I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 158

Chapter 158

The fierce wind howled across the vast land, carrying with it the faint scent of blood and smoke. The blood-red sun was about to sink below the horizon, and for a brief moment, the borderlands returned to an eerie silence.

Wang You leaned against the wall, panting heavily. At this moment, even breathing felt like a strenuous task. He was a soldier stationed at the border, just one among many. His post was at Shi Chongguan, and he understood its immense importance.

Behind them lay Liangcheng, home to the people of Liangzhou—the land they were sworn to protect.

Fortunately, today had passed without further incident. The barbarian army outside the pass had finally sounded the gong to retreat. They had fought through the entire day and could finally catch a brief respite. His hands and face were covered in blood, and exhaustion had drained him to the point where he could barely lift a finger, let alone wipe the blood from his face.

The blood on him was not just his own—it was also that of the enemy. He had engaged in a brutal struggle with a barbarian who had climbed the wall, and the fresh, sticky crimson was the result of that desperate battle. He could still recall the enemy’s youthful face, the wide, unyielding eyes that refused to accept their fate. But there was no time for sentiment. This was the battlefield. Either you killed, or you were killed—there was no room for blame. His comrades, the ones who had fought beside him just yesterday, were no longer here today. Who knew if he would still be alive tomorrow?

Though he knew that this brief moment of peace was only the calm before an even fiercer storm—that tomorrow’s battle would be even more brutal—he felt no fear. Gazing at the setting sun, he allowed a faint smile to form on his lips. “I can still fight!” As long as there was breath in his lungs, he would keep slaying enemies!

Meanwhile, civilians steadily made their way up the mountain path toward the pass. Some carried supplies on their backs, others hauled them in makeshift stretchers, all bringing crucial resources—boulders, arrows, fire oil—essential for repelling the enemy.

With so many people working together, the previously depleted stockpile was gradually being replenished.

Some carried the wounded away for treatment. There weren’t enough doctors, so the civilians lent a hand where they could. They helped clean and dress wounds, applied medicine, and wrapped bandages around the injured. Those with minor wounds would rest for a night and be ready to fight again tomorrow.

Women and children, carrying baskets, moved among the soldiers, handing out warm, freshly baked flatbreads. The children followed obediently, pouring water for the exhausted men.

“You’ve worked hard.” Those simple words meant more than a thousand others. In this moment, there was no need for anything excessive.

Everyone performed their tasks with quiet efficiency. These were the people of Liangzhou, coming of their own accord to deliver supplies. Just as Wang Ye had said—soldiers and civilians were like fish and water, inseparable. The soldiers defended the land, protecting the people. The people, in turn, provided resources and tended to the wounded. They, too, played a vital role in defending Liangzhou.

Wang You received a flatbread. He grinned foolishly, the aroma filling his nose. His stomach, empty for an entire day, growled in protest. Without hesitation, he devoured the bread ravenously.

How wonderful. He took a sip of water and sighed in relief. In the past, they would never have had such treatment. The common folk could barely feed themselves—who would have had the means to prepare food and bring it to them?

But things were different now. Ever since Wang Ye came to Liangzhou, everything had changed for the better. Merchants from all over had come to Liangzhou, bringing in abundant food and goods while also exporting the region’s produce. People now had spare money in their pockets, enough to eat their fill and dress warmly.

Most of the food provided by the civilians came from their own contributions, but a significant portion was donated by merchants.

These merchants had just started to taste success in Liangzhou—how could they allow the barbarians to ruin everything? Of course, they would do whatever they could to support their own. If Shi Chongguan fell and Liangcheng was lost, all their efforts would be in vain.

In the distance, a group of people approached. Leading them was Great General Wei, followed by a few men in plain clothes. Behind them were several strong men carrying baskets filled with round, pitch-black objects, each the size of a watermelon.

Wang You didn’t recognize the objects, but he did recognize one of the older men following Great General Wei—Old Huang, the man even Wang Ye deeply respected.

