Wei Yongye
"Light sail!"
Su Qingfan took off his frost-covered hood and said with a smile, "Fortunately, I have fulfilled my mission. The fleet and the necessary supplies have all arrived at a secluded location downstream."
"Okay, thank you for your hard work, Su Qing!" Ning Lingyi stepped forward to greet him.
Su Qingfan's arrival made the heaviness of the past few days a little lighter.
"You've arrived just in time! Qinghe City is fortified, and Helian Bo's arrogant attack is hopeless. I'm racking my brains for a solution. Does Su Qing suggest there might be a solution?"
Su Qingfan's eyes were fixed on the map. "Your Highness, the Western Qiang are jackals on horseback. They may be brave enough to capture cities, but defending them is not their forte."
"Your Highness may not know that all the towns along the canal have water gates, which are used for ship transportation. Even though Helian Bo is brave, he must have neglected the defense of the water gates and neglected them."
Ning Lingyi's eyes suddenly lit up. "That's right! They suddenly swallowed up the two towns of Zhenzhou and Weizhou. Their appetite is too big, and their forces must be dispersed. In Qinghe City, his elite troops are only 3,000, and the rest are just small fry. This is one of them."
"Secondly, they've been burning, killing, looting, and committing all sorts of atrocities in Qinghe City these past two months, treating our Southern Dynasty soldiers and civilians like pigs and dogs. They're incredibly complacent and arrogant, and we can take advantage of their opportunity to sneak in!"
"Your Highness is wise." Su Qingfan nodded and pointed his finger at a small watergate mark on the map.
"The key to this plan lies in this water gate."
"I've brought dozens of light, swift boats, hundreds of skilled sailors, and a fleet of thunder bombs. On this cold, snowy night, I'll personally lead the boatmen and charge the boats beneath the water gate to blast it open!"
"Blow up the water gate!" Ning Lingyi had an idea.
"Once the water gate is broken, Su Qing can lead the brave soldiers and sneak into the city during the chaos!"
"That's right," Su Qingfan said, speaking faster. "After entering the city, our first priority is to seize a city gate with lightning speed! As long as a gate is open, His Highness can lead the cavalry outside the city straight in!"
Ning Lingyi's eyes flashed, as if she had already seen the city gate open: "Great! Once the city gate is open, the cavalry will enter the city."
She added, "At that time, the various forces entering the city will form multiple routes, holding high banners and charging forward, shouting in unison in both Western Qiang and Southern Dynasty Mandarin: The imperial army has arrived! Qinghe has been breached! Helian Bo surrenders!"
Su Qingfan's eyes lit up. "Your Highness, that's a good idea. This time, they're bluffing and setting up a bewildering array. The Western Qiang army is suddenly attacked, and now they hear that their commander is dead, so their morale will surely be in turmoil!"
"Furthermore, their cavalry's strength lies in galloping across the plains. Once trapped in this city with its crisscrossing streets and alleys, it would be like a tiger trapped in a cage, with only 70% to 80% of its fighting power reduced. From what I've seen of Helian Bo, I've seen that he's more ruthless than resilient. Furthermore, his troops have already plundered the city to their heart's content, their pockets filled with gold and silver. They must be afraid of death and will absolutely not want to lose all their elite troops here. They will definitely abandon the city and flee!"
Ning Lingyi continued, "This plan is closely linked. The key to success or failure lies first in whether the water gate can be blown open, second in how swiftly we enter the city and seize the gate, and third in momentum. Can we frighten Helian Bo into believing that a large imperial army is truly approaching, causing him to regret his limited resources and fear a desperate battle?"
She looked at Su Qingfan with burning eyes: "Su Qing, the Water Gate and the Duomen are entrusted to you."
"Leave the rest to me."
Su Qingfan bowed deeply and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. Qingfan will live up to your trust."
"However, the success of this plan depends on your majesty's authority. Your majesty must use yourself as a banner to ignite the might of the imperial army and crush the Western Qiang bandits to the point of panic and flight. If we are not careful, we will lose everything..."
