Chapter 187 - Reinforcements (2)
Chapter 187 – Reinforcements (2)
Translated by Gamer
“These guys again! These guys again!” Sun Ce is very angry and shocked that the common people dared to go onto the walls. It is because of these guys that Sun Ce had such a hard time fighting Lu Kang.
At that time, Sun Ce was still under Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu send Sun Ce to Wan Cheng to ask Lu Kang for rations. Not only did Lu Kang not give Sun Ce provisions but even shamed him. Actually it is not that Lu Kang did not give rations. Rather, he gave the rations demanded by Yuan Shu. However, Sun Ce was young and frivolous. He demanded 5 times the amount demanded by Yuan Shu.
How could Lu Kang promise to give such an amount? Had he promised to do it, there would not be enough relief supplies if there were bad harvests for the year. He immediately refused and told Sun Ce that he was too ambitious. It was only on paper but it was like a giant taking action against a dwarf, regardless of the lives of others.
Sun Ce was a proud person and was immediately angered by Lu Kang. He immediately went back and exaggerated a story to Yuan Shu. Yuan Shu was also a proud person. You see your prefect did not give you face. He even dared to not give you rations. If you don’t administer him properly, how can you say you are a leader? And that is how disaster came to Wan Cheng city.
At first, Sun Ce was extremely confident of capturing Wan Cheng City and then shaming Lu Kang after tying him up. However, the first battle itself went bad. Lu Kang may not be bold and powerful like Sun Ce but he has experienced officers. Knowing that Sun Ce is in the prime of youth, he knew that Sun Ce’s first move was to send out his whole army. Lu Kang deliberately retreated and gave up half the walls to Sun Ce. At that time, Sun Ce was rejoicing. Very soon he would have captured Wan Cheng and then he can see Lu Kang’s defeated expression.
Before Sun Ce finished rejoicing, he noticed something wrong. His troops and horses are in the city walls and have killed Lu Kang’s soldiers, but the promised rations were missing. On the other hand, Lu Kang, who is much more familiar with the land than Sun Ce along with the common citizens that is keeping watch on Sun Ce’s actions is keeping watch on Sun Ce’s supply lines. While Sun Ce is pleased with the capture of Lujiang, Lu Kang dispatched soldiers and to attack the supply lines and burn down 5,000 troops worth of ration
Soldiers without rations would not be able to fight. Although the outer walls have been captured, the inner walls are still safe. Sun Ce could only fight for a day trying to capture the inner city. The next day Yuan Shu’s Army had to retreat because they were hungry.
While Sun Ce is retreating, Lu Kang dispatched a message to Yuan Shu. The message states that Lu Kang is only able to give half of the rations demanded. Although Lu Kang said ‘half’, it was double the actual amount Yuan Shu had demanded. The surplus was given to Yuan Shao with a message asking him to reconcile Lu Kang and Yuan Shu. After all, Lu Kang does not want to fight. If it was up to a general or a lord with high IQ like Cao Cao, they would not send military forces to reply to Lu Kang but debate with him or even recruit him as Lu Kang is not interested in taking sides in the way.
However, Yuan Shu is different. He takes orders from the Yuan family only. He did not want to admit he may be blinded by Sun Ce. He also knows there is no benefit in fighting Lu Kang. However, Yuan Shu is angry because Lu Kang mentioned his brother Yuan Shao. To ask his brother Yuan Shao to mediate peace between Lu Kang and Yuan Shu.
He is the Yuan family’s 43rd generation eldest son. Yuan Shao is the eldest son of a concubine. Yuan Shu should be the original eldest son and so he should be one enjoying the treatment of an eldest son. Who was the one that compared him with his stronger brother? Yuan Shao was superior to Yuan Shu is every aspect. With every year, the amount of pressure Yuan Shu felt increased. He is not satisfied with Yuan Shao’s foundation. Why are the servants supporting his brother? For what reason is he suffering criticism?
This time, Yuan Shu is not much weaker than Yuan Shao. This is because the Yangzhou province has always been the foundation of the Yuan family. Yuan Shu who has the family to support him is stronger than Yuan Shao.
When Sun Ce exaggerated, Yuan Shu tried to solve the problem. He gave Sun Ce 10,000 troops and horses along with rations. The combined might of 15,000 is used to fight against 4,000 defenders.
At that time, Sun Ce was not yet powerful. His troops and horses all belonged to Yuan Shu. Without any generals, 15,000 troops and horses forcibly fought against 4,000 defenders and did not manage to do any damage. Yuan Shu then sent more reinforcements and continued fighting but Lu Kang was stronger and continuously stopped the assault.
The common people are the one supporting Lu Kang that made the scenario possible. When they see that the city is about to fall, the common people came out to help. Although they were not trained, they came in large numbers and forced Yuan Shu’s Army out of the city walls.
