Chapter 151: The Siege of Gaoping
In the face of the first battle charging straight for Gaoping, Qiao Yan didn’t have the energy to think about rallying the Qiang tribes to serve her purposes.
Gaoping City sits south of the Qingshui River and connects to the Yinma River in the north, with the rivers forming a moat around the city. Not far east and west are mountain ranges, close enough to hinder the soldiers from launching an effective siege, restricting their formation for the attack.
So, the only option left was to advance along the river valley and launch an assault on the city.
However, this was an absolutely fortified city.
In the past, when Emperor Guangwu was subduing the forces of Wei Xiao in Longyou, his target was Gaoping. Yet, the general Wei Jun guarding Gaoping held it for over a year. If it hadn’t been for his strategist Huangfu Wen dying on a diplomatic mission, Wei Jun probably wouldn’t have surrendered just because he lost a planner.
Even though Gaoping City hadn’t yet seen the construction of a second external wall since the foundation of Yuanzhou during the Northern Zhou, just the inner city alone was enough to give attackers a run for their money.
Thus—
Speed was of the essence!
The entire force she commanded was like an arrow piercing the heart of Liangzhou, making a thunderous impact for this battle!
She couldn’t afford to be stalled by Gaoping like how the Liangzhou rebels surrounded Chencang, expending military power and getting defeated while retreating!
Qiao Yan coldly stared down the river valley ahead.
To minimize losses during the siege and to instill fear in Beidi and Anding, these Qiang people had to become her sacrifices.
As for the Han people, they were forcibly conscripted to serve as the logistics transport team.
Even though Gai Xun, the Prefect of Wudu County, lost his position due to Dong Zhuo, it didn’t diminish his reputable service record during his time as a logistical officer in Liangzhou.
Under his management, these people, upon hearing they wouldn’t be sent to the front lines for the siege but merely assist with material transport, cooperated without causing Qiao Yan any trouble.
After all, recovering Anding County would also be a good thing for them.
With the troop exchange, Qiao Yan had the opportunity to free up extra logistics personnel, sending them ahead with the cavalry while also constructing camps in the middle of the river valley and putting siege equipment into production.
On the surface, it seemed like following the Jing and Qingshui River valleys to Gaoping was a fast track, but it actually spanned about four hundred miles!
At the pace of ancient infantry, she would need at least a week to cover that distance.
Thus, she planned to make a dash in the final stretch nearing Gaoping, meaning things like ladders and battering rams could not possibly be completed within Bingzhou.
Fortunately, Ma Jun was clever and combined the chassis of the ladder and heavy ram with supply transport carts, saving her a lot of hassle. Plus, the ram’s head was already made in Bingzhou, so she skipped a bit of on-the-go crafting trouble.
With Xun You orchestrating military maneuvers and Jia Xu providing tips from his Liangzhou experience, the supply and troop movements ran smoothly.
The only one who seemed a bit idle was Cheng Yu.
While riding on horseback, he remarked, “It’s rare not to deal with state affairs and instead just gallop through scenic mountains and rivers without putting in any effort. I’m starting to feel a bit uneasy about it.”
This prompted Jia Xu to throw him a speechless look.
Qiao Yan chuckled, “Once we take down Gaoping, you won’t be so carefree anymore.”
Indeed.
Once they secured Gaoping as their foothold, the lines would spread, and Cheng Yu would surely have his hands full.
With someone stationed here, her troop, which had suffered through prolonged battles in Liangzhou, wouldn’t be just seen as expendables but would have a steady anchor, preventing them from being easily shoved back.
But before all that, the prerequisite for all plans was to take Gaoping!
Win this battle!
The Qiang at Gaoping definitely didn’t expect Qiao Yan to charge into Liangzhou just a month after the Southern Xiongnu occupied Ziwuling, targeting Gaoping with such determination.
Yet, as the shadow of Gaoping City emerged before Qiao Yan in the misty night, the city, elevated from north to south, looked like a monster bending down to drink from the Qingshui River.
And its drinking mouth was that of the Weng City outside the southern gate.
Indeed, Weng City.
Even though Gaoping was just a city on the northwestern frontier and the Weng City defensive system wouldn’t become widespread until the late Tang dynasty, Gaoping had one!
The curved double gates outside the city looked a bit rough but couldn’t change their ability to effectively withstand a battering ram assault.
