Jiangdong's assault on the northern side of Jiangling carried a flavor of utter disregard for life.
Zhou Qun's assessment of it was simple.
"Lü Meng has gone mad."
Zhou Qun might not understand battlefield formations, but even he could see clearly that using iron chained ships as a floating bridge was a final gamble.
The mengchong warships used as the base of the floating bridge were already beyond recovery. There was no longer any way to dismantle them and restore them into proper warships. As for the small boats that had rammed the city gates while carrying fire oil, all that remained were scorched oars and blackened hulls.
Under such circumstances, if Jiangling were taken, then everything could still be justified.
But if the attack failed, this entire army would likely find itself unable even to retreat.
In the past, Jiangdong had dominated the river by relying on these warships. Now they were destroying them all simply to get close to Jiangling, cutting off their own path of retreat first.
Jiang Wan, however, remained calm.
Though these days had been exhausting, there was no pessimism in his expression. He even had the leisure to joke.
"Back at Red Cliffs, Lü Meng was still nothing more than a fierce warrior. Now he has learned to imitate the story of Chu's Overlord breaking his cauldrons and sinking his boats. There were rumors that Marquis Sun urged him to study. Today, I believe them."
He continued, voice steady and loud.
"Only it is a pity his time spent reading was too short. He wishes to reenact the deeds of Chu's Overlord, yet his generals lack the Overlord's ferocity, and his soldiers lack the courage of Chu."
"And one must remember this."
"The Overlord of Chu ultimately fell to Han."
Jiang Wan spoke loudly, and his final words rang with force. The personal guards around him took the lead in cheering.
Zhou Qun understood clearly. Three parts of these words were spoken for himself. Seven parts were for the soldiers, to bolster morale.
Jiangdong's assault was ferocious, and they were already fighting on the northern side without regard for casualties. In such madness, it was inevitable that doubts would creep into soldiers' hearts.
Still, Zhou Qun remembered very clearly that the story of breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats ended with the Overlord lifting the siege of Julu and crushing the Qin army.
He chose not to say anything. Instead, he quietly watched as Jiangling gradually settled into a solemn stillness.
Zhuge Guo had her elder brother Zhuge Qiao set up a ladder against the low wall, then strained to peek over.
The once bustling streets had vanished. Now the roads were so quiet that only farmers pushing wooden oxen passed by, along with soldiers wearing helmets and armor.
Zhuge Guo puffed out her cheeks. Magistrate Jiang had strictly forbidden civilians from going out during the fighting, leaving her stifled at home. She could only cling to the wall and steal glances to satisfy her longing.
Moreover, their mother was not at home.
A few days earlier, enemy troops outside the city had set fires that burned part of the northern gate's crossbow installations. Now Magistrate Jiang was ordering several giant crossbows from the western gate dismantled and reinstalled at the north. Damage was inevitable during the process.
There was a sudden shortage of craftsmen skilled in repairing giant crossbows. Their mother had volunteered in her capacity as a craftswoman, leaving only Zhuge Guo and her brother at home.
The solemn scene before her brought Zhuge Guo no joy. She slid down the ladder and said gloomily,
"Brother, let's go look at the glass greenhouse."
Zhuge Qiao smiled and nodded. After soothing his sister, a trace of melancholy crept into his expression.
Their father was far away in Hanzhong. Their mother was now assisting with the city's defense. As a son of the Zhuge family, he could not mount the walls to defend the state. It left him with deep regret.
Before long, Zhuge Guo ran back out of the house, arms full. She had tucked a small notebook under one arm and clutched rulers, measuring tapes, and charcoal pencils as she headed straight for the greenhouse.
Zhuge Qiao shook his head helplessly. The greenhouse had originally been built by their mother to study differences in herbs, but she had been too busy. The recording work fell to his younger sister, who did it with tireless enthusiasm.
After casting one last look northward, Zhuge Qiao steeled himself. Since his age did not yet allow him to pacify the realm, he would first take good care of the household, especially his sister.
Aside from that, Zhuge Qiao would occasionally climb the ladder to observe the streets.
For the first two days, all the soldiers and laborers he saw were heading toward the northern gate. No one laughed or joked. Every face was solemn.
Three days passed, and Zhuge Qiao began to notice scattered wounded soldiers retreating from the north.
Fortunately, their expressions were not ones of despair, and this eased his heart somewhat.
Two more days later, the number of wounded increased sharply. Zhuge Qiao's heart tightened.
Was the northern gate battle going poorly?
Jingzhou's climate was already hot. With spring underway, each day grew warmer. Some wounded soldiers walked along the base of the walls, and bits of their conversation reached Zhuge Qiao's ears.
"…Why do these Wu dogs still have reinforcements?"
"Didn't the Magistrate say it? When Jiangling is in danger, Jingnan is safe. All those Wu dogs who were attacking Jingnan have gathered here."
"So what if they have reinforcements? They still haven't broken in."
