knife

Chapter 444 A moth flies into the flame
The Banmenxi Reservoir was one of the most prized water conservancy projects of the Tiele people when they were stationed in Qingtongxia City.

At that time, he had just turned sixteen and came to Qingtongxia City from Yandu with great ambition, taking over tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of thousands of people.

At that time, the Yuan Dynasty's southern border troops could not support themselves and relied entirely on transporting grain and fodder from Yandu (Beijing) to provide for them.

The Tiele people did not want to be controlled by others, so they began to lead the border troops and civilians to cultivate land.

And land reclamation naturally requires water conservancy projects.

Tens of thousands of people worked hard for a year and finally dug out the Banmenxi Reservoir.

The Banmenxi Reservoir, covering an area of ​​over 100 acres, began to irrigate the land around Qingtongxia, turning wasteland into fertile fields.

Three years ago, the Yuan Dynasty was defeated and fled to Qingtongxia, and the Banmenxi Reservoir naturally came under the jurisdiction of the Beiting Protectorate.

There are fortified villages here.

The fort was garrisoned by about fifty soldiers, led by a captain.

Their main task is actually to protect the reservoir.

This reservoir is a vital source of life for the surrounding area, but it is also a sword of Damocles hanging over everyone's heads. If it breaches or collapses during the rainy season, the people living below will suffer greatly.

Today the sun is shining brightly and the spring scenery is perfect. Team leader Wu Jian is sitting by the reservoir fishing. A couple of days ago, he vaguely saw a big guy in the water from the fortified village. It must weigh at least a hundred pounds. If he could catch it, it wouldn't just be a matter of satisfying his appetite. It would be enough for him to brag about for a long time.

So, after setting up their nest and traps yesterday, and observing that the big guy had indeed reappeared, they are full of confidence today and ready to succeed in one fell swoop.

Ripples spread across the water's surface. Wu Jian held his breath, staring at the water with a hint of tension. Such a large creature was quite rare; it might even be sentient!

The kind that's incredibly shrewd and clever.

If anything goes wrong, they will definitely run away.

The ripples grew larger and larger, spreading out layer by layer, and Wu Jian's grin widened.

I'm coming!
Taking a deep breath and looking at the water, Wu Jian suddenly froze.

Even if this fish is big, the ripples it creates shouldn't spread throughout the entire Banmenxi Reservoir, right?
He stood up and stared blankly at the water, which had been smooth as a mirror, now rippling with waves.

Wu Jian's hand tightened, and he stumbled. The big guy in the water had swallowed the bait. With a tug, Wu Jian, who was lost in thought, let go, and the fishing rod immediately fell into the water. The big guy seemed to have noticed something and quickly swam towards the center of the reservoir with the fishing rod in tow.

Wu Jian suddenly turned around and ran towards the fortified village.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Close the gate! Light the signal fire!"

He shouted loudly.

As he ran into the fortified village, the gate slammed shut. He quickly climbed to the top of the fortified village, where there was a large cauldron containing the materials needed for the beacon fire.

"Prepare for battle! Enemy attack!"

With his roar, all the soldiers in the fortress immediately sprang into action.

The protective covering of a powerful crossbow was removed, and an old soldier took out the bowstring from the box and deftly wound it up. Boxes of crossbow bolts were placed beside it. A crossbow that could fire three bolts at a time was extremely lethal even to cavalry.

However, there is only one.

But the fortified village has always served only as a sentry post.

Soldiers surged up from the first floor.

Their equipment is quite formidable.

Each of them was fully armored, carrying a crossbow, with a sword at their waist and a spear beside them.

Like Wu Jian, these fifty men were all soldiers of the government.

The soldiers of Beiting were well-funded, so they armed themselves to the teeth as much as possible before being conscripted.

To do something well, you must have the right tools; everyone understands this deeply. They, who work a rotating shift every year, have already been on duty for over four months.

To be honest, they really didn't expect a war to break out.

In recent years, the Yuan people have been suffocated by the Beiting Protectorate. The once most dangerous frontier is now a good place, and some places are even lucrative posts.

Especially in areas where caravans passed through, they made a fortune.

Even Wu Jian, who was stationed at Banmenxi Reservoir, has benefited a lot in the past few months.

Since the beginning of spring, there has been insufficient rainfall. The villages below have to come here to give us some water, otherwise they won't release water for us. What can we do about it?

Previously, all that could be seen were ripples on the water in the reservoir, but now, everyone could feel the movement.

The entire ground seemed to tremble, and even the fortified village beneath their feet seemed to be shaking.

How many cavalrymen would that take?

The people inside the fort looked at each other in bewilderment.

Wu Jian swallowed hard, glanced back at the soldiers around him, and his face turned deathly pale.

The soldiers behind him hadn't experienced many major battles, but he was different.

Judging by the commotion, it would take more than five thousand cavalry to pull off such a feat.

This is not a small-scale attack; it is a large-scale war at the army corps level or above.

He only had fifty men under his command.

Faced with such a large force, one wouldn't even qualify to be a stumbling block, let alone hinder others.

The first thing that catches the eye is rows of military flags, and then a black line appears on the distant open field.

Then, this line transformed into an endless, overwhelming cavalry force.

The sound of thunderous hooves filled my ears.
With a thud, someone behind them was so startled that they fell to the ground.

No one laughed at him.

Because everyone was terrified.

There's no way to run!
Surrendering is considered a waste of time by others.

How satisfying to kill him with one strike!

Wu Jian watched in despair as the cavalry wave drew ever closer.

He suddenly jumped up, only to be kicked away by the guy who was half-crouched on the ground holding a crossbow. He roared, "Guys, if we're going to die, we might as well take someone down with us! Get moving! Raise your weapons and get ready to kill the enemy! Kill!"

Or perhaps it was Wu Jian's roar that startled everyone. Looking at the horde of cavalry that was only a mile away from them, they all knew that their lives would end today.

A large cavalry force swept past from the front, while a detachment galloped towards them.

Two hundred steps, one hundred steps, fifty steps...

"Kill!" Wu Jian roared and pulled the trigger of his crossbow. With three crisp sounds, three crossbow bolts shot out into the air.

The three riders on the opposite side fell off their horses, and after the crossbow bolts were fired, the rest of the people on the fortified village let out wolf-like howls. They all fired their crossbow bolts, then slammed the crossbows to the ground, drew their swords and slashed them in two.

There was no time to reload the crossbows, as many cavalrymen leaped off their horses and jumped directly towards the fortified village.

"Kill the enemy!" Wu Jian swung his sword and slashed.

(End of this chapter)