Steel, gunpowder, and spellcasters

Chapter 249

Upon crossing the river, Winters immediately led his troops straight to Iris Castle.

He marched along main roads, singing triumphant songs, with banners and drums in full swing, displaying an open and imposing military presence without any intention of hiding his tracks.

Andrei's cavalry also arrived to join him. The column included both infantry and horsemen, making it even more imposing.

However, the situation was not as optimistic as Winters' smile suggested.

The sword was still hanging overhead, ready to fall at any moment.

The battlefield is shrouded in fog; the more you can see, the closer you are to victory.

Winters' scouts have been fully deployed, and Andrei's cavalry has also been mostly mobilized.

Because of the continuous acquisition and concentrated use of warhorses, Winters actually had a cavalry advantage over the garrison troops in the newly reclaimed lands.

Apart from three riders who went ahead to scout ahead, the rest of the cavalry closely monitored the movements of the garrison troops in Baishan County.

According to Winters' calculations, if the enemy forces return to reinforce, he can gain at least two days of time advantage.

First, it will take the garrison troops of Baishan County a day to return to Manyun Valley.

Secondly, they have no bridge.

Destroying a bridge is easy, but building one is difficult. Repairing a bridge is even more troublesome than building one, which can at least delay things for another day or two.

This was a risky move, because no one could guarantee what the enemy commander would decide.

War is the art of strategy; Winters has made his move, and now it's his opponent's turn.

How the opponent responds is their business; he has no control over it.

But the battle situation was extremely precarious; without taking risks, victory was impossible.

"Turn back to reinforce?" Winters sketched on the map, pondering to himself, "Or grit my teeth and charge towards Gervodan?"

He had very little information and his understanding of the situation in Baishan County was very limited.

They couldn't get a single word out of Major Ronald. The major refused to speak at all, refusing any form of communication with the rebels.

Winters could only obtain intelligence from public sources.

He knew that the White Mountain County garrison commander was a colonel named [Gesa Adonis], and that was all.

As for the other party's temperament, fighting style, and qualifications, he knew nothing about them.

I've heard that Colonel Geza is very fond of money and extremely good at accumulating wealth.

“Gaisa Adonis.” Winters murmured his opponent’s name, pondering, “Adonis? It means [handsome] in Old English. He must have been a handsome man?”

Distracted, he used too much force and the graphite strip snapped with a "crack".

Winters was used to this. He carefully put away the broken branch and took out a new one.

Drawing and shorthand with graphite strips is much more convenient than with quill pens, but there is one drawback—graphite is too brittle and can break easily if you are not careful.

Winters straightened his back, took in the surrounding terrain, and continued to draw on the map.

The saddle jolted him, and the lines he drew became crooked and distorted.

Conditions were limited on the march, and detailed maps had to be redrawn at night.

After the capture of Gévodan, Montagne's draftsmen no longer had to worry about graphite.

He swept the shelves of graphite from the shelves in the der Vordan store, drawing whatever he wanted.

So now, wherever he goes, Winters tries to record the surrounding terrain as much as possible.

The lieutenant colonel's atlas hadn't been updated in a long time, and he was trying to fill in the twelve-year gap left by John Jessica.

Charles ran back, breathless, to report: "Brother! Deer Horn Town is just ahead!"

Winters sighed and put away the map panel: "Any news from later?"

"Uh." Charles scratched his head. "Not yet."

"Alright then."

"What about Deer Horn Town?" Charles asked excitedly. "Should we attack?"

"Nonsense." Winters smiled, drew his cane, and tapped Charles on the head. "We're already here, why not take advantage of the opportunity?"

……

The Xinkendi Province as a whole is an underdeveloped region, and Tiefeng County is an underdeveloped region within an underdeveloped region, which is the comparative degree of "underdeveloped".

As for Wolf Town, it is the highest level of "underdeveloped".

Although both were border provinces, Baishan County was much wealthier than Tiefeng County. She was a relatively well-off family among a large, poor family.

The most obvious place is the road.

Upon entering White Mountain County, Winters immediately felt that the "road" was much easier to travel.

Tiefeng County mainly has rammed earth roads, and in some places there are no rammed earth roads at all, but roads are formed by the number of people walking on them.

The fact that Baishan County even has a paved road, Guzhi Road, is clearly the work of the military.

Winters was quite ashamed to find that the enemy commander—Colonel Gaisa, whom he had never met before—was actually a diligent and caring garrison officer.

