The female prisoner was fierce

Inside Dongshuang County.

Wanyan Chuyu's residence.

"No!"

Wanyan Chuyu suddenly stood up, her beautiful eyes wide open, staring at Wanyan Hu in front of her:

"Not only can we not retreat, we must send more troops!"

Wanyan Hu grew anxious and said in a muffled voice:

"Sister! That's an army of ten thousand! Three thousand cavalry and seven thousand infantry, no joke! Our tribe only has a little over two thousand capable warriors; even if we brought them all, they wouldn't be enough to fill their teeth!"

"I see."

Wanyan Chuyu took a deep breath, suppressing his anxiety, and looked earnestly at his general, saying:

"It is precisely because it is an army of ten thousand that we cannot retreat."

"Think about it, we've already allied with Xiao Jianyang. We even participated in the raid on the grain supply at Black Wind Pass. If the Northern Di people breach Dongshuang County, do you think they'll let our tribe go?"

Wanyan Hu was still somewhat hesitant.

Wanyan Chuyu continued:

"You understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold' (meaning that if one's lips are gone, the other will be in danger). If Dongshuang County is gone, our Tiger Tribe will be next. Do you think Temur will let us go then?"

Wanyan Hu remained silent.

Wanyan Chuyu walked to the window, gazing at the busy Xiao family army soldiers outside, a resolute glint flashing in her eyes:

"I can't see through Xiao Jianyang."

"But I know he never fights a battle he's not sure he can win."

"At Black Wind Pass, he only brought six hundred men, yet he dared to rob a grain convoy of a thousand Northern Di soldiers, and the battle was resolved in half an hour with only a dozen casualties."

"Would you believe it if it were someone else?"

Wanyan Hu shook his head.

"And then there's Tiger Ridge, where Halbala's thousand elite troops were wiped out by his divine punishment."

"Do you think someone like that can't defend Dongshuang County?"

Wanyan Chuyu turned around and looked intently at Wanyan Hu:

"How many years have we Jurchens been oppressed by the Northern Di on the grasslands? In every battle, we were always at the forefront, dying the most, yet receiving the least."

"Now that you finally have a chance to turn things around, you want to give up?"

Hearing this, Wanyan Hu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying:

"Replying to the princess, I don't want to!!"

"Then let's go!!"

Wanyan Chuyu's tone was resolute:

"Go back to the tribe immediately and gather all the able-bodied warriors, except for the old and weak! I brought 1,100 men with me before, go back and gather another 1,000, making a total of 2,100 men."

"Tell the tribal elders and my fathers that if we win this battle, our Tiger Tribe will be completely turned around; if we lose, I, Wanyan Chuyu, will be the first to die on the city wall!"

Seeing the princess's resolute gaze, Wanyan Hu suppressed his hesitation and nodded heavily:

"Okay! I'll go back right away!"

He turned and walked out, but turned back at the door and said seriously:

"Princess, rest assured, none of the warriors of our Tiger Tribe are afraid of death."

"I will definitely bring my men back within three days!"

After saying that, he strode away.

Wanyan Chuyu watched his figure disappear outside the door and let out a long breath.

Her palms were sweaty.

An army of ten thousand.

To be honest, she wasn't sure either.

But she knew this was the tiger tribe's only chance to turn things around.

She's gambling!!

I'm betting Xiao Jianyang can hold out!

If you bet correctly, you'll never have to depend on others again.

If you bet wrong, you'll just die!

"Xiao Jianyang, don't let me down."

She murmured something to herself, then put on her white fox fur cloak and strode outside.

I need to go and discuss the defense of the city with Xiao Jianyang.

……

The main hall of the county government office.

Xiao Jianyang was listening to reports from various places.

"Lord Xiao, the city defense battalion has assembled, and all 1,200 men are in position!"

Li Tiezhu clasped his hands in greeting.

