Yiyang was a small city on the lower reaches of the Zi River, and its strategic importance was far inferior to that of Luo County and Linxiang.
Thus, after Liu Pan captured the place, he stationed only seven hundred troops there.
The defending general was named Yu Can, merely a minor commander of a thousand men under Liu Pan.
Since receiving his orders, Yu Can had been responsible for holding the city and preventing Zhang Xian from retaking it.
But ever since the great epidemic began last year, Zhang Xian had been too busy to look after himself. Though Yiyang was not far from Linxiang, it had seen no fighting.
At first, Yu Can would often patrol the walls himself. But after more than half a year had passed, he began fishing for three days and drying nets for two.
He also handed the city patrols over to the commanders guarding the various gates under him.
They were called commanders, but in truth, each was merely a centurion.
It perfectly fit that age-old rule: as those above behaved, so did those below. What kind of superior one had determined what kind of subordinates one got.
If the commanding general was irresponsible, the gate commanders beneath him naturally were no better.
So despite it being the dead of night, only a few squad leaders were on duty atop the walls.
And it was winter. With the cold wind blowing, none of them even wanted to get up and patrol.
They all gathered around the fire to warm themselves and chat. Once the third watch had passed, every one of them was drowsy.
Just then, a faint sound suddenly came from beneath the city walls.
It sounded like clothes rubbing together, yet also like the wind brushing past. No one could make