Chapter 58, Chapter Six: Turning Defeat into Victory
They held out for another five or six days, even taking out the yeast used for brewing wine to eat, and all the wild vegetables and roots that could be dug up in the ground were gone.
Just then, good news arrived: an epidemic suddenly broke out in Liu Cong's army. The epidemic was severe, and the brave and skilled Xiongnu soldiers fell one by one. Their original momentum of conquering the old capital was greatly diminished.
At the same time, both Liu Kun's and Jia Pi's armies made unusual movements, gradually marching towards Pingyang, which undoubtedly put enormous pressure on Liu Cong's forces.
Under immense pressure, Liu Cong decided to wait no longer and launched a frenzied attack on Pingyang City, employing every possible tactic.
Liu Jun never expected that the Yuzhou soldiers left behind by Liu Qiao, as well as the Hanzhong soldiers he brought, would suddenly display such amazing endurance. Holding their rusty and dull weapons, and enduring hunger and injuries, they persevered and drove the enemy off the ladders and city walls time and time again.
Finally, one night, the enemy troops were exhausted and rested early. Liu Jun tightened his light armor and looked deeply at the nearly one thousand strong men in front of him. "We have been raising an army for a thousand days, and we will use it for one day. The court has supported us, and today is the day we repay it."
"We swear to serve our lord to the death!"
Liu Jun looked at Yin Xiaocheng beside him, "Have you investigated the exact location of the grain supplies?"
Seeing him nod, Liu Junfang slowly said, "In that case, follow me and fight your way out!"
On June 16, Liu Jun personally led a thousand elite soldiers in a night raid on the Han camp, seizing several thousand kilograms of grain and burning the remaining grain.
The Han army was caught off guard, and chaos ensued in the camp. In addition to those who died in battle, countless others were trampled to death or burned to death.
In this battle, Liu Jun annihilated 6,000 enemy soldiers, greatly boosting morale.
The soldiers and civilians in the city finally received some food, and for a time, the long-lost joy and laughter resounded throughout the entire Pingyang city.
Liu Jun dared not relax at all. After two or three days, seeing that Liu Cong showed no signs of counterattacking, he asked Liu Dan to take command of the troops and then slept soundly.
There seemed to be no urgent military situation. He slept for five or six hours before slowly waking up.
"My lord." Lu Jing stood beside him, his eyes slightly red and swollen.
Knowing that he had only suffered minor injuries, Liu Jun immediately realized that someone else must have been in trouble, and it was very likely that it was someone very close to him. He sat up, frowning and remaining silent.
"After our lord attacked the camp, the enemy, in retaliation, also sent many men to attack the city. Brother Liu Yong always gave his food to the younger men. He hadn't eaten much or slept for several days. Perhaps he was too tired, because he was dragged off the city wall by the enemy..."
No need to ask, it must have been smashed to pieces.
Having witnessed too many life-and-death situations over the years, Liu Jun thought he should have become numb by now. But just a few days ago, a man who was like a father or brother to him, laughing and talking with him and showing him great care, died suddenly on the battlefield. It was hard not to feel heartbroken.
He said softly, "I understand. His remains have already been collected. Keep the coffin closed for now, and I will hold a funeral for him after this war is over."
He struggled to get up, walked to the desk, licked his brush and ground ink. He wanted to write some ornate poems in seven or nine-character lines, but he hesitated to put pen to paper.
When he closes his eyes, he sees an endless wilderness, withered grass and white bones covering the plains. The young Liu Yong, with his younger self, travels east and west, fighting in the north and south.
Later, as he grew into a tall man, Liu Yong's temples began to turn gray.
Now, he will never grow old again.
He sat in the Jade Hall in the morning and was buried in the mounds in the evening.
Rise and fall are uncertain, and the will of Heaven cannot be predicted.
The brave warrior has passed away, and the netherworld is vast and boundless.
Looking around at the desolate ruins, the wind and rain ravaged my heart.
Half a month later, although Liu Yao had conquered the northern region, he was defeated by Jia Pi and Qu Yun in a joint attack.
