Chapter 360 Thinking about danger, thinking about retreat and thinking about change
Chapter 360 Thinking about danger, thinking about retreat and thinking about change
The spring breeze is silent, nourishing all things.
But at this moment, the spring breeze in Dingbian Town, Dali, seems a little bleak.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The sky was gloomy and crows were cawing.
The heaviness and depression linger in everyone's heart, making it hard to breathe.
On the city wall, the soldiers looked exhausted.
When their eyes met, I could no longer tell who the colleague next to me was.
Their armor had long been broken, some were shattered, and the linings of their shoes and socks were soaked with blood.
Although his mind was exhausted and his eyes were bloodshot,
But they still held their weapons tightly.
Every blow was accompanied by a deep roar.
It is anger towards the enemy and also a release of the depression in the heart!
They are tired, cold, bored, angry, and unwilling,
But no matter what, they stayed there.
At this moment, what they were considering was no longer how much money they would get after the war, how many merits they would make, or what promotion they would get.
But only a hint of obsession remains.
That is, kill all the enemies and defend the city!
For this reason, they killed with bloodshot eyes.
Even though their limbs were soft and weak, they still squeezed the last bit of strength in their blood and swung their swords at the enemy!
After the weapons fell, everything on them became a weapon.
Heads, teeth, limbs, and even broken arms with exposed bones.
If given the chance, they would stab it into the enemy's throat without hesitation!
Life is like grass, and heroes fall one after another.
Either fall on the city wall, or fall down from the city.
The originally brand new city wall of Dingbian City has become extremely mottled.
Endless blood flowed down from the top of the city wall.
Just like icicles in winter, hanging on the four walls, stretching from top to bottom,
Finally, it was covered by the new crowd of people that appeared under the city.
The mountain of people appeared again.
The bodies of the dead in the siege had piled up nearly ten feet high.
Piled up like a mountain, it was pitch black.
Whenever the sun shines, you can see hands and feet emerging from the Black Mountain, covered in blood and mud.
You can also see dark faces, with unclear facial features.
But you can feel their anger during their lifetime, and you can also feel their final struggle and resistance.
The blood dyed the land red.
The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, which was suffocating.
The enemy troops under the city were like mad beasts.
He charged again and again, without stopping, and never seemed to get tired.
But each time, they were blocked by the soldiers on the city wall with their flesh and blood.
The fighting continued, and everyone was in a daze.
The Luchuan soldiers climbed aimlessly, and the Ming soldiers slashed aimlessly.
It seemed as if he was going to chop down both armies to pieces.
Inside the city, most of the houses near the four walls have been reduced to rubble.
Flames shot up into the sky and smoke filled the air, turning the sky grey.
The once prosperous city is now only left with broken walls and ruins. The past glory and today's decline are a cause for regret.
The people huddled in their ruined houses, praying for a miracle.
But the cruel reality makes them feel heartbroken.
At this moment, most of the people here are women and children.
The young men and women in the city have all joined the battle.
Luchuan attacked the city non-stop for twelve hours a day, and the soldiers would be exhausted to death if they only relied on them.
As a Dingbian person, defending our homeland,
It is natural to protect the wife and children behind you.
So after the order to recruit civilians was issued,
The originally crowded city was empty, leaving only women, the elderly and children.
At this moment, their faces were filled with fear and helplessness, and their eyes were flashing with confusion and despair about the future.
Their numb eyes turned toward the home where they used to live.
Some houses were pierced by arrows, some were collapsed by artillery fire, some were engulfed in flames, and some still had huge rocks remaining.
The cruelty and ruthlessness of war are exposed to everyone at this moment.
There is no way out for everyone.
Either defend Dingbian City or die together.
As night falls, the war continues.
The moonlight shone through the thick smoke onto the devastated land, adding a sense of desolation and tragedy to the battlefield.
The war is still going on.
Deng Zhizhong, covered in blood, finally used up all his strength to kill a Luchuan vanguard in front of him.
Looking at the body lying on the ground, Deng Zhizhong felt excruciating pain all over his body.
On the contrary, the arm that had been broken long ago had no feeling in it.
The two remaining guards rushed over and supported Deng Zhizhong who was about to fall.
He then put his arm, which was hanging at his side, back around his neck.
Feeling the wet armor all over Deng Zhizhong's body, the guard pursed his lips tightly.
Once again, he spoke to persuade:
"My lord, you should go down and rest. You haven't slept for three days."
Deng Zhizhong's eyes, originally filled with fatigue, were instantly filled with anger.
