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The others nodded solemnly. Outside, the wind howled across the ramparts. Soldiers moved through the night with torches and shovels, the clatter of hammers and the groan of wood filling the air. The city of Hongnong, once a quiet provincial seat, was transforming into a fortress before their eyes.
Then times passed in a blur of labor and urgency.
Cao Cao remained bedridden, though his color slowly returned. He slept fitfully, his dreams troubled. Xun Yu visited daily, standing silently by the bedside. Sometimes, Cao Cao would stir and whisper incoherently, names, places, fragments of strategies, before sinking back into uneasy sleep.
In those quiet hours, Xun Yu felt the weight of the empire upon him. The memories of Luoyang still haunted him, the chaos, the smoke, and the screams of evacuation. Now, all that remained was this last stand between Hongnong's walls and the coming storm.
On the third day, the physicians declared that Cao Cao was stable but must not be disturbed.
That night, the council met again.
"The scouts report that Hengyuan forces to the east have broken through Hangu Pass," announced Yu Jin grimly. "Their vanguard is already within striking distance of the outer roads. They march with heavy siege engines. While to the north, the Hengyuan forces already reached the crossing port and preparing to cross."
Guo Jia leaned forward. "Then we were right to fortify Hongnong. Let them come. They'll find no easy prey here."
Xiahou Dun slammed his fist against the table. "We'll make them choke on their arrogance! The name of Wei will not fall so long as there's a sword left to draw."
But Xun Yu's voice cut through the fervor with quiet authority. "Do not underestimate them. The Hengyuan legions are disciplined, their strategist are cunning, as their generals top notch and brave. Their Emperor, Lie Fan is not a man who charges blindly. Every movement of his army has purpose. We must anticipate not just their attack, but their deception."
The men fell silent, recognizing the weight of his words.
"Then what do you suggest, Xun Yu?" Guo Jia asked.
Xun Yu's gaze was calm, but his tone sharpened. "We will not wait passively. While our defenses strengthen, I propose sending small detachments to harass their supply lines using the river as our route and cover. If we can delay their siege weapons or hold their advance, we buy time for our reinforcements to come."
Cheng Yu nodded. "A war of attrition, then. Use the river itself as our ally while we still can."
"Precisely."
As the council agreed, plans were drawn swiftly, messengers dispatched, banners raised anew.
Immediately after that, the camp buzzed with renewed purpose. Units drilled in formation beneath the chill dawn, carpenters erected new walls, and blacksmiths hammered fresh spearheads through the night. The morale of the soldiers, once uncertain, began to steady. The ministers' confidence had rekindled the flame of unity.
By the second day, a faint smile returned to Xun Yu's weary face as he stood upon Hongnong's western wall. Below him, the plains rippled with motion, riders, wagons, catapults, all moving with precision. The Wei banner, black with gold trim, fluttered proudly against the grey sky.
Then, as the wind shifted, he saw it, the distant shimmer of Hengyuan banners upon the north and east horizon.
He watched silently for a long moment. The enemy had come.
Behind him, the city's bells tolled thrice, a deep and solemn sound that rolled across the plains. Every man in Hongnong knew what it meant.
The decisive battle for the heart of Wei had begun.
And as the first clouds of dust rose from the advancing legions of Hengyuan, Xun Yu murmured softly under his breath, almost to himself, "May Heaven grant our lord the strength to awaken soon… for the storm he feared is finally here."
Then he turned, cloak fluttering in the wind, and descended the ramparts to join his comrades in the defense of Hongnong, where the fate of Cao Cao, of Wei, and perhaps the entire fractured realm would soon be decided.
The plains east of Hongnong rippled beneath the chill morning wind. A pale mist hung low over the grass, softening the edges of the distant city walls that stood stark and unyielding against the horizon. From afar, the faint outlines of wooden palisades and trenches marred the once smooth earth, a telltale sign that the defenders had been busy.
Sima Yi sat astride a dark grey horse at the forefront of the Hengyuan vanguard. His black cloak fluttered lightly in the wind, the embroidered sigil of the Hengyuan Dynasty gleaming faintly on his chest plate. He raised a slender telescope to his eye, scanning the distant city with the keen patience of a hunter watching his prey from afar.
Through the glass, Hongnong came into focus, rows of sharpened stakes lined the trenches, scaffolds of hastily reinforced timber buttressed the outer walls, and patrols moved with the disciplined rhythm of a force prepared for siege.
Sima Yi's sharp eyes narrowed. "They've been busy," he murmured under his breath. "Cao Cao's men work with purpose. He intends to make Hongnong his shield."
The soft clatter of hooves drew closer. Zang Hong, Zhang Liao, and Taishi Ci rode up beside him, each exuding their distinct aura of authority. Zang Hong's voice, calm yet edged with curiosity, broke the silence first.
"Master Sima Yi," he said, bowing his head slightly out of respect, "how fares the enemy's preparations?"
Without lowering the telescope, Sima Yi's tone remained measured. "Cao Cao has fortified the city well. There are makeshift walls extending beyond the main gate and signs of newly dug trenches. The Wei forces have even begun to utilize the river to launch raids and then retreat swiftly beyond our reach. It appears they intend to drag this into a battle of attrition."
Zang Hong nodded slowly, his expression thoughtful. "Then it is as we suspected. Hongnong will not fall easily. They mean to make their stand here, this will be the heart of the storm."
