frightfiction Chapter 703 Pan Jun Meets Ma Chao
Chapter 703 Pan Jun Meets Ma Chao
Even now, Pan Jun still feels angry about the Kushan Empire, but when he thinks of the Kushan king named Bodhi eating hot pot, he can't help but laugh.
At the start of the banquet, he kindly offered chopsticks, but Bo Tiao refused and insisted on eating with his hands. As a result, he was scalded by the boiling hot oil, resulting in extensive burns on his right hand. It was quite comical.
Then, fearing retaliation from Bo Diao, Pan Jun fled overnight, not daring to return to the Han Dynasty, but instead entering Parthia along the Khyber Pass.
Upon entering Parthia, they tragically discovered that the Sassanid family had rebelled, and the entire Parthian Empire was engulfed in war. Countless acts of robbery, arson, murder, and plunder were rampant, making the situation in Parthia even more chaotic than during the Yellow Turban Rebellion in the Han Dynasty. As a result, nearly a hundred of Penjun's troops were killed, and of the two hundred troops he brought from the Han Dynasty, only eighty-seven remained, suffering more than half casualties.
Pan Jun evaded countless pursuits and finally arrived at the city of Merv after many twists and turns. He planned to spend the winter there before going to find the leader of the Sassanid rebels or the Parthian king to perform the duties of a Han envoy. However, before the New Year was even over, the city was besieged by an unknown enemy army. What kind of situation is this?
Deputy Envoy Kuai Qi also sighed, "It probably won't be long before the soldiers of the Marquina family come to conscript us, demanding that we go up to the city to resist. What should we do? We can't really go and fight for these barbarians, can we?"
Kuai Qi was a member of the Kuai clan. He also played a role in Mi Fang's surrender to the Wu army and betrayal of Guan Yu, so he was demoted to Han envoy along with Pan Jun.
However, they have not yet established contact with the Marciana family under the guise of Han envoys. Instead, they are disguised as commoners and hiding in the city of Mulu, so they are particularly afraid of being forcibly conscripted.
Pan Jun pondered, “Fighting for the barbarians is impossible. We only have so few men left, we can’t afford to lose any more. Later, you can bribe the conscription officer with some gold and silver, and also subtly inquire about the identities and backgrounds of the enemy troops attacking the city. We can’t be completely clueless.”
Kuai Qi nodded in agreement and went out to contact the merchants they knew in Mulu City. He used money to pave the way and bribe the conscript of the Marquis family to temporarily avoid conscription. However, it was only temporary. When the battle really got intense, they would still be conscripted.
As for the identity of the enemy troops outside the city, they couldn't find out, because the Marki family didn't know either. It seemed that the enemy troops outside the city had suddenly appeared, and no one in the entire Mulu City knew their background. Kuai Qi naturally had no way of knowing either.
Upon returning to their lodgings, they reported the situation to Pan Jun, who immediately ordered everyone to prepare for a breakout should the city fall, refusing to be cannon fodder for the Parthian natives.
Meanwhile, at the main camp outside the city.
Ma Chao built three battering rams, a dozen siege ladders, and catapults in just one day. Seeing that he had enough, he was unwilling to wait any longer and immediately ordered an attack on the city the next morning.
At Ma Chao's command, the Western Regions allied forces attacked the city simultaneously from three directions. They easily pushed the siege ladders and battering rams down the city walls by stepping on the snow, and then immediately launched their attack.
The city's defenders were completely bewildered by the novelty of battering rams and catapults. The catapults pressed down on the defenders so hard they couldn't even lift their heads. Moreover, the city walls were too narrow, causing the catapults to quickly clear the target area, allowing the allied forces of the alien races, who were on ladders, to easily rush up the city walls.
The battering ram was even more powerful, breaking through the city gates and entering the city almost the instant the attacking army reached the city walls. It then charged up the city walls from inside the city to support the attacking army's entry into the city.
From the moment Ma Chao ordered the attack to the moment the city gates were breached, only two and a half minutes had elapsed. The fast-moving defenders had no time to react.
The Western Regions allied forces gave them no chance to react, and after rushing into the city, they immediately scattered and began massacring the inhabitants.
Before the battle, Ma Chao had given a strict order: after the city was captured, swords would not be sheathed for three days, and people would be killed without regard to their clothes.
