attack in the west."

This is a standard tactic of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open. It seems that the commander-in-chief does not intend to let the army suffer too many casualties, but instead tries to seize the stronghold by biting and forcing the enemy step by step, gradually undermining the enemy's military spirit and morale to the point of collapse, and then win after forcing the enemy out of their position.

Liu Xian was secretly complaining: "In Chang'an, they said they wanted a quick victory, but now they were facing the enemy, they adopted a cautious strategy. If this became a protracted war, how would they report it to the court?"

But no matter what he thought in his heart, he still had to do the current work well. He said to Zhou Chu:
"Lord Ziya, is there anything you need my cooperation with?"

Zhou Chu glanced at him, shook his head slightly, and said, "Just take care of your own business, and don't always try to flatter others."

This sentence made Liu Xian laugh and cry.

In fact, this wasn't the first time Zhou Chu had spoken of Liu Xian in this way. After his conversation with Fu Zhi, Liu Xian went to visit Zhou Chu and apologized for not supporting him. Logically, this should have been a positive development.

Unexpectedly, after listening for a while, Zhou Chu scolded Liu Xian and said, "You dare not express your opinions in public, but you try to win over others and show your goodwill in private. What is your intention?" He immediately drove Liu Xian out of the mansion.

Afterwards, Liu Xian heard that Zhou Chu and Fu Zhi had commented on him, saying, "Liu Huai Chong is a treacherous man. He knew that the King of Liang and I were at odds, yet he tried to curry favor with the King of Liang and then with me. He appears to be a man of high moral character, but in reality he is trying to please both sides. This man, with his lack of moral integrity, is like Liu Bang himself. He will definitely cause great trouble in the future."

When Liu Xian heard these words, he was neither able to laugh nor cry. He didn't know whether Zhou Chu had overestimated him or underestimated him. Even so, Liu Xian still admired Zhou Chu. After all his years in officialdom, this was the first time he had met someone with such impeccable integrity. Learning that he would be joining Zhou Chu in the attack on Haozhi County, Liu Xian was eager to see how this renowned general would perform.

On the 297th day of the first month of the seventh year of the Yuankang reign ( AD), Liu Xian led the Northern Di Army into Haozhi County. He was accompanied by Zhou Chu's Jianwei Army and Suo Jing's Gangu Army. As agreed, the three armies deployed on three sides of Haozhi City. The main force of the Jin army, however, formed a large, curved line from northwest to southeast, ten miles behind the siege force. Reinforcements arrived from the southwest.

Since it was a supporting attack, Liu Xian only needed to contain the eastern defenders. Therefore, he didn't engage in excessive mobilization or encouragement. He simply surveyed the city and discovered that the county town lacked a moat and was surrounded by mostly flat land. He decided to build over ten arrow towers within range of the south city. This would maintain long-range suppression against incoming arrows before attempting to gain entry.

In order to build the arrow tower quickly, Liu Xian used the construction method he learned from Li Mi, that is, he first prefabricated the wooden ladders, wooden boards, beams and columns needed to build the arrow tower. After making sure that they could be installed quickly, he sent soldiers to guard and took people to the selected location to build the tower.

This method cut construction time in half. Once the foundation was dug, it took only an hour to erect the watchtower framework, enabling a counterattack against the rebels within the city. Furthermore, the fog continued to linger, and when it cleared in the afternoon, the defenders were surprised to discover that fifteen watchtowers had been erected on the east side of the city.

After realizing the situation, the Hu people hurriedly tried to leave the city and destroy these buildings. Unfortunately, it was too late. Although the fortifications of the arrow tower were not completely complete, they were still able to launch a simple counterattack. The archers on the tower rained down arrows, and the armored soldiers below guarded with spears. The coordinated efforts between the upper and lower levels were enough to stop the Hu people's attack.

The Hu people's fighting spirit was weak. After attacking for a while and leaving behind a hundred or so corpses, they quickly retreated. In contrast, the Northern Army's casualties were limited to less than forty men. For the attackers, this was a very good exchange ratio, and Liu Xian couldn't help but feel a little complacent.

Just as Liu Xian was building a ladder and preparing to climb the city wall to fight the next day, Lu Bo came with several guards to inspect the details of the front line.

Lu Bo was also very satisfied with Liu Xian's progress, so he asked, "How many days will it take to capture the city?"

Liu Xian wondered if he was only there to assist the attack, and if he took the city himself, wouldn't that be a bit of a distraction? Even so, he still boasted:

"Break through the East Gate within five days!"

After Lu Bo left, Liu Xian suddenly noticed that there was still no sound at the South Gate. He couldn't help but feel curious about Zhou Chu's progress. He didn't know what strategy he was using and how far he had advanced. So he immediately sent someone to inquire. The person who inquired came back and said:

"Mr. Ziya is still preparing the earthen bags for building the earthen hill, and hasn't made any moves yet!"

This could not help but make Liu Xian disappointed. He thought: Every inch has its strengths and weaknesses. Although Zhou Chu has a strong sense of the overall situation, his tactics are still lackluster. It seems that the credit for breaking the city first will go to him.

