Chapter 203: Cao And Liu Breach The City
News of Cao Ren’s failed attack on Jiangxia Commandery finally reached the North. This news greatly angered Cao Cao and forced him to change the combat plan. The original long-term siege strategy was changed to a rapid attack of surrounding on three sides and leaving one open. An army of one hundred thousand strongly attacked Ji County.
Inside the city, thirty thousand soldiers and tens of thousands of able-bodied citizens held the city. The rapid attack over more than ten days caused the Cao Army to lose over thirty thousand men. Even the strategist Guo Jia was struck in the head by a stray arrow. Cao Cao suffered heavy losses.
And at that moment, a major turning point arrived. Chen Qun escorted thirty thousand incendiary bombs to Ji County.
A soldier opened a small wooden box, and inside was an incendiary bomb. It was surrounded by thick hay, so it remained intact without breaking all the way north.
“What is this?” Cao Cao asked puzzled.
Chen Qun stroked his beard and smiled, “Reporting to the Chancellor, this is the incendiary bomb used by the Yuzhang Army. In fact, it is just a large incendiary bottle.
“Compared to the incendiary bottle, what is its advantage?”
“Reporting to the Chancellor, its advantage is the throwing distance. A hand-thrown incendiary bottle only reaches over thirty paces, at most to the city wall. But a catapult throwing incendiary bombs reaches at least two hundred paces and can be thrown directly inside the city. Moreover, if it is a giant trebuchet, it can even throw one li away, igniting fires inside the city and burning the whole city.”
Cao Cao thought for a moment and asked, “Throwing it into the city, how to ignite it?”
Chen Qun smiled slightly, “When throwing, coat the surface with a layer of fire oil and ignite it before throwing. After it shatters, the burning pottery shards become patches of fire sources!”
Cao Cao stroked his beard approvingly, “That’s good. What other good fire attack methods does the Yuzhang Army have?”
“According to the top-secret intelligence we obtained, the Yuzhang Army also developed fire oil mud, mixing fire oil with sulfur powder, bone powder, and chopped straw into a thin mud. Normally stored in leather pouches, when using, squeeze into oiled paper bags, ignite and throw out. It forms a large area of burning points in the air. They call it ‘fairy scattering flowers,’ a sharp weapon against nomadic cavalry. Warhorses are easily hit, and once hit, they go mad from burning, and the cavalry cannot control them.”
“What else?”
“There is also this kind of incendiary bomb in front of the Chancellor. When it shatters on impact, it splashes, easily splashing onto warhorse legs. Once a warhorse’s legs are hit by the burning fire oil, it will soon collapse in agony.”
Cao Cao nodded, “Catapults might not be convenient to carry!”
Chen Qun smiled slightly, “This subordinate has considered it. If the catapult is directly mounted on a cart, doesn’t it become a mobile catapult? Or make it smaller and mount it on a camel’s back, make the incendiary bombs fist-sized, and launch directly from the camel’s back. Wouldn’t that be very convenient?”
Cao Cao’s interest grew stronger, “What other novel firearms did the Yuzhang Army invent?”
“There is also a firearm they call fire kite, made into a wooden eagle filled with fire oil inside. After igniting, it is launched and can fly two or three li. Thousands of fire kites flying out together is a sharp weapon for night raids on enemy camps and cities. Chancellor, think about it, it can be launched from two or three li away.”
Cao Cao was a veteran of a hundred battles. Of course he knew what attacking an enemy camp from two or three li meant—it meant impossible to defend against. He hurriedly asked, “Does it have actual combat effects?”
“Yes! When they attacked Sun Ben’s army camp in Lujiang Commandery, they used fire kites, launched from two li away, directly burning Sun Ben’s army camp. Then the army attacked, and Sun Ben’s army was completely annihilated.”
Cao Cao narrowed his eyes looking at Ji County and said happily, “Immediately manufacture giant trebuchets. Let them taste the flavor of the city burning in fierce fire.”
Ten days later, the Cao Army made three hundred giant simple trebuchets. Each trebuchet was five zhang high and could throw three incendiary bombs one li away at a time.
This simple trebuchet could only be used ten times at most before breaking, but ten times was enough.
At nightfall, the Cao Army began the first large-scale fire attack. Led by the great general Xiahou Yuan, in one night, over ten thousand Cao Army soldiers used giant simple trebuchets to throw over ten thousand thirty-jin incendiary bombs into the city. The whole city burned, and Yuan Shao’s eldest son Yuan Tan was also burned to death in the fierce fire.
