As usual, Xiong Yong first wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
Seeing that several important ministers were present, and that Jin Fengluan already looked impatient, he carefully considered his words before speaking in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty, the enemy has breached Yangma Wall, and our soldiers are currently engaged in fierce fighting against them."
As soon as he finished speaking, the ministers exchanged glances, and a look of panic appeared on their faces.
Previous battle reports said that the rebels launched their attack on the city at Shen Shi (3-5 PM), but now it is only Hai Shi (9-11 PM) and four quarters past, only three and a half hours have passed, and they have already entered Yangma City. Isn't that a bit too fast?
Jin Fengluan, seated on the dragon throne, raised an eyebrow, naturally noticing the problem, and said in a deep voice:
"The sheep and horse wall should be released, otherwise we will not be able to lure the enemy in. But I am not saying that we should release the sheep and horse wall tonight."
"What's going on? Have those guards on the sheep and horse wall not taken my words to heart?! Hmm?!" Jin Fengluan's eyes narrowed as she glared at Xiong Yong.
Xiong Yong's face turned grim, and he hurriedly said:
"Your Majesty... the sheep and horse wall was not placed there too early, but the rebels attacked it with artillery. The shells were so fierce that it was difficult to resist, so we had no choice but to release the sheep and horse wall."
Upon hearing this, Jin Fengluan couldn't hold back any longer. She rolled her eyes upward and said coldly:
"If you can so easily let go of the sheep and horses with just one sentence like 'unable to resist,' then what's the point of fighting? What will you use to fight?"
"Nanze is one of the top defense facilities in Daqian. Many years ago, when the world was in chaos and heroes rose up everywhere, Nanze relied on its impregnable defenses to make countless enemy armies that wanted to attack retreat!"
"In this way, the future prosperity of the Great Gan Dynasty was laid!"
"Now I have personally devised tactics to deal with the enemy. I have been working hard and neglecting my food and drink for this. I have gone to such lengths, yet the people at the front have so easily let go of the sheep and horse fence. Do they want to make my brilliant strategy go to waste?"
Xiong Yong shook his head and sighed:
"Your Majesty, the soldiers who returned with the battle report said that the ferocity of the enemy's artillery was beyond their expectations; their artillery never stopped firing from beginning to end."
"It's not that the soldiers at the front aren't giving their all, but they're simply unable to hold out. If this continues, who knows how many more will die."
As soon as she finished speaking, Jin Fengluan's expression changed, and her eyes shot towards Xiong Yong like knives. Xiong Yong hurriedly lowered his head, ready to be scolded.
Unexpectedly, Jin Fengluan said coldly:
"You are the Minister of War, yet you are still making excuses for their cowardice at this moment."
"Those on the front lines only need to follow orders, devote themselves to the battlefield, do their best to hold off the enemy, defend the sheep and horse wall, and fight hard to reduce the rebel forces."
"The provisions and supplies they need, the complete and spare parts of weapons for replacement, and the troops that are ready to be dispatched to reinforce them at any time—these are all matters that I need to make decisions on without overlooking anything. Aren't these mentally and physically demanding matters much more difficult for me than for them?"
"Now that they've abandoned the sheep and horse wall so quickly, it has affected my subsequent tactics. What? Now I can't even say anything?"
Upon hearing this, Xiong Yong felt a chill run down his spine and didn't know how to respond for a moment.
Having been in charge of the Ministry of War for so many years, I have witnessed the previous emperor's actions in commanding the battlefield, and I often discuss military matters with many generals. But what Your Majesty is saying now is truly unheard of.
This is rather... absurd.
But of course he couldn't refute it, so he opened his mouth and said, "Your Majesty is right."
"But now that the Sheep and Horse Wall has been ceded to the rebels, there's nothing we can do about it. Fortunately, we've also withdrawn our troops back to the outer barbican and the main city wall, so at least for now, our casualties aren't too high."
"The rebels entered Yangma City ahead of schedule, and our soldiers are now fighting fiercely. We expect good news to come back soon."
Upon hearing this, Jin Fengluan's expression softened slightly, and she waved her hand, saying:
"Well, since the sheep and horse wall has already been given up, there's nothing more to say."
"We are currently at war, so I will not blame them too much for it."
Upon hearing this, Xiong Yong thought to himself, "That makes sense. If you lose your temper at this time and criticize the soldiers for their poor performance, who would be willing to defend Nanze?"
Jin Fengluan then added, "But since we've conceded the sheep and horse wall, we must now establish results in the battle."
"If the rebels break into Yangma City, they will face our siege. We must rout them there and inflict heavy losses on them!"
"After the rebels suffer heavy casualties in Yangma City, let's see if they retreat. If they do, then we'll take back Yangma Wall."
At this point, Jin Fengluan raised her arm and shouted, "The tactics I devised are equally effective!"
Looking up at Jin Fengluan, whose face was full of excitement, Xiong Yong wiped the sweat from his cheeks and thought to himself that if that were the case, it would be excellent. However, the rebels had already used artillery to clear the way and entered Yangma City first. It seemed that they were not only powerful in battle, but also exceptionally brave.
Given its current state, the city of Yangma must be in a state of chaos and devastation by now.
To defeat the rebels there, the soldiers on the front lines will probably have to fight desperately.
Despite the difficulties, we should remain optimistic for now. Xiong Yong respectfully replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty has devoted much thought and effort to this battle. I believe the soldiers on the front lines will live up to your expectations and will unite as one to do their utmost to keep the enemy at bay!"
Jin Fengluan nodded slightly.
"Good! Then let's wait for the good news!" Jin Fengluan shouted excitedly.
Seeing Xiong Yong still standing on the ground, Jin Fengluan raised an eyebrow and shouted:
"I'm waiting for news of victory, what are you waiting for? Go outside and wait, and report back immediately when the news arrives!"
——
"Damn it! These people are completely fearless, and more and more are getting in. What are we going to do..."
On the outer barbican tower, Jin Teng looked at the simmering battlefield, scratching his forehead incessantly. He was now drenched in sweat and felt extremely uncomfortable.
Because the sheep and horse wall was lost too early, too many enemy soldiers were able to climb up the wall using ladders. Despite our best efforts to attack these people who had scaled the wall, it was still difficult to completely counter them.
What troubled him even more was the rebel army inside the city. With the arrival of those chariots, the enemy brought in heavy firearms. Just moments before, they had even set up some artillery emplacements and started bombarding the city walls.
Although he had ordered all the cannons on the city wall to be aimed at the area below, they still couldn't break through.
The enemy troops had gradually formed camps upstairs and downstairs, and more and more people were still arriving from behind, as if their forces and weapons were inexhaustible.
The endless stream of enemy soldiers reminded Jin Teng of a swarm of ants, but compared to those weak and powerless ants that could be crushed with a single step, the lethality of these enemy soldiers was worlds apart.
"If it doesn't work, let's back down a bit?" This thought suddenly popped into Jin Teng's mind.
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