The female prisoner was fierce

At the west gate, Lin Qingxue led her soldiers to defend to the death. More than a dozen strings of the crossbows broke. The soldiers directly picked up their swords and spears and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the Northern Di soldiers who rushed up.

At the South Gate, Li Tiezhu was covered in blood. He had changed his knife twice. The crenellations had been breached three times, but he had repelled them all with his life.

At the North Gate, Bai Huatong personally guarded the top of the city gate, directing the battle while fighting the enemy. He was hit by an arrow in the arm, but he cut off the arrow shaft and continued to supervise the battle.

The number of corpses piled up on the city walls kept increasing.

Fewer and fewer soldiers are alive.

The able-bodied men of the labor camp were transferred to the city walls in batches. Many of them did not even have armor, but they picked up swords and spears and went to fight.

The battle was extremely fierce.

Xiao Jianyang stood on the north gate tower, his face ashen as he looked at the Northern Di soldiers rushing in from all directions.

He doesn't have many people left who can be of use.

Xiao's army numbered 1200, and by now, at least three or four hundred had been killed in action, with many more wounded.

The civilian laborers, numbering over 1300, had already been deployed to the city walls, where they suffered equally heavy casualties.

The Jurchen allied forces numbered 1100, but also suffered 300-400 casualties.

If the fighting continues like this, the city will fall sooner or later!

Just then, a commotion suddenly arose from behind the Northern Di army formation outside the city.

Immediately afterwards, a series of urgent bugle calls rang out.

That wasn't the sound of the Northern Di people's horns.

They are Jurchens!!

Xiao Jianyang suddenly raised his binoculars and looked in the direction from which the horn sounded.

From the northwest, a cavalry force was seen charging fiercely toward the flank of the Northern Di army.

The cavalrymen on horseback wore animal hide armor, carried tiger-head banners, and their scimitars gleamed coldly in the sunlight.

Leading the group was a burly general.

Wanyan Hu!!

Behind him stood a densely packed formation of 1500 elite Jurchen cavalrymen, arrayed in a charging formation, like a sharp dagger piercing the flank of the Northern Di army.

"kill!!"

Wanyan Hu swung his spiked club and smashed a Northern Di cavalryman away, sending him and his horse crashing to the ground.

The Jurchen cavalry behind him were like wolves and tigers, charging into the Northern Di infantry, their scimitars flashing as they sliced ​​through melons and vegetables.

The Northern Di soldiers were attacking the city with all their might when their flank was suddenly attacked, throwing them into disarray.

The attacking force was cut off in the middle. The soldiers in front did not know whether to continue the attack or turn back to meet the enemy, while the soldiers behind were scattered by the Jurchen cavalry.

"What's going on??"

On the command platform, Yelü Deguang suddenly stood up, his eyes bloodshot:

"Where did these cavalrymen come from?"

"They're Jurchens! Jurchens from the Tiger Tribe!"

Yelü Dor, standing beside him, said urgently:

"They're charging from the northwest! They're attacking the flank of Batel's thousand-man unit!"

"Damn the Jurchens!"

Yelü Deguang's face instantly turned ashen, and he slammed his fist on the railing:

"How dare they! How dare they!!"

He never expected that the Jurchen Tiger Tribe would mobilize its entire force to support Dongshuang County.

This completely disrupted his plans.

"Send the order! Have the reserves hold them off! Hold them off!!"

Yelü Deguang roared.

But it was too late.

Because Wanyan Hu's 1,500 cavalry charged with overwhelming force!

Batel's thousand-man unit was already exhausted from the siege, and when the cavalry charged on their flank, they were unable to hold back and were overwhelmed in an instant.

Wanyan Hu led his cavalry, easily cutting through Batel's thousand-man unit, and then charged directly toward the north gate of Dongshuang County without stopping.

"Open the city gates immediately!"

On the city wall, Xiao Jianyang immediately gave the order.

The soldiers hurriedly moved the stone slabs of the North Gate, and the city gate opened with a roar.

Wanyan Hu charged into the city gate first, followed by the Jurchen cavalry.

