Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Ding Feng left, and Hu Zong came.

When Hu Zong arrived in person before Zhu Ran at Xiwu in Ruxu, before Hu Zong could even bow in greeting, Zhu Ran's first question was: "Wei Ze, when will Quan Zihuang's 30,000-strong central army arrive in Ruxu?"

Hu Zong was somewhat bewildered and slightly stunned before replying, "When I left Chaisang the day before yesterday, Quan Zihuang's army should still be in Jiangxia, right?"

Zhu Ran's heart sank: "Where did you say Quan Zihuang was in Jiangxia the day before yesterday? Wei Jiangxia or Wu Jiangxia?"

Hu Zong replied, "Quan Zihuang has won many victories in recent days, so he must be in Xia County of Wei Jiangxia. If I'm not mistaken, he'll probably be in Anlu."

It’s over! It's all over!

If Quan Cong's army had already sailed down the river, and with Hu Zong's fresh force of about 10,000 men as a supplement, Zhu Ran was still confident that he could hold out in Ruxu for another day or two. Once Sun Quan and Quan Cong's army arrived, he could maintain a battle group of 50,000 men on the north bank of the river, relying on Ruxu Dock and Ruxu Central Island, and maintain a sufficient troop density to hold off the Wei army.

But that's no longer possible.

It should be noted that at this time, the war between Wei and Wu was spreading along the Yangtze River from east to west. A qualified general must be able to calculate the speed and position of each army in his mind, and calculating time is also an essential skill for a great general.

Today is the 24th. If the Wei navy that conquered He Da's forces in Dantu hadn't been delayed along the way, they should have reached Ruxu yesterday by sailing up the river. However, Zhu Ran didn't observe the movements of this Wei army. Therefore, there's only one possibility: the Wei navy spent time transporting troops southwards near Jianye and Dantu. And this Wei navy could appear on the river east of Ruxu at any moment.

If Hu Zong hadn't come, my 10,000 men could have held out in Ruxu Dock for a few more days. Even if the entire army was wiped out, we would fight to the death and take a big bite out of the Wei army. At worst, we would just die. What's so difficult about sacrificing ourselves for the country?
If Hu Zong leads tens of thousands of troops, the Wu army can control the river with its strength and will not have to worry about the Wei navy cutting off their retreat to the south.

But Hu Zong arrived with ten thousand men.

For the Wu Kingdom at this moment, a mobile force of 10,000 men was a hundred times more valuable than the 10,000 garrisoned at Ruxu. In other words, if Hu Zong brought 10,000 men, Zhu Ran wouldn't dare lead Hu Zong to his death here!
This is why Zhu Ran had Ding Feng summon Hu Zong here earlier. Since Hu Zong is holding the imperial insignia, Zhu Ran, as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, can discuss the matter of retreating south with Hu Zong, a high-ranking general holding the imperial insignia.

Zhu Ran sighed: "Wei Ze, some things are better left unsaid. Seeing is believing. Come with me and look around Xiwu first, and then you will understand the current battle situation."

“Alright. Since I’m here to help, I’ll go along with whatever the host says.” Hu Zong nodded in agreement.

The western outpost of Ruxu was unusually noisy at this moment, and this tense atmosphere had lasted for three days. Almost every few breaths, Wei soldiers outside the city would fire stone projectiles that arced through the air and struck the city and its walls.

The city's areas were also re-divided, and almost all the houses were demolished. Some were used to build long fortifications at the base of the city walls to prevent stones from hitting the roofs directly, while others were used to erect pillars and spread nets and curtains near a few houses to protect them from incoming stones.

Hu Zong became increasingly alarmed as he read on.

Stone projectiles were scattered throughout the city. Except for the roads where soldiers regularly cleared them, most of the houses in the city were in ruins. Piles of stone projectiles could be found every few dozen steps, resembling small mountains.

Although the soldiers had just cheered, the Wei army's stones continued to rain down on them, and their expressions turned numb after the cheers. Many soldiers who were hit directly or indirectly were gathered in the northeast corner of the city; they were either already dead or on the verge of death and beyond saving.

The coffin of Lieutenant General Zhu Cai, which was temporarily placed there, was located in the center of the shed in the middle of this site.

