Jinting Han people

After the earthen hill was formed, Qi Wannian significantly increased the offensive. He directly divided 60,000 people into eight groups, which took turns attacking the city day and night.

In order to destroy the wooden sheds and arrow towers built by the Jin army, the first method the Hu people thought of was fire attack.

The Hu people had gathered large quantities of animal skins, such as sheepskin and cowhide, in advance, soaked them in kerosene, and piled them onto more than ten carts, which they also supported with wooden shields and cowhide sufficient to cover their soldiers. This way, even if they ran into a hail of arrows from the Jin people, the Hu people could safely transport the skins to the foot of the wall.

They took advantage of the still-light hours to gather the damp furs, leaving the other leather-armored soldiers to lead the charge with torches while they remained silent, groping their way up the dirt hill. A long time later, as the sun rose, the Jin people suddenly realized the Hu people had somehow gathered a pile of black objects and piled them beside the wooden shed, emitting a pungent odor.

By the time someone noticed something was amiss, the Hu people along the city wall retreated. Several flaming arrows, smeared with torches and ignited, were fired in twos and threes. A small spark of fire then swept through the kerosene, sending up blazing flames and billowing black smoke. The Jin people tried to put out the fire by pouring water on the wooden shed, but it was useless. Covering it with sand and earth wasn't done in time. By the time the fire was almost out, the wooden shed had already been reduced to charcoal, and the surrounding wooden walls were blackened, looking like a giant patch from a distance.

At this time, the Hu people climbed up the earthen hill again to launch an attack. They knocked the charcoal with the handle of the knife, and the charcoal fell off like burnt lime. They chopped it twice with the blade of the knife, and a hole was formed that was large enough for two or three people to enter and exit.

The Hu people, clad in iron armor and helmets, filed in, encountering the surrounding Jin soldiers. Led by Sun Xi, they were also fully armed, but those in front wielded powerful crossbows, while those in the rear wielded ring-handled swords. At such close range, the crossbow bolts blasted like thunder, easily piercing the enemy's defenses like paper. The immense force severed some Hu soldiers' arms, and others were even pinned to the wooden wall.

After the crossbow arrows were fired, the Jin people in the rear immediately jumped into the Hu people, hacking and slashing with their ring-handled swords, trying to drive out the remaining Hu people. However, more Hu people poured in from behind. Even though there were heavy casualties, the Hu leaders under the city ignored the wailing and still forced their soldiers forward, almost squeezing each other and using flesh and blood to occupy the limited space on the city wall.

The reason for such a brutal attack was that someone suggested to Qi Wannian, "Although casualties from a siege are high, there's no real tactical value. Why not send some of the barbarians to fight? Most of these barbarians are sycophants, and their loyalty is questionable. If they engage in a bloody battle with the Han, at least the blood feud between the two sides will be deepened, preventing them from repeating the mistake. Even if they die, it won't be a big deal."

Qi Wannian heard this and agreed with it. He then used the Lushui Hu, Malan Qiang and other mixed Hu tribes as the main force, and ordered the Red Crow Army to force them to go up the mountain for a bloody battle. At this time, the attack on the city wall immediately yielded a miraculous effect.

The two sides fought back and forth between the earthen hill and the wooden shed, and the Jin army was forced to retreat repeatedly by the surging crowd. But Zhang Guang still came up with a solution. He ordered two people to carry the horizontal beam all the way to the top of the wooden shed, and then, from above, threw it into the hole.

The Hu people were caught off guard and struck by the falling timber, which then rolled down the slope. The Jin soldiers finally caught their breath and slaughtered the hundred or so Hu people inside the city. They then fought their way out along the dirt hill, slashing the remaining Hu people to pieces and finally repelling the Hu attack. They then hurriedly filled the hole with wood and mortar, then poured water on it, finally patching it up.

At this point, Suo Jing, who was supervising the battle on the side, finally breathed a sigh of relief. Even though he successfully repelled the enemy, he was still a little worried.

The speed at which the Hu people advanced was too fast. He had originally estimated that it would take the Hu people five to six days to enter the city and fight. Unexpectedly, after piling up the earthen hill, the other side came up with a way to break the deadlock within one night. In addition, the news was cut off at this time, and he had no idea what was happening outside the city, which made him a little pessimistic.

After confirming that the Hu people would not launch an attack for the time being and handing over the defense to Zhang Guang and Suo Chen, he went to the city to look for Liu Xian.

Even Liu Xian wasn't resting. He was in the city overseeing the repair of his specially crafted weapons. Upon discovering the Hu people's use of fire, Liu Xian immediately prepared a countermeasure. He joined two halberds together, replacing the spearheads with hooks.

