the enlightener says

Chapter 765 City Gate

On the top of the city, Qin Ke stood on the crenel and looked into the distance. The wind in the distance fluctuated like his state of mind, while the fire in the barracks was still bright even in the daytime. The trees were felled, peeled, filed, and finally gradually Gathered together, they became ugly but terrifying monsters one after another, as if they would suddenly start moving at the next moment, rushing towards the city gate.

As Abu said, Gao Changgong's army came lightly, so naturally they didn't carry any heavy equipment, and even the dozens of chariots were captured from Sun Yi, but in such a siege, it would be better to dismantle the existing ones. Firewood works.

"Although there are more than [-] people, most of them are county soldiers and civilian husbands. How are they going to break through this city?" Qin Ke said softly.

Abu, who was standing beside him, had already stared at him for a long time, but still shook his head, regretfully finding that he could not predict Gao Changgong's movements at all.

"At least with my ability, I can't do it." Abu said, "But since Chang Gong...brother dares to come, he naturally has his plan."

"What if he directly forcibly storms the city gate with the cultivation level of a saint?" Qin Ke suddenly thought of this possibility, but then laughed and said, "That's right, let's not say that he has not yet obtained a saint with his cultivation level. There are so many heavy ballistas defending the city, even a saint can't bear it."

Abu also laughed together, hugging each other's shoulders, like a pair of brothers connected by blood.

"I'm going to leave in a while, so I'll leave this place to you. Don't die, or... I really don't have many friends left." Qin Ke said with a restrained smile.

Of course Abu knew that he was talking about Zhang Mingqi who died in Kangzhou. Thinking of the playboy who was always against him and then became friends with him is now buried on the mountain outside the city, his nose felt a little sour for a while, but he still Solemnly said: "At least until the city is broken, I will not die."

But after the city is broken, no one knows what will happen next.

Qin Ke nodded, let go of his hand, and complained: "At first I thought I would defend the city with you, but Mr. Zhou still arranged for me to work in the school office, making me seem to be hiding behind you." You look like a coward... Although I don't deny that I am a coward, but..."

"It's okay." Abu pressed Qin Ke's shoulder, knowing that this friend wanted to prove something, but he was satisfied with this heart, and smiled: "The inside and outside of the city are equally important, and there will be opportunities to face each other again in the future." enemy."

The two finally exchanged a smile, and then Qin Ke didn't stay any longer, and quickly left the city, his figure flashed away around the corner.

But Abu turned his head again, walked into the city tower, stood side by side with Zhu Ran who was planning to defend the city, and began to discuss.

"Vats must be buried on the edge of the city wall. Although I don't think the general will dig tunnels, it is always right to guard against them." Zhu Ran, who has been in the army for many years and is already older than Gao Changgong, has now shown his strength. He looked a little old, and there was even a layer of frost on his temples, which made him look a little more desolate.

In fact, Zhu Ran didn't have so many gray hairs before, but after Gao Changgong's rebellion was confirmed, Abu knew that this person who had been intimate with Gao Changgong on the battlefield was also suffering.

"General, it looks like they will attack at noon." Abu tried his best to calmly say, "Should we do something? The law of war says 'to defend a big city, you must fight in the field'. Let go?"

Zhu Ran had just arranged things. Hearing Abu's words, he said with some relief: "Yes, I thought that you would be timid and afraid to fight against the general, but now it seems that I underestimated you too much. But after the field battle I still disagree. Although the city must be defended in the field, most of those who stay in the city are soldiers who are good at defending the city and not good at attacking the enemy. The general has more than [-] Qingzhou ghost riders. , It means that we have abandoned our strengths to attack others' weaknesses."

"Furthermore, General Huang is out on an expedition, out of the city, who can stand up to the general's edge? If he really comes to kill the general among thousands of horses and horses, I'm afraid our morale will definitely be great. Minus. Although building a city and defending yourself seems clumsy, it is always better to have a large formation than to fight in the field."

