The bodyguards turned their horses around in panic and fled in the direction they came from.
However, the rain of arrows did not stop, and several more people were shot off their horses, and their wailing sounds echoed in the night sky.
Tuoba Lie clenched his teeth, the anger in his heart almost swallowed him.
He looked back at the tightly closed city gate, a fierce look flashed in his eyes:
"Damn it, who gave the fake news? A spy! Take him out and chop him up!"
"Chief, please spare me, Chief, please spare me..."
…
At the same time, there was a completely different scene inside the city gate.
The torches were bright, lighting up the city walls as if it were daytime.
Yang Sheng was tied up and kneeling on the ground, his face full of fear.
There were several soldiers standing around him, holding long swords and with cold eyes.
Xia He walked over slowly with his men, expressionless.
"What else do you have to say?"
Yang Sheng was trembling all over, and his lips were shaking as he said:
"Master Xia... I... I was forced! They captured my wife and children, I... I had to do this!"
Xia He sneered, without a trace of pity in his eyes: "Your wife and children are human beings, but the tens of thousands of people in the city are not human beings? Are you going to let the whole city be buried with you for the sake of your family?"
The centurion was speechless and could only lower his head, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Okay, stop pretending. Your wife and children will be taken care of by others from now on. Don't worry."
Xia He didn't look at him again, turned around and said to the soldier beside him:
"Take him away and wait for General Shan's decision."
The soldiers responded and dragged Yang Sheng away.
As for this damn property? Even if there is no credit for it, it is still hard work at this late hour, so I can only accept it with a smile!
"Brother He, this bastard is really rich! There are thousands of taels of silver in his family, not to mention jewelry, calligraphy and paintings."
"You can't take it all. How about this? You give us fifty taels of silver. That's in accordance with the rules. We'll split the rest."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the people under his command turned red!
Where can I find such a good superior!
…
Over the next two days, the battle became increasingly fierce.
Under the city wall, corpses were piled up like mountains, blood dyed the ground red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood and burnt food.
The barbarian soldiers rushed up like crazy, regardless of their lives.
Although the resistance of the Great Wall defenders was tenacious, their casualties continued to increase.
On the first day, the casualties of the defenders were kept within a few hundred people, but by the second day, the number had exceeded one thousand.
Almost all the soldiers on the city wall were injured. Some had their arms cut off, but they continued to fight after simple bandages.
By the third day, the situation had worsened.
The other two barbarian tribes, which had been keeping their troops inactive, also joined the siege.
Their joining made the barbarians' offensive more fierce and the pressure on the defenders on the city walls doubled.
Xia He stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the enemies surging like a tide in the distance.
The reason why the barbarians are so crazy is that they are running out of food and grass. If they don't break into the city and loot, they will probably eat people next.
On the morning of the fourth day, the soldiers on the city wall were exhausted to the extreme.
The armor was badly damaged and the weapon in his hand had long been blunted.
The air was filled with smoke and the smell of burning and blood.
The soldiers' eyes revealed deep fatigue, even numbness.
They watched as the bodies of their comrades were carried down the city wall one after another, but they had no time to bury them because new battles could break out at any time.
"Brother He, the wounded have all been moved down."
"Well, you've worked hard. You and San'er go eat something and take a nap. I'll watch over here."
At this moment, there was a sudden sound of hurried horse hooves from behind.
A horse came galloping over. The man on the horse had a mustache and a handsome face, but he looked a bit arrogant.
He came to the foot of the city, looked up at the tragic scene on the city wall, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by disdain.
He dismounted and walked straight toward the military tent.
Inside the military tent, a group of generals were sitting together, discussing strategies for defending the city.
Seeing this person coming in, everyone stood up. The man bowed slightly and introduced himself:
"I am the military commander of the Hexi vassal general, and I have come to discuss military affairs with you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a whisper was heard in the tent.
Everyone thought he was coming for reinforcements, and just as a glimmer of hope rose in their hearts, they heard his next words:
"The general has ordered that you all just need to withdraw from the Great Wall, and our army will take over this place. This way, you can save your lives and buy time for our army. When the barbarians become complacent, we can surround them and annihilate them in one fell swoop."
There was an uproar in the tent. A centurion with a bloodstained face suddenly slammed the table and shouted angrily:
"Bullshit! We fought so hard here, and so many of our brothers died, and you come to pick up the ready-made things? Withdraw from the Great Wall? Then all the blood we shed these days will be in vain!"
The military commander sneered, his expression becoming even more sarcastic:
"Why are you all so excited? This place is not an important place, so it's okay to give it up for now."
"As long as the overall situation in Hexi is stable, we will be able to recover it in the future. Besides, the barbarians will surely be too proud of themselves after they have captured the city. If our army then surrounds them, won't it be twice as effective with half the effort?"
Xia He saw this scene as soon as he arrived.
I just thought it was ridiculous.
Don’t these people understand the principle that the lips and teeth are interdependent?
The generals of the Hexi vassal state were reluctant to send troops, simply because they wanted to reap the benefits while others were still playing.
Not only do they want to grab the credit, but they also want to take this opportunity to suppress the power of the prince's faction.
As for the lives of the people, they did not consider them at all.
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