My father Liu Xuande

Chapter 330 The Fall of Shanyin City (A long chapter of 7,000 words!)
In late January, Zhu Zhi's more than 4,000 men, along with Cheng Pu and Huang Gai's 1,000 remaining soldiers, arrived at the city of Shanyin.

That night, Sun Ce slaughtered all the pigs and sheep in the camp to reward his soldiers.

The large amount of meat and sufficient rice greatly restored the morale of Sun Ce's army.

The next morning, Sun Ce's army began another day of siege.

Wang Lang stood on the city wall, his eyes tired and his clothes disheveled, his once clean robes now stained with dirt.

Wang Lang had no time to worry about any of that. He looked at Sun Ce's army marching out of the camp in the distance, his expression a mixture of anger, confusion, and a hint of fear.

"Da Ming, Zhong Xiang, Sun Jun has been attacking fiercely for five days, suffering nearly two thousand casualties. Why can they still fight? Are they all made of iron?"

Wang Lang's words were filled with deep confusion. Judging from the Kuaiji Army, apart from the few elite troops of powerful clans like Zhou Xin and Yu Fan, the other troops and soldiers of the prefectures and kingdoms could only hold out for two days at most, and the second day would not even have the same fierce offensive as the first day.

However, Sun Ce's army has been attacking for five days straight, and it looks like they will continue their attack today.

This left Wang Lang both surprised and puzzled, unable to understand it.

Zhou Xin gave a wry smile. This is nothing.

Back then, the three brothers, along with their elite troops and Danyang soldiers, took advantage of Sun Jian's defeat of the Xiliang army and, with Yuan Shao's support, launched a surprise attack, capturing Sun Jian's forward base, Yangcheng.

Sun Jian's provisions, supplies, military equipment, and clothing were mostly stockpiled here before being transported to the front lines.

It can be said that Sun Jian's lifeline was in the hands of the Zhou brothers.

But what is the result?
Zhou Xin and his 20,000-strong force defended Yangcheng, but Sun Jian's 10,000-strong force managed to breach the city.

Where is the logic in this?
To make matters worse, a stray arrow from Zhou Jun killed Gongsun Yue, who was representing Gongsun Zan on a mission to Yuan Shu. This enraged Gongsun Zan, who then began a relentless struggle against Yuan Shao until Gongsun Zan's downfall.

Therefore, Zhou Xin was mentally prepared for the strength of Sun Ce's forces, and it was he and Yu Fan who jointly arranged the Qiantang River-Guling defense line.

Throughout Sun Ce's conquest of Jiangdong, he faced only two major setbacks.

The first time was when Liu Yao blocked them at Niuzhu using the Yangtze River, and the second time was when Wang Lang blocked them at Guling using the Qiantang River.

These two obstacles had one thing in common: Sun Ce's army was very afraid of naval warfare.

On the contrary, whether it was Shicheng, Moling, Wuxi, Wuxian, or Shanyin, these fortified cities never stopped Sun Ce's advance.

At this time, Sun Ce's main force and elite troops were still the same group that had followed Sun Jian in sweeping across the Central Plains. Naval warfare is a highly technical activity, requiring not only high standards for soldiers but also for warships.

Sun Ce's troops had just arrived in Jiangdong and did not have an accumulation of warships. Moreover, the temporary construction required qualified materials and time, which is why they were hampered by the quality of their ships and were unable to win naval battles.

After Sun Ce conquered Jiangdong, he acquired a large number of ships from Liu Yao, Wang Lang, Xu Gong, and local gentry and powerful families in Jiangdong, including many flagship warships.

At the same time, the Sun family also recruited many local soldiers from Jiangdong. As a result, the Sun family's naval strength began to increase rapidly, reaching the peak of the Sun family army.

This period undoubtedly coincided with the end of Sun Ce's reign. At that time, Sun Ce's army was a formidable force, capable of both land and sea warfare. They tricked Liu Xun and swallowed up Lujiang.

They then attacked Jiangxia, and the naval battle directly crushed Huang's army, capturing seven of his wives, concubines, and children. Huang Zu escaped alone.

Liu Biao sent Liu Hu, Huang Zu's nephew, and Da Hanxi to rescue him, along with 5,000 of Liu Biao's elite spearmen and over 20,000 of his followers, all of whom were killed. More than 10,000 drowned. Sun Ce captured over 6,000 ships and piled up his wealth like mountains.