Regarding the formation under Jianye City, in fact, Zhu Ran only really knew about it recently. After being shocked, he also realized that this formation can be said to be the biggest barrier in Jianye City.

Gao Changgong's cultivation level has reached Yasheng, and almost no one can be his opponent. Without this large formation, he can go to the battlefield in person and break through the thick city gate single-handedly. The wailing shook the sky, and this Jing Wu was not far from subjugation.

"Of course, you can also think that I, Zhu, are timid and dare not confront the general. This is not wrong." Zhu Ran smiled.

"The general was joking. On the battlefield, it's about taking advantage of the situation. It's not about gangsters fighting for power." Abu also laughed. In fact, he listened fascinatedly just now, and he also supported Zhu Ran's judgment, but he also had some worries in his heart. , and finally sighed, "I don't know what will happen to Jing Wu after this incident, and what will happen to Brother Chang Gong."

"This is the prime minister's business. It is enough for us to bear our responsibilities." Zhu Ran patted Abu on the shoulder.

A low-pitched horn sounded in the distance, and soon someone ran into the city tower and said to Zhu Ran, "General, the enemy army has begun to attack the city."

Zhu Ran was slightly startled, and after looking at Abu, he said, "How fast did you come?"

But in the current situation, he didn't care too much, and directly led the people to the top of the city, looking through the crenel to the more than ten phalanxes that had already formed.

In the frontmost phalanx are county soldiers holding swords and shields. Although these county soldiers have not experienced war, they have been trained after all, and the pace of the formation is very orderly.

As the sound of war drums and horns changed, these people began to raise their shields over the top and approached the city wall continuously. Behind them, the infantrymen and the peasants pushing the carts looked at the towering city head, and their expressions were obviously a little flustered. But under the military order, he had to move on.

Above the cart are placed wooden planks and thick long logs. The wooden wheels sunken deep in the soil are enough to show their weight, but at the same time, such heavy objects can also become natural shelters against bows and arrows.

Zhu Ran on the top of the city didn't think so, and said: "I have built a moat of more than ten feet, and I want to build roads on it. I am afraid that not many of these peasants will survive."

Abu looked at the panic-stricken peasants, and couldn't bear it, but he also knew that the two sides were rivals, so he could only look at the archers on the top of the wall and say, "Ying!"

As soon as the words fell, all the archers on the top of the city had already put their arrows on the bowstring, and the bowstring was half stretched.

The little leeway left is just to save some energy, and the arrow shot from the top of the city already has a terrifying force of falling, which is enough to penetrate the seemingly hard and thick cowhide armor and penetrate into the chest.

"...Wait." At this moment, Abu issued a somewhat hasty order, "Put down the bow and arrow! Don't shoot yet!"

Without his order, the archers at the top of the city could no longer continue to pull the strings.

This is of course not because of fear, but at this moment, the enemy phalanx stopped suddenly outside the range of the arrows, and at the same time, countless people from the enemy barracks were also driven out, running towards the front from the gap in the army formation .

These running people were either ragged or old, and some even held children. Facing the spears behind them, they screamed in panic and crowded forward.

"It's the people around..." Abu swallowed, and subconsciously shouted, "Open the city gate! Let them in..."

"Don't open the city gate!"

Abu's words were interrupted by a violent cry, and he couldn't help but look at Zhu Ran beside him in surprise: "General, these are all the people of my Jingwu..."

"This is the last barrier of Jingwu!" Zhu Ran's forehead burst out with blue veins, and his ferocious face looked very scary. A hand that was tightly holding the corner of the crenel unconsciously exerted force, and it turned out that it directly broke a piece from it. Gravel comes.

"It's easy to let them in, but have you thought about the consequences once you open the city gate? How many enemy troops are mixed with these people? Do you know?"

"But let us watch these people die? They have no home. If Jianye doesn't open the door again, once war starts, they will be stepping stones on the battlefield!"

