Chapter 24: My aunt, I've attracted the enemy. It's getting so urgent...
Zhou Ji sat on the high platform with a gloomy face, stroking his chest with his palm to soothe his breath. It was winter, and the servant beside him was fanning him with a cool fan.
The more Zhou Ji thought about it, the angrier he became. Fang Yilan was using her own belongings to increase the prestige of her Fang family on her own territory!
How did I get into trouble with this evil spirit!
The evil spirit shamelessly approached him and tried to get close to him, speaking in a high-sounding manner: "Master Zhou, this time, thanks to your generous assistance, your actions have benefited countless people in the northwest. I dare to express my gratitude on behalf of the people of the northwest."
Zhou Jipi had to force a smile and said, "General, you are too kind. This is all within my duty."
"Oh no, sir, something terrible has happened." One of his men rushed over in a panic.
Zhou Ji, heartbroken, felt that nothing in this world could stir his heart anymore. He immediately cursed angrily, "You're so flustered! How disgraceful! You've ruined my mood for nothing."
The soldier was running breathlessly, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Sir, the Xiling Army... the Xiling Army is charging towards Zeyang!"
"What!?" Zhou Ji widened his eyes in shock, wondering if he had heard it wrong.
"Are you sure you didn't see it wrong? Explain it to me!"
The sound of horse hooves could be heard from the direction of the city gate, startling a flock of birds.
"I can see it wrong and hear it wrong, sir. The enemy is almost right under our noses. Get ready to fight." Fang Yilan put down his crossed legs, stood up slowly, and tapped his palms with his fan bones lightly. He looked like a leisurely dandy who came to Zeyang for a stroll and didn't care about the war at the gate at all.
Zhou Ji hurriedly stopped the man and said, "General Fang, the Xiling Army is rushing towards Zeyang with great fanfare. It's obvious they're coming for you. You can't just walk away like this!"
Fang Yilan feigned embarrassment and gave a wry smile, "Master Zhou, you have to understand me. It's not that I don't want to help you, but I simply can't. Look, my Northwest Army has long since run out of food. This injury I sustained when I led my brothers to rob the Xiling Army of its food supplies. Now I can barely protect myself, so there's really nothing I can do to help you."
After saying this, he coughed twice insincerely.
Zhou Ji suddenly realized that the cunning fox in front of him had gone through so much trouble just to get food and supplies.
But when he remembered the strict order in the secret letter, he could only grit his teeth and continue to play dumb: "General Fang, this is hard for me too! This is an order from above. It clearly states that if you don't capture Hezhou first, this batch of grain and grass cannot be delivered to you."
Fang Yilan, on the other hand, acted very understanding. He smiled faintly and nodded frequently: "I will naturally not make things difficult for Lord Zhou. In this case, I will set off back to the camp immediately and not cause trouble for you or disturb you from defending the city." After saying that, he made a gesture to leave.
It is easier to invite a god than to send him away. If Fang Yilan withdraws now, will the ferocious Xiling army outside the city turn around and retreat like wild dogs smelling meat and bones?
If he fails to defend this city, he will definitely lose his head, and the lives of his entire family will probably be at stake as well.
He weighed the pros and cons for a long time, his brows twisted into knots, but he still couldn't figure out a solution that would satisfy both parties. At this time, the shouts and cries of killing had already begun outside the city.
Zhou Ji's forehead twitched, his heart torn between his conscience and his desires. Finally, he made up his mind and compromised: "General Fang, as long as you help me defend Zeyang, you can take these military rations with you."
"Are you serious?"
"My dear aunt, the situation has become so urgent, how can I still lie to you?" Zhou Ji made a bitter face and stamped his feet.
Fang Yilan didn't waste any more words. He pulled out a book of official documents that had been prepared long ago from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Ji. He gently tapped the end of the book with the tip of his fan and said, "Master Zhou, please sign and seal it first."
Zhou Ji looked up at the man in front of him who was determined not to move until he got his signature. Knowing that he could not escape, he could only sigh and pick up the pen to sign his name.
"Where is the official seal?" Fang Yilan would not leave him any chance to find loopholes.
Zhou Ji reluctantly took out the official seal, his hand hovering above the booklet, trembling, and he dared not press it down.
Fang Yilan swung his left arm and "accidentally" bumped into Zhou Ji's elbow. The collision was just right, and the official seal in his hand suddenly sank, leaving a conspicuous mark on the booklet.
"Thank you, Lord Zhou, for resolving my urgent need." Fang Yilan's lips curled up, but then his expression changed. He shouted, "Go, immediately notify Lieutenant General Lin and Lieutenant General Wang, and have them send troops from Kangrao and Liangzhou."
"It turns out that General Fang had planned this all along! What a brilliant scheme..." Zhou Ji hadn't expected that Fang Yilan had made such thorough preparations, and he didn't care to hold a grudge against her for plotting against him. Instead, he felt a little relieved.
"Attack Hezhou."
"yes!"
Zhou Ji thought he had misheard and shouted in panic, "Wait! Send troops to Hezhou? What about Zeyang?"
Fang Yilan patted his shoulder, her tone brisk and somewhat soothing: "Master Zhou, why are you panicking? Isn't this general here with you?"
