xymnovel Chapter 174 Zhao Zhi's Defeat and Escape
Chapter 174 Zhao Zhi's Defeat and Escape
Chapter 174 Zhao Zhi's Defeat and Escape
Guan Yu put down the bowl and stood up.
"Who is the general?"
"He carries a flag with the character 'Zhang' on it, rides a yellow horse, and wields a large sword."
"Let Zhang Wu come."
Zhang Wu quickly ran up the city wall, not yet fully dressed in his armor, his breastplate askew.
"General."
"Take five hundred men and guard the north gate," Guan Yu said, pointing to the city below. "When Zhao Zhi arrives, he will definitely attack the north gate first. Prepare enough bows and crossbows, rolling logs and boulders, and bring up hot oil and molten gold."
"yes!"
"Li Hui".
"Here." Li Hui stepped out from the corner of the city wall, still holding an account book in his hand.
"Take your men to the west gate. Row all those boats along the riverbank to the middle of the river, so that Zhao Zhi's men don't seize them."
"Understood."
"The rest of you," Guan Yu said, scanning the soldiers on and off the city wall, "follow me out of the city."
Jian Yong had just stepped onto the city wall when he heard this and was taken aback: "Yun Chang, it is safer to defend the city."
"We can't hold it." Guan Yu shook his head. "The walls of Jiangzhou are damaged in many places. We are outnumbered, and our defenses will inevitably fail on all four sides. We should go out of the city, engage in open battle, and force them into a decisive battle."
He paused, then added, "Moreover, Zhang Zu is arrogant. If I kill him, Zhao Zhi's army will surely be thrown into chaos."
Jian Yong wanted to persuade him, but seeing Guan Yu's expression, he knew he couldn't.
"I followed Guan Yu out of the city," he said.
"You observe the battle from the city walls," Guan Yu waved his hand. "If we are outmatched, you close the gates and hold the line until our main force arrives."
He turned and went down the city wall.
At 9:00 AM, Zhao Zhijun arrived.
Three thousand men stretched out along the official road, a dark mass. Their formation was stronger than Ma Xiang's, but not particularly disciplined. The front ranks were armed with swords and shields, the middle ranks with spears, and the rear ranks with archers and crossbowmen. On each flank were three hundred light cavalry, their horses thin and their men short, seemingly just there to make up the numbers.
Under the central banner, Zhao Zhi rode a white horse, dressed in a civil official's robe over leather armor. He had a pale face, a three-pronged beard, and sinister eyes. Beside him rode a red horse, the general of which was Zhang Zu, in black armor, with a thick beard, and the ring-pommel longsword in his hand gleamed coldly in the sunlight.
Zhao Zhi reined in his horse and looked towards Jiangzhou City.
The banners atop the city walls had changed; the Liu banner fluttered in the wind. The north gate was tightly shut, and the drawbridge was lowered. But a crack opened in the gate, and a man on horseback slowly emerged.
He wore a blue robe, bronze armor, and a green turban. His horse was a chestnut, its hooves steady. In his hand was a long sword, its tip crescent-shaped, dragging on the ground and kicking up a trail of dust.
Zhang Zu squinted: "Who is that?"
"Guan Yu," Zhao Zhi said, "one of Liu Bei's men, who slew a Yellow Turban general."
"Just him?"
"Just him."
Zhang Zu grinned, revealing his yellow teeth: "You're asking for it."
He spurred his horse forward, sword held level: "Guan Yu! Do you dare to fight me!"
Guan Yu did not stop his horse and continued forward. When he reached the middle of the two armies, thirty paces away from Zhang Zu, he reined in his horse.
"Zhao Zhi," he spoke, his voice not loud, but carried on the wind, "why did you join the rebels?"
Zhao Zhi sneered: "Join the bandits? When Xi Jian was alive, was I ever treated like a human being for even a day? Prime Minister Ma gave me an official position, so naturally I will serve him."
"Ma Xiang is about to die," Guan Yu said. "If you surrender now, I will guarantee your life."
"Surrender?" Zhang Zu laughed loudly. "You think you're invincible just because you killed Yan Gang? Come, let me test your blade!"
He spurred his horse and charged straight at them. The horse was fast, and he raised his sword overhead, using the momentum to bring it down. The blow was heavy and whistled through the air.
Guan Yu did not move.
Just as the blade was about to reach his head, he moved. His chestnut horse took a half step to the left, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade slashed diagonally, not touching the blade, but striking the hilt. With a clang, Zhang Zu's blade veered off course, grazing Guan Yu's shoulder armor, sparks flying.
The two men rode the wrong horse.
Zhang Zu reined in his horse and turned around, his expression changing. He was so shaken that his hands went numb, and the handle of his sword hummed.
"You've got some strength." He licked his lips. "Again!"
