Because civilians are not as good as regular troops in defending a city. As long as the attacking side has enough troops, the ordinary people's stamina cannot last long under repeated attacks.
The civilians can only play a supporting role in defending the city. No matter how many elderly, weak, women and children there are, their role is limited. The unity of the army and the people in defending the city can only be achieved with a certain number of troops and sufficient food supplies.
However, it was clear that the Chu army in Danyang had been decimated, which was excellent news for Ying Bu and Cheng Hei, who were certain to capture the city within three days.
It was already late when Ying Bu and Cheng Hei set up camp on the south, west, and north sides of Danyang, leaving the east side open for the Chu army and civilians in the city to escape. They then used the remaining time to prepare more siege equipment, planning to launch a formal attack on the city early the next morning.
However, in the dead of night, an urgent military report arrived from Jiangbei.
"Huh? Xiang Yu isn't in Juchao, he's in Jiangdong!" Ying Bu felt completely disoriented.
“Your Highness, Tongling County is far from here. There’s no need to panic like this, is there?” Cheng Hei could tell that Ying Bu was about to back down, but he didn’t want to. If they could really complete this mission, perhaps the King of Jiangdong would have a chance.
"Heh heh, back then, King Han underestimated the enemy just like you did in Pengcheng, which is why he lost 560,000 troops. You all don't understand Xiang Yu at all. If he wanted to come to Danyang, you would be dead for sure, you wouldn't even be able to escape. Great achievements are worthwhile, but you have to live to enjoy them."
Ying Bu naturally guessed Cheng Hei's little scheme, but since he was already the Prince of Huainan, merit was not that important to him and it was not worth the risk.
Cheng Hei's expression shifted between light and dark. After a moment's thought, he spoke again, "Your Highness, times have changed. Although Xiang Yu is not in Juchao, his main cavalry force is trapped there."
The invincible 30,000-strong army of the Battle of Pengcheng is gone forever. Even if Xiang Yu had enough warhorses to form a new cavalry force that could quickly reach Danyang, its fighting strength could not possibly compare to the 30,000 elite Chu cavalry of the Battle of Pengcheng.
Ying Bu frowned. Cheng Hei was right; improving the combat effectiveness of cavalry couldn't be done in just a few days. Even if Xiang Yu came upon hearing the news, they might not be that difficult to deal with. However…
"General Cheng, I know your thoughts. You simply want to capture Danyang and then defend the fortified city. As long as you hold off Xiang Yu, you can buy time for the main force of the King of Han."
"I also think this plan is feasible, but the risks are considerable. The Huainan army is weak, and I don't want to gamble with such a small gain. How about this: I will return to Jiangbei to besiege Guangling, while General Cheng's troops will attack Danyang. What do you think?"
"Hahaha... Since the King of Huainan doesn't mind this little bit of merit, then this humble general will not stand on ceremony. However, Guangling is neither far nor near from here, and it's troublesome to send troops back and forth. Let's just exchange troops directly." Cheng Hei had obviously planned this all along.
"Exchange troops? General Cheng wants to exchange the Zhao army in Guangling for my troops in Danyang? That's not a bad solution, let's exchange troops then." Ying Bu's Huainan army was mostly new troops, while Cheng Hei's Zhao army was more elite. Exchanging them wouldn't be a loss, and if Cheng Hei's gamble paid off, he could keep a force for himself. In the future, when it comes to merit, wouldn't his Huainan army get a share?
"Then thank you very much, Your Highness!" Cheng Hei bowed with his hands clasped.
"No need for formalities."
...
Not long after, Ying Bu left his general Hao Hu behind and gave him some instructions. Then, with hundreds of guards and Cheng Hei's military orders, he set off overnight to return to Guangling.
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), smoke rose from chimneys in Danyang City.
Zhang Ning knew that a bloody battle was inevitable today; it was either to live or die with the city, or to let the enemies outside die.