"The labor camp has also been organized, with 1,200 able-bodied men divided into twelve hundred-man squads, which will be temporarily under the command of the city gate guards."

Bai Huatong then gave his report.

"The blacksmiths' camp is working day and night to create a new batch of Heavenly Punishments, all made according to Miss Chu's modified formula, and their power is even greater than before!"

Zhao Tiechui wiped his sweat and said in a deep, muffled voice.

"The logistics team has prepared three days' worth of dry rations, as well as hot water and soup, which can be delivered to the city wall at any time."

Su Wanruo also said.

Xiao Jianyang nodded and glanced at everyone present:

"What about Princess Wanyan?"

"The princess said that she sent Wanyan Hu back to the tribe to get reinforcements, and he expects to be able to bring another thousand warriors."

Lin Qingxue replied:

"Including the existing Jurchen cavalry, the total number is two thousand one hundred."

"it is good."

Xiao Jianyang did the calculation:

"Xiao family army of 1,200 men, civilian laborers of 1,200 men, Jurchen allied forces of 2,100 men, totaling 4,500 men."

"Including the civilians guarding the city, there are seven or eight hundred able-bodied men who can go up the city walls."

"More than 5,000 men are defending a fortified county town. It won't be easy for 10,000 Northern Di soldiers to take it down."

Hearing this, everyone felt much more at ease.

Just then, a bodyguard rushed in, his face filled with barely suppressed excitement:

"Sir! The glass has been made!"

"It's built?"

Xiao Jianyang's eyes lit up, and he stood up abruptly.

"Yes! The blacksmith camp fired the kiln for three days according to your recipe, and today when they opened it, they got several large pieces of glass! They were crystal clear, like ice!"

The guard's voice trembled with excitement.

Xiao Jianyang immediately said:

"Let's go take a look."

He immediately strode outside, with Lin Qingxue quickly following behind.

The two walked through three streets and soon arrived at the newly built glass workshop next to the blacksmith camp in the west of the city.

The workshop was steaming hot, and several kiln workers were gathered around a glass plate, their faces showing the same excitement as if they had found a treasure.

The glass plate was about the size of a washbasin, with uniform thickness. Although it had some air bubbles, it was very transparent, and you could see the other side clearly through it.

"Lord Xiao!!"

Upon seeing Xiao Jianyang arrive, the craftsmen quickly made way.

Xiao Jianyang stepped forward, examined the glass carefully, and nodded:

"Not bad, it's already very good that the first batch can be fired like this."

He picked up the glass plate, examined it several times, and then suddenly asked:

Are there any remaining small pieces of burnt glass?

"Yes, yes, quite a lot of scraps were found."

The craftsman quickly picked up a few pieces of broken glass from a basket next to him.

Xiao Jianyang picked out three or four pieces of roughly the same size, and then had someone find a section of bamboo tube, a piece of cowhide, and a small piece of copper.

"Sir, what's wrong...?"

Lin Qingxue looked at him curiously.

Xiao Jianyang didn't say anything, but rolled the copper sheet into a small cylinder and fixed it inside the bamboo tube.

Then the edges of the broken glass were polished with sandstone, one piece was embedded in the front end of the bamboo tube, and the other piece was embedded in the back end of the copper cylinder.

He then closed one eye and looked through the bamboo tube with the other.

The soldiers on the distant city wall, who were originally only the size of beans, had their eyebrows clearly visible when viewed through the bamboo tube.

"It's done."

Xiao Jianyang's lips curled slightly as he handed the bamboo tube to Lin Qingxue:

"Give it a try."

Lin Qingxue took the bamboo tube with a puzzled look and, imitating Xiao Jianyang, brought it close to her eyes.

The next second, she froze completely!

Through the bamboo tube, the patterns on the armor of the soldiers on the city wall, the fletching of the arrows in the hands of the archers behind the quiver, and even the stitches on the flags on the city wall were all clearly visible!

"This...this..."