Zhou Ji's expression swirled for a long time, his features contorted beyond recognition. He roared at the top of his lungs, "It's even more terrifying if you're with me!"
Fang Yilan stretched out his index finger and gently poked it into his ear, turned it, and strode towards the city gate, no longer paying attention to the frantic Zhou Ji behind him.
...
The atmosphere in front of the Hezhou city gate was tense.
A cavalryman galloped over, pulled the reins, and shouted, "General, this is bad! Lin Hongguang and Wang Chang have already led a hundred thousand Ruining troops towards Hezhou, and Fang Yilan's Linque cavalry are following them."
Suo Tai's teeth were chattering. He was leading a hundred thousand Xiling troops to Zeyang this time. There were only a few tens of thousands of soldiers left in Hezhou City. With such a small number of people, it was simply a fantasy to hold the city.
The subordinate beside him asked tentatively, "General, how about we turn back and strangle the Ruining army, and defend Hezhou with all our strength?"
If we go back now, it will take a lot of time to travel back and forth, and the food and grass will definitely be severely damaged. Even if we arrive, the army will be a group of tired soldiers after a long journey. How can we fight?
Going back directly would be like walking into a trap and putting yourself at a disadvantage.
The arrow is on the string and must be shot. We have no choice but to go down this road until the end.
Didn't Zeyang in front of him leave behind many troops? He wanted to see what Fang Yilan could use to defend the city.
He rode forward a few steps, raised his neck, and shouted at the city wall: "Fang Yilan, if you have any guts, get down here and have a good fight! What's the point of hiding in the city?"
After shouting for a while, seeing no movement from the city wall, Suo Tai continued to curse at the top of his voice: "Women are just cowards! Although your father and brother died under the sword of my Xiling army, they were still men of honor. Unlike you, you hide behind this city wall, dare not even fart, and you still have the nerve to lead the troops into battle?"
On top of the city wall, Fang Yilan stood leisurely, his elbows resting on the battlements, his left hand bent and placed beside his ear, a smile on his face, as if what was coming from below the wall was not bad words, but a series of compliments.
She nodded from time to time and agreed softly: "Yeah, yeah, that makes sense."
Zhou Ji, standing by, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan: "General, please don't provoke the Xiling people again. If you really make them angry and they all rush over, how can we resist them?"
Fang Yilan spread her hands with an innocent look on her face. "I praised him for what he said, how come it became my fault?"
Zhou Ji could only complain in his heart, if looks could kill, you, Fang Yilan, would have died thousands of times already.
Suo Tai in front of the battle line had already been unable to bear it any longer, his eyes were bloodshot, and then he waved his hand to give orders, the war drums sounded, and the 100,000 Xiling soldiers rushed towards the city gate like a black tide of anger, carrying murderous aura.
The Xiling Army launched a charge one after another.
Fang Yilan stood on the city wall, raised his arm and shouted, "Shoot!"
Thousands of arrows rained down from the city walls like a rainstorm, rushing towards the enemy.
The archers moved in unison, bending their bows, putting arrows on the bowstrings, and shooting arrows off the strings. When one group of archers had finished shooting, the next group of archers would immediately take their place, and another round of arrows would be shot out like an overwhelming rain, and this cycle would repeat itself.
A bloody mist rose from the walls below, but some Xiling soldiers still managed to break through the defenses and set up ladders. Fang Yilan ordered the sharp stones he had prepared to be thrown from the walls, knocking down one enemy soldier after another as they climbed up.
The Xiling Army was like a madman, regardless of life or death, climbing the ladders frantically, man on man. Each ladder was densely packed with soldiers, like a black ant colony struggling to move towards the top of the city wall.
Seeing that the enemy soldiers were about to successfully climb the city wall, Fang Yilan shouted loudly: "Release the battering ram!"
Dozens of thick logs were thrown out from the battlements of the city gate in an instant. The ropes on one end of the logs were cut off. The huge inertia made them like giant pendulums, drawing an arc in the air and sweeping away the enemy soldiers on the ladders.
Ladders were knocked to the ground, some snapping in half, sending soldiers tumbling down like raindrops. Below the city, Xi Ling's men were reporting on the battle situation, their voices filled with anxiety: "General, our army has suffered heavy casualties. If this continues..."
How could Suo Tai not know this? A fierce look flashed in his eyes: "Keep attacking!"
Even though Fang Yilan came up with many clever strategies, the gap in military strength between the two sides was too great, and the chasm was difficult to fill.
In the past few days, they had fought back and forth with the Xiling Army, but once the battle was prolonged, the Xiling Army gradually turned the tide of the battle by relying on its absolute overwhelming numbers.
On the city wall, the Zeyang soldiers defending the city fought bloody battles. Batches of wounded were carried away from the battlefield, and new soldiers replaced them to fill the gaps in the defense line.
Fang Yilan kicked down an enemy soldier who had just climbed up the city wall, and swept his spear across to knock down three more who were rushing towards him.
The wounds on his body had just healed a few days ago and were still aching slightly. His brows were twisted into a rope, and he held his spear high, still fighting hard in the enemy camp.
The wound on his abdomen was ruthlessly torn open several times, soaking his clothes.
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The author has something to say: After the next chapter, I will start to walk a love line (right? I will try my best [clown]
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