After all, the Montagne garrison commander (who was self-appointed) mostly gave verbal favors to the people of Tiefeng County, and had not done anything practical.

Winters was secretly determined: when he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, he would pave the Iron Peak County with paved roads.

Although he held the "handsome" colonel in high esteem, it did not stop Winters from plundering the towns and villages under his jurisdiction.

Tiefeng County's finances are currently a bit tight, so it would be good to be able to supplement household expenses as well.

Therefore, Winters blew open the gates of Deer Antlers without any qualms.

The city walls are the second difference between Baishan County and Tiefeng County.

Compared to the "bachelor" towns under Winters' rule, White Mountain County towns not only have a larger population, but many of them also have city walls.

Andrei's cavalry was no match for the walled town.

However, after joining forces with Winters, they could not only knock on walled towns, but even on Iris Castle.

Winters had twenty "city-breaking bells" on hand, which he brought specifically to smash the tortoise shell.

The town of Lujiao raised funds to build a wooden wall to defend against bandits and outlaws, never imagining that one day they would face an army.

The alarm bells had just rung, and the militia were still rushing to assemble when the city gate was blown open with a loud bang.

A troop of cavalry roared into Deer Horn Town, and the townspeople were terrified and fled in all directions.

The militia of Lujiao Town ransacked the place and finally found the weapons.

They went out of their homes, only to find that the town had already been emptied of its inhabitants, and there were unfamiliar soldiers everywhere.

Without saying a word, they turned around and went back into the house, moving furniture and blocking the door.

Lieutenant Andrea Cellini was quite adept at the "raid, rob, and get out" procedure.

Crushing the will is more effective for cavalry than wielding swords to kill.

Thirty cavalrymen can drive hundreds of civilians into a panicked flight; a hundred cavalrymen surrounding them can encircle tens of thousands.

Andrei's cavalry first seized the supply depot, then occupied the town hall and the police station.

By the time Winters entered the city, the job was already done.

As always, the supply depot was completely empty, not even a mouse was in sight.

Winters and Andrei discussed the matter and sensed that something was amiss; the enemy was probably prepared.

"Trying to drag us down? He's dreaming." Andrei sneered. "People can starve to death, can they?"

Apart from weapons, ammunition, and seven days' worth of rations, the troops that stormed Baishan County brought nothing else.

Winters's force is in a similar situation to Ronald's force that raided Wolftown; they are also sacrificing supplies for speed.

However, Baishan County was far richer than Tiefeng County, and it was much easier to procure grain locally.

Winters was also somewhat puzzled, so he sent three more cavalrymen towards Manyun Valley to scout out the enemy's situation.

Charles ran over with a long face, carrying several copies of the official gazette.

“I couldn’t find any new ones; the latest ones are from last quarter,” Charles said.

The official gazette, also known as [Jiwen], was a formal announcement issued by the New Reclamation Army Corps to its subordinate units. It was normally published quarterly, with supplements published for important events.

Winters first learned that the New Reclamation Legion had such information channels when he first met Mason.

He was desperately seeking intelligence, and the official gazette was the best source of public information.

However, since they couldn't buy the official gazette, they had to seize it from the territory of the newly established land reclamation army.

Winters took the official gazette and read it quickly: "It's alright, take them all. The old gazettes are useful too, take as many as you can."

Charles raised his hand in salute and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Winters called out to Charles, "I told you to bring all the businessmen from Deer Antlers, where are they?"

Charles said with a bitter face, "The townspeople are all mixed together, and it's impossible to tell who the merchants are."

"Isn't that simple? Take torches, gather everyone together, and ask each shop one by one. Understand?"

"understood."

"Make it clear to them beforehand that you are only asking a couple of questions and that you will not harm their lives. Remember, you must persuade them with reason."

"Yes." Charles nodded vigorously and left.

Winters found a well-lit spot and continued reading the official gazette.

"Aren't they all old?" Andrei asked, his right hand tucked into his pocket. "Still useful?"

“It works,” Winters replied without looking up.

"What is the use?"

"The news mainly covers policies, wars, parliamentary debates, civil and criminal cases, and some news about religious celebrations." Winters turned a page. "Currently, the New Reclamation Legion is nominally still loyal to the Kingsburg. This is because the official gazette still refers to the Kingsburg as the 'Supreme Republic.'"

"Adams, what a fickle fellow, always thinking about changing sides and betting on opportunities," Andrei scoffed dismissively, then asked, "But aren't these all from last quarter?"