Ning Lingyi drew the sword from her waist. The sword's edge reflected her clear and resolute eyebrows. Her fingertips brushed across the eight dried-up oaths on the sword's spine - restore my mountains and rivers, and bring peace to my people.
She seemed to remember the old woman.
She also remembered that the people of Mingzhou gave her everything they had and entrusted three thousand young men to her to follow her north.
After a long pause, she said, "If I cannot use my blood to intimidate the enemy and protect the people of this city from danger, how can I, Ning Lingyi, live up to the trust of the people of Mingzhou? How can I keep this oath on the sword? How can I stand between heaven and earth?"
The cold wind outside the tent seemed to stagnate.
*
A few days later, on a cold night without stars or moon, the icy river water flowed silently in the darkness, reflecting no light at all.
Dozens of slender speedboats slid out of the reed marshes downstream. Their hulls were deep in the water, their cabins filled with grenades tightly wrapped in oilcloth. Each boat carried three or five boatmen and a group of death-defying soldiers.
Su Qingfan was wearing a tight black robe and a dark cloak. He stood at the bow of the leading ship, his eyes piercing through the wind and snow, looking at the outline of Qinghe City.
The fleet followed the shadow of the river bank, going against the weak current, and moved extremely slowly towards the water gate in the city. The oars entered the water silently, and only the "crackling" sound was made when the hull broke through the tiny ice, which was swallowed up by the wind.
On the leeward side of the high slope of the river bank, Ning Lingyi, wearing black armor, stood with his sword in hand.
Three thousand soldiers of the Mingzhu Guard, with their horses and men holding their tongues, were lurking quietly. A thin layer of frost had already condensed on their armor. Wang Mengzi, Wang Dayong and others stood on the left and right, also staring at the pitch-black river and the silent city in the distance.
Time was infinitely stretched in the biting cold and extreme tension.
A quarter of an hour, two quarters of an hour...
Half an hour passed.
The river was still dead silent, and there was no movement from the direction of the city.
"Your Highness..." Wang Dayong couldn't help but whisper, "Will Mrs. Su..."
He didn't dare to say the following words.
It is extremely dangerous under the Water Gate. Any mistake will result in death.
Ning Lingyi didn't answer, only pressing her fingers on the hilt of the sword, her knuckles turning white from excessive force. Her gaze pierced the wind and snow. "Qingfan, you must succeed!"
Just when the anxiety was almost driving people crazy.
“Boom!”
A loud noise that seemed to erupt from the depths of the earth shattered everyone's ears!
Then came the second and third tones!
Even from a long distance, Ning Lingyi could clearly feel the ground shaking beneath her feet. Dazzling flames instantly shot up, illuminating the sky in that area with a bright red glow and thick smoke billowing.
"It's done!"
The entire silent city seemed to be awakened. Under the light of the fire, figures on the city wall began to run around in panic. Panic shouts and the chaotic sound of weapons clashing spread rapidly from the direction of the water gate like boiling water.
"Get ready!" Ning Lingyi ordered.
Three thousand pairs of eyes instantly ignited with flames, hands tightly gripped the reins, and spears were quietly raised, aimed at the dark city.
After the explosion, there was chaos, but the expected scene of the city gate opening did not appear.
The sounds of fighting and shouting in the city became louder and louder, and fires were burning in more and more places. It was obvious that Su Qingfan and his men had sneaked in and were creating chaos everywhere in the city.
But the city gate in the direction of their ambush was still closed.
Time passed by minute by minute, and every breath was like being tortured in boiling oil.
The chaos within the city seemed to be intensifying, but there was still no movement at the city gate. Could it be that their attempt to seize the gate was blocked? Su Qingfan and the others...
Ning Lingyi's heart sank little by little, and just when she was worried.
"Your Highness! Look!" Wang Dayong suddenly pointed in the direction of the city gate.
I saw the city gate suddenly opened a crack inwards! Then, the crack grew larger and larger until it was completely open.
"Pearl Guards, follow me!"
Ning Lingyi no longer hesitated. She drew her sword and squeezed the horse's belly hard. The majestic horse shot out first like an arrow.
