Love Lock

Chapter 312 Lu Chengyun is missing
He gasped for breath, still shaken, and cursed, "You shameless bastard! You have no sportsmanship!"

After cursing, Lu Chengyun watched as the enemy's iron cavalry surged forward like a tidal wave. He felt the nicked sword in his hand growing heavier and heavier, yet he still struggled to command his troops to form ranks and meet the enemy.

"Form a goose formation! Archers in front, spearmen in the rear!" He roared, brandishing his sword, his voice almost drowned out by the deafening battle cries. "Kill! Leave no one alive! Let these barbarians never return!"

The battlefield instantly transformed into a scene of carnage.

The formation of the Dajing army was constantly being disrupted by the Dongming cavalry's attacks, and the soldiers were forced to retreat step by step.

The sounds of clashing metal, screams, and the thud of horses' hooves intertwined to create a symphony of death.

The standard curved swords of the Dongming army gleamed coldly in the sunlight, each swing sending up a spray of blood. Broken blades and shattered swords of the Dajing army were scattered everywhere on the ground, some still clutching severed hands.

A young Jing soldier tried to parry a scimitar that came crashing down on him, but his spear snapped in two.

Before he could retreat, another blade had already sliced ​​off half of his shoulder. Blood splattered onto the face of his comrade beside him, who, in the moment of stunned silence, was also shot through the throat by an arrow.

"Hold on! Hold on for me!" Lu Chengyun shouted hoarsely, but could only watch helplessly as the battle line continued to retreat.

The ground was littered with the corpses of the Great Jing soldiers, their blood staining the entire land red and pooling into pools of blood in the low-lying areas.

Seeing that the enemy had broken through the right flank and was heading straight for the center, Lu Chengyun finally broke down and shouted, "Retreat! Quickly! The entire army retreats!"

His shouts were drowned out by the sounds of battle; only the nearby soldiers heard his command. When the sound of the retreat signal rang out, he turned his horse around and galloped toward the city gate under the protection of his personal guards.

"Close the city gate! Close the city gate now!" he shouted hoarsely as he rushed into the barbican, his voice shrill and distorted with fear.

Lieutenant Li Chong hurriedly stopped the horse: "Marshal, please reconsider! There are still tens of thousands of brothers outside the city!"

Lu Chengyun kicked him in the breastplate: "Do you want to let the enemy in? Close it! Close it now!" He roared almost hysterically, his face splattered with blood from who-knows-who.

The heavy city gates slowly closed with the sound of winches, and the cries of soldiers outside the city were deafening.

Someone pounded on the heavy city gate, their fingernails scratching blood from the iron-clad wooden door.

Some turned around in despair, raising their broken weapons in a final act of resistance.

Many more were trampled into mincemeat by the Dongming cavalry in the chaos, the sound of bones shattering was chilling.

Arrows rained down like locusts, and the Dongming heavy infantry, carrying ladders, surged forward like a tide. They trampled over the corpses of their comrades and Dajing soldiers, each step splashing blood and mud.

The defenders on the city walls hurriedly fired arrows and pushed down logs and boulders, but the enemy's shield formation was exceptionally strong, and their offensive only intensified.

The Dongming soldiers' specially made curved swords were incredibly sharp; wherever the blades passed, the weapons of the Dajing soldiers snapped in two, making them difficult to defend against. Limbs and broken blades flew everywhere, and blood mist mixed with dust filled the entire battlefield.

The Eastern Ming commander, Murong Tai, sat firmly in the center of the army and calmly waved his command flag.

The formation changed in an orderly fashion with the changing of the flags, and the battering rams, under the heavy guard of the soldiers, rammed into the city gate. Each ramming made a deafening noise, and the city wall trembled slightly.

On the watchtower, sharpshooters precisely picked off the defenders on the city wall, and every now and then, soldiers hit by arrows fell from the crenellations.

Lu Chengyun, hiding behind his shield, kept issuing orders, his commands completely disorganized: "Fire arrows! Fire arrows! Boiling oil? Pour boiling oil on me!"

Li Chong braved the rain of arrows to rush to his side: "Marshal! The enemy is using battering rams. We should concentrate our fire on the battering rams with rockets!"

"Do I need you to teach me?" Lu Chengyun kicked over the oil pot beside him, splashing boiling oil onto nearby soldiers, whose screams immediately rang out. "Defend the city! Defend it to the death!"

Outside the city, an abandoned soldier of the Great Jing Dynasty leaned against the city gate, wielding a broken sword with one arm, and killed three enemy soldiers before being pierced by a spear.

His eyes were wide open as he stared at the now-closed city gate, and he slowly collapsed.

The Dongming army trampled over his corpse, crashing against the crumbling Dongguan city wall like a black tide. The booming sound of battering rams striking the city gate was like the heartbeat of death.

As the sun set, its rays illuminated the weary yet resolute faces of the soldiers defending the city. The air was thick with the stench of gunpowder and blood, mingled with the suffocating warmth of late spring.

The Eastern Ming Empire's offensive has lasted for a full day.

