Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 1302 Cao Hong ambushed while besieged in Nanyang

The common people peered through the cracks in their doors at the soldiers patrolling the streets, feeling that although Wancheng was not besieged by the enemy, it was already like an airtight prison.

During the day, the once bustling streets and alleys were deserted, save for the footsteps of armored soldiers and the shouts of laborers. Occasionally, a window would be quietly pushed open a crack, revealing pairs of fearful eyes, which would quickly close again at the angry shouts of the soldiers. At night, every household would turn off their lights and close their doors, and even the barking of dogs was rarely heard; the entire city was as silent as a tomb.

Guo Huai, however, was quite satisfied with this "dead silence." Every day, he climbed the city wall to inspect the defenses. Watching the laborers pile up stones and logs even higher, and seeing the archers standing ready at the battlements, he felt somewhat at ease. In his view, as long as the people dared not make any moves, with the strong walls of Wancheng and sufficient supplies, they would surely be able to hold out until Cao Hong's reinforcements arrived.

Liu Bei's army was at the city gates. Zhuge Liang looked out from the northwest Moshan Mountain, gazing at the densely packed armored soldiers on the city walls and the tightly closed city gates, then at the deserted streets, and gently shook his feather fan: "Guo Huai is indeed ruthless, actually using an iron fist to lock down the city."

Liu Bei reined in his horse and stood before the Baihe River, gazing at the "Cao" banner fluttering atop the city wall. He frowned slightly: "In this way, the people are caught up in the chaos, and a direct assault will be difficult."

Unable to contain himself, Zhang Fei roared, "To hell with their city siege! Let's attack the city and see how long they can hold out!"

Guo Huai heard everything clearly from the city wall. He sneered and said to his personal guards, "Pass down the order to prepare fire arrows. If the enemy gets close, set fire to the firewood outside the moat. I want them to know that Wancheng is not Xinye. If they want to enter this city, they will have to cross a sea of ​​fire first!"

The torches on the city wall suddenly lit up, illuminating Guo Huai's resolute face. Liu Bei, standing below the city, looked at the tightly closed city gates and the deserted streets, and a heavy feeling suddenly welled up in his heart. This seemingly impregnable Wancheng had actually dragged the people and the defending army into a desperate situation, and the way out seemed to be more difficult than imagined.

Inside the Jingzhou army camp outside Wancheng, the candlelight flickered, reflecting Liu Bei's furrowed brow. After three days of continuous siege, the Jingzhou soldiers had lost thousands of men, yet they hadn't even touched the edge of the city walls. Stones and logs rained down from the walls, and arrows were so dense they resembled a woven net, forcing each charge to be repelled.

"Gentlemen," Liu Bei looked at his generals in the tent with deep concern, "our army originally marched north to quell the rebels, are we really going to be trapped and die here in Wancheng?"

Silence fell over the tent for a moment. Zhang Fei, unable to contain himself, shouted in a rough voice, "Brother, don't be impatient! Give me three more days, and I will definitely lead the army to break down the city gate!"

“No.” Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan and slowly spoke, “My lord, Guo Huai is holding Wancheng firmly, only daring to defend passively, and never venturing out of the city to engage in battle. This shows that he lacks confidence and relies entirely on the city’s defenses. In my opinion, it would be better to divide our forces.”

He turned to Wen Ping, his gaze gentle yet resolute: "General Wen Ping once guarded Wancheng and is familiar with the terrain. We can leave General Wen Ping with 10,000 troops to besiege this place, only defending and not attacking, thus wearing down Guo Huai."

"Then should I wait?" Liu Bei pressed.

"My lord, you can lead the main force, along with Generals Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun, to clear out the remaining counties of Nanyang Commandery, and then head straight for Runan." Zhuge Liang walked to the map, his fingertips tracing the cities surrounding Nanyang. "Guo Huai is besieged in Wancheng, isolated and without reinforcements. Even with his great abilities, he will surely collapse without a fight in a few months. Cao Hong's reinforcements from Qiao Commandery will arrive sooner or later. We should first clear out Nanyang, then meet the reinforcements head-on, and then take Runan. By then, Wancheng will be an isolated city, easy to conquer, and Nanyang Commandery will naturally submit to us."

Wen Ping stepped forward, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general obeys! I will definitely trap Guo Huai here and not let him leave the city even a step!"

