Guangling City, Xuzhou.
From the first day Chen Deng assumed his post as the Prefect of Guangling, the city walls were constantly being reinforced. Moreover, the treasury managed by Lu Yu spared no expense in allocating funds for Guangling's defenses.
Over time, the city walls of Guangling, now tens of zhang high, seemed to lie like a coiled dragon on the land, exuding a contemptuous aura, appearing as impenetrable as solid gold.
At this moment… in stark contrast to the banners and armor of the Sun family army filling the river outside the city, the bustling streets within the city appeared peaceful and joyous.
However, the numerous scars on the city ramparts revealed that the defending forces were not lulled into complacency, remaining vigilant in times of peace.
Yet, tonight was perhaps too quiet.
For some reason, the entire city of Guangling was eerily silent. The usual sounds of the defending army's weaponry were absent, leaving an exceptional quietude, as if it were an empty city.
"General Sun, it seems… the Guangling City defenders have retreated, withdrawing to Donghai Commandery in northern Xuzhou."
"General Sun, now is a prime opportunity to disembark and breach Guangling City!"
"General Sun, seize the moment, for it may never come again!"
A host of deputy generals urged Sun Quan to press the attack!
They had approached by water. While it was true that Guangling City was surrounded by water on three sides, to attack the city, even the largest warships could offer little assistance. The first step was to land, then use siege ladders to assault the walls.
But precisely…
It was this very act of landing that had cost Sun Quan countless times over the past year. It seemed… Chen Deng, the commander of Guangling City, was adept at ambushing the enemy mid-river!
"General Sun…"
"General Sun…"
The deputy generals continued to plead for battle…
At this moment, Sun Quan stood at the bow of a tall ship, gazing at Guangling City before him.
Quiet. It was too eerily quiet.
But…
It was also quiet in a way that was logical.
He was all too familiar with the number of defending troops in Guangling City – merely four or five thousand. After the fall of Xiapi City, it had become an isolated city with no possibility of reinforcement.
Therefore… it was highly probable that they had chosen to abandon Guangling City and withdraw to garrison Donghai Commandery, using it as a defensive barrier. This was not an unreasonable strategy; at least… if he were the defending commander, he would have done the same.
*Hoo…*
He let out a long sigh.
Sun Quan’s gaze narrowed further. Could it be… that this city, which had defied all assaults, was truly an empty city?
Perhaps…
He made up his mind instantly, "Dispatch the order to the entire army: disembark!"
"Yes, sir…" The deputy generals received the order and went to make arrangements. Guangling City had obstructed them for too long, and they yearned… to conquer it!
Quiet. It remained a silence as deafening as before.
Guangling City tonight was like a ghost town, silent and eerie, terrifyingly so!
…
The Jiangdong army moved, and they began to approach the shore…
As they landed, they were filled with excitement, so much so that they were beside themselves with joy!
In the past, their lord, the Little Hegemon Sun Bofu, had suffered a crushing defeat in Lujiang and had been forced into a humiliating retreat. Every warrior of Jiangdong harbored dreams of revenge.
Now…
The opportunity for revenge was before them. As long as they captured Guangling City, they could boast to others, "The Cao army that our lord couldn't defeat, we've riddled with holes!"
Sun Yi, as the vanguard general, panted with exertion, extremely happy in his heart. Finally, they were going to attack the city.
He was the third brother of Sun Ce and Sun Quan. Sun Ce had sent his two younger brothers to participate in this battle precisely to earn them merit and fame in Jiangdong!
Unlike Sun Quan, Sun Yi was a typical brute force type with a simple mind. As the ships drew closer to the shore, his excitement reached its peak.
However…
Among the many "Cao" banners raised on the city wall, he noticed several dark "Long Xiao" army banners, which caused a flicker of a different light in his eyes. The "Long Xiao" were not only feared in the central plains but also in Jiangdong!
Fortunately…
The current favorable situation gave Sun Yi a great deal of courage. To him, they outnumbered the enemy tenfold, and with himself, the Little Hegemon of Jiangdong’s own brother, personally leading the charge, even the Long Xiao camp would be in vain!
Countless Jiangdong warriors bared their teeth, eager to fight.
In their eyes, the city before them was empty!
Those who were the first to breach the city, who achieved "first ascent," would gain the greatest merit, enough to receive a substantial reward!
