Chapter 271 Yuan Army Night Attack
Time flies and soon it is New Year's Eve.
In previous years, even on New Year's Eve, there was not much festive atmosphere in Beihai Prefecture. After all, when survival was already very difficult, people did not have much energy to care about whether to celebrate the New Year or not.
But this year is different. The entire Beihai Prefecture seems to have come alive. Every household has posted red Spring Festival couplets, and New Year's goods can be sold in shops on the street.
Over the past few months, the people of Beihai Prefecture have made money. In addition to maintaining basic necessities for their families, they even have some surplus. They can buy a few feet of cloth at the end of the year to make new clothes for their children. If they grit their teeth, they can even buy a pound of mutton from Hua Yingxue's butcher shop.
The mutton was purchased from a Mongolian tribe. According to the butchers, the shop did not make any money and sold the mutton at almost the original price, just to provide some meat for the people in the city during the New Year.
No one disbelieves it. After all, the price is there. If you want to make money, it will definitely not be this price.
The children collected manure for a whole winter and saved some copper coins in their pockets. When they walked, the coins jingled against each other in their pockets, which made the children look proud.
Some people exchanged their copper coins for a few candies, while others gave them to adults for household necessities, which drew great praise...
Just when the entire Beihai Prefecture was immersed in the joyous atmosphere of the New Year, just after noon, the Shipbuilding Company took down the hanging red silk.
Two huge ships were quietly parked in the dock. They were strong and majestic, and were several stories high. Looking up at them would even make people feel shocked.
The shipyard is located close to the water. When the time comes, all they need to do is divert water and open the sluice gates in the dock, and the ship will be able to sail out and head straight for the river and the sea...
The entire shipbuilding company was cheering. After all, this was the result of all of their hard work day and night over the past few months.
Next to him, Dou Bao, the head of the Shipbuilding Department, was grinning and wiping his tears.
Damn it, Dou Bao can build ships again... He was born to build ships, not make furniture, wuwuwu...
Looking at these two huge ships, all the shipbuilders were moved to tears.
Shen Ning's face was full of smiles. He waved his hand and said loudly: "Reward, everyone, there will be a huge reward!"
The surroundings shouted like a tsunami: "Thank you, Princess..."
Everyone's face was filled with joyful smiles. The fishermen not far away from the shipyard couldn't help but laugh when they heard the cheers here.
After all, if Beihai Prefecture gets better and better, everyone will get better and better. I heard that the shipyard has built a big ship.
Once the big ships can go out to sea and sail, their seafood will be easier to sell.
The days are really getting more and more hopeful...
That night, Zhang Duo, the garrison commander of Beihai Prefecture, led his troops on an inspection tour.
Beihai Prefecture does not have high gates and thick walls like Liaodong Pass, and there are villages and towns scattered outside the city. Zhang Duo led his soldiers to patrol along the deserted roads, looking at the lights of Beihai Prefecture in the distance with mixed feelings.
Because of their different identities and responsibilities, Zhang Duo did not throw away the seal and quit with Nie Rang and others. Therefore, Nie Rang did not take him with him in the subsequent confrontation.
Although Zhang Duo had benefited a lot from Nie Rang in the past, because he was a rough military general, those people did not bring him with them when discussing important matters. Zhang Duo also knew that Nie Rang was only trying to win him over to make things easier.
That was why he was lucky enough to escape the disaster.
At this moment, looking at Beihai Prefecture, which finally had the atmosphere of human life, Zhang Duo actually felt a little touched.
The Beihai Prefecture used to be like a purgatory on earth where the Ghost King sucked the marrow out of the bones, with zombies, hungry souls and evil spirits living in it. But now, the Beihai Prefecture was suddenly filled with human life, as if it had been pulled out of hell.
Suddenly Zhang Duo remembered how he felt when he was convicted and demoted to Beihai Prefecture... He was once full of passion, but later he was worn away by the cold, dead, barren and desolate Beihai Prefecture.
At this moment, the tip of Zhang Duo's ears suddenly moved, and he subconsciously raised his hand and clenched his fist. The team behind him hurriedly stopped and looked at each other.
Zhang Duo got off the horse, put his ear to the ground, and then suddenly opened his eyes wide.
"A large group of cavalry is approaching... Silence."
