The four gates of Suiyang City were tightly closed and the drawbridges were raised. Although there was no moat, a deep trench was dug outside the city, and sharp bamboo strips and wooden spikes were stuck at the bottom of the trench.
Peng Yue stood atop the North Gate tower, gazing calmly at Xiang Yu's cavalry army.
"You coward Peng Yue! Do you dare to come out of the city and fight?" Xiang Yu asked disdainfully.
"Xiang Yu! I would rather fight with wits than with brute force! If you have the ability, then conquer the city within seven days! Let me see what use cavalry is for attacking a city! Hahaha..." Peng Yue laughed wildly. Xiang Yu actually brought 30,000 cavalry to attack the city. Did he intend to fly in on horseback? It was utterly laughable. There were even rumors that Xiang Yu boasted that he would conquer Suiyang within seven days. How arrogant!
Just then, the sound of bugles for an attack could be faintly heard from the south of Suiyang, one after another, incessantly.
Immediately afterward, a Liang soldier rushed up the city wall in a panic, shouting, "Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! A huge number of Chu troops have appeared in the south of the city! They're so densely packed that you can't see the end of them!"
"hiss……"
"As you wish!"
Chapter 109 The Battle of Suiyang (Part 1)
Woo...thump thump thump...
With horns and drums beating, 100,000 Chu infantrymen, divided into three massive square formations, surrounded Suiyang City from three sides, carrying siege equipment such as ladders and battering rams.
The 20,000 Chu infantrymen in the northern formation joined forces with Xiang Yu's 30,000 cavalrymen, while the 30,000 infantrymen in the west were arrayed in preparation for an attack, and the 50,000 infantrymen in the south formed a formidable force.
The east was the only area left empty, with only a few scouts patrolling in the distance.
This is the most common siege tactic: surrounding three sides and leaving one open. This leaves an exit for the enemy inside the city to break out and escape, while ambushing the enemy outside the city, thereby reducing the pressure of the siege and minimizing losses and casualties.
"Hmph! I wondered if Xiang Yu had some brilliant strategy to win, but it turns out to be the same old trick of surrounding three sides while leaving one open. How could I fall for it? Liang Bin, go to the west gate to supervise the battle, and Hu Zhe, go to the south gate to supervise the battle. I will personally supervise the battle here!"
"Yes!" Liang Bin and Hu Zhe responded and immediately went to their respective defense zones.
Peng Yue really didn't believe it. In a siege, the defending side has a huge advantage, and no matter how many troops the attacking side has, it will be useless. Xiang Yu's strategy of surrounding three sides and leaving one side open can achieve miraculous results.
It should be noted that in the Battle of Julu, the Qin army's attacking force was nearly ten times the size of the Zhao army inside the city, and the Zhao army held out for several months despite insufficient food and supplies.
The walls of Suiyang were in no way inferior to those of Julu, and the number of troops inside far exceeded that of the Julu garrison, reaching 100,000. In contrast, the total strength of the Chu army was only a few hundred thousand, so it can be said that the Chu army had no advantage in terms of troop strength at all.
Furthermore, with ample food and military supplies in Suiyang City, and a renowned general like him stationed there, the conditions were far superior to those of the Zhao army at Julu back then, and there was absolutely no reason for them to lose to the Chu army.
If Zhao's army could hold out for three months in the Battle of Julu, then Peng Yue should have been able to hold out for three years in the Battle of Suiyang!
Of course, Xiang Yu's army was stronger than the Qin army of the past, so holding out for a year shouldn't be a problem, right? Even if we take a step back, holding out for three months would certainly be possible!
Peng Yue felt reassured upon realizing this, and then he saw the Chu army to the north forming an siege formation he had never seen before.
At the forefront were a large number of shield soldiers, among whom were short sword soldiers carrying long ladders, which was all quite normal.
But things got weird after that; they were halberdiers, and they were divided into two square formations, with a large open space in the middle.
Halberds are not really suitable for siege warfare. Long weapons are inconvenient when climbing ladders or grappling hooks. Swords or daggers are more suitable. Even for a strongman who is capable of wielding a halberd with one hand to climb a city wall, it is far less practical than holding a dagger in one hand and a shield in the other.