Fortunately, Qiao Yan wasn’t unprepared.
She glanced over at Ma Jun and saw him giving a signal indicating everything was in place.
Then she looked to Xun You, who was also signaling that all personnel were accounted for.
Taking a deep breath, she issued the order: “All troops, accelerate the march, assault!”
This would be a tougher city to break than any she had faced before.
The martial spirit of Xiliang endowed this city with a strength harder than any.
But the preparations she had made for the assault wouldn’t be without merit!
And if even she couldn’t conquer the first city of Gaoping, then there wouldn’t be a second force in the world that could do it!
As the last stretch of the night march began, it was like the final friction before a spark ignited. Until the first arrow flew through the air, piercing the throat of the guards on the city walls, the siege engines were rapidly pushed up to the base of Weng City, delivering the first blow to the outer gates, igniting the trailing fire.
Gaoping’s red pine iron-plate gates collided with the iron tip of the ram, creating a resounding noise that echoed through the dawn.
Following that came the urgent reports ringing from the city walls.
Though Qiao Yan couldn’t understand their language, it wasn’t hard to catch the urgency in their tone shouting “Enemy attack.”
But with the south gate’s defenses thin and her advance under the cover of night well-timed, she could lay a crossing on this moat before the enemy could reinforce their guards.
The cloud-ladder followed closely behind the battering ram, already advancing towards the city.
Meanwhile, the cavalry quickly dispersed along the south side of the city wall, shooting at the soldiers rushing from the south gate.
To be precise, not all the cavalry.
These were the skilled archers carefully selected from the cavalry who could handle a two-stone bow!
Pressed into a hasty response, the guards on the wall believed the enemy was still out of range. With personnel lacking, they decided to wait a bit longer, not expecting arrows to rain down on them mercilessly.
The dim light of dawn seemed to give them a slight advantage in evaluating the range, but it had become their fatal flaw.
What they never anticipated was that the ram moving stealthily behind the cover of siege vehicles would hit harder than any usual ram!
As the battering ram developed into a
“It’s not just human strength pushing it now, but it’s moving with the cable, using experienced methods to achieve the best impact effect.”
But with Ma Jun’s involvement, the siege hammer not only accelerated but also incorporated the application of pulleys, making it even more effortless.
While the leader of the Qiang in the city was being roused to defend, Qiao Yan’s side had already smashed open the outer gate of Gaoping Weng City.
Almost simultaneously, several soldiers at the front of the ladders had climbed up the city wall, launching an attack on the archers in the inner city who aimed to intercept the siege hammer’s second strike.
“Who goes there!” The Qiang leader was busy organizing his troops in the city, commanding the assembled team to head south for a defensive battle while asking the informant.
This couldn’t possibly be Huangfu Song.
He was particularly wary of Huangfu Song and always had someone keep an eye on movements towards that city; if he were to mobilize troops, there would be no way no one would report it!
The situation was just as Qiao Yan had guessed.
The subordinate quickly replied, “The leader who breached Weng City claims his name is Lü Fengxian from Wuyuan, sent by the Bingzhou Governor to eliminate thieves.”
Wuyuan? Bingzhou Governor? What’s he doing here!
The Qiang leader’s expression changed; he immediately realized the current situation wasn’t looking good for him.
Even if it were Huangfu Song besieging, since he had battled him many times before and was on high alert, he had a rough idea of how many men he had and what capabilities he possessed.
But if the Bingzhou Governor was launching an attack, it would be something entirely different.
For someone to advance all the way to Gaoping City as a foreign faction from Liangzhou, they clearly could not be a small troop.
Their ability to dismantle the outer city at such a swift pace clearly indicated they were well-prepared!
Recalling the judgments he’d shared with Han Sui after reporting previously, the Qiang leader couldn’t help but curse in his heart, “Han Sui has led me astray!”
But blaming the other party for misjudgments was of no use now.
Before he could lead his team down to the city, the second gate, struck by the siege hammer, was undeniably crashed open, having failed to stop the assault from Weng City.
Furthermore, the damage inflicted by the defenders on the city wall connected to Weng City was minimal!
They had to endure the disruption caused by soldiers climbing the arched walls while the arrows were effectively blocked by the well-equipped shields of the Bingzhou army.
