Eastern Han Dynasty, not the Three Kingdoms

Yuan Shu's fierce attack hit a wall in front of the strong city defense of Yuzhang County. He suffered heavy casualties but made no progress. At this moment, he was hiding in the tent, full of frustration and anger with nowhere to vent.

Upon hearing Yan Xiang's request for an audience, Yuan Shu's already sullen expression darkened even further. He snorted impatiently, "No! Can't you see I'm upset?" The guard outside the tent looked embarrassed and replied cautiously, "My lord, Mr. Yan is very sincere. He said he has something extremely urgent to discuss and must see you." Yuan Shu's brows knitted together. Although he was annoyed, he suppressed his impatience and waved his hand, "Forget it, let him in."

A moment later, Yan Xiang hurried into the tent, bowing before he could even stand, his expression anxious and solemn. Yuan Shu, his face haggard, his eyes bloodshot, resembled a gambler driven to the limit by the gambling table. His mind was completely consumed by the obsession of storming Yuzhang County, and he had no intention of listening to advice.

Seeing this, Yan Xiang sighed inwardly, but still spoke with a brave face, "My lord, please postpone the siege. The situation is so complicated now that we have to plan for the aftermath. The overall situation should be prioritized." Yuan Shu waved his hand impatiently, his voice cold, "Why postpone the attack when the city is about to fall? Don't disrupt the morale of the army!"

Yan Xiang didn't flinch. He stepped forward and continued his persuasion, "My lord, you may not know that Sun Ce of Kuaiji County is currently elusive. We haven't yet pinpointed his exact location. Furthermore, the enemy's food and fodder have already been successfully transported to Yuzhang County twice. Who knows when Sun Ce will suddenly reappear and attack us from behind? Furthermore, even if we manage to capture Yuzhang County, the surrounding food and fodder will have already been seized by the enemy. By then, we'll only be left with an empty city. It's truly not worth the loss."

Yuan Shu was startled for a moment, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, but it was fleeting, and his expression remained displeased. Yan Xiang continued, "And then there's Jiujiang County in the rear. It's being constantly harassed by Zhou Yu, and the situation is precarious. And General Zhang Xun in Runan County, having waited so long for reinforcements, is now locked in a bitter battle, almost at the end of his rope. I'm afraid Runan County is on the verge of falling. If Runan County falls, Lujiang County will undoubtedly face Ma Chao's fierce attack, and our situation will be even more difficult!"

However, Yuan Shu turned a deaf ear to him, shook his head stubbornly, and shouted angrily: "No need to say more! I have made up my mind. I must take Yuzhang County today!" After that, he turned away, leaving Yan Xiang standing alone in the tent, his face full of helplessness and worry. Looking at Yuan Shu's departing back, he secretly prayed in his heart that the situation would not develop in the worst direction.

On a winter night, a cold wind whistled through the empty camp like a knife. Yuan Shu wrapped his cloak tightly around him and walked heavily towards the food and fodder storage area. All around him was pitch black, with only the occasional flicker of a campfire illuminating the soldiers' weary faces.

From a distance, Yuan Shu spotted Yang Hong, torch in hand, using the dim light to count the grain and fodder Lei Bo and Li Feng had gathered from the surrounding area. Yang Hong's figure shivered slightly in the cold wind, and he occasionally exhaled puffs of white air onto his frozen hands as he continued to examine the account book intently.

Yuan Shu walked onto the field, the snow crunching beneath his feet. His face was filled with haggardness and anxiety, and his breath instantly froze in the icy air. He walked straight towards Yang Hong, his voice hoarse in the cold wind, "Mr. Yang Hong, what is the current situation with the food and fodder?"

Yang Hong frowned slightly, his face etched with worry. He gathered his cloak, bowed, and said, "My Lord, the food and fodder the two generals have collected today is 30% less than usual. It seems the food and fodder stored in the nearby counties has been nearly exhausted. If we want more, we'll have to travel further, but even that would be a much more risky journey on this cold night."

After hearing this, Yuan Shu's worry intensified. The muscles on his face twitched unconsciously a few times. He asked anxiously, "Then, in your opinion, what should we do now?"

Yang Hong pondered for a moment, then said with a determined look, "My lord, given the current situation, without sufficient food and fodder, we have no choice but to storm Yuzhang County. Only by taking Yuzhang County can we resolve our current predicament."

Yuan Shu's brow knitted into a knot, his face a look of anxiety. He said, "Yan Xiang just came to me and told me that even if we forcefully capture Yuzhang County, our army will suffer heavy losses. Furthermore, Yuzhang County is now practically deserted. We've already requisitioned most of the surrounding food and fodder, making it impossible for a large army to garrison there. Furthermore, our rear is constantly being harassed by the enemy. I'm afraid this won't help."

Yang Hong and Yan Xiang usually disagreed politically, and upon hearing Yuan Shu mention Yan Xiang, he immediately became suspicious. He said, "My lord, you must not listen to Yan Xiang. He only cares about maintaining the status quo and living in peace, and he has repeatedly hindered our plans. If we capture Yuzhang County, the entire Yuzhang region will be under our control, effectively pacifying the area. Neighboring forces like Liu Biao will undoubtedly be intimidated by our power, and sending them food and fodder will be a piece of cake."