When Suo Jing arrived, the sound of blacksmiths hammering iron bars filled the air, so much so that Liu Xian had to shout to his soldiers, "If the thieves try their tricks again, extend your hooks and sickles from the top of the wall, pick up the fire cloths, and cover them with sand. Their fire attack will be ineffective."

Seeing Suo Jing, Liu Xian quickly put down his long-handled sickle and pulled Suo Jing out, asking as they walked, "Mr. Suo, why are you here? Has the enemy's offensive stopped?"

"Yes, that's why I came to discuss something with you."

"What are you discussing?"

"It's about the enemy's fire attack." After they reached the street, the noise around them died down. Suo Jing smiled with relief and sighed, "But it seems I don't have to worry about it now. Huai Chong, you are truly a genius!"

"Mr. Suo, you are too kind. This battle is related to the fate of Guanzhong. Everyone has tried their best, and I dare not fall behind."

"Hahaha, the young are truly formidable..." Suo Jing laughed for a moment, then revealed a worried expression and sighed:

"Everyone in the city is truly united, but the foreshadowing outside the city..."

Liu Xian understood and knew that Suo Jing was referring to Li Han.

The Jin troops currently defending the city were not all of the ones who had escaped from Rufeng. They had led nearly 17,000 Jin troops out, but only 9,000 remained. The remaining 8,000, along with most of the horses, had been taken out by Li Han.

This was the plan they had discussed before the siege. Keeping tens of thousands of people inside Niyang City was clearly a waste of food. While Niyang City had strong defenses, it was also a small city, and keeping too many people there was pointless. Especially with so many horses, which consumed large amounts of fodder daily, keeping them inside the city would be a burden. It would be better to have them taken out and continue harassing the Hu people outside Niyang City while contacting the Jin army in Chang'an City.

In this way, the food problem in the city can be alleviated, and at the same time, it will not be completely blocked by the rebels. Niyang will still be a city with external aid.

However, there were major differences of opinion regarding the candidate to lead the cavalry outside.

Suo Jing thought that it would be best for Liu Xian to stay outside. After all, he was more familiar with the terrain of the north, and had a certain friendship with Sima Rong and Tuoba Xianbei. In addition, he had outstanding moral character, which made the people in the city feel most at ease.

However, Li Han did not want to defend Niyang, hoping Liu Xian would give him this opportunity. After much deliberation, Liu Xian finally agreed. Since Liu Xian did not want to fight, Suo Jing naturally did not want to force him. Li Han's fighting spirit had always been low, and forcing him to stay in the city would only lead to internal strife, which would benefit the Hu people. So, he finally agreed.

At this moment, the Hu people have been besieging Niyang for half a month, but no one knows what actions Li Han outside the city has taken. Suo Jing is inevitably a little insecure and suspects that Li Han has already abandoned Niyang and led his people away.

Liu Xian smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Suo. Although Li Shirong may be a little afraid of fighting, I know him. He's proud and vindictive. If someone lets him down, he'll definitely break with them without mercy. He won't mind any ridicule."

"But if the other party has no grudges against him, he will still be concerned about his reputation. Moreover, he has always longed to make meritorious deeds but failed to do so. Now that he finally has the opportunity, how could he give it up? Lord Suo can rest assured."

Suo Jing's worries faded when he heard this. He sighed, "If that's really the case, we still have a good chance of winning this battle."

This was indeed the case. Before the Hu people surrounded him, Li Han had already rushed to Xiayang via Malan Mountain and Huanglong Mountain. He did not leave, but observed the changes in the surrounding situation while sending his brother-in-law Yang Kuan as an envoy to contact Sima Rong in Chang'an.

At this time, Weiqiao was still occupied by the Hu people, and the area north of the Wei River was overflowing with refugees, causing the cities along the way to be in a state of extreme disorder and impossible to resupply. Yang Kuan took five days to reach Chang'an, but the scene around Chang'an was even more horrifying. Outside the city, corpses and bones were everywhere, sometimes hidden among the lush wormwood. The stench of decay was almost everywhere. Jackals had even lost their fear of humans, chasing people with their green eyes. Only then did the world realize the tragedy that had occurred in Chang'an.

When Yang Kuan arrived in the city and tried to meet King Liang, he found that Sima Rong had fallen ill, and it was General Anxi Xiahou Jun who met him.

