After noon, the Jibei Army returned with renewed vigor for another assault on the city.
Ning Chi and Jiang Zhu once again led the men to the city building, joining the soldiers in the fight against the formidable Jibei Army.
Ning Ze, despite being exhausted and drained, gritted his teeth, drew his long sword, and also ascended to the city building.
Upon seeing his pale face, Ning Chi shouted, "Back down!"
Ning Ze remained silent, trembling slightly, but firmly holding his sword, standing not far behind Ning Chi and Jiang Zhu, ready to strike down any enemies that slipped through their defenses at any moment.
Surprisingly, his presence did indeed make a difference. More than once, Jibei soldiers managed to reach the city building, and when Ning Chi and Jiang Zhu could not strike, Ning Ze successfully ambushed them, cutting them down with a single stroke.
He may have been considered useless, but in crucial moments, he was able to pull out surprising potential.
However, due to his lack of martial expertise, he was cut. In an instance where he failed to grip his sword properly and was about to be decapitated, it was Ning Chi who pulled him to safety, subsequently killing the enemy and saving his life.
Covering his wounded arm and close to tears, Ning Ze had no time for self-pity. He gritted his teeth, picked up his sword, and continued to stand his ground alongside Ning Chi and Jiang Zhu.
The Jibei army, superior in both numbers and momentum, came wave after wave. The soldiers on the city building of Nanping also suffered serious casualties. As one team grew weary or was injured, they would retreat and rest, replaced by another team on the frontlines. The brothers from the eighteen villages were all fierce fighters, playing a significant role in this defense.
However, their numbers were dwindling too rapidly, and soon, able-bodied civilians from within the city picked up their swords and joined the frontlines.
After fighting all afternoon and into the night, the city gate was rammed countless times, but they endured the second round of the siege.
Zhang Cheng turned livid with rage, questioning his vice general, "We’re up against thirty thousand Nanping soldiers, right?"
"There are men from the eighteen villages."
Zhang Cheng noticed, "It should be more."
Zhang Yun said, "The able-bodied citizens of the city are also involved."
He was surprised as well. He didn’t expect the city’s able-bodied citizens to be mobilized and defend Nanping City alongside the soldiers.
He narrowed his eyes, "They won’t be able to hold out for long."
"But our soldiers are already exhausted," Zhang Cheng said.
"Then we shall retreat and resume the battle in the latter half of the night," Zhang Yun said. "I refuse to believe that Nanping City can hold out another day."
Zhang Cheng ordered, "Sound the retreat."
At his command, the Jibei Army sounded the retreat and ceased their attack, the roar of battle slowly fading.
Ning Chi was covered in blood, Jiang Zhu was not in any better state, and Ning Ze’s arm was injured. He was twice saved by his elder brother Ning Chi, and once by Jiang Zhu. However, he did also manage to kill dozens of Jibei soldiers.
Despite this, he wasn’t feeling victorious. He started crying, "Big brother, thank you for saving me."
He thought his life meant nothing to his elder brother, that if he died, his death would only bring relief.
Ning Chi ignored him, "It wasn’t necessary."
If he hadn’t saved him, he would have been haunted by guilt. After all, they were brothers.
Ning Ze then thanked Jiang Zhu, "Thank you, Brother Jiang."
Jiang Zhu laughed it off, "No need to thank me."
While sobbing, Ning Ze said, "I killed forty-three soldiers. Normally, this should be something to celebrate. But when I think about how they were originally our own soldiers from Daliang, I can’t bring myself to be happy."
Ning Chi fell silent.
Jiang Zhu also fell silent.
All the wounded soldiers fell silent at his words.
Indeed, it was a real tragedy that the soldiers they were killing were not those of Dawei, but their fellow countrymen from Daliang. It was an atrocity caused by Zhang Ping.
Ning Ze gritted his teeth, "Didn’t Miss Eight say she had poisoned the water outside the city? Why haven’t those bastards been affected yet? Is it possible that they don’t drink the river water?"
"That’s impossible. If they don’t drink the river water, they will die of thirst," Jiang Zhu shook his head and reflected, "It’s probably due to the fact that the river is too wide and too long. Even poisoning it might not be effective straight away."
Wiping his tears, Ning Ze asked, "If they attack again, will we all be done for?"
Jiang Zhu sighed, "I am afraid so."
The onslaught from the Jibei Army was overwhelming. They employed a strategy of rotating attacks, allowing one group to fight and rest while another took to the battlefield. In contrast, the thirty thousand soldiers of Nanping were wearing thin. Each Nanping soldier had to combat three to four waves of Jibei soldiers, showcasing the terrible disparity of the situation.
Their initial estimation of being able to resist for two days now seemed like a gross overestimation.
Considering the situation now, they could, at most, resist one more wave of attack.
Ning Chi staggered, but his voice remained steady, "Let’s recuperate first."
Upon returning to the Marquis Nanping Residence, Lady Marquis saw her injured son, Ning Ze, and was on the verge of tears. But compared to him, Ning Chi’s injuries were far worse. The sight of him needing support to walk made her swallow her sorrow and promptly ordered the doctor, "Please attend to the heir first."
Ning Chi glanced at Lady Marquis. It was the first time she had prioritized him over her own son.
He said nothing, allowing the doctor to treat his wounds. After the doctor finished with him, he heard Lady Marquis say, "Now treat Jiang Zhu."
Jiang Zhu expressed his gratitude.
Ning Ze politely waited his turn − without any complaint − until both men were bandaged up. He had watched as the two men bore their pain without a single cry, so he too bit back his pain, but when the doctor tore away his blood-soaked clothing, he couldn’t help but cry out, "It hurts, it hurts."
Lady Marquis laughed gently and patted his forehead, "Oh you."
Ning Ze whispered, "Mother, I was actually quite brave today. I killed dozens of men."
Lady Marquis changed from patting to caressing his forehead, "My son, you were incredible."
Ning Ze: "..."
After caressing Ning Ze’s head, Lady Marquis turned to Ning Chi, "Young Master, women can also fight. If we really can’t hold out any longer, I’ll lead the women to the city building to resist."
Ning Chi was taken aback and glanced at Lady Marquis.
Lady Marquis clenched her teeth, "Dying in a siege or resisting, at least the latter gives us a chance."
Ning Chi was silent for a moment before nodding, "If we truly have no other choice, I won’t stop you, Lady Marquis."
Lady Marquis nodded in agreement.
The estranged mother and stepson, who had always been coldly polite in exterior but distant at heart whenever they met, for the first time, had a sincere, deceit-free conversation.
Ning Ze quietly muttered, "What if, just what if, the poison Miss Seven used actually takes effect tonight?"
Ning Chi readily agreed, "We can only pray."
Everyone fears death, especially these young men who still harbor ambitions. They do not want their dreams to die unfinished, but in the face of life-or-death resistance, they could only resign themselves to fate. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
However, not one among them had considered surrendering to the Jibei Army.
All of a sudden, Ning Ze slapped his forehead, "Ah, how could I forget, we should have released Zhang Mao to fight the enemies with us."
Lady Marquis scoffed, "Are you out of your mind? He’s Zhang Ping’s son. Do you really think he would fight alongside you against the Jibei Army?"
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