Chapter 150: Fortune and Misfortune
Shen Yuexi knew an old saying a long time ago: Fortune and misfortune go hand in hand.
Sometimes, when people feel hopeless and at their wit's end, hope arrives. Conversely, sometimes when people are full of hope and think everything is going well, a blow will come out of nowhere.
Unfortunately, she encountered the latter.
It was a good thing that General Wei led 10,000 Yan troops out of the pass. She felt emboldened and did not withdraw her troops.
The Western Rong army wasn't foolish either. Upon noticing the Yan army's movements, they canceled their planned nighttime attack. Early the next morning, scouts reported that the enemy general, Sumonai, was considering a full retreat, fearing the Yan army might mobilize other troops and that he would be unable to hold his own.
Shen Yuexi was overjoyed when she heard the news.
As long as the enemy troops withdraw, the danger to Xiaogang Village will be lifted. It's really a series of good things.
What happened next was completely beyond her expectations.
When General Wei Liang heard that the enemy was afraid of the Yan army and was about to retreat, he immediately mobilized his troops to fight against the Western Rong.
The reason was that the Yan army, after leaving the border, wanted a resounding victory in their first battle. The Western Rong were currently in a state of panic, making this a good time for a showdown. Furthermore, in a few days, General Zhao Mu would arrive with 50,000 Yan troops, and as the vanguard, he wanted to be the first to achieve victory.
There was also a personal reason. The precious spear given by Shen Yuexi was in my hand, and I had to consecrate it with human blood...
Shen Yuexi always felt that it was not appropriate.
If the Yan army could handle the Western Rong army, why would they need to build border walls? Besides, the Yan army hadn't actually engaged the Western Rong in battle for so many years, so it was unclear whether their combat effectiveness could compare to that of the Western Liang army.
Another concern: that Xirong vanguard captain Dan Muji had a disease in his eyes. He was too eager to attack, so he was ambushed, defeated, and killed. Now, if it were Wei Liang...
She carefully suggested that General Wei should not attack, as it is better to be safe than sorry.
Wei Liang wasn't Qiu Liming; his superior was Zhao Mu, and he didn't listen to Shen Yuexi at all. He excitedly led his seven thousand soldiers down the city wall. Everyone took a ride on the slide, and many infantrymen even slid down on large shields. The scene was extremely lively.
Shen Yuexi was apprehensive. There's an old saying: "Pride comes before a fall." Even if she hadn't fought in battle, she knew that Wei Liang's contempt for the enemy, and this atmosphere was spreading to his men, would likely have no good consequences.
She found a high point in the city to witness the clash between the two armies. This was the first time she had witnessed a formal battle between the Yan army and the Western Rong.
She didn't like watching these, but in order to help Xiao Zhuo in the future, she had to watch them.
The Western Rong general Sumonai personally led 7,000 soldiers to fight against Wei Liang.
The two sides first fired arrows at each other to cover the advance of the shield-carrying infantry. When they reached the distance where the infantry could engage in combat, both sides shouted and rushed towards each other at the same time.
The Yan army's front line was as thin as window paper and collapsed at the first blow.
The soldiers of the Western Rong had fought under King Doma until this day. The Yan army, having been confined within the Great Wall for so many years, had long since lost their fierceness and fighting spirit. The moment the two sides clashed, the Yan army was completely routed, their blood flowing like a river. Even the flag with the Chinese character "Wei" (Wei) representing the commander-in-chief was broken before the battle.
Shen Yuexi could not bear to see the miserable plight of the Yan army any longer. With the enemy in front and the icy slope behind, the Yan army was in danger of being annihilated.
Qiu Liming had previously arranged for crossbowmen to stand by behind the city wall. A veteran of battle, he remained calm in the face of such a situation. He immediately ordered his soldiers to throw hundreds of long ropes down the ice slope. The scattered Yan soldiers, abandoning their weapons, grabbed the ropes and desperately climbed up the ice slope, over the city wall, finally escaping with their lives.
Among them was Wei Liang, who, despite his lack of shame, wasn't the first to flee. He personally led over a thousand Yan troops to guard the slope below, allowing those fleeing to evacuate by grabbing ropes. He killed dozens of Western Rong soldiers with his spear before finally climbing up the wall. Unfortunately, he was hit by an arrow in his buttocks, where his armor wasn't protecting him.
