——
Outside the barbican.
Qin Ze and Xu Huang led the remaining troops at high speed, their warhorses dragging their armor and crushing the ground. The soldiers in front were clearing away the corpses and removing roadblocks.
Upon arriving here, Qin Ze looked up and gazed at the tower at the very top of Anyang County in the distance.
There, he could see Lian Xiaoru standing against the wind, his cloak hanging down. Although he couldn't see his expression clearly from this distance, Qin Ze was sure he couldn't sit still any longer!
More than an hour had passed since the attack on Anyang County began. The sun was rising higher and higher, the wind was blowing more and more fiercely, and the dark clouds in the sky were being blown away, revealing some sunlight.
Hearing the sounds of fighting coming from inside the barbican, Qin Ze's face darkened, and he instructed Xu Huang beside him:
"The barbican will be breached soon; send those war equipment over there!"
“Outside the barbican is the moat. If the defenders of the barbican dare not fight any longer, they will definitely cross the river back to the city, and at that time they will surely put away the drawbridge.”
"If we want to cross the river, we must quickly build the moat bridge over it!"
"Yes, my lord!" Xu Huang bowed and clasped his hands in greeting. He immediately ordered the soldiers to quicken their pace and urge their warhorses to drag the trench bridges forward!
Meanwhile, the battle inside the barbican was drawing to a close.
After Lian Zhen was killed, the remaining troops were no match for the Beiwei Army and the Trapped Camp that followed. Even though they had the advantage of terrain and were familiar with the city's layout, they were still easily defeated in the face of such overwhelming strength!
The tactical coordination of the Beiwei Army made it impossible for these defending soldiers to fight them!
As the battle progressed, more and more people entered the barbican, and they were utterly routed. At this point, any further fighting would result in the complete annihilation of the entire army!
Therefore, the deputy general inside the barbican made a decisive decision to abandon it!
At this moment, the only way to escape back to the outer city and use the towering city walls is to stop the enemy's fierce offensive!
"Retreat! Back to the city!"
In an alley, after the brigade commander gave the order to retreat, a bronze gong was struck.
Without hesitation, the soldiers guarding the city hurriedly fled towards the exit.
If the fighting continues in this fortified city, no one will escape death. At this moment, everyone wishes they had two more legs.
Inside the barbican, Zhang Liao was leading a group of Beiwei soldiers in pursuit of a group of troops when he heard the sound of a bronze gong. He immediately shouted, "Quick! Chase after them!"
"Don't let them get away like this!"
At the command, the Beiwei Army became even more valiant, striding forward and firing their crossbow bolts at the fleeing soldiers ahead.
"Rustle, rustle, rustle"
In an instant, countless crossbow bolts flew through the barbican, and countless more corpses appeared in the passageway. Blood stained the entire ground, and the air was filled with the thick stench of blood.
The entire barbican was now almost entirely stained red with blood.
By this time, the battle taking place inside the barbican had been going on for more than an hour!
At the end of the barbican closest to the moat, wave after wave of fleeing soldiers are pouring out, their faces filled with panic. They are terrified of being slaughtered by the Beiwei Army inside the barbican!
As soon as they left the barbican, they started shouting:
"The city of Weng has fallen!"
"We can't stop them!"
With shouts, more and more soldiers fled from the city, rushing towards the drawbridge over the moat!
Inside the city, Zhang Liao led the Beiwei Army and Gao Shun led the Trapped Camp, each rushing forward from two different routes, wiping out the remaining troops inside the barbican!
Near the watchtower, at the entrance of the barbican, Xu Huang had already begun to enter the city with his battle gear!
——
Inner city, in the tower.
Lian Xiaoru was no longer the same as before. At this moment, his face was ashen, and his cheeks and the hands that were tightly gripping the railing were covered with sweat.
A cold wind blew past him, making his cloak rustle, and he gasped for breath.
The usually calm heart inside his chest was now beating faster and faster, almost as if it were about to burst out of his chest.
The moment he heard the bronze gong ring out, even Xiaoru's heart seemed to stop for a moment!
No one understood the significance of this bronze zither better than him.
This means that the barbican has fallen and our troops have been defeated by the enemy!
Logically speaking, they would never strike the bronze gong unless absolutely necessary, and once they did, it would mean that they had suffered a crushing defeat inside the barbican!
Inside the barbican, his own son, Lian Zhen, was also inside!
Lian Xiaoru stared wide-eyed at the fleeing soldiers escaping from the barbican, hoping to spot him among them.
But at this distance, he could hardly see anything clearly; all he could see was a group of panicked, fleeing soldiers.
They escaped in a very sorry state!
"Oh no! General, the barbican has also fallen! What are we going to do?" The adjutant beside him was pale-faced and covered in sweat.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a person came running towards him.
It was none other than Li Hai!
It turned out that Li Hai saw that the garrison in the barbican was withdrawing, so he hurriedly rode his horse to the inner city.
Glancing at his father-in-law's ashen face, Li Hai gritted his teeth and said, "General! The barbican has fallen! The outer city is probably..."
Before he could finish speaking, Lian Xiaoru turned around and angrily rebuked him:
"What are you doing here! Get back! Get back to the outer city! Go and oversee the army!"
Li Hai's heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly said, "The enemy's advance is fierce, and I'm afraid the outer city will not be able to withstand it."
Lian Xiaoru rushed up to Li Hai, grabbed him by the collar, and shouted angrily:
"We can stop them!"
"Even Lian Zhen has gone to Wengcheng! Are you going back to the inner city? You good-for-nothing!"
"Get back to the outside! Hold the outer city at all costs!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lian Xiaoru suddenly shoved Li Hai, who stumbled and almost fell to the ground.
He opened his mouth, but seeing Lian Xiaoru's angry expression, he swallowed his words.
"Sigh!" With a sigh, Li Hai turned and quickly went downstairs, heading towards the inner city...
At this moment, as more and more defeated soldiers crossed the drawbridge, fewer and fewer soldiers emerged from the barbican, until finally, only endless screams remained.
The sound reached the front, and everyone's heart tightened.
The fact that we can hear screams here means that the enemy is fast approaching!
This means they need to cross the suspension bridge quickly!
Just then, the garrison in the outer city shouted, "Hurry! Hurry! The drawbridge is about to be raised!"
Upon hearing this, the group of soldiers who had just left the barbican panicked. They didn't even bother to grab their weapons, hurriedly threw them down, and ran at full speed toward the drawbridge!
"Rustling!"
Several sharp arrows shot out from the barbican gate behind them, and the soldiers were instantly killed!
It's the Beiwei Army; they've caught up with us!
The moment the Beiwei Army appeared, a desperate shout echoed across the battlefield.
"Retract the suspension bridge! Don't let them cross the river!!!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
