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墨書 Inktalez
Murong Ge'erhe naturally recognized Murong Hanzhu, a renowned scholar of the Sui Dynasty known for his easygoing demeanor and respectful nature, yet he was a true sage. Although he held no official position, even Khan Nuohebo often sought his counsel.
At this moment, adorned in the purple fur robe of Empress Guanghua, Murong Ge'erhe dared not show any signs of neglect. He hurriedly welcomed him into the Central Army Tent, not daring to underestimate him simply because he was a frail Old Scholar.
Murong Hanzhu maintained military decorum but spoke little else. Taking advantage of the twilight, he ascended the High Slope to survey the surroundings. Under the protection of Soldiers, he examined the terrain around Shandan County thoroughly before returning to the military tent. He then inquired in detail about the fortifications of the Shan Dan Garrison, occasionally furrowing his brow and then relaxing it again, his eyes reflecting an indescribable depth.
"Shandan is just a small county, yet it has managed to hold out for ten days. You have thousands of Wolf Riders, yet you find yourselves at a loss. This indicates that there must be a formidable figure within the county. Do you know who that person is?"
Faced with Murong Hanzhu's question, Murong Ge'erhe couldn't help but break into a sweat. He prided himself on being a great warrior of the Murong Clan, having roamed the Kuber Prairie for many years and being considered an old general among the Tuguhun Army. However, not long ago, his son had made a disastrous move against a tiger and participated in a significant event that led to repeated defeats at the hands of the Tang army, forcing them to advance their plan to ambush Ganzhou.
Because of this incident, Murong Ge'erhe was implicated and removed from the core military command, which led him to engage in looting activities. Although his son Murong Xiao had recently returned and seemed rejuvenated, becoming calm and composed while leading successful raids with substantial spoils.
However, Murong Ge'erhe faced fierce resistance as Shandan County's magistrate Xie Anting relied on a silver spear to fend off countless Wolf Riders. His marksmanship was exceptional; he could shoot targets at great distances with precision akin to that of the legendary general Li Guang. He had driven off several cavalry attempts to breach the county town with ruthless efficiency.
Following the strategy for attacking Ganzhou City, Murong Ge'erhe ordered new timber to be cut for siege ladders and stones to be transported for building fish-leaping paths. If it weren't for the small size of this town, he would have even considered bringing siege engines.
Xie Anting's archery skills were remarkable; his soldiers relied on strong bows and crossbows. The supplies within the town were abundant; these Tang people even demolished houses and dismantled stone and wood for defensive purposes. They were determined to fight to the death, resulting in heavy losses for Murong Ge'erhe while he felt like a dog chasing a porcupine—unable to make any headway.
Upon hearing this veteran's explanation, Murong Hanzhu refrained from making further comments. As dusk fell, he noticed that the soldiers showed no signs of fatigue; instead, they feasted heartily and prepared their weapons with diligence. It became clear that this unit had not relaxed their vigilance against night attacks. With respect in his heart after some deliberation, he suggested to Murong Ge'erhe: "Old General, why not let our Brothers rest well tonight? Xie Anting will surely keep his soldiers alert against surprise attacks. If our Brothers can rest tonight and regain their strength while the Tang army grows weary, we can plan our assault more effectively."
Hearing this proposal brought great joy to Murong Ge'erhe. He quickly issued orders for close monitoring of movements in the county while allowing other soldiers to rest. The entire army rejoiced, and morale soared.
As an experienced general who had fought many battles, he could have thought of such arrangements himself; however, he felt overlooked now. If someone with ill intentions learned of this plan, they might slander him before Khan by claiming that Murong Ge'erhe was being passive and cowardly in battle.
Yet now things were different; Murong Hanzhu had come at Empress Guanghua's behest to strategize for the overall situation. This was Murong Hanzhu's plan; all Murong Ge'erhe needed to do was follow it.
Initially skeptical about Murong Hanzhu's strategic acumen, Murong Ge'erhe now realized that this individual possessed profound military knowledge and acted with calm assurance—truly a scholarly general!
