My Chinese ancestors

Chapter 663 The Final Tumult
In mid-October, Nongma City was in ruins. Civilians had died of disease and starvation between the houses and streets. The stench of rotting corpses and the burnt smell wafting from the northwest corner filled every corner.

Lancelot's injuries had not yet fully healed, but he was able to walk. He sat in a four-wheeled carriage and drove through several streets in the city.

In the shaking carriage, he drew aside the curtain and looked outside. The stench of decay and the smell of burning mixed together. On the roadside outside, corpses were rotting and the infected civilians were emaciated, nothing more than a living corpse.

Almost everyone who is still alive is already here.

Lancelot had not been out for more than ten days, but the scene outside had changed drastically. He had a dull look on his face, and he sat in the car motionless, without even blinking.

As the most prestigious knight under King Arthur, he is not only of noble status, but most importantly, he understands what it means to make a choice.

"Why don't you give up Nongma City?"

The fortified city before them was no longer suitable for defense, but instead became a cage to imprison them. However, after Lancelot murmured these words, he gave up the idea of ​​persuading King Arthur.

In my impression, King Arthur was a proud man. How could he give up after suffering such a great loss?

But this city, which has been devastated, can no longer continue its mission.

That morning, he was preparing to return home to the palace to continue recuperating. The carriage was still more than two hundred feet away from the eastern city wall when a faint rumbling sound came through the carriage.

Lancelot suddenly drew aside the curtain, opened the side door, quickly got out of the carriage, and looked back at the east city wall.

Several objects trailing flames streaked across the sky and slammed down on the top of the city wall, sending sparks flying high above the city wall.

The Seres attacked...

He opened his mouth slightly, and flames shot up into the sky.

……

call!
call!
what!
Slogans were shouted amid the rhythmic sound of war drums.

Young and strong laborers pushed the four-wheeled catapults, moving forward over the rugged ground. Extending to the left and right, the field of vision saw 120 catapults being pushed forward by hundreds of people. In front of them, there were several catapults loaded with heavy stone bombs.

The kerosene was poured down and dripped onto the stones.

At the moment the tinder ignited the stone bullet, someone swung a knife to cut the taut rope, and with a bang, the burning stone bullet shot into the sky.

"Those behind, quickly get into position. The two barbarian troops outside the city must not be let go."

Yuchi Gong galloped on his horse and shouted loudly to the young and strong laborers who were pushing the catapult.

The mighty advancing catapults were divided into two groups, spanning the front line. Except for the thirty in the middle, the rest were fifteen miles apart and arranged on both sides of the front line.

Soon, the captains of each team, along with their generals, ran and shouted, "Ready!"

The trebuchet began to repeat frequently.

Pour kerosene and light it.

When the war horses passed the last catapult, the captains from each team reined in their horses and turned around.

"put!"

One after another, the swords slashed down, and the sound of "bang, bang, bang" instantly resounded around, and stone bullets trailing flames rushed into the sky.

The moment the stone bullet flew up, the waiting laborers ran, quickly lifted the stones loaded in the truck bed, and put them into a concave wooden spoon.

The stone bullets were not light and pressed the wooden spoon down. Then the sound of capstans was heard one after another, followed by the shouts of the lieutenants from various teams riding on horseback.

Pull the rope, tighten it, and the wooden spoon bends backwards.

The blade slashed again, and the stone bullet flew into the sky with a bang.

The first kerosene bullet that flew out passed through the sunlight, extending into the distance with a whistling sound and the sound of falling flames.

The tall city wall stained with blood quickly enlarged. Stones dragged flames against the giant wall, shattered with a roar, and then fell from the top of the high city wall with sparks. With a bang, they hit the soil below the wall heavily.

More kerosene bullets flew over the shouting and running figures defending the city below and landed on the side streets intersecting with the city wall.

It hit a building directly, with half of it inside the wall and half sticking out.

The flames spread rapidly along the walls, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky.

On its left and right sides, more stone bullets carrying flames flew over the city wall and into the city, falling among the densely packed houses like flaming meteors.

The kerosene covering the surface flew away, and flames splashed all around. The broken stone chips crackled and hit the surrounding buildings and people.

The civilians who were still able to move struggled to get up and staggered towards the western wall. The sick civilians looked on with a dull and numb expression, and then the burning buildings collapsed and buried him.

The alarm has already sounded in the city.

Arthur walked onto the terrace of the castle and looked eastward. What came into his sight was the flames that kept flying into the city.

There was chaos, screams, and people running around.

The whistling sound from above continued to fall with the flames. On the streets near the city wall, the flames were accompanied by huge noises, igniting the houses and spreading wildly in all directions.

Those who did not have time to escape were engulfed in the raging flames, while others whose clothes were set on fire rolled on the streets screaming in agony.

In the city, the camps of the Holy Light and Thunder Legions standing on both sides of the east city wall were also attacked by a large number of kerosene bombs.

From the horse-trapping ditch they dug to the tent camp where the soldiers lived, everything was caught in a vortex of flames, and a large number of soldiers screamed in fear.

