Xun Yu's eyes anxiously swept across the city wall,finally settling on Dian Wei's nonchalant figure.Not a hint of nervousness marred Dian Wei's countenance,as if he remained completely unfazed by the city gate that teetered on the brink of being breached.Xun Yu was perplexed.Could it be that Dian Wei harbored some secret,fallback plan?
Suppressing the doubts that churned within him,he once again cast his gaze downward.The soldiers of the Black Mountain Bandits surged forward like a tempestuous tide,braving the arrows that rained down from the defenders on the city wall with a density akin to a storm.After enduring a heavy toll,they finally managed to maneuver the chariot bearing the battering ram into the tunnel beneath the city gate.
"One,two,three,ram!"they roared in unison,manipulating the massive battering ram to smash against the city gate with all their might.The resounding thuds reverberated between the city walls,each impact causing the ground beneath Xun Yu's feet to tremble slightly.His expression shifted,and he hastened to Dian Wei,exclaiming,"General Dian,if they persist with this ramming,I fear the city gate will not hold!"
"Fear not!Let them ram.If they manage to enter,I shall concede defeat,"Dian Wei declared with unwavering confidence.He had made thorough preparations in advance,following Big Brother Lin Yu's plan to the letter.
Xun Yu sighed with a sense of helplessness.This was a battlefield where life and death hung in the balance.Once the Black Mountain Bandits gained entry,it was likely that none within the city would survive.He truly could not fathom whence Dian Wei derived such confidence.Resolving not to engage in further argument with Dian Wei,he summoned a troop of soldiers and rushed down the city wall in haste.
Before Xun Yu had even descended the wall,a cry pierced the air,"The city gate...it's about to break!"His heart plummeted,and he stared towards the gate tower."Boom!"With a dull,mournful sound,the dilapidated city gate buckled under the assault and crashed down with a thunderous clamor.Xun Yu gasped in horror,yet to his astonishment,the soldiers under Dian Wei's command showed no inclination to engage the enemy and bar the Black Mountain Bandits from entering the city.Instead,they remained rooted to the spot,making no move to approach the gate.
"What are you doing?Hurry and block them!"Xun Yu's anxiety spiked.The Black Mountain Bandits outnumbered them several times over.If they were to pour into the city,there would be no hope of defending the county town.But the soldiers merely turned their heads to look at Xun Yu and stood their ground.
At that moment,the Black Mountain Bandits outside the city swarmed in,each vying to be the first to enter.Gazing at the dark mass of the enemy,Xun Yu was consumed by despair.All was lost!The city was doomed!
However,in the next instant,the unexpected transpired.The ground beneath the feet of the vanguard of the Black Mountain Bandits suddenly gave way.A vast and deep chasm opened up as if from nowhere before everyone's eyes.At the bottom of the pit,countless sharp spikes glinted menacingly.The unsuspecting Black Mountain Bandits plunged into the abyss one after another,their screams filling the air.
Although those behind them reacted and desperately attempted to retreat,the soldiers of the Black Mountain Bandits outside the city,unaware of the situation within,continued to rush forward in a chaotic mass.As a result,countless more of them tumbled into the pit.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Only after suffering a grievous toll did the Black Mountain Bandits realize something was amiss and halt their advance.Xun Yu stared blankly at the pit before him,momentarily stunned.
"County Magistrate Xun,what think you of the trap I set?"Dian Wei descended from the city wall,his face beaming with pride as he regarded Xun Yu."This...You designed this trap?"Xun Yu's eyes widened in disbelief."Indeed!"Dian Wei took the credit without a blush,conveniently omitting that it was Lin Yu's idea.After all,Lin Yu had instructed him to keep it secret.
The trap that Dian Wei had his men dig was positioned precisely to block the city gate.If the Black Mountain Bandits wished to enter the city,they had no choice but to cross over this perilous trap.The pit spanned three zhang in width and five zhang in depth.Even without the spikes at the bottom,any soldier who fell in would surely meet a grim fate,either death or severe injury.
Xun Yu mused to himself that Dian Wei was truly a shrewd...no,far-sighted individual.No wonder he had been so confident in repelling the Black Mountain Bandits.With such a deep pit in place,how could the bandits enter without incurring a heavy price?
Xun Yu couldn't help but regard Dian Wei with a newfound respect and offered sincere praise,"General Dian,your stratagem is truly masterful!"Hearing such acclaim from Xun Yu,a highly regarded advisor of Cao Cao,Dian Wei's face lit up with joy."County Magistrate Xun,you flatter me.These are but simple tricks.If the Black Mountain Bandits dare to attack again,I have other countermeasures in store!"
"Oh?May I inquire as to what these other plans are,General Dian?""Well...Hehe,County Magistrate Xun will discover them in due course,"Dian Wei blurted out in his excitement,then hastily attempted to cover his slip.Xun Yu furrowed his brow slightly,his gaze fixed on the trap before him,his expression pensive.
A few days prior,Dian Wei had requisitioned four thousand laborers from him.It seemed unlikely that their sole purpose had been to dig this single pit.Judging from his words,it appeared that more elaborate arrangements awaited the Black Mountain Bandits.But that was a good thing.At least Puyang City had a fighting chance.Xun Yu's brow relaxed,and he exhaled a long-held breath.
However,Yu Du and the others outside the city were far from content."What?There's a deep pit within the city?!"Yu Du's face was ashen with fury.Bai Rao,Sui Gu,and the other leaders of the Black Mountain Bandits also wore expressions of dismay.They had initially believed that once they breached the city gate,they could effortlessly seize the city and embark on a rampage of looting.None had anticipated that the defenders within the city had laid such a devious trap.
"The one responsible for defending Puyang County town is no ordinary soul!"Yu Du gritted his teeth,forcing the words out.Defending the city with excrement and setting deep-pit traps?How could someone with such ingenuity be an ordinary being?
"Didn't you say that all of Cao Cao's principal generals had departed with him?"Bai Rao seized Huang Silang by the collar,glaring at him with venomous eyes."That's what the intelligence indicated!"Huang Silang was on the verge of tears.
"Then why is this the case?""I...I truly don't know..."Despite their best efforts to make sense of it,Yu Du,Bai Rao,and the others could not fathom that the mastermind behind the city's defense was a mere grain transport officer.
"Chief Bai,do not harass Master Huang,"Yu Du said,shaking his head at Bai Rao.At present,the most crucial task was to swiftly capture Puyang City.Bai Rao understood this well and released Huang Silang's collar with a disdainful snort,"You're lucky this time."
"What should we do next?"Sui Gu inquired."Should we shift to another city gate and continue the assault?"Bai Rao proposed tentatively."Foolish!We've already paid a heavy price to breach this one gate.If we attack another,we'll surely endure an even greater cost!"Yu Du retorted angrily."Moreover,how can we be certain there aren't similar traps behind the other three gates?"Bai Rao was left speechless.
Indeed.It was highly unlikely that the Cao troops within the city had only dug a trap behind one gate.