Jinting Han people

The Jin army did not immediately launch a large-scale attack early the next morning.

The reason is simple: after the rotation, there was a large-scale change in the personnel of the army. The Jin army under Zhou Qi, Gu Rong, Gan Zhuo and Wang Chong had been withdrawn to the rear for rest and reorganization, while the Jin army under Zhao You, Zhu Gui, Miao Guang, Cui Kuang, Cao Shu and Han Song had been replaced. However, the Jin army's high command was obviously not very confident that different armies could achieve better results. Therefore, after the first round of attacks, they reduced the intensity of the attacks and used a small number of troops to constantly change the rhythm and focus of the attacks in order to retest the Han army's defenses.

Faced with this situation, Liu Xian naturally saw the other side's doubts. However, Liu Xian was not in a hurry. Although the Jin army was cautious in strategy, they rarely had patience in specific tactics. Therefore, he only needed to show a slight weakness to lure them in. Once the Jin army attempted to launch a general offensive, the large-scale mobilization of its various units would be impossible to conceal.

After receiving Liu Xian's signal, Li Feng immediately conscripted some laborers from within the city, creating the illusion of a mixed force of laborers and soldiers along his assigned lines. When facing enemy probing attacks, he had the soldiers and laborers hide on earthen ramparts and fire arrows together, minimizing close combat. This resulted in a large, bustling crowd at the southern end of the palisade, but the counterattack was extremely weak. In particular, the laborers' arrows were significantly inferior to those of the veteran soldiers; not only were they inaccurate, but even when they hit someone, the arrows were weak and ineffective, causing little damage.

This indeed left a very deep impression on the Jin army. The Jin soldiers who had gone to probe the enemy returned and reported that the Han army's southern palisade was in its infancy, with uneven strength and a loose formation, which seemed to present an opportunity for them.

Upon hearing the news, Wang Kuang and his men were naturally quite tempted, especially after Zhou Qi had displayed his prowess. The high-ranking officers of the Jin army from the north were particularly eager to prove themselves and show that northerners could also achieve victory. So, after a brief discussion, they quickly decided to launch a fierce attack.

However, when the military order reached the rotating commanders, it caused some controversy. Zhao You, a veteran general from Huaibei who had participated in the campaign against Zhao and later in the campaigns against Li Chen and Shi Bing, was a mature man. After observing the Han army's deployment, he noticed something was wrong and questioned, "The enemy has set up a palisade for nearly twenty miles. This is newly lost territory and should be heavily fortified. Why is a weak force being deployed here? Perhaps it is a trap. We should not underestimate the enemy."

Therefore, he opposed the military orders of Wang Kuang and others, and instead submitted a memorial claiming that the attack should be launched from the earthen mound built by Zhou Qi. After all, the Jin army had a wide field of vision from there and could observe the movements of the Han army well. Although the Han army had heavy defenses, knowing oneself and one's enemy was the best strategy.

Zhao You reported the news at night. While waiting for a reply outside his tent, all was quiet. Suddenly, the sounds of battle erupted from the distant battlefield, waking most of the Jin soldiers from their sleep. They gazed at the firelight on the southwest horizon, wondering what was happening, and began to discuss it amongst themselves. Zhao You hurriedly found a watchtower to climb and look out, but in the deep darkness, apart from the campfires between the two armies, he could see nothing at all, including the long palisade separating them, which appeared as blurry as a black river.

He listened for a while, but the sounds of fighting showed no signs of abating; on the contrary, they seemed to be intensifying. It seemed that the Han army had deployed its elite troops to launch a nightly attack on a certain place. But why couldn't he see them? In his confusion, he suddenly realized that the Han army was fighting over the earthen mound!
The troops at Tushan were being held by Cui Kuang's forces, but because of Tushan's existence, their defensive arrangements were extremely weak. However, if the Han army were to capture it, the initiative on the battlefield would change hands again. Thinking of this, Zhao You felt a chill run through his body. He no longer waited for news from Wang Kuang and the others, and immediately returned to his own troops. In haste, he led several hundred soldiers out of the camp to try to aid Cui Kuang.

But he arrived too late, and the Jin army retreated with overwhelming force. Cui Kuang had never anticipated that the Han army, despite being at a disadvantage, would dare to launch a counterattack. Li Ju personally commanded the battle, not seeking to inflict casualties, but only to disperse the Jin soldiers and seize the earthen mounds as quickly as possible. The Jin army, lacking the will to fight, scattered immediately upon seeing that the Han army was not determined to fight them to the death. As a result, in less than half an hour, the Han army had captured all ten-odd earthen mounds that Zhou Qi had spent ten days building.

Thus, Zhao You's plan to break through from the earthen hill has failed.

After the swift battle, Wang Kuang and his men, upon learning the news, became even more determined to break through the encirclement from the southwest. This was mainly due to two reasons: firstly, the Han army's night raid on Tushan indicated that their elite forces were concentrated in the central area; secondly, the Han army only captured Tushan without pursuing the victory and inflicting minor casualties, further highlighting their weakness and manpower shortage, emphasizing their defensive capabilities. Therefore, they urged their units to rest early and regroup the next day for a general offensive.

