Chapter 158

Chapter 158

The archers formed up behind the charging troops, but to maintain their shooting range, they remained within the reach of the city defenders' arrows. Even with the protection of shield bearers, casualties were inevitable.

Ordinary archers followed the commands of their commanders, releasing arrows simultaneously to ensure the effectiveness of the arrow rain. However, Tong Sui could decide her own timing for firing. The other archers knew the Second Lady's skills and focused on their own targets, without being thrown off by her rhythm.

Tong Sui soon realized that killing a few ordinary archers did save some soldiers, but it was merely a drop in the bucket for capturing the city. Taking advantage of a brief pause in the defenders' arrow rain, she scanned the row of ladders already set against the wall.

Specialized archers and stone throwers blocked enemy soldiers from climbing the ladders, and at the beginning of the battle, even the valiant Xiao Yan had been forced to jump down several times to avoid attacks.

Tong Sui ran toward the ladder where Xiao Yan was, and the four shield bearers, accustomed to the Second Lady's speed, promptly held their shields to protect her. The defenders on the wall only saw a small group of people moving quickly behind the enemy archers.

General Zheng Chun, in his forties, noticed the unusual movement and followed it with his gaze.

Tong Sui stopped directly behind the ladder where Xiao Yan was. She ignored the number of soldiers on the ladder and focused on the defenders attacking this particular ladder. She killed those who were about to shoot arrows, those who were about to throw stones, those who were about to push the ladder, and any reinforcements coming from the sides.

After two rounds of precise shooting, the charging troops under this ladder immediately felt the difference.

Xiao Yan turned back just in time to see the shield bearers step back, revealing Tong Sui kneeling on one knee, expressionless as she released an arrow.

He had long been familiar with his second sister-in-law's remarkable archery skills. After a brief distraction, he resumed climbing the ladder.

However, there were too many defenders on the wall, and their replacements came too quickly. Tong Sui could only reduce the pressure on Xiao Yan and the others but could not guarantee they would be completely unharmed.

This was enough. Xiao Yan, clad in armor and wielding a sword, could fend off some stray arrows while climbing. As long as Tong Sui could timely kill those pouring oil or pushing the ladder, he was confident he could climb up.

Separated by a hundred paces, uncle and niece could not communicate, but through repeated climbs and shootings, they found a synergy — a perfect harmony. Xiao Yan focused on climbing, and Tong Sui provided the necessary protection.

Seeing this, General Zheng Chun immediately dispatched a squad to reinforce that area.

Xiao Yan, already halfway up the ladder, saw someone pour a bucket of burning hot oil from above. He immediately shouted, "Jump!" and led the soldiers below him to fall to the ground, enduring the pain but avoiding the scalding oil.

Just as Tong Sui worried if Xiao Yan was injured and the defenders on the wall breathed a sigh of relief, a horse suddenly leaped over the heads of Tong Sui and the shield bearers, galloping to the ladder. The rider dismounted mid-air, seemingly leaping lightly from the saddle, and pounced onto the ladder like a lion.

Before anyone could react, the man had climbed to the top of the ladder like a dragon!

"Third Master yields, today's first ascent is mine, Qi Yun!"

As Qi Yun's clear and bold voice echoed far and wide, he was already engaging the defenders on the wall.

Xiao Yan, enraged, shouted, "You damn lion, you're robbing me of my food!"

Without finishing, he rushed up the ladder again.

Even if Qi Yun reached the wall, he would be like a lion surrounded by wolves, unable to hold out for long.

With Qi Yun guarding the ladder, Tong Sui began targeting the reinforcements, whether they were trying to kill Qi Yun or throwing stones and wood onto the ladder. She shot at whoever posed the greatest threat.

When Xiao Yan also climbed up, the wolves now had two lions capable of taking on ten each, and the ladder faced no further significant resistance. The soldiers scrambled up one after another.

The morale of the attacking army soared, while the defenders fell into chaos. More and more soldiers climbed onto the wall.

The archers reformed their ranks near the city gate, and before Xiao Yan and the others could reach them, the gate was full of defenders, preventing friendly fire.

Unable to withstand such a dense arrow rain, the defenders had to hide behind the crenels, listening to the increasingly frequent sounds of heavy logs battering the gate.

"General, we can't hold out. Let's retreat quickly!"

The deputy general, holding his askew helmet, urged General Zheng Chun, who was hiding behind another crenel.

Zheng Chun glanced at the fierce sunlight from the west. Although he knew the situation was hopeless, he couldn't understand how an unknown old centurion could capture a city defended by ten thousand soldiers in just one hour.

"General, let's go. There are only ten thousand infantry in the north. We can definitely break through with a fast cavalry!"

Taking advantage of a brief pause in the arrow rain, the deputy general helped the dazed Zheng Chun down the wall and fled in a disheveled manner.

Shortly after they left, there was a loud "boom," and the city gate broke open.

Xiao She, Tong Gui, and Zhang Wengong, who had been suppressed by the old general for a long time, immediately led the main force to charge in.

At the north gate, Xiao Shouyi and Jiang Tiankuo's forces engaged the fleeing remnants of Zheng Chun's army.

Zheng Chun, protected by his subordinates, managed to break through the encirclement on his horse.

"Commander, should we pursue?"

Xiao Shouyi, watching Zheng Chun's disheveled escape, remembered the old general's instructions and said, "No need, let's enter the city!"

—

The right flank army took more than an hour to breach the city, and with numerical superiority, it took only half an hour to end the battle.

Although the sun had set behind the mountains, the afterglow still lingered.

