thefictionvixens Page 339
Page 339
"I will obey your orders, my lord." Dong Zhuo was overjoyed to see that Luo Chen did not blame him.
After this meeting, Luo Chen spent most of his time at home reading, improving his knowledge. Although he was well aware of the political upheavals, he remained uninvolved. The Emperor, grateful for Luo Chen's service in saving the Emperor, wished to appoint him as a high-ranking minister, but Luo Chen politely declined. Rumors circulated that Dong Zhuo had taken a new concubine, was indulging in wine and women, and even had conflicts with his general Lü Bu…
One day, Yan Qing rode swiftly to Luo Chen's residence, shouting, "My lord! Something terrible has happened! Wang Yun, Lü Bu, Li Su, and others have used a false imperial edict to kill Dong Zhuo!"
Luo Chen smiled slightly: "I've been waiting for this day."
"Wang Yun and his gang falsely claimed that the emperor had abdicated the throne to Dong Zhuo, luring Dong Zhuo out of Mei'wu. On the way, Lü Bu, Li Su, and others killed Dong Zhuo. Now Wang Yun holds all the power." Yan Qing was still panicked. "What do we do now?"
"Prepare the horses immediately and go see Li Jue and Guo Si." Luo Chen stood up calmly and went out with confidence.
Li Jue and Guo Si were in a panic.
"Mr. Luo... we're finished. Wang Yun has seized power and has already killed many of Dong Zhuo's former associates. That damned Lü Bu actually betrayed Grand Tutor Dong..."
"What are your plans now?" Luo Chen asked coldly.
“We begged Wang Yun to spare our lives, and we offered to reorganize our 30,000 Xiliang troops. But that old scoundrel Wang Yun refused outright, accusing us of aiding and abetting evil and ordering our deaths,” Li Jue said dejectedly. “We are no match for Lü Bu. Now we can only abandon our troops and flee back to Xiliang alone.”
"Nonsense! If you try to escape alone, you'll all die. How stupid!" Luo Chen sneered. "You still have 30,000 Xiliang soldiers under your command, and Lu Bu and the imperial guards have over 50,000 Xiliang soldiers. As long as you incite panic among them and say that Wang Yun wants to kill them, they will surely obey you. Who will win and who will lose is still uncertain!"
"The problem is, how could we possibly defeat Lü Bu!" Guo Si said defiantly. "The moment we show our faces, Lü Bu will kill us."
"That's easy, I'll just transfer Lü Bu away from the capital." Luo Chen smiled contemptuously.
"You can mobilize Lü Bu? He's currently conspiring with Wang Yun and is the commander of the army." The two men were somewhat skeptical.
Yan Qing, standing behind Luo Chen, was already impatient. "How could the lord's words be false! What a waste, holding such a large army but not daring to take a gamble!"
Luo Chen didn't answer and left directly. "You two generals, take care of yourselves!" Luo Chen rushed to Wang Yun's place without stopping.
Wang Yun's gaze was inscrutable; he wore a half-smile. "Mr. Luo has finally shown himself before everyone. I heard you've been studying at home." Luo Chen smiled slightly and cut to the chase: "I need Lü Bu to go to Mei'wu immediately to guard it."
Wang Yun laughed heartily, "What makes you think you can command Lü Bu, sir? General Lü is now the commander of the army." He walked up to Luo Chen, and the armored soldiers on either side followed. Yan Qing gripped his broadsword tightly. "However, the matter of Mei Wu is indeed worth discussing. I don't intend to send Lü Bu; he still needs to guard the palace and kill Guo Si and the others. I plan to send Li Su to take over Mei Wu." Wang Yun laughed smugly, "Then I'll give you some silver, sir, so you can continue your studies in the mountains."
"Damn it!" Yan Qing roared in fury. Wang Yun's numerous guards instantly drew their swords and lunged at Yan Qing. "Clang!" Lü Bu, wielding his halberd, swiftly arrived, knocking the guards' swords away. He knelt on one knee before Luo Chen. "What are your orders, my lord?"
Wang Yun was so shocked that his face turned pale.