Taishi Ci, ever the fiery spirit, scoffed softly. "Let them fortify all they want. Stone and wood crumble beneath steel and fire. No wall stands forever. Cao Cao will have no choice but to flee toward Chang'an once we crush their lines. With our numbers, over seven hundred thousand strong, and with you, Master Sima Yi and Master Zang Hong, and Master Chen Deng to the north to guide us, Hongnong will fall. Cao Cao will be forced to retreat to Chang'an with his tail between his legs."
His voice rang with the confidence of a man who had never known hesitation in battle.
But Zhang Liao, calm and tempered by years of warfare, shook his head. "Confidence is a weapon, Taishi Ci," he said, his tone even, "but blind confidence dulls its edge. Remember who stands behind those walls, Guo Jia, Xi Zhicai, Xun Yu, Cheng Yu, Jia Kui, Tian Feng, Xu You. Every one of them a mind sharp enough to carve fate itself. If they've chosen Hongnong, it's because they've prepared for every storm we bring."
At that, Sima Yi finally lowered his telescope and turned his gaze upon the city, his eyes glinting like cold steel beneath his brow. "Marshall Zhang Liao speaks wisely," he said, his voice low yet resolute. "The men within that city are no mere courtiers, they are pillars of Wei's strength. And Cao Cao…" He paused for a moment, a faint, calculating smile forming on his lips. "Cao Cao is a man who can turn weakness into strategy. If he chose Hongnong, it is because he plans to bleed us slowly, not meet us in glorious battle."
Zang Hong's jaw tightened. "Then we must ensure this siege ends swiftly. Prolonged war benefits them more than us."
Sima Yi nodded slightly, his mind already in motion. "Indeed. We will not give them that chance. Begin preparations for our encampment here. The front line will establish itself three li from the city's outer wall. Trenches are to be dug tonight, siege engines assembled by dawn."
He gestured toward his aide, a young officer clutching a scroll case. "Send a raven north to Chen Deng. Inform him of our position and the condition of Hongnong. He must coordinate the northern assault precisely as planned."
The aide saluted sharply and hurried off.
The generals bowed their heads in acknowledgment, then turned to their respective units to carry out Sima Yi's commands.
As the sun dipped behind the clouds, the vast Hengyuan host unfurled across the plain. The rhythmic thud of hammers and the crack of timber echoed across the fields. Campfires began to flicker to life in long, ordered rows, an ocean of red banners rippling in the wind, their shadows stretching toward Hongnong's walls like grasping fingers.
Far to the north, where the river cut through the plain like a winding serpent, the army of the Northern Command was in motion.
Huang Zhong stood upon the bank, his armor glinting gold in the sunlight, his long white beard fluttering with the wind. Despite his age, there was a fiery vigor in his eyes, one that even the young soldiers around him could not match.
Beside him, Chen Deng observed the crossing with his usual meticulous calm. Wooden bridges had been erected in staggering efficiency, soldiers and horses moving across in well-organized formations while boats ferried supplies between banks.
The river churned beneath them, filled with the echo of shouted orders and the splash of oars.
Then, a flutter of black feathers cut through the air. A raven descended gracefully, landing on Chen Deng's outstretched arm. Its talons clutched a small sealed letter.
Chen Deng untied the parchment with practiced hands and unrolled it, his eyes scanning the lines swiftly before reading aloud for Huang Zhong's benefit.
"'To Master Chen Deng: The enemy has entrenched themselves within Hongnong, fortifying both the inner and outer walls. Defensive structures observed include wooden barricades and trench lines extending beyond the main gate. Scouts confirm their use of the river for supply raids. The Wei forces prepare for prolonged resistance. — Sima Yi.'"
Chen Deng's brows furrowed slightly as he refolded the parchment. "A difficult siege indeed," he murmured. Then he looked toward Huang Zhong with a faint smile. "It seems the battle ahead will not be easily won, General."
Huang Zhong laughed heartily, his booming voice carrying across the camp. "Ha! A hard battle? That's the kind I like best! Let those Wei dogs hide behind their walls, when my arrows fly, they'll wish they'd never been born!"
Chen Deng couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Your confidence is unshaken as ever."
"Confidence?" Huang Zhong grinned, gripping the hilt of his sword. "No, it's certainty. I've seen a hundred fortresses fall, and Hongnong will be no different. Just wait until my men finish crossing. You'll see."
Chen Deng only smiled again, saying nothing more as he turned his gaze back toward the flowing river. Beneath the old general's bravado, he sensed the truth, they would be facing not just walls, but minds. Minds like Xun Yu's, capable of turning even defeat into advantage.
Still, he held his composure. "We'll see soon enough," he murmured under his breath. By dusk, the last divisions of Hengyuan's northern army had crossed. The wooden bridges, creaking beneath the weight of men and wagons, held firm as engineers reinforced them through the night.
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Name: Lie Fan
Title: Founding Emperor Of Hengyuan Dynasty
Age: 35 (202 AD)
Level: 16
Next Level: 462,000
Renown: 2325
Cultivation: Yin Yang Separation (level 9)
SP: 1,121,700
ATTRIBUTE POINTS
STR: 966 (+20)
VIT: 623 (+20)
AGI: 623 (+10)
INT: 667
CHR: 98
WIS: 549
WILL: 432
ATR Points: 0