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墨書 Inktalez
The handling of matters on the battlefield can be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and it is understandable for the General to be lounging in the Haystack under the sun. The sheltered environment, combined with the warm sunlight, makes it easy to doze off. As for appearances, that is no longer a concern.
Luzi also felt utterly exhausted; as soon as he leaned against the Haystack, his eyelids began to droop. How could he be this tired? It seemed his body was becoming less reliable. While pondering this, he took out the Thunderbolt from his pocket and began to rub it repeatedly. Its smooth surface felt similar to that of a pebble, evoking an irresistible urge to squeeze it tightly.
"The General is leaving the city! The General is leaving the city!"
Suddenly jolted awake from his daze, Luzi quickly realized what was happening. He kicked Li Xin, who was gaping with his mouth wide open, and pulled Ji Xi up as well.
"Horses! Prepare the horses! Hurry up!"
By the time the three of them jumped onto their steeds and rushed to the city gate, they were fortunate to arrive just in time. They saw Dong Qing, clad in armor and helmet, preparing to leave the city, accompanied by a newly organized hundred-man troop of soldiers.
Since dawn, the Zhao Army outside had not resumed their siege. Breakfast time had already passed; something must have happened. Could it be that negotiations with the garrison in the city had failed!?
"Doctor Dong!" Luzi dismounted and hurriedly stepped in front of Dong Qing's horse. "The Zhao Army outside has not retreated; I hope you will think twice before proceeding. In a situation where the enemy is strong and we are weak, their promises are often false!"
Dong Qing clearly understood the current situation as he dismounted and grabbed Luzi's arm. "Come with me up to the city!"
They were just about to leave the city; why were they going up to the battlements now? What could be outside? With a mind full of questions, Luzi followed Dong Qing up onto the city wall and gasped in shock. Within his line of sight, over a hundred catapults were already set up and ready for action.
These heavy siege weapons were immensely powerful and could easily destroy defensive structures on the battlements. Even a tightly constructed grayish-blue wall could be severely dented by a single shot.
If the Zhao Army had used catapults to assist their infantry in attacking last night, they wouldn't have needed so much time. If he guessed correctly, these heavy weapons had only just arrived that morning.
Facts speak louder than words! Seeing a large number of woodworking machines appear outside the city, anyone can understand what is going on. If there were any choices at the beginning, the appearance of these things has made the defenders of Wild King City realize how precious time is.
Luzi knows that Dong Qing will never surrender; the purpose of this sortie is merely to delay time as much as possible. However, the generals outside are not fools; anyone who deliberately drags out time will be immediately noticed by them. Sure enough, at that moment, hundreds of axemen would rush in. No matter how great your abilities are, you would still be chopped into pieces.
Li Xin, following behind Luzi, also saw this situation and hurriedly said, "General! This sortie is likely more about conspiracy. You are now the highest authority in the city; we must not fall for Scoundrel's tricks!"
Dong Qing brought Luzi and others up to the city wall to emphasize the importance of the overall situation. The regular troops responsible for defending the walls have dwindled to less than fifteen hundred, most of whom are military laborers filling in numbers. In some areas, a single soldier is accompanied by a group of laborers in combat, which speaks volumes about their fighting capability. Even so, Wild King City is still under the control of the Qin Army.
However, all of this comes with a premise: there must not be any unexpected events during the siege and defense. If even a slight issue arises, the seemingly balanced situation will immediately tilt. The sudden appearance of the Catapult unit falls into this category of unexpected events.
This heavy weaponry can leave no one standing on the walls and could even smash the defensive structures above into pieces. While directly collapsing the city walls may pose some technical difficulties, using it to assist in breaching and destroying bricks is a standard killer move.
The inner part of the city walls is mostly made up of rammed earth layers, while the outside consists of brick and bluestone surfaces along with defensive installations on the walls. The term "collapse" usually refers to issues with bricks and the outer surface of the walls. If it pertains to rammed earth layers, it generally indicates long-term erosion from rain or poor construction quality.
The Zhao Army outside probably did not expect that such a small Wild King City would be so difficult to conquer. Not only have they suffered casualties, but they have also failed to breach any defensive structures. Given the current situation, it seems highly likely that they could continue fighting for another week. Relying on besieging to exhaust the Qin Army's supplies appears somewhat challenging at this moment. After all, this is a supply station for the Qin Army, a standard granary.
It would be better to strive for a peaceful resolution! At least that could speed up progress! If an agreement is reached, you can withdraw all your people immediately; we will not make things difficult for you. If no agreement can be reached, then we will continue fighting. Of course, this requires you to send someone from within the city who has authority to negotiate with us.
A ceasefire agreement was shot into the city by an arrow and soon appeared on Dong Qing's desk. At this time, there were quite a few Qin Army leaders present; including several Kuto and officers from the original garrison, there were seven or eight people in total. However, their ranks were evidently lower than Dong Qing's since he was a Seventh-Rank Public Official. The Commander had already broken out overnight due to injuries and was missing. Now Zhao State's request for negotiations could only fall upon Dong Qing.
As for the outcome of negotiations, it is actually not important at this moment. What matters most is how to delay time to ensure that reinforcements arrive in time with news. If they directly reply to Zhao Army saying no negotiations will take place, fighting will break out immediately. Given this situation, it would be a miracle if they could hold out until noon.
The Granary Commander and several officers made similar requests: as soldiers of Qin Army dying for Qin State and King Qin is considered a worthy death. As for surrendering, that is out of the question; dying for one's country is all that matters.
Through the morning reports about the burning of grain supplies, it was learned that the damage caused by the fire was less than one-fifth of the total grain. This is remarkable, especially considering that the fire was set intentionally, and preserving four-fifths of the quantity is commendable.
This achievement is not only due to the efforts of the firefighting team but also stems from a long-standing and strictly adhered to fire prevention and extinguishing awareness. Building isolation, separation of stacks, and the fire-fighting equipment scattered around ensured this controllable outcome. The saying "prevention is better than cure" is undoubtedly validated in this situation.
Martial Valor in Death is indeed a general's destiny, without a doubt. However, Dong Qing had many thoughts about how to protect the grain supplies within Wild King City. If dying in battle could save these supplies, then that would be acceptable. Yet, the reality is quite the opposite; even if all the Qin Soldiers in the city were to die, they still could not preserve these supplies for the main force of the Qin Army stationed in the Shangdang Region at this time.
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