"Go and guard Mei'wu immediately. You leave one thousand of the two thousand light cavalry inside, and transfer the other one thousand back to Yan Qing's command. Without my order, no one is to leave Mei'wu under any circumstances!" Luo Chen commanded. "Yes!" Lü Bu immediately obeyed and left.
Wang Yun, true to his shrewdness, immediately changed his expression. "Mr. Luo... we should discuss state affairs together. If we transfer Lü Bu now, the capital might be attacked by Guo Si, Li Jue, and others. Mr. Luo certainly doesn't want the capital to be attacked..." Luo Chen chuckled, didn't reply, and left with his head held high.
Li Jue and Guo Si's armies were already lined up outside. "Sir, your strategies are brilliant and unfathomable; you actually managed to lure Lü Bu away." Guo Si saw Luo Chen come out and hurriedly helped him onto his horse. "Sir, why don't you become our strategist?" Luo Chen smiled but did not answer directly. Instead, he said, "Let's attack the capital city quickly."
Li Jue and Guo Si's Xiliang army surrounded the imperial palace.
"Brothers of Xiliang! We follow Dong Zhuo, and Wang Yun will kill us all sooner or later! Rather than surrender, we should kill Wang Yun!" Li Jue and Guo Si shouted. The Xiliang troops outside the palace shouted in unison, and the Xiliang troops inside the palace also became restless, as if preparing to defect.
The Xiliang army launched a fierce attack, and due to the defection of the palace troops, the palace gates were quickly opened. The Xiliang army defeated Wang Yun's guards and imperial guards, killed Li Su, and surrounded the emperor, ministers, and Wang Yun on a rooftop.
"Kill that old traitor Wang Yun!" A chorus of shouts erupted from all sides. Li Jue and Guo Si rode to the front of the column: "Wang Yun, you old traitor! Prepare to die! You control the court, deceive the emperor, and kill the loyal Grand Tutor Dong! That's bad enough, but you even want to kill us! Get down and face your death, or a hail of arrows will rain down on Tiantai!"
The emperor and his ministers were terrified and in complete chaos. Wang Yun sighed, "The nation is unfortunate. I, Wang Yun, killed Dong Zhuo to rid the world of this scourge and will be remembered in history! Today, we have come to this, which is the will of Heaven." After saying this, he resolutely jumped off the rooftop, his blood staining the area in front of the palace.
Li Jue and Guo Si, satisfied, bowed to the Emperor and said, "Please, Your Majesty, vindicate Grand Tutor Dong. We have rendered meritorious service in protecting Your Majesty and should be promoted to Grand General and Grand Marshal. Otherwise, we will not withdraw our troops." The Emperor, helpless, was about to pronounce the sentence when he noticed Luo Chen and Yan Qing riding up behind Guo and Li. "Mr. Luo!" the Emperor said.
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Luo has rendered meritorious service with his ingenious plan, please appoint him as a Grand Master." Guo Si said with a silly grin.
“No need,” Luo Chen said coldly. “I only need one thing.”
"what?"
"Your heads!" Before the two could even draw their swords, Yan Qing and Luo Chen had already brought their heads down, causing them to fall from their horses.
The Xiliang army was dumbfounded.
Yan Qing's thousand light cavalry approached Luo Chen, preparing to defend.
"Brothers! Avenge General Guo Li..." a Xiliang soldier cried out, but before he could draw his sword, Yan Qing's short arrow had already pierced his throat. The Xiliang army stirred for a moment, then fell silent again. Because of the Battle of Xingyang and Dong Zhuo's sycophancy, Luo Chen still held some prestige within the Xiliang army.
"Brothers of Xiliang," Luo Chen said, "you have fought in the south and north without stopping, yet you are called traitors, despised by others, and even lost your lives. Isn't that a great injustice! Today, follow me, Luo Chen, and serve the Emperor. I guarantee you wealth and honor, and that you can live with dignity!"
The Xiliang troops knelt down in unison: "We are willing to obey Master Luo's orders!"
