Chapter 592

Soon,

almost dozens of Cai Mao's warships were destroyed in an instant.

His flagship was also set on fire, with thick smoke rolling!

Fire soared into the sky on the river, and screams were endless.

Just when Cai Mao was in despair,

more than a hundred warships killed from the west, breaking a gap in the Sun Ce army's encirclement.

It was Lu Xun, Gan Ning, and the others.

Cai Mao hurriedly let the soldiers retreat toward the gap!

Sun Ce and Zhou Yu didn't continue to entangle, and after harvesting a wave, they led the army to continue moving east.

Their key now is to take back Chaisang and retake Nanchang City!

In the morning,

after Cai Mao counted the losses, he found that nearly a hundred warships were lost and nearly ten thousand soldiers were killed or injured.

He didn't dare to pursue anymore, but led the troops to recover Shaxian City and waited for Liu Bei's great army.

A few days later, Liu Bei led the great army to Shaxian City.

Cai Mao knelt down to plead guilty,

"My Lord, I advanced rashly, causing our army to suffer a great defeat; I ask My Lord to punish me."

Liu Bei helped Cai Mao up,

"De Gui, being able to block Sun Ce south of the Yangtze River has already completed the task I entrusted to you. This time, the merits and demerits will cancel each other out."

Liu Bei added,

"De Gui, I intend to appoint you as the Grand Secretary to serve in Chang'an; how about that?"

The Grand Secretary is among the Nine Ministers, and his status is higher than that of an Inspector.

Cai Mao didn't expect that after a great defeat, the Lord would still give him a position among the Nine Ministers. He was grateful in his heart,

"Thank you, My Lord."

Although he would leave Jingzhou because of this, in the future, the Lord would likely become the Emperor, and he could also show his talents by developing in Chang'an.

Liu Bei allocated two of the remaining thirty thousand water troops to Lu Xun, Gan Ning, and Xu Sheng, and let Cai Zhong and Cai He lead the other ten thousand to guard Xia Kou.

He didn't stay too long, but led ninety thousand troops, both by water and land, toward Chaisang!

He also sent Huang Zhong to lead elite cavalry to go ahead, spread scouts, and go to reinforce Chaisang.

Chaisang City, the bridgehead of Yuzhang Commandery, is a military town that is a must-fight for strategists, with the Yangtze River in front and Lake Poyang behind, and leaning against Mount Lu.

At this time, the sounds of battle were shaking the sky here too.

Sun Ce's seventy thousand troops were attacking Chaisang by water and land day and night!

Small catapults on the tower ships were whistling and throwing projectiles into the city!

Outside the city, the Sun army was setting up scaling ladders and pushing battering rams, charging desperately through the rain of arrows!

Cheng Pu, Lü Meng, Huang Gai, Jiang Qin, Dong Xi, and Ling Tong took turns attacking, and several times they almost broke through the city.

Fortunately, Taishi Ci was valiant and good at shooting, and his subordinates were all elites good at shooting, desperately holding Chaisang.

There were also a large number of supplies of the Sun army in the city, and there were dozens of catapults, which were just used to defend the city.

Even so,

the seven thousand troops brought by Taishi Ci had already suffered more than three thousand casualties.

Both sides knew the importance of Chaisang.

If Sun Ce takes this place back, he can use it as a base to resist Liu Bei's incoming troops and send another army to attack Nanchang City.

If Liu Bei holds Chaisang, then half of Yuzhang will belong to Liu Bei, and even the entire Yuzhang will be taken.

Sun Ce was also extremely uncomfortable on the tower ship.

Chaisang City was small, and the great army couldn't unfold. He attacked regardless of casualties, and the casualties had already exceeded ten thousand, but he still couldn't break the city.

"Gongjin, how long do you think we can break the city?"

Zhou Yu shook his head,

"My Lord, Taishi Ci is valiant, and the troops he brought this time are all good at shooting. I'm afraid our army will need more than three days."

"Three days? I'm afraid Liu Bei won't give us three days. Attack fiercely today; the city must be broken!"

"Understood!"

Inside Chaisang City,

Taishi Ci's eyes were red. He basically only slept for half an hour every day these past few days.

"Everyone, the Lord has entrusted the heavy responsibility to us. If the city is there, we are there; if the city is lost, we are lost!"

Several commandants cupped their hands,

"We will follow the General's orders!"

The sound of war drums outside the city suddenly rose, and the horns sounded long.

A new round of siege began again!

In half a day, Taishi Ci's side suffered another thousand casualties, successfully repelling the Sun army's attack.

In the afternoon,

the Sun army suddenly withdrew and boarded ships to go downstream.

Taishi Ci licked his dry lips and shouted,

"Brothers, reinforcements have arrived, and the Sun army has retreated!"

The soldiers all let out a long sigh of relief and shouted one after another.

After another hour, Huang Zhong led the cavalry to arrive under the city wall and saw that the land outside the city had been dyed red, and he sighed.

"Taishi Ziyi has worked hard."

At noon the next day, Liu Bei led the troops to arrive at Chaisang City and announced on the spot that the soldiers defending the city all had great merit and let the soldiers rest well.

Liu Bei grabbed Taishi Ci's hand,

"Taishi Ziyi is valiant, resisting all the generals of Sun Ce alone; you have worked hard."

Taishi Ci laughed,

"The subordinate will hold Chaisang even if I have to die!"

Liu Bei appointed Taishi Ci as the Shooting Sound Commandant on the spot, with a rank comparable to two thousand shi, to commend him for this surprise attack on Yuzhang and for holding Chaisang.

Pang Tong began to report intelligence,

"My Lord, Sun Ce led his troops to the east, sent Zhou Yu to lead the water army to guard the Peng Ze water camp to block our army's eastward path to Jiangdong, he personally led troops to guard Panyang City, and sent Cheng Pu to guard the Geyang fortress to cut off the road from Yuzhang to Kuaiji Commandery."

Liu Bei looked around,

"Lu Xun, listen to the order!"

"Subordinate is here."

"I order you to be the main general to lead thirty thousand water troops to confront Zhou Yu, with Gan Ning and Xu Sheng assisting!"

"Understood!"

Lu Xun was excited in his heart; he was not old, but he was promoted to main general, which shows how much the Lord values him.

Liu Bei laughed,

"Zhou Gongjin is resourceful, and my Lu Boyan is also full of schemes; he is no match for him. You just need to drag Zhou Yu down."

"Subordinate accepts the order."

"Taishi Ziyi, you lead your troops to rest in Chaisang."

"Understood."

"Sun Ce's skin is itchy again; I will personally lead the great army to Panyang City and fight Sun Ce in Yuzhang."

Liu Bei looked at Lu Su again,

"Zi Jing, I appoint you as the Governor of Yuzhang; the protection of the territory and the peace of the people depend on you."

"Understood!"