All 1,500 cavalrymen entered the city; not a single one was left behind.

The city gate closed again, and the stone blocks were used to block it once more.

Wanyan Hu dismounted and quickly climbed onto the city wall.

He was splattered with the blood of the Northern Di people, and bits of flesh still clung to his spiked club, but his rugged face was full of pleasure.

"Lord Xiao! I, Wanyan Hu, have arrived with the warriors of the Tiger Tribe!"

Xiao Jianyang stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said:

"General Wanyan, thank you very much."

Wanyan Hu waved his hand:

"Lord Xiao, you're too kind! We are allies; our fates are intertwined!"

At this moment, Wanyan Chuyu also arrived.

She looked at Wanyan Hu, then glanced at the Jurchen cavalry gathering below the city, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes:

"Ah Hu, didn't I tell you to bring a thousand men? Why are there five hundred more?"

Wanyan Hu chuckled:

"Princess, the King said that we all share the same fate, and if one falls, we all fall. If Dongshuang County falls, our Tiger Tribe will not be able to escape either."

"So we only left 500 men to guard the tribe, and brought all the rest who could fight."

Wanyan Chuyu paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically:

"Father is right."

Looking at the fierce Jurchen cavalrymen below the city, Xiao Jianyang felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He remembered the kindness shown to them by coming out in full force to help at such a time.

He immediately said quickly:

"The North Gate and West Gate are under the most pressure. Princess Wanyan, send your men to the North Gate to assist in the defense, and send another group to the West Gate to provide support."

"good!"

Wanyan Chuyu immediately made the arrangements.

Of the 1,500 cavalrymen brought by Wanyan Hu, 1,000 were equipped with infantry and were able to defend the city walls.

With this fresh force, the pressure on the city walls was instantly relieved.

Zhao Daniu leaned against the crenellations, watching the valiant Jurchen soldiers surge onto the city wall, and grinned:

"Damn it, reinforcements are here! Brothers, hold on! We're saved!!"

On the city wall, the defending troops, who were on the verge of collapse, were greatly encouraged when they saw the reinforcements arrive, and they gritted their teeth and continued to hold on.

The Northern Di troops outside the city were thrown into disarray by the Jurchen cavalry, and their offensive clearly weakened.

Yelü Deguang stood on the command platform, his face so gloomy it could wring water out of it.

He looked at the defenders who had become densely packed on the city walls, and then glanced at the battered Batel thousand-man unit, his chest heaving violently.

Finally, with great reluctance, he gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence:

"withdraw troops!!"

Waaaaah~~~

The bugle call to withdraw troops sounded again.

The Northern Di soldiers, as if granted a pardon, retreated like a receding tide.

Beneath the city walls lay countless corpses and destroyed siege equipment.

After a day of siege, the Northern Di people lost more than 700 men.

Including the losses from last night's Hutulu incident, the total number of casualties has exceeded one thousand.

Dongshuang County remained unconquered, infuriating him to the point of wanting to vomit blood!

In the military, a casualty rate of 30% is considered extremely dangerous.

Once the enemy exceeds a certain threshold, morale is very likely to collapse, and it will be impossible to continue fighting because the soldiers will have no will to fight.

and so.

Inside the Northern Barbarian commander's tent.

Yelü Deguang knew this matter clearly. He sat in the main seat, his face ashen, and remained silent.

Inside the tent, ten commanders, each covered in dust and dirt.

Hutulu's thousand-man squad was decimated, leaving only four hundred men.

Batel's thousand-man squad was decimated, leaving him with less than five hundred men.

Bochir was injured; his left arm was wrapped in bandages, and there were bloodstains on his face.

The other commanders, more or less, were all injured.

The atmosphere inside the tent was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"Say something!"

Yelü Deguang slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"They've all become mute!"

"Ten thousand troops attacked a small county town, fought for a day and a night, lost fifteen hundred men, and couldn't even climb the city walls! How am I supposed to explain this to His Highness the Fourth Prince?!"

Hutulu stood up with a stiff upper lip:

"General, it's not that the warriors aren't fighting hard, it's just that the Heavenly Punishment firearms on the city wall are too powerful; one explosion can wipe out a large area."