Luo Chen dismounted and knelt on the ground, loudly proclaiming, "Luo Chen has come to Your Majesty's rescue! Please, Your Majesty, come downstairs!"
Chapter Seven: Western Liang
He later lost his official position and remained in Longxi, living among the Qiang people. Being poor and without a wife, he married a Qiang woman, and they had a son named Teng. Teng was poor and had no property in his youth, so he often cut timber in the Zhangshan Mountains and carried it to the city to support himself. Teng was over eight feet tall, with a large body and a striking face and nose, but he was kind and virtuous, and many respected him.
— Pei Songzhi's commentary on the Records of the Three Kingdoms
Within days, the political landscape underwent a dramatic transformation. Players like Dong Zhuo, Wang Yun, Guo Si, and Li Jue were all eliminated, and Luo Chen rose from behind the scenes to the forefront, becoming the prime minister. The series of large-scale coups in the palace resulted in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries. Currently, Chang'an has approximately 7 troops under its command, mostly from Xiliang, who are in full command of Luo Chen.
Of course, the Eastern Han Dynasty was now in a state of disintegration, and Luo Chen's control over the area, which included Chang'an and its surroundings, was limited to this region. The Guandong and Central Plains regions were engulfed in constant warfare, with Yuan Shao holding a clear advantage. Cao Cao was suppressing the Yellow Turban Rebellion in Qingzhou and other areas, defeating Tao Qian in Xuzhou and other areas, and crushing Liu Bei. The struggle for supremacy between Yuan Shao and Cao Cao in the north was becoming increasingly apparent. In the south, Liu Biao of Jingzhou and Sun Ce of Jiangdong were locked in a stalemate. Other regions were controlled by warlords such as Ma Teng of Xiliang, Liu Zhang of Yizhou, and Zhang Lu of Hanzhong, each holding a small share. These warlords, ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers, were all formidable opponents.
Luo Chen felt that he did not have enough generals under his command. He only had Lü Bu, and Yan Qing did not have the ability to command tens of thousands of troops. All the other generals had been lost in the previous palace coup.
It was time to reopen the system. A "ding" sounded in his mind, and the screen reappeared. Luo Chen was pleasantly surprised to find that his control power had now reached five orders of magnitude, while his internal cultivation power was even higher, reaching seven orders of magnitude. Five orders of magnitude were enough to exchange for quite a few generals, but it was still far from enough to exchange for top-tier generals or generals capable of commanding large-scale armies. Even if he used up all five orders of magnitude, he could only exchange for someone like Fan Kuai or Lin Chong. After thinking it over, Luo Chen chose Lin Chong. Although Fan Kuai was a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty, he wasn't composed enough... Luo Chen clicked on Lin Chong, and his control power value immediately dropped to 0.
A flash of light, and a general in Song armor, holding a spear, appeared before them. "My lord," Lin Chong knelt on one knee. "Very good," Luo Chen looked at him with interest. "Tomorrow I will take you to the court and appoint you as a captain. I hope you can handle things on your own."
As for internal cultivation, Luo Chen chose "Gunpowder Manufacturing." Although it was arduous to learn, it was of paramount importance. After all, the fundamental change in warfare was technological power. If Luo Chen's army wanted to fundamentally surpass the enemy and achieve an overwhelming advantage, a technological gap was essential. Then, it would be a battle between the great powers and the Qing army… However, this goal was currently far too distant. Right now, he was learning the theory, so where would he find the necessary materials? Most importantly, mass production was crucial. Equipping such a massive army required modern factories, but where were the modern machines? Did he have to invent the steam engine himself? Or was there another method… using a massive workforce to build enormous handicraft factories, compensating for the shortcomings of machinery with manpower… However, the current political situation was turbulent, with constant warfare and a sharp decline in population…
As Luo Chen was thinking this, the "Gunpowder Manufacturing" manual appeared in his hands with a flash of light.
"Report!" An urgent report came from outside the door, and a soldier stepped forward. "Cao Cao has launched a western expedition, accusing us of holding the emperor hostage and deceiving the emperor!"