He hurriedly put down the bamboo tube, then picked it up again to look at it, his face full of disbelief:

"Lord Xiao, this thing... this thing can pull things from afar to your eyes, what is it?? Is it a celestial treasure?"

"This is called a telescope."

Xiao Jianyang explained:

"With this, scouts can see the enemy's movements before they are discovered, and the defenders on the city walls can also detect enemy activity in the distance in advance."

"It can see farther and see more clearly than the human eye."

"This…"

Lin Qingxue held the telescope, her fingers trembling slightly.

She is not someone who has never seen the world.

She was, after all, the legitimate daughter of a prominent military family in the capital.

But at that moment, she was truly stunned!

The set of Heavenly Punishment, Pulley Crossbow, Cement, and Horseshoe has now been expanded to include a telescope.

Just how much is going on in Lord Xiao's head?

"Qingxue".

Xiao Jianyang suddenly called her name.

"Your subordinate is here."

Lin Qingxue quickly came to her senses.

"Have someone make more glass later. Using this method, make ten telescopes first, and equip each city gate guard with one."

Xiao Jianyang gave the instructions.

"yes!"

Lin Qingxue immediately agreed.

Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached.

Bai Muyi spurred his horse into the workshop courtyard, dismounted, and his face showed a mixture of nervousness and excitement:

"Lord Xiao! The Northern Di army has arrived!"

Xiao Jianyang's eyes narrowed:

"Where are we?"

"Ten miles outside the city! Camp has already been set up!"

Bai Muyi quickly said:

"Scouts have discovered that the Northern Barbarian general Yelü Deguang has arrived with an army of over ten thousand, including three thousand cavalry and seven thousand infantry. After setting up camp, they did not immediately begin construction work, but instead started cutting down trees to build siege equipment!"

"Yelü Deguang?"

Xiao Jianyang frowned slightly.

He had seen this name in the battle reports from Youzhou.

Yelü Deguang, a famous general of the Northern Di, fought for twenty years and captured more than thirty cities. He was a ruthless character who had experienced countless battles.

Unlike a brute like Harbala, this is an opponent who uses his brain.

"Let's go up to the city wall."

Xiao Jianyang immediately strode outside.

"yes!"

"yes!"

Lin Qingxue and Bai Muyi quickly followed behind.

The three of them quickly climbed the north city wall, where a number of people were already standing.

Bai Huatong, Li Tiezhu, Defang, Wanyan Chuyu, and several other city-guarding generals all leaned on the crenellations and looked out of the city.

Upon seeing Xiao Jianyang arrive, everyone made way.

Xiao Jianyang walked to the front of the battlements, took out the newly made telescope from his pocket, and brought it to his eyes.

Through the telescope, the distant scenery was instantly brought closer.

Ten miles away, the Northern Di army was setting up camp.

The camp covered a vast area, with tents lined up one after another, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Barricades have been erected and trenches have been dug around the perimeter.

In the open space in the middle of the camp, craftsmen were busy building siege weapons.

Battering rams, ladders, catapults, and various kinds of timber were piled up like mountains, and the clanging and banging sounds could be faintly heard.

Soldiers moved about in the camp, some setting up tents, some sharpening knives, and some feeding horses.

The three thousand cavalrymen's warhorses had set up a separate area, a dark mass of them, their neighing rising and falling.

Xiao Jianyang's gaze swept around the camp and landed on a huge commander's flag.

Under the general's banner, a large cowhide tent had just been erected, and a row of personal guards stood at the entrance, their armor gleaming.

"Yelü Deguang".

Xiao Jianyang put down the telescope, his expression calm.

He's definitely a tough opponent!

He immediately turned around and gave the order:

"Pass down the order: prepare rolling logs and thunderstones at each city gate, move all the Heavenly Punishments to the city walls, and provide each person with three quivers of crossbow bolts."

"yes!"

Everyone readily agreed.

