si-mexico Chapter 1553 Cut off the water source!
Chapter 1553 Cut off the water source!
The night in August is still a bit hot.
Outside the west of Jicheng City, a waning moon hung high in the sky, casting a bleak silver glow over the earth.
The night wind, carrying the lingering heat from the day, blew across the soldiers' armor, bringing no coolness at all, but making people even more irritable.
At the canal dam, a Chu army of 2,000 men was digging hard, sweating profusely. The dull sounds of shovels hitting the soil came one after another, and were particularly clear in the silent night.
Han Xing, the great general of the Chu State, stood on the dam, wearing heavy black iron armor, the sword at his waist gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were scanning the busy soldiers with sharp piercing gaze.
Sweat dripped down his temples, but he was unaware of it. He just looked up towards Jicheng from time to time.
There, the outline of the city wall loomed in the night, like a dormant giant beast.
"General, the soil here is too hard and the excavation progress is hindered!" A lieutenant hurried over, his face covered with mud, and his voice full of anxiety.
Han Xing strode towards the problem area, his boots making a squeaking sound on the soft soil.
He squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil and crushed it in his hands, frowning even more tightly.
"Change to a pointed pick!"
He ordered in a deep voice: "Send two more teams here and concentrate on breaking through this point. We must complete it before dawn, otherwise our plan will fail!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers worked even harder, and the sound of iron clashing suddenly became more frequent.
Han Xing took off the water bag from his waist, but instead of drinking it himself, he handed it to a young soldier with chapped lips beside him.
"Drink some water and keep working."
He spoke briefly, and the young soldier took it flattered, gulping down a few mouthfuls with a gleam of gratitude in his eyes.
As the night deepened and the moon set in the west, Han Xing looked up at the stars and estimated the time.
"Pass the order."
He said to the deputy general beside him, "Tell the cook to prepare hot food. The soldiers need to replenish their energy. Also, send scouts upstream to check the water level."
The deputy general took the order and left.
Soon, the aroma of food wafted in the air, and the soldiers took turns to rest and eat.
Han Xing remained standing on the dam, his eyes fixed on the progress of the project. His personal guards came over with hot food in their hands.
"General, it's time for you to have some food."
Han Xing then took it over, ripped it in a few bites, and immediately took over the command.
He personally went down to the most difficult excavation sites and wielded pickaxes with the soldiers.
The heavy pickaxe hit the hard ground again and again, and blisters soon formed on his knuckles, but he was completely unaware of it.
"General!"
A scout came running over: "The water level upstream has begun to rise. At this rate, the expected effect will be achieved in two hours!"
Han Xing wiped the sweat from his face and smiled a rare smile. "Alright! Order all departments to speed up and complete the last section of excavation before the hour of Yin!"
As time goes by, the project is gradually coming to an end.
The soldiers' movements began to slow down, and fatigue was written on everyone's face.
Seeing this, Han Xing shouted, "Brothers, keep up the good work! Once this is accomplished, I will personally commend you to His Majesty! When the city falls, everyone will be rewarded!"
These words were like a shot in the arm, lifting the soldiers' spirits and the digging sounds became more intense again.
Finally, when the sky began to turn pale in the east, with the last section of the embankment being dug open, the turbid canal water immediately found an outlet and roared towards the newly opened river channel, stirring up waves.
Han Xing stood on the shore, looked at the rushing water, and breathed a sigh of relief.
He turned to the soldiers and said, "Thank you for your hard work! Now, march back to camp immediately without delay!"
When the first rays of morning light shone on the earth, this tired but high-spirited team had quietly retreated.
Han Xing walked at the end, looked back at the river that had changed its course, and a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
He knew that the lifeblood of this impregnable Jicheng City had been strangled by him at this moment.
At noon, the Chu army camped.
Han Xing walked into the central army tent, exhausted, and knelt on one knee. "Your Majesty, I have cut off the city's water supply. In three days, the city will be short of water."
Chu Ning was studying a map at the desk and looked up when he heard this.
A glint of approval flashed in the young emperor's eyes. He nodded slightly and smiled, "Very good. General Han, you have worked hard."
He motioned for Han Xing to stand up, poured a cup of tea himself and handed it to him, "Tell me the details."
Han Xing took the teacup with both hands, drank it all in one gulp, and then reported in detail: "I led two thousand elite soldiers and arrived at Quba under the cover of night."
"At first, the excavation was hindered, but after adjusting tools and manpower, the diversion was finally completed at the hour of Yin. Now the water source of Jicheng has been completely cut off."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning tapped the table lightly with his slender fingers, his eyes flashing with calculation:
"Next, we'll have to see how Sima Yi in the city responds."
He turned to Jia Yu who was standing beside him and asked, "Master Jia, how are the Jinyiwei preparing?"
Jia Yu stepped forward, bowed, and replied, "Your Majesty, the Jinyiwei have instigated a number of rebels recently, and they are just waiting for the right opportunity to open the city gates and surrender to our army."
"Three captains and five lieutenants have secretly surrendered to our army and are waiting for the signal to attack."
Chu Ning showed a look of satisfaction, but then he stopped smiling. "Tell the Jinyiwei to be more careful. If there's a shortage of water, Sima Yi will definitely go even crazier. We must prevent him from going on a rampage and killing people."
He paused, a cold look flashing in his eyes. "Especially those generals who have surrendered. Their identities must be protected."
Jia Yu bowed and replied, "I understand. I will arrange it right away."
After saying this, he left the tent.
Chu Ning then turned to Han Xing, his expression softening. "General Han, you've worked hard all night. How about staying and having breakfast with me?"
Without waiting for Han Xing to refuse, he had already ordered his servants to prepare meals.
Soon, a simple breakfast was placed on the table: porridge, side dishes, and a few snacks.
Chu Ning personally served Han Xing porridge: "General, there is no need to be so polite. While you eat, tell me your opinion on the upcoming battle."
Han Xing was flattered and quickly took it: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
He thought for a moment and said, "I believe that if the water supply is cut off, chaos will break out in the city."
"Sima Yi can either risk leaving the city for a decisive battle, or intensify the suppression and prioritize defense. Either option will be beneficial to our army."
Chu Ning nodded: "That's exactly what I want."
He picked up a piece of dessert and placed it in Han Xing's bowl. "But I hope they choose to hold their ground. That way, when they become disorganized, our army will suffer less losses during the siege."
As the two were talking, they suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside the tent. A guard hurried in:
"Report! Scouts have discovered another pigeon message entering the city."
Chu Ning and Han Xing looked at each other and stood up at the same time.
Chu Ning said in a deep voice, "It seems Sima Yi has also left scouts outside the city. Keep watching, but don't alert the enemy. I want to see how long Sima Yi can hold out after he runs out of water!"