Beneath the city walls, a dark mass of enemy troops surged forth like a tidal wave, their shouts, battle cries, and the wails of the dying mingling together in a deafening roar.

On the city wall, the defending soldiers gritted their teeth and kept hurling molten gold, huge boulders, and heavy logs down. Each throw brought a shower of blood and a brief blank in the dense enemy ranks, but it was quickly filled by the next wave of soldiers.

"Hold on! Hold on! Reinforcements are almost here!" Lu Chengyun's voice was hoarse as he paced back and forth on the city wall, clad in heavy armor.

His armor was stained with blood and dust, but his eyes were fixed on the Dongming soldiers below the city, who swarmed like ants.

The city wall relentlessly emitted dull, terrifying impacts. Each impact caused the heavy city gate to tremble violently, groaning in pain, and the entire section of the city wall seemed to shake slightly.

The surface of the city gate, which was covered with iron sheets, was uneven and had fine cracks.

Even more chilling were the chariots that resembled mobile fortresses, covered with thick raw cowhide and wooden planks, braving arrows and fire arrows, slowly and steadily advancing to the city walls.

The Dongming engineers hiding under the carts began frantically digging at the base of the wall or hacking at the city gate with giant axes. The defenders desperately shot arrows and threw oil canisters downwards, but to little avail.

"General! We're almost out of arrows on the western section of the city wall!"

"Roll logs! We need rolling logs here!"

"Golden broth! Quickly boil the golden broth!"

One piece of bad news after another arrived, and Lu Chengyun's heart sank further. The rate at which supplies for defending the city were being consumed far exceeded his expectations.

The Eastern Ming Empire came prepared this time, and the ferocity of its offensive and the determination of its resolve were unprecedented in his military career.

He grabbed a guard and almost roared, "Send more scouts! Quickly find out where the imperial reinforcements are! Tell them that Dongguan is about to fall!"

The guards received the order and scrambled down the city wall.

Below the city walls, behind the Eastern Ming army's lines, Commander-in-Chief Murong Tai sat firmly atop his tall horse. He coldly observed the fierce battle, like a predator eyeing its prey.

"The siege ladders are too slow." He snorted coldly, his voice booming like a bell. "Bring the ballistae forward! Suppress the city walls! Keep the battering rams and siege engines running! Sons of Dongming, tear this breach open for me!"

Upon receiving the order, a series of creaking sounds of mechanisms turning echoed through the Dongming army ranks.

Dozens of massive ballistae were pushed to the front lines, their huge bolts, as thick as a child's arm, gleaming coldly, aimed at the East Gate city wall.

"Bang—whoosh!"

A terrifying whooshing sound tore through the air! The enormous crossbow bolt, like a scythe of death from the underworld, instantly traversed hundreds of steps and slammed into the battlements!

With a loud "bang!", a section of the battlement was smashed to pieces, sending debris flying. The soldiers hiding behind it didn't even have time to scream before they were torn to shreds by the immense kinetic energy of the crossbow bolts, their flesh and blood flying everywhere!
Another crossbow bolt grazed a soldier's scalp, the force of the whirlwind tearing his helmet off and causing him to collapse to the ground in terror. The rain of arrows grew denser and deadlier.

Under the cover of chariots and shields, the Dongming archers approached the city wall and began firing upwards.

Black arrows soared into the air like locusts, tracing arcs before raining down on the defenders on the city walls. Soldiers fell to the ground, struck by arrows, their screams echoing across the battlefield.

The pressure on the defending troops increased sharply, and their firepower for counterattacks weakened significantly.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the Dongming infantry surged forward, and more ladders were erected on the city walls. Desperate Dongming soldiers, with steel swords in their mouths and shields against their heads, climbed upwards with all their might.

The defending soldiers thrust with spears and slashed and pushed with knives and axes. The two sides engaged in a brutal hand-to-hand combat at the crenellations, and people kept falling from the high city walls. At this moment, life was as cheap as grass.

Lu Chengyun's eyes were bloodshot as he drew his sword and personally cleaved a Dongming soldier who had just emerged from the crenellations. Warm blood splattered all over his face, but he was completely unaware.

His heart was pounding, not from fear, but from helplessness.

He watched as the defending soldiers fell one by one, as supplies were gradually depleted, and as the city gates teetered on the brink of collapse under the battering ram. A profound sense of despair gripped him.

Just when he was exhausted and about to give up, a series of hurried footsteps accompanied by shouts came from behind him.

"Report! Reinforcements! Reinforcements have arrived!" A scout scrambled up the city wall, his face a mixture of extreme exhaustion and ecstasy.

These words were like heavenly music, instantly dispelling the gloom and despair in Lu Chengyun's heart!

He turned around abruptly, and all his anxiety and anticipation erupted at that moment.

"We've arrived?! Where are we?! Where have we arrived?! Who's leading the army?!" he asked excitedly.

However, just as he turned around with all his attention focused on the scout, full of hope, to ask him further questions—

Amidst the rain of arrows, two arrows, carrying the chilling aura of death, crossed and shot towards Lu Chengyun, who had turned around and exposed himself on the city wall!
"puff!"

"puff!"

