Chapter 120 – Sun Ce's Begin His Counterattack (2)
Translated by Bloodfalcon, Edited by Krayto
Eh, this fast?! Chen Gong and Lu Bu looked at each other. They know Sun Ce’s army's capabilities with 100,000 troops. They are kings on Yangtze River, but they truly didn’t think that his speed is so fast. Shucheng County has fallen into enemy hands.
“How can this be?!” Chen Gong's complexion become a little pale. Shucheng County in Lujiang is a big city, its size is not smaller than Wancheng city. Moreover, according to geographical advantage, Shucheng County’s position is very special. It’s located between Jiangdong and Central Plains.
“Report!!!! Milord, emergency report!!!” An emergency report was handed into Lu Bu's hand “Ehhh, we also lost Jiashi County?!”
Lu Bu's army supply routes have been blocked completely. They come from Huangzhou city. Huangzhou has been occupied by Jiangdong's army. After Lu Bu conquered Huangzhou city, using Jing Province as a place to escape was no longer an option. We are in big trouble.
Now Shucheng County and Jiashi County have both been lost, the escape route from Lujiang was completely blocked.
“How is Chen Deng?!” Chen Gong pinched the emergency letter. Shucheng County, Jiashi County and Shiting County was entrusted by Lu Bu to manage. That is because Chen Gong knows that Chen Deng's talent is pretty high, let alone three counties, even if Lu Bu gave him a province to manage, he will be able to do it very well. But from three counties, two counties have fallen.
“Damned Zhou clan!!!!” Lu Bu read the third emergency letter with sullen expression. This time, the news no longer contained losing a county, but the emergency news stated that in a few weeks prior, Shiting County's defenders who had no activity previously suddenly discovered enemy outside of Shiting County, the banner that was flying above is the Zhou banner.
Zhou Yu is currently confronting Jiangxia and Jing Province's army, so now the one who besieged Shiting County is definitely the Zhou clan of Shucheng County.
Those despicable nobles pulled out 40,000 troops to take over Shucheng County and Jiashi County.
This event explained well why Chen Deng was able to lose those two counties so quickly and his two familial generals died in battle and his location currently unknown. The city was not broken through from the outside, but instead self-destructed from the inside.
Lu Bu originally planned to subdue the Zhou clan, who knew that this Zhou clan was one step ahead of Lu Bu and took down his two counties.
“These damn nobles!!!” Lu Bu's face become much colder. How can Lu Bu not get angry?! This is the second time he was betrayed by nobles. Previously when he was in Xu Province, he was sold out by Chen Deng and Chen Gui. This time Chen Deng was also played by the Zhou clan.
“We cannot afford to lose Shiting County!!!” If Shucheng and Jiashi is easily defensible, then Shiting can be defended like guarding a pass. It was a very strategic place and its impregnability is just like Hulao Gate.
If Shiting County was lost, Lu Bu’s army will be cornered like a turtle. Casualties for breakthrough and retreat will be too big.
Lu Bu's complexion sunk even further and said “Pass my military command, order for Zhang Liao and Gao Shun to see me NOW!”
Shortly after that, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun arrived in Wancheng city office hall to discuss official business.
“Zhang Liao, you bring Bing Province Heavy Cavalry and rush toward Shiting County. Rescue Shiting at any cost!” From Wancheng city to Shiting is quite a distance, and the one who can arrived there quickly is the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry.
“Gao Shun, you bring your Formation Breaker to follow Bing Province Heavy Cavalry. I do not want to see the Zhou clan again appear in Shucheng County!!!” Lu Bu said it with an angry tone. Exterminating the Chen clan proved to be insufficient, so he must also exterminate the Zhou clan. So all of you can see how dangerous it is to let a seed of chaos bloom.
“Yes sir!!!” They receive their order and leave ASAP.
“Let Zang Ba put his Taishan army on standby, await orders. He is to go with me to Wuwei Village!” Wuwei Village is the fisherman village near Chaohu Lake, which is also where Wancheng city naval HQ located. If Sun Ce lead his unit to land there, the damage will be too great.
All of Wancheng city armies is on the move. Bing Province Heavy Cavalry is the first one to leave the city, following after them was the Formation Breaker. Taishan Army also moved to Wuwei. Under Zang Ba's leadership, suddenly those former Jiangxia soldiers who were initially very weak, got a sudden boost of strength.
Lu Bu army's movement naturally could not be hidden from the Wancheng city's nobles, either small or big nobles.
Zhou Yi's eldest son, Zhou Cheng is stationed in Wancheng city, he has frequently been paying attention to Lu Bu's army movement, frequently sending spy to get Intel on Lu Bu's army.
“Bing Province Heavy Cavalry is leaving the city along with the Formation Breaker. And Lu Bu also personally gone into action?!” Zhou Cheng is currently reading an Intel on Lu Bu’s army.
“Young master, is he coming toward us?!” One of Zhou clan's general inquired.