Luo Chen was greatly alarmed. He knew Cao Cao's attempt to seize the emperor was inevitable, but he hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. Cao Cao's strength had greatly increased, with numerous fierce generals and brilliant strategists like Guo Jia assisting him. He commanded over 300,000 armored soldiers, far surpassing Luo Chen's power. Since the Chang'an army was still in a state of disarray and not yet ready for battle, Luo Chen had already considered this. He used the emperor's name to appoint Yuan Shao as Grand Marshal, governor of Ji, You, and Qing provinces in Hebei, granting him full control over a large, wealthy region north of the Yellow River and in eastern Central China. Luo Chen included a congratulatory letter, implying that Cao Cao was Yuan Shao's greatest enemy and should be eliminated as soon as possible. He suggested seizing the opportunity to advance on Cao Cao's stronghold in Yan Province.
"Is there any movement from Yuan Shao's side?" Luo Chen asked.
"Our representative stationed at Yuan Shao's office strongly urged Yuan Shao to seize the opportunity, and several of Yuan Shao's chief strategists also advised him to take the opportunity to attack Cao Cao, but..."
"but what?"
"But Yuan Shao's youngest son fell ill, and Yuan Shao had to take care of his son, so he was unwilling to send troops."
Luo Chen was furious. "That idiot!" No wonder he was so easily killed by Cao Cao. With such limited vision, how could he unify the north! He actually lost such a good opportunity for such a trivial matter... Fortunately, he had contacted Ma Teng in Xiliang a few days ago.
As Luo Chen was thinking, another soldier ran in: "Report! Zhang Lu from Hanzhong has invaded the north and is now advancing north from Hanzhong to attack Chang'an, controlling large areas along the way."
"How dare Zhang Lu bully me, Luo Chen?" Luo Chen was furious. "It must be Cao Cao who instigated this." Most of Luo Chen's army was concentrated in Chang'an, leaving a large area of uncontrolled territory in Guanzhong, which Zhang Lu could easily occupy.
The following day, Luo Chen summoned his ministers and appointed Lin Chong as a colonel, placing him in command of 50,000 Xiliang troops. He ordered Lin Chong to immediately advance eastward, firmly guarding the Tongguan and Hangu Pass areas and forbidding any attacks. He also ordered Lü Bu to lead 20,000 troops southward, heading straight for Hanzhong. At the same time, he had the emperor issue an edict appointing Ma Teng as the governor of Xiliang, with the additional title of general.
Returning home in disarray, Lü Bu was quite puzzled. "Cao Cao has 300,000 troops. Lin Chong alone, plus 50,000 soldiers, is probably no match for him," Lü Bu said worriedly. "Moreover, Cao Cao is clearly the main attacker. Why didn't he send me to meet him?"
Luo Chen smiled slightly: "You don't need to deal with Cao Cao. With 20,000 troops, you must ensure that you stop Zhang Lu's offensive. Then we will send reinforcements to you. You must take Hanzhong."
"Reinforcements? Where are the reinforcements, my lord?"
“I’m going to see Ma Teng,” Luo Chen said. “As for Lin Chong, he just needs to hold his ground. Defeating the enemy doesn’t necessarily require military means; economic methods can also be used…”
Luo Chen and Yan Qing traveled day and night, arriving at Shicheng several days later. Shicheng was an outpost from the Central Plains, overlooking Xiliang. It was incredibly fortified, capable of both offense and defense, like a nail driven into the edge of Xiliang. Legend has it that it was personally ordered to be built by Emperor Wu of Han. Luo Chen and Ma Teng met on the outskirts of Shicheng.
At a small table, Luo Chen and Ma Teng sat facing each other. Behind Luo Chen was Yan Qing, and behind Ma Teng were Ma Chao and Ma Dai. A thousand meters behind Ma Teng, the Xiliang army stood ready in battle formation.
"Thank you for your kindness, Prime Minister, for bestowing upon me, Ma Teng, the title of Supreme General," Ma Teng said. "Your letter says you intend to cede Shicheng to me, Ma Teng? That's truly unbelievable."
