Chapter 128: Defeat
Outside Jiange County.
Every day, the soldiers of the King of Shu's palace drove the people from all directions to serve as human soldiers to resist the Rong people.
After round after round of charges, the civilians suffered heavy casualties.
The living conditions of the people have changed greatly in recent days.
Even those who received rewards began to become numb. After all, it was useless to get money and official positions if you had a life to earn them but no life to enjoy them.
Faced with the challenge of the Rong army, the people just looked on blankly, then turned their eyes back to the city wall. The palace soldiers were on high alert and would not allow them to retreat a single step.
That evening.
The remaining people were only given a black steamed bun.
After days of hunger, cold and mental torture, the people looked ashen and as emaciated as dead wood. As soon as they got the black steamed buns, everyone stuffed them into their mouths without care.
"Village head," said Zhang Xiaodi, taking a bite of his steamed bun and carefully observing the expressions of those around him, "Wait until the soldiers are asleep at midnight, I'll set fire to the city gate and we'll escape far away."
"Okay! Go ahead and take Xiaobao with you and rush out!" Zhao Lizheng immediately covered his mouth and nose after coughing up a mouthful of blood and phlegm, and handed his own black steamed bun to Zhang Xiaodi.
I hope that little brother Zhang can take Zhao Xiaobao, the only remaining child of the Zhao family, away.
After several days of charging, several of Zhao Lizheng's sons were injured.
What is even more terrifying is that the battlefield is flooded with blood, with new casualties appearing every day, but no medical officers are coming to treat them.
Gradually, the plague began to spread among the people.
Three days ago, the King of Shu discovered that his meat army was infected with the plague and strictly kept the news secret.
I just hope the Rong people’s challenge can be more fierce so that the plague can be spread.
However, the King of Shu's plan will fail tonight.
The people have been fighting till this day just for the hope of survival.
Now, the King of Shu has completely cut off their way to survival and will not let anyone go, so let us all perish together.
At three quarters past midnight, the cold moonlight shines on the earth, bringing endless chill.
Outside the city gate, there was a huge crowd of people, all dressed in rags, with a strange smell that made people feel very uncomfortable, but they just casually huddled together and slept.
Little Brother Zhang covered his mouth and nose, walked through the crowd of coughing people, and quietly arrived at the city gate.
There were several other men squatting under the city wall.
Brother Zhang was not tall, but under the protection of several men, he had already dug a tunnel about one foot wide.
The tunnel leads to the crossbeam of the city gate.
After the boy climbed in, he took out the tinder he had saved for some time, and also took out a lot of dirty clothes and sticks.
Looking at the thick beams above, the boy took a fire starter and lit the tinder. He then put up some dirty clothes and sticks, and a small flame soon started.
Although there was a lack of air in the tunnel, the north wind was blowing at the time, and the wind was blowing in from the cave entrance. Clothes were flammable to begin with, and the wind fanned the flames, and thick smoke spread from under the tunnel.
Watching it actually burn inside.
Zhang Xiaodi quickly exited from inside.
About a quarter of an hour later, thick smoke began to spread out, and the crossbeam of the gate finally caught fire.
But the door still can't be opened at the moment.
Because it will take another half hour for the beam to burn through.
Seeing that the people began to riot, the palace soldiers also took action.
Rows of palace soldiers in black armor covered the entire space.
The people under the city wall seemed unaware of the danger and rushed towards the city gate.
Because only when the beams on the city gate are burned off will they have a chance to enter, and now is the opportunity.
"Everyone, retreat immediately, or you will bear the consequences."
A captain on the city wall shouted loudly to the people below.
But his voice was too soft and the people were already in chaos.
The captain pulled a row of soldiers behind him and asked them to shout together, and the people below finally stopped.
But somewhere a voice suddenly rang out: "Everyone, charge together! Charge in! We won't be killed by the swords of the Rong people!"
The people rioted again.
But soon, a rain of arrows flew towards the people.
“Ah ...
The people within a hundred meters of the range fell to the ground one after another. Some of them were hit by several arrows and became like hedgehogs.
The people let out heart-wrenching roars. It was obvious that they were completely enraged by the actions of the government soldiers.
Many of them were temporarily recruited to resist the Rong people. Not all of them died under the Rong people's cavalry, but instead died under the arrows of the palace soldiers.
The people completely lost control.
Since we're going to die anyway, let's just give it a try.
The people crowded, pushed, and stepped on each other as they rushed towards the city gate again.
The soldiers also hurriedly fetched water and began to pour it on the burning beams. However, the winter north wind was blowing, making the fire bigger and bigger.
The people hiding near the city gate were afraid that the fire would go out, so they threw whatever they had into the fire, leaving only a thin piece of clothing to cover their bodies.
Soon, the left side beam broke and collapsed straight down. The left side iron gate lost its support and began to sway.
Seeing hope coming, the people rushed forward even more anxiously.
Countless weak and thin people were trampled upon, triggering a new round of chain reactions.
One after another, civilians fell under their companions.
The military camp of the Rong people.
"Wait for the people of Li Country to help us open the city gate, then we will go and meet the King of Shu." Zha Zha He excitedly ordered after hearing the report from the scout.
"Yes." Several generals accepted the order.
A group of cavalry received new orders and galloped towards the city gate.
This side.
The fire spread so quickly that the people ignored the rain of arrows from the sky and their companions crying on the ground, and rushed straight towards the city gate.
In the dark night.
The smell of burning bodies, clothes, and various objects spread.
The people actually used their bodies to hit the hot iron gate.
Countless people in the front were crushed to death or burned, but the people behind continued to rush forward.
The two hundred soldiers at the city gate had never seen such crazy people.
You can’t kill them all, you can’t stop them all!
Just as they were surprised, they heard a loud bang, the earth shook, the city wall began to collapse, and several soldiers fell down.
People flocked into the city.
Later, Brother Zhang watched the large number of people entering the city, and to ensure that they would not be squeezed, he hurriedly fled south with the few dozen people left in Qianniu Village.
The palace soldiers were already stunned by the actions of the people, but just as they were about to intercept them, the Rong cavalry came galloping over.
"Meet the enemy, meet the enemy!" the captain shouted.
Several palace soldiers beside him looked at the Rong cavalry carrying the rolling sand and the people fleeing behind them, and for a moment they didn't know what to do.
Soon, the Rong cavalry helped them make their choice.
The sounds of hissing, humming, clanging... filled the entire area.
At the end of December in the first year of Jianhe in the Dali Kingdom, the soldiers defending the city of Jiange County were killed, and the gate to Shu was opened.
The whereabouts of the King of Shu are unknown.
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