"Remember! Abu!" Zhu Ran stared, his voice was like a tiger and leopard, and Abu subconsciously took a step back. "If you take one step back, the enemy will advance ten steps. If you take ten steps back, the enemy will die!" Will make a hundred steps forward! If a general is a woman with benevolence, he will only lose his teacher and humiliate the country! But this country is not ours, it belongs to the common people! Doing things for your own pleasure is a taboo!"

While the two were talking, the people in the city had already run to the edge of the moat, and the people in the front row even fell into the river directly because of the crowding and shoving in the back row. Swim to the other side.

"Open the door, we are all civilians, we have no weapons!"

"Open the door, my lord, give our mothers a way to survive, and I will definitely repay you in the future..."

Countless voices gathered together, like a pot of boiling water, poured directly on the hearts of everyone at the top of the city. The person in charge of the city gate was a little at a loss, but just looked at Zhu Ran , Want to say something but dare not speak.

Abu looked at the faces in the city, his heart was twisted like a knife, and he almost wanted to trigger the gun himself, but Zhu Ran remained silent like a rock, and his body also cooled down a little bit...

Chapter 766 The Black Pot and the Old Soldier

There has been no response from the top of the city, the city gate has been refusing to open for a long time, and the original hopes of the people below are constantly being annihilated in such a passage of time.

Being coerced by the army all the way, their spirits were already on the verge of collapse. Under such circumstances, many people began to curse, and their resentful eyes were like sharp arrows, so that the soldiers on the top of the city dared not look at each other.

It is foreseeable that these 2000 people are like ants standing between the two armies. Once the war drum is sounded again, their begging or cursing will turn into tragic cries in an instant, and the people under the city will also cry. Turned into a hell on earth.

Abu stared blankly at the city, feeling that he could not hold the halberd in his hand, and his bitter voice also expressed the aspirations of many soldiers: "In order to defend Jingwu, more than 2000 people are required to die... What is going on? ……What kind of?"

He had already made such a difficult decision more than two years ago in order to prevent the spread of the plague, but he did not expect that today, he faced far more difficulties than last time.

Zhu Ran looked at the people, and after a long silence, he suddenly seemed to have made up his mind and said, "Let the arrows go."

Abu was startled again, but Zhu Ran didn't finish his sentence: "Don't shoot people, shoot in the gap, even in the moat, it's better to drive them away."

Seeing that the archers were still standing there without moving, he said loudly again: "Are you all deaf? Listen!"

After all, Zhu Ran had made a statement in Jianye for a long time, so under his order, scattered feather arrows quickly fell towards the city, continuously shooting towards the people who were supposed to be protected by them.

The archers at the top of the city are all from the Jianye camp. Naturally, their archery skills are different from those who only train during the slack season, half farmers and half soldiers, so most of the feathered arrows just pass through the sides of the people, and some fall. into the moat, and some directly plunged into the ground, making a muffled sound.

But the people below the city were really many and chaotic, and some arrows still fell directly on the people, but from the eyes of the people below the city, the black shadow falling on the top of the city was scary enough, and the woman holding the child suddenly let out a shriek. Shouting, the crowd became more and more chaotic.

"General... what are you doing?"

Abu looked at the man lying on the ground with an arrow in his thigh with an ugly expression. His body was overwhelmed by the chaotic people in just a few breaths. Countless feet stepped on the body that had already lost its breath. Flee towards the way.

But this was just one of them. After a shower of arrows fell, the people finally began to flee in despair. At least thirty people died while pushing and trampling each other.

The young child lost his mother and stood in the crowd crying loudly. The old man couldn't have more strength to swim across the moat, struggled in the water and stretched out his hands, but couldn't live in any life-saving things.

Crying, cursing, and begging for mercy gathered together, making the hands of the archers at the top of the city tremble.

"If they stay here, everyone will die, but if they escape back, most people will live." Zhu Ran's face was ashen, but he still refused to let the archer stop.