The camp of tens of thousands of people was engulfed in flames.

This attack lasted for the entire morning, and the kerosene bombs only stopped when the sun rose to the middle of the sky.

The military camp was basically destroyed. Percival and Bedivere respectively commanded their soldiers to clean up the camp and repair the fence.

Little did they know that Su Chen and the emperors behind him did this on purpose.

The purpose was to give the Sakprut Empire's army a break and continue to expend their efforts on repairing the camp until the sun sets in the afternoon.

The newly chiseled stone bullets were delivered again, and the craftsmen's camp was replenished with carts of newly twisted ropes in a timely manner.

It’s just past the hour of Wei.

On the other side of the city wall, the Holy Light and Thunder Legions, which were still cleaning and repairing, were once again hit by a barrage of stone bullets. The soldiers of the Holy Light or Thunder Legions, who were originally busy, immediately dropped what they were holding and ran around in panic.

The people of Seris had no rules and no chivalry at all, and launched a second attack without any warning.

In the camp where many soldiers gathered, more than a dozen people were hit by stone bullets, and their bodies were smashed to pieces and fell all over the ground.

The Seres did not send out troops, but simply bombarded their camps, city walls, and buildings with stones.

This saturation attack lasted for two days.

The eastern city wall was cracked and the top of the city wall was littered with stone bullet debris. Going inside, the houses close to the city wall were already riddled with holes, and many houses were burned down by fire.

Looking down from the sky, the large charred mark looks like a huge scar.

……

Ever since the epidemic broke out in the city and killed tens of thousands of people, the whole city has become like a ghost town, depressing and uncomfortable.

Arthur went from being heroic and open-minded before to being gloomy and violent as he sat on the throne. The Knights of the Round Table and the legion commanders below didn't even dare to breathe.

After a while, in this magnificent palace, Arthur closed his eyes and sighed softly: "Everyone go down and do your own duties."

His eyes then fell on the old man, who lowered his head in understanding. When the council was over, Merlin led the guards to the dungeon of the castle, which was dark and damp, with straw scattered everywhere.

Even though the uneven walls were illuminated by many torches, it was still dark and difficult to walk in here.

The foul and bloody smell surrounded them. The jailer, who was already familiar with the place, took a bunch of long copper keys and led the old man to open a cell.

This is a single room surrounded by walls with all kinds of strange symbols carved on the walls. In the darkness, an old man with messy white hair is sitting against the wall.

He turned his head slightly when he heard the door open, and saw Merlin coming in. Under his messy hair, a smile appeared on his old face.

"Do you need my help?"

Merlin did not say anything. He was somewhat wary of Eastern monks. This was true of Zhang Jiao, the Great Xia Imperial Master, and also of the Eastern old man named Zhang Dongzhi in front of him.

Before, when the other party was captured, the jailer was bewitched by him and almost destroyed the runes on the cell wall, allowing the other party to escape.

Merlin simply nodded and glanced at the guards behind him.

The two guards who came in took out a cloth bag embroidered with runes, put it over the old man's head, and then they felt at ease to remove his anklets and bracelets.

The two men lifted Zhang Dongzhi's arms and carried him out of the cell, then left the dungeon and followed a secret passage in the castle to the rock hall that Sakpruit had entered before.

This place is full of strange stone carvings. The flickering light of torches shines on them, casting swaying stone shadows on the walls.

Soon, the guards put the old man in the middle and beat him to his knees.

Even so, Zhang Dongzhi still gritted his teeth and endured it, only half-kneeling there. The two guards wanted to fight, but were stopped by Merlin.

"Just leave him like this."

The old man waved his hand, and the two guards bowed and left the strange hall. The surroundings became quiet, and Merlin leaned on his cane and slowly tapped the floor around Zhang Dongzhi, as if drawing runes.

King Arthur returned to his bedroom, changed out of his imperial robes, and took off the golden crown on his head that symbolized imperial power. With the help of his maids, he washed his increasingly strong body and put on the laurel crown again.

Then, go to the Rock Temple.

……

The sky is stretched out, and the white clouds are like catkins.

In the Western Expedition Army camp, horses were galloping in and out of the gate. In the imperial tent symbolizing the emperor, Su Chen leaned against the back of the chair, his hands on the armrests, staring at the map hanging on the left without blinking.

Under the gazes of Dian Wei and Xu Chu, Wu Zixun was reading the message sent by Marquis Huaiyin to Su Chen.

This is delivered every day, not because he does not trust the other party, but because it is convenient for Su Chen to monitor the status of the entire army. Although Huaiyin Hou is powerful, he is only one person after all. If there is one more person or a group of people to assist, it will be easier to see where the shortcomings of the entire army are.

Wu Changshi's voice stopped.

Here, Su Chen opened his eyes, stood up from his chair, and looked down: "Have you found any soldiers infected with the plague in the army?"