"And those pulley crossbows, they can penetrate three layers of armor at eighty paces, our shields can't stop them at all."

"Yes, General."

Batel also stood up:

"The city wall was plastered with cement, making it as hard as stone. The ladders were slippery when they were placed on them. When the warriors climbed the ladders, logs and molten metal would fall down from above, making it impossible to dodge."

Yelü Deguang sneered:

"So what? You mean, if we can't take it, we'll just give up??"

Hutulu and Batel dared not respond, and the tent fell silent.

Just then, Yelü Dor stepped forward and cautiously said:

"General, the biggest problem right now is the Jurchen Tiger tribe."

"They sent more than a thousand cavalrymen into the city, greatly increasing the number of troops defending it."

"With Xiao Jianyang's Heavenly Punishment Firearms added in, a direct frontal assault would indeed be difficult."

Yelü Deguang squinted.

Yelü Dor continued:

"I have a plan."

"explain."

"Dongshuang County was difficult to attack because of its strong city walls and powerful firearms, but even the strongest city walls cannot withstand a large number of people."

"We still have more than 8,000 troops. If we can send some more troops over, we can surround the city from all sides and launch a relentless attack day and night. Even if the defending troops are very capable, they will eventually be exhausted."

Yelü Deguang's gaze sharpened.

After a moment's thought, a gambler's gaze flashed in his angry eyes as he asked:

How many soldiers are left in Yanbei City?

Yelü Dor was taken aback:

"Yanbei City? There are still four thousand garrison troops over there."

"Transfer three thousand over."

Yelü Deguang made a decision immediately.

"General!!"

Yelü Dor's expression changed:

"Yanbei City is a crucial transit point on the grain route. We only have four thousand men to defend it. If we transfer another three thousand, we'll only have one thousand left! What if the Han army launches a surprise attack?"

His original intention was to write a letter requesting the fourth prince to send more troops.

Although this would inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the fourth prince.

"I'm betting they won't dare!"

Before him, Yelü Deguang said coldly:

"With Youzhou besieged and the other states preoccupied with their own problems, who would dare to launch a surprise attack on Yanbei City? Even if Wu Huawen of Youzhou knew the news, he's currently being held captive and beaten by the Fourth Prince within the city; would he still have the resources to launch a surprise attack?"

"Furthermore, Xiao Jianyang is surrounded in the city and doesn't even dare to leave the city gates, let alone launch a sneak attack on Yanbei City."

Before him, Yelü Dor wanted to say something, but seeing Yelü Deguang's gloomy face, he swallowed his words.

"This humble general obeys!!"

He placed his right hand on his left chest, then immediately turned to write the troop deployment document.

Yelü Deguang turned around, gazing at the night outside the tent, his eyes icy:

"Jurchen people".

"Xiao Jianyang".

"Once I have razed Dongshuang County to the ground, I will not let a single one of them escape."

……

Inside Dongshuang County.

Xiao Jianyang was inspecting the city's defenses.

Reinforcements arrived, temporarily easing the pressure on the city walls. However, he knew that Yelü Deguang would not give up easily, and an even greater offensive was yet to come!

Just then, Lin Qingxue walked over quickly, her face showing a hint of solemnity:

"Sir, the scouts have just intercepted a message."

"The Northern Di have transferred troops from Yanbei City."

"Deploying troops?"

Xiao Jianyang raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, three thousand people."

Lin Qingxue said:

"It's already on its way and is expected to arrive in two days."

"With these three thousand men, Yelü Deguang's forces will reach eleven thousand."

Xiao Jianyang was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly asked:

How many troops remain to defend Yanbei City?

Lin Qingxue was stunned for a moment, then realized:

"Does Your Excellency mean... that there are only a thousand people left in Yanbei City?"

"That's right."

Xiao Jianyang's eyes lit up slightly.

He walked to the table on the city tower, spread out a simple map, and pointed to the location of Yanbei City.

"Yanbei City is a transit point on the grain route of the Northern Barbarians."

