Chapter 72: The Fall of Xiangyang

This time, all the men Liu Xie brought with him were new recruits, completely inexperienced in battle.

Though the situation was dire, for these hundreds of thousands of troops—and indeed for the entire army of Nanyang—this was an extraordinary opportunity. So long as they could endure this ordeal, Liu Xie was convinced the soldiers of Nanyang would be forged into a formidable fighting force, with their combat abilities rising by several orders of magnitude.

The night slipped by. Before dawn the next morning, Liu Xie ascended the command platform.

“All of you, listen well!

“From this moment forth, the army of one hundred and fifty thousand will be divided into five echelons!

“Each echelon will consist of thirty thousand men and will take turns attacking Xiangyang!

“Every echelon will only need to assault the city for two hours.

“After two hours, the next will take over.

“Now, first echelon—attack!”

Liu Xie intended to repeat the tactics he had used on Nan Commandery: subjecting Xiangyang to relentless waves of assault.

With five echelons, each would have four hours of rest after their turn—eight hours, by the reckoning of the twenty-first century—ample time for the men to recover their strength. Thus, this attack would proceed with much less strain; the soldiers would be well-rested, striking at Xiangyang with renewed vigor each time, maximizing the force of every assault.

And so, tens of thousands of soldiers commenced the first wave against Xiangyang.

Within the Prefectural Office of Xiangyang, panic had set in.

“My lord, disaster! Liu Shi-ban is leading his forces against the city!”

“Their assault is fierce, and our men are fighting desperately to hold them off!”

A subordinate hurried in with the report.

“Quickly, order all troops to man the walls and defend!” Liu Biao snapped. “What news from Cao Cao’s front?”

“My lord, fighting has erupted in Nanyang, but Zhang Xiu leads his men in a stubborn defense—the battle is deadlocked.

“Moreover, the Nanyang army has fought our forces at Xinye for days, pushing to within fifty li of Xiangyang.

“Our army and Liu Yan’s forces at Xinye have already lost more than half their men.”

The subordinate finished his report on the state of Xinye and Nanyang.

“What?” Liu Biao could hardly believe his ears. “Half our men lost already? Of the two hundred and fifty thousand at Xinye, more than half are gone?”

“Yes, my lord. The Nanyang army has also lost nearly fifty thousand, but their attacks are relentless. Our men can barely withstand them. It is expected that by tomorrow, the Nanyang army will reach Xiangyang’s gates.”

This report cast a heavy pall over all present.

Though Nanyang’s forces had suffered losses, fifty thousand out of three hundred and eighty thousand was not crippling; they still had three hundred and thirty thousand men in the field. But the defenders—of the original two hundred and fifty thousand, barely over a hundred thousand remained.

One side was already beset by Liu Xie’s one hundred and fifty thousand troops, while on the other, more than three hundred thousand were closing in fast.

Xiangyang’s position was perilous.

And so, many armies clashed fiercely across Jingzhou. Liu Xie’s relentless, rotating assaults battered Xiangyang without pause, the fighting continuing for a full day and night.

“Master, we have besieged Xiangyang for a day and a night,” a soldier reported. “Our side has lost nearly twenty thousand. The men are reaching their limits.”

Liu Xie drew a deep breath. Losses were inevitable—this was war.

“Then consolidate into four echelons and continue the assault. Everyone, hold fast. Our hardship is nothing compared to what Xiangyang is enduring.”

“I imagine General Hu and his forces must be nearing the northern approaches to Xiangyang by now. Go, inform General Hu: there is to be no rest. Upon reaching Xiangyang, commence the assault at once. Deploy every siege engine.”

Liu Xie’s orders rang out, his mind focused solely on the final, decisive attack.

Meanwhile, to the north of Xiangyang, Hu Che’er and Jia Xu led more than three hundred thousand troops to within ten li of the city.

“General Hu!” a messenger galloped up.

“General Hu, Lord Jia! The young master commands: do not halt. Attack Xiangyang immediately. Deploy all troops and siege engines.”

Hu Che’er and Jia Xu exchanged a glance.

“The situation must be critical indeed,” Jia Xu murmured.

“My lords, the young master has already engaged Xiangyang from the southeast for a day and a night. All of Xiangyang’s strength is pinned down. Strike at once!”

“So, the young master has kept Xiangyang’s defenders occupied for a whole day and night. Very well—we press the attack. All troops, prepare! From this moment, there will be no distinction between day and night. Seize Xiangyang in one great surge!”

