Song Tiao led three trusted men and Li Yi led five personal guards, a total of thirteen riders, from Kunyang to Dingling and Yancheng to gather troops and prepare to attack the new army from Kunyang.
Liu Xiu, Song Tiao, Li Yi, and thirteen other riders went to Dingling first. When the Gengshi army there heard that they were going to rescue Kunyang, they shook their heads like rattles, all thinking that Liu Xiu's plan was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot and was overestimating his own strength.
So Liu Xiu repeated what he had said in Kunyang, trying to instill the idea that if Kunyang fell, everyone would die, but the brainwashing effect was not obvious.
Because of the new situation, the Gengshi army captured a lot of wealth and treasures in Dingling and Yancheng, and no one was willing to leave their wealth and treasures to fight to the death in Kunyang.
There are plenty of misers who would rather die than keep their money; the saying "people die for wealth, birds die for food" is a natural law.
Both Song Tiao and Li Yi turned their attention to Liu Xiu. If he couldn't even manage to persuade the garrison at Dingling to send troops to aid Kunyang, then Kunyang would be hopeless.
Liu Xiu glanced disdainfully at the generals of Dingling, "Look at your pathetic state! Have you ever considered that if we could defeat the enemy at Kunyang, the treasures and valuables we would have captured would be more than ten thousand times greater than what we have now!"
And our great undertaking will succeed, and the world will be ours. Why would we lack these material possessions? If, because we fail to support Kunyang, the Gengshi army is defeated by the enemy, we will all lose our heads. What then is the point of talking about gold and silver?
So, the misers of Dingling were persuaded. As the saying goes, people die for wealth and birds die for food. In the end, greed triumphed over fear, and success or failure hinged on this one gamble.
Liu Xiu left Song Tiao to organize the army, while he and Li Yi went to Yancheng to assemble the troops. They also arranged a meeting place with Song Tiao, and then they all went to Kunyang together.
Having learned from the experience at Dingling, persuading the Gengshi army at Yancheng became much easier.
On the other hand, the new army of 100,000 men surrounded Kunyang after arriving at the outskirts of the city. They set up more than 100 military camps and formed a ten-layered encirclement. Their military flags were like a sea, and their drums and gongs were like thunder. Their power was unmatched, and the Gengshi army inside Kunyang was so frightened that they could not sleep.
The following day, while the new army continued to have siege equipment built, they also began their first probing attack on the city.
At the previous victory banquet, Xiang Yu's words stirred up all the generals, who all volunteered to attack Kunyang.
Because in everyone's eyes, this is a great opportunity to reap the rewards for nothing!
The city of Kunyang has at least 10,000 soldiers, and even with the addition of some civilians, their fighting strength is not much greater.
The new army has an advance force of 100,000, and more troops are arriving in succession, bringing the total to over 400,000 in a few days.
Most importantly, Xiang Yu's words gave the generals attacking the city a guarantee that it wouldn't matter if the conquest was slower. If Kunyang had been captured within a few days, probably no one would have dared to take on the task, but in the current situation, everyone was fighting tooth and nail for it.
Thus, Wang Yi personally led the attack on the city, with each of the generals in charge of their own territory. Everyone participated, and they set a goal to capture Kunyang within seven days.
It's uncertain whether the troops from Dingling and Yancheng will come to support Kunyang. If the Gengshi army abandons Kunyang and doesn't come to its aid, then annihilating them all will be out of the question. Therefore, we cannot wait indefinitely.
Xiang Yu and Ju Wuba did not participate in the siege, but instead led their troops to stand by, ready to deal with the reinforcements of the Gengshi army at any time. With this preparation, Wang Yi and later Wang Xun would have had no reason to personally fight Liu Xiu with bayonets.
If Liu Xiu hadn't been fortunate enough to destroy the core of the new army, the outcome of the Battle of Kunyang might have been very different.
Of course, if Liu Xiu in this dimension has a system, even if Wang Yi himself doesn't want to fight Liu Xiu head-on, he can't. It all depends on whether Xiang Yu and Ju Wuba can stop Liu Xiu.
The first day of the siege ended, and six days remained of the seven-day deadline set by Wang Yi, but Kunyang City had not yet been captured.
This outcome was expected. If the city could be captured in a single day without all the siege equipment in place, the only outcome would be the enemy surrendering the city.
However, if the enemy wanted to surrender, they should have surrendered before the siege began. With such a powerful force, coupled with the threat of massacring the city, the rebels had no reason not to be afraid.
Since they dared to resist, they were prepared to perish with the city.
After this test, the generals of the new army had a general idea of what was going on; the enemy was clearly determined to hold out to the bitter end.
This is not good news for the new army. That's how siege warfare works. No matter how many people the attacking side has, they can only take turns attacking the city. If the defending side can also form an effective rotation, a strong attack is likely to turn into a piecemeal tactic.