Taking advantage of the internal strife within the Tuoba Xianbei, Shi Le attacked Bingzhou, but Liu Kun held firm and refused to engage. Meanwhile, Ji Dan and Wei Xiong led troops back to aid Tuoba Yilu, but Tuoba Yilu had already been murdered by Tuoba Liuxiu. Tuoba Liuxiu was executed for treason, and because Tuoba Yilu's young son was still young, the people of the state supported Tuoba Yulu as their leader.
During the internal strife of the Tuoba tribe, Liu Zun, along with Ji Dan and Wei Xiong, led more than 50,000 people back to Bingzhou. Liu Kun divided 20,000 troops and entrusted them to Ji Dan and Wei Xiong. Ji Dan and Wei Xiong rushed through the night and finally arrived before the fall of Pingyang City.
Liu Jun distributed all the food in the city and arranged for the wounded soldiers and women and children to guard the city walls. He then led the remaining able-bodied soldiers out of the city to fight, attacking from both sides with Ji Dan. At this time, the Han army had suffered heavy losses due to the epidemic and lack of food, and their morale was low due to the prolonged siege. When they saw the Tuqi cavalry dressed in northern frontier attire rushing in, they were terrified.
Liu Jun personally took up his spear and searched for Liu Cong's whereabouts amidst the chaos of the army. He finally spotted a man who, though dressed in coarse linen clothing, had a brocade lining underneath. He immediately rode over to him. The man cowered and lowered his head. Upon closer inspection, Liu Jun noticed a two-foot-long white hair behind the man's ear.
"You scoundrels, don't run away!" Liu Jun roared, and the lynx soldiers beside him immediately charged forward in a well-trained manner, surrounding Liu Cong.
While calling for people to come and verify his identity, Liu Jun shouted loudly, "I have captured Liu Cong alive!"
The surrounding guards understood and cheered in unison, "Liu Cong has been captured alive! Liu Cong has been caught!"
The already demoralized army collapsed further, and in a short time, the Han army was seen fleeing for their lives, with the Jin army in hot pursuit.
Liu Jun looked down at Liu Cong and said coldly, "Treat him well with good food and drink, and make sure he doesn't die. Once I've escorted him back to Chang'an, His Majesty can deal with him as he sees fit!"
"Only the ringleaders will be executed; the rest of the soldiers who surrender will not be killed!"
Liu Jun looked around and saw that most of the Han soldiers were Han Chinese, while there were not many Xiongnu people. He couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions.
"My lord!" Yin Xiaocheng galloped up and reported, "Generals Ji and Wei are already in the rear guard. Please advise on the next steps for troop deployment!"
Liu Jun laughed loudly, "They must have brought back a lot of cattle and sheep when they returned from the Tuoba tribe. Now let's pursue the fleeing enemy, and when we celebrate our victory, we'll treat the soldiers to a hearty meal!"
Just then, the soldier who recognized the man returned to report, kneeling on the ground and saying, "Reporting to the lord, this man is indeed Liu Cong!"
"Good! Good! Good!" Liu Jun tapped his horsewhip against his palm. "First, change him into a blue robe and keep a close watch on him! The rest of the Xiongnu royal family members must also be identified. As for the Xiongnu women, once we have counted them, we will bestow them upon them."
"Does our lord wish to meet Liu Cong?" the soldiers asked ingratiatingly.
Looking at the deserters scattered across the mountains and fields, and then back at the dilapidated Pingyang City, Liu Jun slowly shook his head, "It's not the right time yet."
In July of the fourth year of Jianxing, Liu Jun, after three months of hardship in defending Pingyang City, defeated the Han army with a clever plan and captured the Han emperor Liu Cong.
On the second day of the eighth month, Liu Jun, the heir of the Marquis of Guangwu, General Zhenwei, and Governor of Yongzhou and Yuzhou, requested an imperial decree to appoint Liu Dan as the Chief Administrator of Yuzhou, to preside over all affairs of Yuzhou.
On the eighth day of the eighth lunar month, Liu Jun personally escorted Liu Cong north to Chang'an.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com