"They were driven here in the first place. How could they survive without a way out?" Abu still couldn't understand.

But the fact is just as Zhu Ran expected, when these people fled back, what greeted them was not a rain of swords, guns and arrows, Gao Changgong's army directly let go of the road, allowing the people to rush back to the barracks, even if they fled in all directions , nor pursued.

"The general and Xiang Chu have never been the same people. Xiang Chu enjoys raising troops to attack and kill wantonly. The general's style of using troops is the opposite. He never procrastinates and does useless things." Zhu Ran said, "If you still don't understand , Just look at the faces of these county soldiers and civilians."

Abu narrowed his eyes slightly. Although he was far away, the physique of a practitioner at the level of a small master was far superior to that of ordinary people, which was enough for him to see clearly the gloomy faces under the helmets of the county soldiers in the front row. The tragic situation, I am afraid that as long as a person with blood is preserved, there will be some sympathy and indignation.

And Abu suddenly understood from the hostile faces that Gao Changgong's trip was under the name of "Qingjun side". Doesn't the act of driving out the people just fit the image of a "rebellious minister"?

The will of these county soldiers is not very strong, and they are sandwiched between Gao Changgong and Jianye City. He regards Gao Changgong who has taken in the people again as a real good person.

"It's just a seemingly simple and unstructured move, which stabilized the morale of the army..." Abu felt a little cold in his heart, and finally convinced that the coach opposite him was his former brother, because apart from him, I am afraid that few people have such resourcefulness.

But what really makes Abu feel sad is that Gao Changgong would not implement it even if he knew that such a strategy was feasible, because he is the guardian of Jingwu, even if he is a commoner, he will try his best to protect it. , rather than using them as tools.

"In this way... General, I'm afraid you will get a bad reputation." Abu whispered.

For so many years, Zhu Ran has always been one of Gao Changgong's most trusted lieutenants. The last time he went north to help, although Zhu Ran was not in the decisive battle, it was actually because he led the fleet down the river and captured Xingzhou , the outcome is still unpredictable.

Years of seamless cooperation allowed him to understand Gao Changgong's intentions in a short period of time, but at the same time, he still stepped into such a trap because he knew that shooting arrows to scare the people away could make them live. down.

But in this way, the scapegoat for ordering to shoot arrows at the people will fall on his head for the rest of his life.

Zhu Ran didn't take it seriously, and even sneered, "What do you think we are joining the army for?"

Abu was slightly taken aback.

"Protect the country and the people, and restore peace." Zhu Ran's eyes were deep and his voice was low, "This is the oath that I and many other brothers made when they merged into Jingwu. We must move forward. What's more, it's nothing more than a scapegoat, compared to those brothers who died at the border, what is it?"

Only then did Abu remember that Zhu Ran was actually an old soldier. Even though he was later promoted to be Gao Changgong's deputy because of his outstanding performance, he was still an old soldier, but his back was no longer as straight as before. Straight, as if there were countless heroic spirits on his back.

The sound of war drums was sounded again, and the siege finally began.

On the street near the top of the city, two children were staring blankly at the trebuchet on the edge of the city wall. They were so shocked to hear the wind sound like the roar of wild animals when the catapult was launched. I forgot to eat the rice cakes on the side.

Although troops often entered and exited Jianye City, because there were few battles, few people saw with their own eyes what this monster-like trebuchet really looked like when it started throwing stones.

Seeing the stones that should have been too heavy to be thrown out were run out of curves under the sling of the trebuchet, the beauty of this huge force was enough to make the two children hold their breath.

"This... is so fucking arrogant..." the taller brother on the left exclaimed.

Hearing this sentence, the younger brother on the right immediately said: "You are swearing again, mother said that if you swear again, she will hit you with a big stick."

"It's...it's nothing..." My brother observed with a pair of mouse eyes and found that the woman they feared the most was not around. He breathed a sigh of relief, wiped the saliva from his mouth with his hand, and said vaguely, " As long as...you don't say...I don't say..."