In the big tent, both sides were filled with military generals, such as Lu Bu, Xiang Yu, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhang Yi, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao, Qin Qiong, Li Yuanba and others. The newly joined Li Cunxiao and Yang Ye sat in the back row. The former had an unruly temperament and was not afraid of anyone when he first arrived in the army. It was not until he was beaten up by Xiang Yu that he became obedient.

They didn't need to go to the general's tent before the war started, but today everyone gathered in the emperor's tent to ask when to attack the city.

During this period of rest and recuperation, apart from training troops, they also searched for food everywhere. The farthest distance the Mongolian light cavalry ran was almost to the border of Analia and Miranter provinces.

Firstly, the generals were afraid that if they delayed any further, food and fodder would be cut off, which would hurt the morale of the army; secondly, they had been on the Western Expedition for nearly two years and they missed home to some extent.

Especially for Lu Bu and Xiang Yu, they have had their families here for nearly two years, and their newborn babies are probably able to crawl and run around on the ground.

"Your Majesty, no one in the army is infected with the plague. This is because Subutai has done a good job in prevention." Seeing that the people in front of him were silent, Qin Qiong spoke first to answer the emperor's question.

When the Mongols invaded the west, they used this method of siege countless times. Of course, they had a set of precautions against the plague, otherwise they would have been killed by the plague before they could even capture the enemy city.

"Ah."

Su Chen responded lightly. He understood what was going on from the expressions and demeanor of Lu Bu and other generals.

"I know you are anxious, but to be honest, as the Son of Heaven, I am far away from the court, leaving only the Crown Prince as regent, so I should be more anxious than you.

But you have to understand that the war has come to this point. What difference does it make if we are one day slower or faster? Since we have to fight, we should take this opportunity to sort out the barbarian land inside and out, so as to avoid leaving a big trouble for our children and grandchildren in the future."

The plague had been raging for nearly ten days, and Su Chen was amazed at the resilience of the Sakpruit people in Nongma City.

But it was just amazement. The more the other party acted like this, the more determined Su Chen was to clean up this place thoroughly.

After a moment's silence, Zhang Fei, the man with a leopard head and round eyes next to Guan Yu, spoke anxiously.

"But the barbarians are almost dead, and we won't be satisfied with the fighting then! Your Majesty, killing the enemy with your own hands is the only way to avenge our fallen soldiers!"

Su Chen tapped his fingertips and fell silent.

"His Majesty!"

At this time, Zhang Jue's voice suddenly came from outside the tent. Without waiting for him to enter the tent, Zhang Jue walked in wearing a Taoist robe borrowed from Li Tiangang. Also coming in with him was Li Chaofu. When the latter entered the emperor's tent, he carefully bowed and saluted to all the generals present.

"The Imperial Master is in a hurry. Is this something urgent?"

Zhang Jue was not an expert at sieges and conquests, so he never participated in military discussions. Most of the time, he discussed Taoism with Li Tiangang and how to promote Taoism.

Li Tiangang only had one sentence to reply to Zhang Jiao: "What's there to promote? They can learn it or not, but they should not delay my cultivation."

This time, Zhang Jue came to the emperor's tent, which was rare, which showed that he really had something urgent to do.

"I just sensed Zhang Dongzhi's presence in the Barbarian City to the west. It seems a little weak and a little dangerous."

Zhang Dongzhi?
Su Chen knew this person, a cultivator who was known as the old immortal. He was the only old man who cultivated immortality above the four great masters of that time.

After conquering the State of Liang, he took a group of generals to visit the other side, but unfortunately the old immortal and Zhang Jue had already come to the West to seek immortality.

Later, Li Chaofu, the other party's disciple, escaped back from the Western world and asked Su Chen for help.

"Master, please explain in detail." Su Chen asked Wu Zixun to move a stool over.

Zhang Jue did not sit down. He said, "I cannot explain in detail, but I vaguely feel that a great terror is looming over Nongma City. If it is not stopped in time, I am afraid there will be new changes in the city!"

Everyone is not stupid. If there are new changes as Zhang Jue mentioned in Nongma City, which is already full of plague, it will probably be disadvantageous to the Western Expedition Army.

"Master, you have to calculate it accurately!" Xiahou Yuan stood up suddenly and knocked over the folding stool at his feet in excitement.

Zhang Jue sighed and continued, "This is not fortune-telling, but a feeling from observing the weather. It cannot be explained in words."

Li Chaofu, who followed in, suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the emperor sitting in the first seat.

"Your Majesty, please save my master!"

The curtains swayed, and the golden light was imprinted in Su Chen's eyes. He was silent for a long time. He sat on the chair and slowly opened his eyes.

"In case something unexpected happens... then we won't wait any longer."

Su Chen stood up, took the cloak handed to him by Wu Zixun, and put it on his tall body, tying it as he walked, "Send someone to inform the Marquis of Huaiyin that I will attack the city, and let him preside over the military meeting!"

After speaking quickly, Su Chen stopped at the entrance of the tent. He raised his head to see the sunlight rising between the clouds.

"It's time for the final hustle and bustle."

(End of this chapter)