Supplement to the Comprehensive Treatise, Volume 133: Strategic Studies—Liang Dynasty, Part 1

...whether they are unprepared is perhaps unknown. But if one intends to take the city of Zhongli A vital fortress in modern-day Anhui province with only eighty days of rations, I have never heard of such a feat before. Zhongli is protected by natural barriers; there is no indication that it can be conquered. I would rather bear the burden of being called a coward for not advancing than accept the guilt of causing defeat and loss through a futile campaign.

The Emperor of Wei Weizhu (魏主): Referring to Emperor Xuanwu of the Northern Wei dynasty did not listen to this advice. He ordered Yuan Ying, the Prince of Zhongshan, and General Yang Dayan A renowned Wei general famous for his physical strength and fierce appearance to lead several hundred thousand troops to attack Zhongli.

To the north of the city of Zhongli, the Huai River forms a natural obstruction. The Wei forces built bridges and erected fences for several hundred paces on both banks of Shaoyang Island to span the Huai River and create a passage. Inside the city, there were only three thousand men. Chang Yizhi A Liang general known for his bravery and expertise in defensive warfare directed the defense according to the shifting circumstances of the assault.

The Wei forces ordered their soldiers to carry earth to fill the moats. Strict cavalry units pressed them so closely from behind that the men had no time to turn back; they were forced to advance and dump the earth into the ditches. Soon the moats were filled. Wherever the battering rams Chongche (衝車): Heavy, mobile siege engines used to breach walls and gates struck, the earthen walls of the city crumbled. Yizhi used mud to patch the gaps immediately. Although the rams made inroads, they could not fully destroy the fortifications. The Wei forces attacked bitterly day and night, rotating their troops in shifts to maintain the pressure...