The second strike was a horizontal slash, aimed at the waist. Guan Yu parried with his sword, and with another clang, both horses simultaneously staggered back two steps.
The third cut, the fourth cut...
Zhang Zu's swordsmanship was wide and sweeping, all moves used in a desperate battle—ruthless, but crude. Guan Yu only defended, his sword moving with his body, each parry perfectly dissipating the force of the blows. Sweat beaded on Zhang Zu's forehead; he was panting.
"All you do is block?" he roared.
Guan Yu remained silent.
With his phoenix eyes narrowed, he looked at Zhang Zu's knife, his horse, and the rhythm of his breathing.
With his fifth strike, Zhang Zu brought down his blade again, but his strength had waned. Guan Yu failed to block this time; his chestnut horse suddenly lunged forward, and his Green Dragon Crescent Blade swept upwards, its light like a blue rainbow.
Zhang Zu hurriedly parried with his sword.
late.
The blade sliced across his wrist, slicing off a chunk of flesh along with his armor. Zhang Zu screamed in agony, the blade slipping from his hand. Guan Yu's momentum didn't falter; he swung his blade and slashed horizontally.
A head flew off, and blood spurted three feet high.
The headless corpse swayed and fell off the horse.
The entire room fell silent.
A gasp went up in Zhao Zhi's army. Zhang Zu's deputy general stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, unable to utter a sound.
Guan Yu reined in his horse, the tip of his blade pointing to the ground, blood dripping down the edge.
"Who else?"
No one answered.
Zhao Zhi's face turned pale. His hand holding the reins trembled.
"Loose the arrows!" he roared. "Shoot him dead!"
The archers frantically drew their bows, and a sparse rain of arrows flew out. Guan Yu deflected a few with his sword, turned his horse around, and galloped towards the city gate.
"Pursue!" Zhao Zhi drew his sword. "All troops, attack! Recapture Jiangzhou!"
The war drums sounded. Three thousand men charged forward with howls. Their formation was thrown into disarray; swords, shields, spears, and crossbows mingled together, crashing against the city walls like a tidal wave.
Guan Yu, riding swiftly, arrived at the city walls first. The drawbridge was lowered, the city gate opened a crack, and he slipped inside. The gate immediately closed.
From the city wall, Zhang Wu roared, "Fire the arrows!"
A volley of arrows rained down, raining down like locusts. Zhao Zhi's soldiers at the front fell in droves. But those behind, stepping over the corpses, continued their charge, ladders were erected on the city walls, and they began to climb.
Zhao Zhi was in the central army, his eyes fixed on the city wall.
He knew he had to act quickly. Guan Yu had fewer men; if he could break through one point, the city would fall.
"Divide your forces! Attack the east wall! Attack the west wall!"
The order was given, and the attacking army split into three routes, greatly increasing the pressure. The defending troops on the city walls numbered only 1,500, and they were quickly stretched thin as they were divided among the four sides. On a section of the east wall, a dozen or so Zhao soldiers climbed onto the battlements, and the defenders rushed at them, stabbing them wildly with swords and spears.
Guan Yu went up to the city wall.
He didn't go to the breach, but walked to the main tower of the north gate. There were three crossbows there, old stock from the Jiangzhou armory, the crossbow arms were cracked and held together with iron hoops.
"Can we shoot?" he asked the crossbowman.
"Yes, but I don't know how accurate it will be."
"Aim at the central army flag." Guan Yu pointed to Zhao Zhi's banner, "Shoot."
The crossbow bolt was cocked with a piercing creak. There were three bolts, each as thick as a child's arm, their arrowheads rusted but still sharp.
"put."
collapse!
Three muffled thuds. Crossbow bolts flew out; two missed, falling several infantrymen. One struck the flagpole squarely, snapping the wooden pole in two, and the flag crashed to the ground.
Zhao Zhijun was thrown into a commotion.
"Now's the time!" Guan Yu drew his sword. "Open the city gates! Follow me and fight your way out!"
Zhang Wu was stunned: "Yun Chang! We are outnumbered..."
"Zhao Zhi's flag has fallen, and the army's morale is in chaos." Guan Yu walked down the city wall. "If we don't charge now, the city will fall once they recover."
The north gate suddenly opened.
Guan Yu led the charge, followed by three hundred men, all veterans from Zhuojun, led by Li Shun. These men had followed Liu Bei for four years, fighting their way from Julu to Hanzhong; they were ruthless and ambitious.
"kill!"
Three hundred men, like awls, pierced into Zhao Zhi's army formation. Zhao Zhi's soldiers, already panicked by the falling banner, were instantly routed by this charge. Guan Yu slashed left and right with his sword, none of his generals daring to challenge him. The veteran soldiers of Zhuojun formed ranks, swords and shields in front, spears behind, steadily advancing.
Zhao Zhi, in the central army, saw that green figure rushing straight towards him and panicked.
"Stop him!"