Qianyi.
"kill!"
Thousands of Wu army soldiers were rushing towards the city wall fearlessly, braving the enemy's arrows that were shot like locusts.
The Wu army had already set up ladders, and countless elite soldiers climbed up the ladders one after another and charged towards the top of the city!
Every time a volley of arrows came, it could kill more than a dozen Wu soldiers who were caught off guard.
The Wu soldier who was shot by the arrow had not yet died, but his body had already fallen down like a kite with a broken string, and even knocked down some of his comrades!
The Chu army soldiers on the top of the city looked at the large black mass of enemies and attacked them with bows and arrows, hot oil, stones, rolling logs and the like, causing great damage to the Wu army that was attacking the city.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The dull and loud sound of the cowhide war drum resounded through the sky.
At the city gate, dozens of Wu army soldiers shouted slogans, held up shields, and pushed thick battering rams, hitting the gate of Qianyi again and again.
Inside and outside the city, there was wailing everywhere and blood flowed like a river!
"Hold on!"
"Archer, come here!"
On the top of the city wall, a Chu army general wearing Taotie armor and a blood-stained battle robe was commanding his soldiers to fight.
Whenever Wu army soldiers rushed forward, he would immediately swing his sword and kill them one by one!
This person is Shen Zhuliang, the son of Shen Yinsu.
After learning that the Chu army that attacked Wu was completely wiped out and the Wu people had invaded Shu again, Shen Zhuliang accepted the order and personally led the local soldiers to Qianyi, trying to stop the Wu army that was advancing like a hot knife through butter and prevent it from advancing another step!
Seeing their general so brave and not afraid of life and death, the Chu army soldiers around them felt encouraged and their morale was boosted. They killed the invading enemies one by one as if they were injected with chicken blood.
The tenacious resistance of the Qianyi defenders was beyond Sun Ping's expectations.
As the sky gradually darkened, the Wu army had no choice but to call off the troops and wait for another day to fight!
…
Wu army camp.
As night fell, Sun Ping and Fan Li entered the wounded camp to inspect.
All I saw were wounded soldiers who were missing limbs, blind, or suffering from other serious injuries!
They howled loudly or groaned softly, but all of them had expressions of pain on their faces, and they curled up like lobsters.
At this moment, seeing the miserable appearance of the wounded soldiers, Fan Li couldn't help but shake his head and sighed: "Grand Sima, we all underestimated the resistance of the Chu people."
"After a series of battles, our soldiers are already exhausted physically and mentally. Now they have suffered a setback in Qianyi and cannot make any progress. The army is short of arrows and cotton wool, and morale is low. People's minds are changing. I am afraid we can't fight for long."
Hearing this, Sun Ping frowned and asked, "Shao Bo, do you mean... withdraw the troops?"
"That's the only way. However, withdrawal is not something that can be accomplished overnight!"
"So the Grand Marshal might as well suspend the offensive against Qianyi, appeal to the king, explain the situation to him, and persuade him to negotiate peace with the State of Chu. I believe that with your wisdom, you will be able to sympathize with the soldiers and let our Wu army retreat unscathed."
Sun Ping lowered his head and pondered for a long time, but ultimately he did not make up his mind.
Because the decree issued by Qingji was to let Sun Ping lead his army to conquer Shudi and Zhaoguan of Chu. Now Shudi has all returned to Wu, at least in name.
But the Wu army at Zhaoguan did not have enough troops to take it in one go!
Once the Wu army is blocked in Qianyi and cannot advance, troops from various parts of Chu will continue to rush to Qianyi, and the situation of the Wu army will become extremely dangerous.
Even if the Chu army in Qianyi did not have reinforcements, in the absence of sufficient siege equipment and warm cotton wool, the Wu army's offensive would be slow and it might even collapse without a fight.
"Grand Marshal, our army has already captured Shudi and several cities along the river in Chu. Although we have not taken Zhaoguan, the king will not hold us accountable."
Fan Li said slowly: "After all, Chu is a dominant country with a deep foundation and a long depth. Although Chu lost 80,000 soldiers in Wu and was almost seriously injured, it still has the strength to fight!"
"If the war against Chu comes to a stalemate, it will be very disadvantageous to our Wu army. By then, not only will the cities and lands we have already captured be lost, but I am afraid that our army will be completely lost in Chu territory!"
Upon hearing this, Sun Ping couldn't help but nod slightly, thinking that what Fan Li said made sense.
Now the Wu army is almost unable to fight anymore. They can't even take Qianyi, an important town in Chu State, let alone Zhaoguan.
If the war fails to make progress, the Chu State, which has recovered its breath, will certainly counterattack, and the Wu army will probably end up being wiped out!
…
Chu State, Yingdu.
In the huge court, ministers and officials stood on both sides, wearing tall hats and wide belts, holding ivory tablets in their hands, as if their eyes were looking at their noses, their noses at their mouths, and their mouths at their hearts.
Sitting on the steps was a boy of about ten years old, still looking childish. He was wearing a dark robe with red stripes and a crown on He had a fair complexion and looked very noble.
He is none other than the current King of Chu, Xiong Ren (Zhen)!
On one side of the platform, there was a screen and a cushion, on which sat a beautiful woman with a charming manner and dressed in an extremely elegant and luxurious manner.
This is the Queen Mother of Chu State - Meng Ying.
Since Xiong Zhen was young and inexperienced, the State of Chu had to rely on Queen Mother Meng Ying to rule the country from behind the scenes, with Prime Minister Nang Wa and Prince Shen (Zi Xi) assisting in state affairs so that Xiong Zhen could rule the country with ease.
"Your Majesty, Queen Mother, the Wu army has been besieging Qianyi for many days without success. According to Shen Zhuliang's report, the Wu army is already in decline and has no will to fight. They have no choice but to switch from attack to defense."
"Therefore, Shen Zhuliang requests that additional troops be sent to support Qianyi, so as to recapture the nine cities in Shudi and many cities along the river, and complete the task in one battle, and completely destroy the Wu army west of the Yangtze River!"
Zixi was the first to stand up and report.
"Shen Zhuliang? But he is the son of Zuo Sima Shen Yinshu?"
"Exactly!"
Zixi said solemnly: "Queen, Shen Zhuliang inherited his father's ability to lead troops in battle. After hearing that the Wu army crossed the Yangtze River to attack Chu, he personally led the troops of the county to reinforce Qianyi, strengthen the city defense, and build fortifications."
"If it weren't for Shen Zhuliang's proper command, Qianyi would have fallen, and the heartland of our Chu State would have been exposed to the Wu army!"
Hearing this, Meng Ying nodded slightly and said softly: "Shen Yinshu gave birth to a good son."
Meng Ying should be thankful that she did not hold Shen Zhuliang responsible, otherwise when the Wu army was approaching, the Chu State would not have been able to find many generals to lead the troops to resist.
Before, when the news came that the Chu army was completely wiped out and 80,000 soldiers were lost, the whole Chu state was in panic, like a bolt from the blue!
Ling Yin Nang Wa wanted to find someone responsible immediately and asked Meng Ying to punish General Shen Yinshu, but unfortunately the latter had already drawn his sword and committed suicide to pay his tribute.
After all, the crime of losing a teacher is too serious and no one can afford it!
However, it seems unreasonable to confiscate the property and exterminate the family of the deceased Shen Yinshu.