He had seen Old Huang before when he accompanied General Wei to the artisan workshop. But what were the craftsmen doing here? Normally, they never left their workshop, always engrossed in research. If they had come all the way to the battlefield, there had to be something important happening.

Great General Wei’s brows were deeply furrowed. Ever since the barbarian army had arrived at their gates, he hadn’t had a single full night’s sleep. He ate poorly, slept little, and spent his days analyzing battle strategies. With Wang Ye and General Xie both absent, all the pressure had fallen squarely on his shoulders. His gaunt face was evidence of the weight he bore.

The group walked forward until they reached the trebuchets atop the wall.

These trebuchets had been here for a long time. Their ability to hold Shi Chongguan relied heavily on them.

Ignoring everything else, the craftsmen immediately inspected the machines. Old Huang circled one trebuchet several times, shook his head, and sighed. Then he circled it again and sighed once more.

Seeing this, Great General Wei felt his heart tighten. He rubbed his hands anxiously, uncertain whether to ask. Finally, after Old Huang let out his eleventh sigh, he couldn’t hold back any longer.

“Old Huang, didn’t you say you brought something new to repel the enemy? Is there a problem with the trebuchets?”

Old Huang Lao shook his head. “Not just a problem—a huge problem. These things—tsk tsk! They’re barely worth keeping here. They’re inaccurate, cumbersome, and a waste of effort. You might as well burn them for firewood.”

These trebuchets were their prized assets, yet here was Old Huang dismissing them as worthless. If not for Old Huang’s reputation, Great General Wei would have already ordered him flogged for such an insult.

Suppressing his frustration, Great General Wei grumbled, “Shi Chongguan has held out this long thanks to these trebuchets. How can you dismiss them so easily? But since you speak this way, I assume you have something better?”

He spoke those words in a moment of frustration, but Old Huang, stroking his white mustache, responded, “Old Wei, it’s not that I want to criticize you, but your precious toys are really of no use. Look at the things I brought—each one painstakingly crafted. I can’t even bring myself to trust those trebuchets you have. I’d hate to see my treasures wasted on them.”

“No!” Great General Wei stomped his foot in frustration. “Old Huang, didn’t you say you had a way to use those Thunderbolt Bombs to repel the enemy? Then what do you mean by this?”

Old Huang didn’t waste any more words. With a wave of his hand, he simply said, “Dismantle them!”

What? Great General Wei’s face changed dramatically. What was Old Huang saying? Did he really want to dismantle all of these trebuchets? How could that be allowed? Without them, how would they attack the enemy from a distance?

As soon as the people below heard the order, they began to take action. Great General Wei panicked and paced in circles, but Old Huang pulled him aside and said, “Alright, alright, don’t say I’m stingy. In a little while, we’ll give you a few new ones, and you won’t even have to pay for them.”

Great General Wei nearly coughed up blood. They were dismantling his equipment and still expected him to pay? Were they obsessed with money? Indeed, as the saying goes, like master, like servant. Wang Ye mentioned money in nine out of every ten sentences, so it was no surprise that his subordinates refused to suffer any losses either.

Just thinking about Wang Ye’s time in Liangzhou—how much silver had they spent on the military’s work at the Craftsman’s Workshop? Thousand-Mile Eye, crossbows—sometimes, even with money, they couldn’t get their hands on them.

Wang Ye’s stance was clear: research at the Craftsman’s Workshop required funding, and where would that money come from? It all depended on selling these products. As the saying goes, wool comes from the sheep, and they would shear as much as they could.

This time, it was they who had taken the initiative, claiming they had developed a new type of Thunderbolt Bomb that could cause large-scale damage when launched. Now that the battle was underway, they had the perfect opportunity to test its effectiveness. If there were any flaws, they could be improved in the future.

Since it was a new weapon, Great General Wei was naturally eager to see it in action. But Old Huang’s words poured cold water all over his enthusiasm, making it hard for him to stay excited.

