A thousand-year-old family that began with the Battle of Makino

Chapter 956: Xiaqiu City Battle, Life and Death, Bloodshed
September of the second year of Qianning
Bai Yi has been besieging Xia Qiu City for more than a month.

During this period, he sent generals such as Bai Xiaoqiang, Chen Daniu, and Yuan Qing to lead troops to attack the city many times, but they always fell short.

However, such a fierce attack still frightened Zhu Jin in the city.

"Ding ding ding!" The crisp sound of the gong spread throughout the battlefield. Yuan Qing chopped down a Yanhai naval officer, looked at the enemy soldiers who were cowering in fear not to move forward, spat, and shouted sternly: "Retreat!"

Then he stared at the enemy soldiers in front of him, approached the battlement, quickly picked up the wooden shield beside the wall, turned over, landed on the wooden ladder, carried the wooden shield under his buttocks, and in the blink of an eye he was under the wall.

The officers and soldiers of the Yanhai Army stretched their heads and looked outside the city, only to see the sparse Xuanwu Army collecting the bodies of their comrades along the way and retreating back to the main camp not far away.

After exhaling a breath of foul air, everyone slumped against the wall, feeling fortunate that they had lived another day.

He took off his sticky armor, threw his helmet to the personal soldier who had been following him, and angrily rushed into Bai Yi's central army tent, saying dissatisfiedly:

"Why did you sound the horn, sir? If you give me another half hour, the west gate will be breached."

Bai Yi looked up at Yuan Qing, who was angry but had no place to vent, but ignored him and lowered his head again, looking at the military map on the ground.

After being looked at by Bai Yi, Yuan Qing seemed to be deflated, his face turned pale, he lowered his head and dared not yell anymore, as if he was a bullied young wife.

Chen Daniu came over, pulled him aside, and whispered, "You've killed so many people that you've lost your mind. How dare you yell in front of the envoy?"

Yuan Qing coughed lightly, his face turned red, and he said awkwardly: "I have been in the south for a long time, and finally encountered a war. I got excited."

Chen Daniu felt the same way. He patted him on the shoulder, said nothing, and went about his own business.

The generals present, such as Li Kerang, Bai Xiaoqiang, Chen Daniu, etc., were all generals in charge of one side.

Chen Daniu, Bai Xiaoqiang and others were fine. They were often assigned by Bai Yi to participate in the battle of Puzhou and were under the command of the military government.

Especially Yuan Qing, who has been stationed in Sizhou for several years since the recovery of the four areas of Xuzhou. Without any superior to tell him what to do, he unconsciously developed an aura of a superior.

This time he was suddenly transferred into Bai Yi's army, and he was unable to adapt to the situation in a short time, which led to a conflict with the commander-in-chief.

In fact, it was not only Yuan Qing who felt strange. Chen Daniu and others also felt the same way. Every time they attacked the city, relying on the elite troops of the Xuanwu Army, they were asked to retreat when they were about to break through.

It's like going to the toilet and suddenly stopping. How can you not feel suffocated and uncomfortable?

That is to say, the head coach is Bai Yi. If it was Guo Huilong, it would have aroused dissatisfaction among the generals.

Regardless of the Xuanwu Army, in Xia Qiu City, and the Yanhai Army Headquarters, Zhu Jin sat in his seat with worry, waiting for news from the city wall.

"General, the enemy is retreating."

The person who came in to deliver the news was Yu Li, who was in charge of the defense of the west gate.

He could clearly hear the coach's breath when he told the news.

Yu Li knew clearly that his lord was an expert at charging into battle, leading troops in battles, and making decisions from thousands of miles away, which was far superior to his cousin Zhu Xuan.

The fact that he was able to expel the former Yanhai Army Jiedushi Qi Kerang was largely due to his brother Zhu Xuan's planning for him and his support in providing him with elite troops and generals.

He was also one of the trusted generals sent to him by Zhu Xuan at that time.

Zhu Jin looked at Yu Li who was hesitant to speak, took a sip of water, and asked, "If you want to pass on a message, you can just send anyone. You came here in person, so you must have something to say."

Yu Li saluted and said, "General, I have something urgent to tell you."

"But there's no harm in talking."