He asked the patrol troops behind him to wait there, and he took a few people and rushed forward quickly. When they reached some big trees, they climbed up directly.
The moon was dim and the stars were sparse. Everything in the distance was indistinct. All we could see were the bare winter tree trunks and branches... Wait, those weren't branches, they were... spears and flagpoles!
Zhang Duo's mind went blank for a moment. At this moment, the soldiers in the tree next to him also cried out in a low voice: "General, there are so many people, so many people!"
The densely packed army, which seemed to have no end in sight, was quietly approaching Beihai Prefecture on New Year's Eve!
Zhang Duo's heart was beating violently, and the next moment, he signaled those people to slide down the tree with him.
"Scud, take a few people back to Beihai Prefecture City and report the Yuan Dynasty army's invasion..."
"General, I want to go with you."
Zhang Duo shouted angrily, "Go back and report the news. Today is New Year's Eve. If the city defenses are relaxed, the entire Beihai Prefecture will be finished. What's the point of you staying here?"
The subordinate was kicked. With red eyes, he wiped away his tears, climbed onto his horse, turned around and galloped back with a few people.
"The rest of the people..."
Zhang Duo glanced at his silent subordinates behind him and said through gritted teeth, "My brothers' families are all in Beihai Prefecture. You've seen these days that people can survive in Beihai Prefecture... We are not doing this for others, but for our own families."
Without saying much, Zhang Duo raised his sword and said, "Follow me to meet the enemy, even if it means buying a moment for the city."
"yes!"
The next moment, a patrol team of less than 300 people followed Zhang Duo and rode forward... Not far ahead was the Yuan army of tens of thousands.
Shen Ning didn't expect that Zhang Duo would actually go forward like this. Knowing that it was almost a death sentence, he led his men to go forward like this.
In fact, she could guess Zhang Duo's purpose: these hundreds of people were no match for the Yuan army, but as long as the two sides engaged in close combat, the Yuan army would no longer be able to approach Beihai Prefecture quietly.
In this way, Beihai City can deploy defenses and respond as soon as possible.
Previously, Zhang Duo and Nie Rang were in cahoots with each other and were corrupt. Shen Ning had a very bad impression of this man, but he was lucky. There was no evidence of his involvement in many things, so he had not been dealt with for the time being.
But I didn't expect that in today's situation, he would rush out like this...
Shen Ning lamented the complexity of human nature countless times.
She made a gesture while riding on her horse, and Er Yue led a group of dozens of people to follow in the dark, while Chen Ning led the rest of the people to retreat to the main road leading to Beihai Prefecture.
There were wildernesses on both sides of the road, and the soldiers she brought were digging holes quickly in the wilderness.
Dig a pit three or two at a time, it doesn't need to be very deep, and dig in a staggered manner while retreating...
On the other side, Zhang Duo stopped right in front of the Yuan army.
The Yuan army waited until New Year's Eve of the Daxuan Dynasty to launch a surprise attack, preparing to catch the enemy off guard.
They had no intention of attacking Liaodong Pass, they just wanted to take over the small Beihai Prefecture... Once they captured Beihai Prefecture, they would guard it with heavy troops and transport coal at the same time.
At that time, the Tatars behind will also cooperate and take the opportunity to send troops to attack.
With the Tatar army approaching, the Liaodong Pass defenders did not dare to act rashly to support Beihai Prefecture... They had enough time to plunder the coal mountain in Beihai Prefecture cleanly.
Anyway, there are so many unpaid laborers in Beihai City, working day and night, it doesn’t matter if they die of exhaustion!
But at this moment, there was movement from the vanguard army, followed by the sound of fighting.
Discovered!
The Yuan army generals felt a little regretful, but they didn't take it to heart, as they were very close to Beihai Prefecture.
At this distance, the Beihai City defenders simply couldn't do anything to the Yuan Dynasty's army...
"Charge! Charge into Beihai Mansion. Everything you grab will belong to you. Kill!"
The general roared, and the Yuan army rushed forward like a tide...
Zhang Duo gripped the long knife tightly in his hand, his forehead covered with cold sweat.
All his arrows had been shot. He hadn't remembered how many years it had been since he had seen such an overwhelming army. His legs were trembling slightly... However, he didn't retreat.
He was also a brave soldier who had fought on the battlefield before. He... had also been on the battlefield!
