Although they had the arrows that Wang Wu and his men had brought over yesterday, they were almost gone after last night's consumption. Even with the arrows on the straw on the city wall, they could only hold out for one more tough battle at most, and it was still unknown when their reinforcements would arrive.
The young men mobilized by the government could only risk leaving the city to retrieve the arrows near the city gate when the enemy retreated.
Han Zhongyu also went to the government office to seek help from the places he could find, and sent another letter asking for assistance. At the same time, he also sent a letter to Yi Shuihan to ask about the situation there.
Given their relationship, if Yi Shuihan knew about his situation, he would surely send troops to support him. The fact that no one came from his side only means that things weren't easy for him either.
Han Zhongyu suddenly felt worried, but he was powerless to do anything about it!
As Han Zhongyu had predicted, Yi Shuihan was also caught off guard and attacked by a 100,000-strong Northern Yan army. Even though he had not relaxed his defenses, the 100,000-strong army suddenly appeared and was right under his nose overnight.
Originally, it was a battle of 100,000 against 100,000. Although the response was hasty, they quickly stabilized the situation and refused to give up an inch of ground.
But after two days of fighting, reinforcements from Northern Yan arrived!
They reinforced their troops by another 50,000 and headed straight for Longbozi Ridge. Longbozi Ridge, with a total of only 20,000 troops, was about to fall and sent a plea for help.
Now, Yi Shuihan was in a difficult position. He not only had to deal with the enemy forces in front of him, but also had to send some troops to support Changbozi Ridge. By the time he discovered that Hangu Pass was also in imminent danger, he himself was already in dire straits.
When Yi Shuihan learned that Hangu Pass had fallen and that Tianshui City was actually being defended by Han Zhongyu and Xie Yushu, he was so anxious that he almost vomited blood.
These two, one a civil official and the other a woman, are practically throwing their lives away!
However, Yuwen Jiannan, who was facing him, was like a madman, constantly challenging and charging. He was also in a state of chaos. If it weren't for the batch of repeating crossbows that he had to make up for the lack of troops, he might have died for his country like the generals at Hangu Pass.
He couldn't care less about Han Zhongyu's side now; he could only secretly pray that they didn't lack crossbows and could hold out for a few more days, and that God would bless them so that they could survive.
It wasn't until he received Han Zhongyu's letter that he felt relieved and almost cried with joy. Knowing that Han Zhongyu was also facing difficulties, he told him about the situation on his side and also mentioned his suspicion that the other side might be a premeditated multinational coalition.
He also told them to take care of themselves and to make sure they were alive to wait for him to drink with him.
At the same time, Xiao Yi's narrow pass was also nearly breached.
The one who launched the surprise attack on Yixiantian was Lang Qing, the most valiant general under the Rouran general Abuzan.
Lang Qing led an army of 20,000 and 300 wolf riders to launch a surprise attack on Yixiantian. Their plan was to rush in from Yixiantian, circle around into the interior of Daqi, and cut off Daqi's reinforcements and supplies.
Fortunately, although Xiao Yi was somewhat oblivious when it came to women, he was, after all, a seasoned general. He reacted quickly to the sudden attack and, taking advantage of the terrain, launched a brilliant counterattack.
In particular, the archers he trained were incredibly accurate, hitting their targets every time. In the immediate aftermath of the surprise attack, these skilled archers rushed to the high ground.
From their high vantage point, they had a clear view of the Rouran's entire operation. They targeted those in command and skilled individual fighters, especially the wolves they had released, which became their primary objective.
So, before the pack of wolves could even run wild, several of them were shot dead with arrows.
The Rouran's proud wolf soldiers were shot half to death by Xiao Yi's archers shortly after entering the camp.
The enemy's morale was also greatly affected.
Therefore, the battle at Yixiantian changed from a surprise attack to a stalemate.
Meanwhile, the main force of the Rouran, Abuzan, was sent to contain the 100,000-strong army of General Zhang Jiuying, the Great Qi border guard force, located 100 miles east of Yixiantian.
Their original plan was for Abuzan to lead 80,000 main troops in a feigned attack to contain Zhang Jiuying's army, while their real hope was that Lang Qing could tear a gap in the narrow pass.
As it turned out, they had never fought against Xiao Yi and underestimated his abilities, which was a miscalculation. Instead, Abuzan's 80,000-strong army was completely suppressed.
Abuzan was furious; he had never fought such a frustrating battle before.
According to their plan, he shouldn't have been suppressed right away. The problem was that Zhang Jiuying's army actually had repeating crossbows.
They suffered a great loss as soon as they started fighting.
It was precisely Abuzan's unsuccessful start that gave Daqi a chance to recover.
However, this opportunity was fraught with twists and turns.
This brings us to Chu Mingzhu, who initially disliked Xiao Yi's two beautiful concubines and insisted on coming with Xiao Yi to guard the border.
Logically speaking, since Xiao Yi was a general guarding the border, Chu Mingzhu, as a family member, should have stayed in the capital, ostensibly to manage the general's mansion for Xiao Yi, but in reality, she was a hostage in the capital.
However, Xiao Yi's two concubines were pregnant and it was inconvenient for them to accompany the army. Chu Mingzhu also disliked them and was anxious because her own belly was not showing any signs of pregnancy. So, she left the two concubines in the capital to guard the general's mansion, and instead came to Yixiantian with Xiao Yi.
However, no women were allowed in the military camps. All the generals' families, concubines, and other female relatives lived in a small town thirty miles south of Yixiantian.
When the soldiers change shifts and rest, I will go to the town to meet them.
Xiao Yi has a two-courtyard siheyuan in the small town. Chu Mingzhu lives there. Except for the fact that her living place is not as luxurious as the general's mansion, her food and daily necessities are just as good. She also brought her maids and servants with her.
There were no concubines to antagonize her here. Lately, not only had her relationship with Xiao Yi improved, but with no one of higher status than her, she became the center of attention and became even more self-important.
She would often summon several of Xiao Yi's concubines to fawn over her, or she would go out arrogantly to show off her status.
Now almost everyone within a radius of dozens of miles knows that she is from the General's Mansion.
When Zhang Jiuying and Xiao Yi's forces, having made no progress in their long-term attack, were driven to desperation, they dispatched a small, valiant team of over a hundred men to enter through the secluded and treacherous Bewitching Valley, located east of the First Line of Sky.
The terrain of Mihungou is strange. Although it is in the north, it is a depression. Because it is surrounded by high mountains, the feng shui is blocked and does not flow, forming a rare swamp.
Not only is it a trap, but it is also filled with poisonous gas and miasma all year round. Moreover, there are no trees inside, and even the grass is taller than a person. Once you go in, you basically can't get out. That's why the locals call this place the Bewitching Valley.
It means that once you go in, you're bewitched and can't get out.
But the Rouran have already sent troops this time. They can only win, not lose. They must break through the Great Qi's defenses at all costs. Sending these hundred-plus people is like sending a suicide squad!
A few members of this small team were lucky enough to manage to escape through the maze-like ditch. However, out of 160 people, only 18 made it out, and they all managed to escape near the town.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
