Jirhalang's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly stood up: "What? Have the Ming troops who were lying in ambush suddenly attacked?"
"How many men do they have? Tell me immediately!"
It turned out that he genuinely believed what those generals had said.
They really thought that tens of thousands of Ming soldiers were lying in ambush outside Kaesong.
As long as he attacks Zhang Xianzhong's small force, it will attract the Ming army to swarm in.
Thinking of this, Jirhalang felt somewhat smug.
"Hmph, although the Ming army has some skill in hiding, it's nothing but a petty trick, and it can't fool my eyes at all!"
He was smug for a while, but the messenger didn't speak, so he lowered his head and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
The soldier then smiled wryly:
"Reporting to my lord, the Ming army... is still the same few hundred men."
"How could that be!" Jirhalang naturally didn't believe it. "I asked how many troops were lying in ambush outside the city!"
The commander, on the verge of tears, hurriedly said:
"My lord, there really aren't any ambushes!"
"Those few hundred men who were stationed outside the city this morning have started their attack on us!"
Jirhalang was now quite confused.
Not to mention that there are still tens of thousands of Jurchen cavalry in Kaicheng.
Even if there were only tens of thousands of Goryeo soldiers in the city, those few hundred Ming soldiers would not be able to break through the city.
"What exactly is the Ming army up to?"
After hesitating for a moment, Jirhalang decided to see for himself.
"Come on, let's go to the city wall!"
He waved to the other generals, and then led them up the city wall of Kaesong.
Kaesong, as the capital of the previous Goryeo dynasty, was built to be quite magnificent.
Even though Goryeo's national strength has declined in recent years and it has been unable to repair the city walls, the walls are still very reliable.
Zhang Xianzhong slept almost the entire day, and by the time he led his troops to charge over, it was already close to evening.
Jirhalang looked at the darkening sky, then at the hundreds of Ming soldiers outside the city, and suddenly slapped his forehead.
"I understand!"
The Jurchen general behind him hurriedly asked, "Sir, what do you know?"
Jirhalang smiled smugly:
"Of course I understand the Ming army's deployment!"
"Hmph, these Ming soldiers must know that they are absolutely incapable of breaching our Kaesong, so they are resorting to tricks and schemes again."
"The Ming army outside is just bait. Once we can't hold back and charge out, the hidden Ming army will instantly attack!"
Upon hearing this, the generals exclaimed in admiration, "Sir, you have foresight! We think so too!"
Being flattered by these people made Jirhalang even more smug.
"Alright, pass on my orders: have all troops guard the city gates and absolutely not engage in battle."
As his orders spread, the Jurchens everywhere breathed a sigh of relief.
They also felt a sense of fear towards the Ming army.
"A mere few hundred men were able to kill Lord Nikan. If there were tens of thousands of Ming troops outside, wouldn't we have to defend the city to the death?"
"Hey, just a few years ago we were the ones dominating the Ming army! How come the tables have turned in just one year?"
"Enough of this nonsense, let's focus on defending the city!"
After a while of discussion, the Jurchen soldiers in various places fell silent and focused their attention on the area outside the city.
Meanwhile, the Ming troops who were approaching Kaesong were all on tenterhooks.
"If the Jurchens really break out, we'll all be doomed here."
Many people regret it.
"If I had known this would happen, I should have made an excuse last night and secretly stayed behind."
"Now look what's happened. Even if you've done a great service, what good is it if you lose your life here?"
As they approached the city walls, the Jurchen arrows from above could fall at any moment, fueling their growing discontent.
This also led to some anger towards Zhang Xianzhong.
"It's all because this kid has gone mad, insisting on attacking this city wall."
"Even if the Jurchens inside the city truly believe there's an ambush outside the city, which is why they dare not attack, surely we can escape at night if we can't run during the day?"
"To charge right under their noses like this is suicidal! The Jurchens have a bad temper!"
At this moment, Zhang Xianzhong suddenly burst into laughter.
He shouted at the top of the city wall, "You Jurchen bastard, why don't you come out and meet your grandfather Zhang Xianzhong?"
When the Ming soldiers heard that he dared to curse, they almost rushed over and covered his mouth.
"My lord, can't you just shut your mouth?"
But they did not expect that Jirhalang on the city wall, upon hearing Zhang Xianzhong's words, became even more certain.
There must be a large number of Ming troops lying in ambush outside the city.
He peeked out silently, looked around carefully, and then couldn't help but sigh:
"Hmph, the Ming army's ability to conceal themselves is indeed quite impressive."
Jirhalang bowed his head directly and smiled at Zhang Xianzhong:
"Don't bother, kid. I won't fall for your tricks."
"Don't think I haven't read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I know this is all your provocation!"
Zhang Xianzhong was actually quite angry after hearing this.
He stomped his foot angrily, cursing, "What kind of provocation is this? I'm genuinely looking for a fight with you, and you're too scared to even show your face?"
"You Jurchen slaves are all cowards!"
But the more he said that, the more certain Jirhalang became.
After scoffing a few times, he simply turned around, walked down the city wall, and went back to the palace in the city to rest.
"No matter what that kid outside says, you absolutely must not go into battle!"
"And you're not allowed to bother me."
"Call me only when the Ming army actually emerges and launches a full-scale attack on the city, understand?"
After giving a few instructions, Jirhalang left the city wall.
The other Jurchens naturally didn't care.
They looked at Zhang Xianzhong below the city walls without even uttering a word.
This infuriated Zhang Xianzhong.
"Have you ever heard the saying? A soldier must have backbone!"
"You all get out here right now!"
He started going crazy again.
But the Ming army behind him seemed to be in a dream.
"When did the Jurchens become so timid?"
"Even if they suspect there's an ambush outside the city, we're almost at the city gate. Even if they refuse to open the gates and fight, shouldn't they at least shoot us with their bows and arrows?"
"These Jurchens have really changed their ways!"
After their initial shock, they were overjoyed.
"If the Jurchens aren't going to fight, then it's the perfect time for us to retreat!"
Several Ming soldiers rushed over and grabbed Zhang Xianzhong, saying, "Lord Zhang, that's enough, we should retreat!"
Zhang Xianzhong hadn't had enough of cursing yet, and he said unhappily, "Why are you withdrawing now? Let me curse for another five yuan."
The other Ming soldiers couldn't understand what he was saying.
They said helplessly, "Sir, you've been cursing for so long, but there's been no reaction from the city walls. It's clear they're really afraid of you."
Zhang Xianzhong was somewhat pleased.
“I knew it; my name, Zhang Xianzhong, still holds some value.”
He patted his chest and said smugly:
"Alright, in that case, let's leave."
Amidst the shouts of tens of thousands of Jurchen soldiers, the Ming army slowly retreated southward.
It wasn't until they disappeared from sight that people realized what had happened.
"No, what about the Ming troops lying in ambush outside? Where did they all go?"
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