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

Yang Ling had no choice but to nod his head and agree. He naturally knew what these Japanese devils were thinking. Because the Japanese army was not large, they played with the Ming army in the city like a cat and a mouse. If they were fighting on the plains, they would never dare to underestimate the enemy. Of course, the most important thing was that the Ming army's firearms were too poor. It was impossible to crack the firearms of the Japanese pirates. Even if the Japanese consumed gunpowder quickly, the Ming army was still at a disadvantage.

"Report to the commander-in-chief, the Japanese have already rushed to within a hundred steps." The signalman hurriedly reported.

"Blow the horn and order the soldiers to prepare to meet the enemy!" Yang Ling shouted immediately.

Sharp and piercing whistles sounded on the north bank, and thousands of Ming troops ran quickly and lined up in two neat and efficient columns.

The Japanese pirates' artillery continued to fire, and thousands of fireballs whizzed towards the city wall, blowing brick fragments everywhere.

"Ah, Marshal, the Japanese pirates are coming!" Deputy General Chen Deng shouted in horror.

"Marshal, be careful!" Zhao Hu rushed to Xu Jin and protected him tightly.

Yang Ling also turned around in a hurry, only to see the Japanese vanguard troops actually crossing the city wall and rushing towards the city gate like a tide. Yang Ling shouted: "Shoot, kill all the Japanese pirates!"

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, a flood of arrows poured down on the Japanese army. Kerosene barrels and torches on the top of the city were also thrown down, and a strange smell of crackling burning immediately came from the city gate.

The Japanese soldiers were frightened by the fire and stopped to block with their shields.

Yang Ling breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and shouted, "Send the order, beat the drums, order the soldiers to leave the city and fight back!"

"Yes!" The adjutant took the order and went to convey it.

Xu Jin saw the flames on the top of the city and the Japanese soldiers hastily setting up a defense line. He couldn't help but frown. The Japanese pirates' weapons were more sophisticated than he had imagined, especially the Japanese artillery, which was even more powerful. If the Ming army rashly fought them to the death, the losses would surely be heavy, and the city might even be lost.

"Marshal, the Japanese pirates' artillery is very powerful. What should we do now?" Chen Deng asked worriedly.

Yang Ling pondered for a moment and said, "The Japanese weapons are stronger than ours, so we must find a way to restrain them. We are now in the city, and they can't do anything to us, so we can temporarily avoid them and retreat when their artillery is exhausted!"

"General, you are wise. I agree with you!" Zhao Hu flattered him.

Yang Ling glanced at the young commander with satisfaction, thinking that he had finally chosen the right person this time.

"Order all units to be ready and await my orders at any time. Remember not to rush in recklessly and try to conserve your strength." Yang Ling gave the order.

"As ordered!"

After about a cup of tea, the third wave of attack by the Japanese began, and Xu Jin immediately ordered Chen Deng to beat the drum.

The gongs and drums on the city walls were beating, the horns were blaring, and tens of thousands of Ming troops began to advance outside the city. The Japanese decisively chose to give up the attack and began to retreat slowly, obviously unwilling to die in vain.

As soon as the Japanese retreated, Xu Jin immediately ordered: "Blow the horn, shrink the formation, and form a formation to resist the enemy!"

Wuwuwu——

The sound of trumpets resounded through the night sky like thunder, and thousands of Ming troops quickly moved towards the north gate and formed a chariot formation.

The Japanese cavalry had just made several tentative attacks but had failed to break into the city. Under such circumstances, they naturally did not dare to take the risk of pursuing them. Seeing that the Ming army had contracted its formation to defend, they had no choice but to retreat reluctantly.

The Japanese pirates retreated quickly and efficiently, and the Ming army officers and soldiers breathed a sigh of relief.

"Marshal, the Japanese artillery has stopped firing, and it seems that the Japanese ammunition has been used up. I request your permission to lead the troops in pursuit." Chen Deng requested excitedly. He had just observed with his own eyes that the Japanese artillery fired very slowly and consumed a lot of ammunition. He estimated that the Japanese artillery shells were not many left.

Yang Ling shook his head and refused, "The enemy is retreating like the wind and lightning, so we should not linger in the battle. You just stay and supervise the battle. I am going to inspect the barracks!"

Chen Deng immediately became dispirited. Yang Ling was a third-rank civil official, while he was a minor official. There was a huge gap in their official ranks, and his influence was not taken seriously. He could only stay on the city wall and supervise the battle in disappointment.

It is said that the Japanese pirates fought a decisive battle with the Ming army in the wild, and the outcome was unpredictable. However, now that they entered the city and fought in the streets, the Japanese clearly had the upper hand, after all, the Japanese artillery was extremely powerful. Although Xu Jin was confident that he could defend the city, he did not want to take risks with his soldiers, so he could only hold his troops for the time being and wait until the Japanese soldiers ran out of ammunition.

After Yang Ling left the northern city wall, he went to the military camp on the west side to inspect. Outside the military camp, trenches had been built and pits had been dug. There were also ambushes of crossbowmen, spearmen and archers. It was expected that they could hold the camp tonight.