The Mingzhu Guards behind her followed her with their eyes, and they were not mistaken when they saw that she was the first to bear the brunt of the attack. Everyone was on edge, and after thinking for a long time, they just silently said in their hearts that they would never bring shame to the Mingzhu Guards.
Now, we can only fight to the death.
"kill!!!"
Three thousand cavalrymen rushed towards the open door like a black torrent bursting through a dam, with unstoppable momentum! Ning Lingyi was the first to rush into the deep doorway, and the strong smell of blood and gunpowder hit her face.
"Stop them! Close the city gate! Close the city gate quickly!" the leader of the Western Qiang garrison shouted.
In the soldier caves and on the city walls on both sides of the gate, hundreds of Western Qiang soldiers, holding spears and scimitars, rushed towards Ning Lingyi who was in the front, and at the same time desperately pushed the heavy city gate, trying to close it again.
"Anyone who stands in my way will die!"
Ning Lingyi showed no fear at all. He was able to shoot tigers in the past, so why would he be afraid of the enemy today?
Over the years, he has never slacked off, and his riding and archery skills are unmatched.
She pulled the reins with her left hand, and the steed reared up, fiercely kicking a charging Qiang soldier away with its bowl-sized iron hoof! At the same time, she used the long sword in her right hand, taking advantage of the horse's forward momentum, to sweep across the enemy with an incredibly fierce blow!
“Puff!”
The sword tip accurately cut across the throat of the spear-wielding Qiang soldier. Without stopping, she chopped down with the sword, and chopped down another Qiang soldier who was trying to cut off the horse's leg, sending him flying with his sword!
Seeing this, the Mingzhou guards behind him became even more excited and no longer afraid of death. The training they had gained in the past two years was even more impressive on this battlefield.
"Protect His Highness! Seize the gate!" Wang Mengzi, who followed closely behind, roared and rushed forward. The subsequent cavalry poured in like a tide and firmly occupied the city gate area.
"Raise the flags in all directions! Shout!"
Ning Lingyi wiped the warm blood that splashed on her face and gave the order.
"The imperial army has arrived! Qinghe has been breached! Helian Bo surrenders! Those who surrender will not be killed!"
"The Southern Dynasty's royal army descends from the sky! Slay the Western Qiang bandits! Recover our homeland!"
"Helian Bo is dead! Why don't you surrender quickly?"
In an instant, the Mingzhu Guard soldiers who poured into the city were quickly divided into more than a dozen teams according to the pre-deployment, and went into the depths of the chaotic city along different streets and alleys.
Large flags were held high in the firelight, fluttering in the wind.
The deafening shouts, repeated in the Southern Dynasty Mandarin and Western Qiang languages, could be heard in every corner of the city.
"The imperial army?!"
"General Helianbo is dead?!"
"Impossible! Just now..."
"Look! That flag! What kind of flag is that?!"
"So many people! They're everywhere! Why are they so fierce?!"
The Western Qiang soldiers were startled by the sudden shouting and screaming, wondering if the Southern Dynasty army had really entered the gate?
Fear quickly grew in the hearts of every Western Qiang soldier.
They had just enjoyed two months of burning, killing, and looting, their arms filled with gold, silver, and jewelry, their waist bags stuffed with the hairpins and rings of Southern Dynasty women, and they were most reluctant to die! Who would want to throw their lives away in such a hellish place?
According to the rules of Xiqiang, when a person dies, all his property and women will belong to someone else!
When killing people and robbing things, I am naturally not afraid of death, but now that I have everything, I absolutely cannot die.
"Boss, why don't we withdraw first?" Some soldiers began to waver.
"Right! These southerners are the most cunning. Let's fight them outside the city!"
Panic spread like a plague, and many Western Qiang soldiers began to lose interest in fighting. While resisting the elite Southern Dynasty troops who appeared out of nowhere, they subconsciously retreated towards other city gates.
At the same time, Su Qingfan and her special forces appeared in various places in the city, ignited the small thunder bombs they carried, and threw them at the barracks, stables and warehouses where the Western Qiang soldiers gathered.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Continuous explosions broke out all over the city!
Flames shot up into the sky, houses collapsed, and frightened war horses neighed and broke free from their reins, rushing and trampling wildly in the chaotic streets!