"But those Wu dogs really aren't afraid of death. We still haven't retaken the gate…"
When the wounded soldiers moved away, Zhuge Qiao's anxiety deepened. That night, when his mother returned, he asked her directly.
Huang Yueying sighed.
"The fighting north of the city is deadlocked. Wu's elite die by the thousands every day. The river has turned red."
Zhuge Qiao fell silent. It was hard to imagine what kind of scene lay just beyond the wall.
After a moment, Huang Yueying gently rubbed the warm cup in her hands and spoke slowly.
"The Wu elites are attacking with suicidal determination. Magistrate Jiang is resisting with everything he has. This battle will likely reach its conclusion within ten days."
"Ten days?" Zhuge Qiao was startled. He had read many books and knew how difficult sieges were.
He had been to the north of the city before. Though the gate had fallen, Magistrate Jiang was no ordinary man. There must have been secondary defenses constructed.
Huang Yueying nodded. This was the conclusion she and Jiang Wan had reached together.
With Lü Meng burning through manpower at this rate, Jiangdong would collapse on its own within half a month at most.
Moreover, Sun, Cao, and Liu were all concentrated in Jingzhou at once. The situation was extremely complex. Neither Lord Xuande nor Cao Cao likely wished to see Jiangling turn into a prolonged stalemate.
These matters did not need to be explained to Zhuge Qiao. Huang Yueying took a sip of hot tea, then thought of something.
Among all roles in the current fighting, the safest were likely the crossbow craftsmen.
A mother's instincts took over. She looked at Zhuge Qiao thoughtfully.
"Bosong, how is your arithmetic study progressing lately?"
Zhuge Qiao immediately felt pressure.
Outside the city, in the Wu army camp, the atmosphere was grim. Han Dang sat in his tent without lighting a lamp and let out a long sigh.
After leading troops back to reinforce, he had been met with Lü Meng's questioning. Over thirty thousand men failed to take Hanshou, their commanding general dying in the process. This could already be called a defeat.
As a veteran general, Han Dang could not be bothered to argue. Pan Zhang had been promoted entirely through Marquis Sun's favor. Han Dang planned to explain everything in person once he returned to Jiangdong.
With responsibility firmly placed, all the soldiers he had previously led, except for his own personal troops, were reassigned under Lü Meng's command.
Those elites were immediately thrown into the brutal battlefield beneath Jiangling's walls. That very day, more than a hundred died without even a sound.
Lü Meng boasted to Han Dang that the front line under Jiangling was advancing steadily, but Han Dang could see clearly that it was all built on piling up lives.
Advance one step and a hundred die. Push forward one zhang and a thousand bodies form the steps.
Yet it was impossible to persuade Lü Meng to stop. They had already fought fiercely for several days. To withdraw now would mean that all the soldiers who had died in the river had perished in vain.
Holding such thoughts, Han Dang felt only confusion.
How had Jiangdong come to this?
The next day, Han Dang accompanied Lü Meng numbly, watching him shout orders, urging the soldiers forward, adding another unit of military overseers, and shouting, "Those who do not advance will die."
At that moment, a report arrived. Enemy forces had appeared from the direction of Lexiang.
Lexiang lay directly west of Jiangling, a county upstream on the Yangtze.
Han Dang rose immediately and requested to fight.
Compared to ordering soldiers to die beneath Jiangling's walls, he would rather clash blades with the enemy himself.
Lü Meng readily agreed. He even grasped Han Dang's hand warmly and said,
"Yigong, this battle will surely not end in failure."
The words were earnest, but Han Dang's heart sank halfway.
The old general looked carefully at Lü Meng, then cupped his hands calmly.
"I will not fail the General's trust."
Han Dang left with ease, not even asking Lü Meng for a single additional soldier. He led his own troops west to seek the enemy.
Lü Meng paid it no mind. His eyes held only Jiangling.
What pleased Han Dang somewhat was receiving detailed maps of the surrounding terrain. This was one of the preparations Lü Meng had made after encamping at Jiangling.
Scouts were dispatched ahead. The army advanced in staggered formations. In the end, it was no surprise to Han Dang when he saw Shamoke's smiling face.
He had never expected the force left at Zuotangliu to block this barbarian king's advance. The plan had only been to delay him.
Shamoke was a local. He knew every path and detour. Seeing him here was no surprise at all.
Lexiang barely had half a city wall. It lay close to Jiangling. In case of battle, one could simply retreat into Jiangling. There was no need to build fortifications, and no terrain advantage for Shamoke to defend.
Yet Shamoke was in excellent spirits. After donning his rattan armor, he stepped forward and shouted,
"Old general, you had more troops and still lost at Hanshou. Now you have fewer men than me. Why not step aside and spare us the killing?"
Han Dang shook his head lightly. He formed ranks with his guards and advanced slowly.
"Han Dang is here. You will not pass a single step."
The stance was clear.
Shamoke glanced toward Jiangling, clearly visible in the distance, then at the stubborn general before him. Irritation spread across his face.