Many people would have placed archers in this position, but Xiang Yu deliberately placed halberdiers.
Further back from the halberdiers was even stranger; there was a row of cavalrymen with large gaps between them, each carrying a red flag. Apart from slightly increasing their imposing presence, Peng Yue couldn't see any other use for them. They seemed almost useless, barely even enough to make a show of it.
Behind this cavalry line was a large open space, and further behind were Xiang Yu's 30,000 cavalry. Apart from cheering them on to boost morale, Peng Yue couldn't think of any other role cavalry could play in a siege.
Waaah...
The call to attack sounded again, and the shield bearers at the forefront instantly transformed into dozens of small square formations of varying sizes. Their shields were stacked on top of each other, completely covering the front, back, left, right, and top positions, just like an armored vehicle.
Then the drums gradually sounded, and the Chu army, after changing formation, began to advance slowly. Although their steps were not very uniform, their momentum was still considerable.
If Peng Yue could see what was behind these shield formations, he would definitely think to himself, "What's the use of defending the rear?"
With the Chu army using shield-bearers in this formation to clear the way, Peng Yue didn't order the defenders to fire arrows too early. At this point, ninety-nine percent of the arrows would be blocked by the shields, which would be a complete waste.
"I refuse to believe that the Chu army can hide in their tortoise shells and climb up the city walls forever!" Peng Yue slammed his fist on the crenellation.
The Liang soldiers beside him burst into laughter, "Hahaha, Your Majesty is right, the Chu army really is like a bunch of giant tortoises!"
"Exactly! The one hiding inside the shell is naturally a turtle!"
"If you're so afraid of death, why did you even come to attack the city? You should just get back to Jiangdong!"
...
The Liang soldiers mocked them, knowing full well the situation inside Suiyang City: well-trained, well-supplied, and with a fortified city as their support, they had no reason to fear the Chu army.
Boom, boom, boom... The drumbeats grew faster and faster, and the Chu army's marching speed also began to increase.
Xiang Zhuang and Huan Chu exchanged a glance from afar, then simultaneously raised their weapons to the sky, shouting, "Kill!"
"Kill!" shouted 30,000 Chu cavalry in unison.
Then, the warhorses gradually started moving, and row after row of Chu cavalry charged straight toward Suiyang City!
"Are the Chu army stupid? Why are their cavalry charging over here?" Although the Liang soldiers had all heard that the Chu cavalry was very powerful, they had never experienced just how powerful they were.
Because Peng Yue's initial tactics were guerrilla warfare, ambushing and striking from all sides, then running away, playing hide-and-seek with the Chu army, he lacked experience in direct confrontation.
Moreover, Peng Yue's original elite force only numbered around 20,000, and the soldiers recruited later had even less combat experience, with an excessively high proportion of new recruits.
The Liang army, like the Liang kingdom, was too new and inexperienced. Even King Peng Yue of Liang was commanding the defense of the city for the first time!
"Huh? Is it really a cavalry attack?" Peng Yue frowned, then his eyes widened. No wonder there was such a large open space behind the halberdiers. "Not good! Immediately issue the order to defend the entire army against the Chu army's arrow barrage!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
When the Chu cavalry reached the row of red flags, they all fired arrows at once. It was a full-force volley during their charge, and the range and power of the arrows were much greater than those fired from a stationary position.
However, the most difficult aspect of this tactic is the distance. The cavalrymen carrying red flags that Xiang Yu arranged were the arrow firing lines that Xiang Yu had set for the entire army!
As long as you fire at full power along this line, there is a high chance that the rain of arrows will land on the city wall!
The cavalrymen who finish firing their arrows first will turn around in the open space ahead, then split to the left and right to return to the rear and regroup, continuing to charge and fire arrows, forming a continuous cycle of attacks on the defenders on the city wall!
Of course, due to the differences in the bows and arrows themselves, as well as the angle at which the archers launched the arrows, some arrows would always deviate significantly, either hitting behind the city wall, or hitting the foot of the wall, or even striking the heads of the Chu army's shield infantry phalanx.