"By the way, how much cement do we have left?"

Li Tiezhu immediately replied:

"There are still more than 300 barrels left, and another batch was burned in the last two days."

"Move them all here, and before the Northern Di people attack the city, reinforce the weak points of the city walls again."

"yes!"

"Zhao Tiechui, the blacksmiths' camp, keep producing Heavenly Punishment as many as possible."

"clear!"

With each order issued, the entire Dongshuang County sprang into action once more.

Bai Muyi stood to the side, looking at the strange-looking bamboo tube in Xiao Jianyang's hand, and couldn't help but ask:

"Lord Xiao, what were you holding just now? It looks quite unusual."

Xiao Jianyang handed her the telescope:

"Give it a try."

Bai Muyi:

"it is good."

He immediately took it and, mimicking Xiao Jianyang's earlier gesture, brought it close to his eyes.

Then, his eyes widened suddenly, and his mouth opened so wide it could fit an egg.

"This...this...this..."

He put the telescope down again, then raised it up again to look, repeating this process three or four times, his face growing increasingly shocked.

"This thing can bring things that are far away closer??"

Then, pointing to the distant Northern Di camp, his voice rose eight octaves:

"I can even see the texture of the animal hides sewn onto their tents! I can even see the scar on the face of that soldier carrying the logs!"

"And that leg of lamb hanging there, I could see the flies on it so clearly!"

She suddenly grabbed Xiao Jianyang's arm, her eyes flashing with an alarming light:

"Lord Xiao! Where did this come from? It's incredible!"

"Just made it."

Xiao Jianyang said calmly:

"It's made of glass, and it's called a telescope."

"From now on, each person will have a scout. When scouting enemy positions, they will be able to see the enemy's deployment from several miles away."

Bai Muyi:

"This…"

hiss~~~

She couldn't help but gasp, looking at Xiao Jianyang as if he were a god.

"Lord Xiao, what on earth is going on in your head? How could you come up with something like this?"

She couldn't help but mutter to herself.

Wanyan Chuyu also curiously came over, took the telescope and tried it out, a hint of shock flashing in her beautiful eyes as well.

The distant Northern Di army camp could be clearly seen through this small bamboo tube.

They could even discern the expressions on the soldiers' faces.

"Lord Xiao is truly an extraordinary person."

After putting down the telescope, she couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Xiao Jianyang didn't reply, but continued to gaze at the Northern Di camp outside the city.

Yelü Deguang's camp was set up in a very orderly manner, backed by a hillside, with ditches on both sides, and barricades and trenches in front and behind.

The tents in the camp were neatly arranged, and the passageways were wide, so that soldiers could quickly assemble in case of emergency.

The number of siege engines under construction is astonishing.

There were more than a dozen catapults, more than thirty siege ladders, and three or four battering rams.

"He's definitely a veteran."

Xiao Jianyang thought to himself.

Unlike Harbala, who was a reckless brute who only knew how to charge headlong into battle, Yelü Deguang was well prepared.

This is going to be a tough battle!!

However, the city walls of Dongshuang County have been completely plastered with cement, making them just as hard as stone walls.

The city wall is 2.5 zhang high and 1.2 zhang thick, and four soldiers can stand side by side on the front.

In addition, there were divine punishments, pulley crossbows, rolling logs and thunderstones, and the frantic reinforcement of the city walls during this period.

Even with an army of ten thousand, it wouldn't be so easy to break through!

"Order that sentries be doubled tonight, and all soldiers take turns on night watch, and are not allowed to remove their armor."

Xiao Jianyang turned around and gave the order:

"The Northern Di might launch a night raid to test the waters and attack the city, so all the brothers should be on high alert."

"yes!"

The crowd responded in unison.

……

The sky gradually darkened.

Inside the Northern Barbarian camp, the commander's tent was brightly lit.

Yelü Deguang sat in the main seat, with a simple map in front of him, and ten commanders of a thousand households sitting on either side.

