Chapter 44: The Army at the Gates

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The wind atop the city tower was fierce. Before even reaching the crenellations, the air was already trembling with the tumultuous blare of distant horns, the pounding of war drums, and the thunderous shouts of ten thousand voices.

The horns wailed, a mournful, unbroken cry.
The drums boomed—one after another, relentless and deep.
The shouts rose and fell in waves, the sound like a tempest, like a torrential rain, so intense even the walls of Xinye's city tower seemed to quiver in its wake. Amidst the swirling wind, Cao Xin gathered his unruly long hair and strode to the center of the ramparts.

Far away, dark clouds rolled across the heavens, the wind howling in rage. Beneath that curtain of cloud, a shadowy tide surged forth from the distant mountains, sweeping toward Xinye. From afar, it resembled a swarm of ants, a pack of hyenas, a multitude of wolves—dense, endless, enough to send chills down the spine.

Gradually, the dark tide drew near, resolving into ranks of Jingzhou soldiers in drab-green armor, their numbers swelling—one, two, ten thousand, then fifty thousand strong.

Fifty thousand soldiers marched in unison, calling out their chants, their momentum shaking the earth, their presence vast and overwhelming.

"So many men!" General Cao exclaimed in awe.

An army of ten thousand would already seem boundless, its end lost to the eye. But fifty thousand, stretching as far as the horizon, was truly a sea of humanity. Even though he had witnessed great gatherings alongside his elder brother, Cao Xin felt his heart surge with excitement at the sight.

He glanced at Zhang Baiqi, Liao Hua, Pei Yuanshao, Yu Du, Bai Feng, Liu Dash, Wei Yan, and the other commanders. Each stood staring blankly at the ocean of men in the distance, a little stunned themselves. In an era when the population was sparse, the spectacle of fifty thousand soldiers was even more magnificent and shocking than one could have imagined.

"General, how are we supposed to fight this?" Yi Ji, clutching the crenellations, asked in a trembling voice.

Cao Xin laughed heartily. "There's no need for concern, Ji Bo. Yuanjian, Wen Chang, how goes the recruitment?"

"General, the city defense battalion has recruited twelve hundred men," reported Liao Hua.

"General, I have recruited a thousand from among Jingzhou's prisoners of war. The Blood-Clad Battalion now stands at two thousand," added Wei Yan.

Cao Xin nodded. Liao Hua’s City Defense Battalion numbered a thousand, Wei Yan’s Blood-Clad Battalion two thousand, Yu Du’s Mountain Banner Battalion four thousand, Bai Feng’s Langya Infantry more than eight hundred, the supply battalion a thousand, Langya Cavalry just over a hundred, Zhang Baiqi’s Gallant Cavalry Battalion eight hundred—nearly nine thousand in total.

"Zhengfang, what of the supplies?" Cao Xin inquired.

Li Yan stepped forward. "General, upon learning of Jingzhou’s mobilization, I preemptively dispatched large quantities of grain from the counties of Jinyang. The city has enough provisions to sustain ten thousand troops for a month."

"Haha, excellent! Nearly ten thousand soldiers, ample provisions—what is there to fear? Our concern should be how to defeat Jingzhou’s fifty thousand. Zhengfang, Ji Bo, Yuanjian, Wen Chang, you four are versed in the art of war—come, advise me: how should we fight this battle?"

"Uh, General, my meager skills are hardly worth displaying here," Liao Hua replied, glancing around awkwardly.

"Go ahead, cast the brick to attract the jade. You start," Cao Xin said with a wave and a smile.

Liao Hua gazed down at the army below, frowning in thought for a moment. "General, the Jingzhou troops have only just arrived and have not yet established their camps. Why not strike before they gain a foothold and seize the initiative?"

"To attack where they are unprepared, to strike by surprise—there is some merit in that," Cao Xin mused, nodding.

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Cao Xin nodded and turned to Wei Yan.

Wei Yan, now mostly recovered from his injuries, stood clad in iron armor, sword at his waist. He clasped his fists and said, "General, I have two possible strategies that might be worth trying."

"Oh? Wen Chang, let us hear them," Cao Xin said with interest.

Wei Yan raised two fingers, pointing to the massed army outside the walls. "The first strategy, as Commander Liao suggests, is to take advantage of the Jingzhou army’s unsteady footing and strike swiftly at their central command—kill their generals, seize their banners, and terrify their ranks. I have witnessed the might of the Langya Iron Cavalry; though this plan is risky, it is not without hope of success."

"No, no, this is too dangerous," Yi Ji interjected. "Though the Langya Cavalry is indeed formidable, their numbers are few. If the attack fails, the losses would be severe—a strategy that would harm both sides. General, you must use caution." His voice was grave.

Cao Xin nodded slightly. "Wen Chang, tell us your second plan."

"General, the second is a more prudent approach. We have eight thousand seasoned troops in Xinye, with ample provisions. We can easily hold the city for a month. The Jingzhou army, with fifty thousand men, will exhaust their supplies rapidly. If they fail to take Xinye within a month, they will not be able to sustain themselves and will be forced to withdraw."

At this, several commanders atop the wall nodded in agreement.