A dull thud as they struck almost simultaneously! One arrow pierced his armor and hit his arm, while the other struck his back.

Lu Chengyun's face froze instantly, his pupils dilated sharply, filled with unbelievable astonishment.

His body jerked violently, and the knife in his hand clattered to the ground.

Beside him was the crenellation breach blasted open by the ballista. His heavy armor, carrying his body, made him plummet like a puppet with broken strings, finally crashing heavily onto the pile of corpses beneath the city wall.

Time seemed to stand still at this moment.

"marshal!!!"

"marshal!"

The guards and generals around him let out heart-wrenching cries, watching helplessly as their commander fell, unable to react in time.

Regardless of the commander's ability, his death in battle is like having the backbone of the Great Jing Army torn off.

The defending troops were thrown into chaos instantly, and their morale completely collapsed. Fear spread like a plague, and resistance became sporadic and chaotic.

"The city gate is broken!!"

Just then, accompanied by a loud cracking sound and the frenzied cheers of the Dongming soldiers, the battered city gate was finally smashed open by the battering ram! The heavy door panels collapsed inward, raising clouds of dust.

The fierce Dongming soldiers surged in like a flood bursting its banks! The soldiers responsible for blocking the gates inside the city fought desperately, but without unified command, they fought individually and were quickly overwhelmed and scattered.

Bloody street fighting unfolded near the city gate, but the Dajing garrison suffered repeated defeats and was unable to organize an effective defensive line.

The streets and houses were filled with the glint of swords and the sounds of screams and wails.

Dongguan City is on the verge of falling!

At this critical moment, the earth suddenly began to tremble slightly.

Immediately afterwards, the sound of war drums, like muffled thunder, came from the south of the city.

As the sun sets, a large banner bearing the character "Li" flutters in the wind, appearing first on the horizon like the first ray of dawn tearing through the darkness!
The imperial reinforcements have finally arrived!
An old general with white hair and beard, yet imposing and awe-inspiring, led the charge, wielding a black gold spear and galloping on horseback—he was none other than Marshal Li Jianyong of the Empire!
Behind him were countless reinforcements, weary from their journey, yet with eyes as sharp as knives!
Upon receiving the scouts' report, Marshal Li gave the order, and the reinforcements roared with deafening battle cries, charging directly into the fray with unstoppable momentum!
"Reinforcements have arrived! Brothers! Charge!" Marshal Li's voice boomed like thunder, instantly igniting the last vestiges of courage and hope in the remaining defenders!

The arrival of fresh troops instantly turned the tide of the battle!

The Dongming vanguard army, which had just rushed into the city and was burning, killing, looting, and in disarray, was caught off guard and dealt a heavy blow by this fierce reinforcement!
Blades slashed and cleaved, spears snapped, warhorses neighed, and the struggle for every inch of land became exceptionally fierce.

The reinforcements stood firm like a rock, blocking the inner side of the city gate, refusing to retreat an inch, and instead pushing the Dongming soldiers who rushed in step by step outwards!

Outside the city, Murong Tai, who was directing his army to advance, immediately noticed something was wrong.

The soldiers who rushed into the city did not expand their gains; instead, they were being pushed out of the city gates as if they had hit an impenetrable wall!
The shouts of battle coming from inside the city suddenly changed tone, filled with an unfamiliar sharpness and determination. Murong Tai immediately realized that reinforcements must have arrived inside the city.

"Sound the retreat! Sound the horn!" Murong Tai made a decisive decision. Although he was unwilling, he knew that a long-fighting army could not withstand the sharpness of a fresh force.

A sharp gong sound quickly echoed across the battlefield, followed by a strangely twanged horn.

The Dongming army was well-trained. Upon receiving the order, the soldiers at the front took turns providing cover and began to retreat like a tide.

During their retreat, they remained ferocious, capturing a large number of wounded or scattered Dajing soldiers as prisoners, like sand and stones swept away by the receding tide.

The fighting gradually subsided, leaving behind only devastation.

Inside and outside the city gates, corpses lay strewn everywhere, blood flowed like rivers, and broken weapons and tattered flags were scattered about.

The burning chariots and ladders billowed black smoke, and the air was filled with an overwhelming, pungent smell of blood and acrid burning.

Marshal Li Jianyong stood beneath the dilapidated city gate, gazing at the hellish scene before him, and then at the receding Eastern Ming army, breathing heavily.

His aged face was etched with weariness, but even more so with relief and lingering fear.

He dismounted and, led by his deputy Li Chong, walked to the spot where Lu Chengyun had fallen from the city wall.

He bent down and picked up the helmet with red feathers from the ground, then scanned his surroundings, searching for Lu Chengyun's figure—Lu Chengyun's body was gone.

Marshal Li lowered his eyes in deep thought. Finally, he raised his head and looked at the Dongguan city wall, which had just been tempered by blood and fire and still stood tall. His voice was hoarse but firm:
"Take stock of the casualties, reinforce the city's defenses... The people of Dongming will return."

This is my first time writing a scene of such a major battle. Please let me know in the comments section if there are any shortcomings so I can make corrections!