Meanwhile, on the city wall, concealed by the ramparts, Chen Deng crouched low, silently observing the enemy's every move.
He felt his heart pounding in his chest. He gripped his saber and command flag tightly, his emotions surging…
Beside him, the defending soldiers who were also hidden remained composed.
Perhaps it was Chen Deng's words… that this strategy was left behind in Lu Situ’s strategy pouch, and Lu Situ's ingenious plans always brought a peculiar sense of security!
But only Chen Deng knew that this was the strategy of the "hammer" Lu Situ, and that these were all lies fabricated by himself, Chen Deng!
"Quiet, maintain the silence!"
Chen Deng whispered his orders…
Seeing the Jiangdong soldiers disembarking, his heart was already pounding. He knew he had already missed one opportunity to "strike them mid-river."
On the other hand…
After landing, Sun Yi waved his saber and roared, "My men, follow me and kill…"
Facing the city so close at hand, Sun Yi's excitement was evident. His expression was as if it were a festival!
Chen Deng on the city wall still firmly held his saber, remaining silent. He feared that the defending soldiers might hear the enemy's approach and cry out in response!
He appeared exceptionally calm.
"No movement! Anyone who dares to act rashly will be punished by military law!"
"As long as Sun Quan is here, the Jiangdong army will not attack, they absolutely will not attack!"
Chen Deng was quite certain… as if he had already seen through Sun Quan. In fact… for him, not to mention Sun Quan, he had thoroughly understood everyone in the Sun family!
Indeed…
Just as Sun Yi was charging forward.
"Uncle Bi, hold!" Sun Quan immediately called out…
"Second Brother." Sun Yi, not understanding, turned his head to face Sun Quan. "The opportunity to break the city is before us, seize the moment, why are you stopping me, Second Brother?"
"Third Brother!" Sun Quan patted his shoulder. "Have you noticed the dark 'Long Xiao' army banner on the city wall?"
"The Long Xiao army banner? So what?" Sun Yi appeared unfazed.
"In the past, our elder brother's defeat in Lujiang was due to underestimating this Long Xiao camp, underestimating Lu Yu, which led to the trap of inviting the enemy into the urn and ten ambushes!"
Sun Quan's words were quite firm, his eyes fixed on the Guangling City that was within reach.
"To ensure absolute certainty, no attacks tonight. First, establish camp… All soldiers in each camp will clear the undergrowth and slopes around the city to ensure there are no ambushes, then we shall charge into the city."
Compared to Sun Ce and Sun Yi, this fair-eyed Sun Quan was undoubtedly the more astute, meticulous, and wise one.
He had simulated the battle in Lujiang, the way his elder brother lost, countless times in his mind…
It was as vivid as if it were yesterday!
Every detail was etched into his heart, making him exceptionally cautious, especially concerning the words "Long Xiao"!
Furthermore, it was nighttime. Charging rashly into the city, if there were ambushes around or within the city, how could they discern their direction or defend themselves in the dark, unfamiliar surroundings?
Regardless, they would have to wait until dawn to attack again…
Sun Quan considered this idea foolproof!
"Oh… oh…" Sun Yi suppressed his eagerness, scratching his head.
After his second brother's words, he felt they made sense…
It wouldn't make much difference whether they waited a moment or two. First, they would clear the perimeter, and by morning, even if there were ambushes within the city, given the disparity in troop strength, what could they do?
"Alright!" Sun Yi agreed. "Then I'll lead the troops to scout the surroundings and see if there are any ambushes near Guangling City."
"Excellent!" Sun Quan nodded. "Then I shall trouble you, Third Brother!"
Thus…
Sun Quan ordered the soldiers to set up camp outside the city, while Sun Yi led over ten thousand men in five divisions to search for ambushes.
One hour, two hours…
The military camp was successfully established…
The three divisions also returned to camp, having discovered no ambushes. At this moment… everyone within the military camp, including Sun Quan, let out a long sigh of relief.
When the fourth division returned, reporting that there were still no ambushes, the entire Jiangdong army camp relaxed considerably.
It was only when the fifth division, personally led by Sun Yi, returned and declared that there were absolutely no ambushes around, that the heavy stone in everyone's heart finally settled.
