Shouchun Siege (3)
Wahhhh!! The soldiers roared in unison. Every one of them, clad in heavy armor, thrust their spears forward with a battle cry.
"Come out, you fools hiding under rotten wood! I, General-in-Chief Ji Ling, will cut you all down!"
Ji Ling, the Yuan Shu general, raised his spear high to show off his prowess. His countless soldiers behind him followed suit, thrusting their spears skyward.
Though they served under Yuan Shu, no one had expected their homeland to shift from Han to Zhong. But one thing everyone knew: win or lose, defeat for Yuan Shu's army meant death for them. On the battlefield, surrender wasn't an option—survival demanded killing the enemy and victory.
Thud, thud, thud.
A mass of Cao Cao's troops appeared before Ji Ling's vanguard. The two men at the forefront of the orderly blue wave wore green attire.
"Hm…?"
Ji Ling burst into mad laughter at the sight of the red-faced man. "Haha, if it isn't Guan Yu! Back for revenge after I beat you last time?"
"Still as arrogant as ever."
One hand gripping the reins of his black horse, the other wielding a bizarre weapon etched with a green dragon—a crescent blade—the man, Guan Yu, spurred his mount forward.
"Last time, I fought to defend Xuzhou. But now it's different. When it comes to subduing traitors, I hesitate not."
"Haha, sounds like you're saying you lost last time because you hesitated!"
"Of course. Things are different now."
Neigh!!
"Traitors—die!!"
Guan Yu charged. Instantly, the soldiers behind him surged forward as well.
Wahhhh!!!
A heaven-shaking roar echoed across the field. Ji Ling raised his hand to order arrows loosed at the enemy, but Guan Yu's horse reached the front line first.
"K-kill him!!"
No sooner had Ji Ling shouted than the spearmen leveled their weapons. But Guan Yu's horse leaped high before the spears could connect. With one hand, Guan Yu swung his massive crescent blade over the spearmen.
Splurt!!
Three soldiers were cleaved in half at once. Stunned by the sight of three men felled in a single blow, Yuan Shu's troops froze.
Slash, slash!
As Guan Yu landed amid them, his blade claimed two more heads.
"H-he's just one rider! Attack!!"
At Ji Ling's cry, the soldiers turned spears and swords on Guan Yu. But he parried every strike from his stationary position, then spun his horse and swept the crescent blade horizontally.
"That all you got?"
"C-crazy…!"
How many breaths had passed? With each inhale and exhale, another man died.
"Next traitor."
Awe-struck by Guan Yu's overwhelming might, the soldiers began backing away one by one.
And then.
"Kuhahaha!"
A beastly roar rang out as another man rode up beside Guan Yu, thrusting a serpentine spear forward.
"Gahhk!!"
The bearded man, Zhang Fei, who had pierced a soldier's chest with his serpent spear, yanked it free and swept the bladed edge like a broom.
Spluuurt!!
No throats were severed, but five men spewed blood from their necks and collapsed.
"Tell your fake emperor! Wing De, Zhang Fei, has arrived!"
Zhang Fei bellowed his origin and name at the top of his lungs. His shout was powerful enough to carry across the entire battlefield.
"S-stop them!!"
A chill gripped Ji Ling as he clutched his spear. They had to surround those two quickly, or disaster would follow.
"Men of Zhong! Hurry—"
Wahh—!!
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's troops crashed into the front lines, steel clashing in earnest. Yuan Shu's ranks formed a defensive square swiftly, but…
"Send out your commander!!"
"You bastards showing off?!"
The arcs of Guan Yu's crescent blade and Zhang Fei's serpent spear shattered the formation. Each swing claimed at least two lives; any soldier in their path became a ghost.
They advanced without any formal tactics, but with the brothers carving through so effortlessly at the vanguard, it resembled a pursuit formation. Like a cavalry charge crumbling a defensive line, the pair rampaged as if each were worth two thousand elite horsemen.
Was this how Xiang Yu had slaughtered Liu Bang's troops? Though just two on horseback, Yuan Shu's army couldn't stop them. They simply rode, and any who blocked their path died.
Leaves in the wind, a mountain of corpses, one against a thousand, matchless under ten thousand. What words could capture their prowess?
One thing was clear: these were warriors fighting alongside Cao Cao's army.
"Follow the two generals! Wahhh!!"
Cao Cao's troops' morale soared to the heavens. Leading with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, they began devouring Yuan Shu's forces bit by bit. No one could halt the brothers at the fore. With Cao Cao's men covering the rear, wheel tactics against the generals were impossible.
By the time Ji Ling realized something was gravely wrong, only two thousand of his twenty thousand remained.
"Damn it, we can't lose more men! Retreat—!!"