This spear unit may have an ordinary name, but it was truly Liu Biao's prized possession. In Liu Biao's army, it was definitely a top-tier unit on par with Yuan Shao's halberdiers, Cao Cao's Qingzhou Army, and the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry.

How could someone who could make Cao Cao say "This scoundrel is difficult to contend with" not be a highly skilled military strategist?

On the contrary, after Sun Ce died in battle, Sun Quan's strategic goal was always Jingzhou in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, rather than Xuzhou and Yuzhou in the north.

This strategic decision affected the upper echelons of the army. In addition, the middle and lower-ranking officers and veterans who had followed Sun Jian in his conquest of the Central Plains gradually aged and underwent generational changes, which led to a decline in the land warfare capabilities of Sun's army.

By the time Sun Quan took command of the army, it had completely changed. Not only was it inept at land warfare and unable to function without ships, but it had also become a warlord alliance. The military leaders and powerful clans below it had completely degenerated into sycophantic lackeys.

Their defensive capabilities were incredibly strong, but their offensive capabilities were utterly ineffective; they were no longer at the peak of their strength during the reigns of Sun Jian and Sun Ce.

"What...what should we do?"

Wang Lang was completely stunned after hearing Zhou Xin's account of the Battle of Yangcheng.

More than 20,000 men defended the city, cut off the enemy's supply lines, and occupied the enemy's grain storage city. However, in just a few days, the enemy broke through the city.

How can Shanyin City be defended then?
Zhou Xin sensed Wang Lang's fear and could only reassure him, "Yangcheng is a small city. Shanyin is a fortified city, and they are not comparable. Moreover, Sun Bofu is not Sun Wentai, and may not have his father's abilities. Your Excellency need not worry too much."

Yu Fan also spoke up in support, saying, "We have been fighting hard for days with their fierce attacks, but Sun's army is also getting tired. For example, yesterday, Sun's army's offensive was already somewhat sluggish. They went up to the city several times, but they were not as fierce as on the first day. Instead, they were only concerned with self-preservation."

The purpose of the brave soldiers climbing the city walls was to open a landing point for subsequent soldiers, so as to protect the continuous flow of soldiers climbing the city walls.

However, this means that the warriors would need to actively charge into the enemy lines to disrupt or even force the defenders to retreat, thus posing a great threat.

However, if the warriors do not charge into the enemy lines, the landing point cannot be opened, and the offensive will certainly fail. But the warriors themselves will have a much better chance of survival and can retreat safely back to the city.

Yu Fan had clearly noticed Sun Jun's exhaustion, and his will to fight to the death was obviously waning.

Wang Lang perked up slightly: "Da Ming, Zhong Xiang, we still have to entrust the city wall to you this time."

Zhou Xin and Yu Fan immediately bowed and said, "We will do our utmost to protect Shanyin as Your Excellency has entrusted us with this task."

"well!"

Wang Lang repeatedly agreed. Seeing that most of Sun Jun's troops had already left the camp, Wang Lang, persuaded by Zhou Xin and Yu Fan, went down from the city wall.

After Wang Lang left, Zhou Xin looked at Yu Fan and asked, "How is the matter we discussed yesterday going?"

Yu Fan nodded to Zhou Xin: "Brother Daming, don't worry. I have prepared boats at the South Gate. If we really can't hold it, we can evacuate through the water gate."

The south side of Shanyin City faces Jingruo Lake, and there is a water gate in the south of the city, which is the South Gate of Shanyin.

Inside the water gate is a dock that is quite large, large enough to accommodate dozens of small boats and even five warships.

Therefore, the garrison in Shanyin was not actually an isolated city, because the waterways were still unobstructed.

"That's good."

Zhou Xin breathed a sigh of relief. Sun Jun's attack was too fierce, making it quite difficult for him. Several close calls indicated that Shanyin City could fall at any moment.

"And there's good news."

Although Yu Fan was saying good news, his face remained stiff: "Shangyu sent people by waterway into the city to inform us that the more than 2,000 people from Guling have been evacuated. If we can hold out, they can come into the city by waterway to reinforce us."

Zhou Xin was overjoyed at first, but then, remembering something, he asked, "How long will it take to enter the city?"

Yu Fan immediately replied, "Five days!"

