As the eastern dawn began to rise, Yue Jin stood atop the walls of Xiangyang, armor clad, straining to look northward.
The morning mist had yet to disperse. Nothing could be seen.
And yet, unease had already taken root in his heart.
It felt as though some colossal whale—one capable of swallowing ships and crossing seas—was lurking beneath the waters of the Han River, merely waiting for the right moment to surface and smash his city into ruin.
…Of course, that was nonsense.
What whale could possibly exist in the Han River?
Several drops of morning dew clung to Yue Jin's beard. Shaking off these unsettling thoughts, he raised his hand and pointed forward. His bodyguards immediately understood.
At the shouted commands of the officers, dozens of light cavalry scouts soon galloped out of Xiangyang. Midway, they split into two groups—one riding south along the Han River, the other dispersing and vanishing into the mist.
The intelligence Yue Jin possessed was far from as comprehensive as what Chancellor Cao had in the rear. But as the defender of this sector, he silently ordered grain and elite troops transferred from Fan City to Xiangyang.
He was prepared to live or die with the city.
Cao Cao had ordered him to garrison Xiangyang—not Fan City.
Yue Jin remembered that clearly.
The Chancellor's favor.
His family back in Ye City.
And his refusal to concede to Guan Yu.
All of these left him no room to retreat—not even half a step.
Waiting for scouts to return was always an ordeal, and so his thoughts drifted further than they should have.
It must have been the third year of Jian'an.
Back then, the Chancellor crushed Zhang Xiu, captured Lü Bu, and pacified Xu Province. Yet Kong Beihai had insisted that Yuan Shao possessed Yan Liang and Wen Chou—"warriors unrivaled beneath Heaven"—and even advised surrendering to Yuan Shao.
Though Xun Yu refuted him, listing Tian Feng, Shen Pei, Feng Ji, and Xu You's many flaws, Yue Jin knew the Chancellor never truly let it go.
Which was why, in the fifth year of Jian'an, when Guan Yu cut down Yan Liang amidst ten thousand troops, it cured one of the Chancellor's lingering heart ailments.
Later, Cao Cao even mocked Kong Rong to his face:
What does 'unrivaled beneath Heaven' even mean?
Compared to that feat, Yue Jin's own nighttime raid that slew Chunyu Qiong that same year faded into obscurity.
And so, when Guan Yu later abandoned his seal and gold, left the Chancellor behind, and returned to Liu Bei—
Yue Jin felt resentment take root.
Now, standing here, he very much wanted to see for himself—
Was the Guan Yu who slew Yan Liang truly as fearsome as the legends claimed?
Or merely an empty reputation?
As the dew on his beard evaporated under the rising sun, scouts finally trickled back with reports.
The news disappointed him.
From Dangyang advanced a force bearing large banners embroidered with the character Han, and general's flags marked Huang—some three to five thousand troops.
As for the banner Yue Jin truly cared about—
The Guan character banner was flying aboard the fleet on the Han River.
One massive ship.
Several dozen smaller vessels.
After guarding this region for over a year, Yue Jin naturally knew the commander at Dangyang—the archer of notable skill.
Huang Zhong.
A former subordinate of Liu Biao.
Reports gathered earlier from Xinye and Wancheng said the same thing:
Back under Liu Biao, Huang Zhong did little besides fight bandits.
He had no noteworthy achievements.
And he was already quite old.
"Definitely bait," Yue Jin concluded.
Sending an old general to lure him into an attack, then having the fleet on the Han River swing around for a pincer?
Who would fall for something so obvious?
Yet his smug confidence barely lasted the time it took to eat a bowl of noodle soup.
Several riders galloped into Xiangyang at full speed, delivering fresh intelligence.
"Yicheng… has fallen?"
Yue Jin repeated it in disbelief.
Yicheng lay barely a hundred li southeast of Xiangyang. The two cities supported each other like horns on a beast—it was critically important.
"How? I just sat down to eat!"
The messenger, his head bloodied, knelt and cried out:
"The enemy used enormous ships to assault the walls! The eastern wall collapsed—enemy forces advanced and withdrew at will!"
"The Magistrate attempted to retreat, but there was an ambush outside the city! I barely escaped alive—before I fled, I saw the Magistrate slain by an old general!"
Yue Jin's face turned pale.
He remembered, vividly, the massive ballista bolt that had snapped the floating bridge at Jiangling.
But collapsing city walls?
That outcome had never even crossed his mind.
War, it seemed, was no longer being fought in the way he understood.
Still… Xiangyang and Fan City were both formidable fortresses. Surely they would hold?
In the end, he could only issue orders:
"Report Yicheng's fall to the north immediately."
How to respond was the Chancellor's decision.
What Yue Jin could do—was ensure Xiangyang did not fall.
"Seal the gates. Hold fast. No engagements!"
Aboard the massive flagship, Guan Yu stroked his beard with a smile.
Xu Shu, though mentally prepared, still found it difficult to believe.
The so-called "collapsed city walls" were nothing more than rumors born of panic.
The truth was simple:
Guan Yu had ordered the giant ships to press in close, using mounted ballistae to pound Yicheng's eastern side.
Sections of the upper wall were blasted apart. More importantly, the city gate was shattered—causing morale to collapse entirely.
In the chaos of the rout, "the gate was destroyed" quickly became "the wall collapsed."
"Yicheng is a small city," Guan Yu said cheerfully, stroking his beard.
"Its walls are low, its defenses thin. The local magistrate relied too heavily on the terrain—mountains and river—and neglected maintenance."
"These details," he added, "came from Ji Chang."