The slap came, but it was not as loud as before.
"Asshole, what bullshit are you talking about."
Deng Zhizhong pulled him by the collar and pulled him to look forward.
There, under the dim firelight, a group of soldiers were fighting non-stop.
Enemy troops kept climbing up, and the battlefield was extremely brutal.
Deng Zhizhong breathed rapidly and grabbed his collar tightly:
"I'm telling you, we are the Beijing Army.
If we cannot defend the Ming elite troops under the emperor's feet,
Then who in this world can be trusted by the Beijing Army?
Where is the dignity of the capital? Where is your Majesty's dignity? "
"Order the entire army, all generals, to climb back up the city wall and defend it at all costs!"
"Even if I die, you must take someone with you to jump down with you and die under the city!"
"go with!"
The guard's breathing quickened, and his eyes regained their firmness:
"Yes!!"
Wait until one of the guards leaves.
The other guard was much more obedient and quickly helped Deng Zhizhong up:
"Sir, come and have a drink of water."
The guard took the water bag from behind and grabbed a handful of dried apricots from his bosom.
But when I took it out, I found that it was already soaked in blood and gave off a fishy smell.
Deng Zhizhong did not hesitate and threw the long knife in his hand.
I grabbed a handful, put it in my mouth, and chewed it hard.
His bloodshot eyes scanned the entire wall, finally stopping at the gap near the north.
"Tell Huo Xin to take a hundred-man team to fill the gap."
“Sir, Lord Huo has just withdrawn from the city wall for only a quarter of an hour.”
"Go quickly! A quarter of an hour's rest is not enough. I'm already old and I've never been down from the city wall!"
"Yes!!"
The guard handed over the water bag and the last handful of dried apricots in his arms.
He ran away quickly, but his movements were not very agile and he staggered a little.
After the two of them left, Deng Zhizhong's face, which had been serious, suddenly became distorted.
He took several deep breaths and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
He looked down at his chest, where there was a white streak.
At this moment, the bandage has turned into a bloody one, and underneath the bandage is a wound that goes deep into the bone marrow.
Deng Zhizhong clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.
He kept taking deep breaths, and finally his complexion gradually returned to normal, but his hands and body were still trembling slightly.
Deng Zhizhong cursed inwardly:
"It's spring, why is it so cold?"
Now, the battle in Dingbian City is more brutal than any previous battle in Yunnan.
The entire Luchuan army was like crazy, attacking the city continuously.
Not only did it scare many of the Luchuan army's retainers,
Even the 15,000 Beijing troops in Dingbian City felt extremely fearful.
The three guards were all elite soldiers who had been to the northern border and fought with the Northern Yuan Dynasty with real swords and guns.
They also had to admit that
At this moment, the resilience of the Luchuan Army is no less than that of the Northern Yuan Army!
Deng Zhizhong took a deep breath, picked up the long sword that was thrown aside, and scanned the city wall.
He could feel that the intensity of the siege suddenly decreased this afternoon.
The Ming army's losses also decreased suddenly.
Deng Zhizhong raised the corners of his mouth slightly and forced himself to smile.
What Luchuan lacks is the foundation of a century-old dynasty.
Now, if we force it like this, it won't last long.
But before Deng Zhizhong could finish his thought, shouts of killing were heard from under the city wall.
Full of energy and desire to win.
Deng Zhizhong's face froze, and he cursed inwardly,
Then he stepped forward with a long sword in hand and roared:
"Brothers, a new wave of attack is coming.
We have to defend for another half an hour before it's time to switch defenses. Hold on!!"
The hoarse and old voice echoed on the city wall.
It seemed insignificant amid the whistling sound of the crossbow arrows and the renewed ramming of the battering rams.
A new round of offensive in Luchuan began.
The charge horn sounded, making the Ming army on all four walls feel exhausted. The Hongfu Guards on the south wall took on the most fierce attack.
At this moment, the Hongfu Guards had lost nearly 2,000 men, and nearly 1,000 civilians had also died.
This also leads to an increasingly frequent rotation.
There is less and less time to rest, which leads to a vicious cycle.
Mu Sheng had discarded his long sword and picked up his saber instead.
He just discovered today that wielding a sword or a spear might be blocked by the enemy's armor.
But wielding a saber is different.
At this moment, he led his personal guards to guard the ten-foot-long city wall alone.
The saber kept waving in his hand, making a sound of breaking wind, and no one could be his match!
"Kill, kill, kill!"
Mu Sheng had not rested for the past three days.