“That’s right,” Luo Chen said calmly. “As the general knows, Chang’an is now facing a double attack from Cao Cao and Zhang Lu, and is in imminent danger.”
"You want me to help you fight Cao Cao?" Ma Teng seemed to understand. "I'm afraid that won't work. I live in Xiliang and have no grudge against Cao Cao. I don't want to get involved in the conflicts in the Central Plains..."
"No," Luo Chen said with a smile, "I just ask the general to promise not to attack Chang'an. I am willing to exchange a major military town for peace in the west so that we can concentrate our efforts on dealing with Cao Cao."
“Is that so?” Ma Teng was overjoyed. “No problem, I, Ma Teng, will not kick someone when they’re down.”
“Then we have reached an agreement,” Luo Chen laughed. “The general’s main force can now march into Stone City.”
Ma Teng led tens of thousands of Xiliang troops into Shicheng in high spirits. That evening, Luo Chen hosted a banquet for Ma Teng and the Xiliang generals. "This jar of fine wine has been treasured by me for a long time. Now, I'll drink with you all," Luo Chen said, opening a jar and filling everyone's cup. Then, raising his cup, he declared, "To the alliance between Xiliang and Chang'an!"
Just as Ma Teng was about to drink, Pang De whispered in his ear from behind, "Be careful, it might be poisoned." Ma Teng immediately stopped.
Luo Chen saw everything, laughed heartily, and was the first to drink his wine in one gulp. He then poured himself another cup and drank it down as well. The generals, no longer hesitant, all drank their wine. "Good wine!" Ma Teng exclaimed.
After a brief silence, the Xiliang generals knelt down in unison, "My lord!" The wine was indeed not poisoned; it was simply mixed with Luo Chen's blood.
"Immediately assemble all the Xiliang troops and march to Tongguan and Hangu Pass to confront Cao Cao!" Luo Chen commanded sternly. "Ma Dai, lead 20,000 troops to join General Lü Bu and capture Hanzhong!" With that, Luo Chen left, mounted his horse, and rode away.
Chapter Eight Tongguan
Peaks rise like a gathering crowd, waves surge like a raging torrent, the Tongguan Pass lies between mountains and rivers. Gazing westward towards the capital, my heart hesitates. Heartbroken, I see the places where the Qin and Han dynasties once stood, their countless palaces now reduced to dust. In prosperity, the people suffer; in ruin, the people suffer.
—Zhang Yanghao, "Mountain Slope Sheep: Reminiscing about Tongguan"
Cao Cao has been quite irritable lately. His 300,000-strong army launched a fierce attack on Tong Pass, but they were stuck there and could not advance an inch.
Cao Cao's plan was indeed flawless. His intelligence agents accurately ascertained the size of Luo Chen's army, and Cao Cao further instigated Zhang Lu, offering him a large sum of money to attack Chang'an from the north, thus forcing Luo Chen to divide his forces. Everything unfolded perfectly according to Cao Cao's plan. Luo Chen dispatched 20,000 troops to meet Zhang Lu, leaving only an unknown general and a mere tens of thousands of soldiers to defend the Tongguan and Hangu Passes. Once Tongguan and Hangu Passes were captured, Chang'an would be within reach, and seizing the emperor would be a piece of cake.
Initially, things went smoothly. Cao Cao's 300,000-strong army surrounded Hangu Pass. Although the soldiers inside the city fought bravely, they were simply outnumbered. Two days later, Hangu Pass fell, and most of the troops inside surrendered. Cao Cao's army then confidently attacked Tong Pass. However, Tong Pass differed from Hangu Pass in two ways: first, Tong Pass was built along the Huashan Mountains and the Yellow River, allowing only a frontal assault, limiting the army's movement and forcing them to employ piecemeal tactics; second, the walls of Tong Pass had clearly been hastily repaired, and given that Tong Pass was the gateway to Chang'an, its walls were extremely high, making it even more difficult to attack.
