Ye Jingchen discovered that the soldiers of the border defense battalion were not that bad; they simply lacked the experience and courage to fight against the Northern Barbarian cavalry.
He felt this was a good opportunity.
The Northern Barbarian cavalry were not invincible; they were also made of flesh and blood, and could be injured or retreat.
Let them experience firsthand how the Divine Might Army fights against the Northern Barbarians, and then hold a joint military exercise to make them realize that the difference between them and the Divine Might Army is not that great. Perhaps then they will find their confidence.
After resting for less than half an hour, the Northern Barbarians launched their second attack on the city.
They used catapults and arrows to clear a path and cover the advance of the battering rams.
Xie Chang'an ordered the erection of giant shields and wooden curtains to block the stones and arrows.
At the same time, he ordered skilled archers to wrap arrows in oilcloth and set them on fire to attack the enemy's catapults and battering rams, thus destroying these siege weapons.
In addition, he arranged for a team of archers to specifically target the Northern Barbarian soldiers operating catapults and ramming machines, rendering the siege equipment ineffective.
The northern barbarians charged several times, only to be driven back by a rain of arrows, stones, and wood, leaving behind a field of corpses. They once again sounded the retreat.
The Northern Barbarians launched their third attack on the city late at night.
The northern frontier is cold, and the temperature drops even further at night, so Ye Jingchen ordered many torches to be lit on the city walls, both for illumination and for warmth.
The torches illuminated the area as bright as day, and the northern barbarian soldiers were spotted as soon as they got close.
After a day of fighting, at this point, it's a contest of endurance and form between the two sides.
The soldiers of the Divine Might Army and the Border Defense Battalion had the advantage of terrain and were in much better condition than the Northern Barbarian soldiers who were groping in the dark and suffering from the cold.
Worried that they weren't cold enough, Ye Jingchen ordered people to carry a lot of cold water to the city wall. Using the cold water as a weapon, basins of cold water were poured down the city wall like a shower of flowers.
The siege lasted until late at night. The northern barbarians, unable to break through, retreated once again.
One should press on with one's might, but the momentum will wane with each attempt, and exhaust it completely with each subsequent one.
After this retreat, the Northern Barbarians made no further moves.
By daybreak, because of the large amount of water splashed the night before, the corpses of the northern barbarians left on the battlefield had frozen into ice corpses.
The land outside the city walls and in the moats were also covered with a thin layer of ice. When the sun rose, the sunlight shone on the ice, creating glittering, dreamlike scenes that beautified the landscape littered with corpses.
Sunny days like this are rare in northern Xinjiang during winter, but we happened to have one today.
Ye Jingchen also spent the night on the city wall, holding on until the Northern Barbarians retreated. That was his limit. When Xie Chang'an returned to the city wall and came back to his side, he fell asleep on the table.
He slept soundly until the morning sunlight shone through the window onto his face.
When he woke up, Xie Chang'an was no longer by his side; only the eunuchs and the Eastern Palace guards were there to keep him company.
The Northern Barbarian army did not attack the city again, and the city wall was temporarily safe. After washing up, he was about to go for a walk on the city wall when Xie Chang'an appeared.
“There are corpses all outside, what’s there to see? The northern barbarians could attack the city at any time, it’s safer to stay inside the city walls,” he said.
"General Xie is absolutely right. Your Highness should prioritize your own safety."
A day passed, and the border defense battalion commanders changed their way of addressing Xie Chang'an from calling him by his given name to calling him Young General Xie.
Yesterday, facing the three sieges by the Northern Barbarians, Xie Chang'an remained calm and composed throughout, demonstrating his talent in military command.
It won't be long before his father finds out about this, and he'll probably be losing sleep again.
The Shenwei Army generals who came with Ye Jingchen and Xie Chang'an to provide support were filled with admiration for Ye Jingchen. "If it weren't for His Highness the Crown Prince, we wouldn't have known that even the most ordinary water could have such destructive power!"
Ye Jingchen was very modest, saying, "It was just taking advantage of the right time and place, adapting to local conditions. If the environment or season were different, it wouldn't have the same effect."
The breakfast that Marquis Wu'an sent was very lavish, with porridge, soup, and several kinds of pastries, which was in stark contrast to the plain porridge and side dishes that Ye Jingchen ate in the Shenwei Army camp.
"Uncle Xie should be arriving soon, right?" Ye Jingchen asked Xie Chang'an while eating breakfast.
Although the area where the Northern Barbarian army is currently stationed is not as suitable for encirclement and annihilation as the area outside Tianji Pass, it is still possible to make them pay a price.
"We're almost there," Xie Chang'an said.
"Are you going to lead the Divine Might Army out of the pass to pursue the enemy?"
"yes."
"If the border defense battalion also participates in this pursuit, how many people do you think would be appropriate?"
Xie Chang'an thought for a moment and said, "Ten thousand. They'll be in charge of cheering and waving the flag."
"Then why not select some loud voices and let ten thousand people shout out the effect of a hundred thousand people?"
"If only the Northern Barbarians could launch another attack on the city now," Ye Jingchen said with some regret.
If Xie Shaoling and his Divine Might Army were to suddenly appear while they were besieging the city, they would surely be able to reap even more kills.
"It's unlikely," Xie Chang'an said.
"Then I need to go and choose some supporters to cheer me on."
Ye Jingchen summoned Marquis Wu'an and several generals, proposing to lead 10,000 border guards to cooperate with the Shenwei Army in pursuing the Northern Barbarian cavalry.
Marquis Wu'an naturally opposed it vehemently.
Ye Jingchen then revealed the Tiger Tally.
The border defense battalion had 30,000 cavalrymen. Ye Jingchen had them shout slogans and selected 10,000 of them who had the loudest voices.
Upon learning that they were to pursue the Northern Barbarian cavalry, many wanted to back out. Ye Jingchen told them that they didn't need to confront the Northern Barbarians head-on; they only needed to create the impression that there were many pursuers.
As a result, no one backed down anymore. However, some people were unconvinced and asked Ye Jingchen why they could only bluff and not directly fight the Northern Barbarians.
They asked Ye Jingchen if he looked down on them.
No matter what kind of army it is, there is no shortage of passionate people.
Moreover, they had all witnessed the performance of the Divine Might Army yesterday, as well as the three battles and three retreats of the Northern Barbarians. Some of them would inevitably be moved and overcome their mental barriers.
Ye Jingchen naturally wanted to encourage people like that.
They are the spark of hope for the border defense battalion.
"Of course you are ready to engage the Northern Barbarian cavalry head-on. Those who perform exceptionally well in this pursuit will be rewarded according to their merits!"
When the beacon fires rose from the watchtower at Tianji Pass, Xie Chang'an ordered all the Shenwei Army soldiers to descend from the city wall and prepare for battle.
When they arrived, there were 20,000 of them, but when they left, there were only 19,000 left.
Some people were injured and were not fit to participate in this pursuit.
Some people lost their lives in this battle, but the war is not over yet, and they cannot go home now.
In war, there will be casualties, and even the most capable general cannot guarantee that all soldiers will survive.
Xie Chang'an has been in a low mood since yesterday, and Ye Jingchen noticed it but didn't know how to comfort him.
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