Outside Danyang City, Cheng Hei also ordered cooking to begin, preparing to attack the city at dawn, and the faster the better.
Ying Bu's eagerness to return to Jiangbei made Cheng Hei increasingly uneasy. Following Chen Ping's orders to burn, kill, and plunder in various parts of Jiangdong would be suicidal. Only by quickly capturing Danyang and then defending the city could Cheng Hei attract Xiang Yu to complete his mission while preserving himself.
It seems that in ancient times, cooking and eating breakfast at dawn (寅时) was a common practice during times of war.
Between 3 and 5 a.m., it is mostly still dark, and the darkest hour before dawn is also the Yin hour.
But it is precisely because it is still dark that it is most suitable for cooking. The smoke is not obvious, and it is just dawn after the meal, so it does not delay marching or fighting.
However, getting up so early to eat was usually the soldiers' job; a feudal lord like Liu Ji would naturally sleep in unless there was an emergency.
Liu Ji slept particularly well that night, not because the little blue pill helped him sleep, but because the scouts that Lü Ze and Zhou Bo had sent to Jiangnan the day before had made a major discovery.
Chu general Ji Xin actually bowed to a mysterious, veiled general. Although the general was neither wearing black armor nor riding a black horse, his figure was extremely similar to Xiang Yu's.
I really don't know who Xiang Yu learned such bad tricks from, that he actually resorted to such tactics. Wasn't he just trying to ambush the Han army crossing the river and catch them off guard?
It's a pity. Combining the intelligence from Juchao and Jiangnan, we can be absolutely certain that Xiang Yu is not in Juchao, but in Jiangdong!
As a result, Liu Ji was able to relax completely and get a good night's sleep.
Chen Ping also analyzed the current situation for Liu Ji. Xiang Yu could escape back to Jiangnan without anyone noticing, but the main force of cavalry trapped in Juchao City could not. Without this main force, Xiang Yu's defeat was already destined.
Of course, if Xiang Yu could catch the crossing army off guard, he could hold out for a little longer, but that would be about it.
Ying Bu and Cheng Hei's army penetrated deep into the heart of Kuaiji Commandery, enough to shake Xiang Yu's morale and extinguish the last glimmer of hope for the Chu army to turn defeat into victory.
Now, all that's left is to wait for good news from Ying Bu. Xiang Yu is caught between two equally difficult situations, so he will choose the lesser of two evils and will surely leave Ji Xin behind to defend the area while he personally leads his elite troops to the eastern hinterland to provide relief.
Although Ji Xin was also very powerful, how could Lü Ze, Zhou Bo, Cao Can, Guan Ying and others be afraid of him?
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty?" Chen Ping's voice came from outside the tent.
"Your Majesty, Military Advisor Chen has arrived." Consort Qi gently nudged Liu Ji.
"Huh? Yawn... What's all the noise so early in the morning?" Liu Ji turned over and went back to sleep.
"Your Majesty, there's news from Ying Bu's side," Chen Ping said from outside the tent.
"Oh?" Liu Ji sat up. "Tell me quickly."
"Ying Bu and Cheng Hei successfully landed in Jiangdong yesterday and besieged Danyang City. They must have already begun the siege. It is said that there are not many defenders in the city, and the Chu army has mobilized the people to defend the city. The city will surely fall in three days at the latest. We were able to receive Ying Bu's urgent report, so Xiang Yu must have also received the Chu army's urgent report. He must be in a dilemma right now, right? Haha," Chen Ping said smugly.
"Haha, not bad, not bad. Huh? Didn't I order him to go deep into the heart of Kuaiji Commandery to burn, kill, and plunder? Why did he go to attack Danyang City? How dare Ying Bu disobey my orders? Has he lost his mind?" Liu Ji asked in confusion.
“Your Majesty, although it’s faster for us to send intelligence to Ying Bu by going downstream, it’s still impossible for us to arrive before Ying Bu besieges Danyang. When Ying Bu sent us this urgent report, our new orders to him hadn’t even reached him yet,” Chen Ping explained.
