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

Looking at the stretch of buildings in the distance and the densely packed tents, a look of despair emerged on Yang Ling's face.

"Pass on my order. All troops must immediately withdraw from Huangniling and return the same way!"

Although he knew that doing so would inevitably result in the annihilation of the entire army, Yang Ling had no choice but to give the order.

In fact, if the Japanese pirates only sent a small number of troops, Yang Ling would dare to try to attack them and buy himself a chance to escape. However, the Japanese pirates were huge in scale and were pursuing the victory, so they were obviously out in full force. In this case, Yang Ling had no way to resist. How could he stay and die?
"Yes, sir!" All the soldiers responded in unison. Then they disbanded the team and retreated down the mountain.

Yang Ling rode his horse slowly to the broken battlements of the Huangniling village wall and gazed into the distance. He couldn't help feeling sad for the other party. The strength of the Japanese pirates was now several times stronger than before, and the defeat of the Ming army seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

"Commander!"

Yang Ling suddenly heard a call from behind. He turned around and saw Chen Deng and several yamen runners holding torches running towards him.

Yang Ling quickly dismounted and walked forward: "Brother Chen, the Japanese pirates are attacking, how are you doing now?"

Chen Deng took a breath before continuing, "The main force of the Japanese pirates has not yet arrived. I estimate that it will take two or three days for the Japanese pirates to arrive!"

Yang Ling relaxedly exhaled the turbid air that was stuffy in his chest and abdomen, took a long breath, and then said: "The strength of the Japanese pirates is far superior to ours. If we continue to stay here, sooner or later we will be wiped out by the exhaustion of military supplies. Brother Chen, immediately arrange for the brothers to withdraw to the city as soon as possible."

Chen Deng shook his head and said, "I have already moved all the people in the county into the city and sealed the city gates according to your instructions. However, the Japanese pirates' cavalry may rush to the top of the city at any time, so I dare not let them go rashly."

"Then what should we do?"

"I request to mobilize the soldiers from Xin'an County stationed nearby to cooperate in the defense. Please approve it, Marshal!" Chen Deng said with a bow.

Xin'an County is located in Haizhou Prefecture and belongs to Linyi Town, Zhejiang Province. It has a total of more than 2,000 men under its jurisdiction. It is one of the only two militias in Zhejiang Province that has weapons and equipment. The soldiers are of high quality and are usually stationed in Xin'an County, responsible for maintaining public order and protecting important projects such as shops and docks.

If the Japanese pirates really captured Guangde County, Xin'an County would be the first to bear the brunt and suffer huge losses.

Yang Ling thought about it for a moment, and finally gritted his teeth and said, "If that's the case, then call the Xin'an County soldiers to help!"

The reason why Yang Ling agreed to Chen Deng's proposal was not that he was worried that the militia of Xin'an County would rebel. After all, these Xin'an County soldiers were composed of ordinary people and Yang Ling could fully control them. The reason why Yang Ling agreed to Chen Deng's decision was that he wanted to use the power of Xin'an County to tie down the forces of the Japanese pirates, so that Guangde County would have enough time to defend and repair the city.

Yang Ling ordered a message to Xin'an County Lieutenant Zhao Jinbao, asking him to lead his troops to reinforce Guangde County immediately.

After receiving the order, Zhao Jinbao immediately selected 500 soldiers and marched from outside the city to Guangde City in the northeast direction.

Yang Ling continued to supervise the officers and soldiers to repair the city wall.

Guangde County is the site of the ancient city of Beijing in the Ming Dynasty and the capital of the Ming Dynasty. The city walls have been in disrepair for many years, especially the foundation stones of the east gate and the city gate, which have long been decayed and fallen off.

Yang Ling and his soldiers spent four or five days clearing the east gate, west gate and the City God Temple in the northwest corner of Guangde City. Then he ordered the soldiers to set up simple fences in front of the City God Temple to cover the city gates.

Yang Ling personally supervised the officers and soldiers in digging trenches and laying tripwires.

Yang Ling personally participated in the process of digging and filling the pit, and deeply appreciated the wisdom of the ancients in architecture. The effect of building fortifications in a terrain like Guangde County was excellent.

Yang Ling led his officers and soldiers to dig pits and fill them with soil, and set up simple deerskin trenches outside the city, thus encircling Guangde County like a solid wall.

Under the cover of city walls and deer horns, the Ming army quickly demolished the houses in Guangde County and built simple houses with bricks and wood to isolate the residential areas and prevent the Japanese pirates from launching attacks through the gaps.

It was already midnight when Yang Ling and others finished their work. Yang Ling stood on the city wall and looked at the brightly lit Guangde County, feeling a surge of sadness in his heart.

"Lord Yang, the Japanese pirates have captured the east and west gates, and our army's left wing has been attacked. What should we do now?"

Yang Ling was shocked when he heard this, and turned to ask Xu Jin beside him: "Brother Xu, when did the Japanese pirates attack?"