Upon learning that the troops that had attacked Rufeng had not only relieved Chang'an but were now holding the defense in Niyang, tying down most of the rebels' main force, Xiahou Jun was overjoyed. He shook Yang Kuan's hand and exclaimed, "What a feat! What a feat!"

But when he learned that Yang Kuan had come to seek help, Xiahou Jun looked embarrassed. He said, "Right now, His Royal Highness Prince Liang is ill in bed, and I have taken over temporarily. At his bedside, His Royal Highness told me that Chang'an must be preserved at all costs, and that he had no other requests."

"There are only 60,000 people left in the city. The road to Wuguan has just been opened, and there is little food in the city. If I send troops north and something unexpected happens, I can't afford the consequences."

Xiahou Jun's meaning was very clear. Chang'an had been saved with great difficulty, and they would never take any more risks, even if it meant sacrificing tens of thousands of soldiers who had fought to the death for their country.

This result greatly disappointed Yang Kuan. Is this the end for the soldiers who fought so hard for their country?

Fortunately, upon hearing the news, Fu Zhi, the commander of the Anxi Army, quickly came to Yang Kuan to inquire about the details. He then said, "Although I can't mobilize others, I can still mobilize 2,000 men under my command. I'll leave them all to you! There's still some food in the city. In a few days, I'll find two ships and transport it to you via the Ba River."

This prevented Yang Kuan from returning empty-handed and allowed him to go back and report to Li Han.

However, this trip to Chang'an made Yang Kuan extremely pessimistic about rescuing Niyang. He simply said to Li Han, "Sir, since you nobles are unwilling to take responsibility, why should we wade into this mess? We have finally gotten out of the city, so we might as well give up!"

After hearing this, Li Han's face darkened for a moment. After struggling for a moment, he slapped Yang Kuan and said:
"If someone treats me unkindly, I can certainly treat him unfairly. But right now, tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians from Niyang have entrusted their lives and property to me. How can I be such a mean person? I admit that I cannot be a gentleman who benefits the country and the people, but I must at least be a man with a clear conscience!"

"They are just a few bandits. I am well-versed in military strategy. Am I going to follow Li Guang's example and spend my entire life in the military, only to achieve nothing and become a laughing stock?"

Having said that, he was very excited. After receiving the food and grass from Chang'an, he ordered his soldiers to have a full meal and immediately led the army back along the original route, trying to break the blockade of Niyang from Malan Mountain.

The Hu people stationed in Malan Mountain at this time were none other than Qi Wannian's trusted and beloved general Chi Nukou.

On April Ji Mao, the two sides fought fiercely at Yixingting in the east of Malan Mountain.

When Li Han first engaged the enemy, he deliberately flew high his banners and wore scholarly attire, making him stand out from the crowd. The Chinukou, believing himself to be a superior warrior and superior to the enemy leader, who was merely a scholar, decided to engage in a duel.

As expected, Li Han's vanguard retreated shortly after the battle. Chi Nukou then led his troops in pursuit, only to fall prey to Li Han's scheme. It turned out that Li Han's previous retreat was a feint, as he had actually dispatched a special force to encircle the enemy from another mountain pass. After Li Han had retreated ten miles, the special force suddenly emerged from behind to attack the Hu army. Li Han then turned back and attacked the Hu army head-on.

What had been a great victory had turned into a defeat. The Hu people could not accept such a dramatic change in the situation and fled in all directions. Attacked from both sides, the mountains were littered with Hu corpses. Li Han killed over 2,000 people in a single battle, which was considered a victory.

Unfortunately, such a loss was of little consequence to the majority of Qi Wannian's army. Upon learning of Li Han's strength, Qi Wannian ordered Chi Nu Kou to return to the main camp at Niyang, and instead sent Yao Yi Zhong to camp in the mountains, occupying the very Liangyuan area that Zhang Guang had defended the previous year.

Yao Yi Zhong's personality is completely different from Chi Nu Kou's. Although he is intelligent, he is very cautious and modest. Li Han led his army to advance further and tried many times to challenge Yao Yi Zhong to a battle, but Yao Yi Zhong calmly guarded the mountain pass and did not give Li Han any chance.

Li Han attempted a forceful assault on Yao Yizhong, but found the terrain of Liangyuan extremely difficult, and his losses quickly exceeded his expectations. This outcome was unacceptable to his inferior forces, so Li Han had to temporarily abandon his offensive plan.

Fortunately, Li Han's attack still tied up a lot of new troops for Liu Xian, which slowed down Niyang's offensive slightly, but the situation was still relatively stalemate.

If the two sides want to break the balance, they will probably need new external forces to intervene. (End of this chapter)