"Oh, I see. Danyang is in dire need of help. Xiang Yu certainly won't stand idly by. Could it be that he already led his troops to its rescue early this morning?" Liu Ji's eyes lit up.
"Your humble servant has already delivered this message to General Lü. Once we discover that the Chu army defending the opposite bank has been significantly reduced, our army will immediately prepare to cross the river."
However, in my humble opinion, if Xiang Yu had only recently received this news, he would not have been in such a hurry to rush to Danyang's aid; even if he were to go, he would have delayed until evening.
We have quite a few ships on this river. If the Chu army makes a big move, our army will surely know. Xiang Yu is also afraid that we will take advantage of his absence to cross the river."
Chen Ping felt that even if Xiang Yu wanted to leave this place, he would definitely make arrangements first. It was impossible for Xiang Yu to abandon this place immediately upon hearing the news of Danyang's emergency.
"Haha, I was too impatient. That's right, isn't Xiang Yu still pretending to be in Juchao? He must be waiting until night to march. So, does that mean we can cross the river and fight tomorrow morning?" Liu Ji rubbed his hands together.
"Your Majesty is absolutely right. Xiang Yu's defeat is inevitable," Chen Ping said confidently.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Oh dear, how annoying!"
"Hahaha……"
Chapter 80 The Decisive Battle of Jiujiang (Part 9)
Danyang was filled with the sounds of battle.
Cheng Hei and Hao Hu led their army in a fierce attack on Danyang City.
Zhang Ning and the Danyang garrison commander organized the people to climb the city walls in batches to assist in the defense, repelling the enemy's attacks time and time again.
However, Cheng Hei was eager to make a name for himself and did not care about the casualties of his soldiers. Archers fired volleys at the city walls wave after wave, without any fear of accidentally injuring their own men.
Danyang had become a grappling hook, with the defending Chu army and civilians suffering heavy casualties, not to mention the attacking Huainan and Zhao armies.
However, under these circumstances, not a single soldier or civilian defending the city fled; they all chose to ignore the escape route left by the enemy's encirclement.
"General! The Zhao army's offensive from the south is too fierce, and we can't hold on much longer!" A Chu army junior officer, looking disheveled, rushed to Zhang Ning.
"We have to hold on, even if we can't! Send all the reserves up. We have to hold on for every single day!" Zhang Ning roared.
In fact, it wasn't just the defenders who couldn't hold out; the attackers were also on the verge of collapse.
The 40,000-strong army took turns attacking the city. Their physical strength was sufficient, but too many people had died, and morale had become unstable. In less than half a day, they had already lost 10,000 soldiers. At this rate, it would take at least 20,000 more to capture Danyang.
It should be noted that Cheng Hei only had 40,000 troops in Jiangdong, and lost 20,000 in one battle. Even if he captured Danyang, it could not be considered a victory.
However, Cheng Hei still cannot give up the attack. The first attack will be launched with full force, but the second will be weaker and the third will be exhausted. If Danyang is not captured today, it may be even more difficult tomorrow. Moreover, if Xiang Yu is really leading his cavalry on a rapid march here, he will surely arrive tomorrow!
"Pass down the order! Send the entire army forward! Capture this city, and I, the general, will reward you handsomely!" Cheng Hei said through gritted teeth. Wasn't the King of Han ordering them to burn, kill, loot, and create chaos in Jiangdong? Then let's start with Danyang.
"Charge!"
"Charge into the city! Whoever seizes the treasure and women gets to keep them!"
"The general will reward those who capture this city handsomely!"
...
Both sides were fighting fiercely, and many were wounded, especially the Chu soldiers on the defending side, some of whom didn't even have time to treat their wounds.
Zhang Ning stood on the gate tower, his eyes constantly looking towards the northwest. Although he knew that reinforcements could not arrive so quickly, he couldn't help but wonder how he could face Xiang Yu and the people in the city if Danyang fell.