"Forgive my rudeness, but there are only 30,000 soldiers in the city right now, and the enemy's attacks have been fierce over the past month. Most of them are injured, so I'm afraid the city will be breached soon."

Zhu Xuan's eyebrows were already furrowed, and he rubbed them to relax. He sighed and said, "I know this, and the Xuanwu army is strong, and everyone knows it. But now, apart from resisting, what else can we do?" "Looking at the surrounding vassal states, Wang Shifan knows how to protect himself, Yang Xingmi is as timid as a mouse, my eldest brother is pinned down in Puzhou, and Zhu Quanzhong is far away in Hezhong."

"Where can I get troops to help me?"

Yu Li bowed again and said, "I was ordered by the military commander to escort money and grain to Puzhou. I have seen the construction of Juancheng under the supervision of the great military commander. It is a magnificent city. Without 200,000 soldiers and horses, it cannot be conquered even after years of siege."

"Perhaps we can send an envoy to ask the Grand Marshal to come to our aid. After all, the attack on Juancheng is only led by Guo Huilong and a small army. The purpose is to tie up the Grand Marshal's forces and prevent him from helping us."

"We will do the opposite. When Bai Yi is unprepared, the great commander will come from behind and the commander will go out of the city to attack from both sides. The enemy will surely be defeated."

"Bai Yi is defeated, how can Guo Huilong hold on alone? He must retreat."

Zhu Jin was hesitant and could not make a decision. At this time, Zhu Jin's son Zhu Yongzhen suddenly rushed out from the side door and shouted:

"Father, why hesitate? Xiaqiu City is about to fall. Our lives hang on a thread. Father, who can think of others but us?"

Yes, if I die, what’s the point of leaving Zhu Xuan alone?

What's more, they are just cousins. After his death, how could Zhu Xuan offer sacrifices to his father for Zhu Jin?

"Come here, prepare the pen and ink."

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the brick and stone Xia Qiu City, it is unclear whether it is the shadow of light or the red of blood.

Because the Xuanwu Army erected wooden fences and dug trenches on the north, west and south walls of the city, making it impossible for water to get through. Only the fields outside the east gate were silent and quiet, like a road to heaven.

But everyone knows that this path not only does not lead to heaven, but leads to hell.

The east gate of Xia Qiu, which had been silent all this time, creaked open, and dozens of cavalrymen rushed out. As soon as they came out of the gate, they rushed in all directions, and none of them went the same way.

These cavalrymen had not walked for long when countless Xuanwu Army cavalrymen suddenly appeared in the originally silent wilderness.

"Don't let them get away." A cavalry general of the Xuanwu Army looked at the fleeing enemy cavalry, shouted, and ordered the cavalry to move forward to encircle and suppress them.

Hundreds of Xuanwu cavalry were divided into dozens of teams, each with ten people, responsible for defeating one enemy cavalryman.

A brutal cavalry chase unfolded across the wilderness.

The Yanhai cavalry that rushed out of the city did not dare to delay. They rushed into the mountains not far away without looking back, despite the enemy cavalry that continued to shoot at them from behind.

They knew that as long as they rushed in, they would probably survive.

A quarter of an hour later, the wilderness returned to calm, with only a few ownerless war horses wandering around.

On the Iron Mountain to the east of the wilderness, Li Kerang sat upright on his horse, looking at a knight from the Yanhai Army who was like a lost dog on the mountain road not far away, and said indifferently: "How is the matter going?"

The cavalry commander who had been commanding in the field before respectfully sat on his horse and clasped his fists and said:

"Fifty-six riders came out of the city, and fifty-five of them were left behind by the brothers. Following the instructions of the latter, one enemy rider was spared."

Li Kerang nodded slightly and said to Meng Peiwu, the cavalry commander standing beside him, "Your three thousand men must keep an eye on this field to the east."

"Please rest assured, old military envoy, we are here. As long as we want, not even a fly can leave Xiaqiu City."

"Well, I can rest assured that you are doing the work."

After saying this, Li Kerang left with his left and right personal guards, leaving behind only the cavalry generals such as Meng Peiwu and the densely packed cavalry who were resting in the dense forest at the foot of the mountain.

(End of this chapter)