Just as Hu Zong stood before Zhu Cai's coffin, bowing his head in mourning and remaining silent, Zhu Ran finally spoke.

"Wei Ze, withdraw the troops."

"Withdraw the troops?" Hu Zong asked instinctively, but when he saw Zhu Ran's red eyes and extremely haggard face, he sighed deeply.

Just now, in front of Zhu Cailing, Zhu Ran had already told Hu Zong everything about military strategy. If they did not retreat, the 20,000 troops at Ruxu, to be precise, would only have about 19,000 left, and they would probably be blocked by the Wei navy on the north bank of the river. With the city undefended, their only fate would be annihilation.

Hu Zong stood there, silent for a long time, his mind a jumble of emotions. State affairs, the emperor, his career, military strength, self-preservation…

Only after a stone projectile pierced the air and struck about ten feet away from Hu Zong did Hu Zong sigh with regret:
"This place is not defensible, we should retreat! Yifeng, fight and retreat, withdraw as many troops as you can!"

Zhu Ran's face was also full of grief: "We've lost nearly a thousand men in these three days. I estimate that if we can manage to withdraw about seven thousand, that would be considered good. We'll suffer even more losses. Who could have imagined that Ruxu, which has been guarded for nearly twenty years, would end up like this today!"

Zhu Ran was overcome with emotion, and his body swayed slightly. This was not an act of pretense or feigned flattery; no one in the Wu Kingdom had ever doubted Zhu Ran's loyalty. This was a middle-aged general who prided himself on being a renowned defender of the city, facing a situation where he could no longer hold out, suffering a severe blow from the inside out.

Several guards behind him quickly helped Zhu Ran up. Zhu Ran put his left hand to his forehead and said, "It's alright. Please step back a bit. I'm discussing important matters with Attendant Hu."

"Yes, sir." The guard acknowledged the order and withdrew. Zhu Ran said with difficulty, "Wei Ze, since the Wei fleet has not yet arrived, how about we first connect ships of all sizes to form a road, abandon the grain and military supplies, and transport the soldiers to Ruxu Zhongzhou as quickly as possible, and then ship them to Chun Gu in Jiangnan, and then go up the river north to Wuhu? Chun Gu is a small city and cannot be defended. It would be better to rely on Wuhu to set up defenses, so as to protect the army and wait for His Majesty's army to arrive."

"Okay." Hu Zong helped Zhu Ran up with his hand, his face full of dejection, and only uttered one word.

Zhu Ran was worried about the 20,000 troops, while Hu Zong, who had been by Sun Quan's side for a long time, felt even more worried about the overall situation.

Zhu Ran couldn't even hold out against the Wei army at Ruxu Fortress. Even if Quan Zihuang's 30,000 troops came, could they really defeat the Wei army by cobbling together around 50,000 here? It has been estimated that the Wei army attacking Yangzhou numbered at least 100,000! Will the fate of these 50,000 troops be the same as that of Ruxu Fortress?
Hu Zong absolutely could not utter these words aloud. Withdrawing the troops was the most important thing right now. After reaching an agreement with Zhu Ran, Hu Zong gave Zhu Ran half an hour to prepare, and then they would withdraw—as many as possible! If they could withdraw more than six thousand men, it would be a victory!

After Hu Zong left, Zhu Ran summoned all the captains and commanders of Ruxu West Fortress and announced the military order. Upon hearing it, everyone expressed their admiration for the general's wisdom, their praise coming from the bottom of their hearts with utmost sincerity. Who would want to die in the city if they had a chance to live?
Half an hour later, by the time the news reached the East Fortress of Ruxu, only three and a half quarters of an hour remained. The East and West Fortresses were not large, and communication was easy; if they were to suddenly withdraw, the Wei army would certainly not be able to react in time.

When Taishi Xiang heard the news of the retreat from Zhang Cheng, as well as the general details of Hu Zong's conversation with Zhu Ran, his mind was struck as if by lightning, and he was speechless for a moment.

"Yuanfu, Yuanfu?" Zhang Cheng called out to Taishi Xiang's courtesy name.

"General," Taishi Xiang said, regaining his composure, "we have three and a half quarters left before we have to retreat. There are still more than four thousand men in Dongwu, and our supplies and provisions are countless. How should we proceed with the retreat?"