Wang Yi also abandoned his contempt. On the one hand, he urged his strategist to speed up the construction of siege equipment, and on the other hand, he sent people to choose a suitable place to dig tunnels, just in case the city's defenders were careless.
But it was clear that carelessness was impossible; from the Duke of Shang to every commoner in Kunyang City, everyone regarded the city as their own life.
Wang Feng felt like crying. If he had known this would happen, he would never have stayed in Kunyang City. He could have easily gone out to gather reinforcements!
Listening to Liu Xiu's advice at that time was simply a sign of being bewitched. Even if Li Yi could get Liu Xiu to bring his troops back to attack the new army outside the city from both inside and outside, it wouldn't necessarily mean they would win!
If they lose the battle, Liu Xiu and Li Yi can just pack up and leave. Where will they, trapped in the city, go?
It's too late to surrender!
You killed so many New Army soldiers while defending the city, and now you think surrendering will make it all over?
Would the relatives and friends of the new army soldiers who died in the siege agree to this? They would definitely kill a bunch of them!
Just as Liu Xiu analyzed, ordinary soldiers might have a chance to survive if they surrendered, but how could high-ranking officials like them be safe?
With a million-strong army here, do we need them to surrender? And what can they do even if they surrender?
Leading troops into battle? Could Wang Mang be trusted?
You'd be utterly untrustworthy!
...
Chang'an City, the Imperial Palace.
"Your Majesty, it's time for your meal." The servant cautiously approached Wang Mang.
Wang Mang's body trembled slightly. "I understand. I will go immediately. You may leave now."
"Yes, sir." The waiter bowed and took his leave.
Wang Mang patted his round belly, and two more streams of turbid tears flowed down his cheeks...
Chapter 249 Siege
On the third day, the new army continued its siege, this time not a feint, but a full-scale attack.
Liu Xiu's reinforcements didn't arrive so quickly, so Xiang Yu and Hao Jiu, who had nothing to do, found a high slope and became spectators. Looking at the history of siege battles, the Battle of Kunyang may not be the most intense, but it is definitely the most extravagant!
"Wow, tens of thousands of archers are firing in unison, the arrows are raining down like a storm, how spectacular! I reckon any soldier or civilian in the city who shows their head will be shot dead, even if they just want to go to the toilet or fetch water, they'll have to cover themselves with shields or doors before they dare to go out." Hao Jiu shaded his eyes with his hand, not wanting the glare to be too dazzling, this was exactly the feeling he wanted.
Xiang Yu smiled and said, "It is magnificent, but the accuracy is terrible. What's the point of shooting arrows into the city when attacking it? The city walls are the main target."
"Hehe, what King Xiang said is absolutely right, but don't compare them to the elite troops of our Great Chu Empire, it's beneath them. Besides, what they want is to intimidate, and many of the Kunyang defenders must be scared out of their wits. Look at their numbers, look at their endurance, is Wang Yi planning to smash Kunyang into ruins with arrows?"
To be honest, Xiang Yu was absolutely right. The accuracy of the arrows rained down by the new army was really too poor. So much so that, apart from sending arrows into the city, the only effect was to kill or wound some soldiers and civilians in Kunyang at the beginning.
In Hao Jiu's view, Wang Yi's siege tactics were quite similar to a modern tactic: first, artillery fire would cover the ground, and then the entire army would charge.
Unfortunately, no matter how many arrows there were, they couldn't have the effect of cannon fire. Was Wang Yi born nearly two thousand years too early, or was he a disciple of Wang Mang, a time traveler?
Even the longest rain of arrows can plough the land; it can't keep shooting indefinitely.
When the new army's siege soldiers reached the city walls, the rain of arrows had to stop; otherwise, the number of new soldiers who died from their own arrows would probably be several times greater than the number of rebels.
If it were Xiang Yu and his elite Chu army, the rain of arrows would mostly have hit the city walls. Even when the attacking soldiers reached the top of the walls, the rain would not stop, but would slowly move into the city.
However, even if the Chu army were to fight like this, the soldiers climbing the city walls would have to carry a large shield for protection, and the rest would depend on the archers' accuracy.
Some stray shots will inevitably hit our own men, but as long as they can cover our ascent of the city walls, the losses in a battle will actually be much smaller than with conventional siege tactics.
Of course, Xiang Yu could now easily blast open city gates with a single punch, or even dismantle city walls with his Overlord Halberd.
However, Xiang Yu had no obligation to help the new army attack the city; he could just wait for Liu Xiu to arrive. If Liu Xiu was indeed the target host, there would surely be a tough battle.
So, while Hao Jiu and Xiang Yu wait for Liu Xiu to arrive, they should enjoy the epic siege battle that was built with a huge investment. It was so magnificent, with all sorts of methods used, but they just couldn't break through!
Don't ask why, the answer is simply to work as hard as you can!
The soldiers and civilians in Kunyang City had already learned that Wang Yi planned to slaughter all the soldiers and civilians in the city, and then march in singing and dancing over their blood.