After Yang Ling arrived at the military camp, he immediately summoned the staff officers from various departments to discuss countermeasures. All the generals felt that the Japanese pirates' repeated attacks tonight would inevitably result in heavy casualties. As long as they could survive until tomorrow morning, the Japanese ammunition would not be so sufficient, and they might be able to take the opportunity to seize the north gate.

However, Xu Jin reminded the generals not to be blindly optimistic. Since the Japanese army was able to send cavalry to attack the north gate, it meant that they had been prepared. As long as the Japanese soldiers could survive the period of ammunition shortage, the Ming army would be in danger.

At this moment, Deputy General Liu Jinbao suddenly reported happily: "General, the Japanese army has retreated!"

Yang Ling was surprised when he heard this and blurted out: "How could it be so fast?"

The generals were also surprised. The Japanese attacked very fiercely. The Ming army thought that the Japanese would continue the attack. However, they retreated in less than half an hour.

Yang Ling thought about it for a moment and suddenly realized that these Japanese were obviously worried that the Ming army would continue to defend their city and clear the fields when they had sufficient ammunition, so they adopted harassment tactics to force the Ming army to surrender or run out of ammunition and food.

Yang Ling immediately ordered everyone to retreat back into the city to rest, and had people quickly carry back the bodies outside the city, and then had people bandage the wounds of the injured brothers.

Xu Jin returned to the central army tent and saw that Yang Tiechui had woken up, so he went up to him and asked about his injuries.

"Thank you, Brother Yang, for saving my life. Brother Yang is a real man!" Yang Tiechui clasped his fists and saluted in gratitude.

Xu Jin smiled and said, "It's just a piece of cake. How is your injury? Is it serious?"

Yang Tiechui nodded and said, "I was stabbed in the chest, but at least I survived. Thanks to you for sacrificing yourself to save me. I am very grateful."

Xu Jin put his hand on Yang Tiechui's pulse to confirm that he was fine, and then checked if his ribs were broken, and then he felt relieved. Yang Tiechui was nearly eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and a strong waist, a strong and powerful body, dark skin, and rough and resolute facial features. He was a typical northern man. If he were in another place, Xu Jin might really regard this man as a friend.

"Okay, we are friends, no need to be polite. You should take good care of your injuries during this period and return to Liaodong after you recover." Xu Jin comforted gently.

Yang Tiechui laughed and said, "I know my health, there is nothing serious. Don't worry, sir. I will not be lazy and will help you defend the city tomorrow."

Xu Jin said with relief: "If the Japanese reinforcements arrive tomorrow, you must warn them in time."

Yang Tiechui said sternly, "Don't worry, sir. I will keep a close eye on them and notify you immediately if there is any movement."

Xu Jin nodded and said, "If you have any difficulties, tell Father Wang and I will send someone to reinforce you."

Yang Tiechui grinned and said, "Sir, I am not afraid of difficulties. As long as I can capture the Japanese dog alive, it is worth dying on the battlefield." Xu Jin smiled and said, "A good man will not suffer a loss in front of him. Let's save our lives first."

Yang Tiechui scratched his head and said, "Okay then!"

The next morning, as the sun was rising, Yang Ling took some of his generals to the top of the city to supervise the battle, while the rest of the soldiers were scattered around to patrol.

Yang Ling had considered yesterday that the Japanese pirates would attack the city again tonight, so he ordered people to dig traps and sandbags under the city wall to block the Japanese pirates' cavalry.

When Yang Ling and others were standing at the battlement to patrol, two horses suddenly came galloping from a distance. They were Zhang Hai and Niu Gao.

"Marshal, great victory, the Japanese pirates have retreated!" Two generals dismounted and reported excitedly.

Yang Ling was greatly encouraged and asked hurriedly, "Tell me in detail, where did the Japanese retreat to?"

Zhang Hai replied, "I have fought with the Japanese before. They are very slippery and run very fast. Commander Niu and I followed their escape route and found them at dawn. Fortunately, there were less than a hundred of them left, and we killed them all. The rest of the Japanese soldiers all retreated from the south gate."

Niu Gao also added: "My lord, when I was chasing Master Hai, I encountered the remnants of the Japanese soldiers and captured two prisoners. After interrogation, we found out that the Japanese soldiers wanted to blow up the pontoon bridge, then cross the river and attack us from behind."

Yang Ling couldn't help but frown. The Japanese wanted to surround the city and attack the reinforcements, but their mistake was that they didn't know that the reinforcements in the city were hiding near the north gate.

Of course, what is even more infuriating is that this group of Japanese pirates actually dared to attack the North Gate at night. It was obvious that they knew that the defenders were out of ammunition and food, and they planned to forcibly seize the North Gate.

Yang Ling snorted coldly, "What a cunning Japanese pirate! Order the entire army to be ready to fight back against the Japanese pirates at any time!"

"Yes, sir!" Zhang Hai and Niu Gao responded in unison.

Yang Ling ordered his personal soldiers to carry the injured brothers back for bandages, and then led all the generals back to the central military tent to discuss matters and prepare to deal with the counterattack of the Japanese soldiers.

