Jinting Han people

In the blink of an eye, more than ten days passed quickly.

The Hu people have been besieging Niyang for nearly a month, but there is still no sign of breaking the city.

The Hu people had previously devised a strategy of piling furs on a hill and burning wooden walls to create holes, allowing them to break through and kill the Jin army. This strategy worked the first time around and caused considerable trouble for the Jin army, but on the second day, the Jin army quickly cracked it.

To burn the wooden shed, they certainly couldn't use ordinary fires, as they would be easily extinguished by the Jin army's water. So the Hu people used animal skins soaked in kerosene. Once ignited, the flames would surge and become raging, difficult to extinguish until they burned out.

However, this kind of burning also has a side effect, which is that when the fire is ignited, it is very hot nearby and there is thick smoke. The arsonist has to retreat and wait until the fire is finished burning before he can get close to do anything.

When the Hu tried their trick a second time, they were surprised to discover that the Jin soldiers on the shed had somehow managed to obtain a two-meter-long hook sickle. As the Hu retreated, they lowered the sickle from the wall, lifted the burning fire cloth from below, and dragged it away. As a result, the flames never reached the shed, only being slightly blackened by the smoke.

The Hu people were stunned watching from the foot of the earthen hill, but they had no way to stop it. They could only watch the Jin people on the city wall take action. Every time they pulled open a piece of kerosene cloth, the Jin people would cheer.

After three or four rounds of this, the heavens finally gave up and sent down a torrential downpour, washing away the bloody stench of the earthen hills and the city walls beneath into the surging current. As a result, the Hu people could no longer light fires or even beat their war drums. All that remained was the sound of falling water.

The Hu people had to suspend their offensive, waiting for the rain to stop while planning a new round of siege.

On the morning of that day, Peng Dangzhong was ordered to go to Qi Wannian's main tent again for a military meeting. The Hu leaders present at the same time included Deng Lishi, Yang Jiantou, Tufa Yue, Qi Gui, Dou Luhui, Yao Daiming, Pu Guang, Hao Qi and others. It can be said that except for a few generals who were on the periphery to guard against the Jin army's breakout, almost all the generals in the army were present.

When he entered, the rain was still falling. Most of the people were wearing straw raincoats, so the tent smelled of rainwater mixed with moss. But he could also smell a hint of fatigue from the people inside. It seemed that the sudden downpour and the lack of progress in the siege had dampened the morale of the generals, and they whispered to each other:

"The Jin people in the east are spreading rumors that the Tuoba Xianbei have sent reinforcements. I wonder if this is true or not?"

"Your Majesty, why don't you continue to attack Chang'an instead of besieging this insignificant little city?"

"We've already suffered four to five thousand casualties. Even with a huge advantage in numbers, we can't continue like this! What should we do next?"

"..."

Since all present were generals, their words were well-aimed, and Peng Dangzhong felt a sympathetic connection. But with a cough, Qi Wannian, wearing a straw raincoat, entered, and everyone fell silent. Regardless, Qi Wannian's glorious past achievements remained undisputed. Even if they didn't understand, everyone still held him in high esteem. Seeing his confident smile, they felt a sense of certainty of victory.

Qi Wannian sat down from the chief seat, as if he hadn't heard anything, and then waved his hand and said:

"It's raining today, so you all probably don't have anything to do. Don't be nervous, just treat it as a casual chat. Come, I recently found some plums. They're not sour or astringent, and the taste is just right. Let's taste them and talk."

As they were talking, the servants brought a plate of wet plums to everyone present. Qi Wannian picked up one and ate it, saying with a smile:

"If you have any new ideas about siege, please feel free to bring them forward."

Qi Wannian's courteous attitude naturally moved the generals present. With Hao Duyuan absent and Juquzha killed in battle, Duolansha had the most experience, so he spoke first, "Your Majesty, the fire attack is definitely not going to work right now. In my opinion, there are only two solutions."

"What two ways?"

"One is a stupid way, a head-on attack, and the other is a clever way, winning over people's hearts."

A frontal assault was almost not an option. No one was willing to suffer such heavy casualties. Qi Wannian naturally ignored it and asked, "How do we win people's hearts?"

