Kill!
Countless Shu soldiers' eyes gleamed with bloodlust. They erected ladders and raised shields, relentlessly assaulting Yiling City.
"Hold the line, hold the line!"
The soldiers on the city walls, their eyes red from fighting, let out long roars. They were guarding the most crucial barrier between Great Wei and Bashu.
More and more trebuchets were set up by the Shu army. Countless stones arced through the sky, battering the city walls.
On the Wei side, many powerful crossbows were brought to the battlements to counterattack!
With the whistling sound of repeating crossbows, the city walls began to show some spirit.
The surging Shu army reached the base of the city and, without pause, erected their ladders. Pairs of archers nocked arrows and rained them down on the battlements, forcing the defenders to duck. The only exception were the powerful crossbows on the walls.
The Wei infantry archers could only shoot at an upward angle. Every moment, Wei or Shu soldiers fell. The whistling of arrows and the massive stones crashing into the city made everyone tremble.
Below the city...
The Shu army had already set up camp around the city, forming an encampment stretching for a hundred li.
Liu Bei, leading his deputy generals, stood on the reviewing stand, personally overseeing the battle. His hands were clasped behind his back, his right hand constantly gripping his left fingers – a sign of anxiety and worry!
Clearly...
Taking Yiling City was not as easy as imagined.
But... he had endured for too long. He needed such a campaign to vent the killing intent in his heart!
...
The siege lasted from dawn until dusk.
Night was unfavorable for the attackers, so the Shu army retreated.
Zhou Yu and Lu Xun, escorted by guards, once again reached the top of the city wall.
Zhou Yu pointed at the Shu army. Seeing their orderly formation and disciplined withdrawal, he sighed and remarked, "Those who advance are not rash, and those who retreat have no fear. Zhuge Liang has trained an army capable of tough battles in these five years!"
Lu Xun turned to look at the arrow tower that had been hit by massive stones, a hint of melancholy in his heart. He said, "Fortunately, we evacuated the civilians of Yiling to Jingzhou in advance. Otherwise, this battle would have resulted in widespread devastation."
Speaking of this...
Zhou Yu suddenly looked up at Lu Xun. "A general's success is built upon the bones of ten thousand soldiers!" he sighed, then his gaze became sharp as he looked at Lu Xun. "Boyan, what I admire most about you is your patience. Before I met you, I thought Lu Meng was patient enough. I never expected you to be even more patient than him!"
At this point...
Zhou Yu's gaze returned to below the battlements, looking at the corpses strewn across the ground, at the city walls already somewhat dilapidated from the impact of massive stones, and lamented, "If it were me, I would never tolerate this!"
At this moment, Lu Xun took a letter from his robe and turned it over for Zhou Yu to see the words on it.
—A single punch opens the way, preventing a barrage of blows!
This...
Zhou Yu could recognize the handwriting as the Emperor's.
So... what did these ten characters mean?
Zhou Yu, being a shrewd man, immediately understood the Emperor's intention.
Lu Xun said at the opportune moment, "A single punch opens the way, preventing a barrage of blows... His Majesty wants a decisive victory. Since that is the case... let's let these two hundred thousand Shu troops leave their bones here and their souls return here!"
This...
Zhou Yu was silent for a moment and could only admire Lu Xun's forbearance even more. "No matter what, your strategic acumen during wartime is for His Majesty's benevolent rule in peacetime..."
As Zhou Yu finished speaking.
"Look..." Lu Xun pointed towards the enemy formation ahead. "Liu Bei has already stationed his army at the location we predicted. Over two hundred thousand troops have surrounded Yiling City, forming an encampment of a hundred li. Perfect, just perfect!"
At this moment...
A sharp glint flickered in Lu Xun's eyes.
Zhou Yu closed his eyes slightly, as if he had already foreseen what would happen that night.
As he turned, he couldn't help but glance at Lu Xun again, his heart filled with emotion, "His Majesty's maternal lineage is truly remarkable!"
...
...
The clouds gathered over Bashu. The season for heavy rain was approaching.
A dark mass of ominous clouds seemed poised to destroy everything at Jianmen Pass!
—Keng keng li...
The sonorous sound of a guqin played on the battlements.
The distant, deep notes seemed to awaken the beautiful mountains and rivers, burying the imminent killing intent at Jianmen Pass.
"Brother..."
With a clear voice, the person playing the guqin stopped their strings and looked up at the approaching figure.
The person was Zhuge Jun.
Who else could be playing the guqin but Zhuge Liang?
Aside from that brief encounter five years ago when they signed the armistice agreement, the last time the brothers had a heart-to-heart talk was on the battlefield of Red Cliffs, meeting on the river. Back then, Zhuge Jun had advised Zhuge Liang—with his brother's talent, he was destined to become the Minister of Personnel in Great Wei, or even a Prime Minister!