Zhou Xin frowned: "Why does it take so long? Shangyu is only a day's journey from me."

Shangyu is not far from Shanyin, and its geographical location is also very good. It is located at the eastern end of Jingruo Lake. In other words, if troops are dispatched from Shangyu, they can directly march across the lake to the other side without worrying about Sun Ce's army harassing them, because Sun Ce's army has no navy in Jingruo Lake.

Therefore, Zhou Xin felt that it should be possible to arrive in one day.

Once they reach the other side of the lake, the ships in Shanyin City can transport them into the city. Why would it take five days?
Doesn't the other side know that Shanyin is in dire straits?

Yu Fan sneered, "Jiao Chuang really has a good plan. He really timed his entry into the city perfectly."

Zhou Xin was taken aback at first, then suddenly realized what was happening.

Today is the sixth day of Sun Ce's siege. If it goes on for another five days, wouldn't it be ten days after Sun Ce's siege begins when reinforcements arrive?

Even if Sun Ce's army is as fierce as a tiger, it should take a break after ten days.

At this point, Jiao Chuang led reinforcements into the city, gaining fame without contributing any effort—truly a brilliant scheme.

After realizing what had happened, Zhou Xin cursed angrily, "Jiao Chuang is worse than a pig or a dog!"

Zhou Xin cursed Jiao Chuang from the city wall, while Sun Ce wanted to kill him from below.

The feud between the Zhou and Sun families was second only to that between Liu Biao and Huang Zu, and in some respects, it was even greater than that between Liu Biao and Huang Zu.

Although the three Zhou brothers were defeated in the Battle of Yangcheng, Yuan Shao achieved his goal, and even Yuan Shu benefited. Only Sun Jian suffered a great loss.

Although Sun Jian won the Battle of Yangcheng, his dream of becoming the ruler of Yuzhou was completely shattered.

Afterwards, Sun Jian had no choice but to abandon Yu Province and obediently return to Yuan Shu's command to attack Liu Biao in the south. The root cause of this was the Battle of Yangcheng.

How could Sun Ce not hate the three Zhou brothers to the bone?

With Sun Jun in position, the battle resumed.

However, Sun Ce was not on the main battlefield, but quietly came to the eastern battlefield.

As mentioned before, Shanyin is surrounded by water on three sides, but not completely; only the south side is completely surrounded by lake water.

Therefore, there is still an open area to the east and west that can be used for attacking the city.

However, this open area was not large, and at most a few hundred people could be deployed here, so it became a secondary battlefield.

Sun Jun used this place to tie down some of the city's defending forces, while the Kuaiji army used a small force to defend this place in order to prevent Sun Jun from raiding the city.

On this day, Sun Ce led eight hundred elite troops to ambush the city from the east.

These eight hundred men were all elite warriors left by their father, and each of them was clad in iron armor, with even the worst-equipped being half-body armor.

These iron armors were spoils of war seized during the repeated defeats of the Xiliang army.

The reason Sun Ce hesitated to deploy these elite troops was because they were too valuable; every one that died was one less available. Sun Ce was absolutely unwilling to send them to the battlefield unless it was the most critical moment.

These are elite troops capable of easily defeating the Xiliang army!

At that time, the Xiliang army was considered the strongest military force in the Eastern Han Dynasty. Not only were they battle-hardened, but they also annexed the central army of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Most importantly, they looted all the equipment from the Luoyang armory.

Sun Jian's troops defeated this Xiliang army, which shows how formidable their fighting strength was.

However, Sun Quan was too incompetent later on and failed to unify the Three Kingdoms, so later historical records naturally did not record this.

Take the Battle of Lucheng as an example. Zhuge Liang beheaded 3,000 enemy soldiers, defeated Sima Xuanwang, and even launched a counterattack to the walls of Shanggui. If Li Yan hadn't been blinded by jealousy and lied about the lack of food, forcing Zhuge Liang to retreat, Sima Xuanwang would have lost even Longyou.

But what do the historical records say about it?
The Magic Book of Jin clearly records that Sima Xuanwang decisively defeated Wuhou and beheaded over ten thousand people.

At that time, the Shu army had only about 100,000 men in total. More than 10,000 were beheaded, so the loss must have been tens of thousands.

