Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Cao Rui's military career began in the first year of the Taihe era, but he rarely had such a close encounter with the siege.

The 24th, morning.

How much longer is the siege expected to last?

On the watchtower built along the banks of the Ruxu River, Cao Rui gazed south for a long time before asking Liu Ye a question.

Liu Ye cupped his hands and replied, "The General sent a message half an hour ago, saying that according to the progress of the trebuchets bombarding the city, the Wuwei Army can begin the attack tomorrow. The General requests that one of the two fortresses of Ruxu be attacked first, and that Zhang Hu's troops be the vanguard."

Cao Rui chuckled lightly: "To attack Ruxu, let Zhang Liao's son be the vanguard, following in his father's footsteps, is not bad. Very well, let me see if Zhang Hu can match his father's bravery. Minister Liu, should we attack Dongwu or Xiwu first?"

Liu Ye decisively replied, "We should attack Dongwu! The Ruxu River splits into two at its confluence with the Yangtze River. The river at Dongwu is closer to the central island of Ruxu. After capturing Dongwu, we can build a pontoon bridge and occupy the central island, thereby blocking the waterway from Jiangnan to this place."

"Xu Qing, what do you think?" Cao Rui asked again.

Xu Shu nodded in agreement, saying, "Dongwu is even better. Besides the points mentioned by Privy Councilor Liu, after taking Dongwu, we can also destroy the city walls, move the catapults into Dongwu city, and then control the waterways to take Xiwu even faster."

"Then let's go to Dongwu." Cao Rui nodded.

The siege scene outside Ruxu Dock resembled a bustling construction site. The Wuwei Army infantry escorted the Yulin Right Army cavalry as they launched stones, while more laborers in donkey carts and oxcarts continuously transported supplies from the north. Dozens of miles away, the Beiyan tribe's cavalry patrolled the outer perimeter.

For the Great Wei, this was a suppression of supplies. For Zhu Ran and other generals in the city, the Wei army's positions were ablaze with fire last night, and the rain of stones continued unabated throughout the night—an undeniably terrifying story. Zhu Ran in the western fortress and Zhang Cheng in the eastern fortress could only pace around their fortresses, trying to boost morale and prevent the army's fighting spirit from being completely extinguished.

They've tried everything, including rewards, official titles, and even tricked the soldiers into believing the stone-throwing would stop tomorrow because the Wei army had run out of stones. As for how to get through tomorrow, well, let's just wait until tomorrow comes.

Meanwhile, Lu Xun's fleet arrived at Hengjiang Ferry outside Liyang. Because they were sailing against the current, the navy prepared to set sail at dawn every day, and weighed anchor after daybreak.

When Lu Xun arrived at Hengjiang Ferry, Cao Shuang, the Colonel of Archers, and Jiang Wei, the Colonel of Cavalry, had already been waiting at the dock after hearing reports from scouts that ships were approaching downstream. Military merit is paramount in an army, and Lu Xun, the General Who Conquers the East, was a surrendered general who had led his naval forces on a long march along the Huai River, bypassing the main route by sea, and had already passed Jianye. Regardless of how many enemies Lu Xun's troops had annihilated, based on his current merit, an increase of three thousand households in his fiefdom would be the minimum.

"Greetings, General Lu." Jiang Wei and Cao Shuang bowed simultaneously as they saw Lu Xun descending the wooden stairs of the ship.

Although the two men before him were only captains, the captains of the Five Captains Camp were different from others; they were the emperor's most trusted confidants. Moreover, Lu Xun was getting old while the two men were in their prime. Considering the future, Lu Xun did not want to be presumptuous. He stepped forward and said with a smile, "Boyue, Zhaobo, it has been almost a month since I parted ways with you in Shouchun. Sure enough, I found you two at Hengjiang Ferry!"

"The imperial court's plan was meticulous and truly ingenious, without a single flaw."

Jiang Wei nodded with a smile, and Cao Shuang said, "General Lu, we have been waiting here since we took Liyang and Xianxi. We thought it would take several more days, but we did not expect that you would arrive earlier than expected. You must have had a long journey."

Lu Xun said, "It's all for the sake of the king."

How many soldiers do you two have here?

Cao Shuang said, "My main force consists of a thousand cavalrymen and five thousand soldiers from Liaodong."

Jiang Wei added, "My own force consists of a thousand cavalry, with five thousand cavalry each from the Xianbei and Wuhuan tribes, and four thousand infantry from the Yingzhou vassal state, totaling fifteen thousand."