With this understanding, Murong Ge'erhe finally felt at ease entrusting his Soldiers to Murong Hanzhu's command. He initially believed they would be able to capture Shandan by the next day but was surprised when Murong Hanzhu suggested holding back their forces instead—only sending a small group of swift riders ahead to display banners at a distance of one hundred paces while circling around the town.
Xie Anting saw numerous flags and hurriedly woke the Garrison in the city. These Garrison members had been on alert to prevent a nighttime raid and had only just managed to close their eyes until dawn. Now, they were abruptly awakened again, feeling exceptionally weary. Seeing the multitude of flags, they assumed that many enemies were approaching and hastily drew their strong bows to shoot.
Xie Anting suddenly realized that the enemy was trying to confuse them and trick the Garrison into wasting arrows! Although the city had ample resources, after ten days of hard fighting, they had already been depleted, and arrows were in short supply. Xie Anting quickly ordered a halt to the shooting.
Seeing this, Murong Hanzhu sneered and sent out hundreds of cavalry again, this time equipped with strong bows. They did not linger but circled around the city, darting in like dragonflies skimming water. Whenever they got close enough, they seized the opportunity to shoot down several from the City Wall Garrison.
The Garrison in the city was caught in a dilemma; they could neither counterattack nor refrain from retaliating. After several rounds of offense and defense, they had suffered serious injuries to over a dozen men and lost a few lives.
Xie Anting furrowed his brow and had no choice but to position the few remaining shield bearers along the City Wall, instructing them to remain vigilant without counterattacking until those fast-moving cavalry finally ceased their assault.
This move seemed to have been anticipated by Murong Hanzhu. However, as the sun passed noon, he ordered a retreat. On Xie Anting's side, there was no room for carelessness; he vaguely sensed that the enemy's strategic style had changed significantly, leaving him uneasy.
By nightfall, the Shan Dan Garrison was utterly exhausted but had to muster their spirits because if the enemy did not launch a surprise attack last night, it was even more likely they would attempt to seize the city tonight.
The Tuguhun had gained some advantages during the day and was now invigorated at night. The soldiers increasingly admired Murong Hanzhu's strategies as they prepared their horses and weapons for a surprise attack on the county town!
Murong Hanzhu remained calm and ordered preparations for a high altar, claiming it was for a heavenly sacrifice to seek divine assistance. Many soldiers were deeply moved and hurriedly set up an altar. Murong Hanzhu stepped forward with solemnity and prayed earnestly. By midnight, indeed, a northwesterly wind began to blow!
At this moment, morale surged; everyone regarded Murong Hanzhu as a divine figure. The latter held all the cards and ordered fire arrows to be prepared. Taking advantage of the northwesterly wind, they shot them into the county town one after another. The fire borrowed strength from the wind; flames soared into the sky, filling the city with chaos as cries of despair pierced through the night’s tranquility!
The Turquoise Hu Man thought they could rush into the city amidst the chaos but did not realize that Murong Hanzhu held back his troops until the flames subsided before launching a fierce assault on the city gate!
Xie Anting did not expect that the enemy would be so cunning. If it weren't for County Magistrate Yang Wen having dismantled nearby houses to use stones and wood for fortifications earlier, the fire would have been even more severe.
Seeing the enemy launching an assault on the city, Xie Anting was filled with rage. However, after days of harassment from enemy forces, his Garrison was already physically and mentally exhausted. Having endured half a night of flames, they faced yet another siege; their morale was shattered, leaving behind a scene of desolation.
County Magistrate Yang Wen saw that everyone lacked fighting spirit and appeared resigned to their fate. He immediately drew his sword and raised his arm high, shouting: "As a man standing seven feet tall, how can I seek comfort in cowardice? I would rather die defending our borders than let these invaders trample over us! Brothers! Are you not willing to charge into hell with me?"
Yang Wen had some understanding of martial arts; usually elegant and composed, now faced with life and death, his blood surged forth. He shouted a mix of refined and vulgar language that reignited his soldiers' instinct for survival. They believed their skills surpassed those of their magistrate and prided themselves on being braver than him!
Xie Anting had always been dissatisfied, believing that Yang Wen was too cowardly. It wasn't until this scholar chose to stay and defend the county town alongside him, showing no fear as he coordinated support, that Xie Anting raised his blade and shouted, causing the young men to tearfully brandish their weapons and rush up the City Wall!