Just then, a sea of red gradually appeared in the distance, the color of the Chu army, along with a striking Overlord Banner!
Zhang Ning's eyes instantly filled with tears. The Overlord has arrived! He's really here!
Xiang Yu arrived at Jiangcheng at dawn yesterday and, without resting for a moment, led his army to Danyang after reorganizing.
Scouts reported the situation in Danyang to Xiang Yu along the way, and Xiang Yu became increasingly anxious. However, his troops were mostly infantry, and even if they traveled at full speed, they could not arrive quickly.
Even so, Xiang Yu's speed in reaching Danyang was enough to leave Liu Ji, Chen Ping, and everyone else speechless. Not to mention infantry, even cavalry could not have arrived so quickly.
This is related to Xiang Yu's troop deployment. The 10,000 infantrymen that Xiang Yu is currently leading were originally stationed at Jiangcheng, and were not brought by Xiang Yu from Tongling.
That night, after Xiang Yu captured Mei Xuan and recaptured Tongling, he went to Wuhu, changed into his black horse Wuzhui, and then rushed to Jiangcheng without stopping. On the morning that Ying Bu crossed the river to fight, Xiang Yu arrived at Jiangcheng.
Cao Fang, the garrison commander of Jiangcheng, did not expect Xiang Yu to arrive so quickly. After quickly reorganizing his troops, Xiang Yu led 10,000 Chu soldiers who had been prepared in advance toward Danyang.
During this period, Xiang Yu sent out scouts on horseback to investigate the battle situation of Zhang Ning and Ying Bu south of Guangling, as well as the movements of Ying Bu's army.
Judging from the available intelligence, Zhang Ning should be able to hold Danyang for two or three days without any problem, so Xiang Yu did not rush to march and tried to keep the army in good condition.
What Xiang Yu didn't expect was that the enemy army went all out as soon as they started attacking the city this morning, disregarding casualties, as if they knew that Xiang Yu's army was heading towards Danyang.
Xiang Yu then ordered a forced march, rushing towards Danyang. What would normally be a two-day journey from Jiang Cheng to Danyang was completed by Xiang Yu in just one day and two hours.
The Chu army marched faster yesterday than usual, but today, after learning about the situation in Danyang, their speed increased even more as they forced their way through the march, because time is of the essence.
Just as Cheng Hei thought victory was in sight, a fast horse galloped up from behind him.
"Great, great, great general, something terrible has happened! Xiang Yu is leading the Chu army and attacking!"
Before the messenger could finish speaking, a thunderous roar of battle suddenly erupted from the west, and the Chu army on Danyang City began to cheer. The soldiers and civilians who were already exhausted were instantly rejuvenated.
"This, this is impossible!" Cheng Hei could hardly believe his eyes. Even Jiang Cheng's Chu army didn't arrive to rescue Danyang this quickly!
The key question is how could Xiang Yu possibly be here? Even if the Chu army sent someone to inform Xiang Yu that Danyang was in dire need of help when they crossed the river yesterday, and Xiang Yu immediately rushed from Tongling to Danyang after receiving the distress call, that is absolutely impossible.
Unless Xiang Yu had anticipated that an enemy army would besiege Danyang, and had ambushed a force near Danyang, and then Xiang Yu traveled by water downstream to Jiangcheng or even south of Guangling, but wasn't there Wu Rui's navy on the waterway?
Cheng Hei's mind was in chaos. No wonder Ying Bu was in such a hurry to return to Jiangbei. It seems that Ying Bu understood Xiang Yu better.
"General, the Chu army is attacking! What should we do?" Zhao's military officer panicked when he saw Cheng Hei staring blankly.
Cheng Hei suddenly realized what was happening, "Quickly withdraw the troops and retreat towards Guangling!"
However, the Chu army arrived too quickly; before Cheng Hei's orders could be relayed, the red waves had already arrived.