"If you insist on seeking death, then do not blame me."
Shamoke charged first. Zhang Ni and Ma Zhong silently guarded his flanks as they surged forward together.
After Hanshou, both sides' forces had merged. Removing the wounded and leaving men behind to prevent Jiangdong raids, five thousand Wuling troops combined with Zhang Ni's reinforcements into a single army of eight thousand.
Han Dang, a veteran who had fought since Sun Jian's time, was highly favored. His four thousand troops were all seasoned soldiers.
The two forces collided like raging rivers, crashing together and throwing up towering waves.
The sudden battle at Lexiang was observed by Jiangling's defenders and quickly reported to Jiang Wan.
After days of defending the city, Jiang Wan no longer resembled a refined young gentleman. His lips were cracked, his clothes stained with blood, yet his eyes shone brighter, sharp and resolute.
After hearing the report, Jiang Wan said calmly,
"Inform me once there is a result."
From within the situation, Jiang Wan saw clearly. Whether the reinforcements were Wuling barbarians or not was uncertain, but Jiangdong would certainly do everything to stop them. As long as this relief force was not defeated quickly, any outcome was acceptable.
What he feared most was…
"Magistrate, smoke and dust from the direction of Huarong. There appear to be reinforcements."
Jiang Wan's brow twisted tightly. His calm vanished. He hurried to the eastern gate and stared at the rising dust.
Zhou Qun accompanied him, both focusing intently on that direction.
Soon, Zhou Qun sighed softly. A low murmur spread along the wall as everyone saw clearly the striking character on the banners.
Cao.
Zhou Qun glanced worriedly at Jiang Wan. The Magistrate said nothing. His brow remained furrowed, fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles whitened.
"Even if there are Cao reinforcements, it should not be a problem," Zhou Qun tried to comfort him.
"The city still has half a year's worth of grain, over two thousand strong crossbows, and more than five hundred giant ballistae. Relying on these to hold firm, they cannot break us."
These were the fruits of Gong'an County's long efforts. Using water power to develop engineering, their foundation was far deeper than Jiangdong imagined.
Jiang Wan nodded, still staring without a word.
Outside the city, Lü Meng was laughing wildly.
This was why he had paid no mind to Han Dang. Cao Cao's reinforcements were already on the way.
Moreover, perhaps inspired by Liu Bei's grand engineering efforts in Jingzhou, Cao Cao had written earlier that the reinforcements would bring trebuchets that had distinguished themselves at Guandu.
With those, Lü Meng felt Jiangling was already reaching out to him.
Then, moments later, Lü Meng's face paled.
The arriving force was entirely cavalry. At its head rode a man with a face like polished jade, dignified and imposing.
He did not dismount upon seeing Lü Meng. He merely observed him from horseback with interest, and a heavy pressure settled over Lü Meng.
Forcing himself forward, Lü Meng cupped his hands.
"General Wenyuan has come from afar…"
Zhang Liao dismounted and returned the salute.
"Call me by my title, General Who Conquers the East."
Lü Meng's breath caught.
After dealing with Cao Cao, he knew this well. Zhang Liao had been appointed General Who Conquers the East the previous year for his merit.
Which merit?
Naturally, the victory at Hefei.
Lü Meng had wanted to forget that. Now, with Zhang Liao declining the familiar address by courtesy name, he could only nod.
"With the General Who Conquers the East here, Jiangling is surely secure."
Lü Meng invited Zhang Liao to observe the battlefield and received the comment, "Jiangdong truly spares no expense."
It sounded like praise, yet Lü Meng saw no admiration in Zhang Liao's eyes.
Without waiting for further invitation, Zhang Liao ordered,
"Build the trebuchets. Assist this Jiangdong lieutenant general in breaking Jiangling."
Lü Meng's expression was complicated, but he forced a polite smile.
As Zhang Liao turned to leave, Lü Meng grew anxious.
"The General has elite troops. If they could join the assault…"
Zhang Liao did not turn back.
"My elite soldiers will not be wasted here."
Cao Cao had already made it clear. If Jiangdong could take Jiangling on its own, so be it.
But now that there was room to intervene, who Jiangling would ultimately belong to was a matter for consideration.
That day, the so called trebuchets were set up, but they could only hurl small stones, much to Zhang Liao's disappointment.
Lü Meng, however, was thrilled. Since they could throw stones into the city, using them only for stones was a waste.
For the first time, Zhang Liao showed approval. He watched as Jiangdong craftsmen spent a morning producing a basket of fire oil bombs.
The principle was simple. A brittle shell filled with smoldering oil wicks. Upon impact, it shattered and ignited.
Jiangdong had an abundance of fire oil. The wicks were harder to make. Less than half of the bombs ignited properly after landing, yet it still delighted Zhang Liao.
Before Lü Meng could again request joint assault, scouts reported from Zhang Liao's camp.
"A force of elite cavalry approaches from the north, bearing the Zhao banner."