si-mexico Chapter 1698 The Han Emperor panicked
Chapter 1698 The Han Emperor panicked
Three days later, it was the third day of the siege of Leling City.
The morning mist on the top of Leling City had not yet dissipated. Chu Ning stood on the arrow embankment with his hands behind his back, and his black dragon-patterned cloak fluttered in the morning breeze.
His slender fingers tapped lightly on the mottled city wall, and his eyes swept across the allied camps that stretched for ten miles outside the city.
The offensive launched by the 60,000-strong army surrounded Leling like a tide, with siege towers, catapults, ladders and other equipment densely arranged, like a giant beast choosing its prey.
"Your Majesty, the water wells in the city have been dry for three days." Zhao Yu reported in a low voice, with dew still on his armor from the night patrol.
Chu Ning raised the corner of his mouth slightly and took out a bronze water clock from his arms: "It's okay, it will be enough to hold on for another two hours."
He lightly tapped the scale on the clepsydra with his fingertips. That was the time for the general attack agreed upon with the three armies.
Suddenly, a few black spots appeared in the distant sky. Chu Ning's eyes flashed: "Here they come!"
Three carrier pigeons landed on the battlements one after another, and Zhao Yu hurriedly untied the bamboo tubes on the pigeons' legs.
When Chu Ning unfolded the first secret letter, his eyebrows raised slightly - this was the battle report sent by Han Xing from Suiyang.
The ink is so strong that it can be seen through the back of the paper: "Huo Qubing has retreated to the inner city. I have cut off their food supply. The defenders of Suiyang have to drink blood to quench their thirst. They will be defeated in three days."
The second military report from King Zhao brought a smile to Chu Ning's eyes: "The Tang army on the western front retreated fifty miles, and three thousand sets of black armor were seized. The Xiliang cavalry was invincible, and the enemy was terrified."
When seeing the third naval battle report, Chu Ning suddenly burst into laughter, startling the flocks of swallows under the eaves of the city wall.
Ran Ming's crooked handwriting appeared on the paper: "I cut off the ears of the Han navy and ate them with wine! All three hundred warships have been captured. The Yangtze River waterway is now in the hands of the Great Chu!"
"Good! Good! Good!"
Chu Ning praised three times and handed the battle report to Zhao Yu: "Send a message to the three armies, give each man an extra half pound of meat, let them have a good meal and prepare for battle!"
He turned and looked towards the coalition camp outside the city, his eyes flashing dangerously. "Now, it's time for your two Majesties to experience the feeling of being caught between a rock and a hard place."
No matter what choice the other party makes, he is now the active party and the other party is the passive party.
At this time, outside the city, inside the Han army camp.
The celadon teacup in Liu Che's hand exploded with a "bang".
The sharp porcelain fragments cut his palm, and blood dripped through his fingers onto the battle report that had just been delivered, staining the six words "The navy was completely annihilated" in a glaring scarlet.
"Three thousand elite soldiers! Three hundred warships!"
The Han emperor, who was always known for his elegance, had a ferocious look on his face and grabbed the messenger by the collar:
"Did Zheng Hun fall asleep? Did he allow the Chu army's turtle ship to sail right up to my dragon bed?"
The kneeling scout added tremblingly, "The Chu army...the Chu army cut off the right ears of fallen soldiers and hung them from the masts of warships while parading along the Yangtze River."
"Report——!"
Another blood-soaked messenger rushed into the tent: "Urgent news from Suiyang! Han Xing and his Modao troops have broken through three camps in a row. General Huo has retreated to the inner city!"
Li Gan quickly unfolded the military map and took a deep breath.
The three red arrows representing the Chu army were heading in three directions - Han Xing's Modao team on the east line, King Zhao's cavalry on the west line, and Ran Ming's navy on the south line. Leling was the center of this death trap.
"Your Majesty, we've fallen into a trap!"
Li Gan's fingers trembled as he ran them across the map. "Chu Ning is simply using himself as bait. The three armies are the real killer!"
Suddenly, there was the sound of hurried horse hooves outside the tent.