“Do not worry, it is not us!!!” Zhou Cheng shook his head. He is Zhou Yi's son, this year, his age is the same as Zhou Yu which is 24 years old. But from his infancy to adulthood, all that Zhou clan ever praised was only Zhou Yu, Zhou Gongjin. His grandfather and his father also said that Zhou Cheng had no achievement at all. So today, come an opportunity to make his name soar like Zhou Yu, how can he share it?
His goal is just like his father, making chaos from inside Wancheng city, so the governing power can be returned to Sun Ce and restoring its status as the connector between Jiangdong and the Central Plains.
His father is already in Shiting County. The news of a siege has successfully attracted Lu Bu’s army’s attention. But in order to perform his scheme, he must wait until Lu Bu’s army flushes out of Wancheng city.
Zhou Cheng is very cautious. If Lu Bu is just doing a feint in his departures news, then all of his schemes will be ended.
A day passed by, two days passed by.
News come to the Zhou clan mansion in Wancheng city “Young master, young master, bad news come to us! Lu Bu army's Bing Province Heavy Cavalry successfully routed Lord Zhou Yi's army who had besieged Shiting County. Currently Lord Zhou Yi is retreating toward Shucheng, having been defeated!”
“What about Wuwei?!” Zhou Cheng brow wrinkled but he has no big reaction.
“Wuwei also destroyed. Lu Bu, Lu Fengxian, lead 3,000 Taishan army personally, and he has killed Zhou Kang!!!” Zhou Kang is one of Zhou clan's most famous familial general, he is loyal and devoted for the Zhou clan and possess elite troops that is swift like wind. He has been entrusted to attack Wuwei Village by Zhou Yi, now Zhou Kang also died in Wuwei and his soldiers retreated east to Xianxi County.
TL: Xianxi County is located in Xianxi, Yueqing Prefecture, of Zhejiang Province now.
“That is good!!!” Zhou Cheng stood up and shouted “good”! His face only showing excitement, no expression of anger and worry was visible on his face.
“Now, we enter the stage!” Zhou Cheng went out of his room.
It is currently summer, the temperature is getting higher and higher. Humans are unable to endure under hot sunlight, let alone these defenders who wore helmets and armor.
“Damn, so hot, who can bear this heat wearing this kind of armor?!” A defender sergeant of Lu Bu's army is complaining about his helmet and armor.
“Only a little heat, could not bear! You southerners are too spoiled!!!” Another old soldier said coldly answering the sergeant. That soldier is a local from Wancheng city and that old person who berated the sergeant is a veteran of Lu Bu’s army or at that time still called the Bing Province Army.
Those who originally followed Lu Bu from the very beginning, all of them either sick, wounded or already old, they are unable to follow the current demand for the army, for example the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry and Formation Breaker. They needed fresh blood in order to keep their elite status and those who cannot keep up with their standards obviously will be kicked out from the team. But in Lu Bu’s army, no one is wasted, they can still get promotion by being a defender of a city.
The veteran now, was once a Bing Province Heavy Cavalry soldier. In Kaiyang, he lost his arm. Logically, he should be given pension by Lu Bu, but he said to Lu Bu “Milord, please do not throw me away, I am still useful!!!” and rejected his pension and asked Lu Bu to be assigned as a gate captain.
TL: This Old Man Wu, is the Old Man who lost his hand in Kaiyang and the one who encouraged Lu Bu in chapter 32
Because his age is old enough, everyone called him Old Man Wu.
“Back then!!!” Old Man Wu started his lengthy speech, he told of his past experiences. If one listened to his story once, twice, even three or four times, it is still fresh. But this senile old man, repeated it 7-8 times a day. If this continues for 365 days straight, a person who had the patience of a saint will also be tired from hearing same story over and over again from Old Man Wu.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah! Old Man Wu, your merit is the biggest of us all!” Another gate guard encouraged Old Wu to speak. He is one of Chen Deng's Guangling army's soldier. He was tasked to become a gate guard.
“Old Wu, I rest first, after that, change to you!” the guard called Han, wiped his sweat and said those words.
“Milord said our responsibility is to protect city wall, he did not set shifts for us, and how can you can just rest?!” Old Wu wants to dissuade him, but Han just waved his hand.
“Worried about what? Although Sun Ce’s army attacked us, there is Milord's Bing Province Heavy Cavalry and Formation Breaker. With them we have nothing to fear! Old Wu, are you not confident that the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry and Formation Breakers are able to destroy the enemy outside?!”
Han boasted about the Bing Province Heavy Cavalry and Formation Breaker. They know that this is Old Wu’s weakness. As long as you praised about Bing Province Army, Old Wu will become good to you.
“It is true, but!!!”
“Nothing will happen. I just want to find cool place and not under the walls, only a moment I will come back!” With that saying, Han left, with him also several soldiers following behind.
“Only a moment, okay?!” Old Wu shouting from behind.
“Yes, I know!” Aiyah, Old Wu can be very forceful, Han just shook his head helplessly.
“Aaaaahhhhhhhh... This is life!!!!” Finally he found a cool place hid him from the shine of the sun. In addition, at that place, he can also sit down on the ground. He did not need to stand for a long time, a really good feeling.
Being too comfortable, Han unknowingly dozed off to a deep sleep.