pappabearbooks Chapter 128 The Strategy of Exhausting the Army
Chapter 128 The Strategy of Exhausting the Army
Zhao Yun stood atop the city wall of Langya, gazing outwards.
To the east, dust billowed behind Sun Ce's army camp. Soldiers could be vaguely seen digging, and excavated earth was continuously being removed, forming the outline of a shallow ditch that meandered towards the city wall.
They stopped their direct assault and started digging tunnels instead.
Further to the west, the flags of Wei Xu's main camp were moved to a new location, now stationed upstream on a tributary of the Yu River that flows into the moat.
At night, there were firelight and figures bustling about on the riverbank, and the faint sound of earth and stones falling into the water could be heard.
They are blocking the water source.
Zang Ba followed Zhao Yun's gaze, his expression grave:
"Sun Ce dug tunnels to avoid trebuchets and traps, aiming to reach the city walls directly. Wei Xu cut off the water supply to turn the moat into a dry ditch. With their combined efforts, both our walls and the moat are in danger."
Gan Ning's naval warships were anchored in the river south of the city, so there was no immediate worry, but the pressure on land increased sharply.
Zhao Yun was silent for a moment, then said:
"Collect all surplus cotton quilts and linen in the city, soak them in river water, and hang them on the outer walls, especially the damaged areas in the northwest. This can cushion the impact of the stones. However, this method will not last long."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent for a moment.
The lord's order was for them to defend Langya while minimizing casualties.
However, with Sun Ce's actions now, it's likely that casualties will be difficult to reduce.
The Qingzhou army had to fight Lu Bu's army in a real battle.
"We can't just sit and wait for them to dig through, or for the river to dry up."
Zhao Yun thought for a moment, then continued speaking to Zang Ba.
"We must disrupt their deployment, exhaust their forces, and then find an opportunity to defeat them."
Zang Ba hummed in agreement.
I understand the logic, but the key is how to disrupt the other side's plans?
Seeing that Zang Ba couldn't offer any advice, Zhao Yun simply faced the enemy alone and fell into deep thought.
After a long while, he suddenly asked:
"If we beat drums and shout slogans every day, but turn off the lights and do nothing at night, what do you think the enemy will think?"
Zang Ba scratched his head and said:
"If it were me, I would think that the beating of drums and shouts meant that an attack was about to take place. But when the lights are out at night, I would be paranoid and feel that the other side might come to raid the camp."
"That's right."
Zhao Yun clapped his hands and laughed loudly.
"What if I did this every day?"
Zang Ba thought for a moment and then said:
"I guess I'd have a mental breakdown! But if you still don't do anything after a few days, I definitely won't take it seriously anymore."
Zhao Yun smiled and said:
"This is exactly the result we wanted."
He immediately gave the order:
From this day forward, at the hour of Si (9-11 AM), Wei (1-3 PM), and You (5-7 PM) every day, war drums will sound precisely, their sound echoing across the land. After nightfall, every two hours, the lights on the north and south city towers will be extinguished for half a quarter of an hour before being suddenly relit.
On the first day, when the war drums sounded, horns immediately blared in Sun Ce's camp, and the soldiers hurriedly assembled and lined up. They looked towards the city wall for a long time, but when they saw no soldiers leaving the city, they dispersed in confusion.
The city tower lights suddenly went out at night, and Sun Ce's camp was on high alert again. Torches were lit and patrols went out in all directions until the lights on the city tower were restored, and it turned out to be a false alarm.
The same thing happened on the second and third days.
Sun Ce's army was repeatedly tormented, making it difficult for them to concentrate on their digging during the day and sleep soundly at night. The soldiers were exhausted, and complaints began to rise.
Even Wei Xu's main camp to the west was affected, and night patrols were strengthened to prepare for support at any time.
But after several times in a row, Wei Xu also became numb.
With the soldiers complaining, the commander-in-chief naturally had to come out and reprimand Sun Ce, and show off his authority.
Let the enemy actually be attacked before sending scouts to request help.
After being thoroughly scolded, Sun Ce returned to his camp and asked Cheng Pu:
"Demou, what do you think the enemy's intentions are?"
Cheng Pu, being a veteran himself, replied without hesitation:
"The enemy is probably planning a sneak attack! During the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Huangfu Song used the same tactic to defeat the Yellow Turban army."
Sun Ce sneered:
"Hmph! That's just a poor imitation! Zhao Yun thinks we're the Yellow Turbans, and I'll make him pay the price."