Old Huang, smiling so much that the wrinkles on his face stretched out, said, “Great General Wei, we’ll put this on your tab for now. Use first, pay later—all because we’re old friends.”

“……” Great General Wei was completely speechless.

Enough idle chatter—back to the present. After hearing Old Huang’s words, Great General Wei was actually somewhat pleased, as if he had gotten a great deal. He couldn’t help it; this was a conditioned response, which showed just how much he had suffered under these tactics before.

“Will there be enough time? We only have tonight. By tomorrow morning, the enemy will launch their attack.”

The barbarian army had been here for two or three months. During their previous assaults, they had relied on the natural terrain to hold them off with ease. But later, the enemy started cutting down trees to build battering rams, trebuchets, and siege ladders—something they had never done before. Just a few days ago, their battering rams and trebuchets were nearly completed. With these siege weapons, the barbarians had inflicted significant losses on them.

Earlier today, they had a lapse in defense, and the enemy seized the opportunity to scale the fortress walls, creating a breach. Fortunately, their soldiers reacted quickly and managed to close the gap in time.

However, the barbarian warriors were indeed fearsome. A single one of them could take down ten of their men. Just over a dozen of the enemy had broken through, yet they had lost dozens of their own to stop them.

It was clear that with the enemy now equipped with siege weapons, defending against them in the future would only become more difficult.

Old Huang glanced at the sky, did some quick calculations, and then nodded. “As long as we work fast, it should be fine. But the assembled launchers will require trained operators. Our people will personally teach them how to aim and fire. It’s actually not too difficult—one or two days should be enough to learn.”

Only then did Great General Wei breathe a sigh of relief. That was good, that was good.

Tuoba Ren, returning to camp with his troops, was in high spirits. “Hahaha, we owe it all to Mr. Song! The battering rams and trebuchets you developed have proven their worth. I believe it won’t be long before our warriors break through Shi Chongguan.”

Hope was now within sight. For the first time, their warriors had managed to climb the walls. Though they hadn’t been able to push further before being slaughtered, with more attempts, success was inevitable.

Song Lian modestly replied, “It was not my doing—it was all thanks to Wang Ye’s brilliant command and the soldiers’ valiant efforts that we achieved this result.”

Even Chacha Qi had nothing to say this time. Shi Chongguan was like a tortoise shell—completely impenetrable. They had tried everything but had made no progress. A few years ago, Tuoba Ren had managed to breach Shi Chongguan by sneaking in spies through careful planning. But that trick could only work once. The enemy had learned their lesson, and now the fortress was sealed tighter than an iron drum. Despite attacking for two months, they hadn’t made a dent.

But today, with the help of battering rams and siege ladders, they had managed to scale the walls, giving them hope. The day they conquered Shi Chongguan was drawing near.

“Tomorrow, we’ll send more warriors to storm the walls. We must take Shi Chongguan as soon as possible!” Chacha Qi declared boldly.

Tuoba Ren nodded approvingly. “We still need to be cautious, though. That crossbow weapon of theirs is extremely powerful. It’s a shame we don’t have one. If we could equip our army with it, we’d be unstoppable.”

“That weapon was likely developed at Duan Wang’s Craftsman’s Workshop,” Song Lian mused. “But I’ve observed that not many soldiers are equipped with it, which suggests that it must be difficult to produce.”

Chacha Qi snorted coldly. “Once we break through Shi Chongguan and wipe out Duan Wang’s stronghold in one go, we’ll have the artisans make these things for us too.”

Speaking of Duan Wang, they hadn’t heard any news about him for a while. Thinking about it now, it must have been the plague that delayed him, making him too afraid to return. Otherwise, with the border situation so tense, there was no way that Duan Wang, as the lord of Liangzhou, wouldn’t have rushed back. Who knew? Maybe he and his people had already caught the plague. By then, none of them would be left alive. Hahaha!

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