"So that's nine thousand infantry and twelve thousand cavalry?" Lu Xun thought for a moment, then asked, "Has the Privy Council instructed you to prepare timber and equipment?"

"Yes, everything has been prepared according to the Privy Council's plan. We have already sent people to survey the terrain here. The river is divided in two, with a sandbar in the middle. The waterway is wide on the west side and narrow on the east side." Cao Shuang quickly replied, "Please send my 5,000 infantrymen to the sandbar in the middle of the river first, and then drag the pontoon bridge equipment to the east side. This way, we only need to transport a small portion of the waterway, and then we can transport everything via the pontoon bridge."

"Thank you for your trouble, General."

"Alright, let's do it that way." Lu Xun nodded. "I came from Guangling and have been out of contact with His Majesty for several days. I wonder how the battle at Ruxu is going?"

"Reporting to the General," Jiang Wei replied, "The General has erected more than two hundred catapults in Ruxu, bombarding the city with stones day and night. Today is the 24th, and according to the message sent from the Emperor yesterday, Privy Councilor Liu said that Ruxu will be captured before the 27th or 28th."

Lu Xun casually complimented, "The general's military strategy is divine."

Cao Shuang felt a surge of secret delight as he praised his father in front of his son, and he himself also believed that his father's military prowess was commendable. Ruxu, which had remained unconquered for nearly twenty years, was about to be captured under his father's command; how could he not be pleased?
Lu Xun's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Nominally, Cao Zhen commanded the troops, but in reality, the emperor, cabinet ministers, and the Privy Council made all the tactical decisions. Cao Zhen, as the Grand General, was only responsible for command and execution, and his decision-making power was almost completely stripped away. Lu Xun was a renowned general of his time, and he considered the system more. Compared to the Wei army's advanced command system, how could Sun Quan himself and the inept commanders Quan Cong and Zhu Ran possibly withstand the advantages of such a system?
Moreover, Ruxu City is so fortified that Liu Ye clearly stated his confidence in taking it in seven or eight days. Such a statement made before the emperor cannot be taken lightly, making his ability to conquer fortified cities even more terrifying. At least Lu Xun himself believed he could not do it.

After the three chatted for a few more minutes, Lu Xun asked, "The imperial court has ordered you to cross the river and attack Jianye. Do you have any plans?"

Cao Shuang said, "The Privy Council has only provided general guidance; the specifics of the battle will be decided by Boyue and me. We already have some ideas, and we would appreciate General Lu's guidance." "Please give us your guidance, General Lu," Jiang Wei humbly asked from the side.

Lu Xun chuckled: "What's the point of pointing out the errors? You are all generals under the command of the Grand General. I am merely a native of Wu, helping you to confirm the roads."

"Thank you for your trouble, General." Cao Shuang remained polite. "After my troops cross the river first, we will immediately attack Shicheng, which is ten miles away. Once we capture Shicheng, it will serve as the base for our army's northward advance. After everyone has crossed the river today, tomorrow morning, Boyue will lead his troops and ten thousand Hu cavalry to march north along the river and raid Jianye. We should arrive by evening, a distance of one hundred and twenty miles. Afterward, we will plunder the area around the city to guard against the Wu army leaving the city. Once I lead my troops there, we will launch a feigned attack. If nothing comes of it, we will simply wait for the imperial army to slowly arrive."

After listening, Lu Xun nodded noncommittally and did not offer much guidance. Instead, he said, "There are not many fortified cities in Wu. Whether it is Shicheng, the nearby Yuhu, or the many small cities to the north of Jianye, there is no need to worry about them. They can be easily conquered."

“I will only talk to you about the matter of requisitioning grain,” Lu Xun continued. “Every village in Wu has wealthy households, and the few wealthy households in a village can account for at least half of the grain production. If we need to collect grain, we can take it from the wealthy households in the village, and from the villas of wealthy households outside the city. They often have several large granaries, which can be used to supply military supplies without causing resentment among the common people.”

"Boyue, since your troops have gone first, once you arrive in Jianye, send me a message and order the general of the warships to lead the fleet away from the dock and come quickly to the vicinity of Wuhu."

Jiang Wei cupped his hands in greeting: "I understand. Please give me the general's order before tonight, and I will take it with me tomorrow."

"Okay." Lu Xun nodded.