Winters replied matter-of-factly, "If the Legion breaks with the Kingsburgs, there should be a supplement, right?"

Andrei burst into laughter.

“We should also start our own official gazette,” Winters said as he looked at it. “It’s quite useful.”

"Okay, I'll take care of it when I get back."

Winters sighed: "If we can hold onto Ghevorden."

“Interesting!” Winters turned to the next page, his eyes lighting up: “Last year’s report said that two farmers in Nanshan Town were sentenced to hard labor by a military court for stealing hay from the military horse farm.”

Andrei's ears perked up immediately: "A military horse farm?!"

“Nanshan Town.” Winters chewed on the name, then took out an atlas: “If I remember correctly, it’s in Baishan County.”

The two squatted on the ground, flipping through maps one by one.

"It really is in Baishan County!" Andrei suddenly shouted with joy as he searched, "It's right to the south!"

Winters took the map: "The map doesn't show it? There's a military horse farm in White Mountain County, so the enemy should have some cavalry."

"The warhorses have all been requisitioned! Besides, this map is too old, so it's normal that it's not marked." Andrei slapped his thigh, genuinely delighted. "We absolutely have to go and pay them a visit. There might not be any warhorses of suitable age left, but foals and stallions are good stuff too!"

“Okay.” Winters was infected by Andre’s joy and said with a smile, “Go and pay a visit. But it seems that no one in Iron Peak County has ever run a horse farm. We’ll have to arrest the horse farm’s staff as well.”

Andrei disagreed: "Didn't Senior Mason raise pigs and manage a labor ranch? Let him do it."

Their eyes met, and the two burst into uncontrollable laughter, growing happier with each laugh.

Charles, escorting the merchants of Deer Horn Town, saw from afar Captain Montagne and Lieutenant Cellini squatting face to face, seemingly grinning foolishly at something.

"Captain! I've brought the man over!" he shouted.

Winters and Andrei quickly got up and tidied themselves up.

Fortunately, the merchants in Deer Horn Town were so frightened that no one noticed the two men's lapse in composure.

"Gentlemen," Winters cleared his throat and said kindly to the trembling merchants, "Businessmen are well-informed. I've called you here because I have some questions for you. As long as you answer honestly, I guarantee your lives and property."

The merchants of Lujiao Town nodded like chickens pecking at rice.

“You go first,” Winters said, pointing his cane at the oldest merchant present.

The other person was confused: "You...you haven't said what you want to ask yet?"

“Don’t worry about what I want to ask.” Winters spoke slowly and deliberately. “Just tell me what I want to ask, and I’ll let you go.”

The old merchant was speechless for a while before he mustered his courage and asked, "Where to begin?"

"Let's start with the most recent and biggest event."

The old merchant opened his mouth with great effort, and when he did, he startled Winters and Andrei: "That barbarian Hed is here again."

“Continue,” Winters said, meeting Andre’s gaze without changing his expression.

He saw the same emotions in Andrei's tense face and surprised eyes.

The old merchant began to ramble on and on:

In mid-September—around the time when Bard and Mason's hundred men were "completely wiped out"—Herd's raiding army once again invaded the east.

Clearly, the Hede tribe, which invaded Palatul at the beginning of the year, reaped huge profits, making other tribes extremely envious.

"The barbarians attacked from both sides of the Jinliu River at the same time, there were too many of them!" The old merchant became more and more excited as he spoke.

“Hmm.” Winters nodded calmly. “Go on.”

What do you mean by "coming in from both sides of the strait at the same time"?
What do you mean by "too numerous to count"?
No one present knew the inner workings of the Heard tribes better than Winters.

It was clearly two groups of Hed raiders, one entering Palatour from the south bank of the Jinliu River and the other from the north bank. Because the Hed tribes were also fighting among themselves, the two groups of raiders simply split up to avoid a bloody conflict if they met.

And how could there be "too many"?
Winters didn't know how many families were in the three major tribes, but judging from the size of the Red River tribe, he could guess roughly.

Which tribe would dare to mobilize its entire force? Aren't they afraid of their enemy raiding their stronghold?

However, this intelligence is still very valuable.

The old businessman became increasingly animated, continuing to recount that the information he had only heard secondhand and had changed hands several times:
The barbarians from the north bank have invaded Jiangbei Province and are reportedly engaged in a fierce battle with the "rebels."
The barbarians from the south bank invaded Mirror Lake County, but were defeated by the wise and mighty General Adams and the reinforcements sent by the Kingsburg.