"This one has merit," Yi Ji said, giving Wei Yan an approving look. "Beyond supplies, we can also rely on reinforcements. The campaign in Chen has ended, and rumor has it that the Chancellor will soon withdraw to Xuchang. Once he does, all we need is to display an intention to support Nanyang and the Jingzhou army will retreat without a fight. I believe we will not need to hold for a month—half a month should suffice."

Cao Xin nodded, then turned to the silent Li Yan and laughed. "Zhengfang, your turn. We are all colleagues here—speak freely."

"Yes, General!" Li Yan saluted. "Commander Liao, General Wei, and Chief Clerk Yi have spoken well. I only wish to add two suggestions. First, since the enemy is strong, we should send word to Wancheng, urging them to demonstrate preparations to support Xinye. Upon learning this, the Jingzhou army will have no choice but to split their forces to guard against Wancheng’s troops moving south. Once their forces are divided, our burden in defending the city will be lessened."

Cao Xin nodded—defeating the enemy in detail after they split their forces was a sound plan.

"Second, having served for years in Xiangyang and Fancheng, I surmise that the Jingzhou army’s supplies are stockpiled in Zaoyang or Caiyang. If we can cut off their supply line, the Jingzhou army will surely retreat without a fight."

Li Yan saluted again and stepped back.

"Excellent, both your suggestions are practical. Yuanjian, send word to Li Tong and Cao Chun: keep drilling their men, visit Mount Huo when possible, and display a stance of readiness to strike south at any time—to distract the Jingzhou army."

"Yes, General!" Liao Hua accepted the order with a bow.

Cao Xin turned to Pei Yuanshao, who replied with a grin, "General, finding the enemy’s supplies won’t be difficult, but with no reinforcements outside, I’ll need more men to cut their supply lines."

"Find the location first. Disrupting their supply line is a backup plan."

"Yes, General!" Pei Yuanshao bowed.

"General, the Jingzhou army has halted!"

Everyone turned their gaze to the scene below.

Two li from Xinye, the Jingzhou army had stopped their advance. Hundreds of square formations had camped around the city, stretching far and wide.

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Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

A hundred great drums were rolled to the front of the formation and lined up. Two strongmen climbed onto high platforms and beat the drums with all their might, the sound shaking the heavens.

Suddenly, several hundred cavalry burst forth from the Jingzhou ranks, galloping back and forth across the open ground before the formation. The riders brandished massive weapons, performing feats of daring and strength that drew thunderous cheers from the Jingzhou troops, the noise earth-shaking.

"Haha, quite the spectacle!" Cao Xin clapped and laughed atop the city tower.

The first time he had seen such a display was in Xuzhou, when he watched cavalrymen wielding tridents over ten meters long, broadswords as wide as a door, iron lances as thick as a man’s arm—each appearing to weigh hundreds or even thousands of pounds.

He’d been startled, thinking he’d entered a world of martial heroes. Only later did he discover these were ceremonial props, meant to inspire the troops, bolster morale, and intimidate the enemy—a performance reserved for the most formal occasions, and now rarely seen.

When the pre-battle display ended, a towering platform more than ten meters high rose amid the Jingzhou ranks.

Two men stood atop it—one in a scholar’s robe, pale-faced with a long beard; the other clad in gold armor, tall and imposing. As the platform drew nearer, Yi Ji explained, “Those two are the Jingzhou army’s commander Wen Pin and their strategist Kuai Yue.”

"General Cao, do you dare step forth and speak?" the scholar with the pale face and long beard called out in a booming voice.

"Be careful, General," Li Yan stepped forward to whisper advice. "Kuai Yidu is sharp-tongued and difficult to deal with. Just follow these steps."

Yi Ji hurried over as well to offer his own counsel, teaching him how to spar with a scholar in words.

Cao Xin nodded, then laughed and stepped atop the wall, shouting, "Kuai Yidu, I am here—what have you to say?"

"Hmm?"

Across the way, Kuai Yue and Wen Pin frowned upon seeing General Cao in person, their eyes twitching with disbelief.

Was this the legendary General Cao Ziyu—hair disheveled, clad in a thin silk robe, his legs bared to the wind? He seemed far too casual for a commander.

"Ahem!" Kuai Yue quickly mastered his surprise, raised two fingers, and shouted, "Cao Ziyu, why have you seized my counties of Xinye, plundered the people of Jingzhou, slaughtered my soldiers? You let your men rampage, cruel and unjust, bringing calamity upon the people—heaven will not tolerate this! I urge you to withdraw from Xinye at once and cease hostilities, or when my army arrives, you shall die by the sword!"

Cao Xin burst into laughter and shouted through his megaphone, "Kuai Yidu, I ask you, what is your official rank?"

Kuai Yue frowned. "By the grace of Governor Liu of Jingzhou, I am appointed as Attendant Gentleman of Jingzhou."

"Haha, an Attendant Gentleman, a mere unranked subordinate—do you presume to converse with the grand governor? Where is General Wen Zhongye, the Vanquisher of Rebels?"

Cao Xin bellowed.

Wen Pin glanced uneasily at Kuai Yue, who stood black-faced and trembling with anger. Suppressing his irritation, he said, "General Wen, go see what this Cao scoundrel wants and be wary of his tricks."

Wen Pin gave a grunt of assent and strode forward to see what Cao Xin had to say.

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