The funniest part is that the end of the Magic Book Catalogue section is missing a detail, saying that Chen Tai and Guo Huai predicted that Zhuge Liang would definitely come again next year.

More than 10,000 have been beheaded; shouldn't they take a proper rest?

As the battle unfolded, shouts of battle filled the north of Shanyin City.

Even in the east of the city, there were more than ten siege ladders, and more than a thousand of Sun Ce's soldiers attempted to climb the city walls.

However, there were also more than 800 defenders on the city wall. Under the command of their officers, they fought back with stones and logs, and their defense was very tight.

Sun Jun's offensive was unexpectedly fierce, wave after wave.

Zhou Xin and Yu Fan did their best and managed to keep the city from falling.

Just as the two breathed a sigh of relief, a report came from the west of the city that a force of four hundred enemy soldiers had launched a surprise attack on the west side of the city, and the defending troops were unable to withstand the attack.

Zhou Xin and Yu Fan were immediately alarmed. After a brief discussion, Yu Fan immediately dispatched 600 men from the last reserve force to head west of the city. This left Zhou Xin with only 400 men. However, it was already late afternoon, and winter nights were early. At most, Sun's army would have to retreat within an hour.

Zhou Xin was surprised to find that Sun Ce in the east of the city finally stood up and began to put on his armor. Behind him, the eight hundred warriors who had just replenished their water and eaten some dry rations also began to put on their armor.

A quarter of an hour later, the entire army was fully armored and, led by fierce generals such as Sun Ce, Cheng Pu, Huang Gai, and Chen Wu, charged straight toward the eastern city wall.

Because a battle was already taking place on the city walls, the defenders did not pay attention to what was happening in the distance.

But when this armored army reached the city walls, the defending troops noticed them immediately.

"Not good! Sun Jun has launched a surprise attack on the east city! Quickly report to Lords Zhou and Yu and ask them to send reinforcements immediately!"

The garrison commander looked down and was immediately terrified.

With so many armored soldiers, this enemy force was clearly the elite of the elite. How could his small force possibly withstand them? He hurriedly ordered his personal guards to go and request reinforcements, even using the word "quickly" twice.

But by then it was too late to call for help.

The armored soldiers quickly began to climb, and Sun Ce, as in history, took the lead and climbed up with them.

Sun Ce himself liked to be on the front lines and fought bravely and fearlessly, just like his father.

Yu Fan once confronted him because Sun Ce, in order to pursue a group of Yue tribes, actually broke away from the main force and rode alone deep into the mountains, where he happened to run into Yu Fan.

Perhaps because Yu Fan was also a person, Sun Ce was deeply moved by Yu Fan's advice but refused to listen. "You can't even do it yourself, yet you're telling me what to do?"

Yu Fan immediately took his spear and scouted ahead, while Sun Ce followed behind him, as they walked out of the forest.

Afterwards, Yu Fan once again pleaded with Sun Ce to be careful, and this time Sun Ce finally agreed. Then, half a year later, he was assassinated by Xu Zhao and others.

Although Shanyin City is strategically important, its greatest advantage is that it is surrounded by water on three sides. The city walls are not high, only two zhang high.

Sun Ce moved incredibly fast, climbing to the top of the city wall in just over ten breaths.

As soon as he climbed the city wall, two guards, one with a spear and the other with a pitchfork, charged at him.

This type of pusher is similar to a pitchfork, but it lacks the central fork and has a large notch, specifically designed for pushing people.

If someone is hit by this fork, the defenders will push them forward, and even armored soldiers will find it difficult to stand firm on the city wall. If they fall, they will be injured or even killed.

Sun Ce, however, remained fearless. He held his shield in front of him with his left hand, crouched down slightly, and when the fork came close, he flicked his left hand upwards. The fork flew upwards due to the shield's obstruction, and Sun Ce used this opening to rush into his opponent's close range. With a light slash of his long sword, he severed the opponent's neck.

Then, Sun Ce exerted force with his left hand, slamming his shield into the spearman. The man lost his footing and was knocked to the ground by the force. Sun Ce then rushed forward and stabbed the man to death.

In just two breaths, both soldiers guarding this section of the city wall were killed in battle, and the soldiers on both sides didn't even have time to come to their aid.

Immediately afterward, another armored soldier from Sun Jun jumped onto the city wall.