"Everyone listen up, kill!"
At the command, Zhang Duo rode his horse forward and charged forward... facing the overwhelming Yuan army, like a moth to a flame...
The soldiers behind him had pale faces, and some were even crying for their mothers, but everyone followed Zhang Duo and rushed out.
They are the soldiers of the Daxuan Dynasty!
them……
“Boom! Boom!”
A rumbling explosion sounded without warning, and several flames exploded in the Yuan army formation. The Yuan army general's face suddenly changed, and then he gritted his teeth.
Thunderball! Thunderball! Thunderball again!
Ever since the Daxuan Dynasty had this thing, it has been used everywhere... Last time, it blew the Tatar cavalry so badly that they didn't even recognize their own mothers!
Isn’t it said that the production of thunder bombs is low? Isn’t it said that thunder bombs are only available within the Liaodong Pass? How come they are available in the small Beihai Prefecture?
Isn't there inside information that Princess Yong'an didn't bring many thunder bombs with her when she came to Beihai Prefecture, and the few she had were used up on the Mongolian grasslands... Moreover, how did they know that the Yuan Dynasty army would take action today?
Could it be that Gou Daxuan has been keeping an eye on their Da Yuan?
Okay, okay, it turns out that the Great Xuan Dynasty also has evil ambitions. That’s good, then let’s fight it out. I don’t believe that your thunder bomb can stop the surging Yuan Dynasty army!
Thunderbolt bombs are thrown by catapults, which are not flexible enough to explode large ships on water. They may be extremely powerful, but their Yuan cavalry are as fast as lightning. Can your catapult be so flexible?
"Charge, charge at full speed!"
At the command of the Yuan army general, the Yuan cavalry rushed forward like thunder and lightning...
Just as Zhang Duo and the Beihai army behind him were about to be swallowed up by the Yuan army, he suddenly heard a loud shout: "Move! The princess has ordered us to retreat!"
After Er Yue and his group approached on horseback, they each took out a pitch-black object from the cloth bag on the side of the horse. After pulling something out with a hissing sound, they raised their hands and threw it into the vanguard of the Yuan army.
The next moment, flames exploded in the Yuan army's vanguard...
Er Yue turned around and ordered: "Retreat!"
Zhang Duo was still a little stunned. After being whipped on the horse's butt, he was carried by the horse and galloped back with Er Yue and his group.
The soldiers behind him turned around and followed, each of them still a little dazed, but also felt it was very exciting.
It turns out that Princess Yong'an was well prepared... Does that mean she doesn't have to die today?
No one is not afraid of death, and of course no one wants to die if they can avoid it!
Zhang Duo followed Er Yue and the others back, feeling mixed emotions...
At the beginning, he followed Nie Rang and others to target and exclude Princess Yong'an. Under the previous circumstances, if Princess Yong'an was willing, she could just sit back and watch him die as cannon fodder in the hands of the Yuan army, and eliminate him as a dissident without any effort.
He thought that if Nie Rang and his men were in his place, they would definitely do the same.
But Princess Yong'an sent someone to rescue him...
"Did the princess foresee this?"
Zhang Duo asked loudly, and he felt that Princess Yong'an was more and more unfathomable. No wonder she could easily eliminate Nie Rang and other officials who had been entrenched in Beihai Prefecture for many years.
But he was still worried: "The Yuan Dynasty army has tens of thousands of people. Beihai Prefecture is not as strong as Liaodong Pass. I am afraid it will not be able to hold it. Does the princess have any good plan?"
February still ignored him.
Zhang Duo understood the situation and stopped talking, just running back.
Soon, he saw another group of soldiers, who were well-equipped and obviously the Princess's Mansion troops. Seeing their group of several hundred people approaching, the more than one hundred palace soldiers began to move.
Zhang Duo couldn't see clearly, he only saw those people disperse. After they passed by, everyone lined up in a row, riding on horseback, bending over and placing something in the wasteland on both sides of the road.
It was like a prairie barbarian's equestrian performance, getting up and down on the horse's back...
Those people moved quickly and set up a large area far along the road. Zhang Duo's heart was beating violently and he felt inexplicably excited.
A moment later, they saw those people rushing back a distance, and then they repeated their old tricks and began to deploy on both sides of the road again...
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