This was another major blunder by Grand Minister Wang Yi. Although massacring entire cities was commonplace in ancient times, and Liu Ji had also massacred many cities when he was conquering the country, he still managed to achieve victory.
However, the current situation is clearly different, and continuing in this manner would undoubtedly make the capture of Kunyang even more difficult.
If two countries are at war and an attack on a city results in fierce resistance from enemy soldiers and civilians who are willing to fight to the death for the city, both sides will suffer heavy casualties.
Slaughtering the city after its capture is a way to show other cities in the enemy country that this is a fearless act of resistance with serious consequences, thereby deterring the enemy's military and civilians from defending their cities in the future. There is some truth to this.
However, the people in Kunyang City were actually the people of the new dynasty. Before the war even started, the people of Kunyang did not rebel, but the new dynasty was already clamoring to massacre the people. Wasn't this just forcing the people of Kunyang to take desperate measures?
More importantly, when the Han army massacred Chengfu and six counties during their rebellion against Chu, the Han army had a clear advantage and was not afraid of the negative impact of massacring cities. However, although the new dynasty is currently stronger than the Green Forest Army, there are still powerful enemies in the north, such as the Red Eyebrows and the Bronze Horse, who are eyeing the city covetously. This is a completely suicidal act.
However, historically, Wang Yi never actually captured Kunyang, nor did he carry out the massacre, so these negative consequences are irrelevant.
It seems that although the history of this plane has been slightly altered due to the interference of Xiang Yu and others, the general development trajectory is still similar. If the attack continues like this, it will be difficult to break through the city even if it takes two more seven-day periods, let alone seven days.
The rain of arrows had stopped, and there wasn't much to see next. Xiang Yu returned to his camp, closed his eyes to meditate and cultivate his domineering aura; it was always good to have more strength.
Although Liu Xiu's previous display of strength was not enough to threaten Xiang Yu, it was only the tip of the iceberg. At least Xiang Yu dared not say that he could have easily defeated Liu Xiu before he was bound to the system.
Moreover, in Xiang Yu's view, although Liu Xiu was the most suspicious, he might not necessarily be the target host; there were many other suspicious people.
"God of Wine, do you think Liu Xiu is really the target host?" Xiang Yu's clone followed Liu Xiu around, inquiring about Liu Xiu's martial arts skills. Liu Xiu used to fight behind his elder brother Liu Yan.
Liu Yan was a master of martial arts with unparalleled bravery, overshadowing Liu Xiu's brilliance. As a result, when people talk about Liu Xiu's abilities now, they only remember the victory he won while riding an ox when he first raised his army.
However, Liu Xiu is now truly remarkable, and everyone is happy to see his growth. The reason for his transformation may be related to a tragedy he experienced before, but no one is willing to mention the specifics.
In short, it is very likely that Liu Xiu would work hard to improve his martial arts skills after that, as it was a pain that would never go away from him. If Liu Xiu had the ability of his elder brother Liu Yan to fight off the pursuers, his relatives would not have died tragically in front of him.
"I initially thought it was him, but after thinking about it carefully, I realized that while he does resemble him, I'm not entirely certain. Anyway, we still have time, so let's wait and see and try to confirm our target in this big battle."
If we really can't confirm it, and there are no other suspects, then let's just kill them and see. We're not in control of our own lives, and accidental killings are inevitable. We'll get used to it. Perhaps one day in the future, we'll have the power to negotiate with the true god.
"By then, we can easily resurrect those we mistakenly killed. But for now, let's focus on completing our mission diligently, improving our strength as quickly as possible, and protecting ourselves and our families."
Hao Jiu reasoned with him and appealed to his emotions, once again nipping Xiang Yu's benevolent and restless heart in the bud.
Good heavens! Liu Xiu is a descendant of Liu Ji! How can we be soft on him?!
While it's possible there's no blood relation, that's just speculation and shouldn't be taken seriously.
However, Liu Xiu was indeed much more humane than Liu Ji. When Liu Ji was defeated, he abandoned his wife and children, showing no regard for family ties. But Liu Xiu did not treat his family as a burden. He took his younger sister with him and fled. On the way, he met his older sister and her three daughters.
With only one horse, Liu Xiu dismounted without hesitation and let his sisters and the others ride ahead.
Her elder sister refused to mount her horse, urging Liu Xiu to take her younger sister and flee quickly, shouting, "Go! If we cannot save each other, we will both perish!"
Then Wang Mang's army caught up...
"Is it enough to merely have the strength to bargain with a true god?" Xiang Yu felt his fighting spirit reignite. Can a god be high above, arbitrarily controlling the life and death of others?
He can be replaced!
Can he be replaced? Hao Jiu smiled slightly, "If that's the case, then let's give it a try!"
Chapter 250 A Gathering of Heroes
Outside Wancheng, Nanyang, the central command tent of the Gengshi army camp.