[Jinghu County, belonging to the newly reclaimed land, is located at the northernmost tip of the province, adjacent to Jinghu Lake. It enjoys superior geographical conditions and convenient transportation, and is the most prosperous and densely populated county in the newly reclaimed land.]
Winters stroked his chin; this half-true, half-false news was becoming increasingly valuable.

The large-scale invasion and plundering by the Hart tribes did not trigger a new round of war between the Red and Blue Roses; instead, it eased the situation.

Nothing unites the Paratists more than a "common enemy".

The most interesting thing is that the "reinforcements sent by the Kings' Castle" were actually Red Rose's troops marching into the newly reclaimed land.

“It seems Adams’s head is hurting more after all.” Winters found it somewhat amusing, and nodded expressionlessly: “Go on.”

When it was another businessman, he talked about some scattered things.

The narrator described events in great detail, such as "a general was assassinated in Zhuwangbao," "it was said to be for a woman," and "a bloody night," as if he had experienced the whole thing with the assassin.

Merchants who dealt in tobacco, pottery, and wool complained bitterly that the cash crops from the newly reclaimed land could not be transported out and were all stuck in their hands.

Merchants who trade in imports complained that foreign goods couldn't get in, and their businesses were in dire straits.

The two sides became increasingly agitated as they talked, arguing heatedly about "who was more miserable," and almost came to blows.

The newly reclaimed land has always relied on selling crops and buying things that cannot be produced, but both lifelines have now been cut off by the war.

Winters listened and took notes in his notebook.

The rapid, drum-like sound of hooves approached, and the scouts rushed to Winters, dismounted, and whispered their report to him.

The merchants of Deer Horn Town witnessed the rebel commander's emotional shift, from calm indifference to hearty laughter.

The scout sergeant only said one sentence: "They're here."

Winters' answer was just one word: "Okay!"

The garrison troops stationed in Baishan County turned back to reinforce the area—a fantastic development.

If Colonel Geza gets carried away and charges headlong into the Zhevodan pigs...

Winters then had no choice but to abandon Gervodam and try to recoup his losses by raiding Iris Castle.

The army in Zhevodan was small, its morale was low, its defenses were weak, and it was extremely short of weapons.

The newly formed infantry regiment was entirely equipped with short spears because they could not find long, straight spear shafts, nor did they have enough steel.

Only core soldiers were issued swords and helmets.

They captured dozens of muskets from Ronald, but given the quality of the newly formed infantry regiment's men, they were unable to unleash their full power.

New recruits have a natural fear of firearms; they are afraid of these weapons that could explode at any moment.

They preferred to use a hand musket that could be fired from a stand-up pistol rather than a matchlock musket that required cheek-to-cheek aiming.

There are even fewer crossbows; you can count them on one hand.

They did manage to haul over a hundred single-edged bows from the arsenal, but Ronald doesn't use them, and Winters is even less likely to.

For soldiers from landless peasant backgrounds, it's better to let them use matchlock muskets than to have them draw their bows and shoot arrows.

The Tiefeng County Infantry Regiment can only fight when the tide is against them.

They relied entirely on their large numbers; as soon as the bugle sounded, they all shouted and charged forward.

The vast majority of them had no desire to fight; they were just blindly following along.

When the situation is favorable, everyone is brave; when the situation is unfavorable, defeat can occur in the blink of an eye.

Given Zhevodan's situation, if he were surrounded by two armies, even if the old marshal were to take command, he would surely die.

It should be said that the old marshal was completely incapable of fighting this kind of battle.

To win, the only way is to contain one side and concentrate forces to attack the other.

If one route is defeated, the other route will not dare to come.

From the beginning, Winters' plan was to contain White Mountain County and strike Vaughan County head-on.

But if he fails to hold back the garrison troops of Baishan County, the enemy will choose to ignore everything and head towards Revodan.

Winters would then have to resort to the backup plan:
They ceded Ghevorden and retreated south of the St. George River, to Wolftown, and even to the Great Wilderness.

Anyway, he didn't have many bottles and jars in Gervodan, so it wouldn't be a big deal to throw them away or smash them.

The warehouses in Ghevordan had long been emptied. Most of the grain was taken by Bard. Winters spent all the money.

He would attack Iris Castle as long as the enemy dared to go to Theodor.

They stab each other in the back to see who bleeds more and who feels more pain—no matter how Winters calculates it, White Mountain County is in more pain.

Anna refused to leave early, so Winters left the lion cub in Ghevorden.

