Chapter 36: The Great Army Has Entered the City

The plan was finalized. Shi Yi’s forces were to attack the East and South gates, while Mi Fang dispatched Huang Zhong to assault the West gate and Wei Yan to take the North gate. Mi Fang, having arrived early to make preparations, shared some of his self-constructed siege ladders and equipment with Shi Yi.

The assignments were made. The traditional demand for surrender was issued. It was refused. The troops advanced.

Ma Su gripped his sword, feeling a flutter of panic. He was facing the battlefield directly once again, and since he was not the commander this time, if he were to die like a common soldier in the siege, his regrets would be endless. However, it was too late for regrets now.

"Youchang, I think you would be better off following Huang Hansheng," Zhao Shaojie said, specifically advising Ma Su as he did not want anything untoward to happen to him. Huang Zhong was a seasoned veteran who had formerly served under Liu Pan, frequently conducting raids on Eastern Wu and defending against their counter-attacks. Wei Yan, though skilled in martial arts, was young and prone to recklessness. Ma Su, however, was unpredictable in such situations.

Ma Su thought for a moment and replied, "Thank you." Faced with life and death, Ma Su set aside his pride and stubbornness, deciding immediately to cling to Huang Zhong and abandon the company of the equally arrogant and hot-blooded Wei Yan.

Atop the city walls, Qian Bo exclaimed bitterly, "We were living peacefully in Gaoliang; why must you attack us?"

Yi Liao added angrily, "Shi Yi is incompetent! He betrayed the Shi family to collaborate with Liu Bei’s men. Does he not realize that Liu Bei intends to swallow up Jiaozhou?"

"Enough! You and I are brothers; we shall fight to the death today. I want to see exactly what Liu Bei’s subordinates are made of!" Qian Bo shouted.

Yi Liao, however, felt a sense of defeat. The city’s populace did not support them, and there were no reinforcements coming from outside. In such circumstances, he could only say, "We must defend Gaoliang at all costs and let them taste our strength!"

The two assigned their duties: one would guard the South gate, the other the North. The East and West gates were guarded by their respective fierce warriors.

...

Wei Yan, now commanding a thousand soldiers and filled with soaring ambition, ordered his archers to trade fire with the defenders on the wall as soon as they reached the North gate, while his men set up the siege ladders. Many soldiers began to climb. On the wall, a deluge of rolling stones, massive logs, and arrows rained down. Many men were struck and fell from the ramparts. Fortunately, the city walls were not high—only about three or four meters—so as long as a soldier wasn't crushed, they could survive the fall.

Watching wave after wave of men fall, Wei Yan could no longer restrain himself. He prepared to join the assault personally, ignoring the attempts of his subordinates to hold him back, and began to scale a ladder himself.

Huang Zhong was no less eager. Assessing the layout of the city walls, he identified a vulnerable point and began to climb a ladder. Ma Su was terrified. His previous battlefield experience had come either from his own imagination or the accounts of others. Since arriving in Jiaozhou, they hadn't fought a real battle; the one time they had, his entire army had been wiped out. Now, with the deafening roar of battle surrounding him and stones, logs, boiling water, and stray arrows flying past, his heart raced, his breathing grew shallow, and his mind went blank.

"Calm down, stay calm!" Ma Su forced himself to regain composure, keeping his eyes fixed on Huang Zhong’s figure.

Huang Zhong moved with incredible speed, showing no signs of his age. Like an ape, he scrambled up the ladder and reached the top. A defender lunged at him with a spear, but Huang Zhong, with sharp eyes and swift hands, grabbed the weapon, pulled with immense strength, and yanked the man off the wall. With another burst of energy, he leaped onto the ramparts. He began slashing with his blade, moving through the defenders as if no one were there.

Seeing Huang Zhong breach the wall, the soldiers below were emboldened and surged upward. Behind Huang Zhong, countless men followed, quickly opening a gap. On the battlefield, a cry went up: "The West gate has been breached!"

The news reached the defenders, throwing Qian Bo and Yi Liao into a panic; they hurriedly dispatched reinforcements to the West gate. Mi Fang, too, was astonished. "I never imagined Huang Zhong was so fierce! How long has it been? He has already breached the wall?" Mi Fang looked at Xu Shu in disbelief.

Xu Shu was equally surprised. They had found it strange that Zhao Shaojie held Huang Zhong in such high regard, especially since, as Ma Su had claimed, Huang Zhong was an aging man who had served under Liu Pan—surely a mediocre figure. They had not expected Huang Zhong to provide such a surprise in less than an hour. "It is no wonder Shaojie values Huang Hansheng so much. He is truly a ferocious warrior!" Xu Shu praised.

"Naturally," Zhao Shaojie smiled. This was just a minor, unknown city. In the future, Huang Zhong would be the man to slay Xiahou Yuan, one of the greatest warriors under Cao Cao.

Shi Yi was also shocked. He had not expected Liu Bei’s men to be so savage; the defenses of Gaoliang had been shattered in such a short time. He cautiously asked his own men how their progress was going. They told him they were still struggling at the foot of the wall, afraid to advance due to the stones, logs, boiling water, and arrows raining down. Shi Yi grew even more panicked, but he forced a smile for Mi Fang and the others. "As expected of the elite forces under Lord Xuande; they are truly extraordinary!"

On the other side, Wei Yan heard the news that the West gate had been breached and was instantly displeased. He had little respect for Huang Zhong, but he hadn't expected the old man to beat him to it. "I will not be outdone by an old man!" Wei Yan growled. Seizing the opportunity created by the chaos on the wall, he charged up.

Soon, another shout echoed: "The North gate has been breached!"

"I did not expect Wenchang to be so capable; he is truly worthy of having come from the Lord's main army," Mi Fang praised, dispatching reinforcements. He had already sent a wave to assist Huang Zhong. Mi Fang and Xu Shu were beaming with joy.

Shi Yi’s mood, however, had plummeted to the depths of despair. His own troops had still made no progress. Was the disparity in strength truly this vast? What would happen if they were to clash in the future?

Just as Shi Yi was filled with worry, another piece of bad news arrived. Upon climbing the wall, Wei Yan had run straight into Qian Bo. Even with his soldiers’ assistance, Qian Bo was no match for Wei Yan. The latter fought with a manic intensity, his movements faster and his techniques far more seasoned. He struck Qian Bo’s armor with a powerful blow. Qian Bo, startled and staggering, prepared to fight again, but Wei Yan rushed him, pinning his long blade against his throat and forcing him to order his men to surrender.

Qian Bo, heart-broken and defeated, had no choice but to yield. "The rebel leader Qian Bo has been captured! The enemy has surrendered!"

The news reached them. Shi Yi was trembling with fear, his face ashen. Was it over already? It hadn't even been a single day. He had anticipated at least a ten-day siege, waiting for the city to fall into chaos and run out of supplies before a breach could be made, yet it had been destroyed in an instant!

Mi Fang and the others were overjoyed. Huang Zhong was formidable, and Wei Yan was equally so. Mi Fang looked at Shi Yi and smiled, "Governor Shi, the army has entered the city. Please, lead the way!"