The Fall of Xiapi
Only one fortress remained: Xiapi. The battle for Xuzhou was nearing its end. I had driven off Gao Shun, Dian Wei had repelled Lu Bu, and Xu Huang had forced Zhang Liao to retreat. Thanks to the efforts of Chen Gui and his son Chen Deng, we had also taken the provincial capital. Now, only Xiapi stood between us and complete control of Xuzhou.
After reorganizing our forces in the provincial capital, the Cao army marched to claim the final piece of Xuzhou. We advanced on Xiapi itself.
“Yes, Uncle.”
The question came out of nowhere. There were many reasons, of course, but what Cao Cao truly wanted was a post-battle review. He was the kind of man who always asked himself, “Why did it turn out this way?” after every fight. So I had to give him a proper answer.
“From the moment Lu Bu entered Xuzhou, used Tao Qian’s son Tao Shang as a puppet, drove out Imperial Uncle Liu’s forces, and officially claimed the title of Inspector of Xuzhou, I never imagined the province would fall into such utter chaos.”
Cao Cao clearly wanted to mock Lu Bu as much as possible. I matched his mood.
“Xuzhou had not suffered any major disasters. It was a rich land supported by powerful local clans. Yet after he officially became Inspector, whatever he did caused the army’s size, the clans’ loyalty, and even grain production to hit rock bottom.”
Should I be more honest? This was Xuzhou without the infamous massacre. After the Liu Bei trio left, Lu Bu had seized full control. He had the strategist Chen Gong, local nobles from Yan Province, the loyal Gao Shun, and even the famous Eight Elite Generals. Yet somehow, Inspector Lu Bu had failed to bring out even half of Xuzhou’s true strength and collapsed pathetically.
Yuan Shu, at least, had turned his soldiers into Yellow Turban remnants because he lacked military talent, or scraped together every merchant guild he could find to fund his wars. But Lu Bu had done none of that. He had tried to rule everything with nothing but his own “military genius” and “martial prowess.” He was a tyrant through and through.
“It’s all in the past now, but if Lu Bu had joined hands with Yuan Shu and raised a rebellion, it truly would have been catastrophic.”
Cao Cao nodded at my words and continued the march toward Xiapi.
“Understood, Uncle.”
I mounted my horse and rode through the marching columns, delivering the order. I told Xu Huang, Yu Jin, and Dian Wei. I informed Cheng Yu. Finally, I approached the Liu-Guan-Zhang trio.
“That is correct, Imperial Uncle.”
As Liu Bei began explaining the upcoming battle for Xiapi, Guan Yu’s face suddenly flushed crimson and he rode off without another word.
“Eh? Uncle Yunchang?”
Then Zhang Fei simply rode past me as well. I was wondering what had gotten into Guan Yu and Zhang Fei when Liu Bei, riding beside me, spoke quietly.
“Zayul, please understand. A great misfortune has befallen our family.”
“Misfortune? What happened?”
Liu Bei glanced at his two sworn brothers who had already ridden ahead, then lowered his head toward me and whispered.
“While we were driving out Gao Shun and stationed at Xiaopei, urgent news arrived… Yunchang’s wife had always been frail. She suffered from consumption.”
“Auntie had consumption? Then…?”
“She was recuperating in Yingchuan, but… she has passed. Hearing the news in the middle of war has left Yunchang consumed with grief.”
This was terrible. Guan Yu’s wife had died? From consumption?
Guan Yu’s family was among those I had brought back from Xuzhou during my last confrontation with Lu Bu. At the time, Liu Bei had Mi Zhu’s sister and a concubine of the Gan clan, giving him two wives and two daughters. Guan Yu also had a gentle wife in poor health and a young son, Guan Ping. And now that wife was gone.
“I had no idea… To think he has been fighting while carrying such sorrow. I am truly ashamed.”
Though Liu Bei spoke those words, he shook his head with a bitter expression. He had just learned that his sworn brother’s wife had died alone in the rear while he was unable to care for her amid the chaos of war.
After hearing the story, I immediately rode back to Cao Cao.
“So that was the unfortunate news from Yingchuan. Poor Yunchang. To lose his wife at such a young age…”
Just like with Dian Wei before, it was not uncommon in this era for generals who could not look after their households to lose their wives first. And now even Guan Yu had suffered such a fate. This was something that needed to be reported.