With the help of the common people and also since Wan Cheng had sufficient food, the battle went on for two years. Finally, learning how to be crafty, Sun Ce pretended to withdraw the troops only to do a sneak attack at night. Despite that, he did not manage to capture Lu Kang. Lu Kang has hidden himself in his family home like a prison. As there was heavy resistance, Sun Ce could not do anything about it. Finally, half the Lu family starved to death.
When news of Lu Kang’s death was known to the people, they had bad impression of Sun Ce and always see him as a bloodstained governor. They also did not join Yuan Shu’s Army when Yuan Shu was recruiting for soldiers.
Yuan Shu also used this opportunity to throw out Sun Ce. The reason used is because Sun Ce provoked grievances.
Despite fighting hard for two years he did not get anything. What will Sun Ce think? The common people even helped Sun Ce defend the city for 2 years. As a result, Sun Ce also do not favor them at all.
Now the common people is helping Liu Mang to defend the city and once again reminding Sun Ce of that two years. It stimulated his anger and hatred for the common citizens of Wan Cheng. Them again!
Sun Ce’s urge to kill greatly increased. These ignorant people. I should have slaughtered these peasants earlier! Now that they are all running to the walls to defend it, Sun Ce could not help but feel regret.
As the tendency of the fire to spread decrease, the Lu Bu’s Army and the Sun Ce’s Army managed to take their breaths. However, they did not even have an incense stick worth of time to rest. From below the city, Lu Su gave a direct order to the siege tower archers aiming at the common citizens. “Shoot!”
Lu Su has already lost his kindness. Now that he can shoot at his own soldiers on the walls of Wan Cheng, he can definitely shoot at the common citizens. If they could not capture Wan Cheng, they would have to fight the Heavy Wolf Cavalry on the plains. Although there is a chance for them to still win the heavy cavalry, it would require a lot effort and both Sun Ce and Lu Su is not very confident of the outcome.
*Swish swish* The soldiers on the siege tower could not differentiate friend and foe. They just shoot.
“What!” Liu Mang eyeballs were about to come out. (TL: literal translation here.) Sun Ce’s Army, Sun Ce’s siege tower archers unexpectedly shot at the citizens. The people who are helping to put out the fire are being shot at.
Those people are not wearing armor for defense. They are wearing cloth for clothes. Not only do they not have the skills to avoid arrows, some of them are also old, sick or disabled. Their hands and feet are no longer nimble. As they are all concentrating on the fire, they did not notice the danger. By the time they would notice, it would have already been too late.
*Swish swish* More arrow sounds passed over the walls. The siege tower archers did not hesitate. All the arrows shot streaked across the city walls and formed a rain of arrows.
“Ah ah ah!” Liu Mang was reluctant to look at the scene. Those people are not protected by arrows and do not have a single layer of defense. Everything in front of the bow and arrows were all living targets. To make things worse, the arrows came from Sun Ce’s archers on the siege towers. Their arrows are capable of running through two people.
“Dear wife!” When the rain of arrows arrived, an old man somehow mustered the strength to jump in front of an old woman.
*Poof* Sweet blood formed at the mouth.
“Dear husband, what happened? Don’t scare me, don’t scare me!” The old woman panicked when the old man’s face started to go pale. The old woman saw the arrow at his back and tried to help him wipe the blood. However, the blood continued to flow more and more.
“I cannot go on, my dear wife.”
“No, no, do not scare me!”
The old man lost his breath.
“Dear husband, how could you leave me? How could you!” The old woman cried and tried to stand up. Her body staggered. Looking at her own stomach and laughed. “Dear husband, I will accompany you!” Piercing through her body was a long arrow.
“Husband! Husband!” A dark skinned rural woman stared at the scene and could not believe her eyes. Her pillar, the pillar of her family. The man who rise up to the heavens for her, fell down after being shot by arrows. “No!”
Tragedy is happening again. The archers on the siege tower continued to shoot the citizens down the walls.
“Go down! Get down from the walls! Go down the walls!” Liu Mang suddenly rise up to push back Dong Xi. He roared as he charged towards the citizens trying to fight the fire. They are not soldiers. They are just common citizens. This is a war. Leave the wars to the soldiers. It is not a place for citizens to do fearless sacrifice.
Liu Mang roared. However, no one payed him any attention. Ever since the first wave of arrows, the citizens have been afraid. There are many that perished and many more severely injured. How can the common citizens not be afraid?
However, the citizens changed. The fallen victims could be their parents or their loved ones. Their fear turned into hatred.
“Put out the fire! Put out the fire! Wan Cheng must stand!” The citizens ignored Liu Mang and braved the arrows to the buckets of water and continue to put out the fire. Those hit by arrows, pull out the arrows and hoped that their blood can stop the fire.
If they retreat from the walls, they may survive but they will return to a house with a broken family. If they continued to fight the fire, they may die but they will be able to stop the Sun Ce’s Army. They did not fear death as long as their lives can be used to protect their family.
Risking their lives to protect their family, the common citizens once again entered a battle against Sun Ce.