Roused to action, Hu Che’er led his forces forward. Ten li were covered in a short time, and at Hu Che’er’s command, more than three hundred thousand troops launched their assault on Xiangyang.

Chaos gripped the Prefectural Office.

“My lord, Hu Che’er is attacking us from the north with three hundred thousand men!”

“Report! Hu Che’er’s army is unstoppable—our casualties are severe!”

“Report! Hu Che’er’s forces have breached the city!”

One messenger after another brought ever more dire news, until at last word arrived: the city had fallen.

Liu Biao slumped into his chair, as though his soul had fled him.

“It’s over. It’s all over. Xiangyang has fallen.”

“Report!” another came. “My lord, to the south, Liu Shi-ban has also breached the city and is advancing on the Prefectural Office!”

With both sides of Xiangyang’s defenses broken, the city was lost.

At the city gates, Liu Xie led his army in. The moment the city fell, he exhaled deeply.

“All men, listen well! Secure all strategic points in Xiangyang. Do not, under any circumstance, harass the local populace. The rest, follow me to the Prefectural Office!”

With that, Liu Xie led his forces forward.

At the northern gates, Hu Che’er and Jia Xu’s troops streamed in as well, racing towards the Prefectural Office. By the time they arrived, the place was already in chaos, with many officials desperate to escape—only to find themselves surrounded and trapped by Liu Xie and Hu Che’er’s armies.

“Surround the Prefectural Office! Take control of everyone within!”

Liu Xie’s shout was met with instant action; the once-imposing office was ringed several layers deep by tens of thousands, while others rushed inside to secure the officials.

Liu Xie strode in. All the officials of Jingzhou stationed in Xiangyang had already been herded into the great courtyard. Hu Che’er and Jia Xu approached.

“Young master, it’s all done. Everyone is under control.”

“The whole of Xiangyang is ours. Our three hundred thousand are securing every corner.”

The weariness and relief in Hu Che’er’s voice made it clear how hard-won this victory was. Indeed, after so many brutal battles and such dire straits, it was no easy feat.

Liu Xie nodded quietly.

“I understand. Order the troops to rest and recover. Tomorrow, you will return to Nanyang with the army. I will remain here in Xiangyang.”

“At your command!” Hu Che’er replied. He knew well that Zhang Xiu, still in Nanyang, was under tremendous pressure and needed reinforcement as soon as possible.

“Y-your Majesty?” At that moment, Liu Biao, who had been brought before them, stared at Liu Xie in disbelief.

Liu Xie turned to face him. “Well, Lord Liu, do you recognize your sovereign now?”

No longer concealing his identity, Liu Xie revealed himself.

“Your Majesty?” Even Hu Che’er was stunned, gaping at Liu Xie.

“General Hu,” Jia Xu explained quietly, “the young master is the current emperor. ‘Shi-ban’—when the characters for ‘ten’ and ‘office’ are combined, they form ‘Xie’.”

Hu Che’er was utterly dumbfounded, rooted to the spot. Never in his dreams had he imagined that the man he’d followed for more than half a year was in fact the emperor himself.

“Y-your Majesty… how can it be you?”

Liu Biao, too, was stunned.

“And why shouldn’t it be?” Liu Xie’s tone turned cold. “What, Lord Liu, would you claim loyalty to the Han? When I was held captive in Xuchang by Cao Cao, where were you? You carved out Jingzhou as your own domain, proclaiming yourself a lord. Tell me, should I not punish you?”

Hearing this, Liu Biao panicked.

“Your Majesty, I’ve been wronged! I am of the imperial clan—how could I ever declare myself a sovereign? Have mercy, Your Majesty!”

He pleaded desperately for his life, but Liu Xie only snorted disdainfully.

“Hmph! All of you, listen well! This great Han has but one dynasty, one emperor. No other lords or princes will be tolerated—should any arise, I will destroy them! Liu Biao, tell me, what should I do with you?”

Trembling, Liu Biao replied, “Your Majesty, I acknowledge my fault. Jingzhou belongs to Your Majesty now.”

He was no fool; he immediately clarified his position.

Liu Xie snorted. “Hear me well: I will give you all one last chance. From this day forth, all of Jingzhou belongs to the imperial domain. All must obey the emperor’s command! Disobey, and I will crush you again!”

He was willing to give Liu Biao one final chance; after all, whatever his faults, Liu Biao was of the Han line. To press him too hard would not be wise.

“Yes, yes! I will obey Your Majesty’s decree!” Liu Biao dared not hesitate for a moment.

“Hmph! Take them away!” Liu Xie commanded sharply.

And so, all were led out.