Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

"What?!" Yang Ling stood up in surprise.

Only now did he realize the seriousness of the situation. According to the original plan, all the government troops in Jiangning County would be dispatched to encircle and annihilate the 3,000 cavalry led by him.

However, they did not arrive as expected, but attacked the city directly from the north gate.

"Quick, send out scouts to investigate immediately!" Yang Ling ordered anxiously.

"Yes!" The guard immediately turned around and went out.

Yang Ling was well aware of the reason why the enemy suddenly changed their battle plan.

That was Yang Guozhu's rebellion. Yang Guozhu colluded with the Donglin Party and attempted to seize power, causing the enemy to no longer believe in Yang Guozhu's sincerity.

Because the Donglin Party was unwilling to be deceived, they decided to take the risk of attacking the city and seizing power, dealing a fatal blow to Yang Guozhu.

Yang Ling guessed that the enemy must have thought that Yang Guozhu had been captured and was now rushing to the north gate at full speed.

"General Yang, it's bad, the North Gate has been lost!" The personal soldier ran in again and shouted.

Yang Ling's expression suddenly changed when he heard this.

The North Gate is the central area of ​​Jiangning County and the main weak point of Yangling’s troops’ defense.

Yang Ling once proposed to build the north gate high up on the city wall to facilitate the threat of bows and crossbows, but was opposed by the generals because doing so would make the area near the gate an important position for firepower output.

If the enemy sets up ladders outside the city and forces their way onto the city walls, the archers and crossbows will not be able to use their range and angles.

But now, the North Gate has been lost. The enemy can capture Jiangning County at any time, and Yang Ling's troops will be trapped inside the North Gate and isolated.

"General Yang, what should we do now?" Wang Bodang asked nervously.

Yang Ling smiled bitterly: "I don't know either. Now I can only pray that reinforcements will arrive soon."

"Brother, I think we should retreat immediately. Staying here may lead to great danger." Yang Yong advised.

Yang Ling gnashed his teeth and said, "I will never abandon my brothers and run away alone. If you want to go, we brothers will die together!"

Seeing that Yang Yong wanted to continue talking, Yang Ling shouted coldly: "Shut up!"

"Yes!" Seeing Yang Ling's tough attitude, Yang Yong could only shut up.

Yang Ling took a few deep breaths and tried to adjust his state. The biggest problem now was that the reinforcements had not arrived yet, which was extremely disadvantageous to Yang Ling. He had to stay calm.

"Report, young master, Li Mi's envoy wants to see you!" The personal soldier hurried over to report.

Li Mi's envoy? !

Yang Ling was stunned. He didn't expect Li Mi to send an envoy. This seemed a little strange.

"Bring it here!" Yang Ling pondered for a moment, then said in a deep voice.

Regardless of Li Mi's purpose, Yang Ling now needs to meet with Li Mi to negotiate.

A moment later, Li Mi's messenger came in. He bowed to Yang Ling and introduced himself, "My name is Wu Jie, Master Wu, courtesy name Ziming."

"Master Wu, you are too polite. I wonder what brings you here?" Yang Ling asked with a slight nod.

"I have come here on the orders of the Emperor to convey the message to General Yang, asking him to lead his troops out of the city and surrender."

As soon as Wu Jie finished speaking, a slight gasp was heard in the tent.

"What?! Let us leave the city and surrender?!"

"It's really the most ridiculous thing in the world!"

Yang Ling's several lieutenants couldn't help but curse.

Wu Jie was not angry at all, and said calmly: "You all have misunderstood His Majesty's will. His Majesty wants to give General Yang a chance because of our old friendship. As long as General Yang surrenders Jiangning County and submits to His Majesty, he will be spared the cruel punishment of beheading and imprisonment."

Yang Ling couldn't help but smile bitterly when he heard this, thinking to himself: "The torture of castration?"

"If General Yang doesn't agree, don't blame me for being ruthless." Wu Jie snorted coldly.

This Wu Jie was about forty years old, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, a strong build, and a sturdy appearance. It was obvious that he was a man of great martial arts skills.

"Master Wu, please go back and report. We will never betray the court!" Yang Ling flatly refused.

Wu Jie's expression suddenly darkened, and he said in a cold voice: "If you don't accept my toast, you will be punished. In this case, I can only arrest or kill all of you!"

After saying that, Wu Jie drew his sword and pointed it at Yang Ling, ready to take coercive measures to force Yang Ling to surrender.

Just as Yang Ling was about to call on his men to fight to the death, the sound of horse hooves came from afar.

"Who is making noise?" Wu Jie shouted harshly.

Soon, hundreds of cavalrymen rode into the military camp. They were wearing black armor with white dragon emblems embroidered on their chests. They were the troops sent by Li Mi to reinforce the north gate.

"Don't worry, General Yang. I have been ordered to come to your rescue!" The leader was Liu Rengui, a fierce general under Li Mi.

Liu Rengui stopped his mount, dismounted, and clasped his fists towards Yang Ling.