With disheveled hair, he looked like a ghost, with scarlet eyes peering through the gaps in his long hair.
This made many Luchuan soldiers dare not get too close.
Even the soldiers behind him couldn't help but sigh that it's good to be young.
Mu Sheng was also very tired, but he was more determined to defend Dingbian.
At this moment in Dingbian City, he is more determined than the people in the city!
This is the duty of Xiping Marquis Mansion. As the second son of the Marquis Mansion, I should fight against the enemy and the people.
Even if he is tired, he will use the last bit of strength in his body to kill the enemy and prove his own ability!
As the saber swung, broken limbs and arms scattered all over the ground.
The air was filled with the smell of blood and the ground was soaked in scarlet.
Mu Sheng was breathing heavily, holding on to his saber and fighting.
Looking at the Luchuan soldiers climbing up one by one, he gritted his teeth and looked ruthless!
He looked up at the cold moon in the sky and couldn't help muttering to himself:
"Dad, where have you been? If you don't come, I'll be exhausted to death."
Mu Sheng held the saber in his hand and ran quickly towards the enemy.
The blood on his body kept spurting out, all over the ground.
Mu Sheng chopped down a Luchuan soldier on the head!
The saber made a clear trembling sound.
The Luchuan soldier's long sword was chopped off, and the saber was deeply embedded in his head, splitting it in half.
Mu Sheng took a deep breath, pulled out the saber with force, and said to himself silently:
“War is so hard.”
He turned to look to the south, where the mountains and forests were looming and dark.
"Brother-in-law, are you still alive?"
In the southern forest, several tall figures stood on the branches of the trees.
Holding a telescope in hand, quietly looking at Dingbian City at the end of the sight!
The lights there were on brightly, like a bright lamp in the darkness, particularly dazzling.
But when you get closer, you can see corpses and blood everywhere.
Almost filling the entire telescope,
Even from a distance, one could seem to smell the stench of the corpse and the blood rising into the sky.
"Brother Yun'er, in your opinion, how long can Dingbian City hold out?"
Liu Heiying holds a telescope in his hand.
As I watched and ate the fruits in my hands, the sound of the juice clearly echoed around me.
Many soldiers who were also checking the records couldn't help but retching.
They couldn't imagine that after seeing such a tragic battlefield,
How can adults still eat with such relish?
Lu Yunyi looked calm and said thoughtfully:
"Ten days or half a month is not a problem."
When these words came out, not only Liu Hei Ying was a little surprised,
The generals standing on the surrounding branches also looked over in surprise, hoping to hear an explanation.
Lu Yunyi was no longer stingy:
"Siege is a competition of morale and strategy for both sides.
During this process, as long as there is sufficient food and grass, the morale of the defenders will be high.
Because defending the city is the main strategy of the defenders.
The attackers will lose morale because they are unable to capture the city.
For Luchuan, Dingbian was just a stumbling block on their way forward.
Their real strategy was to capture Dali and open up a passage westward to Luchuan.
Now, after being blocked by Dingbian for three days,
There are already signs of strategic failure, and morale will continue to decline.”
Seeing that many generals looked thoughtful, Lu Yunyi continued:
“When you don’t understand the war, think about the core demands of both sides.
In order to find the thread and control the enemy's next move, this is a skill that a general must have."
Liu Hei Ying is always the first to understand and respond,
He bit the fruit in his mouth hard and said:
"Chew chew chew grunt grunt hmm~ Brother Yun'er is right."
Lu Yunyi glanced at him and slapped him:
"What's right? Just eat, eat, eat. Just eat."
Liu Heiying shrank his neck and began to feel around his body.
He quickly took out a fruit and handed it over:
"Brother Yun'er, you don't know that in order to fool those Luchuan soldiers,
I am really tired and thin, I need to eat more to replenish myself.”
Lu Yunyi took the fruit and looked at it, but he didn't know what it was.
I took a tentative bite and it was sweet and juicy, like a peach.
He ate and said:
"Those Luchuan soldiers were sent by Si Lunfa to supervise the army. We must keep a close eye on them.
As soon as we arrived yesterday, two letters were delivered, asking the generals of the southern countries to come to the court for an audience."
A trace of murderous intent flashed across Liu Heiying's face:
"That's right. How can we meet them when all the people are dead?"
After a pause, he continued:
"Brother Yun'er, don't worry. Aju Miao is an old fox. He can handle it."
"What did he say?" Lu Yunyi was a little curious.