After climbing over the city wall, he ran into Qiu Liming. Wei Liang's face was filled with shame, and he said nothing. He clasped his fists to Qiu Liming, then covered his buttocks and limped down with the help of the soldiers.
Without the Yan army's defense, the Xirong soldiers also rushed to the bottom of the ice slope, grabbed the rope and began to climb up.
"Cut the rope!" Qiu Liming shouted.
The enemy was full of energy and was determined to capture the city in one fell swoop. We had to cut the rope quickly to prevent them from rushing up the ice slope.
His calmness gave the panicked Yan army a backbone, and the soldiers drew their swords and began to cut the ropes.
Just after they cut a few dozen ropes, arrows from the Western Rong army below rained down, and the soldiers on the city wall fell to the ground one after another.
Completed city walls all had crenels designed to protect against arrows. However, the current wall was only half-built, leaving soldiers standing on it without much protection. Western Rong archers, firing from the slope below, could easily injure the Yan army.
Qiu Liming put on the iron face guard, held the shield in his left hand to protect his body, turned around and shouted: "Crossbow!"
Five hundred crossbowmen, each wearing an iron mask, were protected by a Yan soldier holding a large shield. This formation had been practiced long before during the defense. A row of large shields covered the crossbowmen's bodies. The crossbowmen deployed on the city wall, revealing only their heads protected by the iron mask, and began firing.
A volley of crossbow bolts fell, and hundreds of Xirong soldiers clinging to ropes on the ice slope collapsed. Their bodies slid down the slope, only to be stopped by the pile of corpses below, and remained on the ice.
"General, the enemy's crossbows are too powerful," a centurion shouted to Sumonai, pointing at the ice slope. "Let's temporarily halt the attack and withdraw the soldiers!"
Sumonai looked at the ice slope stained red with blood and the corpses piled up like a hill at the bottom of the slope, and felt that there was no hope.
Looking back at the battlefield, it was littered with toppled flags, swords, spears, and dead and wounded Yan soldiers. Even the cold air was thick with the smell of blood. This battle had terrified the Yan army, and it was estimated that only one or two thousand men had escaped back to the city walls. This battle was enough, and they could retreat.
"Give the troops a retreat." He said to the soldier holding the horn beside him.
The soldier received the order and picked up the horn, but before he could put it to his mouth, a hand stretched out from the side blocked his way.
Xiu Muye arrived on horseback and stopped the messenger. He pointed at the icy slope and shouted, "General, success is within our grasp, why are you retreating?"
"The enemy's crossbows are too powerful." Sumonai raised his chin towards the city wall. "How are we going to attack them even with crossbows?"
In order to facilitate riding, the Xirong army was usually only equipped with small round shields, which could not withstand crossbow arrows.
"There are so many large shields on the ground. Have the soldiers pick them up and hold them up in front of them," Xiu Muye reminded. "The enemy army is already in disarray. Why hesitate if you don't take this opportunity to attack?"
"The ropes on the ice slope have been cut. How can we get up there?"
In the intervals between crossbow shots, the defenders had cut all the ropes.
Xiu Muye pointed at the ice slope and said, "General, look."
Sumonai followed Xiumuye's finger and saw that half the ice slope was covered with corpses. Although the Xirong army had no ropes, they were able to step on the corpses as they charged upward. The corpses blocked the way, and the Xirong soldiers killed by crossbows fell on the ice slope. The white ice gradually covered the slope, and the Xirong soldiers charging up from behind were getting closer and closer to the city wall.
He was stunned at first, then overjoyed, and said to Xiu Muye:
"Order the troops remaining in the main camp to attack. We must annihilate the Yan army today. Anyone who retreats in battle will be killed!"
Shen Yuexi noticed the enemy troops pouring out of the Xirong camp in the distance, and roughly estimated that there were at least more than 10,000 of them.
The other side came out in full force.
The enemy did not retreat after being shot by the crossbow, but instead attacked with all their strength. Why?
She looked at the ice slope below the city wall in confusion. When she saw the Xirong army charging towards the city wall on corpses, she suddenly understood and hurriedly said to the guards beside her:
"Hurry and tell General Qiu that the ice slope can no longer hold back the enemy!"
There were so many dead on the ice slope that the enemy could step on the corpses and rush up. It wouldn't be long before they could rush to the city wall.
The battle of life and death has begun.
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