Zhuge Liang remained unmoved. His reply was that Duke Liu had visited him three times in his humble dwelling, seeking his counsel on the affairs of the world... and thus, he wished to try, to see if he could play a game against the Marquis of Nanling through Duke Liu's hand, to fulfill his lifelong ambition!
It was precisely because of Zhuge Liang's obsession...
That the slogan supporting the faith of Liu Bei's army, "Han rebels cannot coexist; the king's enterprise cannot be divided," was born!
"Jun'er..." Zhuge Liang slowly rose. "That meeting on the Red Cliffs river, you tried to persuade me to join Wei. How did I answer you? Do you remember?"
Zhuge Jun blurted out, "Brother said that perhaps Jiangdong could not stop Great Wei's southward advance, but... at least, brother should maintain a scholar's final pride, and should try to play a game against the Marquis of Nanling! To not be unworthy of your studies!"
"He... was still the Marquis of Nanling of the Han Dynasty back then!" Zhuge Liang lamented, his eyes looking towards the sky. "Now, he is the ruler of Great Wei. The true Han does not exist anymore."
In just a few years, the world had changed.
Speaking of this, Zhuge Liang added, "At that time, I also told Jun'er that among the Zhuge clan, you are the most promising, and the responsibility for the revival of the Zhuge clan in the future rests on your shoulders!"
"Brother..." Zhuge Jun let out a sigh. "I have come to see you this time for no other reason than to inform you of something."
"What is it?" Zhuge Liang quickly asked.
"If... Liu Xuande dies at Yiling, then... the Prime Minister will be in a position of 'high merit and potential threat to the ruler' in Bashu!"
This...
No matter what, Zhuge Liang never imagined that his third brother would come here and utter such 'wild words'! "Third brother... whether as a Wei envoy or as a member of our Zhuge clan, you should not say these words."
"Second brother!" Zhuge Jun's tone became increasingly earnest. "I have come only to tell you that your time is running out. Liu Xuande is destined to perish at Yiling! Second brother must make early plans!"
"You are presumptuous..." Zhuge Liang shouted, pointing at Zhuge Jun.
Who would have thought that the two brothers, who were originally displaying brotherly affection, would have such a grim atmosphere between them simply because of a single sentence?
Unusually grim...
"Second brother... do you see these cannons? They can blast tens of thousands of people to pieces in an instant..." Zhuge Jun continued, his words becoming solemn. "But in fact, cannons are not even Great Wei's most destructive weapon. It is too... too simple for His Majesty to defeat Liu Xuande. Believe it or not, Liu Xuande is destined to die at Yiling! No one can change that!"
This...
Cannons... cannons that could instantly turn the tide at Mishang Road, instantly send tens of thousands of Shu troops to their doom, were... still not Great Wei's strongest weapon?
Then... what else was there? What else?
Zhuge Liang looked at Zhuge Jun in disbelief.
He opened his mouth, but it seemed he was mumbling. His throat was choked, and he didn't know how to speak.
"Second brother, Prime Minister of Shu Han..." Zhuge Jun's voice grew louder. "Wake up, wake up... What can Shu Han use to fight Great Wei? What can second brother use to compare with His Majesty? Can this war be fought? Is there any point in fighting this war?"
Hoo...
At this, Zhuge Liang felt a sharp pain in his heart.
His third brother was like sprinkling salt on his wounds.
"This game..." Zhuge Liang's voice was hoarse. "This game... has not yet been decided! Jun'er, please forgive this foolish brother for being busy with official duties and unable to keep you for long... After leaving Jianmen Pass, whatever methods you have, whatever methods Cao Yu has, bring them on... bring them on!"
Zhuge Liang seemed to have used up all his strength. His mood plummeted to the bottom.
Zhuge Jun wanted to say something more.
Ultimately, he swallowed everything he wanted to say.
"Second brother, your foolish brother takes his leave."
As he spoke, Zhuge Jun bowed his hands in a salute and slowly withdrew.
Only Zhuge Liang remained, his eyes tightly closed. Drizzle droplets fell, pattering on his face, feeling exceptionally cold.
Watching his third brother exit the gates of Jianmen Pass,
Zhuge Liang suddenly thought of something.
"His Majesty's deployment map for the eastern campaign, his camp layout? Bring them here... quickly fetch them..."
...
...
In an official residence at Jianmen Pass.
Zhuge Liang, as if possessed, gazed at the deployment map of Liu Bei encircling Yiling, drawn by his trusted scribes.
A messenger reported truthfully, "His Majesty has ordered the army of two hundred and fifty thousand armored soldiers to surround Yiling City, stretching for over a hundred li... with forty-odd encampments, all situated by mountains and streams, some nestled in dense forests, some on rock piles, some on open plains."
Zhuge Liang listened while continuing to examine the deployment map.
The messenger continued, "To be safe, His Majesty has also ordered flying balls to be kept high in the air, closely monitoring nearby movements. If the enemy attempts a surprise attack or reinforcements arrive, defenses can be prepared immediately... Even if Yiling has Wei army's artillery, His Majesty can detect and respond accordingly."