"The horse is startled!"
"Fire! Put out the fire!"
Explosions, startled horses, raging fire, the cries of enemies on all sides, rumors of the commander's death...
All the chaos accumulated together finally completely broke down the psychological defenses of the Western Qiang Army.
In the Governor's Mansion, Helian Bo was furious at the successive bad news. He had just dressed in his armor and rushed out of the mansion with a heavy mace in hand.
"General! It's bad! The Southern Dynasty's troops are everywhere! They are carrying black flags and shouting "Pearl!" Brothers want to leave!"
"The Water Gate was blown open! The East Gate was captured! Large numbers of enemy troops were also discovered at the West and South Gates!"
"They shouted that you had..."
"Bullshit!" Helian Bo knocked the personal soldier who reported the news away with a stick. With a face full of flesh, he rushed to the high platform outside the mansion gate. Looking around, the entire Qinghe City was plunged into chaos and fire.
What frightened him even more was that the voice shouting "Helian Bo is dead" in the Western Qiang language completely disrupted the morale of the army.
He saw with his own eyes a cavalry squad flying the "Pearl" flag. The squadron had no more than a hundred men, but they rushed into pieces a group of Western Qiang soldiers who were trying to organize a resistance like mad tigers. Wherever they passed, people and horses fell to the ground!
That ferocity and momentum definitely don't belong to the defeated soldiers of the Southern Dynasty!
"When did the Southern Dynasty have such an army?" Helian Bo wondered.
He was sent to guard the lucrative Qinghe River this time. The 3,000 soldiers under his command were the foundation of his survival. If he lost all his capital for this city...
Then when he returns to the royal court, Helian Bo will be worthless!
"General! The brothers have suffered heavy casualties! Everything is in chaos, and the brothers are running out with their belongings!"
The deputy general ran over in a panic, his helmet askew.
A fierce light flashed in Helian Bo's eyes, and he made a decision in an instant.
He raised his mace and roared, "Blow the horn! Gather the troops! Withdraw from the north gate! Quick!"
Woo-woo-woo.
The retreat horn of the Western Qiang penetrated the chaotic battlefield and echoed over Qinghe City.
"Retreat! The general has ordered a retreat!"
"Hurry up! Grab your stuff! Go through the north gate!"
The Western Qiang soldiers, who had long lost the will to fight, no longer cared about resistance when they heard the horn. They abandoned their opponents and even the heavy looted property and rushed towards the north gate.
Ning Lingyi was leading her troops charging down a main street, trying to advance towards the city center, when she suddenly heard the Western Qiang horn signaling retreat. Seeing the Qiang soldiers retreating like a tide, her tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed, and then she felt pain.
"Your Highness! The Western Qiang bandits have retreated! They've abandoned the city!"
Wang Mengzi, covered in blood, rushed to Ning Lingyi's horse excitedly.
Ning Lingyi reined in his horse and looked around.
The firelight illuminated the ruined streets, collapsed houses, and corpses everywhere. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, smoke, and burning.
Did we win? Did we take back Qinghe?
A sense of unreality came over her.
She subconsciously tried to raise her sword-holding hand, but found her right arm was as heavy as if filled with lead.
Looking down, he saw that a deep crack had been split in the arm armor at some point, and the flesh inside was rolled up. The blood had already soaked the lining of the cotton coat and flowed down the arm, making the entire palm holding the sword slippery and sticky.
I didn't feel any pain at all when I was charging just now, but I noticed it now that I relaxed.
Wang Dayong and his men rode over, looking at the fleeing Western Qiang soldiers and the devastated city. Their voices trembled, "Your Highness, did we really win?"
Ning Lingyi endured the severe pain and said, "I won."
"But how did we win? It was so confusing..." Wang Dayong was still a little dazed.
Ning Lingyi looked at the soldiers in front of her. Each of them was in a miserable state and was injured to varying degrees. After fighting for so long tonight, the Mingzhou guards must have suffered many casualties, which made her feel even more painful.
But none of them were afraid, and no one retreated.
"Nothing but courage."
The taste of victory is not easy, and this is just the first step in regaining our lost territory.
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