Chapter 106

After sending a messenger to Zhao Yun, the tedious standoff continued. However, it wasn’t as if we wasted time in a state of mindless meditation. It was more like a buildup. Preparations were made in our own way.

“Give rewards to those with families in Chang’an City and seek their cooperation. Do not forcefully bring them here.”

This was the strategy Lü Meng aimed for during the defense of Xiang Province. By treating the soldiers’ relatives well, it was a method to drain the enemy’s morale.

Most of them likely had families inside Chang’an City, but there were also quite a few who didn’t.

‘It won’t have a big impact right now.’

For the moment, their morale is high, and they likely believe they have a chance of winning. So, I refrain from telling them to surrender.

Even without saying it, that word must already be lingering in the back of their minds.

It was enough to dull the blade of their fighting spirit and remind them of the option to surrender.

While managing the morale of the Wei army on one front, we prepared for the upcoming siege by building siege weapons on the other.

Just as the Wei army, now accustomed to this standoff, began to look down on us with disdain.

Two heads were displayed.

The heads of Yu Piao and the governor of Dongguan, hung on poles for all to see from the city walls, were preserved in salt to prevent decay, but they were still easily identifiable.

It didn’t take long to retrieve the head of the general guarding Dongguan. It was a swift and successful sign that Zhao Yun had taken control of Dongguan.

“Deliver the prepared messages to the higher-ups. Say that Guo Huai and Zhao Jin have fled to Yongyang Province, that the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu, Yu Piao, was killed by my hand, and that Dongguan has been taken by Zhao Zilong of Changshan.”

The message for Hahu Mu was complete, but it was still secondary.

Having nurtured hope and complacency, it was now time to deflate that false confidence.

A two-pronged strategy. We revealed the retreat path. From now on, we would push them from behind and pressure them from the sides to drive them in that direction.

“Divide the army into two, alternating between night and day, and harass them. Only pretend to attack, but if they show any gaps, strike for real.”

Naturally, the two divided armies were led by me and Wei Yan. Yu En was tasked with rear support.

With the Qiang Nu, which had a much longer range, and the Yuan Rong, capable of firing ten arrows at once.

Since they used specialized iron arrows instead of regular ones, the number of shots was limited. This was why more than half of the stock was consumed in the Battle of Wei River.

‘But Yu En will use them at the right time.’

It’s not about killing everyone, but about instilling fear. They were primarily used to snipe commanders or those with particularly high morale.

Guo Yi asked me after my command.

“Just seeing the heads, they should be terrified. Why not use the surrender-inducing letter you prepared?”

“Not yet. It’s still not enough. It must be the final nail in the coffin when they are already shaken by fear.”

As time passed, the morale of the Wei army defending Chang’an visibly weakened.

They noticed that we weren’t actually attacking but only pretending, and they began to recover.

However, after Yu En, who had been waiting for an opportunity, unleashed a barrage of arrows and Wei Yan nearly breached the moat, even that recovery vanished.

The fact that we had a longer range than them instilled fear and helplessness, as they could be attacked unilaterally even from atop the city walls.

The defeat of Guo Huai’s main force. The blockade of Dongguan. The shattered hope of reinforcements arriving. Facing a hopeless, endless battle.

When it became clear that all this had turned into complete despair, I gave the order.

“Shoot the arrows with the letters attached.”

I played the card I had been saving. I had waited for this moment to maximize its effect.

“Full Assault.”

Today, we will take Chang’an City.

§

“Finally, they’re coming…!!”

With siege weapons at the forefront, tens of thousands of troops charged toward Chang’an City.

He Xie’s eyes widened as he observed the enemy.

Despite being harassed day and night by strange weapons with a longer range than those fired from the city walls, He Xie’s mind remained sharp.

No matter how many new weapons they brought, siege weapons were inevitable. Only battering rams, ladders, and shield carts to block arrows while advancing were available.

‘That’s not enough.’

Crossing the moat might be possible, but scaling the city walls was out of the question.

The forces were simply too small. Chang’an was an impregnable fortress. Even with several times the current number of troops, capturing it would be a stretch. It was an impossible attempt.

‘They must have drained our morale and stamina for this, but to be this reckless…’

I heard she was a rising general, but to choose such a foolish method. In He Xie’s eyes, Chang-ran’s reputation was undeserved.