Waking up to another cold, foggy day, Liu Xian inspected his equipment in the barracks, preparing to set up the ladders and ascend the city walls once visibility improved. Unexpectedly, a rumbling drumbeat erupted from the south, startling Liu Xian. What was going on? Hadn't the Jianwei army already built the earthen mound? Were they beginning the siege?

The so-called earthen hills are divided into two types. One is an earthen hill that is like a watchtower, overlooking the towers in the city. The other is an earthen hill built from the corner of the wall to create a path for soldiers to climb the city.

Zhou Chu naturally chose the latter.

The biggest problem with building this kind of earthen mound was danger. Transporting sand and gravel to the corners of the walls would be completely obliterated by a hail of enemy arrows. Furthermore, the slow process made it easy for the defenders to harass the city and overturn the mound. To reduce these casualties, the ancients developed foldable ladders with hooks at the top. While not as sturdy as earthen mounds and easily destroyed, their efficiency allowed for quicker ascents, reducing many casualties.

Zhou Chu naturally considered this, and he believed that building an earthen hill in the usual way would be unacceptable. So on the first day, he did not rush to attack, but instead carefully selected sand and gravel and put them into earthen bags.

According to common sense, it is most undesirable to pile up earth hills with gravel. Although it is light in weight, it is difficult to shape. Once piled up, it will scatter all over the ground. Its efficiency is actually lower than that of ash soil with stones.

However, Zhou Chu took into consideration that the temperature in Guanzhong was still low at that time, so he ordered his soldiers to build an earthen hill at night. At first, they used hundreds of earthen bags as the foundation, and then poured sand and water on it. In the cold north wind, the sand and gravel quickly froze, and the earthen hill grew upward at a speed visible to the naked eye.

At night, the defenders watched as the Jin army piled up earthen mounds and repeatedly attempted to harass and drive them off. But Zhou Chu, braving the hurricane's arrows and stones, personally commanded the attack, pushing over thirty sidecars. His men were inspired, fearing their own safety, setting up chevaux de frise in front of the wagons while fighting the attacking Hu. The battle was brutal, but after one night, the earthen mounds were finally formed, and the path to the city walls was open.

By the time Liu Xian heard the drums, Zhou Chu had already led his troops up to the city walls. The soldiers' roars were like thunder and waves, the sound reaching the sky. Although they were surrounded by thick fog, everyone seemed to be fighting shoulder to shoulder with thousands of soldiers, and the Jin troops supporting the attack on both sides were all pale.

When Liu Xian realized what had happened, he quickly set up ladders at the east gate and led his men in attacking the city, but it was too late. Zhou Chu had already successfully captured the south gate, and the rebels, in a state of collapse, quickly opened the north gate and fled in panic towards the peak of the Milk Peak.

It was still easy for those who escaped first, but many Hu people who were still entangled with the Jin army and could not escape, had no reinforcements and nowhere to escape, and soon became victims. Their blood was spilled on the city walls and soon turned into brown ice.

The battle ended like this. The Jin army killed and wounded thousands of rebels and captured thousands of them at the cost of more than 400 casualties. Compared with the siege battles throughout history, this can be considered as an extremely fast operation.

According to custom, after a city is captured, it is time to plunder it, allowing soldiers to plunder the city's property. However, Zhou Chu restrained the soldiers, organized the prisoners, counted the property, and sealed the treasury. The Hu people in the city were also safe as usual.

After Liu Xian entered the city, he led his men to reunite with Zhou Chu. Seeing his soldiers silently tending to the corpses and tidying up the houses, with no trace of tyranny, he could not help but sigh, "Lord Zi Ya governs his subjects like this; he truly deserves to be called a renowned general."

At this time, the fog had not yet completely dissipated. Liu Xian led his men through the streets and searched for a long time. Finally, they found Zhou Chu at the county government office. He was standing beside a collapsed city wall, directing soldiers to drag a body that was trapped under the wall.

As an old man, Zhou Chu looked quite tired after the battle. He sat alone on a rock, leaning on his ring-handled sword and breathing heavily.

Liu Xian was very happy to see him, and walked over quickly, wanting to discuss some details of the siege with him, but unexpectedly he passed by a Jin army soldier on the road.

At the moment their shoulders collided, Liu Xian was stunned for a moment and glanced back subconsciously. He saw that the soldier was wearing a leather helmet, holding a longbow, and carrying a quiver on his back, but his face could not be seen clearly.

After Liu Xian separated from him, he walked a few dozen more steps. But as he walked, a sense of foreboding arose in his heart, and the dead look in the soldier's eyes beneath the leather helmet surfaced in his mind.

That's a murderous look!

He stopped and looked back, but the thick morning fog still covered the surroundings. He could not see anything and everything was quiet.

Suddenly, there was a whoosh sound, and the sound of a bone whistle cutting through the air suddenly rang out.

Liu Xian was shocked. He knew that this was a whistling arrow!

He subconsciously swung the Zhaowu Sword in the air. At this time, the Zhaowu Sword, with its scabbard, moved something in the thick fog, and a sharp sound pierced through.

Zhou Chu looked up in shock, and felt a dull blow on his shoulder. He groaned in pain and fell backwards on his back.

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(End of this chapter)