Chapter 45: Crossing the River and Destroying the Bridge
Whoosh whoosh whoosh...
Dudududu...
One after another, the sharp and piercing sound of breaking through the air continued to be heard, followed by a huge crash.
May the Buddha bless you, may the Three Pure Ones be above you, may the Jade Emperor bless you, may the Earth God and the Mountain God bless you...
Faced with such a terrifying long-range attack, all the people hiding behind the shields were completely soaked in sweat, as if they had just been pulled out of the water.
Everyone was praying to the gods they knew, but they didn't know if it would be of any use, because under this almost crazy crossbow formation, no one could be sure that they could survive it alive.
Every living person was trying his best to retreat, but every step back was a huge test for the people behind the shields, because the crossbow shooting never stopped.
No one knew how much time had passed, but the sound of breaking air that frightened all the Ming army finally disappeared. The noise of crossbows hitting shields that almost made the Ming army's spirit collapse also finally disappeared.
But even so, the Ming army soldiers retreated to the location of their own magic guns and cannons. Only then did some people muster up the courage to look forward at the shield.
But just one look made the Ming army soldier's eyes dilate and he froze in place. He felt weak all over and got goose bumps all over his body.
The stunned Ming army soldiers attracted the attention of more of their comrades, and soon more people saw the scene in front of them. Like the stunned Ming army soldiers, everyone became stiff, and their bodies were instantly enveloped by a chill.
Because less than ten meters away from them, layers of densely packed crossbows were slanting towards the sky. It looked like a large bare forest that appeared out of thin air in front of everyone.
But the most breathtaking thing is that in the 'woods', countless people were nailed to the ground by crossbows, and turned into minced meat. Just one look at it makes people feel as if they are in purgatory.
Mu Ying and Fei Ju couldn't help but gasp when they saw this scene. Their mouths were wide open, and their eyes revealed a long-lost look of panic and even fear.
Not long ago, Mu Ying, the Marquis of Xiping, who was full of confidence and fantasized about riding his horse to trample on Songming City, was now in a complex state of emotions, including fear, relief, horror, uneasiness, anger, etc.
He looked at the dense forest of crossbows in front of him and the Ming soldiers who died from them. His expression kept changing, as if he was suppressing some emotions. It took a full cup of tea before his face returned to normal.
"Marquis Pingliang, in your opinion, how long did the crossbow array just now last? Was it about the time it took to drink a cup of tea?"
Fei Ju was still in shock and had not yet recovered from his shock. When he suddenly heard Mu Ying's question, a dark and inexplicable light flashed across his face, and then he turned into a wry smile.
"Marquis Xiping, please forgive me for not being able to answer your question. You saw what happened just now, and it's completely impossible to judge."
Mu Ying didn't say anything about Fei Ju's answer. In fact, he was just busy escaping and no one would think about how long the crossbow formation lasted.
It's just that as a qualified commander, judging the enemy's strength in adversity is an instinctive practice.
But when Mu Ying learned from the artillerymen in the rear that the number of volleys fired at their crossbow formation by Songming City had reached as high as one hundred, both Mu Ying and Fei Ju felt unwell.
"One hundred times? Really a hundred times? Are you sure you didn't see it wrong?" Mu Ying's voice was stern, his eyes wide open, he couldn't accept this answer at all.
"Reporting to the Marquis, I am sure I am not mistaken. This is the average of the results given by all the brothers. The actual number may be more than a hundred times."
The gunner answered calmly that they had seen the entire process of the crossbow volleys from Songming City just now. There were at least a hundred volleys from Songming City. Judging from the density of the crossbow volleys, there were at least more than a hundred crossbow volleys in Songming City.
This is definitely a terrifying number, and we cannot rule out the possibility that Songming City showed mercy and only deployed a portion of the crossbow carts, resulting in the current situation.
In fact, Fei Ju and Mu Ying had already guessed this, but Mu Ying, as the main general, was completely caught in a dilemma when faced with the current situation.
Just now, he realized that his magic gun and cannon had used up all the shells and gunpowder he brought, but had not been able to cause any damage to the walls of Songming City. If he wanted to continue attacking the city, he would have to pay with human lives.
Mu Ying was not a fool. He didn't want to fight anymore, but he needed a way out, so he could only watch Fei Ju.
Fei Ju was a veteran soldier, so he could see Mu Ying's intentions. He quickly bowed and said, "Marquis Xiping, it seems that the defense strength of Songming City is far beyond our previous estimates."
"Given the current situation, I suggest that our army retreat temporarily, and then re-emerge after sufficient preparation. What do you think, Lord Marquis?"
Mu Ying nodded slowly, pretending to be in deep thought, but in fact, he was completely willing in his heart.
Judging from the current situation, the Ming army is simply unable to withstand the enemy's crossbow formation. Both the range and density of the enemy's crossbow formation far exceed his previous estimates.
The strength of the walls of Songming City was far beyond his imagination. Even after nearly a hundred rounds of continuous bombardment from the two magic guns and cannons, they were unable to blast a single hole. The strength of the walls of Songming City refreshed Mu Ying's cognition.
After thinking for a long time, just when the Ming army soldiers began to doubt their lives, Mu Ying finally spoke.
"Let them go today and fight again another day! Withdraw!"
After hearing Mu Ying's words, the Ming army gathered at their own expense. Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief. The army immediately changed from the rear team to the front team and hurriedly fled from this dangerous place.
Fei Ju was left behind by Mu Ying, under the pretext that the two Ming Dynasty marquises were covering the rear of the army, but in fact, Mu Ying had something to say.
"Marquis Pingliang, today's incident stems from your initial inadequate investigation. I will report this to His Majesty."
Upon hearing this, Fei Ju's face suddenly changed, and he kept complaining in his heart: Damn you, Mu Ying, you are so cruel as to destroy the bridge after crossing it. This has nothing to do with me. You just want to share the risk with yourself. Is it necessary to go through so much trouble?
"My Lord, you..." Fei Ju was interrupted by Mu Ying before he could say anything.
"But I will report today's events to Your Majesty. I will never push the responsibility I should bear onto Pingliang Marquis. But you have also seen what happened today. If Songming City continues to grow, it will become too powerful to be controlled."
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