With no choice, Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi led one thousand cavalry to break out from West City and go to Liaoxi to seek refuge with Chanyu Tadun.
Although over ten thousand citizens were also burned to death, it was not important to Cao Cao. What mattered was that Ji County, besieged for a year and a half, was broken in one night without losing a single soldier. Cao Cao tasted the benefits of advanced fire oil weapons.
The only regret for Cao Cao was that these fire oil weapons came too late. The previous traditional siege had caused him heavy losses.
A few days later, something that pierced Cao Cao’s heart finally happened. The strategist Guo Jia ultimately succumbed to his severe wounds and passed away.
……….
At the same moment that Cao Cao completely crushed the Yuan Brothers, Liu Bei also led several tens of thousands of army to arrive under Chengdu.
During Liu Bei’s entry into Shu, he committed no offenses and won over local strongmen. Plus his own fame spread far, he quickly gained support from the Ba people power group and the Eastern Province Army. Important Eastern Province Army figures like Li Yan, Fa Zheng, and Fei Yi all surrendered to Liu Bei.
The Eastern Province Army consisted of citizens and aristocratic strongmen from Guanzhong, Jingzhou, and other places who fled into Bashu to seek refuge at the end of the Eastern Han. They quickly formed a powerful force. Initially used by Liu Yan to support his ascension, after Liu Zhang succeeded, he favored native forces and suppressed the Eastern Province forces, causing serious dissatisfaction and successive rebellions, all suppressed by Liu Zhang.
Just as the Eastern Province Group suffered repeated suppression, Liu Bei entered Sichuan. Liu Bei first gained support from the Ba people power group represented by Ba Commandery Prefect Yan Yan. With Ba Commandery as the foundation, he stood firm in Shuzhong. On Zhuge Liang’s suggestion, he won over the Eastern Province Group, thereby gaining their support.
With the support of the two major forces, the Eastern Province Group and the Ba people Group, Liu Bei’s army advanced unstoppable and led eighty thousand army under Chengdu. He sent someone to write a letter demanding Liu Zhang surrender and promised to treat his family well and ensure their generational wealth and honor.
Liu Zhang was about thirty-five or thirty-six years old, cowardly and suspicious, lacking decisiveness. He still had sixty thousand troops distributed in various places, with only over ten thousand in Chengdu. Several subordinates had long urged him to quickly assemble troops and concentrate them in Chengdu, but Liu Zhang kept hesitating until Liu Bei led eighty thousand army under the city. Then he panicked and wanted to assemble troops, but it was too late.
The messengers he sent with letters were all captured by Liu Bei’s patrol soldiers. Not a single letter got out. Plus Liu Zhang had not established a carrier pigeon message system. Once Chengdu was besieged, there would basically be no reinforcements.
Liu Zhang was uneasy in the official residence. Liu Bei had given him three days to consider, but he still could not make up his mind. He still fantasized about reinforcements.
At this time, Assistant Administrator Zhang Song hurriedly came to Liu Zhang with Liu Bei’s second surrender letter.
“My lord, this is the personal letter Liu Bei sent to my lord. This is the second letter. My lord, take a look!”
After reading the letter, Liu Zhang was silent for a long time. Zhang Song grew anxious, “My lord, some officers and soldiers are already preparing to open the city and surrender. If my lord does not decide soon, once Liu Bei’s army enters the city, these terms will be gone. My lord is still hesitating, your head will not be safe. What exactly does my lord want?”
After a long while, Liu Zhang said, “Give me a bit more time to consider?”
Zhang Song walked out of the room, looked up to the sky and sighed, “If you don’t seize the opportunity, it’s useless to regret after losing it.”
In the afternoon, Shu Commandery Prefect Pang Yi opened the city and surrendered. Liu Bei led the army into the city.
Only then did Liu Zhang panic and hurriedly seek Zhang Song to surrender, but Zhang Song had already surrendered to Liu Bei together with Pang Yi.
Only then did Liu Zhang realize there was not a single official by his side. He had become isolated and helpless.
Full of regret, Liu Zhang had no choice but to bare his upper body, hang the seal around his neck, and kneel to surrender with his several sons.
The generous terms Liu Bei had offered him were gone. At most, his whole family’s lives would be spared, giving him the life of a wealthy man. But even to save his life, Liu Zhang had to pay a price.
Liu Zhang ordered the troops everywhere to lay down their weapons and surrender to Liu Bei. This was also his only remaining use.