Duo Lancha said, "Your Majesty has surrounded Niyang City with a large army. While it may be difficult to capture at the moment, you still hold an absolute advantage. The soldiers within the city are aware of this. Why not shoot a letter into the city, offering a large reward for the heads of the defending generals, Liu Xian and Suo Jing? Furthermore, treat the Jin troops who surrendered to our army well, and have them come to the city to persuade them to surrender. This will surely weaken the enemy's morale."

This was indeed a good idea, but someone immediately questioned it, saying, "I've heard that a general is the courage of the army. Liu Xian, the governor of Beidi, who is currently guarding the city, is a well-known virtuous man in Guanzhong and is very kind to the people. I'm afraid no one will defect for a while. It won't be useful until a few months later, when the city runs out of food and aid."

Peng Dangzhong looked over and saw that the person who was speaking was Yang Jiantou, the son of Yang Maosou and the younger brother of Yang Nandi.

He also agreed with Yang Jiantou's judgment and said in agreement: "This method of buying people's hearts is too mysterious. Our army cannot break through the front now. The morale of the Jin people is high. I am afraid that this method of taking advantage of the situation will not work."

Dolansha didn't mind being denied. He was simply running out of ideas. He asked, "That's the truth. If we don't use this strategy, we'll have to force an attack. Is there any other way?"

Yang Jian thought for a moment, then turned to Qi Wannian and said, "Your Majesty, a frontal attack on the wall would result in heavy casualties. Can we attack Niyang City from underground?"

"Attacking Niyang City from underground?" Everyone present was shocked when they heard this, and then they all realized that Yang Jian was talking about a land attack.

Yang Jian continued, "I've looked at the geology around Niyang these days. It's all loess, with no rocks. We only need to dig through the soil to enter Niyang City through the tunnel. This isn't incredible."

"It's just that we, the Hu people, lack experience in this kind of thing. We need some excellent stonemasons and mining foremen from the Jin people. Digging tunnels is very dangerous. If they collapse accidentally, everyone in the tunnel will probably meet with an accident..."

Qi Wannian was very satisfied when he heard this. He pointed at Yang Jian's head and said with a smile: "General Fuguo's family has many talented people. I really envy them."

The implication is that you agree with this method.

Qi Wannian then continued:
"But it's raining heavily right now, and the soil is soft and prone to collapse. Gathering craftsmen will also take time. We can't just sit here and wait. I've found some carpenters and made a few hook carts specifically for breaking through wooden sheds."

"They told me that even if Liu Xian was bound to the sky, I could still break through the city and take his head."

"It's just that these hook trucks are very heavy and difficult to use. I need someone to command the soldiers to protect the hook trucks. Is there anyone among you who can volunteer?"

It turned out that before the meeting, Qi Wannian had already thought of another way to attack the city and secretly built siege equipment. After he said it in this joking way, the generals' fear of difficulties was greatly reduced, and they came forward to ask for orders.

Among them was Peng Dangzhong, who was quite curious about this so-called hook car. He was the first to say, "If Your Majesty does not mind, I am willing to take charge of this matter."

Among all the people present, Qi Wannian admired Peng Dangzhong's bravery the most and singled him out, saying, "Dangzhong has the courage of ten thousand men, so you are the most suitable person to take charge."

The next day, Peng Dangzhong saw this so-called hook cart. It was indeed a colossal machine, three zhang high and five zhang wide, and lined with extremely thick wooden planks. This allowed over thirty men to maneuver it even under a hail of arrows from the Jin army. He called it a hook cart because a three-zhang-long movable wooden plank was mounted in the center of the cart's roof, topped by a massive three-hook sickle.

As you can imagine, to use this to attack the wooden shed at Niyang, one would simply drive the hook cart to the foot of Niyang City and repeatedly hit the wooden shed with the hook sickle until it was penetrated and stuck. Then the people under the cart could find a way to drag the hook cart, and with the combined efforts of hundreds of people, they could directly drag the entire wooden shed down from the city wall, allowing them to attack the city head-on again.

Qi Wannian prepared twenty hook carts here and allocated 4,000 troops to Peng Dangzhong. As soon as the rain stopped, he began to attack the city again.

Coincidentally, two days later, the sun rose again in Guanzhong, and the bright sunshine shone on the land of Niyang. It could be seen that many shrubs and weeds had grown on the wasteland that had been cut down by Liu Xian before, and the wheels of the hook cart rolled across the mud, forming dozens of deep ruts.

When the rumbling sound of war drums sounded, Peng Dangzhong ordered his soldiers to put on full armor and line up next to the hook cart, advancing slowly with it to prevent the Jin army in the city from coming out of the city to attack the hook cart.

