Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 266 Blitzkrieg (Part 2)
The upper reaches of the great river.

The Han army's warships and large ships cleaved through the waves, arriving in a mighty torrent.

Jiangbei.

The iron chain gate was closed.

Pan Jun, leaning against the stack of stacks and looking out, was terrified and could not contain his shock.

"How...how could this be?" The man's fingers gripped the rammed earth wall tightly, his body trembling and going limp, his heavy, disordered breathing like a bellows pulling at his chest and throat.

Sun Xiu, the general who had just received the Tiger Tally of the Western Garrison from Sun Jun, stood frozen beside Pan Jun, equally dumbfounded, staring intently at the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, his pupils contracting sharply with shock.

“A warship…a warship?! Where is the iron cone that sank into the river? How…how could a warship of the Shu people appear here? How could a warship of the Shu people appear here…” Pan Jun seemed to be talking to himself, his voice dry and incoherent.

The bizarre sight of the Han army's massive warships and towering ships completely overturned his understanding.

Those powerful weapons that took years to develop, cost billions, and were buried deep in the river, those things he relied on to block the warships and ships of the Shu people, now seemed like a joke.

The overwhelming sense of absurdity was like the coldest chill of winter, making him feel goosebumps and break out in a cold sweat.

No one responded to Pan Jun. Sun Xiu, who had already been defeated by Fu Qian once, had a buzzing in his head and his mind went blank.

On the wall, other Wu army officers and soldiers also quickly discovered the anomaly upstream.

After a brief silence, there came a horrifying scream and chaos that was impossible to control.

“Pan Taichang! How could the Shu people’s warships and large vessels have reached this point?!” A captain pointed at the river, his fingers trembling.

The large ships and warships were getting closer and closer.

“That’s…that’s Liu Shan’s flagship ‘Yanwu’ at Yanyu Pass! And…and two other Shu flagships!” A subordinate general who had followed Sun Shao from Yanyu Pass in retreat here exclaimed.

"Pan Taichang, where's the iron awl?!"

"Didn't you say that the iron cone that sank into the river could hold off the enemy for at least half a month?!"

"It's only been a few days?! What's that upstream of the great river?!"

The other man's gaze darted back and forth across the river, and after a moment he exclaimed in alarm, "It's over...it's all over! Sun Jianwu...Sun Jianwu's navy is going to be surrounded by the Shu people!"

"How did they get here? Do the people of Shu really possess sorcery?!"

"What kind of sorcery is this! The sinking cone technique must be completely useless!" A voice rang out from the chaotic army, no longer suppressing its resentment.

Although he was immediately interrupted and reprimanded by the Wu officers, a sense of despair and panic had already spread rapidly through the Iron Chain Pass at Pan Jun's feet.

The chaos and noise escalated.

"Shut up, all of you! What's the panic!"

General Sun Xiu, the general who quelled the bandits, gripped the Tiger Tally of the Western Garrison tightly, forcing himself to remain calm.

But the pale face and the cold sweat on his forehead revealed his inner panic, making his stern rebuke seem pale and powerless.

At this time.

The defeated army that had retreated from the Jiangbei Wharf was pursued relentlessly by Fu Qian's troops. They fought and marched for more than half an hour before finally retreating back to the Iron Chain Pass built on the high mountain cliffs.

In their panic, they haphazardly bypassed the defensive fortifications at the pass, which consisted of antlers, caltrops, trenches, and ramparts.

Finally, under the desperate shouts and whippings of Wu Jun's officers and soldiers, they managed to gather behind the fortifications. Urged on by the sound of drums and flags, they hastily formed another defensive line, relying on the fortifications, and launched a fierce battle of attrition against the pursuing Han army.

Li Su, the garrison commander who was "swept along" by the fleeing soldiers and escaped back to Tiesuo Pass, ordered his personal guards to re-erect the general's banner outside the pass wall, symbolizing that he was still in command.

Then, panting heavily, he staggered up the gate wall in his armor.

Just as he was about to report the military situation to Pan Jun and explain how he was swept away by the torrent of defeated soldiers and that it was not a fault of his own, his gaze was instantly drawn to the horrifying scene upstream of the Yangtze River before he could even utter a word.

The man was struck as if by lightning, utterly terrified.

“Pan…Pan Taichang…”

"Then...what is that?"

"The Shu people's warships... how could their warships possibly get through?!"

Pan Jun seemed completely unmoved, remaining silent.

On the wall, the Wu archers, who had been resting and preparing for battle, desperately unleashed a hail of arrows at the Han army fighting below.

The Han army was exhausted from the pursuit and uphill climbs, and could be said to be at its last gasp, with its offensive momentum waning.

Wu soldiers' arrows whizzed through the air, while Han soldiers below counterattacked with crossbows and bows at the pass.

At the Iron Chain Pass, the shouts and screams of the Han and Wu armies blended together.

Fu Qian was covered in blood, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for breath. Only after his personal guards forcefully inserted the banner with the character "Fu" embroidered with a lion into the ground did he remove the lion-shaped bronze mask.

He wiped the blood and sweat from his forehead, then focused his gaze again on the banner with the character "Pan" on the iron chain gate.

