Military Preparedness Manual, Volume 39

Page 29

Record of the Tang Dynasty

In the city of Nanyang, food was completely exhausted. Those who had starved to death lay piled upon one another original: "相枕籍" (xiang zhenji) — literally meaning their bodies served as pillows for one another, a common historical idiom for mass casualties. The Emperor sent the eunuch Cao Risheng to the city to offer his condolences and encouragement to the troops. However, the siege was so tight that Cao could not find a way in. Risheng requested permission to enter the city alone on horseback, but the Governor of Xiangyang, Wei Zhongxi, would not allow it. It happened that Yan Zhenqing original: "顏真卿" — a legendary figure in Chinese history, famous both as a master calligrapher and a paragon of political loyalty arrived from Hebei and said, "General Cao disregards

He discusses the broader strategy His insight and strategy are grand

ten ○ thousand ○ deaths ○ in ○ order ○ to ○ deliver ○ the ○ Emperor’s ○ command. ○ Why ○ should ○ we ○ hinder ○ him? ○ Even ○ if ○ he ○ does ○ not ○ reach ○ them, ○ it ○ is ○ but ○ the loss ○ of one ○ messenger. If ○ he ○ arrives, then the hearts of the entire city will be fortified." Risheng went forth with ten horsemen, and the rebels did not dare approach them. There was great rejoicing within the city.

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Yin Ziqi again drafted tens of thousands of troops to attack Suiyang. Inside the city, food was exhausted. The generals and soldiers were rationed only one he he: a unit of dry volume, roughly 0.1 liters or a handful of rice per day, which they mixed with tea leaves, paper, and tree bark to eat. No relief supplies or reinforcements arrived. The number of soldiers had dwindled to sixteen hundred; all were starving or ill and were no longer capable of fighting. Consequently, they were surrounded by the rebels. Zhang Xun then...