Tan Li, the garrison commander of Yanqi, had already anticipated the answer from the Uyghur Khan, Guli Peiluo. This seemingly superfluous attempt to "persuade" him to surrender was merely a way to demonstrate his benevolence.
When the fierce Uyghur general Azhar rode back to the Western Regions allied forces camp, he repeated the answer from the soldiers and civilians of Yanqi City in front of Gulipe Luo and the other generals of the Western Regions.
Riding on his Ferghana horse, Guli Peiluo sneered at the Western Region generals around him and said, "Gentlemen, did you all hear that?"
"Tan Li, the military commander of the Anxi Border Army in Yanqi City, is determined to oppose my Western Regions Allied Army. I gave them a chance, but they didn't cherish it!"
With that, Guli Peiluo sighed and continued, "Very well, since that's the case, you all need not have any more concerns!"
"I, the Khan, grant you permission to leave your weapons unsheathed for three days after the city falls. Whoever seizes the women, treasures, money, and provisions in Yanqi City first shall have them!"
"Pass down the order: Begin the siege!"
"Attack the city!"
As the Uyghur's top general, Azhar, and a group of Western Region allied army commanders loudly proclaimed the order for Gulipeiro to attack the city, they made sure that all the Western Region allied soldiers heard it clearly.
The siege of Yanqi City, which lasted for more than two months, finally entered its final battle on the nineteenth day of the twelfth lunar month of the first year of the Lingwu era of the Daxin Dynasty.
From the very beginning, the battle entered a fierce and intense phase.
The more than 50,000 Western Region barbarian troops outside Yanqi City, along with the remaining long-range siege weapons in the general's army, bombarded the walls of Yanqi City.
In an instant, countless fireballs doused with raging oil, giant arrows as thick as halberd shafts, and stones the size of an adult's embrace leaped and danced on the ruined walls of Yanqi.
This ancient city, which had stood on the Gobi Desert of the Western Regions for hundreds of years, was like an old man in his twilight years, teetering on the brink of collapse in the raging winds of the yellow sand, under the barbaric and frenzied attacks of the Western Regions barbarian army.
On the city wall, Tan Li, the commander of the defending army, had tears in his eyes and felt a deep sense of sorrow.
Under the cover of long-range weapons, the Western Region barbarian army outside the city swarmed towards the walls of Yanqi like a locust plague, using siege ladders to climb up.
boom!
Boom!
A deafening roar echoed in their ears—the sound of the Western Region barbarian army desperately pounding the gates of Yanqi with battering rams.
"General Tan—"
"We're here!"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from the city wall.
Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see the city's residents, dressed in coarse linen clothes, carrying roof beams, hoes, and even cooking utensils, all rushing up the walls of Yanqi.
The leader of the villagers shouted, "General Tan, the people of Yanqi City have torn down all the beams and doors of their houses to help General Tan and the Anxi border army defend the city!"
"Fellow villagers, let's fight those damned barbarians from the Western Regions!"
"Let's give it our all!"
For a time, the roars of the city's inhabitants echoed throughout the walls of Yanqi.
These civilians who dared to climb the city walls at this moment and live and die alongside the border soldiers defending the city were cowards and weaklings who preferred to die standing rather than live on their knees.
Although they were not as composed and adept as the well-trained border soldiers, when facing an enemy several times their size.
However, the addition of this new force was like a shot in the arm for the border troops defending the city, inspiring their indomitable fighting spirit.
They poured their anger and resentment into smashing beams, door panels, and even hoes and farm tools down on the Western Region barbarian army below the city.
The attacking Western Region barbarian army was thrown into disarray, suffering heavy casualties.
Hahaha!
Standing atop the city wall, Tan Li let out a final, wild laugh.
First, addressing the Yanqi people who had come to the aid of the city, he loudly promised, "Fellow villagers, on behalf of the soldiers of the Anxi Border Army, I, Tan Li, thank you all!"
