Yushugou Hefei Battle -6
"But I just can't understand why Lady Secretary ordered such an excessive number of logs."
Xu Shu and Yubong, who had been floating the logs, stared at the impossibly massive pile, lost in thought.
There was no way they could float any more. If they tried to send too many downstream, they'd just jam against each other, creating a bottleneck that would rob them of their power to breach the dikes.
Worse, those stacked logs might end up acting like new dikes themselves, shifting the flood zone entirely.
But Xu Shu had heard of Chen Soyoung's uncanny schemes back at Baman, so he held his tongue and followed her orders.
After all, he believed that when it came to military strategy, she was his superior—on par with Kongming himself.
"Urgent report! Lord Wu's fleet has been routed! They're retreating to Yushugou!"
Yubong's face went pale.
"Advisor Xu Shu. This is turning into a disaster."
Xu Shu glanced down at the bowed messenger, then stepped out of the command tent.
The rain poured relentlessly, lightning cracking across the sky. If it could breach the dikes, Hefei Castle was surely doomed to flood.
Finishing his calculations, Xu Shu raised a finger toward the heavens.
...The wind's direction has shifted.
What sorcery was this?
Floating more logs toward Hefei was pointless now. Against the headwind, they wouldn't function as rams anymore—just useless obstacles.
Yet the timing was impeccable.
Was heaven aiding them? Or...
Xu Shu eyed the heaps of prepared logs.
Then a flash of insight struck him.
"Send every last log toward Yushugou! Yubong! Not a moment to lose!"
Yubong snapped to attention, saw Xu Shu's steely expression, and bolted.
"Yes! I'll relay the order! But how will these logs...?"
"They'll become fish in water. Hurry!"
"Understood!"
Xu Shu returned to the tent and slumped into a chair.
His body was soaked through, yet he burned with heat.
...Did you predict even Zhou Yu's defeat, Chen Soyoung? Was this siege ram prep for him?
But then... how to explain this wind shift?
How to interpret the masses of logs ready for this exact change?
Awe filled Xu Shu.
He vowed never again to question Chen Soyoung's schemes with his own judgment.
It was the devil's ingenuity. But genius all the same.
Wu's forces, convinced of victory after their rout, would charge Shu's ships without a doubt.
That's why the logs and rams were primed.
You can even read the harmony of heaven and earth? Truly worthy of the title 'Heavenly Person.'
The siege rams waiting in the wings.
A divine stroke to upend Wu's defenses at Yushugou entirely.
"Float all logs toward Yushugou. Our 5,000 troops will reinforce there. Relay at once."
"Yes, sir!"
*
"Heaven has abandoned this Zhou Yu."
Zhou Yu held out his palm, catching spit and raindrops.
He coughed up bright blood, which the downpour washed away in seconds.
The rain was that fierce. The spark he'd ignited was dying out.
Captured allies, slain comrades. He couldn't even sacrifice for them. He'd sworn a glorious explosion, but nature denied him. In impossibility, he couldn't lose his wits. For the vanguard dying out there, he needed a scheme. Wisdom to break this deadlock.
Zhou Yu pleaded. Gazing at the sky, this hopeless battlefield. Drenched, resisting the endless sea swallowing him, he couldn't tear his faded eyes away from the heavens.
Heaven, my soul feels carved away. I sought to become the instrument, singing a dirge for all. But you forbade it. Then what scheme must this Zhou Yu devise?
My body grows cold. I feel I'll ascend, merging with nature. Born of earth, to earth we return—but I cannot forgive you. Heaven, why this cruel trial?
Was I so arrogant? How could Cao Cao bring such a vast fleet? Sun Wu's braves are breaking. The chain is undone, the enemy's main force advances. My last paragon is this battered body—deny me even that, and what am I to do?
Is this fate? Destiny? Why birth me, the chain-breaker, the fire-attack master, and that strategist piercing our path? Will you truly forsake Sun Wu? If it's your will, my bones shall grind to dust and rise against you unforgiven.
Heaven, what lacked in me? You cursed me with short life, and at the end, unbearable trials—leaving me only to turn all shame upon myself.
Yes. I was incompetent and lost. My shining schemes crumbled pathetically before that tidal assault. No thatched roof blazed from my spark.
Arrogant, I admit. Teach me. Grant wisdom... to turn this tide... Please!!! PLEASE!!!! Give me wisdom!!!!!!
Rumble-crash—!!!
A massive bolt answered Zhou Yu's prayer with thunderous roar.
"Commander!!! The enemy's right flank is shattering!!!"
...!!!!!
What? What's happening?
"All troops! Reform ranks! Seize this golden chance!!!"
He bellowed at full throat. The tide... the tide was turning...!!!
Retreat...? Retreat? This Zhou Gongjin turn tail with the enemy in sight?
"Launch the flagship."
"No, you can't!"
Zhou Yu drew his sword, glaring at his deputy.
"Launch it."
"...Yes, sir!"
Huang Gai, watching from behind, clicked his tongue.
"Can we trust him?"
"...Don't."
"A cooler answer than anyone here. So I'll trust him."
Huang Gai dashed to the turtle ship and raised the yellow flag.
The signal for swift pursuit of the enemy fleet.
At that, the chain linking the flagships unraveled in haste.
"All hands!!! Turn bow to starboard—charge the enemy's right flank!!!"
Even anchored with distance, waves would smash them; collisions would splinter hulls.
Hence the need for the chain.
Guo Jia had opposed Huang Gai when all agreed—facing backlash, he'd pushed for a swift, all-out decisive battle.
His Northern Expedition ploy was similar.
Normally, you'd siege fortified supply lines sequentially—but Guo Jia proposed bold cavalry strikes straight to the heart.
It succeeded spectacularly; Cao's army piled enemy corpses like mountains with minimal losses.
Thus Cao Cao favored Guo Jia as his great undertaking's partner, lavishing affection. This time too, he'd backed Guo Jia's plan: smash through Yushugou with the full fleet to take Sun Quan's head.
Yet even that genius couldn't read nature's whims. Suddenly, colossal sea debris engulfed Cao's right flank.
Crack—!!
Logs from the side rode wind and waves.
Fish in water had nothing on them. With Cao's grand fleet packed tight, rams struck everywhere they passed.
"Commander! Good news! Shu's 5,000 are racing here—the says hold Yushugou at all costs! Endless logs are coming down too—they defer to your judgment!"
.....!!!
Zhou Yu shivered. This... this was the scheme.
The ploy. While I cursed heaven, someone wielded it.
Chen Soyoung. A god of strategy.
Reading even heaven's mechanisms? This wind shift part of her meticulous script...?
Immortal, isn't it? Amid countless souls, how does one birth such a ploy?
The dawn armor Zhou Yu wore lost luster to the gloomy rain—but such glory never suited him anyway.
Become a demon. A devil. Respond in kind.
If he'd resolved to trade soldiers' lives for hell, he must become the devil.
Thus issued the coldest, cruelest orders.
"Press straight to Xiaopei! Breach their right! They can't match our speed!"
Bwaaaaaah—!!!!
The full-assault horn blared anew.
Dong—! Dong—! Dong—!
The real deal. The absolute total assault.
Even drums joined in.
"Save the vanguard! Pierce the shattered enemy right with single-point fury!!!"
Unchained, the ships reeled from log impacts, drifting into collisions. Fierce waves amplified the chaos. They clogged each other, a massive bottleneck.
"Shove them under! Not one ship escapes!"
Zhou Yu was no longer the defeated commander.