He gritted his teeth in anger, turned around, and gazed intently at the upper reaches of the great river.

He immediately pointed to the Han emperor's flagship, the "Yanwu," and shouted loudly:

"Your Majesty's dragon boat has arrived!"

"With one burst of energy, we are determined to break through this barrier!"

"Slay the generals and seize the flag, today is the day!"

Fu Qian's roar, imbued with all his strength, instantly pierced through the cacophony of shouts and cries of pain, and the clanging of metal against metal.

The Han soldiers were either fighting desperately with the Wu army, or taking a short break by leaning on their spears and shields, or still rushing down the hillside toward the plains in front of the pass. Upon hearing the sound, the fighters fought even more fiercely, while the resting soldiers instinctively turned around to look down at the great river.

As the towering ships and warships came into view, cutting through the waves, and when the flagship of the Han emperor, the "Yanwu," was identified, an indescribable joy instantly appeared on his face, and the fatigue from the long battle seemed to vanish at that moment.

"It's your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty's dragon boat has arrived!"

"Our warships! All the warships and battleships of our great Han Dynasty have arrived!"

"Wan Sheng!"

"The great man is victorious!"

The exclamations and shouts, which started sporadically, quickly spread like wildfire.

The Han army's lines, which had been showing signs of weakness, rose up again and advanced.

Those arms that were almost exhausted seemed to be infused with new strength, and the tired eyes that had been somewhat scattered due to the long battle regained their terrifying fierce light.

A Han army commander, Sima Ben, who had led the charge but was pierced in the shoulder by a spear, staggered backward.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the dragon boat flagship bearing the same name as the Han Dynasty's reign title, he didn't retreat but advanced. He abruptly pulled the spear shaft from his shoulder, ignoring the gushing blood, and with a backhand thrust, stabbed the pursuing Wu soldier to the ground, shouting hoarsely:

"Don't retreat!"

"His Majesty is watching over us from the great river!"

"Kill them with me, don't embarrass His Majesty!"

Elsewhere, several Han soldiers with swords and shields were being held back by Wu soldiers using a stag antler barrier. Arrows kept coming from behind the fortifications and the walls, making it difficult for them to raise their heads.

Hearing the cheers behind him, a strong-looking centurion, already covered in wounds, gritted his teeth and slammed the back of his iron sword against the shield.

The sword and shield clanged loudly, drawing the attention of his comrades around him, and he roared hoarsely:

"Damn it! Pull up these rotten logs! Let Wu Gou see what a real man is!"

With a roar, he suddenly leaped up, ignoring the arrows whizzing past him, and lunged at the cluster of deer antlers in front of him.

An arrow, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, pierced the man's calf. He groaned, but using the momentum of his fall, he used all his strength to grab a section of deer antler and pull it outwards.

Seeing this, dozens of comrades-in-arms nearby were filled with rage and charged forward like madmen. They slashed and pried with their hands, and to the astonishment of the Wu army, they actually managed to pull off a section of the deer antler and tear open a gap!
"Fill the trench! Throw Wu Gou's corpse in!" Du Bo, who had just led the charge, leaned against the deer antlers, bleeding profusely and on the verge of death, yet still mustered his last strength to point at the trench blocking their advance and issue his final military order.

"Put me...put me in too..."

As he closed his eyes, the image of Long Xianglang delivering the plaque for third-class meritorious service to his home and the village elders lining the road to welcome him was still vivid in his mind. It was the day he stood the straightest, and the day his parents, wife, and children were most proud in their lives.

The Han soldiers, like wolves and tigers, began to consciously make use of everything on the battlefield.

The corpses of the Wu people who had just been killed, their severed limbs, armor, helmets... were all thrown into the trench, which was not very deep because the rocks were difficult to dig through.

The Wu people were already terrified and disoriented, and now they were even more frightened and helpless by this sudden and almost frenzied offensive.

What initially sustained their resistance outside the city was the belief that these nearly exhausted Han soldiers were at their last gasp.

Just a little more persistence and we can defeat it.

Who would have thought that these Han people could unleash such terrifying power?
Every Han soldier who rushed to this place forgot their fatigue and pain at this moment, and only saw the fortifications ahead and the Wu people.

Cowards won't make it this far.

The Wu army, which had retreated from the dock to this point, was pushed forward by officers at the pass. The hastily formed defensive line was clearly unable to withstand the Han army's onslaught.

But it has to be this way.

During a major battle, without the energy to identify whether a group of Han soldiers had infiltrated the routed troops, it would have been impossible to open the gates and let them into the city.

Although they were defeated and routed, and although they lost their courage and spirit, at least these defeated soldiers could still use their flesh and blood to wear down the Han army's strength and the weapons and armor in their hands.

Above the wall.

The rain of arrows continued, but its momentum gradually weakened.

The Han army below, however, did not lose momentum. They advanced at a visible pace, biting and tearing at each other, advancing slowly and cautiously.

The banner bearing the character "Fu" planted in the formation had been pierced by several arrows from the Wu soldiers, yet it still moved inch by inch toward the walls of the Iron Chain Pass, following Fu Qian and the crowd.

