"I have an urgent matter and must see the lord immediately. Please, brothers guarding the city, don't make it difficult for me. Hurry and open the gates." Ye Shikai shouted anxiously toward the city walls.
"General Ye, it's not that we are deliberately making things difficult, but the lord has issued strict orders that the gates cannot be opened before dawn. I dare not disobey the lord's orders. Please wait for another hour; after dawn, I will definitely open the gates for the general."
No matter how Ye Shikai pleaded or threatened, the officers on the walls refused to open the gates, insisting he wait outside. With tens of thousands of troops defending Linxiang City and walls several stories high, forcefully breaching was impossible.
"General, what do we do now? The gates won't open, and we can't get in at all." Man Cang asked.
