Outside Xichuan City.
Ran Min and Zhao Zhen led the remaining soldiers to clear the battlefield on the city wall.
They stripped the dead of their armor and clothes. The slaughter erased all the bright colors from the armor, leaving only monotonous white or gray decorations and congealed black blood.
Ran Min watched as the naked corpse was lifted up by its limbs and thrown into the crematorium, joining his companions. The weapons and clothing were thrown into a white wooden carriage pulled by two tall black horses.
So many dead people, so many, so many.
The original garrison of Xichuan City numbered 40,000.
After the start of spring, thanks to the new policies of Lin Mo and Yao Guangxiao, the people enthusiastically joined the army, and the total military strength once reached 61,000 men.
But that was before.
Currently, the entire city of Xichuan has less than 20,000 soldiers left capable of fighting.
After the great battle ended, Ran Min took advantage of a brief lull to order his soldiers to clean up the battlefield, and all the bodies of his own soldiers were cremated on the spot.
And what about Qiu Zi and Da Shi?
You could say they've gone mad!
Because neither the Chuz nor the Abbasid army ever raised a white flag (a common practice in siege warfare, where both sides would find a time to bring back the bodies of their fallen soldiers), nor did they intend to withdraw.
Perhaps the enemy believed that rotting corpses would cause a plague, which would be detrimental to the defenders!
After much deliberation, Ran Min decided that for safety's sake, he had no choice but to help the other party with the corpse.
Looking at the enemy troops outside the city, Ran Min clenched his fists, feeling extremely anxious!
"Bai Qi, where are you?"
The morning attack lasted for a full three hours. The sun rose higher and higher, the wind blew more and more fiercely, and the dark clouds in the sky began to disperse, revealing some sunlight.
But the good weather did not bring any hope to the battle.
The Chow forces, a combined Arab army of 700,000, were said to number 1.5 million.
Although the defending forces held an absolute advantage in the siege, these advantages vanished in the face of overwhelming strength!
On the enemy's side, Emperor Qiuzi personally led his army. He brought with him the most elite troops in the Qiuzi kingdom, including even the emperor's personal guard!
Although Bai Qi's scheme resulted in the annihilation of over 80,000 of the Abbasid army, it still possessed an army of 250,000.
In terms of morale, it has also improved considerably after joining forces with Qiu Zi.
"If this continues, our army won't last ten days!" Ran Min lamented.
Just then, a scout rushed over, shouting, "Report!"
"Is there any news about Bai Qi?" Ran Min asked anxiously.
The scout struggled to catch his breath, "Reporting to the general, no...nothing!"
"That damned Bai Qi!" Ran Min was furious, truly furious.
Nineteen days ago, Ran Min received news of Bai Qi's reinforcements, saying they would arrive in three days.
As a general, Ran Min even became emperor at one point during his time in China.
He knew the tactics of warfare well; the so-called three days would definitely be more than three days.
But what Ran Min never expected was that three days later, then another three days, a full nineteen days, Bai Qi had completely lost contact!
As the supreme commander of Xichuan City, he knew the importance of morale. He had to conceal the news and tell his soldiers that Bai Qi was only twenty miles away and would be coming to their aid soon.
The soldiers defending the city were also struggling to hold on, relying entirely on this belief.
At that very moment.
"Report! The enemy is attacking again!" the scout shouted.
Ran Min frowned. "Retract the drawbridge!! Now!" he shouted sternly.
The shout echoed across the chaotic battlefield, and the faces of the defenders who had not yet crossed the bridge turned deathly pale.
He was already resentful about being assigned by Ran Min to collect the bodies. Now he was being abandoned?
"No! We haven't come in yet!" an officer shouted.
He knew that if they lowered the drawbridge at this moment, it would mean that they would have to stay there and face the enemy behind them!
Even with the advantage of having the city walls, it was already very difficult in Xichuan City.
If we were to fight the enemy outside the city walls in this open area, there would be no way out but death!
The officer's words immediately roused all the soldiers outside the city walls.
A roar quickly came from their mouths:
"No! Wait a minute!"
"Yes, let's put the drawbridge away after we cross!"
"We're not there yet!"
At this moment, everyone mustered all their strength and sprinted forward, discarding everything they could carry in order to increase their speed.
But then, a voice that filled them with despair rang out.
"It's too late! Retract the drawbridge! Quickly!" Ran Min shouted. "Execute the order immediately, or face death!"
Upon hearing this, the soldiers beside the suspension bridge, not knowing how to steel themselves, pulled the winch.
With a series of clicking sounds, the newly built suspension bridge in Xichuan City gradually rose from the water.
Soon after, the suspension bridge rose higher and higher, gradually lifting off the water.
It wasn't that Ran Min was cruel; as a commander-in-chief, he had to understand that being merciful doesn't lead to increased military strength.
Although many soldiers on the other side have not yet entered the city.
However, if the Chuz coalition forces were to reach the drawbridge at this time, it would be difficult to defend it with the current strength of the troops.
With the suspension bridge captured, how could the 20,000 defenders withstand hundreds of thousands of enemy troops?
In less than a day, Xichuan City will be completely captured!
The approaching defenders, seeing the drawbridge lifted off the water, instantly dimmed in their eyes and trembled uncontrollably.
They knew they would never see the sunset!
At that moment, roars continued to come from behind.
Those were the roars of countless Chuz allied forces.
Fully armed and wielding weapons, they charged forward like ferocious beasts unleashed from their cages, slashing fiercely at the defenders of Xichuan City.
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