"The commander sent you here?" Yang Ling relaxed his frown and asked happily.

Liu Rengui nodded slightly and said loudly: "General Yang, I am here on the orders of the Grand Commandant to assist General Yang in guarding the North Gate. Please rest assured, General Yang, I will ensure that the North Gate is safe!"

Liu Rengui was a famous general from Hebei. He followed Yang Guang to pacify Liaoxi and Jizhou and made great military achievements.

When Yang Ling heard Liu Rengui's promise, he finally felt relieved.

With Liu Rengui around, the North Gate would be as solid as a rock. As long as his troops held on and waited for help, they would have hope of overcoming the difficulties.

"Thank you, Captain Liu!" Yang Ling thanked Liu Rengui.

Liu Rengui waved his hand and said, "General Yang, you are too polite! I have been ordered to come and reinforce General Yang, and this is my duty."

"General Yang, our army has just arrived and it is not advisable for us to hold on for long. I suggest that we gather the remaining soldiers and retreat into the city to defend it until reinforcements arrive!" Liu Rengui said to Yang Ling.

Yang Ling thought for a moment and said, "I agree with Captain Liu's proposal!"

As soon as Yang Ling finished speaking, his subordinates expressed their agreement one after another.

Yang Yong said hurriedly: "Brother, we can't retreat to the city. Outside the north gate is a vast grassland. It is winter now, and there is no place to shelter from the wind and rain on the grassland. If we retreat to the city, wouldn't it be like handing our lives to the bandits?"

Yang Yong's words made Yang Ling hesitate, as he was worried that Li Mi would take advantage of the situation and pursue him.

Although Yang Ling's troops were exhausted, they could still rely on the North Gate to resist the enemy's attack without much problem. However, if Yang Ling chose to retreat to the city, it would be equivalent to handing his life to the enemy, which was indeed worth discussing.

"This..." Yang Ling hesitated.

Liu Rengui quickly persuaded, "General Yang, don't worry. I, Old Liu, will never betray you! You should retreat to the city first and wait for reinforcements. I, Old Liu, will lead two thousand elite troops to cover the rear and protect General Yang's breakout!"

Yang Ling was moved when he heard this and patted Liu Rengui on the shoulder and said, "Captain Liu, thank you. If you can survive this crisis, I, Yang Ling, will definitely reward you handsomely!"

"Hahaha, I don't want anything! I just want to avenge my parents. General Yang, goodbye!" Liu Rengui said with a hearty smile, and led the troops out of the barracks. Yang Ling quickly gathered the remaining generals to discuss countermeasures.

Yang Ling also knew that Liu Rengui was risking his life in exchange for a chance to break out.

If Li Mi pursued the enemy, even if he could escape, he would suffer heavy losses. After all, Liu Rengui only had more than 2,000 soldiers and horses, and he could not stop Li Mi's army from chasing him.

Yang Ling and his generals discussed for a long time and finally decided to take the risk and break out.

However, after careful consideration, Yang Ling decided to divide the troops into two groups to retreat, with the main force breaking through and leaving 500 soldiers behind to guard the rear. Because Yang Ling's troops suffered fewer casualties, it would be easier to break through.

Afterwards, Yang Ling arranged the soldiers to guard the rear, and then led the main force to break out from the gap in the city wall on the east side.

Hu Zongxian and Li Mi, who were camping outside the city, were shocked when they received the news.

After listening to Liu Rengui's report, Li Mi's face flashed with anger. He gnashed his teeth and shouted, "Waste! All of them are waste! How could Yang Ni defeat nearly 10,000 troops with only a few thousand infantrymen!"

"General, Yang Ling is extremely cunning, and he must be using tricks to confuse the troops. We must fight quickly and decisively, otherwise there will be more trouble than meets the eye!" Li Jing said in a deep voice.

"Good, pass on my order and break through the East Gate immediately!" Li Mi said in a deep voice.

"Yes, sir!" Li Jing agreed with a fist salute, then turned and left.

"Brother Li, which direction do you think Yang Ni will flee to?"

Li Mi was silent for a while, then shook his head and said, "Yang Ling is good at strategy, and his wisdom is unmatched. Now it seems that he is ready to abandon the northern wall and break out. I wonder how long the northern wall can hold out?"

Hu Zongxian frowned and thought for a long time, then suddenly his eyes lit up and he said, "The bricks of the north city wall are not very strong. At most, they can only block dozens of people. Yang Ni only needs to send a small number of troops to seize the city gate."

Li Mi suddenly realized and immediately nodded in agreement with Hu Zongxian: "Brother Li is right. If Yang Ni chooses to break out, he will send a small number of troops, and the north wall will become empty. At that time, our troops can easily conquer the north wall."

Li Mi and Hu Zongxian looked at each other and nodded. They both understood that St. Petersburg's defense was weak. Holding the North Gate was just icing on the cake. As long as they could break through the North Gate, it would mean victory.

