Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 384 The City Falls (Part 1)

"Father, brother," Zhang Jingwan knelt down, crying and pleading, "My cousin is dead, let me go and collect his body! We were husband and wife after all. I must bury him!"

General Zhang nodded slightly.

Zhang Yun didn't stop him, and said calmly, "You stay here, I'll send someone to collect his body."

Zhang Jingwan's tears fell like rain.

The young prince, with his bewildered eyes, had no idea what was happening. He clung to his mother's arm and wiped away her tears with his chubby little hands.

Zhang Jingwan was heartbroken and held the Crown Prince in her arms, crying uncontrollably.

Half an hour later, Zhang Yun's personal guard returned with a grim expression and reported in a low voice, "General Shen said that the body cannot be collected for the next two days. As long as the emperor's body is on the city wall, the Pei family army will not attack the city!"

Zhang Yun: "..."

Zhang Yun was taken aback at first, then flew into a rage: "You bastard! How dare you disobey military orders! Go again and bring him here. I want to ask him face to face if he's planning a rebellion!"

"Calm down!" General Zhang unexpectedly intervened, "Let's call it a day!"

Zhang Yun was startled and turned around abruptly.

General Zhang, lying on his bed, was pale and weak. He had lost his former domineering presence and appeared somewhat dejected.

"Father! We can't let this go!" Zhang Yun gritted his teeth and said, "This is emboldening Shen Fang! We must send men to arrest him immediately!"

"After we capture him, who will guard the city?" General Zhang looked at Zhang Yun: "Should I go or will you go?"

Zhang Yun was speechless.

The truth is, neither he nor his son can go. General Zhang's injuries are too severe; he barely survived, and any movement would be fatal. His wounds haven't fully healed, and he needs his personal guards to help him walk, let alone lead troops into battle. In the army, General Shen is the only one with prestige and military prowess. If anyone else were in charge at this time, they probably wouldn't be able to hold off the Pei family army for more than a few days.

General Zhang took a few quick breaths and managed to squeeze out, "Defending the city is the priority!"

Zhang Yun angrily turned his head to the side.

On this side, General Shen was initially a little uneasy after refusing the military order. After waiting for a long time without receiving a second batch of orders, his heart finally settled down.

It has been proven that people's courage and ambition can grow rapidly when indulged.

Two days later, General Shen still hadn't collected Emperor Jian'an's body. Since the weather was cold, the corpse wouldn't decompose quickly; hanging it on the stick every day would keep the fighting at bay.

The soldiers of the Bohai Navy were secretly spreading new rumors. It was said that every night, they could hear a faint crying sound.

"That's the Emperor's weeping. The dead can't be buried, and their souls can't ascend to heaven; they're trapped on the city walls. He cries all night long."

"I think I heard it too."

"I didn't sleep well last night. Do you think the Emperor might turn into a vengeful ghost and come to claim General Shen's life?"

"No way! If you want to take a life, you should go after our General first."

"Perhaps they'll come to take our lives as well."

"Pah! Don't talk nonsense! We are just ordinary soldiers. We have never laid a hand on the Emperor. Why would the Emperor come looking for us to take our lives?"

Stories of gods and ghosts quietly circulated among the soldiers and even reached the ears of the people of Bohai Commandery. The people, who had suffered so much oppression, saw their support and love for General Zhang plummet to its lowest point.

Large groups of deserters have begun to appear in the city!

That night, dozens of soldiers quietly escaped through the west gate.

They had only escaped for a few miles when they were caught by patrolling Changshan soldiers. General Ge interrogated them personally, and then a horrifying piece of information came out. General Ge cursed angrily a few times and immediately sent someone to deliver a message to Pei's army camp.

Pei Qinghe was woken up at the fourth watch of the night: "General, General Ge has sent an urgent message."

When the messenger knelt before her and delivered the shocking news, Pei Qinghe remained silent for a moment.

Pei Yan, standing beside her, had already cursed out loud: "These beasts are simply inhuman! The Emperor is dead, yet they leave his corpse to dry on the city wall. Are they even human?!"

Pei Yun's eyes flashed, and her voice was filled with excitement: "So, at daybreak, we can launch a full-scale attack on the city!"

Pei Qinghe took a deep breath: "Pass on my order to summon Yang Hu, Li Chi, Lü Feng, and the others."

About half an hour later, all the military officers gathered in the military tent.

Pei Qinghe solemnly relayed the latest news to everyone. The generals were filled with righteous indignation, vehemently condemning the Zhang father and son. General Lu was particularly enraged and volunteered for battle: "Today I am willing to lead the troops to attack the city! Please grant my request, General!"

The Puyang army was also a guest force. After arriving, they fought once, but then encountered the disgusting incident of the emperor being tied to the city wall, and never fought again.

When General Lu wanted to send troops, Pei Qinghe naturally wouldn't refuse: "Alright, let the Puyang army lead the charge."

"Today, we'll launch a full-scale attack on the city. Everyone, give it your all! Before nightfall, we'll breach the gates of Bohai County!"

The generals roared in agreement!
……

"General Shen! Something terrible has happened! The Pei family army has gone mad today, completely disregarding the Emperor's corpse and launching a full-scale attack on the city!"

Military flags fluttered beneath the city walls, and battle cries shook the heavens.

The Bohai soldiers on the city wall were short of breath, timid, pale-faced, and utterly demoralized.

General Shen sneered, "What are you afraid of! Men, grab your bows and arrows, and prepare stones and boiling oil!"

General Shen was met with a few scattered "yes" responses.

General Shen was furious. He drew his sword and brandished it, ordering over a hundred of his personal guards to oversee the battle. The guards stood menacingly at the rear, ready to strike down any soldier who fled.

Left with no other choice, the soldiers had to fight desperately to defend the city.

However, the siege that day was too fierce and could not be stopped at all. Despite the constant killings by arrows, stones, and boiling oil, the attacking soldiers continued to advance wave after wave.

Aren't they afraid of dying?
The soldiers of the Bohai Navy were filled with unease and growing increasingly panicked.

The Pei family army, attacking the city, was in high spirits and leaped onto the city wall with all their might.

In close combat, the brave prevail.

The scales of war tipped in favor of Pei's army from the very beginning. As the sun hung high in the sky, shortly after noon, someone finally reached General Shen.

General Shen grinned maliciously and charged forward with his sword. His personal guards, no longer able to supervise the battle, rushed forward to fight as well.

An hour later, another group of people arrived.

General Shen, who had suffered minor injuries, did not even have time to apply medicine and bandage his wounds. He swung his long sword and clashed fiercely with the opponent's long sword, producing an extremely ear-piercing sound.

General Shen felt a jolt in his right wrist and was immediately alarmed, realizing he had encountered a truly formidable opponent. He beckoned his personal guards forward while desperately trying to dodge.

The dark-faced female general grinned maliciously: "Pei Xuan, Pei Feng, come here and kill him!"

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng rushed over together in response.

(End of this chapter)