On the fourth and fifth days, the drums were beaten and the lamps were extinguished.
The reaction in Sun Ce's camp was getting slower and slower, the number of soldiers gathering was decreasing, and the guard was clearly being relaxed. Wei Xu's patrols also returned to normal.
This time, even the soldiers thought it was just a desperate harassment tactic by the defending troops.
On the sixth night, there was no moon, but there was wind blowing from the northwest.
Zhao Yun convened a meeting of all his generals and soldiers.
"The time has come."
Zhao Yun pointed to the enemy troops outside the city and said,
"Sun Ce's camp has been harassed by us for several days and is now like a frightened bird. In fact, it is the most lax, because it believes that we are only bluffing. Wei Xu's camp is far to the west and thinks it is safe. After being on guard for a few days, it has also become lax. Moreover, it is busy cutting off the water supply, so its camp defense may not be tight."
"General, are you going to raid the camp? Which camp?" Zang Ba asked.
"We will not attack Sun Ce." Zhao Yun pointed heavily into the distance. "We will continue to attack Wei."
Zang Ba and Gan Ning exchanged a glance.
"Wei Xu?" Zang Ba asked in confusion. "He's far away, while Sun Ce is right next door. Why would they choose the distant one? Besides, he has a strong army."
"It is precisely because he has a large army and is confident in his safety that he is vulnerable."
Zhao Yun said, "Sun Ce's camp has been repeatedly disturbed by us and has become the focus of attention. He must think that if I attack, I will take him first. Wei Xu will also think so. I will do the opposite."
He made detailed arrangements:
"Xuan Gao, you will lead two thousand Taishan soldiers, all lightly armored, carrying oil, flint and steel, and bundles of dry grass. At midnight tonight, when the city tower lights go out again, your troops will immediately slip out of the south gate. Proceed quickly westward along the low hills and woodlands south of the city, circling around to the rear of Wei Xu's camp. Set fire to the areas where their grain and supplies are piled up, creating chaos. Do not linger in battle. Once you have captured them, retreat south to the reed marshes by the river and lie in ambush, waiting for reinforcements."
"I will personally lead three thousand troops out of the south gate, making a great show of force, and feign an attack on Sun Ce's camp. This will serve two purposes: to contain him and to support your forces. General Gan's navy is waiting in the river. If they see fires breaking out to the west and Wei Xu's camp thrown into chaos, they will surely lead their warships to approach the riverside of his camp to support you."
Zang Ba frowned:
"General, why did you launch the feint attack while I set the fire? Setting a fire is such a... "
He originally wanted to say, "Back in the day, I was a powerful local lord. Why should I do this dangerous job while you choose the easy one?"
But halfway through his sentence, he glanced at Zhao Yun's expression.
He swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Forget it! Nobody in the Taishan Army listens to me anymore, and I can't beat you anyway!
I will endure!
Zhao Yun interrupted him:
"The Taishan Army excels at mountain raids, and you are as swift as the wind, making you perfectly suited for this role. I need to remain in the central command to oversee the overall situation. The key to this battle lies in speed, accuracy, and ruthlessness—a single strike followed by a swift retreat to demoralize the enemy. Xuan Gao, you bear a heavy responsibility."
Zang Ba clasped his hands in a fist salute: "This humble general obeys! I will definitely burn their grain supplies to ashes!"
……
It was nearly midnight. The city walls were brightly lit.
Zang Ba's two thousand elite troops had assembled inside the south gate, inspecting their equipment, gags in their mouths, and cloth wrapped around their horses' hooves. Zhao Yun's three thousand soldiers were also lined up behind them.
On the watchtower of the city gate, soldiers held signal lights, waiting for the moment.
Zang Ba walked up to Zhao Yun's horse and whispered, "General, if things don't go well..."
"Nothing goes wrong." Zhao Yun looked at him. "Remember, set the fire and leave immediately. Don't be greedy for credit. I will be there to meet you south of the city. Gan Ning's navy is also providing support. In this battle, we don't aim to annihilate the enemy, but rather to throw them into disarray. Go."
Zang Ba nodded emphatically, then turned and disappeared into the darkness.
On the city wall, the water clock points to midnight.
The flag-bearing soldiers waved the signal lights, and the lights on the north and south city towers went out simultaneously once again.
Everyone thought that Langya was resorting to the same old tricks again.
But no one expected that this time, an army had quietly bypassed the city.