The decision was generally accepted by the soldiers, but some private dissent was inevitable. This was mainly due to discussions among Wang Xun's former subordinates. They said that Cui Kuang had suffered a defeat, and according to the commander-in-chief's prior proclamation, he should have been punished according to military law, yet he escaped unscathed. Everyone knew the reason: Cui Kuang was a northerner from the Qinghe Cui clan, and thus enjoyed greater trust from the court. Such differential treatment clearly failed to win over the troops. Many southern soldiers harbored resentment, saying that Wang Xun had died unjustly.

However, the Jin army's attack did not materialize the next day, mainly because the weather was bad and it started to rain. Although winter rain is not as cold as winter snow, it can easily seep into clothing, making it easier for soldiers to suffer from hypothermia. With the chill in the air, Wang Kuang felt unwell and postponed the battle for a day.

Zhao You opposed this approach. He and his friend Zhu Gui went to see Wang Dun, the governor of Jingzhou, and persuaded him, "The enemy has more cavalry than ours. It's raining now, the ground is soft and wet, making it difficult for horses to run. Bowstrings are also broken. This is the perfect time for us to attack. How can we wait for the rain to stop? It's okay if the soldiers have to work harder. The most important thing is that our chances of winning are higher."

Wang Dun found this reasonable and quickly packed his clothes to see Wang Kuang. Unexpectedly, after issuing the military orders, Wang Kuang, seeing this as a rare moment of leisure, drank with Wang Cheng and others. Adopting the manners of refined scholars, they then took a dose of Five-Stone Powder, becoming so hot that they stripped off most of their clothes by the fire, their minds clouded, making it impossible for them to issue orders. Wang Dun waited from morning until afternoon until Wang Kuang regained some clarity. After hearing Wang Dun's report, he said:

"Chuzhong, the most important thing in the army is to be serious. How can orders be changed from morning to evening, leaving the soldiers confused? If you say wait for the rain to stop, then wait for the rain to stop. There's no need to say it again."

Since Wang Kuang had said so, Wang Dun could not refute it. He could only go back and say to Zhao You and the others, "The Marshal's plan has been decided and cannot be changed. Let it be."

The rain stopped that night, and on the morning of the third day, a cold wind rose at dawn. After a four-day hiatus, the Jin army finally launched a new offensive against the Han army.

Before dawn, the Jin army had completed its deployment. The main attacking force numbered over 60,000 men. Zhu Gui, Zhu Si, and Wang You's three divisions, totaling 30,000, attacked the southern part of the palisade; Zhao You and Miao Guang's two divisions, totaling over 10,000 men, attacked the southeastern part of the palisade; Han Song and Zhang Luo's two divisions, totaling over 10,000 men, besieged the eastern part of the palisade; Hou Tuo and Wang Wan's 8,000 men monitored the dikes; and Zhou Fu's 10,000 men continued to besiege Matou City. Meanwhile, the previously replaced divisions of Ying Zhan, Gan Zhuo, and Gu Rong, along with Cui Kuang and Cao Shu's two divisions, totaling over 70,000 men, were stationed around Furen City, ready to provide support as needed. At this moment, as dawn broke, the Jin army, having deployed its forces, displayed an astonishing array of power. Everyone ate their breakfast together in front of the palisade. The breakfast consisted of flatbreads prepared in the middle of the night, which were still warm when taken out. As they ate, the wisps of heat from the Jin army's formation coalesced and were dispersed by the cold wind, resembling wisps of morning smoke. The Jin army's yellow dragon banners all fluttered to the east. Wang Kuang and the others stood under a large red banner with yellow borders and the three elements of the sun, moon, and stars, looking up at the Han army's formation not far away.

The Han army was significantly smaller than the Jin army. They stood either in front of the palisade holding long spears or on the arrow towers holding bows and arrows. They were scattered, especially on the south side, where many emaciated laborers were scattered among the soldiers. Although they filled the battle line, they gave people a sense of weakness despite their bravado.

Seeing this, Wang Kuang felt that the chances of victory were very high. He asked about the time and it seemed to be just past the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), so he ordered, "Let's start the battle!"

As the thunderous drums and gongs sounded, the massive Jin army began to move, each launching attacks towards their pre-arranged targets. However, it was clear that the offensives of the Jin army in the southeast and east were not intense, but rather served a diversionary purpose.

For Zhao You and Miao Guang's forces, who faced the earthen hill directly, their advance was extremely cautious, as the Han army held the greatest advantage in terrain. With the earthen hill in front and the palisade behind, the Jin army had to launch an uphill attack under a hail of arrows from behind, which put them under immense pressure.

