A lone city under siege, with no reinforcements coming, was usually a place of death.
But Diaoyu City was different. It had held out for thirty-six years, and that was not because it had stored thirty-six years' worth of grain.
It was because of its unique location. It occupied a mountain surrounded by rivers. The enemy could either attack across a river or cross it and besiege the city from below.
Yet the area beneath the city was only a few hundred meters from the riverbank, leaving no room to deploy a large formation. If the enemy set up artillery below the city, it would become a target, and a few shots from the walls could easily destroy it.
Conversely, if they set up artillery on the opposite bank, it would be too far away. Not only would it pose little threat to the city walls, it would also be especially likely to hit their own troops attacking the city.
The other approaches were even more rugged mountain ridges and sheer cliffs. In the age of cold weapons, this city was simply impossible to take by force.
There were only a few ways to breach a city. If it could not be stormed, then besieging it to death was the answer.
Ordinary cities had limited stores of grain and fodder. As long as the army outside continued its siege, even if it did not launch attacks, the supplies inside the city would eventually run out.
But Diaoyu City could produce its own food. First, it was built against mountains and water, and its outer walls enclosed a large stretch of mountainous land with many springs and wells. The land on the mountain could be reclaimed for farming.
Second, the city had two Heavenly Pools, one large and one small, fed