Xiao Mu sent four squads to search house by house for fugitives but strictly ordered them not to bully or rob the civilians, with violators facing execution. The remaining troops set up camp near the two gates.

Xiao Guifu was responsible for tallying the captured gold, grain, and military equipment, while Sun Wei counted the casualties on both sides.

Capturing the city in just over an hour was a very successful siege, yet despite this, the right flank army suffered a thousand casualties.

Out of a forty-thousand-strong army, using a thousand lives to capture a city was a feat worth boasting about.

But Tong Sui thought back to when Ling Shui Village attacked Imprisoned Dragon Ridge, and Xiao Ye and Zhang Wengong faked the deaths of two hundred young men. When they brought back the news, the cries of the villagers, young and old, still echoed in her mind.

A thousand young men were gone, leaving countless parents and wives without their loved ones.

"The defenders lost over five thousand, with four thousand more wounded or surrendered."

Seeing the old general and Xiao Yan smiling, Tong Sui also smiled. No matter what, this was a victory worth celebrating. She could sympathize with the loss of a thousand lives in her heart, but she couldn't show it on her face, as it would affect the morale. If they were sad after a victory, would the soldiers still fight next time? It was better to think about the rewards and compensation, which were what made the soldiers willing to shed blood and risk their lives.

"Report! Right General, good news from Xinzhou! The Grand General began the assault this morning, and Xinzhou City has just been captured!"

Xiao Yan's lips twitched, about to boast that the right army had won faster, but then he heard the old man say, "Xinzhou City is strong and towering, its walls a foot higher than those of Xiangcheng, with thirty thousand troops guarding it. For the Grand General to capture it in one day, indeed, he is valiant!"

Xiao Yan: "..."

Xiao Mu asked the messenger, "What are our casualties?"

Messenger: "About six thousand dead or wounded."

He also brought a letter from Xiao Zhen.

In the letter, Xiao Zhen wrote that the thirty thousand troops of the right army left in Xinzhou did not participate in the initial assault, only joining in to kill enemies after the city gates were breached, resulting in only a few dozen casualties. Additionally, Xiao Zhen brought good news for Qi Yun: his elder brother Qi Ling had taken the first step onto the city walls.

After reading the letter, the old man congratulated Qi Yun first.

Qi Yun merely smiled, not surprised.

Xiao She asked curiously, "Do all lion dancers excel at climbing ladders?"

Jiang Tiankuo, who was also from the Qi family's lion dance troupe, said proudly, "The brothers of the lion dance troupe have been jumping on poles since childhood; climbing a ladder is nothing. My two young masters are particularly skilled."

Qi Yun glanced at Tong Sui and said, "Climbing a ladder is indeed easy for me, but scaling a cloud ladder to attack the city is fraught with danger. Today, I owe my success to the archers led by Second Lady, who cleared the way for me. Once I receive the reward, I will certainly share half with Second Lady."

Tong Sui smiled and said, "Sir, you are too kind. The First Step Award is meant to honor the first soldier to climb the city wall. You went up first, and the soldiers are convinced. There's no need to share it with me. Archers and assault troops work together; I merely did my duty."

Xiao She: "Right, my Third Brother was on that same cloud ladder. He struggled to climb it, but you went up in an instant. That's your skill."

Xiao Yan: "..."

After handling some more trivial tasks, Tong Sui accompanied the old man for dinner and then took her guards to the field hospital.

Zhou Jingchun, Zhou Xian, and Zhou Gui were all there, still busy.

Some soldiers had arrow wounds, others had burns and cuts, and some had fallen from the cloud ladders and broken bones. There were over a thousand injured.

Zhou Gui was bandaging the wound of a soldier who had just had an arrow removed.

The soldier, sweating profusely, saw the Second Lady's look of sympathy and smiled, "Second Lady, don't worry. Although I'm injured, I've earned military merit and can stay here instead of following the army. Actually, I'm quite happy about it."

His leg was injured, and it would take at least a month to recover fully.

Soldiers with such mobility issues would stay in the city to recuperate. Those with minor injuries would recover and help defend the city, while those who lost their fighting ability would be sent home.

There were brave soldiers eager to continue with the army to earn more military merit, and there were timid ones who preferred to stay behind due to the horrors of the battlefield. For the latter, losing an arm or leg was too severe, but an arrow wound that could heal was almost a blessing.

Not far away, a soldier with a severed arm lay lifelessly on the ground, tears streaming down his face as he glanced over.

Tong Sui walked over, looked at the blood-soaked bandage on his severed arm, and softly asked, "How old are you? Where is your home?"

The soldier weakly replied that he was from Huai County.

Tong Sui: "That's quite close to Da Tong. Last time Second Master went to Da Tong, he brought back some yellow apricots for me. They were this big. Have you eaten them before?"

The soldier's eyes brightened slightly, nodding slightly, "Yes, but they were ordinary apricots from the village, not as big as what Second Lady described."

Tong Sui: "I love apricots, whether big or small, as long as they are ripe, they are delicious."

The soldier looked at the Second Lady under the moonlight, like a fairy descended from heaven, and impulsively said, "When I go home, I'll buy some apricot trees and send the fruit to you."

Tong Sui smiled, "It's too far, and it would be inconvenient to transport them. Keep them for your family—your parents, wife, and children."

The soldier, embarrassed, said, "I haven't married yet."

Tong Sui: "You will. Use your military merit and reward money to build three grand rooms, plant two apricot trees in the front and back of the yard, and surely a girl will be happy to marry you."

The soldier imagined the scene and felt that the pain in his left arm wasn't so bad anymore.