Chapter 70: Qin Lie Offers A Plan To Breach Wan City

  Nanyang, Wancheng.

  Han Zhong led more than 70,000 troops to defend the city. The government army launched a fierce attack for over two months, not only failed to break through Wan City, but also left countless bodies.

  Zhu Huan originally wanted to besiege but not attack, waiting for the rebel army's food and grass to be exhausted, at which time the rebel army would naturally disintegrate without a fight. However, the situation in the court changed suddenly, and the emperor issued an edict to defeat the Yellow Turbans of Nanyang within a month, so he had to mobilize the entire army to launch a fierce attack on Wan City.

  The imperial army originally had more than 10,000 elite soldiers under Zhu Huan's command. Qin Gong, the governor of Nanyang, also successively mobilized troops from various counties, with a total of over 20,000 soldiers. The combined forces totaled nearly 40,000 soldiers.

  However, after months of fierce battles, the government army suffered heavy casualties in the siege of Wan City and was left with only 30,000 troops.

  Han Zhong had 70,000 troops and horses. Although he had the strong walls of Wan City and occupied a strategic location, his rebel army was made up of undisciplined mobs, many of whom were old, weak, women and children, and lacked armor and weapons. After several fierce battles, their casualties were even more severe than those of the government army.

  By now, Han Zhong's rebel forces still had an army of 40,000 men, and their military strength was roughly the same as that of the government forces.

  Zhu Huan divided his 30,000-strong army into ten teams, each with 3,000 men, taking turns to attack Wan City.

  The sun rises in the east, with red clouds stretching for thousands of miles.

  Thirty thousand government soldiers, led by the commander of the unified army and the military governor, climbed up to the top of Wan City in succession, fighting fiercely with the Yellow Turbans on the city head.

  The city wall of Wan City, which was originally solid, has been damaged in many places after a series of fierce battles.

  The city wall built with bluestone was stained with blood that had not been washed away, turning it into a bloody castle. The clear river water in the moat also turned into a bloody river, with some remaining corpses and severed limbs that had not been cleaned up in time, resembling a hellish bloody river.

  After two months of fierce fighting, the rebel army led by Han Zhong had already exhausted all the supplies and equipment they had collected.

  The government army rushed to the top of the city wall with ease, using their sharp and shiny steel knives to engage in a desperate fight to the death with the fierce and fearless Yellow Turban bandits. Any clever tactics or military strategies were rendered useless in the face of real blades and gunfire.

  The outcome of war is decided by nothing but the weapons and equipment of soldiers on both sides and their tolerance for death.

  The government army is well-equipped and well-trained, especially the 15,000 central army led by Zhu Yuanzhang, which has become a crack troop after several battles, and its combat effectiveness is not to be underestimated.

  Qin Jue's mobilized 10,000 county soldiers were inferior in equipment and personnel quality compared to Zhu Yue's central army. Compared with the Yellow Turban rebels in the city, they only had a slight advantage in terms of equipment.

  Han Zhong's rebel army had only 40,000 people left, but after several fierce battles, all the old, weak, women and children were killed, and almost all of those who survived were strong and vigorous men.

  These robust men, who could survive on the brutal battlefield, had long since washed away their original nature as farmers. Their endurance of death was no less than that of the county soldiers and brave warriors under Qin's command. Not only did they occupy the strategic city of Wan, but they also held an advantage in military strength. More importantly, after Zhu Yun refused Han Zhong's request to surrender, every rebel soldier had made up their mind to fight to the death.

  Although Zhu Huan launched a massive army and attacked fiercely, it was still difficult to capture Wan city in a short time.

  The imperial army was in the rear.

  Zhu Huan and Qin Yong led their horses side by side, personally commanding the army to attack the city.

  The war was very tragic, and although the government soldiers easily climbed to the top of the city wall, they found it difficult to achieve greater results in the face of the Yellow Turbans' desperate counterattack. In a situation where the military strength is at a disadvantage, dividing troops to attack other three gates will only have the same result.

  The sun sets in the west.

  Thirty thousand troops took turns going into battle, fighting until dusk, but still could not break into the city.

  Zhu Yun's face was cold and stern, with a sharp glint in his tiger-like eyes, and his complexion looked extremely unpleasant.

  Since parting ways with Huangfu Song, Huangfu Song has been winning battle after battle. First, he marched north and defeated the Yellow Turbans in Dong Commandery, then joined forces with Lu Zhi to defeat the Yellow Turban rebels' main base at Guangzong, achieving brilliant military successes.

  Looking back on himself, he was blocked in Nanyang and attacked for two months, but failed to break through Wan City.

  Today, all the Yellow Turbans have been eliminated except for those in Nanyang. The Emperor is enraged and if not for Grand Commandant Zhang Wen pleading on their behalf, they would likely be punished further, having reached the peak of fury.

  Qin Hui glanced at Zhu Yun and suddenly said: "I have a plan, General, you might as well listen to it."

  Zhuo Yu said: "General Qin has a clever plan to defeat the enemy, I will listen carefully."

  Qin said in a loud voice: "Now the rebel army has made up its mind to fight to the death, and it is advantageous to occupy Wan City. It's hard to take down quickly. However, there are tens of thousands of thieves under Han Zhong's command, and the consumption of grain and grass every day is countless. Even if Wan City has a lot of stored grain, Han Zhong cannot hold on for long. The remaining grain and grass now must not be many. What does the general think?"

  Zhu Xuan sank into thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "What Qin gentleman says makes sense."