Sun Ce glanced at the other man, a smile appearing on his handsome face, and said, "Zilie, let's each take a side and clear this section of the city wall!"

Following closely behind Sun Ce was Chen Wu. He should have been the first to climb the city wall, but Sun Ce took his place.

Upon hearing Sun Ce's words, Chen Wu responded loudly, "Thank you, General!"

Sun Ce's eyes flashed with approval, and he asked with a smile, "Why are you thanking me?"

Chen Wu slashed down a Kuaiji soldier who came to reinforce, and while dealing with the other defenders, he replied, "General, you have bestowed upon me the credit for being the first to scale the walls. How could I not be moved to tears!"

Sun Ce laughed heartily, turned around, and headed towards the reinforcements from Kuaiji.

The Kuaiji Army Commandant, who was in the distance, had already noticed the situation and immediately led five or six of his personal guards toward it.

Sun Ce and Chen Wu have already created a breach in the wall. If this section of the wall cannot be recaptured as soon as possible, more of Sun Ce's soldiers will inevitably scale the wall from this location.

By then, even if reinforcements arrive, it may be too late.

This captain had no choice but to risk his life to try and defeat Sun Ce.

In that short time, five more armored soldiers climbed up. Three of them followed Sun Ce, while the other two went to follow Chen Wu.

"This thief must be the garrison commander here. Gentlemen, watch as I slay him in battle!"

Sun Ce pointed his sword at the Commandant of the Eastern City and led three armored soldiers to meet him.

The enemy had six personal guards, plus four soldiers on this section of the city wall, making a total of eleven.

Sun Ce, however, only had four men.

However, Sun Ce's side was entirely armored, while the enemy only had one captain in armor, and even his personal guards were only in full leather armor.

The two collided violently, and Sun Ce immediately flipped his opponent over and then stabbed him to death with a single blow.

The other three armored warriors also gained the upper hand. Their armor weighed thirty or forty pounds, which was converted into kinetic energy under the impact, causing the opponent to almost vomit blood.

Fortunately, the enemy outnumbered them and were fearless. The wounded soldiers even clung tightly to the legs of the armored soldiers on the ground, trying to pull them down.

The armored soldier was momentarily distracted, and the other two guards charged forward with their shields, successfully tackling him to the ground. All that was needed now was to pin down his arm, and they could easily slit his throat.

Just as the three soldiers were overjoyed, one of them suddenly screamed and was kicked away by Sun Ce, who had rushed over. He fell directly off the city wall between the battlements. The other soldier also saw a flash of light and then fell to the ground.

The wounded soldier clinging to the leg of the armored warrior on the ground had his neck broken by Sun Ce's foot.

In just a short while, Sun Ce had killed four people and saved one of his own.

"stand up!"

Sun Ce simply uttered a sentence, then turned and charged into the crowd again.

There, Sun Jun's two armored soldiers stood back to back, relying on their armor to stubbornly resist the attacks of the other seven men.

When Sun Ce arrived, the defending troops were clearly panicked.

The seven of them couldn't take down two of the opponents, and now the opponent's strongest warrior has arrived. How can they possibly fight?
Sun Ce, however, ignored what the other party was thinking and started his killing spree on his own.

Even the captain was no match for Sun Ce; he only managed to hold out for a few more rounds.

By the time Sun Ce beheaded the commander, more than a dozen armored soldiers of Sun Ce's army were already standing on the city wall. Moreover, the defenders in other sections were also wavering, and some of Sun Ce's soldiers began to break through the enemy's defenses and successfully climb the city wall.

As time went on, the Kuaiji garrison in the eastern city began to crumble, with deserters constantly abandoning the city walls and fleeing. The garrison on the city walls was either divided and surrounded, or simply surrendered.

However, Sun Ce had no time to pay attention to the other party and led twenty or thirty armored soldiers straight to the city gate.

There was originally a squad of fifty guards at the city gate.

However, due to the shortage of troops on the city walls, all the garrison troops here have been withdrawn.

Sun Ce easily captured the city gate, and as soon as the gate opened, more than a thousand of Sun Ce's soldiers outside the city poured into the city.

At this point, Shanyin City could practically be declared fallen.

Sun Ce's main force in the north of the city had already discovered the situation in the east, and large groups of Sun's soldiers began to detour around the east of the city.

