Chapter 138 The Battle of the City
"Report casualties!"
"Yes, Commander."
After quickly cleaning up and bandaging his wounds, Lin Changning returned to the garrison and immediately began tallying the number of wounded.
The Tartars shouldn't come again tonight, but tomorrow will definitely be another tough battle. This evening, she killed a general at the city gate, so there's no way to retreat. Even if there were reasons for it, the court won't let her go.
This move rallied the morale of the army and served as a pledge of allegiance to the King of Chu. It was assumed that the King of Chu would protect her and her family. Sure enough, after tallying the casualties and the number of men, the Qi Rong summoned her alone into their camp.
At this moment, Qi Rong nodded slightly to a guard beside him, then looked at Lin Changning with a warm expression: "Changping, this is my uncle's personal guard, Chief Guard Zhou. He has been with me since I came to Daxing, and he is the one who usually contacts my uncle. Come, come and meet him."
Lin Changning understood. The King of Chu was probably unaware of her at this moment, but Qi Rong and his personal guard would certainly not miss out on talent. Not to mention that she was originally planning to join the King of Chu, after today's incident, the King of Chu would definitely recruit her into his ranks, which is why this scene of offering amnesty on her behalf occurred.
Lin Changning cupped his hands in greeting to the somewhat unfamiliar guard: "Greetings, Chief Guard."
Zhou, a plain-looking but sharp-eyed guard, exchanged a glance with Qi Rong, his eyes revealing surprise as he helped Lin Changning up and said kindly, "No need for formalities. Commander Lin is exceptionally intelligent and brave. The Prince will surely reward you for your service today. Since you are willing to join my Prince's Mansion, we are family. The Prince has already considered what you did today. Please rest assured, Commander Lin. The Prince values talent and will certainly not mistreat a young talent like you once you are in the Prince's Mansion."
Lin Changning gripped the guard captain's arm tightly, his face flushed slightly, his whole being filled with excitement and fervor: "Your Highness, Changping is willing to serve you with utmost loyalty. I will live as a soldier under Your Highness's command and die as a soul in the Prince's palace. I am willing to dedicate my life to repaying Your Highness's kindness, overcoming all obstacles and sacrificing my life to repay your favor!"
Qi Rong: ...How come I never noticed before that Liu Lang was so eloquent? Tsk, these words are so pleasing to the ear, I imagine Uncle would feel even more comfortable hearing them.
The head guard helped the man up, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes. "No wonder he's become a commander of a thousand men at such a young age. Look how well he speaks! I heard he's a scholar. Our Chu Prince's Mansion is in need of such talent!"
After paying their respects to the local officials, Lin Changning and Qi Rong went to the outside of the garrison. Old Ma and Old Zhou were sitting on the benches by the door, eating pancakes. They waved to the two of them and said, "Commander, Changping."
Qi Rong walked over and looked at Old Ma: "How's the evacuation of the people going?"
Old Ma, chewing on a dry biscuit, hurriedly swallowed it upon hearing this, choking so badly he almost rolled his eyes back. Lin Changning handed him a water pouch, somewhat helplessly. Old Ma gulped down two mouthfuls of water, patted his chest, and patted his chest to catch his breath: "Oh my god, I almost choked to death. Back to command, all that's left are the people of Beicheng. We can evacuate Daxing by tomorrow night."
Qi Rong nodded: "How many people are still usable now?"
Old Zhou frowned, stepped forward, and bowed: "Eight hundred were injured, half of whom were seriously injured and unable to fight. Three hundred died. All the available manpower can be gathered together to no more than fifteen hundred people."
Lin Changning frowned and pondered for a long time before hesitatingly saying, "The other side didn't fare well today either. The Tartar army is basically made up of people from various tribes, and they may not be united or able to command effectively. Why don't we boil the water tonight and set up archers on the city walls? The traps outside the city are still there, and the tunnels can still be used. If the other side launches a general offensive, we won't have any chance. If we can't win in a head-on battle, we might as well switch to a defensive strategy or guerrilla warfare. Defending can at least ensure that we don't suffer large-scale losses of troops again, and it can also buy us as much time as possible."
Qi Rong pondered carefully upon hearing this, and after a moment's thought, said, "Then let's do as you say: set up a water boiler on the wall, prepare bows and arrows, but employ guerrilla tactics..."
Lin Changning volunteered for the job: "I'll lead three hundred cavalrymen to fight guerrilla warfare. This is the best place for me."
Qi Rong shook his head in disagreement: "Defending the city is no problem, and we don't have to fight, but the risk of guerrilla warfare is too great. Three hundred men could be easily wiped out by the enemy if we're not careful, so I don't agree with it."
Old Zhou also said, "Yes, Changping, if you take three hundred men out by yourself, wouldn't that be like being a sitting duck? I don't approve of it either."
She knew that everyone was concerned about her, but the enemy had sent 10,000 men, and even excluding those who died in battle today, there were still nearly 8,000 cavalrymen. It was almost a pipe dream to defend Daxing with just the advantage of the city walls. But it would be different if she went out. Today's battle had already terrified the Tartars, and they dared not approach her. Tomorrow, when she went out of the city, she could dampen the enemy's spirit, boost her own morale, and relieve the pressure on the defenders.
Lin Changning looked at the faces of the men with clear eyes and advised, "Even a thousand or so people would have a hard time defending the city. If I go out, I can share the firepower. Today, the Tartars have probably figured out the actual situation of Daxing Garrison, so they will definitely launch a general attack soon. If I go out, I can use the mobility of the cavalry to keep them away. Moreover, I think I will definitely be able to come back."
The group exchanged glances, still feeling it was too risky to proceed at this moment. Qi Rong shook his head: "Changping, your idea is correct, but your status isn't high enough. You might not be able to attract their attention. Why don't I go? I have a higher status, I'm from the Duke of Qi's mansion, and I grew up in the Prince of Chu's mansion. I'm already familiar with those people. It would be better if I took some people with me; that way, we could attract more attention."
Lin Changning shook his head so hard it was almost like a rattle drum: "No, no, Second Brother, you are the supreme commander now. If you go out and something happens to you, our morale will collapse. The risk is too great and we can't take the risk."
With Zhang Bo dead, Qi Rong became the supreme commander and naturally took over the command of the garrison. At this moment, he said without question, "Time is of the essence. Tomorrow I will go out of the city to meet the enemy. The other side will definitely try to kill me and steal the credit. If I die..."
Qi Rong looked at Lin Changning and said in a serious tone, "If I die, Changping will take over command and lead the overall situation. Do you have any objections?"
Old Ma shook his head upon hearing Qi Rong's serious tone: "No objection."
Old Zhou nodded: "Me neither. Old Zhang went on patrol. I'll tell him."
Lin Changning was about to retort when Qi Rong shot her a glare: "This is a military order, Changping!"
Lin Changning cupped her hands in greeting, a hint of annoyance flashing across her face. If she had known the commander would personally lead the troops into battle, she wouldn't have come up with this idea: "Changping obeys!"
Qi Rong softened his tone and looked at the group: "It's not as bad as you think. As long as we can hold out until tomorrow night, when all the people have left, we can retreat. Don't be so pessimistic."
Several people didn't respond. Everyone knew that the situation couldn't get any worse. Who knew if there would be a day after tomorrow? But wasn't this the kind of life they, as military guards, were living?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
