Chapter 381 Battle of Xiapi – Part 1 (1/2)
Chapter 381 – Battle of Xiapi – Part 1
August 1st, 190 A.D.
It was still summer in Xiapi. Rainfall was frequent during this period, and river tides were higher than the usual.
Yuan Shao and Tian Feng prepared everything to welcome Cao Cao's massive army.
Yuan Shao's 100,000 soldiers did not station only on the wall top or behind the city, but they also stationed their elite cavalries and infantries in front of the gate.
On each wall, Yuan Shao placed ten cannons on top, while the rest of the cannons were hidden with Tian Feng ambush force.
As for the other ten, Tian Feng took them to protect a dam, north of Xiapi.
Tian Feng hid his 25,000 infantries in a forest to the north, directing water from Yi River and building a dam. He had created a flood trap, which could be used against Cao Cao Army.
Xiahou Yuan was with the garrison forces outside of the city, protecting the east wall. As they were mercenaries, Yuan Shao wanted them outside to be their meat shields.
Yuan Tan was infuriated with this setup, but he had to accept it since it was his father's order.
.
Cao Cao Army and Sun Jian Army arrived at Xiapi County. They stared at the defensive wall and barricades, which Yuan Shao and Tian Feng had prepared to welcome them.
They splitted their troops into four armies. Each was responsible for sieging each wall.
Sun Jian and Cheng Pu took 25,000 men and Cao Cao's ten wheeled cannons with them to attack the west wall. Huang Gai and Han Dang commanded the same number of troops, but they were in charge of the south gate.
Cao Cao stationed his men at the east wall, while Pu Jing would take care of the north. All 100,000 soldiers and 40 cannons were ready.
Pu Jing used his souls as scouts, checking the defensive formation. Soon, he found Yuan Shao's cannon crews.
Pu Jing: ”Mengde, they have cannons. Don't move in the siege weapons.”
Cao Cao: ”Ho? Do they have the same weapons? Did they build it? I thought it is one of your world's creation.”
Pu Jing: ”One of our intels said that Yuan Shao traded something with Zhang Tong. I think this is the thing they traded.”
Cao Cao: ”Ah, Zhang Tong again. Forget it. Miaocai, how is the preparation over there?”
Xiahou Yuan: ”All cannon crews have been bribed. Too bad I can't contact the other crews outside the city, but all cannons here have been disabled.”
Cao Cao: ”See? Nothing to worry about. Say, what are they doing outside the city again?”
Xiahou Yuan: ”Tian Feng took men to the northern river. Guo Jia said that they are using a floodgate tactic, so the north troops will face some troubles.”
Cao Cao: ”You hear that, Putin?”
Pu Jing: ”Aye. I'll keep my heads up.”
.
At the first day of the siege, Cao Cao had his men constructing trebuchets and ballistae. He did not reveal his cannons for now as they were vulnerable to the soldiers before the wall.
Had they charged at the cannon crews, all cannons would be destroyed.
Sun Jian and Huang Gai followed Cao Cao's order and set up the same gears for the battle. All four front approached the garrisoning troops with their weaponry.
.
East Gate
Xiahou Yuan commanded all 10,000 soldiers below the wall to not fire any arrow or move to retaliate against Cao Cao. As they were his troops, none of them bothered questioning their superior's decision.
On top of the wall, Yuan Shao men bellowed, ”Use the cannons! Fire at the enemy's siege weapons!”
The cannon crews nodded and loaded the weapon. However, Xiahou Yuan had already bribed these people, and they had already switched out all gunpowder and replaced with random ashes.
Because of that, none of the cannons fired a single round. Each of them released an odd smell of ashes.
”What happened!?”
The crews still pretended that they did not know anything.
”Something is wrong with our cannons, my lord. It won't shoot!”
”What!?”
All commanders rushed to the cannons and tried to fire a volley. However, none of them realized that the gunpowder was not here.
”We've been conned by Zhang Tong!!”
This was what Guo Jia had planned. It served as back-up stratagem just in case their campaign failed.
Had they failed to take down Yuan Shao, they would provoke a misunderstanding between two forces, ruining their alliance. Thus, it would give Tong an enemy while Cao Cao could recuperate from his losses.
Still, Guo Jia did not want Cao Cao to fail.
The next plan was in motion. Cao Cao brought his ballistae and trebuchets closer to the wall. Without the interference of the defenders, they got into an ideal firing range.
All of the siege weapons aimed at the top of the wall, ignoring the soldiers below the wall.
”Fire!”
20 Trebuchets and ten ballistae released their arrows and stones.
Xiahou Yuan bellowed, ”Raise your shields and move forward 30 paces!”