Chapter 24: Fire Attack On Zongyang
Although Zheng Bao surrendered to Liu Xun, his forces remain, he has seven thousand troops loyal to him, his own base in Juchao County, and Zheng Bao himself is a local strongman of Juchao County.
Zheng Bao is also well aware that Liu Xun wants to use him as a shield to block Sun Ce’s attack.
With Zheng Bao’s shrewdness, Liu Xun cannot use him at all, no one can use him.
But a special situation still occurred, Liu Xun found the murderer who killed his son, Chaisang Gan Ning.
Zheng Bao also knows that Liu Xun did not deceive him, Lu Su is right by Gan Ning’s side, this is the most direct evidence.
Zheng Bao has two sons, Zheng Huai who died in East City is the eldest son, to avenge his eldest son, Zheng Bao unprecedentedly agreed to Liu Xun’s request, sending troops to take Chaisang for him.
Liu Xun simultaneously agreed to some conditions, allocating five hundred two-thousand-stone warships to him, providing all military supplies and grain, and after the matter, ceding Wan County and Xunyang County to Zheng Bao.
Zheng Bao gladly sent out troops, he personally led seven thousand troops, advancing along the Congyang River toward the Yangtze River.
At noon, Gan Ning’s fleet was still twenty li from Zongyang County.
Gan Ning brought four thousand men from Chaisang this time, Gan Ning of course wants to strike first, to eliminate his army before Zheng Bao sets out.
At this time, a small boat approached the fleet, Wang Xiaoman returned.
“Report to my lord, Zheng Bao and his seven thousand troops have already left Juchao County, heading toward Zongyang County, all on foot.
“They have no warships?” Gan Ning asked in some surprise.
“Not a single warship, and they are traveling light, no ships in Zongyang County either.”
Gan Ning originally planned to ambush Zheng Bao’s army midway, but now suddenly hearing that Zheng Bao is not using warships and has not brought grain and fodder supplies, Gan Ning immediately realizes that Zheng Bao will definitely wait in Zongyang County for the ships and grain provided by Liu Xun.
Gan Ning has one thousand eight hundred years more historical experience than people of this era, many stratagems from history directly come to mind.
His eyes turned, he thought of Zhuge Liang’s Battle of Bowang Slope, a brilliant stratagem immediately jumping to mind.
“How big is Zongyang County town?”
Wang Xiaoman thought for a moment and said: “Very small, a small county town, probably only half the size of Chaisang.”
“The house structures and materials are the same as Chaisang?” Gan Ning asked again.
Wang Xiaoman nodded, “All along the Yangtze River are similar, ordinary families are bamboo and wood structures, only the county yamen and powerful families use brick houses.”
Gan Ning thought of what Liu Ye said in the letter, Zheng Bao has no experience leading troops in battle, has never even been on a battlefield.
Gan Ning believes Zheng Bao absolutely will not demolish houses near the city walls.
South of Juchao County there is a large lake called Chao Lake, the Congyang River passes through the large lake, entering the Yangtze River at Zongyang County at the south lake mouth.
Zheng Bao of course is not directly entering the Yangtze River to kill toward Chaisang, he needs the warships and grain and supplies provided by Liu Xun, this is one of the conditions for his campaign.
The ships and grain supplies have not yet arrived, Zheng Bao led the army to occupy Zongyang County.
Zongyang County is a small county, with low city walls, the city perimeter only ten li, inside the city fewer than a thousand households, with seven thousand troops crowding in, the citizens inside the city were forced to vacate houses, fleeing with their wives and daughters to other places.
If they crowded together, their wives and daughters would suffer.
Night gradually deepened, Zongyang County became quiet, the seven thousand soldiers exhausted from the march, after eating dry rations, lay down and slept early.
Even the patrolling soldiers on the city walls could not resist drowsiness, each finding a place to sleep.
At the third watch, countless black shadows suddenly appeared around Zongyang, surrounding the county town from all directions.
The sentries on the city walls discovered many black shadows outside the city, hurriedly going to report to Zheng Bao.