Li Jing quickly conveyed the order, and each camp quickly gathered its troops and prepared to launch an attack.

Yang Ling's troops had just broken out of the gap in the city wall and were about to run out along the moat when they saw thousands of soldiers pouring out in front of them.

"Archers, shoot!" Yang Ling gave the order immediately when he saw these unfamiliar faces.

As Yang Ling's orders were given, the archers ambushed on both sides of the moat drew their bows and drew their arrows, shooting out like locusts.

Countless arrows pierced into the bodies of these cavalrymen, causing blood to splatter and screams to resound through the sky.

Many cavalrymen didn't even have time to react and fell directly into the moat.

Li Mi stared at Yang Ling in the distance with wide eyes, his face full of shock.

He couldn't figure out why Yang Ling could predict that the soldiers would attack at this time.

Yang Yong was also stunned on the spot. He had just advised Yang Ling to break out, but now Yang Ling was slapping himself in the face with his actions.

Li Jing's pretty face also turned red. She had just advised Yang Ling to break out, but she didn't expect the situation to turn around in the blink of an eye. It was just like a dream.

Yang Ling ignored Li Mi's shock and calmly gave the order: "All troops continue to break through!"

Yang Ling led the main force to break forward, and the cavalry could only continue to follow, not daring to chase rashly.

Li Jing and Hu Zongxian immediately ordered, "Pass on my order. The army will encircle Yang's troops from the west and capture Yang alive!"

Yang Yi had long anticipated that the soldiers would attack at this time, so he specifically ordered Liu Rengui to lead his troops to cover the rear.

Yang Ling's troops rushed to the moat on the east side.

The moat on the east side was about 40 feet wide, about 60 feet wide, and only about 2 feet deep. After Yang Ling's troops rushed out from the gap in the north, they headed straight for the east wall.

When they were still about 20 feet away from the east city wall, the Turkic cavalry raised their arms and fired fiercely at the cavalry of Yang Ling's army with spears or bows and arrows.

The cavalrymen of Yang Ling's army kept dodging the arrows that flew overhead, but many horses were still injured and fell to the ground. Yang Ling could only lead the cavalrymen to march while stopping shooting.

Several more arrows fell near Yang Ling.

Zhang Qing, who was following closely beside Yang Ling, screamed in fear and almost fell off the horse. Fortunately, Yang Ling supported him in time and pushed Zhang Qing onto the warhorse to keep him seated.

"Brother, I've embarrassed you!" Zhang Qing said with shame.

Yang Ling smiled and comforted Zhang Qing: "Don't talk nonsense, you have done a great job!"

"Yeah!" Zhang Qing nodded vigorously.

Yang Ling continued to lead his troops forward and soon arrived at the East City Gate.

Since the northern city wall was occupied by cavalry, the guards at the city gate appeared very sparse.

"Bang the drum!"

Accompanied by the rapid sound of war drums, Yang Ling led his troops to directly attack the city gate, trying to force a breakthrough.

"Fire arrows!"

Following Li Jingjiao's shout, the archers on the city wall poured arrows towards Yang Ling's troops, preventing them from breaking into the city by force.

Seeing this, Yang Ling could only swing the sword in his hand and try his best to chop at the dense rain of arrows, trying to slow down the time for the city gate to be broken.

After all, Yang Ling's troops were outnumbered and soon some of them were shot dead, and the city gate was finally knocked open.

"Kill!"

When the defenders in the city saw Yang Ling's troops breaking out, they were immediately excited and swarmed forward with strange howls.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the soldiers of Yang Ling's army fled back in panic.

At this time, Li Jing, Li Mi and Hu Zongxian on the city wall had already arrived with their cavalry. They immediately organized the cavalry to intercept Yang Ling's troops.

"Protect General Yang, quickly!" Zhang Qing saw the pursuers behind him and immediately urged the troops to escort Yang Ling to retreat.

However, Yang Ling's cavalry consisted of only 3,000 men, and most of them were newly recruited militiamen and refugees with low combat quality. Although they fought desperately to cover Yang Ling's retreat, they still suffered heavy losses.

Yang Yi felt distressed upon seeing this and immediately ordered his troops to retreat.

Although not all of Yang Ling's cavalry were killed, only fifty or sixty of the remaining two hundred or so cavalrymen escaped.

Under the protection of his adjutant, Yang Ling hurriedly boarded the carriage and returned to the city, while Zhang Qing and other cavalrymen stayed behind to clean up the battlefield and collect the bodies of the dead.

"Master, we've suffered a huge loss this time. So much food, but we gave it to the Tibetans at such a low price." Zhang Qing sighed.

Yang Ling smiled bitterly, he knew what Zhang Qing meant.

Although the battle ended in the loss of food supplies, Yang Ling won glory. The large amount of food seized was enough to sustain the entire Nanchang city for three months.

"Zhang Qing, go ask the king's division for food and money. We can't let people look down on us. Even if we lose, we can't lose too badly." Yang Ling said calmly. (End of this chapter)