From this, we can see that Ma Chao was somewhat crazy after leaving the Han Dynasty, but it is understandable. First of all, Ma Chao was not a good person. Do you think someone who betrayed his own father would be a kind person who respects the elderly and loves the young and respects life?
Secondly, this is not the Han Dynasty. Since it is not the Han Dynasty, there is no need to abide by the rules, order, and ethics of the Han Dynasty. You can freely unleash the evil in your heart.
How could a demon like Ma Chao, who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, not let himself go in a place without rules?
Therefore, Ma Chao did not hesitate to issue a massacre order, killing all the residents of the city to prevent them from contacting other Parthian nobles to turn against him after leaving the city.
As for Tu Lin, as the Chanyu of the Northern Xiongnu, he treated massacring cities as a daily routine. He was in cahoots with Ma Chao, his brother-in-law and relative by marriage, and naturally would not oppose massacring cities.
So the massacre began. The Western Regions allied forces went on a rampage within the city, venting their anger at being forced to leave their homeland by Ma Chao and constantly oppressed. For a time, the city was filled with the unrestrained laughter of the Western Regions allied forces and the wailing and lamentation of the city's inhabitants.
This would put Poon Chun in a very bad situation.
Pan Jun originally thought that the garrison inside the city could hold out for at least three to five days, and planned to break out after the city fell. Unexpectedly, the garrison did not even last three-quarters of an hour. He had just gotten up when the enemy army arrived at his doorstep.
As soon as Pan Jun got up and washed, he stepped out of his room and stretched when the Western Regions allied forces attacked and surrounded his courtyard. The door was kicked open, and a group of bloodied and ferocious soldiers rushed into the courtyard. They instinctively rushed towards him, but stopped abruptly after recognizing Pan Jun. The leading general pointed at Pan Jun and asked, "Black hair, black eyes, and wearing Hanfu, where are you from?"
This general was a prince of the Kingdom of Kucha. He had been in contact with the Han people and was familiar with the Chinese language, so he immediately recognized Pan Jun's unusual nature.
Upon seeing the enemy enter, Pan Jun instinctively gripped his sword hilt, ready to draw it in defense. However, upon hearing their question, his sword-wielding hand froze, and he said with a mixture of disbelief and delight, "I am an envoy of the Great Han Dynasty sent by the King of Hanzhong to Parthia. Whose generals are you?"
The other person was speaking Chinese! Hearing Chinese in this foreign land felt so comforting. More importantly, the other person noticed my difference from others. What does that mean? It means that the other person has had deep exchanges with the Han people. Judging from their skin color, they are probably from the Western Regions.
Those from the Western Regions are easier to deal with. The Han Dynasty has close ties with the Western Regions, and the two sides can definitely communicate.
The Prince of Kucha was overjoyed upon hearing this, and sheathed his sword, saying, "So you are a general under the King of Hanzhong. In that case, you and my general are from the same family. My general's name is Ma Chao. Have you ever heard of him?"
"Who...who are you talking about..." Pan Jun screamed, "Ma...Ma Chao...is he the descendant of General Ma Yuan, the current General of Chariots and Cavalry, Ma Chao?"
It was Ma Chao who attacked Mulu City! This was so unexpected, so incredibly exciting! I've finally got the imperial army here!
The Prince of Kucha nodded and said, "It is indeed General Ma Chao. Do you know him?"
Pan Jun nodded hurriedly and said, "I know him very well. I am Pan Jun, the Chief Administrator of Jingzhou. Although I have never met General Ma Chao, I have long admired him. Please take me to see him immediately, General. I have important military information to report to General Ma."
The Prince of Kucha nodded and said, "That's fine, but I can only take you with me. Your men will have to wait where they are. But don't worry, as long as they don't make the first move, we will not make things difficult for them."
Pan Jun nodded in agreement, then turned to Kuai Qi and instructed, "I'm going to see Ma Chao. You wait here for me for an hour. If I haven't returned after an hour, you must find a way to break through and survive on your own."
The Prince of Kucha instructed his subordinates to report the situation to Ma Chao first, and then patiently waited for Pan Jun to finish his instructions before turning sideways, bowing, and gesturing for him to enter, saying with a smile, "Pan Zhizhong, please..."