Chapter 131: Stopping at Nothing

Late June, the third year of the Jian'an era. The sun was blazing, and the midsummer heat was sweltering. Even the common folk chose to take afternoon naps before heading out to weed their fields. However, near Shouchun, many villages already stood empty. A nauseating, foul stench of rotting corpses emanated from these abandoned settlements. They had been slaughtered by the Cao army, which had looted their meager rations and put them to the sword regardless. As a result, the people throughout the Jiujiang region were fleeing south at the mere rumor of their approach. There was no helping it; the Cao army’s reputation was infamous. Much like how the populace fled before the Cao army during their descent into Jing Province—not because they followed Liu Bei, but because the people of Xiangyang and Nan Commandery fled at the very sight of them—the people of this region were doing the same.

At this moment, the city of Shouchun was ablaze with the fires of war, draped in a dark, brownish coat of dried blood. The entire city was enveloped in the scent of carnage, mixed with the stench of rotting flesh from outside the walls. When a hot gust of wind blew, the smell permeated every corner of the city.

"Hold the line! You must hold the line!" Qiao Rui, clad in heavy armor and wielding a blade, patrolled the walls, shouting in fury.

*Bang!*

He kicked an enemy soldier who had just climbed onto the ramparts and thrust his sword through the man’s chest. Qiao Rui’s gaze swept across the fields outside the city, his expression darkening. The Cao army's offensive was truly ferocious. The soldiers from Qingzhou fought with such reckless abandon that if not for the height and thickness of Shouchun’s walls, the city would have fallen long ago.

"General, look!" a subordinate exclaimed.

Qiao Rui looked in the direction indicated, and his brow furrowed even deeper. It was Sun Ce’s army. He had known for some time that Sun Ce had aligned himself with Cao Cao, but he had not expected Sun Ce’s forces to arrive so quickly. Cao Cao alone was already giving them a headache; if Sun Ce’s troops joined the fray, how could they possibly defend Shouchun?

With this thought, Qiao Rui roared, "Keep the gates secure!" He then sheathed his sword and headed straight for the command headquarters.

***

A long while later, inside the headquarters, Lu Su looked exhausted; he had not rested properly for several days. Seeing Qiao Rui arrive, he quickly stood up. "General Qiao, what is the matter?"

"Zijing, Sun Ce has arrived!" Qiao Rui said with a heavy frown. This was disastrous news for Shouchun.

Lu Su’s brow darkened. According to his calculations, Sun Ce should have needed another three days to arrive. Why were they so fast?

"Zijing, what should we do now?" Qiao Rui sounded flustered. How could he not be worried? If Shouchun could not be held, everything else was moot.

"General Qiao, our lord will return soon. As commanders of this army, we must not lose our composure!" Lu Su cautioned him urgently. After speaking, he fell into deep thought.

Qiao Rui felt ashamed and nodded repeatedly in agreement. Lu Su pondered for a moment, then picked up a brush and began to write. After blowing on the ink to dry it, he said in a deep voice, "Take this and summon the heads of the great families in the city."

"Tell them that our lord has secured full control of Yang Province and is already on his way back. He will return within three days. Tell these families to send their men to defend the walls; there will be heavy rewards for all once the city is saved!"

Qiao Rui took the letter in surprise and glanced at it. It was in Chu Feng’s handwriting, detailing the battle of Wu Commandery and promising a return within three days, while instructing Lu Su and Qiao Rui to hold the city. Qiao Rui’s eyes gleamed as he looked at Lu Su, filled with admiration. He realized that Lu Su intended to use Chu Feng’s name to compel these families to assist. With the three-day deadline, these men would certainly be willing to fight.

"Understood, I will go at once!" Qiao Rui nodded.

There were countless wealthy families in Shouchun, each with their own private guards and loyal retainers. If they were willing to defend the city with all their might, they might actually be able to withstand the combined assault of Cao Cao and Sun Ce. Of course, these families were the type who would never release the hawk until they saw the rabbit; without profit, they would never risk their own interests.

Watching Qiao Rui depart, Lu Su mused for a moment before heading to the craftsmen's camp. He knew that Chu Feng’s journey from Wu Commandery to Shouchun was long and would likely take another half month. Whether they could hold Shouchun depended heavily on the craftsmen's camp. For some time now, Lu Su had forced every member of the camp to work day and night to produce repeating crossbows. These men had only an hour or two of rest each day, spending all their time crafting bolts and constructing the mechanisms, which were marvelously effective for city defense.

Lu Su had stationed one hundred crossbowmen at each of the four city gates, intended to repel the enemy at critical moments. As for reinforcements, Lu Su had sent messengers to seek aid when he learned of Sun Ce’s defection, though he held little hope for that. After all, relying on allies was a fool’s errand. History showed that allies were always self-serving; if they could truly trust one another, how could the Great Qin have unified the world?

***

Outside the city, Cao Cao personally led his troops to welcome Sun Ce. Looking at the imposing and heroic Sun Ce, Cao Cao felt a pang of admiration; he was indeed a tiger of a general.

"Sun Ce, a defeated general, greets my lord!" Sun Ce bowed deeply. At this moment, he had only one thought: capture Shouchun, execute all of Chu Feng’s kin, and then kill Chu Feng himself. On his way, he had learned that Chu Feng had executed his entire family, which left him burning with rage and driving his army forward in a forced march. By using strict discipline, he maintained control over his troops, who remained resolute, hoping to take Shouchun and rescue their own wives and children.

"Bofu, you were so young back when the coalition gathered to讨董 (punish Dong Zhuo). I never expected that after all these years, you would have grown into such a formidable warrior. You truly have the spirit of your father, Wen Tai," Cao Cao praised him generously.

"My lord is too kind. My father was invincible, victorious in every battle, while I have failed repeatedly, tarnishing his reputation," Sun Ce replied with shame.

He then looked at Cao Cao with burning eyes. "My lord, our provisions are limited, and we require your support. Let us rest tonight, and tomorrow I shall lead my men to assault the walls myself."

"Very well! Provisions will be provided in abundance! Tomorrow, I shall rely on you, Bofu!" Cao Cao laughed heartily, clearly holding him in high regard.

"Thank you, my lord!" Sun Ce nodded and, after a few more pleasantries, withdrew with his troops.

Watching Sun Ce leave, Guo Jia bowed and warned, "My lord, Sun Ce is a man of great talent, and he commands twenty thousand elite troops. We must be on our guard!"

Cao Cao raised a hand to stop him. "This is a time when we need such men. Furthermore, Sun Ce is a gifted commander; if we interfere too much, it will only breed resentment."

"But, my lord..." Guo Jia worried.

"Enough, I have already made my decision!" Cao Cao waved him off and looked at Cao Ren. "Zixiao, go, gather provisions and send them to Sun Ce. Let him eat and drink his fill so he can strike hard tomorrow!"

"Understood!" Cao Ren nodded, then added bitterly, "My lord, we do not have much grain left in the army. The next shipment will not arrive for another half month."

"We have no grain left? Then tell Cao Chun and the others to go and loot. Raid every village until we have enough!" Cao Cao scowled.

"My lord, the nearby villages are already empty, and those further away have fled at the mere news of our approach," Cao Ren said with a pained expression. He had underestimated the terror the Cao army inspired. The people of Jiujiang were fleeing south under the cover of night.

"I see. Just make sure Sun Ce’s army is fully supplied for now; I will find another way for the rest!" Cao Cao waved his hand, feeling irritable. Every campaign was plagued by the headache of food supplies. It was incredibly frustrating!