He paused, then continued, "Furthermore, Zhou Yu of Jiujiang Commandery had previously received an invitation from Tao Qian of Xuzhou to dispatch troops, and his forces must have been dispersed. If we can withdraw troops from Yuzhang Commandery, we can return to aid Runan Commandery. Even if our forces can't reach Runan Commandery in time, we can still invite Cao Cao and other forces to send troops to assist. Cao Cao and his men are all representatives of prominent families, and they have always been on good terms with you, my lord. They will definitely not stand idly by."

Yuan Shu listened to Yang Hong's analysis, a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He narrowed his eyes slightly, gazing at the dark night sky in the distance, mentally weighing the pros and cons. The cold wind continued to howl, as if wailing over the strife of this chaotic world...

The next day, the bitter cold wind still howled across the wilderness, as if it threatened to swallow the entire world. Daybreak had barely begun, the inky sky still lingering, and a few remaining stars shivered in the chill.

Yuan Shu was utterly anxious, his heart consumed by the obsession of conquering Yuzhang County. He ignored the fatigue of his soldiers from days of fighting, and gave the defenders no chance to catch their breath. He resolutely ordered the siege horn to be blown. The shrill blast echoed far and wide on the cold wind, like the call of death.

The soldiers in the camp were startled awake from their freezing sleep at the sound of the horn. Still half-awake and barely recovered from the cold, they dragged themselves to the city walls of Yuzhang County, weapons in hand. Some soldiers huffed and puffed as they marched, rubbing their frozen hands, their faces filled with frustration and exhaustion.

Below the city walls, siege equipment was ready. Ladders were slowly raised, and soldiers pushed siege vehicles, gradually approaching the city walls. The defenders on the walls stood in full battle formation, their faces filled with determination and vigilance. Watching the enemy launch another attack, they tightened their grip on their weapons and vowed to defend the city.

With Yuan Shu's command, the siege officially began. Shouting, the soldiers struggled to scale the ramparts, climbing the ladders. The defenders hurled rolling logs and rocks, and poured scalding oil. From below, shouts of killing and screams rang out. Blood spread across the icy ground, intermingling with the white snow, creating a gruesome scene.

The dawn was just breaking, and the cold wind cut through the sky like a knife. Outside Yuzhang City, it was already a Shura hell.

Yuan Shu was determined to capture the city, completely disregarding the lives of his men. Like a crazed gambler, he pushed his soldiers on. War drums pounded deafeningly as wave after wave of soldiers, carrying shaky ladders, charged toward the city walls, their cries echoing in the biting wind, a voice filled with endless tragedy and grandeur.

On the city walls, the defenders' eyes widened and bloodshot, their weapons tightly gripped. Their eyes were filled with both resentment towards the enemy and fear of death. Scalding oil poured down from the walls, instantly causing the soldiers on the ladders to scream in agony. Their skin was scorched to a bloody mess, yet they clung to the ladders with all their might, for behind them lay Yuan Shu's ruthless supervisory team.

Rolling logs and rocks rained down like a torrential rain, smashing into the soldiers. The sound of bones breaking, mixed with screams of pain, filled the air. Some soldiers were hit on the head, their brains splattering on the spot; others had their legs broken. They fell to the ground, struggling in agony, but were quickly trampled to death by the soldiers charging behind them.

The siege engines rammed the city gate again and again, making a dull thud. Each impact sent a shudder through the defenders on the wall. The wooden planks of the gate were already crumbling, cracks spreading like spider webs.

Bodies piled high beneath the city walls, blood gushing out, staining the ground a dark red that blended with the white snow, appearing particularly glaring. Wounded soldiers lay on the ground, groaning faintly, their eyes filled with despair. Yet, even more soldiers, still forced by Yuan Shu, bravely advanced, stepping over the bodies of their comrades.

The defenders on the wall were gradually losing strength. Their numbers were dwindling, their arrows were almost exhausted, and their physical strength was almost exhausted. Some defenders had collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion, but they still managed to stand up and continue fighting.

Yuzhang City teetered under this torrent of attacks, seemingly on the verge of collapse, swallowed by this frenzied force at any moment. A scene of utter devastation unfolded from both within and without, the shadow of death looming over everyone. Yet, Yuan Shu remained at the rear, his eyes reddened, his arms waving, his voice hoarse, urging his soldiers to launch a more fierce attack.

From a high building in Yuzhang City, a bitterly cold wind whipped past, making a whistling sound. Liu Yao, the city's lord, clad in heavy armor, his brow furrowed, his face so gloomy it looked as if water could drip from it. Beside him, his counselor, Xu Shao, dressed in a long robe, tried to remain calm, but his slightly trembling hands betrayed his inner tension.

The two men stared intently at the gruesome battlefield outside the city. Like a pack of frantic, hungry wolves, Yuan Shu's army stormed the walls, wave after wave. The cries of battle, the clashing of weapons, and the agonizing screams of the soldiers mingled, echoing in the icy air with a chilling intensity. On the walls, the defenders fought with all their might, but under Yuan Shu's frenzied assault, casualties mounted, and the defenses faltered.

Liu Yao clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. His eyes were filled with anxiety and despair. He said in a low voice, "Mr. Xu, look at the situation. The enemy's offensive is so fierce. Our casualties are increasing, and our food and supplies are almost exhausted. I'm afraid we can't hold Yuzhang City."

Xu Shao narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze deep as he carefully observed the situation on the battlefield. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke, "My lord, Yuan Shu is determined to win this time. Our army is already at a disadvantage, and now we are in a difficult battle. If we continue to hold on, we will only be annihilated."