Chapter 113

Chapter 113

The eastern sky had just begun to brighten when the rebel forces were still eating porridge and bread in their camp half a mile away. The defenders of Wei City had already gathered at the city gates.

The civilians stood in disarray, clearly distinct from the orderly formations of the city guards on either side.

The civilians looked around anxiously, asking Xiao Mu, who was in front, "Commander Xiao, is this all the troops we have? Where are the rest of the city guards?"

Xiao Mu, dressed in black cloth, stood straight and smiled as he explained to everyone, "We must defend the city, but relying solely on defense won't defeat the rebels. Before the rebel army arrived, I sent out five thousand troops to hide nearby. They will wait until the rebels encounter difficulties and suffer losses during the attack, then surround them and catch them off guard."

With the city gates tightly locked, not even a stray cat or dog could get out, so there was no need to worry about spies informing the rebels.

The civilians didn't understand tactics, but seeing the old man's confident smile and recalling the imposing presence of the Wei City troops during training, they remembered how Xiao Er had led a thousand elite soldiers to repel the rebels' twenty-thousand-strong force. Now, with five thousand elite soldiers facing three thousand exhausted attackers after a siege, victory seemed likely.

The previously panicked civilians now felt reassured.

Suddenly, Xiao Mu stopped smiling and said solemnly, "To win against the rebels, our military and civilians must cooperate inside and outside the city. If we fail to defend the city and the rebels break through before Xiao Zhen and the other commanders can bring reinforcements, all the civilians will become easy prey for the rebels. Therefore, everyone must give it their all and hold out until dusk. Can you do it?"

The military and civilians responded in unison, "Yes!"

Xiao Mu: "Good, everyone to your positions!"

A thousand city guards filed onto the left and right walls, some holding bows and arrows, others standing by catapults, stones, and logs.

Another thousand city guards and three thousand able-bodied men stood below, ready to replace the tired soldiers at any moment.

While the old man was boosting morale below, Tong Sui had already climbed up to the wall.

Yesterday, the sky was clear, but today it was overcast. The wind wasn't strong, but it made people's faces feel stiff.

She saw the smoke from the enemy camp gradually dissipate and watched as the enemy soldiers divided into groups. A row of soldiers held wooden shields high, carrying larger and heavier battering rams and ladders, followed by sword-wielding vanguard troops, shield bearers, and archers. Behind them were the main forces, with nearly a thousand cavalry on each flank.

Because the rebels had suffered defeats at the hands of Xiao Zhen and because the family had prepared meticulously, Tong Sui had only feared the rebels' five-thousand-strong force. But seeing their well-trained formations, she realized she had underestimated them. Their success in capturing four cities wasn't just due to numbers or incompetent city magistrates.

Outside the city.

Li Gang and Mr. Fan rode their horses, watching the wall from a distance. At first, they saw only a row of soldiers and a woman in leather armor. Soon, Old Man Xiao and about twenty armored officers ascended the wall. Though they couldn't see clearly from afar, they assumed these were the renowned sons and self-proclaimed generals of the Xiao family.

Li Gang sneered, "Why is there a woman?"

Mr. Fan stroked his goatee and said, "I heard that the second lady of the Xiao family has excellent archery skills and once helped the family fight bandits. With Wei City in danger, Old Man Xiao would naturally call all capable archers to the wall."

Li Gang squinted at the woman's face and said, "She looks quite fair; she must be beautiful. I hope she doesn't die on the wall; I'd like her to warm my bed."

Once the vanguard troops were ready, a scout Li Gang had sent to watch the Xiao family's cavalry returned on horseback. "Your Highness, the Xiao family's cavalry remains inactive."

Li Gang looked at Mr. Fan in confusion, "What is Xiao Er planning? We're about to attack his grandfather and take his wife, yet he's still thinking about supporting Ding County?"

Mr. Fan replied, "Regardless of his intentions, we are well-prepared. His mere thousand cavalry will be like meat buns for dogs, never to return, whether they support one side or the other."

Li Gang laughed, "Exactly. Pass the order: the flanking cavalry stays put, and the main force attacks immediately!"

The horn sounded, the drums beat, and clouds of dust rose as the army advanced.

The defenders on the wall also began beating their drums.

Tong Sui stood beside the old man, watching the city guards on both sides draw their bows and aim at the enemy.

When the distance was close enough, both sides released a rain of arrows almost simultaneously.

The city guards could quickly dodge behind the tall battlements if they reacted in time, while the rebels, despite having wooden shields, only protected the front two rows. Many of the vanguard troops fell to arrows, but the enemy soldiers continued advancing without hesitation.

Amidst the rain of arrows, some enemy soldiers pushed ladders to the base of the wall.

The ladders were tall, but the enemy soldiers climbed them as if on flat ground, moving incredibly fast.

The city guards responsible for pushing the ladders into place moved forward, but the enemy's continuous arrow fire caused casualties. Tong Sui watched as a soldier pushing a cart was hit by arrows and fell onto the cart. Nearby soldiers immediately pushed aside the fallen comrade and worked together to aim the cart at the ladder, knocking it down along with several enemy soldiers.

However, there were too many enemies and too many ladders, and the city guards' carts were insufficient.

The enemy's arrow fire continued, but the city guards, limited in numbers, kept only a batch of archers for long-range attacks, focusing the rest on the ladders and throwing stones and logs.