"The grain that was seized at Black Wind Pass was transported from Yanbei City."

"If... we can take Yanbei City while it's undefended."

Lin Qingxue's pupils contracted.

"Sir, are you serious?"

Xiao Jianyang nodded earnestly, his eyes burning with intensity, and said:

"They're definitely gambling, so let's gamble too!!"

"If he wants to take Dongshuang County in a short time, then we will take Yanbei City in a short time."

Lin Qingxue took a deep breath:

"My lord, we only have a little over four thousand soldiers left in the city. If we send more men away, it will be even more difficult to defend the city."

"No need to smoke more."

Xiao Jianyang said:

"I'll bring three capitals, six hundred men, that'll be enough."

"All three??"

Lin Qingxue's expression changed:

"My lord, aren't six hundred men too few to attack the city?"

"A direct, forceful attack is certainly not enough."

Xiao Jianyang's lips curled up slightly:

"But if it's a surprise attack, six hundred men are enough."

He pointed to Yanbei City on the map:

"Yanbei City only has a thousand garrison troops, and they are all second-line troops. Their combat strength is no match for the elite troops under Yelü Deguang."

"Besides, Yanbei City is in the rear, so the garrison must be lax and never dream that we would launch a surprise attack."

"We have telescopes, which can help us identify the weak points in the city's defenses in advance, and we also have divine punishment, which can blow open the city gates."

"Surprise attack, catch them off guard; six hundred men are enough."

Looking into Xiao Jianyang's calm eyes, Lin Qingxue's worries slowly dissipated.

"Sir, what should we do about the city's defenses?"

"I'm handing command over to you."

Xiao Jianyang looked at her and said seriously:

"You will also be in charge of Princess Wanyan's Jurchen allies."

"You have four thousand men, strong city walls, and ample weapons. Yelü Deguang won't be able to break through in a short time."

"As long as we can hold out, once I lead my army to take Yanbei City, the Northern Di people will be in trouble in their own backyard, and Yelü Deguang will have no choice but to retreat."

Lin Qingxue remained silent for a few moments, still somewhat hesitant:

"Lord Xiao, this is too risky."

Xiao Jianyang:

"You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub, listen to me."

Seeing his insistence, Lin Qingxue gritted her teeth and nodded emphatically:

"Understood! Your subordinate will not fail in your mission!! We will defend Dongshuang County to the death!!"

Xiao Jianyang:

"it is good."

Without further ado, let's get to work.

……

into the night.

East Gate of Dongshuang County.

Outside the East Gate is a river, and the terrain is narrow. The Northern Di people only sent 500 men to launch a feigned attack here, so the defense was relatively weak.

Xiao Jianyang led six hundred elite soldiers from the three capitals and quietly assembled inside the East Gate under the cover of night.

Each soldier was equipped with a pulley crossbow and plenty of bolts, and two Heavenly Punishment bolts hung at his waist.

The grenadiers carried four extra.

In addition, he also brought ten pairs of gliders.

This is something newly made by the blacksmith camp: iron claws with hemp rope attached to the back. When swung up onto the city wall, they can hook onto the crenellations, making climbing much easier than using a ladder.

The weapon used when attacking Zhuoshan Heiyun Village was crudely made and far inferior to what we have now.

Bai Muyi also accompanied him with fifty cavalrymen, responsible for guarding the route and launching rapid raids.

"Set off."

Xiao Jianyang gave the order in a low voice.

Then, the east gate quietly opened a crack, and six hundred people filed out, taking advantage of the cover of night, and crept along the riverside path towards Yanbei City.

The snow was still falling, and the north wind was howling, drowning out the sound of footsteps.

Six hundred people vanished into the night like ghosts.

On the city wall, Lin Qingxue leaned against the crenellations, watching the troops disappear into the wind and snow, her fingers clenching slightly.

"Lord Xiao, you must return safely."

She murmured something under her breath, then turned around and continued to arrange the city's defenses.

At the same time, Yelü Deguang was also frantically mobilizing troops. On this desolate night, the two sides did not clash, which was rare. The battlefield fell into an eerie calm until dawn.