Liu Bei pondered for a moment, then slammed his hand on the table: "Strategist, this plan is brilliant! Let's proceed accordingly!"

The next day at dawn, Wen Ping led 10,000 Jingzhou soldiers to build a camp outside Wancheng, digging deep trenches and erecting palisades, setting up a posture of long-term siege. Guo Huai saw this from the city wall and his heart sank. This was the situation he feared most. If they were bogged down, reinforcements would be slow to arrive, and the city's food supplies would run out sooner or later.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei personally led his main force, with Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun as the vanguard, to begin clearing out the counties of Nanyang Commandery. The garrison troops in those counties were already few in number, and seeing the overwhelming strength of the Jingzhou army, most surrendered without resistance. The few who resisted were quickly defeated by Zhang Fei and Zhao Yun's army.

In just three days, all the dozen or so counties under the jurisdiction of Nanyang Commandery were recovered by the Jingzhou army, leaving only Wancheng standing alone in the center, becoming a truly isolated city.

Wen Ping drilled his troops outside the city every day, but did not attack the city. Instead, he sent scouts to block all roads leading to Wancheng. Guo Huai, on the city wall, looked at the peaceful Jingzhou military camp outside the city, and then at the surrounding counties where the "Liu" flag was now flying everywhere. His unease grew heavier. The messengers he sent out to ask for help kept disappearing without a trace, and the city's food supplies were also running low. Even the laborers' rations were almost exhausted.

"General," Zhu Zan approached with a worried expression, "the Jingzhou troops outside the city aren't attacking at all, they're just surrounding it... What should we do?"

Guo Huai gazed at the distant horizon, his voice hoarse: "We can only wait... wait for General Cao Hong's reinforcements." But he knew that these words were more like comforting himself.

Meanwhile, Liu Bei had led his army to the border between Nanyang and Runan counties, and was preparing to meet Cao Hong's reinforcements. Zhuge Liang stood on a high slope, looking towards Nanyang, and said softly, "My lord, Nanyang is now under our control. Next, it will be the turn of Qiao County's reinforcements."

Looking at the high morale of his Jingzhou soldiers, Liu Bei's eyes rekindled with fighting spirit: "Send out the order to be on high alert and to defeat Cao Hong at all costs, clearing the way for our northward campaign against the rebels!"

Cao Hong led 10,000 reinforcements just outside the border of Runan County when the sound of horses' hooves echoed across the open fields like a rapid drumbeat. He reined in his horse, gazing at the undulating hills ahead, his heart burning with anxiety. In the past few days, urgent reports from Wancheng had been arriving one after another, but in the last two days, no military reports had come. He feared that the situation in Nanyang County was likely dire.

"Speed ​​up the march!" Cao Hong shouted back, "We must reach Wuyin before nightfall and then march straight for Wancheng first thing tomorrow morning!"

The army marched through the valley between the mountains, the slopes on both sides covered with dense forests and grass, the sunlight fragmented by the branches and leaves. The deeper they went, the quieter it became, even the chirping of birds disappeared, only the sound of horses' hooves echoing in the valley.

"General," the lieutenant urged his horse forward, his voice extremely low, "this valley is too quiet. There's not a sound from the woods on either side. I'm afraid..."

Cao Hong's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly reined in his horse. A seasoned warrior, he was all too familiar with this eerie, deathly silence—a sign that an ambush was imminent!

"Not good!" Just as Cao Hong was about to order an investigation, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the woods on the left slope: "Cao Hong, you scoundrel! I, Old Zhang, have been waiting here for a long time!"

Before the words were finished, a figure as black as an iron tower rushed out of the forest carrying an eighteen-foot spear—it was Zhang Fei! Instantly, countless banners rose from the grass on both sides of the slope, and the Jingzhou soldiers surged down like a tide, their battle cries echoing through the valley.

"Ambush! Retreat!" Cao Hong was terrified and turned his horse to rush out of the valley. But just as the rear guard was about to turn around, Zhang Fei and his personal guards had already broken through the formation, their spears flying, blocking the retreat route completely.

"General, the rear guard is entangled!" The lieutenant, his face ashen, pointed to the rear, which Zhang Fei had turned into a complete mess. "What do we do?"

Cao Hong glanced back and saw Zhang Fei moving as if he were in an empty field. With a sweep of his eighteen-foot spear, Cao soldiers' armor shattered and men and horses rolled. The sheer ferocity of Zhang Fei sent shivers down Cao Hong's spine. He knew that if he encountered such a brute, a direct confrontation would only lead to his death.