Although the Kuaiji garrison on the city wall had noticed the situation, they were powerless to do anything about it. Their morale had plummeted, and they were simply unable to stop the enemy.

Upon receiving the news, Zhou Xin hurriedly led the remaining four hundred or so men to the east of the city to provide reinforcements.

However, they happened to run into Sun Ce after he opened the city gate.

Enemies meeting are bound to be furious. Sun Ce, with his unparalleled bravery, led his twenty or thirty armored soldiers and charged straight at the enemy.

Upon seeing this, the soldiers who had just entered the city quickly called out and followed.

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle in the middle of the road.

Zhou Xin and his group spotted Sun Ce and his men early on, giving them time to set up their formation.

Although Sun Ce and his men were clad in iron armor, due to the siege, they were mostly armed with swords and shields. They had weapons that could penetrate armor, such as small gourds and awls, but they had no long-handled weapons at all.

After all, who would carry a long-handled weapon to attack a city?

As a result, the two sides were temporarily at an impasse.

But time was on Sun Ce's side.

As Sun Ce's reinforcements continued to pour in from the east gate, his side gained an increasing advantage.

Zhou Xin was already covered in sweat and was quite out of control.

It seemed that not only would they be unable to retake the East Gate, but their reinforcements might also be trapped here.

Especially when Zhou Xin saw Sun Ce staring intently at him like a jade-faced demon, making no attempt to conceal his overwhelming killing intent, he felt his legs go weak.

After careful consideration, Zhou Xin decided to retain the useful gods for future use.

So Zhou Xin immediately handed over command to a military officer beside him, and then turned and left with about twenty personal guards.

Fortunately, Zhou Xin didn't forget to send someone to the west of the city to inform Yu Fan. As for Wang Lang, he was originally stationed in the south of the city, and if he found out that the city had fallen, he would definitely have boarded the ship as soon as possible.

Seeing Zhou Xin flee, Sun Ce was furious: "Zhou traitor, don't run away!"

Upon hearing Sun Ce's roar, Zhou Xin ran even faster.

Sun Ce was burning with rage, but his mind remained clear. He immediately ordered his soldiers to shout that Zhou Xin had fled.

Zhou Xin's subordinates couldn't help but turn around to look, and sure enough, Zhou Xin was nowhere to be seen in his original spot, causing their morale to plummet.

Zhou Xin's subordinates were already struggling to hold on, and Sun Ce's army grew stronger with each battle. On the contrary, the Kuaiji army, with its advantage in the roads, made it difficult for Sun Ce's superior forces to deploy.

The soldiers at the front were still fighting desperately, but Zhou Xin in the rear simply ran away, and the morale of the Kuaiji army collapsed immediately.

Sun Ce's army seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack, and the already crumbling formation was immediately broken. The Kuaiji army in the field had no will to resist and knelt down to beg for surrender.

Sun Ce ignored the surrendered soldiers, assigned some men to guard them, and sent Cheng Pu and Huang Gai to take the north gate so that the main force could enter the city.

Sun Ce himself, along with Chen Wu and over three hundred men, pursued Zhou Xin.

When Yu Fan received the news in the west of the city, he was completely stunned.

The eastern city has fallen, Zhou Xin has fled, and there are no generals left to hold the fort in the north of the city.

"Master, let's go!"

Seeing that he was still in a daze, Yu Fan's close attendants quickly advised him, "If we don't leave now, once Sun Jun blocks our retreat, we won't be able to leave even if we want to!"

Yu Fan suddenly awoke with a start, and his father echoed his words, saying, "That's indeed true."

Fortunately, Yu Fan was a decisive man. After making the decision, he immediately ordered the entire army to retreat, leading the more than 1,000 men from the west of the city to escape.

At this time, Sun Ce's army was still in the east of the city, either chasing Zhou Xin or attacking the north of the city from behind, and no one had yet paid attention to the west of the city. Although Sun Ce's army in the west of the city had already climbed onto the city gate, the defending troops, under the command of Yu Fan, put up a strong resistance and, with the advantage of the terrain, were eventually able to withdraw smoothly.

After Sun Ce's army climbed the city wall, they hurriedly opened the city gate. Sun Gao, who then entered the city, hesitated for a moment before deciding to neither pursue Yu Fan nor go to the north of the city. Instead, he headed towards key locations such as the armory, warehouse, and granary within the city.

(End of this chapter)