Chapter 236
Chapter 246 - Thank You General Guan For The Arrows (Continuation of Guan Yu's Retelling Of His Defeat)
"General, this is not good at all!!! What should we do?" Said Guan Yu's deputy general in panic. This person's name is Tao Quan, his courtesy name is Zizhang and he is the one who responsible for Liu Bei's escapade from Xu Province to Runan. He was given by Tao Qian to Liu Bei while he was sheltered by him back in Xu Province and become Guan Yu's deputy general since then. In original history, he did not have a chance to leave a good name due to dying on the road to Xinye. However due to b.u.t.terfly effect brought by Liu Mang, Tao Quan managed to survive until now. Tao Quan's mannerism is calm and quiet and he is a very learned person. This is one of trait that Guan Yu liked and put him as his deputy general. However Tao Quan panicked now. Shouchun was bombarded from every direction and they cannot counterattack at all and when the enemy approached so they can counterattack, they target Shouchun's blindspots, leaving no chance to counterattack, even though those 50 catapults target are city wall. Big boulders are banging on the wall made the whole structure shook violently, it made soldiers' morale dropped severely, and when it slammed itself on them, they are dead immediately, become meat patties. Guan Yu then gritted his tooth "Mrngghh!!!" and said to Tao Quan "No choice, we need to breakthrough the city!!! Attack them directly!!! This battle is a lost cause, staying on defensive will exhaust what's left of our army morale!!!" Shouchun has been compromised severely, their defensive maneuvers were toppled one by one. Guan Yu's trebuchets which had been placed on the South Gate tower, had been taken out completely, also the damage to South Gate itself is quite severe. Leaving Guan Yu's only option to attack them directly.
"Direct a.s.sault? General, please don't do that!!!" Said Tao Quan, while holding Guan Yu's arms. Direct a.s.sault? This Guan Yu had lost his mind!!! Thought Tao Quan. They indeed had 10,000 troops only but they are heavy infantries. 10,000 Qing Province Soldiers will be unable to cope with 10,000 heavy infantries with direct confrontation. The only troops that Liu Bei army had who can stand toe-to-toe with those heavy infantries were White Feathered Warriors1 who are currently is their lord's direct subordinate and their trump card.
One of the reason that Liu Bei was able to make comeback after being defeated numerous times was the existence of White Feathered Warriors. They can be considered as Liu Bei's Royal Guard Unit and being a Royal Guard Unit, they must be robust and healthy also they need to be skilled in martial arts. Also when Guan Yu and Zhang Fei had spare time, they certainly will taught them martial arts. So, it can be said that although Chen Dao is their field commander, they are Guan Yu and Zhang Fei's apprentices. However, as formidable as they are, they are still light infantries, so when they reach Runan, Liu Bei approached Liu Pi, Runan's master. Liu Pi who had sworn brotherhood with Liu Bei, quickly open his armory and Liu Bei can expand his White Feathered Warriors from 3,000 troops into 5,000 troops with each personnel is wearing heavy armor. Thus completing his heavy infantry trump card. Their prowess is really strong that even Black Flag heavy infantry is not a match for them.
However currently, Guan Yu don't have White Feathered Warriors with him. Going direct a.s.sault is courting death, as their opponents are heavy infantries and 200 heavy cavalries. They will be annihilated in an instant! But Guan Yu already prepared his resolve and said "If we just stay and do nothing, death is the one awaiting us!" Guan Yu's face is very grim and become more redder. In his mind, if he goes all out from South Gate along with 7,000 troops who stationed here, he may still be able to escape albeit with heavy casualties from Liu Mang army. Guan Yu calculated that out of 7,000 troops, around 5,000 will be casualties.
No other options except to breakthrough!!! Thought Guan Yu who then steeled again his resolve. Guan Yu then prepare to ordered breakthrough using South Gate to all of his officers when Tao Quan interrupted and said "General, are you sure about this?!" Sure?! h.e.l.l NO!!! Thought Guan Yu and smiled bitterly. If
Tao Quan calmed himself down then urged to Guan Yu "General, if you are not sure, then please stay. If general is to die in this battle, those 10,000 Qing Province Elites will become headless!!! Also are you going to break your oath of brotherhood to Milord?!" The oath, eh? Thought Guan Yu. Then Guan Yu's mind flew to that event. Remembering the peach trees, their fated meeting, their oath at the peach garden and their sayings "We seek not to be born on the same day, in the same month and in the same year. We merely hope to die on the same day, in the same month and in the same year." Guan Yu then said to Tao Quan "If we did nothing, we will die trapped in this city!!! Better do something and die honorably then do nothing at all!!!" Guan Yu then held Tao Quan's shoulders and said "Zizhang, don't you worry about a thing. With Zhou Cang at my side, I will definitely be able to return!!!"
Tao Quan then shook his head and said "General, we still another way to survive!!! Right now, we are not cornered at all, although we are besieged by Liu Mang army. He provided enough gaps for us to withdraw from Shouchun!!!" Guan Yu then sternly said his piece "NO!!!! Big bro and strategist Pang said to defend Shouchun with our life. This place is a vital place of Yang Province!!! If not, big bro will not allocate 30,000-s.h.i.+ provisions and a lot of weaponry here!!!" With those words, Guan Yu resolved to not abandon Shouchun. Tao Quan then shouted "WE HAVE NOTHING LEFT NOW!!! NO MORALE, NO TREBUCHETS, NOTHING!!! GENERAL, ARE YOU REALLY SURE WE CAN STILL DEFEND THIS CITY?!" Tao Quan dared to be rude as Guan Yu treated him like nephew, if regular deputy, he is impossible to do that to Guan Yu. Also right now, if Guan Yu was not given shock therapy, he will not responded to anything Tao Quan said.