A gleam of brilliance flashed in Liu Heiying's small eyes. He smiled, cleared his throat, and pretended to speak like Aju Miao:
"General Daiwang is leading a group of soldiers to hunt down the remnants of the Ming army. The outcome will be clear in three days.
As for the Dingbian battlefield at this moment, General Daiwang ordered us to come and help first."
After saying this, Liu Heiying's voice regained its youthfulness, which was a pity:
"It's a pity, we have tens of thousands of soldiers.
After refusing the military order to meet him, Si Lunfa didn't even come to see me in person, which made me waste my efforts."
Lu Yunyi chuckled and said lightly:
"The King of Luchuan must stay in the Luchuan army. What's the point of joining the Siamese and Annan armies?"
Liu Heiying looked at the battlefield ahead and said:
"But. Brother Yun'er,
This kind of concealment method will not be able to hide for a few days, and those Luchuan people will find out sooner or later."
Lu Yunyi didn't care:
"Just let it be discovered. The people of Luchuan won't be able to stay alive for a few days.
According to my calculations, the army should have cleared out all the Luchuan people in Chuxiong by now.
We will head to Dingbian again. We will arrive there in the next two days.
By then, Silunfa will be unable to escape."
Liu Heiying frowned slightly and muttered to himself:
"The mobilization of hundreds of thousands of people cannot be done quietly.
Logically speaking, Si Lunfa should have known that he had been tricked.
It was a bit strange that he asked us to wait twenty miles away instead of working together to attack the city.
Is there something we didn’t expect?”
As soon as these words were spoken, many generals who had focused their attention here began to think distractedly, with thoughts racing in their minds.
I can't figure this out either.
Lu Yunyi chuckled:
"Of course I know. Even if Lord Mu's army is well hidden, Luchuan cannot find it.
But Dingbian was right in front of us, and suddenly there were so many elite troops.
Even if it's just speculation, we can guess the clues."
"Then him?"
Liu Heiying looked puzzled and his chewing speed slowed down a little.
Lu Yunyi narrowed his eyes slightly, a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and his face showed that everything was under control.
"People have three things to think about: thinking about danger, thinking about retreat, and thinking about change.
Luchuan is now attacking the city day and night in order to seek changes in the war.
If they can win, then Si Lunfa thinks the battle is not lost. "
"It seems?"
Lu Yunyi explained:
"In Si Lunfa's opinion, the Jingdong camp is still there.
It was just some harassment from the Ming army, but the overall situation was still under control.
As long as Dingbian is taken, Luchuan's tentacles will have already extended into Dali.
If we attack Dali from the west later, we may have a chance to capture it."
"But now, Si Lunfa could never have imagined that Jingdong Camp had been taken over by us.
It has even come right under our noses.
I'm afraid he won't believe it even if I tell him."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present laughed, and the fog in front of them became much clearer.
Lu Yunyi continued:
"He arranged us, the Luchuan soldiers, to be stationed 20 miles away from the battlefield, which was a retreat.
If Luchuan fails to conquer Dali before Lord Mu's army arrives,
Their Luchuan soldiers can be supported by us.
Retreat from the south side of Dali and return to Jingdong.
This is also why there are so many soldiers and camps on the south side, just to facilitate retreat."
After a pause, Lu Yunyi continued:
"Today, Aju Miao refused to go to the central army tent to meet me. Si Lunfa did not investigate further. Do you know why?"
Liu Heiying shook his head like a rattle: "I don't know."
"Si Lunfa summoned these soldiers not for war,
It was just to be used as bait to contain the Ming Dynasty and to fill the retreat route.
Especially the current siege war is so brutal that others cannot trust it, which will drag down their own morale.
Therefore, as long as we guard the southern rear of the Luchuan army,
If he could ensure the safe evacuation of the Luchuan army, it would be a great achievement, and Si Lunfa would feel it was worth it.
Of course, this was his original plan."
"Now you and I will intervene, and when he really starts to retreat,
We only need to send troops at that time.
It would form an encirclement based on Dingbian, Chuxiong, and the south side of Dingbian.
The Silunfa army was trapped in the middle.
The day we attack and defend the aliens is the day Luchuan dies."
As soon as these words came out, the darkness in the forest suddenly became filled with heavy breathing.
They felt the current situation more clearly than ever before.
Not far away, Li Jinglong was standing at the root of a tree, having just finished vomiting.
Even though he felt extremely uncomfortable, he was still extremely shocked in his heart.
"Is this how a famous general sees war? It's so clear."
(End of this chapter)