"Where do you think you're running?!"
"Don't let them escape! Chase before they seal the gates!"
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei pursued Ji Ling's remnants toward the east gate, Cao Cao's soldiers in tow.
Slash, slash.
"Kill all who don't surrender!!"
"Spare none! They're just traitors!"
Having already slain fifty—no, a hundred—Guan Yu and Zhang Fei showed no change in expression.
"…Lü Bu's here."
Slash.
The last words of a fear-frozen soldier.
Overwhelming Victory!
"Haha, to think your two brothers are this strong. Especially Lord Guan—I took notice back when you received my cup at the beacon tower and returned before the wine cooled. Truly remarkable brothers you have."
"A bond forged by heaven. Without them, we wouldn't have come this far."
Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, leading Cao Cao's elite troops, crushed Yuan Shu's fifty thousand.
"Our past clashes with Yuan Shu's army are paying off today. Especially Wing De… he was itching for Ji Ling to show."
"I heard. Lord Guan said his horse faltered, making it a tough fight against Ji Ling."
"He still blows up at the mere mention. Haha."
Liu Bei and Cao Cao rode through Shouchun, chatting. Countless guards trailed them as they gazed toward Yuan Shu's position, celebrating the triumph.
"All that's left is the siege. I'll ask your brothers again once the gates fall."
"My thanks for your consideration."
Liu Bei had won the field battle against Yuan Shu. The routed survivors fleeing into the city numbered less than ten thousand.
Cao Cao's elites, honed over years of preparation. And two generals with such command that they handled ten thousand as their own.
The strongest elites met the strongest generals—who could stand against them?
"Couldn't you two have held back a bit? They slaughtered over a hundred, scaring Yuan Shu into holing up like that. Truly."
"How could Yuan Shu's men possibly beat Lord Cao's swift, mighty soldiers?"
"Fair enough. Knowing it'd be like this, we should've gone easier. Haha."
The victory was too overwhelming; Yuan Shu had barricaded himself behind Shouchun's high walls, gates sealed tight.
Creak, creak, creak.
Siege engines assembled hastily before the walls. Some pieced together from parts hauled from Chenliu on-site, others wheeled in on well-paved roads—battering rams included.
Wahhh!!
Cao Cao's troops roared at the walls, loosing arrows. Before ladders, they aimed to thin the defenders with bows and crumble the battlements with stones.
Thus, the true siege warfare began.
"…I hope it ends quickly."
"Of course."
"Our supplies aren't endless."
"…I meant the suffering people of Shouchun inside."
Cao Cao turned his expressionless face to Liu Bei. Liu Bei met his gaze steadily, eyes fixed on the city.
"…Haha, listen to you. Anyone overhearing would think I'm some tyrant tormenting Shouchun's folk."
"Perish the thought. Aren't they forced under that villain Yuan Shu's rebel banner? Threatened with swords if they tried to pack up and flee. I only wish the battle ends soon, freeing them from his tyranny."
"You."
Cao Cao's face darkened.
"What exactly do you want?"
"……Nothing in particular. Just peace for this land."
Liu Bei turned north.
"Do you know Dacheng and Nushang Village? My hometown. I lived there caring for my mother. Not wealthy, but we scraped by."
"A descendant of the Prince of Zhongshan Zheng?"
"What descendant isn't one or two? After Father passed, the family declined… Anyway, we managed. Then disaster struck. Bandits stole Mother's medicine. People dying pointlessly before my eyes. That was nearly fifteen years ago."
"……The Yellow Turban Rebellion."
"Yes. I was just a commoner then. But sitting idle meant losing everything—the magistrate fled first. So I thought: if I don't step up, I can't protect my family or those around me."
"The chaotic age called you forth."
Cao Cao looked to the sky.
"In turbulent times, such men are called heroes."
"Haha! Me? You're too kind."
"We'll see if it's too kind later. You—"
Suddenly.
As Cao Cao turned to continue, a rabbit darted across, brushing past his horse's front.
Neigh!!
So swift was it that despite Cao Cao yanking the reins, the horse wouldn't calm. Liu Bei rushed forward, but the mount veered off the road, sliding down the slope.
And then.
"Ugh…!"
Before Cao Cao could steady himself, the horse tumbled into the field.
"Lord Cao!"
"……I'm fine."
Fortune favored him; Cao Cao leaped off just before the horse fell fully. A moment later, and he'd have been crushed. His reflexes let him bound away from the tumbling beast.
However.
"……It trampled the rice."
"R-rice, what…?"
"Ah, nothing much. I ordered it before coming: anyone damaging the people's fields, rank be damned, faces execution."
Cao Cao glared at the horse with utter exasperation and irritation.
"……"