"I, me…" Guan Yu stuttered then he goes silent. He already knew that defending the city is already a fleeting dream and if the battle continues like this, tomorrow he shall be a meat patty along with his soldiers, but still he stubbornly clinging to his a.s.signed duty. Tao Quan then continued, touching several sensitive things to Guan Yu "General, please think thrice!!! If you died in battle, what about Milord and your oath to him? Also here got 10,000 Qing Province Soldiers, Milord is currently severely lacking in troops now! If General were to throw those 10,000 Qing Province Soldiers and your life as well, what will happen to Milord's great cause?!" Guan Yu kept his silence.
Guan Yu is a very proud person and in his eyes, this Prince of Shu is nothing more than bratty milksop. And right now, that bratty milksop is defeating him, how can his pride take it? Right now Guan Yu is two mind about this thing, one is to remain in Shouchun, salvage his pride and fulfill Pang Tong's and Liu Bei's order, second is to retreat, make good of his oath and fight for another day. Also the thing that made him leaning toward the second option is those 10,000 Qing Province Soldiers. Tao Quan is right, if he exhaust these 10,000 elites, Liu Bei Army will lose one limb. Guan Yu then responded to Tao Quan "If we retreat now, it will be very b.l.o.o.d.y to retake Shouchun again." When they occupy Shouchun, Shouchun is already desolate and its gates were open, therefore they could occupy it almost instantly. If they retreat now, Liu Mang army will be their opponent the next time they besieged Shouchun. Tao Quan then replied "General, if we lived, we still can make a comeback. Quan asked you, have you forgotten how Traitor Cao occupied Shouchun from Yuan Shu?!"
Guan Yu stunned and thought How Lord Cao occupied Shouchun? Guan Yu then slapped his forehead How could I forgot about that? Regarding that "Lord Cao" address for Cao Cao, it is because Cao Cao treated Guan Yu very good. He gave Lu Bu's Red Hare to be his personal steed personally and treated him like a family member, calling here Yunchang here, Yunchang there. So Guan Yu's respect for Cao Cao is still very high even though Liu Bei army are calling him Traitor Cao.
Regarding how Cao Cao occupied Shouchun2, how can Guan Yu not know about that? Guan Yu loved about art of war, therefore he will follow every battle event in all of the nation. When Cao Cao occupied Shouchun, it happened because of Yuan Shu proclaimed himself as Emperor of Zhong Dynasty after receiving imperial seal from Sun Ce. At that time, Cao Cao composed an edict in order to destroy Yuan Shu, the usurper. So Yuan Shu was attacked from 4 sides, therefore he retreated from Runan and goes to Shouchun, throwing away his Yu Province and made Shouchun his final defense line. He then quickly raised his troops to be 100,000 troops and create 4 dams at Ying River and Huai River to irrigate the land, thus fulfilling his need of provisions. However those 4 dams are double-edged sword as it lowered Shouchun's topography and finally was used by Cao Cao to flood Shouchun. 80,000 troops out of 100,000 troops were washed by the flood and the remaining were either died or run away. Yuan Shu himself and his family evacuated using his recreation s.h.i.+p. Cao Cao then gave a stern warning toward the boat, not to proclaim himself as emperor again or else.
Guan Yu then said "Are you talking about flooding Shouchun again?!" Tao Quan then nodded. Tao Quan then said "If we kept clinging to Shouchun, we will ended up dead. But if we retreat and prepared again, then Liu Mang army will certainly suffer the same fate as Yuan Shu or worse." Guan Yu agreed with that kind of reasoning but he still clinging to the fact that he still can defend the city. While he is in that thought, suddenly "BOOM!!!" there is a big sound on the Shouchun South Gate that they are standing on.
The gate of South Gate was quickly breached since Shouchun defensive maneuvers already been destroyed. Right now Shouchun is just like a girl who opened his legs, waiting for Liu Mang to penetrate. Seeing this very event Guan Yu gritted his tooth "Mrnggh!!!" and said "Go, order the troops to retreat!!! NOW!!!!" Finally Guan Yu chose to retreat as he finally recognize that this is a lost cause as his. "Yes sir!!!" Replied Tao Quan happily and he quickly beat the drum to signalling the retreat. "Hmm, Shouchun already breached!!!" Said Liu Mang while smiling victoriously. He is overlooking the battle with telescope. The telescope finally was able to be replicated as right now there are artisans who can refine crystals for lens more efficiently. However as cost for producing this telescope is still high, as the lens was made of crystal, he can only give telescopes to Lu Bu, Zhang Liao, Gan Ning, Zhao Yun and himself. Liu Mang resolved that when Shouchun is captured, he will a.s.sign those craftsmen to produce gla.s.s for lens.
Liu Mang then hand Xu Shu his telescope. Xu Shu also felt very fascinated with this telescope and been playing with it a lot. This instrument really will become essential in this war Thought Xu Shu. Seeing Xu Sheng kept his eye on the telescope played by Xu Shu, Liu Mang scolded "Stop looking at it! Wait until Shouchun been captured, then you can have one of it!" Xu Sheng dropped his line of sight. He is really drooling with the telescope and has been wondering what could he and his Black Flag could do with this telescope. But because of his unit Black Flag's movement is slow, a drawback that Xu Sheng himself admitted, Liu Mang did not prioritize him and his units, therefore he really envy those generals who were given telescope now.