It seemed... Liu Bei's deployment was foolproof.
At first glance, Zhuge Liang couldn't find any problems.
But... what Zhuge Jun said today was too heavy.
It was vivid... as if Liu Bei's demise at Yiling was already in sight, leaping before his eyes.
Zhuge Liang dared not be careless. He kept rereading the map, posing questions from time to time.
"His Majesty launched a large-scale attack on the city. Were there any abnormalities with the Wei army?"
This...
The messenger shook his head. "It seems there were no abnormalities. They didn't even use artillery, allowing His Majesty's trebuchets to be assembled. During the siege, the numerous massive stones made it almost impossible for the Wei army to lift their heads. If the battle continues like this, taking Yiling should be a matter of time."
"How long did it take you to get here from Yiling?" Zhuge Liang asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"Three days..."
"Three days..." Zhuge Liang narrowed his eyes, meticulously pondering what Yiling City's game plan might be.
Wait...
Zhuge Liang suddenly discovered something abnormal.
"His Majesty's alliance stretches for hundreds of li. What about the surrounding farms? Where are the civilians in those farms?"
"Reporting to the Prime Minister, it seems the Wei army adopted a scorched-earth policy. In all the surrounding farms, there were no civilians, not even food."
This...
Zhuge Liang immediately felt a sense of unease. "Something is wrong, something is wrong!"
Wei Yan, who had been listening to Zhuge Liang's conversation with the messenger, stepped forward. "Where is the problem? Isn't everything in order? Cao Yu has focused his attack on the Shu Road, and the one defending Yiling is just a greenhorn? Lu Xun? A greenhorn, what kind of troops can he command?"
"Yun Chang lost his life precisely because he underestimated the enemy!"
Zhuge Liang suddenly raised his voice, his eyes narrowing further.
"But..."
Wei Yan was about to speak again but was interrupted by Zhuge Liang. "It is precisely because nothing seems wrong that this is the biggest problem... the biggest flaw!"
"Where is it?" Zhuge Liang paced back and forth, his gaze sweeping over the positions of Liu Bei's army. Forests fear fire attacks, shallow waters fear flooding, slopes fear landslides and mudflows, and so on.
Suddenly, Zhuge Liang realized something.
"It's underground... If Cao Yu wants to achieve indiscriminate attacks and immense power, it must be underground... underground!"
"Underground?" Wei Yan was stunned. He suspected Zhuge Liang had gone mad. "How can it be underground? The Wei army once relied on flying balls and divine intervention from the sky, which can be understood, but from underground? How would they emerge? Tunnel out?"
"Not people..." Zhuge Liang seemed to realize something. "If... if it were something like artillery, buried underground, waiting for His Majesty's entire army to fall into the predetermined positions, then it would be over!"
At this moment, Zhuge Liang realized he had seen through everything.
But what good was that?
It's over... it's all over!
He looked at the topographical map in his hand and murmured helplessly, "It's too close, His Majesty's army is too close to Yiling. Scorched earth... Lu Xun never practiced scorched earth. He only moved the civilians away, the purpose... was to bury something that could explode underground!"
"We have all witnessed the power of artillery, but now... this power is about to... about to engulf His Majesty, about to engulf the two hundred and fifty thousand Shu army soldiers. His Majesty is bound to lose... His Majesty is bound to lose, and our state's vitality will be exhausted... exhausted!"
Ah... ah...
Wei Yan's eyes widened. "Could the Prime Minister be... overthinking?"
"Overthinking?" Zhuge Liang shouted loudly. "Do you think our opponent is Lu Xun? No... our opponent has always been Cao Yu! It is Yinlin who helped Cao Cao establish the foundation of Great Wei... I fear what he intends to do is even more terrifying than I imagine. He intends to bring about the downfall of Shu Han in one fell swoop!"
"Moreover, what logic is there in stationing troops hundreds of li away to face the enemy? Once this explodes, encampments spanning hundreds of li will become fires spanning hundreds of li, leading to widespread devastation... it is... it is souls returning..."
Finally, Zhuge Liang could not continue speaking.
He seemed to have foreseen the outcome of the Battle of Yiling. His Majesty... the Emperor of Shu Han... I'm afraid... I'm afraid...
"Wei Yan..."
"Your subordinate is here!"
"You must ride day and night to Yiling to see His Majesty and tell him that the troops must not be stationed too close to Yiling. Transfer the entire army to the outer perimeter immediately, to areas with villages and civilians. If it's too late, there will be no salvation!"
"Prime Minister..." Wei Yan rubbed his head. "But... from here to Yiling is a seven-hundred-li urgent dispatch. Even the fastest would take three days! If, as the Prime Minister predicts, something happens during these three days, what then?"
"What I fear is..." Zhuge Liang was trembling all over. "Perhaps... at this very moment... the explosion has already begun. If that is the case, the troops we trained for five years... will be... will be destroyed!"
...
...