Chapter 257 Deployment

When the sky began to brighten, the first ray of sunlight was still lingering behind the clouds, unable to completely penetrate the thick clouds to illuminate the earth. General Zhuge could not wait to organize a formal attack.

Under his command, 20,000 elite soldiers from Xilin launched a fierce attack on the walls of Huainan City like a surging tide. The soldiers of Xilin seemed to be driven by a crazy obsession, completely disregarding life and death, and under the cover of siege vehicles, they rushed to the city wall. They used human lives to pile up ladders for climbing, and climbed up wave after wave. The scene was extremely tragic.

After a night of hard fighting in Huainan City, the supplies were almost exhausted. This fierce battle lasted for two hours, and it was not until noon that General Zhuge called off the troops.

At this time, both sides paid a heavy price. The battlefield was in a mess, corpses were everywhere, and blood dyed the land dark red. During the short rest period, General Xiao Ning came to Su Qingwan with a serious look and brought a desperate news: "Princess, our supplies are running out. Bows and arrows can only support one more wave of enemy attacks at most, and there is not much kerosene left. Judging from General Zhuge's posture, the next wave of attacks will be more fierce, and we are afraid that we will find it difficult to resist. The Xilin Army attacked the city at all costs, and we suffered heavy losses. If we continue to defend like this, we will definitely not be able to defend the city. The troops from Zhongzhou and the southwest will not be able to arrive in a short time, and it is not certain whether they can come to support. If we continue to defend like this, I am afraid we will die with the city."

General Xiao Ning hesitated for a moment, then said, "Princess, how about...let the people retreat to the rear!" He knew in his heart that if the city could not be defended, at least letting the people be spared from the ravages of war might still leave them a glimmer of hope.

After hearing this, Su Qingwan fell into deep silence.

Once the order to evacuate the people was given, it would be equivalent to announcing that Huainan City could not be defended, and the army's morale would inevitably be weakened. But if they did not evacuate the people and continued to defend Huainan City, they would have no chance of winning given the current situation. At this extremely tangled moment, Zhang San suddenly said, "I have a plan!"

His voice was firm and powerful, "Although this plan is risky, the chances of success are very high!" Upon hearing this, Su Qingwan and General Xiao Ning turned their eyes to him at the same time.

"Tell me about it!" Su Qingwan said anxiously.

Zhang San took a deep breath and said slowly, "Nearly half of the bandits in the Eighteen Mountains of Huainan are now living in nearby towns. The princess has done us a favor, and we will never forget this favor. This battle lasted for a day and a night, and the brothers saw it all, and they must be as anxious as ants on a hot pot. Now the Xilin Army is stationed outside the city, cutting off our contact with the bandit brothers. But if we can contact them, we will have an additional force."

"Brother, after all, you are just bandits. On the opposite side are the border troops of Xilin, all of whom are brave and good at fighting. If you go there with just your bandit brothers, you will die in vain!" In this tense wartime, General Xiao Ning lost his usual good temper and retorted directly.

Zhang San was not angry, and continued, "Who said we have to fight them head-on? Princess, we can burn their food!" A shrewd look flashed in his eyes, "The Xilin border army wants to fight a blitzkrieg. General Zhuge is very arrogant and threatened to take Huainan within an hour. Now they have been fighting for a day and a night, and they also know that Huainan is a tough nut to crack. They are being dragged in Huainan City, and they will definitely have to transport supplies later. Our military supplies are in urgent need, and so are theirs. We can take a risky move and cut off their retreat, so that they will be in chaos without fighting!"

Su Qingwan's eyes lit up, and she thought this plan was brilliant. She asked, "This is a good idea, but do you have a way to contact them?"

"Yes!" Zhang San was covered in blood. Unlike Su Qingwan, he was wearing a light armor. He was only wearing ordinary cloth and his body was covered with knife wounds. Although the wounds were not deep, he looked very embarrassed. But his eyes were unusually bright in the sun, revealing a determined light. "We bandits often rob caravans and have come to Huainan City many times. We have our own unique way of communicating. Whether it is killing people, robbing goods, or escaping, we have clear action instructions and pass messages through specific methods."

Su Qingwan instantly understood what he meant and began to think about the feasibility of this plan. If it was to be implemented, a team of soldiers would have to be sent out of the city.

Zhang San seemed to see through her thoughts and immediately asked, "Princess, I'll go!" Zhang Huaining also said eagerly, "Princess, I can go with my brother."

General Xiao Ning looked at them, wanting to say something but stopping himself. He was worried that his elder brother-in-law and his wife would risk leaving the city, but he also knew that someone really needed to step forward at this time.

Su Qingwan decisively shook her head and refused: "There are dangers everywhere outside the city. Xilin has tens of thousands of soldiers stationed there. If you go to the rear to cut off the food and grass, it's a life-or-death mission. It's too dangerous!"

"Princess, we, the bandits of the Eighteen Mountains of Huainan, have committed numerous crimes against Huainan City in the past. Now is the time for us to atone for our sins. If we lose this battle, none of the women, children, and the elderly in the city will be able to escape. When the nest is overturned, the eggs will be broken." Zhang San looked very determined. "Let us go. There are no cowards among the bandits of the Eighteen Mountains of Huainan. We are not afraid of death!"

Su Qingwan looked back at the wounded soldiers behind her, her heart filled with bitterness.

This army was formed too hastily, and there was no time for systematic training. She originally thought that she had ten years to slowly plan and expand her strength, but who could have thought that the war would come so quickly and without any signs.

Now the military supplies are in urgent need, and even holding out for a day has become a luxury. In the next wave of attacks, General Zhuge will soon be able to detect their shortage of supplies. By then, the attack will be even more fierce, and Huainan City may no longer be able to hold on. At this moment, they can only take a risk and try to seek a glimmer of hope.

"Okay!" Su Qingwan made a prompt decision. She could not afford any more hesitation at this moment. She turned to face the soldiers and shouted loudly: "Soldiers! Zhang San is about to lead a team of soldiers out of the city to burn the food and grass of the Xilin army. Huainan City is now in danger. It is a critical moment for life and death. We have to hold on for at least one more day and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Who is willing to follow Zhang San out of the city?"

Su Qingwan's voice echoed in front of the bloody city gate, carrying endless sorrow. She knew in her heart that this decision meant that the soldiers who left the city would most likely never return.

After a short silence, a dozen bandits stood up without hesitation. "Boss, we are willing to go! Let's go to the damn Xilin Army and fight them!" "Fight! If we just stay here, we will die. Let's go out and kill the enemy. Maybe we can fight our way out!"

Then, hundreds of bandits came forward one after another. General Xiao Ning's light cavalry was the main force defending the city, and two teams of archers also stood up and expressed their willingness to follow Zhang San out of the city.