Seven or eight Ah Chai, fierce as wolves, raised small wooden shields and climbed up the City Wall using ladders. They slammed down the shields filled with Feathered Arrows, while their curved blades swept across like splashing water. One Tang Soldier was instantly disemboweled, blood splattering everywhere!
As the breach opened, Tuguhun Achai surged in like a tide. Xie Anting drew his bow and within moments had emptied a quiver of Feathered Arrows, sweeping his strong bow to strike an enemy in the face, blood spraying everywhere. The bowstring caught around the enemy's neck, and with a swift motion, that poor soul's large head rolled away, blood splattering all over!
Xie Anting remained expressionless as he took up an eight-foot silver spear. With a hum, the spear trembled violently, its shadow blooming like silver flowers as it mercilessly impaled an Ah Chai who had just climbed onto the City Wall!
The Archers below saw Xie Anting expose himself and began shooting in unison. The battlements were filled with Feathered Arrows, one of which pierced Xie Anting's breastplate and embedded itself in his left shoulder!
Yang Wen had just rushed up the City Wall when he couldn't even make a move before most of the incoming Ah Chai were shot dead by Xie Anting, with the remaining ones all being impaled by the silver spear!
Yang Wen raised his horizontal blade and with a clang severed the arrow shaft lodged in Xie Anting's chest. He ordered men to escort him down from the City Wall while he commanded the Soldiers to hold their long shields and defend against bloodshed on the City Wall!
Xie Anting did not go down to heal; he had already made the worst assumptions. He ordered his personal guards to pile up all flammable materials like vegetable oil barrels and fire cotton on the City Wall!
Murong Ge'erhe stood behind as Commander. Anyone daring to retreat would face his ruthless subordinates wielding curved blades. Just as they were about to ascend the City Wall, that damned Xie Anting killed them down again. After finally shooting Xie Anting down with Arrow Rain, another cowardly county magistrate Yang Wen appeared!
The county soldiers and militia had long been prepared to die; their relatives had already been sent away. If those damned Ah Chai got inside, not only would those who hadn’t managed to escape suffer, but even the thousands of Rogues who had fled would face dire consequences!
Seeing their magistrate risking his life amidst blades and arrows, they could not fall behind. Gritting their teeth, they charged forward with spears and scythes, attacking wildly like mad dogs without regard for their lives!
Yang Wen and the militia could not hold out for long before another wave of Ah Chai jumped onto the City Wall. A tall Ah Chai with a prominent mustache targeted Yang Wen specifically. He knocked Yang Wen's long knife away with a strike and was about to behead him when a silver spear flew from within the city and pinned this Ah Chai against the battlement!
Xie Anting charged back into battle as his personal guards poured all flammable materials onto the City Wall, igniting it completely and forcing the Ah Chai to retreat!
Yang Wen had narrowly escaped death. Looking again at Xie Anting, half-covered in blood and dragging his silver spear with a sorrowful expression, he saw that fewer than a hundred men remained behind him, all drenched in blood yet devoid of fear of death in their eyes!
The fire on the City Wall would not last long; everyone knew this well. Moreover, there was no one guarding atop the wall; the enemy would inevitably use battering rams to attack the city gate!
Sure enough, Xie Anting and Yang Wen led a team of fewer than a hundred people, facing the thunderous city gates, gripping their weapons tightly!
The city was about to fall, and Murong Ge'erhe felt a surge of joy, as if the other side of the city gate led to a paradise. However, Murong Hanzhu remained calm, his eyes filled with admiration for Xie Anting and Yang Wen!
As the city gates began to crack, seven or eight hundred enemy soldiers surged toward the opening. At that moment, countless stars lit up in the sky above their camp!
"What is that!"
"It's rockets!"
Murong Hanzhu, stationed at the rear of the troops, was the first to notice the sky full of rockets. With a loud bang, their camp was engulfed in flames!
"Kill!"
With the thunderous battle cries, amidst the flames, the Tang Cavalry poured down from the high ground like a torrent of steel. A Tang Army flag fluttered in the wind, accompanied by another flag bearing the character "Xu"!
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