Pan Jun stared at the banner bearing the character "Fu," his hands and feet turning cold and weak. He could barely stand by bracing himself against the wall with his hands, and his mind went blank once again.

The shouts and howls before my eyes, the rushing river in the distance, the Han army's fleet... everything became blurry and unreal.

A jumble of thoughts, like fragmented fleeting shadows, flashed rapidly through his chaotic mind:
Jingzhou…

Gangneung…

Guan Yu, with whom he had a long-standing feud…

Liu Bei's earnest gaze...

Sun Quan greeted him at his bedside in Jiangling... He then told him all about the defenses of Jingzhou.

Fu Tong, Feng Xi, Zhang Nan, Cheng Ji, Ma Liang, and Sha Moke, who died in the Battle of Yiling…

Several years ago, he discussed with Sun Quan and Lu Xun the cone that could sink into the river and the iron chain that could cross the river...

Last year, I received the imperial axe from Sun Quan…

Before Yanyu Pass…

They abandoned the pass and fled...

The giant rafts of the Shu people...

Finally, there was the Shu fleet that was now breaking through the waves, unstoppable in its momentum.

He was surrounded by Sun Xiu, Li Su, and Liao Shi, who had rushed over upon hearing the news. They all spoke at once, some asking questions in surprise, some offering advice, and some lamenting. Their voices were noisy and urgent.

But Poon Chun turned a deaf ear and filtered out all the noise.

After a long while, he finally managed to refocus his empty gaze on the chaotic battlefield on the river below.

Sun Jun paid a heavy price for his meticulously arranged ambush, which successfully lured the Han army's vanguard of naval vessels and warships into the area before the iron chains across the river.

Afterwards, he mobilized the warships in Wushan Port to launch an attack. Logically speaking, this was a brilliant move that could have surrounded and annihilated the Han army.

However, at this moment, this brilliant move has become a foolish one that has led to their own demise.

The Han army's warships and large ships were pressing down from upstream, completely blocking Sun Jun's navy from retreating or maneuvering upstream.

Wu's navy, including the flagship ship personally commanded by Sun Jun, was now caught in a pincer attack by the main Han fleet and the luring minions and rafts in front.

The Han army's large warships, taking advantage of their size and the flow of the current, relentlessly rammed and crushed the Wu army's warships that were blocking their path.

The pole rose and fell, smashing the Wu boat and sending wood chips flying everywhere.

The elite Han soldiers, like wolves and tigers, swarmed onto the deck of the Wu ship as they boarded it…

How else can we fight this war?
In land battles, the docks have been lost, and the fortifications are in grave danger.

In the naval battle, the main force was surrounded and was on the verge of annihilation.

Pan Jun was immediately filled with fear and unease.

His heart was ashen, and his face was ashen.

"Grand Master Pan! You are in charge of the army and oversee the entire situation. Is it really... is there absolutely no way to resolve this?!"

The shout was like a wake-up call, jolting Pan Jun out of his dazed state.

He rescued Liao Shi from school official Lü Yi and made him his confidant.

He coughed a few times, then his eyes refocused:
"We haven't lost yet...it's not the final moment yet!"

"Somebody come!"

"Dispatch the red-horse-drawn light boat immediately!"

"Send more ships! Spread them out!"

"Go downstream immediately! Go to Zigui! Go to Xiling!"

"Go see Zhou Ziyu (Zhou Fang) and Zhu Yifeng (Zhu Ran)!"

"Tell them that the Shu people have melted the iron chains, broken through the Jiang Pass, and are advancing by land and water to besiege Wu County! Tell them to come to their aid immediately! Also... immediately report this military intelligence to His Majesty! Tell His Majesty... to have Jiangdong prepare to meet the enemy as soon as possible!"

Immediately afterwards, he drew the special sword from his waist, a symbol of his status as a general and the power of life and death.

The sword is drawn.

With his left hand, he grabbed a corner of his Confucian robe, and with a sudden swing of his sword, he cut off a piece of his garment with a "swoosh".

Without hesitation, he slashed his left index finger with the tip of his sword, the stinging pain giving him a slight jolt of energy.

Crimson blood beads quickly gushed out.

He clenched his teeth and wrote furiously on the white piece of clothing.

The handwriting was crooked and messy, and the bloodstains were initially thick and then faded.

"This humble subject, Jun, has disgraced Your Majesty's grace. If Wuxian falls, I will have no face to see Your Majesty again. My only recourse is death to repay Your Majesty's boundless kindness."

After writing, the man blew on the still-damp blood, carefully folded the blood-written letter, and handed it to a guard beside him:
"You personally lead a team, take the fastest boat, and find a way to break through..."

The guard accepted the blood-written letter with both hands and clasped his hands tightly, saying, "This humble general... obeys!"

Pan Jun waved wearily, signaling him to hurry up.

Not long after.

Seven or eight light boats, like startled fish, sailed out one after another from a small harbor downstream of the iron chain across the river, which had not yet been affected by the war, and desperately sped downstream with the help of the river current.

(End of this chapter)