Therefore, the soldiers, wielding large shields, formed dense horizontal ranks and slowly advanced against the rain of arrows raining down from the earthen mound. Once they reached a suitable distance, Zhao You ordered them to quickly split into three groups. One group attacked the palisade behind the earthen mound, another intercepted the area between the mound and the palisade, and the third attacked the mound itself. This separated the mound and the palisade, preventing excessive casualties among the soldiers. However, this method resulted in a relatively dispersed force, failing to demonstrate the Jin army's numerical superiority, and thus seemed unlikely to achieve significant results in the short term.

The forces of Han Song and Zhang Luo, located directly to the east, were composed of soldiers from the Jingzhou army, and their troops were quite brave and fierce. Under Wang Dun's command, they assembled their elite soldiers, issued them heavy armor, and equipped them with large axes, which were adept at chopping down wooden palisades, in an attempt to shake and break through the palisades. This Jin army was indeed quite elite, and once they launched their attack, they put great pressure on Zhang Qi's troops defending the area, quickly opening two breaches.

Fortunately, the Jin army had a major disadvantage here: a headwind. At this time, the west wind was strong, and the Han army on the arrow towers fired arrows with the wind, which struck the charging Jin army like hailstones. It had unprecedented power and range. The armor that was originally difficult to penetrate was now piercing the flesh, causing a chorus of cries of pain in the Jin army's formation. The Jin army's arrows were fired against the wind, and they were crooked and wobbly, like falling leaves, with less than one-tenth the power of the Han army's arrows.

Under such circumstances, the Jin army's initial momentum was only temporary. Although the vanguard was valiant, after half an hour, the Jin army on the east side was the first to show signs of being unable to hold on. After all, once archers fall into a disadvantageous position, no matter how strong the vanguard is, without cover, they cannot hold on. In the end, they were forced to scramble out of range to rest and regroup before launching another attack. However, it was clear that this attack could no longer have the intensity of the first wave.

Therefore, the pressure to break through the palisade still fell on the Jin army attacking from the south.

In fact, this part of the Jin army was the best equipped. Not only were all the soldiers armored, but the vanguard also had long spears and the most arrows, and they also had some specially made barrier-pushing equipment. This was supervised by Zhu Si's troops. Although Zhu Si was illiterate, as a shipwright, he was not only good at shipbuilding, but he also had many ingenious ideas on land.

During the first round of battles for Gan Zhuo and others, Zhu Si saw that the Jin army at the front was having difficulties, so he supervised the construction of dozens of carts in the rear.

There were two types of carts. One type had a three-wheeled base with a pointed wooden canopy made of catalpa wood at the front to block arrows. A hole was left at the pointed end of the canopy to install a long-handled hook. Once the hook was hooked onto the wooden fence, a dozen or so people behind the cart could pull it down. The other type was a battering ram. In principle, it was similar to the battering rams used to ram city gates, but Zhu Si deliberately made some minor modifications. After all, the Jin army was not facing city gates; they only needed to break the wooden fence. So, four or five people pushed the cart, and a pointed wooden stick several feet long with iron plates attached was sufficient.

Under the cover of tens of thousands of men, dozens of wheelbarrows started moving simultaneously, creating a truly magnificent scene. The arrow rain from the Han army here was not as dense as elsewhere, and the Jin army's wheelbarrows advanced steadily through the arrow barrage, like giant beasts. Even when they reached the palisade, the Han soldiers inside kept thrusting and stabbing with long spears, but they were completely unaffected. Following Zhu Si's plan, the wheelbarrows pulled and the battering rammed, and the palisade finally revealed its fragility. Within a quarter of an hour or two, large sections of the wooden palisade were torn down or knocked to the ground, as if made of paper.

The Han soldiers and laborers behind the palisade were dumbfounded. As the Jin army swarmed in from behind the wagons, they immediately lost their order and collapsed, scattering like wasps. Only a small number of Han soldiers remained in formation to resist.

Wang Kuang, who was watching from a watchtower in the distance, was overjoyed when he saw this. He excitedly praised his men, saying, "Although I knew that our army had many talented people, I did not expect it to be this strong. What does Zhou Qi have to be proud of? The enemy army is simply no match for us! Quickly send the main force in the rear to follow up and kill our way into Jiang'an City in one go!"

As he spoke, a scene of great victory flashed through his mind, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "Oh dear, it would be such a pity if Liu Xian escaped by boat. Could we find a way to keep him here?"

Upon thinking of this, Wang Kuang was almost unable to contain his excitement. He stroked his beard and pondered for a while, then mobilized another eight thousand men, led by Du Rui, the General of the Southern Army, and ordered him to lead these troops to mobilize the navy and block the enemy at the mouth of the Youjiang River. In this way, if Liu Xian tried to escape by sea, he would be entangled and unable to act for a while. At that time, capturing Liu Xian alive and destroying the entire Shu Han in one battle would not be a pipe dream.

After Du Rui and the others left, Wang Kuang went to check on the battle at the front. He saw that the southern palisade had been cleared for nearly a hundred zhang, and a large number of Jin troops, numbering in the tens of thousands, were pouring in like a burst dam. (End of Chapter)