If the situation worsens, he requests that the little lion lead the women directly into the no-man's land and seek refuge with the Red River tribe.

The little lion was unexpectedly taken in by Wintersto's family, and his nose tingled with emotion. He gave Wintersto a rare bear hug.

Fortunately, none of the above happened.

It seems that Winters was willing to part with his fortune in Ghevorden, while Colonel Gaisa was reluctant to part with the bottles and jars of Castle Iris.

"Good! Gather the troops and prepare to march." Winters clapped his hands and laughed, then said to Andrei and his men, "The rest depends on Mr. A and Mr. B's abilities. Let's think of a way to see if we can take this 'handsome' colonel for another walk."

……

The news that the troops from Baishan County had turned back to reinforce the area spread in all directions.

Dusak, who remained in Tiefeng County to monitor the garrison in Baishan County, immediately sent the intelligence back to Zhevodan.

Winters also sent scouts across the river by boat to deliver the message to Gevordan.

As for the White Mountain County troops, Colonel Gaisa also sent messengers to deliver a message to Colonel Zipper, the garrison commander of Vaughan County.

In the letter, Colonel Gaisa explained his plan: "The key is not Gévaudan, the rebels have legs and can abandon the city at any time. The key is to annihilate the enemy's main force or kill the rebel leader Winters Montagne."

"If either of them is eliminated, the rebels will collapse without a fight."

Therefore, Colonel Gaisa urged Colonel Zipper to "temporarily withdraw from Iron Peak County" and continue to "hold back most of the rebels" on the border between the two counties, while awaiting news from White Mountain County.

"Success or failure is not determined in one moment. If our troops annihilate the enemy's main force, then the matter can be settled by sending a proclamation to Zhevodan. If our troops fail to annihilate the enemy's main force, it will not be too late to launch a two-pronged encirclement."

……

Gaisa sent out a messenger and immediately commanded his troops to march rapidly toward Manyun Valley.

Because of the unavoidable delay in information transmission.

When Winters learned that the enemy had returned to reinforce their troops, the second pontoon bridge of the White Mountain County forces was nearing completion.

Meanwhile, Colonel Gaisa's messenger cavalry also arrived at the garrison camp in Vaughan County.

Colonel Zippert was distraught when he saw the messenger.

Between Vaughan and Iron Peak lies a desolate forest and hills, perfect for an ambush.

Colonel Zippert therefore marched with extreme caution, fearing he might fall into a rebel trap.

As a result, the flirtation was directed at the blind man, and the rebels made no preparations.

The rebels' methods were simple and direct: they chose to defend Hammerhold.

The intelligence report stated that Hammerhead was a small, dilapidated wooden fortress that had fallen into disrepair.

However, the "Hammerburg" in front of Zippert was not at all what the intelligence described.

Although Hammerhead, which blocked his way, was not large, it had deep moats, sloping walls, and bastions, making it a miniature version of a star-shaped fortress—someone must have razed the old Hammerhead and built a new one.

What's even more despicable is that the rebels actually had cannons.

The cannons on Hammerhold fired two volleys of cross-shot, and the recruits of Vaughnshire collapsed in a panic.

Zippert analyzed that the cannon in the opponent's possession was probably a wooden cannon.

But even a wooden cannon is not something a new recruit can withstand.

Therefore, Colonel Zippert was seriously considering whether to bypass this tough nut and go straight for Zhevodan.

"What did the bald man send you here for?" Colonel Zipper asked the messenger irritably. "Where is he? According to the schedule, I should be seeing him, not you!"

The messenger replied somewhat awkwardly, "Colonel Gaisa, he... he's returned to White Mountain County."

"What?" Zipper was furious.

The messenger quickly handed the letter to Colonel Zipper: "The colonel said his instructions are all in the letter."

Instructions? Colonel Zipper was furious.

But he didn't want to argue with a mere messenger.

He tore open the envelope and quickly scanned the contents.

The letter paper is genuine, and the patterns on it are made using a special process that cannot be counterfeited.
The hidden codes at the beginning and end of sentences are also correct;

Moreover, Zippert recognized Gessa's handwriting.

Confirming the letter was genuine enraged Colonel Zipper. He slammed his fist on the table and roared, "He's a colonel, and so am I! What right does Gaisa Adonis have to order me around?!"

The messenger dared not respond and lowered his head even further.

The other officers in the tent were the same; no one dared to offend Colonel Zipper.

