Chapter 64: Another Army Marches from Jingzhou

At the same time, Liu Xie began testing his inventions.

In truth, during these past twenty-some days, Liu Xie had not been idle. One could say he was the busiest of all. Within this month, the nearly seven hundred thousand strong army had begun to take shape as an effective fighting force. Harvests were coming in throughout the region, and mining operations were gradually underway. Large quantities of mineral resources were being extracted. With these resources, armor and a whole range of military equipment were forged within this single month.

Perhaps, even in his wildest dreams, Cao Cao would never have imagined that the single month he gave Wancheng would become the beginning of his worst nightmare.

In the vast drill ground of Wancheng, Liu Xie entered slowly, accompanied by dozens from the construction corps, pulling a horse-drawn cart. At his notice, Zhang Xiu and others had already assembled the forward troops here.

“Young Master, is there a reason you’ve gathered several thousand soldiers here?” Zhang Xiu approached respectfully.

“Nothing much, only running some tests,” Liu Xie replied. “Now, have the soldiers draw their bows and fire arrows—at me.”

With that, Liu Xie waved to the construction corps behind him. One after another, odd contraptions were unloaded from the cart. Each was a long iron rod, several meters in length, with a structure at one end resembling the frame of a giant umbrella—though without the fabric. In short, it looked like a massive, fabric-less umbrella. Over a dozen iron ribs converged at one end, mounted on a seemingly professional launch stand.

Zhang Xiu and the others looked on, utterly bewildered, having no idea what Liu Xie intended.

“Lord Zhang, just do as I say. Now, have the soldiers fire their arrows at me.”

Once everything was in place, Liu Xie gave the command.

“But, but Young Master, this...” Zhang Xiu grew anxious. If they truly fired, wouldn’t Liu Xie be killed?

“No matter. Let them fire freely—nothing will happen to me. This thing can intercept all arrows in midair. Let’s test it now.”

With that, Liu Xie gestured to the strange device before him. Zhang Xiu still hesitated, but, under Liu Xie’s repeated orders, finally clenched his teeth and agreed.

“Loose!”

At Zhang Xiu’s command, thousands of arrows immediately soared skyward, all aimed at Liu Xie’s head.

Seeing this, everyone present was stunned. But Liu Xie, standing among them, remained calm and composed.

“Release!” he ordered the construction corps beside him.

Boom!

A low thud sounded from the wooden frame. The umbrella-like structure suddenly shot out, spinning rapidly as it did. The iron rods at its tip flared open, like a giant umbrella whirling horizontally through the air.

Smack!

The long iron rod met the incoming arrows in midair. In that instant, every arrow was knocked down.

Bang!

Finally, the rod crashed to the ground before the thousands of soldiers, startling many into retreating in fear.

This scene left everyone deeply astonished.

What was this device? How could it knock down every arrow in the sky?

Liu Xie nodded with satisfaction. “Not bad. It seems quite effective.”

Zhang Xiu and the others hurried forward.

“Young Master, what is this thing? How can it be so powerful? With this, we’ll never need to fear enemy arrow volleys again!” Zhang Xiu was elated.

“Yes. This device is called the Arrow Parasol, designed specifically to counter arrows. Spread the word: produce these in large numbers and distribute them to all units as soon as possible.” Seeing its effectiveness, Liu Xie immediately ordered mass production. He was certain this device would become a devastating weapon on future battlefields.

In addition to this, Liu Xie conducted over a dozen more tests in the drill ground—each one unveiling a new invention. Among them were the Arrow Parasol for intercepting arrows, a simple single-handed crossbow for cavalry, siege wagons, and even basic dump carts.

Of all his innovations, perhaps the most impactful was the telescope he had crafted. In these twenty-some days, he’d discovered countless treasures in the mines. Though conditions here were crude and far from the advanced technology of the twenty-first century, what he’d created was more than enough for his era.

“Young Master!” A messenger hurried over. “Scouts report that Cao Cao has begun operations against Xuzhou.”

“Oh? So he’s finally making his move against Lü Bu.” Over this month, it wasn’t only Liu Xie who was expanding—Cao Cao, too, was consolidating his power. After his campaign against Yuan Shu, Cao Cao emerged as the greatest victor, having absorbed massive resources and growing stronger than ever.

Now, they were finally turning their sights on Xuzhou. If Xuzhou truly fell into Cao Cao’s hands, his power would become unimaginable.

“It seems it’s time we took a little tour,” Liu Xie said. “Pass the order—keep close watch on the war in Xuzhou and report any developments to me immediately.”