400
Cao Cao's army suffered heavy casualties after a nearly week-long assault, with rivers of blood flowing beneath the city walls. The defenders of Tong Pass also suffered significant losses and appeared to be running out of steam. During this week, Lü Bu repeatedly defeated Zhang Lu, who, in devastated, fled frantically towards Hanzhong. Cao Cao had expected Lü Bu to rush back to reinforce Tong Pass, but instead, Lü Bu pursued Zhang Lu all the way towards Hanzhong. Cao Cao was quite puzzled: Did Lü Bu harbor ulterior motives? With Tong Pass falling, Chang'an would be doomed; would he dare to gamble everything on Hanzhong? However, he still breathed a sigh of relief; with Tong Pass about to fall, Luo Chen's demise was imminent.
Night had fallen, and the central command tent was filled with men. To the left were the formidable generals of the era: Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Yue Jin, Cao Hong, Xiahou Dun, Xiahou Yuan, Xu Huang, and the newly joined Zhang Liao; to the right were the strategists: Guo Jia, Cheng Yu, Xun Yu, Xun You, and others. Cao Cao sat upright in the center: "Gentlemen, how did the battle go today?"
Xiahou Dun immediately stood up: "Our troops have been attacking fiercely on the left without stopping for a moment. We have used powerful bows and crossbows, as well as trebuchets (which were widely used during the Three Kingdoms period) to inflict heavy casualties on the enemy. Today, our army has used ladders to send hundreds of men up the city walls and almost captured them... The enemy has suffered heavy losses and we are confident that we can capture the city tomorrow."
Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction.
Cao Hong, commander of the right flank, was equally impressive, and his troops performed no less well than those on the left. "The right flank used several siege ladders to shoot arrows at the soldiers on the city walls from their elevated position. The enemy was completely suppressed and had no chance to resist. If it hadn't been dark, the right flank might have already breached the city."
Xu Chu, leading the central army, laughed heartily: "Gentlemen, although your attack was fierce, it was all in vain. We'll have to start all over again tomorrow. My central army has already breached the city gate. Taking Tongguan tomorrow will be a piece of cake!"
"Excellent!" Cao Cao was overjoyed. "The three armies will launch a final, fierce attack tomorrow! Once we capture Tong Pass, Chang'an will be within our grasp! By then, the main force of the Luo army will be almost completely wiped out, and taking Chang'an will be a piece of cake!"
"It seems Lü Bu intends to advance his entire army into Hanzhong. Zhang Lu's ragtag forces are no match for him. If Lü Bu relies on the natural defenses of the southwest, things will become very difficult… My lord, we must be wary," Guo Jia said. Guo Jia, courtesy name Fengxiao, was recommended as a filial and incorruptible official at the age of twenty. He was a man of profound wisdom and strategic acumen, a rare talent indeed. Everyone in the Central Plains knew of him. Cao Cao personally visited him, and Guo Jia emerged to devise strategies for the future of the empire. Upon joining Cao Cao, he devised plans to eliminate the surrounding warlords, large and small, establishing a large base centered on Xuchang, allowing Cao Cao to rapidly expand his power.
"Fengxiao is right!" Cao Cao nodded in agreement. "Xiahou Yuan, your troops should prepare immediately. Once Tongguan is breached, your troops should immediately head south to reinforce Hanzhong! I will speak with Zhang Lu about this."
"Yes!" Xiahou Yuan immediately replied. This man had a long beard, a sallow complexion, and an imposing presence.
"Once we reach Hanzhong, Zhang Lu will be out of the picture... Don't worry, I'll send a large force to meet you then." Cao Cao laughed heartily.
As dawn slowly broke on the horizon, the turbid waters of the Yellow River rippled with the golden morning light.
A dark mass of Cao Cao's troops gathered below the city wall.
Lin Chong, his right arm wounded, stood silently atop the city wall. More than half of the city's defenders had been killed or wounded. On the wall stood about five thousand elite soldiers with relatively high morale. If they suffered further losses or could not hold out, the second wave of reinforcements would charge, continuing until the third and fourth waves were completely wiped out. Of course, this was only a favorable estimate. If Cao Cao's army stormed in unstoppable, the soldiers inside would have no choice but to surrender; after all, not every one of them had tasted blood, and the city would fall even faster then.