A single hook truck is actually very large, and twenty hook trucks moving forward at the same time, although extremely slowly, is enough to bring a visual impact to people, just like some monsters appearing in the wilderness, nothing can stop them.

Although this was a common siege weapon used during the Cao Wei period, the Jin army never imagined that they would one day find themselves in the hands of the Hu people. Therefore, the Jin army had no suitable countermeasures. Seeing the hook carts approaching, they continuously fired arrows at them. However, it was obvious to the naked eye that the wood used for these hook carts was very good, and the arrows had little effect. They either made a shallow dent in the wood or stuck in it, making it difficult to penetrate the wood.

Fortunately, the muddy road held up long enough for the Hu people to take turns pushing the hook cart for over two hours before they finally reached the corner of Niyang City. With a loud bang, the front of the cart collided with the city wall. Just as the Hu people pushing the cart breathed a sigh of relief, the Hu people behind them swung their swords and cut the ropes holding the hook sickle. The heavy object under the hook sickle suddenly fell, pulling it with a terrifying force, and crashing into the wooden shed on the city wall.

With a loud bang, the seven-foot-long hook pierced through the wooden shed and lodged itself firmly in the tower. The Hu people below cheered loudly. The Hu people behind received the order and crowded over. They tied thick ropes to the base of the hook cart. Over two hundred people, pulling seven or eight cables, desperately dragged the hook cart backwards.

From the city walls, the men pulling the hooks looked as ridiculous as ants, but the strength of the ants prevented them from laughing. The combined force of twenty hooks immediately caused the entire wooden shed on the city wall to sway. If they had been allowed to pull for a few more minutes, the carefully constructed wooden sheds and buildings of the Jin people would have been destroyed.

As expected, the Jin army inside the city could no longer sit still. For the first time, the city gates were opened. Over two thousand fully armed Jin knights rushed out of the city, charging towards the hook carts outside. Their speed was so fast, like a sudden flash flood, that in an instant they were right in the middle of the crowd pulling the hook carts.

Leading the charge was the veteran general Suo Jing, a seasoned general. He had prepared torches and other weapons, which he lit and threw at the carts and the crowd. Horses neighed and men shouted, and the civilians near the carts were thrown into chaos. But Peng Dangzhong was not among them. He had been prepared for this. His soldiers formed a circle and counterattacked the advancing Jin cavalry with halberds and bows. A fierce battle ensued, resulting in countless casualties.

Peng Dangzhong led his troops in the front of the Hu army and ran into Suo Jing's flank. His son Suo Yu, the vanguard, wielded a bloody broadsword, the handle tangled with dead hair. He leaped from the pile of corpses and landed right in front of Peng Dangzhong.

Suo Yu was also a remarkable figure. He had previously fought alongside Suo Jing on numerous campaigns, having beheaded over forty men. Unexpectedly, encountering Peng Dangzhong, he seized the opportunity and swung his sword. Unexpectedly, Peng Dangzhong didn't dodge or evade, instead drawing his sword upwards. The two ring-handled swords collided, sparks flashing, and unexpectedly, it was Peng Dangzhong who struck last and severed Suo Yu's blade!
Suo Yu was startled, knowing this meant he was far inferior to the enemy. He immediately shouted, "Don't kill me, I surrender!" His real intention was to trick the enemy and then attack him from the side. But Peng Dangzhong paid no attention to the enemy's chatter. Without stopping, he struck Suo Yu across the face, slicing him in two at the shoulder. He then led his men forward to resist.

In this close combat situation, the advantages of cavalry were difficult to play out. Both sides fought with blood and flesh, killing until their eyes were bloodshot and they almost forgot about time.

But after half an hour, the Jin soldiers on the city wall sounded the gong. The warriors looked up and discovered that the hooks and sickles on the tower had been cut off by the Jin army. During the fighting, Liu Xian had ordered the Jin soldiers on the tower to sit on wooden baskets in mid-air and use axes to chop the wood attached to the hooks and sickles. With the hooks and sickles cut, he immediately ordered the knights below to return to the city.

Suo Jing received the order and immediately led his knights to retreat. They came like the wind and left like the wind, but more than a hundred lives were lost, including his beloved son Suo Yu. The offensive and defensive situation in Niyang gradually became tense. (End of this chapter)