On the city wall of Dongshuang County, soldiers leaned against the crenellations, holding their weapons, taking a quick rest.

Yesterday's battle was extremely fierce.

The city walls were covered with dried bloodstains, and the corpses below the city had not yet been collected. The bodies of the Northern Di people and Xiao family soldiers were mixed together and covered by snow.

Zhao Daniu leaned against the edge of the stack, clutching a dry biscuit in his hand, taking bites here and there.

His back wound reopened, and Chu Yiran re-bandaged it, causing him to grimace in pain.

"Brother Da Niu, do you think Lord Xiao and his group can succeed?"

A new recruit next to him asked in a low voice.

This new recruit was transferred from the labor camp. His name was Shitou, and he was only seventeen years old, with a childish look on his face.

Yesterday's battle was his first time on the battlefield, and he was so scared that he almost wet his pants.

But now, he can stab the Northern Di soldiers with a spear.

"nonsense!"

Zhao Dani swallowed the pancake in his mouth and grinned:

"Who is Lord Xiao? He's a star descended from heaven! He says he can take Yanbei City, and he definitely can!"

Stone nodded, his worry easing somewhat.

But just then, the bugle call sounded again outside the city.

Ugh!

The deep sound of the horn was particularly jarring in the morning snow.

Zhao Daniu's expression changed, he stuffed the flatbread into his mouth in a few bites, and picked up his ring-pommel sword:

"Damn it, here it comes again!!"

On the city wall, the soldiers of the Xiao family army and the Jurchen Tiger tribe all got up and took their positions.

Lin Qingxue stood on the north gate tower, holding a thousand miles in her hand.

—This is what Xiao Jianyang left for her!!

Through the telescope, she saw a large-scale gathering taking place in the Northern Di camp.

This time, the scale is even larger than yesterday's.

"Order! All troops to prepare for battle!!"

Lin Qingxue lowered her binoculars, her voice cold:

"North Gate, West Gate, South Gate, all soldiers to battle positions!"

"Grenadiers count the divine punishment, archers check their crossbow bolts!"

"The labor camp should prepare rolling logs and thunderstones, and light all the pots for boiling the molten gold!"

"Princess Wanyan, take the Jurchen allied forces as reserves. Support whichever city gate is in danger!"

"yes!"

The crowd responded in unison.

Dongshuang County is once again operating at high speed.

The Northern Di army outside the city split into three routes.

The first force, consisting of the remnants of Hutulu and Batel, plus a thousand reinforcements, totaling two thousand men, launched a main attack on the north gate.

The second force, led by Arughtai and Bochir, plus 1,000 reinforcements, totaling 2,000 men, will attack the west gate.

The third force, consisting of 1,500 reinforcements from Tubarga, was tasked with attacking the south gate.

Yelü Deguang personally oversaw operations from the command post outside the North Gate, with two thousand reserve troops by his side.

This time, he's going to crush Dongshuang County!

After everyone was in position.

As the horn sounded, the catapults launched their attack.

This time, thanks to last night's expedited production, the number of catapults doubled, and stone projectiles rained down on the city walls like hail.

Rumble!!

Rumble!!

Stone fragments flew from the city wall, and crenellations collapsed one after another.

The soldiers defending the city hid behind bunkers, their ears ringing from the shockwave.

The bombardment by the catapults continued for half an hour before stopping.

Immediately afterwards, the infantry began their charge.

The Northern Di soldiers, carrying ladders and pushing battering rams, surged toward the city wall with howling shouts.

"Release the arrows!!"

Lin Qingxue gave the order.

On the city wall, crossbowmen emerged from behind cover, firing both pulley crossbows and regular arrows simultaneously.

Arrows rained down, and the Northern Di soldiers charging below the city fell one after another.

But there were too many Northern Di soldiers; as soon as one group fell, another surged in.

Ladders were erected one after another on the city wall, and the Northern Di soldiers climbed up like ants.

The battering ram was pushed to the city gate and began to ram it.

The battle became intense from the very beginning.