"Gentlemen."

Yelü Deguang spoke, his voice low and hoarse:

"Dongshuang County is right in front of us."

"His Highness the Fourth Prince gave me the order to raze this county and bring back Xiao Jianyang's head."

"I have fought for twenty years and I never underestimate the enemy."

"Although Xiao Jianyang is an unknown nobody, the Heavenly Punishment Firearm in his hands is extremely powerful. In the Battle of Tiger Ridge, Halbala's thousand elite troops were completely wiped out by this thing."

"And his divine crossbow can pierce three layers of animal hide at eighty paces, which is much more powerful than our bows and arrows."

"In addition, scouts reported that the city walls of Dongshuang County have been coated with a layer of gray substance, which is as hard as stone when tapped, and the ladders do not slip when placed on them."

The heads of the thousand households present looked at each other in bewilderment.

A commander with a thick beard stood up, cupped his hands, and said:

"General, even if he has firearms, how many could he possibly have? We have ten thousand troops; we can overwhelm him with sheer numbers!"

"This humble general is willing to lead the charge and will lead my men to attack the city first thing tomorrow morning!"

Yelü Deguang glanced at him and said calmly:

"Hutulu, being brave is a good thing, but being reckless is foolish."

"If Xiao Jianyang were so easy to defeat, Halbala and Wang Baojun wouldn't have died."

Hutulu blushed and sat down awkwardly.

Another, slightly older, commander stood up and said earnestly:

"General, I believe it would be better to surround them without attacking."

"Dongshuang County is just a small county town with limited grain reserves. If we besiege it for a month, their food supplies will run out, and they will collapse without a fight."

Yelü Deguang shook his head:

"His Highness the Fourth Prince is currently attacking Youzhou, and his food supplies are already insufficient. Our 10,000 troops have been stuck here for a month, and the food consumption is too great."

"We must finish this quickly!!"

At this moment, another commander stood up:

"Then surround the city from all sides and launch a simultaneous attack! Disperse their forces, and we'll surely find a weak point to break through!"

Upon hearing this, Yelü Deguang's eyes brightened slightly, and he nodded:

"That's well said, but not enough."

Then he stood up, walked to the map, and pointed to the north gate of Dongshuang County:

"The north gate is the main attack direction. Hutulu, tomorrow morning you will lead your 1,000 men to attack the north gate."

"yes!"

"Arutai, you lead a thousand men to attack the west gate."

"yes!"

"Bochir, you lead a thousand men to attack the south gate."

"yes!"

"Outside the East Gate is a river, and the terrain is narrow, making it unsuitable for a large-scale troop deployment. Tubar, you will lead five hundred men to launch a feint attack on the East Gate to distract the defenders."

"yes!"

Yelü Deguang then pointed to the map:

"The remaining 5,500 men will serve as reserves."

"I will set up a command post outside the North Gate to observe the battle situation. If any gate is breached, the reserve force will rush in and break through in one fell swoop."

After speaking, he turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over the assembled commanders:

"Remember, the Heavenly Punishment Firearm in Xiao Jianyang's possession is the greatest threat."

"When attacking a city, don't clump your troops together. Spread them out as much as possible so that fewer people will die when the Heavenly Punishment comes down."

"Furthermore, the first group of warriors to scale the city walls will each be rewarded with fifty taels of silver and promoted one rank; the first to reach the top will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and promoted three ranks!"

"Yes, General!!"

The ten commanders responded in unison.

Afterwards, the meeting ended, and the commanders returned to their camps to quickly prepare.

Yelü Deguang stared coldly at the direction of Dongshuang County on the map:

"Xiao Jianyang".

"I'd like to see just how capable you really are."

……

It happened in the middle of the night.

The town of Dongshuang was brightly lit.

Torches burned brightly on the city wall, casting swaying shadows.