"Retreat! Retreat now!" Cao Hong gritted his teeth, a fierce glint in his eyes. "The vanguard becomes the rearguard, charge out! Forget about the rearguard!"

This was a resolute decision, a willingness to sacrifice half of his troops in order to ensure the main force could break through the encirclement.

But just as he led his troops to the middle of the valley, a shout suddenly rang out from the opposite slope. An old general stood with his sword drawn, none other than Huang Zhong! The Jingzhou soldiers behind him pushed rolling stones and logs down the valley, blocking the other side of the valley entrance as well.

"Where do you think you're going, Cao Hong!" Huang Zhong's voice boomed like a bell. He brandished his broadsword and led his troops in a charge.

Perched atop the high hill, Zhuge Liang, command flag in hand, surveyed the chaotic battle raging in the valley, his feather fan waving lightly. The flag traced an arc in the air, and from the distant dense forest came the rapid sound of hooves—Zhao Yun's Jingzhou cavalry, like a silver lightning bolt, galloped down the gentle slope beside the valley, heading straight for Cao Hong's central army!

"It's Zhao Yun!" Cao's soldiers exclaimed. The cavalry was too fast; the dust kicked up by their horses' hooves blotted out the sky, and the tips of their spears gleamed with a deadly cold light in the sunlight.

Seeing himself trapped with Huang Zhong blocking his path from the front, Zhang Fei chasing from behind, and Zhao Yun flanking him from the sides, Cao Hong felt a chill run down his spine. He whipped his horse's rump and charged forward like a madman, yelling, "Charge out! There's a reward for breaking through!"

But the Jingzhou troops had already woven a tight net. Zhang Fei held them off from the rear, Huang Zhong charged ahead without yielding an inch, and Zhao Yun's cavalry, like sharp blades, sliced ​​through Cao Cao's ranks layer by layer. Blood and flesh flew everywhere in the valley, screams mingled with the clang of metal, becoming the death knell for Cao Hong's reinforcements.

Standing atop the high hill, Zhuge Liang gazed at the gradually clearing victories in the valley and let out a soft sigh of relief. This battle was not only about repelling the reinforcements, but also about crushing the Cao family's confidence in Nanyang. Only then would Guo Huai of Wancheng truly despair.

As the sun set, the sounds of battle in the valley gradually subsided. Cao Hong led less than three thousand remaining soldiers in a chaotic retreat, abandoning their armor and weapons; even their seals were nearly knocked off their horses by Zhao Yun. Zhang Fei, leaning on his spear and covered in blood, laughed heartily as he watched the enemy flee; Huang Zhong reined in his horse, drops of blood from his broadsword falling onto the grass; Zhao Yun led his cavalry to clear the battlefield and incorporate the surrendered soldiers.

After Cao Hong retreated to Runan County, he worked through the night to strengthen the city's defenses, moving all the grain and weapons onto the city walls. He then sat in the county governor's mansion, his eyes bloodshot from exhaustion.

Within two days, Liu Bei's army had arrived. Looking at the endless camps outside the city, the Jingzhou army had surrounded the city in three layers like a tide, the torchlight illuminating half the sky, and even the air was filled with a tense atmosphere.

He gripped the urgent report on bamboo slips tightly in his hand, his fingertips turning white from the force. He said in a deep voice to the messenger, "Send this to Qiao County by fast horse, and make sure it reaches Prince Cao Pi!" The handwriting on the slips was somewhat hasty due to his trembling hand, but every word was urgent: "Nanyang has fallen, and the Jingzhou army is advancing like a whirlwind. Now Runan is besieged. Although the city's defenses are strong, the enemy is attacking day and night, and I fear it cannot hold for long. If Runan falls as well, they will surely take advantage of the situation to advance north, and Qiao County will be in imminent danger! I urge you, Prince, to send reinforcements immediately, or it will be too late to regret it!"

The messenger received the urgent report, tucked it into his robes, and mounted his horse. Suddenly, a deafening shout erupted outside the city gates; the Jingzhou army had begun their attack again. Cao Hong abruptly turned and climbed the city wall. Gazing at the enemy figures clinging to the ramparts, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he commanded in a deep voice, "Prepare the bows and arrows! Hold the line!"