"Just now!" Xu Jin said in a deep voice.

"Damn it! How come the Japanese pirates are so fast?" Yang Ling cursed angrily.

Yang Ling observed carefully on the city wall and found that the Japanese pirates' offensive was very fierce. The Japanese soldiers' attack methods were varied. Not only did the cavalry gallop across the open grassland, but some people also lurked outside the city and shot arrows fiercely at the flanks or walls of the defenders, making it difficult for the Ming army to concentrate its forces on the defense line.

The Japanese pirates' archers and crossbowmen were indeed very fierce. Although the Ming army relied on their superb city defense skills and the advantage of the height of the city walls to temporarily block the bombardment of the Japanese pirates' bows and crossbows, they then relied on the favorable terrain of the city walls to fight back bravely and gradually narrowed the encirclement.

However, the Ming army had too few soldiers, and the poorly trained civilians and farmers fighting on the city walls were doomed to end in a disastrous defeat, with casualties increasing every minute.

"Marshal, go back and rest first."

"Ok!"

"Marshal, the main force of the Japanese pirates is less than three miles away from the city. I beg you to retreat first!"

Yang Ling hesitated for a long time before nodding. He went down to the city wall surrounded by the guards, and then retreated along the street accompanied by Chen Deng.

Yang Ling and his companions retreated to the center of the city, where there was a narrow alley large enough for two ox carts to run side by side. Seeing this, the people around them all avoided the alley.

"Stop!" Yang Ling reined in his horse and shouted.

The guards hurriedly pulled the reins to stop, only to see Yang Ling take out a flare from his arms, light it, and shoot it into the sky.

Fireworks burst into the sky, Yang Ling fired a second flare, and then the third flare followed.

After the flare exploded in the air, it formed a brilliant petal-like pattern, as if countless butterflies were dancing in the air, and then dissipated in the darkness. It was obviously notifying the troops behind to come and join up.

Xu Jin looked up at the dark night and asked solemnly, "Marshal, will the troops behind us be able to rescue us in time?"

Yang Ling shook his head slightly and said, "The Japanese pirates have already captured Xin'an. We must seize the opportunity to seize Guangde County. The Japanese pirates' tactics are very cunning. There must be more than just these two forces attacking the city. The subsequent Japanese pirates will arrive soon, and our reinforcements will not be able to arrive in time."

Xu Jin sighed, "What should we do? We can't just sit there and wait for death, can we?" Yang Ling pondered, "The Japanese pirates' attack rhythm is very tight. They will definitely not give us too much time to rest. They will launch a full-scale siege tomorrow night. So I decided to build a strong defense and abandon the people in Guangde County. I will transport all the food, supplies and wealth in the city away. At the same time, I will send scouts to investigate the surrounding situation to see if we can find a way to escape."

Xu Jin frowned and asked, "But the Japanese pirates have obviously prepared well in advance. The people in the city may not have enough time to evacuate. Isn't it more dangerous to stay in the city?"

Yang Ling said in a deep voice: "It is precisely because the situation is tense now that the people of Guangde City may not be able to move. But don't forget that Guangde City still has 20,000 elite soldiers. I plan to transfer them into the city to help defend the city."

Xu Jin suddenly realized that although the Japanese pirates had captured Guangde City, there were still more than 20,000 people in the city. This was definitely not a number that a small group of Japanese pirates could defeat. The Japanese pirates would definitely withdraw the troops in the city, and with the addition of their main force, it should be a foregone conclusion that Guangde City would be captured.

"Okay, I'll listen to you, Marshal!" Xu Jin nodded.

Yang Ling ordered the messenger beside him to pass on Yang Ling's order. The soldiers immediately breathed a sigh of relief and could finally have a good sleep.

Xu Jin's brows were knitted into knots, and he felt something was wrong in his heart. This feeling of anticipating the approach of death was really terrible.

Yang Ling seemed to have guessed Xu Jin's doubts, and smiled and comforted him: "Don't worry, brother Xu, although we are trapped in the city, we are not at the end of our rope. The Japanese pirates' offensive is fierce, and the food reserves in the city are not enough. We will definitely not be able to break through the city in the short term. We still have a few days, so we might as well ask for peace and negotiation with Japan again, and try to delay the arrival of reinforcements. By then, the outcome is uncertain, and it won't be too late for us to wait for an opportunity to counterattack."

Xu Jin sighed and said, "I hope it's as Brother Xu said!"

At this time, a messenger ran up to Yang Ling and said, "General, the Japanese army is approaching the north gate."

Yang Ling immediately drew his sword and rode out of the city to meet them, and Xu Jin followed with his troops.

On the plain outside the city, four or five thousand Japanese pirates were lined up in neat rows and advancing slowly. They held shields or spears, had scimitars on their waists, carried bows and arrows of various sizes, and even had grenade launchers on their backs.

Although the Japanese pirates were poorly equipped, the quality of their weapons was quite good, especially the grenade launchers, which were much more powerful and had a longer range than the red cannons used by the Ming army.