The soldiers leaned against the crenellations, their arms wrapped around their weapons, watching the darkness outside the city with vigilance.

The snow reflected the torchlight, shrouding the earth in a dim yellow light. The north wind howled, blowing into people's necks and making them shiver.

Below the city, scattered figures moved about; they were the Xiao family army's patrol team, patrolling back and forth along the base of the city wall, their eyes fixed on the depths of darkness, afraid of missing any movement.

Throughout the city, the blacksmiths' forges still burned brightly, and the clanging of hammers was particularly clear in the night.

The women in the logistics team were still making pancakes and steaming rice, with steaming baskets emitting white smoke.

In the wounded soldiers' camp, Chu Yiran and her medical team were preparing bandages and wound medicine, which were neatly stacked in packets.

Everyone knew that the Northern Di people had already reached outside the city.

……

On the north city wall, Zhao Daniu, wrapped in a thick cotton-padded coat and holding a ring-pommel sword, leaned against the crenellation, gazing at the dark night outside the city, and spat.

"Damn it, when those northern barbarians set up camp during the day, I counted them, and there were at least a thousand tents, densely packed together."

An old soldier next to him, chewing on a blade of grass, squinted and said:

"Ten thousand troops, that's no joke. We only have a little over five thousand people in the city, and that includes laborers and Jurchen barbarians."

"Scared?"

Zhao Daniu glanced at him.

"What's there to be afraid of!"

The old soldier spat out the grass stem and grinned:

"Following Lord Xiao, even death would be worthwhile."

"Didn't you see the battle at Black Wind Pass? Lord Xiao led 600 of our men and wiped out 1,000 Northern Di in half an hour, capturing more than 100 carts of grain."

"Who else, with a different commander, would dare to fight like this?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Daniu nodded repeatedly, his eyes full of conviction:

"Too."

"Lord Xiao is a star descended from heaven. No matter how many Northern Barbarians there are, they cannot defeat the divine punishment."

However, as the two were talking, a faint sound suddenly came from outside the city.

The crunching sound was like countless feet treading on the snow.

Zhao Daniu's expression changed, and he suddenly grabbed the edge of the stack and looked out.

In the pitch-black night, nothing could be seen, but the creaking sound grew closer and louder.

"Enemy attack!!"

Zhao Daniu roared at the top of his lungs and struck the gong beside him.

Bang bang bang!!

The sound of the gong instantly broke the silence of the night.

On the city wall, the soldiers who had been drowsy suddenly sprang to their feet, archers nocked their arrows, and swordsmen gripped their weapons; everyone instantly entered battle mode.

Torches were lit one after another, illuminating the city walls as bright as day.

Below the city, countless Northern Di soldiers had already emerged from the darkness.

They carried ladders and held shields, roaring as they charged toward the city wall.

The first few dozen Northern Di soldiers carried three cloud ladders at an astonishing speed.

"Release the arrows!!"

Bai Huatong, who was in charge of defending the north gate, gave the order.

shhhhhh! ! !

From the city wall, hundreds of arrows shot out and rained down on the city below.

The Northern Di soldiers at the forefront were instantly shot down in droves, their screams particularly piercing in the darkness.

But the Northern Di soldiers behind them didn't care at all, stepping over the corpses of their comrades and continuing to charge forward.

"Divine punishment! Throw forth divine punishment!!"

Bai Huatong issued another order.

Defang was already prepared, and upon hearing this, he roared:

"Grenadiers! Fire!!"

A dozen or so earthenware jars, lit with their fuses, were hurled fiercely down towards the city walls.

The black pottery jar traced an arc across the night sky and landed where the Northern Di soldiers were most concentrated.

Boom! Boom boom!!

A burst of flames erupted, and black smoke billowed up.

The shockwave from the explosion knocked over a group of Northern Di soldiers, sending mud and blood flying everywhere.

"Ah!! My leg!!"

"Help! Help!!"

Screams echoed throughout the room.