If the Japanese army succeeds in their night attack on the north gate, they will definitely launch a new attack because they have suffered a lot of losses and need to make up for them, otherwise they will end up in a miserable defeat like last time.

Xu Jin estimated that the Japanese pirates would have to attack at least three more times before they retreated, so he arranged to keep a close eye on the movements of the Japanese army and at the same time sent troops to reinforce the defenses of the north gate.

Xu Jin was directing from the top of the city wall, while Liu Daxia was directing the civilians inside the city to repair the fortifications. The two sides cooperated well and worked in an orderly manner.

The Japanese counterattack was even faster than Xu Jin had expected. They launched several waves of attacks just three days apart, but all were blocked and annihilated by the defenders. However, the Japanese casualties also increased, and they finally had to choose to stop the attack.

Yang Ling and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief; the Japanese army's decision not to attack proactively saved them a lot of trouble.

For two consecutive days, the Japanese army did not launch an attack on the defenders, and the soldiers in the city gradually recovered. They no longer had to be on edge every day and no longer had to worry about the Japanese army launching a sudden attack, so their morale was naturally high.

In the evening, the Japanese army still did not launch an attack, but the defenders' alertness level was obviously reduced. After all, the Japanese army's fierce attacks for several consecutive days had not been effective, which greatly reduced the confidence of the soldiers defending the city. They even suspected that the Japanese army had withdrawn. After all, the Japanese were not fools and would retreat if they could not win.

As night fell, Yang Ling was staring at a map in the central military tent. Suddenly, a scout came to report that a huge fire had broken out in the Japanese camp. It was obvious that the Japanese had begun burning food and supplies.

Xu Jin's expression changed drastically, and he said in a deep voice: "Let's go and take a look immediately!"

Generals such as Yang Ling, Liu Fangliang, Li Wenzhong, and Zhao Bingjun hurried away and rushed to the camp. They soon found a burning wooden fence beside the trench on the west side of the camp.

"Damn it, the Japanese are crazy, they actually set fire to the food and grass."

"This is a desperate move!"

"It looks like the Japanese army is really going to attack the city with all their might. What should we do now? Our ammunition has been used up. With our current strength, I'm afraid we won't be able to stop the enemy's onslaught."

"The Japanese cannon fodder is still pouring in from the east gate. It looks like the Japanese pirates will launch their final general attack today."

Xu Jin and others stayed outside the trench for a while, then turned and walked towards the city wall.

At this time, the guards under the city wall saw Xu Jin and others return, and they shouted excitedly: "Congratulations, Marshal, the Japanese dogs have begun to burn the food and grass, and our ammunition will be restored soon. We will definitely be able to drive the Japanese bandits out of the city tonight."

Xu Jin sighed secretly. It was a pity that the Japanese army gave up the city, but there was still a chance to save it. However, since the Japanese gave up the city and surrendered, they must have had a backup plan, maybe even an ambush, so he would rather give up the city.

The purpose of the Japanese abandoning the city was very simple, which was to lure Xu Jin out of the city for a decisive battle, and then use the advantage of the Japanese soldiers' large number of artillery to concentrate superior forces to inflict heavy damage on Xu Jin.

It has to be said that although this plan was crude, it was indeed very insidious. However, Xu Jin was not afraid of it. The Japanese army's artillery lineup was not weak, but lacked mobility and the ability to attack. Xu Jin's defenders had the advantage of terrain and were protected by solid fortifications. The Japanese had no choice but to take a risky gamble.

"Sir, I have already found out that the reason why the Japanese soldiers launched fierce attacks for two consecutive days is to lure us out of the city and fight them in the wild." Niu Gao said loudly.

Yang Ling asked with a worried look on his face: "Master Xu, what do you think?"

Xu Jin shook his head and smiled bitterly: "We have no choice but to fight them."

As soon as Xu Jin finished speaking, smoke and dust billowed in the distance, as if thousands of troops were galloping towards this side.

"Just as I expected, the Japanese soldiers really launched a general attack. Everyone, let's go to the top of the city first."

Yang Ling and his generals climbed up the city wall to look, and saw a large group of Japanese soldiers appearing in the southeast corner, rushing towards the city wall.

There are about five to six thousand Japanese soldiers, and they are very well-equipped. In addition to sword and shield soldiers and spearmen, they are also fully equipped with archers and cavalry. It seems that the number of Japanese cavalry is relatively small, about four to five hundred people.

Yang Ling secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that the Japanese army had mobilized all the men they could to besiege the north gate.

"Marshal, please lead the troops to stop the enemy. I will immediately gather people to build fortifications." Liu Daxia suggested.

Yang Ling hesitated for a moment before nodding and saying, "Okay, I'll be responsible for stopping the enemy. Lao Liu, you organize people to build fortifications such as the deer trough and make sure the city wall is not lost!"

"I obey your command!" Liu Daxia clasped his fists in response, then hurried down the city wall and called on his men to work.

Xu Jin led his men to the top of the city wall. This time, Yang Ling brought up all the available militiamen to help.

Because the enemy's attacks were very frequent, the Japanese kept attacking the city walls from the north and the rear wing, so the fortifications of the city walls had to be built as soon as possible. (End of this chapter)