Horse hooves trampled the parched land of Longyou, raising clouds of yellow dust.
Wu Shangzhi and Guo Luo led 6,000 light cavalry in a frenzied advance towards Liangzhou.
The forced march over several days, coupled with the exhaustion from the Battle of Luoyanpo, had pushed this army to its limit.
The warhorse was foaming at the mouth and nose, its mane soaked with sweat and sticking to its body.
Many soldiers were teetering on the brink of falling, only managing to stay upright thanks to their willpower and the ropes binding them.
Their eyes were sunken, their lips were cracked, and their armor was covered in dust and blackened bloodstains.
"Brother Wu... if we keep running like this, the brothers will collapse before we even reach Liangzhou!"
Guo Luo rode up to Wu Shangzhi's side, his voice hoarse, filled with barely concealed anxiety.
He pointed to several soldiers in the ranks who were nearly thrown from their horses due to exhaustion.
Wu Shangzhi reined in his horse, and the warhorse reared up, letting out a weary neigh.
He looked around at the now haggard appearance of the elite troops who had followed him through thick and thin, and his heart ached, but his gaze remained as firm as iron.
He looked southeast, where wisps of ominous black smoke could be faintly seen above Liangzhou City.
"Brother Guo, how could I not know?"
Wu Shangzhi's voice was low and hoarse, "But Liangzhou is in imminent danger! Lord Zhang, Commandant Liu, and thousands of brothers and tens of thousands of civilians in the city are waiting for us!"
"The longer we arrive, the greater the risk of the city falling! Pass on my order: discard all unnecessary supplies, keeping only weapons, bows and crossbows, and three days' worth of rations!"
"Use all spare horses together, and have those who are still fit take turns riding them with those who are exhausted! Tell them, even if you have to crawl, crawl to the walls of Liangzhou!"
The command was executed swiftly.
Pots, pans, tents, and even some extra armor plates were discarded without hesitation, instantly simplifying the team's equipment.
Although they were still exhausted, a resolute and determined spirit permeated the army.
at the same time.
Liangzhou City has become a blood-soaked hell.
Yang Yi and Li Hu went completely mad. The 30,000 Xijing troops were divided into several waves and, day and night, relentlessly pounded the Liangzhou city walls like ocean waves.
Corpses piled up like mountains beneath the city walls, the moat had long been filled in, and blood had stained the ground at the base of the walls dark red.
Zhang Zan stood on the south city tower, sword in hand, his armor covered in bloodstains and soot.
His voice was hoarse, but he still calmly issued the orders: "Eastern breach, guards push up! Roll logs! Quickly! Smash them down!"
Liu Yi moved about throughout the city walls, and the Shenji Battalion he led became the backbone of the defending army.
The thick crossbow bolts, with a mournful whistle, accurately pierced the siege ladders a hundred meters away; the improved counterweight catapults launched ignited oil canisters and thunderbolts, creating death zones among the Xijing army's attacking forces.
When enemy soldiers manage to scale the city wall, the Shenji Battalion soldiers will use their repeating crossbows to deliver precise kills.
"Lieutenant Liu! The arrows in the Xicheng section are almost used up!" A captain ran over, his face full of anxiety.
Liu Yi wiped the sweat and blood from his face and gritted his teeth, saying:
"Tear it down! Tear down the abandoned houses near the city wall. The beams and bricks are all weapons! Tell the brothers to conserve their arrows and aim carefully before firing!"
Below the city, Urgan, the deputy commander of the Qiang and Rong tribes who stayed behind to assist Liangzhou in defending the city, once again led his cavalry out from the side gate.
They swept past like a whirlwind, using lassos to pull down ladders, slashing lone enemy soldiers with scimitars, and throwing burning torches into the Xijing army's camp.
Every attack was like dancing on a knife's edge. Although it could temporarily relieve the pressure, it also caused heavy losses. Five hundred riders would go out, but less than three hundred would return.
"Lieutenant Liu, at this rate, we can only hold out for three more days at most. Will the Grand Commander send reinforcements?"
Zhang Zan found Liu Yi, his tone heavy.
Liu Yi gazed at the seemingly endless Xijing military camps outside the city, paused for a moment, and then said decisively:
"I believe the Grand Commander will not abandon us! Lord Zhang, please tell all the soldiers that reinforcements will surely arrive!"
"As soldiers, we have a duty to defend our land. We live as long as the city stands, and we die when the city falls!"
Seeing Liu Yi's determined gaze and resolute fighting spirit, Zhang Zan was immediately inspired and summoned his guards to issue orders in all directions.
The arrival of reinforcements, carrying an undeniable force, resonated with the exhausted defenders, invigorating their spirits and making their resistance even more tenacious.
......
At dusk on the second day, Wu Shangzhi and Guo Luo's six thousand cavalrymen, exhausted, finally arrived at a secluded valley thirty miles west of Liangzhou City.
The scouts sent out brought back news: "Generals, the Xijing army is attacking the city with great urgency!"
"The main force is concentrated on the east and south sides. The northern side is more loosely surrounded, while the western side is the weakest due to its proximity to the mountains, consisting mainly of logistics camps and a small number of guard troops."
A glint flashed in Wu Shangzhi's eyes: "Good! The opportunity has come! Brother Guo, you take two thousand men, bring plenty of flammable materials, and attack the western logistics camp of the Xijing army, burn their supplies, and create chaos!"
"Chief of Namtso, lead your Qiang and Rong warriors in a feint to the north to draw attention away from the area!"
"I will personally lead the remaining three thousand cavalry, and when the fire breaks out in the west and the enemy is thrown into chaos, I will attack their siege force from the southwest corner!"
"clear!"
As night fell, the sounds of fighting on the walls of Liangzhou City continued unabated.
Yang Yi and Li Hu were determined to win, and even lit torches in preparation for a night battle.
Suddenly, a raging fire broke out behind the Xijing Army camp to the west!
The firelight illuminated half the sky, and the sounds of shouts and neighing horses could be heard from afar!
"What happened?"
Yang Yi, who was overseeing the battle, was both shocked and furious.
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