Chapter 256: Battle At Queyue Begins
‘Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!’ The Cao Army’s majestic war drum sounds echoed on the broad east bank of the Han River. Amid the earth-shaking drum sounds from thousands of large drums striking simultaneously, five ten-thousand-man square formations escorted Commander Cao Ren as he slowly approached Queyue City.
In front of and behind the commander’s large formation composed of ten thousand troops, there were two ten-thousand-man infantry square formations distributed on both sides. The pitch-black army stretched endlessly, extending for ten li.
This time, Cao Ren commanded the most elite iron armor army in the Cao Army. These were iron armors captured by Cao Cao during his southern and northern campaigns, accumulated bit by bit from countless campaigns into an elite army. Every soldier wore iron armor, a dense iron helmet on his head revealing only his eyes and mouth, and held an extremely sharp infantry spear.
In the distance, there was also a ten-thousand-man logistics army. For this attack on Queyue City, Cao Ren had staked sixty thousand troops. He wanted to flatten Queyue City in one stroke, using the myth of defeating the Western Chu Army to wash away the shame of his disastrous defeat last year, then cross the river again to completely destroy the Western Chu political power.
Cao Ren sat on a tall and divine warhorse, gazing coldly at the Western Chu Army’s temporary obstructive ditches one li away that had already been filled flat, looking toward the majestic city standing in the distance.
At this moment, an image of Queyue City being captured appeared in his mind: firelight rushing to the sky, enemy army soldiers kneeling before his horse begging for mercy everywhere, the city wall collapsing with a crash under his army’s iron hooves. At that moment, last year’s shame would finally be completely washed away.
This extremely tempting and desired scene was about to appear. Cao Ren was already a bit impatient. At this point, he was no longer just seeking revenge for himself. He wanted to level this city, to make Gan Ning and Sun Quan understand that the Cao Army’s power was invincible, the Cao Army’s iron hooves were indestructible, and any resistance was futile.
Cao Ren stared in the direction of Queyue City with the cold gaze of a leopard, then turned back and sternly said to Zhang Liao: “General Zhang, I give you three days to raze Queyue City for me!”
“This subordinate obeys the order!”
Zhang Liao knew the mission was difficult, but he still accepted the order grimly. Before a military order, there was no room for bargaining.
The sixty-thousand-strong army began to set up a large camp, cutting down trees around to make camp palisades. Tents sprang up like mushrooms after rain, forming a large area of white tent zones.
The Cao Army camp was about three li from Queyue City. This was not accidental; it was a safety distance determined after the Cao Army repeatedly tested with fire kites.
Huang Zhong stood on the city wall, holding a thousand-mile eye, his brows furrowed heavily as he observed the Cao Army camp. The thousand-mile eye brought him more detailed intelligence.
He could see clearly: the Cao Army intelligence was wrong, they had underestimated the enemy. They had not prepared giant trebuchets or various protective equipment. The Cao Army only wanted to use conventional siege methods—pontoon bridges, siege ladders. Perhaps they had not even imagined that three hundred giant trebuchets were already prepared inside the city.
Although he knew the Cao Army had underestimated them, Huang Zhong felt no complacency. His gaze was grave; he was considering how to strike the enemy army to the greatest extent and completely rout Cao Ren.
The next morning, horn sounds continuously blared. Fifty thousand troops assembled, and under Zhang Liao’s command, the fifty thousand troops began to advance majestically toward Queyue City. Over a thousand large drums beat, the drum sounds like thunder, audible dozens of li away.
The fifty-thousand-strong army was full of killing intent. Amid the dense army followed hundreds of siege ladders and pontoon bridges. Cao Army soldiers exerted themselves carrying them forward, charging toward Queyue City three li away with an unstoppable killing aura.
Banners fluttered on the walls of Queyue City. Six thousand Western Chu Army troops stood in formation on the city wall. They wore leather armor, eagle ridge helmets on their heads, held infantry bows and heavy arrows in hand, each with resolute gazes. Three hundred giant trebuchets stood like three hundred giants inside the city.
Cao Ren’s army halted one li from Queyue City, but the drum sounds did not stop, still earth-shaking. Zhang Liao waved his hand, and countless soldiers carried pontoon bridge rafts rushing toward the moat.
These pontoon bridge rafts were also made yesterday while making the camp palisades—a simple river-crossing pontoon bridge. Rafts were connected by iron chains; as long as both ends were fixed, soldiers could step on the rafts to cross the moat.
Arrows rained down from above. The defending soldiers also used the most conventional defense method. Huang Zhong’s gaze was cold and stern; he wanted to wait for the enemy army to cross the moat on a large scale before cutting off their retreat.
Dense arrow rain fell covering the sky. Cao Army soldiers laying the pontoon bridges were constantly hit by arrows, cries of agony rising, but thousands of Cao Army soldiers still held shields, laying pontoon bridges on the water surface.
“Old General, use the firearms!” Deputy General Fu Tong said tensely.
“No!” Huang Zhong stared coldly at the Cao Army. “Not yet—await my command!”
“Obeying the order!” Fu Tong hurried off.
At this time, Cao Ren’s gaze also fixed on Queyue City and the moat. This fortress’s defenses secretly shocked him. In his impression, cities in Jianghuai were relatively low and short, with moats at most slightly wider, but this castle was so tall and sturdy, with a broad river channel. He felt a bit of secret regret in his heart—three days’ time, he had boasted too much.
“General, three days’ time probably won’t be enough to take this castle.” Yu Jin said worriedly beside Cao Ren.
“If we can’t take it, we still have to attack!”
Cao Ren gritted his teeth. Though the city was tall and sturdy, the opposing army numbered only six thousand—like a skinny short soldier holding a giant shield. With a weak foundation, no matter how sturdy the shield, it was useless.
“General!” Yu Jin continued to persuade: “The opponent’s defense is too weak. With Gan Ning’s shrewdness, he wouldn’t make this mistake. This subordinate knows him; he always plans thoroughly before acting. They likely still have some secret weapon hidden. We’ve committed too many troops; there will be heavy casualties.”
Yu Jin had clashed with Gan Ning before; he understood him. Gan Ning never did meaningless things. Leaving such a weakly defended city in Jiangbei was meaningless.
Cao Ren’s heart wavered for a moment, but the urgency to wash away his shame made that instant of wavering disappear immediately.
He gritted his teeth and ordered: “Pass my command: thirty thousand troops press on, take Queyue City before noon.”
Cao Ren was prepared to pay any price, using a fierce offensive to take this fortress in one go.
‘Dong! Dong! Dong!’ Earth-shaking drum sounds rang out again. Thirty thousand Cao troops surged like tides, escorting over a hundred siege ladders charging toward Queyue City.
The hundred siege ladders were carried by soldiers, charging with great momentum toward Queyue City one li away. The first batch of ten thousand soldiers rushed across the thirty-zhang-wide moat along three pontoon bridges.
They charged into archery range. Arrows from the Western Chu Army on the city rained down. Five thousand heavy arrows densely shot toward the enemy army. Heavy arrows for city defense were longer and heavier than riding arrows. Shot from high places, they carried their own weight toward the enemy, with extremely strong lethality.
Cao Army soldiers raised shields to meet them. Cao Army shields could not block the Western Chu Army’s dense crossbow bolts, let alone the heavy arrows. Many shields were pierced by arrows, killing the enemies behind them. Soldiers cried out in agony and fell in patches.
But Cao Army soldiers pressed on relentlessly. Wearing leather armor, holding shields and spears, their shouts of killing shook the sky. War finally erupted in this slightly chilly autumn.
