Chapter 173: Replicating Tactics
The army of thirty thousand killed their way all the way to Shu County. There is a small river connecting Wan County to Shu County, and over a thousand supply boats followed along this small river and arrived at Shu County simultaneously with the army.
Yuzhang Commandery set up barracks on the open space three li west of the county town, right next to the small river.
The three armies setting out for Lujiang Commandery and Jiujiang this time were General Taishi’s army, Zhao Yun’s army, and Xu Sheng’s army respectively, with Huang Zhong’s army as backup. They could all stand on their own.
But for joint operations, it was generally Gan Ning himself or the strategist serving as commander. This was a characteristic gradually formed by Gan Ning’s army after going through multiple campaigns. Therefore, the commander for capturing Lujiang Commandery this time was Strategist Xu Shu.
As for Jiujiang Commandery, it would involve negotiations with the Cao Army, so Gan Ning had to personally serve as commander.
Xu Shu stood in front of the city wall observing Shu County’s defenses. Although they had already gathered a large amount of intelligence and knew this city like the back of their hand, Xu Shu still wanted to take a close look on site.
Surrounded by dozens of great generals, Xu Shu walked a circle around the county town. The perimeter of Shu County was about thirty li, with tall and sturdy city walls. The moat was not wide, only about three zhang, but the drawbridge was very high and thick, pulled by huge iron chains, and there was no water gate either. The vulnerability in Wan County did not exist here.
It seemed difficult to attack from the city gate. Xu Shu nodded to himself, then turned back with a smile and asked Zhao Yun, “General Zi Long, what are your thoughts on attacking the city?”
Zhao Yun pondered for a moment and said, “This subordinate has carefully observed this city. I feel it is very similar to Xiling County. I suggest using the same tactics as in Xiling County.”
Xu Shu asked Taishi Ci again, “What is General Taishi’s opinion?”
Taishi Ci nodded. “This subordinate agrees with General Zi Long’s plan. Fire attack is the best method, especially since we have powerful siege firearms. It is definitely worth a try.”
Xu Shu nodded. “Both generals have spoken exactly what I was thinking.”
On the city wall, Xu Qian nervously watched the Yuzhang Army below. They had come too suddenly, and he had no psychological preparation at all. What made him even more uneasy was that there was no news at all from the barracks on the Wanshui River side. His brother was probably in grave danger.
“General Wang, send a team of scouts to probe twenty li outside the East City Gate and see if there is any enemy ambush.”
“Understood!” Deputy General Wang Hui hurriedly left.
Xu Qian then summoned the personal guard leader and said in a low voice, “Prepare the warhorses. Once the situation turns unfavorable, we immediately withdraw from the East City.”
The personal guard leader nodded and also hurriedly left.
Xu Qian was cunning and sly. He would never put himself in danger. He was not truly loyal to any lord; he was only loyal to himself.
The next morning, war drums sounded in the Yuzhang Army barracks. “Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!”
The army of thirty thousand quickly formed ranks, with banners fluttering, spears like a forest, and the army brimming with killing intent. At the very front were three thousand vanguard army soldiers. The vanguard always took the lead in military merit, with exceptionally generous rewards—ten times that of ordinary defending soldiers—or a heavy reward of thirty mu of superior farmland. Pensions for the fallen were several times the usual. Participating in the vanguard once basically meant no worries for the rest of one’s life.
At this time, a hundred siege catapults appeared—medium-sized catapults, exactly like those used in the tactics for attacking Xiling County, though the catapults had been upgraded with much improved accuracy.
Each catapult was guarded by twenty soldiers: ten soldiers walked at the front forming a shield wall, while the other ten pushed the catapult slowly forward.
Just as they approached within one hundred fifty paces, arrows rained down from the city wall, blanketing the Yuzhang Army outside the city. But there were only two thousand catapult operators in the Yuzhang Army, and they were relatively dispersed with shield protection. After one volley of arrows, only dozens suffered minor injuries, with basically no major impact. But the hundred catapults were already in position.
“Fire at will!” the leading general shouted.
“Bang! Bang! Bang!”
One incendiary bomb after another, blazing fiercely, flew toward the city wall. So-called incendiary bombs were the elegant name for fire oil cans. Of course, they were no longer the initial kind of water-filled pottery jars. These were specially fired round thin-skinned pottery vessels with only a tubular small opening. Ten jin of fire oil was injected through this small opening into the canister, then sealed with wax.
At launch, the outer shell was coated with another layer of fire oil and ignited before firing. Once it landed and shattered, the burning pottery shards would ignite the spilled fire oil—very convenient and simple.
Of course, simplicity meant it was easy to imitate, and this incendiary bomb would soon spread to armies everywhere, unavoidable.
Over a hundred incendiary bombs soared into the air toward the city wall. The soldiers on the city wall shouted and crouched down one after another. Immediately after, round pottery canisters shattered around them, with fierce flames rapidly burning up. The city wall instantly descended into chaos.
Before long, the city wall was ablaze with fire attack, thick smoke billowing. Xu Shu ordered, “Beat the drums, attack!”
“Dong! Dong! Dong! Dong!”
The war drums beat fiercely. The three thousand vanguard army soldiers carried siege ladders and charged toward the city walls, each with a soaked military blanket draped over their backs, including their clothes, shoes, and socks wet through from inside out.
Temporary wooden bridges were quickly laid over the moat. The vanguard army rushed across the moat, set up siege ladder after siege ladder against the city wall, bit their battle sabers in their mouths, raised shields, and swarmed upward.
By now, five volleys of incendiary bombs had been thrown onto the city wall, with raging flames and rolling thick smoke. Even defending soldiers who did not flee would be overcome by the smoke.
The soldiers reached the city wall and found no defending soldiers. They immediately covered their mouths and noses with wet cloths, crouched low, and dashed along the city wall trench. Soon they rushed out of the sea of fire. The defending soldiers on the city wall suddenly saw large numbers of enemy troops charging out of the thick smoke and were stunned.
Both sides shouted and fierce battle erupted. The vanguard army’s mission was clear: they had to seize a section of the city wall untouched by the incendiary bombs to create conditions for the main army to ascend.
An army of twenty thousand, led by Zhao Yun and Taishi Ci, charged toward the city wall. A striking red banner had already been raised on the city wall—that was their ascent point.
Over a hundred siege ladders were placed against the city wall, and the twenty thousand army bravely climbed upward. The defending troops on the city wall began to flee. Many realized that Shucheng County was lost.
Xu Qian led three hundred personal guards on warhorses and charged out of the East City Gate, galloping eastward. This was actually a retreat route specially left by Xu Shu for the enemy commander. As soon as the commander fled, street fighting would not happen.
The twenty thousand army killed their way onto the city wall. Everywhere were soldiers kneeling in surrender. The drawbridge at the West City Gate had been lowered, the city gate wide open, and the remaining ten thousand troops also charged into the city from the West City Gate.
Street fighting indeed did not happen. Xu Qian fled first, leaving the city troops leaderless and forced to surrender—that was their only way to survive.
In merely one hour, the war ended. Never had they captured such a sturdy city so cleanly and decisively. There were of course many reasons: the defenders were unprepared and responded hastily, the commander was incompetent and fled, and the Yuzhang Army’s incendiary bombs played a key role.
With the fall of Shucheng County, Lujiang Commandery had fallen.
At the same time, Gan Ning also set out from Chaisang toward Lujiang Commandery. The upcoming attack on Jiujiang Commandery would be personally commanded by him.