All the oil was used to attack the enemy soldiers pushing the large battering rams against the city gates.

As the commander, Xiao Mu controlled the overall situation. He brought Tong Sui with him, hoping she could take over if anything happened to him.

But since the old man was fine, Tong Sui couldn't stand idly by as the city guards kept falling to arrows.

"Grandfather, continue guarding here. I'll go to the left flank to shoot arrows."

On both sides of the city gate, there were protruding walls called horse faces or enemy platforms. The city guards standing on these platforms could attack the enemy from three sides—front, left, and right. These platforms received far more enemy arrows than the rear walls.

Xiao Mu had prepared two hundred iron-tipped arrows for his granddaughter-in-law, intending for her to use her skills. Earlier, he had ordered her to stay put to help her adapt to the battlefield's brutality.

But the horse faces were too dangerous, so he pointed to the side and said, "Enemies are enemies wherever they are. Shoot from here."

Tong Sui replied, "It's hard to aim at those pushing the battering rams from here. The position on the horse face is better."

With that, she ran directly toward the arrow quiver.

Eight guards carrying arrow quivers immediately followed her. Each quiver contained two hundred iron-tipped arrows, weighing about thirty pounds.

Unable to stop her, Xiao Mu sighed, laughing, "Looks so innocent, but she's just as reckless."

After laughing, he looked worriedly at his granddaughter-in-law's back. He cared deeply for every soldier on the wall, but he most wanted to protect his own family.

Tong Sui ran while dodging the arrows flying from below. She reached the left horse face safely just as the enemy soldiers were preparing another round of attacks with the battering ram.

Two guards spontaneously stepped in front of the second lady, shielding her from the arrows coming from the south.

Tong Sui, free from worry, shot an arrow through the low part of the crenellation, hitting a soldier pushing the battering ram on her side.

As soon as one soldier died, another took his place.

Tong Sui shot seven soldiers in succession, either hitting their temples or necks, stunning the other soldiers ready to take their places and halting the battering ram.

Taking the opportunity, Tong Sui shouted, "Those who are not afraid to die should surrender immediately! The Xiao family does not kill those who surrender!"

Some soldiers were moved, while others painfully replied, "Even if we surrender and don't die, King Xing will still find our families and kill our elderly and children!"

Tong Sui casually shot another arrow at a soldier gripping the handle of the battering ram, ready to push, and calmly said, "The rebel king and his men will all die here today; you don't need to fear him!"

While she spoke, her arrows never stopped flying.

Seeing the soldiers hesitating, Tong Sui changed direction and aimed at the other enemy soldiers rushing over.

After their hesitation, the soldiers still feared the rebel king with his fifty-thousand-strong army and continued pushing the battering ram.

Tong Sui noticed the defenders lifting two buckets of tung oil on the old man's side. Looking at the unheeding soldiers, she moved to the other side of the platform, ignoring the sudden screams from behind, and aimed at the enemy soldiers atop the ladders.

The enemy soldiers climbing the ladders were all fierce and brave. Once they reached the top, they would surely slaughter several defenders. If they died on the ladder, their falling bodies could crush a group of enemy soldiers below.

Tong Sui had no time to look at the faces of the dying enemies. At this moment, she saw only humans and beasts.

The defenders on the city wall were human; those coming up from below were all man-eating beasts.

After emptying two quivers, Tong Sui's arms ached, but she could continue shooting. However, it would affect her accuracy.

She put down her bow and turned to the guards standing by her side, blocking arrows for her. "I'll rest for a moment down below. You..."

Before she finished speaking, another wave of arrows rained down. Two guards pushed her shoulders, hiding her behind the wall, while the remaining six split up to protect nearby archers.

Tong Sui had barely squatted down when an arrow pierced flesh with a sharp sound, and a spurt of blood splashed diagonally onto her head and face.

Tong Sui stood there, stunned.

Two people fell beside her. One archer still held his bow, looking bewildered, while the guard on top of him spat out blood. When he turned to look at Tong Sui, the arrow in his neck also turned.

This guard, Wang Dashi from Qiaojia Village in the southern part of the city, stared straight at Tong Sui, his lips moving silently. The light in his eyes faded.

Tong Sui finally blinked, and tears broke through the bloodstains on her cheeks, sliding down.

She remembered Lin Ningfang's words not to cry, but this time, she couldn't help it.

Her throat tightened for a few moments. Tong Sui glanced at Wang Dashi one last time and instructed the seven guards, "Leave the quivers here. I'll rest for a bit. Go support your brothers elsewhere."

"Second Lady, Commander Xiao ordered us not to leave you more than three steps away."

Tong Sui looked at the broad, solid wall behind her. "Don't worry, there's no safer place than here. Defending the wall is crucial."

"But..."

Tong Sui's gaze turned cold. "You are my guards. If you listen more to Commander Xiao, then go defend Commander Xiao."

Hearing this, six of them left, while one insisted on protecting Tong Sui.

Tong Sui did not force him and said, "Help me massage my arms."

The guard already regarded the Second Lady as a divine archer defending the city today, a comrade-in-arms, without any gender distinction.

The faster the Second Lady recovered, the faster the enemy soldiers would die.

The guard knelt down, grasping the Second Lady's slender yet strong arms and massaged them up and down.

Tong Sui stared silently at the ground before her.

Everything was red, everywhere.