“Uncle, would it not be appropriate to introduce a suitable remarriage candidate for Uncle Yunchang?”
“Given the circumstances, after we conquer Xuzhou…”
Whether it was Lady Du or Lady Xu, now that things had come to this, I thought it would be good if Cao Cao acted as matchmaker and created a new connection for Guan Yu.
While we were talking, Xiapi finally came into view.
The fortress was built on treacherous terrain. Its entrance was narrow, allowing only a single gate to be attacked. The walls themselves stood nearly three zhang (nine meters) high, and the moat was deep. It was an incredibly difficult castle to assault. The usual Cao Cao tactic of surrounding the enemy from four sides with a massive army and starving them out would not work here.
Cao Cao surveyed the fortress from horseback, then rode forward and shouted.
At Cao Cao’s call, Lu Bu appeared on the battlements. The bold and confident warrior of just days ago now looked haggard. His unkempt beard was thick, and both eyes were bloodshot.
Cao Cao was attempting to recruit Lu Bu with one final ultimatum.
…
Lu Bu clearly wavered at the offer. But he would not accept. At this point, Chen Gong would probably step forward and—
Along with Chen Gong’s shout came a flying arrow. Faster than anyone, I spurred my horse forward, positioned myself in front of Cao Cao, and knocked the arrow aside.
“!!!!”
The moment Chen Gong nocked another arrow—
“!?”
The person who charged forward next was Guan Yu. He lifted his usual Green Dragon Crescent Blade as if it were a harpoon, veins bulging grotesquely across his entire body. His skin turned a terrifying crimson.
Kwaaaaaaaa—
Crack!!!
Crazy… Guan Yu had hurled the Green Dragon Crescent Blade with all his strength toward Lu Bu and Chen Gong on the battlements. The power was monstrous. The blade pierced straight through a pillar of the watchtower. Lu Bu staggered. Even Chen Gong, who had been brimming with murderous intent and ready to die, broke into a cold sweat.
Guan Yu’s bloodthirsty roar instantly raised the morale of the entire Cao army. Starting with his declaration of execution, the Cao forces launched an all-out assault on Xiapi.
No matter how deep the moat, they threw sandbags to fill it. Even though the walls were three zhang high, they hooked ropes and built ladders to climb them. But Xiapi was an incredible fortress. No matter how fiercely we attacked, Xuzhou squeezed out every last ounce of its remaining strength. Lu Bu, who usually charged forward like a wild boar, roared at the top of his lungs to raise the soldiers’ spirits. The remaining troops fought with desperate ferocity.
Time continued to pass. Xiahou Dun, Cao Ren, and Xun You finished securing Xiaopei and Pengcheng and arrived with reinforcements and supplies. Yet Xiapi still stood firm.
“The moon has changed twice.”
Despite the momentum that should have led to an immediate fall, two full months had passed.
At Xun You’s words, Cao Cao clicked his tongue and stared at Xiapi. The walls over three zhang high were stained red with the blood and bones of countless soldiers. The moat was littered with sandbags, corpses, arrows, and fragments of rusted weapons.
As Cao Cao stared bitterly at Xiapi, Cheng Yu and Xun You stepped forward.
So it was going according to history. After surrounding Xiapi and failing to take it by normal means, they would change the course of the nearby rivers by building dikes, flooding the city with a water attack.
When Cheng Yu agreed, Cao Cao scratched his head and said,
It was currently the eleventh month of the lunar calendar. Cao Cao believed that without the summer floods, the scarce winter water would make a water attack largely ineffective.
But I stepped forward here.
“No, Uncle. On the contrary, winter makes it possible.”
I added my voice to Cheng Yu and Xun You’s advice. This was not something I could let slip by.
“Because it is winter, we can use the river tributaries to bring down Xiapi.”
“The flow may be thin, but isn’t the water extremely cold?”
“!”
I removed my combat boots on the spot. Inside were the foot wraps we used instead of socks on the battlefield. I had wrapped them in two layers for warmth. I unwound both layers and showed them.
“Even when I wrap my feet in two layers of foot wraps and tie my boots tightly, they still grow numb from the cold. So what if cold river water flows into Xiapi and soaks the soldiers’ feet?”
Cao Cao slapped his knee and spoke to me.
“Yes, Uncle.”
With this, Lu Bu’s final end was finally in sight.