Before the soldiers on the city wall could catch their breath, even more Northern Di soldiers poured out of the darkness.

They were spread out and no longer charged in groups like before. When the Heavenly Punishment bombs came down, the number of casualties was significantly reduced.

One ladder after another was erected on the city wall, and the Northern Di soldiers, with scimitars in their mouths, climbed up using both their hands and feet.

"Roll the log! Let it go!!"

Bai Huatong roared as he gave the order.

On the city wall, soldiers lifted large logs and hurled them down the siege ladders.

The logs rolled down the ladder with a rumble, and the Northern Di soldiers who were climbing on it screamed as they were crushed down, along with the soldiers below the ladder.

But as soon as one ladder was knocked over, two more were erected next to it.

The Northern Di soldiers came in an endless stream, like ants.

Hutulu, the commander of a thousand households of the Northern Barbarians, stood not far from the city walls on horseback, brandishing his scimitar and roaring:

"Charge! Charge! The first one to breach the city walls will be rewarded with a hundred taels of silver and promoted three ranks!!"

"Anyone who dares to retreat will be court-martialed by the supervisory team!!"

With a hefty reward at stake and their retreat blocked, the Northern Di soldiers had no choice but to charge forward recklessly, their eyes red with rage.

The curved blade gleamed coldly in the torchlight.

On the city wall, the soldiers of Xiao's army were also bloodthirsty.

Zhao Daniu wielded his ring-pommel sword and stood guard behind the battlements.

As soon as a Northern Di soldier peeked out from the crenellation, he swiftly swung his knife, and a severed head flew off, spraying blood all over his face.

The old soldier next to him, holding a long spear, stabbed down two Northern Di soldiers who climbed up. The third Northern Di soldier took advantage of the moment when he put away his spear and slashed him on the shoulder.

The veteran groaned, his body swaying, but he still gritted his teeth and plunged a spear into the other man's stomach.

The two of them fell off the city wall together.

"Old Liu!!"

Zhao Daniu's eyes turned red, and he roared as he cut down another Northern Di soldier.

The battle was extremely fierce.

Swords flashed and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

The city walls were littered with corpses, some from the Northern Di soldiers and others from the Xiao family army.

Blood flowed down the cracks in the city wall, staining the gray cement surface red.

Below the city, the corpses of the Northern Di soldiers had piled up in a thick layer, staining the snow a dark red, but the people behind were still rushing upwards.

Hutulu watched the fierce battle on the city wall, a sinister smile appearing on his lips.

"This divine punishment is nothing special."

Of the thousand men he led, nearly two hundred had died, but three siege ladders were already firmly placed on the city wall, and his soldiers were climbing up in an endless stream.

Once a breach is made, the reserve forces will rush in, and then the city wall will be breached.

But before he could finish laughing, a strange bowstring sound suddenly rang out from the city wall.

hum! !

Buzzing!!

The sound was deeper and more powerful than that of a regular bow and arrow.

Immediately afterwards, the Northern Di soldiers below the city fell in swathes like wheat cut down by a sickle.

A pulley crossbow!!

At a distance of eighty paces, the power of the pulley crossbow was terrifying.

The crossbow bolts whistled through the air, piercing the leather armor of the Northern Di soldiers, embedding themselves in their flesh, and exiting from behind, spraying a cloud of blood.

Some crossbow bolts even pierced through two soldiers, pinning them to the ground.

Hutulu's expression changed. He had witnessed a personal guard beside him being shot through the shield by a crossbow bolt, the arrowhead piercing his chest, and the man died on the spot.

"What the hell is this crossbow?!"

He couldn't help but curse.

Before they could adjust their orders, another batch of divine punishments rained down from the city walls.

This time, the target of divine punishment was not the soldiers below the city walls, but the archers and the supervisory team further away.

boom!

Boom! Boom!

The flames exploded in the crowd, and the supervisory team was thrown into chaos.