"What else did the bald man say?" Colonel Zipper roared.

"The colonel said... that if he killed the bandit leader Montagne, then Gevadin wouldn't have to fight."

"Fine! Fine!" Zipper laughed angrily. "He gets all the credit, and I do all the hard work, is that it? Isn't that it?"

The atmosphere was so heavy it was almost frozen, and everyone found it incredibly difficult to endure.

"Order! First Battalion, continue the siege of Hammerhold!" Ziber roared. "Second, Third, and Fourth Battalions, follow me to Zhevodan."

The centurions of Vaughan were all greatly alarmed.

"No!" Captain Salai—the chief centurion of Vaughnshire—in desperation, directly contradicted his superior: "Absolutely not!"

"Why not?" Colonel Zipper clenched his fists tightly and asked with a sneer.

Captain Salai knew he had angered the garrison officer, but he had to stop his foolish plan: "Sir, dividing your forces in the midst of battle is a major taboo. With only four battalions, we are not strong enough to overwhelm the rebels. Please reconsider!"

Colonel Zippert's fists pounded on the table, as if striking everyone's hearts.

"The main force of the rebels has already been taken away by the bandit leader Montagne." Zipper asked through gritted teeth, "You mean to say that I can't handle the remaining bunch of scoundrels? Is that what you mean?"

“That’s absolutely not what I meant!” Captain Salai was so anxious he was almost in tears. “If we leave a large battalion to besiege Hammerhold, it’s like the rebels using one-sixth or even one-eighth of their forces to tie down one-quarter of ours. In that case, we won’t have any numerical advantage! It’s safer to follow Colonel Gaisa’s plan.”

Colonel Zippert suddenly drew his sword and slammed it down on the folding table.

The blade sank deep into the tabletop, and the support beneath it couldn't hold it up, shattering it into several pieces.

"Damn bald man!" Zipper's chest heaved as he cursed.

The tent was deathly silent; no one dared to breathe, and the only sound was the colonel's heavy breathing.

It took Colonel Zipper a while to calm down.

"Withdraw!" he ordered fiercely. "Withdraw back to Hammerhead Fortress!"

The officers inside the tent breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yes, I'll go and inform everyone right away." Captain Salai happily raised his hand in salute, then turned and left.

Colonel Zipper took out his money bag and tossed it to Geza's messenger without counting it.

"Get out of here." Colonel Zipper slumped back into his chair, his shoulders and back drooping.

He saw Geza's messenger open the money bag, seemingly counting the coins.

Colonel Zippert's hands trembled with anger; he was both furious and sorrowful.

But in the end, he couldn't bring himself to make things difficult for a lowly soldier.

So he closed his eyes to rest, deciding to avoid seeing it altogether.

The next second, the silver coin in the messenger's hand flashed and flew toward Colonel Zipper's forehead.

The silver coin, traveling at nearly 250 meters per second, easily sliced ​​through the skin and collided with Zipper's skull.

A gap was punched into the hard skull, and the silver coin slipped inside, tumbling through the soft brain tissue and creating a huge cavity in an instant.

Finally, it hit the other side of the skull and bounced back.

Zippert froze, then fell backward abruptly.

The other officers inside the tent hadn't even grasped what was happening when, within moments, they were called out by gold and silver coins.

The messenger bowed his head, mourning the fallen officers.

After a brief moment of silence, the messenger removed the sword from the body—he had no weapons on him, having been thoroughly searched upon entering the camp—and then placed an oil lamp next to the tent.

The fire spread extremely quickly, and the central command tent was soon engulfed in flames.

The messenger, sword in hand, left the tent, his booming voice sweeping in all directions: "The garrison commander is dead! Surrender and you will not be killed!"

The chilling bugle calls came from all directions, as a response to this sonic boom.

"The lieutenant colonel succeeded!" Don Juan's facial muscles twitched with excitement. He spat out the wooden stick and leaped to his feet: "Attack!"

"Kill!" The soldiers of the Tiefeng County Infantry Regiment shouted to bolster their courage, gritting their teeth as they charged toward the enemy camp.

[Actually, the "official gazette" in the text should be called "daily news," but "official gazette" sounds better, since the two serve similar functions.]
[Thanks to the readers for suggesting I keep some drafts in reserve. Writing it all at once and publishing it all at once is more satisfying and allows for a more coherent flow of emotion.]
[Thank you to all the readers for your collections, reading, subscriptions, recommendations, monthly tickets, donations, and comments.]
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(End of this chapter)