Especially that guy, who had the loudest voice.
It seems like last year’s attack on Luoyang hadn’t fully stretched his capabilities; half a year of sharpening his knives was just building up his strength, and now, facing this sturdy city from Liangzhou, it was finally his chance to show what he could do!
And he certainly didn’t mess things up due to personal bravado.
He led the charge to the forefront, relying on his chain mail’s defensive capacity, charging straight into the gate’s opening.
At this moment, the soldiers controlling the siege hammer quickly maneuvered it aside, allowing the Bingzhou army rushing in from the rear to pass through.
And the success at the two southern gates elicited a wave of cheers from the soldiers flooding into Gaoping City.
This was a celebration of their phased achievements, or perhaps a much-needed shout to boost morale after the early morning fatigue.
But regardless of the reason, there was no doubt that as the Qiang leader tried to present a show of strength to these invaders, from the opposing force emanated an energy that made one feel like facing a tiger or leopard, sending chills down their spine.
This aura intensified with the frontline fighters leading the charge, making it even more terrifying.
To those Qiang who didn’t quite understand Han dialect, these shouts transformed into a single word—
k*ll!
Exterminate their foes!
This momentum allowed the scuffles within the city gates, even though there was a moment where the defending soldiers of Gaoping temporarily regained the upper hand, many from the Bingzhou army’s vanguard still fell in the passage, yet reinforcements quickly filled in.
With Lü Bu’s barrage and Qu Yi leading troops to scale the inner city walls, providing cover with arrows, they turned this regained advantage into a state of firmly breaking through.
The instant the defense line broke, the cavalry backing them up seemed not to need any special command and quickly filled in where needed.
Cavalry can do limited work in a siege.
But what they needed to do now was not to break through the sturdy city walls, but to swiftly occupy the streets and dismantle any attempted counterattacks from the Qiang.
Thus, these cavalry dragging their sharp long swords became slaughtering machines.
Seeing this scene, the Qiang leader broke into a cold sweat.
He could lead the Qiang tribe, claiming a hundred thousand troops, so he was certainly not a coward.
But how many cavalry and infantry in the city belonged to the opposing Han army?
From his somewhat elevated vantage point on the street, all he could see was a sea of swirling heads.
And in the close combat where many had fallen on both sides, it was the men on his side who were continuously swallowed by the tide of black armor.
This left him incapable of making an accurate judgment.
How many people are outside the city?
All he could hear were echoes reverberating between the city wall and the mountains, filling his eardrums, indicating that at least tens of thousands were involved.
But he couldn’t retreat at this moment; he clearly understood that in this narrow path of confrontation, if he chose to flee without his armor, d*ath was the only outcome. So he immediately gestured to his herald.
The herald, whose voice was usually the loudest, immediately shouted, “Fight for the Qiang!”
But before he could finish that “fight,” a white-feathered arrow pierced his throat.
The Qiang leader looked towards the sound and saw that among the most imposing figures in the opposing ranks, protected by sword and shield soldiers around her, she had climbed up to Gaoping’s city wall.
She glanced down at him, and even though he couldn’t see her expression clearly, he could feel the fierce aura emanating from her as she transitioned from assaulting the city to pillaging inside!
And in her hand was a powerful longbow meant for long-range lethal shots!
The arrow that killed the herald came from the hands of the Marquis of Leping.
In the midst of this swift lethality, the Qiang leader suddenly realized the other title she held, known as—
The General of Cavalry!
But by the time he realized it, it was already too late!
That morning, the Huangfu Song army stationed towards the city welcomed a special visitor.
Although it had been years, he recognized that the messenger who came to report was none other than Cheng Yu from Dong Commandery, who had once completed the strategy of inside-outside coordination alongside Qiao Yan.
Because his adult appearance had been determined, Huangfu Song naturally wouldn’t fail to recognize him, though compared to his looks six years ago, he show a calm demeanor with a hint of subtle cunning, thanks to his experiences in Leping and Bingzhou.
Huangfu Song couldn’t help but feel relieved.
With Cheng Yu here, Qiao Yan must be around too.
But what Huangfu Song never expected was that the words coming from Cheng Yu’s mouth would be—
“General Huangfu, the Marquis requests you to join him for dinner at Gaoping to discuss plans to attack west of Liupan Mountain.”
Wait… where to?