A year earlier, Lady Huang had specially designed a new type of ballista bolt—less sharp, but ideal for smashing gates and siege engines.
Xu Shu examined one closely.
Its tip was not pointed, but rounded—almost hemispherical.
And he knew there were many more aboard the ship:
Some with seven or eight rotating blades.
Some with wing-like stabilizers.
Some hollow.
Some with ropes attached.
Each had its purpose.
"Effective indeed," Xu Shu nodded.
"Ji Chang should be able to rest easy now."
Since returning to Lord Xuande's service, Ma Liang had been Xu Shu's most pleasant surprise in Jingzhou.
Ask him about geography—flawless.
Ask him about the wars of the realm—encyclopedic.
Copying battle examples and maps from the luminous screen had given the White-Browed Ma of Jingzhou an extraordinary foundation.
Though inexperienced, his insights into military affairs, governance, and grand strategy were already taking shape.
He lacked only seasoning.
That was why Xu Shu arranged for him to serve as Huang Zhong's deputy commander—so after Yicheng's fall, Ma Liang could immediately retrieve his family and remove all lingering worries.
After all—
Destroying Yicheng was merely a side task for the fleet.
The priority remained pushing north without delay.
Still…
Standing in the fierce river wind, Xu Shu felt a twinge of anxiety.
How is Shiyuan faring?
Cao Cao learned of Pang Tong's movements even earlier than Xu Shu.
With pressure mounting, the Chancellor abandoned indulgence, selected several civil and military officials, and traveled light toward Xuchang to personally oversee affairs.
En route, urgent reports arrived from Xiahou Yuan:
Request grain. Or reinforcements.
Xiahou Yuan's letter detailed the situation in Guanzhong:
Liu Bei's forces had advanced from Hanzhong, with Wei Yan and Huo Jun leading a detached force stationed at Wuzhang Plains, constantly harassing the region.
They sent light cavalry spreading rumors:
Go to Hanzhong—receive land and grain to survive the spring famine.
As refugees scattered, Xiahou Yuan was forced to gather them into early military colonies.
Wei Yan immediately targeted these camps—sometimes feinting attacks, sometimes striking for real.
Sending a detachment against Wei Yan and Huo Jun was futile.
Wuzhang Plains were easy to defend, hard to attack.
Deploying the main army only made matters worse—the enemy would slip straight into the Baoxie Road.
No solution.
Xiahou Yuan laid it bare:
Either send grain to stabilize the population and prepare for autumn—
Or send reinforcements, block Baoxie Road, and launch a full assault through Longshan immediately.
Xun You could visibly see the Chancellor's expression darken further.
After weighing the situation, Xun You spoke first:
"Guanzhong cannot be abandoned."
Cao Cao knew this well. Hanzhong alone already plagued him—losing Guanzhong was unthinkable.
But—
"Xiangfan cannot be abandoned either."
Guan Yu's pride was built on confidence in strength.
Thus, Cao Cao dismissed those who claimed Guan Yu knew nothing of naval warfare and was merely bluffing.
If he lacked confidence, he would never issue proclamations so boldly and attack head-on.
Hence Cao Cao pressed on toward Xuchang despite the hardship.
"Then have Xu Gongming lead reinforcements to Xiangfan," Xun You proposed.
"As long as Chang'an holds, Guanzhong can endure."
He clarified further:
"After stabilizing Xiangfan, we turn west and pacify Yong and Liang."
Then came the final piece:
"Ye City holds the families of Ma Chao and Han Sui. Use this as leverage. Send envoys to ally with them, draw them into Hanzhong, and relieve Guanzhong."
Cao Cao nodded. It was a plan born of necessity.
And a suitable envoy came immediately to mind—conveniently at his side.
"Appoint Sima Yi of the East Office as envoy to persuade Han and Ma."
That Sima youth had once pleaded illness to avoid service—this trip would straighten him out.
As for danger?
With their families held in Ye City, Han Sui and Ma Chao had no choice but to negotiate.
And if Sima Yi died…
It would serve as a warning to the great clans.
Thus Sima Yi found himself staring blankly at a fine horse and an escort, watching the Chancellor's carriage vanish into the distance.
Meanwhile, Cao Cao continued discussing Jiangdong's strange silence with Xun You.
If they sought a grand offensive, why had Jiangdong not moved on Hefei?
Unless—
Was the fleet Guan Yu commanded actually Jiangdong's? Was this a joint attack?
Beside Sima Yi, the guard captain asked politely:
"Officer Sima, shall we depart at once?"
Casting aside regret, Sima Yi knew this was a gamble for his future. He vaulted onto his horse.
"To the west!"
As news of Yicheng's fall passed through Wancheng, Guan Yu's fleet calmly positioned itself between Xiangyang and Fan City.
The defenders on both walls stared in stunned silence at the dozens of massive ships.
Many were locals of Jingzhou—men who knew water and boats well.
So this… was what a navy looked like?
Yue Jin watched grimly as the main flagship drew closer.
Amid the sound of rushing water came an ear-grating creak.
His face changed instantly.
"Fall back!"
Too late.
Arrows tore through the air like shrieking hawks.
Then came hell.
A massive spear—thicker than a lance—its head ringed with spinning blades—impaled one of Yue Jin's guards and slammed into the wall three inches before him, dripping with blood.
Yue Jin fled in panic.
For the first time in his life, his armor offered no comfort.
And for the first time—
He desperately longed for reinforcements.
Giant ships bar the Han.Giant ships bar the Han.
A lone city awaits rescue.
The couplet isn't great. I tweaked it a bit. No need to dwell on it.