The Sixteen Kingdoms of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: The Competition in the Central Plains

"General, I have more than 100,000 people from the Di and Qiang tribes, with plenty of food and grass. You led 50,000 men and horses, and you came from a long way, but you were trapped and exhausted. The number of soldiers under my command is not necessarily less than yours, so I would like to ask the general to withdraw his troops, so that we can keep the same from the river in the future."Xu Chuquanqu said. You Ziyuan said:"Then we can only fight hand to hand and fight each other?"

"General, let him do his own thing!"Xu Quanqu finished speaking and went down from the tower.

"Generals, let's surround the city first. Maybe we can find a way to defeat the enemy!"You Ziyuan said. The generals nodded. Guarded by dozens of soldiers, You Ziyuan and others began to circle around Fushi City. All city gates had been surrounded by Han and Zhao armies. When they arrived at the east gate , several generals at the east gate came to see You Ziyuan. You Ziyuan turned from the north gate to the west gate. You Ziyuan pointed to a not wide river in front of him and said:"This river runs from west to east, passing through the city of Fushi." Pass. If we have a ship, we can attack from the west gate. But it's too late to build ships now, and besides, we only have a horse and infantry army, not a navy army. But we can use this river to force Xuquanqu to leave the city and fight."

"Does the general mean to flood Fushi City? Just like Zhao Xiangzi who flooded Jinyang in Zhiyao seven or eight hundred years ago? Liu Gong asked. You Ziyuan smiled and said:"No, no." When Zhiyao flooded Jinyang City, not only did they fail to win, but they also led to a major alliance between Han, Zhao and Wei. In the end, Zhiyao was defeated and died, and the three families divided the Jin Kingdom."

"As long as we build a dike upstream and flood the city, the aqueducts in the city will be frightened. But we will not flood Fushi City. This would be too cruel. We cut off the water source of Fushi City through the dam, and Xuquanqu had to go out of the city to fight with us."You Ziyuan said. Hu Yanqing said:"This method is good, you can try it!"

Two thousand soldiers began to build dams and block the river three miles away from the west gate. Five days later, the river flowing to Fushi City was cut off by the dam. The soldiers and civilians in the city all fetched water from the river. If the river water was cut off, there would be no water in the city. Xu Quanqu, several chiefs and leaders under his command, and his son Yiyu were discussing countermeasures. Yiyu said:"Father, this wanderer is far away from damming the river, and it is obvious that he intends to flood Fushi City. If that's the case, we're all screwed!"

Xu Chu Quanqu said:"Although it looks like this, Wanderer has a kind heart and is not a vicious person like Liu Cong and Liu Yao. Therefore, they will not flood Fushi City unless absolutely necessary. But since we have no water source, we can only sit back and wait for death!"

"Father, the water stored in the city can only be used for three to five days. If we cannot solve the water problem, we will either starve to death in the city or die of thirst. So it's better to rush out and engage the enemy. Now the west gate's embankment has become our lifeline, and we should open the west gate to fight. Yi Yu said."

Xu Chuquanqu looked at the chiefs and generals below, then at his son Yiyu, and then said:"Yiyu listens to the order! You lead two chiefs and 10,000 troops to fight out from the west gate, strive to defeat the enemies of the west gate, tear down the dikes, and restore the river water to normal."

"As you command, Father!"Yi Yu stood up and bowed his hands in salute. A Di chief and a Ba chief stood up and said,"The general has received the order. Please rest assured, King Qin!"

Eight soldiers guarding the city gate opened the two heavy city gates. Yiyu took the lead, followed closely by the two chiefs. Behind them, two thousand archers, protected by shield bearers, lined up and rushed out of the west gate of Fushi City. Liu Gong, the general who conquered the west, led troops to station at the west gate. When he saw an army coming out of the city, he ordered his soldiers to retreat two miles to clear the battlefield. General Hu Yanqing, the auxiliary Wei general, stationed at the east gate, and Xiutu Wang Shiwu stationed at the east gate. At the south gate, Pingxian and Qiu Zhongbo were stationed at the north gate, with 10,000 troops stationed at each gate. You Ziyuan led 10,000 troops and stationed them upstream of the dike in case of unexpected events. When the soldiers led by Yi Yu approached, they were already lined up. Liu Gong's soldiers waiting in formation began to shoot arrows. Both sides shot arrows at each other, each suffering casualties. After a melee, Liu Gong led 5,000 cavalry and began to encircle. Many of Yi Yu's soldiers were shot down. Yi Yu and the two chiefs took a look and started to fight again. It would be dangerous to go down, so Yiyu shouted:"Escape quickly!"

In the next few days, Xu Quanqu and Yiyu, as well as several chiefs and leaders, took turns leading their troops to attack from the east gate, north gate, and south gate, but they all returned with great defeat.

Xu Quanqu sat down dejectedly. He stood without saying a word. After a while, he said:"This wanderer Yuan originally had the strength to fight us, but it seems that he is in no hurry to decide the outcome with us. We have been defeated in five battles. If we continue to fight, there will be no chance of surrender!"

Yi Yu said:"Father, we cannot embolden the enemy's ambition and destroy our own prestige. Although we went out to the city to fight five times and failed, most of our strength is still there. The child asks for a tassel. At dawn tomorrow, when the soldier just wakes up from his sleep, we can catch him off guard!"

"All right! Then give it a try!"Xu Chu Quanqu said. Yi Yu said:"Tomorrow I will lead 50,000 elite troops and fight out from the south gate and west gate respectively. I hope the chiefs and leaders will help!"

"I am willing to listen to the master’s instructions!"Several chiefs stood up and said.

The next day, the white fish belly just appeared in the east. Yiyu and the five chiefs led 30,000 horses and quietly opened the west gate. The few detective horses who were ambushing at the west gate quickly ran back to the west of the embankment to face Youziyuan. Report. You Ziyuan stood at the highest point of the embankment and looked eastward, seeing a large area of ​​darkness. You Ziyuan came down from the embankment and ordered the soldiers around him:"You four, please inform the generals at the four city gates quickly. The enemy is coming fiercely this time. We must recharge our batteries, avoid their sharp edges, and preserve our strength. No matter how the enemy shows off his power, he must close the camp gate tightly and defend his position."

At the same time, 20,000 troops led by three other chiefs also set out from the south gate and went straight to the camp where Xiutu King Shi Wu was stationed. Shi Wu had been ordered not to fight behind closed doors. The

30,000 troops led by Yi Yu , there were only a few minor battles with Liu Gong of the west gate, and the casualties on both sides were not large. Yiyu and the five chiefs led the army to continue south, and the other three chiefs went out of the south gate and fought against Shi Wu several times. Seeing that he could not attack the camp, he led his army to the west to join Yiyu. Seeing the three leaders coming, Yiyu said happily:"Chiefs and leaders, our victory is at hand. Let the soldiers set up camp today. Early tomorrow morning, we must eliminate the enemies at the west gate and south gate and relieve Fushi!"