Sun Yi intended to attack the city directly, but Sun Quan called out…
Wait for another two hours. There was no rush. They would attack the city at dawn. This way, even if the enemy had set up ambushes within the city, they could calmly deal with them with their superior numbers!
"All three armies rest, prepare to cook in advance, and two hours later, the army will attack the city!"
Sun Quan immediately commanded…
"Yes, sir!"
All the deputy generals, including Sun Yi, bowed and accepted the order. For a moment, they felt that this second young master of the Sun family in Jiangdong, his method of warfare was completely different from the Little Hegemon Sun Bofu—more calm, more meticulous, and more wise!
For a time, many Jiangdong warriors held great admiration for this second young master Sun.
…
It was an hour before the dawn.
This was the darkest hour before the dawn…
"Report… the Jiangdong army camp below the city is preparing to cook! The entire Sun family army's defenses are lax, with most soldiers sleeping in their tents."
A faint voice carried from the Guangling City wall.
"Good!"
Chen Deng finally let out a long sigh of relief. He had been crouched on the city wall for half the night…
Similarly…
At this moment, a slight smile curved his lips.
"According to the original plan, launch the attack and raid the camp!"
With a command…
The city wall bustled with people, and countless armored soldiers quickly moved towards the city gate, doing their best to tread lightly. In fact… at such a dim time, the Jiangdong soldiers, who had failed to find any enemy ambushes several times, had already become complacent, so how could they notice?
Half a cup of tea later…
Misfortune descended!
The gates of Guangling City were thrown wide open, and countless defending soldiers poured out, launching a surprise attack on the Jiangdong army camp outside the city!
"Dong dong dong…"
Chen Deng personally beat the drums on the wall of Guangling City to cheer them on. As soon as the Jiangdong soldiers heard the drums, they thought their own army's general attack had begun. They lazily emerged from their tents, only to be met with countless sabers and spears!
Then… they were inexplicably pierced like hedgehogs!
The defending forces of Guangling City were like madmen…
One by one, like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves, they thrust their spears, randomly stabbing…
In fact, it was understandable…
After all, in their eyes, this was the strategy from Lu Tongling of the Long Xiao camp. In the past… the great victory in Lujiang over the Little Hegemon Sun Bofu was due to Lu Tongling's flawless planning, wasn't it?
The defenders of Lujiang City had each achieved glorious merit. They heard that the gold they received at home was enough to marry three wives!
At that time, the defenders of Guangling City were so envious that they cried. They dreamed of a day when such an "easy" feat of accomplishment under Lu Tongling's strategic plans would befall them.
Today… it was the perfect time!
Given the premise that Lu Tongling's strategies from the Long Xiao camp had never failed, and knowing they were destined to win, what was the difference except for how many heads they could chop off and how much merit they could earn?
There was nothing more exciting than "achieving merit"!
"To achieve merit and fame, it is today!"
Someone shouted from among the Guangling defenders.
Immediately… the black pupils in these soldiers' eyes, no, to be precise, these jackals' eyes began to gleam, projecting streaks of dazzling green light!
Their hearts were as excited as if they were floating on clouds, incredibly thrilled. Even their battle cries carried joy.
There was no greater pleasure or excitement in the world, and the soldiers fought with red eyes, yelling with joy.
These enemies in the Jiangdong army camp were like prey!
Furthermore… the Sun family army was completely caught off guard, and was immediately scattered and fled. The Sun family army in the camp tried to retreat to their ships, but it was too late! They had no choice but to abandon their ships and flee. However… the defending forces of Guangling City were like sticky plasters, relentlessly pursuing them!
After all, every head was merit! The excitement of grabbing heads made them lose themselves!
"Light the fires…"
Chen Deng on the Guangling City wall seemed to have tired his arms from beating the drums. He turned around, handed the drumsticks to a soldier, and calmly gave the next order.
Instantly, countless fires spread from the surrounding undergrowth of Guangling City… followed closely by…
"Kill… kill!"
Shouts and roars…
It turned out that Chen Deng had long ordered people to prepare a large amount of firewood, two bundles per pile. While the army was launching its attack, he had people place firewood every ten paces around the city and slopes, forming rows. At this deep midnight, all these firewood piles were lit, along with the soldiers' heart-wrenching cries, making it seem as if reinforcements were arriving.
