He turned and ordered, "Send word: the entire army will rest for a day. Tomorrow, we will launch a full-scale attack on Feihu Ridge!"
"Father, Tian Qing is cunning and treacherous; a direct attack might be..."
"Then let him see the true strength of the steppe warriors." Wuzhu sneered. "I want to see how long his eight thousand defenders can hold off my thirty thousand iron cavalry!"
The next day, at dawn.
The war drums sounded, and the bugles blared.
The Northern Di army began its attack.
This time, Wuzhu changed his tactics.
Instead of sending his entire army forward, he divided his forces into ten teams of three thousand men each, and they attacked in shifts.
If one team suffers a setback, they immediately retreat and another team takes their place.
This process was repeated, giving the defending troops no chance to catch their breath.
The four villages of Feihu Ridge are under unprecedented pressure.
Arrows rained down, and logs and rocks kept falling, but the Northern Di soldiers were fearless and charged forward, holding up their cowhide shields and braving the arrow rain.
The two sides engaged in a fierce battle on the mountain road, and every inch of the land was soaked in blood.
The battle lasted from dawn until dusk.
Tian Qing stood on the stockade wall, watching the enemy troops surge in like a tide, his brows furrowed.
The defenders have suffered over two thousand casualties and have used up more than half of their arrows. At this rate, they can only hold out for three more days at most.
"General, a letter from Military Governor Han has arrived!" Li Mao rushed over.
Tian Qing opened the letter and his eyes lit up with joy: "Brother Han has already captured the three outer counties of Youzhou and will soon be at the gates of Youzhou!"
He handed the letter to his generals: "Tell the brothers that Youzhou is about to fall, and Wuzhu's flank will be threatened! Hold on for three more days, and victory will be ours!"
The news greatly boosted the morale of the defending troops.
But Tian Qing knew in his heart that three days... was too difficult.
As night fell, he summoned his generals: "We can't continue to defend like this. Tonight, I will personally lead the army to raid the camp."
The generals were greatly alarmed: "General, you mustn't! You are the commander-in-chief; if anything happens to you..."
"It is precisely because I am the head coach that I must go."
Tian Qing said in a deep voice, "Wuzhu thought our army could only defend to the death, and would never have imagined that I would take the initiative to attack. Tonight, the wind and snow are heavy, which is a good time to raid the camp."
He looked at Li Mao: "General Li, I'll give you two thousand men to guard the four stockades."
"How many men will the Commander-in-Chief take to raid the camp?"
"Eight hundred!"
Tian Qing said calmly, "Having too many people would only make us more vulnerable. Eight hundred elite troops are enough to turn the world upside down."
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