A Tang scout dismounted and said, "Your Majesty, my master requests that you quickly come to the Tang camp to discuss matters! General Zhang Gongjin encountered the Western Liang cavalry in Qingyuan City, and over half of the Tang army has been killed or wounded!"
Liu Che suddenly overturned the table, and the bamboo military manuals scattered all over the floor: "Prepare my Red Hare!"
Inside the Tang army commander's tent, Li Shiming was slamming a black jade chess piece heavily onto the chessboard.
The veteran Li Ji, who was sitting opposite, had cold sweat on his forehead - the game had reached the 143rd move, and every move the emperor made was filled with the spirit of war.
"The Emperor of Han has arrived!" Before the guard's announcement was finished, Liu Che had already opened the tent and walked in.
Li Shiming looked up and saw that the hem of the other party's dragon robe was stained with mud. He frowned slightly and asked, "Why does the Emperor of Han look like this?"
"We've all been tricked by Chu Ning!"
Liu Che slapped the blood-stained battle report onto the chessboard, sending black and white pieces flying everywhere. "Both the eastern and western fronts are in crisis. My navy has been completely annihilated."
The air in the tent suddenly froze.
Li Ji bent down to pick up a battle report, his face instantly turning pale: "It seems that this is Chu Ning's evil plan, we have been fooled!"
Li Shiming stroked a white jade chess piece with his fingertips and suddenly sneered, "With an advantage of 60,000 to 15,000, is the Emperor of Han willing to withdraw his troops?"
He stood up and walked to the sand table. The model of Leling City cast a long and narrow shadow in the candlelight.
"Why not launch a general attack tomorrow? As long as we can capture Chu Ning..."
"and then?"
Liu Che interrupted sharply, pulling out his sword "Chi Xiao" and stabbing it into the sand table. The sword hummed continuously:
"Once Han Xing's Modao troops penetrate Suiyang and Ran Ming's navy cuts off the Yangtze River, my imperial city will be renamed Chu!"
The current war situation is very unfavorable to the Han Dynasty. If we don’t rush there quickly, the Han army will be divided into three battlefields!
And once Huo Quji is defeated, Chu Ning will definitely send troops here to capture him first!
So, he could only return to defense!
At this moment, Li Ji suddenly knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesties, please allow me to speak a few words."
He drew his sword and cut three deep marks on the ground. "Although the Chu army has gained the upper hand on three fronts, Leling is ultimately doomed."
The tip of the sword stabbed the word "Le Ling" heavily: "Why not launch a fire attack at midnight tonight? If it succeeds, the overall situation will be determined. If it fails..."
The sword slashed horizontally: "It is not too late for the Emperor of Han to retreat."
Li Shiming stared at the sand table, and suddenly grabbed the black flag representing the Tang army and planted it on the top of Leling City: "I just don't believe it, Chu Ning is really a god descended from heaven!"
"Han Emperor, are you really willing to return empty-handed?"
Liu Che's expression shifted from gloomy to bright. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said, "Alright! I'll follow General Li's plan, but if the attack on the city at midnight proves unsuccessful, I will withdraw my troops immediately!"
Half an hour later, on the city wall of Leling.
"Report!" Zhao Yu quickly climbed up the city wall, and the sound of armor colliding startled the sparrows under the eaves.
He bowed, clasped his fists, and reported, "Your Majesty, scouts report that Liu Che's dragon chariot has entered the Tang camp."
Chu Ning heard this and looked at the coalition flags outside the city that were suddenly being frequently mobilized. A cold smile appeared on his lips.
"It seems that Liu Che can no longer sit still."
"Pass the order."
Chu Ning suddenly turned around, his black cloak drawing a sharp arc in the dry air. "All the crossbowmen guarding the four gates must change to armor-piercing spikes and move the three hundred jars of kerosene from the cellar."
A gleam of light flashed in Zhao Yu's eyes, and he immediately understood the profound meaning.
Chu Ning looked towards the darkening sky, his voice suddenly turning cold, "Tonight, I'm going to show them what it means to truly catch a turtle in a jar."