Zhang Cheng looked troubled: "According to Zhu Cheqi and Hu Shizhong, all the grain and military supplies were abandoned and burned as much as possible after leaving the city. Only the soldiers were taken to Chungu on the south bank, and then we went to Wuhu."

"It's such a... such a pity." Tai Shixiang shook his head.

"There's nothing we can do about it." Zhang Cheng sighed as well. "Zhu Cheqi made it clear that if we don't retreat soon, the Wei navy will probably cut off the Yangtze River. It will be troublesome to return south then. There are no reinforcements coming to Ruxu for the time being. General Wei's army should still be in Jiangxia right now!"

Taishi Xiang was already wavering, and now, upon hearing that Hu Zong had sent 10,000 men to reinforce them, but Zhu Ran was taking the opportunity to withdraw all his soldiers, and seeing such a desolate situation, he felt a mix of melancholy and sadness, as well as a great deal of worry about the bleak future of the Wu Kingdom. He instinctively replied, "I understand. I will go and summon all the commanders and officers in the army to inform them of this matter."

He then turned to leave.

"Yuanfu, wait a moment." Zhang Cheng stopped Taishi Xiang, then patted Taishi Xiang on the shoulder: "Since it's a withdrawal, there must be a sequence. Yuanfu's troops have always been elite; are you willing to cover the rear of the Dongwu army?"

Taishi Xiang's expression froze, but he had already bitten his lip, secretly seething with resentment. After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he exhaled and bowed to Zhang Cheng, saying:
“Someone has to retreat! In that case, I will cover the rear for you, General! My troops are assembled in the north of the city. You can lead your three thousand men to the water gate in the southwest of the city!”

Zhang Cheng looked calm: "Thank you for your hard work, Yuanfu. After we return victorious, I will come to recommend Yuanfu for credit!"

Tai Shixiang didn't speak, but nodded hastily, then turned and walked north.

The first few steps were a little unsteady, and his heart was pounding uncomfortably in his chest. But as Taishi Xiangli got closer to the north of the city, somehow his steps became lighter and lighter, the stale air in his stomach was expelled, and his mind became clear as if a heavy burden had been lifted.

The moment the thought of surrendering to Wei arose, the world suddenly seemed vast!

The time agreed upon by Zhu Ran and Hu Zong arrived quickly. The two fortified villages, Xiwu and Dongwu, were built by the water. In addition to their strong fortifications, they still retained side gates and water gates close to the water.

It must be said that Wu soldiers were quick to learn about water and boats. Hu Zong's troops were the elite of Wu's central army, and Ruxu, as a permanent fortress for the Wu army, had no shortage of supplies and ships of all sizes on the central island. The Ruxu River meandered around the central island to enter the main river, fifty or sixty paces wide on the east side and nearly a hundred paces wide on the west side. In just half an hour, Hu Zong's troops managed to build two oddly shaped but barely usable pontoon bridges by connecting the boats end to end!

Wu soldiers filed out from the East and West docks and surged toward the pontoon bridge.

The road was paved, and Zhang Cheng of Dongwu and Zhu Ran of Xiwu were among the first wave of troops leaving Ruxu Dock. According to military orders, the soldiers were required to carry their weapons and their own leather bags.

In practice, aside from the first wave of troops led by Zhang Cheng and Zhu Ran, many of the remaining troops abandoned their armor, long weapons, and even their ring-pommel swords. What was initially a disciplined and orderly retreat gradually descended into chaos after Zhang Cheng and Zhu Ran reached the central island of Ruxu. Wu soldiers scrambled to board the pontoon bridge, leaving those pushed into the water unattended. They didn't argue or cry for help, knowing their comrades wouldn't come to their aid. In the mere hundred paces wide, they struggled to swim towards the central island, creating a spectacular scene.

"How many of General Hou's troops have left?" asked Taishi Xiang, a historian at the north gate of Ruxu East Fortress.

Dubshuli replied, “They should have gone more than a thousand, and there are still half left.”

Taishi Xiang nodded: "I have done my utmost for Zhang Cheng and for the Wu Kingdom. It seems that the Wu Kingdom is about to perish. The Wei Kingdom has always been generous and magnanimous. You gentlemen, come with me to Wei and share in its wealth and glory."

"Open the city gates!" (End of Chapter)