Around noon, Hu Zong and Ding Feng led their fleet and finally arrived at the outer reaches of Ruxu Zhongzhou along the river. Going upstream was quite time-consuming, while going downstream was much easier. Hu Zong's fleet had rushed down from Chaisang and arrived at the outer reaches of Ruxu Zhongzhou in less than two days, thus fulfilling Sun Quan's earnest expectations.

The arrival of the Wu fleet outside Ruxu City at this moment revitalized the morale of the Wu army, which was on the verge of collapse, and cheers resounded continuously in the East and West docks.

Zhu Ran was located north of Xiwu City. Taking advantage of the Wei army's lull in adjusting their equipment, he led his personal guards to the city wall to observe the Wei army's movements. When Zhu Ran heard cheers from inside the city, his first reaction was not that reinforcements had arrived, but rather that he was worried about a defection or mutiny within the city. His nerves were clearly on edge. It wasn't until his military advisor, Ren Fan, rushed up to the city wall and informed Zhu Ran that reinforcements had arrived from Zhongzhou in the south that Zhu Ran felt slightly relieved.

But being at ease is not the same as being reassured.

Zhu Ran, still with a stern expression, asked, "Ren Fan, did you see how many reinforcements there are in total?"

Ren Fan quickly replied, "General, I saw it clearly. There were more than sixty ships of various sizes, and I estimate that there were about ten thousand people."

"Ten thousand people?" Zhu Ran sighed softly. "Come down with me and wait in the city."

Ren Fan, unaware of the situation, had no choice but to agree.

Zhu Ran, as the commander-in-chief of Ruxu and a Wu general specializing in cavalry defense, possessed a deep understanding of the current situation in Ruxu. Given the relatively small area of ​​Ruxu Fortress, five thousand men each in the east and west fortresses were sufficient for defense. Increasing the number of troops would not solve Ruxu's fundamental problems; instead, it would cause fluctuations in the morale of the troops within the city.

As for fighting outside the city... Zhu Ran had no confidence at all.

The day before yesterday, when he first went out of the city to destroy the Wei army's catapults, the Wei infantrymen in their gleaming armor and wielding halberds, along with the crossbowmen raining down arrows, gave Zhu Ran a profound and painful lesson. Moreover, he had seen Wei cavalry patrolling the city walls more than once, leaving him utterly helpless.

At this moment, Hu Zong and Ding Feng, who were in the central island of Ruxu, were somewhat impressed by the spectacular scene of the Wei army launching stones with trebuchets, but since they had not actually experienced it, they still lacked a certain understanding.

Ding Feng said, "Lord Hu, the garrison commander of Zhongzhou said that Zhu Cheqi is in Xiwu. I am willing to lead a hundred soldiers to cross the river from the southeast and inform Zhu Cheqi of the military situation. If we send someone else, I am afraid that communication will be unclear and it will delay the army's important matters."

Hu Zong nodded: "I've already told you everything I needed to say on the ship. Go see Zhu Yifeng and then come back to report to me."

"Yes," Ding Feng replied, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

At this time, Ruxu Dock still existed, and the waters of Ruxu Mouth remained under the control of the Wu army. Ding Feng entered the dock without incident, found Zhu Ran, and bowed down in respect.

Ding Feng was a subordinate general, his rank far below Zhu Ran's, a general of chariots and cavalry. Yet Zhu Ran personally helped Ding Feng up, patting him on the shoulder: "I never expected Cheng Yuan to lead troops to rescue me! No need for formalities, who is the commander-in-chief?"

"It is Hu Weize, Lord Hu," Ding Feng said in a deep voice. He then reported to Zhu Ran all the military intelligence from Sun Quan's forces in the west over the past few days, and also informed him of the total number of 10,000 reinforcements.

But Ding Feng saw with his own eyes that Zhu Ran's face showed no joy, but rather became even more somber. He sighed deeply and confirmed again:
"Has His Majesty granted Hu Weize the authority to act as governor of Wuhu?"

“That’s right,” Ding Feng replied.

Zhu Ran nodded: "Chengyuan, you should return to Zhongzhou. There are some important military matters that you cannot decide. Since Hu Weize has been entrusted by His Majesty with important matters, let him come to Xiwu to talk to me in person! You have seen the scene here. I cannot leave. Order him to come quickly!"

"Yes, sir." Ding Feng had no choice but to accept the order. (End of Chapter)