"Once this battle is over, and I, Tan Liruo, am still alive, I will personally build houses for all of you!"
Then, he roared at the Anxi border troops defending the city: "Brothers of the Anxi border army, follow me! Killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus!"
"These barbaric Uyghurs dare to massacre the city after killing us all. Well, let's show them the tough backbone of the Anxi border army in Yanqi!"
"If you want to break through the city, first knock out that son of a bitch's teeth!"
"Kill them!"
The Anxi border troops defending the city fought with increasing ferocity, driving the Uyghur soldiers who had scaled the walls into retreat.
Perhaps only now have these Western Region barbarian soldiers who attacked the city realized that their idea of crossing Yanqi City with iron cavalry and scimitars to slaughter Han people was far too naive.
The resilience of the Han soldiers and civilians in Yanqi City far exceeded their expectations.
Even if we eventually manage to breach the city, we will inevitably pay a heavy price.
"Hazard!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
At this moment, the Uyghur Khan Guli Peiluo, who had been commanding from the front line, saw that Yanqi City, which could be taken with just one charge, had actually withstood the strong attack of the Uyghur army and caused the vanguard of the siege to retreat in defeat.
Guli Peiluo immediately ordered: "I, the Khan, command you to personally lead the Uyghur Imperial Guard. One hour from now, I want to see the flag of the Uyghur Khanate flying over the walls of Yanqi!"
"If you can't do it, you'll have to bring me your head!"
"Your subordinate obeys!"
Azhar immediately accepted the order, took command of the eight thousand Uyghur Imperial Guards, and charged towards Yanqi City against the retreating Uyghur army.
On Gulipeiro's sunken face, his greedy and fierce gaze never left Azar and the eight thousand Imperial Guards.
Only when the Imperial Guards soldiers, clad in Uyghur armor, continuously scaled the walls of Yanqi using siege ladders and engaged in fierce battles with the Anxi border troops defending the city, gradually eroding their formation, did a sinister smile appear on his lips.
Thump thump thump!
Thump thump thump!
Suddenly, in a daze, Gulipe Luo seemed to hear the faint sound of rolling hooves.
He turned to the side and looked around, only to find that the vast Gobi Desert was filled with endless yellow sand, swirling with the wind, and he couldn't see even a single horse.
Maybe I'm just hallucinating!
Similarly, on the city wall of Yanqi, Tan Li, who had fought fiercely and finally killed two Uyghur guards who had climbed the wall, seemed to hear the heavy and powerful sound of horses' hooves.
Looking up, all you can see is yellow sand swirling in the wind on the desolate Gobi Desert, without even a single horse in sight.
Tan Li couldn't help but smile bitterly, thinking that at this point, it was somewhat naive and laughable that they still had illusions about the arrival of reinforcements.
At this moment, the narrow Yanqi city wall was crowded with Uyghur guards who had climbed the wall.
Despite their valiant resistance, the Anxi border troops and the people of Yanqi were ultimately unable to withstand the all-out attack of the Western Region barbarian army, falling one after another under the enemy's scimitars and into pools of blood.
Tan Li retreated step by step towards the city gate tower, and finally took out the tinderbox he always carried with him.
Behind him were dozens of wooden barrels filled with flammable oil.
Tan Li stood alone on the city gate tower. What he saw before him was an enemy army that swarmed like locusts, and the Yanqi soldiers and civilians falling one after another in pools of blood.
He squinted, faced the wind, lit the tinder in his hand, and walked steadily toward the wooden barrel filled with flammable oil.
Thump thump thump!
Thump thump thump!
Just then, the faint sound of horses' hooves seemed to rise again in the distance.
Tan Li subconsciously stopped in his tracks, but with a wry smile on his face, he did not choose to turn back.
Until, a deafening, sky-piercing howl rang in their ears:
"The Dragon City army is here! You barbarian bastards from the Western Regions, dismount and face your death!"
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