  Qin Lie said, "The rebel army is a motley crew. If the city's grain and fodder are exhausted, and there is no immediate danger, they will inevitably come out of the city to plunder grain and fodder. General, why not issue an order to temporarily withdraw troops and wait for the rebels to come out of the city to plunder grain, thereby luring the snake out of its hole."

  Zhu Yan Dao said: "If the rebel army still has a surplus of grain and grass, and does not come out to rob our supplies, our army will not be able to break into the city within the time limit set by the Emperor. I fear that we will be punished by the imperial court. What can we do?"

  Qin Hui smiled and said, "In that case, there's no other way. At present, the rebel army has a strong advantage in numbers and is determined to fight to the death, occupying a strong city for defense. If we launch a forced attack, not only will we be unable to capture the city, but our soldiers will also suffer heavy casualties. Whether or not to accept the surrender is up to you, General."

  "Whatever."

  Zhu Zan sank into thought for a moment, then suddenly said: "Pass the order, the entire army will retreat thirty miles and set up camp. The whole army is to stay in camp and not go out."

  "Understood."

  His loyal troops responded with a loud shout and galloped away.

  The military order was quickly passed down, and the 30,000 government troops stopped attacking the city, retreated overnight, and set up camp ten miles away.

  The news reached the city, and Han Zhong hastily gathered the crowd to discuss it.

  "Your Excellency, this must be because the government army's grain and fodder are exhausted, and they have no choice but to retreat."

  One of the Yellow Turbans' leaders spoke out his mind first.

  Another Yellow Turban leader said: "It's also possible that the government troops couldn't take Wan City, so they had to retreat and regroup."

  Another Yellow Turban rebel leader, with a spirited expression, said: "Even the imperial court's most elite Central Army officials can't do anything to us. As long as General-in-Chief defeats Zhu Yue and Qin Lie's armies, we will surely restore the former glory of the Great Virtuous and Loyal Army."

  Han Zhong's face had a pleased expression, and he nodded repeatedly.

  Originally, Guangzhou was attacked by the government army, and Zhang Jiao's three brothers died one after another. With the Yellow Turbans only left in Nanyang, Han Zhong had long had the heart to stand alone, but he was worried about the loyalty of his subordinates and did not dare to reveal it.

  The leader of the Yellow Turbans was delighted with these words, which struck a chord in Han Zhong's heart.

  "General, the government troops are full of cunning and deceit, we must be on our guard."

  Another relatively cautious Yellow Turban leader hastily said: "We must be careful, the government troops may have some sinister plot."

  Han Zhong asked: "What sinister plot can the government troops have?"

  "This..."

  The leader of the Yellow Turbans was taken aback by his words and could not respond.

  Another leader of the Yellow Turbans said, "General, there is hardly any food left in the city. Even if we reduce our rations by half, we can only hold out for another half month. If we don't go out and plunder soon, the brothers will starve to death, which would be troublesome."

  The various heads nodded in succession, deeply expressing their approval.

  These Yellow Turban bandits may not be cultured, but they understand the most basic principles. Food and fodder are fundamental; if their bellies can't be filled, it's likely that even without the imperial army coming to kill them, their men and horses will disperse on their own.

  Han Zhong was also worried that the government army had some sinister plot, but grain and fodder were a major event for the leader. If he wanted to let his 40,000 men and horses fight with the government army, he must have enough grain and fodder, otherwise the army would inevitably collapse without a fight.

  After a moment of hesitation, Han Zhong decided to take advantage of the government army's retreat to raid the city and steal food. He ordered: "Pass on to all commanders, leave 10,000 troops in the city, and have everyone else go out and raid for food. As long as it's edible, bring it back to me."

  "Roger."

  The various Yellow Turban leaders thunderously accepted the order and left their camps one after another to inspect their troops and leave the city.

  The next day, the government army set up a large camp.

  "General, good news."

  Zhu Ling was gathering his generals to discuss strategies to defeat the enemy when a personal soldier rushed in, looking excited and said: "General Qin is truly ingenious, the rebel army has indeed come out of the city to plunder grain."

  "Is this really true?"

  Zhu Yun suddenly stood up and couldn't help but change his expression.

  The orderly hastily said: "Military affairs are of great importance, how dare a lowly person deceive the general."

  "Good, very good."

  Zhu Huan strode forward, slapping his thigh and saying: "If the rebel army occupies a strong city and defends it, I will lead my weak troops to launch a strong attack on the city. What can be done about Han Zhong's 40,000 rebels? But if they lose the stronghold of Wan City, how can these scattered mobs of 40,000 be a match for my battle-hardened elite troops? Now that the rebel army has come out of the city to plunder, I will defeat them as easily as turning over my hand."

  "Please give the order, General."

  The generals under his command were also in high spirits, asking for orders one after another. In fact, it was the first time in two months that they had fought against the rebels from Nanyang and achieved nothing. Now, with victory within sight, how could they not be excited?

  Zhu Ling looked at Qin Ying and said: "General Qin has anticipated the enemy's plan, and can join forces with me to defeat the bandits and achieve this great merit."

  Qin said with a smile: "I am willing to follow General's orders, I dare not disobey."

  "In that case, I won't be polite anymore."

  Zhu Linglang said in a loud voice: "Pass the order, the army can bury the cauldron and rebel, wait until night falls and then suddenly attack Wan City under the cover of darkness."

  "I will obey your orders!"

  The generals all accepted the order and left one after another.