The explosion startled Hutulu's warhorse, causing it to rear up and nearly throw him off.

"Damn it!!"

He gripped the reins tightly, his face ashen, and immediately gave the order:

"Scatter! Scatter now!!!"

The troops scattered instantly, and the visible casualties eased slightly.

"Damn it, we really should have listened to the general; this Xiao family army is truly wicked!"

Hutu Lu murmured in fear.

Meanwhile, in the back hall of the county government office.

Xiao Jianyang had only been asleep for less than an hour.

The daytime marching and deployment had taken a toll on his energy.

But his long-cultivated vigilance made him open his eyes the moment he heard the first gong.

He instinctively sat up, grabbed the official knife from the bedside table, and strode outside.

In the courtyard, the guards had already brought in the warhorses and quickly reported the arrival:

"My lord! The Northern Barbarians have launched a night attack on the city! The fighting at the north gate is fierce!!"

"understood."

Xiao Jianyang mounted his horse and spurred it towards the north city wall.

On both sides of the street, the people were awakened by the war and crowded at the doorway, looking towards the city gate with tense and worried expressions on their faces.

Women carrying children, the elderly clenching their fists, and the able-bodied men spontaneously grabbed carrying poles and hoes and ran towards the city wall.

"Lord Xiao has arrived!"

Someone shouted.

The people all looked up and saw Xiao Jianyang riding past on horseback; their expressions instantly became much more reassured.

"Lord Xiao will definitely drive away the Northern Barbarians!"

"That's right! Lord Xiao is a god descended to earth; those Northern barbarians can't break in!"

The people encouraged each other, and the tension on their faces eased somewhat.

Xiao Jianyang nodded slightly.

Although I don't want to acknowledge any divine or Buddha status, the people need hope and faith right now, so this is the only way.

And he made a promise.

He then rode his horse all the way to the north city wall, dismounted, and quickly climbed onto the city wall.

The scene on the city wall was even more shocking than I had imagined!

The bodies lay scattered about, and blood had pooled on the ground in small puddles.

The wounded were carried away, and the female soldiers of the medical team were bandaging and stopping the bleeding.

The surviving soldiers were all covered in blood, their eyes bloodshot, but they still held their swords and spears firmly in their hands.

"Lord Xiao!!"

Upon seeing him arrive, Bai Huatong, who had arrived at the defense earlier, quickly stepped forward, a bloody mark on his face and a hoarse voice:

"The Northern Di people launched a surprise attack in the middle of the night. A force of a thousand households has been fighting for half an hour. Their offensive is very fierce."

"They've learned their lesson; their formations are spread out during the siege, which reduces the destructive power of the Heavenly Punishment."

"Also, their ladders are equipped with iron hooks, making them very difficult to push away once they hook onto the crenellations."

Xiao Jianyang walked to the top of the battlements and looked down.

Below the city, torches flickered, and the Northern Di soldiers continued their charge, with several strings of people hanging from the siege ladders.

In the distance, more torches are gathering, likely the Northern Barbarians' reserve force.

Yelü Deguang truly lived up to his reputation as a cunning old fox!

Xiao Jianyang remained calm and immediately made a decision, saying:

"Launching a surprise attack at midnight to test the enemy's strength and exhaust the defenders, then launching a general offensive tomorrow."

"However, if he wants to wear himself out, then we'll wear him out too."

"Order that two hundred-man squads be sent from each of the other three city gates to reinforce the north gate, and that able-bodied men from the labor camp also be brought up to help move arrows and transport logs."

"Grenadiers should throw in segments, not all at once. Archers should be divided into three ranks and take turns firing to maintain continuous fire."

"Also, simmered gold sauce."

"yes!"

Bai Huatong immediately went to relay the order.

Xiao Jianyang stood on the city wall, looking at the densely packed Northern Di soldiers below with a cold gaze.

The great battle has finally begun!

…………