On the north gate, Zhao Daniu stood guard behind the crenellations and cut down three Northern Di soldiers who charged forward.

The wound on his back reopened completely, and blood flowed down his spine, but he didn't care at all.

"Stone! To the left!"

He roared.

Stone, wielding his spear, stabbed down a Northern Di soldier who had sneaked up from the side.

But the next second, a stray arrow struck his shoulder, and Stone groaned as the spear slipped from his grasp.

"Stone!"

Zhao Daniu's eyes turned red, and he rushed over and dragged him behind the stack.

"Don't worry about me! Guard the battlements!"

Stone's face turned pale with pain, but he still gritted his teeth, picked up the spear, and stood up again.

The battle on the city wall at the west gate was equally fierce.

The troops of Arughtai and Bochir launched an even fiercer offensive than yesterday.

Lin Qingxue personally guarded the west gate, her knife already chipped and nicked.

The female soldiers around her were all covered in blood, but their eyes remained resolute.

Wanyan Chuyu led the Jurchen allied forces back and forth between the North Gate and the West Gate, rushing to wherever the situation was most critical.

The corpses piled up on the city walls.

The number of surviving soldiers is dwindling.

All the able-bodied men of the labor camp have been deployed to the city walls.

Even some of the older villagers took hoes and carrying poles and stood guard behind the stacking.

Everyone is working desperately.

Because they knew that if the city fell, no one would survive.

……

At the same time, outside Yanbei City.

Xiao Jianyang, leading six hundred elite Xiao family soldiers, had arrived at a grove of trees outside the city and were hiding there.

The soldiers lay prone in the snow, covered with white cloaks, blending into the snow.

Xiao Jianyang lay behind a pine tree, holding a telescope in his hand, observing the city defenses of Yanbei City.

Yanbei City is a prefecture-level city, so its city walls are naturally much higher than those of Dongshuang County.

However, due to years of disrepair and the ravages of war, it has been damaged in many places.

On the city wall, there were not many soldiers guarding the city. Xiao Jianyang counted them and found that there were less than two hundred people on the north gate.

Moreover, these soldiers were either patrolling or warming themselves by the fire, showing very poor vigilance.

This is not surprising.

With Yanbei City in the rear and Yelü Deguang's large army blocking the way in front, the Northern Di soldiers defending the city naturally became lax.

In addition, the elite Northern Di troops have been transferred away, so the defense is even worse.

Xiao Jianyang's gaze swept across the city wall, finally settling on the southwest corner.

There was a crack in the city wall that stretched from the base to halfway up the wall, which looked like it had been neglected for years.

Moreover, that location had the fewest defenders on the city wall.

Bai Muyi then leaned closer and whispered:

"Sir, that crack."

"You should be able to climb up using gliders."

Xiao Jianyang nodded:

"Wait until midnight."

"The latter half of the night is when people are most tired, that's when we take action."

"it is good."

Bai Muyi agreed and immediately went down to relay the order.

Six hundred elite soldiers lay motionless in the snow.

Time passes little by little.

Finally, darkness gradually fell, and with the howling wind of the cold night, the night grew deeper and deeper, and the torches on the city wall gradually dimmed.

It's late at night now.

Most of the Northern Di soldiers guarding the city had retreated into the city towers to avoid the cold, with only a few sentries walking back and forth behind the crenellations.

Xiao Jianyang glanced at the sky and gave the order in a low voice:

"Let's do it."

"yes!"

Bai Muyi immediately accepted the order.

Subsequently, the six hundred men were divided into three teams, which were the forces of three capitals.

The first team, led by Xiao Jianyang himself, consisted of two hundred people and made their way to the crack in the southwest corner.

The second team, led by Bai Muyi, consisted of two hundred men and made their way towards the east gate, preparing to attack the city from the east gate after the Heavenly Punishment detonated.

The third team, led by Defang, consisted of two hundred grenadiers and was responsible for using the Heavenly Punishment technique to blast open the south gate and attract the attention of the defending troops.

Under the cover of night and sleep, the three teams moved slowly and cautiously toward Yanbei City, like six hundred cheetahs stealthily hunting their prey!

…………