"I will definitely be a general in the future." My brother pointed at the trebuchet again and said, "I also want to use this...such...big guy..."

"But the general doesn't need such a guy. Look, the one holding the stone is our uncle. What kind of general is he?"

"You know what!" The elder brother glared at the younger brother. "The general shouted, and my uncle went to hug the stone. Who are you talking about using this thing?"

"My uncle." The younger brother sniffed, as if he couldn't understand why the elder brother would ask such a stupid question. Whoever is holding the stone is using this big guy?

However, the argument between the two didn't last long, and soon a sergeant in armor found the two little guys hiding in the corner, his eyes immediately frightened, and he immediately shouted: "Hey, you two Don't be there! It's dangerous!"

But the falling speed of the stone was much faster than the children's reaction. Just when the two children were still wondering why they were suddenly covered by a shadow, the sharp sound of the wind was already pouring into their ears .

This is a stone of more than three hundred kilograms. Although it is not considered huge, the momentum of the fall is already astonishing. Seeing such a scene, the peasants can almost imagine that the two children will become weak under such a falling stone. Into two conspicuous minced meat.

But the shouting sergeant had already stepped forward without hesitation and rushed out!

The light of the knife drifted away like snowflakes, and the vibration sounded like a dragon chant.

Even a cultivator would be injured if he wanted to cut open a stone that fell hundreds of steps away with a knife.

But even so, the sergeant still waved the knife in his hand without hesitation. With his roar, scarlet blood splashed from the tiger's mouth, and the stone finally chose Giving in, he flew to the other side, crashing directly into a residential building, and slammed into a big hole as tall as a person.

The people in the residence had already been moved out, so no one died inside, but the sergeant grinned and held his wrist, the pain made him almost unable to open his eyes.

Under the helmet, Huang Yao's face was exposed.

It's a pity that Huang Yao's qi and blood cultivation has always been a bit slow, otherwise Qin Keyi or Abu would not have hurt his wrist.

Enduring the severe pain, Huang Yao held his knife-holding hand with the other hand, snapped it, and finally returned the dislocated wrist to its original position, with beads of sweat oozing from his forehead.

"Okay?" Huang Yao lowered his head, looked at the child who had already been frightened dumb by the violent noise, and smiled slightly, "Run farther, don't stay in the house, run as far as you can Far away, go back and find your parents..."

767 chapter defending the city

Huang Yao knew that this rock was only the first round of test shooting, and that more rocks would fall in the future. The siege had already begun. In the middle of such a mighty battle, these two children It's like two weak ants that will be crushed to death inadvertently at any time.

And when the two children were still staring and scared to speak, a woman finally ran here accompanied by two sergeants, and screamed when she saw the two children and the big hole beside her , ran up with a crying voice.

"I said I won't let you run around, don't let you run around, and you sneaked in here, how can I live if something happens..." Big tears overflowed from the woman's eyes , She hugged the two children almost with all her strength, as if she was hugging her own lifeline, and she didn't come back to herself until the two sergeants continued to comfort them.

"We're just here to take a look." The younger brother who was held in his arms had a sense of avoiding danger, and said: "Brother said that there are many people in armor here..."

"General, these two dolls slipped past us from somewhere..." the sergeant said with shame, "This subordinate is at fault, please punish the general."

Huang Yao waved his hand indifferently, and had no intention of punishing him, but at this moment the woman suddenly knelt in front of him, which shocked him again.

"General... General, thank you for saving your life, otherwise these two children would... I don't know how to thank you..."

Although Huang Yao had also received thank-you gifts from the people at the border, it was the first time he had experienced it in Jianye, and he felt a little cramped for a while, but when he focused his eyes slightly, he realized that the woman in front of him was exquisite in figure and good-looking, and she was actually a beautiful woman. Meijiao Niang subconsciously let out an old-fashioned admiration.