Chapter 153: Su Ming Provokes the Great Families with Clever Tactics

Xu Qian raised his thumb involuntarily and said, "This General Su Ming is truly an extraordinary figure."

"In terms of character, our General Su is as righteous as the heavens. He single-handedly sought justice for Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror, and returned from the Eastern Wu all alone after suffering severe injuries."

"In terms of martial arts, he is unmatched in the world. Even Lü Bu, Lü Fengxian of the old days, would have to step aside when meeting our General Su."

"To speak of recent events, at the Battle of Guandu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun joined forces against General Su, yet they were still no match for him."

"As for strategy and military tactics, do you know who burned Wuchao? It was none other than General Su Ming."

"And you are scared out of your wits by a mere Zhang He coming to attack?"

"A cowardly soldier ruins a soldier, a cowardly general ruins an army. Even if Zhang He has tens of thousands of troops, he can never be a match for General Su."

"Why am I not afraid?"

"The reason I am not afraid is because I believe that as long as General Su Ming is in Yecheng, Zhang He will never be able to take it."

Part of what Xu Qian said was meant to prop up and elevate Su Ming, but another part stemmed from his genuine admiration.

Ever since Xu Qian came to know Su Ming, he had witnessed the burning of Wuchao, the surprise raid on Yecheng, and the subsequent execution of Yuan Xi and Yuan Shao, father and son.

Everything Su Ming accomplished was something ordinary people would never dare to think of, let alone achieve.

In Xu Qian's eyes, Su Ming was practically a divine being.

Why practically?

Because Su Ming had not yet repelled Zhang He and successfully defended Yecheng.

If Su Ming could still hold Yecheng and defeat Zhang He under such desperate circumstances, he would truly become a god in Xu Qian's heart.

Xu Qian's boasting truly bewildered everyone present.

They thought to themselves: What kind of formidable figure was Guan Yu? He had slain Hua Xiong while the wine was still warm, beheaded Yan Liang, and executed Wen Chou; it was no exaggeration to say his might shook the realm of China.

If even the three sworn brothers, with Guan Yu at the head, were no match for this General Su Ming, just how immensely powerful must he be?

At this thought, the people present exchanged glances, silently agreeing to go and meet this General Su Ming.

Perhaps, just as Xu Qian claimed, this General Su Ming truly had a way to defend Yecheng.

Having read each other's minds through their glances, someone stepped forward as their leader and said to Xu Qian, "Brother Xu, will you take us to see General Su?"

Everything Xu Qian had said upon coming here today had been instructed by Su Ming in advance.

Now, their reaction was precisely as Su Ming had predicted.

Xu Qian could not help but mentally give Su Ming a thumbs-up, marveling at how formidable the general was, as if he could foresee and calculate every move.

"Gentlemen, follow me!" Xu Qian led the group to meet Su Ming.

With Xu Qian taking the lead, the crowd followed closely behind.

However, the direction they were heading was not toward the administrative office, but rather toward the city gates.

Though puzzled, everyone still followed Xu Qian forward.

They surmised that General Su Ming must be commanding the defense at the city gates, which was why he had arranged to meet them there.

Yecheng.

The Southern Gate.

Yecheng lay in the north, while Guandu was to its south. Zhang He and his army had come from Guandu, deploying their forces directly before Yecheng's southern front.

By this time, Zhang He's infantry had already arrived.

With the infantry and cavalry now united, they were busy cutting down trees outside the city to construct siege engines.

At the current pace, Zhang He would likely launch a fierce assault on Yecheng the very next day.

Su Ming stood atop the city wall, gazing intently at the grand army stationed below.

Tomorrow, fifty thousand troops would attack the city, yet the actual defensive force under his command consisted of merely eight hundred men.

If he could hold Yecheng, it would undoubtedly be a battle that shocked the world.

Conversely, if he failed to hold it, he would certainly be smashed to pieces.

"My Lord, Second Master Xu has brought the people here," Zhang Liao leaned in close and whispered in Su Ming's ear.

Su Ming nodded and instructed, "Let them come up."

A series of footsteps echoed, and shortly after, Xu Qian led the prominent gentry up the city wall.

While Su Ming kept his piercing gaze fixed on the outside of the city, the visitors followed his lead and looked down.

When a crowd of people exceeded ten thousand, it stretched endlessly into the horizon.

Moreover, there were a full fifty thousand troops arrayed below.

Upon seeing the vast army outside the city, the members of the gentry trembled with fright.

Before any of them could speak, Su Ming took the initiative and asked, "Tell me, how many troops does Zhang He have down there?"

Given Su Ming's question, none of them dared not to answer.

"Thirty thousand!"

"Fifty thousand!"

"Eighty thousand!"

The gentry chimed in all at once, each offering their own estimate.

After listening to their answers, Su Ming provided the correct one: "Indeed, there are a full fifty thousand troops down below."

Then, Su Ming asked again, "Now, make a guess: how many troops do I have under my command?"

When this question was posed, the gentry thought to themselves that this was a gift of an easy question.

"Surely General Su commands at least five thousand men, right?"

"The smoke from campfires rises all day long in your military camp, and the banners flutter proudly; the numbers must be substantial," one of the gentry members replied eagerly.

Scarcely had he finished speaking when another countered, "More than five thousand! In recent days, crowds upon crowds have been entering the city daily. There must be at least ten thousand!"

Having heard these replies, Su Ming shook his head.

"In recent days, I ordered my soldiers to leave the city by night and re-enter by day to create the illusion of ample troop strength and stabilize the situation in Yecheng."

"As for the smoke from the campfires, I employed the tactic of multiplying cooking stoves. The banners planted about were merely for show."

"In truth, every single soldier I have is standing right here on this city wall." Su Ming laid his cards on the table with absolute candor.

Upon hearing these words, the gentry felt as though their intestines were turning green with regret.

They regretted it deeply!

They regretted falling for Su Ming's ruse in the previous days and lacking the courage to unite and seize Yecheng to drive Su Ming out.

With the troops currently on the city wall, counting every last man, there were fewer than a thousand.

If they had only mustered the courage back then to expel Su Ming and welcome Yuan Shao into the city, Yuan Shao would not have died.

Yet, while the world offered remedies for all sorts of afflictions, it sold no medicine for regret.

Regretting it now was far too late.

After making his statement, Su Ming closely observed their expressions.

Seeing that their faces were almost entirely overtaken by remorse, he correctly guessed their thoughts.

At that moment, Su Ming administered another potent dose of harsh reality.

"Gentlemen, it is clear that I can no longer hold Yecheng!"

"That brute Zhang He has already declared his intention to massacre the city. I cannot bear to see the innocent populace perish alongside me for nothing, so I intend to open the city gates and let the citizens go submit to Zhang He."

"What do you gentlemen think of this plan?" Su Ming asked the gathering.