Chapter 204: Fire Burns Yiling
In early August, Cao Cao led the army to station in Yecheng and prepared to move the capital to Yecheng. The Yuan Clan’s forces had been completely destroyed. Although Yuan Shang and Yuan Xi were still in Liaoxi, their momentum was gone, and it was impossible for them to turn the tables.
Cao Ren had been recalled by Cao Cao due to his disastrous defeat from unauthorizedly attacking Jiangxia Commandery. Xiahou Yuan and Deputy General Xu Huang were now stationed in Nan Commandery, the strategist was changed to Xun Yu, and Cheng Yu was transferred back to Yecheng.
With Xiahou Yuan stationed in Nan Commandery, the strategic direction was immediately adjusted. He no longer considered Jiangxia Commandery but focused on how to capture Yiling County, which was a nail Liu Bei had planted in Nan Commandery. If it was not taken, Liu Bei’s army could rush into Nan Commandery at any time, especially threatening Jiangling’s safety.
Xiahou Yuan was fully aware of this. He made a military order pledge before Cao Cao to capture Yiling County within three months. Xiahou Yuan dared to make the pledge for a reason: he was the main force in the Battle of Ji County, personally commanding the giant trebuchet to fire-burn Ji County. Xiahou Yuan had truly tasted the benefits of fire attack, so he prepared to use the same trick from attacking Ji County on Yiling County.
Xiahou Yuan and Xu Huang led sixty thousand army to arrive at Yiling County, where there was only ten thousand army stationed by Guan Yu and Liu Qi.
Xiahou Yuan set up barracks three li away and ordered that within ten days, all one hundred fifty giant trebuchets be fully assembled. These trebuchets were all transported from Jiangling; a single giant throwing pole required three ships to carry, and a single wooden wheel also required one ship.
This could also be considered the pinnacle of northern long-range weapon development. Giant trebuchets reaching five zhang high could not even be made in Yuzhang Commandery. They took a year to manufacture and were transported from Xuchang.
But their purpose was not to attack the city; rather, it was to blockade the Han River, deployed on Zhangshan Mountain north of Jingling County, which was also the narrowest point of the Han River. After blockading the Han River, it could effectively suppress the Yuzhang Army warships’ control of the Han River.
Ten days later, the one hundred fifty giant trebuchets were assembled. This giant trebuchet reached five zhang high, equipped with eight large wooden wheels, each wheel taller than a person. The throwing pole was over ten zhang long, and each trebuchet required a hundred men to operate, with just the operating soldiers numbering fifteen thousand.
Additionally, each giant trebuchet was equipped with a giant baffle. Each baffle was three zhang high and four zhang long, also fitted with wheels. It could effectively protect the soldiers operating the trebuchets from being shot and killed by crossbows from the city wall.
As dusk fell and weary birds returned to the woods, twilight had enveloped the earth, yet the Cao Army unexpectedly mobilized.
Sixty thousand army escorted the one hundred fifty giant trebuchets and baffles rumbling forward. Thirty oxen pulled the trebuchets, while soldiers hid behind the baffles, pushing them ahead. When still one hundred twenty paces from the city, the trebuchets stopped advancing. Arrows rained down from the city wall like droplets, but over ninety percent were blocked by the baffles.
The one hundred fifty giant trebuchets stood like one hundred fifty gods, lined up in a row, majestically towering in front of the city wall.
Guan Yu stood on the city wall watching the enemy army’s trebuchets, which were two zhang taller than the city wall. He grew greatly anxious in his heart. The opponent’s giant trebuchets were positioned just over one hundred paces away, which surely meant they intended to attack inside the city. He turned and shouted loudly: “Have the citizens in East City withdraw to West City!”
Chaos erupted inside the city. “Dang! Dang! Dang!” The gongs rang urgently. Soldiers shouted: “All citizens withdraw to West City! If you don’t withdraw now, it will be too late!”
The main street was filled with citizens carrying large and small bundles, fleeing toward West City with their families in tow, escaping in the night.
Xiahou Yuan coldly watched Yiling County Town. He waved his hand: “Fire!”
Soldiers raised torches to ignite the incendiary bombs in the pots, and the long poles swung powerfully. Three incendiary bombs soared into the air trailing fierce flames toward the city. The first volley launched four hundred fifty incendiary bombs.
Citizens inside the city were in the midst of emergency evacuation when incendiary bombs suddenly rained down from the sky, smashing onto rooftops and the ground, shattering on impact with fire oil splashing everywhere, instantly ignited by the pottery shards, creating clusters of fierce fire all around.
Shouts of terror immediately rose from all directions. Families still packing their belongings abandoned them and fled with their kin. Another volley of incendiary bombs followed into the city. After just three volleys, seventy percent of the houses in East City were ignited, engulfed in a sea of flames, with thick smoke blanketing the county town.
Even the soldiers on the city wall were choked by the thick smoke. Guan Yu realized the situation was dire and immediately ordered: “The entire army withdraw to West City!”
The ten thousand soldiers on the city wall swiftly withdrew along the wall toward West City.
By then, the fire had rapidly spread toward West City, growing larger and larger. Half the city was swallowed by the inferno. The West City Gate was already open, and tens of thousands of citizens, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, scrambled desperately to flee outside the city amid cries and shouts everywhere.
The one hundred fifty giant trebuchets outside East City continued launching incendiary bombs, firing a full ten volleys—four thousand five hundred incendiary bombs into the city—before temporarily halting.
At this point, the entire Yiling County was engulfed in flames. Guan Yu, standing ten li away, looked back at the Yiling County swallowed by fire and let out a long sigh. He led his ten thousand army to escort over a hundred thousand citizens in withdrawing toward the Three Gorges Path.
………..
Ten days later, Gan Ning received a detailed report on the Cao Army’s attack on Yiling County. This report drew Gan Ning’s utmost attention: one hundred fifty giant trebuchets five zhang high had used incendiary bombs to burn down the entire county town.
It took Gan Ning a long while to react. Incendiary bombs—Cao Cao had copied his invention, even using the exact same name. But Cao Cao had outdone the teacher with his student, using giant trebuchets to directly burn Yiling County to the ground.
The form of war had been completely changed. If Cao Cao had learned to use incendiary bombs during the Battle of Guandu, he would have easily defeated Yuan Shao long ago. All of this stemmed from introducing incendiary bottles and incendiary bombs, which were not used until the Ming Dynasty, into the Three Kingdoms Period—war had rapidly evolved.
However, this cruel city-burning fire warfare was a catastrophic disaster for the citizens. Yet in the face of war, how many warlords would pity the lives of the citizens?
Xiao Xia let out a long sigh and pulled a thin cord. Soon, Lu Xun hurried in, bowed, and saluted: “Greetings, General!”
“Go invite the Military and Political Hall members. There is an important matter to discuss!”
The Military and Political Hall was the highest council dominated by Gan Ning, including the heads of military and political affairs: Lu Su, Xu Shu, Pang Tong, Jiang Wan, Yin Mo, Bu Zhi, Zhuge Jin, and seven others. Various colonels and great generals were also eligible to attend as observers.
Gan Ning waved his hand, and the high officials on both sides fell silent. The hall quieted down.
“We just received intelligence from Nan Commandery. Xiahou Yuan used one hundred fifty giant trebuchets to hurl thousands of incendiary bombs into Yiling County, burning the entire county town to the ground overnight. The Yiling County Town that Cao Ren could never breach before was taken so easily without losing a single soldier. Everyone, the form of war will undergo a massive change henceforth—fire attack will become the primary method of combat.”