"Gentlemen," Lin Chong's voice was hoarse, exhausted from overseeing the battle day and night, "I, Lin Chong, have only been here a few days, and none of you know me. But for the past ten days or so, you have all resolutely obeyed my orders, showing no fear of death. I, Lin Chong, thank you." Lin Chong finished speaking and slightly clasped his hands in a fist salute; his right arm was injured, so the movement was minimal. "Following Prime Minister Luo's orders is Lin Chong's duty. After the city falls, Lin Chong will commit suicide. You should all surrender; don't lose your lives like this."
Lin Chong's voice was calm yet tragic. A hint of sorrow appeared on the soldiers' blank faces, and some covered their faces and wept.
The sudden sound of Cao Cao's drums shattered the morning tranquility. The soldiers on the city walls saw a massive, dark mass of troops, a jumble of siege ladders, and a swarm of arrows raining down upon them. Some were unable to dodge and were instantly killed, their replacements immediately taking their places.
Xu Chu, wielding a massive log, slammed it down on the city gate, the tremors even felt by those on the city walls. Countless planks, pontoon bridges, and earthen rampages filled the moat, almost completely leveling it. Cao Cao's army roared, carrying ladders, firing arrows, and using chariots to carry other siege equipment, surging forward wave after wave. Their soldiers seemed inexhaustible, a truly despairing sight.
The enemy soldiers erected siege ladders, and their soldiers climbed up, some firing arrows, some using shields for defense, and others directing the trebuchets below. Soldiers on the city walls were attacked as soon as they peeked out, suffering heavy casualties. However, when the enemy was about to scale the walls, they were forced to surface to stop them. In just one hour, approximately five thousand soldiers had perished. At this rate, Cao Cao's army would undoubtedly breach the city today.
Despite being struck by several arrows, Lin Chong persisted in supervising the battle and refused to leave the field.
"General Yan Qing is here!" a soldier announced to him. Lin Chong turned around, and it seemed that Yan Qing was leading several thousand light cavalry into the city from behind. Yan Qing quickly dismounted and ran up the city wall.
Chapter Nine Blood Battle
"General! Are you alright?" Yan Qing rushed to the top of the city wall. Lin Chong shook his head. He saw the number of Yan Qing's soldiers; they certainly couldn't stop Cao Cao's army. He also knew that his lord didn't have any more troops. It seemed that the situation was beyond saving. He sighed and prepared to die.
"Hold on, soldiers! Ma Teng's reinforcements from Xiliang are on their way!" Yan Qing shouted.
"Ma Teng of Xiliang? Could it be that our lord has persuaded Ma Teng of Xiliang?" A murmur rippled through the crowd. Lin Chong was both pleased and puzzled, but he was utterly exhausted. He had just been struck by several arrows and was seriously wounded, having fainted. "Quickly, help General Lin to rest!" Yan Qing called out.
The soldiers' morale soared, and they fought desperately to withstand another wave of attacks from Cao Cao's army.
"General, the city gates are about to collapse!" the sergeant reported.
"Meteor Horse!" Yan Qing shouted sharply. "Quickly tell General Ma Teng to send Ma Chao with 10,000 light cavalry at top speed! Tongguan is in imminent danger!"
"Yes!" The meteor horse sped away.
"Tiger Warriors!" Yan Qing raised his sword. "All riders, mount your horses and prepare!"
"Thump!" Another large crack appeared in the city gate, revealing Xu Chu and his Cao army. Outside, the sounds of battle were deafening. Inside, the two thousand elite cavalry remained silent, all swords drawn, awaiting the order to charge forward with cavalry charges and hand-to-hand combat.
With a deafening roar, the city gate collapsed.
"The city gates are open!" Cao Cao's soldiers were overjoyed! They rushed into the city. However, as they looked up to survey their surroundings, the gleaming sabers dazzled them. To their horror, they found themselves before them lined up in neat rows of imposing cavalry, their swords drawn and gleaming in the sunlight.
A strange silence suddenly fell over the area.