Historically, during Cao Cao’s campaign against Xuzhou, Lü Bu died at his hands, and Xuzhou fell into Cao Cao’s grasp, marking the peak of his power. Though Liu Xie knew these events, he could not prevent Cao Cao from occupying Xuzhou; the distance from Wancheng to Xuzhou was simply too great.

Still, while he couldn’t control who would hold Xuzhou, he could decide Lü Bu’s fate. For now, though, he didn’t plan to intervene—he wanted to let them fight it out a while longer. If he went now, he might help Lü Bu repel Cao Cao, but it wouldn’t achieve his intended result.

With Nanyang now largely stabilized, the next focus was Jingzhou. After the defeat at Nanzhao, Cai Mao had returned in disgrace, and Liu Biao was unlikely to let the matter rest—he would surely send another army to attack. Though Liu Xie’s strength in Nanyang was formidable, it was not his ultimate goal.

One day, a rider galloped into Wancheng and headed straight for the governor’s residence.

“Young Master! Message from two hundred li away!” the soldier blurted breathlessly. “Liu Biao of Xiangyang has dispatched Cai Mao and others with a force of 150,000. The enemy is at our borders—General Hu requests immediate reinforcements!”

“Oh? A force of 150,000?” Liu Xie hadn’t expected Liu Biao to commit so heavily. Clearly, Liu Biao aimed to capture Nanyang in one decisive stroke.

“Allow me to lead troops to the front,” Zhang Xiu volunteered confidently. “Our army is well supplied—we have nothing to fear.”

But Liu Xie merely smiled.

“We will send reinforcements, of course, but you will not go yourself.”

“Alas, we have plenty of soldiers and supplies, but what about generals?” Liu Xie sighed heavily. Indeed, he was flush with men and money, but lacked capable commanders. At present, only Zhang Xiu and Hu Che’er were truly reliable—a frustrating predicament. Having troops without great generals was a bitter pill to swallow.

“Lord Zhang, you will remain here and oversee Wancheng,” Liu Xie said after a deep breath.

“But, Young Master—” Zhang Xiu began, but seeing Liu Xie’s resolve, held his tongue.

“Advisor Jia, you will lead 150,000 men to meet General Hu near Xinye. General Hu has 100,000 in that area; with your reinforcements, you’ll have 250,000—more than enough to face Cai Mao’s 150,000. Remember: hold the city, do not engage in open battle, and await my orders. Lord Zhang, you will command 100,000 men stationed in Wancheng, keeping an eye on the north for Cao Cao.”

With a few words, Liu Xie had allocated 350,000 of Wancheng’s nearly 700,000 troops.

“And you, Young Master?” Zhang Xiu asked.

“I,” Liu Xie mused, “will take 100,000 men to attack Jiangxia.”

“Jiangxia?” The others were surprised. Wasn’t the main issue in Xinye—why attack Jiangxia?

“Yes. Advisor Jia, you and General Hu must defend Xinye to the death. I will quickly seize Jiangxia and Nan Commandery. Once we control Wancheng, Jiangxia, and Nan Commandery, what advantage do you think we’ll have?”

With a mysterious smile, Liu Xie glanced at his officers. They exchanged looks and soon understood.

“Indeed,” Jia Xu said excitedly. “With Jiangxia and Nan Commandery in our hands, along with Wancheng, we’ll have Xiangyang nearly surrounded. Taking Xiangyang will be child’s play.”

This was Liu Xie’s plan. Liu Biao had committed 150,000 troops—much of Jingzhou’s strength. As long as Hu Che’er and Jia Xu could pin them down at Xinye, Liu Xie would have the chance to seize Jiangxia and Nan Commandery. Then, they could easily launch an attack on Liu Biao in Xiangyang.

“But Young Master, why not let me go with you?” Zhang Xiu was still eager for action.

Liu Xie smiled. “You should stay. Cao Cao still lurks to our north, and the flanks are not entirely secure. Besides, you’ll keep Lord Yuan company, won’t you?”

At this, Zhang Xiu understood. In truth, keeping him in the main camp was as much about watching over Yuan Shu as anything else. Though Yuan Shu had behaved himself lately, he wasn’t fully trustworthy. If all Liu Xie’s confidants left, leaving Yuan Shu and his cohort in Wancheng, who could say what he might attempt?

Thus, Zhang Xiu would remain behind, commanding 100,000 in the city and overseeing 50,000 on each wing—250,000 in all, forming an ironclad defense around Wancheng.