Three Kingdoms: I am not Cao Rui

Once the hour of Wei (1-3 PM) has passed, the east wind will be at its strongest, making it the best time for a fire attack.

After half a day of continuous volleying, the Shu army's large ships and watchtowers on the right bank of the Xiling Gorge were almost completely covered with flammable materials. The Wei army's strategy of only volleying without attacking caused great anxiety to Zhou Shi, the Shu army's deputy general in charge of defending the area.

The mental pressure of holding back is immense. In just half a day, Zhou Shi was on the verge of collapse, torn between fleeing and holding on.

However, Zhou Shi soon didn't have to make a choice. Or rather, he no longer had the opportunity to make a choice.

Nearly twenty warships charged toward the right bank of the gorge. With the help of the soldiers rowing hard and the wind, the warships were very fast. To the Shu soldiers on the watchtower, they looked like cavalry rushing in.

Rockets and torches were launched simultaneously, as if by divine retribution.

The power of water and fire is beyond human control.

Within a quarter of an hour, the four large ships on the right bank of the gorge and their watchtowers were engulfed in flames. The fire intensified under the influence of the east wind, with flames and black smoke rising continuously, even forming a tornado-like whirlwind.

Countless Shu soldiers leaped from the arrow towers, and many more were unable to escape. Their scorching cries drew the attention of everyone on the battlefield.

The devastation was so great that even the defenders on the left side of the river, which had not been attacked by fire, began to flee.

The Shu army camps on the north bank stretched for nearly ten miles, connected one after another, layer upon layer, and were exceptionally well-organized.

Wei Yan was naturally confident in his land defenses. In his mind, the Wei army would find it extremely difficult to capture these continuous camps at Xiling without suffering more than 10,000 casualties. It was already afternoon, and dusk was just an hour away. If they could hold out until dusk, the Wei army would retreat that day.

But things didn't go as planned. After the soldiers' urgent report, Wei Yan climbed to a high point in the camp and looked out at the scene of defense on the river, which almost made him dizzy.

How could it have been attacked by fire like this?
The gorge defense line, which took more than a year to prepare, was breached in just one day?

Wei Yan was the same age as Zhuge Liang, and was now a veteran general nearing sixty. What he saw almost made Wei Yan lose his composure, but as a general with many years of experience on the battlefield, Wei Yan quickly regained his composure and made a decision.

The situation left him no choice but to be alert.

"Give the order," Wei Yan said to Sima Zhao Xi, his cheeks clenched so tightly it was almost a growl. "Have Guo Xi meet the retreating soldiers on the riverbank and have him sound the horn to signal their withdrawal. Also, have Generals Jiang and Chen hold out for another hour. Things will be easier after dark! No matter what, we must hold this position today."

"Yes." Zhao Xi had just replied when he saw Wei Yan tighten the ribbons on his armor, put on his helmet, and stride towards his personal guard.

Zhao Xi couldn't help but blurt out, "Where is the general going?"

Wei Yan didn't even turn his head: "Kill the enemy!"

From an objective perspective, defending Xiling with 20,000 soldiers is an extremely difficult task, given the geography of the area, which lacks the rugged mountains and passes of northern Yizhou. Placing the border at Baidi City would be far more suitable.

But the Shu Han court could not accept such an arrangement. How could they possibly relinquish land they had gained?

However, compared to the tense atmosphere during Wei Yan's battle, Lu Xun appeared much more relaxed and at ease. Wang Jun hurried to the top deck of Lu Xun's flagship, cupped his hands, and reported:
"Your Highness, General Yue has sent someone to report..."

Lu Xun waved his hand to interrupt Wang Jun: "You don't need to tell me, I've already seen it. Shizhi, go to Xiling City for me and ask Man Gonglelin's troops how they plan to fight next."

Wang Jun hesitated for a moment, but being a trusted confidant of Lu Xun, he asked directly, "Your Highness, since the Shu army has already fled on the river, shouldn't General Yue's troops be heading upstream...?"

"Go and ask," Lu Xun waved his hand. "Go ahead, go ahead!"

"Yes."

With the battle raging, Wang Jun knew that going back and forth would waste time, but he could not disobey orders, so he had no choice but to follow them.

Two quarters of an hour later, Wang Jun rushed back and said with his hands clasped, "Your Highness, Lord Man has ordered General Yue's troops to remove all the arrow towers from the large ships of the Shu army on the river today, and then withdraw the troops. Tomorrow, they will focus on destroying the pillars in the river to ensure the passage of the waterway."

"Just as I thought." Lu Xun smiled. "Alright, Shizhi, go and pass on the order. Tell Le Lin to issue the order in my name."

"Understood, Your subordinate." Wang Jun bowed and took his leave.

Night battles were not a common option in this era, and both Wei and Shu withdrew their troops before dusk.

The offense and defense of a position is more limited than the casualties in open field battles. The restricted terrain also prevents the army from collapsing and scattering, forcing soldiers to fight each other, making the battle situation even more brutal.

After a day of fierce attacks, the Wei army suffered about 5,000 casualties. Although the Shu troops defended their camps better, due to the complete collapse of the river defenses, their combat strength was roughly the same as that of the Wei army.

As night fell, after patrolling the camp, Wei Yan, exhausted, went to his central command tent. Without even removing his armor, he sat down with his legs crossed and slowly asked his commander, Zhao Xi:
"Are there any statistics on today's casualties?"

Zhao Xi's face was sorrowful as he replied in a low voice, "General, the army suffered approximately five thousand casualties today. The garrison on the river totaled four thousand, roughly half of them have perished. According to the soldiers who reported back, General Zhou, to repay the country's kindness, refused to flee and was ultimately engulfed in flames on the arrow tower on the river..."

Wei Yan's throat moved slightly, but he couldn't say anything. Instead, he sighed deeply: "They are all elite soldiers who have followed me for many years. They shouldn't have died like this. Commander Zhao, I have a task for you. Please complete it."

Zhao Xi composed himself, cupped his hands in greeting, and replied, "General, please give your orders, and I will do my utmost to complete them!"

“There’s no need for you to risk your life,” Wei Yan said. “Wei soldiers are numerous and have not come from afar. They are not expected to lack supplies along the river. Xiling will definitely not be able to be defended. I intend to retreat from Xiling to Zigui. Zigui is narrower than Xiling. We can use the terrain to delay them for ten days, and then retreat to Baidi.”

As he spoke, Wei Yan's expression grew increasingly serious: "As for you, I want you to hurry west to see the Prime Minister."

Zhao Xi was almost in tears at this moment: "General, choose someone else to do it. I will stay here and fight alongside you!"

Wei Yan shook his head: "No need. I need someone to go to the Prime Minister and explain the situation here."

"Xiling cannot be held, and Zigui will likely fall as well. It is not that I, Wei Yan, am cowardly or lack wisdom, but rather that the Wei army far outnumbers us, and they are not stingy with the casualties of their soldiers, rendering any advantage of terrain completely useless. Within my defense zone, only the area around Baidi City is defensible." (End of Chapter)