Since the Japanese pirates were so densely packed, it was not convenient to hide in the battlements of the city wall, so the Japanese soldiers moved closer and closer to the city wall. On the tower, the Ming soldiers kept shooting arrows in response, but the Japanese soldiers' armor was thick, and the arrows had little killing power, and at most they could only hit the gaps in the armor, but several Japanese soldiers were injured by the arrows.

"Marshal, enemy attack!" A soldier's warning came from the watchtower, followed by a rumbling sound coming from far away.

Yang Ling and Chen Deng looked up and were shocked to find that the Japanese had set up a large number of catapults.

"Not good, quickly send the archers to stop them." Yang Ling shouted urgently.

The Japanese pirates' catapults were quite accurate, especially when targeting targets on city walls.

"Swish, swish, swish!" Several giant lead bullets weighing thousands of pounds smashed the battlements of the city wall, and then whizzed into the city. Suddenly, blood rained everywhere, and the archers on the city wall were smashed into meat paste.

Xu Jin's pupils suddenly contracted. These Japanese pirates were so cruel that they even dared to throw pomegranates at the city!
The Japanese attack soon stopped and the outside of the city became silent. Yang Ling and Xu Jin looked at each other and thought of the same thing: Are the Japanese pirates planning to storm the city wall?

"General, the Japanese pirates are trying to attack. I think we should send someone out of the city to negotiate with them and delay the time!"

Yang Ling nodded with a wry smile and said, "How about this, you lead the cavalry out of the city to negotiate with the Japanese pirates, and make sure to delay them for about half an hour!"

Chen Deng was overjoyed when he heard this and said, "As you command, I will do my best to return to the city as soon as possible!"

Yang Ling nodded and warned: "Don't fight too long. The Japanese pirates' artillery is very powerful. Withdraw as soon as possible. Don't be reckless and put your own safety first."

"Yes!" Chen Deng agreed loudly, immediately jumped on his horse and galloped out of the city.

"Pass on my order, order all soldiers to prepare fortifications!" Yang Ling ordered.

"promise!"

"Brothers, prepare for battle!"

Xu Jin led his generals and hurriedly ran into the barracks to set up positions. Generals at all levels quickly organized militiamen to help carry items. At the same time, they piled up the seized food on the top of the city wall, and then moved out the warehouse containing explosives such as kerosene barrels and placed them on the city wall, as well as crossbow beds and gunpowder jars.

"Bang!" Several loud muffled noises suddenly sounded in front of the Japanese pirates' army, and then there was smoke everywhere, followed by the shrill screams of the Japanese soldiers. The generals watching the battle on the city wall took a deep breath. The Japanese army really used catapults to attack the city wall.

"Marshal, should we hide back in the city?" Deputy General Zhao Hu asked in a panic.

Xu Jin shook his head and said, "Not only do the Japanese have powerful weapons, but more importantly, their attack methods are very strange. If we hide in the city at this time, we will only passively take the beating."

Yang Ling glared and cursed, "Shut up, you idiot, what do you know? The Japanese pirates' matchlock bombs and catapults are extremely powerful, but their shortcomings are also obvious, that is, their range is insufficient. Beyond twenty steps, the threat is greatly reduced. Unless we use artillery, we don't have to worry at all."

All the generals nodded in agreement when they heard this. The Japanese pirates' artillery did not have a sufficient range. As long as they kept a distance of 20 to 30 meters, the enemy's artillery would pose no threat.

"Marshal, the Japanese have started attacking the city again. How should we deal with it this time?" Chen Deng urged anxiously.

Xu Jin narrowed his eyes and shouted in a deep voice: "Beat the drums, tell the soldiers to line up on the top of the city and prepare for battle!"

The deafening sound of the Eight-Ox Crossbow, rolling stones and iron balls fell from the sky, smashing the bricks and tiles on the top of the city walls. Fortunately, the Ming army defending the city had taken precautions and covered the top of the city walls tightly in time.

dong dong dong-

Accompanied by the sound of war drums, tens of thousands of soldiers filed up to the top of the city walls and lined up in battle array. Archers, spearmen, swordmen and other elite troops stood upright with solemn expressions and a murderous aura.

The roar of the Japanese pirates' artillery sounded again, followed by dense arrows. The Ming army on the city wall fought hard, but many people were still hit.

Yang Ling gnashed his teeth and cursed: "Damn it, the Japanese dogs are so fucking vicious!"

"Marshal, should we take the initiative to attack?" suggested Deputy General Wu Gui.

Yang Ling looked at Xu Jin, who had a gloomy face, but Xu Jin shook his head and said, "No, wait for the Japanese army outside the city to attack the city first!"

Although the Japanese pirates' artillery attacks were powerful, each round of firing consumed a lot of bullets, so they would not fire endlessly, but would only play with the Ming army on the city wall like a cat and mouse, and wait until they had completely worn out their patience before taking action. (End of this chapter)