On Sun Quan's side…
They had already been caught off guard and had not yet reorganized their formations. But then they saw the continuous fires outside the city, and the enemy soldiers were so excited…
It was clear that this was not an enemy ambush, so it must be… reinforcements!
No wonder… they dared to attack proactively!
The more he thought this, the more uncomfortable Sun Quan felt… He no longer cared about ordering the drums to be beaten again and rallying for another battle. At this moment, he could only order a retreat, to salvage as many losses as possible!
And with the command of "retreat," the psychological defense of the Sun family army completely collapsed.
Facing the scene of the raging fires, no one could remain calm. They fled like madmen, trampling over each other. The so-called retreat instantly turned into a rout!
Upon seeing this situation.
Chen Deng's eyes narrowed, and he lifted his command flag from his right hand.
Four words came out of his mouth. "Relay the message to all subordinates: The entire army attacks!"
"Reporting to Prefect Chen, even though the enemy is retreating, their numbers are still immense!"
A staff officer reminded him…
"No matter!" Chen Deng said calmly. "Relay the order, do not pursue too eagerly. Let's consume them slowly. Sun Zhongmou is not Sun Bofu; he cannot remain stable. When his mentality collapses, then…"
At this point, Chen Deng paused, then smiled and recited four words: "Annihilate them in one fell swoop!"
"As you command!"
"But…" the staff officer continued to ask. "What if they escape back to their ships?"
Chen Deng placed his hand on the city wall and then glanced at the staff officer. "What do you think? If it were Lu Tongling of the Long Xiao camp, what would they do?"
This…
The staff officer paused, then immediately said without hesitation. "If it were Lu Tongling, he would definitely order pursuit to the very end!"
Pursue to the very end?
People say not to pursue a desperate enemy. To pursue to the very end seemed unwise.
But…
It was like beating a dog that had already fallen into the water!
Chen Deng gritted his teeth and loudly announced again, "Relay the order to all units, Lu Tongling's strategy pouch only left these eight words: Pursue to the very end, leave none behind! That is all, let all units decide for themselves!"
Having said this, Chen Deng's lips curved upwards. He suddenly realized that this "non-existent" strategy pouch from Lu Tongling was truly effective, and the leeks were truly easy to harvest!
…
Dawn broke, and the darkness finally passed.
A great victory…
—A great victory at Guangling City!
How great was it?
Naturally, someone began to count. The Cao army's various legions had dedicated scribes to calculate the number of heads, to whom the heads belonged, and whose merit it was, no one could steal it!
The scribe spent a full half-day counting, only to reach a conclusion. His calculation skills were not very good; he had counted several times, and the numbers did not match. The main reason was the sheer quantity. The scribe was on the verge of tears.
"Those who died by weapons, four thousand three hundred and twenty men. But… those who died from trampling each other and drowning numbered over seventeen thousand. How… how should this battle report be written?"
From Guangling to the riverbank, in such a small area, the ground was covered with corpses…
Even the river was filled with corpses…
Now they were neatly arranged.
Some soldiers also began to search the clothes of these corpses for copper coins, jade pendants, and so on. There were even… those who stripped off their thick cotton clothes. The thick cotton clothes, stained with blood, could no longer be worn, but the cotton inside could be removed and made into several summer shirts. It was not to be wasted… The people of Xuzhou were very good at meticulous planning.
Chen Deng also stood there, looking at the scribe and listening to his difficulty, and reminded him with a smile, "Just write that these twenty-one thousand people were all annihilated by us. If you kill one, your merit book will be multiplied by four, won't it? Anyway, it's all our merit, and no one can snatch it away…"
At this point, Chen Deng suddenly felt a little shameless.
It was true that the strategy was his, and the great victory was also achieved by him. But somehow… something was missing.
That's right…
The merit of Lu Yu, the young master Lu, was missing. Without his name? Without his "non-existent" strategy pouch, could this battle have gone so smoothly?
When drinking water, think of its source.
Young Master Lu's merit must also be accounted for.
"Right, remember to write this sentence in the battle report: Lu Situ's brilliant strategy pacifies the world, and his lingering strategy pouch breaks Jiangdong! Hurry up and write it, and as soon as it's finished, send it to the imperial court by flying horse!"
…
…