She might have won through personal strength before, but siege warfare was a completely different realm. He Xie steeled his resolve.

However, unlike He Xie, the morale of the common soldiers had its limits.

With the entire Guanzhong region, except for Chang’an, already fallen, all paths for reinforcements were cut off, and the main force had long since fled.

Outside the city, family members and acquaintances, whose faces they remembered, called out, urging them to surrender since no harm would come to them.

They were harassed day and night with fake attacks, making it impossible to sleep properly for over ten days.

The Wei army, like Chang-ran, divided their forces to allow some rest. But few could sleep soundly, not knowing when an attack might come.

Most suffered from sleep deprivation and nervous breakdowns.

The human mind is mysterious. Even in extreme situations, some maintain unshakable resolve, like He Xie.

But conversely, in hopeless situations, people crumble helplessly. Most cases followed the latter.

He Xie’s encouragement was meaningless. No matter how much he shouted that reinforcements would come or that they couldn’t scale Chang’an’s walls, it didn’t resonate with the soldiers whose hope had already faded.

This was a battle of nerves, not strength. Chang-ran’s meticulous preparations to break the will to resist within Chang’an had paid off.

“These bastards! Shoot arrows and attack! What are you doing?! If you stay still, I’ll cut you down myself!!”

He Xie drew his sword and berated the hesitant soldiers. Only then did the soldiers shoot arrows and drop the prepared rocks.

But their spirits were already broken. How much strength could there be in arrows pulled half-heartedly, or rocks pushed carelessly?

The soldiers had already given up hope. The fear of fighting and not receiving the same mercy as those outside Chang’an was greater than the will to fight and repel the enemy.

Under He Xie’s stern orders, a semblance of defense was maintained, but Vice-General Wei Ping came running, carrying something.

“General! The arrows they shot… this is…”

Before Wei Ping could finish, He Xie instinctively knew what it was. He snatched the paper from Wei Ping’s hands.

“Give it to me now!”

What Wei Ping brought was a letter tied to an arrow. He Xie roughly unfolded it and quickly read its contents.

“Such as it is, what does it matter?

As it is, what does it matter?

The walls of the three provinces,

Even if they crumble, what does it matter?

If we, like this,

Unite like streams flowing into a river, what does it matter?”

“This… this is…!!”

As soon as He Xie read the contents, he realized who it was targeting.

At first glance, it seemed to urge the opening of Chang’an’s gates and surrender, but the last line blatantly pointed to someone.

The divided streams (支川) flowing into one main river (宗). It referred to a family, once divided, reuniting under one ancestral house.

Chang-ran, who carried the blood of the Hahu clan.

And Hahu Mu, who bore the Hahu surname.

Chang-ran was now speaking to Hahu Mu.

To let go of Wei and come to Shu, where she had established herself.

We share the same blood, so if you open Chang’an’s gates and return, I will treat you as my equal. That was the proposal in the letter.

“Where is General Anxi now?!”

“Probably managing the rear reserves…?”

He Xie felt his vision momentarily blur.

When he temporarily took responsibility for Chang’an from Guo Huai, Hahu Mu was still surrounded by concubines and courtesans. He was the husband of Cao Cao’s daughter, Princess Qinghe, yet even as war broke out.

Guo Huai and He Xie left him alone, relieved that he didn’t interfere with military actions, vowing to report this to Emperor Cao Pi once the war ended.

“This won’t do. Wei Ping, you guard the walls! I must ensure General Anxi’s safety!”

He Xie could trust no one. He had to personally secure Hahu Mu and prevent any betrayal within Chang’an.

“But General, if you leave, the soldiers’ morale will collapse!”

The already demoralized soldiers. No one could predict how they would act if He Xie left.

Hahu Mu. The city walls. Neither could be neglected.

The enemy forces crossing the moat and approaching the walls with ladders held He Xie back.

“Damn it! Wei Ping, you go! Take some soldiers and escort General Anxi to the inner city…”

He Xie stopped mid-sentence. His eyes caught sight of a group of cavalry.

At their head, a female general galloped, her blue silk banner fluttering.

Simultaneously, a shout pierced his ears.

[The gates have opened!]

The arrows stopped.

Feeling the gazes turning toward him, He Xie muttered to himself.

“Anxi (安西 = pacifying the west) is nothing but a fake son-in-law (贋壻).”