Zheng Bao, sleeping groggily, said impatiently: “This must be the citizens inside the city, they didn’t go far, camping outside, ignore them.”
The sentry saluted and left, no longer minding the black shadows outside the city.
In the dark night, Gan Ning’s subordinates lit rocket after rocket, the soldiers drew bows and nocked arrows, together shooting the rockets into the city gate.
The reason Gan Ning thought of fire attack is related to the architectural style on both sides of the Yangtze River, summers here are extremely humid and hot, winters not cold, so all civilian houses on both sides of the Yangtze are mainly bamboo and wood structures, roofs covered with thatch, convenient for summer ventilation, river breeze blowing through the entire bamboo and wood house, especially cool.
Northern summers fear the sun, winters need warmth, so generally brick and earthen houses are used, but brick and earthen houses in the south are too stuffy and hot.
Bamboo and wood structures have the biggest weakness of fearing fire, places in the south are very careful with fire, trying not to use fire in homes, instead placing stoves outdoors for cooking.
At this time thousands of rockets shot into the county town from four directions, soon the civilian houses near the city walls inside the county town were rapidly ignited, the fire fueled by wind, burning very fiercely, with rockets continuously shot in from all around.
Soldiers inside the city were all choked awake by smoke and fire, scared and panicked, shouting and running out of rooms, ignoring armor and weapons, many even running barefoot onto the main street without shoes.
Inside the city everywhere thick smoke filled the air, fierce fire raging, the main street full of panicked fleeing crowds.
Zheng Bao rode out on horseback shouting: “You idiots, hurry back to get your weapons, put on your armor, bare-handed, do you all want to die?”
No one listened to his shouts, having barely escaped, who would be willing to return to the fiery houses now?
The whole city on fire, the greatest harm to soldiers is not the fierce fire, but the thick smoke, thick smoke filling the city, countless people choked breathless, many soldiers collapsing to the ground.
More soldiers covered their mouths and noses desperately fleeing toward the city gates or city walls, on the city walls the river wind could let them breathe a bit of fresh air.
But awaiting them on the city walls were Gan Ning’s two thousand soldiers, another two thousand deployed at the north and south city gates, Gan Ning’s army laid a dragnet, capturing all the escaping soldiers.
………..
The county town is very small, by dawn it had burned completely, only wisps of smoke left, the entire county town burned to white ground, corpses everywhere reflecting the tragedy at the time.
Fierce fire blazing, thick smoke filling the air, soldiers terrified shouting in the smoke, many collapsing never to wake, a total of two thousand bodies collected, most suffocated by smoke.
Soldiers clearing the ruins, finding some useful things, basically ruined battle sabers and spearheads with wooden handles burned off, these of course useful, can be melted down to reforge weapons.
At this time, Wang Ping quickly came forward and said: “My lord, we found Zheng Bao!”
Gan Ning followed Wang Ping to a rolled mat, Wang Ping unrolled the mat, revealing a pale-faced middle-aged man, quite fat, body drenched.
Wang Ping took out a dragon-phoenix jade pendant and handed it to Gan Ning, “This is his personal item!”
Gan Ning took the jade pendant and examined it carefully, the front engraved with ‘Zheng Huai’ two characters, the back with four characters, ‘In Memory of My Son’.
Gan Ning nodded, this is Zheng Bao.
“Why is his whole body drenched?”
“He drowned, we found him face down in a small pool, with a horse pressing on him, suffocating him underwater to death.”
Gan Ning sneered, “Actually drowned in the midst of fierce fire, looks like heaven’s will!”
At this time, Shen Mi hurriedly came to salute and said: “Report to my lord, a total of four thousand eight hundred surrendered, among them three thousand five hundred willing to serve my lord!”
Gan Ning thought for a moment and said: “Next, we disguise as Zheng Bao’s army, prepare to receive the warships and supplies from Liu Xun!”
Gan Ning said to Ding Feng and Chen Mu beside him: “You two lead one thousand brothers by ship to Juchao County, pack up and bring back all of Zheng Bao’s remaining reserves.”
“Understood!” Ding Feng and Chen Mu clasped fists in salute, and hurriedly left.