At this point, the shield soldiers in the shield formation come into play, as it would be embarrassing if they were shot to death by their own army's archers.
Peng Yue only realized at this moment that the real purpose of the Chu army's shield soldiers forming a tortoise shell was to prevent the cavalry from accidentally injuring their own men!
This is an indiscriminate overlay attack!
Peng Yue's mind went blank for a moment. He trembled slightly as he hid under the crenellations of the city wall. He regretted it. As the Prince of Liang, he should not have personally climbed the city wall to defend it!
"Where are the royal guards and shield bearers? Protect the emperor!"
Chapter 111 The Battle of Suiyang (Part 3)
Suiyang was a large city, and during the Qin Dynasty it was the capital of Dang Commandery. Naturally, the city gates were very sturdy, and in addition to the hardwood bolts covered with copper, there were also several solid bolts bracing against the back of the gates.
In ancient times, it was common practice to use battering rams to strike city gates during sieges, and Peng Yue had to be on guard. However, because of the drawbridge and moat, he did not use any more extreme methods to ensure that the city gates would not fall.
The best way to truly fight to the death for a city is to block the entire city gate from the inside with earth and stones, piling them up into a small mountain. That way, no matter how much the enemy tries to break through, it will be useless.
A less ideal method is to place as many heavy objects as possible, such as boulders and logs, behind the door. As long as the door doesn't break, it can still be defended.
The dumbest method is for a group of people to use their bodies to block the enemy's impact behind the door, and then they will either be knocked away, cough up blood, or both at the same time.
However, in Suiyang, the drawbridge has already been raised, and the attacking Chu army does not seem to intend to use ramming logs.
If those tortoise shells contained battering rams, they would be easy to spot even with shields, especially since the Chu army had formed a shield formation right under their noses, and there were no battering rams on their side.
Therefore, neither Peng Yue nor his officers would have imagined that the Chu army's real target was the city gate, and the rain of arrows was merely a cover for Xiang Yu's attack on the city gate.
Of course, given Xiang Yu's current abilities, unless Peng Yue uses earth and stones to seal the door, there is absolutely no way to stop Xiang Yu from breaking in.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sobbing and splashing...
When the city gate was breached, all the Liang soldiers inside were stunned.
With the dust settled, Xiang Yu wielded his halberd and stepped into the city.
"Old man Peng Yue! The Hegemon-King of Western Chu has arrived as promised!"
Upon seeing this, not a single Liang soldier dared to step forward, and after a brief silence...
"Xiang Yu has entered the city!"
"The north gate has been breached by the Chu army!"
"Run!"
...
Peng Yue, as if waking from a dream atop the city wall, took off running towards the east gate. Fortunately, the rain of arrows from the Chu army had stopped by then.
My life is over!
As Peng Yue ran, he pondered how to survive. Should he gather his troops and fight Xiang Yu in Suiyang? Should he fight to the death with Suiyang?
That's suicide!
Escape! Only by escaping can one survive. Even if Suiyang falls, he still has Puyang, Dingtao, Changyi, and other cities. But if he can't even hold Suiyang, can he hold the other cities?
Where can we escape to?
Oh, right!
He could escape to the Great Wild Marsh, where the terrain is complex and like a maze. As long as he hides in the marsh, even if Xiang Yu has great abilities, he won't be able to find him.
Peng Yue suddenly felt a pang of regret. Why hadn't he gone to hide in the swamp sooner?
Under these circumstances, can I really reach the swamp safely?
We can only take it one step at a time!
As Peng Yue ran, he relayed orders to Liang Bin and Hu Zhe to block the north gate and drive the Chu army out, but he knew in his heart that it was impossible to do so.
But if we don't do this, all the soldiers in the city will run to the east gate, and we'll die even faster!
At this moment, Xiang Yu had already stormed up the city wall of the North Gate. He remembered that Peng Yue had been there before, so he decided to try his luck.
Of course, Peng Yue had already run away, and Xiang Yu had guessed where he would run to, so Xiang Yu was not in a hurry.
News of the breach of the North Gate quickly spread throughout the city. Liang Bin and Hu Zhe were shocked and led their troops to the North Gate in an attempt to drive the Chu army out.